Newspaper Page Text
FRIDAY APRIL 20,2012
More rain headed
here for weekend
By Gray Braazaalt
FCN regton8l staff
The Forsyth County area has received
more than 2 inches of rain this week,
and more appears to be on the way this
weekend.
Rainfall through 7 a m. Thursday
totaled 1 94 inches.
The forecast called for a respite
Thursday, with partly sunny skies and a
high near 74 degrees.
The outlook was expected to turn to
partly cloudy skies overnight w ith a low
near 57, before the chances of precipita¬
tion begin to build again today and
through the weekend
As of Thursday, Lake Lanier had risen
to 1,065.65 feet, up from 1,065.52 feet
at 9:15 p.m. Tuesday, But w ith the rain¬
fall, the lake is likely to continue rising
for several days.
Today 's forecast calls for a 20 percent
chance of rain, grow ing to a 40 percent
chance of showers and thunderstorms at
night.
Showers and thunderstorms are likely,
with a 60 percent chance of precipita¬
tion, Saturday and Saturday night
“We expect a lot of precipitation in
the winter and the springtime," said
FROM 1A
Attention
Ghost Out is a collaboration among
multiple agencies, including the coun¬
ty’s fire department and sheriff’s office,
the state highway safety office, Georgia
State Patrol and county coroner, among
others.
“All agencies come together to send a
message to students," Hebert said about
the event, which was last held at North
three years ago.
Leaning against a fence, junior
Kaitlyn Smith was in tears as she
watched the firefighters try to pry the
students from the Jeep
"It bothers me,” she said. "I'm very
emotional toward it."
Smith said she’s a safe dnver She's
seen two major accidents before and has
attended programs to enhance her skills
The classes and watching the Ghost
Out have helped make the responsibility
of driving more real for her. Smith said,
but she's not sure the message made K
through to every one.
Browns Bridge Road may get improvements
By Jeff Gill
FCN regional staff
GAINESVILLE —
Browns Bridge Road
improvements have
resurfaced as a possibil¬
ity if voters approve the
1 percent transportation
sales tax July 31.
Jody Woodall, a Hall
County civil engineer,
said Wednesday that as
part of a local funding
scenario under the tax,
the county is looking at
some improvements on
Browns Bridge Road,
"possibly a center left
turn lane, maybe some
intersection improve¬
ments.”
He was speaking at
Wednesday's meeting of
the Gainesville-Hall
Metropolitan Planning
Organization’s
Technical Coordinating
Committee.
The Transportation
Investment Act, which
mandates the referen¬
dum taking place in 12
regions throughout the
state, calls for 75 per¬
cent of revenues gener¬
ated by the tax to pay
for regional projects
and 25 percent to go to
local governments to
spend as they see fit.
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Alex Gibbs, a forecaster with the
National Weather Service.
"We have a system diving south of the
Plains and forming over the Gulf of
Mexico, and we expect moisture to
rcium We have a good chance of thun¬
derstorms this weekend."
Severe weather is not likely this
weekend, but remains possible. Gibbs
said.
"As of now, you could say yes or no
(on predicting severe weather]. Our
forecast does not have an outlook with
confidence in the models, but there’s
decent instability."
Referring to tornadoes in the Midwest
last Saturday, Gibbs said, "In an event
like we had last weekend in the Great
Plains, that was in the models for seven
straight days We don’t have that in our
models."
The chances of precipitation begin to
diminish Sunday, with a 50 percent
chance of showers during the day
declining to a 40 percent chance of
showers that night.
After the weekend, mild weather
should return.
“Long range, we really don’t show
anything forming, and that pattern per¬
sists to next Saturday," he said
“Looking around, all l sec is smiles,
so it’s really hard to see that," she said.
But Smith was hopeful her peers
would get the message, as was Hebert
“Typically ... we have a really somber
response to it," Hebert said "We have in
the past.”
Freshman Savanna Grant has seen the
impact of a wreck with two of her
friends, one of whom is handicapped as
a result. Grant said that’s what prompted
her to be one of the “ghosts" during the
event.
"I'm aware that there arc lots of dan¬
gers out there," she said "This supports
awareness of drunk driving and how it
can affect people "
Natalie Williamson, a sophomore,
also was playing a ghost Thursday.
The significance of the role, she said,
is to show "if we all were in the acci¬
dent. we wouldn't be here “
"If wc weren't there, this is what it
would be like," she said.
Senior Ariel Betties was another
ghost While those in makeup were real
students, their characters were designed
to have no identity, she said, "because it
can happen to anyone.”
As part of the region¬
al list. Hall County
planners originally con¬
sidered a proposed wid¬
ening of the busy
Browns Bridge Road/
Hwy. 369 between
McEver Road and
Forsyth County in its
share of an estimated
Si.25 billion in road
projects over 10 years.
