Gwinnett Teen Accused of Rape, Beating

Courtesy WSBTV

Tuesday, January 27, 2009 – updated: 5:13 pm EST January 27, 2009

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- The Gwinnett County Sheriffs Fugitive Unit said they arrested a man wanted out of Valdosta for aggravated battery, kidnapping and robbery from an August 2008 incident that left a man severely injured following a beating and robbery.

Austin Evan Dalton, 18, of Lawrenceville was arrested Monday after Valdosta Police contacted Gwinnett Sheriffs Fugitive investigators about a Lawrenceville address where they believed Dalton might be residing. He was located at the residence and taken into custody on the outstanding Valdosta warrants without incident.

Dalton was also wanted on a rape charge out of Glynn County.

Suwanee Accomplishes Much With Residents Help

by Bob Pepalis / Appen Newspapers

January 23, 2009 10:46 AM SUWANEE – The city will bounce back from an uncertain economy, said Mayor Dave Williams in his first State of the City address. He was the guest of the Suwanee Business Alliance in a meeting that overflowed the conference room at the Gwinnett Public Library on Main Street.Suwanee is well on the path for recovery, but the "challenge for each of us is to do our part to make Suwanee better," he said."Our families deserve that. We do need to support each other," Williams said. "This group does that."

Williams said the City Council is committed to become a strong partner with neighborhoods and businesses. Everything it does is to make Suwanee the most outstanding city in the nation and the world.From 2005 through 2007, the city had a period of super growth.

"While they are gone forever, we believe normal growth will return," the mayor said.Overall growth has been slower, and the city has increasing vacancy rates. The industrial vacancy rate actually was a little bit lower, a good sign. Previously approved projects are progressing more slowly, however.A slowdown in revenues and possible cutbacks by other government entities, including the county, the state and even federal agencies could cause impacts in Suwanee, Williams said. Talk in the General Assembly includes ending the Homestead Tax Relieve Grant, putting a bigger burden on the city.

The statewide road funding program could be severely cut, leaving the city with more costs to pick up for its roads.Suwanee will continue to tighten its belt. Some large purchases have been delayed, while vacant positions are not always being filled."But at the end of the day, Suwanee will continue to be a state and a regional leader," he said."I do not think 2009 will be a scary time for Suwanee," Williams said.

The mayor laid down a challenge to those present at the meeting to continue to do the things they do to make the city great, and to get as many of their neighbors and business associates involved. As he looked out over the room in the library, Williams said he saw restaurateurs, web developers, insurance agents, bankers, printers, an incredible variety of people whom he asked to tell the city about ideas that could help it achieve its goals.

As he ended his State of the City address, the mayor offered up a campaign that he said the Suwanee Business Alliance might want to make its own: Shop Suwanee!"If retailers begin to fail, that's going to have an incredible impact on commercial property owners," Williams said.Sticking with Suwanee businesses will keep the city's economy running strong.

City accomplishes much with residents' help

Past year exceeds accomplishments of 2007 SUWANEE – Mayor Dave Williams said 2008 was a busy year."When I took office a year ago, I had not idea how many good things were in store for us," he said.In 2007, Suwanee was named one of the top 10 communities in the nation."So the bar was set pretty high, yet I believe we exceeded that," Williams said.One of the accomplishments was the work more than 100 residents and city staff did for the 2030 Comprehensive Plan that should be completed this year. It won't manifest itself for years."But rest assured, the payoff will come," he said.Suwanee also completed many capital projects. New city hall construction began. The pedestrian underpass connecting the Town Green with the historic Old Town area is near completion. Sims Lake Park opened in October and has been the city's most popular park. Eva Kennedy Road reconstruction, a new public works facility, sidewalks and trails also were part of the capital projects.Voters approved a special local option sales tax, or SPLOST. Collection begins in April in Gwinnett County. Suwanee's share will be between $10 million and $12 million over a five-year period."I'm a firm believer that we can pick our own future. We can decide whatever we become," Williams said.The Suwanee Gateway, Old Town, Peachtree Industrial Boulevard and Satellite Boulevard corridors and the Town Center will be the areas of greatest change, he said."The success of the Suwanee Gateway area, which is the area around the interstate, is critical to Suwanee's overall branding success," he said.A Downtown Suwanee Master Plan will provide the vision for downtown, both new and Old Town, with plans to connection the two. Residents have told the city they need to preserve the existing establishments and residential areas in their current state, he said."Change will not happen overnight, but we are laying the groundwork. Already businesses are noticing the difference," he said.A change can be noticed on Suwanee's streets also. With 83 fewer accidents in 2008 than the previous year, the city has had a 7.5 percent decrease in traffic accidents. Criminal investigators for the Police Department solved six out of six bank robberies, making nine arrests. National accreditation of the department might be announced by next year's State of the City address, Williams said.

