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Midweek Edition - MARCH 1-2,2023 | $2.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com
Honestly Local
Man indicted in strangling death
Attorney: Man maintains innocence in case of woman found outside Gainesville apartments
Dryden
BY NICK WATSON
nwatson@
gainesvilletimes.com
A Gainesville man was accused
in a Hall County grand jury murder
indictment of strangling a woman and
striking her repeatedly in the head,
according to court documents.
Diandre Andreus Dryden, 23, was
indicted Feb. 15 on charges of malice
murder, felony murder and aggra
vated assault in the Jan. 22 death of
Latasha Smith, 34,of Buford.
Smith was found Jan. 23 in the grass
outside of the Pointe Lanier apart
ments on Spring Road.
Gainesville Police said Dryden and
Smith knew one another, but they have
not disclosed the exact nature of their
relationship.
Defense attorney Chris van Rossem
said Dryden has maintained that he
was not involved in Smith’s death. The
attorney said he had hoped to have a
probable cause hearing, but the case
was indicted before that opportunity.
“I think what’s going to be most
important moving forward ... is figur
ing out who was where when,” van
Rossem said.
Van Rossem did not elaborate fur
ther on the defense’s theory on the
case.
“We’re still in the early stages of our
investigation,” he said.
‘Long and fruitful life’
Locals celebrate former president Carter during hospice care
Photo provided by Doug Carter
Jimmy Carter and the late Don Carter of Gainesville talk about fly-fishing at Carter’s farm in
Hiawassee in the early 1980s, after Carter’s presidency.
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Frank Moore walked with
Jimmy Carter in the White
House’s Rose Garden and
behind him in his inaugura
tion parade.
And he’s now with the for
mer president, at least in
spirit, as Carter, 98, lives out
his remaining days in hospice
care at his home in Plains.
Moore, a Dahlonega native
who served as Carter’s assis
tant for congressional rela
tions during his presidency,
said he calls Carter about
once a week.
“Sometimes we speak for
10 minutes, sometimes for two
minutes,” said Moore, whose
wife is the former Nancy Wof
ford of Gainesville. “We laugh
and talk about things, hardly
ever about the White House.
We talk about the governor’s
office and characters in the
state legislature, or hunting...
and children and grandchil
dren, stuff about family.”
Speaking this week by
phone to The Times from
his St. Simons Island home,
Moore described Carter as
being in “a period of joy.”
“He’s as prepared to go
as anybody ever was,” said
Moore, the last living Carter
associate who followed Carter
from when he was a state sen
ator through the presidency.
“He’s accomplished every
thing he ever wanted in his
life.... He’s home and happy,
surrounded by family and
friends. It’s a time of joy.”
“He’s in a great mood and
(has) a great sense of humor,”
added Moore.
Others with local ties, like
Moore, are recalling and
lauding the 39th president in
the wake of The Carter Cen
ter’s Feb. 18 announcement
Carter had “decided to spend
his remaining time at home
with his family and receive
hospice care instead of addi
tional medical intervention.”
“Like everyone who loves
and admires President
Carter, I’m heartbroken to
hear the news that he’s been
placed on hospice care,” said
the Rev. Jeremy Shoulta, who
served as Carter’s pastor at
his church in Plains, Mara-
natha Baptist Church, and
now serves as senior pastor
of Gainesville’s First Baptist
Church.
“But I’m grateful and
blessed by his long and fruit
ful life, which has affected me
and people all over the world.
I celebrate and give thanks
for all he’s meant to me, my
family and so many others.”
He said he “will always
remember his kindness and
warmth, which he conveyed
in private but also on a global
stage.”
■ Please see CARTER, 5A
Retirement
community
seeks major
expansion
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
A developer is proposing 345 homes in Brasel
ton on the Hall-Gwinnett County line.
PulteGroup Inc. wants to build 283 homes as
an expansion of Del Webb at Chateau Elan, a
784-home retirement community at 5575 Napa
Ridge Road and 62 homes in a separate John
Wieland Homes development.
The massive Del Webb neighborhood, featur
ing a 19,000-square-foot community center with
indoor and outdoor swimming pools and other
amenities, is off Thompson Mill Road in South
Hall and has an entrance off Spout Springs Road
in Gwinnett County.
■ Please see CHATEAU, 4A
High schools
honored for
AP success
BY BEN ANDERSON
banderson@gainesvilletimes.com
All seven of Hall County’s traditional high
schools and Gainesville High School were
recently named 2023 Georgia Advanced Place
ment Honor Schools across eight categories by
the Georgia Department of Education.
“The number of AP Honor Schools
increased by more than 14%, which serves
as a testament to our commitment to expand
opportunities for Georgia students, including
in advanced and accelerated coursework,”
Georgia Superintendent Richard Woods said in
a Feb. 16 news release. “I sincerely congratu
late each of this year’s AP Honor Schools on
their achievement.”
Woods congratulated 273 schools across 97
public school districts “for their diligent work
creating strong AP opportunities.”
Hall County school board members heard
a detailed presentation at Monday’s meet
ing about the success of the district’s AP and
dual-enrollment programs, particularly for
students who are the first in their families to
go to college, who don’t speak English as their
■ Please see SCHOOLS, 4A
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