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TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11,2018 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
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Honestly Local
SPLOST VIII
Projects proposed for next sales tax
BY MEGAN REED
mreed@gainesvilletimes.com
Hall County’s next penny
sales tax could help fund
major road projects as well
as a new library, fire training
center and expansion of the
county landfill.
County and city represen
tatives listed those priorities,
among others, at a meeting
Monday, Dec. 10, about the
proposed Special Purpose
Local Option Sales Tax VIII.
The sales tax, which is 1
percent on items also subject
to state sales tax, would go
before voters Nov. 5, 2019.
If approved, it would be in
effect July 1,2020 to June 30,
2026.
County Administrator Jock
Connell said SPLOST is pro
jected to bring in about $197
million over those six years.
Priorities discussed
included:
■ Funding road projects,
including the Sardis Connec
tor and widening of Spout
Springs Road: $76 million
■Building a parking deck
by the Gainesville branch of
the Hall County Library Sys
tem, $4 million
■ Expanding the Hall
County Landfill, $4 million
■ Replacing two to three
ambulances a year, $3
million
■ Fire training center,
$2.6 million
■ Helping build a new
library on Ga. 365: $2 million
■Making heating and air
conditioning improvements
at the Hall County Govern
ment Center: $1.7 million
■ Making mechanical
repairs at the Hall County
Courthouse: $1.08 million
The tax, which is used for
capital improvement proj
ects, must be approved by a
referendum, and the first one
was passed by Hall County
voters in 1985 by 53 percent
of voters. The program has
been gaining popularity
with voters since then, with
SPLOST VII being approved
by 63 percent of voters in
March 2015. Connell said
since the first SPLOST was
approved in 1985, the county
has raised about $700 million
for capital projects.
Projects funded by
SPLOST dollars over the
years include the Hall County
Government Center, expan
sions at the Hall County
Courthouse, several roads
and bridges projects, and
replacements of emergency
vehicles.
“If you can imagine this
community minus $700 mil
lion of roads, bridges, parks,
senior centers and I can go on
and on. Think about it what
it would look like,” Connell
said.
Starbucks expands at Target
SCOn ROGERS I The Times
Debbie Mancaruso and Delaina Murray work a morning shift Monday, Dec, 10, at the newly expanded Starbucks at
the Flowery Branch Target.
Cafe reopens in larger spot at store in Flowery Branch
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
The project took a little longer than
expected, but Starbucks has reopened
in a larger, more open space in the
Target store at 5865 Spout Springs
Road in Flowery Branch.
Some minor tweaks still need to be
made, but the new-concept Starbucks
in Target stores — one of four in the
U.S. and the largest of the four — is
now serving customers beverages
and food.
Seating has increased from 20 to
32, with tables set up facing store
windows and barstools along a long
counter.
“It’s bigger, but more inviting,”
store manager Larry Shaw said dur
ing a visit to the store on Monday,
Dec. 10. “A lot of our (customers)
didn’t even know we had a Starbucks.
You’d come through the checkout
lanes, go by Target Cafe and out the
door, and you just didn’t see it. ”
To enlarge the area, Target Cafe,
which served pizza, went away.
Target is making that change gen
erally at its stores “because the vol
ume is just not there like it used to
be,” Shaw said. “We’re still going to
carry the Cokes, Icees and popcorn.”
Otherwise, it’s all Starbucks, with
its lattes and Frappuccinos, as well
as oven-warmed foods. Soon, the cafe
will offer Nitro Cold Brew, or nitro
gen-infused cold coffee poured from
a tap like beer.
Construction took about six weeks
to complete, a few weeks longer than
expected, with remodeling taking
place — sometimes noisily — behind
plastic sheeting draped around the
area.
“We had to demo everything here
and raise the ceiling up about 2 feet,”
Shaw said. “It was a big undertaking.”
He said customers “were very
understanding ... and very patient
with us.”
The cafe is used not only by Tar
get customers coming or going from
the store, but frequently church and
other social groups, Shaw said.
Deana Brooks, meeting with
other members of the C.W. Davis
Middle School PTO board, said she
was pleased with the renovated
Starbucks.
“This is really, really spacious,”
she said. “It was really small and
crowded before.”
Starbucks is otherwise growing in
South Hall, with stores opening the
past couple of years in Buford and
Oakwood. The chain also has shops
in Kroger grocery stores in Oakwood
and Braselton.
Roads may be icy early this morning
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
AND KELSEY RICHARDSON
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com,
krichardson@gainesvilletimes.com
Black ice may be an issue for this
morning’s commute.
Hall County, among many other
counties, was on alert for frozen rain
and icy conditions overnight, accord
ing to the National Weather Service.
