A4 ♦ Wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ gWinnettdailypost.com COLUMNIST I KEITH ROACH
This murder mystery is not likely lurking in your refrigerator
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EAR DR. ROACH: We watch a murder mystery show on TV. The detective finds any number of dead people who have been poisoned by almond and cherry pits. I drink almond milk several times a day. Am I in any danger? — L.J. ANSWER: Stone fruit pits (the kernels inside the stone) contain the substance amygdalin, which the body converts after consumption into hydrogen cyanide. Hydrogen cyanide is indeed poisonous. It has Roach been a favorite of mystery authors for many years. Dame Agatha Christie was a pharmacist and knew her poisons well, frequently using them in her stories. However, there is not a large amount of amygdalin in peach or plum kernels, apple seeds nor bitter almonds. Regular sweet almonds, from which almond milk is made, have almost none. Cherry pits contain a fair bit more. The amount you’d have to consume would be large. Not only that, but people almost never get sick from these because they generally don’t swallow the pits, and also because whole pits or kernels are not easily digested. Nefarious villains in crime novels (or on TV) will crush large numbers of these pits or kernels and give this (or an extract) to their unsuspecting victims. You need not worry. Almond milk has almost no amygdalin. Even swallowing a few fruit pits by accident won’t cause problems. But never swallow chewed or crushed pits or kernels. DEAR DR. ROACH: About two months ago I was diagnosed with Candida albicans, which appeared as a red rash under my breast. It itches and burns. I saw two doctors: One treated me with nystatin powder, and the other with a fluconazole pill weekly. Neither has done much good. It isn’t quite as red, but it still itches, burns and drains. Are there any other treatments? — B.B. ANSWER: Intertrigo is the name of the skin inflammation that occurs where skin folds over each other. The groin and underarms are common locations, but underneath the breast is very common, especially in women with larger breasts, where there is more skin to skin contact. Both bacteria and fungus can exacerbate the skin inflammation, and Candida albicans, a type of yeast, is among the most common. Nystatin and fluconazole are both active drugs against Candida. While addressing the fungus is an important part of treatment, there are other parts that your doctors may not have emphasized. The first is to keep the area as dry and as exposed to air as possible. It’s much more common to see intertrigo in the summer; the moisture from sweat exacerbates skin irritation and makes a good place for the fungus to grow and further irritate the skin. After washing the area with a mild soap and water, the skin should be dried thoroughly. A hair dryer with no heat is a good way of drying the area quickly. Using absorbent, breathable fabrics helps a lot. Powders, even nonmedicated ones like talc or cornstarch, will also help when applied daily. Since the nystatin isn’t helping, you might ask your doctor for a different one, such as ketoconazole or miconazole. These have antiinflammatory as well as antifungal properties.
WEATHER WATCH TODAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
70%
90%
20%
0%
0%
10%
51 46
0%
54 38
62 43
49 33
the solunar tables for lakes are based on studies that show fish and game are more active at certain times during the lunar period. MAJOR 5:30-7:30 a.m. .............5:51-7:51 p.m. MINOR 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. .10:52-11:52 p.m.
POLLEN COUNTS trees: low Weeds: low grass: low
Lake Full Monday allatoona ............(840.0) .... 822.37 Blackshear ......... (237.0) .... 236.96 Blue ridge........(1690.0) .. 1669.93 Burton..............(1865.0) ...1858.15 carters.............(1072.0) ...1070.56 chatuge ........... (1927.0) ... 1917.96 Harding .............. (521.0) .... 520.32 Hartwell .............(660.0) .....657.07 Jackson..............(530.0) .... 528.63
Lake Full Monday lanier............... (1071.0) .. 1068.70 nottely..............(1779.0) ...1761.83 oconee ..............(435.0) .... 434.99 seminole...............(77.5) ....... 77.61 sinclair ...............(339.8) .... 338.52 thurmond ..........(330.0) ..... 327.12 tugalo ................ (891.5) .....889.17 Walter F. george.(188.0) .....108.62 West point..........(635.0) .... 630.88
TODAY IN HISTORY
LOTTERY Monday cash 3 midday: 3-1-3 cash 4 midday: 8-0-3-1 ga. 5 midday: 4-2-5-4-1 Sunday cash 3 midday: 5-3-2 cash 3 evening: 3-6-9 cash 3 night: 8-3-0 cash 4 midday: 7-8-5-5 cash 4 evening: 6-1-7-9 cash 4 night: 5-5-7-3 ga. 5 midday: 0-5-0-9-9 ga. 5 evening: 2-2-4-5-1 Fantasy 5: 2-9-34-36-38
48 30
53 37
49 36
LAKE LEVELS
SOLUNAR TABLES
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HOROSCOPES
TODAY’S HISTORY: in 1863, the emancipation proclamation took effect, freeing slaves in confederate states. in 1892, the ellis island immigration station opened in new york city. in 1908, the first times square “ball drop” triggered a fireworks show celebrating the new year. in 1912, the republic of china was established. in 1994, provisions of the north american Free trade agreement (naFta) went into effect. TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: paul revere (1735-1818), american patriot; Betsy ross (1752-1836), seamstress/u.s. flag designer; e.m. Forster (18791970), author; J. edgar Hoover (18951972), FBi director; J.d. salinger (19192010), author; charlie munger (1924- ),
businessman/philanthropist; Frank langella (1938- ), actor; grandmaster Flash (1958- ), musician; derrick thomas (1967-2000), football player; morris chestnut (1969- ), actor. TODAY’S FACT: Kathleen caseyKirschling, considered the first of some 78 million postwar “baby boomers,” was born in philadelphia one second after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946. TODAY’S SPORTS: in 1902, the university of michigan Wolverines defeated the stanford university cardinals, 49-0, in the first college football bowl game, the rose Bowl in pasadena, california. TODAY’S QUOTE: “the fact is always obvious much too late, but the most singular difference between happiness and joy is that happiness is a solid and joy a liquid.” -- J.d. salinger, “de daumier-smith’s Blue period”
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COLUMNIST I AMY DICKINSON
Older father hates Granddad assumptions
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EAR AMY: I am a happy father. I was overjoyed to have my first child at the age of 57. My boy, “Michael,” is now 11, and in the fifth grade. My problem is that most of the younger parents assume that I am Mike’s grandfather. I always promptly correct that assumption, saying that that I am his father and that we started late. Some of these statements are made within my son’s earshot. This has an impact on attending parent/teacher meetings and school functions. This embarrasses both of us. He is a sensitive lad. He has even said that he hates his parents being so old. (His mother is 47, but she looks much younger). On one occasion a very heavy-set woman told me that I must be Michael’s grandfather. My response was to congratulate her on her pregnancy. As she assumed, so did I. I would appreciate some help in addressing this issue. as it is a constant source of emotional distress. — K, in Colorado DEAR K: The way to address this is to acknowledge your son’s perspective and feelings, without giving in to them. Your embarrassment reinforces his. Your rudeness to an overweight woman teaches your son that it is acceptable to be mortified for the
privilege of your age, widowed for five years. and that rudeness is He and his late wife an acceptable reacwere our best friends tion when someone for 60 years. makes an incorrect We have been assumption. through the good Across North Amertimes, very good times, ica, millions of grandbad times, and very parents are currently Dickinson bad times. The two of raising grandchildren, us went through losing of course, some people assume our spouses. So, I guess it’s that a 68-year-old man is an only karma that our friendadolescent’s grandfather! ship has blossomed into a Your age makes parent/ romance. teacher conferences chalHe will be moving in with lenging? Why? You are there me soon. He really wants to to discuss your son’s school- get married. He’s not really work. If a teacher brings up pressuring me, but I do know your age, or your child’s sen- that marriage is NOT what sitivities surrounding it, you I want at my age. should ask for the teacher’s I want us to live together advice about how to handle for a few months to make sure it, and be open to a course this is good for both of us. correction. I’m thinking more along Tell your son, “Hey, I un- the lines of a commitment derstand that this can be service, but I don’t know hard on you sometimes. But much about it, or who to you know what? It is what contact. it is. I feel proud and lucky, What are your thoughts and I don’t care what other and feelings on my thoughts people think.” and feelings? You cannot change your — Wondering Widow age. Many families carry DEAR WONDERING: burdens. Families cope with My thoughts and feelings are poverty, disabilities, and mainly celebratory. Karma, dislocation. Reassure your indeed! son that you’re healthy and I will also offer my casuhappy, and that you plan to al, non-scientific observabe around to bug and embar- tion that older men tend to rass him for a very long time. embrace remarriage, while DEAR AMY: I am a older women don’t seem to 75-year-old widow of three be quite so keen. years. I got married at 17, You and your guy should and my late husband was explore all of the legal ramimy first, and only, love. fications of being together, The guy friend I’m currently both with and without marseeing is 78, and has been riage. You should see your
attorney regarding practical matters like insurance, household finances, and estate planning. A commitment ceremony might be a fun and appropriate way to celebrate your togetherness. There is no one way to do this — but basically it is like a wedding ceremony without the legal attachment. A friend or clergy member could perform the ceremony and you could write your own vows and publicly declare your commitment to one another in front of friends and family. You might want to plan this event for six months from now, after you’ve both adjusted to your togetherness. DEAR AMY: The question from “Love-in-Law,” where a man said he was in love with his wife’s sister made my blood boil. Thank you for stating: “You feel guilty because you ARE guilty.” — Grateful Reader DEAR GRATEFUL: When someone confesses to infidelity and then wonders why he feels guilty — the answer writes itself. You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: ASKAMY@amydickinson. com. Readers may send postal mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @ askingamy or “like” her on Facebook.
