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8A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, March 4,2020
What Dawson County Schools
are doing to prepare for virus
By Jessica Taylor
jtaylor@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County Schools released a
statement to students and parents
Friday afternoon about the ways in
which the school system is preparing
itself for the potential of a Coronavirus
outbreak.
Though there are no confirmed cases
in Dawson County at this time, offi
cials with Dawson County Schools say
they are working with local and state
health to prepare for a possible out
break of the virus.
“Our Safe Schools Coordinator has
already been involved in local meetings
with our local Dawson County Fire and
Emergency Services Department and
state-level meetings to prepare for any
needed actions,” Hershel Bennett,
Assistant Superintendent of Human
Resources and Operations said in the
release. “We have also been in commu
nication with the Department of Public
Health and the State Board of
Education.”
Based on information released by the
U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s
(CDC) concerning the Coronavirus,
Dawson County School officials say
they plan to keep students safe by pro
viding healthy school environments.
According to the release, the school
system has purchased and utilized a
Victory Handheld Electrostatic Spray
System which uses a disinfectant spray,
combined with an electromagnetic
charge to prevent the spread of germs
and viruses in the schools and on
buses. School staff have already attend
ed training sessions on how to use the
new spray system.
School nursing staff will provide
detailed information to principals and
district staff on the number of students
they see each week, and why. Should a
confirmed case of Coronavirus occur,
the school community will be immedi
ately informed, the release says.
In the event of a school closing, the
school system will utilize online learn
ing days to provide instruction and sup
port for students.
“Dawson County Schools will take
all necessary actions to keep schools
open and operating while providing a
clean and safe environment,” Bennett
said. “While the full impact of an out
break cannot be predicted, planning for
teaching and learning to continue will
lessen the impact on our students, staff,
facilities, and mission. The health and
safety of our students and staff remains
our top priority.”
The school system also stated that
the common cold and flu viruses are
still active during these last few winter
months, recommending everyone stay
healthy through frequent hand washing,
symptom awareness and avoiding con
tamination of public spaces when ill.
Photo courtesy CDC
FROM 1A
COVID-19
respiratory problems, chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (COPD) and smokers
may be at a more serious risk to the virus,
he said.
“It’s deadly because humans have not
ever seen this virus before, so you’re being
exposed to a virus that you’ve never had a
chance to build up anti-bodies to it, or
anything similar to it,” Anderson said.
Much like the common cold or flu,
Anderson said that COVID-19 is spread
person to person through close contact,
respiratory droplets from coughs or sneez
es or from contact with infected surfaces
or objects, and therefore can be fought in a
very similar way.
Handwashing, sanitizer, caution around
public spaces and public use facilities, and
avoiding handshakes, and touching the
face or eyes, would all be effective ways
of preventing the virus’s spread, Anderson
said.
People should also stay home if they
feel sick, cover their mouth and nose
when coughing or sneezing, stay hydrated
and get vaccinated for the flu, Anderson
said.
“Do all those things that your mom told
you to do to stay healthy,” he said. “At this
stage, we should have a heightened aware
ness that the virus is out there.”
Update from the Gold Dome
After committing last
week to Appropriations
subcommittee meetings,
the Senate returned to its
usual cycle of business
convening in the Senate
Chamber and holding
meetings for our various
other committees. This
week was a productive one, with eight
bills receiving passage in the Senate and
important progress being made on the
budget and other legislative priorities.
In the Senate Regulated Industries and
Utilities Committee, we heard an update
from the Georgia Department of
Community Affairs on the progress of
Senate Bill 2. SB 2 passed during the
2019 session and was subsequently
signed into law by Gov. Brian Kemp.
The legislation enabled Georgia’s
Electric Membership Corporations
(EMCs) to provide internet services and
broadband to their customers directly, or
indirectly, through a broadband affiliate.
We have witnessed great success as
result of this, especially in the rural
parts of the state. Importantly, we
received a progress report on a mapping
project to clearly identify where
Georgia’s broadband deserts are, so we
can more efficiently allocate resources
to expand access.
In the Senate Transportation
Committee, I presented Senate Bill 371,
which would create the Georgia Freight
Railroad Program under the Georgia
Department of Transportation. One of
the key lessons we learned over the
interim, as part of the Georgia
Commission on Freight and Logistics,
was the importance of railways in trans
porting freight across the state. The
Georgia Freight Railroad Program
would finance rail enhancement proj
ects, including the acquisition or leasing
of rail track. By placing a stronger
emphasis on rail, we can reduce some of
the traffic congestion on our roadways,
while at the same time expanding our
capabilities to move goods
throughout the state. The
establishment of this pro
gram will signal Georgia’s
commitment to enhancing
economic capabilities
throughout the state.
