About Dawson County news. (Dawsonville, Georgia) 2015-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 3, 2022)
6A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com Wednesday, August 3,2022 North Georgia Premium Outlets adds new stores Photos by Julia Fechter Dawson County News The Vans store is located between LOFT Outlet and The Children's Place at North Georgia Premium Outlets. Lids is located next to the food pavilion and Reebok Outlet. By Julia Fechter jf e c hte r@d a wson n ews. com Multiple national brands have recently added new store loca tions at Dawson County’s North Georgia Premium Outlets. Apparel retailer Vans opened a store at the outlet mall in June, and sportswear retailer Lids opened at the shopping complex in March. Housewares store Zwilling J.A. Henckels will also premiere its own location at the outlet mall in the coming months. Vans sells women’s, men’s and kid’s performance footwear, activewear and accessories, according to a press release about the new stores. Its store is located between LOFT Outlet and The Children’s Place. Lids offers a vast assortment of licensed and branded headwear for NCAA, NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL teams alongside other specialty fashion categories, according to the press release. The Lids store is located next to the food pavilion and Reebok Outlet. The Zwilling J.A. Henckels store is currently under construc tion and is expected to open this fall. Its location will be between the food pavilion and Lids. Zwilling, a German-based brand, makes and sells kitchen knives, scissors, cookware and flatware. “Athletic footwear and home- wares are two categories that have always been really strong [here].. .so adding Vans and Lids to that mix definitely made sense for us,” said Area General Manager Randall Jackson. Before its decision to locate in Dawson County, Zwilling had already been sold for years at the premium outlet’s Williams- Sonoma store, Jackson added, so he and his colleagues know the brand is already popular in the market. Jackson explained that with 140-plus brands and the outlet’s proximity to southeastern retail mecca Atlanta, national brands have long found North Georgia to be an appealing market. He added that the outlet’s pre mium designation and proximity to Atlanta while also being out side of the state capitol helps draw retailers and people to the Dawson County location. While national news reports have recently come out detailing big-box retailers’ concerns about a looming recession, Jackson upheld his company’s approach during such a time, pointing out that the premium outlets offer discounts of up to 65 percent. “When people are looking for a better price point, they’re look ing to that,” he said. Jackson elaborated that other nationally-recognized brands are expected to announce new loca tions at North Georgia Premium Outlets before the end of the quarter. Simon Property Group owns over 200 mall locations through out the United States and interna tionally in Asia and Europe, including six shopping centers in Georgia. Ga. Lottery funding for education hits $25 billion By Dave Williams Capitol Beat News Service The Georgia Lottery Corp. hit a historic milestone this month, as the program’s total funding of education since its inception in 1993 reached $25 billion. There’s a lot of zeroes in there,” Gov. Brian Kemp quipped Thursday as Gretchen Corbin, the lottery organiza tion’s president and CEO, pre sented him with a giant check. Georgia voters approved cre ation of the lottery in 1992, drawn to support the referendum by the promise of an influx of funds to the new HOPE Scholarships program and Georgia pre-k. Since then, more than 2 mil lion college students have received HOPE scholarships or grants, while lottery revenue has supported more than 1.7 million pre-kindergartners, Corbin said. Kemp said some Georgia stu dents have benefited from both programs, both at the beginning and end of their academic careers. “The impact of lottery-funded HOPE scholarships and pre-k goes far beyond the classroom,” the governor said Thursday. “It makes our workforce stronger and the state more sought after by job creators. ... Georgians win every day with the lottery.” This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation. DDS offers tips to teens getting their permit By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com The Georgia Department of Driver Services (DDS) is offering several helpful tips and tricks to teens who are looking to earn their driver’s permit. To receive a driver’s permit in Georgia, teens must pass a Road Signs and Road Rules test. According to a release by the DDS, one common mistake is thinking that these tests will be easy or obvious to pass. “While the Road Signs section does not typically give applicants trouble, passing the Road Rules portion of the exam is tricker and proven by a 68.02 percent pass rate,” the release said. In order to have the best chance of passing the exam, the DDS recommends that teens take the time to study ahead of the test. “Data shows that studying for the permit test is crucial for not only obtaining a Permit, but it helps make safer drivers,” DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore said in the release. “The first step is to study the official Georgia Driver’s Manual, which can be found on the DDS website, or it can be downloaded on the free mobile app DDS 2 GO.” Teens can also take a practice test on the DDS website at https://online.dds.ga.gov/ddsgeorgiagov/practicetest/ index.aspx. According to the release, a few other helpful tips are to: Plan ahead. Make sure to bring the necessary docu ments to the learner’s