Seen on the Scene

Gov. Deal Signs Education Bill at Georgia Gwinnett College

H.B. 131 will help students dually enrolled in high school and college.

Gov. Nathan Deal was at Georgia Gwinnett College Friday to sign H.B. 131 into law. The bill, introduced by Lawrenceville State Representative Valerie Clark, allows students dually enrolled in high school and college to apply their college credits towards their application for the HOPE Scholarships. Patch will have more on this story.

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Seen on the Scene

Gwinnett County Sorority Honored by Gov. Deal

The Gwinnett County Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. was honored by the Governor and the State of Georgia Tuesday.

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Deal OKs Changes to Terms for Mayor and Council

Georgia Governor Nathan Deal approved the change in length of terms and limits for Lawrenceville lawmakers.

  The City of Lawrenceville will be holding fewer elections in the future. Governor Nathan Deal signed into law changes to the City's charter, allowing for the mayor and city council members to hold four year terms instead of the current two year terms.  Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson was not available for comment, but noted in a previous city council meeting that this does not mean the current seat holders will automatically extend their terms. The change will go into effect with the November elections when residents will vote for Posts 1 and 2, seats currently held by Marie Beiser and Tony Powell, as well as for Mayor. Councilwoman Beiser believes the change will be good for Lawrenceville. "I think the four year terms will benefit the city …

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Gov. Deal Lowers HOT Lane Rate

After much controversy over the HOT Lane, Deal announced lower rates.

Governor Nathan Deal announced Thursday afternoon that he will lower the rates for the toll in the newly opened HOT Lane. The High Occupancy Toll Lane opened Saturday and there have been many complaints from drivers. Deal also said the state will work on access points. There is currently six-mile span between the Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road start point and Beaver Ruin where there is no access to the express lane. Here is Gov. Deal's statement in a release about the changes:  “Looking at what we’ve learned from our first four work days with the HOT lanes, I’ve asked SRTA to improve utilization of the express lanes,” Deal said. “In the short term, the toll rate will lower – starting with Thursday afternoon’s commute – but the effective rate …

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T. S.

9:37 pm on Thursday, October 6, 2011

Vanzetta, the lower cost is not the issue. My problem is that the roads have already been paid for by taxes (which we all contribute to). So, extorting us to use the "special" lane is just not right. If they truly wanted to help the flow of traffic improve, they would not have done this. As it obviously did quite the opposite. It simply shows that the motivation is for more cash for the coffers!   more ›

Georgia License Plate Design Winner Announced

Gov. Deal unveiled the winning design from a statewide contest decided by online votes.

After having to do a "do-over," Georgia's new license plate–the winner in a design contest–was unveiled today by Gov. Nathan Deal, along with Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Department of Revenue Commissioner Doug MacGinnitie. The license plate, designed by Linda Sosebee of Forsyth, is scheduled to begin production in the fall. It garnered the most online votes with a total of 34,154 in the recently concluded 2011 License Plate Design Contest administered by the Department of Revenue.    “After hundreds of thousands of votes were cast, we are pleased to announce the winning design,” Deal said. “All of the semifinalists submitted great designs that would reflect well on our state, but the winning plate was the clear favorite among voters. I …

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Freshmen Who Helped Build GGC Graduate

Gov. Nathan Deal addressed the Class of 2011-- the first group of students to begin and end their post secondary education at GGC.

Georgia Gwinnett College held its spring commencement ceremony for 95 students on the lawn of the newly constructed Library and Learning Center. This is the first class made up of students who have completed all four years at GGC. Gov. Nathan Deal delivered the keynote address and handed out degrees to each of the graduates in this very special class. “My first caution to you is,” said Gov. Deal, “to recognize that on the road of life your diploma is simply a road sign and not a stop sign. "But if you regard it as a stop sign, that entitles you to rest and stop learning, it will soon become as meaningless as an outdated magazine advertising products that are no longer desired. Therefore, never stop learning; pass on your passion for …

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