By J. Todd Truelove
CNI News Service
J. Todd Truelove/CNI News Service. The Toccoa Record Publisher Michael O’Hearn (right) presents Kim Caudell of Toccoa with the $100 she won for her photo in the 2025 summer Lake Living magazine cover contest.
Kim Caudell of Toccoa was named the winner of Community Newspapers Inc.’s contest for the cover of the summer edition of Lake Living.
Caudell selected a photo she snapped in 2022 of her two children, Britt and Benjamin, dressed up for Independence Day to submit into the competition.
“I thought it was a great photo with the colors,” Caudell said of her photo.
It’s the first time Caudell entered one of her pictures in the magazine cover contest. She said she became aware of the contest due to posts on the Facebook social media platform.
“I knew I had lake photos that might fit the mold [for the cover],” Caudell said.
Caudell said she takes many pictures of the lake — sunsets, family and friends, and the family’s two golden retrievers, Georgia and Charlie.
“I grew up on the lake with my family,” Caudell said.
The picture was taken, she said, on the family’s dock on Lake Hartwell.
Caudell said it’s a tradition to decorate the dock and celebrate July 4 annually.
“I’m usually the photographer of the group,” said Caudell. “I have a fancy camera, but it’s easier to do on my phone.”
She said Britt and Benjamin were embarrassed initially, but quickly got over it learning they were getting the $100 prize money.
“That [money] made it all better,” Caudell said. “Then they were excited.”
She guessed that the two kids were going to use the cash to buy fishing gear.
“All they want to do is fish,” Caudell said. “Any fishing they can do, they love it.”
The 2025 summer edition of Lake Living is now available at stores, chambers of commerce and newspaper offices throughout the Northeast Georgia Region.