Here are some of the top stories you may have missed this weekend.
Rep. Matt Dubnik named Chairman of House Education Committee
State Representative Matt Dubnik of Gainesville was recently named Chairman of the House Education Committee by the Georgia House of Representatives’ Committee on Assignments. In his new role, Rep. Dubnik will oversee all aspects of legislation regarding Pre-K and K-12 education in Georgia.
Rep. Dubnik represents District 29, which includes portions of Hall County, and serves as a member of various other committees. He has been a member of the Georgia House of Representatives since 2016. READ MORE
Gwinnett County makes face masks mandatory inside county facilities
Gwinnett County officials announced last week that face masks or face coverings will be required for all visitors and employees in county buildings and facilities beginning tomorrow, Jan. 26.
According to the executive order signed by Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson, those not in compliance may be denied entry or asked to leave. Hendrickson said the mandatory face mask order is necessary to protect those providing essential services to the public and is based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as well as a ruling from the Supreme Court. READ MORE
Helen officials discuss upcoming Fasching events
Annual Fasching events in the city of Alpine Helen will continue citywide during the weekends of Jan. 29-31 and Feb. 4-6 despite the required cancellation of traditional large-scale gatherings in the Festhalle.
Fasching, celebrated in Austria, Bavaria and Berlin, features pre-Lenten festivities celebrated in grand style. Some of this year’s events will include a scavenger hunt on Jan. 29-30 and the tenth annual Sidewalk and River Parade on Feb. 6. The parade will leave the Helendorf at 1 p.m. and will make schnapps stops at local businesses on the way to Riverbend Motel, where participants will enter the river on a tube, floating the Chattahoochee River to the area of the Festhalle.
Masks are required for the sidewalk portion of the parade but not the tubing portion. Costumes are encouraged but not required. READ MORE
Spring Mountain Center to open $45 million factory in Barrow County
Spring Mountain Center, a manufacturer of plumbing fixtures and home furniture, will invest $45 million to open a manufacturing and distribution headquarters in Barrow County. The company sells luxury kitchen, bathroom and patio furniture and homeware at The Home Depot, Wayfair and other retail outlets.
The new 275,000 square-foot facility will bring 205 jobs to the community and will be hiring for a variety of positions in management, supervision, engineering and production upon opening. It will be located at Park 53 in Winder. READ MORE
Gainesville, other North Georgia communities now have legal access to drinking water in Lake Lanier
Though Lake Lanier has been used for drinking water supply for years, a formal contract with the federal government is now in place to allow local communities to withdraw water for that purpose.
The new agreement between the State of Georgia and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers allows Gwinnett and Forsyth counties, as well as the cities of Buford, Gainesville and Cumming, to withdraw water from Lake Lanier for drinking supplies as long as the lake exists. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the contract requires the state to pay more than $74 million over 30 years for rights to drinking water. READ MORE