address conflicts, make adjustments and forge into the new year without the dead weight that’s been holding you back. a significant opportunity is heading your way, and fewer restrictions will mean you can make the most of whatever comes down the pike. use your imagination and make your dreams come true. CAPRICORN (dec. 22Jan. 19) — Wipe your slate clean and prepare to do what moves you most. Be realistic, don’t make promises or set impossible goals and be true to yourself. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — you may crave change or a higher income, but before you take a giant leap, do your due diligence. anything is possible if you plan your actions thoroughly. PISCES (Feb. 20-march 20) — reevaluate, reorganize and restructure how best to move forward. put a reasonable strategy in place and execute your plans with precision. don’t rule out making an unusual choice. ARIES (march 21-april 19) — it’s a new day and a new year. say goodbye to what you no longer want or need in your life and head in a direction that offers greater satisfaction. TAURUS (april 20-may 20) — get together with people you love to discuss your aspirations, feelings and intentions. today is a fabulous day to socialize and make plans for the future. GEMINI (may 21-June 20) — relax and rejuvenate. someone you care about will let you down or disappoint you. consider how best to deal with sensitive situations before you take action. Focus on your shortcomings, not on someone else’s. CANCER (June 21-July 22) — get together with family or friends. a suggestion someone makes will spark your imagination and help you figure out a way to incorporate the things you love to do most into your daily routine. LEO (July 23-aug. 22) — evaluate what you’ve done, your current situation and where you see yourself heading. lay out a blueprint for success, so you can head into the new year with renewed hope for a better future. VIRGO (aug. 23-sept. 22) — you’ll be the center of attention. if you let too many people lean on you, you will fall short. it’s oK to say no. LIBRA (sept. 23-oct. 23) — Before you shoot for the stars, consider whether your plans are doable. use your intelligence to come up with an affordable way to reach your goals this year. SCORPIO (oct. 24-nov. 22) — stop second-guessing yourself and start making constructive changes that will lead to what you truly want to achieve. it’s oK to be different and to follow your dreams. SAGITTARIUS (nov. 23dec. 21) — if you are observant and a good listener, you’ll have plenty to consider moving forward. don’t make assumptions. consider someone’s motives and integrity before you take action.
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gwinnettdailypost.com ♦ wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ A5
WORLD & NATION
WORLD
Putin again invites Trump to visit Moscow in Christmas and New Year message Russian President Vladimir Putin again invited U.S. President Donald Trump to visit Moscow in the coming year, according to a Kremlin readout of Putin’s holiday greetings to foreign leaders posted Monday. “In a Christmas and New Year greeting message to President of the United States of America Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin noted that Russia and the U.S. were historically responsible for ensuring global security and stability, and that Moscow speaks in favour of normalising bilateral relations and establishing an equal dialogue based on the mutual respect of interests,” the statement said. “The President of Russia also reaffirmed his invitation to Donald Trump to visit Moscow to take part in the celebrations of the 75th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War.” Putin’s well wishes and invitation come after the Kremlin on Sunday released a separate readout of a phone call between Trump and Putin in which the two discussed “matters of mutual interest” and reached an agreement to “continue bilateral cooperation in the fight against terrorism.”
Prominent Egyptian human rights activist says security forces beat him up A leading human rights lawyer and activist said he was beaten up by Egyptian security forces, who doused him in paint and brandished weapons at bystanders who attempted to stop the attack. Gamal Eid shared an image on social media of the aftermath of the alleged attack, showing his face covered in what appears to be red and yellow paint. In the Facebook post, Eid said that up to a dozen people were involved in the attack on Sunday. Eid said he filed a complaint with the prosecutor’s office. He also accused Egypt’s Ministry of Interior of the assault.
Italy sees its biggest peace-time evacuation after builders find WWII bomb More than half of the population of the city of Brindisi, southern Italy, were evacuated from their homes Sunday due to an unexploded World War II bomb, according to authorities. Some 54,000 people of a total 80,000 population were ordered to leave their homes at 2 a.m. ET, said Francesca Cuomo, a press officer at Brindisi City Hall. This is the first WWII bomb found in the city since 1945, and the evacuation is the largest undertaken in Italy since the end of the war, she added. The British-made bomb — which measures more than three feet in length and weighs 500 pounds — was dropped in 1941. A controlled explosion of the bomb will took place Monday in a sand quarry outside Brindisi, where it was taken on Sunday. Brindisi’s airport, train station, two hospitals and a prison were all evacuated, Reuters reported. — From wire reports
Trump says China trade deal to be signed on January 15 By Kevin Liptak CNN
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he’ll sign the initial trade agreement struck with China on January 15 in Washington. He wrote in a tweet he’d be joined by “high-level representatives” from China at the White House. He also said he’d travel later to Beijing to begin a new phase of trade negotiations. “I will be signing our very large and comprehensive Phase One Trade Deal with China on January 15,” Trump tweeted Tuesday while on vacation at his Florida estate. “The ceremony will take place at the White House. High level representatives of China will be present. At a later date I will be going to Beijing where talks will begin on Phase Two!” It’s expected that China’s lead negotiator, Vice Premier Liu He, will travel to Washington for the signing. RELATED: What the interim US-China trade deal means — and doesn’t As President, Trump has traveled to Beijing once before for an elaborate state visit hosted by President Xi Jinping. He did not specify when he would visit the Chinese capital for the next round of trade talks.
nicolas asfouri/aFp/getty images
President Donald Trump said he’ll sign the initial trade agreement struck with China on January 15 in Washington. He wrote in a tweet he’d be joined by “high-level representatives” from China at the White House. The visit would likely come under scrutiny as protests continue to grip Hong Kong and China’s human rights record comes under fire for its continued detention of Muslims. Trump has tread carefully on those issues as the trade talks progressed, but a visit to China would put them into sharper focus. As he prepares to mount his reelection bid, Trump has hailed the China deal as a boon for American workers and farmers. Its signing will bring to a conclusion the
long and sometimes-bumpy trade negotiations between the US and China that resulted in the deal struck two months ago. Both sides say the package includes increased purchases of American farm goods by China in exchange for some easing of US tariffs. It also includes some provisions on intellectual property and currency. But no text of the deal has been released since its completion was announced earlier this month. The two sides were working
NATION
Trump signs robo-call bill into law President Donald Trump signed a bill on Monday that increases fines on criminal robocall violations and cracks down on companies making the calls, as part of a federal push against telephone scammers. “This historic legislation will provide American consumers with even greater protection against annoying unsolicited robocalls,” the White House Office of the Press Secretary said of the TRACED Act. “American families deserve control over their communications, and this legislation will update our laws and regulations to stiffen penalties, increase transparency, and enhance government collaboration to stop unwanted solicitation.” The move comes as part of crackdown against the targeting companies and individuals who have collectively placed more than 1 billion unwanted calls for financial schemes and other services. Monday’s bill, which passed in the Senate in May and the House earlier this month, came following the Federal Communications Commission’s announcement of a nationwide crackdown on illegal robocalls in June. The legislation imposes stiffer fines of as much as $10,000 per call on robocallers who knowingly flout the rules on calls and instructs the FCC to develop further regulations that could shield consumers from unwanted calls. It will also accelerate the rollout of so-called “call authentication” technologies the industry is currently developing, which could cut down on the number of calls coming from unverified numbers.
drew angerer/getty images
President Donald Trump has signed a bill that increases fines on criminal robocall violations and cracks down on companies making the calls, as part of a federal push against telephone scammers.
