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4B I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, February 15,2023
An update from the
Gold Dome: Week five
By Sen. Steve Gooch,
Senate Majority Leader
(R-Dahlonega)
As we approach the half
way point of the 2023
Legislative Session, the work
has begun to pile on. Among
our legislative efforts, this
week several Senate
Appropriations
Subcommittees met to hold
in-depth discussions regard
ing House Bill 18, the
Amended FY 2023 Budget.
These Appropriations
Subcommittees serve as an
opportunity for Senate mem
bers to closely analyze and
properly vet specific line
items and areas of the budget
to ensure taxpayer dollars are
being allocated as efficiently
as possible. This diligent
work will culminate in an
amended budget that is plan
ning to hit the Senate floor
next week.
This year, I have the plea
sure of serving on the Senate
Appropriations
Subcommittees on Education
and Higher Education and
Transportation. Both commit
tees met on Wednesday of
this week and heard from a
number of state agencies and
department heads as they pre
sented their recommendations
and budget proposals to the
committee. As a longtime
champion of issues surround
ing transportation and infra
structure in Georgia, it is an
honor to serve alongside my
Senate colleagues as we com
bine forces to ensure trans
portation and infrastructure
are adequately funded and no
taxpayer dollar is going to
waste. Each Senate
Appropriations Subcommittee
will only meet once during
the legislative session so these
meetings are crucial to the
budget process. I am pleased
with the work of both com
mittees and look forward to
providing you with additional
updates as the amended bud
get progresses through the
Senate.
In addition to hearing the
budget in these various sub
committees, the flow of legis
lation has begun to increase
as the Senate heard and
passed a number of bills in
the chamber this week. On
Tuesday, the Senate voted on
four bills covering areas in
COVID-19 vaccination
requirements, qualifications
for sheriffs, increasing penal
ties for pimping and pander
ing, and more.
The culmination of work
from the Joint Study
Committee on the
Electrification of
Transportation, a committee I
co-chaired with my colleague
Rep. Rick Jasperse (R -
Jasper) over the past year,
resulted in Senate Bill 1461
dropped on Thursday. This
legislation will provide a
framework for the infrastruc
ture and regulatory measures
needed in Georgia as electric
vehicles and their accompa
nied charging stations and
power usage grows across our
state. The bill would also pro
vide the Commissioner of
Agriculture oversight for
charging stations, just as the
office inspects fuel station
pumps. Georgia needs to be
prepared as car manufacturers
and drivers continue to
increase the number of elec
tric vehicles on the state’s
roads and bridges.
As a part of Governor
Kemp and the General
Assembly’s gang crackdown
proposals, Senator Bo
Hatchett (R - Cornelia) has
introduced Senate Bill 44, the
Street Gang Terrorism and
Prevention Act. SB 44 aims
to protect our vulnerable
youth by adding mandatory
minimums of at least 10 years
for the recruitment of minors
into gang activity. Street
gangs are the number one
cause of the violent crime
wave across our state and this
bill is another step in the right
direction to take them down.
I am proud to be a co-sponsor
of this bill and hope to see it
pass the Senate next week.
Senate Bill 36, sponsored by
Senate Majority Whip Sen.
Randy Robertson (R -
Cataula), would increase the
penalty associated with pimp
ing and pandering by estab
lishing a minimum sentence
for individuals when the vic
tim subjected to pimping and
pandering is under the age of
18. This much needed legisla
tion will put greater pressure
on traffickers and contribute
Georgia’s fight against human
trafficking. I am strong sup
porter of this legislation and
was pleased to see this bill
passed by the Senate on
Tuesday.
Next week, the Senate will
convene Monday through
Thursday for legislative days
17 through 20. The count
down to Crossover Day is on
as the pace will only speed up
even more. I anticipate a full
week of committee hearings
and floor sessions as we make
our way through the 2023
Legislative Session. As
always, please do not hesitate
to reach out to my office if
you have any questions or
concerns regarding any pro
posed legislation. I am here to
serve you.
Sen. Steve Gooch serves as
Majority Leader of the Senate
Majority Caucus. He represents
the 51st Senate District which
includes Dawson, Fannin, Gilmer,
Lumpkin, Union and Pickens
Counties and a portion of White
County. He may be reached at
404.656.7872 or via email at
steve.gooch@senate.ga.gov
SEC Football Fans
Whenever I meet
someone, inevitably,
their first comment is,
“You must be a Georgia
football fan.”
Truthfully, I reply,
“I’m an SEC fan. I love
to see all the teams do
well and celebrate when
one wins the National
Championship.”
In this column, I strive to side
step controversy. Life has enough
without me adding to it. But I’m a
Southerner. I’m the first female
sports reporter to cover SEC foot
ball, full-time. Until I, at the tender
age of 21, began covering the
Georgia Bulldogs at home, on the
road, and Tuesday practice (fol
lowed by a press conference), it had
been all men. Occasionally, another
female showed up.
