Under the Hood Sponsored section ►►PAGE 18
‘Tarzan’ swings into Cumming Cumming Playhouse stages classic story ►►PAGE 6
Horse rescued
Fire dept. free horse trapped in mud ►►PAGE 4
Summer swimming safety Cumming Aquatic Center open, keeping you safe ►►PAGE 8
June 18, 2014 | forsythherald.com | 73,500 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 17, No. 25
$4M in ‘unforeseen’ costs Courthouse, jail still within $100M budget By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — As the courthouse and jail near completion, change orders were submitted amounting to nearly $4 million. But the project is still on track and within the $100 million overall budget scope.Project manager Joe Lee , of Carter Goble Lee, told Forsyth County Jail and Courthouse project team that the change orders were due to “unforeseen conditions” ($1.5 million); construction document de-
sign reconciliation ($1.2 million) and enhancements ($1.3 million).
See PROJECT, Page 25
COLLEEN BELL/STAFF
E-cigarette battle for common ground County to reconsider stance By ALDO NAHED aldo@forsythherald.com
Ryan Ryke, left, and Noah Richardson, of Awesome Vapor in Cumming, say they quit smoking once they used e-cigarettes.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — In its bid to align electronic cigarettes with tobacco products, Forsyth County Commissioners got a lot of new information and opposition. At their June 5 meeting,
several people spoke in opposition to the change that could ban the use of electronic cigarettes, also known as e-cigs or vaporizers, in county buildings and parks and recreation facilities. None spoke in favor. The law would allow the use at designated areas alongside tobacco smokers. This is where Commissioners got it all wrong, said Noah Richardson, who works at Awesome Vapors in Cumming
and is one of the leaders opposed to the change on social media. Richardson along with Ryan Ryke and Steven Bryant started the 600-member Facebook group “North Atlanta Vape Squad.” They say it’s not right to lump them in with tobacco product users. “We wanted them to understand that e-cigarettes are not
See E-CIGS, Page 9