About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (June 25, 2023)
2A Sunday, June 25, 2023 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia | gainesvilletimes.com Ohio train derailment responders frustrated by poor communication In this drone photo, portions of a Norfolk Southern freight train that derailed the previous night in East Palestine, Ohio, remain on fire at mid-day, Feb. 4 BY JOSH FUNK AP Business Writer OMAHA, Neb. — Fire fighters who responded to February’s fiery train derailment in Ohio struggled to immediately identify the hazardous chemicals the train was hauling due to a lack of communication from the railroad, officials said Thursday. During a public hearing in East Palestine — where thousands of residents had to evacuate their homes because of the derailment — National Transportation Safety Board chairwoman Jen nifer Homendy asked why it took Norfolk Southern so long to provide details of the freight to first responders. One local fire chief said it was about 45 minutes before his crew received that information. Knowing what was on the train helps firefight ers determine the proper response. The two-day NTSB hearing was designed to provide information to residents, officials and investigators about the emergency response and the crucial decision three days after the derailment to release toxic vinyl chlo ride from five tank cars and burn it to keep them from exploding. East Palestine Fire Chief Keith Drabick said Thursday that there was a consensus in the com mand center that releas ing and burning the chemicals was the “least bad option.” Railroad experts and contractors who helped with the emer gency response said they believed they had no choice except to use explosives to blow a hole in the tank cars to release and burn the vinyl chlo ride. Moving the cars or draining the chemicals were not options. Temperature readings and malfunctioning pres sure relief valves led experts to believe a chem ical reaction was taking place inside the tank cars that was building pres sure, and that this could cause an explosion. Officials from Oxy Vinyls — the company that produced the vinyl chloride — said they were convinced that the chemical remained stable inside those cars and they GENE J. PUSKAR I Associated Press tried to explain that to the railroad before officials decided to vent the cars and burn the vinyl chlo ride, but Norfolk Southern didn’t explain that to deci sion makers. Tests the company did later showed no evidence that the reac tion had occurred. Norfolk Southern’s Robert Wood said even if there wasn’t a chemical reaction, officials were still concerned that the tank cars could fail and release the vinyl chloride. “If that car fails, that is a large cloud of lique fied flammable gas that’s going to light off and can have devastating conse quences,” Wood said. Drabick said it took about 45 minutes for his department to discover what was in the cars. The hearing on Friday will focus on tank car safety and the trackside detectors. THANK YOU FOR READING FULL ACCESS WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION The Times’ print edition brings you in- depth coverage of the biggest local news stories. To access all of the local news our team is reporting, activate your digital subscription. Go to www. gainesvilletimes.com/register, and after filling out the form, check the box “already a subscriber.” Print Traditional print editions are currently published Wednesday and Friday for delivery by mail. EPaper This platform offers the traditional look of a newspaper page but available on your tablet or other device. Editions are published Tuesday through Saturday, with two of those being replicas of the print edition. Access at gainesvilletimes. com/epaper. Website Always stay up to date with us at gainesvilletimes.com. Newsletters Sign up at gainesvilletimes.com/ newsletters to receive email newsletters. ■ Daybreak: A daily morning roundup of the same local news you get in the paper ■ Refresh: An afternoon update of news happening each weekday ■ Flight: A weekly guide to fun, food and family in Northeast Georgia ■ Branch Out: A weekly update curating news out of South Hall County ■ Extra Points: Latest local sports news, delivered twice weekly App A sleek experience on your cellphone that also offers notifications so you learn the biggest news quickly. Learn more at gainesvilletimes.com/app. Social media [j/gainesvilletimes @gtimes [EJ @gtimesnews ABOUT US AND OUR VALUES The public has a right to know, and The Times is dedicated to that principle and the “continued enlightenment and freedom of the people of North Georgia,” as engraved outside our building. The pursuit of truth is a fundamental principle of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. A professional journalist’s role is to report as completely and impartially as possible verifiable facts so readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. That is often an ongoing pursuit as journalists work to uncover stories and follow those stories wherever they lead, regardless of preconceived ideas. The news they report is separate from the opinions shared in the pages of The Times, which include those by its editorial board, columnists, political cartoonists and readers who submit letters to the editor. The presentation of both news and opinions is designed to educate, entertain and foster community conversation. Readers are encouraged to challenge and sharpen their perceptions basved on that presentation. And we encourage readers to do the same for us, offering news tips, criticisms and questions. As your honestly local news source, we serve our readers first. Find us on these platforms or reach out to our newsroom at news@ gainesvilletimes.com or 770-718-3435. She CTfmes gainesvilletimes.com A Metro Market Media Publication © 2023, Vol. 76, No. 126 Sunday, June 25,2023 HOW TO REACH US 345 Green St. N.W., Gainesville, GA 30501 P.0. