Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current, February 09, 2022, Image 3

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Dawson County news., February 09, 2022, Image 3

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Newspaper Page TextWednesday, February 9,2022 dawsonnews.com I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I 3A BOC votes in favor of pandemic relief funds By Julia Fechter jfechter@dawsonnews.com During its second vot ing session of 2022, the Dawson County Board of Commissioners approved $120,000 for employees who test pos itive for COVID-19. The money comes from the $130,000 left of federal American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding. Employees who work 80, 84 and 96 hours will each receive leave for those same amounts of hours respectively. In March 2021, ARPA was signed into law. Then in August, the BOC approved $100,000 in emergency funds received from ARPA for employees presenting the HR Director with positive COVID-19 PCR tests to each have 80 hours of paid sick leave. By December, $33,781 remained for that pur pose. During the Jan. 20 work session, Dawson County Fire Chief and EMA Director Thompson shared that on average, $20,000 to $23,000 a month has been used from that overall $100,000. And that’s before the spike in cases due to the Omicron variant, he added. Thompson said that the pandemic has “changed the game” on people coming sick to work, with remote work becoming possible for some but not others. “We’re encouraging our employees to be truthful and say, ‘Hey, if you’re sick don't come to work,’ because we don't want to spread it,” Thompson said. “We want to try to minimize our down time because it impacts service deliv ery at every department, not just my department.” In related news, the Dawson County govern ment recently received $35,058 in federal public assistance for emergency protective measures related to COVID-19. Photo submitted to DCN The Dawson County Board of Commissioners approved $120,000 in additional monies to pro vide paid sick leave for county employees who present positive PCR COVID-19 tests. Nonprofit aims at bringing community together Photo courtesy of Alliance Together Matthew and Amanda Meyers. By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnnews.com Local man Matthew Meyers started “Alliance Together”, a nonprofit organization aimed at bringing community members together, in 2019, and since then he and his wife Amanda have been working hard to fulfill their mission in the community. According to a release by Alliance Together, the vision for the nonprofit first started when Matthew’s first child, Matthew Jr., had his first seizure at the age of five. After several days of up to 26 seizures a day, Matthew Jr. was diag nosed with epilepsy. “Matt and his family had a tremendous number of questions with no answers,” the release said. “There were countless hours and sleepless nights trying to find the correct medicine and dosing combinations just to relieve Matthew Jr. of the endless attacks.” After a lot of research that yielded very few answers, the release said Matthew Jr. was able to undergo surgery which was deemed a success. Even after the surgery, his condition still demanded a lot of attention and he still needed a lot of help regu lating different medica tions and dosage. During the entire ordeal, Meyers and his family found themselves in need of resources and a support system to get them through it all. “As young parents, Matt and his then wife found themselves alone with lit tle resources,” the release said. “They often felt dis connected with their peers which had children with no disabilities. They longed for a support sys tem with parents and chil dren who were going through the same battles in which they were fight ing. This was the start of the pull in Matt to not only stay strong for his son but to find ways to give back to the communi ty.” From his own experi ences with his son, Meyers started Alliance Together, a nonprofit which is focused on bring ing the community togeth er and addressing the needs within, whether it’s hunger, loneliness, illness or anything else. The organization contributes to national, regional and local causes through its relationship with Alliance Property Services. “Alliance Together can not solve everyone’s needs, but together a com munity can,” the release said. “Alliance Together wants to be the link for providing information and pointing those in need in the right direction for the resource and support for whatever need is there.” Alliance Together works toward this mission by getting to know the com- munity, becoming involved, holding fund raising events and helping others with their events, the release said. “There are so many fan tastic people within our community who are will ing to help those in need who may have little or no support to help,” the release said. “Alliance Together’s vision is com munity awareness and bringing the community together.” The Alliance Together corporate office is in Dawsonville, and there are also offices in Princeton, Boston and Chicago. For more information about Alliance Together, includ ing upcoming events and how you can help support the nonprofit’s mission in the community, go to https ://alliancetogether.org/. State Senate committee approves permit-less gun bill by Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service Legislation that would let Georgians carry firearms without a permit cleared a state Senate committee Tuesday 6-3 on a party-line vote. Majority Republicans on the Senate Judiciary Committee supported the bill as striking a blow for protection of Georgians’ Second Amendment right to bear arms. Democrats opposed it, arguing that loosening the state’s already lax gun laws would increase violent crime. So-called “constitutional carry” bills introduced in the Republican-controlled General Assembly going back to the middle of the last decade have failed to gain traction. But with Democrats making head way in the last couple of election cycles, Gov. Brian Kemp and GOP legislative leaders are backing a per mit-less gun bill in this election year as part of a conservative agenda aimed at Republican base voters. Adding a government- imposed barrier to the free possession of firearms only punishes law-abiding citi zens without affecting those who break the law, Sen. Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas, the bill’s chief sponsor, told committee members Tuesday. “The requirement to have a permit does not deter the criminal. They’re going to carry one anyway,” he said. “This bill puts law-abiding gun owners on an even playing field with crimi nals.” But Sen. Elena Parent, D-Atlanta, said more guns in the hands of more people does not equate to less gun violence. “Guns intensify violent encounters, upping the stakes and worsening the outcomes,” she said. Twenty-one states have adopted constitutional carry laws, said Bethany Young of the National Association for Gun Rights. Tennessee and Texas passed the law last year, and Florida and Alabama are considering it, she said. Fallon McClure, organiz ing and elections director at the Working Families Party, cited polls showing most Georgians oppose constitu tional carry. “Georgians want invest ments in their community that promote public safety,” she said. The bill now heads to the Senate Rules Committee to schedule a floor vote. This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service. Oakmont Sewer Improvements ETOWAH WATER & SEWER AUTHORITY Dawsonville, Georgia Etowah Water & Sewer Authority is requesting individual sealed Bids for furnishing all materials, labor, tools, equipment and appurtenances, and performing all work required to construct the Oakmont Sewer Improvements project. The project includes sanitary sewer system improvements at one location within Dawson County and consists of the work as detailed on the construction drawings and generally as follows: Demolition of an existing lift station andwet well and installation of approximately 3,000 L.F. of 12-inch gravity sanitary sewer, 15 precast manholes, including all necessary and required appurtenances and erosion and sedimentation control for a complete project. The work will be awarded in one Contract. Pre-qualification of Bidders is required for the Oakmont Sewer Improvements project. Beginning Wednesday, January 26, 2022, a copy of the application and qualification requirements can be obtained from the Etowah Water & Sewer Authority Engineering & Construction Department located at 1162 Highway 53 East, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534 or via email to Tim Collinsattimc@ etowahwater.org. Completed pre-qualification applications for Bids will be received at the Etowah Water & Sewer Authority Engineering & Construction Department, 1162 Highway 53 /it*72. / East, Dawsonville, Georgia 30534 until 5:00 p.m., ( M local time, Friday, March 11,2022. 'AVater & Sewer Authority “Excellence in every drop ” GIBBS GARDENS Ball Ground, GA30107 Part-Time Seasonal Employment Apply Now For Our 2022 Season Ticketing - Cashiers & Greeters Gift Store Sales Traffic Control Positions require availability mid to late February/early March through November on weekdays, weekends and some holidays. Learn more about Gibbs Gardens at gibbsgardens.com Request an application: email -- info@gibbsgardens.com Gibbs Gardens is an Equal Opportunity Employer and Drug Free Workplace M/F/V/D.