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Paradise found.
Paradise lost.
Quickly.
Deputies endeavor
to serve warrants
Opinion, 5A
local, 8A
More than 90
sign on National
Signing Day
Sports, 18A
Activists demand
#Justice4KevinDavis
by Andrew Cauthen
andrew@dekalbchamp.com
championnewspaper
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georgiapower.com
local
Page 3A
opinion
Page 4A
Ed Williams, Decatur
call it a city.
The citizens should say
No thanks.
South DeKalb does not
have the tax base and the industries to support a city.
Our leaders should work
on improving community
police, schools and bringing
businesses into the community.
I think the citizens of
DeKalb would be better
served if the CCCSD would
file a court case against the
county and the other cities
in regards to the tax liabilities and pension obligations
that are not being shared by
all the property owners of
the county.
How a new city such
as the city of Dunwoody
or Brookhaven can not be
equally responsible for pension and bonds that were
already obligated prior to
their cityhood makes no
sense.
I do not believe that
the name Greenhaven will
transform the community
and provide sustainability
and abundance. The name
has no history and no link to
a vision of the future.
It seems to me that since
the leadership of DeKalb
county became AfricanAmerican, some of the
citizens in the county have
sought to gain local autonomy from the county. Much
of the county had been
structured the same way
since 1822. After the DeKalb
opinion
Page 5A
Bill Crane
bill.csicrane@gmail.com
Columnist
F ree P ress
www.championnewspaper.com
DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110
local
Storm Harvey
Storm Harvey is a
freshman at Agnes Scott
College and one of three
students in North America
selected to receive up to
$8,000 toward her education from the Cochlear
Americas Anders Tjellstrm
scholarship award.
Harvey was born three
months prematurely, weighing less than two and half
pounds, and without a left
ear canal which caused her
She said the biggest effect the hearing aid has had
is in her social life.
Throughout middle
school Harvey said kids bullied her.
The other kids started
to notice that if they came
up behind me and poked
me I would jump in surprise, as I could not hear
them. It was one thing the
doctors did not expect
when they were done doing
the best they could to fix my
hearing, Harvey said.
When one kid calls
your name in front and distracts you while another kid
creeps up behind you, only
to grab your shoulders a few
seconds later, it rattles you
to the core.
It is the equivalent of
someone coming up behind
you in a dark alley in the
middle of the night and
grabbing you from behind;
it makes you really paranoid.
If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthen
at andrew@dekalbchamp.com or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.
development.
Once a newly elected
official takes office, he or
she must enroll in their
required courses within the
first 12 months.
According to the GMA
courses are typically offered
in February or March of
each year, depending on the
number of newly elected
officials. If an elected
official has served before
and has been re-elected
he or she is still required
to take the newly elected
officials institute again.
To receive a certificate of
achievement, a city official
must complete a minimum
of 72 hours of training,
including at least 36 hours
from the required list. The
training program consists
of a series of more than 50
courses.
local
AroundDeKalb
Atlanta
Clarkston
Decatur
Sons of the Union Veterans of
the Civil War forming new camp
Suhr-Sytsma
Page 7A
Lithonia is partnering with students from the University of Georgia to seek input from renters about
homeownership in Lithonia.
The studentswho are enrolled
in a housing and community development course in the Department
of Financial Planning, Housing and
Consumer Economics at UGAs
College of Family and Consumer
Sciences and the Georgia Initiative
for Community Housingwill conduct four focus group sessions with
renters about community needs
and barriers to homeownership in
Lithonia.
The input provided at these
sessions will help to identify needs
and how best to strengthen the
community. The first 50 renters
from Lithonia who reserve a spot
and attend a focus group session
will receive a $50 Walmart gift
card.
The sessions will be held Feb.
16 and March 2 from 6-7 p.m.
at Lithonia City Hall, 6920 Main
Street, and March 2, 2-3 p.m. at
city hall. Another session will be
held March 19, 5:30-6:30 p.m. at
the Terraces at Parkview, 6800 Park
Drive.
