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Lt. Gen. Stephen Townsend, a 1982 alumnus of the University of North Georgia (UNG), is set to be promoted to a four-star general, the highest rank available in a peacetime Army. The promotion follows Townsend's selection and Senate confirmation as the next commander of U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC).

"Serving as the commander of the legendary XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg has been a dream job for me. Our troops here at Fort Bragg, and across the Corps, are at the tip of the spear when it comes to responding to contingencies around the globe. I am grateful to have had this opportunity to serve alongside America's finest warriors," Townsend said. "I am equally humbled to have been selected to command the Army's Training and Doctrine Command and I look forward to the opportunity to help shape Army recruiting, training, doctrine and leader development."

The promotion and change of command ceremonies are expected to take place in early March at Fort Eustis, Virginia.

"I consider the leadership foundation instilled in the cadets at North Georgia a key part of any success I've had and am forever grateful to UNG for the education and leadership skills it provides to its students," Townsend said.

TRADOC, currently commanded by the retiring Gen. David Perkins, is responsible for all Army training and oversees six major subordinate centers and commands, including Cadet Command, and 32 Army schools that train more than 500,000 soldiers and service members each year.

ROTC programs around the nation, including UNG's Corps of Cadets, are under TRADOC command. UNG, one of only six senior military colleges in the nation, has been designated by the Georgia General Assembly as The Military College of Georgia and commissions more than 100 second lieutenants every year into the U.S. Army, National Guard and Army Reserves.

"It's no surprise to us that General Townsend has achieved four-star rank. We've been following his career and fully recognize that he's an unsurpassed leader who has contributed in the most significant ways to our nation's security," said retired Col. Billy Wells, Ed.D., senior vice president for leadership and global engagement and executive director of the Institute for Leadership and Strategic Studies at UNG. "We're extremely proud to count him among our cadet alumni."

Townsend has been the commanding general of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, North Carolina, since May 2015. XVIII Airborne Corps, America's Contingency Corps, is the nation's premier power projection platform responsible for rapid, global deployment readiness. He previously commanded the 10th Mountain Division and Fort Drum, New York. From August 2016 until September 2017 he served as the commanding general of Combined Joint Task Force – Operation Inherent Resolve, the 70-nation coalition working by, with and through partner forces in Iraq and Syria to defeat the Islamic State of Iraq (ISIL). During his command of CJTF-OIR, Townsend oversaw the liberation of 1.6 million people and 40,000 square kilometers of ISIL-held territory, to include Mosul, the ISIL capital in Iraq.

Townsend has had multiple deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. While assigned to Fort Lewis, Washington, he commanded 3d Stryker Brigade Combat Team and led Task Force Arrowhead on offensive operations across Iraq.

In Afghanistan, he served as deputy commanding general (operations) for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) and Combined Joint Task Force 101 during Operation Enduring Freedom. Later, during the 10th Mountain Division's deployment to Afghanistan, Townsend was commanding general of Regional Command-East at Bagram, Afghanistan.

Townsend earned a bachelor's degree in psychology from UNG and has two master's degrees. He has a number of awards and decorations, including the Combat Infantryman Badge (with star), Combat Action Badge, Expert Infantryman Badge, Master Parachutist Badge, Air Assault Badge, and Ranger Tab.

A native of Griffin, Georgia, Townsend graduated from Griffin High School in 1978. He is married to Melissa Crawford Townsend, who attended UNG from 1978-1981 before transferring to the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta where she graduated in 1983.

Townsend will become only the second four-star to have graduated from UNG; Gen. William "Lipp" Livsey, for whom the drill field at UNG's Dahlonega Campus is named, was the first.

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The General Assembly passed a bill, HB 501, on Monday that supporters say would revive an oyster industry in Georgia. A century ago, the state had a vibrant one.

But opponents argue the bill will stifle the renewed industry before it can even grow.

Charlie Phillips owns Sapelo Sea Farms in Townsend, Georgia, and said it’s too “restrictive.” He has been growing clams and harvesting wild oysters on the coast for decades and was interested in expanding into growing oysters as well.

But now that this bill has passed, he said he won’t even try.

He said the bill’s regulations are also too murky and won’t set Georgia oystermen up for success, though he said he believes the Department of Natural Resources, which supports HB 501, has good intentions.

