About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Nov. 2, 2018)
FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 2, 2018 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Remembering family through unique bread creations. life,4b Honestly Local Gainesville to use land for business park BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com The city of Gainesville hopes to build a 1,300-acre business park on Allen Creek Road near U.S. 129 using land the city has owned since 1990. On Tuesday, Nov. 6, the city coun cil will vote to start the application process for permits with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The city plans to work with the Greater Hall Chamber of Com merce to recruit tenants for the business park, which according to current plans has been divided into 20 lots. The property will be 1.6 miles from Interstate 985 and about 13 miles from Interstate 85. The first tenant has already signed on — the city of Gainesville plans to use one of the lots for a new maintenance facility for the water resources and public works depart ments. That site will be used for equipment storage and fleet vehicle maintenance. City Manager Bryan Lackey said there are five business parks within city limits that are starting to get full. “It’s great to have all this activ ity in Gainesville with companies wanting to expand and companies coming in.... We don’t want to turn away people that are wanting to be in our community,” Lackey said. Lackey said the project also will drive sewer expansion on the U.S. 129 corridor, where several large properties are undeveloped due to a lack of sewer access. No timeline for the project has been determined, and the first steps are permitting and design, Lackey said. Construction will be done in phases, with lots being developed as businesses agree to move in. The city purchased the land in 1990, when state and federal regu lations required municipalities to use spray irrigation for sewer treat ment plants. The land, which is next to the Allen Creek Soccer Complex, has been sitting empty, Lackey said. ■ Please see BUSINESS, 8A Hall woman found guilty in dog death case, gets five years JIM DEAN I Forsyth County News Defense attorney Rate Banks questions his client, dog groomer Michelle Root, on Wednesday in Forsyth County. Former groomer arrested in 2017 after two pets die under her care BY ALEXANDER POPP apopp@forsythnews.com A former Forsyth County dog groomer has been convicted of aggra vated cruelty to animals and sentenced to five years in prison for kicking and choking a dog to death in October 2017. On Thursday morning, a jury con victed Michelle Louise Root, 44, of Hall County, for killing a dog named Meko. Root was acquitted of a second charge of aggravated animal cruelty for the death of another dog. Root’s five-year sentence includes three years in prison and two years of probation. Root also faces fines, com munity service hours and restitution. Root is also prohibited from ever car ing for or grooming any animal not owned by her. ■ Please see DOG, 8A Lisa Riles, a former employee of Paw’sh Paws, cries while testifying this week during the animal cruelty trial for Hall County woman Michelle Root. BEN HENDREN For the Forsyth County News CVS employee stabbed in head during robbery BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A CVS employee was seriously injured when a masked man lodged a knife in the worker’s head dur ing a robbery early Thursday, Nov. 1, at the Gaines ville store. Brandon Shane Dudley, 33, entered the store at 103 Jesse Jew ell Parkway demanding money and “immediately struck the employee in the head with a knife, lodging it into his head,” according to Gainesville Police. Sgt. Kevin Holbrook did not have any information on the mask or knife used in the case. “The victim was actually able to give officers a good deal of information that actually helped us,” he said, giving police information on the suspect’s description. Officers responded at about 1 a.m. to the reported robbery, and the male employee was transported in ■ Please see CVS, 8A Teen injured in pumpkin chuckin’ event at church BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A 16-year-old was taken to Northeast Georgia Medi cal Center in critical condition after being injured at a “pumpkin chuckin’’ event Wednesday, according to police. Oakwood police officers responded on Halloween night along with Hall County Fire Services to a report of a traumatic injury at Cornerstone Assembly of God church on Atlanta Highway. “Upon arrival, officers discovered a 16-year-old male had been seriously injured during a ‘pumpkin chuckin’ event,” investigator Todd Templeton wrote in an email. The church was hosting a Trunks of Treats event that advertised games, inflatables, candy and a pump kin launcher. Paramedics transported the teenager to the hospital. Officers said the teenager was firing a pumpkin launcher similar to a large slingshot with two posts in the ground and rubber in the middle. “While firing the pumpkin, the teen was injured by ■ Please see PUMPKIN, 8A INSIDE 0 40901 06835 Advice 5B Bridge 5B Business 7A Calendar 2A Classified 7B 8 Comics 6B Life 4B Lottery 2A Opinion 6A Our Region 8A Sports 1B TV/puzzles 5B WEATHER 2A A High Low Wf 61 42 Lake Lanier level: 1,069.34 feet Full pool 1,071. Down 0.04 feet in 24 hours DEATHS 9A Lena Mae Abernathy, 78 Barbara Blanton Allen, 75 John Cotton, 91 Guy Samuel Medlock, 65 Charles Ebb Scott, 68 Barbara Odom Smith Willie Jay Bradford, 78 Cheryl Ann Balogh Carter, 74 Billie Dean, 64 Roland H. Force, 71 Sharon Kay Hudson, 55 Jerry Jenkins, 64 Robert Woodrow Jett Jr. Kendra Louise Koch, 72 Nancy W. Marlowe, 76 Serving North Georgia with Integrity deliver results fight for you and the beliefs your support, I will continue our entire district.” - Rep. Doug Collins Doug — Delivered: — >/ Tax Cuts >/ Expanded Broadband Access >/ Increased Health Care Choice >/ Record Economic Growth >/ Improved Border Security Paid for by Collins for Congress
