🌱 Knotts Circle Home Damaged In Fire + Thousands Raised By Boston ES

Welcome back, Woodstock-Towne Lake! I'm here in your inbox this winter morning to get you up to speed on everything you need to know about what's going on in town. In today's issue, you'll find news about these stories and more:

• A fire on Knotts Circle heavily damaged a home.
• The Board of Commissioners meets tonight.
• Boston ES fundraiser brings in thousands.

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Rather cloudy, showers around. High: 67 Low: 58.

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Here are the top four stories today in Woodstock-Towne Lake:

1. Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) and Woodstock Fire and Rescue were called out to a residential fire Saturday night at Knotts Circle. The home's residents were sleeping when the fire broke out, and woke up to smoke and alarms. They escaped through a bedroom window when the hallway proved too dangerous. Meanwhile, their amazing neighbors heard the alarms, saw the residents calling for help from the roof, grabbed a ladder and helped them down to solid ground. There were no injuries reported, though the home was heavily damaged by fire and smoke throughout. The cause of the fire is under investigation. (Free: CCFES News and Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
2. The Board of Commissioners Regular Meeting is taking place this evening, and the packed agenda shows time for a public hearing on the allowance of motorized carts in the Bradshaw Estates neighborhood. If you'd like to attend, visitors are welcome to board meetings, and you can find the official Rules of Procedure here clarifying how and when the public can address the board. There are also going to be quarterly awards handed out by the Sheriff's Office. The Board is going to be considering the purchase of vehicles for Cherokee Recreation & Parks and the Sheriff's Office, an agreement on renovations and additions to Fire Station 18 and the purchase of acreage on East Cherokee Drive to use in the future for a park, among many other items. The meeting will be held at the Cherokee County Admin Complex at 1130 Bluffs Parkway in Canton. (Cherokee County)
3. Boston Elementary School in Woodstock raised over $16,700 with its "Jump Rope for Heart" event. The fundraising effort started in January and ran for a month, ending with a 100-minute event where fifth-graders competed in time and skill contests and teamed up with others for some dual jumping. This year, 190 of the 600 students participated in the fundraiser, with all proceeds going to the American Heart Association and its Kids Heart Challenge. Great job, kids! (Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
4. Have you heard of the Cherokee Sheriff's Office "RUOK" program? The program is designed to provide check-ins for the elderly, handicapped and homebound people of the county. On each day, at the time requested by the subscriber, someone from the Sheriff's Office will call to verify that the person is okay. In cases where after repeated attempts, no one answers the phone, a deputy will go in person to the home to check on their wellbeing. If you're interested in this service for yourself or loved one, there's more information and a couple required forms at the link. (Cherokee Sheriff's Office)

Today in Woodstock-Towne Lake:

