*Lane closures are planned next week on State Route 316 in Barrow County from State Route 81 to Harry McCarty Road as work continues on the 316/81 interchange project. The closures will begin Monday, November 25, and continue through Wednesday, November 27. Crews will be permitted to work between 10 p.m. and 5:30 a.m.
*North Georgia Technical College has announced the finalists to become the college’s 2020 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership recipient. They are Grace Jeffers, an engineering technology student from Baldwin; Kassidy Wood, a business technology student from Mt. Airy; Deitra Gray, an early childhood education student from Toccoa; and Angel Gaddis, a criminal justice student from Baldwin.
*Republican Congressman Doug Collins of Gainesville and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) are the winners of this year's Jacob K. Javits Prize for Bipartisan Leadership for their legislative partnership that led to the passage of the FIRST STEP Act, which deals with criminal justice reform.
*Young Harris College Associate Professor of Physics Dr. Arunava Roy has received a grant from SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, to host an exhibit titled “Light (Pollution) in the Mountains.” SPIE awards more than $80,000 annually to organizations with optics- and photonics-related educational outreach programs and YHC was among the 13 winners in the second round of grants for 2019.
*State Sen. John Wilkinson (R – Toccoa) was recently named Legislator of the Year by the Rural Jobs Coalition, a nonpartisan organization that supports small, rural businesses and advocates around the country for policies that benefit rural economic growth.
*Christmas on Green Street returns to Gainesville Dec. 8, 3:00-7:00, featuring a parade, carolers, and open houses at many of the historic structures that line the street. Also included will be the annual lighting of the Rotary Tree at the Green Street/E.E. Butler Parkway/Academy Street intersection, which will take place at 7:00. More details can be found here.
*Northeast Georgia Medical Center's Lovelight Tree lightings will take place this year in Gainesville on Dec. 2, in Dahlonega on Dec. 3, in Braselton on Dec. 5, and in Winder on Dec. 9. Each ceremony on each of the hospital campuses will begin at 7:00 p.m. Click here for more details about this year's Lovelight program, which includes a coloring contest.
