Commission Chairman Thurmond said County in good financial shape in state of the county address
News April 7, 2021
DAWSON COUNTY, Ga. – County Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond focused on COVID-19, county finances, and roads when he delivered the State of the County address to members of the Dawson County Republican Party at beautiful Cold Creek Farm Tuesday.
“The county is continuing to work with all our partners to get our citizens vaccinated as rapidly as possible,” he said. So far about 6,000 Dawson County citizens have been vaccinated and the Health Department is administering the vaccine to about 300 people a day at Veterans Park. There have been 2,693 cases if the virus in the county with 39 deaths.
Dawson GOP Chairwoman Seannie Zappendorf and Commission Chairman Billy Thurmond at State of the County address
Addressing the county’s financial situation, the Chairman said, “The County is in good, sound financial shape. Even during COVID, all through 2020, we saw an increase in sales tax revenue. We never thought in 2020 we would see $9.8 million brought in from the one-penny sales tax during the year of COVID, but we did.”
Thurmond credited the county staff and elected officials for their effort to reduce, or at least, hold the line on spending. “They did an excellent job of managing their budgets,” he said. “Each and every department came in under budget.”
With regard to roads the County will pave and/or repave 9.93 miles of roads with funding from a the state-funded Local Maintenance Improvement Grant (LMIG) or special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST). The LMIG grant is a 70-30 match with the County providing its 30 percent by doing the work.
“We have an excellent (Public Works) staff,” he said. “I’ll put them up against some of the finest companies you will see.”
Roads that will be funded under the LMIG grant include Browns Point, Antioch Church, and Goshen Church. Roads to be improved using SPLOST funding include Dan Fowler, Lake Circle, Amicalola Forest and Elliott Road.
New businesses that will call Dawson County home soon include Miller’s Ale House, Bruster’s Ice Cream, and Discount Tires. Thurmond said there has been some talk recently that Wild Wings might move into the old Ruby Tuesday’s location.
He also noted the County has been working hard to update some very old ordinances and pointe with pride to the County’s latest jewel, the Pauline Stevens Ivey Senior Center that opened this month.
“There is a lot going on in the County and we look forward to continuing to work for the betterment of our citizens and do what we can to provide you with the services you need.”
Dawson Co. falls to North Hall 34-21 on the road
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 21, 2020
The Dawson Co. Tigers lost to the North Hall Trojans 34-21 on Friday night in Gainesville. Junior Zach Holtzclaw threw for two touchdowns and ran one more in, but the team struggled to stop the Trojans’ run game all night.
Senior Caleb Bonesteel kicking a field goal for the Tigers.
North Hall received the opening kickoff and quickly got their offense rolling. They drove the ball down the field in three minutes entirely on the ground to score a touchdown and take a 7-0 lead. The Tigers’ offense wasn’t quite as hot out of the gates, and their drive ended quickly with a three and out. Dawson Co. was able to get the ball back and drive down the field after forcing a three and out of their own. Senior Isaiah Grindle had multiple first down runs to set the Tigers up with great field position. However, senior Caleb Bonesteel’s 30-yard field goal attempt was blocked and recovered by the Trojans. North Hall used two big runs to score their second touchdown of the game and take a 14-0 lead.
Trying to get momentum back, the Tigers had a strong drive to go down the field. Not wanting to settle for a field goal, Dawson Co. attempted to keep their drive going on 4th down, but came up short. The Trojans built off this momentum and kept the ground game going. They marched down the field and scored their third touchdown of the game. They missed the extra point, which held their lead to 20-0. With all momentum on the Trojans’ side, they fumbled a punt attempt, which allowed the Tigers to start a late 2nd quarter drive up from the red zone. They took advantage of the field position, as Holtzclaw found sophomore Jaden Gibson for a 22-yard touchdown. Dawson Co. trailed 20-7 at halftime.
Senior Joey Glover recovering a fumble for the Tigers.
Halfway through the 3rd quarter, North Hall took a 27-7 lead with another touchdown run. The Tigers were able to respond again, as Holtzclaw found senior Tyler Lane for a 23-yard touchdown. Dawson Co. continued to have good drives, but they all ended early because of turnovers. North Hall scored the next points of the game on a touchdown run with two minutes left in the game. The Tigers’ offense finally came alive as Holtzclaw found Gibson on a short route. Before he could be tackled, Gibson lateraled the ball to Lane, who ran the ball all the way to the three yard line. This set up a touchdown run from Holtzclaw. Momentum continued to swing in favor of Dawson Co. as they recovered the onside kick. However, the comeback attempt came up short due to a fumble by the Tigers.
