About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (April 12, 2023)
Cherokee Bluff picks up baseball win against Chestatee in preparation for Region 8-4A championship series. SPORTS, 1C Midweek Edition - APRIL 12-13,2023 | $2.00 | GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA | gainesvilletimes.com Honestly Local Road project updates given at forum BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Heavy, widespread road construction isn’t happen ing in Hall County at the moment, but that doesn’t mean orange barrels are off the radar, either. Upcoming projects and roads-related issues were discussed by state and local officials at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s annual transportation forum at University of North Geor gia’s Gainesville campus Tuesday, April 11. Here’s a few takeaways from the event: Dawsonville Highway widening on track Construction could begin in early 2024 turning a heav ily traveled section of Daw sonville Highway/Ga. 53 in Gainesville into a true six- lane road. The $5 million project calls for widening Ga. 53 between Ahaluna Drive and Shallow- ford Road using existing turn lanes that lead drivers into the many businesses that dot the corridor. Only one part of the Ga. 53 stretch has a third lane that currently serves as both a through and turn lane — an eastbound stretch between the Olive Garden restaurant and McEver Road. When the project is fin ished, drivers will be able to drive straight through on six lanes between Ahaluna and Shallowford — nearly a l-mile stretch — and make right turns as needed. Also, as part of the project, the Georgia Department of Transportation plans to build a median that would block Beechwood Boulevard driv ers from making a left turn onto Ga. 53. Beechwood drivers wanting to turn left, or head west on Ga. 53, will have to turn right onto Ga. 53 and make a U-turn. Ga. 365 interchange in the works Work could start in 2025 on a limited-access interchange at Lanier Tech Drive and YMCA Drive. The $15 million project calls for removing a traf fic light that’s now at the busy intersection, building a bridge across Ga. 365 and providing access to Lanier Tech Drive and YMCA Drive by other means, such as through roundabouts. “This is a great project to continue mobility through the area, especially with the ■ Please see ROADS, 5A ‘It’s like Christmas out here’ Styrofoam pellets from Marriott construction site rain on square SCOn ROGERS I The Times Crews use vacuums and blowers to gather and remove Styrofoam debris in downtown Gainesville Tuesday, April 11, due to construction from the nearby Marriott. BY BRIAN WELLMEIER bwellmeier@ gainesvilletimes.com White pellets have show ered downtown Gainesville for the last two weeks, prompting questions and complaints from downtown employees. What is it? The flakes are bits of Sty rofoam coming from the con struction site at Courtyard by Marriott on Green Street, said Taylor Sharrette, president of Ecker Construction, the com pany finishing work at the hotel. He said on Monday after noon that the company is work ing to resolve the matter and attributed the issue to the latest phases of work on the project. “(Workers) are rasping the joints — similar to sanding — the foam to get it smooth, so that’s what that is,” he said. “We actually just stopped them from doing that, and we’re going to come up with a solution before we get started back.” Sharrette cited specific measures his construction crews have taken to mitigate the problem, which he said is a direct result of strong winds. “The problem is that par ticular area is so windy... when the wind catches it, it can carry the (Styrofoam) a little further than just the base of the build ing,” he said. About 15 workers with Ecker Construction spent several hours vacuuming the area in and around the downtown area Monday evening and Tuesday morning. “We’re doing everything we can. It is so windy it’s presented a massive problem. We’ll get everything cleaned up. We’ll handle it,” Sharrette said. Crews will continue to vac uum around the construction site each day for the next two weeks, he said. ‘It’s disgusting’ Jessica Brannan, a tat too artist at The Hive off the downtown square, said she first noticed the white pellets sleeting from the sky when she peered out the window two weeks ago. Brannan said she’s expe rienced sinus irritation like coughing and sneezing since the debris started to fall. “It’s a lot worse first thing in the morning,” she said. "... it’s like Christmas out here. We had to pick Styrofoam out of our cups. We’re breathing it in. It’s in our food. It’s disgusting.” Profuse winds over the last two weeks have blown the Styrofoam flakes into storm water drains and Brannan’s tattoo shop. Like the side walks and benches downtown, the small white pellets have accumulated on the floor in her work station. She said this poses a potential risk for contamination. ■ Please see FOAM, 3A Hall seeks fewer state inmates at local facility BY BRIAN WELLMEIER bwellmeier@gainesvilletimes.com The number of state inmates housed at Hall County’s Correctional Institution could be reduced from 200 to 115 if commissioners approve an intergovernmental agreement with the Georgia Department of Corrections Thursday. Hall is one of 21 counties in Georgia that contract with the state and hold state inmates at a locally-run correctional facility. Warden and Director of Hall County Corrections and Maintenance Walt Davis cited two main objectives behind the IGA: the need for better local management of inmates and to slash the number of “very high-risk” individuals sent to Hall County from the state prison system. The mission of Hall County’s Correctional Institution, according to Davis, is to send inmates into the community on work details under the supervision of a correctional officer. With the reduction, he said, comes greater opportunity for lower-risk individu als in Hall County. “We have to weigh security issues, and we were getting inmates from the state system that I didn’t think were a good security risk,” Davis said. “We’re going to reduce our state inmate population and supplement that with county jail inmates — revocation cases from accountability courts. It saves space in the state prison system and it saves, ultimately, space in the county jail. ” “And they’re working on outside details, so there’s that labor rate we get ... it’s a restructuring of how we do business to bet ter provide services to the citizens of Hall County, essentially,” he said. If the agreement is approved, Hall County Correctional Institution would likely receive around $600,000 less in subsidies from the state, Davis said, though there are plans to account for that lost revenue. “Obviously, for reducing our state inmate population there would be a reduction,” he said. however, we’re going to offset that by not only bringing over county jail inmates we can house for half that cost, but we’re also going to work those inmates. From a revenue standpoint, it’s a wash.” Commissioners will consider the item for approval at 6 p.m. Thursday, April 13, at the Hall County Government Center. Police: Wanted man shot by officers after showing gun BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Gainesville man wanted in a Stephens County home inva sion case was shot multiple times Monday, April 10, by dep uties after showing a handgun, according to authorities. Hall County Sheriff’s Office deputies were serving warrants Monday on Jason William Grin- dle, 34, at a home in the 2400 block of Brand Drive in north west Hall County. Grindle had warrants includ ing home invasion, armed rob bery, exploitation of an elder person, and aggravated assault from a Stephens County case. He also had a Hall County Superior Court arrest warrant. “As law enforcement approached Grindle in the back yard of the residence, the suspect pre sented a handgun,” according to the Sheriff’s Office. “At that point, HCSO deputies fired on Grindle.” Grindle was conscious when he was transported by ambu lance from the scene. He was booked in to the Hall County jail Grindle later that evening. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is leading the investigation. The GBI said Tuesday, April 11, that the deputies and Grin dle exchanged gunfire, but the department’s spokeswoman did not clarify how many shots were fired and who shot first. The Sheriff’s Office said all of the deputies from the war rants unit who responded to the scene yesterday are on leave today, but the agency did not name names or clarify how many. No officers were injured. No further information was provided. Pi * A Gainesville man wanted in a Stephens County home invasion case was shot multiple times at a home on Brand Drive by Hall County deputies after showing a handgun, according to authorities. 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