Wednesday, May 15, 2013
The 2013 legislation lowers Georgia's BUI limit and adds safety regulations.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, May 15
It's official: As of Wednesday (May 15), a new Georgia law regarding the Boating Under the Influence legal limit and other boating safety regulations is in effect. According to a Lake Lanier website, state officials will attend information sessions at local marinas around the state Wednesday. The visits will culminate at Laurel Park in Hall County, where Gov. Nathan Deal will give an address at 2 p.m. The new regulations are contained in Senate Bill 136, which Deal signed into law in April. Portions of the bill are named for late Buford youths Griffin and Jake Prince, and late Atlanta youth Kile Glover. The youths were killed in boating or watercraft-related accidents on Lake Lanier in 2012. The legislation lowers the legal blood-alcohol …
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Prior to Tuesday's signing, Georgia was one of only eight states that had a higher blood-alcohol content limit for boating than for driving. The new law also increases penalties for those caught boating while intoxicated.
- GOVERNMENT
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Wednesday, April 24
Gov. Nathan Deal signed SB 136, a bill to strengthen public safety on Georgia's waterways, on Tuesday, April 22, at the Holiday Marina at Lake Lanier. The legislation, a portion of which is known as the Jake and Griffin Prince BUI Law, lowers the legal blood-alcohol content for boaters from a .10 to .08. The new law also increases penalties for those found to be boating while intoxicated. “Far too many tragedies have occurred as a result of boating under the influence and inadequate boater education,” Deal said in a released statement. “Last June, I vowed to work with the General Assembly to pass legislation in honor of Jake and Griffin Prince, who lost their lives last summer in a tragic accident. As I have said, if you are too drunk to …
Thursday, March 28, 2013
The Georgia General Assembly has passed a resolution that favors a new Georgia-Tennessee state line to gain water rights to the Tennessee River.
Most Peachtree Corners residents remember well the controversary over Georgia's tug of war over Lake Lanier water rights with the neighboring states of Alabama and Florida from a few years ago. Well, there's a new war a brewing. Both houses of the Georgia General Assembly have passed a resolution proposing that the Georgia-Tennessee state line be changed. The reason? According to House Resolution 4, so that Georgia "shall be able to exercise its riparian water rights to the Tennessee River at Nickajack." The 2013 resolution and the so-called border dispute date way back. According to the resolution, the state line is at the 35th parallel and would have been on the northernmost bank of the Tennessee River at Nickajack. However, a flawed …
Friday, March 22, 2013
The House passes the boater-safety bill named for children killed on Lake Lanier in 2012. The governor's signature is expected.
- GOVERNMENT
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Friday, March 22
For Peachtree Corners boaters and others who use Georgia's lakes and waterways take note, a bill that would lower the state's Boating Under the Influence legal limit and institute boating safety regulations now has cleared both houses of the Georgia General Assembly. On Thursday (March 20), the House passed Senate Bill 136 by a 146-17 vote. The Gainesville Times reported that the "nay" votes are believed to be related to hunter-safety provisions of the bill. The Senate unanimously passed the bill earlier in March. Gov. Nathan Deal is expected to sign the bill, which carries the names of Griffin and Jake Prince of Buford, and Kile Glover of Atlanta. They were all killed in water-safety related incidents last year on Lake Lanier. -- Does …
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
The Department of Natural Resources confirmed that the body found on Monday was that of Marty Counts, 47, of Tucker.
UPDATE: 3-20-13 The body of a man, who had been missing on Lake Lanier since Feb. 18, has been identified, according to Melissa Cummings, spokesperson for the Department of Natural Resources. "Identification was confirmed Monday following an autopsy identifying the victim as 47-year-old George Marty Counts of Tucker, Georgia," said Cummings. Cummings added that no cause of death has been listed yet and there was no apparent trauma shown. "So, for example - it does not appear that he fell and struck his head or otherwise causing him to fall overboard, but cannot yet rule out other health issues, such as a heart attack," she said. Counts body was discovered in the Little Ridge area of Lake Lanier in Forsyth County by two fishermen on Sunday…
Thursday, March 14, 2013
The Georgia Senate Bill would also require boater training and changes to the life jacket requirements for children.
