• Parker awarded Teacher of the Year

    Fannin County, Georgia, School System, Teacher of the Year, Chris Parker, Sabrina Howard, Brittany Newton, Christie Holtman, Karen Goode

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The Fannin County School System honored exceptional educators in their annual celebration and named Chris Parker of Blue Ridge Elementary as Fannin County’s 2023 Teacher of the Year. The Teacher of the Year award was brought back this year after the school system was unable to participate in the award last […]

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  • Candidates Qualify for Blue Ridge City Election

    Blue Ridge city council candidates

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – Qualifying has officially come to an end for the upcoming City of Blue Ridge election and 13 candidates have thrown their respective hats into the ring. With much contention being expressed at recent City Council meetings, residents not only of the city but also of Fannin County as a whole, are […]

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  • Aquatic Center discussions continue

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – Discussions continue as Blue Ridge City Council Member Mike Panter asks County Commissioners to consider a feasibility study for a proposed aquatic center in Fannin County. “I am speaking not necessarily on behalf of the City Council,” Panter opened, stating that at the time he was speaking as a resident who […]

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  • RCut funding causes debate among City Officials

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The “look of impropriety” fueled debate over the City of Blue Ridge’s recent involvement in improvements to Highway 515. Previously the University of North Georgia (UNG) had approached the city looking for help in obtaining funds to create an RCut in the median of Hwy. 515. This RCut would allow motorists […]

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  • Panter and Fitts give their opinion on recent affordable housing vote

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Affordable Housing, Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Philip Searles, Housing Authority, Traver Aiken, HUD, Family, Senior, Age Restrictive, Mineral Springs Drive, Fannin County, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, Planning Commission, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – Councilmembers Mike Panter and Nathan Fitts are sharing their reasoning behind a recent controversial vote on a proposed housing project presented by the Beverly J. Searles Foundation. The following are direct statements from Panter and Fitts regarding their votes and opinions on the matter. From Councilmember Mike Panter Why I Voted […]

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  • Management of City Parking will not go out to bid

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Parking, Fannin County, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, Executive Parking Systems, Shelli WoJohn, Bid, Process, Contract

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – Tempers flared again as Blue Ridge City Council voted on whether it would be in the City’s best interest to put the management of municipal parking out to bid. In a second Special Called Meeting held on Friday, May 21, 2021, Council Member Nathan Fitts proposed that the City release Executive […]

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  • Council rejects rezoning request on affordable housing development

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Affordable Housing, Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Philip Searles, Housing Authority, Traver Aiken, HUD, Family, Senior, Age Restrictive, Mineral Springs Drive, Fannin County, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, Planning Commission, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The proposed affordable housing project to be located on Mineral Springs Drive has come to a halt after a tie breaking vote denied the rezoning request put forward by the Beverly J. Searles Foundation. Emotions were high in a full room as City Council listened to sides both in support and […]

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  • Affordable housing project one step closer to coming to Blue Ridge

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Affordable Housing, Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Philip Searles, Housing Authority, Traver Aiken, HUD, Family, Senior, Age Restrictive, Mineral Springs Drive, Fannin County

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The Beverly J. Searles Affordable Housing project is one step closer to coming to Blue Ridge. This comes after the Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend moving forward with rezoning of certain acreage to R3 high density residential. The Beverly J. Searles Foundation, a Georgia based nonprofit that develops affordable housing, […]

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  • The Blue Coyote faces alleged ordinance violations

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – City Council met Friday, April 30, 2020 in a special called meeting to appoint a Hearing Officer that will oversee a case involving the possible “suspension and revocation of an occupational tax certificate allowing for the sale of alcoholic beverages”. Blue Ridge Municipal Court Judge Robert Sneed will be put in […]

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  • Council rejects rezoning request on affordable housing development

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Affordable Housing, Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Philip Searles, Housing Authority, Traver Aiken, HUD, Family, Senior, Age Restrictive, Mineral Springs Drive, Fannin County, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, Planning Commission, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The proposed affordable housing project to be located on Mineral Springs Drive has come to a halt after a tie breaking vote denied the rezoning request put forward by the Beverly J. Searles Foundation. Emotions were high in a full room as City Council listened to sides both in support and […]

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  • Council rejects rezoning request on affordable housing development

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Affordable Housing, Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Philip Searles, Housing Authority, Traver Aiken, HUD, Family, Senior, Age Restrictive, Mineral Springs Drive, Fannin County, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, Planning Commission, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The proposed affordable housing project to be located on Mineral Springs Drive has come to a halt after a tie breaking vote denied the rezoning request put forward by the Beverly J. Searles Foundation. Emotions were high in a full room as City Council listened to sides both in support and […]

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  • Council rejects rezoning request on affordable housing development

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Affordable Housing, Beverly J. Searles Foundation, Philip Searles, Housing Authority, Traver Aiken, HUD, Family, Senior, Age Restrictive, Mineral Springs Drive, Fannin County, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, Planning Commission, Family Connection, Sherry Morris

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The proposed affordable housing project to be located on Mineral Springs Drive has come to a halt after a tie breaking vote denied the rezoning request put forward by the Beverly J. Searles Foundation. Emotions were high in a full room as City Council listened to sides both in support and […]

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  • Fitts goes on record with Mayor’s alleged violations

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – Council Member Nathan Fitts is going on record with alleged City Charter violations and State Law infractions committed by the Mayor and certain Council Members. At the March 9th City Council meeting Fitts made the public aware that Mayor Donna Whitener and Council Members Mike Panter and Robbie Cornelius had been […]

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  • Scearce sworn in as Post One Comissioner

    Fannin County, Georgia, Johnny Scearce, Post One Commissioner, Chief of Police, Blue Ridge, Swearing In, Oath of Office, Probate Judge, Scott Kiker

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – A crowd gathered on the steps of the Fannin County Courthouse to witness the swearing in of new Post One Commissioner Johnny Scearce. Scearce, who is currently the City of Blue Ridge Chief of Police, won the seat of Post One Commissioner in the November 2020 General Election. Due to a […]

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  • Mayor asked to return key to City Hall

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – Mayor Donna Whitener was asked to turn in her key to City Hall as council members expressed their concerns over the upcoming election. “With all that has been going on over the past couple of months, which the public is just now starting to find out about, to be very honest, […]

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  • Fitts pursues legal action against censure

    Blue Ridge, Georgia, Fannin County, Censure, Conduct, City Council, Post 1, Harold Herdon, Post 2, Rhonda Haight, Post 3, Mike Panter, Post 4, Robbie Cornelius, Post 5, Nathan Fitts, Mayor, Donna Whitener, Attorney, James Balli, David Syfan, Hostile Work Environment, Lawsuit, Anti Litem, Whistleblower

    Blue Ridge, Ga. – The recent censure of Council Member Nathan Fitts could lead to legal proceedings that would cost the taxpayers of Blue Ridge. Fitts’ personal lawyer and previous City Attorney for the City of Blue Ridge, R. David Syfan, sent an Anti Litem Notice (intent to sue) to those members of council, including […]

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