About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2020)
FRIDAY, JANUARY 3, 2020 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com ‘Going to make a huge difference’ Turkish '%JL r" 4 "* I lliiikm jd I lift Amu r* nnB util ra m ■ IQ3 * c n« SCOn ROGERS I The Times Freddy’s Quick Serve at 1296 Dawsonville Flighway in Gainesville has multiple signs letting customers know the new legal age to purchase tobacco products. The new legal age has been changed to 21. Tobacco-selling shops react to new age restrictions BY KELSEY PODO kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com On Dec. 20, the nationwide legal age limit for purchasing tobacco products increased from 18 to 21. When Wanda Sanders, owner of Planet X Smoke & Vape in Gainesville, caught wind of the new law enacted by Congress, she immediately responded. She taped a sign on her shop to notify customers about the change in legisla tion, since it is now illegal for retailers to sell any tobacco products, including cigarettes, cigars and e-cigarettes to those under 21. “We don’t make laws, we follow the laws,” Sanders said. “I fully support it. It should have been 21 all along.” Derreck Booth, public information offi cer, said the Hall County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t anticipate a change in its day-to- day approach because of the new law. “Other than a change in the age requirement, enforcement will likely remain the same,” he said. Stephen Hahn, U.S. Food and Drug Administration commissioner, expressed his support of the provision once it passed. “This is a major step in protecting the next generation of children from becom ing addicted to tobacco products,” Hahn tweeted on Dec. 20,2019. “Tobacco prod ucts, including e-cigarettes, should never be market to, sold to, or used by kids.” This new legislation has sparked mixed opinions from tobacco-selling business owners and employees around Hall County. Don Thompson, who works at Smitty’s Cigar Lounge in Gainesville, said he doesn’t understand the age limit increase. “In Georgia you can be arrested as an adult at 17, and now you can’t get ciga rettes until 21,” Thompson said. “What are we creating here?” Since his customer base is 30 and up, Thompson said he doesn’t foresee the loss in underage customers negatively affect ing the cigar shop. Jay Patel, employee at Tobacco Palace & Vape Shop Gainesville, said he doesn’t agree with the recent change. “States should decide the age limit instead of it happening to all,” he said. Josh Thummar, owner of Lakeside Smokes in Gainesville, said he has turned away two to three underage customers per day because of the new law. However, he doesn’t see it as a negative change. “I honestly think it’s going to be a good thing,” he said. “I think it’s going to make SCOn ROGERS I The Times Freddy’s Quick Serve at 1296 Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville has multiple signs letting customers know the new legal age to purchase tobacco products. a huge difference with the (tobacco) epi demic and people who aren’t informed.” Ban imposed on flavored vape e-cigarettes Another change has come to the U.S. with flavored e-cigarettes, which are battery-powered devices that heat liquid — typically a nicotine solution — into an ■ Please see TOBACCO, 5A New Year’s holiday period sees 11 DUIs BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com The Georgia State Patrol post in Gainesville issued 200 citations during the New Year holi day period, and local law enforcement made at least 11 DUI arrests. Georgia State Patrol Gainesville Post Com mander Auston Allen said the post made two DUI arrests. The post had an average of 11 troopers working each day. Allen did not specify what type of offenses led to the most citations during the holiday period. According to the Hall County Sheriff’s Office online database, six DUI arrests were made between Dec. 31 and Jan. 1. The hotspots for arrests and citations included: Interstate 985/Ga. 365, McEver Road, Martin Road, Winder Highway, Talmo Road, Cleveland Highway, Athens Highway, Clarks Bridge Road, Memorial Park Road, Thompson Bridge Road and Candler Highway. Gainesville Police Sgt. Kevin Holbrok said the four traffic unit officers made three DUI arrests, though he was unsure of how many arrests the entire department made during the holiday. “Additionally, our special operations unit was out to provide additional resources and visual crime deterrent,” Holbrook said. Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Der reck Booth said there were eight traffic units on Dec. 31 and two units on Jan. 1. The Sheriff’s Office did not issue a jail log Jan. 2, citing its change to the online database system. Bridge on Hall’s border to close for 180 days The Flowery Branch Road bridge over Interstate 85 is set to close Jan. 6 and will remain closed for about 180 days, pushing more traffic onto Spout Springs Road at the Hall-Gwinnett line. Traffic on Flowery Branch Road north of 1-85 will use Spout Springs as a detour. Traffic on Flowery Branch Road south of 1-85 will use Braselton Highway/Ga. 124 as a detour. Spout Springs runs mostly through South Hall, extending from Interstate 985 in Flowery Branch to Ga. 124 in Gwinnett. During the 180 days, the bridge will be torn down and rebuilt. It is the final bridge replacement required by the widening of 1-85 from four to six lanes between 1-985 in Gwinnett to Ga. 53 in Jackson County. As part of the widening, the Spout Springs Road bridge over 1-85 was reopened in July. Jeff Gill Authorities: Devices in sex offender’s home had explicit videos BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A registered sex offender in Gainesville had two storage devices seized from his home which alleg edly had sexually explicit content involving children, according to authorities. The Georgia Department of Community Supervision’s Gainesville office requested Dec. 2 for Hall County Sher iffs Office deputies to go to the home of Ronald Paul Segars, 65. DCS officers seized two data storage devices from Segars Segars’ home on Whiting Road. According to the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, Segars’ previous offense was child molesta tion, and he has been on parole since August 2018. DCS arrested Segars and charged him with a felony parole violation while the Sheriffs Office continued to investigate the storage devices. “During forensic processing, images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct were discovered on the devices,” Sheriffs Office spokesman Derreck Booth wrote in an email. Segars, who has been in the Hall County Jail since Dec. 2, was served Tuesday, Dec. 31, with a warrant on a sexual exploitation of children charge. According to the Hall County database, no bond has been set. Attorney information was not available for Segars Thursday, Jan. 2. INSIDE WEATHER 2A DEATHS 6A 0 40901 06835 Advice Business Calendar Classified Comics 5B 3B 2A 7B 6B Life 4B Lottery 2A Opinion 4A Sports 1B TV/puzzles 5B A High Low 61 52 Lake Lanier level: 1,068.73 feet Full pool 1,071. No change in 24 hours Emma Abraham, 86 Nancy Barlowe, 93 James Casper Jr., 67 Juanita Clifton, 89 Duane Gatto, 88 Debra Gerrin, 79 Havis Harvey, 59 Eli Seitz, 20 John Smith Jr., 82 Willie Stringer, 74 Tommy Wilson, 56 Bebe Yarbrough, 89 HULSEY PLUMBING PLUMBING RESIDENTIAL & COMMERCIAL -B SEPTIC Call us! We’ll be there! 770-536-1161 ***** WATER HEATERS DRAINS www.HulseyPlumbing.com