Alleged Trafficing Victims Leave Country

Courtesy www.upi.com

LAWRENCEVILLE, Ga., Jan. 22 (UPI) -- Investigators say four dancers at a Georgia nightclub may have been pressured to return to India to keep them from testifying in a human trafficking case.

The four were among the eight alleged victims in the case, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reported. The owners of the Mehfil Nightclub in Norcross allegedly lured the victims from India under false pretenses and kept them imprisoned in a house when they were not working.
A judge found probable cause Wednesday to charge Shifiqat Muhammad Ali of Birmingham, Ga., Vijay Kamal Bannerjee and Govino K. Vishwa, both of Lilburn, Ga., and Farrukh Khan, of Hoover, Ala., the Gwinnett Daily Post reported.

Gwinnett County District Attorney Danny Porter said that his office will investigate allegations that the defendants wanted to get the women out of the country. Lilburn Detective Matt Lake said that on Saturday a man offered the women $850 and a ticket to India, saying that anyone who wanted the money had to leave for the airport right away.

Gwinnett Water Usage, Revenues Down in '08

Courtesy Accessnorthga

By Staff-->


LAWRENCEVILLE - In response to the drought and continuing water restrictions imposed by the state, Gwinnett residents and businesses cut their water use by 17.2 percent last year, a drop of more than five billion gallons, compared with 2007. But revenues for Gwinnett's Department of Water Resources were down only 5.4 percent.Acting Director Lynn Smarr says that's because they anticipated the reduction and took steps to mitigate its effects. "Our shortfall would have been $35.5 million, but our staff has improved our collection rates, updated our fee structure, and implemented a summer surcharge that is required by the North Georgia Water Planning District," said Smarr.A rate increase that went into effect in January 2008 raised an additional $11.1 million. Reinstituting late fees brought in $7.4 million while other fees including the summer surcharge, an account activation fee and other billing adjustments made up the rest of a $24.4 million total of new revenues in 2008. The County received only $9.4 million development-related revenue in 2008, a drop of 73 percent since 2006.Recent rains have raised Lake Lanier's level and, at the County's urging, the Corps of Engineers has reduced the releases from Buford Dam during the winter months. Smarr points out that more water in the lake benefits North Georgia and improves drought protection for all downstream neighbors.

Suwanee Man Arrested For Marijuana Possession

By Bryan Williams Staff / AccessnorthGA

GAINESVILLE – Hall County authorities arrested a Suwanee man on Friday attempting to sale two pounds of marijuana.Agents with the Multi Agency Narcotics Squad, Gang Task Force, FBI, and the Gainesville Police Department arrested 33-year-old Jeremy Brad Davies during the course of a drug investigation.“Davies was delivering two-pounds of marijuana to a pre-determined location for re-sale,” said Lt. Scott Ware with the Multi Agency Narcotics Squad.Ware estimated the street value of the drugs at approximately $4,000.00.Davies is currently being held at the Hall County Jail, charged with Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute.

Elementary Schools Face off in Relay For Life Charity Game

Courtesy Gwinnett Daily Post

By Heath Hamacher Staff Writer SUWANEE - In 2007, staff members from Sycamore Elementary School were tossing around ideas of possible fundraising events for the school's American Cancer Society Relay for Life team when the notion of a little friendly competition between schools came up. That notion eventually became the annual school-versus-school charity basketball game, which will see its third installment at 2 p.m. Saturday inside the old gym at North Gwinnett High School.

"There will be concessions and things, kids normally make signs," said Mark Lukehart, a third-grade teacher at Sycamore and its Relay for Life coordinator. "It is a very festive high-school, college-type atmosphere ... good community awareness for Relay for Life." The first two years, Sycamore played Sugar Hill Elementary, with each school claiming one win. Saturday, Sycamore will face off against a new opponent, Suwanee Elementary School. Lukehart said Sycamore's squad will be made up of teachers and parents while staff members and their spouses will suit up for Suwanee.

The contest has all the makings of a big-time game. There will be a rendition of the national anthem and the North Gwinnett High School Junior Air Force ROTC will present the colors before tipoff. Both squads are practicing, Lukehart said, and will hit the court in uniforms.

It's all for a good cause, but competition is competition. Each school's principal will even get involved when Wanda Law and Dr. Kimberly Smith go head-to-head in a best-of-five free throw shooting contest. Friendly rivalries aside, coordinators believe the game will draw its biggest crowd ever, a win-win situation for everyone. "It's still the same people working for the same cause," Lukehart said. "All the money goes to the Relay for Life Fund ... it all goes to the same place." Tickets will be available in the lobby of both schools and will cost $3 for adults and $2 for children. Tickets will also be sold at the gates for $4 and $3, respectively.

