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FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS
Sunday, November 20,2022 FORSYTHNEWS.COM
First responders escort
EMT back to Forsyth
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Photos by Jim Dean Forsyth County News
A hearse carrying the body of Central EMS EMT Gina Ayres passes through downtown Cumming on Friday.
Ayres remembered as dedicated
professional who cared for her community
A Cumming police officer holds a salute as a
Forsyth County Battalion Chief truck taking part
in the procession passes.
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
EMTs, firefighters,
police and other first
responders paid tribute to
one of their own Friday in
downtown Cumming.
On Friday, Nov. 18, the
body of Central EMS
EMT Gina Ayres, 57, of
Cumming was brought
through downtown
Cumming to McDonald
and Son Funeral Home by
a procession of fire bucks,
ambulances, police cruis
ers and other first respond
er vehicles.
Ayres was killed in a
wreck involving her
ambulance, a Ford
Mustang and a Dodge
Ram pickup truck on
Canton Highway just
before 7 a.m. on Thursday,
Nov. 17.
Three others were
injured in the crash.
“Gina was a beloved
member of the Central
EMS family, and we are
devastated by her loss.
Our hearts and prayers are
with Gina’s family and
colleagues throughout this
difficult time,” Central
EMS officials said in a
statement.
“Gina was an extraordi
narily dedicated EMT and
a respected member of the
Forsyth County 911
response team. She joined
the Central EMS family in
2011 and celebrated her
12th anniversary with the
company on November
9th. She dedicated her life
to EMS since the day she
was certified as an EMT
in 2010.”
Ayres is survived by her
husband and two adult
daughters. No funeral
arrangements have been
announced at this time.
“Gina is described by
her colleagues as a caring,
compassionate and dedi
cated EMS professional
who wanted nothing more
than to serve her commu
nity,” the release said.
“She had a huge personal
ity, and words cannot
describe how strong, pas
sionate and loving she
was. Gina also had a heart
for children and the less
fortunate, volunteering at
local schools and sitting
with patients in nursing
homes.”
In a statement, Forsyth
County Fire Department
officials said Ayres’s “ded
ication and service is an
example we wish to high
light and remember with
the highest degree of dig
nity and honor.”
Fair brings in $1.8M in revenue
Ashlyn Yule Forsyth County News
The 2022 Cumming Country Fair and Festival in
October broke records by bringing in more than
$1.8 million in total revenue.
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
Cumming Fairgrounds
Administrator Tracy
Helms said this year’s
Cumming Country Fair
and Festival was the most
successful one yet.
At the Cumming City
Council’s meeting on
Tuesday, Nov. 15, Helms
gave the final financial
report for the Cumming
Fair, which was held Oct.
6-16, saying “It was a
record year,” for the fair’s
admission, midway, spon
sorships and food sales.
“I tell people all the
time, this isn’t just a local,
county fair, this is a
regional event,” Helms
said. “We are the third
largest fair in the state of
Georgia. That says a lot
for our small town. With
the community support
and everything, it means a
lot.”
According to the report,
the fair brought in about
$1.8 million in revenue,
including about $1.3 mil
lion from admissions and
the midway. Other signifi
cant sources of revenue
included: sponsors,
$263,345; food vendors,
about $165,000; and com
munity vendors, about
$41,700.
In comparison, in 2021,
the fair brought in about
$1.7 million, with about
$1.2 million coming from
admissions and the mid
way.
“There’s a lot of con
tributing factors to that,”
Helms said. “No. 1, the
weather. We can’t have a
successful fair without
great weather, and we had
10 out of 11 days that
were just absolutely beau
tiful. The one we did on
[Wednesday, Oct. 12]
Children’s Healthcare of
Atlanta night, we did have
inclement weather. We
were able to open, but it
See Fair 12A
Haunted house gives back to community
By Ashlyn Yule
ayule@forsythnews.com
Four years of screams
have passed since the
House of Four Scythes
Haunted Attraction opened
its spooky doors to resi
dents of the county.
