Pickens County Progress

Gail Lynn Stanford (Dunman), 67, of Cartersville, Georgia, passed away on Friday, June 5, 2026. She was born in Nashville, Tennessee, to Robert Eli Dunman Jr. and Gracie Mai Dunman. Gail lived in Longwood, Florida, and Ellijay, Georgia, before making her home in Cartersville. Gail loved her grandchildren dearly and found joy in collecting lighthouses.

After years of planning, Perrow Park is set to open on Saturday, June 13, with a ribbon-cutting ceremony followed by Downtown Live, the first time the concert will be held off Main Street. "This project is the culmination of local families, local businesses, and stakeholders setting a goal and seeing it through," said Jasper Mayor Kirk Raffield. "Thanks to everyone who had a part in making this project possible, and to the city of Jasper staff, a special thank you for all your hard work.

Last week, the PHS Diamond Dragons made Pickens proud, bringing home an historic win, the first time in our high school's nearly 70-year history that the baseball team took the state title. What an achievement. Of course, their big win reminded us of the 1974 PHS Dragonettes state title, which is still the only basketball state championship in the school system's history.

Inside a modest building at 7 Caring Way, life-changing moments are unfolding every day. The Pregnancy Center has expanded its services to include free ultrasounds and comprehensive support for parents from pregnancy through early childhood. Passersby traveling Highway 53 south of Jasper may have noticed the new signage reflecting the organization's updated name.

By Ty Tagami, Bureau Chief Capitol Beat News Service ATLANTA - Google will spend $1 million on conservation work in a watershed in South Georgia near one of its data centers. The donation, announced this week, is part of a $17 million commitment by Google to support seven waterway and infrastructure improvement projects nationwide. In Georgia, the nonprofit Ducks Unlimited will be putting Google's money toward the restoration of 35 acres of wetlands in the Flint River Wildlife Management Area.

Intern Reporter Following a record-breaking turnout in the May 19 Primary Election, Georgia voters are expected to head to the polls again on June 16 to cast their ballots in several state and federal runoff elections. All local contests (three school board seats and the west district commissioner seat) were decided in the primary, with candidates only on the Republican side of the ballot.

I was at a meeting in Ellijay in May, talking with an official there who commented that Pickens must be the most argumentative place in the state, based on the Facebook posts. He could have been referring to the ongoing fracas over the Downtown Live concerts, or the skirmishes over the airport, or any of the outcries over the proposed developments. Or whatever flavor of the week is being commented on. I asked if it wasn't similar in his county, and he said not really, at least not yet.

The Bronco Stampede is back for another year, returning this Saturday, June 6 in downtown Talking Rock. You can find all the details about trails and other happenings on their Facebook page.

Elaine Glass Elaine Glass, 56, of East Ellijay, Georgia, passed away on Monday, May 18, 2026, at her residence. She was born in Canton, Georgia, to Elbert Crowe and Betty Jean Jones Crowe.

Memorial Day is behind us for another year. The ceremony at Veterans Park did what it is meant to do — honor a particular kind of sacrifice, the big, capital-S kind, made by people in uniform a long way from home. There is also a smaller kind of service that keeps a county like ours running, and it’s not recognized enough. Sometimes our biggest stories aren’t on the front page. On page 9A last week, there was a story about our Habitat for Humanity of Pickens County marking 25 years.