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Here's the news you need to know and the details that cover it
all in Hall!
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Highlands to Islands Trail Chicopee Section is now open!
The most recently completed portion of the Highlands to Islands Trail (formerly known as the Central Hall Multi-Use Trail) is open for use! The "Chicopee Section" of the trail, which stretches 2.8 miles from Palmour Drive to the Georgia Department of Labor, celebrated an official grand opening on Saturday, April 23. More information about the new trail can be found here.
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Hall County Government employees clean up more than 22 tons of litter
More than 22 tons of litter was collected as a part of Hall County Government's Spring Cleaning Project, which concluded April 22 with a litter pick-up along County roadways.
"I'm so very proud of the work Hall County officials and employees did to make Hall County a cleaner place to live, work and visit," Hall County District 4 Commissioner Jeff Stowe said. "We have responded to complaints from constituents regarding litter and will continue to do so as we work to address the root cause of littering in our community." Since late March, Hall County Road Maintenance personnel have been identifying County roads that were in need of a litter pick-up and immediately addressed the roadways that were in the most urgent need of attention. Read more here. |
Poll workers needed for upcoming elections
The Hall County Elections Department is seeking poll workers for the upcoming General Primary on May 24, the General Primary Runoff Election on July 26 (if needed), and the General Election on Nov. 8.
Poll workers are paid between $8 and $10 per hour depending on job assignments. Election preparation includes a training session of at least two hours prior to the May and November elections. Anyone interested in serving as a poll worker is asked to contact the Hall County Elections Department at 770-531-6945 or csosebee@hallcounty.org. |
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Hall Co. Government Center now features large-scale public art
The Hall County Government Center is now home to the most recent piece of large-scale artwork installed as a part of the 2015 Free Range Art Project, a partnership between the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce's Vision 2030 and the North Georgia Community Foundation.
The 8'x8' installation features local artist Sharon Farkas' piece "Wauka Mountain High." The work of art hangs just outside the north entrance to the Hall County Government Center, located at 2875 Browns Bridge Road in Gainesville.
"Hall County is proud to promote public art and the work of local artists through this venture," Hall County Administrator Randy Knighton said. "We are honored to have been selected as a venue for this art and look forward to expanding this facility's participation in the promotion of public art in the future."
Hall County is currently in the process of putting together a public art program for the interior of the government center as well. More information regarding that program will be released in coming weeks.
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Hall County crews respond to area affected by early April storm
Hall County crews worked diligently since the early morning hours on April 7 to respond to the damage that resulted from overnight storms in the western portion of the county.
According to Hall County Emergency Management Agency Director David Kimbrell, a total of 53 homes received damage from high winds and/or fallen trees. He said nine homes suffered significant damage and five may be considered a total loss.
Hall County Public Works crews remained in the area to clean debris out of the right of way. Hall County Fire and Sheriff's Office personnel were also on hand assisting in the clean-up effort.
"Hall County personnel continually respond to emergency situations in our community, making sure residents are safe and assisting them in the wake of a disaster," Assistant County Administrator Marty Nix said. "This event is yet another example of their dedicated service to the citizens of Hall County." |
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Hall Co. celebrates Public Works Week, May 15- 21
Hall County Government is celebrating the men and women of its Public Works Department with Public Works Week, May 15- 21.
Hall County's Public Works Department coordinates the work of several divisions within County Government, including Engineering, Fleet Maintenance, Resource Recovery, Sewer Services, Solid Waste & Landfill, as well as Traffic Engineering.
"We value our communities and the role public works professionals play in keeping them safe and functioning smoothly," reports the American Public Works Association, sponsor of National Public Works Week. "Our objective is designed to increase public awareness of their contributions as well as to enlighten the public about the duties, practices, and goals of public works professionals."
To find out more about Hall County's Public Works Department and the various services its employees provides to citizens, please click here. |
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HCSO Safe Driving Tip: Super Speeder Laws
This month's traffic question makes reference to the super speeder law and license suspensions involved with speeding. When issuing a citation, deputies are quite often asked, "Is this a super speeder ticket?" or "Is this going to result in my driver's license getting suspended?"
In Georgia, a driver can violate the super speeder law in one of two ways. First, a driver violates the law if their vehicle travels at a speed of 85 mph or more on a multi-lane roadway. A multi-lane roadway would be any roadway where there are more than two lanes.
For example, if a driver were on I-985, and were to be traveling at 85 mph or more in a 70 mph zone, that would be a super speeder citation. Further, if a driver were to be traveling along the four-lane section south of the Gainesville city limits on Ga 11 (a.k.a. "129 South" or "Athens Highway") where the speed limit is 55 mph, the driver would have to be doing 85 mph or more in that zone in order for the citation to be a super speeder citation.
The second instance when a Georgia driver violates the super speeder law is whenever a driver exceeds 75 mph on a roadway which is two lanes or less.
For example, if that same driver is driving along the section of roadway where the four lane has ended and gone back into a two lane on Ga 11 (a.k.a. "129 South" or "Athens Highway"), the driver then only has to be traveling at 75 mph or more in the same 55 mph zone in order to receive a super speeder citation.