Biden said he would nominate Obama to Supreme Court ‘if he’d take it’ Democratic presidential candidate and former Vice President Joe Biden said that, if elected, he would nominate former President Barack Obama to the highest court — if Obama would accept it. During an event in Washington, Iowa, over the weekend, Biden was asked if he would nominate Obama, his former boss, to the Supreme Court. “If he’d take it, yes,” Biden replied. He continued to explain that he would appoint to the court the kind of people who see the Constitution as a “living” document, highlighting that “I said years ago, I’ll be satisfied when half the court is women.” The idea of appointing Obama to the Supreme Court has come up before, with 2016 Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton calling it a “great idea” when she was on the campaign trail. He would also not be the first president to switch branches — former President William Howard Taft was the 27th president before serving as
the 10th chief justice of the Supreme Court.
Chicago’s homicide rate decreases for the third straight year Chicago is reporting a significant drop in homicides for the third straight year, news that city leaders are embracing after the Windy City was singled out for gun violence during a particularly deadly 2016. The nation’s third-most populous city has recorded 490 murders in 2019 as of Tuesday morning, Chicago police say — about 13% lower than 2018’s total of 564. That also would be a roughly 35% drop from 2016, when Chicago reported its highest number of homicides in two decades: 756.
to translate the document, which US officials said was going through a technical review before final sign-off. The deal has eased — for now — the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies and its completion boosted markets as the year ended. However, it stops short of the massive trade deal with sweeping changes to China’s economic model that Trump has advocated and tariffs will remain on some goods as the two sides begin the next stage of talks. The image, discovered in early December, shows the members of the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation Basic Training Class 18 with one arm raised. The text above reads “HAIL BYRD!” in a reference to a training instructor for the class, according to the state Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety. The governor condemned the training group’s behavior in a statement on Monday. “We have a lot of good people in the Department of Military Affairs and Public Safety,” Justice said. “But this incident was completely unacceptable. Now, we must continue to move forward and work diligently to make sure nothing like this happens ever again.” Three staff members at the training academy will also be fired. Four other instructors who failed to report the photograph will be suspended without pay, he said.
US Army bans soldiers from using TikTok over security worries
PEOPLE
Alex Trebek discusses the latest in his cancer battle Alex Trebek is opening up about his pancreatic cancer battle. Trebek has gone through chemotherapy and has to undergo it again, so he knows that he might not have a lot of time left to live, the “Jeopardy” host told ABC News. But, he added, prayer and supporters have helped him feel a lot better since his diagnosis. “I have learned something in the past year and it’s this: We don’t know when we’re going to die,” Trebek said. “Because of the cancer diagnosis, it’s no longer an open-ended life, it’s a closed-ended life because of the terrible survival rates of pancreatic cancer. Because of that, and something else that is operating here, people all over America and abroad have decided they want to let me know now, while I’m alive, about the impact that I’ve been having on their existence.” He added: “They have come out and they have told me, and my gosh, it makes me feel so good.” Although at one point Trebek was in “near remission,” he told ABC News in October he’d have to undergo chemotherapy again, since the cancer had returned.
Bumble dating app blocked Sharon Stone after users thought her profile was fake The Golden Globe-winning actress Sharon Stone has revealed she was bumped from the dating site Bumble because other users had reported her profile, not believing it to be genuine. Stone, 61, best known for starring in 1992 drama “Basic Instinct,” said she was locked out of her account after other users claimed it was fake. “I went on the @bumble dating sight (sic) and they closed my account,” she wrote in a Twitter post. Stone said other users thought the profile “couldn’t possibly be me!!” She added, “Hey @bumble, is being me exclusionary? Don’t shut me out of the hive.” Bumble, which describes itself on Twitter as “bringing good people together,” later restored her account, saying it was “so honored that Ms. Stone wants to be a part of the Hive.”
Jimmy Carter quietly returns to his church after brain surgery
All of the West Virginia correctional cadets seen apparently giving a Nazi salute will be fired, West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice announced.
The U.S. Army has banned the use of the hugely popular short video app TikTok by its soldiers, calling it a security threat. The Army has joined the Navy in barring the use of the app on government-owned phones, following bipartisan calls from lawmakers for regulators and the intelligence community to determine whether the Chinese-owned app presents a threat to national security and could be used to collect personal data. Reuters reported that the Navy also made a similar decision, telling sailors that anyone who hadn’t removed the app from their phone would be banned from the Navy intranet. — From wire reports
Former President Jimmy Carter on Sunday quietly returned to his hometown church for the first time since his brain surgery last month. The 39th President was seated alongside his wife, Rosalynn, in the first row during services at Maranatha Baptist Church in Plains, Georgia. Carter, 95, has taught Sunday school at the church, but earlier this month, the church announced Carter’s lessons would be canceled and his niece, Kim Fuller, would give inspirational messages during his recovery. The former president was released from Emory University Hospital in Atlanta just before Thanksgiving after spending more than two weeks there following a November procedure to relieve pressure on his brain. — From wire reports
findings, He became aware of potential economic gains from human embryo geneediting technology in 2016, Xinhua reported. He worked with two medical researchers, Zhang Renli and Qin Jinzhou, to use gene-editing technology to produce babies that were resistant to HIV. “The court held that the three defendants failed to obtain a doctor’s qualification and pursued profit, deliberately violated the relevant national regulations on sci-
entific research and medical management, crossed the bottom line of scientific and medical ethics, and rashly applied gene-editing technology to human-assisted reproductive medicine, and disrupted the medical treatment,” Xinhua reported. “The nature of their behavior is serious and has constituted the crime of illegal medical practice.” Zhang was sentenced to two years in prison and fined $143,000, while Qin was given a suspended sentence of
one year and six months in prison and fined 500,000 yuan ($71,600). According to Xinhua, all three defendants pleaded guilty in trials that were closed to the public to protect individual privacy. All three defendants have reportedly also been banned from engaging in human-assisted reproductive technology services for life. Editing the genes of embryos intended for pregnancy is banned in many countries, including the United States.
All the cadets pictured giving a Nazi salute will be fired, West Virginia governor says
Scientist who edited genes of twin babies sentenced to 3 years in prison By Julia Hollingsworth and Isaac Yee CNN
A Chinese scientist who helped create the world’s first gene-edited babies has been sentenced to three years in prison. He Jiankui shocked the world in 2018 when he announced that twin girls Lulu and Nana had been born with modified DNA to make them resistant to HIV, which he had managed using the gene-editing tool
MUST READ CRISPR-Cas9 before birth. He, an associate professor at the Southern University of Science and Technology in Shenzhen, said at the time that he was “proud” of the achievement. He later claimed that a second woman was pregnant as a result of his research. But he was condemned by many of his peers, with the experiment labeled “monstrous,” “unethical,” and a “huge blow”
to the reputation of Chinese biomedical research. Many people within the scientific community raised ethical concerns, including the level of consent He had obtained from the parents of the babies, and the level of transparency around gene editing. On Monday, the Shenzhen Nanshan District People’s Court sentenced He to three years behind bars and a $430,000 fine, China’s state-run news agency Xinhua reported. According to the court’s
A6 ♦ Wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ gWinnettdailypost.com
AUDIT From A1
photo: gwinnett county
This site plan shows the proposed layout for a 142-home neighborhood at Mount Moriah Road and Braselton Highway in unincorporated Auburn.
