By: TY TAGAMI | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA — Cellphones will be banned in Georgia public high schools starting in the 2027-28 school year, if Gov. Brian Kemp signs House Bill 1009 into law. The state Senate passed the measure unanimously on Monday. “This is a great, great, win for our students and our classrooms,” said Rep. Scott Hilton, R-Peachtree Corners, the author of the bill. He has argued that devices are a distraction that can incite disruptions, including figh

BY: MARK NIESSE | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA — The Georgia House voted Monday to impose tougher punishments on protesters who block streets , approving the bill over objections from legislators who said it infringes on free speech rights. The 96-69 vote sends the bill to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk after it previously passed the state Senate. “Blocking traffic in the name of protest is not just an inconvenience for those who cannot pass, it’s impeding first responders, scho

The public is invited to Gordon County E9-1-1, located at 100 Nine One One Blvd. in Calhoun. for their Open House, held annually as part of National Public Safety Telecommunicator Week, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026 from 9 a.m. - 11 a.m.  Telecommunicators are the frontline of any emergency in the community. They are the ones who take emergency calls at Gordon County E-911, and dispatch the first responder services, law enforcement, fire and medical, to the scene of a variety of

(From left) Logan and Ella Knight pose for a picture on GNTC’s Floyd County Campus in Rome. Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Accelerated Career program has empowered Logan Knight to pursue a career path in information technology after overcoming brain cancer.   Logan Knight, 18, and his twin sister, Ella, are seniors at Model High School in Rome. He participates in GNTC’s Accelerated Career program, which allows eligible high school students to fast-track their

From left: J. Mitchell Frix, MD, D.J. Goss, DO and Nick Reed, MD. Hamilton Medical Center (HMC) will host a free joint pain seminar on Thursday, April 2 at 5:30 p.m. at the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce, 300 S. Wall St., Suite 8, in Calhoun.   D.J. Goss, DO; J. Mitchell Frix, MD; and Nick Reed, MD; will give a presentation on the latest advancements in total joint replacement of ankle, hip, knee and shoulder as well as orthopedic foot and ankle surgery.   There are non-op

The Goodwill Opportunity Center in Dalton will host hiring events on Tuesday, March 24, and Monday, March 30, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The Goodwill Opportunity Center is located inside the Goodwill Store at 1001 Market Street, near Mountain Creek Harley-Davidson in the Market Street Shoppes of Dalton shopping center.    The hiring event on March 24 in partnership with Coworx Staffing Solutions, will include on-site interviews for warehouse associate positions starting at $16 pe

Families interested in homeschooling will have the opportunity to learn, connect, and explore resources at the upcoming Northwest Georgia   Homeschool Expo hosted by THRIVE Northwest Georgia and presented by Georgia Northwestern Technical College and Jumpin’ Jacks Zone  on Saturday, April 18, 2026 , from 10:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  at the THRIVE Building, 149 Kelly Ct, Calhoun, GA . The event is designed for anyone interested in homeschooling—whether they are simply curious, jus

“Dancing with the Stars – Calhoun” returns for a fifth consecutive season but with a new format and the largest cast of dancers to date: 34 local high school students! Seventeen couples will fill the stage to provide the biggest show on record Friday, May 15 and Saturday, May 16, 2026. For this anniversary season, five additional couples will take the stage on May 15th in a Preliminary Competition, where each couple will perform in front of a live audience. Ten couples will

Mark your calendars for Friday night, April 24th and all day Saturday, April 25th as Downtown Calhoun is transformed into a full-on celebration from one end of downtown to the other for the 2026 BBQ and Boogie festival. Friday night’s festivities run from 6 - 9 p.m. Saturday, 12 - 8 p.m. This year’s festival marks the first time in its history that a BBQ contest will not be held. According to organizers, it was not profitable, and blocked up a lot of infrastructure, such as r

Madison Mills, director of Surgical Services. Hamilton Medical Center (HMC), part of Vitruvian Health, recently hosted its student symposium for nursing students across the region. The event, held twice a year since 2016, is designed to help future nurses confidently transition from student to professional practice.   Nearly 60 RN and LPN students from Dalton State College and Georgia Northwestern Technical College attended.   This year’s racing‑themed symposium focused on “s

The public is invited to help Gordon County celebrate National County Government Month at the Service Spotlight event from 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. on Wednesday, April 1st. The public can discover the programs, resources, and departments working every day to serve you and your family. Meet your local officials, ask questions, and see how we’re building a stronger community together. You can even file for a homestead exemption that day! Wednesday, April 1st City Park (formerly BB&T Pa

Amy townsend, RN, recently received the DAISY Award at Hamilton Medical Center (HMC). Amy Townsend, RN, a nurse in Hamilton Medical Center’s (HMC) 3B medical unit, recently received the DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY Award recognizes exemplary nursing excellence and is the highest honor a nurse can receive at HMC.   Townsend was nominated for the award based on her kindness, compassion, patience, knowledge, honesty, exceptional care and her commitment to comm