Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current, April 10, 2019, Image 1
Rock Creek Park to host annual Pups in the Park LOCAL, 5A WEDNESDAY I April 10,2019 Dawson News ► com dawsonville, GEORGIA $1.00 Black's Mill Bridge to move forward Structure closed in July 2017 after unsafe designation by Georgia Department of Transportation By Jessica Taylor jtaylor@dawsonnews.com Movement on the Black’s Mill Bridge project began last week after the board of com missioners voted to ratify a contract with the property owner to proceed with con struction of a one lane bridge on Black’s Mill Road during the voting session. Black’s Mill Bridge, a histor ic bridge in southwest Dawson County, was closed July 19, 2017 after an inspection by the Georgia Department of Transportation deemed the bridge unsafe for vehicular travel. It has remained closed ever since, with commuters who used the bridge to get onto Dawson Forest Road taking a 5.5 mile or 10 minute detour. Nearly two years later, the county reached an agreement with the property owner and began installation of the bridge on April 5. Commissioners heard from county attorney Angela Davis of the legal firm Jarrard & Davis who outlined some of the provisions of the contract that was approved by a 3-0 vote on April 4. In the agreement the property owner has agreed to entry upon his property for the installation of the bridge. The county agreed to not damage the stone walls and should they be dam aged during the construction process, the county will restore them to the same or better con dition than they were found. The property owner, who owns property on both sides of the bridge, also agreed to any value that might be paid for any encroachments that may incur will be dealt with at a later time so that it does not hold up the project. District 4 Commissioner Julie Hughes Nix seconded the motion to ratify the contract but said that not knowing how much in damages the property owner could bring before the county at a later date was a concern. “If we don’t do this it’s never See Bridge 18A Sen. Gooch, Rep. Tanner update gathering about legislative session ‘Heartbeat’ bill, new voting machines, 5G infrastructure among highlights Photos by Jessica Taylor Dawson County News Senator Steve Gooch talks to the Dawson County Republican Party about the recent legislative session at the party's April 8 meeting. Rep. Kevin Tanner key points during the recently ended legislative session. By Jessica Taylor jtaylor@dawsonnews.com The Dawson County Republican Party heard updates on the 2019 legisla tive session that concluded this month during Monday night’s meeting. Fresh from Sine Die, Sen. Steve Gooch and Rep. Kevin Tanner met with local Republicans on April 8 where they provided updates on key pieces of legislation that were passed by the General Assembly. As the first year under newly elected Gov. Brian Kemp, Gooch said the ses sion began with a slow start with legislators adapting to the new administration, but picked up traction after the Super Bowl with big legis lation being passed. Heartbeat' Bill The final passage of HB 481, known as the “heart beat” bill, passed the state legislature on March 29. The bill prohibits abor tion once a heartbeat is detected by a doctor which typically happens around six weeks into a pregnancy. It is one of the strictest anti abortion bills in the nation. Under HB 481, women in Georgia would still be legally able to receive abor tions after the heartbeat detection in situations involving rape or incest when the woman has filed a police report, if the moth er’s life is in danger or when the fetus would be unable to live after birth. “Saving hundreds of thousands of unborn chil dren was probably the best vote I’d taken in the eight years or nine years that I’d been there, so I was proud of that,” Gooch said. “I truly believe that was a vote that will go down in the his tory in Georgia, one I’m proud to be a part of.” While on the campaign trail, Gov. Kemp said he would sup port anti-abortion legislation and he has until May 12 to sign or veto the bill. The bill received 100 per cent support from senate Republicans Gooch said. “It took courage of a lot of men and women in the house and the senate to vote for that,” he said. Rep. Tanner also voted in support of the bill in the house, with only a couple Republicans voting in oppo sition. “That was a very tough issue,” Tanner said. Protestors, threats and pressure from Hollywood to abandon filming projects in Georgia were challenges legislators faced while the bill was on the table. Ultimately, Tanner said See Session 14A Russell Creek Reservoir on Etowah Water meeting agenda By Jessica Taylor jtaylor@dawsonnews.com The Etowah Water and Sewer Authority will be conducting a public meeting to discuss the Russell Creek Reservoir next Thursday. The project was greenlit for construction in July 2017 after obtaining a 404 permit issued by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, a per mit the authority has been working to gain since starting the project 13 years ago. The authority, the county’s only water pro vider, is permitted to produce 5.5 million gal lons a day from the Etowah River, but that amount will not be enough to sustain growth or see the county through a drought. The authority is building the dam and reser voir based on a growth projection which esti mates the Dawson County population at 126,000 in the year 2057. The population is around 24,000. The reservoir will be on 137 acres of land off Etowah River and Seed Tick roads and will cost about $40 million. The authority had invested $10 million in the project so far, after being issued a $10 See Reservoir 110A Deputy mourned in Forsyth County By Alexander Popp DCN Regional Staff The Forsyth County law enforcement community was in mourning Friday after a young deputy died unexpectedly Thursday while attending a training academy in north Georgia. In an emotional press conference Friday, Forsyth County Sheriff Ron Freeman announced 29-year-old Forsyth County Sheriffs Office Deputy Spencer Englett suffered a traumatic medical event See Deputy 13A Englett 0 9 0 9 9 Inside Volume 4, Number 29 © 2019, Dawson County News Dawsonville, Georgia Church Events 3B Classifieds 7B Dear Abby 6B Deaths 2A Legals 8B Opinion 9A Sports 1B All-you-can-eat pancake event to help veterans Rotary Club offers scholarships to students 48 CANCER CENTERS ACROSS GEORGIA 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 ■■BUILT BEAT CANCER NORTHSIDE HOSPITAL CANCER INSTITUTE