ROME, Ga. – Former Cherokee County Deputy Sheriff Stephen Michael Bunte has been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison for enticement of a minor and receipt of child sexual abuse material.          “Law enforcement officers take an oath to serve and protect, and Bunte ignored that oath by sexually exploiting children and preying on vulnerable victims overseas,” said U.S. Attorney Theodore S. Hertzberg. “Predatory conduct will not be tolerated, and those who commit these cr

Calhoun Police Chief Tony Pyle, who is on paid administrative leave while an internal investigation into the Calhoun Police Department is being conducted, resigned this week from his position as the appointed District 8 representative of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. The GACP is the largest professional association for law enforcement administrators in Georgia, promoting cooperative, professional relationships throughout the state, evaluating the standards of p

Triumphant Quartet is coming to Heritage Baptist Church! That concert will be held Saturday, Aug. 1st, beginning at 6 p.m. Heritage is located at 345 Curtis Parkway in Calhoun. Get your tickets now! The proceeds will help Heritage to plant a new church in West Africa, where they are committed to serving an area with no Bible churches and no preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This is in response to our Lord Jesus’s command to reach the uttermost parts of the earth. We ha

Chattanooga, TN – S&P Global Market Intelligence recently released its 2026 list of the Top 50 Best Performing Community Banks in the Southeast Region under $3 billion in total assets. Builtwell Bank ranked 21st among 682 eligible banks, continuing its strong performance across the region. Nationally, S&P Global Market Intelligence released its Top 100 Best-Performing Community Banks under $10 billion in total assets. Among the 3,465 eligible institutions, Builtwell Bank earn

DAISY Team Award recipients from Hamilton Medical Center’s 3B Medical Unit are pictured. Nurses and nurse techs on Hamilton Medical Center’s (HMC) 3B Medical Unit recently received the DAISY Team Award for Extraordinary Nurses. The DAISY Award for Extraordinary Nurses has been adopted by healthcare facilities around the world to celebrate nurses for their extraordinary care and compassion. The DAISY Team Award is for nurse-led teams of two or more who come together and go abo

A Thing of Beauty? Many streets of Calhoun are lined with a tree variety that is a cloud-like beauty for about one week of the year, yet an invasive pest most of the time.   Local residents may have noticed that the Bradford pear trees alongside the post office, while recently dressed in lacy white blossoms, at the same time emitted an unpleasant stench that permeated the air in the vicinity. During the rest of the year, the trees sometimes split and drop large limbs near sid

According to City of Calhoun Building Official Joey Moore, a building permit was issued by the City last week to J.T. Williams Construction for the renovation of the old Bruster's Ice Cream building, located at 710 South Wall Street, into a new eating establishment, La Brulee Café. The 1,510 square feet existing building is proposed to have interior dining that will consist of three 4-seat tables and three 2-seat tables. According to Moore, the drive thru will also be utilize

On Saturday, April 11, 2026, the Friends of Resaca Battlefield hosted a tour for the Georgia Battlefield Association with around 50 people in attendance for the tour. The welcome and general park history was given to the group by Friends President Ken Padgett, as well as an update on effects to protect and purchase the 300 plus tract known as the Springbank – Resaca project and partnership with American Battlefield Trust. The tour was conducted by Mr. James Odgen, historian a