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have the
most
beautiful
pet?
Page 12A
New courthouse underway by spring
By Angela Reinhardt, staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Barring any unforeseen setbacks,
county officials expect early stages of
construction on the Pickens County
Courthouse renovation to begin in
spring 2012.
This announcement comes more than
three years after the SPLOST passed in
February 2008, when voters approved
$17 million for courthouse renovations
and another $2.7 million for parking and
debt service for the courthouse.
Facebook
group stirs
memories
By Angela Reinhardt
staff writer
areinhardt@pickensprogress.com
Do you remember parking at
Jasper Banking Company in
downtown only to be scared half
to death by inmates hanging out
the windows at the Old Jail?
Cassie Woodward Logan does,
and the memory made such an im
pression on her that she shared it
on the Facebook group that has
racked up over 1,700 posts and
nearly 700 groupies in less than
two days.
Members of “You know you’re
from Jasper, Ga. if you remem
ber...,” are using the social net
working group to reminisce about
all the things that remind them of
home—from the Speed Burger to
the Blue Rodeo to favorite and
not-so-favorite teachers. The posts
wax comical, wane sorrowful and
waffle between love and disdain
for our small mountain commu
nity.
The new Facebook group
began with a post from its creator
Jennifer Edwards Jordan, who re
members an unsavory tidbit about
a local fast-food biscuit.
Perhaps the longest thread of
comments came after a poignant.
See Facebook on Page 13B
Blood Drive
set for Aug. 12
There will be a blood drive on
Friday, August 12, from 12:30-
5:30 p.m. at Amicalola EMC,
Camp Road, Jasper. Please contact
Sharon Little at 706-692-7257 to
make an appointment.
Please bring photo ID. Before
you donate: drink extra caffeine-
free liquids like water or juice; eat
a good meal or snacks; get plenty
of sleep the night before; and no
intense exercise or heavy lifting
after giving blood.
Why be ordinary? Be extraor
dinary - donate blood.
According to Pickens County Court
house Project Manager Thurman Slone,
all department heads with the Pickens
judicial system have signed off on ten
tative courthouse plans, or schematics,
which were drafted by Bruce Jennings
of JKH Architects.
“This is where we lay out the space
for the rooms and offices to make cer
tain everyone has adequate space for op
erations,” Slone said.
Pickens County Chief Superior Court
Judge Brenda Weaver, District Attorney
Joe Hendricks, Chief Magistrate Judge
Allen Wigington and Probate Judge
Rodney Gibson have all signed off on
these tentative plans, Slone said.
Sheriff Donnie Craig said he has met
with Slone and Jennings regarding the
schematics but that he has not yet signed
off. Craig said he requested a copy of
drawn plans for his review and that he
plans to meet with Slone and Jennings
in the next week.
“I requested a copy to bring back for
review for security measures [at the
courthouse],” Craig said. “There are a
few security issues I want to look at be
fore I sign.”
Pickens County Commissioner
Robert Jones said he is not legally re
quired to gain approval from department
heads on the schematics, but that,
“We’ve worked hard for years to get this
in place, and I don’t want to get this
thing done and have it be something that
no one wants to use,” he explained. “I
want everyone to be on board with this
from the beginning.”
Now that schematics have been ap
proved by judicial department heads, the
county will start finalizing the design
this week, Slone said. He said he expects
final construction drawings to be com
pletely hammered out by November of
this year.
“But whenever you go into final
planning there are always modifications
that have to be made,” he said. “You
have to keep that in mind.”
Slone expects the cost of renovation
and construction on the courthouse to
fall between $11 million and $14 mil
lion.
As plans look now, the 13,000 sq. ft.
portion See Courthouse on Page 14A
Feldman
resigns
from
Nelson
Council
By Jeff Warren
staff writer
jwarren@pickensprogress.com
Paul Feldman has resigned his
office as Nelson city councilman.
Feldman informed the Cherokee
Ledger, the
Cherokee
Tribune and
the Pickens
Count y
Progress by
e-mail Thurs
day morning,
August 4, the
same day his
resignation
took effect.
The text
of Feldman's
message
reads:
"Last Oc
tober, I was
sworn onto the Nelson City Coun
cil and have tried to help improve
working relationships in the city.
