Local

Charlie Paris

Charlie Paris

Charlie Paris announces candidacy for re-election

News Staff
Wednesday, March 18, 2026
I’m Charlie Paris and I am currently the Chairman of your Board of Commissioners. I am a candidate for re-election to that office.  Over the past 11 years we have made major  improvements to each department and have also improved the financial position of the county to the best in our history.
Gilmer Fire and Rescue Chief Paul Beamon displays his department’s new blood transfusion kit. This technology will save lives.

Gilmer Fire and Rescue Chief Paul Beamon displays his department’s new blood transfusion kit. This technology will save lives.

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New blood transfusion kits will save lives

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
The time between injury and blood transfusion can decide life or death.  That’s why Gilmer Fire and Rescue’s (GFR) new transfusion kits make a difference for everyone in the county. “That’s a game changer,” Emergency Medical Services (EMS) Division Fire Chief Paul Beamon said.
Gilmer High school junior Lilyan Cook, left, and senior Lauren Smith, right, get free prom dresses at Make It Yours Alterations and Formal Wear March 7.

Gilmer High school junior Lilyan Cook, left, and senior Lauren Smith, right, get free prom dresses at Make It Yours Alterations and Formal Wear March 7.

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Free prom dress program helps Gilmer girls

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
To a teenage girl, prom is a celebration of high school success and a final celebration before leaving high school. “It’s kind of a rite of passage,” former teenage girl Alexandria Patterson said. But prom dresses can be incredibly expensive.
Sheriff Stacy Nicholson has served Gilmer County for 35 years.

Sheriff Stacy Nicholson has served Gilmer County for 35 years.

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Sheriff remembers 35 years of service

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Gilmer County Sheriff Stacy Nicholson joined the Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office (GCSO) because he needed a job.  He found a calling. “I quickly saw that my job was to help people,” he said.
Gilmer student Clifford DeFoor drags a dummy at the SkillsUSA firefighting competition. (Contributed photos)

Gilmer student Clifford DeFoor drags a dummy at the SkillsUSA firefighting competition. (Contributed photos)

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Gilmer SkillsUSA students compete at regional and state

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Achieving mastery of an art is worth celebrating.  For Gilmer students in Career, Technical and Agricultural Education (CTAE), regional and state SkillsUSA competitions highlight their finely-honed skills.
Jackson Elliott/Reporter Renae Blair, the President of the Blair Haven Farm Equine Rescue and Sanctuary, cares for her mammoth donkey, Nutmeg, as she recovers at the University of Tennessee.

Jackson Elliott/Reporter Renae Blair, the President of the Blair Haven Farm Equine Rescue and Sanctuary, cares for her mammoth donkey, Nutmeg, as she recovers at the University of Tennessee.

Blair Haven Farm raises $8,680 to save donkey

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
It would take a miracle to save Nutmeg, a sick mammoth donkey.  And Renae Blair, the President of the Blair Haven Farm Equine Rescue and Sanctuary, got it. “I knew there was just something that we just hadn’t thought of,” she said.
In his many adventures as a treasure hunter, Joseph Hunter has found artifacts including these spoons, forks and belt buckles.

In his many adventures as a treasure hunter, Joseph Hunter has found artifacts including these spoons, forks and belt buckles.

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Swinging and Dinging Detecting brings treasure hunting to Gilmer

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
With a metal detector, you can connect with history. Very often, the past is hidden somewhere out in the woods, under a thin layer of dirt. That’s why Swinging and Dinging Detecting, a local metal detector enthusiast group, loves their hobby.
A museum employee, left, and author Kathy Williams, right, remember history at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, La., 2016.

A museum employee, left, and author Kathy Williams, right, remember history at the National WWII Museum in New Orleans, La., 2016.

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Amazing author’s memoirs make the past come alive

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, March 11, 2026
Local author Kathy Williams brings rich life experience to her two books, “Dear Dad” and “Wait.” “Dear Dad” retells her father Judson Miller’s experiences leading his men through World War II.