Dawson Co. finishes the regular season with a 5-5 overall record and a 4-2 region record. They finished as the third seed in the region, which means they will be on the road next Friday night for the first round of the Georgia AAA playoffs.
Dawson Co. rolls past Lumpkin Co. 63-3
Sports, Team FYN Sports, TeamFYNSports November 13, 2020
The Dawson Co. Tigers (5-4, 4-1 Region 7-3A) defeated the Lumpkin Co. Indians (0-9, 0-5 Region 7-3A) 63-3 on Friday night in Dahlonega. Junior Zach Holtzclaw threw for three touchdowns in the first half to help the Tigers jump out to a 35-3 halftime lead.
Senior Joey Glover returning a fumble 100 yards for a touchdown.
Lumpkin Co. received the ball and drove down the field to start the game. Sophomore quarterback Cooper Scott found a connection with fellow sophomore wide receiver Caleb Norrell multiple times on the first drive. Dawson Co.’s defense stood tall at the end and held the Indians to a 30-yard field goal by freshman Marcus Remillard that gave Lumpkin Co. a 3-0 lead. The Tigers responded quickly, as Holtzclaw found senior Dakohta Sonnichsen for a 69-yard touchdown pass on their first play. The Indians had another long drive that got them down to the goal line. However, senior Joey Glover poked the ball out on a quarterback sneak and returned it 100 yards to give Dawson Co. a 14-3 lead and swing all momentum in favor of the Tigers.
After a three and out by the Indians, Holtzclaw found senior Tyler Lane for an eight yard touchdown early in the second quarter. The Tigers’ defense continued to stop Lumpkin Co. and the offense continued to score. On their next possession, senior Isaiah Grindle ran in a touchdown from 42 yards out. The Tigers scored their final touchdown of the half on a 34-yard touchdown pass to Sonnichsen, Holtzclaw’s third of the game. The Tigers led 35-3 at halftime.
Lumpkin Co. successfully recovered an onside kick to open the second half, but they couldn’t capitalize on the good field position. Sophomore Jaden Gibson, who was moved to quarterback, found senior Tray Cohen for a nine yard touchdown to open the second half. On their next possession, Gibson took it in himself for a two yard touchdown run.
Junior Zach Holtzclaw finding an open receiver.
Dawson Co.’s defense continued to dominate, as they continued to force three and outs by the Indians. Sophomore Christian Webb and junior Jackson Grindle each ran in a touchdown to help the Tigers win 63-3.
Dawson Co. travels to play at North Hall high school next week, where they will be fighting for second place in the region.
The future of education; virtual classrooms in Dawson County
Board of Education, Dawson County High School, News November 10, 2020
“We’ve had to start looking at how classrooms are going to look different in the future.”
Superintendent Damon Gibbs said the upcoming years of teaching is already on Dawson County’s radar.
Being technologically prepared is a main p
riority. At the Nov. 10 Dawson Board of Education meeting, education on a virtual level was a main topic of discussion.
Online learning has become the preferred, precautionary learning method of education due to COVID-19.
Lori Grant, teacher at College and Career Academy, teaches three different education pathway levels at Dawson County High School. The pathway presented at the board meeting was pathway level three.
According to the Dawson County School website, the level three course provides “in-depth study of early brain development” for early learning with use of appropriate technology and parenting as well as child guidance trends.
Throughout the school year, classrooms are normally observed. By in-person observation, this allows one to get a clear performance on the effectiveness of each classroom. Since the pandemic, this has not been possible.
“We can’t really go into classrooms and see what a good classroom setup looks like,” Grant said.
Grant transformed the idea of observing a classroom by creating a virtual one for students to explore.
Grant recently had training to take on the idea of presenting virtual classrooms to keep students engaged – she had students design their ideal “dream classroom” while also effectively integrating essential learning elements into their desired layouts.
Students Sadie Pruitt and Lily McCracken both presented at the BOE meeting. Each discussed their model classroom, as well as provided educational links for their grade level throughout the slides presented.
Gibbs said the students’ presentations were timely in relation to the amount of virtual learning this school year. The meeting closed once Gibbs announced the graduation rate for the state of Georgia, with Dawson County at 96%.
“It’s a great effort of K-12 in Dawson County and that does not come easily,” Gibbs said. “There’s a lot of issues that our students face on a daily basis and to have a staff that motivates those kids to come to school and do their best and succeed and to finish the drill when it comes to their high school education…I am just very proud of that work that we do as a team.”