HOME From A1 with characteristics of both a traditional neighborhood development as well as a conservation subdivision,” said Shane Lanham, an attorney for the developer, in a letter to county officials. The rezoning request will go before the Gwinnett County Planning commission for consideration and a public hearing at its Jan. 7 meeting. County staff have recommended approval with conditions — but with an open space conservation development zoning instead of the requested TND zoning. “The requested TND development at a density of 2.35 units per acre with an average lot width of 51 feet and 7,600 square foot lot area is significantly smaller than the adjacent residential properties and therefore may not be suitable at this loca-
ISAKSON From A1 (The late U.S. Sen.) Paul Coverdell and I did a lot of work to get people to come to Saturday morning breakfasts and get enthusiastic about being outnumbered 10 to 1. Q: How difficult was it in a state Democrats had dominated since Reconstruction? A: It was easy back then to get attention because the press would settle for anything from us because there weren’t many of us. … As we grew our numbers and got influential enough to start driving issues, for awhile, it worked to our advantage … because they let us state our case without having anybody give the alternative. That went away as we won more seats. Q: How did you get along with majority Democrats during all those years you spent in the General Assembly as a minority leader? A: Tom Murphy was the longest
tion,” county planning staff wrote in their report on the proposal. “Although TND may not be appropriate for the subject property, an OSC zoning district, which would have a maximum density of 2.5 units per acre, a minimum lot width of 60 feet and 7,500 square foot lot area could be more compatible with the surrounding area.” The neighborhood would be located east of Mill Creek High School, Frank N. Osborne Middle School and Duncan Creek Elementary School at the intersection of Braselton Highway. That location is right by Mount Moriah Church on Mount Moriah Road. The exact addresses on the two roads is listed in county documents as the 1200 to 1300 blocks of Mount Moriah Road and the 4500 block of Braselton Highway. The developer is not proposing to create an access point from the neighborhood onto Braselton Highway. It also would not connect to the existing Stonewater Creek
serving (state House) speaker in the country at that time. He hated Republicans, had open season on them any time he could find one. … I said, ‘I’m going to see if we can find common ground.’ … In rural Georgia, there were no fourlane highways. We helped (thenGov.) Joe Frank Harris pay for the GRIP (Governor’s Road Improvement Program). … All of a sudden, (Democrats) liked the idea of doing something comprehensive. I won a few points that way. Q: Did you hesitate before jumping into that special election race for Congress in 1999, considering you were looking to succeed such a high-profile politician as Newt Gingrich? A: That night I was on an airplane to Anaheim, (Calif.) to make a speech to the Realtors Political Action Committee. When I got to the hotel that night, there were 72 messages for me. The first 71 were from my wife. She said, ‘Newt quit and everybody says you ought to run.’ … I’d run statewide three times before and lost. … But I had
subdivision. The proposed density is 2.35 homes per acre. In his letter to county officials, Lanham said the neighborhood would be able to take advantage of two existing ponds on the property for bird watching and fishing activities. He also pointed to several nearby trails that he said residents of the neighborhood would have access to. “The proposed community would include a variety of lot sizes, home styles and building architecture to provide diversity within the overall development,” Lanham said in his letter to county officials. “The proposed community would provide neighborhood amenities such as an attractive cabana, a large pool and patio area, a gazebo and a mail kiosk for the use and enjoyment of residents. In addition to these amenities, the Property is uniquely situated to provide a large network of nature trails and other outdoor recreation options.”
the name ID. We put together a heck of a campaign in seven weeks and won the seat. Q: You played a leading role in the No Child Left Behind Act in the House in 2001 and helped improve the law while you were in the Senate. Did that stem from your time as chairman of the state Board of Education? A: The federal government doesn’t really have a role in education, but it is the first priority of state government. I knew what the state’s problems were and how to account for the money. I had some working knowledge. … (George W.) Bush was the new president and decided he was going to make that a signature issue. He asked me to lead that effort. Q: You were awarded the inaugural ‘John McCain Service to Country Award’ earlier this year. What does that mean to you in terms of the time you spent in the Senate with John McCain? A: John was a product of my
Gwinnett County Public Schools is anticipating a cross-functional monitoring audit from the Georgia Department of Education on Jan. 9. These audits occur routinely every four years. “It’s a great time for us to show off the good work that we due and also ask for any additional waivers we might want for the next four years,” Flynt said. Flynt said a focus of some funds are providing parent engagement initiatives. All Title I schools in the district have either a parent instructional coordinator, a parent outreach liaison or both. Flynt said the district is looking to expand its district-level advisory committee for Federal and Special programs from 66 parents to 100. He said that the district is looking to introduce Play 2 Learn, a 90-minute per week pre-K development course, in all Title I schools. Based on Oct. 2018 data, Rockbridge Elementary School in Norcross had 91.74% of students on free and reduced lunch, the county’s highest percentage. Berkeley Lake Elementary in Duluth had 54.19% students on free and reduced lunch, the lowest of the 43 Title I elementary schools. Gwinnett’s newly-opened McClure Health Science High School projected 80.83% of students on free and reduced lunch. Duluth High School’s 53.36% was the low-end of the 12 Title I high schools in the county. Flynt said as long as a school is above a threshold of 35% percent of students receiving lunch assistance, Title I assistance is a district decision. Elementary and middle schools with 75% free and reduced lunch or above are required to receive federal Title I funding. That threshold is 50% or above for high schools. “Our decision is really based on keeping a viable program,” Flynt said. “So it’s not watered down or diluted. You can actually hire staff and support those staff with equitable resources.” Flynt said schools are added to Title I on a rolling basis as students move across the system if their percentage of students on free and reduced lunch exceeds the school with the previous year’s lowest percentage. “You have to watch that year-afteryear so you don’t bring too many schools at one time,” Flynt said. “That would dilute your budget greatly.”
era, the best we had. He went to Southeast Asia and fought in the worst war America ever fought in. I lost some very good friends in Vietnam. … I’m very close to that whole era. John epitomized it. He was a volunteer. … He wanted to go and not use his father (a Navy admiral) for any preferential placement. … I worked with John when I got elected on issues including immigration and ethics. … What really got me close to him was President Trump went after him after he died. … I got upset and made about a 20-minute speech calling the president out on it. That was no way to treat one of our heroes. Q: Veterans have been one of your priorities. Looking back, what do you feel were your greatest accomplishments chairing that committee in the Senate? A: The committee never did much because it was what you call a ‘B’ committee. … But when I got it, I said, ‘We’ve been fooling around with these issues for 10 years. I want to make this thing work for
veterans.’ … The Mission Act replaced the Choice Act. A veteran can go to a private doctor or a VA doctor. It makes no difference. … Vets don’t need to be told a doctor is not being paid. … It’s working really well now. I believe last year, they did 1,000 more appointments for veterans than the year before. Q: The theme of your farewell speech on the Senate floor this month was a plea for bipartisanship. With the toxic atmosphere in Washington, do you believe there’s hope for that? A: My hope for it is what’s kept me in politics. … If you’re in politics and you do a favor, you get one in return and you remember that. … Three years ago, I pulled a Democrat out of a committee room and got him to switch a vote. Once people know you have the ability to deliver that kind of power, they respect you and will negotiate with you. … In my speech, I tried to get across what happens in the real world and the need to be cooperative.
OBITUARIES BRASELTON
Mark Chalmers Mark Edward Chalmers, age 57, of Braselton passed away Thursday, December 26, 2019.
Dacula, GA
Irvin J Perry Perry–Irvin J. Perry age 70 of Dacula, GA, passed away suddenly at his home on December 23, 2019. Born to his parents, Jere and Betty Perry on May 19, 1949, In Fayetteville, PA. He loved deer hunting with his Dad after Thanksgiving every fall. Working in the yard was his hobby. He is survived by his wife, Rebecca Perry, mother, Betty Perry, daughter, Dulcie Perry, son, Clint Perry, step-children, Libby Ahern, Rachel M
Mitchell and John Williams, four grandchildren, and six great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his father, Jere Perry. A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 4, 2020, at 2:00 PM in the Lawrenceville Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home, with Pastor Jon Lewis officiating. In lieu of flowers the family request donations be made to Prader-Willi Syndrome Association (PWSA), 8588 Potter Park Drive, Suite 500, Sarasota, FL 34238. Arrangements by Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 300 Simonton Road, S.W., Lawrenceville, GA 30046. 770-962-3100. Please leave online condolences at http://www.stewartfh. com.
Dacula
William “Bill” Richardson William “Bill” Fredrick Richardson, 66 passed on Wednesday Dec 25, 2019 due to a long battle of cancer. He was born on Jan 17, 1953 in Paget, Bermuda. He is survived by his loving wife Camille, his two daughters; Kim &Jackie, his mother Gilmore, his father William & step mother Lynn; his sister Irene & brother Mark as well as relatives and friends. He had recently retired as an engineer and enjoyed golfing, traveling, volunteering with his church. A funeral service honoring the life of William will be held on Friday, January 3, 2020 at 11am at Buford Church of Christ, Buford, GA, where he will lie in state from 10am-11am. Minister Kyle Rye will be officiating. Interment will follow at Gwinnett
Memorial Park, Lawrenceville, GA. The family will receive friends on Thursday, January 2, 2020 from 3pm-8pm at Tom M. Wages Lawrenceville Chapel. Condolences may be sent to or viewed at www. wagesfuneralhome.com. Tom M. Wages Funeral Service LLC, “A Family Company” 120 Scenic Hwy Lawrenceville, GA 770-963-2411 has been entrusted with the arrangements.
Gainesville, GA
Marsha Wells (Gammell) Marsha Gammell Bagley Wells, age 71, of Gaines-
ville, GA passed away on Friday, December 27, 2019. She is survived by her husband of twentynine years, David B. Wells, Gainesville, GA; children, Kimberly Bagley Jackson and husband, Richard Jackson, Charleston, SC and Melissa Bagley Bier and husband, Todd Bier, Sugar Hill, GA; step son, Bradford Lawrence Wells, Denver, CO; four grandchildren, Kaitlyn Jackson, Ansley Jackson, Evan Bier and Madison Bier; sister, Nancy Jenkins, Hoschton, GA; and nieces and nephews. Mrs. Wells was born October 21, 1948 in Decatur, GA. She was a 1966 graduate of Gordon High School in Atlanta, GA and continued her education at the Emory School of Dentistry. Mrs. Wells was a retired Dental Hygienist with her husband, Dr. David B. Wells, D.D.S.’s office. “A Celebration of Life Service will be held a
at the Wild Timber Club House. 6235 Wild Timber Road, Sugar Hill, GA 30518 on Saturday, January 4, 2020 from 2:00 p.m. until 5:00 p.m.” In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Kidney Fund in memory of Marsha Wells.
