News Nearby: Storm Stops Fireworks Show, Starts Duluth House Fire

– Duluth Patch

Wind and heavy rain interrupted “Duluth Celebrates America” at Scott Hudgens Park Tuesday (July 3) evening. The fireworks will be rescheduled for later this summer.

Canopies and umbrellas erected to provide shade from the summer sun became shelters for disappointed celebrants to huddle under as they tracked the thunderstorm on their cell phones and waited for it to pass.

Individual “sunbrellas” turned into “rainbrellas.” Hastily donned plastic rain slickers and windbreakers provided little relief from the storm that came up quickly. The wind toppled a couple of the canopies.

Many scurried to their cars as intermittent raindrops turned into a deluge and lightning began striking. A steady stream of vehicles left the park as the storm worsened.

– Suwanee Patch

Gwinnett Police tentatively have identified the two fatalities from the fiery, one-car crash that occurred Tuesday in unincorporated Sugar Hill.

According to a news release Wednesday, July 4, James P. Gifford, 30, of Ellijay was the driver and Thomas Hawkins, 21, of Snellville was the passenger in the BMW that crashed into a tree and burst into flames. The accident occurred on Sycamore Road near Nelson Brodgon Boulevard.

The police news release Wednesday said that investigators still are waiting on confirmation through dental records.

– Cumming Patch

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is searching for an 18-year-old man suspected of burglarizing a local church last week. 

According to Sheriff Ted Paxton, the agency has issued a warrant for burglary for Allen Michael Dyer, 18, of Cumming. The Warrant Unit is actively searching for Dyer at this time. However, the public is asked to contact the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office at 770-781-2222 or the Crime Stoppers Tip Line at 770-888-7308 if anyone has information regarding the whereabouts of Dyer.

– Duluth Patch

A lightning strike may have started a fire that damaged a home in the 2100 block of Broadfield Run in Duluth Tuesday (July 3) evening. Gwinnett firefighters were dispatched at 8:55 p.m., and the fire was under control by 9:29 p.m., according to Lt. Colin S. Rhoden, public information officer with Gwinnett Fire/Emergency Services.

No injuries were reported. The resident(s) were not at home, but arrived while firefighting efforts were in progress. A caller told the dispatcher they saw lightning strike the house and observed smoke and fire on the upper level, Rhoden reported.

– Suwanee Patch

There were tears, laughter and memories – usually within seconds of each other – Tuesday in Suwanee as family members, friends and others attended the emotional funeral ceremony for Griffin and Jake Prince.

And there was a lot of talk about family and spirituality as the Prince and Hansen families were among those attending services for the brothers, killed in a June 18 boating collision on Lake Lanier.

"Family is the perfect eternal organization," said Gary Hansen, one of the boys' grandfathers, at the ceremony at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Suwanee Dam Road. "Truly, family can be together forever."