We are excited about this opportunity to gather input from
renters to better understand how to
strengthen and build our community, said Lithonia Mayor Deborah
A. Jackson. We encourage Lithonia renters to actively engage in
this process as we seek to improve
our community by gaining their
input on these critical issues.
Participants in the community
input session must have a reservation to receive a gift card. To
reserve a spot at one of the community input sessions, call or email
UGA faculty member Kim Skobba
at (706) 542-4951 or kskobba@uga.
edu.
Dunwoody
Dunwoody provides series of
workshops
The city of Dunwoody invites
residents, property owners, business owners and all other members
of the Dunwoody community to
share their hopes, dreams and concerns for the future of Dunwoody
at the Setting Our Vision community goals workshop.
The event will take place at 6
p.m. on Feb. 26 at the Kingswood
United Methodist Church.
Community members are encouraged to attend and come ready
to share their ideas. The workshop
will be hands-on, focused on collecting input about the citys future,
specifically the overarching longterm vision and community goals
for land use and other service areas
provided by the city.
Lithonia
local
Construction project
causing delays on I-285
Construction work on I-285 has
been causing headaches for commuters.
The Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) is doing sign structure work on I-285, mostly on weekends.
GDOT officials said workers are updating the overhead exit signs and replacing
concrete slabs along the median wall.
The 19-mile project stretches from
the Ashford-Dunwoody exit to the Glen-
Barrett
Adkins
Cheek
Krieg
Tedesco
Lenahan
Patrick
Dove
Dunwoody Police
Department receives awards
by Ashley Oglesby
ashley@dekalbchamp.com
The Dunwoody Police Department presented its 2014
achievement awards to eight officers and employees who have
made an impact throughout the
year.
They were recognized for
Officer of the Year, Employee
of the Year, Marksman of the
Year, Rising Star Award, Top
Cop, Officer of the Quarter and
Chief s Award.
Patrick Krieg, detective
sergeant of the criminal investigation division for the Dunwoody police department, was
named Top Cop from the department for the second year in
a row. He said he doesnt think
he will be lucky enough to get
it again.
Its an honor to receive an
award like this from my agency.
We worked very hard to hire
extremely well rounded police
officers during our inception
and this makes yearly events
and awards like this very competitive and challenging to obtain, said Krieg.
Krieg has worked in law enforcement since 2006, working
for the Atlanta Police Department and the Dunwoody Police
A lifetime of success,
not student loans.
visit gpc.edu
1/5/15 12:56 PM
local
Page 9A
DeKalb County Sheriffs deputies and officers from several local law enforcement agencies served hundreds of warrants during Operation Safe DeKalb in January. Pictured (bottom center photo) are DeKalb Sheriffs Investigator Kerry Wilson, Deputy Travis Mitchell, Brookhaven Police Officer John Ritch and Grizz, his K-9 partner. Photos by Andrew Cauthen
local
Page 10A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Feb. 13, 2015
of service.
Clarence proudly served over 30 years in the Georgia Army National Guard and retired as a
Brigadier General. He served as President of the National Guard Association of GA, and President of the Purchasing Agents Association of GA.
He was a member of the Military Order of World Wars, the World War II Roundtable, the
Citadel Club of Atlanta, The Palestine Lodge#486 and the Kiwanis Club of Atlanta. He was an
active member of the Druid Hills Golf Club for many years and was a Life Member with 70
years of membership at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
In addition to his parents, Clarence was preceded in death by his beloved wife, after 60 years
of marriage, Florrie Yarbrough Bryan Irwin.
He is survived by their four daughters, Susan Irwin Grills (Dennis), Laura Irwin Rogers (Terry), Dr. Nancy Irwin Weiss (Don) and Mary Irwin Spearman (Brad); grandchildren, Melissa
James (Derek), Courtney Evans (Joe), Leslie Bacon (Tripp), Nathan Rhodes, Lindsey Rhodes,
and Taylor Spearman; three great grandsons and two great granddaughters; and his very dear
friend, Mary Ann Minyard.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made, in memory of Clarence Irwin, to: The
Boy Scouts of America, Troop 48, 416 Rhododendron Lane, Sautee, GA 30571; The USO, P.O.
