Gainesville Times

Our reporters are spread hither and yonder, listeners, as we do our best to keep up with the outbreak of COVID-19 in the state while working remotely. In this recorded-outdoors edition of the podcast, Shannon and Nick talk about what’s been going on in Georgia as of Friday, March 27. The Times has kept a running list of its coverage of the novel coronavirus at gainesvilletimes.com. The stories haven’t stopped coming for the past couple of weeks as the virus makes its way through the state. Our reporters have been working day and night in unusual circumstances and less than ideal conditions. Editors are trying to keep the cats herded while also managing kids at home.  A dog breaks loose on this episode of Inside The Times — will Shannon catch him before it’s too late?

For eight years, Hall County was losing almost $1 million a year processing other people’s sludge. How did this hole in the budget go unnoticed for so long? And why is human waste so expensive? We dug into these issues and more in a story for The Times, and we tell you the dirty truth in this latest episode of Inside The Times.

Is Gainesville Middle School safe? That’s the question we set out to answer earlier this year after a parent was arrested in late 2019 for showing up to the school to complain about her son being bullied. Police were called, and they allege the parent made threats against the school. The incident sparked a discussion in Gainesville about bullying at the school, and our education reporter, Kelsey Podo, started digging into the issue. After conversations with parents, teachers and administrators — and a dive into the data tracked about fights and bullying at the school — The Times discovered that in 2019 there were 167 recorded incidents of fighting at the school. Some teachers say that number is low, as they feel pressured to not record every incident.  But administrators say they’re working to take the pressure off at the school, which is about 500 students over capacity. And parents who spoke with The Times said they feel confident in sending their kids to Gainesville Middle. But administrators say they’re working to take the pressure off at the school, which is about 500 students over capacity. And parents who spoke with The Times said they feel confident in sending their kids to Gainesville Middle.

This is Celebrating Perseverance, a podcast series about the ins and outs, the highs and lows of cancer and what it looks like for the people battling it in Hall County. On this episode, how Elizabeth Love continues to fight metastatic cancer, while living life as normal as it can be.

This is Celebrating Perseverance, a podcast series about the ins and outs, the highs and lows of cancer and what it looks like for the people battling it in Hall County. I’m Layne Saliba, a reporter here at The Times and on this episode, what it’s like to be a doctor, surrounded by cancer every day but treating each and every case in its own, unique way.

From the Times in Gainesville, this is Celebrating Perseverance, a podcast series about the ins and outs, the highs and lows of cancer and what it looks like for the people battling it in Hall County.  I’m Layne Saliba, a reporter here at The Times and on this episode, how the Allgood family dealt with and is still dealing with their young daughter’s cancer diagnosis. So, when I say Pray 4 Breck, I’m pretty sure you know exactly what I’m talking about. You’ve seen it on Facebook or heard the story from someone you’re close to. But for the Allgood family, it’s not just some story. It’s their lives. Their oldest daughter Brecklynn was diagnosed with a rare childhood cancer when she was just 2 years old and every moment since then has been a battle. She’s been through chemotherapy, radiation, hair loss, seizures and way more than any other little kid deserves. More than sixty thousand people have been following Brecklynn’s story online since the very beginning and please, stick with me, because this story has a good ending. But way back in the beginning, when this whirlwind first started, the Allgoods were faced with a choice. They could choose to take Brecklynn home and wait for the cancer to take its course or they could choose to start right there and fight this thing. They chose to fight. But this cancer, it was a fight Brecklynn’s mother, Courtney, and everyone else in their lives, never saw coming.

A man was reportedly waving a gun around near Gainesville’s Northeast Georgia Medical Center. Police arrived and shot him to death. We have a 911 call that makes it unclear whether the man was holding a gun when he was shot, as investigators initially reported. In this episode, Nate McCullough and Nick Watson talk with Shannon Casas about reporting from the scene Sept. 20. Then we delve into what we know and don’t know about the case and why we report what we do when we do. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Another manager has bitten the dust over at Hall County following an HR investigation and a raft of complaints from subordinates. This time, it’s Andre Niles, the former head of the Hall County Marshal’s Office, resigned in August after a series of complaints about a hostile work environment in his office. In this episode, Shannon, Megan and Nick talk about how we got this story and get into the details of the investigation. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

