🌱 Patch AM: What makes NGMC Gainesville’s maternity care stand out nationally?

Good morning Gainesville! We're back again in your inbox, keeping you updated with what's happening in and around town. ☀️

In today's newsletter:

• What makes NGMC Gainesville’s maternity care stand out nationally?
• Did you know Gainesville’s Brenau campus has its own resident ghost?
• Which student-built app from our district is heading to Washington?

Also on today's calendar: Community Day: Appalachian Christmas and 8 more events.

Today's riddle: What did the boat dock say when it was arrested? 🤔 (Answer below!)

From our Partner
Today's Gainesville Patch AM is brought to you in part by T-Mobile. Everyone deserves to be connected. That's why T-Mobile and UScellular have joined forces to connect people from big cities to small towns and everywhere in between. UScellular is now a part of T-Mobile. Find out more at T-Mobile.com/Better-Together.
Find a T-Mobile store near Gainesville.

Weather forecast:

• Saturday: Mostly sunny and pleasant, with a high of 63 and low of 37 degrees.
• Sunday: Sunshine, windy and cooler, temps: high: 45, low: 22.
• Monday: Chilly with plenty of sun, with a high of 43 and low of 28 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. 3 Northeast Georgia Medical Centers recognized for maternity care (accesswdun.com) — Expecting parents in Gainesville can take heart: Northeast Georgia Medical Center Gainesville has earned a “High Performing” rating and a special “Maternity Care Access” designation from U.S. News & World Report. Alongside sister hospitals in Braselton and Habersham, NGMC is recognized for fewer complications, lower C-section rates, strong breastfeeding support, and vital maternity access for local families.
   

2. Top 20 Haunted Universities In The World (society19.com) — One of the “Top 20 Haunted Universities” highlighted is Brenau University in Gainesville, where students tell a chilling story about “Agnes,” a lovelorn ghost said to haunt the campus auditorium. The article tours spooky legends from campuses worldwide, but Gainesville readers may be most intrigued by the tragic backstory tied to their own local university. It’s a playful, Halloween-style look at campus ghost lore, not a news report.
   

3. Rep. Clyde Announces 2025 Congressional App Challenge Winners (house.gov) — Gainesville residents are at the center of this year’s Congressional App Challenge announcement, with Rep. Andrew Clyde unveiling the Ninth District’s 2025 winners from Gainesville. Three high school students were honored for innovative apps that help detect pneumonia, streamline property management, and support AP STEM learning, and the first-place project will be showcased at the #HouseOfCode event in Washington, D.C.
   

4. Family, friends keep search alive for SMU professor who disappeared in Georgia a month ago (dallasnews.com) — Family and friends are still searching North Georgia’s Blood Mountain for attorney and SMU law professor Charles Hosch, a Gainesville native whose family has lived there for seven generations. Volunteers, including many from out of state, are combing rugged terrain while Union County officials continue targeted search efforts. Loved ones are asking the public to spread the word and share encouraging messages using #BringCharlesHome.
   

5. National economic headwinds blow through Georgia, though job outlook steady for now (capitol-beat.org) — Gainesville’s food and machinery plants are feeling the squeeze from national trade wars and tighter immigration policies, which a new UGA forecast says are dragging on Georgia’s economy. While recession odds are about 50–50, local jobs remain relatively stable for now, even as housing stays expensive and construction slows statewide, leaving many Hall County residents worried about affordability and future growth.
   

📸 Around Gainesville

Show off your photography skills and the sights around town! Click here to submit your Photo of the Day to Patch AM!

🗓 Upcoming Events in Gainesville

Add your event to our calendar and newsletter!

Saturday December 13

• Community Day: Appalachian Christmas
  322 Academy St NE , Gainesville
  2:00 pm

Sunday December 14

• Holiday Ride-on Train
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  10:00 am

Tuesday December 16

• Mayor/Council Meeting
  Gainesville, GA Calendar , 701 Queen City Parkway , Gainesville
  5:30 pm

Thursday December 18

• Homeschool Day: Appalachian Christmas
  322 Academy St NE , Gainesville
  10:00 am

Friday December 19

• Drop-In Garden Tours
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  1:30 pm
• Southern Stone Rock and Roll Band (Every Third Friday of the Month)
  American Legion, 2343 Riverside Dr, Gainesville, GA, 30501
  7:00 pm

Saturday December 20

• Botanical Santa
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  10:00 am
• Holiday Ride-on Train
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  10:00 am
• Frog Feeding
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  10:00 am
• Carols in the Garden
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  10:45 am

Sunday December 21

• Holiday Ride-on Train
  Atlanta Botanical Garden , 1345 Piedmont Ave NE , Atlanta
  10:00 am

📣 Gainesville Shout Outs!

Want to say something great about someone in town? Click here to submit your Shout Out to Patch AM! It's free!

🗓 Events Nearby

Saturday December 13

• Flowery Branch Falcons vs Hall County School District
  Flowery Branch High School , 4450 Hog Mountain Rd , Flowery Branch
  9:00 am
• Holiday Event – Evento Festivo
  The Butler Center , 1300 Athens St , Gainesville
  11:00 am
• Disney Lorcana Infinity Weekend
  Meeple Madness | Tabletop Games and Hobbies , 7400 Spout Springs Rd #205 , Flowery Branch
  12:00 pm
• HCDC Holiday Food Drive
  Standard Service GA , 400 Jesse Jewell Pkwy , Gainesville
  12:00 pm

Have we missed something on our calendar? Add an event yourself! As always, before attending confirm event details to ensure accuracy.

Thank you 👏👏👏 to the local businesses for making Gainesville PatchAM possible:

• Custom Canine Unlimited — (877) 799-4806
  Dog Training Near Gainesville GA

Click here to show your appreciation! 💚

Want to see your business here? Click here to connect with local customers.

💬 Chatter

What your neighbors are talking about on social media

• I want to thank alll my neighbors for the love and support you have showed me while my brother was battling cancer.
  You all gave me rides to the VA hospital so many of you reached out to help when I needed to get to him . Because of my eyes I don’t drive. Tears… (Nextdoor Hearthstone at Lanier)
• I am searching for a set of encyclopedias and Guinness Book of World Records and similar books for some of my students with Autism.
  If you happen to have any of these that you would like to get rid of, could you please let me know? Thank you! (Nextdoor Eagle)

• At a marathon Hall County Commission meeting that lasted over three hours Thursday night, hundreds of residents showed up in opposition to a proposed... (X: access_wdun)
• Postgame interview with Gainesville center and recent Georgia Tech signee Krew Moledor (@Krew_moledor33) after the Red Elephants' state semifinal win... (X: AFarrersports)

• Lincoln Electric Holdings posted a job opening for Machine Operator in Gainesville. Apply here.
• Kirkland's posted a job opening for * Temp/Seasonal Stock Team Member - Kirkland's Home in Gainesville. Apply here. You can search for other jobs near Gainesville here.

Ok Gainesville! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I demand a jury of my piers.
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Send it to us!

👉 Help make Patch AM better

• Help us grow by suggesting local news sources.
• Shape this newsletter with your feedback.
• List items for sale or services offered

We use a combination of real people and machines to tell you what’s happening around town. Learn more about Patch AM.

Share to NextDoor     Share to Facebook