Nov/Dec 2026 Community Life - Woodstock Cherokee County To Take Over Nine U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ParksCherokee County will be taking over the remaining U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) owned and managed parks in Cherokee County, effective January 1, 2027.Cherokee Recreation and Parks will take over maintenance and management in phases of nine USACE properties including Sweetwater Day Use Area, Sweetwater Campgrounds, Victoria Day Use Area, Victoria Campground, Galts Ferry Day Use Area, Kellogg Creek Day Use Area, Knox Bridge Boat Ramp, Payne Campgrounds, and Payne Boat Ramp.The agreement states that Cherokee County will operate the campgrounds, day use areas and boat ramps, as well as manage fee collection and utilities. The USACE will retain ownership of the land and coordinate ranger patrols and federal compliance. Cherokee County already accepts USACE passes and national park passes. That will continue.Cherokee Recreation and Parks anticipate fee collections of about $845,000, which would provide funding for additional staff to manage and maintain the parks as well as utilities and capital improvements. A key element of the agreement allows Cherokee County to keep the funds locally, instead of them going to Washington, D.C., and reinvest them into the nine recreation facilities.The County will continue to use Recreation.gov for consistency in bookings, knowing that some travelers may book in the fall or winter for a spring reservation.———————————————————————New E-Bike Regulations in Cherokee CountyCherokee County has new regulations for electronic bicycles to promote safety and provide clear standards for e-bike users on county roads, sidewalks, multiuse paths, and trails.The goal of the now-in-effect ordinance is to promote safety for pedestrians, cyclists, and trail users; align county regulations with Georgia’s e-bike classifications and operating rules; provide clear, enforceable standards for device types and permitted locations; and preserve the natural character and durability of county trails.The ordinance delineates the difference between Class I, II, and III e-bikes and low-speed electric scooters, as well as several other micromobility devices. The ordinance does not legislate mobility devices related to disabilities and adheres to the Americans with Disabilities Act. It also does not legislate golf carts and ATVs, which are governed by separate ordinances. Scan the QR code to view a chart showing where devices can be used and to learn more about key definitions in the ordinance. Enforcement will be handled by the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office and Cherokee Marshal’s Office. A graduated fine structure includes $250 for the first offense, $500 for the second offense, and $1,000 for a third/subsequent offense. A penalty could include up to 60 days in jail, which is in accordance with the Magistrate Court penalty structure. The intent would be for the jail time provision to be used in the most egregious situations, leaving the decision to a magistrate judge.———————————————————————Self-Service Pet Microchip Scanning Stations Available for Public UseFinding the owner of a lost pet should be much quicker with the installation of three microchip scanning stations in Cherokee County, which are located at the Cherokee County Animal Shelter Intake Building (131 Chattin Drive, Canton), Patriots Park (1485 Kellogg Creek Road, Woodstock), and Cherokee Veterans Park (7345 Cumming Highway, Canton).The Microchip Scanning Stations were the brainchild of Animal Control Ofc. 1st Class Nichalas Liddle and Animal Control Ofc. 1st Class Meghan Davis. About two years ago, the pair began pitching the idea to their supervisor, and in November 2025, they were charged with developing a solution to reduce the number of strays the Marshal’s Office picks up and transports to the Animal Shelter.The self-service stations feature signage with instructions on how to use the microchip scanner and what to do if a microchip is found. It also addresses what to do if the animal is not microchipped. Each sign features a QR code that will navigate users to an instructional video. A separate QR code is available to view the video in Spanish.More signs will be installed in other areas of Cherokee County. Businesses or residents soon will be able to sponsor a microchip scanning station to install at their business or a dedicated location selected by the Marshal’s Office.———————————————————————Woodstock Family’s Infamous Sticker WallSticker lovers young and old recently gathered in Woodstock to attend the art exhibition of a local in-home spectacle known as “The Sticker Room.” The impressive 360º showcase totals 115 square feet with a whopping 1,672 stickers from all over the globe. The final sticker was placed at 7:35pm on September 26, marking the official completion of the 3-year installation. The artist, 31-year-old Julia Sparling, shared her inspiration, stating “Honestly, I just ran out of water bottles,” proving you don’t need a grand vision to have your creative idea stick — just a passion, a blank wall, and a community ready to join in on the fun.