This effort has lasted 10 months
and while I do feel we have made
some progress, I do not feel any
compromise solution agreed to by
the standing City Council will be
embraced by the Mayor.
"In my opinion, the best work
able solution to improve Nelson is
to give the Mayor as much of a
new City Council as is possible in
the upcoming election. To help
make this possible I have resigned
from the City Council effective
August 4, 2011. This will allow
my position to be included in the
election in November, which will
avoid the additional cost to the
City of a special election.
"I would like to thank the Citi
zens of Nelson, all City Employ
ees, all members of the City
Council, and the Press for their
See Feldman on Page 14A
HISTORIC WOODBRIDGE INN UP FOR SALE
Dan Pool / Photo
Hans Rueffert in front of the historic Woodbridge Inn. Rueffert said he has no choice but to put the well-known eatery/lodge
up for sale due to his health problems. He asks for community input and support during the transition.
Owner Hans Rueffert asks
community for support
By Dan Pool, editor
dpool@pickensprogress.com
The second-generation owner of the Woodbridge Inn an
nounced earlier this month that the historic restaurant/inn on the
north end of Jasper’s Main Street is for sale.
Hans Rueffert, who purchased the Woodbridge with his wife,
Amy, from his parents in 2009, said he had hoped to continue
the traditions of the Woodbridge, but health problems have
forced him to put the Jasper icon up for sale.
“I wrestled with the decision for three months before we put
it on the market,” Rueffert said. “I grew up in the restaurant -
literally. But my health has reached a point where there isn’t
much choice.”
Rueffert has suffered from a variety of health problems he
documented on an Internet blog after being diagnosed with
stomach cancer first and then a series of brain infections. Well-
known for television cooking shows, Rueffert has noted the
irony of losing his stomach, which greatly restricts what the
chef can eat. He has also published a book, Eat Like There is
No Tomorrow> documenting his love of food.
Rueffert said he has had 11 major surgeries in the past six
years, and each time he was told by his doctors to slow down.
But, as the owner of a thriving restaurant and lodge, he has yet
to follow that advice.
“There is the stress of run- See Woodbridge on Page 15A
Former Nelson
City Councilman
Paid Feldman,
out by resignation
August 4.
Beauty queens meet governor
By Michelle McClures
Miss Pickens County Director
There is more to being a beauty
queen than smiling and wearing a
crown. It’s my (Miss Pickens County
Director Michelle McClure’s) belief
that pageants help girls build self- es
teem, confidence, friendships and com
munity involvement.
Miss Pickens County was rewarded
for their volunteer work and commu
nity involvement at the Governor’s Of
fice with a meet and greet with Georgia
Governor Nathan Deal. Thank you to
Kerrie Lee, Kelsie Gilbert, Christina
Farron, Makaila Caylor, Carly Culver-
house, Anslee Busby, Peyton
Williamson, Carson Veal, Lexi Bowen
and Kati McClure for showing involve
ment and pride in our community.
See Miss P.C. on Page 14A
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(Back L-R) Kerrie Lee, Kelsie Gilbert, Christina Farron, Makaila Caylor, Carly
Culverhouse, Anslee Busby; (Front L-R) Peyton Williamson, Carson Veal, Lexi
Bowen and Kati McClure with Governor Nathan Deal.
Arrest made for church burglaries
in Waleska and Ball Ground
Staff reports
The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office an
nounced the arrest of one suspect in connection
with a spree of church burglaries in Cherokee
County in a press release last week.
Justin Riffle, 18 years old of Canton, was ar
rested on July 29 and charged with Burglary and
Vandalism to a Place of Worship.
Detectives were able to lift a latent print which
was identified by the agency’s AFIS system. That
print, which was obtained at the Hillside Commu
nity Chinch in Waleska, led investigators to Riffle.
Detectives believe Riffle was working with
other suspects and possibly involved in the bur
glary of two other churches in Waleska and Ball
Ground, according to a Cherokee sheriff press re
lease.
The Pickens Sheriff’s Office is looking at the
possibility that Riffle was involved in the burgla
ries of two See Theft on Page 14A
Justin Riffle, 18 years old
of Canton, was arrested for
the burglary of a Waleska
church.
Obituaries ■ Page 3A
Cam Towery Walter Hanzi
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