For example, there are restrictions on when oysters can be harvested. Since people eat them raw, the department is worried about allowing summer harvests outright.

Doug Haymans runs the department’s Coastal Resources Division and testified before a Senate committee about the bill.

“Consuming raw shellfish is probably one of the most dangerous things you’ll ever want to consume. So we need to have proper safeguards in place,” he said.

The bill doesn’t completely prohibit harvesting in the summer. It requires permission to do so. Wes Robinson, director of public affairs at the department, said that’s to ensure water quality is “up to par” before authorizing the year-round harvests.

But that’s not enough to encourage investors, Phillips said, since everyone else in the market harvests for 12 months. “I’m not going to spend $100,000 – $200,000 and not be able to compete with people from South Carolina and Florida. Not interested.”

“I’m not afraid of competing,” he said. “But I’m not going to go into business with one hand tied behind my back.”

There’s also a limit on how many people can get a growing permit under the new code, and they’d be chosen by a lottery.

“This is indeed farming oysters, but the finite resource is the space itself: the water columns in which you would harvest oysters,” Robinson said. “That’s a public resource. Those waters are owned by me and you.”

But Phillips said the lottery idea is arbitrary, and it would be better to award the permits to those most deserving.

“Not just put it up for grabs on whoever’s lucky. Some of the farmers that are picking wild oysters now, they’re concerned they may not be the lucky one that gets the lottery ticket.”

He also said it could backfire because people will see the risk of investing in the lottery application process on the front end and not ending up with a lucky ticket. So they won’t even try.

Bryan Rackley is one of the owner-operators and shellfish manager of Kimball House and Watchman’s Seafood and Spirits in Decatur and Atlanta. He has one Georgia oyster on the menu and wants more.

He’s also skeptical of the bill, and skeptical of the lottery idea.

“It’s a negative incentive for people who are thinking about this as a new way of life,” he said.

Generally, he said, oystermen need more information from the department.

“People are going to celebrate the fact that an oyster bill has passed, but I don’t know that it’s effectively going to mean anything,” he said. “And that’s where some clarity would be helpful. And that’s why I think a lot of farmers that potentially would want to get in the water are apprehensive about this and pretty much against this legislation because they feel like it’s not the start that they need to make any progress.”

Rackley said he’s considered entering the oyster-growing sphere, but Georgia wouldn’t be his first choice as it stands.

“It’s almost more attractive to be in the Florida lease system because you can get into it with less money, and it seems to be it’s an easier place to grow oysters at this point.”

He is hopeful though, that the department will clarify some of the murkiness as the regulations continue to evolve.

“To me, we’re really not far apart in who’s right and who’s wrong. I just think we need a little bit more explanation,” he said. “And I think that that would go a long way.”

Robinson with the department said it’s common in most legislation for details to be worked out afterward through the department’s board. He said that board, in turn, will work with a shellfish advisory panel comprised of different stakeholders, including the industry.

Opponents argue that the panel won’t be as effective if it’s reporting directly to the department without independence.

Rep. Jeff Jones from Brunswick agrees the bill is flawed. Jones has been working on the issue since the summer and introduced his own competing bill, HB 565, but the Department of Natural Resources did not support it.

“The language in HB 501 is so loose and nonspecific as to make it not a worthwhile industry for producers to participate in,” Jones said. “I want to see oyster mariculture grow in the state of Georgia. But I want to do so in a way that those people who are actually going to be producing this product can do so and make a dollar out of it and do so safely.”

But Rep. Jesse Petrea from Savannah defends his bill. He said in committee it’s better to be cautious.

“My friends, we’re creating a new industry. We have to be careful that we do this right and we do not fail,” he said. “We can give that a chance or we just assume the sky is falling like the representative [Jones] believes and this is going to fail. I believe that he is wrong.”

He said lawmakers will be watching closely whether or not the oyster industry will grow in Georgia.

“We just need to get the oyster industry started. And later on if there need to be any changes,” said Rep. Don Hogan who supported both Jones’ and Petrea’s bills. “We just need to get it going. It’s just that simple.”

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Allison Kerley Townsend, a third-grade teacher at Barnwell Elementary School in Fulton County, is the 2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year, State School Superintendent Richard Woods announced Saturday night. As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Townsend will serve as an advocate for public education in Georgia.

