Fan program to help seniors starts Monday

The "Beat the Heat" Summer Fan program, sponsored by the Gainesville-Hall County Senior Life Center, begins Monday.

Dawson commissioners opt out of land swap

Dawson County commissioners have decided to opt out of a land swap agreement intended for future recreational growth.

Settlement clears way for deepening Savannah River

U.S. District Judge Richard Gergel on Wednesday approved a settlement ending a legal challenge to the $650 million deepening of the Savannah River shipping channel that could have delayed the project for years.

Rail alternatives include Hall route

Public information hearings will take place in three states next week on potential passenger rail service between Atlanta and Charlotte, N.C., a study area that includes Hall County.

Student to help Gainesville with urban design in pilot program

Gainesville is one of three Georgia cities to benefit from the Downtown Renaissance Fellows pilot program, in which the city is paired with a college student in a 10-week improvement project.

Blended learning academy to start next school year at East Hall

Around 60 students will be the introductory class to what is currently being described as a blended learning academy, beginning next school year at East Hall High School.

Belk hosts 125th anniversary celebration

Belk department store is celebrating its 125th anniversary with an open house today at locations across the Southeast, including at Lakeshore Mall in Gainesville.

Machinery accident in Dawsonville kills man

A 60-year-old man was killed Saturday in what authorities described as a machinery accident at his shop in downtown Dawsonville.

Beer truck wreck at lake in Forsyth County injures 2 Hall County men

A Lula man and a Gainesville man were treated for minor injuries Monday after an 18-wheel Budweiser truck drove off Browns Bridge Road to the edge of Lake Lanier.

Class Notes: Gainesville High School graffiti incident closed

A graffiti incident at Gainesville High School earlier this month has been closed, said Gainesville City Schools Superintendent Merrianne Dyer.

Dawson County sinkhole growing after rain showers

A sinkhole near Ga. 400 that nearly doubled in size after last week's torrential rain showers has led to Dawson County declaring a local emergency.

Lula shooting update: Quiet community shaken by assault

In Lula, a North Hall town of a little less than 3,00 people, acts of violence are often only read about or seen on the news.

Fire did more than $600k in damage to Flowery Branch home

Hall County Fire Services is still working to determine the cause of a fire that did between $600,000 and $700,000 in damage to a house in Flowery Branch.

DNR looking to create law enforcement division

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is proposing to create a new law enforcement division, separating it from the Wildlife Resources division, a move that has angered many wildlife advocates.

Female passenger suffers serious injuries in wreck

A female passenger was flown by helicopter to Grady Hospital in Atlanta on Tuesday after a Ford Explorer was involved in a single-vehicle accident.

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.