About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (July 16, 2020)
LOCA^OP HEADLINES The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Thursday, July 16, 2020 3A South Hall Kroger gets self-service tag renewal kiosk BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com The Clearwater Crossing Kroger on Spout Springs Road now has a self-ser vice vehicle tag renewal kiosk. The kiosk at the 7380 Spout Springs Road store now has the second kiosk for people wanting to print registra tions and decals. Another kiosk has been in place since 2017 at the Jesse Jewell Parkway Kroger Marketplace. “The kiosk has been a wonderful addition to our customer service initia tives, and we’re excited to see a second one now serve the South Hall commu nity and those traveling through that area,” Hall County Tax Commissioner Darla Eden said in a statement. “This technology allows citizens to renew their tags without having to come to our office as well as provides renewal service outside of our normal business hours.” According to Hall County, the kiosk fee is $3.95 for up to 10 renewals and accepts debit and credit cards. The Kroger is open seven days a week from 5 a.m. to midnight and can be used by residents in Hall, Banks, Dawson, Forsyth, Gwinnett and Jack- son counties. COURT ■ Continued from 1A get tested for the virus. Court administrator Jason Stephen son said no other offices in the court house have mandated testing. All of the employees in the clerk’s office who tested positive in June have recovered. Baker has implemented “a strategy that divides his clerk staff into two shifts, with different shifts rotating in and out of the office every two days so that any future exposure is limited,” Stephenson wrote in an email. There is a 14-day mandated quaran tine period if an employee is exposed to coronavirus. Stephenson said sev eral offices have employees working remotely now because of that policy. “We don’t presently have anyone sick or isolating because of a positive test,” Stephenson wrote in an email. People entering the courthouse are screened for symptoms, tested with a thermometer and required to wear a mask. U.S. ‘can get things done’ Trump visits Atlanta to announce environmental repeal EVAN VUCCII Associated Press President Donald speaks during an event on American infrastructure at UPS Hapeville Airport Hub, Wednesday, July 15, in Atlanta. BY AAMER MADHANI AND KEVIN FREKING Associated Press ATLANTA — President Don ald Trump announced Wednes day that he is rolling back a foundational Nixon-era environ mental law that he says stifles infrastructure projects, but that is credited with keeping big con struction projects from fouling up the environment and ensur ing there is public input on major projects. “Together we’re reclaiming America’s proud heritage as a nation of builders and a nation that can get things done,” Trump said. Trump was in Atlanta to announce changes to National Environmental Policy Act regulations for how and when authorities must conduct envi ronmental reviews, making it easier to build highways, pipe lines, chemical and solar plants and other projects. The 1970 law changed environ mental oversight in the United States by requiring federal agen cies to consider whether a proj ect would harm the air, land, water or wildlife, and giving the public the right of review and input. Critics called Trump’s move an attempt to limit the public’s ability to examine and influence proposed projects under one of the country’s bedrock environ mental protection laws. “This may be the single big gest giveaway to polluters in the past 40 years,” said Brett Hartl at the Center for Biological Diver sity, an environmental group that works to save endangered species. Trump has made slashing gov ernment regulation a hallmark of his presidency and held it out as a way to boost jobs. Environ mental groups say the regulatory rollbacks threaten public health and make it harder to curb global warming. With Congress and the administration divided over how to increase infrastructure invest ment, the president is relying on his deregulation push to demon strate progress. Among major changes in the new rule: limiting when federal environmental reviews of proj ects are mandated, and capping how long federal agencies and the public have to evaluate and comment on any environmental impact of a project. “We won’t get certain projects through for environmental rea sons. They have to be environ mentally sound. But you know what? We’re going to know in a year. We’re going to know in a year and a half. We’re not going to know in 20 years,” Trump said. NEPA requires all federal agencies to evaluate the poten tial environmental effects of pro posed projects, but fewer than 1% percent of those reviews are the kind of complex and detailed review that Trump focused on — environmental impact statements. Opponents say the changes the Trump administration made will have an inordinate impact on predominantly minority com munities. More than 1 million African Americans live within a half-mile of natural gas facili