Items found in Hilton’s van revealing

The white Astro van where Meredith Emerson was held captive was stuffed with a wardrobe of high-end outdoors clothing, as well as a sling blade, duct tape, air pistols and a hacksaw blade, according to documents filed in DeKalb County Magistrate Court this week.

2-year-old Iraqi girl improves following surgery

A 2-year-old Iraqi girl who underwent open-heart surgery Monday has shown improvement in a Nashville, Tenn., hospital. Amenah Al-Bayati, whose life-threatening plight drew the attention of a Gainesville Marine, has been removed from a ventilator and continues her recovery in an intensive care unit.

Gainesville planning board backs rezoning bid for industrial park

GAINESVILLE - The president of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce told Gainesville's Planning and Appeals Board the city needs more industrial park space because more industrial park space means more jobs for the community.

Woman gives bulk of assets to Humane Society

Henrietta Wilson was a woman of modest means. She lived a quiet life in North Hall, restricted by a disability, and didn't have much social interaction with people.

Pilot car to be used during Ga. 136 work

The Georgia Department of Transportation Monday began resurfacing parts of Ga. 136 from Ga. 400 in Dawson County to Ga. 60 in Hall County.

Hilton made plans for dog as part of plea deal

Authorities say the drifter who pleaded guilty to killing 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson made plans for his dog's future as part of his plea agreement. Dandy, the reddish golden retriever that belonged to 61-year-old Gary Michael Hilton, has been adopted into a new home. The Northern Judicial Public Defender, H. Bradford Morris, says Hilton was concerned that his dog have a good home.

Living history: War veterans meet with students from Gainesville Middle School

GAINESVILLE - They brought old photographs and memorabilia. One veteran brought a model of the bomber he flew during World War II. But most of all, the veterans brought memories of their time spent in the military, during war and peace. "We need to let these kids know what it was like back when," said Van Peeples, a second-class petty officer during the Vietnam War era. "There was a ...

Students, teachers face off in dodgeball

It's not every day that an eighth-grader gets the chance to peg his science teacher with a big white ball; although, he might imagine it on a daily basis. But that's the scenario 11 faculty members at Chestatee Middle School arranged Tuesday afternoon in the form of a student versus faculty dodgeball game. Nearly 250 Chestatee Middle School students filled the school gym stands to watch the competition between 60 student players and Team Ocho, ...

Teens ‘have a lot to tell’ to anti-drug group

"Just say no" just won't cut it anymore. As Hall County volunteers met Tuesday to talk about attacking the problem of teen drug use, several said the simplistic 1980s-era slogan is not enough in the age of text messaging and YouTube.

Brenau receives $200,000 from Regions

Regions Financial Corp. has donated $200,000 to Brenau University, with one of its executives saying that women's business education is central to the company's charitable giving programs.

Jackson, Forsyth schools pull possibly tainted meat from menus

Jackson and Forsyth county school systems are among Georgia school districts that have been ordered to stop serving beef supplied by a California slaughterhouse under federal investigation for mistreating animals.

Snow flurries could fall in Hall tonight

GAINESVILLE - The Hall County area can expect snow flurries tonight, but nothing more, the National Weather Service is reporting.

Hall considers increasing landfill fees, landscaping interstate exits

County commissioners discussed funding the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce's Centennial Gateway Initiative and the possibility of increasing county landfill rates from $34.50 per ton to $40 per ton at Monday's work session. Vice Commissioner Steve Gailey said the proposed hike comes after an eight-year period in which landfill rates remained constant, and the rate increase is needed to bring Hall County landfill rates up to market standards in surrounding ...

Toccoa Falls dorm set for August completion

Toccoa Falls College is building a $500,000 dormitory that is set to finished by August. Donations from two alumni paid for the two-story dormitory, which will house 24 students. The building will replace two mobile units and add additional beds. The project will complete a dorm expansion project consisting of four two-story and three one-story buildings housing 132 students. It also marks ...

Rotary Club honors man, woman of the year

A woman who was instrumental in the additional use of Hall County's Olympic Rowing venue and a longtime business and civic leader were honored Monday night as the Rotary Club of Gainesville's Man and Woman of the Year. Connie Hagler, who stepped down as executive director of the Lanier Canoe and Kayak Club in October after working with the club for more than 10 years, was honored as Woman of ...

The Local Agenda: Gainesville to hold focus group meeting on Wednesday

A 10-member focus group giving input to Gainesville's transportation master plan is set to meet at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Fair Street Neighborhood Center, 715 Fair St.

Barn destroyed, horse killed at Coker Road fire

A horse barn was destroyed and one horse killed in a fire Monday afternoon in East Hall County.

Hall school board discusses maintaining morale with tight budget

The Hall County Board of Education discussed ways to maintain employee morale while working within next year's tight budget.

Oakwood looking at sewer project at apartments

Oakwood City Council voted Monday night to apply for a grant to help pay for a sewer system that would serve an apartment complex where a septic drain field has been failing for years.

Ga. 369 closed in Forsyth after striping truck overturns

Organizations looking for volunteers to make sandwiches

Making a sandwich is easy: two slices of bread, some meat and cheese, and voila.

Hall native studying oyster population

A Hall County native is at the forefront of research into oyster populations, a touchy subject for some Lake Lanier advocates who fret over water releases to protect endangered species in the Gulf of Mexico.

Glades funding application places project cost at $130M

Hall County expects to learn the results of its application to the Governor's Water Supply Program for funding the Glades Reservoir later this year.

Mann settling into role as sheriff’s community service officer

Since taking the helm of the Hall County Sheriff's Office, Gerald Couch has instituted changes both structurally and cosmetically, from streamlined command staff to refurbished patrol cars.

Tri-state water feud plays out in Congress

ATLANTA - The water dispute between Alabama, Florida and Georgia is provoking hardball politics in Congress, where Georgia lawmakers derailed a proposal that could restrict metro Atlanta's water supply.

Eyes on the Road: Resolution gets lukewarm OK from governor

Gov. Nathan Deal signed Senate Resolution 293 last week despite reservations over the renaming of Ga. 347 east of Interstate 985 in South Hall County, his office said.

Fire destroys Cleveland Highway convenience store

Fires in different parts of Hall County on Sunday kept firefighters busy on Mother's Day afternoon.

Kitchen Inspections for April 12-17

April 12

Mother’s Day has special meaning for women who struggle to conceive

Sometimes Allison Zafft said she thinks about the way her family and her life might have turned out if she'd never had her youngest daughter Aleah.

Deal praised for juvenile justice reform

Local legislators and juvenile stakeholders praised Gov. Nathan Deal's signing of a juvenile reform bill.