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‘orsyth County News
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Festivities include fireworks
Friday, parade Saturday
Few towns observe the Fourth of July like Cumming, which
once again will hold an annual fireworks extravaganza and
parade. 5
The festivities, which are free and open to the public, begin
at 6 p.m. Friday at the Cumming Fairgrounds with vendors
and music. The fireworks show is slated to start about 9:30
p-m.
On Saturday, the 58th Annual Thomas-Mashburn Steam
Engine Parade kicks off at 10 a.m. on Tribble Gap/
Castleberry roads.
Road, water safety stressed
By Kayla Robins
krobins@forsythnews.com
As Americans across the nation
continue preparations for their
Independence Day celebrations,
authorities are urging safety on roads
and waterways.
The July Fourth weekend is “one of
our busier holidays” due to high vol
Weekend house fire blamed on lightning strike
Family of three, dogs displaced
By Kayla Robins -
krobins@forsythnews.com
A family of three has been dis
placed after a fire damaged their
northwest Forsyth home early
Saturday. ;
Forsyth County Fire Division
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© 2015, Forsyth County News
Cumming, Georgia
City, county ISO ratings improve | 4A
umes of traffic on roads and Lake
Lanier, according to Robin Regan, a
spokesman for the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Office. ,
“Please always make sure you have
a designated driver or find another
option like a cab. or staying at a
friend’s or where you’re drinking,”
Regan said. :
Traffic is expected to be heavy all
Chief Jason Shivers said a light
ning strike caused the fire on
Pisgah Road that destroyed a
detached carport garage and both
vehicles parked underneath.
The fire was reported just after
midnight during a storm, shortly
after both the homeowner and
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weekend, beginning Thursday after
work and continuing through Sunday,
so travelers should be aware of their
surroundings and other drivers.
: Starting today, Georgians can buy
and use previously illegal fireworks,
which come with additional safety
concerns for the celebratory weekend.
See SAFETY |4A
neighbors called 911 to report a
lightning strike nearby.
They had reportedly gone oui
side to check where the hit
occurred but were unable to see
any immediate flames.
Shivers said the effect of the
strike smoldered “for some time”
before bursting into visibility.
“It impacted the home to a
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Possible
anti-gay
hate crime
reported
Flag burned on
car outside home
By Kayla Robins
krobins@forsythnews.com
Authorities say they are treating the
burning of a rainbow flag on a vehicle at a
northwestern Forsyth County home as an
anti-gay hate crime.
According to the Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Office, persons unknown also
ignited gasoline sometime overnight
Monday to damage the front lawn of the
residence in a neighborhood off Hurt
Bridge Road.
“From the beginning, we’re treating it as
an obvious hate crime ... because previ
ously the house had an American flag fly
ing and just on Friday they changed it to a
rainbow flag,” said Robin Regan. a spokes
man for the sheriff’s office.
Friday morning marked the sweeping
ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court that
immediately legalized same-sex marriage
in all 50 states. Georgia was not one of the
37 states where it was previously allowed.
The homeowner, who was not physically
harmed, reported the flag damage Tuesday
morning. It appears to be an isolated inci
dent, authorities said.
To ensure her safety, the sheriff’s office
is not releasing any additional information
about the woman beyond gender.
It was not clear if the woman was home
at the time the flag was burned. No infor
mation on potential suspects was available
Tuesday morning.
The flag —the rainbow being an inter
national gay pride symbol — was burned
sometime Monday night or early.-Tuesday.
The windshield received fire damage,
though the rest of the vehicle appeared to
be unharmed, Regan said.
A peach tree on the property was also
damaged, either by contact with the bark or
due to the gasoline, which was poured on
the asphalt driveway around the vehicle
and ignited.
“We treat all hate crimes very seriously
in Forsyth County,” he said, “and will not
stand for them.”
‘We treat all hate crimes
very seriously in Forsyth
County, and will not stand
for them.”
Robin Regan
Spokesman, Forsyth County
Sheriff’s Office :
small degree,” he said. “It
extended into a living room area,
but that’s where crews stopped
i’
The home suffered “fairly sig
nificant” smoke and water dam
age but was salvaged.
A married couple, their adult
daughter and three dogs all escaped
without injury, Shivers said.
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“One dog ran back inside as
crews were beginning suppres
sion efforts, but they went in and
got him out without a problem,”
he said. :
The family is reportedly stay
ing with relatives or friends until
the house is deemed livable again
or other arrangements can be
made.
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