Newspaper Page Text
Cherokee Bluff boys and girls
basketball teams take first
wins as a program, sports,ib
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 2018 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
Honestly Local
Final vote count turns to courts
State officials to wait until Friday to certify results of governor’s race
Associated Press
ATLANTA — Georgia’s still
undecided race for governor will
remain in legal limbo for several
more days after a federal court put
the brakes on final certification of
the vote totals in one of the nation’s
hottest midterm matchups.
U.S. District Judge Amy Toten-
berg late Monday ordered state
officials to wait until Friday to
certify final results in the race
Abrams Kemp
between Republican Brian Kemp
and Democrat Stacey Abrams,
and take steps to ensure that pro
visional ballots aren’t improperly
rejected.
The ruling in a lawsuit by an
advocacy group gave Abrams
some hope as she tries to close the
vote gap and force a runoff. Unof
ficial returns give Kemp a slim
majority, but Abrams maintains
that enough uncounted absentee,
mail-in and provisional ballots
remain to force a Dec. 4 runoff
and breathe new life into her bid
to become the first black woman
in American history to be elected
governor of a state.
Meanwhile, several protesters,
including a state senator, were
arrested Tuesday during a dem
onstration at the Georgia Capitol
calling for uncounted ballots to be
tallied.
“I’m being arrested because I
refused to leave the floor of this
building where I’m a state sena
tor,” State Sen. Nikema Williams
said as she was escorted from the
building. “I wasn’t yelling. I wasn’t
chanting. I was standing peacefully
beside constituents I represent.”
Abrams has asked for a hearing
in a separate federal lawsuit that
her campaign filed Sunday. That
suit seeks a more sweeping man
date for how county officials treat
provisional and absentee ballots
rejected for various reasons.
Kemp’s campaign maintains
■ Please see VOTE, 5A
Top of the line
Area companies honored at annual Chamber luncheon
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Area business leaders cele
brated a booming industry climate
in Hall County at a luncheon Tues
day, Nov. 13, recognizing several
companies in particular for their
performance.
Greater Hall Chamber of Com
merce’s 2018 Industry of the Year
top awards were handed out in
three categories:
■ Large employer, with 201
or more employees: Kubota
Manufacturing of America, 2715
Ramsey Road
■ Medium employer, with
51-200 employees: Gainesville
Coca-Cola Bottling Co., 2105
Browns Bridge Road
■ Small employer, with 1-50
employees: FAE USA Inc., 5321
Rafe Banks Drive
The awards were presented dur
ing a luncheon at Chattahoochee
Country Club in Gainesville.
Sponsored by Lanier Techni
cal College, the program honors
existing industry leaders based
on “economic impact, work
force excellence and corporate
responsibility,” according to the
chamber.
Other award winners were
Syfan Logistics, which was recog
nized for corporate responsibility;
ALBAform Inc., safety commit
ment; Wilheit Packaging, environ
mental stewardship; Boost Trans
port LLC, workforce excellence;
and ABB, workforce development.
“I want to thank you... for every
thing you do to make our commu
nity as great as it is,” Gainesville
Mayor Danny Dunagan said.
Richard Higgins, Hall County
■ Please see INDUSTRY, 6A
SCOTT ROGERS I The Times
Elena logha inspects a group of rock cutters Tuesday, Nov. 13, at FAE USA in Flowery
Branch. The Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce awarded the distributor of forestry
and construction land clearing attachments the 2018 Industry of the Year Award for the
small employer category.
AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
Employees work along the assembly line at Kubota on Tuesday, Nov. 13. Kubota was
awarded the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s 2018 Industry of the Year award for a
large-sized employer.
Award winners
Here’s a list of companies
receiving awards at the
Greater Hall Chamber
of Commerce’s 2018
Industry of the Year
luncheon Tuesday, Nov.
13:
Kubota Manufacturing
of America: top large
employer
Gainesville Coca-Cola
Bottling Co.: top medium
employer
FAE USA Inc.: top small
employer
Syfan Logistics: corporate
responsibility
ALBAform Inc.: safety
commitment
Wilheit Packaging:
environmental
stewardship
Boost Transport LLC:
workforce excellence
ABB: workforce
development
More home
study on
Hall school
calendar
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com
The proposed 2019-20 academic year calen
dar for Hall County Schools includes two days
for school-from-home study as officials con
tinue to support education through new means
and sources of content.
The calendar, which the board of education
will vote on at its next meeting, Monday, Nov.
26, also includes an extra
day (three instead of two)
during fall break.
If approved, students
would begin school
Wednesday, Aug. 7, 2019,
and finish May, 22,2020.
The proposed calendar
comes at a time when a Georgia Senate study
committee has been meeting to evaluate how a
shift to a later start date would impact students
and families, regional economies that depend
on the tourism and hospitality industries, and
the interests of local school districts.
Officials with both Hall County and
Gainesville City school systems have said that
■ Please see CALENDAR, 6A
Online
See proposed
calendar at
gainesvilletimes.
com.
Miller nominated
to continue in Ga.
Senate top role
State Sen. Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, has
been nominated to continue to serve in his
role as President Pro Tempore of the Georgia
Senate.
Miller was nominated by
the Georgia Senate Majority
Caucus on Tuesday. He was
elected to the Georgia Senate
in 2010 to represent the 49th
District, which covers most
of Hall County.
“I am grateful to each of
my colleagues for continuing
to entrust me with this lead
ership position,” Miller said in a statement.
“I believe that the future for our great state is
bright and that by working with our incoming
administration and friends in the House, we
can continue to make Georgia the best place
in the nation for business, economic develop
ment and a place for our citizens to call home. ”
This is Miller’s second nomination for the
position. He was first nominated for the Presi
dent Pro Tempore role in January.
His nomination will be voted on when the
Georgia Senate convenes for the 2019 legisla
tive session.
Other North Georgia legislators were also
nominated for top positions Tuesday. State
Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, was nomi
nated to continue his role as Majority Caucus
Whip, and State Sen. John Wilkinson, R-Toc-
coa, was nominated to continue in the position
of Majority Caucus Secretary.
Compiled from Georgia Senate press releases
Miller
□
40901 06835 8
INSIDE
Advice
5B
Bridge
5B
Business
3B
Calendar
2A
Classified
7B
Comics
6B
Life
4B
Lottery
2A
Opinion
4A
Our Region
6A
Sports
1B
TV/puzzles
5B
WEATHER 2A
High Low
Lake Lanier level: 1,070.72 feet
Full pool 1,071. Up 1.09 feet in 24 hours
DEATHS 7A
Robert Ernest Ash, 65
Myrinia Barnett, 72
Robert Wayne Carroll, 80
Ezzle Pugh Evans, 98
Edward Vasco Hughey Jr., 78
Joseph John lannarone, 93
Earnest Jay McCollum, 70
Dawn Caroline Neff, 49
Herald Patterson, 62
Robert Lawton Scroggs, 83
Kimball Grant Turpin, 52
Robert P. Wagner, 47
Ernest Glenn Williams, 76
