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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 30, 2020
• Homer, Banks County, GA 30547 • A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. • 16 Pages, 2 Sections Plus Supplements • Vol. 54 No. 6
BCN Past
N ewsmakers
of the Year
2019 Tim Harper, Banks
County clerk of court
2018 Hannah Mullins,
Banks County economic de
veloper
2017 Bob Waldorf, Banks
County extension
2016 Jimmy Hooper,
BOC chairman
2015 Leslie George, Keep
Banks County Beautiful
2014 Brad Day, economic
developer
2013 Carlton Speed, sher
iff
2012 J.H. Brooks Family/
Farm
2011, Deidra Moore. 911
director
2010 Jerry Neace. Bald
win mayor
2009 Milton Turner, Lula
mayor
2008 Jim McLendon. Ho
mer UMC pastor
2007 Robin Trotter, Fam
ily Connections/Generous
Hearts
2006 Gene Hart, BOC
chairman
2005 Doug Cheek, Ho
mer mayor
2004 Rep. Jeanette Jamie
son
2003 Chris Erwin, super
intendent
2002 Jack Banks, Devel
opment Authority
2001 Bonnie Johnson,
CVB
2000 Charles Chapman,
sheriff
1999 Mark Reed, Bald
win mayor
1998 Gary Freeman and
Danny Maxwell. BOC
1997 Bo Garrison and
Dock Sisk, BOE chairman
and superintendent
1996 Milton Patterson,
BOC chairman
Newsmaker of the Year
Calm during the storm; Superintendent
leads school system during tough year
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
When schools suddenly closed in March due to
COVID-19, no one expected that the doors would remain
closed for the remainder of the school year. It went from
days to weeks to an order from the governor that schools
remain closed.
Educators had to immediately change over to remote or
“virtual” teaching with students and parents being thrown
into a world of learning that was new for everyone. It was a
trying time for everyone with challenges that had not been
faced before. It was an uncertain time as the virus spread
in the community.
Superintendent Ann Hopkins, who had only been in the
top education position in Banks County for a little over
one year, was the calm behind the storm who led the teach
ers, students and parents through these trying times with
leadership, strength and kindness. She has been named the
2020 Newsmaker of the Year.
When asked about the challenges in 2020, Hopkins is
quick to give credit to the team that makes up the school
system.
“Our faculty and staff have faced more challenges this
year than could possibly be imagined, and they have all
done a fantastic job.” she said.
Hopkins was named Banks County superintendent in
February 2019, after having served as assistant superinten
dent for the system since 2014. Prior to that, she had been
employed with the school system since 2005 as the federal
programs director.
She served as an administrator and taught in Hall County
before coming to Banks County. She began her teaching
career in Jackson County in 1994.
“This has definitely been the most challenging year I
have ever faced in my 25-plus years in education, but I
am blessed to work with a group that I consider family,”
Hopkins said. “We make decisions together based on the
information we have at the time. Many times, we are back
tracking to make changes based on the newest data.”
Hopkins grew up in Commerce, where she graduated
from Commerce High School in 1990.
She is married to Ron Hopkins. They have three chil
dren, Tripp, Crew and BellaKayt.
“I am honored to serve in this community as superinten
dent.” Hopkins says. “I enjoy supporting others and strive
to do what is best for all of our students.”
ANN HOPKINS
News Story of the Year
COVTD-related issues topped headlines throughout 2020
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetne ws. com
In March, coronavirus and
COVID-19 started showing
up in headlines in Banks
County and across the state,
country and nation.
It hasn't slowed down
since then with daily and
weekly updates being given
on news sites on the impact
of this deadly virus that has
shut downs schools, busi
nesses and churches and led
to people not leaving their
homes for months at a time.
COVID-19 has certain
ly been the “News Story of
the Year.” It has changed the
MAILING LABEL
way of life for everyone.
Terms such as working
remotely, zoom meetings
and virtual learning have
become common.
Seeing people in public
wearing face masks is the
norm now.
And doctor's appoint
ments on Facetime or even
through a drive-by at an Ur
gent Care are more likely
than going into your doc
tor’s office.
