LOCAL
The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com
Thursday, June 18, 2020 3A
5 Hall men indicted on federal arson charges
Five Hall County men were charged by a
federal grand jury in an arson case stemming
from a Gainesville Police car being torched
with a flare gun at the officer’s residence,
according to authorities.
Those charged were Delveccho Waller Jr.,
21, Jesse Smallwood, 21, Dashun Martin, 23,
and Judah Bailey, 20, all of Gainesville, and
Bruce Thompson, 22, of Oakwood.
A Gainesville Police Department patrol car
was set on fire June 2 in the parking lot of an
apartment complex.
“While using the cover of peaceful protests
in Gainesville, the defendants allegedly sought
out and intentionally burned a police vehicle,”
said U.S. Attorney Byung J. “BJay” Pak in a
statement. “Those seeking to perpetrate crim
inal acts of violence toward our law enforce
ment officers should expect to be prosecuted
to the full extent of the law.”
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, a
witness saw an older model vehicle with no
lights parked near the apartment entrance.
The witness saw two people from the car
approach the patrol car before a “loud bang
followed by a bright light” and smoke com
ing from the patrol car, according to the U.S.
Attorney’s office.
“We want our community to know we stand
with them during their rights to peacefully
protest. Sadly, agitators that do not necessarily
share the same goals as our community took
this opportunity to target one of our officers at
his residence. We will not stand for this type of
destruction and violence in our community,”
said Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish in a
statement issued by the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A lookout went out over the radio for the sus
pect vehicle, and officers spotted one match
ing the description at a nearby gas station and
convenience store.
“The driver, Jesse James Smallwood,
agreed to speak to one of the officers and gave
permission for his car to be searched. During
the search, officers recovered three spent
explosives and a flare gun. Smallwood and
his passengers, Waller Jr., Thompson, Bailey,
and Martin, were all arrested for the arson,”
according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The indictment includes one count of gen
eral conspiracy and one count of arson, where
it is alleged the police patrol unit is “used in
interstate and foreign commerce, and in
activities affecting interstate and foreign
commerce.”
No attorneys were listed for Waller or
Smallwood with either Hall County Magistrate
Court or the federal court record database.
Attorneys for Martin, Thompson and Bailey
did not immediately respond to requests for
comment.
0LDJ0E
■ Continued from 1A
And a petition to remove Old Joe was being
circulated.
“You’re on the right side of history, and you’re
making history,” Brad Lathem of the Socialist
Organization of North Georgia, told the group.
“I couldn’t be more thrilled to see everybody
out here standing up for what’s right, and what’s
right is to get this racist statue out of our town.”
Old Joe’s place in the square has been a long
time divisive issue.
Sometimes testy comments flew in both
directions on The Times’ Facebook Live video
of the event.
In an interview last week, Ralph W. Mills,
commander of the Sons of Confederate Veter
ans’ Gainesville chapter, said he supports the
statue staying put.
“I think a memorial to any soldiers should
stay right where it is,” Mills said. “That monu
ment was put there with great affirmation and
celebration — and they were all over the South. ”
He added: “It’s just very natural to want to
put something up in honor of your sons, fathers,
uncles, brothers-in-law and all these others who
fought in a war. (The monuments) were not put
up there to intimidate black people and that
kind of thing. And we have to address the fact
that the typical 19th century (person)... would
be considered racist by today’s standards.”
Confederate monuments throughout the
South have been targeted in recent protests
over the police killing of George Floyd in
Minneapolis.
Tyler Dalton Moye, 24, of Gainesville, was
charged with interference with government
property, second-degree criminal damage to
property and obstruction in the alleged spray
painting of Old Joe during a May 31 protest in
Gainesville.
The case has been forwarded to the Hall
County District Attorney’s Office, according to
Hall County Magistrate Court.
Man charged with multiple thefts from autos
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
A Union City man is facing
numerous charges of enter
ing auto to commit theft after
an investigation in South Hall,
according to authorities.
Quaves Jermaine Sterling,
22, was booked into the Hall
County Jail Wednesday, June
17. Investigators were trying to
finalize the charges “with the
number for Sterling expected
to reach 40,” Hall County Sher
iff’s Office spokesman Derreck
Booth wrote in a news release.
The investigation started
late Tuesday, June 16, in the
Reunion residential develop
ment after numerous entering
auto calls.
