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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, January 4, 2023
Vol. 16 No. 4 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Fighting through adversity
Jackson County basketball player Ana Holman has persevered
through a series of unfortunate events
PAGE 7A
Milestone birthday
A Brasetlton-area woman, Martha
Wood, celebrated her 100th birthday
on Friday
PAGE 3A
Special election
Gov. Kemp signs
order to fill Danny
Rampey’s seat in Jan.
31 Special Election
Governor Bri
an Kemp signed
an executive order
Dec. 31 to have
Georgia House of
Representatives
member-elect Dan
ny Rampey’s Dis
trict 119 seat filled
following his arrest
Dec. 16 by the Bar-
row County Sheriff’s
Office.
Rampey was charged with
possession of a controlled sub
stance, burglary
and exploitation
and intimida
tion of disabled
adults, elderly
persons and res
idents following
an investigation at
Magnolia Estates
of Winder, an as
sisted living facility
he manages, where
he was shown burglarizing an
unoccupied residential unit.
See Election, page 2A
RAMPEY
Jackson County polling
precinct moved for
House 119 special election
A special election will be rest on burglary charges in
held Jan. 31 to fill the House Barrow County.
District 119 seat following Jackson County residents
the resignation of Represen- in State House District 119
tative-Elect Danny Rampey. who plan to cast their vote on
Rampey resigned from the
post following his recent ar- See Precinct, page 8A
Hoschton City Council meetings moved to city hall
The Hoschton City Council has
moved its Jan. 12 (5:30 p.m.) work
session and Jan. 16 (5:30 p.m.) reg
ular voting meeting from the city de
pot to city hall. City Hall is located at
79 City Square.
The council relocated the meet
ings because the city recently leased
out the Hoschton depot to a local
ownership group planning to open a
cocktail lounge.
The city council will continue to
meet at city hall until Hoschton's new
city hall building is complete. Interim
City Manager Jennifer Kidd-Harrison
recently said the facility should be
finished by April with staff moving in
likely during the summer.
INDEX
News
1-3A
Opinion
4A
Public safety
5A
Social/School
6A
Sports
7A
State round-up
8A
Classifieds
9A
Obituaries 10A-11A
Elachee Nature Sci
ence Center announc
es January schedule
of events
PAGE 6A
MAILING LABEL
Hospitals
NGHS again requiring
masks for staff, volunteers
Due to the recent rise in
COVID-19, flu and RSV
cases, Northeast Georgia
Health System (NGHS)
will require all employees,
medical staff members and
volunteers to wear masks at
all NGHS facilities in areas
where they may encounter
patients or visitors.
Additionally, masks will
be recommended and en
couraged for patients and
visitors — but not required.
Visitation guidelines are not
changing at this time.
“Safety is our top priori
ty,” said Deepak Aggarwal,
MD. chief of NGHS’ Med
ical Staff. “While none of
Photo courtesy of NGHS
Northeast Georgia Health System as reinstated a mark re
quirement for all staff and volunteers.
us are likely excited to wear of our employees, patients,
masks each day, this change visitors and community. It’s
in guidelines is being made also in line with guidelines
to help protect the health provided by other large
health systems across the
state.”
Across all NGHS hos
pitals, urgent care centers
and physician offices, the
positivity rate of all COVID
tests is around 26%, flu
test positivity rates are ap
proaching 9% and RSV
test positivity rates are ap
proaching 2%. The CDC
lists Hall County’s COVID
Community Transmission
as “high” - which means
the virus is starting to spread
faster. Currently, NGHS
is treating more than 80
people in its hospitals who
See Masks, page 8A
Photo courtesy of Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Braseiton
Haisley Robin Garcia is pictured with her mother, Danelle Garcia, at
Northeast Georgia Medical Center-Braseiton on Jan. 1. Haisley was the
first baby born at the hospital and in Hall County in 2023.
New Year’s
Day arrival
Braselton woman gives birth to first baby of 2023 at NGMC-Braselton
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
Danelle Garcia’s hus
band had tickets for Geor
gia and Ohio State’s play
off game on New Year’s
Eve, But Garcia informed
him of a slight change of
plans as he left work.
“I’m like, ‘Nope, we’re
going to the hospital,”’ she
said.
She was going into labor
— with the area’s first baby
of 2023.
Garcia gave birth to a
daughter, Haisley Rob
in Garcia, on Jan. 1 at
3:03 a.m. at Northeast
Georgia Medical Cen
ter-Braseiton. over two
weeks before her due date.
Haisley (7 pounds, eight
ounces and 20 inches long)
was the first baby of the
year bom at the hospital
and in Hall County.
“It was really unexpect
ed,” Garcia said. “Our due
day was not until the 16th.”
Garcia — a new Bra
selton resident who lives
minutes away from the
hospital — said Haisley"s
distinction “was really ex
citing.”
“They made it really
special and a big deal,” she
said, adding that the family
received a large gift basket
and gift card. “... It meant
a lot. It was a really good
experience.”
Haisley joins a 4-year-
old brother, Hendrix. Gar
cia has already observed
one personality trait in her
daughter.
“She’s daddy’s girl, so
far,” she said.
Garcia labored active
ly for approximately five
See Baby, page 8A
South Hall
Two
suspects
arrested in
$22 million
drug seizure
Two men remain in
the Hall County Jail
following their arrests
on drug trafficking
charges on Friday,
Dec. 30.
Candido Rangel
Garcia, 45, and Ad
olfo Solorio Garcia,
31, were both arrested
when authorities with
the Hall County Sher
iff’s Office (HCSO)
Patrol Division con
ducted a traffic stop
on Mountain View
Road in Oakwood
shortly after 10 p.m.
Friday, according to a
press release from the
HCSO.
With assistance
from drug investi
gators with the Hall
County Sheriff’s Of
fice Special Investiga
tions Unit (SIU), ap
proximately 305 kilos
of liquid methamphet-
amine were seized.
The illegal drugs
were being transport
ed in multiple gas
can-like containers.
The estimated street
value of the meth is
$22 million.
Both suspects have
been charged with
trafficking metham-
phetamine.
Both suspects are
being held without
bond.
The Hall County
Sheriff’s Office does
not anticipate further
arrests in this case,
according to the press
release.
