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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 12,2018 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
★
Honestly Local
Inferno in midtown
Photos by AUSTIN STEELE I The Times
A Gainesville firefighter begins to work a structure fire at Bradford Street and Industrial Boulevard on Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Huge blaze causes empty building to collapse
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@
gainesvilletimes.com
A large plume of black
smoke could be seen from
miles away from a fire in
midtown Gainesville on
Tuesday.
The fire was at what
appeared to be a vacant
building at Bradford Street
and Industrial Boulevard,
according to Keith Smith,
spokesman with the Gaines
ville Fire Department.
Nearby businesses were
not affected, he said. Fire
fighters were putting out hot
spots late Tuesday.
Smith said the fire mar
shal was doing an inspection
at a nearby building when
he spotted the smoke.
“He actually walked into
the building and saw moder
ate smoke, came back out
and called for a commer
cial assignment. By the time
we got over here, less than
five minutes, the building
was fully involved and then
began collapsing,” Smith
said.
Bystanders said it started
at about 2:30 p.m.
Scott Reed, a supervi
sor with nearby Summit
■ Please see FIRE, 6A
Gainesville firefighters work a structure fire at Bradford Street and Industrial Boulevard on
Tuesday, Dec. 11.
Attorney
challenges
seizure of
man’s ride
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
One of Richard Jamison Smith’s first questions to his
attorney Matthew Cavedon: What can you do about my
moped?
Smith bought the $3,000 vehicle earlier this year,
which is his main form of transportation.
“I just sold my house and I had gotten the money
from the selling of the house. I went out and purchased
it for $3,000 in full,” Smith said.
Roughly a month after purchasing the moped, Smith
was found with a couple of grams of methamphetamine
in his backpack while riding the moped.
“He was riding a moped at the time of his arrest.
That is the only connection between the moped and his
crime,” Cavedon said.
In early October, the Northeastern Judicial Circuit
District Attorney’s Office filed a case to seize the prop
erty under what is known as civil forfeiture, where
property connected to illegal activity may be seized by
law enforcement.
Citing the pending nature of the case, Northeastern
Judicial Circuit District Attorney Lee Darragh declined
■ Please see RIDE, 6A
Hall Schools
drop Mayfield
over milk service
BY JOSHUA SILAVENT
jsilavent@gainesvilletimes.com
The closing of a Mayfield Dairy plant in Braselton
this fall appears to have prompted a run of late deliver
ies and shortages of milk to schools in the Hall County
School District, according to officials.
On Monday, Dec. 10, the Board of Education voted to
end its contract with Mayfield effective Dec. 27.
The board also approved an approximately $500,000
contract with Borden Dairy, effective Jan. 2,2019, to ful
fill this need going forward.
Cheryl Jones, director of nutrition for Hall Schools,
said Mayfield’s service had become “lousy” since Sep
tember and was not meeting its delivery and quantity
schedule.
“That’s pretty low quality,” Superintendent Will
Schofield.
“It’s been disappointing,” Jones told board members.
“This is our next step. (We) can’t mess around.”
Mayfield announced late this past summer that it
would close its local plant and lay off more than 100
workers.
Representatives could not be reached for comment.
Milk, like bread, is a staple of school cafeterias across
the United States.
In fact, federal regulations and nutrition guidelines
■ Please see MILK, 6A
‘Just’ People opens apartment complex in Flowery Branch
BY KELSEY RICHARDSON
krichardson@gainesvilletimes.com
Through laughter, tears and
applause, more than 100 people
witnessed the grand opening of the
Flowery Branch Village on Tues
day, Dec. 12.
Thanks to the new apartment
community, adults with develop
mental disabilities in Hall County
now have the chance to live
independently.
The Flowery Branch Village is a
partnership between “Just” People
Inc. and Beckel Inc., a property
management company.
“This means a lot to me because
all my life I’ve wanted to help peo
ple,” Becky Dowling, co-founder
of “Just” People said before the
crowd. “This is just over-the-top to
me, it’s my opportunity to say, ‘You
deserve this.’ I love them all so
much and I’m so excited for them
to have a real life, like we all do.”
The development in Flowery
Branch is the nonprofit’s third
residential facility. Over the past
week 62 people have moved into
the residential area, and 25 more
will arrive in the upcoming weeks.
The Flowery Branch Village is
able to house 144 residents with 64
independent living apartments and
20 supportive living apartments.
Carroll Daniel Construction Co.
implemented the building of the
small community.
From competing in the local
Special Olympics, to taking bowl
ing trips, residents with “Just” Peo
ple receive many opportunities to
live like people without disabilities.
They additionally are provided
with transportation to and from
work.
Frank Roberts, who lived in the
nonprofit’s Roswell location for 14
years, moved into his new home in
Flowery Branch last week. Roberts
said he is happy to be a part of such
a wonderful organization.
“I love just being by myself and
more independent,” he said. “It’s
more peaceful here.”
Although the Flowery Branch
location only started receiving
residents on Monday, Dec. 3, Dowl
ing said she has already seen a
positive difference in the way they
■ Please see JUST, 6A
scon ROGERS I The Times
Just People’s apartment complex The Village of Flowery Branch holds a
grand opening Tuesday, Dec. 11, in Flowery Branch.
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Full pool 1,071. Down 0.06 feet in 24 hours
DEATHS 7A
Taylor Nichole Adkins, 16
Betty Borders
Melissa Simpson Cahill, 61
Walter Thomas Carry, 88
Jane Cox, 68
Pamela Denise Davenport, 59
Jordan Earls, 27
Penithia Hamer
Freddie James Knight, 73
Leroy Littlejohn, 70
William Jonathan Looney, 61
John Wesley Samuels
Janett Shreffler, 83
Julius O. Thomas Jr., 89
Danny Lloyd Umberhant, 64
Lois Mae Hill Walls, 86
