Newspaper Page Text
Wednesday, July 10,2019
dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A
How Georgia is growing in population, political influence
A More Diverse Nation
Distribution of Race and Hispanic Origin by Age Groups
Population in millions
2010 2018
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By Megan Reed
DCN Regional Staff
As Georgia’s population grows
— it’s now the eighth most popu
lous state — it might be the
Peach State’s time to shine as the
2020 election approaches.
According to U.S. Census
population estimates for 2018,
which were released in June,
Georgia’s population is now
about 10.5 million, an 8.6%
increase from 2010. And Hall
County, which is now estimated
to have about 202,000 people,
grew by 12.5% in that time.
That puts Georgia right behind
Ohio, Illinois and
Pennsylvania in popula
tion — three states that
are often seen as ones to
watch in presidential
elections.
Charles Bullock, pro
fessor of political science
at the University of
Georgia, said Georgia’s
changing electorate and
growing population could put the
state in the spotlight next year.
“For the past 20 years, we’ve
been perceived as being a solid
ly Republican state, so while
candidates would come and
campaign in our presidential pri
mary in the spring, after that we
never really saw them on the
campaign trail,” Bullock said.
“They might fly in to Atlanta,
take a motorcade down to a
hotel, have a fundraiser and then
leave. I think come 2020, we
might actually see them going to
places like Gainesville.”
Bullock noted the narrowness
of President Donald Trump’s
and Gov. Brian Kemp’s victo
ries in Georgia — Trump got
51.3% of the vote in Georgia in
2016, while Kemp got 50.2%
of the vote in 2018.
Theresa Webb, chair of the
Hall County Republican
Party, said that while
Republicans cannot get
complacent, she thinks
Georgia will stay red in
2020.
“We have a lot of
strong Republicans, and
we have a lot that in the
last election did not
vote,” she said. “I think
our key is to get those people
out to vote, and we just have to
continue to work on them, edu
cate them and push them to get
out and vote.”
Webb said there are a lot of
reasons people may never make
it to the polls, but local
Republicans are working to
make sure that people get there.
“One is personality: ‘I didn’t
like that person, so I’m not
going to vote for them.’ Others
are, ‘I was too busy, I forgot that
I had eight weeks to vote, and
it’s Election Day and I’m going
to be out of town,”’ she said.
“You just hear a lot of different
reasons why they didn’t vote,
and a lot of it is just apathy. ‘My
vote won’t make a difference.’”
Bullock also said Republicans
will have to put some work in
next year.
“There’s the potential on the
Democratic side to get a few
more Democratic voters to turn
out and they might win the
state for their nominee,”
Bullock said. “On the other
hand, Republicans, I think now
are aware that the comfortable
margin they enjoyed in the state
for many years has largely
evaporated. They’re going to
have to work harder to keep the
state in their column.”
And in their preparations for
2020, Republicans and
Democrats in Hall County are
actually finding some common
ground. Arturo Adame, presi
dent of the Young Democrats of
Hall County, said local
Democrats are also working on
voter registration and educa
tion. And while the field of
Democrats in the election may
be crowded, Adame said voters
see some promising candidates.
“I think they’re coming with
the right stuff to engage young
voters and to keep people
who’ve been voting Democrat to
stay voting Democrat,” he said.
Bullock
North Georgia Premium Outlets offer premium parking — for a price
By Joshua Demarest
jdemarest@dawsonnews.com
The North Georgia
Premium Outlets offered
a premium parking fea
ture over the July 4th
weekend — pay $5 and
you get easy access to the
best parking spaces in the
lot.
According to a state
ment given by the man
agement team, “North
Georgia Premium Outlets
now offers Parking Made
Easy as an added amenity
for visitors who prefer a
quick and easy way to
start their shopping expe
rience. The program
includes a limited number
of preferred, up-front
parking spaces for a nom
inal fee during high-traf
fic weekends and holi
days. Ample, free parking
remains available for
guests at the center dur
ing these weekends and
throughout the year.”
The program, which
began on the property in
2017, will be in effect
during the following
dates:
Labor Day: August 31 -
September 2, 2019
Columbus Day:
October 12-14, 2019
Black Friday:
November 29 - December
1.2019
Holiday Season:
December 7-8, 2019
December 14-15, 2019
December 20-22, 24 &
26.2019
Joshua Demarest Dawson County News
The North Georgia Premium Outlets at 800 Highway 400 South in Dawsonville offer paid parking
options during peak shopping weekends.
Police ID woman’s remains found in suitcase on 1-985
By Nick Watson
DCN Regional Staff
Washed away by the elements, the ink on
a suitcase tag containing a woman’s remains
were unreadable to Gwinnett County Police
for years. But an investigator using a special
camera last month cracked the case.
Nearly three years later, police identified
the woman’s remains as Jessica Ashley
Manchini, 29. Manchini’s remains were
found in a suitcase July 29, 2016, along the
side of Interstate 985 north of Buford Drive.
A Georgia Department of Transportation
worker discovered the skull and bones,
when he walked “into the woods to relieve
himself,” police said in a report.
Police discovered faded blue ink on a suit
case tag, but several lighting tests at the time
were unable to pick up information.
The crime scene investigator said last
week he used a UV/IR camera “in combina
tion with a variety of alternate light sources,
which captures invisible wavelengths.”
UV and IR stand for ultraviolet and infra
red, which are wavelengths shorter and lon
ger than what is visible to the naked eye.
“This process was able to capture the rem
nants of the ink, even though it had been
washed away from outdoor elements,”
according to the crime scene investigator.
That led them to Manchini, a missing
woman originally from Pennsylvania who
spent her last few years in Gwinnett County.
Manchini was reported missing in
December 2014 by her mother.
The investigator used Google, yellow
pages and law enforcement databases until
they discovered Manchini as a likely match.
The investigator “compiled the research
and turned it into the supervisor, where he
confirmed she had back surgeries, mirroring
the (medical examiner’s) findings.”
Cpl. Michele Pihera said June 28 that den
tal records were also used to confirm
Manchini as the victim.
Manchini’s family created a Gofundme
campaign to pay for funeral and service
costs, which they hope to perform before her
birthday on July 30.
“Jessica was our teacher, she was our play
date, she was more than our sister. She was a
little bit of everything,” according to the fun
draiser. “Jessica is with us every day, more
than in spirit. She has touched our lives in
such a way that our entire family will contin
ue to live vicariously through her for the rest
of our days.”
As of 2 p.m. July 9, the fundraiser had
raised $ 3,836 out of a stated $5,000 goal.
NATURES HEALTH STORE
Celebrate Our
28th Anniversary!
Store Wide Sale
Entire Month of July!
Mon-Thur 10-6,
Fri 10-5, Sat 11-3
We will be closed July 4 th , 5 th , & 6 th
54 Lumpkin Campground Rd S, Ste 130
Dawsonville, GA • 706-216-1035
Melodie Cunningham