A complicated, frustrating system of red tape is making life hard for foster children, foster families and the workers and volunteers who keep the system running. In this episode, Shannon and Nick talk about recent meetings between the head of Georgia’s Division of Family and Children Services and stakeholders in Hall County. Shannon’s also a foster mother herself and talks about her experiences navigating the foster system in Georgia. If you want to find out how to get your church or group involved with helping Georgia foster children, visit Promise686. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

The Gainesville gang is back after a brief vacation to talk about a few things that didn’t happen. Immigration and Customs Enforcement didn’t raid poultry plants in Gainesville this month. Meanwhile, a man didn’t walk into a local Walmart brandishing a gun this week. But, if you were hanging out around Gainesville social media this weekend, you’d be forgiven for thinking both of those things happened. In this episode, we talk about the uphill battle against online misinformation. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

It’s curtains for Luke P. on “The Bachelorette,” as the Gainesville guy closes out his contentious time on the reality TV show. But the saga continues with Luke P. as his family cries foul over what they say is bias against Luke because of his evangelical Christian beliefs. In this episode, Shannon, Layne and Nick talk about what it’s been like to have a Gainesville resident in the national spotlight, how we’ve kept contact with the family and the family’s complaints about the show’s treatment of Luke. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Covering the shooting death of Deputy Blane Dixon was an all-hands-on-deck situation for the newsroom. In this episode, we talk listeners through how we used social media to get the word out about the crime, the funeral and how locals could help the Dixon family. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Talking to a local news reporter is an act of kindness under the best of circumstances. People give up their time and take a risk, putting themselves in the spotlight, when they agree to take part in a story. In this episode, Times reporter Jeff Gill talks about the humbling experience of talking to the widow of Hall County Deputy Nicolas Blane Dixon. Stephanie Dixon took time away from mourning to spare a few words about her husband. Jeff and Nick talk about what it’s like to get in touch with a source under the worst circumstances and how to manage a delicate conversation. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Hall County Sheriff’s Office Deputy Nicolas Blane Dixon was shot and killed after 11 p.m. Sunday, July 7, throwing local law enforcement into a scramble to find the suspects and sending the community reeling. Dixon was the first Hall County deputy to be shot and killed on the job in almost 100 years. He was pursuing suspects who fled from a stolen car he had attempted to stop on Sunday. The vehicle was connected to a series of burglaries over the previous several days. He’s survived by two young sons and his wife, Stephanie. Nick Watson, Nate McCullough and Nick Bowman talk about how The Times has been following this story since it broke, starting with a fussy baby at Bowman’s home. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

We’ve been following an unlikely story this month: A gay couple from Europe welcomed their surrogate-borne sons on Father’s Day in Gainesville. The couple, one of the men from Israel and the other from France, live in Belgium but found a surrogate from Toccoa. They chose to have the babies, two boys, at the Northeast Georgia Medical Center.  In this episode, Shannon, Jeff and Nick talk about how The Times heard about the story, what the community response has been and why it was news. The two baby boys are healthy and have left the hospital. You can read our follow-up coverage online. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Downtown Gainesville got an unwelcome surprise this month, when business owners discovered that one of their own had a dark past. Endrick Torres-Ordonez, owner of Love is All You Knead, a sweet shop selling crepes, ice cream and doughnuts in Main Street Market, was convicted in 2013 of groping multiple underage girls while working as a camp counselor in New York state. He was charged with forgery for using a false name on his business license and with operating a business within 1,000 feet of a location where children gather — a crime for sex offenders. The revelations rattled other business owners in Main Street Market, who were unaware of Torres’ past until they received a tip over Facebook. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.  You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Gainesville has had a rough couple of weeks. Downtown Gainesville’s Parkside project is dead and the Northeast Georgia Health System’s Heart Center lost a dozen critical cardiologists. It was a busy start to June here at The Times, and the gang sits down to talk about how two big stories came together (and are still coming together). Downtown Gainesville is still likely to get some kind of development on the fourth side of the square, but developers backing out of a plan to bring luxury condos to the square — some of the only full-time residences that would be available in the core of the city — is a major setback for what many see as economic revitalization coming to downtown. Meanwhile, patients of the Northeast Georgia Health System got a shock this month when it was revealed 12 cardiologists, including the Heart Center director, were leaving for Northside Hospital. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