Several changes may be in store for Peachtree Corners boaters who use the state's lakes and waterways. A Georgia bill drafted in response to recent boating fatalities on Lake Lanier would lower the state's BUI limit to that of the limit for motorists. Other boating safety changes also would become law. Senate Bill 136, which was co-sponsored by a Gwinnett legislator, specifically has some acts titled the "Jake and Griffin Prince BUI Law" and the "Kile Glover Boat Education Law." The bill passed the state Senate on March 1 by a 50-0 vote and now is in the House. The 2013 legislative session ends March 22. The bill would lower the legal blood-alcohol limit for boat operators to 0.08 grams, the same as that for motorists. Gov. Nathan Deal …
Sunday, February 17, 2013
A massive search is underway for a 47-year-old boater and fisherman missing on Lake Lanier since Monday night.
UPDATE: 2-17-13 Officials have released the name of the 47-year-old man who has been missing on Lake Lanier since Monday night. The Department of Natural Resources confirms that crews are searching for George M. Counts of Tucker. As of Friday, DNR and Forsyth County used side scan sonar in the water, while a K9 from Dawson County was on site. Also available as needed to aid in the search for Counts is the DNR helicopter, according to Melissa Cummings, DNR spokesperson. Cummings said DNR will conduct surface searches throughout the morning and evening over the weekend and the FCFD will conduct surface searching around noon on Saturday and Sunday. Next week DNR rangers will continue surface searching during the morning and afternoon hours…
Monday, January 7, 2013
The body of Robert Armistead, 54, was pulled from the lake Sunday.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Monday, January 7
The Hall County Fire Department's Dive Team reportedly pulled the body of 54 year old Robert Armistead of Lawrenceville from Lake Lanier Sunday according to CBS Atlanta. The Hall County Sherrif's Department informed Lawrenceville Patch that Armistead's 10 to 15 foot jon boat was found overturned in the water about 10 feet off the shore. Armistead's body was taken to the DeKalb Medical Examiner's Office for an autopsy and toxicology. The dive team responded to a call of a capsized boat near the Aqualand Marina at around 10:30 a.m. Sunday. The Hall County Sheriff's Department told the television station that foul play is not suspected. There were a number of drowing deaths on Lake Lanier last summer including the Prince brothers and …
Friday, December 14, 2012
Paul Bennett of Cumming is reportedly scheduled for trial May 20, 2013. He was indicted in connection with the deaths of Griffin and Jake Prince of Buford.
- AWARENESS
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Friday, December 14, 2012
The man who has been indicted in Hall County in connection with the boating deaths of two Gwinnett youths at Lake Lanier has a trial date, according to a media report. The Gainesville Times has reported that Paul Bennett, a Cumming resident, will face trial May 20, 2013. Also, the next motions hearing reportedly is set for January 31. Bennett was indicted for homicide and boating under the influence in connection with the boating collision on June 18, 2012, that killed Griffin and Jake Prince of Buford. Authorities say Bennett's boat collided with a pontoon boat driven by the youths' father. Griffin Prince's body was recovered more than a week after the accident. A Hall County grand jury in August indicted Bennett for eight counts of …
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Doraville man, 25, dies while swimming across a cove at Van Pugh Park on Labor Day.
- POLICE & FIRE
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Tuesday, September 4, 2012
A 25-year-old Doraville man drowned at Lake Lanier on Labor Day (Sept. 3). Kyle Miller drowned at Van Pugh Park at about 4 p.m. Monday, Melissa Cummings, communications/outreach specialist for the Georgia Department of Natural Resources reported. Miller, from Doraville, was swimming across a cove at the day-use area with two others when he went under. The Hall County Dive Team recovered his body in about 15 feet of water some 20 yards from the bank at 4:22 p.m., Cummings reported.
