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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
Vol. 14 No. 4 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 8 pages
NGHS COVID cases below 300, still high State t0 expand
Northeast Georgia Health Sys
tem saw a slight downtown in its
number of COVID-19 patients
over the week, but the number is
still high.
As of Jan. 4, the hospital sys
tem was treating 293 COVID pa
tients with 82 of those at North
east Georgia Medical Center
Braselton. The week prior (Dec.
28), there were 312 COVID pa
tients with 67 at NGMC Bra
selton.
Hospital bed capacity con
tinues to be stretched, with 721
beds occupied across the system
and 23 available. At NGMC Bra
selton, there are 170 occupied
beds with five available. In the
intensive care unit at NGMC
Braselton, there are 24 occupied
beds with none available.
Meanwhile, the hospital sys
tem continues to deploy the
COVID vaccine, with 3,160 em
ployees vaccinated as of Jan. 4.
According to the Georgia De
partment of Public Health, the
hospital system has been allocat
ed 6,825 doses of the Pfizer vac
cination and 6,500 doses of the
Moderna vaccine.
STATE AND
BRASELTON AREA
All four Braselton area coun
ties are higher than the state av
erage in new cases over the past
two weeks (per 100,000 resi
dents). Jackson County remains
the hardest hit in the four-county
area, followed by Hall and Bar-
row counties.
Details include:
•State: 591.106 cases; 9.900
confirmed deaths; 1,071 prob
able deaths; 78,792 new cases
in the last two weeks (727 per
100,000 residents)
•Barrow: 5.113 cases; 66 con
firmed deaths; one probable
death; 881 new cases in the last
two weeks (1,020 per 100,000
residents)
•Gwinnett: 53.884 cases; 565
confirmed deaths; 39 probable
deaths; 7,957 new cases in the
last two weeks (819 per 100,000
residents)
See COVID, page 2A
raceme group
State leaders recently an
nounced plans to add another
group of people to the current
group of individuals eligible to
receive the COVID-19 vaccina
tion.
Adults 65 and older, law en
forcement officers, firefight
ers and first responders are
See Vaccine, page 2A
See online
for runoff
election results
The much-watched runoff election
for Georgia’s two U.S. Senate seats
was headed for the finish line on
Tuesday, Jan. 5, with the final day of
voting.
Since the election results fell be
yond the newspaper’s deadline, re
sults will be posted to our website at
BraseltonNewsToday.com.
There were three races on the
ballot: Incumbent Republican Sen.
David Perdue faces Democrat Jon
Ossoff: incumbent GOP Sen. Kel
ly Loeffler faces Democrat Raphael
Wamock; and incumbent Republi
can PSC member Lauren “Bubba”
McDonald faces Democrat Daniel
Blackman.
McDonald is a native of Jackson
County where he served on the board
of commissioners and as a long-time
state representative.
Braselton seeks input
on sidewalk project
in downtown area
The Town of Braselton is seeking
residents’ input on a sidewalk project
in the downtown area.
Residents on Pinecrest Ln., Davis
St. and the Key’s Crossing neighbor
hood can provide input on the proj
ect — which includes the addition of
sidewalks, lighting and drainage im
provements.
Review the plan and submit input
by visiting https://www.braselton.
net/departments/capital_projects/cu
rrent proposed_projects.php.
The plans can also be viewed at
the town’s Welcome Center in the
Braselton Brothers Department Store
(Suite 8).
Paper copies of the survey are
See Sidewalks, page 2A
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FIRST BABY OF NEW YEAR
Koltyn Lee Roberts was the first baby born in 2021 at Northeast Georgia Medical
Center Braselton. Born on Jan. 1 at 2:54 a.m., Koltyn weighed 7 pounds, 14 ounces
and was 21.26-inches long. Koltyn’s parents are Alyssa Selkirk and Trent Roberts.
He joined a big sister, Olivia, who is 12 months old. The first baby born at NGMC
Gainesville and NGMC Braselton receives a gift package provided by The North
east Georgia Health System Auxiliary, The Window Shops and Safe Kids Northeast
Georgia.
Jackson County
schools move to
hybrid attendance
for January
The Jackson County School
System has expanded its return to
class this week with a hybrid sys
tem of alternating in-person class
es with remote learning for all of
its schools.
The system had earlier an
nounced it would go to the hybrid
model for its middle and high
school students, but expanded that
last week to include all its elemen
tary schools as well.
The system is also set to en
force a mask mandate for all stu
dents and staff wear masks inside
school facilities.
“This is our best option to keep
our students and staff in school
while minimizing the potential
impact of holiday travel,” said su
perintendent April Howard.
See JCSS, page 2A
Hall schools to
begin second
semester with
blended learning
Students in the Hall County
School District will participate in
blended learning as the number of
COVID cases remains high in the
area.
The district returns for the second
semester on Tuesday, Jan. 5. Stu
dents will learn from home through
the first week of the second semester.
“By Thursday. Jan. 7. we will
have additional information and
will make a better determination
as to what to do through the MLK
See HCSD, page 2A
MAILING LABEL
Lights coming to Gum Springs Park
Hoschton
announces
2021 meeting
schedule
The City of Hoschton
recently released its 2021
meeting calendar.
The town’s planning com
mission will meet on the
fourth Monday of the month
at 7 p.m. The Hoschton City
Council will meet on the
third Monday of the month
at 5:30 p.m. Dates include:
•Hoschton City Council
(at 5:30 p.m.) — Jan. 18,
Feb. 15, March 15, April 19,
May 17, June 21. July 19,
Aug. 16, Sept. 20. Oct. 18,
Nov. 15, Dec. 20 and Jan.
See Hoschton, page 2A
Gum Springs recreation
park continues to devel
op as the Jackson County
Board of Commissioners
approved a contract on Jan.
4, to add lighting for the
playing fields.
The BOC approved a
$583,000 lighting contract
with Musco Sports Light
ing. Funds for the lighting,
and for the overall devel
opment of the park, comes
from the county’s SPLOST
6 funds approved in 2017.
OTHER BUSINESS
In other action, the BOC
approved:
• a resolution to apply for
a Community Development
Block Grant for funds to
help expand the county’s
senior citizens center. Plans
for the center’s expansion
were announced last year.
• a $350,000 contract with
Tusa Consulting Services to
oversee the implementation
of the county’s new radio
system. The county recent
ly approved a multi-million
dollar deal to upgrade the
county’s communications
systems for public and
emergency services.
• leasing a county build
ing at 102 Cloverleaf Cir
cle to be used by Reboot
Jackson, a local non-profit
organization for those with
substance abuse and mental
health challenges. The facil
ity was formerly the coun
ty’s 4-H office and is near
the county courthouse and
mental health facilities.
• a list of roads to be re
surfaced and apply for state
LMIG funding. The coun
ty anticipates getting over
$819,000 in state funding
and using $245,000 in lo
cal funding for the projects.
The longest sections on the
project list are for Lebanon
Church Rd. at 4.5 miles
and Old State Rd. at 3.9
miles. Other roads include:
Wheeler Rd., Boone Rd..
Bear Creek Lane, Bren
nan Dr., Walnut Ridge Dr.,
Wood Crest Dr., and Olde
Wick Trail.
• amending the county’s
dangerous dog ordinance
to put the oversight of dan
gerous dog issues under the
county’s magistrate court.
The county dangerous dog
committee has been defunct
for several years, officials
said.
• an ordinance to regulate
the use of vehicle immobi
lization devices (car boots)
in the county. Some private
See BOC, page 2A
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