“It is very clear to me that Allison Kerley Townsend is a teacher who walks into her classroom every day with her focus in exactly the right place: what do these students in front of me need to learn, and how can I help them learn it?” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Then she brings all of her creativity, ingenuity and skill to the fore to accomplish that goal. I am honored to recognize her as the 2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year and look forward to working with her to tell the best story I know – the story of Georgia’s public schools, and the lives changing within them every single day.”

Townsend graduated from Clemson University in 2012 with a bachelor’s degree in elementary education. Since then, she has taught Pre-K, third-, fourth-, and fifth-grade students.

As a teacher, Townsend strives to give each child a voice in their learning, and inspires them to grow beyond “engagement” to “ownership.” She came away from her time as a Pre-K teacher with the conviction that all children start out as curious and excited learners, and that her goal as an educator should be to nurture their passion for learning.

“Some people believe that children are the ‘leaders of tomorrow,’” Townsend said. “I like to challenge this idea. We cannot ignore the incredible impact children can have on the world today, if we let them. My mission is to help students take ownership of their learning and have an impact beyond the classroom…whether they are Skyping a scientist across the country, blogging about how they believe we should combat pollution, or sharing the inspiring music videos we create as a class.”

Townsend is also dedicated to having an impact on students and teachers beyond her own classroom and making her mark on education at the global level. From presenting at conferences to using Twitter as a window into her classroom, she has made connections with educators all over the world.

“I have helped a teacher in North Carolina design an authentic project-based learning unit for her students based on nutrition and fractions,” Townsend said. “I have Skyped with a teacher in Virginia to teach him how to implement student-led conferences. I have even had a teacher across the world in Vietnam reach out to me to let me know that she shared my students’ personal mission statements with her class, and that inspired them to write their own, too. I am passionate about inspiring students and teachers around the world and believe that our impact does not have to wait for ‘tomorrow.’ Every single one of us can help change the world today.”

As Georgia Teacher of the Year, Townsend will represent Georgia teachers by speaking to the public about the teaching profession and potentially conducting workshops and programs for educators. She will also participate in the competitive selection process for the 2019 National Teacher of the Year.

Click here to learn more about Georgia’s Teacher of the Year program.

2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year Finalists

Allison Kerley Townsend, 2019 Georgia Teacher of the Year, third grade, Barnwell Elementary School, Fulton County Schools

Maleah Stewart, speech-language pathologist, 2019 Runner-Up, North Forsyth Middle School, Forsyth County Schools

Shaylen Dixon, third grade, Peachtree City Elementary School, Fayette County Schools

Dr. Doug Doblar, fourth and fifth grade mathematics and science, R.D. Head Elementary School, Gwinnett County Schools

Dr. Stefan Lawrence, English, George Washington Carver High School, Muscogee County Schools

Nancy Rogers, English, Thomas County Middle School, Thomas County Schools

Ike Thompson, English/gifted, Veterans High School, Houston County Schools

Melanie Thompson, science, Georgia Academy for the Blind, State Schools

Stephanie Vidrine, mathematics, Woodstock Middle School, Cherokee County Schools

Kayla Yeargin, mathematics, Troup High School, Troup County Schools

*Other than the Teacher of the Year and Runner-Up, finalists are listed in alphabetical order by last name?

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MCINTOSH COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC) - A McIntosh County woman has opened a sober living home for women in Townsend.

WTOC originally brought you her story in 2020 and now, after three years of hard work, her center for women recovering from addiction is now a reality.

Linda Hornby owner of Angelica’s House of Hope and Recovery is finally able to walk through the halls of the sober living home she now owns.

“We are a sober residence for woman who are trying to stay sober and be in recovery in a safe environment.”

It’s an idea that’s very personal for Hornby she says her own daughter battled addiction for years until a home like this one got her on a path to recovery.

Her daughter is now the home’s namesake.

“My reason why… was to help save someone else’s daughter. My daughter is doing really well, she’s 10 years into addiction, and two years into recovery, so that’s awesome,” Linda Hornby said.

At full capacity, Angelica’s House of Hope can house up to 12 women. Hornby says it’s all part of her goal of helping others.

“It’s all about changing lives that’s why I’m doing this. My reason why is to change someone’s life.”

