LATEST NEWS

The City of Clayton announces that the Planning and Zoning Board will not be having a meeting this Thursday, May 2, 2024.

The beautiful weather means more people will be spending time on area lakes, so don’t leave safety in the wake. Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch offers these tips for staying safe on the water while boating. “One of the main things, while you are out enjoying the lake, is to wear your lifejacket. Georgia law actually states that all children under the age of 13 must wear a U.S. Coast Guard-approved personal flotation device while on board a moving vessel. So, any kids under that age while your boat is actually moving in the water need to be wearing a personal floatation device, and anybody above that age that can’t swim or is not a very good swimmer it is always great to be cautious and have them wear a lifejacket also. Take a boater safety class. You can go to DNR’s website and look at the state-approved boater safety classes that are available online or actually in person. Carry all your required safety gear. Always use your engine cutoff device. You need to file a float plan or at the minimum let someone know where you are going to be in case you don’t come back or if something happens, your boat breaks down, they kind of have an idea where they can look for you. Always be aware of the weather and water conditions and know that things can change very rapidly out on the lake. Always boat sober! No drinking and boating. Always be considerate of others out on the lake.” Please follow this boating safety advice from the Rabun County Fire Department and have a good time on the lake.

The City of Clayton is congratulating Ofc. Justin Buchanan on being named Police Officer of the Year by the Clayton Rotary Club. The award was presented at the Thursday meeting of the Club. Clayton Police Chief Andy Strait spoke of Ofc Buchanan’s selflessness in everything he does and praised his service to his country and his community. Ofc Buchanan is an asset to the City and it is proud to have him on their team.

Extreme heat is deadly, especially for kids and pets that are left in cars, says Rabun County Assistant Fire Chief Justin Upchurch. “We all know how hot a parked car can get. A car’s interior temperature can rise 20 degrees in just 10 minutes. People think leaving the windows cracked is going to slow the heating of the car and it does to a certain degree but not much. We should never leave a child or a pet closed up in a parked car at any time. When it gets hot outside it does become deadly. As far as a pet goes, they cool differently than us, they cool by panting and everything, so they don’t cool like we do. A child’s body can heat up 3-5 times more quickly than that of an adult. Children have fewer sweat glands so they can’t handle these increases in heat like an adult can, so a body temperature of 107 degrees can be lethal. So, we always need to make sure that we don’t leave any kids or pets in cars. If you are used to doing one thing, like going straight to work and then something changes and you have to take the kids somewhere, just make it a habit to always check the backseat. An average of 37 children die in hot cars every year. So, being forgetful can turn tragic very quickly. If you need to do something like putting something in your backseat, like your cellphone or purse, you are always checking in the backseat to make sure that you are not leaving anyone back there. You need to make sure that you take the keys out, don’t let kids have the ability to get inside the car and lock themselves inside to where anything like that could happen. Just be mindful of how hot it can get inside a car and leave the pets at home.” The temperature inside a car can be 30 to 40 degrees hotter than outside. In just five minutes, that heat can cause serious health problems for kids and pets.

One person was injured when she was struck by a car on Georgia Street near the Student Commons in Demorest just after 6:45pm Sunday night, April 28. Habersham County Emergency Services Med 21 and Captain 1 responded with Demorest Fire Department Engine 5 and Demorest Police Department to the incident. The injured pedestrian was taken by ambulance to Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville. Georgia State Patrol Post 7 Toccoa is investigating.