Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 28,2022
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A
Dawson native returns to hometown
to work with local medical practice
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
Gregory Morgan and his
family moved to Dawson
County in 2006, where he
graduated high school and
lived for much of his col
lege career before moving
to Macon to complete his
internship and residency.
Now, several years later,
Morgan and his family
have moved back to
Dawson County, where he
is working as a medical
provider with Anderson
Family Medicine, a local
Northside network provid
er.
Morgan holds a bache
lor’s degree in biology with
a minor in psychology
from the University of
North Georgia, a master’s
degree in science in pre-
clinical sciences from
Mercer University and a
medical doctor degree as a
primary care accelerated
track scholar from Mercer
University School of
Medicine.
Morgan met his wife
Ariel at the University of
North Georgia, and they
married right before he
started medical school.
While he enjoyed the time
they spent living in the
Macon area, Morgan said
that he always felt pulled
back to Dawson County.
“I made a lot of good
friends in high school,
made a lot of good connec
tions and really fell in love
Morgan
with the
area so I
always
kind of
wanted to
come
back,”
Morgan
said.
So when
he started calling around to
his connections within the
Northside Hospital system
and learned of a job open
ing with Dr. Anderson’s
office in the Dawson
County Northside building,
he jumped at the chance to
move back.
“It’s nice to be back; I
called around and said I
really wanted to work in
Dawsonville and were
there any jobs in this build
ing,” Morgan said. “My
dad has actually been a
patient of Dr. Anderson for
a long time and when I
started talking about the job
he said ‘hey that’s my doc
tor’ — it really is that
small-town feel up here.”
In his role with Anderson
Family Medicine, Morgan
works as a primary care
doctor, performs annual
wellness checks, does pro
cedures like joint injec
tions, and most recently has
started a weight loss clinic.
He and the office hope to
expand the services offered
in the future too, including
offering botox and other
cosmetic procedures and
adding an ultrasound to
allow for in-office diagnos
tics.
One reason he was so
eager to return to Dawson
County, he said, is because
since he spent so many
years in the county he
knows some of the health
issues that people in the
area commonly face.
“Spending my time
growing up here in Dawson
County, I know the prob
lems we have here so I’m
trying to work with the
people here and get us all a
little healthier,” Morgan
said. “I wanted to come
back here because I was
familiar with the health dis
parities; I think that puts
me in a good position to be
able to help — that’s what
I’m here for is to help give
people a good quality of
life.”
Morgan officially started
working with the practice
in July, but due to lack of
space in the old location he
was unable to work out of
the same office as Dr.
Anderson. Now, the prac
tice has recently finished its
expansion and he said he’s
excited to finally have his
own area of the new and
improved office space.
“There were always
plans to build it out so
they’re finally done with
my side; it’s really nice to
have my own space,”
Morgan said. “Before, I
was upstairs in a temporary
office so now we have
patients coming down here
and it’s just really nice to
be back together after
being apart for the last cou
ple of months.”
Morgan and his wife had
their first child, Asher, in
April, and he said that in
their spare time they love to
spend time outside and
enjoy everything that
Dawson County has to
offer.
“We love going to Rock
Creek, we love Uncle
Shucks and Burt’s
Pumpkin Farm — we
missed all of that so much
in Macon,” Morgan said.
“We love going hiking, we
love Amicalola; we’re big
outdoorsy people and love
to get outside.”
The family also now
lives right down the road
from his parents, so they
love to spend time with
them too.
Morgan said that he’s
thrilled to have the chance
to return to Dawson
County, and that he looks
forward to serving the
county in the future as the
need for primary care in the
area continues to expand.
“I think this kind of fits
me as well as I fit with it,”
Morgan said. “The growing
need for more primary care
is definitely true, and I’m
excited to be back and give
back to my community.”
For more information
about Anderson Family
Medicine and Morgan, go
to https ://andersonfamily-
medicine.com or call the
practice at 706-265-1335.
Sawnee EMC is named ‘Highest in
Customer Satisfaction’ by J.D. Power
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
Sawnee Electric
Membership Corporation
has received an award from
J.D. Power for scoring
“Highest in Customer
Satisfaction” among elec
tric cooperatives in their
2022 Electric Utility
Residential Customer
Satisfaction Study.
