About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2020)
North Hall’s Pedraza reflects on journey to second straight state wrestling title, sports,ib SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 22, 2020 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com to' Good News at Noon is starting a new church ministry. life,4b Honestly Local Body found after Lake Lanier shootout Police: Suspected carjacker fired on officers from sinking vehicle BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A man drove a car Friday eve ning into Lake Lanier and began firing at officers near the sinking vehicle, according to authorities. The incident started around 4:15 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, when Gwin nett County Police officers arrived at a wreck near the intersection of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Shadburn Ferry Road. Witnesses told the officers a man from the wreck “got out of a car with what was described as an AK-style rifle,” Gwinnett County Police Cpl. Collin Flynn wrote in an email. Gunshots were heard nearby, and officers saw a vehicle driv ing away from the area that had been carjacked by that same man, Flynn said. Officers followed the car into Shoal Creek Park, where the sus pect drove the vehicle into Lake Lanier. “Once he drove into the lake, the male began firing at police officers from the area of the sinking vehi cle. A police vehicle was struck several times by the suspect’s rounds. Officers returned fire at the suspect after they were fired upon,” Flynn wrote in an email. The Hall County Sheriffs Office dive team found a body near the vehicle. The Georgia Bureau of Inves tigation will handle the officer- involved shooting investigation. The officers and the carjack ing victim were uninjured, while the people involved in the earlier wreck had minor injuries. The case is still under investigation. Photo courtesy Gwinnett County Police Gwinnett County Police responded to a vehicle accident at the intersection of Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Shadburn Ferry Road on Friday afternoon. Authorities say a man involved carjacked a vehicle, which he then drove into Lake Lanier and fired shots from the lake at police. ‘A lot of love and tears’ 3829 SCOn ROGERS I The Times Jeremy Roberts hands the microphone to his wife Sandy Friday, Feb. 21, as they thank visitors attending their Flabitat For Humanity of Hall County new home reveal in the Copper Glen subdivision. Homeless family steps into new Habitat for Humanity house BY KELSEY P0D0 kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com For nearly two years the Roberts fam ily traveled from place to place, never having a space they could call home. All of that changed on Friday, Feb. 21. Through the efforts of Habitat for Humanity of Hall County, Family Prom ise and a giant team of donors and volun teers, the family of two adults and four teenagers stepped across the threshold of their new home. “Our whole life we’ve lived in apart ments, stayed at other people’s homes, then we got a trailer that we rented,” 13-year-old Leah Roberts said. “It’s kind of freeing because we finally get our own home and space.” Over 2,200 volunteer hours were put into building the 1,200-square-foot house, which is one of 13 homes in the Copper Glen Habitat Subdivision in Gainesville. Like everyone who earns a home with Habitat, the Roberts put hours of manual labor into building their house. Even 16-year-old Katelyn Roberts was able to chip in. “I helped with the painting and insula tion,” Katelyn said. “We’ve worked a lot, but it’s a nice feeling.” Katelyn’s mother and father, Jeremy and Sandy Roberts, said they would come out and work on the house every weekend. It took nearly six months to complete. The Roberts also took finan cial education courses to prepare for homeownership. For the last couple of months of their home’s construction, the Roberts were a part of the Family Promise Homestead program. Sandy Roberts said every week they would sleep at a new church, but live at the Homestead during the day. “It’s a great program, but it’s not easy,” Sandy Roberts said. “I guess anything that’s worth it, isn’t going to be easy. With us, it’s more than buying a home. We have a piece of ourselves in it.” Pam Roberts, the teenagers’ grand mother, said she took in the whole fam ily for 15 months in her three-bedroom home. This happened when the Roberts could no longer keep up with the rising cost of their rental home. “There was a lot of love and tears,” Pam Roberts said. “I’m so proud of them. My husband Jerry worked every Saturday ■ Please see HOME, 7A Collins to president: No thanks on spy chief Tribune News Service WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump said that he was considering Rep. Doug Col lins, a Gainesville Republican and ally, as his formal nomi nee for director of national intelligence. Trump made the announce ment during a flight to Las Vegas after a rally in Colorado Springs, Colo., on Thursday night. The president has been on a tour of Western U.S. states for much of this week. Collins ■ Please see COLLINS, 5A Nurse accused of forging $75K in prescriptions caught by police BY LAYNE SALIBA lsaliba@gainesvilletimes.com A Murrayville registered nurse accused of forging prescriptions was taken into custody around 12:45 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, following a lookout post sent by Gainesville Police. Police officers were search ing for Roseanne Brandsma, 53, who they say collected more than $75,000 worth of narcotics by forging nearly 50 patient prescriptions. Brandsma was wanted on 48 counts of unauthorized dis tribution of controlled substances and 48 counts ■ Please see NARCOTICS, 5A INSIDE 0 40901 06835 Advice Business Calendar Classified Comics 5B 3B 2A 7B 6B Life 4B Lottery 2A Opinion 4A Sports 1B TV/puzzles 5B WEATHER 2A High Low ^ 54 32 Lake Lanier level: 1,076.70 feet Full pool 1,071. Up 0.05 feet in 24 hours DEATHS 6A Freddie Anderson, 85 Jaymon Dove, 17 Thomas Fox, 89 Thomas Gaddy, 83 Terrell Hill, 45 Adela Hodgson, 62 Larry McCall, 76 Thomas Quinn, 83 Walter Sutton, 77 Regular $194.99 One Week Only $159.99 Waterproof Expires February 25, 2020 Boot of the Week The Wingshooter Now Open in Gainesville 1110 Dawsonville Hwy 678.971.4143
