Over $50,000 Awarded to Local Entrepreneurs The Cherokee Office of Economic Development (COED) awarded more than $50,000 to their first LaunchPad Bootcamp Series graduates, with more opportunities to come.The first LaunchPad Bootcamp Series kicked off in January with 14 participants. The free four-week series comes as a partnership between COED and Kennesaw State University’s HatchBridge Incubator. It is designed to guide emerging Cherokee County entrepreneurs in launching their business ideas or new products to help them grow in Cherokee’s entrepreneurial space.Each participant had the opportunity to earn up to $5,000 to advance their venture. Out of 13 graduates, 11 were eligible to apply for the mini grant. COED awarded $51,935 among those 11 for its inaugural session, funded by the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) distributed by the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners.Each week, participants researched, refined, and prepared their ventures for launch. Participants walked away from the series with an idea deck, business model canvas, and go-to market. To be eligible for funding, applicants had to complete the full four-week series and all assignments, be a resident of or have a business located in Cherokee County, and submit a completed mini-grant application. COED is collaborating with HatchBridge Incubator, a service born from Kennesaw State University that helps grow startups in the Atlanta suburbs. HatchBridge also offers a coworking space to help entrepreneurs kickstart their ventures. Learn more at HatchBridge.com.This program is offered as part of COED’s Fresh Start Cherokee initiative, which aims to create a culture of entrepreneurship in Cherokee County. Visit FreshStartCherokee.com to learn more.
Cherokee E 9-1-1 Named Call Center of the Year During the recent Georgia Emergency Communications Conference, the Cherokee County E 9-1-1 team was bestowed the 2024 Call Center of the Year in Georgia. The conference is a joint effort of the Association of Public Safety Communications Professionals (APCO) and the National Emergency Number Association (NENA). The Call Center of the Year Award recognizes a 9-1-1 Center in Georgia that exhibits professionalism, leadership, innovation, and service to not only the community it serves but also the region and state.
Lt. David Miller Recognized at GEMSA Awards Reception The 2024 Georgia Emergency Medical Services Association (GEMSA) Awards Reception honors the remarkable dedication of EMS professionals committed to serving their communities selflessly. Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services' Lt. David Miller received the esteemed Tim Peebles Champion of Children Excellence & Advocacy Award. This accolade pays tribute to the legacy of Capt. Tim Peebles, a longtime advocate for delivering top-tier prehospital care, particularly focusing on the prevention of injuries and illnesses in children. Peebles dedicated his efforts to safeguarding the future generation of Georgia, exemplifying excellence in training, patient care, public education, and advocacy. This award acknowledges individuals or groups who embody Peebles' commitment through their innovative ideas, actions, and goals to pursue and reinforce the exceptional benchmarks he established.
New Vehicle Tag Renewal Kiosk in Macedonia Tax Commissioner Denise Mastroserio worked with the Georgia Department of Revenue and Kroger to receive approval for a new kiosk location (Kroger at Woodmont Village, 8020 Cumming Highway, Canton), making it more convenient for residents to renew their tags.“Commissioner Steve West and I have discussed adding this additional kiosk for the residents in communities including Macedonia, Free Home, Lathemtown, and Buffington, so they do not have to travel to Canton to renew their vehicle registration,” Mastroserio said. “The kiosk is available for use anytime Kroger is open.”To use the kiosk, users must scan their vehicle registration renewal letter or driver’s license or have their tag number handy to enter it into the system. To use the tag number option, you must have the last four digits of your VIN. Credit and debit cards are accepted for payment. A $4.95 fee applies.
Progress Update on Canton's Roadmap for Success Following the conclusion of the most recent City Council Retreat (March 15-17, 2024), City Manager Billy Peppers provided a review of the City’s progress on the Canton Roadmap for Success, which was adopted in late 2020. The work on programs, projects, and policies is outlined under each of the eight tenets outlined in the roadmap. Visit CantonGa.gov/government/city-manager for a complete list of all monthly operations reports, or scan the QR code to read the full details of the Roadmap for Success update:
City Finance Department Earns Accolades The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) has awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting to the City of Canton for its annual comprehensive financial report for the fiscal year that ended September 30, 2022. This was the 23rd consecutive year that the City has achieved this prestigious award. To be awarded a Certificate of Achievement, a government must publish an easily readable and efficiently organized comprehensive annual financial report. This report must satisfy both generally accepted accounting principles and applicable legal requirements. It is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting, and its attainment represents a significant accomplishment by a government and its management.
