About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2020)
4A Thursday, December 10, 2020 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com LOCA^STATE Burglary suspect captured after manhunt BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainevilletimes.com A manhunt for a burglary sus pect led investigators from Hall County into Lumpkin County and eventually to a White County hotel, authorities said. A Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office investigator working on a theft case Monday, Dec. 7, tried to pull over William Shane Blalock, 44, who the investigator had encountered on Old Dahlonega Highway near Thompson Bridge Road in Hall County, Lt. Alan Roach said. Blalock drove out of Hall County into Lump kin County and allegedly struck the officer’s car, Roach said. Law enforcement lost sight of Blalock, who allegedly continued driv ing before crashing on Wessex Court in Lumpkin County, Roach said. Roach said Blalock ran from the crash, and law enforcement from Georgia State Patrol, the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office started searching the area. Hall County Sheriff’s Office spokesman Der- reck Booth said a K-9 tracking unit assisted in the search for roughly an hour Monday night. Officers found Blalock around 2 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 8, at the M Star Hotel in Cleveland. Blalock was arrested and booked into the Hall County Jail on a first-degree burglary charge, where he remains with a hold for the Lumpkin County charges. Booth said Blalock allegedly entered a garage sometime between 10 a.m. and 4:50 p.m. Dec. 2 on Grant Ford Road. Nothing was stolen, and the victim called law enforcement after receiv ing an alert on the home security system. Booth said investigators were notified that the vehicle in the burglary was wrecked in Lumpkin County. “Based on information obtained from the vehicle, (Hall County Sheriff’s Office detectives were able to identify Blalock as the driver and burglary suspect on Tuesday, Dec. 8,” Booth said. Booth said the case remains under investigation, and Blalock is “considered a suspect in at least one other burglary.” Roach said he faces a hit and run charge from Georgia State Patrol and charges of theft by tak ing, aggravated assault on a peace officer, fleeing and attempting to elude and interference with gov ernment property in Lumpkin County. Blalock Five arrested after gunfire at apartments SCOn ROGERS I The Times Police said they found broken glass and bullet holes in six vehicles after responding to a shooting Sunday at the North Pointe Apartments in Gainesville. Investigators searched an apartment in the 700 building, finding rifles and handguns hidden in various spots around the apartment. BY NICK WATSON nwatson@ gainesvilletimes.com Five people were charged with felony possession of marijuana following the investigation Sunday, Dec. 6, into shots fired at a Gainesville apartment com plex that damaged multiple vehicles, police said. Gainesville Police said they found broken glass and bullet holes in six vehicles after responding at 7:45 p.m. Sunday at the North Pointe Apartments in Gainesville to a fight involving gunshots. N o injuries were reported. Investigators searched an apartment in the 700 building, where they found rifles and handguns hidden in various spots around the apartment and at least an ounce of marijuana in a luggage bag, police said. Five people were charged with one count of felony possession of marijuana. Those arrested were Jor dan Griffin, 18, of Gaines ville, Dwayne Bailey, 19, of Gainesville, Dreshod Young, 22, of Gainesville, Leondre Sigler, 20, of Stock- bridge and Markis Witt, 25, of Gainesville. There have been no charges assessed relat ing to the fight, gunshots or damaged vehicles, but Cpl. Jessica Van said more charges “could be forthcoming.” Gainesville Police did not release any further information on the case Wednesday, Dec. 9. No attorneys were listed with Magistrate Court offi cials for the five people charged. “We are fortunate that no injuries have been reported from this case, especially since this took place in a densely popu lated residential com plex,” Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish said in a statement. “This type of behavior is reckless, and those involved showed no restraint, as well as no regard for human life. We must hold those respon sible for this heinous act accountable, and come together to support those who are directly affected by this recklessness.” The case is still under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is asked to contact the police depart ment. The tips line for the department is 770-533-5873. Delta increases unpaid leaves as travel slump gets worse ATLANTA — Delta Air Lines has managed to avoid furloughs but is now asking more employees to take unpaid leaves of absence, a sign of the deepening slump in air travel as coronavirus cases increase across the United States. CEO Ed Bastian said Wednesday that Delta will need takers for its unpaid-leave program “for the foreseeable future.” “I ask everyone to consider whether a voluntary leave makes sense for you and your family,” he said in a memo to employees. With revenue down sharply, Delta expects to lose up to $12 million a day on average during the fourth quarter. Unlike American Airlines and United Airlines, which furloughed a combined 32,000 workers in October, Atlanta-based Delta avoided furloughs by convincing thousands of workers to retire early or take unpaid leave. Southwest Airlines also has avoided furloughs, but last week the Dallas-based carrier warned nearly 7,000 work ers that they could lose their jobs if unions don’t accept pay cuts. Passenger traffic rose over Thanksgiving week, although numbers were down more than half from a year earlier. Traffic has dropped since the holiday. Only 501,513 people passed through U.S. airports on Tuesday — 74% lower than the same Tuesday a year ago, the sharpest percentage decline since Sept. 15. The seven-day rolling average of passengers has been falling for nearly two weeks. Associated Press RICK BOWMER I Associated Press A Delta Air Lines ticket counter sits empty April 7, at Salt Lake City International Airport in Salt Lake City, Utah. Gwinnett sheriff quarantines after positive for COVID-19 LAWRENCEVILLE - Gwinnett County’s incoming sheriff, Keybo Taylor, con firmed Monday’s positive COVID-19 test in a social media post Tuesday. He said a staff member also tested positive while his family and the staff member’s family have all tested negative. “Currently, I am in quar antine and have decided, in a preponderance of caution, to postpone my swearing-in ceremony and all subsequent engagements,” Taylor said. In the post, he also encour aged county residents to follow public health guide lines and prevent the spread of COVID-19, which has recently neared the record high number of average daily cases set over the summer. “Our collective goal is the safety of our neighbors, friends and families,” Taylor said. “Together, we can mini mize the spread of the virus and have a better 2021.1 ask that each of you please con tinue wearing your masks, washing your hands and practicing social distancing.” Taylor is expected to take office on Jan. 1. Sheriff Butch Conway, a Republican who has held the position for more than two decades, did not seek re-election this year. Taylor, a Democrat, defeated Chief Deputy Lou Solis, a Republican. Taylor will be Gwinnett County’s first Black sheriff, and the first Democrat to win the seat since 1984. Associated Press TRANSIT ■ Continued from 1A with a ramp and space for two wheelchairs, and the WeGo app has special fea tures for visually and hearing impaired people, according to the website. Wait times are expected to vary from 15 to 45 minutes depending on driver avail ability, but users can track the location of the vehicle in real time through the app, officials said. The service will operate from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mon day through Friday, with the exception of major holidays. Service hours and days may increase in the future, transportation officials said. Microtransit service has been in the works for a couple of years, as officials began exploring public trans portation options. The concern has been a funding one. As Hall climbs above 200,000 people, it gets redefined as a “large urban area” and federal dollars go away. “It would no longer be eli gible for a 50% match,” Moss previously said. Hall Area Transit’s fixed- route system, Gainesville Connection, is expected to continue but with a reduction in routes from five to three. Gainesville is seeking $1.3 million in federal funding for public transit with the start up of WeGo. Dial-A-Ride is expected to end once WeGo is expanded into Hall County. Have a message for someone special this Christmas? Let us help! We will place your message in our December 23 issue. Small Ornaments $50 (50 word limit) Large Ornaments $100 (100 word Limit) Reserve your space by December 18 email Mlewis@gainesvilletimes.com or call 770-535-6371 Win prizes from the The Times and our great partners this holiday season during the 12 Days of Christmas Giveaway! www.gainesvilletimes.com/christmascontest Sign up now through December 22. Every day will feature a prize from a different sponsor. On December 23rd a Grand Prize winner will be announced. That winner will receive a prize from each sponsor! 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