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The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Wednesday, November 14, 2018 7A
Delta tax break facing ‘tough climb’ with lawmakers
BY RUSS BYNUM
Associated Press
ATLANTA — The Georgia
House speaker questioned the
need for renewing a $38 million tax
break for Delta Air Lines and other
carriers as state lawmakers recon
vened Tuesday for a special legisla
tive session called by the governor.
Gov. Nathan Deal ordered leg
islators back to the Capitol pri
marily to approve $270 million in
funding for cleanup and recovery
efforts associated with Hurricane
Michael’s devastating march across
southwest Georgia last month.
But the House and Senate must
also revisit lifting the state sales
tax on jet fuel.
Controversy erupted over the
perk earlier this year when Lt. Gov.
Casey Cagle and Senate Republi
cans declared they were killing the
tax break to punish Delta,
one of Georgia’s largest pri
vate employers. Lawmak
ers were outraged when
Delta ended fare discounts
for National Rifle Asso
ciation members after the
school shootings in Park
land, Florida.
Deal ended up salvag
ing the tax exemption with
an executive order. But state law
requires the legislature to ratify
that order. If lawmakers approve,
the break stays in effect until the
fiscal year ends June 30. If the pro
posal fails, airlines would owe retro
active sales taxes dating to Aug. 1.
“I said last week I thought it
was going to have a tough
climb,” House Speaker
David Ralston told report
ers as the session opened
Tuesday. “I still think
that.”
Ralston said he doesn’t
know whether the mea
sure would pass the House
or not. But he said it’s up to
Delta and other airlines to
prove not only that they need the
tax relief, but that granting it would
benefit Georgia’s economy.
“I have serious concerns and
questions in my own mind that they
haven’t done that,” Ralston said.
Whatever happens, lawmak
ers are expected to work quickly.
Ralston and Cagle, who presides
over the Senate, predicted Tues
day the session will last five days.
The House Appropriations Com
mittee planned to take up amend
ing the state budget to include
money for hurricane recovery
Wednesday. Deal, who leaves
office in January, was scheduled
to make his case to the committee.
Michael charged into rural
southwest Georgia as a powerful
Category 3 hurricane in October.
Insurance Commissioner Ralph
Hudgens’ office says residents filed
68,000 claims worth $700 million in
damage and losses to homes, busi
nesses and vehicles. That’s $60
million more than Georgia’s com
bined insured losses from Hurri
canes Matthew and Irma, which
struck in 2016 and 2017.
“We’re going to be very aggres
sive and do everything we possibly
can to help the farming commu
nities in that part of the state,”
Ralston said.
The session opened on a som
ber note Tuesday as lawmakers
learned Rep. John Meadows,
chairman of the powerful House
Rules Committee, had died earlier
that morning.
Ralston
OBITUARIES
Robert “Bobby”
Ernest Ash
Feb. 3, 1953-Nov. 12, 2018
Mr. Robert “Bobby” Ernest Ash, 65, of
Gainesville passed away on Monday, Nov.
12, 2018, at Willow Wood
Nursing Home following
an extended illness.
Funeral services are
scheduled for Thursday,
Nov. 15, 2018, at 11 a.m.
in the Chapel of Memo
rial Park Funeral Home
with interment to follow in
Memorial Park Cemetery.
The Rev. Stan Lovell will officiate. The
family will receive friends on Wednesday,
Nov. 14, 2018, from 5-8 p.m. at the funeral
home.
Bobby was born on Feb. 3, 1953, in
Gainesville, Ga., to the late Loyd Wilson
Ash and Myrtle “Tina” Ash. He was a mem
ber of Central Baptist Church. His greatest
joy was spending time with his family. He
is preceded in death by his parents; wife,
Melanie Ash; and sister, Janie Brown.
Mr. Ash is survived by his daughter and
son-in-law, Elizabeth Ash Bearden (Sean)
of Gainesville; daughter, Jodi Ash of
Washington, D.C.; grandchildren, Nahum
Bearden, Asher Bearden, Titus Bearden,
Enoch Bearden and Selah Bearden; sister
and brother-in-law, Nancy Martin (Ellis)
of Gainesville; sister, Evelyn Trifiletti of
Gainesville; brother-in-law, Jerry Brown
of Gainesville; numerous nieces and
nephews; and a number of brothers and
sisters-in-law.