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503 (770) 532-1234 Hours: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Drive thru open: 8:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. Publisher Stephanie Woody swoody@forsythnews.com Group Editor Nate McCullough, nmccullough@gainesvilletimes.com Editor John Chambliss jchambliss@gainesvilletimes.com Director of Audience Shannon Casas, scasas@gainesvilletimes.com Controller Susan Andrews, sandrews@gainesvilletimes.com TALK TO AN EDITOR, REPORT AN ERROR If you spot an error, we want to correct it immediately. We also want your news tips and feature ideas. Call: (770) 718-3435 or (770) 532-1234, Ext. 3435 Hours: 8:30 a.m. to midnight, Mon.-Fri.; 2:00 p.m. to midnight Sat & Sun. e-mail: news@gainesvilletimes.com TO PLACE AN AD Classified: (770) 535-1199 Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m., Mon.-Fri. E-mail: classifieds@gainesvilletimes.com Display: (770) 532-1234, ext. 6380 Hours: 8:30 a.m.-5:00 p.m. Mon.-Fri. E-mail: displayads@gainesvilletimes.com SUBSCRIPTIONS AND CUSTOMER SERVICE HOME DELIVERY Subscribe by phone or online: (770) 532-2222 or (770) 532-1234. Ext. 2222 Hours: 8:00 a.m. and 5 p.m. Mon.-Fri. SUBSCRIPTION RATES INCLUDING TAX: Midweek and Weekend Print Mail Delivery (deftered throu^i USPS on Wed and Sat in Hal Canty) All print subscriptions include unlimited access to our website, our apps and the ePaper - the digital replica of the print edition. 3 months - $54.84 6 months - $109.66 1 year - $219.35 EZ Pay - $17.02/month All charges plus applicable sales tax are pay able in advance. The publisher reserves the right to change rates during the term of the subscription. Notice of a rate change may be made by mail to the subscriber, in the news paper or other means. Rate changes may be implemented by changing the duration of the subscriptions. Second class postage paid at Gainesville. GA. Postmaster: Send address changes to: P.0. Box 838, Gainesville, GA 30503. Periodical postage paid: USPS 212-860 Delivery problems call (770) 532-2222 SINGLE COPY The Times is available at retail stores, newspaper racks and at The Times for $2.00 Midweek Edition and $2.00 Weekend Edition For our digital subscription offerings, go to gainesvilletimes.com/subscribe EVENTS Gainesville Ballet Princess Camps. 9 to 10:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. to 12:45 p.m. June 26- 30. July 17-21. Gainesville Ballet Studio, 971 Riverside Drive, Gainesville. 770-866- 5353, info@gbcdance.com. $100- $125. Gardening with the Masters. 6-7:30 p.m. June 29, July 20. UGA Extension Hall County, 734 E. Crescent Drive, Gainesville. 770- 535-8293, mastergardener@hallcounty.org. Habitat Rocks! A Night Of Boogie, BBQ & Build ing. 6-11 p.m. June 30. Bourbon Brothers Boot Barn Hall, 312 Jesse Jewell Parkway, Gainesville. 678-450-5998 ext. 1004, holly@ habitathallcounty.org. $100-$10,000. Northwinds Symphonic Band. 8-10 p.m. July 3. The Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SW, Gainesville. 770-534-2787, julie@ theartscouncil.net. $29.75-$40.45. First Friday Concert Series. 6-10 p.m. July 7, Aug. 4, Sept. 1. Historic Gainesville square, 301 Main St., Gainesville. Ishubert@gaines- villega.gov. New Gainesville Chautauqua: Mary Musgrove. 7-8 p.m. July 11. Northeast Georgia History Center, 322 Academy St. NE, Gainesville. 770-297-5900, info@negahc.org. $10. Beach Bash. 5-10 p.m. July 14. Lake Lanier Olympic Park, 3105 Clarks Bridge Road, Gainesville. Ishubert@gainesvillega.gov. The Marcel Portilla Band. 8-10 p.m. July 15. The Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SW, Gainesville. 770-534-2787, julie@ theartscouncil.net. $15-$25. ONGOING Summer Storytime. 10 a.m. every Wednesday in June and July. Lovett Literacy Garden, 711 Green St., Gainesville. 770-540-1080, williamllovett@bellsouth.net. Free. Alzheimer’s Caregivers Support Group. 5:30- 6:30 p.m. first Tuesdays of the month. Grace Episcopal Church, 422 Brenau Ave. NE, Gainesville. 727-409-6608, charlenebestde- witt@gmail.com. Free. Gold Rush Quilting Guild. 10 a.m. to noon first Wednesdays of the month. Friendship Baptist Church, 3513 Westmoreland Road, Cleveland, alenekempton@gmail.com. Turning Leaves Book Club. 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. first Wednesdays of the month. Lin- wood Nature Preserve Ecology Center, 118 Springview Drive, Gainesville. 770-535- 8293, karin.hicks@uga.edu. Publish your event Don’t see your event here? Organizers can go to gainesvilletimes.com/calendar and submit events for publication online and in print. Click the “+Add event” button at the top right and follow the prompts to add information and a photo. Events publish at the editors’ discretion. See more Go to gainesvilletimes.com/calendar for the full interactive calendar of events throughout the region. Northeast Georgia Writers. 1 -3 p.m. first Wednesdays of the month. Gainesville Downtown Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. Talltaleswriter@gmail.com. Free. Card workshop. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. first Sat urdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011, gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Ekphrasis for the Masses. Noon to 1 p.m. sec ond Tuesdays of the month. Quinlan Visual Arts Center, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 770-536-2575, info@qvac.org. Free. War Stories Book Club. 4-5 p.m. second Thursdays of the month. Murrayville Branch Library, 4796 Thompson Bridge Road, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 171. Free. Discovery Saturdays. 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. sec ond Saturdays of the month. Elachee Na ture Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976. $3 - $5. Georgia Cross Stitchers. 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. second Saturdays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532- 3311 ext. 4011; gkoecher@hallcountyli- brary.org. Free. Homeschool Day. 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. third Thursdays of the month. Elachee Nature Science Center, 2125 Elachee Drive, Gainesville. 770-535-1976. $15. Gainesville Lacers. 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. third Saturdays of the month. Hall County Li brary System, Gainesville branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311, gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Tea with Jane Austen: A Reading Group. 3-4 p.m. fourth Fridays of the month. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532- 3311 ext. 4011, gkoecher@hallcountyli- brary.org. Free. TODAY IN HISTORY RICHARD DREW I Associated Press This photo shows a sidewalk shrine of mementos, flowers and candles adorning the star of Michael Jackson on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in Los Angeles after Michael Jackson died at age 50 on June 25, 2009. On this date: In 1938, the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 was enacted. In 1942, Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower was designated Commanding General of the European Theater of Operations during World War II. Some 1,000 British Royal Air Force bombers raided Bremen, Ger many. In 1947, “The Diary of a Young Girl,” the personal journal of Anne Frank, a Ger man-born Jewish girl hiding with her fam ily from the Nazis in Amsterdam during World War II, was first published. In 1950, war broke out in Korea as forces from the communist North invaded the South. In 1962, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that recitation of a state-sponsored prayer in New York State public schools was unconstitutional. In 1973, former White House Counsel John W. Dean began testifying before the Senate Watergate Committee, implicat ing top administration officials, includ ing President Richard Nixon as well as himself, in the Watergate scandal and cover-up. In 1990, the U.S. Supreme Court, in its first “right-to-die” decision, ruled that family members could be barred from ending the lives of persistently comatose relatives who had not made their wishes known conclusively. In 1993, Kim Campbell was sworn in as Canada’s 19th prime minister, the first woman to hold the post. In 1996, a truck bomb killed 19 Americans and injured hundreds at a U.S. military housing complex in Saudi Arabia. In 2009, death claimed Michael Jackson, the “King of Pop,” in Los Angeles at age 50 and actor Farrah Fawcett in Santa Monica, California, at age 62. In 2015, the U.S. Supreme Court upheld nationwide tax subsidies under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul in a 6-3 ruling that preserved health insurance for millions of Americans. In 2016, Pope Francis visited Armenia, where he recognized the Ottoman-era slaughter of Armenians as a genocide, ENTERTAINMENT Granddaughter to publish picture book tribute to Rev. MLK NEW YORK - The 15-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. is collaborating on a picture book tribute to the late civil rights leader and his wife, Coretta Scott King. Yolanda Renee King’s “We Dream a World,” with illustrations by award-winning artist Nicole Tadgell, will be published by Scholastic next Jan. 2. “I’m excited to share this love letter in his honor. This book lets every child rediscover my grandparents’ dream,” Yolanda Renee King, herself a social justice advocate, said in a statement Friday. The book’s release date is timed shortly before what would have been Martin Luther King’s 95th birthday. He was assassinated in 1968, 40 years before his granddaughter was born. Scholastic is describing the book as a “call for unity and equality.” The publisher says “the book’s narra- Celebrity birthdays Actor June Lockhart is 98. Civil rights activist James Meredith is 90. R&B singer Eddie Floyd is 86. Actor Barbara Mont gomery is 84. Actor Mary Beth Peil is 83. Singer Carly Simon is 78. Actor-comedian Jimmie Walker is 76. Actor-director Mi chael Lembeck is 75. Rock singer Tim Finn is 71. Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor is 69. Rock musician David Paich (Toto) is 69. Actor Michael Sabatino is 68. Actor-writer-director Ricky Gervais is 62. Actor John Benjamin Hickey is 60. Actor Erica Gimpel is 59. Basketball Hall of Famer Dikembe Mutombo is 57. Rapper- producer Richie Rich is 56. Actor Angela Kinsey is 52. Rock musician Mike Kroeger (Nickelback) is 51. Rock musician Mario Calire is 49. Actor Linda Cardellini is 48. Actor Busy Philipps is 44. Jazz musician Joey Alexander is 20. five expresses Yolanda’s deep love for her grandparents, while also speaking to children everywhere about her hopes for a new future, as expressed through her call-and-response affirmation that brings thunderous participation at her public speeches and addresses: “Spread the word! Have you heard? We are going to be a new generation!” Associated Press
