The Oakwood welcome sign was due for a change anyway but not one that involved rebuilding the entire structure. A windstorm blew down the structure on Dec. 20, just weeks before one of its co-sponsors — Gainesville State College — was to become the University of North Georgia as part of a merger with North Georgia College & State University in Dahlonega. The college, along with Oakwood and a third sponsor, Lanier Technical College, had plans to update the sign at some point to reflect the name change.