Send online condolences to www.memo-
rialparkfuneralhomes.com.
Memorial Park Funeral Home,
Gainesville
Sign the online guest book at gainesville-
times.com.
The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
Nov. 14, 2018
Ezzle Pugh Evans
Sept. 15, 1920-Nov. 10, 2018
Ezzle Pugh Evans, 98, of Buford, Ga.,
passed away Saturday, Nov. 10,2018.
She was preceded in death by her husband
of 41 years, Martin Marvin
Evans; parents, Chesley
and Oral Dodd Pugh; sister,
Margie Pugh Youngblood;
brothers, Winfred, Ray and
Carl Pugh.
She is survived by her
son, Randy Evans, Monti-
cello, Ga.; daughters, Vir
ginia Born Carter, Sandy
Evans Cato, Vicky Evans
Arnette-Alarcon, Buford, Ga.; sister, Dean
Pugh Jones, Sugar Hill, Ga.; and numerous
beloved grandchildren, great-grandchildren
and great-great-grandchildren. Ezzle is also
survived by a large number of loving nieces,
nephews and cousins.
Ezzle Evans was born Sept. 15, 1920, in
Buford, Ga. She was a member of Island
Ford Baptist Church during her youth, and
was part of the extended Pugh family well-
known in the community that became the
Buford Dam area. When Ezzle married
Martin Evans, they moved to southern Hall
County and became established as owners
of Evans’ Garage and later, Evans’ Grocery,
located at 988 Gainesville Highway. They
raised a family of four children in a beloved
community of neighbors where the family
joined Mount Salem Baptist Church.
In later years, Ezzle was an employee
of Georgia Boot and Avery Label. Ezzle
was a very skilled carpenter and seasoned
mechanic. She was Martin’s right-hand man,
working beside him in their successful auto
motive repair business. In 1952, they con
verted the garage to a grocery store because
of Martin’s poor health. Ezzle used her car
penter and home improvement skills to keep
Evans’ grocery and their 1907 home lasting
into the next millennium.
After retirement, Ezzle had time to pursue
her love of gardening and to build more rab
bit boxes and bird houses with her blessed
grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
With grace and a loving heart, Ezzle Pugh
Evans’ greatest accomplishment in life was
the lasting legacy of unconditional love that
she passed on to her family.
A celebration of life service will be held
at Island Ford Baptist Church in Buford, Ga.,
on Saturday, Nov. 17, at 1 p.m. Interment
will follow at Island Ford Cemetery. The
church will be open at noon on Saturday for
visitation with the family. To express condo
lences, please sign our online guest book at
www.flaniganfuneralhome.com.
Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory,
Buford
Sign the online guest book at gainesville-
times.com.
The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
Nov. 14, 2018
Earnest Jay McCollum
April 8, 1948-Nov. 11, 2018
Earnest Jay McCollum, 70, passed away
on Sunday, Nov. 11,2018.
He is survived by his wife of 48 years,
Susan; daughter, Melissa Lovell; son,
Daniel McCollum; sister and brother-in-
law, Rhonda and Terry Gladden; beloved
granddaughters, Avalon and Alena Lovell;
and many other special friends and family
members.
E. Jay, as he was known to many, was
born on April 8, 1948, in Lavonia, Ga. The
only son of GP and Mary McCollum, he
grew up with his sister, Rhonda, in Clarkes-
ville, Ga. He was never the most studious.
All reports indicate that he spent more time
in the pool hall than at the library of the Uni
versity of Georgia, before graduating with
a degree in business. This love of pool later
blossomed into a side business of making
custom pool cues.
He served honorably in the United States
Army Reserves, obtaining the rank of Cap
tain. He rarely spoke of his service, with his
children only learning of his military time
when they noticed military intelligence cof
fee mugs on the mantle. Not one to brag, he
never applied the term veteran to himself
despite his time of honorable service.