$1 Million Cash Discovered During Gwinnett Traffic Stop

Courtesy Wsbtv

Friday, January 16, 2009 – updated: 6:11 pm EST January 16, 2009

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. -- A traffic stop made by Gwinnett County deputies Friday morning led to the discovery of more than $1 million in cash.

Deputies said they stopped Santiago Valdovinos-Moreno Friday on Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road after he failed to maintain his lane of travel. While they were speaking with him, he pushed a deputy and fled on foot, police said.

He was captured and charged with obstruction of a law enforcement officer.

When deputies searched his vehicle, they discovered the large sum of cash inside a duffel bag. The cash was seized and Valdovinos-Moreno was booked at the Gwinnett County Jail where he was held on a $1 million cash only bond.

Parks, Greenspace High On Priority List For Suwanee Mayor

By Carole Townsend
Staff Correspondent
Gwinnett Daily Post

SUWANEE - Mayor Dave Williams addressed the Suwanee Business Alliance on Wednesday, delivering his first state of the city address to a packed room filled with Suwanee business owners and interested citizens.Williams began his address with a look back at 2008, a year that he deemed a critical planning year as well as a year in which several projects were completed. The mayor pointed to the new city hall building, Sims Lake Park, Eva Kennedy Road construction and the new public works facility as highlights of last year.

The new city hall building will be open for business next month, and a grand opening ceremony is scheduled for March 28.With the voters' decision in November to continue the special local option sales tax, Williams predicted that the estimated $10 to $12 million in revenue generated for Suwanee will ensure continued progress.Parks and greenspace, pedestrian traffic in key areas within the city and continued planned development are high on Suwanee's list of priorities in 2009, according to Williams.

And while the mayor acknowledged that the economy has impacted Suwanee's growth, he stressed that cautious navigation through the uncertainty will keep the city "well positioned to bounce back.""I'm a firm believer that we have the opportunity to pick our own future," said Williams of his city, which was named one of the top 10 best cities in the country in which to live last year. The Suwanee Gateway area, Old Town, the Peachtree Industrial Boulevard corridor and Town center will be the areas of greatest change in the coming years, based on plans laid out in the city's 2030 Comprehensive Plan.In short, according to Williams, "the state of our city is strong, and getting stronger."

Police: AK-47 Bandit In Custody

By Josh Green
Staff Writer
Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE - Thanks to a tip, police have in custody an alleged AK-47-wielding robber who allegedly hit a Suwanee gas station on Christmas Eve, authorities said.

Steven Everett Sanders, 21, of Lawrenceville, faces charges of armed robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Gwinnett County Sheriff's Department deputies, accompanied by the department's SWAT team, arrested Sanders at a friend's Sugarloaf Parkway apartment Monday after investigators received word he was holed up there, authorities said. He surrendered without incident.

Police believe Sanders robbed a BP Connect gas station at 2890 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road using the assault rifle, said Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Stacey Bourbonnais.

Sanders allegedly left with about $400 in cash. He remains at the Gwinnett County Jail without bond.

Forget The Cab, Take A Shuttle Flight

By Michael A. Schwarz, USA TODAY

ATLANTA — Traffic in the city once dubbed "the poster child of sprawl" is notoriously bad. But hopping a flight from the suburbs to the airport to avoid gridlock? C'mon!

That's exactly what a small regional airline is going to offer. Starting next month, Lawrenceville, Ga.-based Wings Air will have four 15-minute flights a day between Gwinnett County Airport-Briscoe Field and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, the world's busiest.

Wings Air President Charlie Mintz says the service targets business people with early-morning flights out of Hartsfield who don't wish to get up "at 3 or 4 a.m." to avoid the region's unpredictable traffic when trying to get to a 9 a.m. flight. "I call this the ultimate HOV (high-occupancy vehicle) lane," he says. "You fly over the traffic."

The flights, on Piper Navajo Chieftain planes that seat 7-9 passengers each, will cost $79 each way, which Mintz says is competitive with taxi fares for the 43-mile one-way trip. "Plus, nowadays if you miss your flight because of traffic, the airlines charge $75 to catch the next flight," he says.

Traffic-congestion experts cite the problem of unpredictability: When people don't know which day they'll experience an hour-long delay, they have to build in that extra hour — wasted time when traffic flows smoothly.

Tim Lomax, a researcher at the Texas Transportation Institute, says it isn't surprising that businesses respond to that reality. "If your time is at all valuable, you certainly think about issues like what this airline is reacting to," he says. "It's another one of these congestion industries."