“According to the initial
examination, Sheriff’s Office
detectives believe there were
approximately 50 such cases in
the development, with roughly
30 credit and/or debit cards
among the stolen items,” Booth
wrote in a news release.
Sterling was found in a vic
tim’s pickup truck around 3:30
a.m. Wednesday in the 6000
block of Cedar Springs Lane,
Booth said. He was arrested
after a short chase on foot,
and deputies had help with
officers from the Braselton
and Flowery Branch police
departments.
“Detectives with the Sheriff’s
Office also continue to follow
leads for other potential suspects
in the crimes,” Booth wrote.
Flowery Branch budget, tax rate up for initial votes
Flowery Branch’s proposed budget and tax
rate for 2020-21 are up for initial votes at the
City Council meeting Thursday, June 18.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at City Hall,
5410 W. Pine St. The votes will take place after
public hearings on the budget and tax rate.
Public hearings on both also are set for 9
a.m. Thursday.
Final votes are set for June 25.
The city is proposing a $5.1 million budget
in fiscal 2021, which begins July 1. The current
budget is $5.2 million.
While property tax revenues are generally
the same in the proposed budget, there are
revenue losses elsewhere, such as in local
option sales taxes, which are dropping from
$1 million to $750,000, or by 25%.
Local governments have had to wrestle with
lost revenue from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The city’s proposed tax rate is staying the
same, but, if approved, that would mean a hike
for residents with rising property values.
The city is proposing to keep the rate at
3.264 mills, with 1 mill equal to $1 per $1,000 in
assessed property value. Under that formula,
a $250,000 home would be taxed at $326.40.
Flowery Branch City Council
What: public hearings, votes on
proposed 2020 tax rate, budget
When: 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thursday,
June 18, and 6 p.m. June 25
Where: Flowery Branch City Hall,
541OW. Pine St.
Rising home values are increasing property
tax revenues for the city. To keep the revenue
amount the same as in 2019, the city would
have to drop the tax rate to 3.178 mills.
Jeff Gill
HOSPITALITY
■ Continued from 1A
“The good news is that, as businesses
have been able to reopen, (the jobless) fig
ure is more in the 25% range, so we are
definitely rebounding,” Dickson said. “And
hopefully, our businesses and our patrons
will respect the guidelines that have been
set forth... in order to be able to stay open.
“Just because we’re emotionally tired of
the pandemic doesn’t mean it’s gone. The
more our local businesses are able to adapt
and adhere to the restrictions, the fewer
closures we’ll have to go through later.”
The CVB is working with businesses on
such tasks as putting in social distancing
signs.
“We’ve made 400 masks for front desk
workers, housekeepers and others on the
front lines in tourism, and all that is to be able
to help our businesses stay open and be vital
during this transition time,” Dickson said.
There are some bright spots in the tour
ism economy, including talk of a federal
tax credit for Americans taking vacations,
she said.
Otherwise, people are looking for trips
closer to home.
“Even in the midst of this depression
situation, destinations like Lake Lanier
are feeling a kind of (boost),” Dickson
said. “Our inquiries for information about
travel have never been higher. The pent-
up demand... is so high for travel that now
we’re having to figure out how to respond to
that and help connect the dots for people.”
Northeast Georgia Diagnostic Clinic
Welcomes New Endocrinologist
We are pleased to welcome
Dr. Esther Lee to the
Department of Endocrinology.
Dr. Lee earned her undergraduate
degree from the University of
Virginia in Charlottesville, VA and
her medical degree from Virginia
Commonwealth University School
of Medicine in Richmond, VA. She completed her
Internal Medicine Residency at Thomas Jefferson
University Hospital in Philadelphia, PA; and her
Fellowship in Endocrinology at Tufts Medical Center at
Boston, MA.
Prior to joining the Diagnostic Clinic, Dr. Lee worked
at Emory Clinic in Atlanta.
Dr. Lee is Board Certified in Endocrinology and
Internal Medicine. She is a member of the American
Association of Clinical Endocrinologists and The
Endocrine Society.
Dr. Lee is now accepting new patients.
To schedule an appointment,
please call 770-536-9864.
1240 Jesse Jewell Pkwy, SE • Ste 500 • Gainesville, GA
Highpoint Medical Center
1270 Friendship Rd • Ste 100 • Braselton, GA
Dr. Esther Lee
www.ngdc.com • 770-536-9864
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