In Banks County, the
first news headline came
on March 18, with the bold
headline on page 1: “Coro
navirus Coverage 2020:
Students to return to classroom Tuesday
8 "04879 1 4 1 4 3 3
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
Banks County students
will return to the classroom
on Tuesday. Jan. 5. Teachers
will return to work on Mon
day, Jan. 4.
There are approximately
100 students who have opt
ed to begin or continue on
line instruction.
“We are monitoring the
data regarding the virus
daily,” superintendent Ann
Hopkins states. “I hope that
we will be able to contin
ue in-person instruction
through the remainder of
the year.”
Due to the virus spread in
the area increasing, every
one will be encouraged to
wear face masks.
Schools, businesses, close;
election postponed.”
From that week on
ward, every issue of The
Banks County News had at
least one. and often many
more, stories related to
COVID-19.
In that March 18 article, it
stated that schools would be
shut down through March
31.
Schools actually ended up
remaining closed for the rest
of the school year following
an order by the governor.
No one imagined that
would be the case at the
time. The governor or-
“In an effort to keep ev
eryone safe and stop the
spread of the virus, we will
strongly encourage wearing
masks when social distanc
ing is not possible.” Hop
kins said.
Hopkins said two factors
are considered when decid
ing whether to close school
and change over to “virtual”
learning.
“The first factor is the
transmission within the
school,” she said. “Through
contact tracing and the as
sistance of the Department
of Health, we can identify if
the students with a particu
lar facility are spreading the
virus to one another of if the
virus is from outside of the
school as family members
may transmit to the stu-
dered citizens to “shelter-
in-place” and many people,
especially the elderly, did
not leave their homes for
months in fear they would
get the virus.
Banks County govern
ment shut down for one
week.
The city halls at the towns
in the counties closed to the
public. Cases of COVID
among city and county
employees were reported.
When city halls and gov
ernment buildings did open,
it was mandatated that citi
zens wear face masks.
As the year ends, the
dents. This is not an exact
science, but we are able to
somewhat determine how
rampant the spread is within
the school facilities.”
The other factor that de
termines the status is the
available personnel.
“We must have the staff
members healthy or avail
able substitutes working to
continue to have face-to-
face instruction.” Hopkins
said.
Teachers are planning les
sons far in advance in order
to prepare in the event stu
dents, classes or the system
must move to remote in
struction.
“Because we have many
students without Internet
access, our teachers and
technology department have
number of cases continue to
increase. Area hospitals are
often at capacity. The latest
data for Banks County show
that a total of 1.094 county
residents have confirmed
cases of COVID, with 18
dying from the virus and
130 being hospitalized.
However, as the year
ends, a vaccine has been
developed and is being giv
en to front-line health care
workers. As for when this
will be more readily avail
able or what percentage of
the general public will want
to take the vaccine, that is
unknown as 2020 ends.
been downloading materials
to USB drives,” Hopkins
says. “Our transportation
department delivers these
items, along with meals pre
pared by the nutrition staff,
to those who are in quaran
tine. It has been a team ef
fort. The men and women
who work for this school
system love these students
and this community and
have continued to go above
and beyond to try to make
things work for everyone.”
Hopkins said the goal will
remain to “keep our students
and staff safe and healthy.”
“Our staff is not only
working hard to educate the
children but also to provide
them with some sense of
normalcy during this pan
demic,” she says.
Three
races to
be on run
off ballot
Tuesday
By ANGELA GARY
angela@mainstreetnews.com
Three run-off races will
be on the ballot Tuesday,
Jan. 5, when Banks County
voters go to the polls.
More than 2,000 Banks
County voters have already
cast an early ballot in this
election.
All early voting will be
held through Thursday Dec.
31.
All early voting will be
at the Registrars Office in
Homer, from 8 a.m. until
5 p.m. daily.
ELECTION DAY
VOTING
All Election Day voting,
on Tuesday, Jan. 5, will be
held at the Banks Coun
ty Recreation Department,
in Homer from 7 a.m. to
7 p.m.
ON THE BALLOT
The three races on the bal
lot are:
•The United States Senate
race between Republican
Senator David Perdue and
Democrat Jon Ossoff.
•The Senate race between
Republican Senator Kelly
Loeffler and Democrat Ra
phael Warnock.
•The Public Service
Commission race between
incumbent Republican Lau
ren “Bubba” McDonald and
Democrat Daniel Black
man.
