Thursday, June 4,20201 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
Pilgrim’s Pride CEO indicted
in chicken price fixing, inside, 3a
Honestly Local
Kemp eases some on Ga. budget cuts
Governor revises request to 11% instead of 14%
BY MEGAN REED
mreed@gainesvilletimes.com
Gov. Brian Kemp will ask state
agencies to cut their budgets by
11%, rather than the 14% first
planned, he announced Wednes
day, June 3.
State agencies had submitted
proposals for 14% cuts, with local
public schools, the University of
North Georgia, courts and other
services such as the Division of
Family and Children Services
and public safety agencies facing
spending decreases. The cuts were
intended to help the state recover
from the economic impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
Kemp said in a statement
Wednesday that the pandemic has
“squeezed state revenues, just like
the wallets of hard-working Geor
gians.” However, he said he was
hopeful about the state’s economic
recovery.
“Our state is positioned to
weather this storm better than
most. The foundation of our
economy is strong and ready for
consumer confidence to return,”
Kemp said.
Kemp said education, health
care and public safety would be
budget priorities.
“With the closing of schools,
Georgia families have a renewed
appreciation for our teachers,
counselors, specialists and staff.
These men and women are unsung
heroes,” he said. “...Nowmore than
ever, we see that access to quality,
affordable health care is essential
and life-saving. There’s no doubt
we owe a huge debt of gratitude to
our doctors, nurses and frontline
workers and above all, we must
continue to put patients first.”
He said addressing human traf
ficking and gangs was another
priority.
“We must reaffirm our commit
ment to keep all Georgians safe,”
he said.
Kemp said he would send an
updated revenue estimate to the
chairmen of the Georgia House
of Representatives and Georgia
State Senate’s appropriations
committees.
“While near-term state revenue
collections are uncertain, we are
seeing reassuring signs of fiscal
resilience in our state,” he said.
The state’s fiscal year restarts
July 1.
Making ‘great progress’
SCOTT ROGERS I The Times
The Spout Springs Road widening project currently underway was delayed by weather, but now progress is being made.
Gatherings
could affect
COVID-19
drop in cases
BY MEGAN REED
mreed@gainesvilletimes.com
Hall County’s COVID-19 cases remain rela
tively high in the state, with 2,508 confirmed
cases as of Wednesday, June 3, making Hall the
fifth highest in raw numbers and 15th highest in
per capita numbers.
The Northeast Georgia Health System was
treating 67 patients at its facilities Wednesday,
and 31% of the system’s ventilators were in
use, according to its data. As of Wednesday, 728
COVID-19 patients had been discharged from
treatment, and 85 had died.
NGHS has seen a decline in COVID-19
■ Please see COVID-19,3A
Judge: Buford
racial bias case
should proceed
Spout Springs Road widening project is taking shape
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Spout Springs Road is beginning to
take shape as South Hall’s newest four-
lane road.
Workers are long past just taking
down trees and other vegetation to
make way for heavy machinery to rip
up the earth. Crews are grading on
either side of the existing road between
Hog Mountain Road and Union Circle
— the length of the project.
With a detour in place Wednesday,
June 3, work is particularly busy in
front of Cherokee Bluff High School and
Spout Springs School of Enrichment
“Most of the focus is on the area
around the schools to try and get as
much completed as possible while
school is out,” Department of Transpor
tation spokeswoman Natalie Dale said.
Along the road, crews have put up
retaining walls, and the contractor,
G.P.’s Enterprises Inc., is “actively
working on” building embankments,
laying storm drains and pouring for
curbs and gutters, Dale said.
Also, a new Quincy Drive — a side
street near Union Circle — is being
built. One of the project’s largest side
street projects, realigning Elizabeth
Lane near Cherokee Bluff to Ster
ling on the Lake subdivision, is well
under construction.
“Utility companies are working daily
to relocate their particular items so
that G.P.’s can continue working with
out much delay, and (they) have made
great progress,” Dale said.
The $32 million project, which is set
for a December 2021 completion, calls
for widening the road from two to four
lanes with a 20-foot raised median and
sidewalks.
Hall County is planning a second
phase that would continue the widen
ing from Union Circle to the Gwinnett
County line. That $26.2 million project
doesn’t have a schedule yet, as funding
hasn’t been identified.
A federal jury trial should go forward over
a racial discrimination suit
against Buford City Schools
and former superintendent
Geye Hamby, a U.S. magis
trate has recommended.
Judge Walter Johnson also
recommended audio record
ings at the heart of the suit
should be admissible.
“Should the presiding dis
trict court judge (Eleanor
Ross) nevertheless have doubts about the
admissibility of these recordings, (the judge)
may conduct a ... hearing before they are
played to the jury,” Johnson says in the 131-
page report filed May 12.
■ Please see HAMBY, 3A
Hamby
Gainesville candlelight vigil set for Saturday
BY KELSEY P0D0
kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com
The Newtown Florist Club, a
Gainesville civil rights group, is call
ing upon community members to
attend a candlelight vigil at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, June 6, on the patch of
greenspace at the end of the pedes
trian bridge on Jesse Jewell Parkway.
Jackie Lipscomb, who is lead
ing the event, said the observance
is “taking a stand for justice and
pursuit of peace, and remembering
those who lost their lives through
racial acts of hatred.”
The Rev. Rose Johnson, execu
tive director of the Newtown Florist
Club, said the vigil will open with
community members sharing why
this moment in history is important to
them, whether through words or song.
The next portion will offer teach
able moments about the history of
the civil rights legacy.
“We have a real opportunity
to connect the past to the present
and give our entire community a
chance to participate in a moment of
change,” Johnson said. “And connect
with the nation and the world in the
spirit of unity.”
Candles will then be lit as people
transition into the “remembering
segment,” which includes calling out
the names of people who have died
from racial acts of hatred.
“This is a moment of change in
America, and across the nation that
everyone, all people of good will, can
participate in to make a change hap
pen in America,” Johnson said. “This
call for justice, when it comes to men
and women who were murdered
through acts of police violence, that
justice for them will hopefully pre
vail. We have to keep pushing for
change.”
Gainesville
candlelight vigil
What: Observance to remember
those who died from racial acts
of hatred
When: 7:30 p.m. Saturday, June 6
Where: The end of the pedestrian
bridge on Jesse Jewell Parkway
More info: Call Newtown Florist
Club at 770-718-1343
People interested in civic partici
pation arising from the recent pro
tests can call the Newtown Florist
Club at 770-718-1343 or email new-
townl93@gmail.com.
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