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20 Pages, 2 Sections, Plus Preprints A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, September 22, 2021
COVID-19
County
death toll
up to 167;
new case
totals dip
As of Tuesday, Sept. 21,
the Georgia Department
Public Health had con
firmed 167 deaths from
COVID-19 among Barrow
County residents since the
start of the coronavirus pan
demic, with several more
confirmed over the past
week.
It’s not clear exactly when
each of the deaths occurred,
as some of the higher
number of newly-reported
deaths may be the result of
a lag in reporting from the
state, though the latest one
listed by the DPH occurred
Sept. 9. In addition to the
167 confirmed deaths, five
“probable” COVID-related
deaths in Barrow are listed
in the state’s numbers.
The state also confirmed
63 new COVID cases in the
county Tuesday with a sev
en-day rolling average of
49.9 new cases. That con
tinued a recent drop from
the high point of the most
recent surge of the virus
— 128 new cases reported
Sept. 3 — and a seven-day
average of 73.6 on Sept.
9. In all, there have been
12,157 cases confirmed
among county residents, in
cluding 780 in the last two
weeks with a rate of 903 per
100,000.
COVID-related hospital
izations at Northeast Geor
gia Health System facilities
have also dipped in recent
days. The system was treat
ing 253 confirmed-positive
patients across its facilities
as of Tuesday morning,
including 17 at Northeast
Georgia Medical Center
Barrow in Winder and 60
at NGMC Braselton. Those
figures were down from the
recent peak of 333 patients
on Sept. 9. NGMC Barrow
was up to 22 patients Sept.
17.
See COVID,
page 2A
Index:
Public safety
5A
School/social
6-8A
Classifieds
7B
Legals
9-11A
Obituaries
4-5B
Opinion
4
Sports
1-3, 6B
MAILING LABEL
Barrow Co. planning commission backs multi
family development near future hospital site
By Scott Thompson
sthompson@barrownewsjournal.com
A planned multi-family residential project
that would be marketed largely toward employ
ees at a future Northeast Georgia Health System
medical campus south of State Route 316 re
ceived the backing of the Barrow County Plan
ning Commission last week.
During its Thursday, Sept. 16 meeting, the
panel recommended approval of a request to
change the future land-use map designation
for and rezone 31.76 acres of open land to the
southeast of the intersection of Carl-Bethlehem
Road and State Route 81 — directly behind the
Applebee’s and IHOP restaurants — in order for
Meridian Development to build a gated apart
ment community with 275 units, a pool, fitness
center and other amenities. The request now
heads to the county board of commissioners for
a scheduled public hearing and final vote at its
Oct. 12 meeting.
The development would be known as Dillard
Farms, a nod to the family that has owned the
land since the 19th century, said Michael Cow
art of Meridian Development. Construction is
planned to be completed in 2023. according to
a letter of intent for the project. If approved, the
development would eventually sit across High
way 81 from Accent Springs, another planned
residential development with a mix of more than
400 apartments and townhomes that gained ap
proval from the BOC in May and is also sched
uled for a 2023 completion.
Brian Rochester of Rochester and Associates,
a Gainesville-based land surveying, civil engi
neering and project management firm, said the
project would include a community park that
would be available for public use and also con
nect the apartment community to the medical
campus. The health system, which owns the
tract of land directly to the south, plans to build
a new hospital at the location, though there is
currently not a firm timetable for when that site
will be built out, an NGHS spokesman said,
adding that there also are any current firm plans
for whether it will be an additional hospital for
the system or a relocation of Northeast Georgia
Medical Center Barrow.
Rochester, whose firm has NGHS as a client,
said the firm and the developer have met with
health system officials about the project and
“how we can integrate those plans together”
into essentially a master plan. He said the health
system believes the apartments could help with
recruiting employees, allowing them to walk
to and from work and nearby restaurants and
stores.
“This will round out the live, work, play com
munity (concept) very well,” Rochester said.
Cowart’s company has worked on similar
projects in the past with multi-family housing
near hospitals and medical facilities and said the
See Planning, page 2A
Photo courtesy of Barrow County School System
Officials broke ground Sept. 16 on the future elementary school at the Bar-
row County School System’s innovation campus on Austin Road in Winder. The
school is scheduled to open in August 2023.
Officials break ground on new
Barrow elementary school
By Morgan Ervin
For the Barrow News-Journal
A groundbreaking ceremony was hosted
by the Barrow County School System on
Sept. 16, marking the start of construction
for the district’s 10th pre-K through fifth-
grade elementary school.