So, what is the difference between a super speeder speeding citation and a non-super speeder citation, as far as fines go? The answer, when paying the fine at your local jurisdiction, is nothing. However, if the speed and location deem the speeding citation a super speeder, the state of Georgia will send you a super speeder fine of $200 after the violator pays the local fine. If this fine is not paid by the violator, then an additional fine of $50 will be imposed along with an automatic suspension of the violator's driver's license. A super speeder citation, by itself, will not suspend a driver's license unless that driver is under the age of 21 and the driver is operating a vehicle at a speed of 24 mph or more over the speed limit.
Remember, there is one traffic fatality in the state of Georgia every 22 hours as a result of speed. Drive safely!
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News from Hall County Fire Services
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Hall County Fire Services teamed up with the Red Cross and has been going door-to-door to provide home safety checks, install smoke alarms, replace smoke alarm batteries where needed and hand out fire safety information. While the teams were going door to door, Hall County Fire Services vehicles were setup for public viewing and would serve as a central location for the scheduling of home visits and blood pressure checks.
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On April 21, Station 4 B-shift personnel set up a table in the foyer of the Hall County Government Center to greet citizens as they entered and exited the building. Our personnel welcomed each citizen and offered fire safety information to anyone that was interested. Additionally, they provided information about Hall County Fire Services installing smoke detectors in homes and scheduled to have several installed. Smoke alarms save lives!
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Station 3 A-shift personnel visited Bolding Mill Campground on April 23 to discuss water, boating and fire safety with the campers. While on site, the HCFS crew enjoyed meeting Boy Scout Troop 1331 and gave out coloring books, pencils, bracelets, rulers, stickers and fire safety material to the children, as well as fire safety brochures for the adults.
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News from the Hall County Sheriff's Office
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ADVANCE Camp 2015
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- The 2016 Hall County Sheriff's Office's ADVANCE program will open registration on May 14 during an event at Academy Sports in Gainesville from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Academy Sports is located at 1140 Dawsonville Highway in Gainesville. The 2016 ADVANCE Camp Registration Day includes:
*FREE ADVANCE Summer Youth Camp Registration for 9-12 year olds only. Registration will be on a "first-come, first-serve" basis.
*ADVANCE Camp dates will be June 13-17.
*World Record holder,(HCSO) Sergeant Greg Cochran, will be doing a truck pull for the kids as a fundraiser for the ADVANCE program.
*A specialized vehicle displayed will include the Hall County Sheriff's Office SWAT truck, DIVE Team vehicle and boat.
*The event will also include a job fair for the Hall County Sheriff's Office.
*Pizza and refreshments will be available, while they last...
*Music and entertainment will also be provided!
Click here for more information.
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Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Unit Chief Nancy Healey presented the Hall County Jail Program with a plaque recently, recognizing their efforts in acquiring another perfect review.
The Office of Professional Responsibility oversees the ICE detention functions, ensuring the facilities adhere to the agency's detention standards by inspecting and reviewing ICE offices, operations and processes in an effort to provide executive management with an independent review of the agency's organizational health.
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Around 25 senior motorists took advantage of being properly "fitted" with their vehicles at a CarFit event last month. The Georgia CarFit Program's goal is to maintain the mobility of older adults, while keeping them safe. The program's purpose is to educate professionals, older adults, their family members and the community about the risk and protective factors associated with driving safety. The new program comes amid increased concern due to the alarming acceleration in the number of traffic accidents and fatalities involving older drivers in Hall County. In Hall County in 2015, the average age of a driver involved in a fatality was 56 years old. Nationwide as of 2010, and every year since, drivers 65 and older had the highest driver crash fatality rates among all driving age populations, including teenagers. The CarFit program assists older drivers with a "proper fit " in their own vehicle, which enables the driver a better frontal view, better visibility using all rear view mirrors and a proper fit with the airbag system, steering wheel and gas and brake pedals.
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View the latest SPLOST revenue and expenditure reports
Hall County voters approved Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) VII in March of 2015. SPLOST revenue must be used for specific capital outlays (operations and maintenance expenditures are not authorized) such as courthouses, jails, roads, and bridges. Projects financed by SPLOST are intended to benefit the county as a whole, either standing alone or in combination with other county capital outlay projects or municipal capital outlay projects. View the latest reports regarding revenues and expenditures for SPLOST by clicking the links below: SPLOST Expenditure Status Updates
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TV-18 features Hall County Government's Spring Happenings
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| | Hall County Connection - Hall County Government's Spring Happenings - May 2016 |
Spring is now in full swing here in Hall County, and with the new season comes plenty of springtime events, including the grand opening of the Chicopee Section of the Highlands to Islands Trail, the May primary elections and a special event to drum up support for the Hall County Sheriff's Office's yearly ADVANCE camp. Click here to watch the complete episode of Hall County Connection.
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Hall Co. Fire Services offering free CPR classes to the public
Do you know how to save a life? Hall County Fire Services is now offering free monthly CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) classes to citizens interested in learning this life-saving skill. Classes will be held at 6 p.m. on the third Monday of every month at the Hall County Emergency Services Complex, located at 470 Crescent Drive in Gainesville. Space is limited. To sign up, call 770-531-6838.
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Katie Crumley | Hall County Government | 770.297.5504 | kcrumley@hallcounty.org |
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