Finance + Legal Services

Community Commitment Beyond Financial Services

How LGE Community Credit Union champions public safety, partnerships, and meaningful local impact in Cherokee County Article by LGE & Cherokee Fire | Photography by Cherokee Fire LGE Community Credit Union is guided by a simple but powerful belief: strong communities are built through connection, care, and collaboration. Rooted in the credit union philosophy of “people helping people,” LGE’s presence in Cherokee County extends well beyond financial services, reaching into the lives of those...

Sports + Recreation

Putting for Glory

A Canton ten-year-old wins one of junior golf's most storied titles Article by Glenn Lazarus | Photography by Provided by Sarah Burris The crowd surged toward the eighth green before the ball even stopped rolling. Cole Burris, ten years old and standing in the middle of his biggest golf moment, had just made the putt that mattered most. Not a practice round. Not a warm-up. The championship putt, on the third hole of a sudden-death playoff, at one of the most storied junior golf tournaments in...

Education

Pages, People, and Possibility

Inside the renovation redefining what a Cherokee County library means for your family. Article by Mark O'Donnell | Photography by Katie Nielson It started in 1922 with a borrowed room behind a jewelry store on Canton's Main Street and a collection of donated books tended by a volunteer two days a week. More than a century later, the Sequoyah Regional Library System has grown into one of North Georgia's most quietly essential institutions: eight locations, more than 1 million checkouts, and...

Home + Design

Lower the Bar

How one Cherokee County mom turned raw, real motherhood into a movement. Article by Glenn Lazarus | Photography by Provided by Jessi Meeks Before the 200,000+ followers, before the viral videos, and before anyone told her she was doing something worth watching, Jessi Meeks was just trying to survive. She had three little kids, a house that looked like a house, and a scrolling feed full of perfectly matched outfits, Pottery Barn playrooms, and activities that required a glue gun and a...

Education

Doing Amazing Things

Two Cherokee County student athletes who lead with heart Article by Kelsey Walters | Photography by Aylo Heath Some scholarships reward the highest GPA. Others go to the fastest or the strongest. The Do Amazing Things award, presented by Aylo Health in partnership with Positive Athlete, was created for a different kind of student entirely. Positive Athlete is a national recognition and leadership development program that highlights high school student-athletes who go beyond the scoreboard...

Life + Culture

The Front Porch of North GA

Explore Canton is leading the city's boldest tourism vision yet. Article by Canton City Lifestyle | Photography by Explore Canton Something has been stirring in Canton. It shows up in the packed streets on First Friday. In the kayaks slipping beneath the West Main Street bridge. Families gathering around tables at one of the city's standout restaurants, sharing a meal with relatives making the drive up from Atlanta. And its name: Explore Canton. For anyone who has ever wondered about the...

Life + Culture

Built by Hand and Heart

The volunteer-powered trails putting Cherokee County on the national map. Article by Tony Dodemaide | Photography by SORBA Woodstock Just off Sixes Road, a few miles from I-575, the Georgia forest opens into something that mountain bikers from Florida, North Carolina, and beyond seek out by name. Blankets Creek Mountain Bike Trail System in Cherokee County has quietly earned a reputation as one of the top-rated singletrack destinations in the entire Southeast. More than 150,000 riders roll...

Life + Culture

Stay a While

Support Local: Eat . Drink . Shop . Explore Article by The Kolab Activation Marketing Downtown Canton is full of places worth revisiting, so you'll never run out of reasons to take a walk, try something new, and keep it local. Here are two favorites to try and fly by this July! Canton's Favorite DT Coffee Shop Just Got Bigger What started as a farmers market dream on a folding table is now one of North Georgia's most beloved coffee brands. Bizarre Coffee has quietly been building a latte...

Life + Culture

The Last of the Thirteen

From 13th Colony to 4th State, Georgia’s Place in the History of these United States Article by Bruce Baker | Photography by History Cherokee and City Lifestyle The Utopia that General James Oglethorpe envisioned for the Georgia Colony has been a long time in coming, but we're getting closer. Slavery, initially outlawed, crept in quickly and took almost 100 years to eradicate, over the objections of Georgia Governor and Canton resident Joseph Emerson Brown. Alcohol restrictions would take even...

Life + Culture

Roots, Grit, and Purpose: The Men of Cherokee County

Leaders, fathers, and neighbors share the impact of leading in our local community Article and Photography by Josh Bagby   Agency Principal, Providence Insurance & Founder of Cherokee Connect Growing up here, I watched nonprofits, church families, local businesses, and complete strangers step in to help one another for the common good. When I started thinking through Cherokee Connect, I knew how special this place was. One of the goals was to bring that spirit together at scale. Our...