Crews will also mow grass on the shoulders and in the medians of state routes including Highways 124, 60 and 53.

Mowing only requires shoulder or median closures. This is a tentative schedule; if emergency response is needed at a crash scene or if emergency repairs are necessary this schedule will change.

In Gwinnett, mowing is planning along Highways 141, 82, 140, 8, 211 and 124.

Also next week in Hall County, damaged guardrail will be replaced on Highway 365, shoulders will be closed at work zones while another crew restripes Highway 11 in Gainesville, a rolling lane closure will be in place as the crew works.

In Gwinnett, a crew will clean and restore ditches alongside Highways 324, 11, 20 and 78 while another crew repairs slopes alongside Highway 78.

Work on the intersection improvement project at Highways 124 and 211 is continuing.

Crews from CW Matthews are still working at the intersection improvement project at Highways 211 and 124.

“The plan is to have all lanes open by mid-afternoon tomorrow,” said Teri N. Pope, Communications Officer of Georgia Department of Transportation’s District One – NEGA.

“The second left turn lanes will likely open next week because the signals have to move over the lanes before they can open and GDOT will not allow lane closures for construction over the holiday weekend,” said Pope.

Some median and shoulder work remain to as well.

GDOT is scaling back its construction projects across Northeast Georgia – suspending construction-related lane closures on all interstate and major state system highways to ease Memorial Day weekend traffic congestion.

Beginning at noon on Friday, May 24, and extending to 5 a.m., Tuesday, May 28, there essentially will be no construction-related scheduled lane closures on any Georgia interstate highway or primary state route.

The Department notes that some work may continue on lesser-traveled state and local system roads and that incident or emergency maintenance-related lane closures could become necessary on any route.

Georgia DOT urges travelers to call 511 for updated information about this maintenance operation or any other construction project on interstates and state routes. Georgia 511 is a free phone service that provides real-time traffic and travel information statewide, such as traffic conditions, incidents, lane closures, and delays due to inclement weather. Callers also can transfer to operators to request assistance or report incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. More information is available at www.511ga.org. For information on the Department of Transportation, visit (www.dot.ga.gov) ; you also may follow Georgia DOT on Facebook (http://www.facebook.com/GeorgiaDOT) and Twitter (http://twitter.com/gadeptoftrans).

The rendering was officially presented at Fur Ball, a fundraising held in March. Another fundraising, Ride Like The Animals, has been rescheduled to June 1 due to weather.

Urban Design Group (UDG), an award-winning architectural firm, is volunteering their services to design an animal shelter for the Humane Society of Jackson County (HSJC). The facility is the first animal shelter in the county and will serve as a substantial asset to the community.

“When I originally heard about the need for an animal shelter in Jackson County, I discussed the situation with my partners,” said Ken Rhyne, Allied AIA, AICAE, and Principal with UDG. “Our professional culture encourages volunteering and giving back to the community, and we take on select pro bono projects where our expertise can make a significant and positive difference. We are extremely pleased to be a part of this effort.”

UDG has been working with the HSJC since September 2011. The architectural firm formally presented a rendering of the proposed facility at the Fur Ball, a premier fundraising event, held on March 22 of this year.

“The road toward our shelter has been long, and it was so fulfilling and awesome to see it illustrated on paper,” said Roxane Rose, President of the HSJC. “I was just speechless when I first saw the renderings, which made it feel real and that much closer to reality. We are so thankful and humbled to have the pro bono support of UDG. Having a world-renowned firm with the reputation like UDG gives us a huge amount of credibility that will help substantially with our fundraising.”

About UDG’s Proposed Design Solution:

“In working through space programming with the HSJC, we discovered the individual spaces were best grouped by function,” explained Matt Mitchell, NCARB, LEED AP BD+C, a Senior Associate with UDG. “Our design solution had to meet a conservative budget, allow for flexibility and accommodate future expansion. The facilities also had to be environmentally sensitive and appropriate in context for the area. As a result, the spaces evolved into discrete individual buildings or Pods.”

