About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 15, 2024)
\ Longtime Hall County employee I is lone finalist for county manager m in Barrow. / INSIDE, 3A Thursday, February 15,20241 GAINESVILLE, GEORGIA I gainesvilletimes.com One dead, 15 injured in shooting during Chiefs victory parade, inside, 3a Honestly Local Investigator details arguments before shooting BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Gainesville Police investigator detailed in court Wednesday, Feb. 14, how an argument about paying for a motel room preceded a fatal shooting last month at the Gainesville Motel 6. Corey Rucker, 47, appeared in Magistrate Court Wednesday with attorney Naja Macintosh. Rucker was charged with felony murder, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime and theft by taking a motor vehicle. Police responded to a 911 call around 2 p.m. Jan. 19 at the Monroe Drive Motel 6. When Gainesville Police Investigator Stephen Johnson arrived on scene, Destyn Alexander, 34, of Braselton, was being loaded into the ambulance. Alexander died shortly thereafter. Two female witnesses initially said that Rucker had shot Destyn, and both were interviewed separately. The women told law enforcement they had been in the motel room for a few days with Alexander and another man. “They had been at various locations, Airbnbs, motels throughout Hall County, it sounded like,” Johnson said. See Shooting 13A Corey Rucker makes an appearance Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Hall County Magistrate Court for a com mittal hearing stemming from a murder charge. Rucker is charged with shooting and killing a Braselton man Jan. 19, at the Motel 6 in Gainesville, police said. Scott Rogers The Times Marking the penitential season Ashes »o Go Photos by Scott Rogers The Times The Rev. Joshua Hudson of Gainesville First United Methodist Church performs the imposition of ashes Wednesday, Feb. 14, for visitors to the square in Gainesville on Ash Wednesday as Gainesville area United Methodist Churches offer Ashes To Go for downtown visitors. Ash Wednesday marks the start of the penitential Lent season for many Christians and is a solemn reminder of mortality. Child cruelty case reduced against dad of wrestler BY NICK WATSON nwatson@gainesvilletimes.com A Commerce man was accused by the Hall County Sheriff's Office last month of picking his daughter up by the ears and hitting her after losing a wrestling match. But following a half hour of testimony from two officers Wednesday, Feb. 14, the prosecu tion ultimately asked the judge to reduce the felony case to a misdemeanor. Steven Slaton, 38, appeared in Magistrate Court Wednesday, Feb. 14, with attorneys Bill Hardman Jr. and Kevin Fisher. Slaton was charged Jan. 20 with first-degree child cruelty and was released two days later on a $11,200 bond. Deputy Benjamin Schrenk took the stand first Wednesday, detailing a Jan. 20 incident at a private youth wrestling event at Cherokee Bluff Middle School. Authorities received a 911 call that there was a man striking his daughter and that he had “picked her up by her ears” at the middle school, Schrenk said. The Sheriff's Office pre viously told The Times the event was not spon sored by the Hall County School District. Schrenk spoke with Slaton, who said “his daughter wasn't trying hard at the wrestling match so he got upset at her and was yelling at her,” the deputy testified. The deputy eventually spoke with Slaton's 10-year-old daughter, who told the officer her parents were upset at her because she didn't try hard at the wrestling match. The girl's face was red and appeared very distraught. A witness said she saw Slaton punch the See Wrestler 13A Scott Rogers The Times Steven Slaton appears Wednesday, Feb. 14, in Hall County Magistrate Court for a committal hearing following charges of fel ony first-degree child cruelty. Owner, namesake of Luna’s Restaurant retires, sells eatery BY JIM MASSARA jimmassara@gainesvilletimes.com Luna's Restaurant in downtown Gainesville has a new owner. Darryl Bucher of Suwanee is buying the popular fine-dining eatery from restaurant namesake Juan Luna. According to both Bucher and Luna, the sale was to close Tuesday, Feb. 13. “I'm planning to get out of the business ... today,” Luna said with a smile. “I think it's time to enjoy some of the fruits of my labor.” Luna took over the restaurant, then named Cafe Julius, on Feb. 7, 1997. This year marks Luna's 27th anniversary in business. While the owner may change, the restaurant's name, menu and staff won't. “If it's not broke, don't fix it,” Bucher said. Luna, now 67, told The Times he had been considering retirement ever since the pandemic. He listed the restaurant with a broker 10 days ago. Bucher, a former Atlanta-area real-estate consultant, said he came out of retirement to buy the restaurant “as an opportunity to build something with my See Luna’s 13A Darryl Bucher, left, new owner of Luna’s Restaurant, with longtime owner and restaurant namesake Juan Luna. Bucher and Luna told The Times they planned to close the deal to sell the restaurant on Feb. 13. Jim Massara The Times
