The Canton Week – October 12th 2026

What’s Happening in Canton This Week

Welcome to the Canton Week, your go-to source for local news, community updates, and market insights right here in Canton. Here’s what’s making headlines in our city this week.

County Weighs a $37 Million Sheriff’s Office Technology Contract

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners is expected to decide later this month on a consolidated technology contract for the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office with Axon Enterprise Inc., valued at $37,287,493.75 over ten years. The first year runs about $3.44 million beginning in fiscal year 2027, and the amount is already built into the sheriff’s portion of the FY2027 budget. The contract covers body-worn and in-car cameras, Axon Evidence, and the software licensing, equipment, integrations, training and support that go with them. Equipment counts would rise across the board, with Tasers going from 308 to 400, in-car cameras from 200 to 230, and body-worn cameras from 320 to 400. Sheriff Frank Reynolds said Cherokee was the last metro county to adopt body cameras, and he called the figure a lot of money while noting it builds in room for growth. The board’s remaining October meeting is Tuesday, October 20, with a work session at 3 p.m. and the regular meeting at 6 p.m. at the Cherokee County Administrative Complex, 1130 Bluffs Parkway.

Mixed-Use Plan for 68 Acres on Pearidge Road Goes Before Council

Canton City Council took up a request on October 1 to annex and rezone about 62.17 acres at 680 and 700 Pearidge Road, moving the land from R-40 in unincorporated Cherokee County into the city’s Planned Development-Mixed Use district. The application covers a mixed-use development across roughly 68.5 acres and includes a master plan, a conditional use permit for a multi-story building and for multi-family residential, condominium and townhome units, and three concurrent variances. Planning and Zoning Manager Thomas Trawick presented the cases. Minutes from the meeting are still in draft and the city has not posted recorded votes, so the outcome is not yet on the record. Council meets again Thursday, October 15, at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 110 Academy Street.

Great Pumpkin Fest Moves to Halloween at Cherokee Veterans Park

Cherokee Recreation and Parks has rescheduled the Great Pumpkin Fest to Saturday, October 31, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., after forecast weather knocked out the original October 10 date. The event is free and runs at Cherokee Veterans Park, 7345 Cumming Highway in Canton. There is a live DJ, a dance team performs at 11 a.m., and the costume contest starts at noon with six categories covering Funniest, Scariest, Most Boo-tiful, Best Group, Best Superhero and Best Pet Duo. Hayrides are free and run the length of the event, Hickory Flat UMC is bringing a pumpkin patch with pumpkins for sale, and bouncy houses are pay to play through a vendor. Free shuttle parking runs from Macedonia Elementary School and Macedonia Baptist Church, and the county lists the festival as rain or shine.