All On Georgia - Floyd

12/18/2025

Friends, family and the community gathered in the Conference Center at Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Gordon County Campus in Calhoun on Dec. 16 to honor 16 students graduating from Basic Law Enforcement Training Class -2025-02.

The Basic Law Enforcement (BLE) program is designed to train and prepare graduates for employment as entry-level Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (POST) certified law enforcement officers.

“Your badge does not define you; your actions do,” said GNTC Campus Police Lt. Kayla Franks, guest speaker, urging the graduates to “remember that protecting the integrity of the badges protects us all.”

“Today you leave here with a badge, authority and responsibility, but also opportunity,” she said. “Your career can be long and fulfilling. Protect your integrity as fiercely as you protect your safety.”

Chase Cole served as the student speaker for the ceremony.

Edwin Newman was presented with the Academic (Honor Graduate) Award for having the highest grade point average; William Locke received the “Top Gun” award for excellence in marksmanship.

Graduates recited their Oath of Honor at the conclusion of the ceremony, vowing “On my honor, I will never betray my badge, my integrity, my character or the public trust. I will always have the courage to hold myself and others accountable for our actions. I will always uphold the Constitution, my community and the agency I serve.”

Graduates of Basic Law Enforcement Training Class -2025-02 are Chase Cole, Blake Delay, Cristian Deleon, Devon Dornan, Robert Edwards, Robert Heck, William Locke, Castulo Molina, Owen Morales, Edwin Newman, Jacob Roberts, David Sarellano, Larry Silvers, Zachary Sugden, Trent Thompson and James Weesner.

Delay, Molina and Sugden are employed by the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office.

Heck is employed by the Murray County Sheriff’s Office; Roberts is employed by the Walker County Sheriff’s Office.

Cole and Edwards are employed by the Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.

Silvers is employed by the Adairsville Police Department. Locke is employed and Morales is provisionally employed by the Dalton Police Department.

Deleon, Dornan, Newman, Sarellano, Thompson and Weesner are preservice.

12/17/2025

Armuchee High School senior Alexander Yates has been matched with Brown University and awarded a full four-year scholarship through the QuestBridge National College Match Scholarship program.

12/16/2025

The federally funded Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program for Heating assists Georgia homeowners and renters with their heating bills through direct payments to home energy suppliers. Individuals ages 65 and older and medically homebound households may apply now. Other eligible Georgians can schedule an appointment beginning Jan. 2, 2026. Learn more from Georgia Division of Family & Children Services: https://bit.ly/3KVkDhf

12/14/2025

We are looking at a chilly Monday morning, so be sure to bundle up. Here are some cold weather tips.

12/14/2025

12/14/2025

The Joy of the Journey The Gift Christmas is a season filled with lights, decorations, and the spirit of giving, but the essence of the holiday transcends the social and cultural practices surrounding it. The greatest gift ever given was not wrapped in shiny paper, but in humble swaddling cloths. Go...

12/12/2025

Mitchell Parsons Hughes has pleaded guilty to committing a federal crime by flying a drone over Truist Park during the Major League Baseball All-Star game in July 2025 and was sentenced to six months’ probation.

12/12/2025

An infant botulism outbreak linked to ByHeart’s baby formula has expanded.

Infant Botulism Outbreak Linked to Infant Formula
CDC, FDA, the California Department of Health Infant Botulism Treatment and Prevention Program, and several other state public health departments, are investigating an ongoing outbreak of infant botulism linked to ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. As of December 10, 2025, the outbreak included 51 infants with suspected or confirmed infant botulism from 19 states. Infant botulism happens when a baby swallows Clostridium botulinum spores that grow in the gut and make toxin. Signs and symptoms of infant botulism include poor feeding (difficulty sucking and swallowing), loss of head control, and decreased facial expression.

ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula has been linked to the outbreak. The company recalled all ByHeart infant formula products on November 11, 2025. Do not use any ByHeart Whole Nutrition infant formula. This includes formula sold in cans and single serve packets.

https://www.cdc.gov/botulism/outbreaks-investigations/infant-formula-nov-2025/index.html?ACSTrackingID=DM151305&ACSTrackingLabel=Food%20Safety%20Updates%20From%20CDC&deliveryName=DM151305

12/12/2025

OPINION "Talk with families in North Georgia or anywhere across our country, and you’ll hear the same story: everyday life has gotten more expensive. We are all feeling it. Groceries, gas, rent, electricity, home insurance — costs that used to be manageable now feel like constant pressure. Peopl...

12/11/2025