CTL Script/ Top Stories of August 15th
Publish Date: August 15th
Pre-Roll:
From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award-Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast
Today is Friday, August 15th and Happy Birthday to Joe Jonas
I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Times Journal
- Canton approves contract for creation of Cherokee land bank
- University System of Georgia packs huge economic punch
- Cherokee County schools show Milestones improvements
Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on Food Apps
We’ll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you’re looking for Community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!
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STORY 1: Canton approves contract for creation of Cherokee land bank
The Cherokee Regional Land Bank is inching closer to reality.
On Aug. 7, Canton’s City Council gave the green light to an intergovernmental contract to create the land bank. Now, it’s up to the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners, along with the councils in Holly Springs and Woodstock, to decide. No dates yet, but they’ll weigh in soon.
So, what’s a land bank? Think of it as a way to breathe life into abandoned or blighted properties—turning eyesores into opportunities. The idea’s been in the works since late 2022, with Canton and Cherokee County leading the charge.
If approved, a board of directors will oversee the land bank, with members appointed by the county, cities, and the Cherokee Office of Economic Development. They’ll work unpaid, but their mission? Big: housing, economic development, and revitalizing neglected spaces.
Canton Mayor Bill Grant called it a “tool” to tackle housing and economic goals. And while the land bank won’t have eminent domain powers, it could still be a game-changer for the region.
Bartow County already has one—maybe Cherokee’s next.
STORY 2: University System of Georgia packs huge economic punch
Georgia’s public colleges and universities are making waves—big ones. In fiscal 2024, the University System of Georgia (USG) pumped $23.1 billion into the state’s economy. That’s a 5.4% jump from last year.
Here’s the breakdown: $15.2 billion came from direct spending—students, staff, and the 26 institutions themselves. The other $7.9 billion? That’s the ripple effect, money flowing into local businesses and communities.
And for students? The payoff is huge. A bachelor’s degree from a USG school means, on average, $1.4 million more in lifetime earnings. Master’s grads? $1.7 million. Doctorates? Nearly $2.5 million.
USG schools also created jobs—lots of them. About 32% were on campus, but the majority—68%—were off campus, fueling local economies.
The studies, led by Jeff Humphreys of UGA’s Selig Center, show just how much these institutions matter—to students, to communities, to the entire state.
STORY 3: Cherokee County schools show Milestones improvements
The Cherokee County School District is celebrating some solid wins on the Georgia Milestones, with scores improving in most areas compared to last year and outperforming state averages for the 10th year running.
Biggest gains? Math, science, and reading saw notable jumps, with highlights like an impressive 7.7% increase in eighth-grade science and a 7.4% boost in Algebra I. But it wasn’t all perfect—third-grade scores dipped slightly, and English Language Arts saw declines in a few grades, especially fifth (-8.3%).
School Board Chair Janet Read Welch called the results “proof we’re on the right track,” crediting students, teachers, and parents for the progress. Superintendent Mary Elizabeth Davis echoed the optimism.
The board will dive deeper into the data at its Aug. 21 meeting, with school-by-school results to follow online.
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Break: HISTORY CHEROKEE
STORY 4: Woodstock OKs construction contracts for two fire stations
Woodstock is gearing up for two new fire stations, both set to open in 2026. On Aug. 11, the city council approved contracts with Spratlin Construction to build Fire Station 28 on Ridgewalk Parkway and another on Long Drive—both 11,000 square feet.
Why now? Rising call volumes. But when the contractor offered savings for building two at once, the city jumped. The move saves $606,000 and avoids hiring extra firefighters, thanks to a clever staffing plan.
Station 28 will cost $7.4 million, Long Drive $6.8 million. Both are major investments in public safety, with funding from SPLOST and impact fees.
Currently, Woodstock has two fire stations: Station 10, built in 1996, and Station 14, the department’s 2001-built headquarters. The new additions will dramatically improve coverage and response times for the growing city.
STORY 5: Cherokee County teacher wins award from Georgia PTA
A big shoutout to Mill Creek Middle School’s Ann-Margaret Somers, who just snagged the Georgia PTA’s Birney Butler Outstanding Educator award for middle schools. Pretty amazing, right?
This isn’t her first rodeo with recognition. Somers, an eighth-grade science teacher, has racked up honors like Georgia Science Teachers Association’s Middle School Teacher of the Year (2022-23) and Georgia STEM Scholar in 2022—an award only about two dozen teachers statewide receive.
Oh, and in 2020? She was one of just 26 teachers nationwide named a Teacher Fellow by the Northrop Grumman Foundation and National Science Teaching Association.
Somers joined CCSD in 2015, and clearly, she’s been crushing it ever since.
And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on Food Apps
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