A review
of the top
five stories
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from Hall in
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2023.
REGION, 1C
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Weekend Edition - DECEMBER 29-30,2023 I $2.00 I GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA I gainesvilletimes.com
Freezing temps but no snow forecast in Hall
BY BRIAN WELLMEIER
bwellmeier@gainesvilletimes.com
A low pressure system
moving in from the north
will see temperatures drop
across North Georgia this
weekend and into the next
week as the new year begins.
This weekend is expected
to bring mostly sunny condi
tions with highs of around
45 degrees before tempera
tures fall to lows of between
31-33.
Skies should remain
mostly clear through next
week as temperatures rise
only slightly to highs in the
lower 50s and lows in the
mid 30s, Monday through
Friday is forecast to “stay
right around those tempera
tures,” according to Meteo
rologist with the National
Weather Service Sam Mar
low, who said there's a 30%
chance of scattered showers
for New Year's Day Mon
day. That wet weather should
clear up before nightfall, he
said.
While there could be up
to an inch of snowfall in the
Blairsville area this week
end, according to Marlow,
Gainesville-Hall County
is not expected to see snow
flurries.
“This is air that's being
dragged down out of the
north by a low pressure
system,” he said. “For the
Friday-Saturday period, the
mountains to the north could
see some wintry mix to snow
See Forecast 15A
‘A big loss’
Outgoing Mitchell leaves legacy of fighting for the underserved
BY BEN ANDERSON
banderson@gainesvilletimes.com
Willie Mitchell is step
ping down after 34 years
on the Gainesville school
board , leaving a leg
acy of fighting for the
underserved.
Mitchell, who represents
District 3, home to the
historically Black South-
side community, earned a
reputation as a “quiet but
forceful agent of change,”
as former superintendent
Merrianne Dyer put it, who
fought for equality for all
students, particularly those
of lesser means.
A Gainesville native and
the youngest of three chil
dren, Mitchell grew up on
Norwood Street on the
Southside of the city. His
father died when he was
just 18 months old, and his
mother supported the fam
ily by working as a maid for
a local businessman.
“We pretty much
lived a poor life, but it
wasn't unhappy,” Mitch
ell recalled. “You really
didn't realize how poor
you (were) for the simple
fact that everybody shared
what they had. ... I guess I
didn't know how poor I was
until I messed around and
started (watching) televi
sion and started reading the
book that I got when I was
in elementary school,” he
said, laughing.
Mitchell was a student
at the original Fair Street
International Academy,
which opened in 1937 as
an all-Black community
school before being torn
down and built anew in
2013. In the spring, a small
J-shaped street behind
the historic elementary
school will be named Wil
lie Mitchell Drive in honor
of Mitchell's decades of
Scott Rogers The Times
Retiring Gainesville City School Board member Willie Mitchell decided recently not to
run for reelection after 34 years on the board. Mitchell represents District 3, and was a
student at the original Fair Street, which opened in 1937 as an all-Black community
school before graduating from E.E. Butler High School.
service.
Mitchell graduated from
E.E. Butler High School in
1967, two years before the
all-Black school — named
after the first Black physi
cian in Hall County — shut
tered its doors following
a Supreme Court ruling in
the Alexander v. Holmes
See Mitchell 13A
Legislator
talks plans
for new city
near Hall line
BY BRIAN WELLMEIER
bwellmeier@gainesvilletimes.com
State Rep. Chuck Efstration pitched his plan
for proposed cityhood of Mulberry at a Wednes
day, Dec. 27, town hall at Hamilton Mill Lakev-
iew Clubhouse where the Republican from
Dacula took questions from more than 80 resi
dents and unveiled details of his proposal.
The newly proposed city, which would encom
pass an area three miles south of Hall County's
border, had been tentatively named Mill Creek
until recent public feedback forced a name
change.
The name Mulberry, Efstration explained, has
existing ties to landmarks in the area — such as
Mulberry Lake and Little Mulberry Park.
“I heard very quickly from folks at Seckinger
See Mulberry 13A
One holdout
on right of way
remaining for
Sardis project
BY JEFF GILL
jgill@gainesvilletimes.com
Only one piece of property stands between
Hall County and the end of right of way pur
chases needed for the long-awaited Sardis Road
Connector.
Corinth Church at 3590 Thompson Bridge
Road/Ga. 60 is the lone holdout in the project,
which has been in the works for decades and may
finally see dirt turned in 2024.
“We are in talks with them,” County Engineer
Frank Miller said.
Corinth's lead pastor, Chris Swan, said in a
recent text, “Nothing of substance to update at
See Sardis 14A
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Calendar 2A Life
Classified 7C Opinion
Comics 1D Region
Fun+Games 4C Sports
1B
6A
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