ties and face a cancer risk above the Environmental Protection Agency’s level of concern from toxins emitted by those facili ties, according to a 2017 study by the Clean Air Task Force and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People “Donald Trump is taking away the last lines of defense for front-line communities, and continues to demonstrate a total disregard for our environment and for those demanding racial and environmental justice,” said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y. Mustafa Santiago Ali, a former associate administrator in the Obama administration’s EPA environmental justice office, said Black and other minority communities “will pay with their health and ultimately with their lives” for the rules changes. Business groups generally sup ported the changes. “Modernizing and clarifying NEPA could not come at a bet ter time for our country, as we are recovering from COVID-19,” said Anne Bradbury, CEO of the American Exploration and Pro duction Council, a trade group for oil and gas explorers. For his announcement, Trump chose Georgia, a swing state in the general election. Trump won the Republican-leaning state by 5 percentage points in 2016, but some polls show him trailing for mer Vice President Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic nominee. This will be Trump’s ninth trip to Georgia and his sixth visit to Atlanta during his presidency. The president’s trip also comes as the state has seen coro navirus cases surge and now has tallied more than 12,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths. The White House said the administration’s efforts will expedite the expansion of Interstate 75 near Atlanta, an important freight route where traffic can often slow to a crawl. The state will create two inter state lanes designed solely for commercial trucks. The state announced last fall, before the White House unveiled its pro posed rule, that it was moving up the deadline for substantially completing the project to 2028. Republican lawmakers applauded the new rule, saying an update was long overdue. “We can protect the environ ment and move our economy forward at the same time. This rule gets that done,” said Sen. John Barrasso, the chairman of the Committee on Environment and Public Works. ‘Conversations in my Driveway’ Young West Hall native embraces self-discovery in music BY KELSEY P0D0 kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com Just as his dreams of breaking into the entertain ment industry started to slip, Malcom Moon tightened his hold on the reins. The 26-year-old West Hall native planted himself in New York City in 2015 for a purpose — to pursue a career as a singer-song- writer. But Moon said as time passed, he felt trapped in his day-to-day work environment. “I got used to my job and forgot why I moved here,” Moon said. “Living here for three years, I realized that I hadn’t done anything that I felt was significant. I think at that moment, I was like, ‘something has got to give.’ I felt like I was failing.” Moon said he turned his gaze toward his journal entries and voice memos from over the years, which addressed memories of inse curities, pain, sex, growth and self-love. He said he used those confessionals as inspiration for song lyrics featured on his first record, released recently. His introduction into recording music came after meeting a couple of produc ers in Brooklyn in 2016. One of them, who is a part of the producer duo Bird Lan guage, took an interest in Moon. “I started working with them (Bird Language), and we started record ing songs and developing music,” Moon said. “They introduced me to my main producer, who is Chris LaBella.” Photo courtesy Malcom Moon Malcom Moon, a Flowery Branch native, recently released his first extended play record, “Conversations in my Driveway,” which embraces a combination of ‘90s R&B and pop melodies. As Moon collaborated with LaBella and Bird Lan guage, his first extended play record began to take shape in early 2018. He eventually released the eight-track EP, titled “Con versations in my Driveway,” in late May. Moon said the record tells his story — a young Black boy trying to find his sense of self in a new environment. “When people listen to my music, I hope they find a sense of comfort knowing that it’s OK to make mis takes,” Moon said. “It’s OK to go through changes. It’s OK to sometimes feel lost. Given the current pandemic and the resurgence of the Black Lives Matter move ment, I hope my music can inspire anyone who feels or has felt defeated.” Moon said the name of the EP encompasses his moments spent hanging out in cars with his West Hall High School friends. He remembered sitting at the top of his driveway and talking with his friends about personal subjects they wouldn’t dare speak of at school. “We’d open up about our homelife, our dreams, our aspirations,” Moon said. “That’s what this record feels like. It feels like I’m putting the listener in the passenger seat, and they’re riding along with me. ” Moon describes his sound as “dream&B” — a “mix of