Hornby works at the home full-time and helps her residents get to therapy and doctor’s appointments, addiction meetings, and anything else they need during their recovery. It’s a place for them to stay after they’ve already received initial medical attention.

“The McIntosh community is in dire need of any type of rehab or drug support. There’s many women out here who are addicted and have nowhere to go.”

The center teaches life skills like how to write a check, cooking, and sewing.

They’ll also soon have animals like alpacas on premises in addition to this pup who already lives there all as a comfort to the women who live there.

“My daughter, when she was in rehab, she said to me ‘mom, the one thing I missed was holding a puppy. I couldn’t’ see my family, I couldn’t talk to anyone… All I wanted to do was to hold a little puppy.’ That’s what gave me the idea of a cuddle barn where the girls can just go sit with the animals.”

Now the home has its first residents making their commitment to staying sober.

Click here for more information.

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Every other year a board of judges awards the Townsend Prize for Fiction to an outstanding novel or short-story collection published by a Georgia writer during the past two years. The award is named for Jim Townsend, the founding editor of Atlanta magazine, the associate editor of Atlanta Weekly Magazine (of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution), and an early mentor to such Atlanta writers as Pat Conroy, Terry Kay, William Diehl, and Anne Rivers Siddons.

The prize was conceived by a group of Atlanta writers in 1981. From 1981 to 1997 Georgia State University sponsored the award. In 1997 Georgia Perimeter College (later Georgia State University Perimeter College) and the Chattahoochee Review assumed sponsorship. In 2000 the Margaret Mitchell House and Museum (part of the Atlanta History Center) and Atlanta magazine became additional sponsors. By 2012 the award was cosponsored by the Southern Academy for Literary Arts and Scholarly Research at Georgia Perimeter, the Chattahoochee Review, and the Georgia Center for the Book.

The Townsend Prize consists of a $2,000 award and a silver tray of commemoration. On the occasion of the award’s presentation to Ha Jin in 2002, the Chattahoochee Review editor Lawrence Hetrick explained that the prize is intended to recognize two accomplishments by a writer: “First, we’re looking for excellence and originality in language. Second, we’re looking for human insight.”

The prize has served an important role in encouraging and promoting Georgia writers. Philip Lee Williams, who received the award in 1986, explains its importance to him: “Winning the Townsend Prize was extremely important for my career because it brought me to the forefront of Georgia media as a writer…. The day I won the award is still one of the happiest days of my professional life because my parents and wife were there for the award and because the novel for which I won it, The Heart of a Distant Forest, was my first book.” Mary Hood, the winner of the prize in 1988 and 2016, describes it as “a harvest celebration of the whole state’s writing, not just the winner’s. This is fertile ground, and there is much to celebrate.”

The list of Townsend Prize winners reflects a diverse literary community, ranging from internationally known writers Alice Walker and Ha Jin to locally cherished authors Celestine Sibley and Ferrol Sams to established regional writers Pam Durban, Judson Mitcham, and James Kilgo. The most unexpected name on the list may be Ha Jin, who moved to the United States from mainland China in 1985 and taught with the Emory University creative writing faculty for ten years before moving north to teach at Boston University in 2002. Jin’s presence on the Townsend Prize list signifies the increasingly international character of Georgia’s literary landscape.

Celestine Sibley, Children, My Children (1982)

Alice Walker, The Color Purple (1984)

Philip Lee Williams, The Heart of a Distant Forest (1986)

Mary Hood, And Venus Is Blue (1988)

Sara Flanigan, Alice (1989)

Charlie Smith, The Lives of the Dead (1990)

Ferrol Sams, When All the World Was Young (1991)

Pam Durban, The Laughing Place (1994)

JoAllen Bradham, Some Personal Papers (1996)

Judson Mitcham, The Sweet Everlasting (1998)

James Kilgo, Daughter of My People (2000)

Ha Jin, The Bridegroom: Stories (2002)

Terry Kay, The Valley of Light (2004)

Judson Mitcham, Sabbath Creek (2006)

Renee Dodd, A Cabinet of Wonders (2008)

Kathryn Stockett, The Help (2010)

Thomas Mullen, The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers (2012)

Anthony Winkler, God Carlos (2014)

Mary Hood, A Clear View of the Southern Sky (2016)

Julia Franks, Over the Plain Houses (2018)