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Haw Creek Elementary students win $2,000 while raising money for Forsyth Humane Society See story Page 4A subaru share the love 8, event Get a great vehicle and support a great cause. Now through January 3. feuse ^ Make Wish Mu □ Natjonal Park Foundation Subaru will donate $250 for every new Subaru vehicle sold or released from Nov. 17-Jan. 3, 2023. 4 SUBARU 820 Atlanta Hwy Cumming tosmaslIBsCDfonKBoQSGuQ (678) 341-4200 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 v d * 0 /F (i 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 Forsyth County News app available for download Find the app at forsythnews.com/apps for local news at your fingertips. 90994 0400 Volume 113, Number 91 © 2022, Forsyth County News Cumming, Georgia