🌱 Woodstock Official To Work In Columbus + Explorers Win Third Place

Hi all! I'm here with your fresh copy of the Woodstock-Towne Lake Daily, filled with everything you need to know about what's happening locally. Including updates on:

• A Woodstock official will be working to help Columbus.
• Explorers Post 469 comes in third in national competition.
• Upcoming Woodstock Parks and Recreation offerings.

But first, today's weather:

Cloudy and cooler. High: 52 Low: 45.

Are you a business owner or marketer in Woodstock-Towne Lake who wants to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales? If that's you, then I invite you to see how our newsletter sponsorships combine our local audience reach with your expertise to attract new customers. Click here to learn more.

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

1. Woodstock's Assistant City Manager Coty Thigpen was chosen to join 45 other young professionals from the state in GeorgiaForward's 2023 Young Gamechangers program. Every year, the Young Gamechangers commune in a chosen city to help bring new actionable ideas forward in an effort to overcome specific challenges in the "host city," ultimately presenting their plans and recommendations to the city complete with timelines, potential funding sources and prospective partners. For 2023, the chosen community is Columbus-Muscogee County, and the leaders of the city have created their four issues to address in the form of "Challenge Questions" that the Young Gamechangers will be tasked with answering. Last year's program was run in Dalton-Whitfield County and included Challenge Questions related to supporting redevelopment in distressed areas and engaging a more diverse population. The incoming Young Gamechangers group will meet in Columbus several times over the next eight months, from April 26 to October 19. (Woodstock News Post)
2. Cherokee County Fire & Emergency Services (CCFES) Explorers Post 469, a high school program that guides students towards a career in firefighting, placed third in the national BSA Winterfest Competition earlier this month. The event this year was the first since 2020 and brought over 1,000 competitors to Gatlinburg. Explorers Post 469 participated in several categories, including interior search, hose deployment and bleeding wounds and shock, among others, with our local group taking home third in the bleeding wounds and shock category. Congratulations! (Free: CCFES News | Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
3. Woodstock Parks and Recreation has some great programs and events coming up in the coming weeks. Here are two events scheduled for February 11, be sure to register soon to save your spot. In the 10 a.m. Essential Gardening - Edible Landscaping class, you'll learn what plants you can use in your yard to create an edible and beautiful landscape. Cherokee County UGA Extension Agent Josh Fuder and the Cherokee County Master Gardeners will host the class, and participants will go home with a plant or seeds of their own. In the 11 a.m. Love ROCKS! event, you can paint river rocks with hearts, encouraging words, Valentine's Day images or whatever you'd like and hide them around town for others to find. It's a great way to bring a smile to a neighbor's face this Valentine's Day! (Woodstock Parks and Recreation)

Today in Woodstock-Towne Lake:

• Coffee with a Cop: head over to Truett's Chick-fil-A at 9728 Highway 92 for some breakfast, a coffee and an informal chat with officers from the Woodstock Police Department. (9 - 10:30 a.m.)
• Northside Hospital Presents - Diabetes and Behavior Changes: part of Northside Hospital's diabetes educational program series, this informational session will go over the basics of creating healthier habits, changing behaviors and introducing gradual changes and will be held at the R.T. Jones Memorial Library, 116 Brown Industrial Parkway. (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Family Storytime: for children of all ages, but children must be accompanied by an adult. The little ones will have fun with stories, singing, dancing, crafts and lots of fun at the Rose Creek Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
• Ladies Night, Live Music: enjoy live music every Wednesday, The Radio Show starts playing at 7:30 p.m. at Guston's Grille, 12195 Highway 92, Suite 156. (5 p.m. - 1 a.m.)
• For the Love of Wine Tasting: taste five SLO Down Wines at this month's wine tasting at Rootstock, 8558 Main Street. (6:30 - 8 p.m.)
• Trivia Night with Lights Up! Entertainment: prizes for first, second and third place teams every Wednesday at Reformation Brewery, 105 Elm Street. (7 - 9 p.m.)
• Fight Club Wednesdays: the top three winners in tonight's Tekken 7 tournament will win prizes at The Blue Ghost Arcade, 164 Towne Lake Parkway. (8 - 10:30 p.m.)
• Senior Center Programs:
  • Walking Club - every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at the Dupree Park walking/running track, 513 Neese Road. (8 - 9 a.m.)
  • Fit Over 50 - stretch and exercise with chair yoga, balance, bands, weights and core strength work every Wednesday and Friday at the WGLSC Activity Center Expansion. (9:30 - 10:30 a.m.)
  • Nutrition 2023 - every Wednesday at the William G. Long Senior Center. (10:30 - 11:30 a.m.)
  • Staff Lead Games, BUNCO - today at the WGLSC Activity Center Expansion. (2 - 4 p.m.)
• MadLife Grill Patio Stage (free shows, no ticket needed):
  • Top Artists Extended Sets (6 - 9 p.m.)
• MadLife Stage & Studios:
  • Songwriters in the Round - featuring Jake Hughes, Greg Henderson, Kelly Williams and Layne Denton (7:30 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• So, how much mac 'n' cheese did Joey Chestnut eat at the Original Hot Chicken opening on Saturday? He gulped down 15 pounds in 5 minutes, and he said he beat his old 10-minute record in the 5-minute exhibition! Worth a note, The Original Hot Chicken serves fried ice cream - WOW! The parent company Frisch's Restaurants is planning to open another restaurant in Woodstock towards the end of March, that one will be Inked Tacos. (Gwinnett Daily Post)
• Have you ever wanted to learn to sew? Cherokee Recreation & Parks is holding a Sewing Basics class on Saturday at The WREC, located at 7545 Main Street, Building 200. They offer instructional classes pretty often, it's definitely worth perusing their catalog once in a while. This class will be held from 9:30 - 11 a.m. and registration closes on Thursday, you can register here. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks via Facebook)
• I'd like a house with a pool, how about you? Take a look at these Woodstock-Towne Lake area homes on the market right now. There's bound to be one that suits you. (Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch)
• Downtown Woodstock: "The Rustic Market will be hosting a Galentine's Night Event on Thursday Feb 2nd at from 4 pm - 8 pm. @shoptherusticmarket will be having a permanent jewelry pop up by Gilted Thread and complimentary refreshments during the event. For anyone interested in the permanent jewelry pop up you will need to sign up in advance at this link: https://calendly.com/giltedthr..." (Downtown Woodstock via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Mantra HHC-Metaphysical Shop and Holistic Hea — (Visit website)
• Queen Custom Couture — (Visit Website)
• Add your business here

Events:

• “Love Is in the Air” Exhibit & Chocolate Truffle Tastings - February at the Cumming Arts Center (February 2)
• Christian Singer Jeremy Rosado Live In Concert (February 2)
• Blood Drive (February 3)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Chattahoochee Technical College on February 7th & 9th (February 7)
• College Planning and Financial Aid Webinar (February 7)
• Home Buyer Workshop - This is for ANY Buyer - Your First Home or Your Forever Home! (February 11)
• Crossing Over With Psychic Medium John Edward (Live)! (February 23)
• Add your event

Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow for another update.

— Nina Lightcap

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