Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Vol. 13 No. 52 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 16 pages
NGHS sees new COVID peak
Northeast Georgia Health
System has seen a surge in
COVID-19 cases over the
past few weeks. The hos
pital system reached a new
peak in COVID cases last
week and is currently treat
ing over 200 COVID-19
positive patients.
As of Monday. Dec.
7, NGHS is treating 205
COVID patients at its hos
pitals and long-term care
facilities. Northeast Georgia
Medical Center Braselton is
treating 53 of those.
The numbers are up from
the previous week (Mon
day, Nov. 30), when NGHS
was treating 176 positive
patients with 46 at NGMC
Braselton.
There's been a huge up
tick in recent weeks. During
the first week of November
(Monday. Nov. 2). NGHS
was treating 81 COVID
patients with 20 at NGMC
Braselton.
There are currently 42
patients waiting for test re
sults.
Across the hospital sys
tem, 655 beds are occupied
with 45 available. At NGMC
Braselton, there are 165 oc
cupied beds with three avail
able (22 occupied ICU beds
with two available).
Since the beginning of the
pandemic, the hospital sys
tem has discharged 3,236
patients.
There have been 454
deaths.
NGHS EXPECTS
SURGE IN TESTING
According to hospital
leaders, the numbers of
those needing testing and
care are expected to con
tinue rising in the coming
weeks.
“Both the percentage of
tests coming back positive
and the number of people
who need to be admitted
to the hospital have been
steadily climbing all month
- to (the recent ) record high
for the system,” said Clif
ton Hastings, MD, Chief of
Medical Staff for Northeast
Georgia Medical System.
“We’re headed for a new
peak and the only question
is, how high will this peak
be?”
NGHS also anticipates an
increase in the number of
people seeking COVID-19
testing in the coming weeks.
“Not only are more peo
ple seeking the test because
they’re ill, but we expect
many will want to get test
ed so they’ll know whether
it’s safe to see family during
the holidays,” said Bobby
Norris, vice president of
operations for Northeast
Georgia Physicians Group.
“We absolutely want people
who think they're sick to get
tested so they can take pre
cautions to protect others,
but we also want to avoid
premature testing that gives
See COVID, page 4A
Early voting
opens Dec.
14 for runoff
election
Even as the fallout from
the Nov. 3 presidential elec
tion in Georgia continues
to swirl, local election of
ficials are gearing up for a
high-profile runoff election
slated for Jan. 5.
There are three races on
the Jan. 5 ballot: Incumbent
Republican Sen. David Per
due faces Democrat Jon Os-
soff; incumbent GOP Sen.
Kelly Loeffler faces Demo
crat Raphael Warnock; and
incumbent Republican PSC
member Lauren “Bubba”
McDonald faces Democrat
Daniel Blackman.
Early voting opens next
week for the runoff election.
Voting locations depend on
which county you live in.
Find your voting informa
tion, registration status or
request an absentee ballot
by visiting www.mvp.sos.
ga.gov
Early voting for the Bra
selton four-county area in
clude:
BARROW COUNTY
In-person advance voting
See Vote, page 2A
Christmas lights
in Braselton
Allyson Beaucamp submitted photos of her husband’s impressive Christmas lights
show in Braselton. You can see the lights on Pointer Lane in Braselton.
Allyson Beaucamp
submitted photos
of her husband’s
impressive Christ
mas lights show
in Braselton. You
can see the lights
on Pointer Lane in
Braselton.
Submit your Christmas
decor photos
Submit photos of your Christmas
decorations to The Braselton News
by emailing alex@mainstreetnews.
com.
Include the name of the city/town
the photo was taken in. You can also
include the street address, but that is
not required.
Braselton plans
‘online community
meeting’for
comp plan update
Braselton is in the process of updat
ing its comprehensive plan.
Those wishing to comment on the
update may do so online through Dec.
18.
To learn more or comment on the
comprehensive plan, visit the town’s
“online community meeting” at www.
braseltondevelopmentcodeupdate.com.
Around town
Santa coming
to town Dec. 12
Santa Claus is coming to the Town of
Braselton on Saturday, Dec. 12.
Accompanied by a parade of lights
and sirens from local public safety
vehicles, Santa will ride through Bra
selton neighborhoods starting at 9 a.m.,
town leaders said. Track Santa’s prog
ress with the trolley tracker at www.
braseltontrolley.com.
The Braselton Police Department and
West Jackson Fire Department will es
cort the parade. YearOne Muscle Cars
will provide Santa with a convertible.
The parade will start at 9 a.m. down
town and visit the following neighbor
hoods, in order:
1. Lakeshore
2. Keys Crossing
3. Pinecrest
4. Vineyard/Vine-
yard Gate
5. Liberty Cross
ing
6. Preserve
7. Baker’s Farm
8. Broadmoor
9. Sienna
10. The Falls
11. Mulberry Park
12. Riverstone
13. The Gates
14. Chateau Elan
15. Del Webb
16. Clearwater
17. Reflections
18. Liberty Estates
MAILING LABEL
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New Hoschton park
being planned
Elections board tables action
on school referendum plans
Plans for a new his-
torical-focused park in
Hoschton are reported to
be in the works, but hit a
bump on Dec. 7 when the
town’s planning board ta
bled a variance request re
lated for the deal.
According to city of
ficials. Mayor Shannon
Sell has been negotiating
a potential land-swap with
property owner Eddie But
ler to get a tract of land for
a new city park.
Reportedly, the city is
looking at locating the
Darby building and two
other historic buildings in
the park as a historical fo
cal point.
To make the park project
happen, the city wants to
swap some land it owns on
Oak St. with property But
ler owns as part of the deal.
Butler would then develop
the Oak St. property for
residential use.
But for Butler to use
the city’s Oak St. property
from the swap for develop
ment, it would require the
city to have a variance for
a stream buffer reduction
from 50 feet to 25 feet and
to get an impervious sur
face setback waived.
Planning board chair
man Scott Butler said
he supports the idea of a
city park with a histori
cal focus, but said he was
worried about the impact
See Hoschton, page 2A
Plans for a March refer
endum to continue the ES-
PLOST in Jackson County's
three school districts got put
on hold Dec. 2 when the
county’s board of elections
refused to call for the March
voting.
The Jackson County
Board of Elections voted
4-1, with board member
James White dissenting, to
table action until January on
calling for the referendum.
Board of election actions
to call for a vote is generally
routine and not controver
sial. It is the first time the
board has ever not approved
a call for an election when
asked by a local government
to do so.
The move leaves lead
ers in the county’s three
school districts hanging,
uncertain about what will
happen next.
The voting for a joint
school referendum is com
plex in the county since
there are three independent
school systems. The ES-
PLOST vote has to be held
in each district and has to
pass in each of the three dis
tricts. It means, in part, that
both the City of Jefferson
and City of Commerce have
to hold elections in coordi
nation with the county.
The elections board ta
bled action on calling for
the vote due to what it said
was a technical issue with
the document and because
See Referendum, page 2A
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