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December 2, 2015 | forsythherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 18, No. 48
BOE approves redistricting lines By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com
Car crashes into LongHorn Steakhouse By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com CUMMING, Ga. — Diners at the LongHorn Steakhouse on Market Place Boulevard were in for a surprise Nov. 21as a car crashed through the side of the building around 5 p.m. The 19-year-old driver lost control of her vehicle and was arrested for DUI drugs, failure to maintain lane, too fast for conditions, reckless driving and driving on the wrong side of the road, according to Aletha Barrett, deputy chief for the Cumming Police Department. There were some minor injuries and the driver was transported to the hospital,
according to Division Chief Jason Shivers with the Forsyth County Fire Department. “There were minor injuries to one other person in the restaurant but they were released on the scene,” Shivers said. Structurally, the business did sustain significant damage, he said. “We’re very fortunate it wasn’t worse than it was and there weren’t more people injured,” Shivers said. “At that time of day on a Saturday, it’s a popular location so certainly a lot more patrons and employees were in danger. It’s just fortunate no more folks were injured.” Shivers said the fire
department responds to any motor accident, and this was no different. “When it comes to vehicles entering a structure, we have firefighters who are trained in technical rescue and structural collapse,” Shivers said. “We will deploy them to these incidents to get the building a good evaluation and to determine the best way to remove the vehicle and minimize damage to the structure.” He said they’re not structural engineers, but they have staff who are trained to stabilize the building, ensure a safe removal of the vehicle and keep everyone around the area safe.
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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Redistricting plans for the 20162017 school year were approved Nov. 19 by the Forsyth County Board of Education. Joey Pirkle, deputy superintendent of schools, has presented multiple drafts of redistricting to the board and said the county’s two new schools, Brandywine Elementary School and DeSana Middle School, are set to open in August 2016. The elementary schools that will be impacted by redistricting include Big Creek, Daves Creek, Haw Creek, Mashburn, Midway, Shiloh Point and Vickery Creek elementary schools. The middle schools affected are Piney Grove, South Forsyth and Vickery Creek middle schools. Currently there is no plan to redistrict high schools for the 2016-17 school year, however lines will be reviewed based on elementary and middle school changes. High school redistricting will occur fall 2017 for the opening of Denmark High School in August 2018. Rising fifth- and eighthgrade students wishing to stay at their current school for one additional year, with parents providing transportation, will have the option to complete an out-of-district request, which will be posted online December 2015. The board approved the final draft and also an amendment to the draft that would allow students living in Braemoor, Brandywine and Windhaven, along with a few homes along Old Atlanta Road, to remain in their current schools
... When you look at the next possible area that would be closest to move, it may be a matter of [how can we] not split a subdivision in two or three pieces, but instead looking at moving 300 to 500 kids.” JOEY PIRKLE Deputy superintendent of schools of Big Creek Elementary and Piney Grove Middle. With the uneven capacity numbers, Pirkle said he is often asked why they can’t move a few more students around to make schools’ numbers even. “When you’re looking at these areas, especially in the southern part of the county, a lot of those areas are those really large subdivisions,” Pirkle said. “When you look at the next possible area that would be closest to move, it may be a matter of [how can we] not split a subdivision in two or three pieces, but instead looking at moving 300 to 500 kids.” Mail will be sent out to notify those impacted by the redistricting.
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