AdventHealth Gordon has received a Certificate of Need from the Georgia Department of Community Health to establish a four-bed Level II Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) inside its existing Women’s Services Area, subject to the standard 30-day appeal period. Hospital leadership, including President and CEO Justin Birmele and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Nicholas Wells, noted the project will allow infants needing specialized medical support to receive high-level care right here in Calhoun rather than being transferred away from their families.
Shifting to severe weather readiness, Gordon County EMA Director Courtney Taylor is encouraging local residents, civic groups, and neighborhood teams to take advantage of free virtual Storm Spotter Training hosted by the National Weather Service Peachtree City/Atlanta. The two-hour sessions, which include a live Q&A, are slated for Tuesday, September 29 at 11:00 a.m., Wednesday, October 14 at 6:00 p.m., and Wednesday, October 21 at 11:00 a.m., with advance registration open online via GoToWebinar.
On the financial front, local governments and school systems continue rolling out property tax relief across the board. The City of Calhoun is cutting its property tax rate by 36% down to 2.25 mills, funded by the voter-approved 1% FLOST, while Gordon County has reduced its county government millage rate from 9.042 down to 7.77 mills. School boards are following suit: Calhoun City Schools rolled back to 10.888 mills—saving the average homeowner roughly $647—while Gordon County Schools adopted a full rollback to 14.527 mills.
In related municipal news, Calhoun’s newly appointed Chief of Police, Steve Evans Kish, will join Brent in the studio this Wednesday to discuss his vision and immediate priorities for the department.
In local honors, Calhoun resident and retired U.S. Army Master Sergeant Mike Reynolds has been named recipient of the 2026 Marvin Myers Leadership Award by the Georgia Veterans Day Association. After sustaining a traumatic brain injury during a 2009 deployment to Iraq, Reynolds discovered healing through farming and established Hero Agriculture in 2020 to help fellow veterans transition with purpose. Reynolds will accept the honor at the Freedom Ball on November 7 at the Georgia Aquarium.
At the pump, Gordon County gas prices are averaging $4.10 per gallon according to AAA, edging just above the Georgia statewide mark of $4.09. Surrounding counties show $4.01 in Bartow, $4.05 in Floyd, and $4.15 in Chattooga, with select Calhoun stations pricing near $3.84. Meanwhile, regional economic indicators show Southeast headline inflation holding around 2.9%, where high energy costs and elevated commercial and mortgage borrowing rates continue to squeeze household budgets and slow capital financing across Northwest Georgia.
Closing out with sports, the Atlanta Braves return home to open a key late-season series tonight, Tuesday, September 22, against the Cincinnati Reds. First pitch from Truist Park is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. EDT.