• Farm Bureau Storytime - Birds: for children of all ages, though children must be accompanied by an adult. Learn about birds, make bird feeders and more during the special storytime at the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway, Canton. (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Open Pickleball Play: open to everyone at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (11 a.m. - 1 p.m.)
• American Red Cross Community Blood Drive: donors will receive a $10 Amazon gift card and will be entered to win a trip to Florida for two. You can make an appointment here for the blood drive at the Woodstock City Church, 150 Ridgewalk Parkway. (1 - 6 p.m.)
• Mardi Gras Stroller Parade: everyone must register for the parade here and will be asked for a description of their design to ensure it is safe and appropriate. The parade will be held at the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway in Canton. (3 - 4 p.m.)
• Rose Creek Memory Lab Open House: take in a short presentation and a demonstration of the new memory lab equipment at the library, located at 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. You can register here. (5:45 - 6:45 p.m.)
• Zip-Tie Jewelry: for teens, create jewelry using zip-ties. All materials will be provided for the crafting session at the Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. (6 - 7:30 p.m.)
• Tie-In Talk, Unconventional Spirituality: the Reeves House Coffee Shop Manager Liz Siegel will be speaking about the basics of Crystology and Reiki healing at the Reeves House Visual Arts Center, located at 734 Reeves Street. The event is free, but please RSVP. (6:30 - 7:30 p.m.)
• Open Gym: open to everyone at The Buzz, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. (6:30 - 8:30 p.m.)
• DJ Bingo: fun, family-friendly music bingo that pays out cash every Tuesday at Guston's Grille, 12195 Highway 92. (7 - 9 p.m.)
• Music Bingo: every Tuesday at Truck & Tap, 8640 Main Street. (7:30 - 10 p.m.)
• Mario Kart Tournament: all ages welcome, prizes for first, second and third place every Tuesday at The Blue Ghost Arcade, 164 Towne Lake Parkway. (8 - 10:30 p.m.)
• RPG Night: Mason and Noah will lead the evening, and the admission fee includes unlimited gaming until midnight at The Blue Ghost Arcade, 164 Towne Lake Parkway. To guarantee a spot, you can reserve one on their Meetup page here. (8 - 11 p.m.)
• Senior Center Programs - most classes and events are held at the William G. Long Senior Center (WGLSC), 223 Arnold Mill Road
  • Woodcarving Club - every Tuesday in the WGLSC Multi-Purpose & Meeting Room. (9 - 10 a.m.)
• MadLife Grill Patio Stage - free shows, no ticket needed
  • Open Mic Night - you can sign up for a spot here. (6 - 9 p.m.)
• MadLife Stage & Studios
  • Undiscovered Artist Showcase - A Monthly Spotlight on Rising Musicians (7 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• The Woodstock Public Safety Foundation is holding a benefit for Team Ezra. Ezra's Day at Buffalo's Cafe will be on February 28, and a portion of the dine-in and take-out orders will go to support Ezra King and family and his continued battle against cancer. Ezra was recently accepted into treatment out of state, and the funds will help with their ongoing travel. The participating Buffalo's Cafe restaurants are at 12035 Highway 92 in Woodstock and 1625 Ballground Highway in Canton. (Woodstock Public Safety Foundation via Facebook)
• Calling all cardio fans! Cherokee Recreation & Parks offers a mid- to high-intensity Cardio Bootcamp class that's perfect for all ages and all fitness levels. Their March Bootcamp starts up on March 1 at The Buzz, located at 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton, and includes strength training with cardio intervals. The classes are every Monday and Wednesday, from 6:30 - 7:30 p.m. You can register here. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks via Facebook)
• A Night Hike is coming up on March 3 at Lewis Park, from 6:30 - 9 p.m. The evening hike is around 1.5 miles long and it's brought to you by Cherokee Recreation & Parks. Snacks and water will be provided and all ages are welcome, though minors must be accompanied by an adult. You can register here, and you can reach out to Adam Fussell at cafussell@cherokeega.com for more information. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks via Facebook)
• If you went to the Mardi Gras Pub Crawl last weekend and loved it, get ready for more - the next one in the series is the Shamrock Pub Crawl on March 18. As the date gets closer, Visit Woodstock will post more information on their website and Facebook page, including a list of participating restaurants and a map to guide you to each one. (Visit Woodstock via Facebook)
• Looking for a new job? The job market is rife with opportunity in the Woodstock-Towne Lake area, check out these jobs! (Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch)
• Downtown Woodstock: "New Woodstock silipints now available at the Woodstock Visitors Center (8588 Main St). Price $14. #woodstockga #woodstockgeorgia #downtownwoodstock" (Downtown Woodstock via Instagram)
• Cherokee County Animal Shelter: "Thank you to all of those of you who fell in love ❤️ with a new 🐾 pet this weekend. There were some great adoptions on Saturday!! We have a few pets who still didn’t find their forever family. We don’t want them to miss out on a 🏠 ❤️ 🏠 so all of these pets will still be available to adopt for FREE until FRIDAY FEB 24th" (Cherokee County Animal Shelter via Instagram)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Atherton Lane: "This husky mix got loose about an hour ago in Sturbridge. - She goes by Luna and is very friendly. Please call 678-480-5710 if you see her. She also loves to go onto porches." (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Driftwood Forest: "I saw two very healthy looking coyotes crossing Rivercrest Drive when I was walking my dog early Saturday morning. - Just wanted to give a heads up to any pet owners." (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Eagle Watch: "While walking in downtown Woodstock on Sunday morning, I found an iPhone. I turned it over to one of the Parks & Recreation workers. If you are looking for your iPhone, contact their office as it should be in their lost and found." (Nextdoor)

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• BJ's Wholesale Club Pre-opening Limited-time Offer (February 23)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Tuesday! I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with another update.

— Nina Lightcap

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter? Contact me at Woodstock@Patch.com