Dawson Co. falls to Lumpkin Co. 8-2
Dawson County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports September 14, 2020
The Dawson Co. Lady Tigers lost to the Lumpkin Co. Lady Indians 8-2 on Monday night in Dahlonega. The Lady Tigers were able to get runners on base and score once in the top of the 7th inning, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
#18 Olivia Martinez fielding a groundball.
After the Lady Tigers scored in the first inning, the game was dominated by pitching until the 4th inning. In the bottom of the 4th, Lumpkin Co. scored six runs on a two-run homer by #36 Alyssa Pulley and a grand slam by #33 Lauren English. The Lady Indians added to their run total in the bottom of the sixth inning on a sacrifice RBI that led to #10 Emmi Graham scoring and on an RBI by #1 Hailey Mincey. Dawson Co. scored one run in the top of the sixth inning fielder’s choice that resulted in #18 Olivia Martinez crossing home plate to make the final score 8-2.
The Lady Tigers have a short turnaround as they host North Hall tomorrow at 6 p.m.
Dawson Co. falls to Flowery Branch 45-42
Dawson County High School, Sports, Team FYN Sports September 12, 2020
The Dawson Co. Tigers lost to the Flowery Branch Falcons 45-42 on Friday night in Dawsonville. The Tigers played well in a back and forth affair, but couldn’t get the job done in the end. They had strong performances from a number of players, including junior quarterback #10 Zach Holtzclaw, who threw for five touchdowns.
Junior #10 Zach Holtzclaw, who threw for 5 touchdowns in the game.
The Falcons struck first by scoring a touchdown on their first drive. Dawson Co. struck back quickly on a touchdown reception by #88 Tyler Lane in the back of the endzone. After getting a stop, the Tigers scored again seven seconds into the second quarter on an 11-yard touchdown reception by sophomore Jaden Gibson. Flowery Branch hit a field goal on the ensuing drive to make the score 13-10. Senior Isaiah Grindle extended the Tigers’ lead to 20-10 halfway through the second quarter on a screen pass that turned into a 47-yard touchdown. Flowery Branch finished off the first half strong by scoring two touchdown to take a 24-20 lead into halftime.
Dawson Co. started off the second half strong. After stopping the Falcons on their first drive, Holtzclaw found #26 Tray Cohen for a 28 yard touchdown to give the Tigers the lead. On the next drive, Gibson intercepted a pass to get the ball back for Dawson Co. One play later, Gibson had a 47-yard reception to set the Tigers up with a 1st and goal from the 3-yard line. Grindle ran in the touchdown on the following play. Flowery Branch marched down the field and scored quickly on the next possession. Dawson Co. had a good drive going on the following possession. Senior Dakohta Sonnichsen had a 58-yard touchdown that was called back due to a penalty. The Falcons scored on back to back long drives as they led 45-34 with 6:05 remaining in the game.
Sophomore #6 Jaden Gibson jumping to catch a pass.
Three minutes later, Holtzclaw found #8 Nic Baloga for a 16-yard touchdown, which was Holtzclaw’s 5th of the game. Gibson ran in the 2-point conversion, which made the score 45-42 in favor of Flowery Branch. After a failed onside kick attempt, the Falcons drove the ball down to the goal line. However, the Tigers continued to fight. They stopped Flowery branch on 4th down at the 1-yard line. Dawson Co. was able to make a few positive plays, but couldn’t manage to drive the ball down the field to score, as they fell 45-42.
Dawson Co. plays again at home next Friday as they host South Forsyth at 7:30 p.m.
Dawson Co. defeats Gordon Central, moves to 4-0
DCHS Baseball, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 20, 2020
The Dawson Co. Tigers defeated the Gordon Central Warriors 11-0 on Wednesday night at home to remain undefeated. Starting pitcher Kristian Kelley had eight strikeouts and held the Warriors to one hit while playing all five innings.
Dawson Co.’s Andrew Buet player up to bat.
The Tigers scored in the first inning after #13 TJ Allen tagged up after a fly-out. Before he scored, he hit a double and stole third base.
Dawson Co. scored three times in the third inning, as Gordon Central had three errors. The first two runs came on sacrifice flies, while the third came on an RBI double after an error.
Dawson Co. pitcher Kristian Kelley before throwing a strike.
The Tigers scored another two runs in the fourth inning to take a 6-0 lead over the Warriors.
Dawson Co. finished the game with five runs in the bottom of the fifth inning. The final four runs came on a walk-off grand slam from Hudson Sapp, who is committed to play for Ole Miss next season.
The Tigers’ next game will be Saturday, as they host Coosa high school at noon.
