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FRIDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2018 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com OSIeeper MFG Co. creating high-quality wood furniture, decor. LIFE, 5B Honestly Local Big-ticket night in Hall AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Attendees stand showing their support for the rezoning of Bogus Road for the construction of Adventures in Missions development during a Hall County commissioners’ meeting on Thursday, Oct. 25. Unsupervised dog tethering ban passes unanimously BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Unsupervised dog tethering will soon be illegal in Hall County, after commis sioners unanimously passed the new rule on Thursday and a large crowd filled the meeting room in support of the ban. The ordinance will go into effect Nov. 1. Mike Ledford, the county’s animal services director, said that during a 180- day grace period, residents will receive warnings rather than citations and the county will work with community part ners to educate about the regulation. Jennifer Summers of Braselton spoke in support of the tethering ban Inside Hall County commissioners also approve Flourish Community for disabled adults 8A Thursday. She is a co-founder of Off the Chain, a Northeast Georgia nonprofit that advocates against tethering and builds fences for pet owners so their dogs have more space to roam. Off the Chain will work on outreach to educate the public about low-cost fencing, crate training and other prac tices that can help pet owners adapt to the new ordinance, Summers said. She said she knows that some may view the ban as too extreme, but she hopes animal control officers will use discretion in enforcing the rule. “What we are not trying to do is pun ish responsible dog owners,” Summers said. “To the individual who wants their dog to sunbathe on the patio, I am cer tain no complaints will be filed.... It is intended to save the life of the dog next door that is completely helpless.” Alice Black of Flowery Branch, a volunteer for Off the Chain, said she has seen how dogs react when taken off their tethers, and she hopes the ordi nance will send the message that teth ering is not OK. “The demeanor change is amazing,” ■ Please see DOG, 8A FLOWERY BRANCH Residents vocal on downtown traffic BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Flowery Branch City Manager Bill Andrew said his daughter recently asked him why he couldn’t take another route besides McEver Road to avoid getting stuck in traffic at Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville. “I said, ‘There’s this thing called Lake Lanier to the left. Unless I have a boat or plane, I have to go this way,’” Andrew told a crowd gathered Thursday, Oct. 25, for a meeting about downtown Flowery Branch traffic. “Here (in Flowery Branch), if you’re on Lights Ferry Road seven years from now and you’re expe riencing delays that are unacceptable, there are sev eral alternatives to take.” Downtown traffic issues, highlighted by a rapidly growing residential population and Norfolk Southern trains moving through town, was the subject of morn ing and night public hearings at City Hall. A total of about 40 people, some particularly vocal, showed up for the meetings. ■ Please see TRAFFIC, 8A JEFF GILL I The Times Flowery Branch City Manager Bill Andrew speaks at a meeting Thursday, Oct. 25, in the city about downtown traffic. SAT scores rise with number of test takers across Georgia BY JOSHUA SILAVENT jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com More students in Hall, Gainesville, Buford, Forsyth and Dawson schools took the SAT in 2018 than did in 2017, helping Georgia best the national average in scores, the state Department of Education announced on Thursday, Oct. 25. “We are encouraged by the latest results,” said Hall County Schools Superintendent Will Schofield. “Record number of test takers, and beating the national average. With our student population, it is yet another testimony to the incredible work our teachers and students do every day.” Among Hall high school students, 1,090 took the SAT (which measures math, and reading and writing com prehension) this year, up from 880 in 2017. And the average score bumped up to 1054 from 1038. The highest SAT score that can be achieved is 1600. Among Gainesville City high school students, 234 took the SAT, with the average score falling only slightly to 1000 from 1014 last year. The statewide average for public-school SAT takers was 1054 compared with 1049 nationwide. According to the Georgia Department of Education, increases in participation are often accompanied by a slight decrease in scores. Sixty-six percent of Georgia’s public-school class of 2018 took the SAT during high school, compared to 61 percent of the class of 2017. In Buford City Schools, for example, 238 students took the SAT this year versus 185 in 2017, but the ■ Please see SAT, 8A Schofield Abrams, Riggs Amico visiting Gainesville Stacey Abrams and Sarah Riggs Amico, Georgia’s Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, will be stopping in Gaines ville at noon Friday for a rally spon sored by Brenau University College Democrats. The event is part of Abrams’ “We are Georgia” bus tour, which is stop ping in several cities around the state ahead of the Nov. 6 election. Community members can reg ister online, but registration is not required. Kyle Leineweber, president of the Brenau College Democrats, said he received a call from the Abrams campaign about the event earlier this week after having reached out to the campaign. Leineweber said the group has been busy coordinating with various campus offices and raising aware ness about the rally on campus. Abrams and Riggs Amico will be at Brenau Uni versity’s Pearce Auditorium from noon to 12:45 p.m. Friday. Before coming to Gainesville, they will stop in Cumming, then go to Athens after the rally at Brenau. Megan Reed Stacey Abrams rally When: Noon to 12:45 p.m. Friday, Oct. 26 Where: Brenau University Pearce Auditorium, 202 Boulevard NE, Gainesville Riggs Amico 0 40901 06835 8 INSIDE Advice 6B Bridge 6B Business 4B Calendar 2A Classified 8B Comics 7B Life 5B Lottery 2A Opinion 7A Our Region 8A Sports 1B TV/puzzles 6B WEATHER 2A DEATHS 9A High Low 51 48 Lake Lanier level: 1,069.37 feet Full pool 1,071. Down 0.04 feet in 24 hours Carla McNair Claymore, 75 Billy Joe Goble Jr., 88 Rachel Whitmire Helton, 74 Matthew Paul McLeroy, 37 Angela Marchbanks Roberts, 73 Robert White, 84 Clifford Gazaway, 63 Steven Paul Mason, 32 Chad Emory Taylor, 30 Lionel Gene Varner, 87 Kathryn Watkins, 93 Ann Westbrook, 87 Choose Liberty. Choose Natural Gas. Tanya Martin Sales Coordinator 706-570-3643 Bruce Hancock Account Manager 706-905-9072 Liberty Utilities 1766 Cleveland Highway Gainesville, GA 3050 678-707-5205 • www.libertyutilities.com J@L Know Mlurt below. Call before you chg