But then leaders
decided in August to
pull the project in favor
of widening Hwy. 211/
Old Winder Highway
from Hwy 53/Winder
Highway to Gwinnett
County.
“Ga. 211 would con¬
nect two new four-lane
(roads] and the new
hospital, [and] that will
be a model for transpor¬
tation planning," said
Tom Oliver, chairman
of the Hall County com¬
mission, at the time
Srikanth Yamala,
transportation planning
manager for the MPO,
said after Wednesday's
meeting that the Browns
Bridge Road project
may go beyond mere
tweaking
The state Department
of Transportation could
wind up "talking to us
about leveraging state
and federal dollars” for
a more extensive widen¬
ing project, he said
Everything hinges on
the July 31 vote, which
has been met with fierce
opposition, including
tea party leaders.
The Greater Hall
Chamber of Commerce
and the state chamber
are pushing for approv
al
The referendum will
be decided in each
region, with a majority
plus one vote required
for passage.
The regional projects
were set in the fall by a
transportation roundta¬
ble comprising govern¬
ment leaders from the
I 3- county Georgia
Mountains region,
which includes Forsyth
and Hall, and can’t be
changed.
However, govern-
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GwgiiTteatreCompary com ‘I
Gainesville State names
Pierce interim president
By Lm Johnson
FCN legional staff
GAINESVILLE Randy Pierce,
past president of Georgia Highlands
College, was named Wednesday as
interim president for Gainesville State
College.
University System of Georgia
Pierce
ferent kind of interim, I’m sure, but at
the same time Gainesville State is
an institution that has always been,
and continues to he, a great institu¬
tion.”
Nesbitt welcomed Pierce’s hiring.
"I’ve known Dr. Pierce for a long
time and he’s a very, very capable
administrator and certainly a suc¬
cessful president over at Georgia
Highlands. I think it’s a great
choice," she said.
Pierce will act as the interim
president until the consolidation of
Gainesville State and North
Georgia College & State University
takes effect on Jan. 1. After that, he
will go back into retirement.
“As we move forward with the
consolidation of Gainesville State
College and North Georgia College
& State University, it is critical to
have excellent leadership during
this transition," Huckaby said in a
news release. "Dr. Pierce brings a
high level of experience in the
University System to this post and
we are pleased that he is willing to
share this experience to lead the
college"
Pierce said he is not sure as to the
full extent of his role in the consoli¬
dation efforts, but says he will most
likely be a point of reference for the
consolidation team.
“My guess, at this point, the six
months (of the interim presidency]
will be to keep the institution on
(rack and viable, and to be of assis¬
tance and be of advice when needed
in that consolidation effort," Pierce
said.
Nesbitt also was unsure of
Pierce’s role in the consolidation
effort.
ments have fle xibil ity
with 25 pC.vwbi
money
It is rellly
Yamala said.
Hall, overall, is csti-
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Chancellor Hank
Huckaby announced
the appointment.
Pierce will assume the
post July 1, replacing
Martha Nesbitt, who
is retinng.
"I’m excited the
system asked me to
do this," said Pierce.
“It is going to be a dif¬
mated to receive $4.7
trillion annually from
the 25 percent portion,
with unincorporated
Hall receiving about
$3.8 million.
FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
'I've known Dr. Pierce
for a long time and he's
a very, very capable
administrator and cer¬
tainly a successful
president over at
Georgia Highlands.'
Martha Nesbitt
Martha Nesbitt, retiring president
"I can’t say really how much he’ll
be involved in the consolidation
plan at this point because every¬
thing is still a little unclear. But he
will certainly be in charge of run¬
ning the institution," she said.
Pierce served as president of
Georgia Highlands for 10-plus
years, before retiring Dec. 31.
He previously served from 1996-
2001 as provost at the
Lawrenceville campus of Georgia
Perimeter College and before that
from 1994-99 as director of the
Gwinnett University Center.
The university system. Pierce
said, was looking for someone who
could make the temporary transition
as easy and smooth as possible.
’’This is a good opportunity to use
somebody that the system knows
and somebody who is familiar with
not only the system, but with this
kind of institution,” Pierce said.
"I'm just glad that 1 can be of
assistance to the system and to the
consolidation teams as they move
forward these last six months."
He earned his doctorate in educa¬
tional leadership, master's degree in
education and bachelor's degree in
business administration from
Georgia State University.
He also has served on numerous
organizations, including as a member
of tire Rome/Floyd County Chamber of
Commerce board of directors, chair¬
man of the Georgia Public
Broadcasting-Northwest Georgia
Advisory Board and as a member of
the board of directors for the Southern
Association of Community, Junior and
Technical Colleges.
Hall and Forsyth
counties — by far the
largest counties in the
region — would each
get about $300 million
for regional projects.
m