The Pod concept calls for smaller buildings, of varied forms, built over time from indigenous materials, sited for maximum efficiency thus promoting minimum site disturbance and allowing for the best views. Individual Pods offer a more pleasing, interesting and picturesque design, which is a great fit for the semi-rural setting. Simple materials, including brick, wood and stone, provide an indigenous richness. The Pods’ simple forms and detailing and the more dramatic entry and reception piece provide a clear sense of hierarchy and composition.

The Pod concept provides a kit of parts that can be built over time. Pods can be repeated as needed for expansion and allow the HSJC to build only what is needed at any given time. Walkways connecting the pods can be customized to the budget and can evolve over time as additional funds become available. The walkways can be gravel surfaced or paved, and can be covered and ultimately enclosed and conditioned. The garden and patio spaces are excellent donor opportunities, providing endless possibilities for designs of all budgets.

“By synthesizing the program, budget, site, context, aesthetics and schedule, UDG created a design for the HSJC that is truly holistic,” said Mitchell. “From initial design and construction through the entire life cycle of the facility, we have created a solution that will meet the needs of its owners, employees, customers, guests and or course, of the animals. We are honored to share our talents to help such a great cause.”

About the Humane Society of Jackson County:

Established in 1998, the Humane Society of Jackson County was the vision of native Marjorie Butler, who worked with Bob and Sandy Wells to make her dream a reality. A low- and no-cost spay neuter program for low-income families was started in 2006, and in February of 2007, the group received its Department of Agriculture License and began rescuing and placing homeless animals. In 2008, volunteers launched a courtesy placement program to assist with animals requiring re-homing that the group could not accommodate, since it currently operates through an all-foster home network. In 2011, the organization launched its capital campaign to raise funds for the shelter and opened the ReTail Thrift Store, located in downtown Jefferson behind the Crawford W. Long Museum. HSJC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and donations are tax deductible. For more information, call 706-367-1111 or visit the web site at www.hsjc.com.

About Urban Design Group:

Founded in 1975, UDG offers architectural, interior design, master planning, product design, and purchasing and logistics services to its worldwide clientele from offices in Atlanta, GA, and Dallas, TX. A market leader in the application and advancement of Building Information Modeling (BIM) technology and Integrated Project Delivery (IPD), UDG’s personnel work on a wide range of projects from hospitality, resort, and gaming projects to corporate office, university facilities, and urban mixed-use developments.

In the firm’s 38-year history, UDG has completed more than $6 Billion in projects worldwide. The firm has received more than 80 design excellence awards and honors and 15 design competition awards, and has been featured in hundreds of magazine articles, newspaper pieces and design resource books. For more information, visit www.urbandesigngroup.com.

The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety and law enforcement officers from across Northeast Georgia had the intersection of Damon Gause Parkway and Highway 11 lit up with blue lights for a road safety check on May 16. Check back for a look at LeAnne Akin’s photo gallery.

Motorists along the Damon Gause Parkway at Highway 11 were seeing blue – and lots of it – between 6-10 p.m. on May 16.

Jefferson Police Department, along with other law enforcement officers, conducted a road safety check. During the check, a total of 367 vehicles passed through the safety checkpoint. Of the total, 48 vehicles were traveling eastbound on Highway 11 and 59 vehicles were traveling westbound on Highway 11. Traveling north on Damon Gause were 136 vehicles while 124 vehicles were traveling south on the parkway.

A total of 23 citations were issued during the road check and 10 were taken into custody and transported to the Jackson County Jail.

A dozen drivers were charged with driving without a license or driving on a suspended license. There were four charged with seat belt violations and one person was arrested on outstanding warrants. Seven other citations were also issued.

Editors of the magazine for the nation’s largest recreational boat owners group, Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) picked 10 of the most boat-friendly American communities, and Lake Lanier put Gainesville on the list of “10 Great Boating Towns to Retire, Play and Thrive.”

Included in the story is information on boating amenities, opportunities for gunkholing and fishing, the length of the boating season, living costs, median home prices, taxes, weather, transportation, top hospitals and all kinds of cultural activities. Post-career planning tips are also offered to help make the right choice. To see the full story online, go to www.BoatUS.com/magazine.