“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

At the request of the Jasper Police Department, GBI agents are investigating an officer involved shooting in Jasper, GA. Nicholas “Nic” Crews, age 34, of Marietta, GA, was injured during the initial shooting and later died. Lawrence Charles Michels, age 51, of Jasper, GA, was shot and killed in the incident. No officers were injured. On March 17, 2026, at about 1:30 p.m., a shooting occurred inside the Veterans Affairs Clinic on East Church Street in Jasper, GA. Michels was a

Matthew Allen Pickens, 45, of Calhoun, was indicted by a Gordon County Grand Jury this week on a slew of charges related to a crash that killed a Dade County man on Rome Road (Hwy 53 W). Allen was indicted on charges of Felony Murder, Homicide by Vehicle in the 1st Degree (3 counts), Serious Injury by Vehicle (6 counts), Fleeing, DUI (5 counts for under the influence of methamphetamine, alcohol, diazepam, ketamine and combined influence of methamphetamine, alcohol, diazepam a

By: MARK NIESSE | Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA — Georgia drivers could soon get a break on rising gas prices under a proposal moving quickly through the General Assembly. The state House voted 163-4 on a bill Wednesday that would suspend Georgia’s gas tax to help moderate costs as they increase because of the United States war with Iran. “Given the actions in the Middle East, this is going to be some well-received relief to our constituents and taxpayers, particularly as

At the request of the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office, GBI agents are investigating an officer involved shooting in Bartow County. Justin Eric Hardin, age 45, of Canton, GA, was shot and killed. No deputies were injured during the incident. Preliminary information indicates that on March 17, 2026, at about 3:00 p.m., Bartow County Sheriff’s Office deputies and Bartow Cartersville Drug Task Force agents attempted to execute an arrest warrant and vehicle stop in connection to a

Advocate Health will award $200,000 in scholarships to students pursuing education in health care and STEM-related fields, supporting the development of a strong and diverse future workforce.  The organization will provide 40 $5,000 scholarships, including 20 awards available to community members and dependents of teammates and 20 designated for eligible Advocate Health teammates across its service area.  The scholarships support students enrolled in health-related fields, in

Is your teenager ready to learn how to drive? Gordon County Schools' Driver’s Ed Program classes are beginning soon at Gordon County Schools! Enrollment is available now. There are several available program dates listed below: April 2026 Location: Gordon Central High School Dates: April 13-15, 20-22 Time: 3:00 PM - 8:30 PM June 2026 Dates and times to be determined. July 2026 Dates and times to be determined. To enroll in the Driver’s Education Program, fill out the form prov

The 18th annual Georgia String Band Festival, the Official String Band Festival of Georgia, and Gordon County Fiddlers’ Convention returns to the Harris Arts Center on Friday and Saturday, March 27th - 28th. Friday night’s kick-off concert will eature Bruce Molsky & Darol Anger. The 18th annual Georgia String Band Festival, which is the Official String Band Festival of Georgia, and The Gordon County Fiddlers’ Convention, which was established in 1924, returns to the Harris Ar