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Haw Creek Elementary
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while raising money for
Forsyth Humane Society
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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
Midweek Editon-Nov 30-Dec 1,2022 FORSYTHNEWS.COM forsythcountynews Q @ForsythNews (®) @ForsythNews $1.00
Finalists named to replace county manager
ByAshlyn Yule
ayule@forsythnews.com
Following an announcement
from the office of Gov. Brian
Kemp about Kevin Tanner’s
appointment to the Georgia
Department of Behavioral
Health and Developmental
Disabilities, county commis
sioners have announced two
finalists for the position of
county manager.
Assistant county managers
David McKee and Brandon
Kenney, who have both served
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4
McKee Kenney
in their current positions since
2021, are being considered for
the role.
McKee has been an assistant
county manager since April
2021 and has overseen opera
tions of the county’s depart
ments of engineering, recycling
and solid waste, fleet services,
public transportation and public
facilities.
He also serves as the execu
tive manager for all transporta
tion-related activities and
responsibilities, working fre
quently with the Georgia
Department of Transportation
as its main contact in Forsyth
County.
Kenney has been an assistant
county manager since June
2021 and has overseen opera
tions of the county’s depart
ments of parks and recreation,
planning and community devel
opment, water and sewer, senior
services, code compliance and
animal services.
He has also served as chief
information officer since 2016,
managing and administering the
county’s information technolo
gy initiatives and activities by
leading the departments of
Information Systems and
Technology and Geographic
Information Services.
According to a release from
the Forsyth County govern
ment, the mission of the county
manager’s office is “to manage
day-to-day operations of the
county on behalf of the
Chairman and Board of
Commissioners, to ensure that
tax dollars are spent and
accounted for in a responsible
manner and to respond to the
needs and concerns of the citi
zens of Forsyth County.”
The Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners will not take
action on appointment of a
county manager until at least
Dec. 8.
'I'm ready for this'
Kelly Whitmire Forsyth County News
Republican U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker stopped by the Reid Barn on Monday, Nov. 28
to meet with supporters ahead of the U.S. Senate runoff election.
Walker makes stop in Forsyth ahead of runoff
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
With just over a week to go
before the Senate runoff election on
Tuesday, Dec. 6, Republican candi
date Herschel Walker made a stop
this week in Forsyth County.
On Monday, Nov. 28, Walker’s
bus tour stopped at the Reid Barn
on Majors Road to meet with sup
porters ahead of the runoff against
Democratic incumbent Sen.
Raphael Wamock.
“This is one of the most impor
tant elections we can ever have in
Inside
Ga. runoff: Early voting for
Warnock-Walker round 2, 8A
our lifetime, so what we’ve got to
do is get our friends out to vote,
because I can tell you right now,
I’m ready for this,” Walker said on
Monday night.
During his remarks, Walker criti
cized Wamock, President Joe Biden
and Democratic policies in recent
years, while also saying he was in
favor of building a wall at the south
ern border to fight illegal immigra
tion, touted the need for energy
independence and spoke against
Critical Race Theory being taught
to children in schools.
“Guys, I’m not a politician, I’m
that warrior for God,” Walker said,
“and I’m ready to tell them, ‘No,
we’re not going to do it. No, we’re
not going to spend money we don’t
have. No, we’re going to become
energy independent again. No,
we’re going to stand behind my
men and women in blue and get
behind our military, as well, and
See Walker 12A
City to kick off
Christmas with
parade Dec. 3
ByAshlyn Yule
ayule@forsythnews.com
The most wonderful time of the year in
Cumming is almost upon us, celebrating its
fifth year of holiday cheer.
Join hundreds of Forsyth County residents,
friends and family members to kick off the
holidays at the City of Cumming Christmas
Festival starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 3.
As spectators dot the streets to watch holi
day floats travel from Forsyth Central High
School to the Cumming Fairgrounds, be sure
to wait for a wink and a wave from Santa.
Following the parade at 6 p.m., head down
to the Cumming Fairgrounds for pictures with
Santa, music, food, s’mores, local vendors
and hayrides through the Christmas lights on
site.
A Christmas tree lighting ceremony will
end the evening.
For more information about this free event,
go to the Cumming Fairgrounds’ Facebook
page and click on ‘Events.’
FCN file photo
Forsyth County will kick off the holidays
at the City of Cumming Christmas
Festival starting at 5 p.m. on Saturday,
Dec. 3.
UNG students compete in NATO event targeting disinformation
From staff reports
An 11-student team from the
University of North Georgia took
a first-place spot in the interna
tional Countering Disinformation
Challenge recently hosted by the
William & Mary Innovation
Challenge and the North Atlantic
Treaty Organization, or NATO.
As part of the competition, stu
dents were tasked with crafting
potential solutions for battling
disinformation in the Russia-
Ukraine War.
UNG won the Alpha Stream
against teams from Oxford
University, Keele University, the
American University in Cairo
and Nottingham Trent. That vic
tory gave Gabriella Bartlett, a
junior from Johns Creek, a
chance to present UNG’s project
summary to all the participating
schools.
“Our team’s success against
Oxford University and others is a
testament to the quality of the
education our students receive in
the Department of Political
Science and International
Affairs,” said Dr. Hamid Serri,
associate professor of political
science and international affairs.
“I also attribute this success to the
excellent teamwork by faculty
and students across [the universi
ty], I am very proud of our stu
dents.”
UNG’s team had a strong mix
of students pursuing degrees in
political science, international
affairs and strategic and security
studies.
In addition to Bartlett, team
members included Gabriela
Ocasio, Ella Reid, Natalie Pippin,
Autumn Coan, Odahia Carrasco,
Michelle Borosak, Avery
Johnson, Mohini Devadath,
Jessica Case, and Nathanael
Hines.
Competing teams received
their case competition briefing
document several days prior to
the event.
Paula Redondo Alvarez-
Palencia, a NATO officer, helped
UNG students discuss and delib
erate their plans before presenting
them.
Bartlett said the UNG students’
suggested helping Ukrainians get
access to quality internet so they
See NATO 13A
Photo submitted to Forsyth County News
In the front row, from left, are Gabriela Ocasio, Ella Reid,
Gabriella Bartlett, Natalie Pippin, and Autumn Coan. In the
back row, from left, are Odahia Carrasco, Michelle Borosak,
Avery Johnson, Mohini Devadath, Jessica Case, and
Nathanael Hines.
64/33
Forecast 12A
The Place of
Forsyth still
accepting
donations for
Holiday House, 4A
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Find the app at
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Volume 113, Number 91
© 2022, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia