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Delegates hold golden ticket to events
0826Joe Diaz
Joe Diaz

Click here for up-to-date reports from the Democratic National Convention.

Joe Diaz, a Gainesville attorney who is a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in Denver, said the first official day of the convention was busy, even before the gavel fell to open the session.

Diaz spoke to The Times while traveling in a taxi to the Pepsi Center.

"It’s a bustling place," said Diaz, whose day began with a 7:45 a.m. meeting of the Georgia delegation at the Doubletree Hotel. "They hand out credentials for each day at the beginning of the day. The delegate credential, which I have, seems to be the gold standard. Getting into official venues requires passing through multiple checkpoints. You go through one checkpoint and are searched, and move ahead to another checkpoint where you are screened again."

The first session began at 5 p.m. Eastern time Monday.

Among the notables he already has seen include U.S. Rep. John Lewis, D-Atlanta. The Georgia delegation is scheduled to hear today from former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, and will hear from former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday. Carter addressed the convention Monday.

Diaz was elected as a delegate pledged to U.S. Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y.

Habersham firefighter injured while collecting donations
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A firefighter in Habersham County collecting money for a boot drive was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital late Saturday morning after being struck by a vehicle.

Cpl. Matt Moorman with Georgia State Patrol said the firefighter, whose name was not available as of press time Saturday, was standing on the double yellow line at the intersection of Ga. 384 and Mud Creek Road near Alto, when “a vehicle traveling south on 384 struck the firefighter.”

Moorman said the incident is “still under investigation ... and there had been no charges filed as of Saturday afternoon.”

He said the firefighter was currently at the hospital and was alert.