I was regular. I covered the histor
ic Texas-Georgia game in the Cotton
Bowl in Dallas (Georgia pulled out
an incredible upset over the number
two-ranked Longhorns, 10-9). I was
the only woman in the press box; or,
in my case, “girl.” In the seasons
that I covered Georgia, only once
did I see another female in a press
box. It was Georgia at Georgia Tech
and she was there to write a sidebar
(an interesting story boxed off to the
side of the game story).
This, I explain, to give a bit of
authority to what I have to say now.
The only stadium in which I
haven’t covered an SEC football
game is Mississippi State and that’s
because they either played in
Sanford Stadium or weren’t on the
schedule.
This, too, I must say: I am an
old-fashioned SEC enthusiast. I
will never root for any new team
west of Arkansas. In the last 15 or
20 years, the SEC has done what
was once considered impossible: it
became THE premier conference in
the United States. The conferences
with USC, Texas, Oklahoma,
Oklahoma State, Ohio, and
Michigan ruled for so long — but
the SEC flew under the radar. Then,
they soared with the equivalent of
anF-16.
Today’s success is rooted deep
because of some of the best head
coaches ever to ran college football
programs: Georgia’s Vince Dooley
(I’m unabashedly partial to my
beloved Dooley), Alabama’s Bear
Bryant, Auburn’s Shug Jordan,
Arkansas’s Frank Broyles (I adored
him, too, and have framed
photos of me with him
and another with Dooley),
Ole Miss’s Johnny
Vaught, Tennessee’s
Robert Neyland, and
Florida’s Steve Spurrier.
This is why the moun
tains in me emerges when
I proclaim that I’m “agin” the SEC
accepting teams west of Arkansas.
These rivalries among SEC teams
stretch long and serious. The
Alabama-Auburn rivalry is so filled
with fire and emotion that it
inspired an entertaining, eye-open
ing book called War In Dixie:
Alabama vs. Auburn. Half of the
book is Alabama’s side of the story,
the other is Auburn’s. One side of
the book is done in Alabama colors,
the other side in Auburn’s. It is
written by two Northern reporters
who had never seen the likes of
such a rivalry until they came South
to cover the game.
The Georgia-Auburn rivalry is
the oldest in college football histo
ry: 100 years.
It troubles me for outsiders to
push in because the SEC TV
money is so good and because they
want to play in the best conference.
The core teams spent a hundred
years building it and creating their
rivalries. No new “friends” are
needed.
That, though, is not the point I
want to make. I am saddened at
how unkind and downright mean
that SEC fans can be to each other.
I wish people fought for Jesus like
they do their home team.
I read an enormously mean com
ment against Tennessee from an
Alabama fan. When I discovered
that the woman was the mother of a
much-beloved pastor, my heart sank.
Tennessee is known as the
Volunteer State because, in every
American war, they sent the most
volunteers of any state. If only for
that, they deserve admiration.
Please. Let’s celebrate our com
rades and not mean-mouth them.
Particularly over a college football
game. Including the outsiders, uh,
newcomers.
Florida Rich is the bestselling author
of What Southern Women Know
(That Every Woman Should.) Visit
www.rondarich.com to sign up for
her free newsletter.
R0NDARICH
Columnist
Tennis will be fueled by experienced singles group
By Rio White
riowhite@dawsonnews.com
Dawson County’s varsity
boys and girls tennis teams
head into this season look
ing to expand on last year’s
success, with both teams
having made appearances
at the Class 3A state play
offs.
While many public high
school tennis teams fre
quently adjust to players
coming in from other
sports, the Tigers will have
plenty of experienced play
ers who stood out last sea
son.
For the boys team, the
departures of Zach Friday
and Lane Perry mean that
juniors Grant Ledbetter and
Connor Woody will step up
to take the No. 2 and No. 3
singles lines behind fellow
junior Chase Cofield.
Ledbetter will come into
his role with a breadth of
experience both as a regu
lar doubles player and part-
Rio White Dawson County News
Above left. Chase Cofield is set to be the No. 1 singles player on the DCHS varsity boys tennis team.
Above right, Kayleigh Moon will head into her senior season as the No. 1 singles player on the DCHS
varsity girls tennis team.
Dawson County Varsity Boys Tennis
Head Coach: Logan Allen, fifth season
2022 Record: 10-6 overall, third place in
Region 7-3A, made first round of state play
offs
Key Returners: Chase Cofield (Jr.), Grant
Ledbetter (Jr.), ConnorWoody (Jr.)
time singles player last sea- doubles matches and will
son. Woody has often been be looking to make his own
paired with Ledbetter in mark.
Dawson County Varsity Girls Tennis
Head Coach: Laura Ledbetter, third season
2022 Record: 10-6 overall, fourth place in
region 7-3A, made first round of state playoffs
Key Returners: Kayleigh Moon (Sr.), Marlee
Gaddis (Jr.), Avery Beaty (Sr.)
