Newspaper Page Text
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Your
Vol. 95, No. 107
License,
time in
class tied
Behavior, broken laws
may affect teens ’ status
By Nancy Smallwood
Associate Editor
Beginning July 1, teens wishing
to obtain or keep their driver's
license had to begin maintaining a
good attendance record in school.
In an effort to crack down on
teenage dropouts, unnecessary
school absences and school behav¬
ior, state legislators have passed a
new law which will affect the eligi¬
bility of teens in getting their dri¬
ver’s licenses.
According to Debbie Rondem,
Forsyth County Schools director of
student support services, schools
are required to report to the Georgia
Department of Education students
14 through 17 years old whose dri¬
ver’s licenses are to be revoked or
not issued. A student can be report¬
ed if they have dropped out of
school without graduating and have
more than 10 school days of unex¬
cused absences.
A school suspension of a student
also will affect driver’s license sta¬
tus, according to Susan Sports, pub¬
lic information officer for the
Georgia Department of Motor
Vehicles. An instructional permit or
driver’s license will be suspended
for one year or until the student
reaches the age of 18 if the student
has been suspended for threatening,
striking or harming a teacher or stu¬
dent official, possession or sale of
alcohol or drugs on school property,
possession or use of weapon on
school property, any sexual offense
and causing substantial bodily
injury or disfiguring another per¬
son.
Previously, teens could not
obtain a license if they had 10 con¬
secutive unexcused absences, said
Rondem. This new law does not
specify the days must be consecu¬
tive, she said.
Those teens attending a home
school program must be registered
in an approved state program and
will need to obtain a signed certifi¬
cate of attendance validated by the
school system in which they live,
according to Sports.
Forsyth County’s absences and
excuses policy reflects state law.
Parents of students who have five
unexcused absences are sent a letter
See TEENS, Page 11A
Photo/David McGregor
Students learn about Egypt
Kathleen Ayala uses tissue to turn Carly Sudderth into a ''mummy”
during a summer school class at Cumming Elementary School
Friday morning. See story, page 3A.
Missed paper policy
Fora i replacement pap er, call
8a.m . - 5:30 p.m. Wedr nesday,
Thursday Sunday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1
p.m. on - (770) 887-3126.
Copyright 1 2464 roriytti County Nmm
o T
SUNDAY July 4,2004
City explodes with activity
i
, r
h .-;>raa Mai
m
Photos/David McGregor
Above, Jackie Farahdel and Sarah Wright
watch as the Fourth of July festivities in
Cumming kick off with a fireworks display at
the Cumming Fairgrounds Friday night. Right,
sisters Opal and Saramarie Hosey participate
in the Little Acres Childcare Center Fourth of
July parade Friday morning.
INDEX
Abby . ..................................... 4C
Births................. 4B
Classifieds_______ 5C
Deaths......... ,...2A
Forsyth Life •**••»»••• IB
Horoscope . .................. ,4C
Opinion 12A
Sports ............ 1C
1
\
. «
Express bus service will be available
for commuters
ByToddTruelove
Staff Writer
Beginning Tuesday, commuters to
metro Atlanta will have an alternative
travel option as Georgia Regional
Transportation Authority’s express bus
service cranks up in the city of
Cumming.
While city and state officials con¬
tinue negotiating the details of a deal,
Cumming City Manager Gerald
Blackburn said Thursday that the city
has agreed to let GRTA use the park¬
ing lot across from the Cumming
Fairgrounds on Castleberry Road to
load and unload passengers.
The parking lot recently was
paved. The Cumming City Council
accepted a bid of $314,652 for the
paving project a cost that will be
shared by the two entities. The state's
contribution will be determined in a
Business
Planning your retirement
doesn’t have to
be stressful.
Page 8A
What: Express Bus System
When: Weekdays between
5:30-7:30 a.m. and 4-6:30 p.m.
Where: Castleberry Road, park¬
ing lot across from Cumming
Fairgrounds.
Cost: $3 one-way; $5 round-trip
12-month lease that’s part of the
agreement. Blackburn said.
“We're not signing a long-term
contract with [GRTA]." said
Blackburn. “It’s going to be an agree¬
ment for 12 months. We’ve still got to
work out what they're going to pay per
month for the 12-month period. GRTA
will reimburse the city based on 12
months’ usage."
In addition to the express bus sys¬
tem. Blackburn said the parking lot
will be utilized by the city for events
such as the annual autumn fair.
GRTA Communications Manager
Sports
Forsyth coaches select
All-County
Baseball Tfcam.
Page 1C
Widening of
Hwy. 20 to
begin soon
Exit 14 reconstruction also
slated to begin in a month
By Antonia Hertwig-Benson
Staff Writer
The widening of Hwy. 20 will begin in a month, as
will the reconstruction of Exit 14 at Hwy. 20 and Ga.
400, according to state officials.
The Georgia Department of Transportation has
awarded the widening and interchange projects of
Hwy. 20 and Ga. 400 to C.W. Matthews for $21.9 mil¬
lion.
Though the project will relieve traffic on the heavi¬
ly congested road, the GDOT is displacing many busi¬
nesses using its power of eminent domain.
Bert Brantley, GDOT spokesman, said though the
department has offered property owners fair market
value for theif land, many property owners don’t want
to give up their land.
“We get the best price for the taxpayer,” Brantley
said. “We do not want to overpay for the land.”
However, David Duncan, manager of Ga. 400
Storage on Hwy. 20. said his problem with the process
is not the money. It’s how the GDOT went about tak
See DOT, Page 2A
Dog attacked
Schnauzer injured but alive
By Nicole Green
Staff Writer
Two coyotes attacked a small dog in a north Forsyth
backyard Tuesday, reminding residents that Forsyth is still
a rural county in some parts.
Though the dog survived, the 5-year-old miniature
Schnauzer was severely injured, according to veterinarian
Mike McLaughlin at Animal Medical Center on Buford
Highway.
Lisa Morgan let out her dog Tiara into her Shadewater
Drive backyard about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The residence is
located in a neighborhood near Lake Lanier and backs up
to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property.
After a few minutes, Morgan reported hearing a pierc¬
ing shriek.
“She opens the back door steps outside and there are
two coyotes killing her dog," said^McLaughlin. whose
clinic resuscitated the mauled. 17-pound dog.
Associate veterinarian Nikki Chiorazzi saved Tiara's
See COYOTES, Page 2A
William Mecke said the buses will roll
out of Cumming beginning Tuesday at
5:30 a.m. and continuing every half
hour until 7:30 a.m. “The city's been
gracious enough to let us start running
the buses on Tuesday morning," said
Mecke. He said the buses will take
passengers to the North Springs
MARTA station in north Fulton
County. Return trips will be every half
hour from 4-6:30 p.m. Passenger costs
are $3 one-way and $5 round trip.
Mecke said it's expected that once
all the bus mutes are up and running in
counties around Atlanta, about 4,000
trips will be taken by passengers.
As of Thursday, about 220 round
trips were taken on two routes that
began last month in Henry and
Rockdale counties, he said. "It's gone
up each week, steadily.”\said Mecke.
“The very first day. there were about
45 total round trips."
Possible Storms
/lli'h 1 II
High in the mid-HOs.
Low in the low 70s.
LI6R PE, IB
cing tour of Gumming
LAKE LANIER LEVELS
Date Level
June 29 1071.61 ft
June 30 1071.63 ft
July July 1 1071,67 1071.77ft ft
2
Full 1071 oaft