About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 16, 2019)
Law officers gather to mourn fallen K9 officer ^DawsonCountyNews WEDNESDAY I JANUARY 16, 2019 DaWSOflNeWS >COnri DAWSONVULE, GEORGIA $1.00 New city elections rules coming Clarifications among proposed voting changes to Dawsonville charter By Allie Dean adean@dawsonnews.com Citizens qualifying for the Dawsonville city council elec tion this year will have a differ ent experience than past candi dates, as they will be vying for specific district posts depend ing on where they live. The previous city council voted in December 2017 to amend the city’s charter to con tain four district posts, much like the Dawson County Board of Commissioners. In prior elections, council members ran for any open seat. Beginning in this year’s election, citizens can only run to be on the council if the seat in the district where they reside is up for re-election. This year, the seats held by council members Caleb Phillips and Jason Power are up for re- election, meaning candidates must live in either post 1 or post 3, respectively, to run. Likewise in 2021, post 2, cur rently occupied by Stephen Tolson, will be up for election, as well as post 4, currently occupied by Mark French. The mayor seat is also up for re-election this year, but the mayor can reside in any of the four district posts. All are elected at-large, meaning eligible city residents can vote for any of the candi dates regardless of where they live. The district posts will go to the general assembly this ses sion to be ratified as local legis lation, and though Mayor Mike Eason has said the local legisla tion is not required for the posts See Elections 16A Brian Kemp takes oath as Georgia’s 83rd governor Governor-Elect: ‘I’m going to be working hard for you’ Austin Steele DCN Regional Staff Governor-Elect Brian Kemps speaks to a crowd during a Georgians First pre-ina- guration celebration on Jan. 11 at the Gainesville Civic Center. By Megan Reed DCN Regional Staff Republican Brian Kemp was sworn in at a university stadium Monday as Georgia’s 83rd governor. Kemp visited the Gainesville Civic Center on Jan. 11, three days before his inauguration, and thanked his supporters as well as outgoing Gov. Nathan Deal and first lady Sandra Deal. Kemp was joined by his family and state legislators on the eighth of nine cele bration events statewide. The tour was a way for him and his administration to connect with Georgians, both supporters and people who may have voted for another candidate, Kemp told media. “It’s been an opportunity for us to see a lot of hard working Georgians like this, tell them thank you, tell them thank you for supporting the transition. ... It’s also a way to let people know that we’re not going to forget them. I’ll be a governor who is going to represent this whole state,” Kemp said. “My whole mes sage at most every stop has been, even people who didn’t vote for me, as governor, I’m going to be working hard for you.” Savannah Emerich, the second vice chair of the Lumpkin GOP, attended Friday to show support for Kemp. She said she hopes his administration upholds conservative values, such as opposing gambling and abortion. “I think Brian Kemp pro vides a conservative view as far as where Georgia might go in the future, and I think he holds true to a lot of values our president has, and I think that’s something to admire,” Emerich said. State Sen. Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, introduced the Deals at the event, thanking them for their eight years of service. “You’ve planted trees under which you will never enjoy the shade. ... You have changed tens of mil- lions of Georgians’ lives and the trajecto ry of their lives, and we are so very, very grateful,” Miller said. Deal said he saw some familiar faces when he looked out at the crowd in Gainesville. “Some of you were intro duced to me and Sandra during the 2010 governor’s race,” he said. “Many others of you from this area of the state have been with us for a very, very long time, going all the way back to my days in the state Senate in 1980.” Deal also praised Kemp’s character in the face of a difficult campaign cycle. “He stood steadfast, he carried through with the things he said he was going to do in the campaign, and I think we can be assured he’s going to do that when he is sworn in to the office,” Deal said. Kemp is 56 and a native of Athens. He and his wife Marty have three daughters. Deal Judge Bearden reflects on first year on Superior Court bench By Nick Watson DCN Regional Staff One day after being sworn in last year, Superior Court Judge Clint Bearden already was taking pleas and handling arraignments in Dawson County. Bearden was no stranger to this forum, but it comes with a whole new vista at the top of the bench. “Once you get into the routine of doing the work that you need to do that day, everything just fell into place,” he said. See Bearden |6A Austin Steele Dawson County News Judge Clint Bearden has been on the Superior Court for Hall and Dawson counties for one year. Board of commissioners delays comprehensive plan update for county By Allie Dean adean@dawsonnews.com The Dawson County Board of Commissioners conducted a public hearing Jan. 10 on the proposed comprehensive plan, which must be updated every five years in order for the county to retain its Certified Local Government Status. That status is administered by the Georgia Department of Community Affairs and makes the county eligible for state grants and programs. The plan is a road map for elected officials to use when planning for the future, and the county began the process of updating the See Board 13A THE MOST POWERFUL CANCER FIGHTING NETWORK IN GEORGIA Inside Volume 4, Number 17 © 2018, Dawson County News Dawsonville, Georgia Church Events 3B Classifieds 7B Dear Abby 6B Legals 8B Opinion 7A Sports 1B TV 5B 3A City of Dawsonville waiving annexation, rezoning fees for unincorporated parcels 5A Former Lanier Tech president mourned at service Taking on cancer requires an elite clinical team. That's why Northside Hospital Cancer Institute has the most board-certified medical oncologists in Georgia. We diagnose and treat more new cancer cases than any other hospital in the state—providing care at 48 cancer centers. Backed by expertise and experience, we're built to beat cancer. Learn more at builttobeatcancer.com m NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL CANCER INSTITUTE ‘■BUILT to BEAT CANCER
