News

Third grade teacher Melanie Charles was recently announced as the Teacher of the Year representing Blackburn Elementary School.

Third grade teacher Melanie Charles was recently announced as the Teacher of the Year representing Blackburn Elementary School.

Charles named Blackburn Elementary’s Teacher of the Year

Keith Murden
Thursday, October 30, 2025
Melanie Charles’ favorite thing about her job is the children,  “I loved being around children even when I was young, I was the go-to babysitter who would always plug in and volunteer with children,” Charles recently told The Nugget.  And her devotion to kids shines through.
Investigators from the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office are working to track down the culprits responsible for the theft of Shaquille O'Neal's Range Rover.

Investigators from the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office are working to track down the culprits responsible for the theft of Shaquille O'Neal's Range Rover.

LCSO tracking Shaq’s stolen SUV

Matt Aiken
Friday, October 24, 2025
Someone stole Shaquille O’Neal’s brand new SUV. And investigators from the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office are working hard to find the culprits. “The location it was taken to was apparently in Atlanta,” said Sheriff Stacy Jarrard on Friday afternoon.
TLC Manager Sean Bailey will bring Yoshi and five other dogs for adoption to Hancock Park this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

TLC Manager Sean Bailey will bring Yoshi and five other dogs for adoption to Hancock Park this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

Bark in the Park festival returns this weekend

Keith Murden
Wednesday, October 22, 2025
“Every dog has his day,” according to the old adage, and this Saturday, October 25, looks to be the time of the canine.  After all, it was only a couple of weekends ago that downtown Dahlonega’s Hancock Park was taken over by the feline-centric festival and fundraiser known as “Catoberfest.”
Members of Lumpkin County’s Recycling Committee were joined by local leaders and County and City officials last week for the ribbon cutting at the long-awaited recycling station, located next to the Transfer Station on Barlow Road near downtown.

Members of Lumpkin County’s Recycling Committee were joined by local leaders and County and City officials last week for the ribbon cutting at the long-awaited recycling station, located next to the Transfer Station on Barlow Road near downtown.

New recycling station now up and running

Keith Murden
Thursday, October 16, 2025
The brand new recycling facility at the Lumpkin County Transfer Station is finally open for business; while a soft opening to the public actually began last week, the official ribbon-cutting ceremony took place Monday morning at 9 a.m. County Manager Chris Dockery welcomed a bevy of local elected...
The Pinetree Rec Center’s competitive swimming pool is already being used by local student athletes for practices, but a new heater will enable its use further into the fall season.

The Pinetree Rec Center’s competitive swimming pool is already being used by local student athletes for practices, but a new heater will enable its use further into the fall season.

Plan to save swim season heating up at County pool

Keith Murden
Wednesday, October 8, 2025
A plan is finally in place to extend the usability of the competitive swimming pool at Pinetree Recreation Center for students, with the school system investing $46,500 to purchase and install a brand new, gas-powered heating unit.
South Enotah Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Rebekah Perethian speaks to a crowd of donors, volunteers and well-wishers at the grand opening for the non-profit’s new Dahlonega location.

South Enotah Child Advocacy Center Executive Director Rebekah Perethian speaks to a crowd of donors, volunteers and well-wishers at the grand opening for the non-profit’s new Dahlonega location.

Child advocacy center opens local headquarters

Keith Murden
Wednesday, October 1, 2025
The South Enotah Child Advocacy Center has come full circle.  After a humble beginning in the counseling office of the University of North Georgia and a shared office in White County, a local Child Advocacy Center (CAC) location is now back to serve the citizens of Lumpkin County.
Lumpkin County firefighters Paul Northop, left, and Jean-Luc Cypher work to contain a quickly-spreading fire that ultimately claimed a Trahlyta Estates home last Friday.

Lumpkin County firefighters Paul Northop, left, and Jean-Luc Cypher work to contain a quickly-spreading fire that ultimately claimed a Trahlyta Estates home last Friday.

Firefighters battle blaze in Trahlyta Estates

Matt Aiken
Wednesday, September 17, 2025
A tower of smoke billowing from a fast-burning blaze in Trahlyta Estates could be seen throughout downtown Dahlonega Friday morning. In fact, Lumpkin County Fire Marshal Chris Maloney spotted the fire from the parking lot of Station 1 just before the official call went out.
A local winged celebrity buzzed by the Lumpkin County Library recently to help spread the news about the upcoming Lumpkin Literacy Adult Spelling Bee & Variety Show which is taking place October 7 at 7 p.m. in the University of North Georgia’s Hoag Auditorium. Admission is free to the donation-only event. Pictured, Eleanora Sizemore, the actual Spelling Bee, will be making appearances in The Nugget in the weeks leading up to the big show as she visits key contributors to the cause of local literacy.

A local winged celebrity buzzed by the Lumpkin County Library recently to help spread the news about the upcoming Lumpkin Literacy Adult Spelling Bee & Variety Show which is taking place October 7 at 7 p.m. in the University of North Georgia’s Hoag Auditorium. Admission is free to the donation-only event. Pictured, Eleanora Sizemore, the actual Spelling Bee, will be making appearances in The Nugget in the weeks leading up to the big show as she visits key contributors to the cause of local literacy.

Lumpkin Literacy helps spell success for many

News Staff
Wednesday, September 10, 2025
Editor’s Note: This appeared in the “OUR VIEW” section of the September 10 edition.  Don’t call it a comeback. Call it a c-o-m-e-b-a-c-k instead.  Because after six years, the Lumpkin Literacy Adult Spelling Bee & Variety Show has returned.
Tammy Nash moved from Dacula to manage her Lumpkin County getaway on Highway 52 East.

Tammy Nash moved from Dacula to manage her Lumpkin County getaway on Highway 52 East.

Exclusive Content

Local inn offers modern-yet-secluded getaway

Keith Murden
Wednesday, September 3, 2025
Local resident Tammy Nash savors the reaction she gets from visitors when they walk into her home for the first time.  “I like seeing people come in. It makes them happy,” Nash recently told The Nugget.
Neighbors and passersby joined together to help rescue Lamar Laird from the bottom of a steep embankment after the local resident was pinned beneath his riding mower last Tuesday.

Neighbors and passersby joined together to help rescue Lamar Laird from the bottom of a steep embankment after the local resident was pinned beneath his riding mower last Tuesday.

School bus crew saves injured man

Matt Aiken
Wednesday, August 27, 2025
Lamar Laird was trapped beneath his lawnmower and trying not to lose hope.  But after several hours pinned to the ground in a drainage ditch, hope was getting harder and harder to come by. And the constant torrential rain of last Tuesday afternoon didn’t help matters much.