On Wednesday, Georgia House Speaker David Ralston and an entourage that included former Gov. Nathan Deal sat down with the editorial board of The Times, intent on defending Ralston’s record as an attorney and lawmaker. Ralston has been hit by controversy this year as an AJC investigation surfaced hundreds of instances in which Ralston has delayed cases for his clients using privileges granted to him as a leader in the Georgia House. Ralston argues his actions were above board, including delays requested so Ralston could attend campaign fundraisers, while critics argue he’s abused his power on behalf of clients, some of whom say they're paying the speaker five-figure sums. The investigation led The Times’ editorial board to call on Ralston to resign. Read our coverage and watch video of the discussion between Ralston and the editorial board. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

On Thursday, Times reporter Nick Watson witnessed his second execution while on the job for the paper. Watson, The Times’ criminal justice reporter, was present for the execution of Scotty Morrow in Jackson, Georgia. Morrow was sentenced to death for a double homicide committed in 1994 in Hall County. In this episode, Nate McCullough, Nick Watson and Nick Bowman talk about what it’s like for news reporters to witness the death sentence being carried out, why reporters are present and what Nick has experienced while on the job. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

What started as a discussion about reporter Kelsey Richardson’s attempt at the Hall County Sheriff’s Office fitness test ended up with some unusual reminiscing this week. Kelsey talked with Shannon and Nick about her day walking, running, punching and cuffing her way through the fitness test, which is used as a tool to not only ensure recruits are up for the job but to make sure existing employees are staying fit. For deputies in Hall County, staying fit can mean the difference between life and death in more ways than one, as Gene Joy and John Thompson have discovered while on the job. The stakes were much, much lower for Kelsey, who still managed to lose her lunch after the test — but she’s still in good enough shape to be one of Hall County’s next deputies. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Luke Parker, Hall County’s resident ‘Bachelorette’ contestant, is crushing it on the reality show. SPOILERS: He and bachelorette Hannah Brown visited Gainesville and Oakwood for a hometown date over the weekend, hitting the Gainesville square and Curt’s Cafeteria in Oakwood. If you’re wondering why that’s a big deal, that means Luke is one of the last four contestants still vying to put a ring on it this season. Taking a break from shootings, thefts, drug busts and the rest of the bad news people need to know, the gang this week talks about Luke’s background and a tip that led Layne and photographer Austin on a stakeout mission at Curt’s. Shannon, Layne and Nick also discuss the big question: Will Luke win Hannah’s heart? At the moment, Layne gives him a 1-in-4 chance. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

The press, how does it work? Turns out, the gang didn’t really know. So Shannon and Nick invited Mark Hall, head of production at The Times, up to the studio to talk about how the paper gets printed. It’s a big job keeping the 50-year-old Goss press running, but Mark and his crew manage it in the guts of our Green Street headquarters. If you’ve ever been curious about the hard, inky work that goes into getting a paper out the door (almost) every day, this is the podcast for you. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Sometimes reporters walk into a story knowing it’s going to catch some heat. Most of the time, anything dealing with abortion is one of those stories. Shannon, Kelsey and Nick talk this week about what it’s been like to write about the vote at the Capitol and to dig into what services — including clinics that provide abortions, pregnancy care centers and others — are operating in North Georgia. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Should residents of South Hall be concerned about a proposed development by a Mexico-based sect of Christianity called La Luz del Mundo? This week, the gang talks about a 250-plus acre project from the church, based in Guadalajara, that includes commercial space, apartments or townhomes, single-family homes and other uses in South Hall. Shannon, Josh and Nick talk about the reporting that’s been done on the project up to this point and what readers can expect to see in the future — including a dive into what the faith actually teaches. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

What is fake news? This week, the gang takes a break from the news of the day to talk about two of the most contentious words in news these days: fake news. What makes a story fake, instead of just biased? What does fake news look like at the local level? How do newspapers, editors and reporters guard against it? Shannon, Nate and Nick talk through these questions and a few extras. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

