About The times. (Gainesville, Ga.) 1972-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 20, 2024)
2A Tuesday, February 20, 2024 The Times, Gainesville, Georgia I gainesvilletimes.com The Rock, DJ Khaled bring South Florida to Daytona 500 Terry Renna Associated Press Grand Marshal Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson poses with the Harley J. Earl trophy after the NASCAR Daytona 500 auto race was postponed by rain Sunday, Feb. 18, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. BY MARIA SHERMAN AP Music Writer DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The 3-0-5 took over the Daytona 5-0-0. Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Pitbull and DJ Khaled represented South Florida at the Daytona 500, as the trio of Sunshine State celebrities brought a dose of star power to Sunday's scheduled race day that was washed out by rain. Johnson, the wrestler/ actor, said he would stay for Monday's rescheduled race and honor his role as Day tona 500 grand marshal and give the command for drivers to start their engines. Pitbull was scheduled to perform the pre-race con cert in the Daytona infield, but it was scrapped because of steady rain. He agreed to return in 2025 for the same event. Khaled said he unable to stay Monday for his role as honorary starter. The last time the Daytona 500 was postponed a full day was in 2012. “Who would have ever thought,” Pitbull said, “The Rock, Khaled and Pit at the Daytona 500?” Khaled moved to Miami — home of the 305 area code — in 1998 to kickstart a radio career that led to Grammy wins and a success ful run as DJ, producer, and song writer. Known as “Mr. Worldwide,” Pitbull was bom in Miami and named his debut album “M.I.A.M.I.” before he released massive hits such as “Timber” and “Fireball.” “It's incredible to see us all come together for the Daytona 500,” Khaled said. “But to represent Florida is beautiful.” The 51-year-old Johnson is set to return to wrestling for WrestleMania in April in Philadelphia. The “Fast and the Furious” franchise star played football at Miami and was a reserve on the team's 1991 national championship team. “Best college in Florida,” Johnson said. The A-listers stuck around the track to promote their current projects. Johnson posted an Ins- tagram video of himself driving past Daytona Inter national Speedway late Sat urday night, joking he was “up to no good. Trouble. With a capital T.” “I got a little cooky last night because I couldn't sleep,” Johnson said Sun day. “I went to the gym at midnight. I drove by the Speedway, all the lights were on, just immediately felt the energy.” The Rock offered some advice to NASCAR villain Denny Hamlin: roll with it. Johnson, whose recent return to the WWE has come in a heel role, said Hamlin should embrace the boos and make them part of his racing persona. Hamlin, a three-time Day tona 500 winner, has sud denly become public enemy No. 1. He gets jeered more than Kyle Busch when he wins and has leaned into it a little by saying things like “I just beat your favorite driver.” THANKYOU FOR READING FULL ACCESS WITH YOUR SUBSCRIPTION Our local news team, the largest in Northeast Georgia, works each day to bring you honestly local news delivered in several different platforms. Subscribers can tailor their preferences for reading the day’s news, whether that’s the traditional print edition or a combination of online formats. 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 upatgainesvilletimes.com/ newsletters to receive email newsletters. 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Find us on these platforms or reach out to our newsroom at news@gainesvilletimes. com or 770-718-3435. She (Times gainesvilletimes.com A Metro Market Media Publication © 2024, Vol. 77, No. 35 Tuesday, February 20,2024 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 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. 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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 Georgia Art League Winter Exhibit. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays through Feb. 26. Quinlan Visual Arts Cen ter, 514 Green St. NE, Gainesville. 470- 272-3010, melanievaughanl33@gmail. com. Free. The Crucible. 7:30 to 10 p.m. Feb. 20-24. Brenau University’s Hosch Theatre, 429 Academy St. NE, Gainesville. 678-717- 3624, boxoffice@gainesvilletheatreal- liance.org. $16 - $24. Adult Coloring Week. 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 20-24. Hall County Library System, Gainesville Branch, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville. 770-532-3311 ext. 4011, gkoecher@hallcountylibrary.org. Free. Elachee Science Night. 6 to 7 p.m. Feb. 20. Tap It!, 110 Maple St., Gainesville. 770-535-1976. Free. Homeschool Workshop: Important Pig ments in Nature. 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 21. Atlanta Botanical Garden Gainesville, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. $10. Flowery Branch Winter Farmers Market. 3:30 to 6:30 p.m. Feb. 22. Flowery Branch Farmers Market, 5210 Railroad Ave., Flowery Branch. 770-967-6371, renee@ flowerybranchga.org. Free. The Inspirations Gospel Singing. 7 to 9 p.m. Feb. 22. Christian Hill Baptist Church, 5833 Gailey Drive, Clermont. 770-503- 4112, jbeadamsll@gmail.com. Free. Caffeine and Octane Lanier Raceway. 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Feb. 23. Caffeine and Oc tane’s Lanier Raceway, 5301 Winder High way, Braselton. Winter Cuttings Greenhouse Tour and Plant Sale Preview. 10 a.m. to noon Feb. 24. Atlanta Botanical Garden Gainesville, 1911 Sweetbay Drive, Gainesville. $29 - $34. ONGOING 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. Publish your event Don’t see your event here? Organizers can go to gainesvilletimes.com/ calendar and submit their 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. Gentle Yoga. 