David Castelveter, spokesman for the Air Transport Association, which represents the nation's major airlines, says it's not uncommon for passengers to fly from one airport to another in the same metro area. He cites Allegheny County Airport, which feeds Pittsburgh International Airport; Van Nuys Airport and Los Angeles International; and Scottsdale Airport and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.

Those are all busy feeders: Allegheny County Airport is the fifth busiest in Pennsylvania; Van Nuys is the world's busiest general aviation airport and Scottsdale was the nation's second-busiest single-runway airport in 2004, according to their websites.
Gwinnett County-Briscoe Field now has no scheduled flights, says Matthew Smith, the county's airport division director. Mintz says his will be the only scheduled air shuttle service from metro Atlanta to Hartsfield-Jackson.

County Donates 40 Acres To College

By Heather Darenberg Staff Writer Gwinnett Daily Post

LAWRENCEVILLE - On behalf of Georgia Gwinnett College, the University System of Georgia's Board of Regents on Tuesday accepted a donation of 40 acres of land from Gwinnett County.

"Georgia Gwinnett College is most appreciative of this gift of land," GGC President Daniel J. Kaufman said after the Board of Regents' monthly meeting. "We are grateful to Chairman (Charles) Bannister and the commissioners for recognizing the need to expand our campus."

Georgia Gwinnett College opened in 2006 on the site of the former Gwinnett University Center in Lawrenceville.The two tracts of land - 23.33 acres on the northwest side of the campus and 17.1 acres located on Collins Hill Road - will be used for various purposes, including green space and future recreational purposes, according to a news release.

"These parcels are outstanding additions to our campus," said Eddie Beauchamp, the college's vice president of business and finance. "As we grow, expansion of our campus boundaries will be necessary, and this is an important beginning."

The land has been surveyed and an environmental study has been completed - both conditions for accepting the land grant from the county, the news release states."Georgia Gwinnett College is a vital asset to the Gwinnett community, and we will continue to support its growth and development as a first-class educational institution in any way we can," Gwinnett Commission Chairman Charles Bannister said.

Four Time Olympic Gold Medalist Teresa Edwards Joins Suwanee Sports Academy Basketball Staff

Suwanee, Ga. (PRWEB) January 14, 2009 -- Suwanee Sports Academy has announced the addition of four-time Olympic Gold Medalist Teresa Edwards to its basketball development staff. The only U.S. basketball player, male or female, to compete in five Olympics, will focus her attention at the Sports Academy on the continued growth and development of basketball for girls in metro-Atlanta.

"We are excited to have Teresa join our basketball development staff not only because of what she accomplished in her basketball career but even more importantly because of the character and values she brings to us as a person," commented Kevin Cantwell, VP of Basketball Development at Suwanee Sports Academy. "When you think of women's basketball in the United States, you think Teresa Edwards and her success as an Olympic athlete. Her ability to work with our girls basketball players and help them develop the skills and self-confidence to succeed on and off the court will certainly be an asset to our organization."

Edwards will play an advisory role to Suwanee Sports Academy's professional coaching staff as well as providing on the court instruction for the Sports Academy's suite of basketball programs. The former University of Georgia All-American will hold the initial Teresa Edwards Gold Medal Camp at SSA the first week in June.

"I'm very happy to have this opportunity to provide young players with the skills training that is lacking throughout the game of basketball right now and have an impact on girls basketball players in the Atlanta area," expressed Edwards, who holds U.S Olympic career records for assists and steals. "I have become very familiar with the training philosophies of Suwanee Sports Academy and On Court Player Development® and I realized that this really is something special. Now, to be able to be a part of it is great."

The Cairo, Georgia native has been a member of 19 Team USA basketball teams, winning 14 Gold Medals. Edwards led the University of Georgia to four NCAA tournament appearances and two Final Fours during her collegiate career and finished her career playing for two seasons in the WNBA for the Minnesota Lynx.

About Suwanee Sports AcademySuwanee Sports Academy's whole player approach to training gives athletes the physical, emotional, and mental tools to succeed on the court. And off. The Sports Academy headquarters, located just outside Atlanta, is the largest privately owned facility in the country for basketball and volleyball training and competitive events. The facility is 100,000 square feet and includes seven NBA regulation basketball courts and 11 volleyball courts. Offerings include a variety of training programs, leagues, tournaments and camps. National competitions and evaluation events are also routinely held at the Sports Academy. For more information, visit www.ssasports.com. Suwanee Sports Academy is a portfolio company of Blue Magnet Partners. For more information, visit www.bluemagnetpartners.com