Gwinnett Daily Post - February 19, 2016

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OBAMA TO VISIT CUBA, 7A

NEW PRINCIPALS Two Norcross elementary schools get fresh leaders • Page 2A

Presidential trip to be first since 1928

Gwinnett Daily Post FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 19, 2016

www.gwinnettdailypost.com

75 cents ©2016 SCNI

Vol. 46, No. 91

401030-1

Local home searched in massive drug raid

STATE OF THE COUNTY ADDRESS

22 sites from Lawrenceville to South Carolina targeted By Joshua Sharpe joshua.sharpe@gwinnettdailypost.com

LAWRENCEVILLE — A trailer in a mobile home community off Breckinridge Boulevard was among the sites searched in a massive drug-trafficking bust that spanned north Georgia and South Carolina on Wednesday. Along with the raids, which involved 22 homes from Lawrenceville to Seneca, S.C., police arrested 24 on racketeering charges and seized more than 6 kilograms of methamphetamine, 4 kilograms of cocaine, 10 pounds of marijuana, and cash and weapons. That’s according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, which put

See RAID, Page 7A Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash addresses the crowd during Thursday’s State of the County address at Infinite Energy Center in Duluth. (Photos: Kyle Hess)

Vision of the

FUTURE

Nash focuses on Gwinnett to come in annual speech

demand on services. Nash pointed to steps the county has already taken to bolster some of those areas, Gwinnett County Chairincluding giving the county’s woman Charlotte Nash asked a police department funding room full of business, politiin the current budget to fill cal and community leaders to 55 officer positions. She also think about the future during said the county has hired staff her annual State of the County to work on economic develaddress at the Infinite Energy opment in conjunction with Center on Thursday. Partnership Gwinnett. The county’s elected leader “We want to have areas spent most of her speech in the county that appeal to talking about the Gwinnett of all age groups and that offer tomorrow, even going so far attractive locations for busias showing artist renderings nesses of all sizes and types,” Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash addresses the crowd of what various parts of the she said. “As we create the during Thursday’s State of the County address at Infinite Energy county will look like nearly a future, however, we can’t Center in Duluth. quarter of a century from now. neglect the needs of today. We The common thread between have to keep the fundamentals the different quadrants, howevhow the county will move of Gwinnett’s success strong MORE ONLINE er, will be what she called the toward the day when it is the and relevant every day. Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for “Main Streets” of the county. most populated county in “We need to focus on the a photo gallery of the address. “As I look toward the future, metro Atlanta. By 2040, the basic building blocks of a sucI see a Gwinnett with an even county is expected to have cessful community.” better mix of all of the things urban areas to our quiet subur- 1.5 million residents, and the That includes continuing that have made the county a ban neighborhoods and even chairwoman said the commuto support Gwinnett County premier place to live, work farther out to locations that can nity must focus on education, schools, which is why Nash and play,” Nash said. “I see retain a bit of country feeling.” public safety, transportation, said a focus on economic Gwinnett’s ‘Main Streets’ Throughout her speech, water resources and economic See ADDRESS, Page 7A linking revitalized, thriving Nash laid out her vision for development to meet that By Curt Yeomans

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said a trailer in this neighborhood off Breckinridge Boulevard was among the sites searched in a massive drug raid that played out Wednesday across north Georgia. (Staff Photo: Joshua Sharpe)

Early voting turnout picking up in Gwinnett By Curt Yeomans curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com

The day of Georgia’s presidential primaries is about a week and a half away, but more than 2,000 voters have already cast their ballots in Gwinnett, according to the county’s top election official. County Elections Director Lynn Ledford said 2,187 ballots had been cast as of midThursday afternoon as the early voting period continued in the county. In all, Gwinnett has 489,026 registered voters who are eligible to vote in either the Republican, or Democratic, primary, she added. “That’s about average compared to the last two presidential primary cycles,” Ledford said. “We really haven’t seen much of a decrease or an increase. The numbers for 2008 were higher because it was the first time Barack Obama was running for president.”

See VOTING, Page 7A

gwinnettdailypost.com

INSIDE Classified........7B

Horoscope......4A

Nation............ 5A

Sports.............1B

Comics............6B

Local.............. 2A

Obituaries.......7A

Weather..........4A

Crossword......6B

Lottery............ 4A

Perspectives...6A

Weekend........1C

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Everything for your home, all under one roof! Infinite Energy Center SHOW TIMES: FRI Feb 19 – Noon-6pm SAT Feb 20 – 10am-6pm SUN Feb 21 – Noon-5pm AtlantaHomeShow.com – for a list of exhibiting companies, admission coupons and more 308314-2

atlanta home

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MPROVEMENT S M A R T H O M E I M P R O V E M E N T S TA R T S H E R E

February 19 – February 21, 2016


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