The Calhoun City Council has appointed Steve Kish as the new Chief of Police for Calhoun. Kish brings more than 30 years of metro-Atlanta law enforcement experience, rising through the ranks from patrol officer to assistant chief across the Marietta, Acworth, and Dallas police departments. Kish is an FBI National Academy graduate and U.S. Army veteran recognized for spearheading community policing initiatives, supervising tactical operations, and securing an $850,000 violent crime reduction grant.
In public works, Wilson Construction has been awarded the contract to build the new roundabout at Curtis Parkway and Dews Pond Road. Homeowners are in line for property tax relief as the council plans to lower the city millage rate to 2.25, a reduction of 1.25 mills from last year’s rate of 3.5. Both Calhoun City Schools and Gordon County Schools are adopting a full rollback, delivering lower school millage rates across the board. Combined with FLOST relief, an owner of an assessed $300,000 fair market value home will save $652.68 total, reflecting a $491.64 city reduction and a $161.04 county reduction. However, commercial property owners will likely see a tax increase due to recent property reassessments.
In residential growth, the council cleared the way for the annexation of 71 acres on Liberty Road, rezoning the tract from county agricultural to city multi-family residential for a planned 174-home development by Smith Douglas Homes. The builder’s rapid expansion across the South has sparked controversy in multiple communities, with residents voicing strong pushback over high-density subdivisions straining rural roads, schools, and water runoff infrastructure. Additionally, the builder faces persistent Better Business Bureau complaints and buyer disputes over rushed construction quality, citing significant grading and drainage defects, cracked concrete, poor cosmetic finish work, and chronic delays in resolving post-closing warranty repairs.
Looking ahead to technology development, the City of Calhoun will partner with Georgia Tech through its Digital First Certification program to educate the community, draft safe ordinances, and verify legal compliance before the city’s temporary data center moratorium expires in January.
County leaders also take up property taxes today as the Gordon County Board of Commissioners meets at the Judicial Building for a 5:00 PM work session and 6:00 PM regular session. The commission will hold public hearings at 12:00 noon and 6:00 PM on the tentative 7.70 mill county rate. The agenda also includes rezoning decisions across Fairmount, Ranger, and Calhoun, as well as a vote to approve 2024 SPLOST funding for a tractor and forklift for the Community Events Center.
Gordon County Arrests:
James Brandon Mullinax, 34, Ranger, GCSO: Possession and use of drug-related objects, possession of methamphetamine, tag lights.
Ashley Nicole Thompson, 36, Calhoun, GCSO: Child molestation, grooming a minor for a sexual offense.
On the economic front, middle-class families are facing an intensifying financial squeeze as household budgets take hits from every direction. The latest Consumer Price Index came in worse than expected, revealing stubborn core inflation ahead of the Federal Reserve’s two-day policy meeting wrapping up Wednesday. With policymakers weighing another 25 basis point interest rate hike, already painful borrowing costs could climb higher. That strain is evident at the checkout counter, where up to 25 percent of Georgians are now charging groceries on credit cards, taking on high-interest debt just to feed their families. Compounding the burden, climbing medical bills and rising health insurance premiums continue to drain household savings.
Transportation expenses are amplifying the crunch, with Georgia ranked as one of the nation’s most expensive states for car ownership at over $7,600 annually. Relief remains absent on the road, where most Gordon County stations have now pushed past $4.00 a gallon. Behind the pump, surging diesel prices are hammering local farmers with higher equipment operating expenses while simultaneously escalating freight delivery costs on everyday retail goods.
In community news, Calhoun Animal Control is completely over capacity and urgently seeking homes for shelter pets, offering free dog adoptions through Friday, September 18, to clear critical kennel space.
AdventHealth Gordon is hosting a Community AngioScreen event today from 7:00 AM to 3:00 PM, providing 10-minute noninvasive heart and vascular risk screenings for $85 per participant.
On the diamond Monday night, the Atlanta Braves fell to the Chicago Cubs 7–3 at Wrigley Field. The Braves collected eight hits but struggled to generate extra-base power, failing to hit a single double all night and getting their only offensive spark from a two-run pinch-hit homer by Mike Yastrzemski in the seventh.
