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Sisters selling baked goods to raise money for Humane Society. See story Page 3A Sports Delgadillo scores 14 to help North defeat South in boys basketball. Page IB FORSYTH COUNTY NEWS Midweek Edition-December 7-8, 2022 FORSYTHNEWS.COM forsythcountynews Q @ForsythNews (@J @ForsythNews $1.00 BOE looks at how to ease taxpayer burden By Sabrina Kerns skerns@forsythnews.com The Forsyth County Board of Education is getting a head start on discussing the school district’s 2024 budget to find ways to keep up with growth while easing pressure on taxpayers. All of the current and incoming board members met alongside Superintendent Dr. Jeff Bearden on Thursday, Dec. 1, for a called meeting where each member expressed their ideas and expec tations for the next budget. “This now gives time early enough so that the superinten dent, deputy superintendent and CFO can all come together now with staff and say, ‘Here are our expectations going forward,”’ Chairman Wes McCall said. Before, McCall said Bearden and his team have always worked on the budget based on the board’s past expectations. Now that the economy is changing, however, board members want to find ways to change the budget to benefit taxpayers while maintain ing quality education. This discussion comes in light of budget hearings in June in which several community mem bers asked the board lower the millage rate to help property owners. For 2023, the board decided to keep the millage rate the same for the eighth consecu tive year. That could change, however, in 2024 as Tom Cleveland, District 3 representative, and other mem bers said they hope to minimize expenditures by keeping their cost per student the same. Cleveland said the district saw a rare increase in its cost per stu dent this past year that was “war ranted” as the district focused on providing student resources and increasing staff pay to remain See BOE 14A Spreading Christmas cheer Ashlyn Yule Forsyth County News The annual City of Cumming Christmas Parade & Festival was held Saturday, Dec. 3. Cummings annual parade ushers in holiday season By Ashlyn Yule ayule@forsythnews.com Christmas was in full swing over the weekend as hundreds of Forsyth County residents lined up in downtown Cumming to watch local officials and friendly faced strangers give out candy, celebrate the hol idays and pull carefully lit parade floats down the road. The fifth annual City of Cumming Christmas Parade & Festival took place on Saturday, Dec. 3 and was the perfect way to ring in the holi day season. The parade started with Forsyth Central’s Flash of Crimson Marching Band leading the charge behind depu ties from the sheriff’s office, playing wintery tunes and setting the See Parade 14A Ashebrooke Night of Lights coming Dec. 18 By Ashlyn Yule ayule@forsythnews.com Residents across the county have been wait ing with bated breath for one of Forsyth’s most anticipated Christmas events to be scheduled. The 17th annual Ashebrooke Night of Fights released its one-night-only schedule for 2022 on Facebook, letting residents know the event will start at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Residents of the Ashebrooke subdivision will be putting on another spectacular show this year with thousands of lights strung up on houses throughout the neighborhood. This year’s recipients of funds, according to the event’s Facebook page, are two Ashebrooke residents: Rita Huls and Feigh Ann Pritz. Huls is an 8-year-old girl that has under gone surgery to remove a cancerous tumor from her spinal cord and continues to receive treatment for strength and help with scoliosis. Pritz received a diagnosis of Non Hodgkin’s Fymphoma in 2017 and has recently started an immunotherapy treatment See Lights 14A FCN file photo The 17th annual Ashebrooke Night of Lights will be at 6 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 18. Juvenile airlifted to hospital after wreck in north Forsyth By Kelly Whitmire kwhitmire@forsythnews.com A juvenile was airlifted to an area hospital with “serious injuries” after a wreck on Sunday, Dec. 4, according to information from the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office. According to FCSO offi cials, the wreck occurred on Mayfield Drive, which was closed due to the crash, at about 12:30 p.m. on Sunday and involved a 2015 Hyundai Elantra and a 2013 Ford F-150. Forsyth County Fire Department officials said two others were also injured in the crash. The wreck is under investi gation, and no charges have been filed. FCSO officials said the juve nile is recovering at an area hospital and a report on the crash would not be available due to the juvenile’s age and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, or HIPAA. HIPAA laws apply to patient information. FCN has request ed the accident report. 70/60 Forecast 12A Tam's Backstage serves holiday feast to older adults, people in need,4A Forsyth County News app available for download Find the app at forsythnews.com/apps for local news at your fingertips. 90994 0400 Volume 113, Number 93 © 2022, Forsyth County News Cumming, Georgia LOOK TO NORTHSIDE ■~f«i