Newspaper Page Text
Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, January 18, 2023
Vol. 16 No. 6 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages
Swimming scholarship
Standout JCHS swimmer Desi Quiles recently signed her letter of
intent with Emmanuel
PAGE10A
: WJMS fundraiser
: WJMS held its Nickels for NICUforthe
• ninth year
PAGE 6A
Braselton
DOT nearing
start of Hwy. 211
widening project
The Georgia Department
of Transportation (DOT)
will soon begin clearing for a
long-awaited widening proj
ect of Hwy. 211 in Braselton.
The DOT told Town of Bra
selton officials last Wednes
day ( Jan. 11) that work will
start within two weeks.
“I am very excited to see
dirt move,” Braselton Town
Manager Jennifer Scott said.
This project will wid
en Hwy. 211 from the 1-85
northbound ramp terminals
to just north of Pinot Noir Dr.
North of Tour de France
Dr., the project will provide a
four-lane urban section with a
20-foot-wide raised median
and 10-foot-wide side path
on the east side of Hwy. 211.
The project will also add
multi-lane roundabouts on
Hwy. 211 at its intersection
with the 1-85 southbound
ramp and at Tour de France
Dr./Braselton Parkway Ex
tension.
Additionally, the project
will construct the first phase
of the Braselton Parkway
Extension. This first phase
will run about halfway to the
Mulberry River. This project
will eventually connect Hwy.
211 to the existing Braselton
Parkway at Jesse Cronic
Road.
Town leaders want
See Widening, page 7A
Braselton DDA
Developer wants
to build 250-plus
residential units near
downtown Braselton
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
An Alabama development
company has pitched plans for
a large residential project near
downtown Braselton.
LIV Development, out of
Birmingham, wants to build a
252 to 260-unit development
on 32.4 acres fronting Davis
St. on the south and Lewis
Braselton Blvd. on the north.
The land is bordered by the
Keys Crossing subdivision
on the east and residences on
Pinecrest Lane to the west.
See Development, page 7A
INDEX
News
1-3A
Opinion
4A
Public safety
5A
Social/School
6A
State round-up
7A
Classifieds
11A
Obituaries
8A-9A
Sports
10A
Jackson Co. wrestling
teams compete at
sectionals
PAGE10A
MAILING LABEL
O
Community spotlight: Braselton K9
Photo by Ben Munro
“Hulk,” and one-and-a-half-year-old Belgian Malinois, has joined the Braselton Police Department as
its first police dog since 2007. Hulk is pictured with his handler, officer Holden Helcher.
Law-Man^ best friend
Braselton PD welcomes ‘Hulk,’ the agency’s first police dog since 2007
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews.com
he rookie
on Bra-
selton’s
police
force has
had quite a busy first month.
He’s helped make six drug
busts, find a missing autistic
juvenile in Barrow County
and locate a suspect who
attempted to steal items from
a self-storage facility.
His starting pay?
A new chew toy.
Meet Hulk, the depart
ment’s K9, the first for the
agency since 2007.
“He’s just a big ol" puppy
that loves to work and loves
people,” said Hulk’s handler,
officer Holden Helcher.
“It’s go, go, go, go, go. He’s
probably the best dog I could
have ever asked for, and as
far as a fitting dog for getting
back into the K9 program
— this agency as well as this
community — Hulk is the
perfect fit.”
Hulk, a year-and-a-half-
old, 65-pound Belgian
Malinois, joined the force on
Dec. 12. He’s a nationally
certified narcotics detection
canine trained to sniff out
methamphetamine, cocaine
and heroin. Hulk also spe
cializes in article detection
and tracking (He is not a bite
dog).
“I just think it’s a great
tool for the police depart
ment in my opinion,” long
time Braselton Police Chief
Terry Esco said.
Braselton police previous
ly called in Barrow, Hall or
Gwinnett county agencies
when needing K9 services.
Now, Hulk is just moments
away.
“I don’t even know if
there’s words to describe it,
how big of a vital resource
having him already on duty,
on scene is,” Helcher said.
See Hulk, page 3A
Photo by Ben Munro
Jennifer Kidd-Harrison was sworn-in Monday night as Hoschton’s
city manager. Kidd-Harrison had served as interim city manager
since September.
City government
Kidd-Harrison sworn in
as Hoschton city manager
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
The “interim” tag has
been removed from Jennifer
Kidd-Harrison's job title.
Mayor Lauren O’Leary
swore in Kidd-Harrison as
Hoschton’s city manager
at Monday’s (Jan. 16) city
council meeting. Kidd-Harri-
son had served as interim city
manager since Sept. 1.
"I am so grateful to have
been promoted to city manag
er for the City of Hoschton,"
Kidd-Harrison said. "It will
be my honor and privilege to
serve in this capacity. I look
forward to working with
Mayor O’Leary, city council,
staff and our great citizens to
make Hoschton a wonderful
place to work, live and play.”
Kidd-Harrison, aBraselton
native, has been employed
by tire City of Hoschton for
a decade, first serving as an
event coordinator before
See Hoschton, page 3A
South Hall
Sosebee
appointed to
Hall County
planning board
Frank Sosebee will join the
Hall County planning board
in District 1 following the
resignation of Trey Bell.
District 1 covers the South
Hall area. Bell resigned from
the Hall County Planning
Commission, effective Jan. 4.
The Hall County Board
of Commissioners (BOC)
approved the appointment,
made by District 1 represen
tative Kathy Cooper, at its
Jan. 12 meeting.
Sosebee will fill the re
mainder of Bell’s unexpired
term, which runs until Jan.
31, and serve the new two-
year term, which starts on
Feb. 1 and runs until Jan. 31,
2025.
The Hall County Planning
Commission is an adviso
ry board to the Hall County
BOC.
o