Cherokee County School District Announcements New Class of Educators Inducted Into Hall of FameThe CCSD Educators Hall of Fame recognizes retired educators who made significant contributions during their careers in CCSD and left lasting positive impacts on the lives of students, colleagues, and the community. The Class of 2024 inductees are Letitia Cline, Marguerite Cline, Jackie Hopkins, Pete Jones, and the late Lee R. Tippens. Superintendent Davis Begins Her New RoleDr. Mary Elizabeth Davis, CCSD’s freshly hired superintendent of schools started her new role last month by visiting schools and meeting students, teachers and staff, families, and community partners.“My commitment to education extends beyond a career choice — it is a profound dedication to creating environments where students thrive, educators are empowered, leaders excel, support staff make significant impacts, and families confidently invest their trust,” said Davis in her statement to the community upon accepting the position. New Class of Educators Inducted Into Hall of FameThe CCSD Educators Hall of Fame recognizes retired educators who made significant contributions during their careers in CCSD and left lasting positive impacts on the lives of students, colleagues, and the community. The Class of 2024 inductees are Letitia Cline, Marguerite Cline, Jackie Hopkins, Pete Jones, and the late Lee R. Tippens.
Canton Police Department Welcomes New Chief City Manager Billy Peppers has named Martin P. Ferrell as the next leader of Canton’s Police Department. The hire comes after former Chief Stephen Merrifield’s retirement last December. Mercer Group Associates conducted a national recruitment effort in December and early January to assist Peppers with narrowing the applicant pool to a selection of candidates for formal review. Mercer Group utilized stakeholder feedback from the department to assist in developing the recruitment brochure for the position.Chief Ferrell joins Canton Police following a career with the City of Marietta Police Department. Ferrell began his law enforcement career as an officer with Marietta Police in 1990, eventually serving in narcotics and as a departmental training officer. Rising through the department, he became a lieutenant in 1999, leading a variety of programs including criminal investigations, traffic enforcement, crime interdiction, Police Explorers, drug education, SWAT, and the City of Marietta’s school resource officer program.In 2005, Ferrell was promoted to major, leading outreach, uniform patrol, administrative services, and homeland security, among other duties. He served as deputy chief of the department from 2013 to 2022. During that time, he established a pastor’s academy for community outreach, introduced the department’s body warn camera technology, incorporated the agency’s crisis intervention team for officer support, and filled in in the absence of the chief. He attained the office of chief of police with Marietta PD in 2022, serving until he retired from that local government at the end of 2023.In addition to his work experience, Ferrell holds post-secondary degrees in criminal justice administration from Columbia Southern University. He is a graduate of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police Chief Executive Training Program, International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations, Senior Management Institute of Police, Police Executive Research Forum, Carl Vinson Institute of Government Management Program at the University of Georgia, FBI National Academy, Dale Carnegie Management Program, and the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy. The Canton Police Department includes 61 employees, both sworn law enforcement personnel and civilian administrative staff. Canton Police Department is a State Certified Law Enforcement Agency.
City of Canton Proposes Historic District Expansion and Adoption of Residential Design Guidelines The historic district will double in size under the newly proposed expansion, and if adopted, homes within this area will go under Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) review for any future exterior work. An open house was held on March 4 for public discussion on the expansion and guidelines, which was followed by an HPC meeting. A public hearing will be held at the April 4 Canton City Council meeting at 6:00pm, with discussion and possible action on the expansion and guidelines at their meeting on April 18 at 6:00pm.If you have any questions, please reach out to Community Development Director Kevin Turner at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..
Cherokee County Purchases Former Buffington School Site The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners unanimously approved purchasing the former Buffington ES site from the Cherokee County School District for $1.2 million. The 9.8-acre site paired with the adjacent nearly 3.2-acre site the county already owns is slated to house a replacement for Fire Station 29 and possibly a future site for the Fire Safety and Education Village and Fire & Emergency Services Headquarters.During a work session discussion, Chairman Harry Johnston confirmed with fire officials that the county’s intention is to preserve the original building and its historic look.