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The Paper | Thursday, May 24, 2012
Planning for South Hall hospital draws to close Design work next for 100-bed medical center By JEFF GILL Regional staff Design work should begin next month on the Northeast Georgia Health System’s new South Hall hospital. “Master planning is where we are right now,” said Anthony Williamson, health system vice president at a May 15 meeting of the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce’s South Hall Business Coalition. “We’re looking at where on the site the hospital is going to go, whether it’s going to be tall or short and how it’s going to lay out,” he said, speaking at the Hall County Library System’s Spout Springs branch. Once master planning is completed this month, “we’ll start going into schematic design,” Williamson said. “That’s when we actually start drawing lines on paper.” Construction is slated to finish in the spring of 2014, with the hospital opening in the spring of 2015. The 100-bed hospital, Northeast Georgia Medical Center Braselton, will be situated in what the hospital is calling the River Place campus, off Ga. 211/Old Winder Highway and the planned new Ga. 347/Friendship Road. “It’s a beautiful piece of property,” Williamson said, adding that some 60 to 70 acres are developable. “We’ve walked it many, many times. ... The sustainability is something that’s really important to us in trying to be a good neighbor and also preserving a lot of the beauty on that site.”
The Georgia Department of Transportation plans on widening Friendship Road between Interstate 985 and Ga. 211. The project could be awarded in June, with construction starting in late summer or early fall. The road project will involve construction of four to six lanes. The stretch in front of the new hospital will be built first, as part of the overall project. The new road will run mostly north of Thompson Mill Road between Spout Springs Road and Ga. 211. “It’s exciting to know that we have to tear some things down and remove a few trees to prepare for the road,” Williamson said. “We’ve been working closely with the DOT throughout the life of this project.” Even though the new hospital is certified for 100 beds, “what we’re envisioning is large hospital programs,” he said. “This will be a general, acute-care hospital, but ... we’ll be building on our strengths in cardiology, orthopedics, neurosurgery, rehabilitation, and women’s and cancer services.” The health system opened the 100,000square-foot Medical Plaza I at River Place in 2008. Construction on a second medical office building, which could be about 150,000 square feet, is scheduled to start about the same time as the hospital, Williamson said. Plans call for it to connect to the hospital, he added. “We really envision just a lot of outpatient focus,” he said.
Perry to seek judgeship Jeffrey M. Perry, Jackson County Planning Commission Chairman and Commerce attorney, has announced his candidacy for State Court Judge of Jackson County. A lifelong resident of Jackson County, he has been a managing partner at The Perry Law Firm in Commerce since 2003. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Georgia in Speech Communication and Juris Doctor from Georgia State College of Law. Perry has represented clients in both criminal and civil law. He has served on the Jackson County Planning Commission for five years and has been elected chairman for the past three years. Perry is a member of Jackson County Area
Perry Chamber of Commerce, Commerce Kiwanis Club and the Piedmont Bar Association. He is married to Leigh Ann Perry, a third grade teacher at Banks County Elementary School and they are members of Maysville
Baptist Church. “The last time the people of Jackson County had a chance to elect their own State Court Judge was 24 years ago,” said Perry. “I want to give the people of Jackson County a choice. I want to ensure that the people of Jackson County have an independent, fair and competent State Court that will interpret and apply the law fairly and equally to all. “I want to maintain the honor, integrity, and dignity of the judges who have previously sat on this honorable bench,” said Perry. “I know of no greater honor than to be ‘The People’s Choice’ for State Court Judge of Jackson County.” See electjeffperry.org. http://www.electjeffperry. org.
QUALIFYING from page 1A
Candidates for primary to be finalized BARROW COUNTY Those wishing to qualify to seek election to an office in Barrow County on the Republican ticket can go to the Brock Office Building, located at 20 N. Broad St., in Winder. The Barrow County Democratic Party will be conducting its qualifying at its headquarters on Midland Avenue. Contact the Barrow County Office of Elections and Voter Registration by calling 770-307-3110 or visit the office located in the Barrow County Administrative Annex at 233 E. Broad St., in W inder. GWINNETT COUNTY Those Gwinnett Coun-
tians wishing to qualify for office on the Democratic ticket will qualify at 1599 Rocky Trail Lane in Dacula. Call 770-316-6090. Republican candidates in Gwinnett will qualify at 45 S. Clayton St., in Lawrenceville. Call 770-925-8683. Nonpartisan candidates can qualify with the Gwinnett County Board of Registration and Elections, located at 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200, in Lawrenceville. Call 678-2267210. HALL COUNTY The Hall County Elections office is located at 2285 Browns Bridge Road, at the intersection of Browns Bridge and Skelton roads,
in Gainesville. Call 770-5316945. Republican candidate qualifying will be at 112 W. Academy St., in Gainesville. For qualifying documents, call 770-572-3475 or stop by Elections Office.
Ramona Grace Evans The Paper
Braselton Police Chief Terry Esco presented an Award of Excellence to Officer Josh Stewart at the May 14 meeting of the Braselton Town Council after he made a May 13 traffic stop of the suspect in a Banks County armed robbery.
Braselton officer honored By RAMONA GRACE EVANS revans@clickthepaper.com Braselton Police Chief Terry Esco presented an Award of Excellence to Officer Josh Stewart at the May 14 meeting of the Braselton Town Council following his traffic stop of a vehicle matching the description of a suspect in a Banks County armed robbery. The suspect was traveling south on Interstate 85. Stewart’s recognition was for outstanding performance of duty on May 13. “Officer Stewart’s professionalism, initiative and attention to detail resulted in the apprehension of a suspected armed robbery suspect within minutes after 911 put out a BOLO (be-on-the-lookout) to all counties. Officer Stewart’s actions are keeping with the finest traditions of police work and the standards set for the Braselton Police Department,” the award details. Officer Stewart conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle clocked at 83 mph. At the same time, he received a description of a Banks County suspect expected to be driving a white SUV and wearing all black with a ski mask. When Officer Stewart approached the white SUV, he noticed what appeared to be
a black stocking cap in the driver’s pocket. Once backup arrived he removed the suspect from the vehicle, confirming that the item in his pocket was a ski mask and that the items in the vehicle were the reported stolen goods. The suspect admitted guilt and was handed over to a Banks County Unit that met Officer Stewart at the scene. Just in time for National Police Week, Officer Josh Stewart was given a standing ovation by the Mayor Bill Orr and Braselton Town Council for a “Job Well Done.”
BRIEFLY Friday is Jackson County furlough day Jackson County government will have an employee furlough day on Friday, May 25. However, the Office of Elections and Registration will be open to conduct qualifying for those who plan to seek election to Democratic and nonpartisan county offices in Jackson County. The county will observe Memorial Day on Monday, May 28, with county offices reopening on Tuesday, May 29. Although county governmental offices will be closed Friday for furlough, the Jackson County Transfer Station will be open for regular hours – 7:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Saturday hours are 7:30 a.m. •HOW TO CONTACT US• – 2 p.m. The transfer station 169 Towne Center Parkway, Hoschton, GA 30548 is closed Sundays. For the P.O. Box 430, Hoschton, GA 30548 Memorial Day holiday, the transfer station will be clos- News: 706-658-2683, editor@clickthepaper.com ing early on Monday, May Display Advertising: 770-535-6333, dpurvis@clickthepaper.com 28, with hours of 7:30 a.m. to Classified Advertising: 770-535-6371, cellem@gainesvilletimes.com Circulation: 770-535-6353, dmontgomery@gainesvilletimes.com 1 p.m. Office hours: 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday – Friday
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