Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson 500 copy
Wednesday, January 25, 2017
Vol. 10 No. 7 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 16 pages, 2 sections
Condo, commercial community gets initial OK
By Alex Pace
A request to bring a 14-acre mixed use
community to downtown Braselton got the
initial green light this week.
The Braselton Planning Commission
approved rezoning 13.76 acres surround
ing the Hwy. 124 water towers on Monday.
The Braselton Town Council will discuss
the proposal at its Feb. 9 meeting with a
possible vote Feb. 13.
Peggy Slappey Properties, Inc., is
requesting a planned unit development
rezoning for the property.
The group plans to construct 17,825 sq.
ft. of commercial space along Hwy. 124.
Also planned are 96 condos split between
four buildings and additional housing on
Henry and Piedmont streets. Condos may
range between 1,000-1,400 sq. ft. and have
a starting price below $200,000.
The community would also include
green space, a clubhouse with a small pool
and garden space.
Peggy Slappey Properties, Inc., co-owner
Tommy Slappey expects most traffic will
use the Hwy. 124 main exit, but the com
munity will also have a back exit.
Slappey said he thinks the project is
needed in downtown. He noted there are
several options to “play” in the downtown
area, but not many places to live or work.
The project has the support of some Bra
selton Downtown Development Authori
ty members. Many representatives of the
DDA and its committees attended Mon
day's meeting.
“Everything that we’ve done with the
DDA has been to enhance the downtown
area,” said DDA chairman Clay Eubanks.
“To do that, we need developments like this
that offer the hue ‘live, work and play.’”
DDA economic vitality committee mem
ber Stephanie Williams said she thinks the
project would attract positive development.
If approved by the town council, Slappey
said the community could be constructed
in phases depending on demand. Initial
plans are to construct the deceleration lane
and open up the front entrance to give the
project exposure.
Looking at design
Braselton Main Street director Amy Pinnell and Peg Sheffield look over the
design for a mixed use development in downtown.
Braselton woman
arrested for
drug trafficking
A Braselton woman
was arrested during a
Hall County drug bust.
The Hall County
Multi-Agency Narcot
ics Squad (MANS)
arrested Ashley Elaine
McGhee, 30, of Bra
selton, and David
Corey Smith, 37, of
Murrayville, during
the drug investigation.
Officers found the
two with over $7,100
worth of narcotics.
Items found includ
ed: 64 grams of meth-
amphetamine pack
aged in four bags;
eight Alprazolam pills,
one Hydrocodone pill,
one dose of MDMA,
two grams of mari
juana, digital scales,
packaging materials,
hypodermic needles, a
rifle and almost $2,000
in cash.
“The marijuana was
seized from the sus
pects; the other contra
band was seized from
within the suspects’
vehicle,” according to
MANS supervisor Lt. David
Don Scaiia. Corey Smith
McGhee and Smith
were booked in the Hah County Jail on charges of
trafficking methamphetamine, possession with intent
to distribute, possession of Alprazolam with intent to
distribute, possession of Hydrocodone with intent to
distribute, possession of MDMA, possession of mar
ijuana, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
and possession of a firearm during the commission
of a crime.
Authorities don’t expect additional charges or
arrests in this case, Scaiia noted.
Ashley
Elaine McGhee
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N e wsTO DAY. co m
Plays room escape game at Innovation Academy
Over Christmas break students, teachers and staff volunteered their time to help repurpose the
former West Jackson Primary School building. The school system plans to bring small groups of
students to this expanded learning space to play academic games and host other activities. Here,
Suyung Moua, Payton Maddox, Sydney Buck, and Jasmin Chunasamy, played a room escape game
Friday morning. Groups of students competed with each other as they were locked into different
classrooms and had to find clues in order to escape. The games were based on the student’s lan
guage arts and social studies classes. See more on page 2B. Photo by Wesleigh Sagon
Citizens call for commissioner
to resign after ‘racist pig’ post
Citizens are calling for a Gwin
nett County leader to resign after he
called U.S. Rep. John Lewis a “racist
pig” in a social media post.
Gwinnett County commission
er Tommy Hunter, who represents
the eastern part of Gwinnett County
including part of Braselton, recently
made the “racist pig” comment in
a public Facebook post. His post
was made after Rep. Lewis told
NBC News that he didn’t see Presi
dent-elect Donald Trump as a “legiti
mate president.”
According to a screenshot posted
by the Atlanta Journal Constitution,
Hunter’s post read:
“John Lewis is a racist pig. There
ain’t one political pundit that didn’t
say on November 9 that this would
be Demonrats EXACT response to
Tramp winning. Like I heard Rush, I
believe say. Demonrats DO NOT live
in reality. They believe polls were
right and THE REAL VOTES were
wrong. What a bunch of idiots.”
BOC MEETING
A crowd of citizens gathered at the
Gwinnett County Board of Commis
sioners meeting last week to protest
Hunter’s comments. Many held up
signs reading “Hunter must go now.”
BOC chairman Charlotte Nash
issued an apology letter to Rep.
Lewis. Hunter also apologized for
his comments at the beginning of the
meeting.
“I see many of you here today
Tommy Hunter
are here in response to my person
al Facebook comments that were
shared in the media over the past 24
hours,” he said. “I understand emo
tions are high and many are upset
about the post. I apologize for the
choice of words I made about Con
gressman John Lewis. John Lewis is
a leader of the civil rights movement.
He is to be commended and emu
lated. That doesn’t mean I’ll always
agree with him politically. I will not
allow baseless accusations of racism
against me or anyone to keep people
from speaking up when something
is wrong. I’ve learned a lot from this
and will continue to work hard to
serve all of District 3 and all of the
people of Gwinnett County.”
Citizens responded by chanting,
“resign, resign, resign...”
During a nearly 3-hour public com
ment period, citizens, elected offi
cials and civic leaders took to the
microphone to voice their disap
proval of Hunter’s comments.
“This is not representative of Dis
trict 3 where there are more than
100 different languages spoken,”
said Jasper Watkins, who recently
ran against Hunter for the District
3 seat. “I think there needs to be
accountability on this right away.”
Some questioned Hunter’s ethics
and asked for an apology. Others
called Hunter’s comments racist
and said there's “no place in the
community for people to speak like
this.”
One speaker, Penny Poole, said
comments like Hunter’s have begun
being expressed more openly “with
no fear of accountability.”
“Instead of covert, these actions
have become overt with no fear
of accountability or retribution
because the people in power look
like him and (he thinks) think like
him,” said Poole. “Prove to Mr.
Hunter that you do not think like
him, that you are a progressive
Gwinnett who has left segregation
and Jim Crow, who value citizens.
Prove to him that you are more con
cerned about humanity than hate,”
Poole, along with many other
speakers, asked the BOC to request
Hunter’s resignation.
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