🌱 Lawsuit In Fulton Has Cherokee Ties + The Sheriff Needs Your Help

Hello again, everybody! I'm here with your fresh copy of the Canton-Sixes Patch newsletter, filled with all the things you need to know about what's going on locally. Today you'll read about these stories and more:

• A lawsuit was filed in relation to a teacher's crimes.
• The Sheriff needs your help finding a suspect.
• Sequoyah-Con is coming up in March!

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Cloudy, a shower; cooler. High: 61 Low: 54.
• Sunday: Cloudy with a brief shower. High: 69 Low: 57.

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Here are the top stories today in Canton-Sixes:

1. A lawsuit has been filed in Fulton County against the school system and the Fulton Academy of Science and Technology (FAST) for acting with "deliberate indifference" by hiring a teacher with a history that included five charges of sexual battery against children. Those charges stem from a 2003 case that led to a two-year suspension of his certification. The teacher, Robert Vandel, was employed at FAST in 2020 when he assaulted an 8th grade student in a classroom. Charged and ultimately found guilty for the 2020 rape, Vandel was employed at Lyndon Academy in Holly Springs when he was arrested for that offense. Vandel worked at several schools between the first and second offense, including Cherokee Charter Academy in 2016 and Lyndon Academy in 2020-21. (Atlanta News First)
2. The Cherokee Sheriff's Office is searching for a man suspected of breaking into several vehicles on February 18 in the Hickory Flat area. The suspect was caught by multiple security cameras entering vehicles parked in driveways along Little River Drive, near Arnold Mill Road. Please take a look at the video here to see if you recognize the person, you can reach the Criminal Investigations Division at 770-928-2039 if you have any information. (Cherokee Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
3. The Sequoyah Regional Library System is holding three mini-conventions that will feature fandoms, panels, activities and fun programs in March. The all-ages events are free and they'll be held at the R.T. Jones Memorial, Gilmer and Woodstock libraries. "Sequoyah-Con" will even host special appearances by writer Delilah S. Dawson, storyteller Tracy Walker and Georgia Paranormal Investigations. You can register as an attendee or vendor at the link, and if you're an avid reader, there's also a Beanstack Reading Challenge where you can read books and earn digital badges. Be sure to check out the schedules for the events, each location has a different theme - the R.T. Jones Memorial Library event on March 4 features a Pokémon theme and the Woodstock Library event on March 18 features a cryptid theme. (Sequoyah Regional Library System)

Today and tomorrow in Canton-Sixes:

Today

• Bee School: lunch will be served and bees will be available to order at the event, registration includes a membership to the Etowah River Beekeepers. Learn the basics of beekeeping, including equipment needed, how to locate and set up an apiary, the lifecycle of bees and much more at Clayton Homestead, 3465 Land Road. (8 a.m. - 4:15 p.m.)
• Spring Garden Prep 101: learn how to get your garden ready for planting with Georgia Grown, including topics like how to choose the area, perform a soil test and more at Pleasant Union Farm, 1994 Pleasant Union Road. (10 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Themed Book Club: for adults only, the theme for February is "Keep It Short." Pick a short story collection, novella or any book under 300 pages and discuss it during the meeting. You can log your reading in Beanstack here. The meet up will be at the Woodstock Library, 7735 Main Street. (10:30 a.m. - noon)
• GlowBand Presents, Experience the Eagles: catch the Eagles tribute show at the Canton Theatre, 171 E. Main Street. (2:30 - 4:30 p.m. and 7 - 9 p.m.)
• Branchwater Listening Experience - Ron Roper: the artist will be on stage with original music tonight at Branchwater, 190 E. Main Street. (6 p.m.)
• David Ferguson: the artist will be playing at The Salty Mule tonight, 169 S. Church Street. (6 - 9 p.m.)
• Eric Thomas: the artist will be live tonight at J. Michael's Prime, 110 Mountain Vista Boulevard. (7 - 9 p.m.)
• Acoustic Soul: catch the music tonight at C'est la Vie, 361 E Main Street. (8 p.m.)
• Crazy Heart: the band will be live tonight at Canton Icehouse, 150 Keith Drive. (9 p.m. - 1 a.m.)

Tomorrow

• Mad Margritt: the band is playing live at Canton Icehouse, 150 Keith Drive. (2 - 5 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• All pets over six months old are free to adopt today at the Cherokee County Animal Shelter! The available animals can be seen online here. A QR code at the front door of the shelter will become active at a random time around 10 a.m., please scan the QR code to enter the "virtual line." The shelter adopts on a first come, first served basis and animals can't be put on hold. All animals will go home with their spay or neuter, heartworm and leukemia testing, initial vaccinations, deworming, flea preventative and microchipping complete. (Cherokee County Animal Shelter via Facebook)
• Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services made a post on its Facebook page with tips on how to cook safely. Please read through the list. You can find it at the link. Tips include not leaving the kitchen while you are boiling, frying, grilling or broiling food and not to cook while you are tired or have been drinking. Cook safely out there! (Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services via Facebook)
• City of Canton GA: "It's National Engineers Week, so we would like to introduce you to our two engineers for Team City of Canton: Bethany Watson, City Engineer, and Dave Hatabian, Utility Engineer. Learn more about Bethany and Dave: https://www.cantonga.gov/Home/..." (City of Canton GA via Facebook)
• YMCA of Cherokee County: "Don't miss your opportunity to Join the Y FREE in February! We're waiving the joining fee. Visit ymcaatlanta.org for more info." (YMCA of Cherokee County via Facebook)
• Sequoyah Regional Library: "Love dancing? So do we! From Storytimes to Sensory Hours, we try to dance as much as we can! Use #DanceWithSeqLib to show us your moves! Did you know we have a TikTok? Make sure to follow us @ sequoyahregionallibrary..." (Sequoyah Regional Library via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today. I'll see you around!

— Nina Lightcap

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Canton-Sixes Patch newsletter? Contact me at Canton-GA@Patch.com