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o o Serving Braselton, Hoschton, Chateau Elan, Traditions, Reunion, Deaton Creek and West Jackson $1.00 copy Wednesday, April 12, 2023 Vol. 16 No. 18 A publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. www.BraseltonNewsTODAY.com 12 pages Braselton council approves design for Hwy. 124 church The Braselton Town Council approved the architectural design for a new North Metro Baptist Church campus PAGE 3A Tough foe for Panthers The Jackson County girls' soccer team faces the No. 8-ranked team in Class AAAAAA in the opening round of the state tournament PAGE 7A South Hall North Carolina man arrested in Braselton area for methamphetamine trafficking A Gastonia, North Car olina man was arrested on drug trafficking charges Wednesday, April 5, after authorities discovered a large quantity of metham phetamine in his posses sion during a traffic stop in the Braselton area, accord ing to a press release from the Hall County Sheriffs Office (HCSO). The man, identified as John Ray Campbell, 50, is being held at the Hall County Jail with no bond. Just before 4 p.m.. near the intersection of Old Winder Hwy. and Friend ship Rd. in Braselton, HCSO deputies conducted a traffic stop on a pickup truck displaying a tag be longing to a different vehi cle with no insurance. Deputies observed open beer containers in plain view in the vehicle, lead ing them to suspect Camp bell might be driving under the influence. The Georgia State Patrol (GSP) arrived at the scene to assist with the investigation and con ducted the field sobriety test on Campbell, resulting in a DUI charge. During a search of Campbell’s vehicle, a dep uty discovered a backpack in the bed of the truck and found more than 1,000 grams of meth inside the backpack. The estimated street value of the illegal narcotics is $77,000. Braselton Jackson Co. Schools Gillespie approved as new JCHS principal Melissa Gillespie has been named principal of Jackson County High School. Gilles pie will begin her new role within the school this sum mer. She currently serves as an assistant principal at JCHS. The Jackson County Board of Education approved the move at its April 10 meeting. Gillespie will replace Jason Wester, who was promoted to Assistant Superintendent of Student Services. Melissa Gillespie “Our school system is thrilled to announce Mrs. Melissa Gillespie as our newest principal. The job of a high school principal is one that takes dedication and ownership and Mrs. Gillespie proved throughout the inter view process that she is the perfect fit for Jackson County High School.” JCSS Super intendent Dr. Philip Brown said. “I look forward to working with Mrs. Gillespie during her transition to principal and supporting her as she leads a growing, robust high school on our west side.” Gillespie has been with Jackson County High School since 2018, serving as a teacher for one year before moving into the role of assis tant principal. She served as an assistant principal at John T. Hoggard High School in North Carolina from 2016 — 2018, before relocating to Jackson County. “Steve Jobs once said, ‘Your work is going to fill a See Gillespie, page 3A New supermarket Photo by Ben Munro Aldi held a groundbreaking ceremony Monday (April 10) for its first Braselton store site. Includ ed in the groundbreaking photo are Braselton Town Councilmen James Murphy (pictured far left) and Jim Joedecke (second from left). Hwy. 53 roundabout gets DOT funding The Georgia Depart ment of Transportation has awarded $3.8 million to build a roundabout at the intersection of Hwy. 53 at New Cut Rd. and Ed- naville Rd. in Braselton. Wilson Construction Management LLC of Nor- cross was awarded the bid. The project was part of 22 projects awarded by GDOT in February and March. INSIDE News ... 1-3A Opinion ... 4A Public safety... 5A Social 6A Sports... 7A, 10A Big inning pushes Pan- Obituaries... 8A-9A thers past Gainesville Classifieds ... 11A PAGE10A MAILING LABEL Aldi breaks ground on first Braselton store By Ben Munro ben@mainstreetnews.com Aldi has broken ground on a Braselton store loca tion on Spout Springs Rd. expected to open toward the end of the year. The supermarket chain held a ceremonial ground breaking Monday morning at the site at 7505 Spout Springs Rd. at the intersec tion of Thompson Mill Rd. in the Duncan Comers com munity. This store will be the first Aldi location in Bra selton, third in Hall County and 77th in the state. The 12,000-square-foot brick store will generate 15-20 jobs, according to the com pany. Speakers at the ground breaking included Braselton Town Councilman Jim Joe decke, in whose district the Aldi will be constructed. “On behalf of the may or and town council ... we are just super excited that Aldi is coming to be part of our community here in Bra selton,” Joedecke said. Shown is a rendering of the future Braselton store site, which will be located at 7505 Spout Springs Rd. at the intersection of Thompson Mill Rd. Jackson Co. Schools BOE approves facilities plan The Jackson County Board of Education formally approved its 5-year facilities plan on April 10, a move that includes plans for a new high school on the west side and a replacement elementary school to be built in North Jackson. The state-mandated facilities plan document gives school systems a broad guide for plan ning needed buildings and ren ovations. The Jackson County document includes a number of items the BOE has discussed in recent years as it wrestles with a huge amount of population growth on the west side of the county and the beginnings of growth on the east side as well. In addition to the planned two new schools, the 5-year plan also calls for additions at the existing Jackson County High School; renovations and addi tions at East Jackson Middle School and East Jackson High School; and upgrades to school security at all its facilities. The system projects it will have 10,870 students in 2027. Currently, the Jackson Coun ty School System is completing work on a new west side mid dle school that is slated to open next fall and has begun work on a new west side elementary school. Funding for the proposed new facilities and renovations will be one issue the system faces as it begins its planning. Construction costs have soared in recent years and the cost of See BOE, page 3A The Braselton Library is closed through April 15 for renovations. Braselton Braselton Library closed through April 15 The Braselton Library will remain closed through April 15 for renovations, and the fa cility’s drop box will also be unavailable. “We apologize for any inconvenience,” library officials wrote in a Facebook post. “All due dates will be pushed to (April) 17th. Thank you for your patience as we continue our growing process.” The renovation of the main library building comes as a two-story wing is being added to the facility. The library was recently closed for an un expected two-month hiatus as the building sustained water damage in late December. It reopened in early March. ‘0 4 8 7 9 1 4 5 4 0