According to a release by
Sawnee EMC, the study
was based on J.D. Power’s
research throughout the
country and distinguishes
the corporation with the
highest customer satisfac
tion standards in their seg
ment, with a score of 809
out of 1,000. The corpora
tion also received the high
est scores in the “Power
Quality and Reliability”,
“Price” and “Customer
Care” segments.
“This is a great honor for
the dedicated men and
women who call Sawnee
home each day, and also
for over 170,000 members
who have entrusted us to
meet their energy needs
and serve their communi
ties,” Sawnee EMC
President and CEO
Michael Goodroe said in
the release. “This speaks
volumes about our staff’s
commitment to always put
ting our members’ needs
first.”
Sawnee EMC has been
recognized by J.D. Power
three other times in the
past; in 2013, 2018 and
2020.
“We could not be happier
with this award; the fact
that our members appreci
ate us and that they appre
ciate how we do business
as their cooperative makes
it all worthwhile,” Vice
President of Member
Services Blake House said
in the release. “Yes, we
supply electricity, but we
do so much more than just
that. We want our members
to see value in the service
we provide. Customer ser
vice is ingrained in every
thing we do, and we are
proud that this honor is
based upon the direct feed
back from our members.”
For more information
about Sawnee EMC, go to
sawnee.com.
Georgians can
now earn HSE
diploma for free
By Erica Jones
ejones@dawsonnews.com
The Technic al
College System of
Georgia (TCSG)
announced recently
that eligible Georgians
can now earn their
high school equivalen
cy (HSE) diploma for
free, thanks to a new
bill establishing the
HOPE High School
Equivalency
Examination Grant
Program.
According to a
release by Lanier
Technical College, a
local unit of the
TCSG, the bill was
passed by the Georgia
General Assembly and
signed into law by
Governor Brian Kemp
earlier this year.
Through the program,
eligible Georgians will
receive an award of up
to $200 to cover exam
fees for the GED
exam.
“High school equiv
alency diplomas give
Georgia residents
greater access to
employment and high
er education opportu-
nities,” TCSG
Commissioner Greg
Dozier said in the
release. “By providing
the funding to cover
the costs of testing,
we are opening the
doors to life-changing
opportunities for our
fellow citizens.”
There are just over
one million adults 18
years and older in
Georgia who don’t
have a high school
diploma or equivalent
ly the release said. For
some test-takers, the
opportunity provided
by this grant will
remove the last barrier
they face before earn
ing their HSE diplo
ma. The HOPE HSE
Examination Grant is
fully funded by the
Georgia Lottery for
Education.
“We are so grateful
that Georgia now pro
vides a mechanism to
address one of the
most significant barri
ers that adults face
when considering
earning a high school
equivalency diploma
— the cost of testing,”
TCSG Assistant
Commissioner for
Adult Education
Cayanna Good said in
the release.
For someone to be
eligible to receive a
HOPE HSE
Examination Grant,
they must meet gener
al HOPE requirements
and TCSG’s HSE test
readiness standards.
Georgians can apply
once per subject area
exam. Adult education
providers across the
state also offer free
classes with flexible
schedules to help
Georgians prepare for
the test. Grant funds
are subject to annual
state appropriation
and availability of
funds, the release
added.
To learn more about
the HOPE HSE
Examination Grant, go
to www.HSEtest4Free.
com.
FROM 1A
Fire
fire at a house off of Kelly
Bridge Road at about 1:30
that morning, Fire and
EMS Chief Troy Leist pre
viously said to DCN.
“After the fire was put
out, firefighters located the
victim’s body in the ashes
of the residence,”
Commissioner King said
in the Nov. 18 release.
“The victim was removed
from the scene and trans
ported to the GBI Crime
Lab to learn the victim’s
identity and cause of
death.”
The 1,700-square foot-
residence, which was
around 72 years old, was
completely destroyed by
the fire. Authorities are still
in the process of positively
identifying the victim.
DCN will update this
story once more informa
tion can be publicly
released.
jpTEf?
FROM 1A
Shop
and women who take part”
in Shop with a Cop.