———————————————————————Woodstock Police Department Awarded Grant for Local Aggressive Driving EnforcementThe Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) has announced that the Woodstock Police Department (WPD) is one of 32 law enforcement agencies in Georgia to receive a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic (H.E.A.T.) grant for Federal Fiscal Year 2026, which began October 1, 2026, and ends September 30, 2027. WPD’s award totals $97,071.36. The goal of the H.E.A.T. program is to combat crashes, injuries, and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seat belt use and educating the public about traffic safety and the dangers of DUI.The WPD H.E.A.T Unit will use the grant from GOHS to develop and implement strategies to reduce local traffic crashes due to aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors.“This H.E.A.T. grant will help to fund specialized traffic enforcement units in Woodstock,” said WPD Chief Roland Castro. As law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI campaign and the Click It Or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, WPD will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year in coordination with GOHS’s year-round waves of high visibility patrols, multi-jurisdictional road checks, and sobriety checkpoints.For more information about the H.E.A.T. program or any other GOHS campaign, visit GaHighwaySafety.org. For more information about the Woodstock Police Department, visit WoodstockGa.gov/police.———————————————————————New 538-Acre Park Opens in Ball GroundCherokee County has opened the new 538-acre Yellow Creek Road Conservation Area and Trails at 1447 Yellow Creek Road in Ball Ground, giving residents expansive protected green space for residents and visitors to enjoy. A ribbon cutting ceremony attended by Cherokee Recreation and Parks officials and community leaders was held in October.The conservation area currently features a horse paddock with a mounting block, open green space, parking, restrooms, and scenic viewing areas. Upcoming plans include 15-20 miles of trails for hiking, mountain biking, and horseback riding. For safety reasons, there will be separate trail systems for cyclists and horseback riders, but hiking will be permitted on all trails. Additional planned amenities include primitive camping and canoe and kayak access to the Etowah River.———————————————————————Currents of Canton Sculpture Installed in Heritage Park Canton’s first sculpture installation, Currents of Canton, was recently installed as a part of the City’s Public Art Master Plan through the Canton Cultural Arts Commission.Designed by artist Huelani Mei, Currents of Canton is a permanent landmark sculpture in Heritage Park, featuring the locally endangered Etowah Darter fish. The piece reflects Canton’s environmental, cultural, and industrial history, honoring both the ecosystem and the Cherokee Native Americans who lived along the Etowah River.———————————————————————Cherokee County School District AnnouncementsStudents Honored With 2026 College Board AwardsThe College Board honored 453 high school juniors and seniors with National Recognition Program Awards for exceptional academic achievement. To be considered for recognition, students must have a GPA of at least 3.3 and earn scores of 3 or higher on two or more Advanced Placement (AP) exams before their junior year and/or top 10% scores on the PSAT/NMSQT or PSAT 10 among test takers at their high school (School Recognition Award), among first-generation college students in their state (First Generation Recognition Award), or among the state’s rural or small town test takers (Rural or Small Town Achievement Award). Seniors Named National Merit Commended ScholarsFourteen seniors have been named National Merit Commended Scholars by the National Merit Scholarship Corporation. The seniors are among the 2-3% of the Class of 2027 honored nationwide with the recognition, which is based on outstanding PSAT scores. They now are eligible for special National Merit Scholarships sponsored by corporations and businesses that will be awarded in the spring. Congratulations to Cherokee HS’s Grace Brake, Thaxton Cheyne, and Amanda Michno; Creekview HS’s Ryan Pattillo; Etowah HS’s Colby Kuleszynski and Pradhyumna Vasishta; River Ridge HS’s Bryson Boldin, Neil Duggal, Ian Haas, Joli Palmquist, and Nicholas Rury; Sequoyah HS’s Piper White; and Woodstock HS’s Devan Parameswaran and Michael Thomas.Students Named to State School Superintendent's Student Advisory Council Cherokee HS senior Dexter Roudoi, River Ridge HS junior Kentoro Mfon-Okon, and Woodstock HS junior Stella Bustelo are among the 84 high school students from across the state selected for this prestigious role. State School Superintendent Richard Woods chooses student advisors based on their applications and essay question answers about improving public education. The group will meet with Superintendent Woods throughout the school year to discuss how state policies affect their schools.
to your business!