Hello, neighbors! Nina here with your fresh copy of the Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch newsletter, filled with all the things you need to know about what’s going on locally. In today’s newsletter, we’ll cover these stories and more…

• There was a massive heroin bust in town.
• The board of elections gets a shakeup.
• Cold-weather warnings for pets.

But first, today’s weather:

Mostly sunny and warmer. High: 54 Low: 31.

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

1. In a competition nobody wants to be in, a Woodstock man was charged and sentenced in what officials call the largest heroin bust in Cherokee County to date. In addition to the winning title, Edward “Jay” Lionel Ball received a 60-year sentence, with 45 years to be served in prison and 15 years served on probation afterward. Ball was sentenced as a reoffender, making him ineligible for parole during the 45-year prison stint. Ball was arrested in 2019 when agents performing a search found over 245 grams of heroin in the home, the law only requiring 28 grams for the highest trafficking charge. Agents also found methamphetamine, scales and baggies, handguns and ammunition. There were two others sentenced in relation to the crimes, each was sentenced to 20 years in prison, with 10 to be spent in prison. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
2. House Bill 644 and House Bill 642 were passed last week in the Georgia House of Representatives and Georgia Senate, replacing the current method of appointing elections board members. Until now, the Republican and Democratic parties appointed two members from each side, but a lawsuit against the Cherokee County Board of Elections questioned the process and the procedure of private organizations having a hand in it instead of a public entity. Assuming the lawsuit would likely be won against the board, the bills were passed to dissolve the current board and instead, local parties will nominate candidates, with the board of commissioners then choosing. (Subscription: Cherokee Tribune & Ledger-News)
3. The Cherokee County Animal Shelter posted some important information from the ASPCA on their Facebook page. The cold weather is extremely dangerous to animals, even though they…