The new Exit 14 bridge over I-985 failed a strength test, meaning more work for contractors and a long list of questions from the public. In this episode, the gang talks about how The Times, following up on a tip, got hold of the story about the long-awaited interchange. Officials with Georgia Department of Transportation say the failure comes down to materials used and not contractor error. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

In this episode, the gang talks about the United Methodist Church and its vote on Tuesday, Feb. 26, to maintain a traditional plan for the church, which prohibits gay marriages and gay clergy. Shannon, Jeff and Nick talk about how local reporters find and talk to sources and how to balance the need to get news out quickly with the goal that articles present an accurate, full picture on every issue — no matter how complicated. And the group also discusses how they bring their own personal experiences and beliefs to the table, while keeping them in check, when reporting on this issue and others. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Is the Gainesville square about to get more fun? A few business owners hope so as they launch the Gainesville Business Coalition. The group, most of them business owners on the Gainesville square, are banding together to bring more events downtown after the relocation of the Spring Chicken Festival and Beach Bash. But it hasn’t been all fun and games, as the group was started out of frustration with Main Street Gainesville, a city-affiliated group charged with promoting downtown through events, advertising and social media. Have the two groups reconciled their differences? Check out our latest story and listen to this episode. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

We’ve got a special episode of Inside The Times this week: Listen to Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish address the recent shootings in Gainesville and hear how Gainesville officers respond to serious crimes. Officers pulling 24-hour shifts, handling hundreds of leads, working with multiple law enforcement agencies: A huge amount of effort, time and resources can go into investigations. Parrish also talks about adjustments being made in patrols and shifts to try to prevent future crime in the Park Hill Road area. And, on the lighter side, he’ll tell you which TV crime shows get it right. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

This year isn’t off to the greatest of starts in Gainesville and Hall County. Beginning Jan. 12, there have been 10 separate incidents of shootings, assaults and gunfire that left three people dead and four injured in the area. The Times staff digs into the details of each incident, including two high-profile murder cases, one in Gainesville and another in the Hall County side of Buford. New Gainesville Police Chief Jay Parrish has addressed the most recent shooting in the city, which left well-known businessman Jack Hough dead in a CVS parking lot. A suspect has been arrested and is cooperating with the investigation, according to police. A suspect also is in custody in the Buford shooting. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

People have strong opinions about Trump. Some of those opinions appear in our paper. The Times and other local newspapers aren’t just sources of fact and features, but of opinion. We print columns, letters to the editor and editorials on the Opinion page in the newspaper — a space that allows members of the community to sound off on issues that are important to them. Local taxes, national politics and climate change are frequent subjects of debate. In this episode, we break down why we run opinion pieces, where they’re published and how they differ from one another. You can find our opinion section online at gainesvilletimes.com/opinion. We also publish editorials written by staff members of our editorial board. Our latest editorial addresses the State of the Union. If you want to share your own opinion on an issue of local concern, write no more than 500 words and send to letters@gainesvilletimes.com. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

Why is the city moving events out of downtown Gainesville? First, the Spring Chicken Festival moved to Longwood Park. Next, the Beach Bash moved to the Lake Lanier Olympic Park. The moves connect to the Parkside on the Square project planned for downtown Gainesville. Both the festival and the Beach Bash use the wide parking lot on the fourth side of the square — that same lot that will eventually be home to Parkside. Gainesville has come a long way from the days of its downtown dying after 5 p.m. each day. With the loosening of local alcohol rules, new restaurants and a couple of bars, downtown Gainesville is becoming a more interesting place to be later into the day. And that is creating some growth, reflected by the Parkside project, and change. Hear Shannon, Kelsey and Nick talk about the changes coming downtown and what that might look like into the future. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

The Westboro Baptist Church is coming to Gainesville. The Kansas-based group now infamous for its picketing of funerals for soldiers, slain college students and others — arguing that the United States’ embrace of homosexuality has damned its citizens — is planning to picket outside six churches in Gainesville. Counter-protest groups are making plans to challenge the members of the church as they make the rounds through Gainesville. The police will be on hand to keep the peace. The question before the Times gang this week is: How should a community newspaper cover such an event, given the tension between giving a scorned group a platform and the need and responsibility to inform the public about what will be at best an offensive display for most and at worst a potentially dangerous situation?This week, Shannon, Nate and Nick talk through how The Times plans to cover the February display. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

