About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2018)
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 11,2018 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Documentary explores roots, culture of Georgia wine. life,4b 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 □ 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 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
