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Thursday, February 23, 20231 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
Honestly Local
Hall may get part of $181M opioid settlement
BY BRIAN WELLMEIER
bwellmeier
@gainesvilletimes.com
Hall County could be receiv
ing additional funding in the
wake of America’s opioid epi
demic, as commissioners will
consider whether to participate
in a national settlement involv
ing pharmaceutical distributors
Teva, Allergan, CVS, Walgreens
and Walmart.
Attorney General Chris Carr
announced on Jan. 5 that Geor
gia would join a list of states
participating in national settle
ments with the five companies
to “resolve allegations that the
companies contributed to the
opioid crisis.”
In doing so, Georgia is eligible
to receive more than $181 mil
lion in total base payments that
would provide critical treat
ment, prevention, reduction
and recovery services for opi
oid addiction.
“No Georgia community is
a stranger to the devastating
effects of the opioid crisis, and
we must do all we can to support
those who are struggling,” Carr
said in a press release. “Today’s
announcement is another step
forward in our ongoing efforts
to combat this epidemic and
address the widespread dam
age it’s caused. Our top pri
ority is to protect our fellow
Georgians, and joining these
settlements will ensure that our
state receives much-needed
resources to help expand criti
cal treatment and recovery
services.”
According to the Attorney
General’s Office, Georgia is
set to receive up to $50.1 mil
lion from CVS and $58.7 million
from Walgreens, plus an addi
tional $44.9 million from Teva
and $27.4 million from Allergan.
A justification summary for
the item states that “in order
to determine the state’s share
of settlement proceeds, coun
ties must make an election as
to whether to participate in the
settlements.”
“Hall County’s portion of
the settlement proceeds is not
ascertainable at this time,”
county documents state. “In
order to determine Hall Coun
ty’s share, the number of juris
dictions participating in the
settlements must be determined
no later than April 18, 2023.”
The item is expected to go
before commissioners for
approval at their regular meet
ing at 6 p.m. on Thursday, Feb.
23, at the Hall County Govern
ment Center.
‘I want justice for my sister’
Photos by SCOTT ROGERS I The Times
Magdalena Carmelo Jose speaks through interpreter Art Gallegos on Tuesday, Feb. 21, about her sister, Juana Jose, who was
strangled to death at her Cooley Drive home.
Slain womans sister describes her dreams of better life for her kids
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com
Juana Jose dreamed of providing a
better life for her children.
With an 18-month-old daughter and
another child on the way, the 22-year-
old Gainesville woman had goals
of buying her own car and finding a
home in Gainesville.
Those dreams were cut short, as
Jose was found Jan. 29 strangled to
death in her bed on Cooley Drive.
The suspect, Max Rocael Calel
Sanic, 20, turned himself in around
noon Monday, Feb. 20, to the Gaines
ville Police headquarters. He faces
charges of malice murder and felony
feticide.
The last time Magdalena Carmelo
Jose was able to hug her 22-year-
old sister Juana was at their father’s
birthday gathering Jan. 28, a day
before she was found unconscious.
“She would always smile to a lot of
the people everywhere,” Magdalena
Jose said through Art Gallegos Jr.,
who translated from Spanish to Eng
lish. “She’s very noble. She always
had a very noble heart to deal with
people that she met.”
Juana worked for some time at
Variedades Gomez, a variety store
on Atlanta Highway, according to the
store’s social media.
“Once she had the baby, she
couldn’t get help to take care of the
baby, so it was very hard for her to
stay employed,” Magdalena Jose said.
Juana Jose was more than four
months along in her pregnancy at
the time of her death, her sister
estimated.
Magdalena Jose said she believes
Juana Jose and Sanic may have met
through work or social media.
The father of the baby, Magdalena
Jose said, is believed to be in Mexico.
“When the father heard about her
being pregnant, he just left to Mex
ico,” Juana’s sister said.
A service was held Saturday, Feb.
18, at a church on Aviation Boule
vard. Magdalena spoke at the service,
thanking the roughly 50-60 people who
showed up to honor Juana.
“Saturday was very heartfelt,” Gal
legos said. “I saw the community in
pain, and I was honored to be able
to lead the service and pray over the
family.”
Magdalena Jose said the commu
nity has been very supportive.
“Sometimes they bless us with
food that people just stop by and give
us food and help us out that way,”
Juana’s sister said.
But the burden still falls on them
to complete their wish of sending
Juana’s body back to Guatemala.
Juana Jose came to the U.S. four
years ago but was denied legal perma
nent residency.
In the meantime, Magdalena Jose
has been taking care of Juana’s
daughter. She said it did provide some
relief knowing that the suspect turned
himself in.
“I want justice for my sister,” Mag
dalena Jose said.
NGMC BRASELTON
Hospital gives
some updates
on expansion
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
More than $1 billion in hospital improvements
are being made in Hall County, with half of those
at Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton
in South Hall.
And the expansion activities aren’t just con
fined to the main hospital at 1400 River Place,
Braselton.
Construction is underway on Medical Plaza
2, a 100,000-square-foot medical office building
on the hospital campus. And a new radiation
machine is being added to the Braselton Cancer
Center in Medical Plaza 1, also on the campus.
Anthony Williamson, president of NGMC Bra
selton, gave these updates to the Greater Hall
Chamber of Commerce’s South Hall Business
Coalition on Wednesday, Feb. 22.
Hospital work divided in phases
Work on the $565 million main hospital expan
sion is on track for the first phase’s completion in
summer 2025.
The project calls for adding 235,000 square
feet of new clinical space, including two new
patient care floors and 150 more acute-care beds
that would bring the hospital’s to 284 beds.
When finished, the patient tower would be
eight floors, including one floor with mechanical
equipment that will serve the new space above it.
Plans also call for increasing the number
of treatment rooms in the emergency depart
ment from 23 to 46 and adding a second helipad,
which, the hospital has touted, will mean faster,
more efficient access to life-saving heart, stroke
and surgical care.
■ Please see HOSPITAL, 3A
Rendering provided by NGHS
Construction is underway on Medical Plaza 2,
a 100,000-square-foot medical office building
on the hospital campus.at Northeast Georgia
Medical Center Braselton in South Hall.
JAN. 6 ATTACK
Lawmakers from
Hall in call logs
BY BRIAN WELLMEIER
bwellmeier@gainesvilletimes.com
A report released by the House Select Com
mittee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the
Capitol named three Hall County representa
tives among the 119 state lawmakers who were
called in late November or early December by
former President Donald Trump’s campaign,
which sought to garner support to challenge
Georgia’s election results in 2020.
Rep. Emory Dunahoo, R-Gillsville, acknowl
edged taking the call after it appeared that
President Joe Biden had won Georgia by 11,779
votes. During that call, Dunahoo pledged to do
“whatever he can do,” according to the report.
He said his only intention was to request an
additional week or so to reexamine the results.
“There was nothing really discussed, except
■ Please see CALLS, 3A
