Pickens County Progress

Bill Cornelison, 82, of Jasper, Georgia passed away on August 30, 2026. He was born on August 20, 1944 in Canton to the late Arvine Cornelison and Imogene Holcomb Cornelison. He will be remembered with love for the steady, full life he built and for the many simple joys that brought warmth to those around him. His dedication to his work, his service, and his fraternal commitments reflected a life marked by loyalty and constancy.

It happens to everyone these days. You grab a snack and take it from the box it came in, then you open it up and realize that it shrank! You think your eyes are deceiving you, but they aren't. You have entered the world of shrinknation! You could have sworn that cinnamon roll was bigger. Guess what? You were right. I purchased a sweet roll I used to love, but when I opened it, the roll was half the size I used to get. It used to be the size of my hand, but now it was the size of my palm.

It hadn't even been three weeks since Timmy Martin passed away in an August 23rd accident in west Pickens County, but his wife and three of his daughters mustered up the strength for an interview. They want people to remember Timmy like they do - as a devoted and beloved husband, father and friend, with a personality that made him unforgettable to anyone he met.

In Pickens County, we likely won't have the opportunity to make a deal with the devil over data centers. Data centers need a lot of flat land, water, and massive amounts of electricity - none of which we have. It's probably for the best that we will be passed by, as recent polls, letters to the editor and social media posts make clear data centers are unwelcome - the worst thing possible for a community.

A one-mile stretch of Highway 53, which runs past the home of well-known community member and former county commissioner Jerry Barnes, who passed away in August of 2022, has been named in his honor. An official sign was unveiled Saturday. The state legislature approved a resolution honoring Barnes.

Ten years ago, Pat Groves and Julie Logan decided to find a place to have a free weight loss support group. The Rec Center was so kind to let us use a room. The first week in September we had our first meeting. Soon after, several more people joined. We have a weight recorder and lessons each week. On September 11, 2026, we had our 10-year celebration party. All our former members were invited. We had a wonder time. I had a scrapbook with all the newspaper articles for everyone to look through.

Veterans' groups officially cut the ribbon at the new Pickens County Veterans Hall, 1997 Camp Road, Sept. 10, with speakers saying this building will serve veterans and the community for generations to come.

As families prepare to settle into busy fall routines, many adults put off routine healthcare visits. But one of the simplest steps people can take to improve their health is knowing your numbers. Many common conditions, including high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, and heart disease, can develop silently without noticeable symptoms. Knowing your numbers is one of the most powerful-and actionable-foundations of preventive care and chronic condition management.

There was a story on page 2A of last week's paper that some readers may have skipped right over. It was about a summer camp for middle schoolers. Go back and read it. Kids from the Boys and Girls Club of North Georgia, fifth grade through ninth, spent seven Thursdays at Chattahoochee Tech's Appalachian Campus in Jasper. In essence they learned what you need to know for business. They learned to read a caliper down to a 1/128th of an inch. They pulled a tire off and put it back on.

Patrica Buchanan Evans, 79 of Jasper, passed away quietly at her home on September 2, 2026 surrounded by loved ones. Pat was a proud employee of Amicalola EMC from 1979-2015. In her retirement years, she enjoyed gardening, reading, watching the Braves, spending time with her grandchildren, Olivia and Owen, going to lunch with the LOL's, and brewing everyone a cup of coffee when they came by to visit.