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gwinnettdailypost.com ♦ wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ A7
PERSPECTIVES
Gwinnett Daily Post www.gwinnettdailypost.com
Todd Cline,
Editor and SCNI Vice President of Content todd.cline@gwinnettdailypost.com
COLUMNIST|DAVID CARROLL
Angels among us: The making of a miracle song
COLUMNIST|TOM PURCELL
W
hen there’s a special song in faces. I was in the presence of angels.” your life, you can easily recall The songwriters took one evening to hearing it for the first time. work on the verses, and the chorus, and I was thinking about this recame back the next day to “tweak cently when I heard Alabama’s it,” Goodman said. Unlike most “Angels Among Us.” I still rememNashville-written songs, this one ber watching the video in 1994: did not bounce around to variRandy Owen singing about angels ous artists. Hobbs had only one while surrounded by a children’s singer in mind: Randy Owen. choir, and regular folks who had She sent the song to the Alasaved lives. I was moved to tears bama singer, who was recoveras Owen hailed those who “wear ing from a heart scare, and had Carroll so many faces, show up in the experienced tragedy in his own strangest places, and grace us with their life. His teenage daughter’s best friend mercies in our time of need.” Jacey Colburn, who had babysat for his I still get misty-eyed when I hear the 3-year-old daughter Randa, had died in chorus: “I believe there are angels among a car accident just weeks earlier. Owen us, sent down to us from somewhere had begun singing the song around the up above.” house to familiarize himself with the lyrI never dreamed I would meet the man ics. One day Randa asked him to sing who wrote those words. Then one day, “Jacey’s song.” He asked her which song I was covering a news story about “Op- that was. She replied, “The one about eration Song,” the program that links angels. That’s about Jacey.” He told me, top Nashville songwriters with military “I knew right then I had to record it.” veterans and surviving family members, Alabama was finishing a new album, encouraging them to express their feel- and needed one more song. He suggested ings in song. The group has been active “Angels,” but there was a problem. “The in Chattanooga since the July 2015 attack producer didn’t like it, and RCA didn’t that took the lives of five servicemen. like it,” Owen said. “Teddy Gentry and The wordsmith is Don Goodman. As I were the only ones who believed in it, he was being introduced that day, some- and we sort of forced them to use it.” one ran down the list of hit songs he has Despite RCA’s lack of enthusiasm, written. Suddenly there it was: “Angels “the song wouldn’t die,” Owen said. Among Us.” As I shook his hand, I said, “It was bigger than any of us.” St. Jude “There must be a story behind this song.” Children’s Research Hospital in MemHe said, “Absolutely. But there’s not just phis adopted the song, which became one. There are many.” a source of inspiration to families batIt dates back to the mid-1980s. Good- tling cancer. man said Nashville musician Becky Goodman said, “I’d see Randy sing Hobbs and her band members were in a that at St. Jude, and I’d see the faces of van, headed home from a concert. With these parents, just praying that their her road manager behind the wheel, child would see another Christmas. Hobbs had taken a nap. She woke up And you know what? A lot of them did.” in time to see an 18-wheeler barreling He continued, “I’ve probably written through an intersection, about to run a 3,000 songs in my life, and I’m not done red light. She yelled at her driver to get yet. But this song is special. If I don’t ever out of the truck’s path, and he swerved write a better one, that’s fine with me.” to avoid being “T-boned” by the truck. Owen said, “That song is a miracle. For years, she thought back to that day, It changes lives. It gives people hope. I and how she and her friends were spared thank God I listened to my little 3-yearfrom certain death. The phrase, “Angels old girl. She heard something no one Among Us” wouldn’t go away. else did.” More than six years later, she called Goodman said, “Excuse me if I get her songwriter friend Goodman. “Don, emotional, but it’s every songwriter’s I have an idea,” she said. “All I have is dream to write a song that helps peoa title, and a melody. I need your help ple through the tough times. My dream to finish this song.” came true.” As she played the song on her piano, “We just sat there and started talking,” David Carroll, a Chattanooga news Goodman said. “I believe in angels, too. anchor, is the author of “Volunteer Just a few months earlier, my son JerBama Dawg,” available on his website, emy, who was 16, was in a car accident. ChattanoogaRadioTV.com. You may His friends Adam and Trent were killed. contact him at radiotv2020@yahoo.com, They were golfing buddies. Every time or 900 Whitehall Road, Chattanooga, TN 37405. I was on a golf course, I would see their
O
Don’t take cyber scammers’ bait in 2020
ne of 2019’s biggest stories will Using phishing techniques, scammers be bigger in 2020: Cyber scams access data on a taxpayer’s computer, are on the rise. then use that stolen information to file “As people increasingly conduct busi- a fraudulent tax return in the taxpayer’s ness and live their lives online, more and name and have the refund – often larger more criminals are leveraging the inter- than is actually owed – deposited into the net to steal,” reports Forbes’ Stu taxpayer’s actual bank account. Sjouwerman. According to Intuit, the scamThe dirty rotten scammers conmers then “contact their victims, tinue to evolve, too, targeting telling them the money was misbusinesses, government orgatakenly deposited into their acnizations and individuals alike counts and asking them to rewith increasingly sophisticated turn it.” schemes. Many victims, fearful of the One is ransomware – maliIRS, readily comply. Purcell cious software that blocks access According to Pew Research, to computers until money is paid. Americans view cybercrime as their Scammers also send phony “phishing” greatest security concern. But what are emails – often spoofing emails from big government agencies doing to combat it? retailers – with fraudulent links or atNot enough. tachments that, when clicked, give scamAmericans are often victimized by scammers unfettered access to computer us- mers operating from elsewhere in the ers’ data. world. How can the bad guys be tracked Google “ransomware attack” and you’ll down and forced to make amends? see a sizable list of big companies and Nation-states are often behind soentire cities that have been completely phisticated attacks on organizations. shut down by scammers. Russian-financed scammers are actively They also spoof text messages. Appar- targeting our utilities, election systems ently from reputable companies, such as and other systems. banks, these messages trick individuals Creating new laws and agencies to cominto revealing passwords or credit card bat cybercrime is a daunting challenge. numbers. Cybersecurity bills passed by the U.S. Scammers continue to succeed with House move slowly through the Senate. the good old telephone, too. I received a Even if the Senate passes them and the call this year from a man claiming he was president signs them, regulators could from the Social Security Administration, take months to draft and implement acwho told me my account was blocked and tual policies. Scammers aren’t bogged he would help me reactivate it. down by such bureaucratic processes. Aware that Social Security never makes What it comes down to is that evphone calls (unless you’re having a le- ery individual must learn to detect and gitimate conversation with it), I knew avoid cyber scams. The Department of what the scammer was after: my full Homeland Security has helpful info at name, birthdate, address and Social Se- https://www.dhs.gov/stopthinkconnectcurity number. cyber-tips. I asked him how he could sleep at Always verify that an email, text or link night, knowing he was hurting innocent is legitimate before you click. Always be people. He cussed at me and hung up. suspicious – because that’s the only way The greatest worry about scammers that cyber scams won’t be an even bigis that elderly people are especially at ger story in the new year. risk. They’re more trusting of callers from government agencies and more Tom Purcell is a Pittsburgh Tribune-Review likely to fall for one especially menda- humor columnist. Send comments to Tom at Tom@TomPurcell.com. cious tax scam. the gwinnett daily post encourages letters to the editor on topics of general interest, but reserves the right to edit them for content and length. letters should be no longer than 400 words and must include the writer’s name, address and daytime phone number for verification purposes.