There’s been a shooting in Gainesville. Starting with that ominous phrase over the police radio — “shots fired” — reporters and photographers at the paper started work on the biggest story of the day: A possible “hostage-style” situation at a business on South Enota Drive that ended with one man, the suspected gunman, dead after police responded to the call and shot the suspect. Hear how we get the news together, get it right and then get it to readers in this behind-the-scenes look at a breaking news situation. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

This week, we’re starting the new year with a new reporter. Listen to Shannon and Nick talk with Kelsey Richardson, The Times’ new writer focusing on business, features and just about anything else that rolls into the newsroom.Kelsey is from Athens and joined The Times after a stint working for a weekly newspaper in North Carolina. She’s a bit of a world traveler, and the gang talks about her escapes almost falling to her death while paragliding in Asia, getting proposed to by her fiance at the top of the mountain in the United Kingdom, and, most importantly, chowing down on jellyfish in some unknown part of the world.If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news.You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.Inside The Times, ep. 21: Meet our new reporter, who likes to jump off cliffs, eat jellyfish

This week, the gang looks back at some of The Times’ most popular stories of 2018. Turns out bad news often gets the most attention, but there are a few stories in the mix that might surprise listeners. Shannon, Nick and Layne also talk about some highlights of their own years, and give a look at what they’re looking forward to in 2019 — including a new baby and more changes (for the better!) at the paper. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

How did Hall County take its current shape? Why did people move into the area, and how did the earliest settlers survive? In this episode of Hall Tales, go back to the earliest days of the county with host Johnny Vardeman and guest Glen Kyle, director of the Northeast Georgia History Center. Johnny and Glen talk about life in the county’s beginning, negotiations and conflict with the Cherokee tribes in the area, what role slavery played in the development of the county, and even how the area’s communities earned their names. You can learn more about Hall County’s history at the Northeast Georgia History Center, the Hall County Library System or by listening to the Hall Tales catalog. Hall Tales is a podcast series produced by The Times that explores the history of Hall County from recent events to those beyond living memory. Episodes publish twice a month through December, when the county celebrates its 200th birthday.  If you’d like more information on the podcast, email nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com.

How do those Atlanta United players look so fresh when they’re winning championships? Thank Felix Zuñiga, a barber in Gainesville. This week, the gang talks about Layne Saliba’s popular story about the barber at Ivan Dominican Barbershop on John Morrow Parkway. Following a tip from a friend of a friend, Layne discovered that — thanks to a chance encounter with one of the athletes on Instagram — Zuñiga got an in with the team and in 2017 started cutting the hair of a few players with Atlanta United. In his story, Layne gives you a few behind-the-scenes tidbits about Atlanta’s team, which just won the Major League Soccer cup. Layne, sports writer Sarah Woodall and features editor Nick Bowman also talk about their favorite sports, whether “flopping” in soccer is an act of evil and whether the newly popular sport is going to stick around in the United States. If you want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

In this episode, the gang talks about reporting how the $10 million deal came together between Gainesville and the Northeast Georgia Health System for a 6.8 acre piece of property in midtown. Did Northside Hospital’s inroads into Hall County spur the deal? What sort of development will go into that lot? And what strings are now attached to the property because of the sale? The deal was approved by the Gainesville City Council in a surprise vote this October. Reporter Megan Reed has been digging since then into communication between the city and the health system to find out just how the deal was made. Through multiple interviews and open records requests, Megan got the details behind the deal that both city and hospital officials say will help shape the future of midtown. If you want want to help sustain community journalism like this in North Georgia, you can subscribe to honestly local news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, Go, a weekly food and drink newsletter, and Branch Out, a weekly newsletter focused on South Hall.

