Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, December 16, 2020
The Braselton News Page 3A
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o
BOC reviewing
new social media
employee policy
A proposed list of updates
and changes to the county's
HR policy book includes a
new section on employee
use of social media.
The move comes follow
ing the firing of former EMS
employee John Pethel for a
post he made on Facebook
in June where he said “shoot
them all” in reference to
protesters in Gainesville.
Pethel has appealed his
firing, which was recent
ly heard before an outside
hearing officer. During
that hearing, officials were
asked about the county's
policy on social media.
County manager Kevin Poe
said the county had not yet
adopted a specific policy
regarding employee use of
social media.
Among other proposed
changes in the county’s
HR manual, a new section
would be created that spe
cifically addresses the so
cial media issue. One of the
items appears to address sit
uations similar to the Pethel
incident:
“Users shall not engage
in any blogging or social
media posting that may
harm or tarnish the image,
reputation and/or goodwill
of the County and /or any
of its Users. Users are also
prohibited from making any
discriminatory, disparaging,
defamatory or harassing
comments when blogging or
otherwise engaging in any
conduct prohibited by the
Jackson County Non-Dis
crimination and Anti-Ha
rassment policy.”
The Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
was presented with the pro
posed HR changes at its
Dec. 7 meeting. The board
could take a vote on the up
dates at its Dec. 21 meeting.
In other business, the
BOC discussed:
•a speed zone ordinance/
radar list, which allows the
county to use radar speed
detection on certain stretch
es of road.
•a contract for wood de
bris grinding for the Jackson
County Transfer Station. He
lowest bid was from Roll
Off Systems, of Statham,
with a $96,000 monthly rate
or $4,800 daily rate.
•a resolution for coun
ty road ownership for the
Georgia Department of
Transportation LMIG pro
gram.
APPROVED ITEMS
The board approved the
following items:
•a resolution to adopt the
five-year comprehensive
plan update.
•reappointing Donna Gei
ger and Max Allen to the
county airport authority for
a three-year term.
•reappointing Mark Palm
er to the board of adjustment
for a four-year term.
•reappointing Dr. Joan
na Suarez to the board of
health for a five-year term.
•reappointing Joe Hicks
to the industrial develop
ment authority for a five-
year term.
•reappointing Jamie Dove
and Tom Page to the solid
waste management authori
ty for a two-year term.
•reappointing Josh Hus-
kins, Jay Phillips and Jim
my Peck to the parks and
recreation advisory board.
•reappointing Marty
Clark to the planning com
mission.
Cantrell • Gainco opens
new headquarters
in Hall County
CantrelPGainco Group
— a U.S.-based manufac
turer of processing equip
ment, yield enhancement
and yield tracking systems
for meat, poultry and fish
operations — recently the
opening of a new corporate
headquarters and manufac
turing facility in Gaines
ville. The new headquarters
campus, located on Monroe
Drive in Gainesville, brings
together multiple design,
manufacturing and admin
istrative offices at one new,
centralized location.
The new consolidated
headquarters is a milestone
for Cantrell*Gainco Group.
Combining Cantrell Ma
chine Company and Gain
co, Inc. created a single en
terprise in 2019 that benefits
meat, poultry and fish pro
cessing firms with a wide
range of solutions for first
and second processing, fur
ther processing operations,
yield enhancement and
tracking, plus quality con
trol. The new facility rep
resents the culmination of
the full integration of both
entities.
The new facility encom
passes 136,000 square feet
of manufacturing and of
fice space, an increase of
50% over the total area of
previous space at multiple
sites in the Gainesville area.
Manufacturing is set up in
a “work cell” layout, and
there is a dedicated R&D
area, plus special zones for
engineering, fabrication,
electronics assembly and
other activities.
State-of-the-art manufac
turing capabilities incorpo
rate CNC laser cutting and
other special technologies,
while the facility also in
cludes comprehensive QA/
QC functionalities in a cli
mate-controlled. energy-ef
ficient environment.
