About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 11, 2020)
US panel endorses widespread use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, inside, m Friday, December 11,2020 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Dahlonega man recovering from injuries suffered while helping family escape fire INSIDE, 5A Honestly Local Legislators eye election reform swarm State lawmakers speak on high volume of constituents’ concerns at annual Eggs & Issues BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com AND MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Expect election reform legisla tion to flood the 2021 Georgia Gen eral Assembly, state Sen. Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, said at a legislative breakfast Thursday, Dec. 10. “We’re going to have to put a stoplight at the Capitol for all the people wanting to file election legislation,” he said, speaking at the Greater Hall Chamber of Com merce’s annual Eggs & Issues, held virtually over Zoom and with a small group gathered at Lanier Technical College. Miller said bills in the next leg islative session would likely focus on absentee ballots and the per formance of individual county elections offices. The session is scheduled to begin Jan. 11 but could be delayed due to COVID-19. The Georgia Senate Republican Caucus said in a statement earlier this week that, among other things, it would pursue nixing at-will absentee voting, a requirement for photo identification for absentee voting and the outlawing of ballot drop boxes. State Rep. Emory Dunahoo, R-Gillsville, was among several legislators who said Thursday they have been overwhelmed by calls and emails from Georgians with concerns about the election, par ticularly with absentee ballots. Some constituents have also asked about a possible special session, and four members of the Georgia Senate called for one. However, Gov. Brian Kemp and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan have said that would not be possible. “Doing this in order to select a separate slate of presidential elec tors is not an option that is allowed under state or federal law,” Kemp and Duncan said in a statement issued Sunday, Dec. 6. ■ Please see EGGS, 4A SCOn ROGERS I The Times Sen. Butch Miller, R-Gainesville, speaks Thursday, Dec. 10, during the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce annual Eggs & Issues meeting at Lanier Technical College’s Ramsey Conference Center. Playing music gives ‘purpose’ Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times The Flowery Branch High band practices Wednesday, Dec. 9, in the school band room. Each band member has their own shield they perform behind to protect other band members. School chorus, band directors share pandemic concert experiences BY KELSEY P0D0 kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com Standing inside The Venue at Friend ship Springs, Flowery Branch High School’s marching band performed their Christmas concert to an empty audience on Dec. 1. Each time they finished a song, they weren’t met with the usual cheers and applause, but instead, silence. “It was the kids, myself and the videog- rapher — that’s it,” Miguel Guisasola, the school’s band director, said. “There was something almost sad and surreal about it. Normally when you finish the concert, there’s excitement about Christmas, par ents being around and that sense of com munity. That didn’t exist, they just went home.” Despite the off-putting atmosphere, Guisasola said his band students still had fun and found a small semblance of normalcy. Virtual concerts Many choral and band directors plan out their concerts far in advance. How ever, because of the pandemic, Stacie Mavis, Flowery Branch High’s fine arts department head, said they’ve had to keep their schedules as flexible as possible. Leading up to Saturday, Dec. 12, Mavis’ 125-student choir had rehearsed for an in- person concert in Flowery Branch High’s theater. She carefully orchestrated the event, and planned to have a maximum of 20 students perform for 15 minutes with masks on, then switch with another group. During each of these concert breaks, she said the audience would also change. Two days before the show, Mavis said she had to cancel it, not only because of absences related to COVID-19 among her chorus members, but because of the schools’ overall virus numbers among students and staff. As of Thursday, Dec. 10, Flowery Branch High reported eight absences of students and staff resulting r m EL i n jE i l • »i L - Flowery Branch High band director Miguel Guisasola leads a practice Wednesday, Dec. 9, in the school band room. from COVID-19. Mavis said she now intends to record her students singing and share the video with their parents before Christmas. “The main thing behind having the concert — whether you’re in band, cho rus or theater — those performances and rehearsals give us purpose,” Mavis said. “And it gives us something to work toward, so I think that’s really impor tant. Even if worst comes to worst and it doesn’t happen, we’ve had a good time making music together and trying to keep things as normal as possible.” Instead of planning for an in-person show, Lisa Bassett, Chestatee High School’s choral director, recently started a “12 Days of December” virtual concert with her students. Starting Monday, Dec. 7 and running until Friday, Dec. 18, a video will be posted to the choir’s YouTube channel at 8 p.m. each evening. Each Christmas song lasts a little over three minutes and offers footage of the students performing while separated in small groups. Because they aren’t allowed to sing with masks off, Bassett said the audio for the video was recorded separately while they wore face cover ings. When filming, she said the students took off their masks and lip-synced the songs. “I think they’ve really enjoyed it,” Bas sett said. “We’re pushing ourselves in new ways. Everything has gone much better than I thought it would.” Making it work safely Teresa Williams, choral director for Gainesville High School, said her chorus students will have their holiday concert at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 15, at the school’s Pam Ware Performing Arts Center. To limit the spread of COVID-19, Wil liams said her students will perform in ■ Please see CONCERTS, 4A Authorities seize meth, 2 stolen ATVs in drug bust BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Two Gainesville men and at least seven oth ers were arrested Wednesday, Dec. 9, in a multi county drug bust that garnered nearly a pound of meth, heroin and other drugs, three guns and two stolen ATVs, according to authorities. The Appalachian Regional Drug Enforce ment Office announced the arrests had come after a yearlong investigation that included the Hall County Sheriff’s Office and Gainesville Police, as well as a handful of law enforcement agencies across the region. Georgia Bureau of Investigation special agent in charge Trent Hillsman said authorities seized 433 grams of meth, 4 pounds of mari juana, 89 grams of crack cocaine, 53 grams of powder cocaine and 90 grams of heroin. Beyond the drugs, law enforcement took three firearms, more than $19,000 in cash and two stolen ATVs, Hillsman said. There were also other assets seized, which Hillsman did not disclose, with a value greater than $20,000. Bernard Jermaine House, 43, of Buford, who Hillsman described as the primary suspect, was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and five counts of distribution of heroin. Four searches were executed Wednesday at addresses allegedly “associated with House’s drug trafficking organization,” Hillsman said. Christian Wright, 30, of Gainesville, was charged with trafficking heroin, cocaine and methamphetamine. Bobby Hoe Holloman, 47, of Gainesville, was charged with possession of a firearm by a con victed felon, as well as possession of heroin and cocaine. Six others from Cleveland and Homer were also charged with drug-related offenses, and Hillsman said several others “wanted for unrelated crimes were also arrested during this investigation.” He did not say what the estimated street value of the drugs was. One-day US virus deaths top 3,000 BY HEATHER HOLLINGSWORTH Associated Press MISSION, Kan. — Just when the U.S. appears on the verge of rolling out a COVID-19 vaccine, the numbers have become gloomier than ever: Over 3,000 American deaths in a single day, more than on D-Day or 9/11. One million new cases in the span of five days. More than 106,000 people in the hospital. The crisis across the country is pushing medical centers to the breaking point and leaving staff members and public health offi cials burned out and plagued by tears and nightmares. All told, the crisis has left more than 290,000 people dead nationwide, with more than 15 mil lion confirmed infections. Georgia has so far recorded 9,123 deaths, and Hall County accounts for 200 of those, according to Thursday data from the Georgia ■ Please see COVID-19,3A
