About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 1, 2020)
Empty Bowl Lunch fundraiser going online this year. LIFE, 4A Tuesday, September 1,20201 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Lanier Tech starts school year with record enrollment. LOCAL, 3A Honestly Local Girl, 5, dies in 3-car crash in S. Hall Flowery Branch kindergartner killed when minivan collides with trucks BY KELSEY PODO kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com A 5-year-old from Flowery Branch died Saturday night in a three-vehicle crash near Smallwood Road and Athens Highway in South Hall, according to the Georgia State Patrol. Five adults in the wreck received minor injuries. The girl was identified as Tania Sanchez- Fierros, a passenger in a Honda Odyssey minivan that crashed around 10 p.m. Aug. 29 and was driven by Sandra Fierros Nunez, 42, of Flowery Branch, Cpl. Josh Hedden, assistant post commander of GSP Post 6 in Gainesville, said. She was pronounced dead in the early hours of Sunday, deputy coroner Kevin Wetzel told The Times, adding that the driver was the girl’s grandmother. Samanth Sanchez Fierros, 22, of Flowery Branch was also a passenger. Tania was a kindergarten student at World Language Academy. In response to the 5-year-old’s death, Hall County Schools offered a statement to The Times on Mon day, Aug. 31. “We are deeply saddened over the loss of one of our kindergarten students over the weekend,” the statement read. “The district is providing extra support and counseling to our students and staff in the days ahead as they deal with this tremendous loss. And without question our thoughts and prayers are with the family during this very difficult time.” Charges against the driver are pending the completion of the investigation. Hedden reported that the minivan was on Smallwood Road, attempting to drive straight across Athens Highway. At the time, two pickup trucks were traveling south bound on Athens Highway. When a 2017 Dodge Ram changed from the left to the right lane, Hedden said the minivan “failed to yield after stopping at the stop sign and continued on Athens Highway.” The truck struck the minivan on the driver’s side with its front. Hedden said the minivan rotated counterclockwise and hit the rear of the passenger side of the third vehicle, a 2015 Dodge Ram. Hedden said the 2017 Dodge Ram was driven by Alberto Gomez Rivas, 20, of Gainesville, with passenger Jasmine Gomez, 22, of Gainesville. The 2015 Dodge Ram was driven by Luis Caudillo, 20, of Gainesville. Nathan Berg, Times education reporter, contributed to this report. A light in addiction’s darkness Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times J’s Place Recovery holds a Hall Recovers event Monday, Aug. 31 at the American Legion Post 7’s historic Chattahoochee Pavilion. The event featured speakers, awareness and a candlelight vigil in remembrance of the loved ones lost due to substance abuse. Kemp extends public health emergency Gov. Brian Kemp signed two executive orders Monday, Aug. 31, extending the public health state of emergency and existing COVID-19 safety measures. The state of emergency is extended through 11:59 p.m. Oct. 10, allowing for enhanced coordination across government and the private sector. The governor also extended the requirement of social distancing measures, including bans on gath erings of more than 50 people unless there is six feet between each person, mandatory criteria for busi nesses and sheltering in place for those living in long term care facilities and the medically fragile. That order runs through 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 15. Nate McCullough Hatchett wins after recount Event shares message of hope, honors those lost to drug abuse in Senate 50 J’s Place Recovery holds a Hall Recovers event Monday. BY NICK WATSON nwatson @gainesvilletimes.com In October 2016, Will Alli son said he felt he had spent the last dozen years destroy ing his life. He recounted waking up in a Northeast Georgia Medical Center hospital bed after using drugs with a friend. “I was used to him ODing, and he was used to me ODing,” Allison said, as both men were given Narcan, an opioid recovery antidote drug. Feeling like he had noth ing, Allison said he had spent months wanting to die every time he put drugs in his body. But in that hospital bed, he said he felt a sense of calm wash over him that gave him a self of freedom. He has stayed clean since that day and now works for the Jeffrey Dallas Gay Jr. Recovery Center. The light of roughly 150 candles illuminated the gazebo behind Gainesville’s American Legion post Monday night on Riverside Drive, each flame repre senting a loved one lost to addiction and substance use. As each name was called, a family member, friend or volunteer came forth from the crowd, bringing back a lit candle to strengthen the burgeoning light. “These lives were taken from us,” said Art Gallegos, Jr., a Gainesville minister. The candlelight vigil capped off a night of speak ers for “Hall Recovers,” an event sponsored by the cen ter to focus on addiction and recovery. The center, referred to as J’s Place, was named after a Gainesville man who died in 2012 one month before his 22nd birthday. His father, Jeff Gay, spoke for the first time pub licly Monday night about the family’s struggle with addiction. Jeffrey Gay Jr. got into trouble during his senior year of high school, his father said. His son was put into a drug rehab program for the rest of his senior year before going to college, Jeff Gay said. “For a year, he was gone and he was out of sight, out of mind. But he wasn’t clean and he sure wasn’t sober,” Gay said. ■ Please see LIGHT, 4A BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Bo Hatchett won the Republican nomination for Senate District 50 on Monday following a recount in the Aug. 11 primary runoff election. Hatchett had a lead of just 38 votes over Stacy Hall in the final tally of the Aug. 11 runoff featuring the two Habersham County Republicans, who were the two top vote getters in the June primary. Hatchett now faces Democrat Dee Daley in November. ■ Please see HATCHETT, 6A Bo Hatchett Who he is: Hatchett is an attorney and owns a real estate business. He is from Habersham County. How he reacted: Hatchett said he was “humbled” and grateful for support from his wife and voters. “We’re excited and looking forward to getting the vote out in November for our president and the Republican Party,” he said. On the issues: Hatchett has said that education, public safety and agriculture should be budget priorities and he would take a fiscally conservative approach to the budget. He has also said he supports a payroll tax cut for small businesses. What’s next: Hatchett will compete against Democrat Dee Daley in November. This e-edition sponsored by:
