Staff Report Union County will open the doors of its new Communications Center later this month with a ribbon cutting and evening open house. The Union County Communications Center, at 455 Shoe Factory Road in Blairsville, will hold a ribbon cutting at 10 a.m. Thursday, October 22, 2026. An open house follows the same day from 5 to 7 p.m. Both events are free and open to the public. Officials describe the center as a place for connecting the community, supporting first respon

Staff Report A Union County firefighter has completed specialized training for emergencies involving horses and other large animals. Firefighter Brooklyn Beaver finished the two-day Large Animal Emergency Response Awareness Course in Athens, the Union County Fire Department said. The course trained first responders on incidents including livestock trailer accidents, barn fires, animals trapped in mud or water, and loose animals in roadways. Participants also learned specializ

Staff Report Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Georgia’s motor fuel excise tax for 30 days starting at 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, offering immediate savings at the pump for drivers in Towns and Union counties and drawing shoppers from neighboring Clay and Cherokee counties in North Carolina. The order, issued Monday after Kemp declared a state of emergency over global oil-market volatility and petroleum supply disruptions, pauses the state’s 33.3-cents-per-gallon tax on gasoline and 37.3-ce

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — The Union County Fire Department is recognizing Captain Jeff Fortenberry for completing three additional emergency management courses over the past month, furthering his professional development and bringing him closer to Certified Emergency Manager (CEM) designation. Fortenberry completed Preliminary Damage Assessment, Intermediate Emergency Operations Center Functions, and Disaster Recovery Programs. The training covers how to assess damage after an incid

(Photo by Union County Fire & Rescue) Staff Report BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Training is important, especially in emergency situations when seconds count and lives may be on the line. One of the major areas of training Union County Fire & Rescue performs is live fire training. Firefighters can learn in the classroom about fire conditons, low visibility, heat, and extinguishing techniques for a structure fire. Training with live fire conditions allows them to experience a fire firsth

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Union County first responders used empty school buildings Sept. 4 to practice their response after an active threat is stopped, officials said. Union County Schools held an online learning day that Friday, giving the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department, Schools Police Department and school system a chance to train together on active-threat procedures. Sheriff’s officials said deputies are trained to enter a school immediately and stop the threat first. The Se

Union County Fire & Rescue Press Release You can call it a fire truck or a fire engine, but it doesn’t matter because everyone knows what you are talking about, the big red trucks also known as the “fire apparatus.” Everyone has seen a fire apparatus but there are probably some fire apparatus fundamentals that some people do not know. A fire apparatus is usually classified by the amount of water that it is able to pump, which is defined as gallons per minute or GPM. This mean

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents not to call phone numbers that appear in pop-up messages claiming a computer, tablet or other device has been infected, hacked or compromised. The office said the alerts often look convincing and urge people to call a listed number immediately for technical support. Officials said those messages are a common tactic used by scammers. Legitimate technology companies generally do not use random pop-ups to

(File Photo) BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Union County firefighters are now better protected in the most dangerous conditions they face after the department completed a major upgrade to its Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) fleet. The department purchased 120 new MSA SCBAs in late 2025 at a cost of approximately $1,171,000. The project was funded through SPLOST. After setup and training, the new units were placed on every fire apparatus across the county’s 13 stations. Firefigh

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Downtown Blairsville is calling for artists to take part in its first Art Crawl, a free, self-guided event set for 3-7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 25. Organizers say they especially want makers who can demonstrate their craft live outside participating downtown shops. Examples include canvas painting, crocheting, hat burning, wood carving, pottery and jewelry making. Only handmade work will be featured. Artists will be assigned a spot in front of a local merchant. T

Prices across extreme northeast Georgia and far-western North Carolina have settled into a narrower squeeze: cheaper they are not, but the pain is now concentrated at the pump and in a few grocery staples. Consumer prices in the South, the Bureau of Labor Statistics region that includes Georgia and North Carolina, rose 3.2 percent in the 12 months ending in July. That is up from 2.3 percent a year earlier and down from a 3.9 percent peak in May. There is no separate index for

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Union County Fire and Rescue maintains seven rescue trucks stationed at career and volunteer fire stations across the county, vehicles designed primarily for technical rescues but equipped for a wide range of emergencies. The trucks respond to water rescues, rope rescues, machine extrications and auto extrications from motor vehicle crashes. Department officials note that motor vehicle accidents occur nearly daily, and some involve significant damage or inj

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Union General Health System will host its annual Health Fair from 6 to 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 19, at Union General Hospital, 35 Hospital Road. The event offers a wide range of free health screenings, including blood pressure and vital signs, breast exams, oxygen saturation, body fat percentage, DEXA bone density scans, fall risk assessments, hearing and vision screenings, skin checks, toe brachial index readings, vein ultrasounds, EKGs, ankle-brachial inde

(Photo provided by UCSO) Pictured L-R: Chief Deputy Josh Berry, Sheriff Shawn Dyer, Deputy CJ Townsend, Sgt. Michael Kearns, Lt. Travis Gibson, FF/Paramedic Kyle Mead, AEMT Amber Pruitt, Paramedic Derrick Pruitt, Deputy Buck Stover, Kim Stover. Not Pictured - FF Adam Podber BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Union County Sheriff Shawn Dyer on Friday presented Certificates of Merit for lifesaving actions to seven first responders during the county commissioners meeting, recognizing their rol

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Union County public safety organizations switched from analog to digital radio systems in 2019 using Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax funding, according to a release from Union County Fire & Rescue. The change was driven largely by Federal Communications Commission requirements that narrowed radio bandwidths from 25 kHz to 12.5 kHz. Officials said the narrower channels reduced the range and clarity of the older analog system, which transmitted signals

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — The Union County Sheriff’s Office has welcomed four new deputies after they completed required training and certification. Deputies Logan Bryson, Lillian Leird and David Harris graduated April 24 from Basic Law Enforcement Training at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. The program included more than three months of classroom instruction and practical training. After graduation, the three were assigned to the agency’s Field Training Progra

Young Harris, Ga. — A heat advisory is in effect Monday for portions of northeast Georgia and western North Carolina as oppressive heat and humidity push heat index values into the triple digits. The National Weather Service office in Greenville-Spartanburg issued the advisory from noon to 8 p.m. EDT for parts of northeast Georgia, including Stephens, Franklin, Hart and Elbert counties, along with portions of the North Carolina Piedmont and Upstate South Carolina. Heat index

Blairsville, Ga. — A long-running 1% Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax has financed major upgrades to Union County’s fire department, Emergency Management Agency and 911 center, according to Union County Fire and Rescue. The department recently addressed questions about the tax, known as SPLOST, and its effects on public safety. Officials said the funding has purchased equipment, built facilities and lowered insurance rates for residents and businesses while improving re

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — A man in his 70s died by suicide Monday morning at the Union County VA Clinic, authorities confirmed. Union County Dispatch received a call at 10:06 a.m. reporting a person with a single gunshot wound at the clinic. Deputies and EMS responders arrived within minutes and began assessing the situation, according to a sheriff’s office press release. The man, who was visiting the Veterans Affairs office and was not from Union County, was found by an office empl

BLAIRSVILLE, Ga. — Live runway webcams are now available at Blairsville Municipal Airport, airport officials announced. The cameras provide views looking down Runway 08 and Runway 26 at the airport, identified by the FAA code KDZJ. Officials said the feeds offer pilots, aviation enthusiasts and community members a real-time look at airport activity. Viewers can watch aircraft movements, check current weather and runway conditions, and observe day-to-day operations. The camera