He earned his law degree from John Mar
shall Law School in 1973. He spent the vast
majority of his career as a prosecutor in the
district attorney’s office in Clarkesville. For
over 24 years, he served as Chief Assistant
District Attorney. Widely recognized as a
formidable trial attorney, he was awarded
the Assistant District Attorney of the Year
Award for the state of Georgia in 1993. He
focused on some of the most challenging
cases, specializing in crimes against chil
dren. Sadly, he was very busy.
E. Jay was always associated with the
story of the “sand dollar man.” In this story,
a stranger questions a man throwing back
sand dollars one at a time on a beach lit
tered with thousands of them. “Don’t you
see there are too many? How can what one
man does matter?” the stranger understand
ably asks. After throwing one more back,
the sand dollar man answers: “It mattered
to that one.” There is no more apt summary
of his character and his lifelong service to
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INTRODUCING^
Little & Davenport
Funeral Home
To inquire about pricing packages available to
memorialize a pet in print, please contact Megan Lewis
at 770-535-6371 or mlewis@gainesvilletimes.com
Pets at Peace will appear in The Times
the last Sunday of each month.
the children of North Georgia. E. Jay was a
man of integrity who will be sorely missed.
A memorial service will be held at 11
a.m. on Saturday, Nov. 17, 2018, at Whit
field Funeral Home, North Chapel, Demor-
est, Ga., with the Rev. Steve McIntyre
officiating.
The family will receive friends from 10
a.m. until the memorial hour on Saturday,
Nov. 17,2018, at the funeral home.
Flowers are welcome, as are donations to
St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 262
Danny Thomas Place, Memphis, TN 38105.
A special thank you to the many friends
who have already or will reach out to the
family, as we appreciate all of your thoughts
and prayers.
“Go Rest High On That Mountain, Jay.”
Those wishing to express online condo
lences to the family may do so by visiting
www.whitfieldfuneralhomes.com.
Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory,
North Chapel, Demorest
Sign the online guest book at gainesville-
times.com.
The Times, Gainesville, Ga.
Nov. 14, 2018
DEATH NOTICES
Myrinia Barnett
Died Nov. 9,2018
Myrinia Barnett, 72, of Gainesville died
Nov. 9. Funeral service, noon Thursday,
Nov. 15, Antioch Baptist Church. Wimberly
Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Robert Wayne Carroll
Died Nov. 13, 2018
Robert Wayne Carroll, 80, of Flowery
Branch died Tuesday. Memorial Park
Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Edward Vasco Hughey Jr.
Died Nov. 12, 2018
Edward Vasco Hughey Jr., 78, of Jeffer
son died Monday. Wimberly Funeral Home,
Gainesville.
Joseph John lannarone
Died Nov. 12, 2018
Joseph John lannarone, 93, of Gainesville
died Monday. Little & Davenport Funeral
Home and Crematory, Gainesville.
Dawn Caroline Neff
Died Nov. 7,2018
Dawn “Dawney” Caroline Neff, 49, of
Flowery Branch died Nov. 7. Funeral ser
vice, 2 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 14, funeral
home. Ward’s Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Herald Patterson
Nov. 2, 1956-Nov. 11, 2018
Herald Patterson, 62, of Lilburn died Sun
day. Funeral service, noon Saturday, Nov.
17, Victory World Church, Norcross. Flani
gan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford.
Robert Lawton Scroggs
Sept. 9, 1935-Nov. 10,2018
Robert Lawton Scroggs, 83, of Nichol
son died Saturday. Funeral service, 2 p.m.
Thursday, Nov. 15, funeral home. Whitfield
Funeral Home, South Chapel, Baldwin.
Kimball Grant Itirpin
Died Nov. 6,2018
Kimball Grant Turpin, 52, of Gainesville
died Nov. 6. Funeral service, 11 a.m. Wednes
day, Nov. 14, funeral home chapel. Memorial
Park Funeral Home, Gainesville.
Robert P. Wagner
Died Nov. 11,2018
Robert P. Wagner, 47, of Cumming died
Sunday. Visitation, 3-8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 16,
funeral home. McDonald and Son Funeral
Home, Cumming.
Ernest Glenn Williams
Died Nov. 10,2018
Ernest “Ernie” Glenn Williams, 76, of
Dahlonega died Nov. 10. Memorial service,
1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17, funeral home.
Dahlonega Funeral Home, Dahlonega.
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