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Your guide to
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DawsonCountyNews
WEDNESDAY I NOVEMBER 23, 2022 DaWSOflNeWS ^COITI DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA $2.00
State agency investigating fatal house fire
By Julia Hansen
jhansen@dawsonnews.com
One state agency is now help
ing investigate a fatal house fire
in Dawson County, according to
a Nov. 18 press release from
Insurance and Safety Fire
Commissioner John F. King.
On Nov. 15, Dawson
County’s Fire and Emergency
Services requested the State Fire
Marshal’s Office to respond to a
residential fire with one record
ed fatality on Kelly Bridge
Road, the press release said.
Emergency crews responded
to a structure fire at a house off
of Kelly Bridge Road at about
1:30 that morning, said Fire and
EMS Chief Troy Leist.
“After the fire was put out,
firefighters located the victim’s
body in the ashes of the resi
dence,” Commissioner King
said in the Nov. 18 release. “The
victim was removed from the
scene and transported to the
GBI Crime Lab to learn the vic
tim’s identity and cause of
death.”
The 1,700-square foot-resi
dence, which was around 72
years old, was completely
destroyed by the fire. The fire’s
cause remains under investiga
tion at this time, the release stat
ed.
Authorities are still in the pro
cess of positively identifying the
victim, said Dawson County
Sheriff Jeff Johnson.
DCN will update this story
once more information can be
publicly released.
Christmas cheer comes to town
Photos by Rio White Dawson County News
Local businesses and organizations had the chance to display their creativity in the 2022 Dawsonville
Christmas Parade on Saturday, Nov. 19.
City begins holiday season with parade, Jingle Market, tree lighting
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
On Saturday, Nov. 19, droves of peo
ple from near and far came to downtown
Dawsonville to watch the Christmas
parade, shop in the Jingle Market and
watch the tree lighting ceremony during
the city’s 10th annual Christmas event.
A wide variety of local organizations
kicked off the day’s festivities at 4 p.m.
with the annual parade through down
town Dawsonville.
After the parade was opened by a per
formance of Christmas music by the
Dawson County High School marching
band, the many attendees lining the
streets enjoyed dozens of creative and
colorful floats put together by familiar
faces in the area, such as the Rotary
Club, several churches, youth sports
groups and many more.
As the parade traversed through down
town, onto Highway 53 and toward City
Hall, the people on the floats helped
usher in the Christmas spirit by tossing
candy toward eager young faces and
shouting “Merry Christmas!”
Following the parade’s conclusion,
many people walked or drove down to
City Hall to participate in the Dawson
County Chamber of Commerce Jingle
Market, where attendees could get to
experience a range of local businesses
Hundreds gathered around City Hall to witness the 2022 Christmas Tree
Lighting event on Nov. 19.
and shop for Christmas gifts and decora
tions.
In addition to the Jingle Market being
open from 4 to 8 p.m., families were also
able to walk up to the farmer’s market
pavilion to take photos with Santa and
purchase concessions from local and
regional food vendors.
After a couple hours of market merri
ment, excitement began to build prior to
the annual tree lighting at 6 p.m.
Just before the lighting commenced,
awards were handed out to some of the
best floats in the Christmas parade.
When that ceremony concluded, hun
dreds gathered around the towering tree
in front of City Hall and began to count
down from 10.
With every second that passed, the
sounds of cheering and clapping swelled
— until the tree was finally illuminated
in all its glory for everyone to witness.
The night was capped off by live
entertainment of classic Christmas tunes,
courtesy of many local groups including
the Dawson County High School chorus.
Neighborhood
collects turkeys,
food, donations
for The Place
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
Over the past two weekends, residents of
Chestatee neighborhood in Dawson County
have been hard at work collecting turkeys,
non-perishable food items and monetary
donations for The Place of Dawson County
to help with the nonprofit’s Thanksgiving
boxes that will be distributed to those in
need of a little extra help with their holiday
meal.
The turkey drive lasted from Nov. 1
through Nov. 12, and during this time
Chestatee residents collected a grand total
of 85 turkeys, 503 pounds of non-perish
able food and $3,840 in monetary dona
tions.
During the drive, several residents
throughout the neighborhood set up boxes
on their porches to collect canned goods
and other non-perishable food items. The
Place came out to the neighborhood on
Saturday Nov. 5 and Saturday Nov. 12 with
a refrigerator truck, and neighbors came by
in golf carts, in cars and on foot to drop off
turkeys, checks and other donations.
See Turkey 13A
David Ralston,
Georgia House
Speaker, dies
By Jeff Amy
Associated Press
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston
died Wednesday at 68, spokesperson Kaleb
McMichen said, less than two weeks after
he announced he was stepping down
because of health concerns.
A statement issued by McMichen said
only that Ralston had died after “an
extended illness.” The Blue Ridge
Republican became Georgia state govern
ment’s second most powerful leader during
his 13 years leading the 180-member
House.
“A great pine tree has fallen in the
Georgia House of Representatives,” said
Democrat Calvin Smyre of Columbus, the
longest-serving member of the House and
a friend of Ralston.
See Ralston 14A
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Volume 8, Number 42 j 1
© 2022, Dawson County News °
Dawsonville, Georgia Opinion
Sports
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2A
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4A Santa, hundreds
of helpers ride
during Toy Run
6A Dawsonville,
Dahlonega
Mayors’ pets
compete for title
of cutest dog’
