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.

Residential developments dominate Hall County’s agenda

More residential development is on the agenda for the Hall County Commission meeting today. In December, the Hall County Planning Commission unanimously recommended for approval the roughly 1,507-acre Hagen Creek development plan that calls for 2,736 residential units, a school site and 1,000,000 square feet of commercial and office space in Lula. The county commission will consider the request by the land owner, an Austrian family, to rezone ...

Dyer is one of Georgia's top principals

The Georgia Association of Elementary School Principals has recognized Merrianne Dyer, principal of Fair Street International Baccalaureate World School, as one of its nine Distinguished Principals for 2008.

Magazine says Gainesville is a good place to retire

In its January-February 2008 issue, Where to Retire magazine highlights Gainesville as one of eight towns in the U.S. that have low tax burdens on retirees.

Gainesville gets ready for auction

Gainesville is cleaning out its closets. As they do every year, officials from city departments are planning to auction off and donate their surplus property. Each department has taken inventory of its property and decided which assets have served the department beyond their use.

Hearings set for new World Languages Academy

GAINESVILLE - Public information hearings have been scheduled for the Hall County school system's planned new World Languages Academy.

Police station could transform into hotel and office buildings

GAINESVILLE - Gainesville could earn at least $2 million if the City Council approves a proposed Midtown development.

DA had no knowledge of deal in Hilton case

Dawson County District Attorney Lee Darragh was left out of the loop when other prosecutors struck a deal with Gary Michael Hilton promising not to seek the death penalty against him in order to locate the body of slain hiker Meredith Emerson. Darragh told reporters Wednesday after an initial court appearance for Hilton that he first learned Monday night of the discovery of Emerson's body in Dawson Forest Wildlife ...

Two more school principals to leave at end of 2007-08

Hall County school system principals Wayne Colston of Mount Vernon Elementary and Terry Dover of Lula Elementary have announced they are retiring after this school year.

Hilton considered suspect in Florida slaying

Law enforcement officials in Tallahassee, Fla., want to question Gary Michael Hilton in the case of a Florida woman whose body was found in the Apalachicola National Forest on Dec. 15. Leon County Sheriff's Maj. Mike Wood said Hilton, charged in the abduction and murder of 24-year-old hiker Meredith Emerson, became a suspect after media reports led Florida investigators to run a check of Hilton's license plate. Sheriff's ...

Woman not hurt after crashing van into lake

A Cleveland woman was uninjured when her van crashed Wednesday morning into Lake Lanier.

Dawson officials ask for flooding aid

Hall County housing market snapshot: Less construction, fewer foreclosures

Residential and "affordable" housing in Hall County is in short supply because of a decline in construction and strong competition for good deals, Gainesville real estate executive Frank Norton Jr. said.

Dawsonville distillery seeks lawmakers’ help

Driver killed in wreck with dump truck

A wreck killed one just after 9 Wednesday morning on Tanners Mill Road in southeast Hall County.

Storms, showers in area may not be done

Look for a couple of wet days ahead heading into the weekend.

4 plead guilty, fined in N. Hall animal hoarding case

Four people pleaded guilty Wednesday in an animal hoarding case stemming from May that led to the impoundment of 69 animals.

Woman, son dead in Jefferson; father in custody

JEFFERSON - A mother and her 13-year-old son are dead and her 47-year-old husband, the child's father, is in jail on murder charges.

Residents get peek at potential passenger rail service between Atlanta and Charlotte

SUWANEE - Miles Williams is eager to find out whether Suwanee, the North Gwinnett city where generations of his family have lived, will once again be a bustling stop for passenger rail.

Probable cause hearing set for slaying suspect

A probable cause hearing is set for later this month after a Gainesville man made his first appearance Tuesday in Hall County Magistrate Court on murder charges.

Motion denied, trial date set in 2012 boating deaths

A Hall County Superior Court judge Tuesday denied a motion to dismiss the case against Paul Bennett, who is charged with eight counts of homicide by vessel in a Lake Lanier accident that killed two Buford boys.

Gainesville City Council faces more opposition to at-large voting at meeting

Gainesville has an ugly history of discrimination and the city's at-large voting system is violating the federal Voting Rights Act, a speaker said at Tuesday's City Council meeting.

Hall County's tax digest drops

Hall County's 2013 final tax digest is down 1.51 percent from last year, according to final numbers from the Tax Commissioner's office, making the county's 2014 proposed budget short by $560,000.

Kitchen Inspections for April 12-17

April 12

Hot weather health tips

Here are some tips to help you deal with the summer heat wave.