North Hall girls advance to
Class 3A quarterfinals with win
over Savannah. SPORTS, 1B
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 20,2020 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
These monsters are revving their
way to Gainesville, get out, 4b
Honestly Local
House cuts $159M from budget
Ga.
Revenue down, lawmakers try to preserve programs
BY JEFF AMY
Associated Press
ATLANTA — The Georgia House
voted Wednesday to cut state gov
ernment’s budget, but also move
some money around to protect law
makers’ priorities.
The House voted 126-46 to pass
House Bill 792, which cuts $159 mil
lion from spending plans for the cur
rent budget year, running through
June 30. The measure now moves
to the state Senate for more debate.
All Hall County’s representatives
voted for the measure.
Lawmakers were forced to cut
the budget, with state revenues run
ning behind projections. The short
fall happened, in part, because of
a cut in state’s top income tax rate
approved by lawmakers that has
decreased revenue by more than
$500 million. Gov. Brian Kemp
ordered agencies to reduce spend
ing by about $200 million during the
summer, although he shielded most
K-12, college and Medicaid spend
ing from cuts. That means cuts fell
more heavily on other agencies.
House members couldn’t alter the
$27.4 billion ceiling in state revenue
that the Republican Kemp set, but
shifted tens of millions of dollars
from the reductions he had pro
posed seeking to shore up their own
priorities.
“We’ve tried our best on this bud
get to address needs of Georgians
and I think the budget that left the
House today is a much better budget
in terms of taking care of things that
Georgians need than the budget that
was proposed to us,” House Speaker
David Ralston, a Blue Ridge Repub
lican, told reporters after the vote.
Democrats have called the bud
get cuts a result of what they see as
an ill-founded tax cut, pushing it as
an election issue months before all
236 seats in the General Assembly
are up for election.
“The question will be, why do
we have to cut when times are so
■ Please see BUDGET, 5A
A pi ace of love, acceptance
SCOn ROGERS I The Times
Jonlyn Forest, right, is hugged by Jaiyah Stringer, left, and Dionte Daniel Wednesday, Feb. 19, after The Boys and Girls Clubs of
Lanier announced Forest as its Youth of the Year during a luncheon at the Fair Street Neighborhood Center. Stringer and Daniel
were finalists in the competition.
Youth of the Year finds purpose through Boys & Girls Clubs
BY KELSEY P0D0
kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com
When Jonlyn Forest started her fresh
man year at Gainesville High School, she
found herself struggling to fit in.
“I didn’t have all the newest things,”
Jonlyn said. “I didn’t have all the newest
clothes. I was different. I’d get anxious
when somebody pointed out that I was
different.”
After joining the Boys & Girls Clubs of
Lanier, Jonlyn, who is now a sophomore,
saw the power in her differences and
used it to become a leader among her
peers.
On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Jonlyn was
named the 2020 Youth of the Year for
the Boys & Girls Club of Lanier at the
Fair Street Neighborhood Center in
Gainesville.
The two finalists were 17-year-old
Dionte Daniel and 15-year-old Jaiyah
Stringer, both of which attend Gainesville
High.
A panel of 10 community leaders
evaluated each teen based on their writ
ten essays, personal interviews and pub
lic speaking. The contestants were also
judged on their demonstration of leader
ship, character, community service, aca
demic excellence and a healthy lifestyle.
One by one, the three teens spoke
before a gathered audience on Wednes
day. They each exposed their hardships
and shared how the nonprofit helped
transform their lives.
When she first entered the organi
zation’s Teen Center, Jonlyn said she
quickly realized that she could let her
walls down and be herself.
“At the Boys & Girls Club, I didn’t have
to look or act in a certain manner to be
embraced,” she said. “Everyone that
goes to the Boys & Girls Club is made to
feel loved, accepted and important.”
■ Please see YOUTH, 5A
Bank robbery
suspect ID’d,
still at large
BY LAYNE SALIBA
lsaliba@gainesvilletimes.com
Gainesville Police are searching for Ander
son Dixon, 54, of Atlanta, who
they suspect robbed the BB&T
on Jesse Jewell Parkway on
Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Dixon allegedly walked into
the bank through the main
lobby and passed a note to a
teller demanding money or
they would be shot, according
to a news release from Gaines
ville Police.
The teller handed over the money while the
■ Please see ROBBERY, 7A
$5M ticket sold at
Gainesville gas station
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
Someone bought a winning Millionaire
Jumbo Bucks scratcher lottery ticket in Gaines
ville worth $5 million.
The winner, who was not identified in the
Georgia Lottery news release, claimed the prize
on Tuesday.
The ticket was purchased at the Gillsville
Highway Exxon Food Mart, 2808 Gillsville
Highway.
Owner Syed Ahmed said he’s owned the sta
tion for almost three years but has been in the
business for more than 20 years.
“I’m very excited. I’m glad. Somebody
becomes rich,” Ahmed said.
NICK WATSON I The Times
A $5 million scratcher lottery ticket was
purchased from the Exxon Food Mart on
Gillsville Flighway.
0
40901 06835 8
INSIDE
WEATHER 2A
DEATHS 6A
Advice 6B
Calendar 2A
Classified 1C
Get Out 4B
Opinion 4A
Sports 1B
High Low
fit# 41 28
Lake Lanier level: 1,076.43 feet
Full pool 1,071. Up 0.26 feet in 24 hours
Terrance Allen, 49
Frances Brown, 86
Kenneth Bryant, 75
Jeff Collins, 50
Jimmie Corn, 81
Charles Counts, 89
Edna Chatham, 92
Ardavan Davani, 70
Toby Glenn, 50
Janette Hodges, 77
Mary Hulsey, 92
James Ingraham Jr., 91
Jonathan Leahy, 21
Teddy Millwood, 54
Grant Reed, 78
Roy Reynolds, 65
Thomas Tomerlin III, 45
Residential & commercial roofing services
■t) . -x«
HIE Roof Inspection
i mi m i
o K o
fl fti) WMM MiMt
WWW.
' •" <-5
-rnn
g||pl
.com