What is economic growth going to do to the identities of communities in South Hall County like Flowery Branch, Braselton and Buford? As those communities figure themselves out in the years to come — how their country roots will mesh with apartment living, high-skill jobs and classy downtowns — we’re figuring out the best way to serve them here at The Times. In this episode, we talk about what it’s like to create new products to serve communities undergoing rapid change. Starting with our new newsletter serving South Hall. Here’s how we’re pitching that weekly service (which you can get for free here): “Welcome to Branch Out, a new weekly email newsletter serving up news just for South Hall County. You'll learn where the next housing development is coming, when that new restaurant may open, what's going on in local sports and find features on the people from your neighborhood. It's all reported and edited by a team of trained journalists who know the area. We'd love to hear why you live South Hall, what you love about your community and at you think makes it unique. Reach out with your thoughts on that or with news tips and other feedback.” If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. Do so Cyber Monday and save almost 50 percent off the monthly rate. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.

What role did Hall County play in the Civil War? Did people in North Georgia even support secession? And how did the famed Confederate Gen. James Longstreet come to settle in Gainesville? Host Johnny Vardeman and guest Richard Pilcher answer these questions and more in a wide-ranging talk recorded at the historic Piedmont Hotel, where Pilcher is the manager. The hotel, owned by Longstreet until his death in 1904, houses the Longstreet Society — a historical group dedicated to preserving the memory of the general and North Georgia’s role in the Civil War. Longstreet took bold positions after the end of the Civil War that put him at odds with most of his compatriots in the South. The general also converted to Catholicism and joined the Republican Party — neither of which made him popular in the early years after the war. You can find out more about the society on its Facebook page or by visiting the hotel at 827 Maple St. in Gainesville. Hall Tales is a podcast series produced by The Times that explores the history of Hall County from recent events to those beyond living memory. Episodes publish twice a month through December, when the county will celebrate its 200th birthday. If you’d like more information on the podcast, email nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com.

Should you give a homeless person cash? Is a fabulous Christmas present the best way to help a child in foster care and the families who help them? What’s Giving Tuesday all about? We answer, or at least debate, those questions and more in a podcast that we hope doesn’t come across as too judgmental.  Hear about the first-hand experiences of Shannon Casas, editor in chief and foster parent, and Joshua Silavent, education reporter who has worked as an advocate for the homeless in Hall County. They have some advice about how to best help people not only during the Christmas season but all year long. While we're sure we didn't mention all the local groups doing good work, here are some we did mention: Promise 686 Family Promise of Hall County CASA Under the Bridge Ministry Good News at Noon My Sister’s Place If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. Do so Cyber Monday and save almost 50 percent off the monthly rate. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.

Reporters often catch a lot of flak for doing their jobs — being cursed at on the sidewalk, having people try to snatch cameras from their hands, trying to intimidate them out of public spaces. It’s a weird job, and we got the gang together this week to talk about one instance of verbal abuse hurled at one of our staffers. We often catch people at their best — at ceremonies, accepting awards, at meetings and in scheduled interviews -  but our reporters also often find people at their worst. We can occasionally be the some of the first people to a scene after a horrific car wreck, a fire or a difficult, embarrassing moment. This time around, it was Shannon’s turn to be on the receiving end of some unhappy people who didn’t want to be in the paper. We talk about what she experienced and how she handled it. We also talk with longtime photographer Scott Rogers, who has had more than his fair share of tense moments out in the field. If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. Do so Cyber Monday and save almost 50 percent off the monthly rate. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.

How did Gainesville get its newspaper? What was reporting like back when newspapers were published with a mix of typewriters and molten lead? Host Johnny Vardeman answers these questions and more with guests Phil Hudgins and Shannon Casas, editor in chief at The Times. Learn how the current newspaper grew from The Eagle, how Gainesville was dropped from the name and how old-school reporters covered outhouse explosions. Hall Tales is a podcast series produced by The Times that explores the history of Hall County from recent events to those beyond living memory. Episodes publish twice a month through December, when the county will celebrate its 200th birthday. Subscribe to us on iTunes or check us out at www.gainesvilletimes.com. If you’d like more information on the podcast, email nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com

What’s next for Hall County Fire Services and its new chief, Chris Armstrong? What did reporter Nick Watson learn in a half-hour sit down with chief this week? What are the gang’s plans for Thanksgiving? These questions and more will be answered in this episode of Inside The Times. Look for Nick’s story on the new fire chief in the Sunday, Nov. 18, edition of the paper or check it out online at www.gainesvilletimes.com. And if we don’t catch you again before the holiday, Happy Thanksgiving! As a side note: We've got some audio quality issues this episode, listeners, and we apologize. We'll be back in shape next week. If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.