Friday, the Senate passed
a bill in support of
Georgia’s children in foster care. Senate
Bill 335 would open the door for more
children to find a loving, stable home by
reducing some of the mandated training
requirements for prospective foster par
ents, adding certain data collection and
tracking procedures for the Clerk of the
Juvenile Court and would allow the
Georgia Division of Family and
Children Services to contract with more
child placing agencies to increase the
options a child has to find a home.
Every child deserves a supportive home
and this bill streamlines the process for
foster parents to connect with Georgia’s
children in need.
Next week’s schedule looks even bus
ier than this one, with five legislative
days on the calendar. In addition, the
Senate will likely take action on the
amended budget for the 2020 Fiscal
Year, which recently received passage
from the House. With only 24 legislative
days remaining, the time we have as leg
islators to pass and debate bills and res
olutions continues to diminish. In the
days we have left, we will do all we can
to promote policies that put the people
of Georgia first. If there’s anything I can
do for you, or if you have any questions
or concerns, please reach out to my
office.
Sen. Steve Gooch serves as Majority Whip
of the Senate Majority Caucus. He repre
sents the 51st Senate District, which
includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer, Lumpkin,
Union and White counties, and portions of
Forsyth and Pickens counties. He may be
reached at 404.656.9221 or via email at
steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov.
Steve Gooch
State Senator
Athens business owner
Andrew Clyde to run for
9th District in U.S. House
By Megan Reed
DCN Regional Staff
Andrew Clyde, owner of an Athens
firearm business, is running for Georgia’s
9th District seat in the U.S. House of
Representatives.
Clyde, a Republican, is a U.S.
Navy veteran and “is running on a
platform of limiting government
and expanding individual free
doms,” according to his campaign
announcement.
Clyde was hit by civil asset for
feiture in 2013, when the Internal
Revenue Service confiscated
about $940,000 from his gun
shop, Clyde Armory. Federal agents ulti
mately found no issues and returned
$900,000 to Clyde.
The experience inspired Clyde to go to
Washington D.C. to advocate for civil
asset forfeiture reform. Clyde had been
accused of “structuring,” or setting up
bank deposits in order to avoid reporting
to the IRS. The RESPECT Act, signed by
President Donald Trump in 2019,
changed IRS rules to only allow forfeiture
for “structuring” if the money comes
from an illegal source or is used to hide
illegal activity. Prosecutors are now
required to demonstrate probable cause
that the seized money was somehow used
illegally.
“I never intended to run for public
office, but this experience showed me
there is a very thin line between ‘We the
People’ running our government
and our government running us,”
Clyde said in a statement. “This is
the fight of our lifetime, and I
won’t back down.”
Clyde’s Navy career began when
he earned his commission as an
officer from the University of Notre
Dame. He served in the Navy for
28 years, including three combat
deployments to Kuwait and Iraq.
He earned a Defense Meritorious Service
Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, four
Navy Commendation Medals and a Navy
Achievement Medal, among other awards.
After his Navy service, he settled in
Athens and earned a master’s degree from
the University of Georgia in corporate
finance and entrepreneurship. He opened
Clyde Armory in 1991, and the business
also has a second location in Warner
Robins.
Clyde and his wife Jennifer live in
Jackson County and attend Prince Avenue
Baptist Church.
Clyde
Dawson County man charged with false
imprisonment and aggravated sodomy
By Alexander Popp
apopp@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County authorities say
that a local man was arrested in
February on charges of false
imprisonment and aggravated
sodomy, following a domestic
incident which allegedly
occurred at a residence off Hwy.
53 in west Dawson County.
Bryan Keith Martin, 44, of
Dawsonville, was arrested on
Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020 and
charged with battery family violence,
aggravated sodomy, false imprisonment
and interference with a 911 call.
According to a Dawson County
Sheriff’s Office incident report, late on
Feb. 17 deputies responded to a resi
dence on Hobert Styles Road to investi
gate reports of suicidal threats and miss
ing persons.
Warrants filed for Martin
allege that between approxi
mately 2 and 9 a.m. on Feb. 17,
the 44-year-old physically pre
vented a female victim from get
ting to her phone to call 911
during a domestic violence inci
dent, during which he allegedly
pulled the victim out of her bed,
forced a sexual act upon her, and
prevented her from fleeing the
residence.
Following an investigation at the resi
dence, Martin was taken into custody by
local deputies and taken to the Dawson
County Jail where he is being held
without bond.
Martin
K 6/ °
(The fflimts
MARCH 21, 2020
7:30 PM
The Venue at Friendship Springs
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