Hall commissioners OK Hagen Creek development

Hall County Commission gave the final approval for a 2,736-home North Hall subdivision Thursday that will include a 20-acre school site, 1,000,000 square feet of commercial space and possibly an 18-hole golf course.

Hall, Gainesville school boards set for retreats

GAINESVILLE - The Gainesville City and Hall County boards of education plan to meet separately Saturday for annual retreats, a time when board members typically focus on big-picture issues. The Gainesville board will talk about its "mission, visions and beliefs," and Hall County will conduct Georgia School Boards Association training. Both also will have hot- button issues to discuss. The Gainesville school board plans to ...

Officials: Hilton was in Gainesville on night Emerson abducted

Gary Michael Hilton was at a Gainesville ATM trying to use a bank card belonging to Meredith Emerson the night she was abducted, officials said. Hilton is believed to have spent about 20 minutes at a Bank of America ATM in Gainesville around 9:30 p.m. on Jan. 1, Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton said this week, citing information provided to him by agents with the Georgia ...

Cold to move in, rain to move out

Don't expect a return of balmy temperatures any time soon. The rain and fog that hovered over Hall County is going to be followed this weekend by cold weather, according to the National Weather Service. "(Say) goodbye to the spring-type temperatures," said Shirley Lamback, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City. Expect today's high only to hit the lower 50s, with Saturday's warm and sunny ...

'You can’t pledge to a flag when you don’t have a flag'

GAINESVILLE - All East Hall High School students now have a flag to salute when they say the Pledge of Allegiance in the morning. "When I taught here, everybody had a flag in their room. But, for whatever reason through time, the (flags) kind of dwindled away," said principal Jeff Cooper. He and school resource officer Earl Roach went class to class Thursday morning, pushing a metal ...

Hall County to lift burn ban

The longest outdoor burning ban in recent Hall County history will be lifted today, though it may be back in effect again soon, officials said. Hall County Fire Marshal Scott Cagle said beginning today, residential burning of small tree limbs and leaves and land clearing burns of natural debris will be allowed with a permit. It will be the first time since March 31 that the outdoor burns have been ...

Lights on! Switch for Communiversity sign flipped

County and city officials joined educators amidst a cloud of fog Thursday morning for a ceremonial lighting of the sign at Featherbone Communiversity.

Quadruple murder defendants plead not guilty

Two of the three defendants charged in a March 2006 massacre at a Forsyth County farmhouse entered formal not guilty pleas in a Thursday court appearance. The arraignment of Jason McGhee, 27, and Marcin Sosniak, 23, was held in front of Bell-Forsyth Superior Court Judge David Dickinson. The two men did not speak. Their pleas were entered by their attorneys, Josh Moore of the Georgia Office of the Capital Defender ...

COMING SUNDAY: The Best of 2007

During 2007, our reporters and photographers produced great stories and pictures about the people and events of Northeast Georgia. Sunday, The Times will reprint a few of our favorite stories in a special keepsake edition called "The Best of 2007."

Florida officials preparing to charge Hilton with murder

A Florida prosecutor says he has enough evidence to charge Meredith Emerson's accused killer with a murder in that state.

Man stabbed to death

Karaoke night turned deadly at a Helen bar early Thursday morning, where a man was stabbed to death in the town's first murder in years.

City discusses mutual aid agreement with county

GAINESVILLE - The Gainesville City Council met with the city's fire chief Thursday to discuss the parameters of an expanded agreement that would mean city and county fire departments would share each others' burdens. Hall County Fire Services and the Gainesville Fire Department have been hammering out changes to a 10-year-old mutual aid agreement. Though local fire officials have discussed expanding the agreement over the years, it has not ...

Shuler reappointed as Hall administrator

A Hall County commissioner tried unsuccessfully Thursday to seek a separate vote on the reappointment of Hall County Administrator Jim Shuler.

Emerson memorial: 'Meredith's love shines down on you today'

ATHENS -- The church pews couldn't hold everyone who came to pay respects to Meredith Emerson on Friday.

Clouds keep Gov. Perdue from Gainesville visit

Gov. Sonny Perdue hinted Thursday that Georgia, Florida and Alabama may face a challenge in trying to reach a tri-state water agreement by Feb. 15. "That's optimistic," said Perdue in a telephone interview with The Times.

City schools present budget figures at hearings

The few people who showed at the hearings got to see the thinking behind the math in the Gainesville school system's crafting a budget for fiscal 2013-14.

Man sentenced to life in prison in home invasions

A man was sentenced to life in prison without parole Tuesday after a jury convicted him on Monday of several violent felonies and property crimes, the Northeastern Judicial Circuit's district attorney's office said.

Alleged election violations won't be referred to attorney general

The Georgia State Election Board declined to send alleged election violations by Hall County to the state Attorney General's Office Tuesday.

3 students suspected in Gainesville High graffiti incident

Gainesville school officials said Tuesday that three students are responsible for overnight vandalism at Gainesville High School.

11-year-old hurt in four-wheeler accident identified

The Georgia State Patrol has identified the 11-year-old boy who was injured Sunday afternoon in a four-wheeler accident in West Hall as Lanny Charles Dunagan.

Historic Clermont library renovation on track

Volunteers at the Historic Clermont DIP Library opened its one-room library in the town's gym last year, but soon there will be more room to spread out.

Olympic venue group gets update

The Gainesville/Hall '96 Foundation's next life was started Monday, 17 years after playing a large role in creating the 1996 Lake Lanier Olympic Center and maintaining the site's legacy.

Corps hopes to keep dock permit process going

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers hopes to forge ahead this spring and summer with issuing dock permits, and not resort to moving employees assigned to that task to covering parks, as it had to do last year.

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.