New Editor in Chief Shannon Casas gets grilled by Features Editor Nick Bowman about who she is, how she got the job and her plans for the future of the paper. Also discussed: reporting is a hard job. If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.

Gainesville plans to buy a plot of land in midtown for $10 million — what was going on behind the scenes, what do we know and what are we trying to find out? The gang talks about a developing story that will help determine the future of midtown Gainesville. And is Halloween a good holiday? Are trunk-or-treats terrible events? Stick around to the end to hear us debate the most important questions of the day. If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. Cheeseburgers aren’t free, and neither is news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall. Correction: Shannon Casas was metro editor for six years between assistant life editor and managing editor.

Who is the ghost haunting Pearce Auditorium at Brenau University? Why does a spirit stalk the stacks of the Hall County library in downtown Gainesville? Are there any dangerous ghosts in the county? And why do we cling to stories of dead relatives come back to visit us? Listen to local ghost researchers Kathy Amos and Gail Hogan talk about these questions and their experiences in the latest episode of Hall Tales. And don’t miss the recording of the voice of a little girl said to haunt a home in downtown Gainesville. Hall Tales is a podcast series produced by The Times that explores the history of Hall County from recent events to those beyond living memory. Episodes publish twice a month through December, when the county will celebrate its 200th birthday. Subscribe to us on iTunes or check us out at www.gainesvilletimes.com. If you’d like more information on the podcast, email nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com.

Johnny Vardeman, Kay Scoville and Dale Jaeger take us back to the heydey of Chicopee Village, the mill town built to support the Johnson & Johnson mill that’s now home to Left Nut Brewing Co. on Atlanta Highway. The tight streets, lofty oaks and close-knit community was home to some well-known Gainesville residents in its day — and the village was a source of much of the town’s blue-collar backbone from the early 1900s until the mill closed. A blog recounts much of the village’s history. Scoville grew up in the village, and her first memories of life there began during World War II. Jaeger is a landscape architect who led the project to get the village recognized as a national historic district. In 2017, The Times wrote about attempts to revitalize Chicopee Village, which fell into moderate disrepair in the years after the mill closed. This episode is sponsored by Jackson Electric Membership Corp. Hall Tales is a podcast series produced by The Times that explores the history of Hall County from recent events to those beyond living memory. Episodes publish twice a month through December, when the county will celebrate its 200th birthday. If you’d like more information on the podcast, email nbowman@gainesvilletimes.com.

It is time for a frank and rough discussion, listeners of this podcast and readers of The Times: The paper will be cutting production of its Monday and Tuesday print editions. The crew talks with Charles Hill Morris Jr., owner of Metro Market Media — the Gainesville-based parent organization of The Times, Forsyth County News and Dawson County News — and its general manager, Norman Baggs. If you want to know how we got here and what (we think) happens next, give us a listen. We also give a transparent look at what’s going on behind the scenes at The Times. The crew talks about the advent of Craigslist and social media, how tariffs and the cost of paper are affecting our community reporting, and how we’re using digital resources to keep serving our North Georgia communities. If you want honestly local news in your community and want to help sustain community journalism in North Georgia, you can subscribe here. Cheeseburgers aren’t free, and neither is news. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.

It’s October, and that means it’s time again for our “Pink is stronger than you think” breast cancer special section, a powerful, emotional collection of stories of women who are fighting the disease and reporting about how to catch it early. We talk about how the section came together — and how one piece of it almost didn’t. Get it in print or find it online Oct. 7. Listeners are also introduced to Megan Reed, who covers Gainesville and Hall County government for The Times. Is Ohio a terrible state? Is what you learn in journalism school useful in the real world? Will Nick confuse Megan Reed with a different person named Megan? Get the answers to these questions and more this episode. If you’ve enjoyed this podcast, you can get more exclusive content from The Times by subscribing. Stay up to date on events in your community, news affecting your life and the best source of honestly local information in Hall County. You can sign up for our morning and afternoon news emails, our weekly food and drink newsletter, Go, and an upcoming newsletter focused on South Hall.