About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 19, 2020)
Weekend Edition - DECEMBER 19-20,2020 | $2.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Honestly Local Health Dept, receives vaccines SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Hall County EMA Director Casey Ramsey is working with the Department of Public Health coordinating how nearly 1,000 frontline EMS, fire and police employees are going to get vaccinated for COVID-19 as doses arrived this week. EMS will be given COVID vaccinations next week BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com District 2 Public Health received its first shipment of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine Friday, Dec. 18, and plans to hold a clinic to vacci nate EMS workers Monday, Dec. 21, in Hall County. The public health office received 975 doses and will have the clinic for EMS workers starting 8 a.m. both Monday, Dec. 21, and Tuesday, Dec. 22, at the Chicopee Woods Agri cultural Center on Calvary Church Road. “Getting a vaccine to combat this disease and save lives is remark able,” said District 2 Public Health Inside NGHS begins giving COVID-19 vaccine to staff, 6A First patients move into Laurelwood overflow COVID-19 space, 6A Director Dr. Zachary Taylor in a statement. “With news of (a) Mod- erna vaccine being authorized for emergency use, we will now have two vaccines and will be able to vac cinate more people.” District 2 Public Health spokes man Dave Palmer said they have not received any information as of Friday on when they might receive a shipment of the Moderna vaccine. The Department of Public Health vaccination plan prioritizes EMS workers, frontline heathcare work ers and staff in long-term care facili ties during the first phase of the rollout. “Because of the limited amount, we’re working through our prior ity list of those most exposed to patients,” said Casey Ramsey, Hall County Emergency Management Agency director. Ramsey said there has been a good deal of first responders who have been interested in getting the vaccine. “There are some that have chosen for various reasons to maybe wait ■ Please see VACCINE, 6A ‘Reasons to smile’ SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Keshia Gee switches between an administrative and assistant nurse role at New Horizons Limestone. Keshia, her kids and husband were all diagnosed with COVID-19 in October. New Horizons Limestone worker cares for seniors amid pandemic BY KELSEY P0D0 kpodo@gainesvilletimes.com When there’s a need at New Horizons Limestone, Keshia Gee is there. Although her job description places her in the front office handling the financial side of the Northeast Georgia Health System long-term care facility, she often finds herself serving as a certified nursing assis tant on the floor. Gee said she goes above and beyond for residents because she not only cares about them, but also shares ■ Please see GEE, 9A Hometown heroes COVID-19 has been hard on many, but for these frontline health care workers, its effects are an everyday reality. Over the next two weeks, we share the stories of a few of those who have risen to the occasion and done their jobs well in the face of unmatched pressure professionally and sometimes personally. We need heroes in this battle, and through their dedication, they have shown us what that looks like. We worked with Northeast Georgia Health System to identify those we are profiling. If you have a story about a frontline health care worker who has made a difference, please submit your story to news@gainesvilletimes.com. How votes are cast, counted, step by step BY MEGAN REED mreed@gainesvilletimes.com Claims of fraud, Russian meddling and faulty machines or the most secure election in history — this year has seen so much talk and specula tion about the security of voting that even those most adamant that the election was on the up and up might still occasionally wonder: Where does my ballot go when it leaves my hand? It’s a question especially pertinent to Geor gians, since early voting is already under way in the Jan. 5 runoff, which features the U.S. Senate seats that have drawn the eyes of the nation as control of the Senate will be determined. With election security top of mind for so many Georgians, The Times spoke with Lori Wurtz, Hall County’s elections director, about how votes are cast and counted — and how the process differs for in-person and absentee by mail voting. In-person voting Checking in ■ The voter checks with a poll worker, who ■ Please see BALLOT, 8A SCOTT ROGERS I The Times Jay Lawson of the Hall County Elections Office observes poll officers remove voting ballots from a machine Friday, Dec. 18, at the Spout Springs Library early voting precinct. DEATHS 2B Dr. Robert Barnhart, 91 Thomas Ballew Clara Banks, 90 Peter Brennan, 83 Duane Bridges, 86 Joseph Briones, 34 Emmaline Brooks, 97 Virginia Carter, 93 Lawrence Clemente Cheryl Cooper, 66 Emma Cory, 68 Paul Davis, 89 Sandra Davis, 75 Stephen Davis Reesa Dawkins, 68 Rocky Dodd, 46 Nedra Eller, 78 Sherry Forrester, 58 Neal Gaddis, 56 Linda Hewell, 77 Dr. Thomas Hodges Jr. Virginia Holbrook, 93 April Holcombe, 47 Helen Hood, 91 Jane Horah, 87 Garlon Hosch, 77 Shirley Ledford, 73 Lynn Leverette, 56 Elizabeth Love Aletha Lyons, 61 Myra Moore, 78 Annette Myers, 81 95 Rodney Niles, 62 Susie Odell, 105 Earl Partin, 78 Patrick Peck, 48 Thelma Qualls, 96 Irene Smith, 95 Eunice Stovall, 92 James Tatum, 93 Lee Taylor, 81 Blonnie Thomas, 96 Oma Watson, 88 Jack Whitlock Sr., 84 Ruth Wilbanks, 101 0 40901 06825 9 I nghs.com/COVID
