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Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy
Wednesday, March 15, 2023
Vol. 16 No. 14 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 2 sections, 16 pages
JCHS notches soccer wins
See photos of Jackson County High School's soccer victories on
Friday over Shiloh in Region 8-AAAAAA play
PAGE 3B, 6B
Paddy’s Day photos
See scenes from the Paddy's Day PathFest parade on
March 11 along the Braselton LifePath
PAGE1B-2B
I'ailily% Day party
Teresa Edwards strikes a pose before the start of the Paddy’s Day PathFest parade March 11
along the Braselton LifePath.
Braselton
Braselton fills DDA slots
following postponements
Panthers perfect in
region play after beating
Gainesville
PAGE 5B
INDEX
News
1-3A
Opinion
4A
Public safety
5A
Social/ School
6A
State roundup
7A
Features
1B-2B
Sports 3B, 5B-6B
Obituaries
4B
Classifieds
7B
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
After much deliberation, Braselton
has its two new downtown develop
ment authority (DDA) members.
The town council, albeit narrowly,
approved the appointment of Susan
Wyatt and Esteban de Leon to the
open seats with a 3-2 vote on Monday
(March 13) following postponement of
a decision the past two months.
Councilmembers Becky Richard
son, Jim Joedecke and Richard Harp
er voted in favor of the appointments.
Mayor Kurt Ward and council member
James Murphy voted in opposition.
Prior to the decision. Ward motioned
to table the vote again for more discus
sion, with Joedecke continuing to lead
those talks. But Joedecke declined,
saying he’d “moved on from this.”
“I’m not going to serve as liaison to
the development authority,” he said. “I
think we all need to be having those
discussions.”
Ward’s motion died for lack of a sec
ond.
Richardson then motioned to ap
point Wyatt and de Leon to the DDA.
The DDA submitted Wyatt and de
Leon as its nominations in January,
but the council tabled its vote to allow
for discussion with each nominee. In
February. Ward added his name to the
list of candidates for the DDA, but the
See Appointments, page 8A
Hoschton
Mims resigns from
Hoschton City Council
Scott Mims has announced
his resignation from the
Hoschton City Council.
The first-term councilmem-
ber, who took office in January
2022, notified City Manager
Jennifer Kidd-Harrison of his
decision on Wednesday, noting
family and professional rea
sons.
’My work and family life
are both at their peak, and these
things take precedence over
my city council duties,” Mims
wrote in an email. “I wish
Hoschton the very best.”
Mims is the second
Hoschton councilmember to
resign his post since the begin
ning of February. Adam Led
better stepped down from his
Scott Mims
position on Feb. 2. Ledbetter
left to focus on medical care for
his son, who is facing a double
kidney transplant.
Mims and Ledbetter's de
partures leave the Hoschton
council with five members
(including the mayor). Mims’
unexpired term runs through
2026, while Ledbetter’s runs
through 2024.
Emergency care
NGMC asking for
community input
regarding blood
clotting drug study
Bleeding out is the most
common cause of preventable
death after injury. Researchers at
Northeast Georgia Medical Cen
ter are seeking community input
on whether they should partic
ipate in an international study,
according to a press release
from the hospital. The study will
determine if a blood-clotting
drug, given soon after arrival in
the emergency department, can
improve survival.
Kcentra (or 4-factor Pro-
Community forum
•Thursday, March 16 at 6 p.m.,
visit https://www.uab.edu/med-
icine/cis/tap-trial-at-northeast-
georgia/community-meetings
thrombin Complex Concen
trate) is a Food and Drug Ad
ministration (FDA) approved
drug and is currently used to
reverse the effects of medications
See Study, page 8A
Arts
Braselton Arts Council to
hold ‘La Peinture’ fundraiser
The Braselton Arts Coun- Tickets are $75. The fund-
cil will hold a fundraiser “La raiser will include a live paint-
Peinture” Thursday, March ing event. For more infor-
16, at 6 p.m. at the Braselton mation, email artscouncil@
Civic Center. braselton.net.
MAILING LABEL
Cycling event
Bike Ride Across Georgia stopping in Braselton
By Ben Munro
ben@mainstreetnews. com
Braselton will experience
a different kind of traffic for
three days in June.
The annual Bike Ride
Across Georgia (BRAG)
will stop in town June 6-8.
bringing thousands of cy
clists to the downtown
district. Estimates call for
between 1.200 and 1.500
riders. Braselton tourism di
rector Nikki Perry said the
town is “thrilled” to be in
cluded in the year’s event.
“We’re really excited to
host this many bike riders
and bring the sport of cycling
to Braselton,” she said.
Perry noted the econom
ic impact for downtown of
being included in the route,
with bikers camping the
nights of June 6 and June 7
in Braselton.
“This is going to be a
shot in the arm for the local
economy during the sum
mertime,” she said. “It’s al
ways busy during the spring
and fall months, but in the
summer, we tend to have a
bit of a lull. This will be a
welcomed change of pace
for us.”
Braselton is the lone two-
night stop along the near
400-mile event, which runs
from June 3-10.
“I think we just kind of
lucked out being right in the
middle of their tour,” Perry
said.
The Braselton Civic Cen
ter will serve as the indoor
camping area for the cy
clists. Braselton Park will
likely serve as the outdoor
camping location. Perry said
the town will arrange for
outdoor entertainment for
the bikers.
Other overnight stops
are Clayton. Clarkesville,
Gainesville, Madison and
Thomson. The ride will fin
ish in Augusta.
Perry said the overnight
stops along this year’s route
are themed around water and
cities near lakes — except
for Braselton.
“We just said, ‘Our lake
is wine,”’ Perry joked. “We
don’t have a body of wa
ter other than Chateau Elan
Winery.”
Perry said it’s important for
See BRAG, page 8A
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