permit test. A list of these docu ments can be found at https://dds.georgia.gov/how-do-i- leamers-permit. The majority of teens taking the test will need to bring an origin^ birth certificate, proof of school enrollment and residency requirements. The DDS also asks for teens to provide their full social security number, although they do not need to see the social security card. Be wary of fake websites and apps claiming to have the “Georgia DMV” test answers or study sheets. Many of these are an attempt to steal personal information or money. Reliable information and practice tests can be found on the official DDS website or mobile app for free. Plan to visit at a less crowded day and time. While teens don’t need an appointment to take the test, planning ahead can help provide a shorter wait. According to the release, Tuesday is the business day for service statewide. For a shorter wait, those taking the test are encouraged to visit in the middle of the week and during the middle of the day. Applicants under the age of 18 must bring a parent or guardian, responsible adult or authorized driver training instructor with them to sign their license/ID/permit form. The responsible adult must provide paperwork to show their relationship. For complete driver testing and issuance information, go to www.dds.georgia.gov or download the free mobile app DDS 2 GO. Sawnee EMC introduces new Solar Renewable Energy Credit program 'As Sawnee EMC grows, the ener gy needs of its members continue to evolve. Today, many businesses are interested in renewable ener gy, but few may want to own or install solar panels of their own.' Company press release ©S AW NEE An Electric Membership Corporation " We’re More Than Electricity, We’re Service.” By Erica Jones ejones@dawsonnews.com Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation recently announced that its board of directors has approved a new Solar Renewable Energy Credit (REC) program. According to a press release by the corpora tion, the new program allows participating members to achieve their renewable energy goals without having to install and maintain solar pan els themselves. “As Sawnee EMC grows, the energy needs of its members continue to evolve,” the release said. “Today, many busi nesses are interested in renewable energy, but few may want to own or install solar panels of their own.” Sawnee EMC mem bers participating in the program will receive retired renewable energy credits (RECs) from Sawnee EMC’s solar generation projects locat ed in south Georgia. “Solar RECs represent the energy generated by the many utility scale solar projects from which Sawnee buys power,” the release said. “While buying an REC is not equivalent to buy ing electricity, it does fully represent and include 100 percent of the clean energy attri butes of renewable elec tricity.” While the program was originally open to only commercial and industrial accounts, it is now open to other mem bers on a first come, first served basis. “This new program allows for flexibility within the commercial sector, where a business may have multiple loca tions or lack the infra structure to install their own solar panels,” Vice President of Member Services Blake House said in the release. “Our solar REC program can help members offset their environmental impact or meet certain renewable energy goals, depending on what their mission happens to be.” The REC program operates on a voluntary, month by month basis with no contract. Members can purchase RECs equal to either 50 or 100 percent of their monthly energy usage for an additional $0.01 per kWh. Members par ticipating in the program will continue to be billed on their normal rate schedule, and an addi tional line item will be added for the RECs that they purchase, the release said. “Meeting and exceed ing our members’ needs is a daily focus for the staff of Sawnee EMC,” President and CEO Michael Goodroe said in the release, “and with our new Solar Renewable Energy Credit Program, we can further help our mem bers achieve their energy objectives.” Sawnee EMC mem bers who are interested in learning more about the solar REC program can call 770-887-2363 or email marketing®) sawnee.com. Dawson County Humane Society a no kill shelter 706-265-9160 Doggy Spotlight Meet Paisley! Hello there big world! My name is Paisley and I am a gorgeous red and white Spaniel Mix. All my legs are white and red speckled and I have mesmerizing chocolate brown eyes that will melt your heart! I weigh about 30 pounds and am estimated to be 1.5 years old. I would need an adopter that could give me that patience, time, and love that I need to transform into the brave, independent girl that I know I can be! I am quite frightened of kids, men, and loud noises (I need a home with women only). I would benefit from a dog friend to play with and teach me how to be a dog. I am house-trained too. I will chase cats. I am currently available for adoption. If you are interested in meeting with me, please fill out an application or call the Humane Society of Forsyth County at 770-887-6480, Tuesday through Saturday, for more information. All my love and kisses, Paisley Paisley For more information contact the 706-265-9160 | 633 Martin Rd, Dawsonville Dawson County Humane Society Adjacent to the Rock Creek Sports Complex Visit our RESALE SHOP & BOUTIQUE Wed. - Sat. 10 a.m. - 5:30 p.m. | 54 S. Lumpkin Campground Rd. Dawsonville ANH Collision (igx ) Veterinary Specialists Hospital 706-216-0992 706-265-8381 103 Industrial Park Road, Dawsonville All proceeds benefits the Humane Society Bradley M. Maple CPA, PC 706-216-2362 2390 Thompson Rd • Ste 100 Dawsonville Image courtesy Unsplash
