Union County residents are being urged to prepare for potentially dangerous winter weather this weekend as meteorologists continue to monitor a system that could bring significant icing to the area. According to Union County officials, a consensus among multiple meteorologists over the past several days indicates the possibility of an ice storm developing late Saturday and continuing into Sunday. If the forecast holds, the storm could rival some of the most severe ice events

Spencer Mathis Director of Media & Communications Young Harris College is excited to announce transformative enhancements to its soccer and lacrosse venue, positioning it as one of the premier athletic facilities in Conference Carolinas. Beginning this winter, the Mountain Lions' home will undergo major upgrades that will elevate the experience for fans, student-athletes, and media alike.  The facility will proudly bear the name Art & Tammy Deas Stadium, honoring the generosi

A Union County man is in custody after investigators say they discovered illegal child sexual abuse material on his cellphone during a criminal investigation. According to a press release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, deputies received an initial report involving Joshua Bowers on Wednesday, Jan. 7. Following that report, the sheriff’s office launched an independent criminal investigation led by a detective specially trained to handle crimes involving children. Inves

The Blairsville Police Department is warning residents about a phone scam in which callers falsely claim to be police officers and demand immediate payment for supposed outstanding warrants. According to the department, scammers have been contacting individuals while posing as Blairsville police officers, telling them they have active warrants and must pay right away to avoid arrest. Police say the callers may pressure victims to act quickly and request personal or financial

As the calendar turns and a new year begins, Union County Fire and Rescue is reflecting on 2025 as a year marked by significant growth, meaningful progress, and sobering challenges. Department leaders say the past year will be remembered as a period of expansion and strengthened operations. The volunteer ranks grew by 12 firefighters, bolstering staffing at volunteer stations across the county. At the same time, the career staff increased by six firefighters—two per shift—who

Union County Schools is celebrating strong attendance numbers districtwide, highlighting the commitment of students and families to showing up and staying engaged during the 2025–2026 school year. According to district data, Union County Schools currently boasts an average daily attendance (ADA) rate of 95 percent, a key indicator of student engagement and academic consistency. District leaders say the numbers reflect a collective effort to combat chronic absenteeism and keep

The Union County Sheriff’s Office has temporarily shut down its online inmate roster after discovering it was being used by scammers to target local families. According to the sheriff’s office, the inmate roster website was inactivated on Dec. 24, 2025, following multiple reports of citizens being defrauded. The roster previously allowed the public to view recent arrests at the Union County Jail. Officials said scammers were accessing the online roster to identify recently ar

By: Spencer Mathis Director of Media & Communications Young Harris College Athletics is excited to announce four new inductees into our Athletic Hall of Fame: Randy Dunn (Athletic Director),  Mikie Rowe (Men's Soccer), Kendra Parenteau (Women's Lacrosse), and Darby Stanford (Softball). Our four newest members of the YHC Athletics Hall of Fame will be inducted on Saturday, February 7, 2026. To register for the Hall of Fame Luncheon for our inductees, visit the links at the

The Union County Sheriff’s Office is once again alerting residents about an ongoing phone scam in which callers impersonate law enforcement officers and threaten arrest over alleged missed jury duty. According to the Sheriff’s Office, scammers are contacting individuals and falsely claiming they failed to appear for jury duty. The caller then demands immediate payment of a fine, warning that an arrest will follow if the payment is not made right away. Authorities stress that

As 2025 comes to a close, residents across North Georgia and Western North Carolina will have no shortage of ways to welcome the arrival of 2026. From lively parties and family-friendly attractions to faith-based gatherings, communities throughout the region are offering a variety of New Year’s Eve celebrations. In Murphy, North Carolina, Chevelles Restaurant & Bar 66, located at 66 Hiawassee Street, will ring in the new year with all-night karaoke and a crowd-pleasing food s