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.second, third and fourth Wednesdays. Blackshear Place Branch Library, 2927 At lanta Highway, Gainesville. 770-337-1572, dl9345@bellsouth.net. Free. 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. Hip Hop Class Wednesdays. 4-5 p.m. (3rd to 5th Graders) through May 15. Gaines ville Ballet Company, 971 Riverside Drive, Gainesville. 770-866-5353, info@gbc- dance.com. $88. Inspired by Nature: The Works of James R. Darnell Art Exhibit. 10a.m. to 4p.m. weekdays through April 19. The Arts Coun cil Smithgall Arts Center, 331 Spring St. SW, Gainesville. 770-534-2787, julie@ theartscouncil.net. Free. Music Bingo. 7 to 9 p.m. every Thursday. NoFo Brew Co. Gainesville, 434 High St. SW, Gainesville, topher@nofobrew.co. Free. Northeast Georgia Writers. 1-3 p.m. first Wednesdays of the month. Gainesville Downtown Library, 127 Main St. NW, Gainesville, talltaleswriter@gmail.com. Free. Trivia Night. 7-9 p.m. Tuesdays. NoFo Brew Co Gainesville, 434 High St. SW, Gaines ville, topher@nofobrew.co. Free. TODAY IN HISTORY MLB Associated Press Col. John Glenn eats lunch at Grand Turk Island on Feb. 20, 1962 after he made his three orbit flight around Earth. On this date: In 1792, President George Washington signed an act creating the United States Post Office Department. In 1905, the U.S. Supreme Court, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, upheld, 7-2, compulsory vac cination laws intended to protect the public’s health. In 1907, President Theodore Roosevelt signed an immigration act which excluded “idiots, imbeciles, feebleminded persons, epileptics, insane persons” from being admitted to the United States. In 1933, Congress proposed the 21st Amend ment to the U.S. Constitution to repeal Prohibi tion. In 1938, Anthony Eden resigned as British for eign secretary following Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain’s decision to negotiate with Italian dictator Benito Mussolini. 1962, astronaut John Glenn became the first American to orbit the Earth as he flew aboard Project Mercury’s Friendship 7 spacecraft, which circled the globe three times in a flight Iasting4 hours, 55 minutes and 23 seconds be fore splashing down safely in the Atlantic Ocean 800 miles southeast of Bermuda. In 1965, America’s Ranger 8 spacecraft crashed on the moon, as planned, after sending back thousands of pictures of the lunar surface. In 1987, a bomb left by Unabomber Ted Kac- zynski exploded behind a computer store in Salt Lake City, seriously injuring store owner Gary Wright. In 2003, a fire sparked by pyrotechnics broke out duringa concert by the group Great White at The Station nightclub in West Warwick, Rhode Island, killing 100 peopleand injuringabout200 others. In 2005, death claimed actor Sandra Dee at age 62; musical actor John Raittatage88;and counterculture writer Hunter S. Thompson at age 67. ENTERTAINMENT George Santos sues host Jimmy Kimmel for deceitful video requests NEW YORK — Former U.S. Rep. George Santos alleged in a lawsuit filed Saturday that late-night host Jimmy Kim mel deceived him into making videos on the Cameo app that were used to ridicule the disgraced New York Republican on the show. The lawsuit filed in U.S. district court for the southern district of New York names Kimmel, ABC and Walt Disney Co. as defendants. A Disney representative listed as a media contact for the Jimmy Kimmel Live! show didn't immediately respond to an email from The Associated Press seek ing comment. Santos, who was expelled from the House of Representatives last year after being charged with multiple counts of fraud and stealing from donors, is suing over alleged copyright infringement, fraudulent inducement, breach of contract and unjust enrichment. Kimmel misrepresented himself to induce Santos to create personalized videos “capitalizing on and ridiculing” his “gre garious personality,” the lawsuit alleges. Through Cameo, Santos received requests from individuals and businesses seeking personalized video messages. Unbeknownst to Santos, Kimmel submit ted at least 14 requests that used phony Celebrity birthdays Actor Kim Novak is 91. Racing Hall of Famer Roger Penske is 87. Singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie is 83. Actor Brenda Blethyn is 78. Actor Sandy Duncan is 78. Actor Peter Strauss is 77. Actor Anthony Head is 70. Country singer Le- land Martin is 67. Actor Ron Eldard is 59. Model Cindy Crawford is 58. Actor Andrew Shue is 57. Actor Lili Taylor is 57. Actor Andrea Savage is 51. Singer Brian Littrell is 49. Actor Lauren Ambrose is 46. Actor Jay Hernandez is 46. Actor Chelsea Peretti is 46. Actor Michael Zegen is 45. Actor Majandra Delfino is 43. Singer-musician Chris Thile 43. Actor-singer Jessie Mueller is 41. Comedian Trevor Noah is 40. Actor Jake Rich ardson is 39. Actor Daniella Pineda is 37. Actor Miles Teller is 37. Singer Rihanna is 36. names and narratives, according to the complaint. Starting in December the videos were played on a segment, “Will Santos Say If?” the suit says. In one of the clips, Santos offers con gratulations to the purported winner of a beef-eating contest, calling the feat of consuming 6 pounds of loose ground beef in under 30 minutes “amazing and impressive.” “Frankly, Kimmel's fake requests were funny, but what he did was clear violation of copyright law,” Robert Fantone, an attor ney for Santos, said in an email. Santos is seeking statutory damages totaling $750,000 for the five videos he cre ated that were played on the show and vari ous social media platforms. He also asks for other damages to be determined at trial. Associated Press