Dawson Co. Tigers fall to Denmark 11-1
DCHS Soccer, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 19, 2020
The Dawson Co. Tigers (0-5) fell to the Denmark Danes (2-1-2) at home on Tuesday night. The Tigers’ lone goal came from senior Michael Velasquez with eight minutes left in the first half.
Senior Michael Velasquez makes a play on the ball while guarded by a Denmark player.
Denmark struck first with back to back goals early in the first half. On the second goal, Tigers’ goalie, sophomore Gio Hernandez, was injured after hitting his head on the side of the goal. The backup goalie for Dawson Co. was junior Mason Truitt, who played the remainder of the game.
Junior Caleb Bonesteel loads up for a booming kick.
Denmark scored two more goals before Velasquez scored with eight minutes left in the first half. The Danes scored three more times before the break to lead 7-1 halfway through the match.
Denmark scored four more times in the second half to win 11-1.
The Tigers play again on Thursday at home against Pinecrest Academy at 7:30 P.M.
Lady Tigers force 2-2 tie against Denmark
DCHS Soccer, Sports, Team FYN Sports February 19, 2020
The Dawson Co. Lady Tigers (0-2-1) tied with the Denmark Lady Danes (3-2-1) on Tuesday night at home as each team scored two goals. The tie was “something to build off of” according to Coach Hamby. Senior Katie Clouse and junior Molly Muenchen each had a goal for Dawson Co.
Junior Molly Muenchen makes a play on the ball.
Denmark opened up scoring for the game with 25 minutes remaining in the first half. Clouse nearly responded a few minutes later but was able to tie the game up with 12 minutes left in the first half.
Sophomore Kenna LaBaron defends a Denmark Lady Dane.
The second half was just as competitive as the first. Denmark took the lead with a goal a little over halfway through the first half. Dawson Co. was able to respond again, this time with a goal from Muenchen.
The match ended tied at 2-2. The Lady Tigers will return to action on Friday at 7:30 P.M. at Habersham Central.
Dawson Co. falls to Cedar Grove 72-69 in first round
Dawson Co. Basketball, Dawson County High School, Sports, Tigers Basketball February 15, 2020
The Dawson Co. Tigers fell to the Cedar Grove Saints in the first round of the 3A state playoffs on Friday night. The Tigers couldn’t get their shots to fall until the fourth quarter. They scored 38 in the final period, but fell just short.
Jasper Gibson pulling up for a jumpshot.
Jasper Gibson led Dawson Co. with 33 points, Campbell Reed had 13 points, and Mason Barnes had 11 points.
The Tigers started off the game with a 9-2 run, which was capped off with a 3-pointer from Gibson. The score from Gibson gave him 2,000 career points. The Saints fought back and led 12-11 at the end of the period.
The second quarter opened up with the teams trading scores, but the Saints ended the period on a 15-2 run to lead 33-20 at halftime.
Dawson Co. opened the second half strong with an 8-2 run, but Cedar Grove responded well again by finishing the quarter on a 13-3 run. They led 48-31 heading into the final period.
The Tigers outscored the Saints 38-24 in the fourth quarter, but fell just short. They hit five 3-pointers in the period, including one from Reed with one second left. The Tigers tried to steal the inbound on the following play, but had to foul and send the Saints to the line. They missed both free throws, but there wasn’t enough time to get a shot up. The Tigers lost the game 72-69.
Campbell Reed defends a Cedar Grove player.
Coach Eric Herrick was proud of his team’s season as a whole, despite the off night.
“We’ve had some of the highest of highs and tonight was the lowest of lows. Great year. You can’t take a region championship away from them. We had an off night when we couldn’t afford to have an off night.”
The loss ends the Tigers’ incredible season at 25-3. They were undefeated in Region 7-3A and won the region tournament.
Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!
Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball January 12, 2020
Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!
Reed, a 6-foot-2 senior guard and forward, played well in two big region wins for Dawson Co. (17-2, 7-0 Region 7-AAA) last week.
On Tuesday, Jan. 7, Reed scored 17 points, had two assists, and added a rebound in an 87-52 win against East Hall (5-11, 1-6) in Dawsonville.
Against Fannin Co. (4-12, 0-7) on Friday, Jan. 10, Reed scored 17 points again (a team high), while adding four assists and four rebounds in Blue Ridge.
This is Reed’s second time being named the Player of the Week this season.
For his efforts, Campbell Reed is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Tigers!
Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!
Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball January 4, 2020
Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!
Gibson, a 6-foot-2 senior guard, has been an absolute scoring machine for the Tigers (15-2, 5-0 Region 7-AAA), who are currently ranked second in the Class AAA.
