About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 12, 2024)
Lyman Hall Elementary's nearly $18M expansion is moving along. REGION, 8C Lula’s new Mexican-American restaurant focuses on breakfast and lunch, life, ib Weekend Edition - JANUARY 12-13,20241 $2.001 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA I gainesvilletimes.com Gainesville High’s Zion Ferguson settling in as early enrollee for football at University of North Carolina, sports, ic Honestly Local Hall fire official says she was demoted as a ‘scapegoat’ BY NICK WATSON AND BEN ANDERSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com banderson@gainesvilletimes.com Two weeks into a 90-day per formance improvement plan for her work as the training division chief for Hall County Fire Res cue, Krystal Wilson-Britt met with her staff near the end of June to make them aware. While facing heightened scrutiny after 10 recruits failed the National EMT Registry test, Wilson-Britt learned during this meeting of rumors that former Deputy Chief Tim Woodward and EMS Division Chief Chris tie Grice were having an affair. Woodward was overseeing Wilson-Britt's performance improvement plan and had assigned Grice as her formal mentor that reported back to him, according to documents obtained by The Times in an open records request. That performance improve ment plan and later confirma tion of the interoffice affair would spiral into Grice and Woodward being suspended, demotions for multiple people in leadership and the ultimate resignations of both Wood ward and Fire Chief Chris Armstrong. See Fire 14A Wilson-Britt ‘It’s a game-changer’ Scott Rogers The Times Yassine Elabdi, left, and Kayli Moody of Habitat for Humanity North Central Georgia Georgia, tour Elabdi’s new home Thursday, Jan. 11, still under construction in Forsyth County. Chipode has plans for store in Oakwood BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Chipotle Mexican Grill is taking over an old bank building in Oakwood. Plans are underway for the California- based restaurant chain to take over space once occupied by BB&T at 3453 Mundy Mill Road, across from QuikTrip conve nience store. A site plan provided by Oakwood shows an outdoor patio area, a drive-thru and access off Curt Lance Way. Plans have been approved by a city com mittee overseeing design standards for main corridors in the city, “and we are waiting for their development and building plans for review,” said Dan Schultz, Oakwood's com munity development director. “Aside from development and building reviews, this was the last approval needed for the development to move forward,” he said. See Chipotle 13A 53 townhomes are proposed behind YMCA Habitat for Humanity builds home for family amid housing crisis BY BEN ANDERSON banderson@gainesvilletimes.com Yassine Elabdi and his family didn't plan on rent ing an apartment long term when they emigrated from Morocco, but rampant inflation and rising hous ing costs have stalled their dreams of becoming home- owners — until now. In April, the 36-year-old, his wife and 4-year-old daughter will move into a new home built by Habi tat for Humanity of North Central Georgia, a non profit organization dedi cated to building affordable homes for families in need, in partnership with Atlanta- based AquaGuard Founda tion Solutions, a company that specializes in founda tion repair. The home isn't free, but Elabdi will receive a mort gage with 0% interest and pay considerably less than he is paying now to rent his apartment in Alpharetta. Listed under a Gaines ville address but located just across the county line in Forsyth County, the two-story, three-bedroom, two-bathroom home will cost him just over $1,100 a month — significantly less than the $1,500 he is pay ing now in rent. Habitat for Humanity has purchased 14 lots on Crystal Cove Trail to build homes for families just like Elabdi’s. With an appraised value of about $300,000, the home will go a long way in allowing Elabdi, who works at Costco, to build wealth. “It's a game-changer,” Elabdi said. “It's a lot of help. ... I cannot afford high (interest) rates.” The house will also be energy efficient, said Ellis Leslie, construction manager for Habitat for Humanity of North Central Georgia. “It's all about affordabil ity,” Leslie said. “There’s so little affordable housing in this country being built now. ... It’s nice to be help ing out people who prob ably aren't going to be able to afford a house any other way.” See Habitat 14A BY JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com A 53-townhome development is pro posed off White Sulphur Road behind the Georgia Mountains YMCA off Ga. 365 in Gainesville. Atlanta-based CMWB Company LLC is proposing the homes on 12 acres at 2554 White Sulphur Road, north of YMCA Drive and also near Ramsey Circle. “Market demand at the time of develop ment will indicate whether the develop ment will be for rent or for sale,” according to a narrative in Hall County planning documents. No amenities, such as a pool or play ground, are planned, but the development would have “ample open space” for resi dents to use, according to documents. See Townhome 13A ONLINE INSIDE gainesvilletimes.com/newsletters: Sign up to receive email newsletters from The Times gainesvilletimes.com/apps: Download The Times’ app for a user-friendly online experience and app notifications for big stories Calendar 2A Life Classified 7C Opinion Comics 1D Region Fun+Games 4C Sports 1B 6A 8C 1C 40901 06825 SCHEDULE TODAY’S VIDEO VISIT ONLINE You can now visit with a trusted Northeast Georgia Physicians Group provider on your phone, tablet or computer right when you need them with On-demand Urgent Care Video Visits. With this new virtual service - available Monday-Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. - our board-certified Urgent Care providers are available to address your immediate care needs right away. No need to schedule an appointment - just get in line! NGPG.ORG/ON-DEMAND-VISIT