Box 20963, Atlanta, GA 30320; Hospice of Northeast Georgia Medical Center, 2250 Limestone
Parkway, Suite 222, Gainesville, GA 30501.
Graveside services were held 11:00 am Wednesday, February 11, 2015, at Floral Hills Memory Gardens 3000 Lawrenceville Hwy, Tucker GA 30084, with Dr. Phil DeMore officiating and full
military honors provided by the Georgia National Guard. A celebration followed at the Atlanta
Athletic Club
An online guest register is available and may be viewed at www.mcgaheegriffinandstewart.
com. McGahee-Griffin & Stewart Funeral Home of Cornelia was in charge
In
WEEK
local news
Pictures
Page 11A
DeKalb History Center Executive Director Melissa Forgey and Steen Miles flank
Brawley with his award.
23
Dr. Otis Brawley with Champion co-publisher Dr. Earl D. Glenn. Photos by Travis Hudgons
E-mail us at DCTV@DeKalbCountyGA.gov
local news
Page 12A
local
Page 13A
District 5.
After nearly three min-
IT DOESNT
TAKE
A
GENIUS
TO KNOW THAT WHEN YOU PLAY,
Its elementary, actually. See, every time you play the Lottery,
youre helping our kids get one step closer to their dreams.
For over 20 years the Georgia Lottery has contributed more
than $16 billion to education. On top of that, more than 1.7
million HOPE scholars have gone to college and more than
1.3 million four-year-olds have attended a Lottery-funded
Pre-K Program. Add those numbers up and, well, lets just say
thats a hair-raising number of happy kids.
Saved at
GLO_GEN_M5_7855_TC_O.indd
DEPARTMENT:
Art Director
Copywriter
Acct. Manager
Studio Artist
1-21-2015 11:38 AM
Proofreader
Printed At None
Traffic
Production
Education
Page 14A
Accrediting consultants
approve DeKalb schools
by Ashley Oglesby
ashley@dekalbchamp.com
To qualify for HOPE scholarships, students must attend
schools accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and
Schools or the Georgia Accrediting Commission (GAC).
On Jan. 24-26 Georgia Accrediting Commission Consultant Robert Boyd and his team
visited all 23 DeKalb County
high schools and gave an exit report at the Feb. 2 Board of Education meeting.
We found them to be very
well organized when we got
down to checking the standards
and documentation. The documentation was outstanding,
Boyd said.
Boyd added, We even
checked restrooms last week.
We did not find a single dirty,
filthy, restroom.
Boyd and his team of consultants will send their reports to
the Georgia Accrediting Commission board meeting, scheduled for the first weekend in
March. Boyd said he anticipates
every high school in DCSD will
be approved for full accreditation.
The GAC is an independent agency that is governed
by a board of elected educators
who have an interest in education in Georgia. Membership of
the governing board represents
teachers, instructional supervisors, school administrators,
regional educational service
agency personnel, Georgia Department of Education personnel and college personnel who
are responsible for the preparation of teachers and other professional educators.
The agency aims to establish standards for instruction
of children in Georgia and to
encourage schools to meet the
established standards.
Georgia Accrediting Commission Consultant Robert Boyd reports on the quality of DeKalb County
Schools that he visited.
DeKalb County Board of Education members receive praise from and accrediting agency about the
conditions of schools.
TheChampion
local news
Page 15A
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NOTICEOFPUBLICHEARING
NoticeisherebygivenbytheCityofDoravilleCityCouncilthataPublicHearingonthefollowingitemwillbeheld
bytheDoravilleCityCouncilintheCouncilChamberlocatedat3725ParkAvenue,Doraville,Georgiaonthe
followingdate:
CityCouncilMeeting
Monday,March2,2015
6:30p.m.
