Training for the worst: Hall deputies practice taking down shooters at East Hall High

Hall County Sheriff's Deputy Glenn Watson and his partner trained their air pistols on Cpl. Chris Farmer and blasted him with a barrage of tiny, round, green rubber pellets in Pam Moore's biology classroom Wednesday at East Hall High School.

Flowery Branch, developers work on $15 million deal for shops, condos, townhomes

Flowery Branch officials met Wednesday with members of the Flowery Branch Historic Preservation Commission to get the ball rolling on a $15 million mixed-use development planned for downtown.

Traffic shifts on Ga. 13

Weather permitting, Georgia Department of Transportation crews will shift traffic on Atlanta Highway to the newly paved lanes between Poplar Springs Road to Old Southern Heritage Drive.

Hall County's recycled oil campaign brings in cash and lures thieves

Black gold, Texas tea, bubbling crude - whatever you call it, used motor oil is generating revenue for Hall County recycling centers. But with the price of oil reaching all-time market highs, officials said they are having to keep an eye on the increasingly precious resource to fend off unpermitted haulers trying to steal it.

Lawyers want Hall sheriff to use discretion with illegal immigration program

Bortolo Ruiz was fishing with four other Mexican day laborers at Wahoo Creek April 5 when a state Department of Natural Resources Ranger asked the men for their fishing licenses.

These adults spell to help the rest of the county read

Thirty adults put their thinking caps on Tuesday evening and competed in the 17th Annual Spelling Bee to benefit local literacy efforts.

Hall confirms 18th rabies case: Raccoon bite forces woman to take shots

The number of confirmed rabies cases in Hall County has jumped to 18.

Crime and punishment: Volunteers work hard to set others free from muscular dystrophy

Accompanied by law enforcement officers, a steady stream of "perpetrators" marched through the Georgia Mountains Center on Tuesday.

Three hurt in ATV wreck

A toddler injured in an all-terrain vehicle accident near Flowery Branch was airlifted to an Atlanta children's hospital Wednesday, officials said.

Dual groups, single leagues: Gainesville parks and rec, Boys & Girls Clubs join forces

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Hall County and Gainesville's Parks and Recreation department have joined hands - a move both agencies say will enhance the services they provide to area youth.

Burning teddy bear was legal, jury says

The destruction by fire of a teddy bear was upheld as lawful by a Hall County Superior Court jury Tuesday.

More than 10,000 gallons of sewage flows into Flat Creek

More than 10,000 gallons of sewage spilled out of a manhole and into Flat Creek Tuesday, and the city's environmental services administrator says construction debris could be to blame.

Spelling for literacy: Groups compete in annual bee for charity

You don't have to be in grade school to become a spelling bee champion. Tonight, all types of people - young, old, religious, industrious and scholastic alike - will mouth off, using their best orthographic skills at the 17th Annual Spelling Bee, sponsored by the Gainesville-Hall County Alliance for Literacy and The Times.

Virtual meetings could cut costs for substitute teachers, gas reimbursement

Hall County school officials are discussing ways to cut costs in the wake of rising fuel and electricity costs.

Better burn that yard waste by sundown Wednesday

If you've got a pile of yard debris you want to burn, you've got less than two days left to do it. After sundown Wednesday, open burning will be banned in Hall County until Oct. 1.

Lake level holds up Hall County culvert project

A full Lake Lanier has put the brakes on a major culvert repair project in West Hall.

Most drownings can be silent and difficult to notice

Like the undisturbed surface of Lake Lanier, sometimes drowning can be calm and quiet.

Gainesville OKs reducing required notifications of annexation

Gainesville City Council unanimously approved amending land development code at a called council meeting Thursday morning.

Hall County formally presents 2014 budget

Hall County formally presented its proposed budget at Thursday's board of commissioners meeting.

Local student wins scholarship to study abroad

In the heat of the summer, 17-year-old Kelsey Kirkpatrick hangs out in the living room with her cat, Rosie.

17-year-old arrested after Wednesday crash in Forsyth County

Strong storms fell trees, knock out power in North Ga.

A strong line of thunderstorms that moved through Northeast Georgia on Thursday evening left about 8,000 homes without power.

Teen injured after being hit by vehicle while jogging

A teenager who jogged into the path of an automobile Thursday morning in Clermont was treated at Northeast Georgia Medical Center and released, authorities said.

Gainesville forms nonprofit to promote city

Gainesville City Council members heard a presentation on the Hotel Motel Tax Fund and information on forming a nonprofit corporation at their Thursday work session.

Rain threat moves Arts Council concert indoors

Tonight's planned concert at the Smithgall Arts Center has been moved inside due to a forecast of rain, and the "Top Gun" movie screening has been canceled.

Schools look to renovate, build as local population grows

Local school systems were no different than many businesses during the economic sluggishness over the recession.

Hundreds swabbed at Be The Match donor drive

More than 400 people swabbed their cheeks Wednesday at East Hall High School during the Be The Match donor drive for Kelsey Bishop, 23, who has acute myeloid leukemia.

Car crashes after going airborne in Forsyth County

Deputies are looking for at least two people who were believed to be in a Saturn Aura that crashed on Sanders Road sometime after 6 p.m. on Wednesday.

Area Southern Baptists agree with church's denouncement of new Scouts policy

Delegates at the Southern Baptist Convention approved a resolution Wednesday opposing a new Boy Scouts of America policy to allow gay youths to join the troops.

Elderly beating the heat with fans

With temperatures climbing to the low 90s Wednesday and a heat index reaching the mid-90s, it appears it is officially that time of year again in Northeast Georgia, when sweltering heat and high humidity are the norm. Until recently, soaring temperatures have been kept at bay thanks to the area's surplus of steady rain and overcast skies.