About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 30, 2024)
Mourning and grief follow the death of 3 US soldiers killed by drone strike in Jordan, insider Tuesday, January30,20241 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA I gainesvilletimes.com Controversial prison labor has become a part of many popular food brands, inside,4a Honestly Local Philanthropist, Olympics organizer Mathis dies at 77 By JEFF GILL jgill@gainesvilletimes.com Jim Mathis Jr., a longtime Gainesville philanthropist who also was instrumental in bringing the 1996 Olympic Games to Lake Lanier, died Monday, Jan. 29, after a long illness. He was 77. “What a legacy he'll leave for our community," said state Rep. Matt Dubnik, R-Gainesville. “All that he's done, we're a better com munity because of it.” Dubnik's wife, Katie Dubnik, is one of Mathis' two daughters. Even though walls of his house and office were lined with plaques and other reminders of his commu nity service, “you never heard him talk about (being on) this board or that board or ‘I just got an award for this or that,',” Dubnik said. “He just did it. He did every thing,” he added. “Just a doer who didn't care who got the credit, didn't need to see his name in lights, and got it all done.” “It's almost impossible to sum up his life,” Katie Dubnik said. “If you boil down who he was, he loved his family, he loved his com munity, and he loved people.” On a family level, “he was one of our constant supporters,” said daughter Kelly Lee. “He always encouraged us. He was there at sporting events for Katie and debates when I was in high school. He was always there.” Matt Dubnik said Mathis was especially proud of his work related to the ‘96 Olympics. A Gainesville banker at the time, he would go on to become one of the key players in bring ing the Olympics to the area as chairman of the Gainesville-Hall County Roundtable, which later became the Gainesville Hall '96 Committee. The rowing and canoe/kayak “venue is one of the few remaining sports venues from the 96 Games. This is largely thanks to the com munitywide support established during the summer of 1996,” Mathis said in a 2016 interview marking the 20th anniversary of the games. Today, the site is known as Lake Lanier Olympic Park. Mathis also spoke proudly of his service with the North Georgia Community Foundation, which he led from 1998 until his retirement in 2016. The Gainesville-based organization handles funds for See Mathis 13A Photos by Scott Rogers The Times The Cherokee Company, 121st Infantry Regiment, of the Georgia National Guard march through barricaded streets on the way to the GHS covered practice field. Atendee’s hold signs thanking the Cherokee Company and film the ceremonial send-off. Crowds gathered in the GHS covered practive field to support the men and women of the company. The Cherokee Company hold a send-off ceremony Saturday, Jan. 27, at Gainesville High School before being deployed for a year. A heartfelt send-off Marching in tandem down blocked off roads, the Cherokee Company, 121st Infantry Regiment, held themselves to the rigid standard expected for a disci plined group of men and women. However, the com pany was surrounded by friends, family and supporters who all showed their gratitude and support with signs stating well wishes and safe returns. The event was orginally meant to be held Roosevelt square but, due to incliment weather, was moved into the GHS covered practice field. Still, many attended the heartfelt send-off as the Cherokee Company will be deployed for a year. Rain moved the program from Roosevelt Square in downtown Gainesville to the GHS covered practice field. Man sentenced to federal prison in $22M meth and fentanyl case BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com Six months after coming to the U.S., Adolfo Solorio-Garcia was working as a floor cleaner and living with Candido Rangel-Garcia when they got a phone call from Mexico. The two men were asked to pick up a load of methamphetamine and drive it to another location, according to court documents. But the drugs never made it, as Sol orio-Garcia and Rangel-Garcia were stopped Dec. 30, 2022 with roughly $22 million of liquid meth in gas cans. Solorio-Garcia, 32, pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute meth and fentanyl. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Steve Jones Jan. 19 to four years and nine months in federal prison. Jones recommended that Solorio-Garcia be allowed to serve his sentence at a prison as close to Atlanta as possible. The Hall County Jail listed his address as “doesn't know address.” After his prison sentence, he will be remanded to Immigration and Customs Enforcement for potential deportation proceedings. A Hall County Sheriff's Office deputy pulled over a Toyota Tacoma because of its tag light around 10 p.m. Dec. 30,2022 at Mountain View and McEver roads. Though he could see gas cans in the backseat and See Solorio 13A Solorio-Garcia GSP: Man ‘severely injured’ in car crash after another car hits cable barrier on 985 BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Tennessee man was severely injured after another driver on Interstate 985 struck the cable barrier and crashed into him, according to Georgia State Patrol. Troopers were called out around 1:05 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27, to the southbound side of 985 for a three-vehicle wreck. A Chevrolet Cavalier driven by Adrien Edoo, 36, of Cleveland, Tennessee, was disabled in the grassy median near mile marker 8, which is close to the Lanier Islands Parkway exit. Edoo's car was perpendicular to the road, which caused the highway traffic to slow. State patrol said Rene Garcia Cardona, 19, of Law- renceville, was driving a Hyundai Tucson in the left lane and “entered the center median due to the traffic slowing” for Edoo's car. “The Tucson struck the cable barrier posts while rotat ing,” according to state patrol. “The Tucson continued to rotate and struck the passenger side of the Cavalier with its front.” An Infinity Q50 driven by Stephen Stonecipher, 58, of Alpharetta, was also involved in the crash, though it was not clear how it was struck. Stonecipher was not injured. Edoo was severely injured and transported to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville. Garcia Cardona had minor injuries and was not transported to the hospital. State patrol did not designate who was at fault in an email to The Times, stating that the crash investigation was ongoing with the Specialized Collision Reconstruc tion Team. The crash caused lane closures for more than two hours, as the highway reopened at 3:37 p.m. Saturday.
