Organizers of the Etowah Film Festival are looking for student film submissions from Cherokee County students — those in public and private schools as well as home-school. College films also will be accepted, but are not limited to Cherokee students. The winner of each category (high school and college) will receive a $500 scholarship. For more information, visit … [Read more...]

We often talk about the need to manage growth in Cherokee County — how to keep and make it the very best it can be. But, what are we trying to accomplish and how do we do it?Actually, we’re trying to restrain residential (population) growth reasonably. Last year, we were the fastest growing county in the Atlanta metro region, and probably the state, at 3.2%. At that rate, … [Read more...]

At the Sept. 17 board of commissioners’ meeting, we agreed to contract with a consultant for a Cherokee County housing study. It’s not a big action, but it could be important.We need a better understanding of the housing currently available in our county, and how that supply compares with demand. We hope to identify current gaps, and create strategies to help meet future … [Read more...]

When Matt Loudin headed to Woodstock on a recent Sunday afternoon, he thought he was going to enjoy a quiet reunion with family and friends. His mother had other plans.Loudin, a 1st lieutenant with the Georgia Army National Guard, had just completed a nine-month deployment in Afghanistan with the 48th Infantry Brigade Combat Team. His mom made a simple request on social … [Read more...]

For the second consecutive year, Cherokee County remains the fastest-growing county in metro Atlanta, according to the latest 2019 population estimates for the region by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). I don’t have statewide numbers, but it’s clear we’re the fastest-growing large county in the state.Our estimated population is 262,700, up 3.2% from 2018 — a growth … [Read more...]