The new headquarters
also houses consolidated
administrative offices and
conference spaces, as well
as a dedicated Customer
Solutions Center, showcas
ing the company’s equip
ment and systems solutions.
“This was an important
opportunity to consolidate
our operations from several
facilities at a single location,
driven by the need to support
continued growth, including
our global expansion into
Europe and Latin America,”
said Thomas Holm, pres
ident of Cantrell Gainco
Group. “Our company is
recognized for technologi
cally advanced systems that
deliver improved product
quality, accurate weighing,
labor savings, and process
line improvements for meat
processors. Consolidating
our operations means we
can now support our cli
ents with even greater effi
ciencies and delivery lead-
times.”
Holm also noted that the
new headquarters campus
offers room for additional
manufacturing expansion as
future needs dictate.
Read, then recycle
this newspaper.
LIGHTS DISPLAY IN BRASELTON
Robbin Riccio submitted this picture of their family’s Christmas light show in Braselton. The
show features six songs and runs nightly from 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. The display is located in Sien
na On The River neighborhood off Liberty Church Road. Submit your Christmas display photos to
alex@mainstreetnews.com.
New 55+ neighborhood planned at Sterling on the Lake
Sterling on the Lake by
Newland has welcomed
its newest addition to the
community, a 55+ neigh
borhood that opened on
December 5.
Sterling on the Lake is
owned in a joint venture
partnership between North
America Sekisui House,
LLC (NASH), the U.S.
business unit and a subsidi
ary of Sekisui House, LTD..
Japan’s largest homebuild
er and leading diversified
developer, and Newland.
the master developer of
the community. Sterling
on the Lake is one of more
than 20 communities the
NASH-Newland partner
ship owns together across
the U.S.
“There’s a variety of
home options in the area,
but nothing combines the
multi-generational resident
mix and amenities that Ster
ling on the Lake offers,”
said Chris Whittaker, Vice
President of Operations at
Newland. “Its convenient
location makes it espe
cially attractive for active
adults with the Blue Ridge
Mountains to the north and
Atlanta to the south. There
is also plenty of accessibili
ty to health care, shopping,
dining, golf and more, just
around the corner.”
Upon completion, The
Retreat at Sterling on the
Lake will include 214 Hall
County homes, each de
signed with the active-adult
lifestyle in mind. Each
house features ranch-style
living, open concepts,
chef-inspired kitchens and
professional lawn care
maintenance. Home buy
ers can choose from multi
ple floor plans, with either
single-level living or a 1.5
story design for extra bonus
space.
Residents will also have
access to a variety of ame
nities within the neighbor
hood, including The Retreat
clubhouse, which features
fitness and aerobics rooms,
a pool table and a selec
tion of indoor and outdoor
gathering areas. In addition
to the clubhouse, residents
can participate in a tennis
or pickleball match on the
sports courts or unwind in
the pool. Within the greater
Sterling on the Lake com
munity, residents can also
access the Lakeside Club
house with a fitness center,
movie theater and catering
kitchen, additional tennis,
pickleball and bocce ball
courts, resort-like pools,
trails, green spaces and a
full-time activities director.
Lake Lanier is also closely
located to the community
for fishing and boating.
NGMC employee awarded Trauma Excellence award
Lissa Shirley was recently
awarded The Nathan Deal
Governor’s Award for Trau
ma Excellence at the Region
2 Trauma Advisory Com
mittee's Northeast Georgia
Trauma Symposium.
“Receiving this award is
such an honor I never ex
pected,” said Shirley, blood
bank supervisor at North
east Georgia Medical Cen
ter (NGMC) Gainesville. “I
don’t do what I do for the
awards, though. I do it be
cause I care about my com
munity and want to help in
whatever way I can.”
Shirley has worked in
the blood bank at NGMC
for 34 years — impacting
not only those nearby, but
those throughout Region 2
and the entire state — by
ensuring NGMC Gaines
ville has enough blood on
hand for trauma patients
who arrive at the emergency
department. Her expertise in
blood bank management has
shown through her passion
for maintaining the most
progressive, best practices
for blood product use in pa
tients at NGMC, according
to a news release.
