About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Oct. 16, 2020)
Falcons facility closes over positive COVID test, but team still set to play Vikings, sports, 4A Friday, October 16,20201 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Toys for Tots looks for new location to store donations, inside, 3A Honestly Local Doctor: COVID-19 cases flattening NGHS physician warns good news no reason to let guard down BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com Hall County reached 10,000 total positive COVID-19 cases this week, but a Northeast Geor gia Medical System doctor says cases have actually started to level out. Dr. John Delzell, vice presi dent for graduate medical edu cation and incident commander for NGHS, said COVID-19 cases have remained relatively flat since early September. “We’ve really seen a flatten ing in the percentage of patients out in the community that are testing positive, and we’ve seen a relatively flat number of cases of COVID that are having to be hos pitalized, and that’s been going on really since the beginning of September, so about six weeks now,” he said. “We’ve been very happy with that.” Delzell added that while the flattening of cases is certainly a positive, they have not been going noticeably down. The same has been true for hospi talizations, which have stayed around 70 to 90 at a time at NGHS over the last six weeks, according to Delzell. He said that he believes the curve has begun to flatten because people have started to take precautionary measures, such as wearing a face mask and maintaining social distancing, a little more seriously. “What we’ve seen is people are taking the social distanc ing guidelines and the masks maybe a little more seriously now than they were earlier in the year,” Delzell said. “I think people are really trying to limit their opportunities for exposure. They’re not traveling exten sively. They’re not having big ■ Please see COVID, 6A A Northeast Georgia Medical Center employee prepares to enter a patient room in the hospital’s mobile COVID-19 unit on Oct. 15. THOMAS HARTWELL The Times FLOWER POWER * „« -s v m fVAL * *M JEFF GILL I The Times From left: Carol Slaughter, co-owner of Occasions Florist at 100 Washington St. NW on the Gainesville square, and assistant Dee Reising arrange flowers Wednesday, Oct. 14. Slaughter’s business was recognized as 2019-20 Small Business of the Year at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s 112th Annual Meeting & Gala on Thursday, Oct. 8. Award-winning florist shop gets personal with arrangements BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Editor’s note: The Greater Hall Cham ber of Commerce named two small busi nesses of the year winners. The profile of 2Dog appeared in Oct. 15. For Carol Slaughter, putting together flowers for a funeral is more than show ing beauty through nature. It’s about expressing deep, emotional sentiments. Just ask her close business assistant, Dee Reising. “She takes (her work) very person ally. She will ask what the person was like .. and she incorporates the whole concept into a piece,” she said. “We both do,” said Slaughter, getting a big hug from Reising. It’s that kind of passion that helped Occasions Florist at 100 Washington St. NW on the Gainesville square, earn a 2019-20 Small Business of the Year at the Greater Hall Chamber of Com merce’s 112th Annual Meeting & Gala on Thursday, Oct. 8. Occasions Florist “always goes the extra mile and give their very best to please customers,” said Kit Dunlap, chamber president and CEO, at the gala. Slaughter, the store’s co-owner, and Reising worked on flowers as they talked Wednesday, Oct. 14, about the business, which has operated for 10 years. Slaughter, originally from Orlando, Fla., bought the business with her sister, Susan Epps, almost on a whim. The pre vious owner convinced the pair to buy the business. For Slaughter, who has been in the flower and plant business for 35 years, it was a logical step. And she hasn’t regretted the move, despite the fact that “we don’t make any money here,” Slaughter said. “This is what we do. We just make flowers.” Slaughter specializes in funerals and Reising in weddings and other events, but they often pool their talents. “We enjoy our job,” Slaughter said. “People think a flower shop is a very laid-back business. It might seem like it is, but trust me, we get the pressure.” She said they may sweat an approach ing wedding when they end up with wrong or half-dead flowers. “We scram ble,” Slaughter said. The chamber’s award, which hangs neatly on a wall in the business next to plants, was an affirmation of sorts. “I was just proud, tickled to death,” Slaughter said. “We work hard for the money.” As for many businesses, the COVID-19 pandemic presented steep challenges. Events, such as weddings, canceled or postponed on Occasions. One of their other annual jobs is the chamber’s annual gala, which was moved from an in-person event at the Chattahoochee Country Club in Gainesville on May 14 to the virtual one on Oct. 8. “I want my country club dinner,” Slaughter said, jokingly. ■ Please see FLORIST, 7A This e-edition sponsored by: City, county ACT scores miss average BY NATHAN BERG nberg@gainesvilletimes.com The Georgia Department of Education released the statewide ACT scores from 2020 this week, with Hall County students coming in just above the national average in composite score and Gainesville City students finishing just below it. Hall students averaged a 21.3 composite score this year, up from 20.5 a year ago and slightly above the national average of 20.6. Gainesville students achieved a 19.6 composite average, down from last year’s average of 19.9 and right below the national average as well. Both school systems scored below the average composite score for the state of Georgia, which was 21.7. “This is a K through 12th grade team effort,” Hall County Superintendent Will Schofield said of the school district’s improved scores. “As with our district’s recent SAT, AP and IB per formance, congratulations are in order for Hall County students and team members.” ■ Please see ACT, 7A Local woman killed in wreck on Sardis Road BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Gainesville woman was killed after a wreck Wednesday, Oct. 14, in West Hall, according to authorities. Krystle Marie Wampler, 32, was fatally injured in the wreck around 9:42 a.m. Wednes day on Sardis Road at Dawsonville Highway, according to Georgia State Patrol. State patrol Cpl. Joshua Hedden said Charles Scheer Wampler, 36, of Gainesville, was driv ing westbound on Dawsonville Highway in a Dodge Neon with Krystle Wampler as a passen ger. Garry James Stone, 16, of Cumming, was heading eastbound on Dawsonville Highway in a Chevrolet Silverado K1500 and was in the left turn lane. Stone was trying to make a left turn onto Sardis Road when Charles Wampler allegedly didn’t stop at a red light, Hedden said. The front of Wampler’s car struck the front passenger side of Stone’s car, Hedden said. ■ Please see WRECK, 7A CrO^yt ’frt YOU CAN COUNT ON 0U//^ Right Choice HOMES jacksonemc.com