As talk of snow begins circulating on social media, Mountain Buzz Meteorologist Greg Majewski is urging residents to take long-range winter forecasts with a grain of salt. Majewski said he anticipated the early speculation and cautioned that any snow projections more than seven days out are largely conjecture and unlikely to hold as models update. According to Majewski, recent chatter stems from the European weather model, which has hinted at the possibility of snow across pa

Staff Report The search for Charles Hosch, who went missing while hiking the Appalachian Trail near Blood Mountain, has now entered its fifth week. Union County Emergency Management Agency (UCEMA) and the Union County Sheriff’s Office (UCSO) continue to investigate the case, which remains open, as search efforts persist in coordination with Mr. Hosch’s family. Mr. Hosch was last known to be on the Appalachian Trail on November 11 at approximately 1:30 p.m. He was hiking a fam

Staff Report A community is rallying to support a Union County family after a deadly mobile home fire claimed the lives of two young children earlier this week. Union County Fire and Rescue confirmed that two children, believed to be ages three and six, died in a structure fire overnight on Sunday, Dec. 14 at Warren Trailer Park. Firefighters from all county stations responded and found a single-wide mobile home fully involved. The cause of the fire remains under investigatio

Two young children died in a tragic structure fire Monday at Warren Trailer Park in Union County, according to Union County Fire and Rescue. Firefighters — both career and volunteer — from all Union County Fire Department stations were dispatched to the scene after reports that children were still inside the home. When crews arrived, they found a single-wide mobile home fully engulfed in flames, with the roof already collapsed. Firefighters launched an aggressive attack to br

Mountain Buzz Staff Report The Union County Board of Education has achieved a prestigious honor, being recognized as an Exemplary Board by the Georgia School Boards Association (GSBA) at its 2025 winter conference! This significant distinction is a testament to the Board’s commitment to effective governance practices and its unwavering focus on supporting student success throughout Union County Schools. The community and school district also wish to recognize the combined ser

The Union County Sheriff’s Office will host its next Scam & Fraud Awareness Class on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at 10:00 a.m. at the Blairsville Public Library, located at 303 Hunt Martin Street. The free class is open to the public and will feature important information presented by the Union County Sheriff’s Office and Tri-State Tech Support. Topics will include current scam trends, how to recognize common fraud schemes, and steps to protect personal and financial informa

The Union County Sheriff's Office received top honors at the recent QUAD Network Meeting, which brings together law enforcement leaders from 35 counties in North Georgia and more than 100 agencies. The Sheriff's Office was selected as Agency of the Year by the Appalachian Trail Traffic Enforcement Network (ATTEN) for its ongoing commitment to keeping roadways safe along the Appalachian Trail corridor and throughout the region. Lieutenant Leon James earned individual recogniti

Photo from the UCSO Facebook page. Mountain Buzz Staff Report The Union County Sheriff’s Office has added two new deputies to its ranks following their completion of a 20-week Basic Law Enforcement Academy at the Georgia Public Safety Training Center in Forsyth. Deputy Morgan Gay and Deputy Paul Leird finished more than 800 hours of instruction covering core areas of law enforcement. Both have worked with the agency as detention officers since 2023 and now move into the next

Mountain Buzz Staff Report As temperatures drop and residents turn to wood stoves, fireplaces, propane heaters and oil furnaces, safety officials are reminding homeowners about the invisible danger of carbon monoxide — a gas that can be deadly without warning. Carbon monoxide (CO) is produced when fuels such as wood, coal, propane, oil or natural gas burn incompletely. Because the gas has no color, smell or taste, people often do not realize it is present until they begin exp

Large-scale search operations for missing hiker Charles Hosch in the Blood Mountain area of the Appalachian Trail have been suspended following twelve consecutive days of intensive efforts. Mr. Hosch has been missing since November 11. Over the past two weeks, local, state, and federal teams from Georgia and neighboring states deployed aircraft, drones, K-9 units, and hundreds of ground searchers across the rugged terrain. Monday evening marked the final full operational peri