Bombshells drop at school board

Quarry tours were a big hit again at this year's Marble Festival. Check out the print or e-edition for two full pages of photos from the event. 

Although final numbers had not been calculated, Pickens Chamber Executive Director Amberle Godfrey said attendance for the 39th annual Georgia Marble Festival was up over last year, and she and other organizers have heard nothing but positive comments about the event. 

“Everything went very well,” she said. “We’ve heard a lot of compliments from people who attended, and people who said they thought it was very well organized.” 

       The week-long primitive weapons deer hunting season opens Saturday, Oct. 12. Last year, almost 30,000 hunters took to the woods with muzzleloaders, bringing in more than 5,000 deer, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources’ Wildlife Resources Division (WRD).

“Dust off that smoke pole, or your stick and string, and hit the woods because the primitive weapons season is a great time to hunt, and we are already seeing bucks exhibiting pre-rut patterns,” said Charlie Killmaster, state deer biologist with the WRD

        The fact that Appalachian Superior Court Judge Mary Elizabeth Priest said she left the bench more confused is a clear indicator of the complexity of a property value dispute that stretches back eight years.  

The arguments last Wednesday were the latest in an ongoing back-and-forth between property owners Jack and Annette Williams and the Pickens County Tax Assessors Office. The Williamses, who own a large home on Firetower Road, have filed appeals on their property value every year since 2011. It took seven years for their first appeal to be heard in court, which happened last November.

        See full story from this week's print or online editions. 

Vendors still wanted for celebration

Join Pickens Arts & Cultural Alliance on Saturday, Oct. 12 in downtown Jasper for a downhome celebration of the arts and that ultimate southern staple – cornbread. 

The public is invited to attend PACA’s 3rd annual Cornbread Reunion, which will feature a cornbread competition, an art raffle, live music, food, children’s activities, open mic and much more.