Entries by Mike Buffington

Commerce was cleaning up Wednesday morning following the touchdown of a tornado Tuesday afternoon.

A tornado spawned by the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay destroyed one mobile home and damaged a number of residences at about 4:30 Tuesday afternoon in the Cedar Drive area of Commerce.

Two people were slightly hurt by the twister, which approached from the southwest over Washington Street, then dipped to the ground for mere seconds before receding back into the clouds. [ Full Story » ] 

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation found no evidence of wrongdoing in its investigation into allegations of missing items from the Jefferson Police Department’s evidence room.

Jim Fullington, head of the GBI office in Athens, said Tuesday that the case has been closed.

“The discrepancies in the audit have been accounted for,” Fullington said. “There was no criminal wrongdoing. The district attorney agrees.”
Over one month ago, Jefferson Police Department officials called for the state probe into problems with the department’s evidence room. At the time, Police Chief Joe Wirthman said that “possible improprieties” had been found in the evidence room during an certification audit. Wirthman asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to look into the matter.

Wirthman said the problem dated back three to four years ago.

Beer and wine may be served at two concerts set for the Hoschton Fall Festival in September.
That’s if the city council approves the idea at its meeting next month. The Hoschton City Council is expected to consider an ordinance that would allow beer and wine to be sold at designated events and places, such as the fall festival. The ordinance would allow beer and wine to be sold in 16-ounce cups by a licensed establishment. Drinking beer and wine in a can, bottle or glass would be prohibited. No outside alcohol could be brought to the events.
Council member Theresa Kenerly said the ordinance follows similar policies for concerts in Duluth and Norcross. But council member Richard Green said parents may not want their children to be around those drinking at a concert.
“I think the fall festival is a family affair and I don’t think this is family friendly,” Green said. “I think there are any number of attendees that might be offended by it — drinking in public — and who would question the city’s judgment in permitting it.”
Council member Tom Walden said beer and wine would only be sold during the concerts.
“It’s only for a very short time in a limited area,” he said.
If approved, beer and wine could be sold during two concerts, from 7:30-10 p.m., at Hoschton Towne Center. R McClain’s and Anthony’s New York Pizza and Italian Grill, both located in the shopping center, would be allowed to serve drinks.
Banks and Shane will perform on Friday, Sept. 26, and Bill Gentry and The 35 Cent Rodeo will perform on Saturday, Sept. 27.
Click here for additional stories from the Hoschton-Braselton area.

New Comments: Smith responds to Sikes' weekend mailing

With the runoff just days away, the candidates for District Attorney have become more aggressive in their attempts to cast doubt on their opponents’ qualifications. Early voting starts this week on Mon. July 28 and the runoff election will be on Aug. 5.
A recent campaign mailer from candidate Donna Sikes accused opponent Brad Smith of having let a Barrow County man go in a plea deal; the man was recently charged for murder in Florida. Smith strongly rebutted the accusation, saying that while he processed some paperwork, the case was not his and he had nothing to do with the plea deal.
“Throughout her campaign, my opponent has consistently used mudslinging and baseless personal attacks," he said. "Since the election, there have been rumors and conspiracy theories running rampant. I am here to tell you now that these are not true. The things you have been reading about are not true.”
Smith said the negative campaigning was causing citizens to lose sight of the real issue in the campaign – who is better qualified to be the next District Attorney.