Nichole Listemaa, senior forecaster
with the National Weather Service in
Peachtree City, stressed that people
should exercise caution when driving
on the roads this morning.
“If you don’t have to go in first thing
in the morning, maybe delay going
into work, or at least wait until day
light,” Listemaa said.
Temperatures will warm after sun
rise, resulting in clear skies and a high
Closings and delays
Hall County Schools: Delayed
2 hours
Gainesville City Schools: Delayed
2 hours
Lakeview Academy: Opening at
10:30 a.m.
University of North Georgia:
Opening at 10 a.m.
Brenau University: Opening at
10:30 a.m.
of around 50 degrees. Listemaa said
the ice should clear up throughout the
morning hours.
The start of classes is delayed two
hours for the Hall County and Gaines
ville school systems.
“I apologize for the inconvenience,
but safety will always be our first con
cern,” Hall Superintendent Will Scho
field said.
School system spokesman Gor
don Higgins said buses will still run,
but pickup times will be delayed two
hours as the “definite potential for
black ice” exists in the early morning
hours.
Gainesville Superintendent Jeremy
Williams confirmed the city’s intent to
also take an abundance of caution.
“Please drive carefully,” Williams
said. “The temperatures are expected
to climb quickly after daybreak.”
Lakeview Academy in Gainesville
is delaying its opening until 10:30 a.m.
Lakeview Head of School John Ken
nedy said he made the call about noon
Monday to delay the academy’s open
ing, especially with some students
coming from places farther north,
such as Habersham County.
■ Please see ROADS, 6A
Man who hurt
officers with car
gets 15 years
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
A Gainesville man accused of driving off from a traffic
stop with Gainesville Police officers partially inside the car
was given a 15-year prison sentence Mon
day, Dec. 10.
Fabian Mata Garcia had two counts of his
most serious charges, aggravated assault on
a peace officer, amended to felony obstruc
tion of an officer in a negotiated guilty plea
before Hall County Superior Court Judge
Jason Deal. Deal imposed a sentence of 25
years, with the first 15 years to be served
in confinement. The rest may be served on
probation.
According to the terms of his probation,
Mata must attend two 12-Step addiction recovery meetings,
or an equivalent, per week for 10 years and undergo mental
health treatment and counseling while in custody.
“Aside from the drug issues, he’s just a quiet, good young
guy. It just goes to show the impact of drugs on people’s lives,
and it’s just tragic all around,” defense attorney Tom Csider
said.
Gainesville Police officers stopped an Acura Integra
■ Please see STOP, 6A
Speedy chase,
assault get man
4 years in prison
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
A Gainesville man accused of driving his truck head-on
toward a Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputy and eluding offi
cers on the county’s backroads was given
four years in custody.
Jeremy Brian Frick entered a negoti
ated guilty plea for aggravated assault on
a peace officer, fleeing/eluding, DUI and
other charges Monday, Dec. 10, in Hall
County Superior Court Judge Jason Deal’s
courtroom.
Assistant District Attorney Laura Lukert
played video of a few minutes of the chase,
which Georgia State Patrol took over to
detain Frick.
Lukert called the case a “tragedy in the making,” as Frick
was lucky he didn’t seriously injure himself, the officers or
any bystanders.
Hall County Sheriff’s Office Lt. Scott Ware previously told
The Times deputies saw Frick Dec. 7, 2017, driving reck
lessly near mile marker 17 of Interstate 985.
“At one point during the incident, Frick drove his vehicle,
a Ford 250 truck, head-on at the deputies’ patrol vehicle,
causing the deputy to take evasive action to avoid being
struck,” Ware said.
The deputy was not injured.
The chase exceeded speeds of 100 mph as Frick’s truck
was seen weaving between lanes.
Frick was arrested at Lakeland Road near Cleveland
Highway.
The total sentence is 16 years, with the first four years in
confinement. The rest may be served on probation, and he
will receive credit for time served since the incident.
The lesser offenses in his sentence — which included
crossing the median, failure to maintain lane and speeding,
■ Please see ASSAULT, 6A
Frick
□
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WEATHER 2A
High Low
V 53 32
Lake Lanier level: 1,071.39 feet
Full pool 1,071. Up 0.74 feet in 24 hours
DEATHS 7A
Joe Blackburn, 72
William Bradshaw, 60
Ralph Dalton, 87
Pamela Davenport, 59
Phyllis Fortner, 63
Paul F. Goodman, 87
Denice Lynn Hamby, 46
Laurence Howard Jr., 79
Sandra Gail Kimbrell, 71
Mona Rowland, 82
AnnSherby, 104
Robert Stewart, 57
Jacklyn Tolbert
Lois Walls, 86
Charles T. Westmoreland, 82
Margaret Woodall, 83