2A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, April 20,2022
OBITUARIES
John Lee Bethune, III
John Lee Bethune, III, 76, died
Saturday, April 9, 2022. A celebration of
Lee’s life was held at 1:00 p.m.,
Saturday, April 16, at the Ingram
Funeral Home Chapel. Ingram Funeral
Home of Cumming was in charge of the
arrangements.
Dawson County News
April 20, 2022
Marilynn Hirsch
Marilynn Hirsch, 78, of Dawsonville,
passed away Friday, April 8, 2022, at
Northeast Georgia Medical Center fol
lowing a period of declining health.
Born January 17, 1944, she had been a
resident of Dawson County for over
thirty years. Marilynn was a retired ICU
nurse who had a distinguished career
and had worked at Piedmont Hospital in
Atlanta. A founding member of Christ
The Redeemer Catholic Church in
Dawsonville, she was very devout in her
faith. Marilynn was also a member of
the Dawsonville Lions Club and had
made a number of international trips as
a representative of the Georgia Lions
Club. She had a great love for her com
munity and neighbors. Surviving are her
husband, Joe Hirsch, Dawsonville; son,
Steven James Beebe, Buford; daughter,
Krystin Alane George (Christopher),
Berkley Lake; grandchildren, Nicholas
George (Ana), Brittney Huckaby
(Jackson), William George, Zachary
Beebe, Matthew Beebe, Alyssa Beebe;
great-grandson, Walker Lee Huckaby,
Bennett Hayes Huckaby; sister,
Marguerite Jane Paul, Bonita Springs,
FL; brother, Gregory Thomas Larkins
(Patricia), Pompano Beach, FL. A
memorial mass will be held at 9:30 a.m.,
Saturday April 23, at Christ The
Redeemer Catholic Church in
Dawsonville with Fr. Brian Higgins offi
ciating. In lieu of flowers the family
requests donations be made to Christ
The Redeemer Catholic Church, www.
ctrcc.net. Condolences may be
expressed at www.beardenfuneralhome.
com. Bearden Funeral Home,
Dawsonville.
Dawson County News
April 20, 2022
Grace Wallace Pirkle
Grace Wallace Pirkle, 91, of
Dawsonville, died Friday, April 15,
2022. A graveside service was held at
4:30 p.m., April 19, at Bethel United
Methodist Church Cemetery. Bearden
Funeral Home of Dawsonville was in
charge of the arrangements.
Dawson County News
April 20, 2022
Vickie Darlene Smith
Vickie Darlene Smith, 66, of
Dawsonville, passed away Sunday, April
10, 2022, at her residence surrounded by
her loving family following a coura
geous battle with cancer. Born January
GOLD DOME UPDATE
Where we stand after Sine Die
By Sen. Steve Gooch
(R — Dahlonega)
The Second Session of the 156th
Georgia General Assembly has officially
adjourned Sine Die. After a few relent
less weeks of votes, the gavel has fallen
for the final time this year and signaled
the conclusion of our legislative busi
ness for another year. This year proved
to be a productive one, with both cham
bers of the legislature granting final
approval to a combined total of nearly
200 bills and resolutions, many of them
with overwhelming bipartisan support.
This year, we took on the issues most
important to you. We fought for our
schools and students by increasing
parental involvement in the classroom
and eliminating mask mandates. We
supported our public safety officials by
increasing penalties for the incitement
or participation in riots, while strength
ening the ability of citizens to protest
peacefully. We built on Georgia’s legacy
as the best state in the nation to do busi
ness, incentivizing apprenticeship pro
grams and supporting the college to
career pipeline. We spoke out against
censorship by bringing big tech compa
nies to heel and prohibited them from
silencing opinions on social media plat
forms. We brought much needed reform
to Georgia’s mental health landscape by
passing landmark legislation to bring
parity in how these cases are treated.
This is just a small sampling of what we
have accomplished this year, but repre
sent significant accomplishments that
reflect the desires of Georgians.
This year, the General Assembly also
passed a monumental bill to further
lower the state income tax. Under HB
1437, the maximum income tax rate
would gradually reduce on an annual
basis from the current 5.75%, starting
with a flat rate of 5.49% in 2024 and
dropping all the way down to 4.99% by
2029. In order to meet our target goal of
4.99%, several triggers must be met,
including maintaining a revenue estimate
greater than 3% of the previous year’s
estimate, as well as ensuring that the state
maintains a healthy Revenue Shortfall
Reserve Fund. Additionally, the standard
deduction for single filers would increase
to $12,000 and the personal exemption
would be removed. As a state that has a
demonstrated track record of fiscal con
servatism, this is one of several ways the
General Assembly has worked to put
money back where it belongs - in the
pockets of the taxpayer.
Another historic victory for the
General Assembly this year was the pas
sage of Constitutional Carry legislation.
Essentially, this legislation would allow
any individual who is lawfully allowed to
carry a firearm in Georgia to do so with
out the requirement to first obtain a per
mit. The Constitution is very clear that
any lawful individual should be allowed
to carry out and exercise their Second
Amendment rights without any addition
al regulations or requirements from the
government. This bill would in no way
allow unlawful carriers greater access to
firearms or grant any individual the abili
ty to carry a firearm in areas that are not
currently allowed under law. Rather, it
simply removes the permitting and fee
process in order to carry a firearm. I am
proud that the General Assembly passed
this
measure and am excited that Gov.