ApplicationfortheSpecialAreaPlanunderArticleXXLivableCommunityFormBasedCodeforthesiteformerly
knownastheGeneralMotorsDoravilleAssemblyPlantasshownontheCityofDoravilleZoningMapasSpecial
District1(SD1)andsoidentifiedontheRegulatingPlanoftheLivableCommunityFormBasedCode(LCC)ArticleXX.
Saidpropertybeingcommonlyreferredtoas3900MotorsIndustrialWay,CityofDoraville,Georgia.
NOTICEOFPUBLICHEARING
NoticeisherebygivenbytheCityofDoravilleCityCouncilthataPublicHearingonthe
followingitemwillbeheldbytheDoravilleCityCouncilintheCouncilChamberlocatedat3725
ParkAvenue,Doraville,Georgiaonthefollowingdate:
CityCouncilMeeting
Monday,March2,2015
6:30p.m.
TextAmendmenttoCityofDoravilleCodeSection23911M1LightManufacturingtodelete
therestrictiononthemanufacture,bottling,andcanningofalcoholicbeverages.
NOTICEOFPUBLICHEARING
NoticeisherebygivenbytheCityofDoravilleCityCouncilthataPublicHearingonthefollowingitem
willbeheldbytheDoravilleCityCouncilintheCouncilChamberlocatedat3725ParkAvenue,Doraville,
Georgiaonthefollowingdate:
CityCouncilMeeting
Monday,March2,2015
6:30p.m.
Applicationforaconditionalusepermittoconducttaxpreparationandfilingservicesat5187Buford
Highway,Suite68.
Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030
404.378.8000
www.DeKalbChamber.org
Sports
Page 17A
Druid Hills wrestling coach Shannon Miller reached a milestone Jan. 20 when he got his 500th win. Photo
provided
DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann reads to a fifth grade class. Photos by
Carla Parker
Sports
Page 18A
Cedar Grove had 12 football players to sign on National Signing Day. Photo by Carla Parker
PO NAME
SCHOOL
COLLEGE
QB
Jakobi Meyers
Arabia Mountain North Carolina State
DE
Theodore Eboigbe
Arabia Mountain Kent State
LB
Dante Ferguson
Arabia Mountain Tennessee State
DB
Yaquarri Adams
Arabia Mountain Air Force
WR Camiel Grant
Arabia Mountain Mercer
WR Joseph Comer
Cedar Grove
Reedly College
DE
Gus Cumberlander
Cedar Grove
Oregon
DB
Christopher Fredrick
Cedar Grove
Syracuse
OL
Darius Goodwin
Cedar Grove
Virginia Union
CB
Adrian Green
Cedar Grove
Ferris State
WR Eric Hall
Cedar Grove
Pierce College
DL
Quentez Johnson
Cedar Grove
North Carolina State
LB
Keenan Kelly
Cedar Grove
Hampton
OL
Marquez McNeil
Cedar Grove
Coffeyville CC
DE
Devin Thurmond
Cedar Grove
Hampton
LB
Ramone Ward
Cedar Grove
Jackson State
WR Terrence Williams
Cedar Grove
Jyree Prep
QB
Andre Brown
Columbia Indiana
LB
Shadell Bell
Columbia Clemson
OL
Derrick Simmons
Columbia
Savannah State
DB
DVautrey Love
Columbia
Albany State
RB
Brandon Kemp
Columbia
Valtosta State
DB
Antonio Manson
Columbia
Fort Scott CC
WR Armond Davis
Columbia
College of Sequoias
WR Michael Scott
Columbia
Apprentice School
DL
McNeal Marcello
Columbia
Apprentice School
LB
Demetrius Harris
Decatur
Carson Newman College
LB Demetrius Cooley
Decatur
Eastern Arizona JC
QB Devontae Carter
Decatur
Mesabi Range JC
CB Andre Young
Decatur
St. Augustines University
RB
Elijah Rachell
Decatur
Maryville College
DB
Trevino Huff
Druid Hills
Atlanta Sports Prep
OL
Riley Gessner
Dunwoody Furman
OL
Nick Buchanan Dunwoody Florida
LB
Matthew Nathan
Dunwoody
Dickinson College
OL Michael Horton Lakeside Auburn
RB Kellyen Walker Lakeside Army
RB
Jozahan Carter
Lithonia
Brevard College
OL
Temitayo Salam
Lithonia
Brevard College
OL
Castavious Felton Lithonia Methodist
DL
Jordan ONeal
Lithonia
Apprentice School
DL
Natarius Cowan
Lithonia
Arkansas Baptist
DL
Marquavious Latner
Lithonia
Arkansas Baptist
WR Khalil Jackson
Lithonia
Arkansas Baptist
LB
Terez Hall
M.L. King Jr.
