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Midweek Edition - DECEMBER21 -22,2022 | $1.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Honestly Local
Residents call for Bramlett to resign
Lula councilman faces harassment complaint of uninvited physical contact with city employee
BY BRIAN WELLMEIER
bwellmeier@gainesvilletimes.com
Three residents went before
Lula City Council at Monday’s
regular meeting to call for Council
man Gene Bramlett’s resignation
following accusations he engaged
in uninvited physical contact with
a city employee and made a com
ment about her rear end.
Bramlett has denied the alle
gations made against him in the
report.
“These women that work in this
office should not have to do so
being made to feel uncomfortable
due to the touching and remarks
made about them,” resi
dent Robert Grizzle said.
“This is all wanton mis
behavior ... the time has
passed for (Bramlett) to
step down. He must be
removed. I implore you —
the remainder of the city
council — to do your duty
and bring this to an end.”
Residents Dave Wil
son and Joseph Johnson joined
Grizzle in calling on the council
man to resign. Johnson referenced
the latest investigative report and
another from September that
also named Bramlett for alleg
edly targeting residents via code
enforcement.
“The cost of (the two
investigations) is well over
$10,000, not to mention the
seminars you all are going
to have to take now,” John
son said. “What I’m asking,
and my immediate con
cern as a citizen, is for the
immediate resignation (of
Bramlett) due to the num
ber of problems that’s happened
... that he’s been involved with.
The vulnerability and the liability
for the city — I mean, what else
is going to go on in the next three
years. How much is that going to
cost the city?”
“If we’ve got employees that
work for the city and they’re
scared they’re going to be harassed
... that’s a problem. That’s a toxic
work environment. Who’s going to
work if they just walk out? Where’s
that going to leave the city?” he
said.
During public comments, Wil
son denounced Bramlett and
expressed to council his belief that
the money spent on investigative
services could’ve gone to other
areas for the betterment of the
city. He later told The Times he
believes Bramlett should submit
his resignation after being named
in two consecutive investigations.
“I feel it’s at that point,” Wilson
said. “It costs a lot of money.”
Resident Roy Hall defended
Bramlett and downplayed accu
sations made against him in the
employee’s complaint.
“The investigation was open,
done and closed,” Hall said.
“Nobody is guilty of anything. I
commend you, Mr. Gene (Bram
lett) ... I know who you are as a
man, and I know you would never
have any intent to do anything
except serve the people of Lula.”
Mayor Joe Thomas expressed
opposition to any effort to push for
■ Please see LULA, 7A
Bramlett
NGMC on ‘bleeding edge’ of trauma
SCOTT ROGERS I The Times
An ambulance arrives Thursday Dec. 15, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center emergency entrance.
Gainesville hospital may soon become Level I center
BY BEN ANDERSON
banderson@gainesvilletimes.com
The Northeast Georgia Medical Cen
ter in Gainesville has applied to become
a Level I trauma center, which would
allow the hospital to participate in new
research and help recruit physicians.
If the American College of Surgeons
approves the application, that would
make NGMC Gainesville just the fifth
Level I adult trauma center in Georgia,
along with Augusta University Medi
cal Center, Atrium Health Navicent in
Macon, Grady Memorial Hospital in
Atlanta and Memorial Health University
Medical Center in Savannah, according
to the Department of Public Health.
Hospital officials said they expect an
answer in the spring of next year and
are hopeful that ACS will approve their
application.
The hospital has been certified as a
Level II trauma center since 2018, and
the step up to Level I wouldn’t have
many clinical implications.
“We were already doing a lot of the
things that we needed to be doing to be
a Level I trauma center,” said Jesse Gib
son, trauma program director at NGMC
Gainesville.
But it would allow the hospital to
position itself on the ‘bleeding edge’ of
trauma care research, which could influ
ence trauma care not just locally but
across the state and nation.
“I look at it kind of as sort of setting
yourself aside as a leader in trauma care
and really being able to influence future
trauma care not only here in our commu
nity, but in the state and and nationally,”
Gibson said. “For instance, looking at
devices that could improve survivability
of a hemorrhaging trauma patient — and
for us to be able to be part of studies like
that... it’s really bleeding edge.”
Being a Level I trauma center also
serves as an excellent recruiting tool,
Gibson said.
“One of the things that was most
attractive to a lot of us is that level one
trauma centers really do serve as a great
■ Please see TRAUMA, 3A
Rape Response
to move exams
out of hospital
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
For someone reporting they have been sexu
ally assaulted, the emergency room can seem
sterile, chaotic and busy.
With assistance from the Criminal Justice
Coordinating Council and Northeast Georgia
Health System, Rape Response will soon start
a community-based sexual assault nurse exam
iner program that seeks to offer healing for sur
vivors of sexual assault.
Previously, these exams would take place at
the hospital.
“That element of confidentiality of not hav
ing to walk into an emergency room and tell a
stranger and possibly running into a neighbor
or someone else that you know, that’s a huge
benefit,” said Rape Response’s Janie Steck-
enrider, who has come on as Rape Response’s
■ Please see EXAMS, 7A
Lowe’s coming
to Braselton
near S. Hall
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
A Lowe’s home improvement store is com
ing to Old Winder Highway/Ga. 211 in Brasel
ton, about two miles south of Hall County.
The 113,860-square-foot store is planned
as one of the anchors of a shopping center
planned across from Pinot Noir Drive and
next to the Publix-anchored Vineyards at Cha
teau Elan shopping center.
The project was discussed recently in a Bra
selton Town Council work session. At some
point, architectural renderings showing build
ing elevations will go before the council for
approval, said Kevin Keller, Braselton’s plan
ning and development director.
Early renderings show the Lowe’s featuring
a garden and tool rental area.
■ Please see LOWES, 3A
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