Scheduled to open in August 2023, the
new school, which has the working title
“Barrow Innovation Campus Elementary
School,” is intended to alleviate the crowd
ed student populations on the county’s
south side, including Bethlehem, Kennedy,
Yargo and Auburn elementary schools.
“We just registered over 1,200 students
this year. It was a huge increase for us —
almost an entire middle or high school.”
said superintendent Chris McMichael.
Although the district doesn’t show a
need for another elementary school right
now, “there is no timeline,” McMichael
said.
“We’ve got crowded schools with
Kennedy and Yargo being the main
two really pushing capacity right now,
so we decided we really don’t need to
wait on this,” he said.
The rezoning process for the new
school will begin in August 2022.
The 11,150 square-foot, single-story
building will feature 50 classrooms, an
art room with an outdoor patio, a caf
eteria with a stage and full-size kitch
en, two separate playfields, two STEM
labs, a multidisciplinary computer lab,
a full-sized basketball court and “state-
of-the-art” energy management, fire
alarm and computer network systems.
Additionally, a secure vestibule
at the main entry will be installed as
well as card reader access to selected
doors. Local tax dollars and ESPLOST
proceeds will fund the project, except
See School, page 2A
Photo by Ben Munro
ANSLEY-CURETON IS 2021 WBHS HOMECOMING QUEEN
Winder-Barrow High School senior Destiny Ansley-Cureton was crowned the
school’s 2021 homecoming queen at halftime of the Bulldoggs’ homecoming game
against Cedar Shoals on Friday, Sept. 17. Ansley-Cureton is pictured with fellow
senior Jareth Dominguez, who was announced as homecoming king during a com
munity pep rally at W. Clair Harris Stadium on Sept. 16 that followed the annual
homecoming parade. For coverage of the game, see this week’s sports section. For
more football and homecoming photos, go to barrownewsjoumal.com and click on
the “Sports” tab.
Auburn council tables
rezoning request
for large townhome
development
By Morgan Ervin
For the Barrow News-Journal
The Auburn City Council tabled discussion
Thursday, Sept. 16, on a rezoning request by a
developer seeking to build almost 400 townho
mes south of Atlanta Highway and the down
town area.
Corridor Development is seeking to rezone
57.5 acres at 100 Lyle Rd. to allow for up to 399
units, multiple pocket parks, an amenity area,
trails and 11.5 acres of open space. The coun
cil’s decision to table the request for further dis
cussion at its work session scheduled for Oct. 21
came a day after the city’s planning commission
also tabled it without a recommendation.
The development, which would be accessed
from Lyle Road/Main Street, would include
a variety of sizes for the units and a mix of
front- and rear-entry garages, according to the
applicant’s letter of intent. Sidewalks would be
included along the interior streets, and there
would be other pedestrian paths to provide di
rect access to the amenity area.
The amenity area would include a swimming
pool, cabana, pickleball courts, enclosed dog
park and playground, according to the letter.
Each unit would be an average of 1,750 square
feet and listed for sale in the high $200,000s,
according to the letter.
COUNCIL APPROVES
PROCLAMATIONS
Also at its Sept. 16 meeting, the council pro
claimed Sept. 17 as POW/MIA Recognition Day
in honor of U.S. servicemen and women who
were or are missing from action or prisoners of
war.
“It’s important to pay tribute to the service
members who have not returned home from the
battlefield and make it clear that we stand be
side their families and honor those held captive
as prisoners of war,” said Auburn police chief
Chris Hodge. “We will not cease our efforts to
seek answers about the fate of those still missing
in action until our humans return safely to our
shores or a full accounting is provided to their
loved ones.”
The council also is proclaiming Oct. 24-30
Red Ribbon Week, during which communities
nationwide are encouraged to wear red ribbons
to show their support for a drug- free commu
nity.
“There is hope in winning the war on drugs
and that hope lies in education and drug demand
reduction, coupled with the hard work and de
termination of organizations such as the city of
Auburn to foster a healthy drug-free lifestyle,”
said Hodge. “Citizen support is one of the most
effective tools in the efforts to reduce the use of
illicit drugs from our communities.”
OTHER BUSINESS
In other business during its meeting last week,
the council:
•heard a recommendation to keep the city’s
Barrow County millage rate at 4.931 mills,
where it has been since 2008.
•heard a recommendation to accept a trailer
donation from Pastor Kevin Carter on behalf of
the Union Grove Baptist Church. The police de
partment plans to use the trailer for storage and
to conduct training and public safety courses,
Hodge said.
