Former Cherokee County teacher arrested for child exploitation

A former teacher at Cherokee Charter Academy and her husband were recently arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation on charges of sexual exploitation of children, the GBI announced.

On December 29, William Sandridge, 42, and Allyn Sandridge of Gordon County, were arrested and each charged with eight counts of sexual exploitation of children by the GBI's Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit.

Allyn Sandridge was formerly a teacher at Cherokee Charter Academy near Holly Springs. According to the GBI, the agency's CEACC Unit and Homeland Security Investigations began a joint investigation into the Sandridges' online activity after receiving a report in reference to their online activity. This investigation led to a search warrant of the Sandridges’ home and their subsequent arrests.

The Sandridges were taken to the Gordon County Jail upon their arrest. As of Thursday, they remained in custody, according to the jail's website.

A spokesperson for the charter school said that Allyn Sandridge is no longer an employee there, but declined to comment further.

The Office of Cherokee County Elections and Voter Registration has been honored by the Georgia Secretary of State’s office with the 2023 Foundation Builders Award. This is the very first year that this award has been given out. The Office of Cherokee County Election and Voter Registration received the award in front of 300 of their counterparts January 4 while attending the Georgia Registered Voter Information System conference in Athens. For more information on Cherokee County Elections and Voter Registration, visit cherokeegavotes.com

Georgia’s second straight CFP National Championship win, a 65-7 victory over TCU, brought plenty of excitement to the residents of Cherokee County, many of which made the trip to SoFi Stadium to see the action in person.

The Bulldogs became the first team to repeat as national champions since the College Football Playoff era began in 2014.

Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace was among the area’s residents to venture to Inglewood, California, for Monday night’s title game. She went with her husband, Kyle, and enjoyed every minute. Kyle Wallace took in a moment of history as Georgia throttled TCU on college football’s biggest stage. Two Woodstock residents and Georgia graduates, Bill and Alicia Bishop knew they had to see the Bulldogs play in their second straight title game, hoping to witness another special college football moment. They flew from Atlanta to Phoenix, and then drove another six hours to LA for the game. For Tom Sheehan, Monday’s game was more than just a national championship.

Sheehan’s son, Drew, is a junior tight end for Georgia, so it was about seeing his son experience the pinnacle of college football. Drew played for Woodstock, coached by Brent Budde, and walked onto the Bulldogs’ roster last season, and Tom said the last two years have been life-changing. The Bulldogs will be hosting a championship parade and celebration today in Athens, where certainly many more Cherokee Countians will make the trip to revel in the victory.

The Atlanta Regional Commission has recognized Cherokee County as a certified silver level Green Community.

In metro Atlanta, 16 other local governments comprised of 11 cities and five counties have received a Green Community distinction. At the silver level, Cherokee County has amassed more than 229 points by implementing changes that reduce the environmental impact of the county, according to ARC.

Cherokee County was Energy Star Certified after renovations to county facilities, including the marshal's office and public works buildings. Officials also worked toward expediting solar permits for residential projects, permitting over 100 solar energy projects in the last four years.

According to ARC, the county's fire training center has saved 150,000 gallons per week by reusing water during fire suppression training procedures. The practice has saved $3,000 a month.

In addition, the county purchased three propane-fueled buses for the Cherokee Area Transportation System as part of a program exploring alternative fuel use.

A glass pulverizer purchased in 2021 for the Cherokee County Recycling Center has saved over $11,000 by using the repurposed material for infrastructure projects.

Four points were the difference on Wednesday as the Reinhardt men’s basketball team got back on track in the AAC. The Eagles outlasted Milligan 83-79, finishing a second straight win after knocking off Tennessee Wesleyan last Saturday.

It’s been a season of ups and downs for Reinhardt, but following the two straight wins, it moved to 8-6 in conference play and is one game away from the .500 mark for the season at 8-9 overall.

Wednesday’s game was a rare moment where the Eagles were outshot by Milligan but managed to still escape with the win. Reinhardt shot 42.2 percent overall compared to the opposition’s 54.3 percent and 47.4 percent from behind the 3-point line.

Milligan shot 63.6 percent in the second half yet only outscored Reinhardt 48-47. The Eagles’ defense made a difference in the first half, finishing with an 8-4 advantage in steals while hauling in eight offensive rebounds to keep possessions alive.

Four Reinhardt players finished Wednesday’s win in double figures. Tafari Thomas led the way with 20 points while nearing a double-double with nine rebounds. Nate Louis was right behind him with 18 points, including a perfect 11-11 from the free throw line. Reinhardt will look to win a third straight game Saturday afternoon as it hits the road for Kentucky Christian. If the Eagles can beat the 4-14 Knights, they will even their overall record and move three games over .500 in AAC play.

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will hold special called meetings on January 19 and 20 for its annual planning retreat.

Meetings will be in the events central conference room at the Mill on Etowah, on Reformation Parkway in Canton.

Topics include, but may not be limited to, departmental updates and long-term needs; package liquor regulations, tax assessment issues, sales taxes, court parking and expansion, and build-to-rent regulations.

The meetings are open to the public as follows:

On Thursday, January 19th:

Public sessions begin at 9 a.m. and are scheduled to end at about 5 p.m.

Sessions will break for lunch from about noon to 1:15 p.m.

On Friday, January 20th:

Public sessions begin at 9 a.m. and are scheduled to end at about 3 p.m.

Sessions will break for lunch from about noon to 1:15 p.m.

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