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Your only locally-owned community newspaper
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, West Jackson and Barrow County
GJA£
Member of the
Georgia Press Association
500 copy
Thursday, February 11, 2016
Vol. 10 No. 44 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com
12 pages
Inside
Heroin trafficking arrests made in Braselton
IL
r A
Second annual
Chocolate Walk
Local residents, area
businesses participate in
Chocolate Walk
See 3
Local News
Eight respond to campaign
ad to run against Rep.
Benton
See 2
Mangum to seek re-election
for sheriff
See 2
Jackson Co. School System
wants more security
See 2
Opinion
KKK was not created for
‘law and order’
See 5
Index
News
1-2
Public Safety
4
Social
5-7
School
8
Classifieds
9-10
Obituaries
11
Church
12
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By Katie Cofer
Braselton Police seized approx
imately $135,000 (street value)
worth of suspected heroin over
the weekend and arrested two men
suspected of trafficking the drug
through the town. On Saturday.
Braselton Police stopped a 2015
Toyota Highlander on 1-85 north
bound because it was missing an
expiration decal on its New York
license tag.
Two men, Tomas D. Hernandez
and Victor Orlando Grullon, both
of New York, were charged with
one count each of trafficking her
oin and possession of heroin with
the intent to distribute. A drug dog
was used during the search. Near
ly $1,100 in cash was also taken
during the search and the suspected
heroin was located in the vehicle’s
battery. The men were taken to the
Jackson County jail where they are
being held without bond.
The presence of heroin has
increased in the past year.
“The reason we’re seeing a lot of
heroin now is because it is cheaper
than prescription pain pills,” said
Braselton Police Chief Terry Esco.
Although Esco said the BPD can
estimate the street value cost of the
seized heroin, the actual weight
has to be confirmed by the GBI
crime lab.
Locals support state cannabis
By Katie Cofer and Alex Pace
Area residents strongly support growing
medical cannabis in Georgia.
In an online Mainstreet News poll, more
than 83 percent of people said they support
allowing the state of Georgia to regulate the
production of cannabis oil for medical use
in the state. Fourteen percent are against it
and two percent are undecided. The results
track other statewide polls that show over
84 percent support medical cannabis pro
duction in Georgia.
Local state representatives are also show
ing their support. Many have signed a bill
that would allow in-state growth of medical
cannabis.
And many local families are already
using the cannabis oil for medical purpos
es. despite no legal way to get the oil in
Georgia.
Last year, the Georgia General Assembly
passed House Bill 1 (Haleigh’s Hope Act).
The law allows people with certain con
ditions (cancer, seizure disorders, ALS,
mitochondrial disease, MS, Parkinson’s
and sickle cell) to use medical cannabis
with a low THC count.
But getting the oil is still illegal. In-state
cultivation has not been approved and the
Food and Drug Administration lists canna
bis as a Schedule I drug, meaning people
can’t transport it across state lines.
But local families are taking the risk.
Here are some of their stories:
HAWK
Hawk Harrison, of Banks County, started
having seizures weeks after he was bom.
The doctors weren’t sure what was causing
the seizures and a CT scan later revealed
Hawk had a massive spontaneous brain
hemorrhage.
He was life-flighted and put into a coma
for weeks. Doctors placed a drain in his
head to help the blood clot.
Hawk has undergone 10 brain surgeries
and shunt revisions. He’s been through
physical therapy and placed on several sei
zure medications.
Hawk’s mom, Katie, said many of the
medicines had bad side effects. Some could
cause mood swings, cause cognitive dam
age or create a “zombie effect.” Hawk also
started a ketogenic diet, which Katie said
did help with Hawk’s infantile spasms.
But since starting cannabis oil in August
2014, Katie said Hawk has made many
improvements.
Katie said Hawk’s improvements were
immediate. She said they could instantly
see a difference in Hawk’s awareness and
a clarity in his eyes. His seizures have
become less frequent, and Hawk’s neurol
ogist said he noticed an improvement in his
brain scans.
“It is a thousand times better.” he told
Katie during the appointment.
TRIPP
Some local families have chosen to
remain in the state and risk legal prose
cution for having the oil transported. But
several local families have chosen to leave
their homes to legally get the oil in other
states.
LAINEY
Laura Oliver and her son, Tripp, moved
from Commerce to Colorado in 2014 to
obtain medical cannabis to treat Tripp’s
Dravet Syndrome.
Tripp had his first seizure when he
was six-months-old. It lasted 45 minutes.
Doctors said it was probably a febrile sei
zure, but the seizures continued.
continued on page 5
Advance voting
under way for
March election
By Angela Gary
Voters who want to cast their ballots early
to avoid the rush of the March 1 presidential
preference primaries and the referendums on
two sales tax issues can vote now. Advance
voting is under way at the Jackson County
Administrative Building, Athens Street,
Jefferson.
In addition to the Georgia presiden
tial primaries for both the Republican and
Democratic parties, voters in Jackson County
will vote on two sales tax referendums. one to
extend the special purpose local option sales
tax (SPLOST)
for another six
years, and the
other to extend
the education
local option
sales tax
(ELOST) for
another five
years.
VOTE
continued on page 2A
Crosswalk in Athens
A pedestrian crosswalk off Prince
Avenue in front of The Grit and the
Flagpole in Athens provides bright
orange flags for pedestrians to use
while crossing the street.
Photo by Katie Cofer
Committee discusses
need for pedestrian
crosswalks downtown
By Katie Cofer
A committee tasked with economic
development measures in downtown Bra
selton sees a need for more pedestrian
crosswalks. At present, the only way to
safely cross the street is at a crosswalk
connecting at the intersection of Hwy. 53
and Davis Street, in front of the Braselton
Brothers Store complex.
The need was discussed at the Feb.
5 meeting of the Braselton Downtown
Development Authority’s economic
development committee after downtown
director Amy Pinnell brought up the DDA
having discussed plans to make the town
“more walk-able” at its annual planning
session held in January.
continued on page 2A
