Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Demolition of existing downtown structures is complete.
The landscape of downtown Cumming has changed forever. Demolition that began in January on several structures including the parking deck once located at the intersection of East Main Street and Mason Street across from the Dairy Queen is complete. The empty lot is the site of the future new Forsyth County Courthouse. See video of empty lot where structures once stood. During the regular meeting on Thursday, March 7, the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners approved the naming of the buildings. The new Courthouse will be called the "Forsyth County Courthouse" and the existing Courthouse will be called the "Forsyth County Courthouse Annex." Meanwhile the project remains on schedule with construction tentatively expected to begin in July, …
Friday, February 8, 2013
Students from area high schools, including Forsyth County will compete in this weekend's Georgia Mock Trial Competition.
High school students in Forsyth County and from nearby towns are preparing for this year's 25th season of the Georgia High School Mock Trial Program held this weekend in downtown Cumming. This will be the county's third year to host the regional competition, which involves about 120 students playing the roles of attorneys and witnesses. More than 60 lawyers will be volunteering as evaluators along with judges serving as presiding judges during the two-day event. Mock trails will be held at the Forsyth County Courthouse, Forsyth County Administration Building and Cumming City Hall. Teams of 14 students work with attorney coaches who train them on how to ask questions and listen to answers actively, including how to do opening statements …
Monday, February 4, 2013
All that remains of the parking deck in downtown Cumming is rubble.
The parking deck once located at the intersection of East Main Street and Mason Street in downtown Cumming across from the Dairy Queen is now a pile of rubble. The nearly 20-year-old parking deck was the first structure to be demolished as it was situated on the site of the county's future new courthouse and jail. The other structures on the list to be razed, include a government building that housed several offices of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and a professional building. A small building on the site of the new jail will also be demolished. Jodi Gardner, spokesperson for the county, said the demolition process is scheduled to take approximately 45 days. The new courthouse and jail projects were approved by Forsyth County voters …
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
The first structure to go will be the parking deck, built in 1994, located at the intersection of East Main Street and Mason Street.
Demolition is expected to begin this week on several structures in downtown Cumming that are all on the site of the county's future new courthouse and jail. The first structure to go will be the nearly 20-year-old parking deck, which permanently closed on Dec. 28, located at the intersection of East Main Street and Mason Street. The other structures include a government building that housed several offices of the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office and a professional building. A small building on the site of the new jail will also be demolished. The demolition process is scheduled to take approximately 45 days, according to Jodi Gardner, spokesperson for the county. But don't expect a dramatic implosion to any of the buildings or use of a …
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Peter Delaney who was also charged with felony-murder and first-degree arson was found not guilty on all charges.
Update: 2-28-12, 3:45 p.m. (details of verdict and sentencing) A Forsyth County jury has found 35-year old Jill Smith guilty of killing her husband in a fire that started in the master bedroom of the couple's home located in a south Forsyth County subdivision in 2010. The medical examiner confirmed Mr. Smith’s death was due to a combination of smoke inhalation and thermal burns. After a day and a half of jury deliberations a verdict was reached and read by the jury foreman Tuesday morning (see video above) in the packed courtroom of Forsyth County Superior Court Judge David L. Dickinson. Trial testimony centered on Forsyth County fire investigators, firefighters, and witnesses. The state argued that the fire was intentionally set, while …
34.207061
-84.140349
Forsyth County Courthouse
100 W Courthouse Sq, Cumming, GA
/articles/jill-smith-found-guilty-of-murder-arson
1802355
/locations/6476985
Monday, February 27, 2012
After deliberating all day Monday a verdict in the Jill Smith and Peter Delaney arson-murder trial has not been reached.
Jury deliberations in the arson-murder trial of Jill Smith and Peter Delaney began at 8 a.m. on Monday and will continue Tuesday at the Forsyth County Courthouse. Smith and Delaney are charged with felony murder and first-degree arson in connection with the Oct. 22, 2010 fire that killed Smith's husband, Michael, in the couple's home in south Forsyth County. Their trial began on Feb. 15. Just before 5 p.m. on Monday, while the jury was still deliberating, court was called back into session by Superior Court Judge David Dickinson. He said the jury had a question about some of the evidence found in the master bedroom [the room where the fire started] of the Smith residence and wanted to hear that information again. The jury was then called …
Friday, February 10, 2012
Forsyth County students preparing for the 24th season of the Georgia Mock Trial Competition in downtown Cumming Saturday.
The 24th season of the regional Georgia High School Mock Trial Competition is this Saturday, Feb. 11 and for the second year Cumming has its own region. There will be about 100 students from all five Forsyth County high schools and one private school competing in multiple trials at various locations throughout downtown Cumming. The competition teaches young people how the legal system works in a courtroom without the benefit of law school, according to Melissa Banker, an attorney and regional mock trial coordinator. Teams of 14 students work with attorney coaches who train them on how to ask questions and listen to answers actively, including how to do opening statements and closing arguments. "All the intricacies that we learned in law …
Kathy Kells
1:50 pm on Sunday, March 10, 2013
That is all going to be quite lovely. I wonder if the little blocks of buildings with Sal's is going to be updated to follow the new look along with the new buildings and landscaping.   more ›