This year, after being
open during the Cumming
Country Fair & Festival,
which ran from Oct. 6-16,
and the remaining week
ends in October, volunteers
were able to raise over
$60,000 for more than 20
local charities, organiza
tions and civic groups.
Most notably, House of
Four Scythes was able to
make a $30,000 donation to
the American Cancer
Society to help fund cancer
research and supply cancer
patients and survivors with
the resources they need.
Recipients of the remain
ing $30,000 raised include
local groups like Boys &
See Haunted 12A
Mixed-use
plan returns
for vote after
year of debate
By Ashlyn Yule
ayule@forsythnews.com
After over a year of discussions, postponements
and public participation meetings, a proposed mixed-
use development in south Forsyth will be returning
before the Board of Commissioners for yet another
decision, but without the planning commission’s
blessing.
Applicant Northpoint Capital Investment Holdings
has requested to rezone about 140 acres for 250 sin
gle family lots, 228 townhomes and commercial
buildings totaling 63,640 square feet with variances to
increase the percentage of townhomes allowed and
decrease the commercial component required.
The land in question is nestled between Fowler
Hill, Union Hill and Mullinax roads next to Denmark
High School.
Neighboring residents who stated they have been
working on and fighting against this request since
2021 spoke in opposition to the project, citing traffic
congestion and the high density proposed as the bases
of their issues.
Christopher Fight, attorney representing the proj
ect, said the current request was more like 320 single
family lots with 137 townhomes and 80,000 square
feet of commercial space, taking the proposed density
from 3.4 units per acre to 3.25 units per acre.
This plan was not, however, on file before the pub
lic hearing and could not be considered.
Speaking about traffic concerns, Fight said the
Forsyth County Department of Engineering gathered
information on the average daily trips on Fowler
Road.
According to the county’s engineers, Fowler Road
sees an average of 7,300 trips per day. The proposed
development would likely add 1,800 more trips per
day.
Fight said a Fevel D, which is still a passing level
of service on a two-lane road, is about 14,500 average
daily trips. The development plus the current daily
trips would not exceed this limit, meaning major
improvements to the road would not be needed as a
result of the development.
David Blevins, whose land abuts the proposed land
in question, said he did not mind development in this
area. He did, however, speak in opposition to the den
sity presented.
Paul Fawler, resident of the Olde Union Preserve
neighborhood and an HOA board member, shared
similar sentiments with Blevins.
According to Fawler, at previous meetings with the
developer, the total density per acre proposed dropped
to as low as 2.8 units per acre. But now, he said it was
back up to 3.25 as Fight presented.
Fawler asked planning commissioners to continue
discussions about the project to work on “more rea
sonable” density numbers, as nearby neighborhoods
like Olde Union Preserve had a density of 1.5 units
per acre.
Fight countered that statement by saying a mile
See Mixed 12A
Advance voting
dates, locations set
for Senate runoff
By Kelly Whitmire
kwhitmire@forsythnews.com
Dates, times and locations have been set for
Forsyth County residents to take part in advance
voting for the Tuesday, Dec. 6 Senate runoff election
between incumbent Democratic Sen. Raphael
Warnock and Republican challenger Herschel
Walker.
Advance voting will be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. the
week of Monday, Nov. 28 through Friday, Dec. 2 at
the Forsyth County Voter Registrations and
Elections Office, 1201 Sawnee Drive; Hampton
Park Fibrary, 5345 Settingdown Road; Midway Park
Community Building, 5100 Post Road; and Sharon
Springs Park Community Building, 1950 Sharon
Road.
Voters can cast ballots at any of the sites during
advance voting but will need to go to their assigned
voting precinct on Election Day.
Those locations were also used for advance voting
in the Nov. 8 General Election and Special Election,
the June 21 General Primary and the May 24
General Primary and Nonpartisan General Election.
For more information on the election, go
to ForsythCo.com/Departments-Offices/Voter-
Registrations-Elections.
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