dreamy pop sound and R&B vocals.” He said he draws most of his musical influence from American singer-songwrit RIVERSIDE ■ Continued from 1A Riverside Military Acad emy has also increased per capita financial aid incen tives “to ease the economic burdens experienced by the majority of our cadet families.” The school is planning a mid-summer reopening and expects to conduct in-person learning this fall. Accord ing to the calendar on the school’s website for the 2020- 2021 school year, cadets are expected to return to cam pus on July 25 and 26, with the first day of class planned for July 28. The calendar includes a disclaimer that dates are subject to change. The statement from the ers Aaliyah Dana Haughton, Frank Ocean and Brandy Norwood who inspire him to become more versatile. While growing up in the Oakwood and Flowery Branch area, Moon said he always dreamed of being an entertainer in every sense of the word. Now that he has taken the first step in his music career, he plans on continuing that journey, and building upon it. “I want to sing,” Moon said. “I want to go into act ing. I want to write for people. I want to be an advo cator for social good. I want to dive into fashion.” For now, Moon says he will continue working at his musi cal production marketing job in New York City, while pecking away at more songs. “I wrote it (the EP) for myself to prove that I can do this,” Moon said. “Now that my friends are listening to it and other people are con necting to the music, I know it’s something deeper, and I can go further with this.” Listeners can tune in to “Conversations in my Drive way” via Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Soundcloud, Amazon Music, and other streaming platforms. SPOUT ■ Continued from 1A become a waiting game for residents along the road. Paul and Veronica de Kozan have put off house repairs and lawn work, having known since 2011 that a map shows their Sherwood Mill Drive house being taken as part of the project. “One thing we’ve been prevented from doing is put ting our house on the market,” property Paul de Kozan told The Times in a September 2019 interview. “As responsible citizens, we cannot put our house on the market and not tell somebody what’s down the road.” In all, the second phase affects 91 parcels. Right of way acquisition on phase one affected 161 parcels. The project was broken into two phases in 2016 “in an effort to expedite the project’s overall timeline,” Crumley has said. At one point, the county projected right of way acquisition to begin on phase two in sum mer 2019. When she learned of the latest delay on Wednesday, Veronica de Kozan said, “Here we go again.” “We have already spent a lot of money on upkeep and in another three years, we are going to be forced to spend a lot more,” she said. “Besides your home, there are many personal changes that take place over 10 years that require a homeowner to move. “We were contemplating moving to Florida, but now because of health, we cannot think about making such a move. How would county commissioners, engineers, mayors and others feel if this was happening to their parents?” Hall County officials suggest that people shouldn’t put off needed repairs just because they’re not sure when right of way negotiations may happen. “If your roof is leaking, by all means, please get it fixed,” Crumley has said. “Health and safety is taken into account when they’re performing appraisals,” County Engineer Kevin Mclntuff has said. Homeowners should make sure to hold onto receipts, as they could be used as part of the negotia tions, he added. school said Riverside Mili tary Academy’s intention of returning to in-person learn ing has caused an increase in enrollment inquiries, due to similar schools around the country opting for online learning only. Higher than expected enrollment could result in “new employment opportunities across the campus in the near future,” according to the statement. Heritage Heights and Country Place Apartments 101 Heritage Avenue • Jefferson, Georgia 30549 62 MODERN 1 & 2 BEDROOM APARTMENTS * Heritage Heights and Country Place Apartments is financed through USDA Rural Development certain income restrictions apply. Quiet residential neighborhood Special features for mobility impaired individuals Wall to wall carpeting Laundry hook-ups in the units Cable TV hook-ups Generous closet space Fully-applianced electric kitchens Trash removal Attractive grounds Tenant-controlled Heat/AC Good Cents Energy Efficient THT Lease, security deposit, and references required For information & an application contact IS3 706-367-9891 7-1-1 (Georgia TDD Only) Heritage Heights and Country Place Apartments is managed by W.T. Lamb Investments, Inc. • 216 Broad Street • Wrens, Georgia 30833 W.T. Lamb Investments, Inc. is a top quality management company that cares for your needs. “This institution is an equal opportunity provider and employer.” If you wish to file a Civil Rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, found online at http:// www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.”
