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WEDNESDAY
January 2 s .-m •
Forsyth County N £ws
More than a century of covering our community | forsythnews.com | 50<t
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Jim Dean Forsyth County News
Frank Norton Jr. says Forsyth
County is positioned to be a lead
er in economic recovery.
Coach
focus of
probe
Parents: Struck
student in class
By Jennifer Sami
)sami@forsythnews.com
West Forsyth High School’s varsi¬
ty boys basketball coach has been
temporarily reassigned while author¬
ities investigate allegations that he
struck a student in the classroom.
According to the Forsyth County
school system, Dennis Benedict
remains a paid employee, but is not
coaching or teaching.
The system took action after the
parents of a male freshman at West
filed a report with the Forsyth
County Sheriff’s Office.
The report involves an incident
between the student and Benedict,
who is also a biology teacher at
West.
Forsyth County Sheriff's Capt.
Gene Moss said the matter is under
investigation and authorities “won’t
know until it’s done" exactly what
transpired.
In a letter Tuesday to parents and
school staff, West Principal Betty
Pope said the student’s parents con¬
tend Benedict "struck the student in
the back of the head.”
“A decision was made to pull the
coach from his basketball coaching
duties Friday evening and reassign
him to duties outside the classroom
until both law enforcement and
school system investigations could
be completed and a determination
See COACH 14A
Schedule
This year's Great Decisions lecture series is set for 6:30 to
8:30 p.m.Thursday nights at the Cumming library branch, 585
Dahlonega Road.
Topics include:
•Thursday: Middle Eastern realignment with Victoria
Hightower, assistant professor of history
• Feb. 2: Cyber security with Bryson Payne, professor of
computer science and North Georgia's chief information officer
• Feb. 9: Promoting democracy with Jonathan Miner, assis¬
tant professor of political science
• Feb. 16: Exit from Afghanistan and Iraq with Chris
Jespersen, dean of the arts and letters school
• Feb. 23: Indonesia with J.T Kwon, assistant professor of
political science
• March 1: Mexico withTamara Spike, associate professor of
history
• March 8: State of the oceans with Nancy Dalman, chair of
the biology department
• March 15: Energy geopolitics with Anna Rulska, assistant
professor of political science
90994 TMOO
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Many heading to all-state band | 3A
hails local
Views Forsyth as
economic leader
By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com
An area real estate expert described
Forsyth County as a leader in the eco¬
nomic and housing market recovery.
EDUCATION
YOUNG, ‘EXUBERANT’
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Spelling bee
title goes to
fourth-grader
By Crystal Ledford
cledtord@forsythnews.com
She may have been one
of the youngest competi¬
tors, but that didn’t stop
Julia Vallier from taking
top honors at the Forsyth
County Schools Spelling
Bee.
On Saturday, representa¬
tives from all 28 elementary
and middle schools in the
Inside
Volume 103, Number 14
© 2012, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
public system vied for the
title of best speller.
Each had won their
respective schoolwide spell¬
ing bee for the chance to
compete at the county level.
They gathered Saturday
morning at North Forsyth
High School’s performing
arts center, with a crowd of
family members and friends
cheering them on.
After more than 10 rounds
of competition, Vallier, a
fourth-grader from
Chestatee Elementary,
claimed the crown by prop¬
erly spelling “exuberant"
See BEE 14A
NGCSU lecture series begins
s session, others held at Cumming library
By Crystal Ledford
cledford@forsythnews.com
Beginning Thursday night,
residents are invited to take
part in a popular internation¬
al lecture series.
Great Decisions, an annu¬
al public educational pro¬
gram, will be presented by
North Georgia College &
State University for eight
weeks.
The lectuhts will be held
from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. on
Thursdays through March
15 at the Cumming library
Abby 4B
Classifieds 5B
Deaths 2A
Horoscopes 2A
Legals 1C
Opinion 5A
Sports 1B
&
1
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(ventral notches another win | IB
Frank Norton Jr. discussed several of
his 2012 “trends" Tuesday during the
Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of
Commerce’s Economic Outlook break¬
fast.
“Last year 1 told you [Forsyth County]
was different, this year I’m telling you
it’s a leader,” Norton shared with the
crowd of about 200 at the Lanier
Technical College Forsyth Conference
Center.
Norton, president of the Gainesville-
Photos by Autumn Vetter Forsyth County News
Chestatee Elementary student Julia Vallier and
Liberty Middle's Logan Ballard were the final spell¬
ers in Saturday's Forsyth County Schools Spelling
Bee at North Forsyth High. Below, North Forsyth
Middle student William Dyess spells a word.
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IV.]
branch.
All sessions are free and
open to the public.
The series features univer¬
sity professors leading lec¬
tures and community discus¬
sions on various topics set
by the Foreign Policy
Association, a nonprofit
dedicated to inspiring the
American public to learn
more about the world.
This year’s topics range
from Middle Eastern
realignment to energy geo¬
politics and cyber security.
In addition to Cumming,
W Man found
dead in city
parking lot.
based Norton Agency real estate and
insurance firm, authors Native
Intelligence, an annual economic fore¬
cast that provides data on a range of top¬
ics, including housing and job markets.
He told the audience that this year's
report features 10 "trends" for 2012, a
few of which he highlighted Tuesday.
The first, he said, is that “2012 isn’t
the end of the world."
See EXPERT 13A
the lectures are also being
held on Mondays at the civic
center in Gainesville.
All lecture topics are also
featured in an accompanying
booklet, produced by the
Foreign Policy Association.
The booklets can be pur¬
chased at any of the lectures,
but are not required for par¬
ticipation.
The topics are also fea¬
tured in the Great Decisions
TV series, airing nationally
on PBS. For more informa¬
tion, go online at www.fpa.
org.
Barone:
k In defense
of negative
political ads.
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Forecast 12A '