COLUMNIST|CAL THOMAS
T
A question for Anti-Trump Christians
he battle between church and state is as old as church and state, as is the conflict within religious circles over who supposedly speaks for God. The latest dustup occurred after the departing editor of Christianity Today magazine, Mark Galli, wrote an editorial in which he said President Trump is an immoral man and his impeachment by the House is cause for his immediate removal from office. This ignited a firestorm. Major media, which regularly ignore the opinions of religious publications, overnight transported Galli from relative obscurity to national prominence. Anti-Trump evangelicals called his comments a breath of fresh air. More like stale political air. During the debate over slavery in America, pro- and anti-slavery clergy selectively quoted Scripture to President Abraham Lincoln to justify their positions. Lincoln responded to the contradictory arguments of North and South in his second inaugural address: “Both read the same Bible and pray to the same God; and each invokes His aid against the other.” Scripture, which conservative evangeli-
cals claim is inerrant and infallible, They are not part of the elites. They contains stories of leaders with sedidn’t go to the “right” universities vere moral flaws, whom God used where truth is subjective, if it exfor His own purposes. Those who ists at all. They don’t read The New want Trump removed from office York Times, or The Washington and can’t wait until the next elecPost, or watch CNN and MSNBC. tion for voters to decide, ignore one They watch Fox News and listen of the most profound verses about to Rush Limbaugh. They are tired Thomas temporal power: “Everyone must of being treated like second-class submit to governing authorities. For citizens who don’t deserve to have all authority comes from God, and those their principles upheld by a government in positions of authority have been placed to which they pay taxes. there by God.” (Romans 13:1 NLT) I recently spoke about the Galli editoIf “everyone” and “all” doesn’t mean ev- rial with a former Democratic member of eryone and all, including people for whom Congress, who is a Christian. He said one some evangelicals did not vote, pray tell of the problems with uncritical evangelical what does it mean? support for the president is that it dilutes Galli and other anti-Trumpers don’t tell their “witness” to non-believers, who think us their presidential preferences. One hopes faith in God means having to join the Reit isn’t any of those on the far left who have publican Party and support the president. an agenda that evangelicals would conWhat would their position have been sider an abomination. President Trump had Hillary Clinton, a liberal Methodist, is right when he says he has done more been elected president? Do they believe to advance evangelical concerns than any they would have been in a better position other president. to share their faith? What the anti-Trump forces are uncomPeople have always used such excuses for fortable with are the resumes of people who not pursuing faith, but my friend does have voted for and still support the president. a point. When non-churchgoers (who are
increasing in numbers, especially among the young) see people they think should be preaching about another kingdom and another King selectively ignore a leader’s moral failings, they justify their unbelief. On the other hand, anti-Trump Christians must answer this question: Would they be happier if a liberal Democrat were president, one who supports abortion and the rest of the secular-progressive social agenda and sees the Constitution as a “living document” to be interpreted by individual judges? That was the choice in 2016. The same choice is likely in November. Such a “preferred” Democrat might be morally upright and even attend church every Sunday. Apparently, they forget we have already had such a president. His name is Jimmy Carter. Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com. Look for Cal Thomas’ new book “America’s Expiration Date: The Fall of Empires and Superpowers and the Future of the United States” (HarperCollins/Zondervan). Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@ tribpub.com.
A8 ♦ Wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ gWinnettdailypost.com
Georgia’s top health care stories of 2019 Georgia Health News
From waivers to toxic pollution to disease outbreaks, Georgia experienced an eventful year in health care. Here is our list of the Top 10 health care stories in 2019. Let us know what we got right – and what we missed! 1. Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled proposals to offer more people Medicaid coverage and improve private insurance. Just as 2019 ended, the Kemp administration finalized its health care proposals, which will require approval by the feds. One waiver request would add more lowincome Georgians to Medicaid. Democrats repeatedly emphasized that the plan’s eligibility requirements would cover far fewer people than Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act. But Kemp and his fellow Republicans who control state government made clear that their opposition to Medicaid expansion had not changed. A second waiver proposal calls for a ‘‘reinsurance’’ program, plus a plan to replace the state’s current healthcare. gov website procedure with what officials say would be a more consumer-friendly enrollment process. 2. Ethylene oxide — the invisible danger. It’s likely that most Georgians had never heard of ethylene oxide until 2019. Then, a July report by WebMD and Georgia Health News revealed that Georgia has three census tracts with elevated risks of cancer from air pollution, largely due to this gas. Ethylene oxide, which is used to sterilize medical equipment, quickly became a contentious topic in Georgia. The risk areas are near sterilization plants that use the gas – news that led to community protests and more government scrutiny. One sterilization plant, Sterigenics in Cobb County, was closed until it could meet county safety standards, and it remains closed as of year’s end. Another facility, the BD plant in Covington, reported in December that its nearby warehouse had high emissions of ethylene oxide. 3. Hundreds of abuse and neglect violations were reported at senior care facilities. AJC investigative reporters studied thousands of documents regarding assisting living communities and personal care homes, and identified more than 600 allegations of neglect and 90 of abuse. Gov. Kemp’s office and several lawmakers said the series revealed problems that must be addressed in these senior facilities. 4. Flooding shut down more than 200 beds at Grady Memorial Hospital. It was not an epic storm but a burst pipe that unleashed waves of water in parts of the Atlanta safety-net hospital in December, but the damage to property and equipment was severe. It was so extensive that Grady’s famously busy emergency room was briefly accepting only walkin patients. The crisis rippled through much of metro Atlanta, as other hospitals mobilized to take in patients that Grady could not handle. Some of the damage at Grady will take months to fix, and a mobile hospital has arrived on the grounds to serve more patients. 5. Public Health officials responded to measles, Legionnaires’ disease, hepatitis A, and vapingrelated illnesses. No cases of measles had been reported in Georgia for three years, until 2019, when the state had 18 such illnesses, including 11 in Cobb County, all among unvaccinated individuals. An Atlanta
hotel was hit by at least 13 confirmed cases of Legionnaires’ disease, including one that was fatal.Hepatitis A remained a scourge in the northwest part of the state, as well as other areas, with hundreds of cases reported since 2018. And Georgia, like other states, experienced a spurt of vaping-related lung illnesses, including five deaths here. 6. An Atlanta neighborhood was found contaminated with lead. An Emory research team discovered lead contamination in the soil in a neighborhood in west Atlanta. Those findings led to an EPA investigation, which determined that more than half of the properties tested in that area had high levels of the toxic metal, a situation that is particularly dangerous to children. The federal agency promised to fix those properties, while people in neighboring communities wondered if they, too, had dangerous levels of lead in their soil. 7. HIV diagnoses hit Georgia hard, and the feds took major action. President Trump’s administration announced an anti-HIV plan that targeted four populous metro Atlanta counties — Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett and Cobb — among 48 counties in the nation. A report, using data from the CDC, ranked Georgia No. 3 in HIV risk in the nation, trailing only Ohio and Nevada. Georgia has the leading rate of new diagnoses among all the states, with 30 per 100,000 people. And rural areas in Georgia also have high rates of HIV. To prevent the spread of infections, the General Assembly passed legislation to facilitate needle exchanges among intravenous drug users, a tactic once considered radical in the state. 8. Regulations changed, and transparency became the watchword. The Georgia General Assembly passed major changes to the state’s powerful, sometimes controversial health care regulatory system known as certificate of need. The changes included giving Cancer Treatment Centers of America a way to expand the capacity of its Newnan facility and treat more Georgia patients. Another bill required that nonprofit hospitals reveal more to the public about their financial activity, including reporting top salaries, property holdings and business ventures. 9. The state insurance commissioner was indicted. A federal grand jury accused Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck, who had been on the job just a few months, of swindling his former employer out of $2 million, in part to fund his 2018 campaign for the post. (The charges did not involve his conduct in office.) Beck denied all charges and vowed to fight them, but was suspended from his position while the case played out. 10. Consolidation reshaped the hospital business. The big just kept getting bigger throughout Georgia, and out-of-state players were heavily involved in the dealing. North Carolina-based Atrium Health announced plans to assume control of Floyd Medical Center in Rome. And in South Georgia, Tennessee-based HCA looked to expand its Georgia hospital network by entering talks to add Meadows Regional Medical Center in Vidalia. Meanwhile, in the Atlanta suburbs, a long-delayed merger between two powerhouses, Northside Hospital and Gwinnett Health System, was finalized.
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photo: gwinnett county
Dog treat company wants to open processing plant near Norcross By Curt Yeomans
curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
A company that produces dog treats wants to open a plant that processes poultry and other meat in a business park near Norcross. Lucky Premium Treats has submitted a special use permit application to operate the 22,628-square foot plant in an existing facility on the 1200 block of Oakbrook Drive. The 3.63-acre site is already zoned for light industry uses. The facility would process poultry and other types of meat to be used in dog treats, according to the application. “With regard to the site, the existing building is a one-story, multi-tenant, brick building with an existing tenant that produces visual and acoustic signaling devices occupying (25%) of the building,” attorney Melody A. Glouton said in the application packet.
