NEWS BRIEFS: Smith is 7th judge of State Court of Gwinnett

Smith

Jaletta Long Smith of Peachtree Corners is the new judge of the State Court of Gwinnett, named to the post by Gov. Brian Kemp. The position is a newly-created one, giving Gwinnett seven State Court Judges.

A litigation associate with the Gwinnett firm of Andersen, Tate  Carr, she previously served as a law clerk to the Honorable Kristine G. Baker, judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas; the Honorable Britt C. Grant, former Justice of the Georgia Supreme Court; and the Honorable Robert L. Brown (retired) of the Arkansas Supreme Court. 

Ms. Smith, 39, is a native of Lawrenceville who grew up in Dacula and graduated from high school there.  Smith attended Clemson University where she earned a bachelor’s in Communication Studies and Spanish. She was the featured twirler with the Clemson band. Her grandmother is the late Mary Frazier Long of Gwinnett County.

Smith attended the University of Arkansas at Little Rock William H. Bowen School of Law as a Bowen Scholar, a full academic scholarship, while her Air Force husband was stationed there.  She graduated with high honors in 2010 as one of the top three students in her class. Smith served as the executive editor of the University of Arkansas at Little Rock Law Review, received the Dean’s Certificate of Distinguished Service, and was one of six students selected to compete as a member of the Bowen Trial Team. She was also a student member of the Judge Henry Woods Inn of Court in Little Rock

She and her husband, Andy, a pilot with the Air Force, live in Peachtree Corners.

Braselton hires Birmingham firm for strategic planning

The town of Braselton, Ga., has appointed Downtown Strategies, a division of Retail Strategies of Birmingham, Ala. , to develop a five-year downtown strategic plan on behalf of the city. 

The Downtown Strategies team will host a Strategic Visioning Workshop that includes a walking tour of downtown and gathering input from community leaders, business owners, stakeholders and elected officials. The workshop provides the necessary input to create a customized and strategic action plan for the city.

Jennifer Scott, town manager, says: “Braselton jumped at the opportunity to have the Downtown Strategies team tap into the potential our downtown holds. We began to set our focus on Downtown Strategies because of the wealth of knowledge their team showcased at a Georgia Downtown Association conference. This partnership will capitalize on market driven opportunities to help strengthen the local economy. 

The plan will focus on five major pillars including market analysis, policy and administration, design, tourism and promotion and economic vitality.

NOTABLE

Be alert to imposter posing as Water Department employee

Watch out for an imposter saying he represents Gwinnett County Water Resources attempting to enter homes. The person is trying to gain access inside customers’ homes by offering to collect free lead and copper samples. Residents should be aware that the county does not send employees to test water inside residents’ homes. 

Most of the failed attempts have been targeted towards Spanish-speaking families in the Norcross area. While the Gwinnett County Department of Water Resources tests water quality around the clock, they won’t send employees inside customers’ homes to test the tap water.

If anyone claiming to be a Gwinnett County employee asks to take water samples from inside your home, please do not let them in. As always, if you feel unsafe or if someone is trying to break into your home, call 911. 

Gwinnett County has received several inquiries regarding the activation of our Warming Stations. You may find the current status of the warming stations at the following link:  Health and Human Services – Gwinnett | Gwinnett County. 

Thompson is new mayor pro-tem in Lawrenceville

Thompson

Austin Thompson, Lawrenceville City Councilman, has been selected to serve as the Mayor Pro Tem (Vice Mayor) during 2023.  This role fulfills the duties of the mayor if the mayor is absent. Thompson was elected to the Council in 2021 and has been a Lawrenceville resident since 2012. He is a former Adjunct Professor at Shorter University, where he taught business and project management courses for eight years. He has over 20 years of active community service in the Guyanese and Caribbean community, and has been a volunteer with the Latin American Association for the past 15 years. He holds a Bachelor of Applied Science in Telecommunications Management and also a MBA degree from DeVry University. 

JEMC Foundation grants $114,919 to local charitable agencies

$15,000 Jackson EMC Foundation check to Mending the Gap, will provide for its Saving Our Seniors program for Gwinnett families. At the check presentation were, from left,  Jeff Diefenderfer, treasurer; Beauty Baldwin, Jackson EMC Foundation board member; Fay Josephs, executive director; and Jennifer Fennell, Jackson EMC district manager.

The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $114,919 in grants for organizations during its November meeting, including $87,500 to organizations serving Gwinnett County.

• $15,000 to For Her Glory, a Gainesville agency that provides breast cancer patients throughout the Jackson EMC service area with items that are not covered by insurance, such as wigs, bras, compression sleeves, gloves, and nutritional supplements.

• $15,000 to Mending the Gap, Inc., for its Save Our Seniors Program, which delivers a monthly care package of nutritious food, personal care items, cleaning supplies and toiletries to low-income seniors in Gwinnett County.

• $15,000 to Nothing but the Truth, Inc., to purchase food for its Weekend Food Bag Program for Gwinnett County public school children who have been identified by counselors as food insecure.

• $15,000 to St. Vincent de Paul Society—Flowery Branch, to fund direct aid for housing assistance Gwinnett, Hall and Jackson County families in crisis and food for their food pantry.

• $15,000 to Step by Step Recovery, Inc., an addiction recovery organization that provides a safe and structured environment for men and women in Barrow, Gwinnett and Hall counties as they complete a 12-step program for drug and alcohol addiction, to provide rent for the men’s and women’s units.

• $7,500 to NOA’s Ark (No One Alone), for its Trauma Counseling Program, designed to serve adults and children in Gwinnett, Hall and Lumpkin counties recovering from family violence, child sexual assault, and dating violence.

• $5,000 to Burn Foundation of America, to provide patient and family services for burn victims throughout Jackson EMC’s service area.
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