Elbert County native Rose Scoggins has been named editor/publisher of The Hartwell Sun. Community Newspapers Inc. (CNI) Northeast Georgia Regional Publisher Keith Barlow made the announcement Dec. 18.
Scoggins is the former editor/publisher of The Elberton Star, where she was awarded the prestigious Freedom of Information Award from the Georgia Press Association in the 2023 Better Newspaper Contest (BNC). She has also taken home numerous awards in the investigative reporting, editorial writing, photography and multimedia categories of the BNC.
Scoggins is no stranger to The Sun as she was a frequent contributor during her time as a student at the University of Georgia (UGA), covering softball, volleyball and basketball. She also previously served as an interim paginator in 2023 and contributed stories when needed.
While she grew up in Bowman and Royston, Scoggins has deep roots in the Airline community as her grandparents – Roger and Gail Leopard – and great-grandmother – Katrenia Saylors – still live there.
Scoggins is the daughter of Franklin County Citizen Leader Publisher Shane Scoggins and Angela Scoggins, a language arts teacher at Franklin County High School.
“I like to think I have a bit of ink in my veins,” Scoggins said. “Even more so, I’ve discovered that community newspapers – including the communities and people they serve – are what I’m most passionate about. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to CNI and serve Hart County in this role. I look forward to immersing myself in the community and being able to witness what makes it special.”
Scoggins most recently worked in the Development and Alumni Relations Office at UGA as a communications coordinator. She lives in Elberton with her cat Dewy – named in honor of the Dewy Rose community.