The most interesting headed by cross country
developments for the boys star Tyler Tangel at the No.
team will be the new dou- 4 ranking,
bles pairings, which will be For the Lady Tigers, the
2023 season will also be
spearheaded by experience
— namely by senior
Kayleigh Moon, who post
ed a 12-4 overall record last
season and is set for a
strong senior campaign.
Junior Marlee Gaddis
also had success as last sea
son’s No. 2 singles player,
using her calm demeanor to
become a consistent win
ner.
Joining the singles line
will be senior Avery Beaty,
who regularly played dou
bles matches last season
with the occasional singles
match.
Beaty’s serve will be an
important aspect of her
game as she aims to round
out her Dawson tennis
career on a high note.
The beginning of the
2023 DCHS tennis season
has been affected by multi
ple days of inclement
weather, with the opening
few matches pushed for
ward.
Immune-boosting
foods, recipes
We still have a few more
months of on and off cold weath
er—and trust me when I say,
there are plenty of sicknesses out
there left to catch. Don’t forget to
load up on foods that boost your
immune system and will keep
you fully charged and feeling
your best.
Lemon Garlic Shrimp
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 1 pound shrimp, peeled,
deveined and tails off
• 1 teaspoon salt
• !/2 teaspoon pepper
• 3 cloves garlic
• 1/2 teaspoon crushed red
pepper flakes
• 1 tablespoon parsley,
minced
• 3 tablespoons lemon juice
Pat shrimp dry with paper tow
els. Melt butter in a skillet over
medium-high heat. Add shrimp in
a single layer. Cook until butter is
beginning to brown. Flip the
shrimp and add the garlic, and
crushed red
pepper flakes.
Cook another
20 seconds.
Add parsley
and lemon
juice and cook
a minute.
Greek Stuffed Peppers
• 4 red, orange or yellow
bell peppers
• 1 cup onion, chopped
• 14 pound ground beef
• I/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/3 cup kalamata olives,
pitted and chopped
• 14 cup parsley, minced
• 'A cup mint, minced
• 1 teaspoon salt
• I/2 teaspoon pepper
Cut off the tops of the bell
pepper and remove the seeds and
the pith. Save the tops. In a bowl,
combine remaining ingredients.
Divide stuffing into the peppers.
Top with pepper tops. Place on
casserole dish and bake for 45
minutes.
Turmeric Ginger Rice
• 1 cup basmati rice
• 11/2 cups water
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon ginger, grated
• 2 teaspoons turmeric
• I/2 teaspoon salt
• Vi cup raisins
• 1 handful fresh mint,
chopped
• I/2 lemon, juiced
• 14 cup slivered almonds,
toasted
Heat oil over medium-high
heat. Add garlic and ginger and
cook a minute. Add turmeric and
rice, stirring to combine. Add
water and bring to a boil. Cover
and simmer 15 minutes until rice
is tender and water is absorbed.
Add raisins, lemon juice, mint
and almonds. Fluff rice.
Spinach Salad
• 8 ounces fresh spinach,
stems removed
• 1 apple, cored and thinly
sliced
• I/2 cup feta, crumbled
• 1/3 cup red onion, thinly
sliced
• 1/3 cup sliced almonds,
toasted
Dressing:
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 14 cup red wine vinegar
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 2 teaspoons Dijon mustard
• I/2 teaspoon salt
• 14 teaspoon pepper
In a bowl, combine spinach,
apple slices, feta, red onion and
almonds. In ajar, combine dress
ing ingredients and shake. Pour
dressing over salad and toss.
Fruit Salad
• 1 papaya, peeled, seeded
and chopped
• 2 kiwi, peeled and
chopped
• 1 banana, peeled and
sliced
• I/2 cup blueberries
• I/2 cup raspberries
• 1 cup grapes, halved
Dressing:
• 11/2 cup Greek yogurt
• 2 tablespoons honey
• I/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 3 tablespoons freshly
squeezed orange juice
In a bowl, toss together fruit.
In another bowl, whisk together
dressing ingredients. Toss dress
ing with fruit salad.
Immune-boosting
stir fry
• 2 tablespoons avocado oil
• 8 ounces chicken breasts
or thighs, chopped
• 2 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup red bell pepper,
chopped
• I/2 cup red onion, chopped
• 2 tablespoons ginger, grat
ed
• 2 tablespoons fish sauce
• 1 I/2 tablespoons oyster
sauce
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1 teaspoon soy sauce
• Cooked rice for serving
Heat oil in a wok or skillet
over medium-high heat. Add
chicken and cook for 3 minutes.
Add green onions, red bell pep
per, red onion and ginger and
cook until vegetables are very
tender, about 8 minutes. Add fish
sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and
soy sauce. Stir to combine. Serve
with cooked rice.
ADLEN
ROBINSON
Columnist
