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o O 20 Pages, 2 Sections A Publication of MainStreet Newspapers, Inc. Winder, Barrow County, Georgia $1.00 Copy Wednesday, March IS, 2023 Submitted photo The house explosion on Hidden Acres Road early Saturday morning was caused by multiple propane tanks inside the home killed three and injured four. The incident was officially listed as an acccident, according to BCES. UPDATE: House explosion in Barrow County kills three, Insurance and Safe ty Fire Commissioner John F. King released an announcement Tuesday regarding the house ex plosion on Hidden Acres Road over the weekend that killed three occupants trapped inside and injured two more. Just after midnight Sat urday, March 11, neigh bors reported an explo sion to the Barrow County 911 center. “As firefighters arrived quickly, multiple explo sions were going off in side the home,” said Bar- row County Emergency Services Chief Alan Shu man, who added that the home was fully engulfed in fire and was collapsing. Several vehicles were also involved, said Schuman. Also, upon arrival at the scene, first respond ers found four occupants in the side yard of the residence. Firefighters worked with medical per sonnel from Northeast Georgia Medical Center in treating the injured sur vivors. Two suffered se vere burns and were trans ported to Grady Hospital for treatment and one was taken by helicopter to an area hospital. Additional firefighters See Fire, page 2A MAILING LABEL BASA art students beautify Wimberly Center Submitted photos The community is encouraged to attend an art show March 18 at the Wimberly Center from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. to view new art intallments created by Katherine Bransen’s drawing and painting students at Barrow Arts and Sciences Academy. Bransen’s students built their displays over the course of several months and include an eight-foot welded sunflower for the community garden, murals designed for the Boys and Girls Club, Wimberly Roots and other nonprofits who call the Wimberly Center home (pictured above) and much more. The displays were created with a simple goal in mind: Uplift and inspire others. Pictured (from left): Nazifa Cultarevic, Dr. Garey “B.J.” Huff, Jr., Dr. Audrey Huff and Dr. Garey “Butch” Huff, Sr. The Doctors Huff: Winder’s favorite family doctors celebrate 75 years, ready to 75 more By Morgan Ervin morgan@barrownewsj ournal. com For the last 75 years, visiting the fam ily doctor for many in Barrow County more than likely meant visiting Dr. Gar ey (Butch) Huff, Sr., his son, Dr. Garey (BJ) Huff, Jr., Dr. Huff, Jr.’s, wife, Dr. Audrey Huff and if you’re old enough, Dr. Edwin Etheridge - three genera tions of family physicians who operate with the motto: “Our family caring for your family.” “We focus on caring for the family unit. We like to see babies all the way up to elderly folks,” said Dr. Huff, Sr. Dr. Edwin Etheridge started the fam ily practice on the second floor of the Sharpton Opera House in downtown Winder in 1947. Dr. Etheridge was born and raised in Carl, Georgia, and went to the Uni versity of Georgia. Before starting the family practice, Dr. Etheridge made house calls, as many doctors did during that time. He and his wife, Louise, who he met in college and who also graduat- See Huff, page 3A Credit: Huff/Etheridge Family photo Dr. Edwin Etheridge and his wife, Lou ise, passed the medical practice down to their son-in-law Dr. Garey Huff, Sr. BOC approves speed zone camera at Innovation Campus An additional Au tomatic Traffic En forcement Safety De vice (ATESD) will be installed at the Bar- row Arts and Sciences Academy school zone on Austin Road school zone as part of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s update to the Barrow Coun ty Speed Zone Ordi nance, which the Bar- row County Board of Commissioners (BOC) unanimously approved Feb. 28. The GDOT update also moved the West Winder Bypass from the on-system section to the off-system section due to it not being a state route. All off-system routes will not be veri fied by the GDOT. According to county staff, both the school system and the Sher iff’s Department have requested an ATESD at this location, and is an ticipated to be the last school zone that will be equipped with cameras. The school zone will span 0.47 miles begin ning 1,003 feet south of State Route 53 and ending 950 feet north of See BOC, page 2A BCSS increases teacher salaries, hiring event set March 18 The Barrow County School System is hosting a second teacher job fair on Saturday, March 18 from 9-11 a.m. at Wind er Barrow High School. Complete details are on the BCSS website: https://www.barrow.kl2. ga.us/departments/plan- ning-personnel/job-fair BCSS currently has several open positions that need to be filled, in cluding 65 teaching posi tions, four administrator positions, eight certified specialists and a number of jobs in other areas. What’s more, the Bar- row County Board of Education recently ap proved a significant pay increase for teachers and staff in order to be more competitive with surrounding school dis tricts. The $2,000 salary increase is pending state approval as part of the budget process current ly underway. If passed, the proposed raise would take effect Sept. 1, 2023. Winder receives multiple awards at Southeast Festivals & Events Association Conference The City of Winder re ceived five awards at the Southeast Festivals & Events Association confer ence. including Best Event under $75,000 and Best Poster for its Spooktular event. Each year, hundreds of cities and festivals across the southeast gather for the Southeast Festival and Events Association confer ence. The conference provides continuing education for city event/festival planners. The conference ends with the Kaleidoscope Awards where these organizations are recognized for their out standing festivals from the previous year. The City of Winder walked away with five awards, including the cov eted Best Festival Award for Spooktacular. Spooktacular's ‘Streets of Treats’ won third place for Best Event within an Event and the city’s Noon Year’s Eve event won second place for Best Children’s Event. “Our 2022 Spooktacular See Winder, page 2A Submitted photo Pictured (from left): Council woman Shannon Hammond, Council womman Kobi Kilgore, Councilman Travis Singley, Mayor David Maynard, Councilman Sonny Morris, director of special events Kristin Edwards, Councilwoman Stephanie Brit and Councilman Jimmy Terrell with the awards Winder received at the Southeast Festivals & Events Association Conference. 1 4 5 4 1