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Gainesville graduate named defensive
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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
10 local stories to watch in 2019
Our editorial staff share what local issues will be driving the news cycle over the next year
Times staff reports
What follows is a compilation
of those issues likely to dominate
headlines in Hall County for the
next 365 days. It’s by no means an
exhaustive list, but Times report
ers, who follow these issues every
day, believe these are at least some
of the stories to watch in 2019.
DEVELOPMENT
Residential building
Several large projects, includ
ing houses, townhomes and apart
ments, were approved last year by
various governments.
One of the largest was a 325-
home subdivision off McEver
Road in Flowery Branch, where
several other residential develop
ments are already underway. Also
planned in Flowery Branch is a
325-unit apartment complex off
Phil Niekro Boulevard.
Industry
Construction is expected to start
in August 2019 on an inland port
planned off Ga. 365 in northeast
Hall along a long, thin strip of land
next to Norfolk Southern railroad
lines.
One of the largest projects com
ing is Gateway Village, a 522-acre
development that could feature up
to 2.6 million square feet in indus
trial and commercial space.
Work on the project could begin
by late spring.
“We plan to start the grading and
putting in the infrastructure for
the project (by then),” said Jona
than Collins of Gainesville-based
Capstone Property Group, which is
developing Gateway.
Downtown and midtown
Gainesville
After purchasing a 6.8-acre prop
erty on the southern end of the
pedestrian bridge over Jesse Jew
ell Parkway, the city of Gainesville
is now working to recruit a devel
oper for the site, with the goal of
bringing people across the bridge
and encouraging further develop
ment in midtown.
Carroll Daniel Construction’s
new 60,000-square-foot headquar
ters at Jesse Jewell and Main
Street will have retail, restaurant
and office space on the first floor.
That development is set to open
over the summer.
Another key piece of down
town real estate that may see
some changes in 2019 is the site
of Engine 209 at Jesse Jewell and
West Academy Street. The city’s
redevelopment authority, which
currently has control of the 1.7-
acre property, is working with two
potential buyers, the Northeast
Georgia Health System and Knight
Commercial Realty. Knight has the
■ Please see STORIES, 6A
NEW YEAR BABIES
Roundabout
Brandy Mitchell tends to her newborn Andrew Stephens
Tuesday, Jan. 1, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Braselton. The boy was born at 12:32 a.m. making him the
first baby born of the year in Hall County.
Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times
Darci Fleming hold their newborn son Hart on Tuesday, Jan.
1, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center Women and
Children’s Pavilion in Gainesville. Thomas Hart Fleming III
was born at 12:34 a.m.
First Hall baby
was in a hurry
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Gainesville’s first
baby waits for Jan.
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Andrew Michael Stephens’ arrival on Jan. 8 would have
been touching, as he would have shared the birthday of his
late great-grandfather and partial namesake.
Instead, the 6-pound, 11-ounce boy was born at 12:32 a.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 1, one week before his due date, at Northeast
Georgia Medical Center Braselton, becoming Hall County’s
first baby of 2019.
And 20-inch Andrew was in a hurry to get here.
His mom, Brandy Mitchell, of Flowery Branch, arrived at
Thomas and Darci Fleming were hoping for a December
baby so the family could all celebrate December birthdays.
Thomas Hart Fleming III had different plans.
“We started getting closer to midnight on (Dec. 31) and we
knew that wasn’t going to happen,” the father said.
Thomas III, who will go by Hart, was born at 12:34 a.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 1, at Northeast Georgia Medical Center
Gainesville — the first baby of the year at the hospital. He
weighed 6 pounds and 13 ounces and was 21 inches long.
■ Please see FIRST, 6A
■ Please see NEW, 6A
gets start date
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Construction on the roundabout at Martin Road
and JM Turk roads in South Hall could begin in late
May, after school is out for the summer.
“We are currently in the design phase,” Hall
County spokeswoman Katie Crumley said in a recent
email.
Right of way acquisition plans are expected by
mid-January “so we can start that process,” she said.
“The plan is to bid out the project in April.”
Construction of the roundabout, which will be near
Hall County Schools’ Martin Technology Academy
of Math and Science, was recommended in a Martin
Road transportation study completed in early 2018.
The road fix “would be effective in solving the
geometric problems at this intersection, as well as
improving the overall safety,” states a report sub
mitted to Hall County by Newnan-based Wilburn
Engineering.
Hall County agreed and pursued the improvement,
along with stop signs on Martin Road in an overall
move to slow traffic on the busy road.
Martin connects Falcon Parkway/Ga. 13 to
Winder Highway/Ga. 53, and it will become H.F.
Reed Industrial Parkway at a new interchange, Exit
14, being built off Interstate 985. The interchange is
set for completion in 2019.
In spring 2018, Hall County officials learned they
had gotten $640,000 from the state for roundabout.
“The project will improve safety by addressing
vertical and horizontal curvature issues, slowing
traffic and mitigating truck traffic, which is likely
to increase with the addition of a new exit off 1-985,”
according to a press release from Gov. Nathan Deal’s
office at the time.
Darlene Long, chairwoman of Martin Road Stake
holders, a citizens group tracking the road improve
ments, said at the time her group was pleased the
roundabout was being funded.
“This will discourage freight truck traffic onto
Martin Road and also help the communities on JM
Turk Road with this dangerous intersection,” she
said. “Hopefully it will be completed before Exit 14
is finished.”
More changes are coming to Martin Road as part
of the Georgia Department of Transportation’s inter
change project.
Plans call for widening of Martin from two
to four lanes with a raised 20-foot median from
Falcon Parkway to the school.
As a result, left turns out of Martin Technology
Academy may not be allowed, “which wouldn’t be a
bad thing to do already, ” Hall Schools Superintendent
Will Schofield has said. “I welcome that. We do that at
some of our schools, where we only allow right turns
during drop-off and pickup.”
0 40901 06835
INSIDE
Advice
5B
Business
3B
Calendar
2A
Comics
6B
Opinion
4A
Our Region
6A
Sports
1B
WEATHER 2A
A High Low
77^59 49
Lake Lanier level: 1,073.82 feet
Winter full pool 1,070. Up 0.21 feet in 24 hours
DEATHS 7A
William E. Bagwell, 89
Joyce Bell, 88
Mabel Bryan, 82
John Mansfield Sr., 86
Henry Minor, 86
Gary Black, 70
Nellie Cantrell, 90
Steve Carlan, 64
Mack Charles, 76
Teresa Colvin, 50
James Crawford, 93
James Evers, 70
James Ferguson Jr.
Dwayne Gill, 17
Joan Hayes, 90
David Hunt, 74
Mary Jarrett, 87
Margaret Harris, 83
Ruth Miller, 94
Anthony Oliver, 64
Jesse Page, 92
Alton Richards Sr., 83
Joseph Stadnick, 73
Vernon Stewart Jr., 58
Winifred Swingle, 92
James Thompson, 66
Hugh Totherow, 58
Susan Wilko, 68
David Williamson, 64
Rosanna Wise, 98
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