Blog – North Gwinnett Voice

Early morning incident in south Hall County last week ends with arrest after string of alleged crimes

HALL COUNTY — A quiet residential area off Tuggle Drive in south Hall County, near Buford, was disrupted early last week when residents reported a man wandering through the neighborhood, looking into windows and attempting to enter homes. According to authorities, the suspect — 56-year-old Lewis Clinton Miles of Flowery Branch — was seen wearing a yellow bag over his head as he moved from property to property, knocking on doors and trying to access vehicles. Deputies say he attempted to enter a home, checked multiple vehicles and a golf cart, and removed a pizza oven from a porch before

By - Cory Self January 27, 2026

Gwinnett County

Ice storm aftermath: First responders and power crews busy across Buford, north Gwinnett

GWINNETT COUNTY — I spent Monday tracking the impacts of an overnight ice storm that left parts of Gwinnett County dealing with slick roads, downed trees and scattered power outages, keeping first responders and power crews busy — particularly in Buford and north Gwinnett. Freezing rain coated trees, power lines and elevated roadways as temperatures dipped near or below freezing. Officials urged residents to stay off the roads, and in Buford, many clearly listened. Traffic along Interstate 85 and nearby surface streets was noticeably light as crews focused on clearing debris and responding to weather-related calls. In Buford and surrounding

By - Cory Self January 26, 2026

Gwinnett County

Four adults shot to death in Gwinnett County home; children unharmed, police say

LAWRENCEVILLE — Four adults were found shot to death early Friday inside a Gwinnett County home, and three children inside the residence were not injured after hiding during the violence and calling 911, police said. Gwinnett County police responded shortly after 2:30 a.m. to reports of gunfire at a home on Brook Ivy Court in the Lawrenceville area. When officers arrived, they found four adults inside the residence suffering from apparent gunshot wounds. All four were pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Police said three children — ages 7, 10 and 12 — were inside the home at the

By - Cory Self January 24, 2026

Local News

Dumpster fire extends to Dillard’s at Mall of Georgia, prompts evacuation

BUFORD — To answer the burning questions about what so many shoppers saw — and shared — on social media Tuesday night, Gwinnett County firefighters say a dumpster fire outside Dillard’s at the Mall of Georgia briefly extended to the exterior of the department store but did not spread into the main building. Firefighters were dispatched at 7:28 p.m. to a reported business fire at Dillard’s, 3333 Buford Drive, after 911 callers reported flames coming from a dumpster near the mall and spreading toward the building. Crews arrived within five minutes to find fire in a roll-off dumpster extending into

By - Cory Self January 22, 2026

Buford High School

Buford flag football ready for improvement in second season

Buford flag football ready for improvement in second season The inaugural season of Buford flag football had its ups and downs. It saw the glory of a couple of victories, but had to adjust to the minutiae of a rapidly-growing sport across the state of Georgia. Head coach Sean Gilbert, a Buford mainstay who eagerly took on leadership of the program a year ago, hopes for better skills and understanding of the game. That hope stems from a systemwide growth of the program from the youth or middle school programs. He hopes to see it continue coming to fruition on

By - Brandon Sudge January 22, 2026

Spotlights

Buford City Schools Student Spotlight: Makenzie Burge

Buford High School’s vision for its students is excellence, specifically Triple A Excellence, with each A representing a pillar of that overall vision — academics, athletics and the arts. Senior Makenzie Burge has demonstrated excellence in all three areas. Academically, the 17-year-old maintains a 4.0 GPA and is ranked 12th in her graduating class. Athletically, Makenzie has been a varsity football cheerleader for the past three years at Buford — she started cheerleading in first grade. Artistically, she is a member of the advanced women’s ensemble and has participated in chorus all four years of high school. She got her

By - Deanna Allen January 22, 2026

Local News

Local students join forces to combat hunger in Georgia and Kentucky

Lanier High School band and football team partner with Meals to Missions to make a lasting impact Sugar Hill, GA – In a remarkable show of unity and compassion, students from Lanier High School’s Band and Football Team have teamed up to take on a mission greater than music or sports: fighting hunger at home and in one of the nation’s poorest regions. Through the support of Meals to Missions, a national nonprofit organization known for its impactful meal-packing events, Lanier students aim to raise $160,000 by August 1st to fund the packing and distribution of 10,000 nutritious, shelf-stable meals.

By - Jessica Wilson January 22, 2026

Alumni

Buford High School Alumni — Then and Now: Andrew Southerland, Class of 2005

Andrew Southerland is a second-generation graduate of Buford High School — his mother, Celia Southerland of Buford, is a 1980 graduate and was on the color guard team — and other family members, including Andrew’s aunts, uncles and cousins, are also Buford alumni. “Buford is in my blood,” Andrew said. “It’s a great area to live, work and play.” During his four years as a Buford High School student, Andrew excelled in the area of academics. He was a member of the National Honor Society and an Honor Roll student. “I am always seeking to learn new things every day,”

By - Deanna Allen January 22, 2026

Local News

Neon Lights and Tire Smoke: Lanier Raceplex goes Cosmic

Braselton – On Saturday, October 18, drift cars from across the country packed into Lanier Raceplex for one of the premier grassroots drifting events of the year. Cosmic Drift—hosted by David Patterson, better known as That Dude in Blue—lit up the track with neon lights, thumping music, and clouds of tire smoke that doubled as fog for a laser show. From local amateurs to out-of-state professionals, every driver arrived with the same goal: have fun and put on a show. Driver registration filled up a week early, and hillside and paddock parking sold out days before the event. Drivers Take the

By - Cory Self January 22, 2026

Gwinnett County

Firefighters rescue multiple residents from overnight apartment fire in Duluth

DULUTH — Firefighters rescued multiple residents from a late-night apartment fire in Duluth after heavy smoke and flames trapped occupants on upper floors of a multi-story building, officials said. Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services responded at approximately 11:52 p.m. Monday to reports of smoke entering apartments at the Cortland Duluth Apartments, located at 1335 Herrington Road NW. Crews arrived within minutes to find active fire and heavy smoke coming from a lower-level unit of a 28-unit building. During the initial size-up, firefighters identified several residents who were unable to safely evacuate due to fire conditions and smoke spread throughout

By - Cory Self January 20, 2026