While the team only played one game last week, Gibson put on a show with a triple-double.
Against region foe Cherokee Bluff (9-7, 3-2) on Friday, Jan. 3, in Dawsonville, Gibson tallied 11 points, 11 rebounds, and 10 assists as the Tigers got their fifth-straight region victory, 64-61.
Coming up this week, Dawson Co. will host East Hall on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at 7:30 p.m., before traveling to take on Fannin Co. on Friday, Jan. 10, in Blue Ridge.
Gibson will look to continue the dominance he showed during the first half of the season as the Tigers move into the bulk of region play.
For his efforts, Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Player of the Week for the Dawson Co. Tigers!
TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week: Mason Barnes, No. 1
Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball November 28, 2019
Junior Mason Barnes moves the ball for the Tigers.
After scoring 53 points, pulling down 14 rebounds, and adding 13 assists during a three-game span last week, Dawson Co. junior guard Mason Barnes is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!
Dawson Co. (4-1) played in the three-day North Forsyth Thanksgiving Tournament where the team came in third place.
During those three games, Barnes led the team in scoring in two, both of them victories.
Barnes put up a team-high 23 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in a 70-59 win over Creekview in the opening round.
In the 67-62 loss to Cherokee in the second round, Barnes scored 10 points to go with four rebounds and three assists.
Against North Forsyth in the third-place game, Barnes scored a team-high 20 points to go with three rebounds and seven assists.
For his efforts, Barnes in the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers.
Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!
Player of the Week, Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball December 8, 2019
Jasper Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!
Gibson, a 6-foot-2 guard, led Dawson Co. (6-1, 2-0 Region 7-AAA) to three big wins during the week, including two region wins.
The highlight of the week for Gibson came Thursday, Dec. 5, on the road at defensing region-champion Greater Atlanta Christian.
Gibson exploded for 36 points in the first half and finished with 42 points, eight rebounds, and two assists in the Tigers’ 72-40 win on the road.
Two days before that, Gibson scored 16 points, while dishing six assists and pulling down two rebounds in an 85-43 win over region-foe Fannin Co. in Dawsonville.
On Saturday, Dec. 7, Gibson had an all-around good game with eight points, five assists, and three rebounds in a 76-48 win against Flowery Branch at home.
For his efforts, Gibson is the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week for the Tigers!
To be considered for the TeamFYNSports Writer’s Player of the Week, a player must play in all games the team plays during that week and must not have any unsportsmanlike conduct (ejections, etc.). Stats considered for Player of the Week run from Monday through Saturday, with Player of the Week being revealed Sunday each week.
Tigers earn third-place finish in North Forsyth tourney
Team FYN Sports, Tigers Basketball November 28, 2019
The Tigers basketball team went into North Forsyth Thanksgiving Tournament winners of the first two games of the season.
And while the Tigers took their first loss of the season during the three-day event, they came out with a 4-1 overall record and a third-place finish.
Senior Campbell Reed sets up on defense for the Tigers.
Dawson Co. won the opening game of the tournament, 70-59, against Class 6A’s Creekview on Saturday, Nov. 23, at North Forsyth High in Cumming.
The victory pushed the Tigers into the winner’s bracket, where they faced Cherokee in the second round.
The Tigers played well in the game, giving Class 7A’s Warriors all they could handle. But one too many missed opportunities late led to the narrow, 67-62 defeat.
Against Cherokee (4-0), Dawson Co. was led by senior Jasper Gibson. The 6-foot-2 guard scored 22 points in the loss. He also added six assists, three rebounds, and a steal.
Mason Barnes, junior guard, was the only other player in double-figure scoring with 10 points. He added four rebounds, three assists, and two steals for Dawson Co.
Senior guard Jasper Gibson handles the ball for Dawson Co.
Seniors Eli Burruss and Campbell Reed scored nine points each, with Burruss adding seven rebounds.
In the third-place game against the host team North Forsyth, Dawson Co. came through with a big 70-44 victory Tuesday, Nov. 26.
The Tigers made 16 3-pointers in the game, leading to the strong showing against the Class 7A Raiders (4-2).
Barnes led the way with 20 points to go along with seven assists and three rebounds.
Reed and fellow senior Tate Adkins scored 15 points each. Reed added five rebounds and an assist, while Adkins pulled down four rebounds and had one assist.
Gibson scored 13 points to go with seven assists and two rebounds.
The Tigers next play Tuesday, Dec. 3, at home against Fannin County. The game, which is the first of the Region 7-AAA schedule for both teams, is set to begin at 7:30 p.m.
To read about the Tigers first-round win against Creekview, click here.