About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 27, 2018)
Clermont man now faces federal firearm indictment BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Clermont man previously accused of threat ening to shoot up Wauka Mountain Elementary is now facing an indictment in federal court regarding firearm possession, according to court documents. Thomas Shannon Bruce was indicted by a Hall County grand jury Oct. 15 of terroristic threats, possession of methamphetamine, disrupting a public school and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. According to the indictment, Bruce allegedly told his wife Sept. 5 “he was going to shoot up the school in 15 minutes” and sent her a text message reading “bang, bang.” He is also accused of going to his residence and retrieving a shotgun, accord ing to court records. On Oct. 17, the U.S. District Court in Gaines ville filed a criminal indictment. The grand jury charged him with possessing seven firearms des- pute a previous felony conviction for burglary in Jackson County Superior Court. Attorney Jason Burruss, who is representing Bruce on the local charges, said he is not cur rently representing the Clermont man on federal charges. No attorney was listed for Bruce on the online court records database. Burruss said they have filed a motion for discov ery and a bond hearing. “I’m looking forward to receiving the discov ery from the state and continuing to defend Mr. Bruce,” he said. According to the District Court indictment, Bruce was accused of having a 12-gauge shotgun, one .22 caliber rifle, three .243 WIN caliber rifles and two 30-30 caliber rifles. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office previously told The Times Bruce had called the school to inquire about checking his child out of class, but he was not authorized to do so. School officials have characterized the dispute as a potential custody situation. The U.S. Attorney’s Office did not disclose any further information on the case. “In cooperation with the U.S. Attorney’s office, it was decided to take the firearms charge result ing from the investigation of this matter feder ally,” wrote Northeastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh. “My office will continue to prosecute other charges concerning defendant Bruce.” Bruce HEAT grant to fund area traffic unit, 3 officers BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com The state-funded traffic unit for Gainesville and Hall County received funding for a third year, which pays for three officers and their vehicles. The Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant for $500,000 was announced in February 2017. The Hall County Sheriff’s Office has two officers, and Gainesville Police has one. “The Hall County/Gainesville HEAT Unit has been a great success in keeping the roadways of Hall County safer,” Sheriff’s Office Lt. Todd Casper wrote in an email. The grant was awarded by the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, which is granting $117,615.20 of federal funds for fiscal year 2019. Casper said the money covers the three officers’ salary, benefits, gas and car maintenance for the three patrol vehicles. The highway safety office and the National High way Traffic Safety Administration must give prior written approval before the money can be used to purchase equipment worth $5,000 or more. The start date for the grant is Oct. 1 and runs through Sept. 30,2019. “All allowable costs incurred during this period will be reimbursed at a rate of 100 percent of the awarded federal amount listed above,” according to a letter to Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch from the highway safety office. The grant requires no local matching funds. Something to prove Photos by AUSTIN STEELE I The Times Margie Gill, a professor of psychology at Brenau University, introduces Georgia Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams at Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 26. Abrams stops in Gainesville for bus tour rally Judy Smith, from right to left, Carla Salaam and Celestine Winters cheer on Stacey Abrams during a “We Are Georgia” bus tour event at Brenau University’s Pearce Auditorium on Friday, Oct. 26. BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Speaking to a crowd at Brenau Univer sity, Stacey Abrams said “Georgia has to prove we have a soul.” Abrams and Sarah Riggs Amico, Democratic candidates for governor and lieutenant governor, stopped at the university Pearce Auditorium in Gaines ville on Friday as part of a statewide bus tour. On Nov. 6, Abrams will compete against Republican Brian Kemp and Libertarian Ted Metz for the position of governor. Riggs Amico faces Republican Geoff Duncan. Some ways to show the state has a soul, Abrams said, are programs like wraparound services in Georgia schools, adequate health care and access to men tal health treatment — and protecting civil rights. Abrams told of being invited to the Governor’s Mansion after becoming valedictorian of her DeKalb County high school, but when she arrived after taking public transit with her parents, a staff member at the gate assumed she was not on the guest list. “The only thing I remember about that event is a man standing in front of the most powerful place in Georgia, look ing at me and telling me I don’t belong,” Abrams said. “With your help, on Nov. 6, we’re going to open those gates wide.” Abrams vowed to be “the public edu cation governor,” saying that fully fund ing Georgia’s schools for just one year was not enough. The state’s Quality Basic Education formula, which determines state funding for public schools, was fully funded for the first time this year since its inception in 1985. What happens in a student’s life out side the classroom determines how suc cessful they can be in school, she said, so wraparound services are needed to help Georgia students. “The children who come to school hungry on Monday because they last ate Friday at lunch cannot learn with even the best teacher,” Abrams said. “A child who saw someone get hit in his house hold but does not have the language to describe it needs a counselor.” ■ Please see ABRAMS, 6A License hearing tabled for business that was source of foul odor complaints BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com The public hearing on Hulsey Environmental Ser vices’ business license, which could have been revoked after a hearing scheduled for Thursday, has been tabled until the company’s previous request to build a truck termi nal is handled. Hulsey on Cleveland High way in Clermont has received four citations for having trucks parked on the prop erty, a violation of one of the conditions for the plumbing company’s business license. Hulsey has applied with the county to build a truck termi nal for the property, which would hold about 10 trucks. The Hall County Planning Commission will hear that request on Nov. 5. Clermont residents say an odor in the area can be attributed to Hulsey, which processes byproducts and waste from other businesses, such as poultry plants or res taurants. Hulsey’s attorney, Jim Walters, has said that any trucks at the Clermont prop erty would have been emp tied before arriving there. Srikanth Yamala, the coun ty’s planning director, said a decision about the business license can be made after the company’s pending request for the truck terminal goes through the voting process. Industrial development in Alto tabled The vote on a proposed industrial development in Alto near the Habersham County line has been tabled until Nov. 15. The 204-acre property on Cornelia Highway would likely be used for light ware housing, Dale Hall of Fal con Design Consultants, the applicant for the project, said in August. But the engineer ing firm was still working on finalizing details with poten tial clients, he said. The Hall County Planning Commission unanimously denied the project in August, with members saying they wanted more information. 0 40901 06835 8 INSIDE Advice 5B Bridge 5B Business 8A Calendar 2A Classified 7B Comics 6B Life 4B Lottery 2A Opinion 5A Our Region 6A Sports 1B TV/puzzles 5B WEATHER 2A Lake Lanier level: 1,069.37 feet Full pool 1,071. No change in 24 hours DEATHS 7A Billie Sue Mitchell Anderson, 88 Donna Jean Haynes Farmer, 87 Robert White, 84 Joseph Bennie Armour, 86 Sandra Bird, 77 Adrian Calmi, 60 Calvin Cosson, 63 John Cotton, 91 William Crumley, 62 Barbara Fowler, 71 Sue Maede Franzreb,87 Edward Hix, 62 Betty Jean Day Stone, 81
