Here are some of the top stories you may have missed this weekend.
Large crowd comes to first Gainesville Food Truck Friday
The City of Gainesville kicked off their annual Food Truck Friday series at Lake Lanier Olympic Park on Friday, bringing a sense of normalcy to the community nearly a year after the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in Hall County.
The event takes place from March to August on the second Friday of each month but was postponed for much of 2020 due to the pandemic. Friday’s inaugural event drew large crowds and featured a selection of food and beverage trucks including Sherry’s Bait & Barbecue and Downtown Drafts. READ MORE
COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations lowest since June in North Georgia
COVID-19 case numbers in North Georgia hit lows on Saturday not seen since June, with Hall County recording a seven-day rolling average of 18.3 new cases and the state of Georgia recording an average of 1,071.
Hospitalizations within the Northeast Georgia Health System also reached new lows last week, with only 55 COVID-19 patients being treated in facilities across the system. The seven-day rolling average of percent positive tests in NGHS dropped to just 6.57 percent on Friday, the lowest since June 3. READ MORE
CTAE graduation rate up statewide
Graduation rates among high school students in the Career, Technical and Agricultural Education program have increased statewide, according to the Georgia Department of Education. Students enrolled in CTAE courses have a graduation rate of 97.18%, compared to roughly 83% for standard students.
Gainesville City Schools announced Friday that they have a 100% graduation rate for CTAE students, while Hall County Schools confirmed that their CTAE graduation rate is 96.64%. Fifteen on-site CTAE career pathways are offered at Gainesville High School, while 17 are available at varying Hall County high schools. READ MORE
Gwinnett County transit workers could get incentive bonuses
Workers with Gwinnett County Transit could get one-time bonuses of $500 through funding from the Federal Transit Administration CARES Act grant. The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners plans to consider the incentive payment during a board meeting on Tuesday.
If approved, a total of 188 contracted employees will receive the payments, including bus drivers, maintenance technicians and road supervisors with Transdev Services, the contractor providing the personnel to operate the Gwinnett bus system. READ MORE
C.W. Davis scholarship applications now open for Hall County teachers
Teachers within the Hall County School District pursuing higher education can now apply for the C.W. Davis Scholarship through Friday, April 16.
The C.W. Davis Scholarship grants up to two Hall County teachers non-renewable awards of up to $500 each toward the pursuit of an advanced education degree. To be eligible for the scholarship, teachers must have completed between 3 and 7 years of teaching, plan to remain in an education-related field and be accepted into or enrolled in an education graduate degree program at Brenau University, Georgia State University, Piedmont College, the University of Georgia or the University of North Georgia. READ MORE
