About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 4, 2020)
Drug Free Hall forum to help people ‘find hope in this time of isolation.’ insider Friday, December 4,20201 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com t LCO launches coat drive for local veterans, inside, 3a Honestly Local Hospital plans $500M expansion NGMC Gainesville wants to add tower, create new helipad, add 150+ beds BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A parking deck, a helipad and an expanded emergency department are just pieces of Northeast Georgia Health System’s plan for a new tower at Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. The health system announced plans Thursday, Dec. 3, for a new multi-story tower, which would go next to the exist ing north patient tower as early as 2024. In a news release announcing the expansion plan, NGHS said the tower will allow them to move the emergency department to the tower’s ground floor and expand “to care for more people quickly and efficiently.” NGHS’ plan for the tower also includes a new helipad, more operat ing rooms, more than 150 new beds and a new parking deck. “We’ve started referring to our future expansion and improvement projects as ‘Growing the Greater Good,”’ Carol Burrell, NGHS president and CEO, said in a news release. “That phrase is a reminder that when we grow facilities to care for more patients and expand our clinical services, we’re ultimately reinvesting in the overall health of our region. Any time we add a new building, it’s a new place where we are helping people in many ways - whether it’s providing a new service, creating new jobs or simply lifting the spirits of a community. ” NGHS chief financial officer Brian Steines said they estimate the project’s budget will be between $450 million and $500 million. RK Whitehead, chairman of the NGHS board, said the project’s fund ing will come from operations, and the health system will also likely seek ■ Please see NGMC, 5A Rendering courtesy Northeast Georgia Health System Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville announced Dec. 3, that it plans to add another tower to its campus, expanding its emergency department and adding other features, including a helipad. ‘Hie place is coming back to life* Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times A company wants to bring social life back to the old New Holland community center, using it for social events, such as weddings and birthday parties. The center is now mostly vacant, except for a physical therapy clinic. Old New Holland building may house events venue BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com What was once dubbed “the ghost room” because of its years of debris and boarded-up windows has been trans formed into an airy room for weddings and other celebrations. “We joke and say that the ghosts love us because we feel like the place is coming back to life,” said Betsy House, a 25-year licensed physical therapy assistant who is helping with restoration at the century- old New Holland recreation center at 100 Spring St. The building’s gymnasium and swim ming pool are relics of the past. The brick structure, facing Jesse Jewell Parkway in the New Holland community, now houses Lanier Therapy in Motion other medical offices. Many old rooms, including a bowling alley and locker rooms near the pool, weren’t being used and, at one time, were collecting clutter and dust. Restoration work has long been underway throughout the building. House particularly has eyed “the ghost room,” or the building’s original “men’s parlor,” where men in the 1920s gathered in chairs around a fireplace to smoke cigars and socialize. About a year and a half ago, with her daughter about to get married, House asked the building’s owner, Warner Brock, about going “into this old, junky room and cleaning it up so I could have her wedding shower.” “It had one screw-in light bulb that just hung (in the air),” she said, giving The Times a tour of the building on Wednes day, Dec. 2. The room, otherwise, had been “left abandoned,” House added. “We just took everything that was stored in here and began taking it to the dump,” she said. “And the room kind of exposed itself.” Painstaking scraping of spilled paint gave way to original wood floors. ■ Please see HOLLAND, 4A Betsy House takes a tour of the basement Wednesday, Dec. 2, inside the New Holland community center. Hall County Planning Commission What: Rezoning to allow social events at old New Holland recreation center When: Monday, Dec. 7 Where: Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville Legislators hear election concerns from state officials BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com As Georgia finishes its third count of the Nov. 3 presidential race, legislators met with the Sec retary of State’s Office and Fulton County offi cials Thursday to bring forward feedback from their communities about the voting process and look at possible reforms ahead of the next leg islative session. After a year that saw high absentee ballot turnout due to the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as the implementation of new voting machines, legislators said they wanted their constituents to have faith in the process. The Senate Gov ernment Oversight Committee met Thursday to hear from election officials. “Based on what I’m hearing from the people I represent, we have totally lost confidence in our system, our election system this year,” State Sen. Steve Gooch, R-Dahlonega, said. "... I think we all have a duty as elected officials that represent them. I’m their voice. I’m here today to represent them as citizens. I have a duty to let you know that this issue isn’t going to go away unless we make some changes.” Ryan Germany, general counsel for the Sec retary of State’s Office, said elections officials told the state they were “being asked to really ■ Please see OVERSIGHT, 3A Gainesville murder suspect found hiding in dumpster BY KELLY WHITMIRE Forsyth County News A Gainesville man accused of murder in Gwinnett County was arrested on Monday night after being found hiding in a dumpster at Fowler Park, in Forsyth County. According to a Facebook post from the For syth County Sheriff’s Office, Cpl. William Cessa and his K9 partner Hummer assisted in the arrest of Billy Galvez, who had fled from federal law enforcement. After about half an hour of searching, Hummer was able to find Galvez hiding in a dumpster at the park. “He’s super heads up on this dumpster,” Cessa said in bodycam footage as Hummer sniffed the area just before the arrest. According to information from the Gwin nett County Sheriff’s Office website, Galvez, whose address is listed as Valley Green Drive in Gainesville, is being held without bond at the Gwinnett County Jail in Lawrenceville and has been charged with felony malice murder and felony aggravated assault. He is also being held for a failure to appear charge in Norcross. According to GCSO, Galvez was wanted in connection with the July murder of Alejandro Ramirez. “We hope this arrest brings a measure of comfort to the Ramirez family as they begin the journey for justice,” GCSO officials said in a Facebook post. This story was first published by the Forsyth County News.
