Local

Boil water alert issued for Yukon Road area

Boil water alert issued for Yukon Road area

Boil water alert lifted for Yukon Road area

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Monday, January 12, 2026
A boil water advisory for Gilmer County residents in the Yukon Road area has been lifted. The advisory was lifted as of 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 13. People who were affected should run all faucets for a minimum of two minutes before using tap water.
Gilmer County Commissioner Karleen Ferguson jumps into the Gilmer County Rec Department Pool Thursday, Jan. 1. She took the plunge as part of the Freeze for the Team fundraiser. Proceeds went to support the local swim team and the Gilmer County Animal Shelter.

Gilmer County Commissioner Karleen Ferguson jumps into the Gilmer County Rec Department Pool Thursday, Jan. 1. She took the plunge as part of the Freeze for the Team fundraiser. Proceeds went to support the local swim team and the Gilmer County Animal Shelter.

Freezing for Funds

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Mia McClure, left, and her grandmother Pamela Smith, right, spend some time together on a sunny day. (Contributed photo)

Mia McClure, left, and her grandmother Pamela Smith, right, spend some time together on a sunny day. (Contributed photo)

Post office mail carrier suffers stroke

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
It took about an hour for East Ellijay Post Office mail carrier Pam Smith to get help after she collapsed while on her route. After an ambulance brought her to the hospital Thursday, Dec. 18, doctors discovered she had suffered a stroke, said Lee McClure, her son.
A mug shot of Terry Franklin Turner after his previous arrest.

A mug shot of Terry Franklin Turner after his previous arrest.

Armed felon on loose

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
A manhunt is in progress for Terry Franklin Turner, an armed convicted felon. A photo of the man with a rifle seen moving through Gilmer County. The Gilmer County Sheriff’s Office suspects he is convicted felon Terry Franklin Turner.
New Year celebrants run out of the water after plunging into Fort Mountain Lake’s chilly waters.

New Year celebrants run out of the water after plunging into Fort Mountain Lake’s chilly waters.

Fort Mountain State Park celebrates New Year with Black Bear Plunge

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Is it crazy or courageous to jump into icy water as a New Year celebration?  On the first day of 2026, about 350 people each gave their own answer as they ran into Fort Mountain Lake or watched from the side. “Over half of them went into the water,” Park Manager Emmanuel Stewart said.
Sam Penland spread out more than two dozen letters his grandfather, S.O. Penland Sr., wrote through the years to regional and state legislators. The letters advocated for the building of Carters Dam, and the first one found was written in 1947.

Sam Penland spread out more than two dozen letters his grandfather, S.O. Penland Sr., wrote through the years to regional and state legislators. The letters advocated for the building of Carters Dam, and the first one found was written in 1947.

Trove of old Penland letters advocated for Carters Dam

Mark Millican - Special to the Times-Courier
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Twenty years before the construction of Carters Dam began in earnest, a man born in the 1880s in Ellijay was advocating for the levee and a resulting reservoir. S.O. Penland Sr.
Times-Courier

Times-Courier

Fire risk high due to dry weather

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Wednesday, January 7, 2026
Even if it’s cold, fire risk can still be high. The National Weather Service warned last week that low humidity and high winds have made “extremely dangerous fire weather conditions” possible. Gilmer County Emergency Management (GCEM) gives these conditions a Red Flag warning Tuesday, Dec.
Cars navigate the intersection between Hwy. 282 and South Main Street near the Ellijay Dairy Queen.

Cars navigate the intersection between Hwy. 282 and South Main Street near the Ellijay Dairy Queen.

Dairy Queen light breaks down, a story in verse

Jackson Elliott - Reporter
Tuesday, December 30, 2025
‘Twas one night after Christmas in Ellijay town, and the Dairy Queen traffic light somehow went down. On Dec. 27, about 2 a.m., the Dairy Queen traffic light broke once again. In typical spirit of full insurrection, it flashed a red signal in every direction. Hwy. 282 and the South Main St.