“The remaining portion of the building, proposed to be occupied by the applicant, was previously used as a plastic fabrication shop and has been vacant for the past year. Lucky Premium Treats will provide a long term, quality tenant, to maintain and occupy the portion of the building that has otherwise been vacant.” The permit request will be taken up by the Gwinnett County Planning Commission at its Jan. 7 meeting. County staff have recommended approval, but with conditions such as installing an odor neutralizer. There are two residential neighborhoods near the site, prompting concerns about the odor emitted by the facility as well as the removal of animal byproduct waste. In another condition, county staff has recommended Lucky Premium Treats also be forbidden from disposing of animal byproduct waste in a dumpster that
SAT
would be required in its truck dock area. Animal byproduct waste would have to be stored indoors until it is ready to be removed from the facility. The transfer of the waste to vehicles designed to remove it must take place indoors as well. Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources staff did note in their portion of the county’s analysis that some improvements may need to be made in the area to accommodate the processing plant. “Demands imposed by the proposed development may require upsizing and/ or extensions of existing sewer mains, and/or upsizing of an existing pump station, and/or installation of a new pump station,” water resources said in the review. “Any cost associated with such required improvements will be the responsibility of the development and will not be provided by this department.”
UR
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Lucky Premium Treats is seeking a special use permit to operate a processing plant for poultry and other types of meat at this existing facility on the 1200 block of Oakbrook Drive in the Norcross area. The company produces dog treats.
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SECTION B ♦ WEdNESday, JaNuary 1, 2020
FarEWELL B-MaC A year after returning home to play for the Atlanta Braves, Gwinnett County native Brian McCann announced his retirement from the game after 15 Major League seasons. He made the announcement after the Braves were eliminated by the St. Louis Cardinals from the 2019 National League Divisional Series in October. The 35-year-old began his career with the Braves, who drafted him out of Duluth High School, and finished it with one final season in Atlanta after three seasons with the New York Yankees and two more with the Houston Astros, including being a part of the 2017 World Series championship team. McCann finished his career with a .262 average, 282 home runs, 1,018 RBIs, a .789 OPS, seven MLB All-Star appearances, including being the MVP of the 2010 game and six Silver Slugger awards.
Ben Ludeman/USA Today Sports
THE YEAR
aZar FINdS a NEW HOME aT HEBrON Gwinnett County’s girls high school basketball landscape underwent a seismic shift last March when Jan Azar, who was the architect of Wesleyan’s record 13 girls basketball titles and 571 wins, announced she was leaving the Peachtree Corners private school before resurfacing less than a month later at Hebron Christian. Azar had been at Wesleyan for the last 22 years. She started the program from scratch and built it into the most successful in the state, winning more championships than any basketball coach in Georgia history and playing in the state finals 18 of the last 19 years. She’s had an immediate impact at Hebron, as the Lions have won their first 13 games of the 2019-20 season heading into last weekend behind Azar’s daughter Nicole, who came over with her, and several other key players.
2019
IN REVIEW
Photo: Jim Matthews
Nicole Azar, left, is a junior guard at Hebron Christian this season, playing for her mom, Jan Azar, right, at a new school. Azar established Wesleyan as the state’s dominant girls basketball program over the last two decades.
LaNIEr GIrLS BaSKETBaLL, MOuNTaIN VIEW SOFTBaLL TITLES MaKE HISTOry Winning a state championship is always a special feat for a high school team, but it was extra special for the Lanier girls basketball and Mountain View softball teams in 2019, with both teams becoming the first of their respective schools to bring home a title trophy. The Longhorns (29-3) trailed Lovejoy by eight points late in the third quarter of their Class AAAAAA title game at the Macon Centreplex in March. But they rallied behind seniors Nala Lawrence and Kalen Surles in the fourth quarter to pull away for a 52-45 win over Lovejoy to break the Wildcats’ 45-game winning streak against Georgia opponents, and secure the title under first-year coach Tim Slater. Meanwhile, the Bears had to wait a little longer for their title in October after their Class AAAAAAA championship game against Gwinnett opponent Grayson was suspended after stormy weather hit the state tournament in Columbus. However, they had built a 3-1 lead behind Sarah Currie, Kaylee George and Lexie Simonton, and when play resumed two days later at Mountain View, Currie closed things out for the historic title.
Anthony Stalcup
Dacula girls soccer players celebrate the program’s first state championship.
OTHEr GWINNETT TEaMS CELEBraTE STaTE TITLES In addition to the history made by Lanier and Mountain View, 16 other Gwinnett County teams from nine different schools also earned trophies signifying the ultimate accomplishment in their respective sports in the state of Georgia. The titles ran the gamut from first-time champions in Dacula’s girls soccer team to additions to dynastic legacies like Buford foot-
The Georgia Gwinnett College men’s tennis team celebrates its sixth consecutive NAIA championship win in Mobile, Ala. ♦ Photo: GGC Athletics
ball and boys and girls basketball, Parkview baseball and Wesleyan boys cross country, and also included boys and girls sweeps of sports like Buford basketball, Wesleyan soccer and Brookwood swimming. Other state champions included North Gwinnett girls soccer, Brookwood boys tennis, Shiloh boys track, Buford and GAC girls track and Hebron Christian volleyball.
Dale Zanine
Lanier’s Mekala Fuller (21) and Lizzie Campbell (23) celebrate the Longhorns’ Class AAAAAA state title victory over Lovejoy in Macon.
MOrE CHaMPIONSHIP HardWarE FOr GGC TENNIS Georgia Gwinnett College’s men’s and women’s tennis teams continued their incredible run of success with two more NAIA national championships last spring. The Grizzlies men’s team won their sixth straight title with a win over Xavier, and ran its unbeaten streak 109 straight
matches in the process, while the women’s victory over Keiser was their fourth consecutive national title and fifth in the past six years. Those wins also helped cement the legacy of Chase Hodges, the head coach of both Grizzlies teams.
FOR MORE TOP SPORTS STORIES FROM 2019, SEE PAGE B2 AND B3
B2 ♦ Wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ gWinnettdailypost.com
UNPRECEDENTED POWER SURGE SENDS STRIPERS BACK TO PLAYOFFS
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The Gwinnett Stripers celebrate locking down a berth in the Governors Cup Playoffs after their win over Norfolk on Aug. 28. The team enjoyed one of its best seasons since moving to Gwinnett County with an 80-59 record.
It can be argued that in many ways, the 2019 marked perhaps the best of the Gwinnett Stripers’ 11 seasons since arriving in Gwinnett County, even after they 3-1 in the opening round of the Governor’s Cup playoffs to the eventual champion Columbus Clippers. Their International League South Division title was the second in Gwinnett franchise history, while their 80 regular season wins were the second most since the Atlanta Braves moved their Triple-A affiliate to Coolray Field in 2009, and their .575 was the best in Gwinnett franchise history. A big reason for the success was a major power surge at the plate, with the Stripers blowing past Gwinnett franchise records with 200 home runs and 781 runs scored, with 21 different players smacking at least one round-tripper, four of which hit at least 20 homers, led by 30 from outfielder Adam Duvall, who was eventually recalled by the Braves in time for their postseason run. Included in those marks was an extremely powerful month of May, during which the Stripers bashed 61 homers in 29 games.
THE YEAR
2019
IN REVIEW
dale Zanine
Auburn Tigers defensive lineman Derrick Brown shown at the Home Depot College Football Awards at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.
LANIER’S BROWN CLAIMS SEC’S TOP DEFENSIVE HONOR Auburn linebacker Derrick Brown added another top defensive honor to his resume after being named the 2019 Southeastern Conference Defensive Player of the Year by the SEC’s coaches in December. The Lanier grad and former Daily Post Defensive Player of the Year registered 12 1/2 tackles for losses, four sacks and forced a pair of fumbles to lead the Auburn defense this season. He was named SEC Defensive Lineman of the Week three times and was named a finalist for the Bednarik, Nagurski, Wuerffel, Outland, Senior Class, Pop Warner and Lott Impact awards. Brown finished as Auburn’s first unanimous All-American since Ed King in 1990.
SOUTH GRAD WILLIAMS TAKES ANOTHER NBA SIXTH-MAN AWARD Los Angeles Clippers guard and South Gwinnett grad Lou Williams was chosen the Sixth Man of the Year for the third time, matching Jamal Crawford for the most times winning the award Monday night in Santa Monica, Calif. The only other two-time winners of the Sixth Man award were Kevin McHale, Ricky Pierce and Detlef Schrempf. Williams, 32, put up 20 points, 5.4 assists and three rebounds per game in 75 appearances in 2018-19, starting just once.
carmen mandato
Alabama football coach Nick Saban, left, shakes hands with former Brookwood and UGA linebacker Rennie Curran at the Gwinnett County Sports Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony at the Sonesta Gwinnett Place.
GWINNETT SPORTS HALL OF FAME’S 10TH CLASS A LARGE ONE gary a. Vasquez/usa today sports
Los Angeles Clippers guard Lou Williams poses with his sixth man of the year award at the 2019 NBA Awards show at Barker Hanger.