Children were paired
with DCSO officers from
multiple departments, with
some getting to shop with
the school resource officers
that they already knew.
The combined generosity
from donations helped doz
ens of local children fill
their carts up on Monday
with bedazzled dolls
galore, foam launchers for
future fun-filled NERF bat
tles and a colorful array of
stuffed animals-or toys for
canine companions.
As many children
walked through toy, craft or
other aisles, the amount of
options seemed endless.
Deputies gladly helped
them narrow down what
they really wanted, all
while staying within each
child’s individual budget.
Children were taught
how to keep track of their
gift budget while also
thinking about taxes for the
overall purchase.
DCSO personnel and
Walmart workers teamed
up to ring up and bag the
children’s holiday purchas
es at designated checkout
lanes.
As pairs of young stu
dents and officers lined up
to check out, there were a
lot of giddy grins, excited
‘thank yous’ and of course,
snack purchases to polish
off children’s gift collec
tions.
It was well worth it for
the DCSO staff, many of
whom have been involved
with the annual fundraiser
for multiple years.
In fact, Cofield said he’s
been involved for almost
the entire time the event
has taken place in Dawson
County.
Evans called Shop with a
Cop the “highlight of my
year, every year.
Cpt. William Thacker
said that since his hiring to
DCSO several years ago,
he’s helped out with the
event five or six times-only
night shifts have stopped
him from coming out con
secutively.
But he’ll still come out to
help, for the same reason as
his fellow officers.
“The smile on the kids’
faces ... that’s all it takes,”
Thacker said. “For most
people, the first time you
do it, we’re [hooked.]
We’re like ‘Hey, we have
the ability to give back to
the community and be a
part in helping kids have a
good Christmas.”
DawsonCountyNews
DawsonNews com
DEADLINES FOR CHRISTMAS/NEW YEAR’S DAY
• Retail/Classifieds/Obits for 12/28 paper - 3pm on 12/22
• Legals deadline/Drop-offs - Noon on 12/21
• Retail/Classifieds/ Obits for 1/4 paper - 3pm on 12/29
• Legals deadline/Drop-offs - Noon on 12/28
Offices be CLOSED Monday, December 26 &
Monday, January 2 in observance of the holidays.
NORTH GEORGIA
MOUNTAINS
CHAPTER
970
VIETNAM VETERANS
OF AMERICA
We are pleased to extend our most sincere THANKS
to the companies and buinesses that supported our 2022
raffle and scholarship funding campaign.
A special THANK YOU to those who purchased raffle tickets or
made donations.
If you are visiting one of these fine businesses please thank
them and give them your supoort.
VERA BRADLEY OUTLET, Dawsonville
PUBLIX Markets
AMICALOLA FALLS PARK AND RESORT
REFRIGIWEAR, Dahlonega
JOHNNIE B’S, Dahlonega
FOOTHILL GRILL, Dahlonega
SMITH HOUSE, Dahlonega
STEEL BUFFALO BUTCHERY, Dawsonville
C&W HARDWARE, Dawsonville
ELACHEE NATURE CENTER, Gainesville
NORTH GEORGIA HAIRCUTTERS, Dahlonega
KARMEN PH ARRIS, PALMER HOUSE PROPERTIES,
Dawsonville
FIVE GUYS, Dawsonville
ORIGINAL PANCAKE HOUSE, Windward Parkway
ONE-O-ONE PRINTING, Dawsonville
SALT MED SPA, Dawsonville
DAWSONVILLE GUN, Dawsonville
CENTER FOR PUPPETRY ARTS, Atlanta
TENNESSEE AQUARIUM, Chattanooga,TN
SAVOY AUTO MUSEUM, Cartersville
BOOTH WESTERN ART MUSEUM, Cartersville
DAHLONEGA GOLD MUSEUM, Dahlonega
CHESTATEE FORD, Dahlonega
MANY SHADES-O-GRAY, Dahlonega
TRITTS SPORTING GOODS, Dahlonega
EGG HARBOR CAFES, Atlanta
CUTCO CUTLERY, Olean, New York
GERALD SWAFFORD, Dawsonville
GEORGE MARCHBANKS, Dawsonville