“Although most in the
region don't know Lissa,
everyone in the region has
been impacted, either di
rectly or indirectly, by her
contributions and exper
tise,” said Jesse Gibson,
Trauma Program manager
at NGMC. “She has never
asked for recognition. She
just brings her best every
day. She is certainly de
serving of this prestigious
award.”
Almost 600 people from
more than 30 states joined
the fifth annual Trauma
Symposium on Oct. 30. Lo
cal and national speakers
were there in person to pres
ent from the podium in the
Ramsey Conference Center
at Lanier Technical College
while attendees joined vir
tually.
To learn more about the
Trauma Program at NGMC,
visit nghs.com/trauma.
EXCEPTIONAL PRIMARY ^
& SPECIALTY CARE ST M ARYS
HEALTH CARE SYSTEM
A Member of Trinity Health
PRIMARY
Athens Internal
Medicine Associates
1500 Oglethorpe Ave.
Ste. 400A & 400B, Athens
St. Mary’s Family
Medicine
1181 Langford Dr.
Bldg. 300, Ste. 103
WatkinsviUe
762.234.4260
ENDOCRINOLOGY
Endocrine Specialists
of Athens
2470 Daniells Bridge Rd.
Bldg. 200, Ste. 221, Athens
706.389.3180
OB/GYN
Clear Creek OB/GYN
355 Clear Creek Pkwy.
Ste. 1003, Lavonia
706.356.0780
706.548.8600
Community Internal
Medicine of Athens
1500 Oglethorpe Ave.
Ste. 200C, Athens
706.389.3875
Georgia Family
Medicine
2410 Hog Mountain Rd.
Bldg. 200, Ste. 201
WatkinsviUe
706.310.3470
St. Mary’s Internal
Medicine Associates
2470 Daniells Bridge Rd.
Bldg. 200, Ste. 271, Athens
706.769.3362
Flometown Pediatrics
1020 Jamestown Blvd.
Bldg. 200, WatkinsviUe
706.769.0005
SPECIALTY
INFECTIOUS DISEASE
Infectious Disease
Specialists of Athens
1500 Oglethorpe Ave.
Ste. 200D, Athens
706.559.4405
NEUROLOGY
St. Mary’s Neurological
Specialists
2470 Daniells Bridge Rd.
Bldg. 200, Ste. 261, Athens
RHEUMATOLOGY
Rheumatology
Center of Athens
1622C Mars Hill Rd.
WatkinsviUe
706.769.9931
SURGERY
Athens General and
Colorectal Surgeons
740 Prince Ave.
Bldg. 2, Athens
706.548.5488
Johnson & Murthy
Family Practice
1500 Oglethorpe Ave.
Ste. 200A, Athens
706.548.5833
Lighthouse Family
Practice
355 Clear Creek Pkwy.
Ste. 1003, Lavonia
706.356.1422
Middle GA Medical
Associates
1110 Commerce Dr.
Ste. 108, Greensboro
706.999.0243
ALLERGY &
IMMUNOLOGY
St. Mary’s Allergy
Specialists
1360 Caduceus Way,
Bldg. 200, Ste. 102
WatkinsviUe
706.389.3810
CARDIOLOGY
Oconee Heart &
Vascular Center
2470 Daniells Bridge Rd.
Bldg. 200, Ste. 251
Athens
706.389.3440
706.310.1859
Satellite offices in Lavonia
and Greensboro.
NEUROSURGERY
Georgia Neurological
Surgery and
Comprehensive Spine
2142 W. Broad St.
Bldg. 100, Ste. 200, Athens
706.548.6881
Satellite offices in Greensboro,
Lavonia and Monroe.
Satellite offices in Lavonia
and Greensboro.
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MEDICAL GROUP
stmarysmedicalgroup.com
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