The Gwinnett Sports Hall of Fame celebrated its 10th class of inductees by welcoming another seven more members last May. The 2019 inductees included Brookwood grad and former Georgia All-SEC and All-American and pro linebacker Rennie Curran, former Shiloh softball star Megan Wiggins, longtime South Gwinnett baseball coach John Sawyer, Norcross and Clemson team manager David Saville, former Collins Hill and Norcross basketball coach Angie Hembree, Brookwood and Georgia Bulldogs football player Rennie Curran and South Gwinnett grad Mickey Conn, a former Grayson and current Clemson assistant coach.
BROOKWOOD GRAD ZIMMERMAN SELECTED AS MLS ALL-STAR
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Mill Creek senior Jake Magahey, left, celebrates his team’s 400-meter freestyle relay junior world record at the FINA World Junior Championships in Budapest, Hungary.
MILL CREEK’S MAGAHEY TORPEDOES NATIONAL RECORD Winning individual state championships wasn’t good enough for Mill Creek’s Jake Magahey in the Class 7A/6A state meet last February. The then-Hawks junior not only won that AAAAAAA state titles in the 200- and 500yard freestyle events, he obliterated his own mark, and also set a new national public high school record in the process with his time of 4:15.63, breaking Jeff Kostoff’s 36-year-old record of 4:16.39 by 79-hundredths of a second, the nation’s oldest-standing boys record at the time.
Former Brookwood standout Walker Zimmerman made his MLS All-Star Game debut when the league’s top players team faced 10-time Spanish champion Atletico Madrid last summer. The 26-year-old is Gwinnett’s first MLS All-Star selection since Parkview grad Josh Wolff was selected in 2004. Zimmerman has emerged as one of the top central defenders in MLS during his seven pro seasons, making 114 starts during that span. The 6-foot-3, 196-pounder was voted by fans to the 2019 MLS All-Star Fan XI after playing a key role in one of the league’s top defenses in 2019. Zimmerman also played for the U.S. Men’s National Team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
Joseph maiorana/usa today sports
Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cameron Heyward (97) shares a laugh with head coach Mike Tomlin during the third quarter against the Cincinnati Bengals at Paul Brown Stadium.
PEACHTREE RIDGE GRAD HEYWARD HEADED BACK TO THE PRO BOWL
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MLS defenseman Walker Zimmerman (25) passes the ball against Atletico Madrid midfielder Rodrigo Riquelme (32) during the first half of the 2019 MLS All Star Game at Exploria Stadium.
Peachtree Ridge grad Cameron Heyward was selected to the Pro Bowl for the second straight year when the NFL announced the game’s rosters early in December. The Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman was named as a starter for the AFC. He has 72 tackles, eight sacks, five passes defensed, 19 quarterback hits, 10 tackles for losses, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery this season.
gwinnettdailypost.com ♦ wednesday, January 1, 2020 ♦ B3
THE YEAR
2019
IN REVIEW
special photo
Collins Hill grad Nasim Nunez, middle, signs his first professional baseball contract with the Miami Marlins. The former Eagles shortstop was selected by Miami in the second round of the Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft.
ANOTHER DEEP GWINNETT CLASS HIGHLIGHTS 2019 MLB DRAFT Another year, another large Gwinnett County class in the 2019 Major League Baseball First-Year Player Draft. Though there were no local players taken in the first round, as had been the case in five of the previous seven years, 16 different county players were selected during the 40 rounds over the three days of the draft in June, marking the eighth time the past 10 years there have been at least 10 players with current or past ties to Gwinnett selected in the draft. Nasim Nunez, a 2019 Colins Hill grad, was the county’s top draftee after the shortstop was selected in the second round by the Miami Marlins.
GWINNETT DUO INDUCTED INTO WRESTLING HALLS OF FAME
BLACKMON, MEADOWS REPRESENT GWINNETT IN MLB ALL-STAR GAME Two outfielders from Gwinnett were selected to the Major League Baseball All-Star Game rosters in July. Grayson grad Austin Meadows of the Tampa Bay Rays was named an all-star as a reserve for the American League in his first full Major League season, while North Gwinnett grad and Colorado Rockies veteran Charlie Blackmon made his fourth all-star team in the NaAustin tional League. Meadows Blackmon went 1-for-2 with a solo home run in the game, while Meadows was 0-for-1 for the victorious American League.
PEACHTREE RIDGE GRAD WALSH MAKES MLB DEBUT
A pair of longtime Gwinnett County residents were recognized as part of the 2019 induction class by the Georgia chapter of the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, while a third was last summer. Randy Bortles, a long time Sugar Hill resident who also helped organize the Metro Atlanta Wrestling Officials Association in 1994 and served as an official for 18 years, had already been honored by the Hall. He was the recipient of the Georgia chapter’s Medal of Courage in 2005 and the national Medal of Courage in 2016 as he has Randy continued to contributed to wrestling coachBortles ing and officiating while still recovering from injuries sustained in a serious motorcycle accident in 2002. Meanwhile, Tiller spent 33 years as a head coach or assistant at Brookwood, North Gwinnett and Collins Hill high schools in Gwinnett County, as well as Heritage High School in neighboring Rockdale County. He also served as president of the North Metro Takedown Club for five years in the 1980s and four more years as president of the Gwinnett Takedown Club. In addition, Bud Hennebaul, who had already been inducted into the National Wrestling Hall of Fame, as well as the hall’s Georgia chapter added another plaque to his wall when he was inducted by the Amateur Athletics Union’s national Wrestling Hall of Fame.
Jennifer Buchanan/usa today sports
Los Angeles Angels relief pitcher Jared Walsh (25) tosses the ball to first base for an out against the Seattle Mariners during the ninth inning at T-Mobile Park.
Jared Walsh made a very auspicious major league debut after being promoted from Triple-A by the Los Angeles Angels in May. The Peachtree Ridge grad went 3-for-5 at the plate in the Angels’ 8-7 loss to the Minnesota Twins at Target Field. Selected by the next-to-last pick in the 2015 Major League Player First-Year Player Draft, the former Lions and Georgia star got his first major league experience after four years in the minors, including hitting .302 with 12 doubles, 10 home runs, 26 RBIs and 19 walks this year at Triple-A Salt Lake City. Walsh wound up hitting .203 with a homer and five RBIs in 31 Major League games in 2019, but was also a two-way player and posted a 1.80 ERA with five strikeouts in five innings over five outings with the Angels.
BUFORD’S CHESTER JOINS THE 600 WIN CLUB Buford’s Stuart Chester became just the ninth high school baseball coach in Georgia history to win 600 games after the Wolves edged eventual Class AAAAA state champion Loganville 3-2 in a March game at Buford’s McQuaid Field. Chester, who has coached 26 seasons at Pickens, Cartersville and Buford, enters the 2020 season with 617 wins, making him the fifth-winningest coach still active in Georgia, and leaving him just six wins away from catching Renza Israel for eighth place on the the state’s all-time list.
david Friedlander
Two-time British Open champion Greg Norman warms up on the driving range prior to playing the newly renovated Stables course he helped design for TPC Sugarloaf more than 25 years ago. Norman was in town to help the club celebrate the completion of three years and $20 million in renovations to the facility.
NORMAN RETURNS TO MARK COMPLETION OF TPC SUGARLOAF RENOVATIONS
david mcgregor
Stuart Chester talks to an umpire during last year’s Buford playoff series against Flowery Branch.
Former World Golf No. 1 ranked and two-time British Open champion Greg Norman returned to TPC Sugarloaf In October to mark the completion of the renovation project of the last of the three nine-hole courses he designed for the Duluth club more than 25 years ago. The 64-year-old Australian met with the media and club members at a morning reception, and then played the nine holes of The Stables course, which was the last of the $20 million in renovations completed, later in the afternoon. The renovations, which included resurfaced greens, tees and fairways, plus rebuilt bunkers, a state-of-the-art irrigation system and resurfaced cart paths and will make the course play somewhat different when it is once again part of the rotation, along with The Meadows course, for the 2020 Mitsubishi Electric Classic in April.
DULUTH, SOUTH STADIUM FIELDS GET ARTIFICIAL TURF The playing surfaces at Duluth High School’s Cecil Morris Stadium and South Gwinnett’s Richard Snell Stadium underwent a dramatic makeover that transformed their traditional grass fields to artificial turf last summer. Those transitions began a process in which all of the GCPS high schools’ stadium fields will have artificial turf, which will take place gradually over a few years. The funds for the transitions came from a referendum that was passed by about 78 percent of Gwinnett County voters in November of 2018, which approved the issuing of General Obligation Bonds up to an amount of $350 million to be used for improvements for the district.
taylor denman
South Gwinnett High School’s new artificial turf field, which debuted in 2019.