Annual Leap for Literacy set
for Feb. 23 on Lake Lanier
LOCAL, 5A
Dawson County boys claim
1 st region title since 2012
SPORTS, IB
DawsonCountyNews
WEDNESDAY I FEBRUARY 13, 2019 DaWSOflNeWS ^COITI DAWSONVILLE, GEORGIA $1.00
Mixed-use development
proposed off of Ga. 400
‘Live, Work, Play’ community planned on former Southern Catholic College land
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
A private development group has
proposed a 947-acre destination
mixed-use development in Dawson
County that will feature retail, office
space and housing similar in nature to
Alpharetta’s Avalon development.
Norton real estate agents John Drew
and Gina Johnson said the project,
called Etowah Village, will go in on
land formerly owned by the Southern
Catholic College.
The acreage spans from the north
west corner of Lumpkin Campground
Road and Ga. 400 westward, crossing
the Etowah River and reaching down
to Etowah River Road.
The development group, Dawson
Village Partners, submitted a rezoning
application to the county Feb. 8 to
rezone the land for a Mixed Use
Village district.
Around 2,700 housing units are
planned for the residential portion,
from estate homes to high end apart
ments over retail space.
“We really want people to have the
experience of living in a community
where you can see the mountains but
have all the shopping and retail right
around the corner and have a worry-
free existence; you don’t have to own
See Development 14A
Kemp visits DCHS for roundtable on
mental health, Apex grant expansion
Photos by Jessica Taylor Dawson County News
Gov. Brian Kemp and his wife, Marty, listen to feedback from Dawson County Schools Board of Education Vice-
Chair Will Wade during a roundtable discussion on mental health services at Dawson County High on Feb. 11.
Governor wants $8.4 million to double reach of program
By Jessica Taylor
jtaylor@dawsonnews.com
Gov. Brian Kemp traveled to
Dawson County High School
Monday afternoon for a roundtable
discussion with school and mental
health officials about mental health
services.
The discussion centered on how
Dawson County Schools has bene
fited from the Apex grant program,
which Kemp hopes to expand in
2019.
The Apex program began as a
pilot program in 2015 with the goal
See Kemp 110A
Dawson
County High
School
seniors
Mason
Thomas and
Noah Stapp
interviewed
Gov. Brian
Kemp for
the morning
TigerTV epi
sode.
Planet Fitness
planned for
former Kroger
building
By Allie Dean
adean@dawsonnews.com
The shopping center that formerly
housed the local Kroger for nearly two
decades will soon see a new occupant as
Planet Fitness has filed a permit to move
into the empty building.
The gym will be on the left side of the
anchor space, the same spot that housed
the pharmacy.
Planet Fitness will utilize 16,800 square
feet of the building, leaving 54,000 square
feet of retail space still available to other
businesses.
Brice Scholz, marketing manager for
Planet Fitness, confirmed the news on
Monday.
“We are excited to be joining the
Dawson County community,"’ Scholz said.
“Additional information about construc
tion, opening and joining the gym will be
coming soon."’
A joint statement from the Dawson
County Chamber of Commerce,
Development Authority of Dawson County,
Michael Walker of Brand Real Estate
Services and the owners of the shopping
See Fitness 19A
Jessica Taylor Dawson County News
Planet Fitness will be moving into the
far left side of the old Kroger building at
the intersection of Ga. 400 and Hwy. 53.
NGHS plans
Lumpkin branch
to open in July
By Megan Reed
DCN Regional Staff
The Northeast Georgia Health System
will open an emergency department at the
former Chestatee Regional Hospital in
Dahlonega in July and will later open a
new hospital in Lumpkin County, the
health system announced Feb. 6.
The new hospital will be called
Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Lumpkin, and emergency services will be
provided 24 hours a day, seven days a
week by the same physicians at the health
system’s other hospitals in Gainesville,
Braselton and Barrow County.
Chestatee Regional closed in July 2018,
leaving a health care void in Lumpkin that
See NGHS 112A
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9 0 9 9
Inside
Volume 4, Number 21
© 2019, Dawson County News
Dawsonville, Georgia
Church Events
3B
Classifieds
9B
Dear Abby
8B
Deaths
2A
Legals
10B
Opinion
11A
Sports
1B
6A Fasching
parade makes
it way through
Helen
8A Northside
Hospital,
Gwinnett
Health System
to merge
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