Brian Kemp moved quickly to sign this
bill into law on Tuesday, April 12.
Over the past week, I carried a number
of bills, many of which support our eco
nomic development capabilities and
ensure our infrastructure remains up to
date for new technological advance
ments. House Bill 1044 would allow for
the creation of regional development
authorities, to be made up of three to five
counties whose local governments
approve through a joint resolution
between participating governments.
These regional development authorities
have the potential to bring economic
development opportunities by offering tax
credits for each quality job for taxpayers
who maintain qualified investment proper
ty. Additionally, I carried House Bill 1009,
which would allow Georgia to take its first
steps in allowing the use of automated
delivery devices. Specifically, the bill
would outline the weight and speed limits
of these devices and grant local govern
ments the ability to regulate the geograph
ic boundaries in which they may operate.
On Monday, April 4th, Governor Brian
Kemp officially signed House Bill 1013,
the Mental Health Parity Act, into law.
This bill was a priority of the General
Assembly this year and emphasizes the
importance of mental health care in our
state and places mental health and physi
cal health on equal footing in how these
cases are treated. Essentially, HB 1013
would require that insurance companies
who offer mental health coverage cover it
in the same fashion as physical health, as
well as enact reporting measures to
ensure the law is being followed. Many
Georgians learned over the course of the
pandemic just how critical quality mental
health services are and this bill brings
Georgia one step closer to closing the
gap on how mental health care is treated
in our state.
From the final day of the session, Gov.
Kemp has 40 days to sign or veto legisla
tion (or allow it to be-come law without
his signature). It is my hope that Gov.
Kemp signs these and many other urgent
ly needed pieces of legislation as we lead
up to his deadline. While the legislative
session may be over, it does not mean
that our work as legislators is finished.
We are here to serve you year-round and
remain available to address and questions
or concerns you may have. If there’s any
thing my office can do for you, please do
not hesitate to reach out.
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
29, 1956, Vickie had been a resident of
Dawson County for the past seven
years. A devoted military wife, she had
previously lived all over the United
States. Her selflessness, strength and
grace were an example and inspiration
to many. Vickie loved people, crochet
ing, flowers and partying with her girls.
She was a member of Dawson County
Crochet Friends and enjoyed taking
trips with her husband and family. She
was preceded in death by her father,
Leonard Joseph Franklin; stepfather,
Thomas Robert McDaniel; mother-in-
law and father-in-law, William Anthony
“Doc” Smith and Ruthie Mae Smith;
aunts, Yvonne Avis Steen, Lillian “Inez”
Clark, Frances Lynn Biggs; grandson,
John Wayne Corcoran; sister-in-law;
Connie Elizabeth McDaniel. Surviving
are her husband of almost 50 years, Otis
Wayne Smith, Dawsonville; daughters
and sons in law, Bobbi Jo and Kevin
Corcoran, Dawsonville; April Elaine
and Tony Trammell, Loganville; god
daughter, Megan and Lamar
Williamson, Dawsonville; mother and
stepfather, Jerry Floyce and Harold
Davis, Gainesville; siblings, Joseph
Franklin, James McDaniel, Carolyn
Couture, Robert McDaniel, Casey
Howard; grandchildren, Victoria Wallis,
Anthony Corcoran, Kaitlyn Williamson;
Cheyenne Nelson, Wyatt Nelson,
Savannah Nelson, Abigail Trammell,
Cierra Trammell, Alura Trammell,
Anthony Trammell; three great-grand
children; and anyone who ever knew her
knew you were loved and family to her.
A funeral service was held at 1:00 p.m.,
Thursday April 14, at Bearden Funeral
Home Chapel. Rev. Russell Burt will
officiate. The family received friends
from 10:00 a.m., until the service hour
on Thursday. Interment services were
held at 2:00 p.m., Monday, April 18, at
Georgia National Cemetery. In lieu of
flowers donations may be made to The
American Cancer Society, www.cancer.
org. Condolences may be expressed at
www.beardenfuneralhome.com.
Bearden Funeral Home, Dawsonville.
Dawson County News
April 20, 2022
King Crossword
ACROSS
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abbr.
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"In my view...
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"Peter Pan"
55 Napoleon's
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pooch
title (Abbr.)
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"No problem!"
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Trio after Q
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Darkens
57 Breaks down
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Bridge sup
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Skip
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ports
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"Delicious"
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Short snoozes
crop
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Super Bowl
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Three, in Rome
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stats
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Hold sway
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Unruly kid
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Zsa Zsa's sis
squares
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Montreal
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Justice Ruth
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Nitwit
— Ginsburg
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Author
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Missing
5 Small sofas
Dinesen
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Pouch
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Tarzan's com
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Shrill barks
7 Early
muter line?
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Toy (with)
Mongolian
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LAX guesses
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Prattle
8 Bridge tactic
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Med. plan
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Make lace
9 Aced a test
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Beer, slangily
10 "My treat"
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© 2022 King Features Synd., Inc.
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^ Daws o n C o u nty N e ws
A Metro Market Media Publication
Established in 2015 by the merger of Dawson Community News and Dawson News and Advertiser
30 Shoal Creek Road i PUBLISHER | Stephanie Woody
Dawsonville, GA 30534
PHONE (706) 265-3384 EDITOR | Erica Jones
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