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2A I DAWSON COUNTY NEWS I dawsonnews.com
Wednesday, May 17,2023
Renderings provided to Forsyth County News
A new digital rendering ofThe Gathering at South Forsyth.
Forsyth board asks for
impact study ahead of
The Gathering project
By Daniel Dotson
DCN regional staff
The Forsyth County Board of
Commissioners has asked for an indepen
dent, County-funded fiscal impact study
relating to the proposed Gathering at
South Forsyth arena project.
During a Board of Commissioners
work session on Tuesday, May 9,
Commissioners directed County staff to
begin developing the scope of a financial
impact study to be brought before the
Board for future approval and budgeting.
While the Board will be presented with
demonstrations from both the Chamber of
Commerce and the development team for
The Gathering, they believe it is in the
county’s best interest to conduct an inde
pendent study for comparison.
“I think that the position that we’re in
right now is that in order to process the
application we have to have those hard
and fast numbers, and I know those things
are somewhat dynamic right now,” said
District 5 Commissioner Laura
Semanson. “I think from the developer’s
perspective, they’re looking for some cer
tainty that we’re interested and that we
want to continue moving forward, rather
than going through all of these motions
just to find there’s not really an appetite
for it.”
It does appear that the Board is interest
ed in continuing exploration regarding the
proposed 84-acre mixed-use development.
“From my conversations with my col
leagues, I think we do,” said Semanson.
“I personally want to explore this oppor
tunity for us.”
District 3 Commissioner Todd Levent
suggested that the study include conversa
tion with Cobb and Fulton counties about
their experiences opening The Battery and
Mercedes Benz Stadium, respectively.
He stressed the importance of learning
from the experiences of other counties to
better anticipate the impact that The
Gathering could have on Forsyth.
District 4 Commissioner Cindy Mills
raised concerns over how quickly County
staff will be able to put together the
parameters of the study.
“It’s good to have our own study so that
we can compare it to [the developer’s]
and to the Chamber’s,” said Mills. “As
long as it doesn’t drag out too long. I
know that we need to get the ball rolling
with this study. That’s a little worrisome
to me, as slow as government moves.”
“I see this study not being a snapshot in
time,” explained Forsyth County Manager
David McKee. “This is going to be a con
tinuous process until the end.”
McKee does, however, believe he can
return before the Board of
Commissioners with a plan for the study
within a couple of weeks.
This story was originally published in
the Forsyth County News, a sister publi
cation of DCN.
One dead in crash at county line
By Kelly Whitmire
DCN Regional Staff
The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is
investigating a fatal crash that occurred
near the Dawson County line.
In a news release, FCSO officials said
they are investigating a fatal crash at the
intersection of Blue Ridge Overlook and
Carlisle Road in north Forsyth County that
occurred at about 5:40 p.m. on
Wednesday, May 10. William Wiggins,
29, of Oakwood, was declared dead at a
local hospital after the crash.
According to the release, Wiggins was
driving a 2023 Ford Taurus south on
Carlisle Road, “failed to yield to the traffic
on Blue Ridge Overlook and pulled out in
front of a 1993 Chevrolet S-10 pickup
truck.”
The driver of the pickup truck “attempt
ed to avoid the crash but was unable to.”
The crash is under investigation, and
speed and impairment are not suspected to
be factors.
The incident is the second recent fatal
wreck in Forsyth County after a motorcy
clist was struck by a pickup truck in
Cumming on Wednesday, May 3.
This story was originally published in
the Forsyth County News, a sister publica
tion of DCN.
FROM 1A
Jackson
Howell was indicted on
one charge each of contin
uous sexual abuse of a
child and statutory rape by
an authority figure.
Jackson was indicted in
Dawson County in
September 2021. The
father and son were both
indicted in Forsyth
County in June 2022.
A Forsyth County
indictment accused
Jackson of one count of
child molestation tied to
an alleged event from
2019 there. Then in
October 2022, his indict
ment was quashed in
Forsyth County Superior
Court because the allega
tion dates were too broad,
court documents stated.
During the plea hearing,
attorneys indicated that
the plea deal would also
end cases in Tennessee
and Forsyth County.
FCN Reporter Kelly
Whitmire contributed to
this report.
Death Notices
Frances Vandiviere
May 8, 2023
Frances Vandiviere, 82, of
Dawsonville died Monday,
May 8th. Funeral service,
Friday, May 12th at 1
o’clock, Bearden Funeral
Home Chapel.
Jimmy David
Weaver
May 9, 2023
Jimmy David Weaver, 66,
of Dawsonville, GA, passed
away on Tuesday, May 9.
No services are planned
currently.
Peggy Jenkins
May 9, 2023
Peggy Jenkins, 85, of
Dahlonega passed away
Tuesday, May 9th. A funer
al service will be held,
Friday, May 12th at11
o’clock, Bearden Funeral
Home Chapel.
King Crossword
ACROSS
44
Bigfoot's cous
8
Ninny
1 Actor Baldwin
in
9
Prima donna
5 Hindu hero
48
Mimic
10
Booty
9 ISP alternative
49
Initial chip
11
One and only
12 Without help
50
Cupid's alias
20
Athlete's first
13 Burden
51
CSA soldier
season
14 — Jima
52
Rhone city
22
Hopping mad
15 Woody's son
53
Baseball's
24
Pancake order
16 A/C measures
Tommie
25
Blitzer's chan
17 Moving vehicle 54
Switch settings
nel
18 High point
55
Madame
26
Hasten
19 Belief
Bovary
27
Chang's broth
20 Fury
56
Valentine flow
er
21 "There's no -
er
29
Expert
team!"
30
Charged bit
23 Mil. morale
DOWN
31
Reply (Abbr.)
booster
1
Now, in a
35
Name derived
25 "Bottoms up!"
memo
from a person
28 Perfect place
2
Traditional
36
Tennis great
32 Martial arts
tales
Williams
mercenary
3
Jazzy
39
Tropical tuber
33 "Rubber
Fitzgerald
40
Frank
Capital"
4
Ginger snaps
41
Entangle
34 Cancel out
vessels
ments
36 Heirs
5
Small song
43
Teensy bit
37 Workout unit
birds
45
Thus
38 Scratch (out)
6
Picnic invaders 46
Low digits
39 AAA jobs
7
Hawaiian gar
47
"Got it"
42 Scuil tool
ment
49
Hearty quaff
© 2023 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
FAX (706) 265-3276
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