Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Vol. 15 No. 48 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 2 sections, 16 pages
Panther runner excels
during sophomore season
Jackson County sophomore Erin O'Brien capped a stellar sophomore cross
country season
PAGE IB
Taste of Chateau
Chateau Elan is hosting its first-ever
Taste of Chateau' ahead of its annual
Vinyard Fest
PAGE 2A
Election results
Martin
Debbie Martin has won
the Nov. 8 special election
to fill an unexpired term on
the Hoschton City Council.
Martin was the top
vote-getter in the election,
garnering 650 votes. The
second place vote-getter,
Shawn Adams, previous
ly withdrew from the race.
wins spot on Hoschton City Council
Adams came in second with
341 votes. Tammy Sweat
followed with 290 votes and
Tina Brown came in last
with 265 votes.
Martin will fill the unex
pired term of Shantwon As-
tin, who resigned from the
council after moving.
OTHER ELECTION
RESULTS
Jackson County voters
have approved the continua
tion of SPLOST. Revenues
from the one-cent sales tax
are used by municipalities
and the county to fund capi
tal projects and related debt.
There were 22,111
“yes” votes to continue the
SPLOST and 9.129 “no”
votes in the Nov. 8 General
Election.
In the race for Jackson
County Board of Commis
sioners District 4, incum
bent Republican Marty Sea-
graves defeated Democratic
challenger Madonna
Swanson Ward with 4,958
votes to Ward’s 1,054.
STATE AND
FEDERAL RACES
In the race for State Sen
ate District 47, incumbent
Republican Frank Ginn has
defeated Democrat Conolus
Scott Jr. with around 62% of
See Election, page 3A
DEBBIE MARTIN
Jackson Co.
Judge tosses lawsuit
attempting to stop Nov. 8
elections in Jackson Co.
A Superior Court judge
tossed a lawsuit that sought
to stop elections in Jackson
County unless ballots were
hand-counted. The lawsuit was
tossed Monday morning, less
than 24 hours before election
day (Nov. 8).
Donna Schaefer Moretti
of Jefferson filed a suit Oct.
17 against Secretary of State
Brad Raffensperger and all the
members of the Jackson Coun
ty Board of Elections claiming
that the state’s voting machines
didn’t work correctly and that
voters had never approved
using the voting machines or
paying for them.
But visiting judge Harvey
See Lawsuit, page 3A
South Hall
Hall Co. planners
recommend approval
of rare ‘down zoning’
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
The Hall County Planning
Commission recommended
approval of a rare “down zon
ing” request to change a com
mercial tract in South Hall to
agricultural.
The planning board granted
its recommendation with a 5-0
vote Monday (Nov. 7). The
item will go before the Hall
County Board of Commission
ers on Dec. 8.
See Planners, page 3A
INDEX
Opinion... 4A
Public safety ... 6A
Social ... 7A
Sports... 1B-2B
Obituaries ... 4B-5B
Classifieds... 7B
Northeast Georgia Physicians
Group is now offering concierge
care PAGE 5A
MAILING LABEL
Signs of the holidays
Photo by Ben Munro
The Hoschton Heritage Arts Council hosted its two-day Christmas market over the weekend (Nov.
5-6) at the Hoschton depot.
Hoschton
Hoschton DDA seeking
potential buyers for
Larry’s Garage property
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
The Hoschton Down
town Development Author
ity (DDA) is seeking poten
tial buyers for property the
city owns on Hwy. 53 and
West Broad St. — the site
of long-time local business
Larry’s Garage.
City leaders have ex
pressed interest in renovat
ing the building for retail
and restaurant space but
will put the property out for
The City of Hoschton acquired this piece of
property at the intersection of Hwy. 53 and
Broad St. for $900,000 in May.
bid to seek buyers who have nifer Kidd-Harrison. The
the same vision, according
to Interim City Manger Jen- See Property, page 3A
Hoschton
holding
community
meeting over
depot Thurs.
Hoschton citizens concerned
with future use of city's historic
depot can voice those concerns at
a Thursday, Nov. 10 (5 p.m.) com
munity meeting.
City officials will present po
tential plans for the space and
take feedback from citizens in an
approximate one-hour meeting at
city hall, located at 79 City Square.
The depot has been used as
a community space, but the city
council recently approved an inter
governmental agreement with the
city's downtown development au
thority to both lease out and man
age the historic depot to generate
additional revenue for the city.
o
Hoschton
1890s gravestones returning to Hoschton
cemetery after nearly two decades
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
Two 1890s-era head
stones will return to their
respective gravesites in
the old section of the
Hoschton cemetery after
being displaced for ap
proximately 20 years.
The granite mark
ers belong to a pair of
Hoschton infants — Will
Smith and Russell Smith
— who died in the 1890s
less than two years apart.
Russell passed away on
Jan. 18. 1898 while Will
died on Nov. 4.1899.
The headstones had
sat at the city’s water
treatment facility for an
estimated 15-20 years
before lifelong Hoschton
resident Shannon Sell,
See Headstones, page 3A
These grave
markers of
Hoschton
infants from
the 1880s
have been
missing from
the Hoschton
cemetery for
approximately
20 years.
Submitted photo
o