Missouri
OL
Kwan Stallworth
M.L. King Jr.
Murray State
WR Ravarius Rivers
M.L. King Jr.
Valdosta State
RB
Robert Pritchett
M.L. King Jr.
Southern
LB
Donovan Goodwin
M.L. King Jr.
LaGrange
DL
Marty Graves
M.L. King Jr.
Missouri Baptist
TE
Blaire Ware
M.L. King Jr.
Savannah State
FB Ian Gipson
Marist
Washington & Lee
OL Sage Hardin
Marist
Georgia
DE Kenneth Brinson
Marist
Army
RB
Meco Jackson
Miller Grove
Grambling State
QB
Jonathan Mitchell
Miller Grove
Missouri Southern
LB
Curtis Woods
Miller Grove
West Georgia
LB
Devante Griffin
Miller Grove
Tusculum
DL
Justin Swift
Miller Grove
Arkansas Baptist
WR Jerrico Carmichael
Miller Grove
Arkansas Baptist
OT
Andrew Brantley
Miller Grove
Arkansas Baptist
DE
Jeremiah Jordan
Redan
Limestone College
OL
Zechariah Bradford
SW DeKalb
St. Augustine
DL
Montavius Coleman
SW DeKalb
Virginia Union
WR Jacoby Riley
SW DeKalb
Grambling State
LB
Brandon Wiggs
SW DeKalb
Grambling State
DB
Abdur-Rahman Yasin
SW DeKalb
Presbyterian
DE
Gabriel Richardson
SW DeKalb
Hutchinson CC
DE
Chauncey Rivers Stephenson Georgia
WR Dexter Neal
Stephenson
South Carolina
WR Isaiah Zuber
Stephenson
Kansas State
DB
Desmond Bowles
Stephenson
Garden City CC
RB
Kassiem Tillman Stephenson Reinhardt
DB
Nekyle Lundie
Stephenson
Garden City CC
QB
Dewann Ford
Stephenson
South Carolina State
DB
Daron Bowles
Stephenson
Garden City CC
LB
Steven Roberts
Stephenson
Antelope Valley CC
DB
Rick Moredock
Stephenson
Antelope Valley CC
RB
Ivonte Patterson
Stephenson
Garden City CC
LB
Dareus Brown
Stephenson
Garden City CC
RB
Cortese Logan
Stephenson Reinhardt
DL
Christian Johnson
Stephenson
Delaware State
OL
Austin Sanders
Stephenson
Mississippi Valley
OL
Javon Barnes
Stephenson
Delaware State
OL
Octwan Roebuck
Stephenson
Antelope Valley CC
OL
Christien Poole
Towers
Fayetteville State
LB
Rayquan Hope-Evans
Towers
Brevard College
DL
Jonathan Ledbetter Tucker
Georgia
LB
Elijah Sullivan
Tucker
Kansas State
DB
Yaquis Shelley
Tucker
Kansas State
RB
Delvin Weems Tucker Marshall
DB
John Brooks
Tucker
Mississippi Valley
DB
Anton Coleman
Tucker
Georgia Military
LB
Courtland Rogers
Tucker
Iowa Western
DE
Maurice Williams
Tucker
Georgia Military
Sports
Page 19A
Stephenson Head Football Coach Ron Gartrell addresses the crowd during Stephensons National Signing Day ceremony.
Tucker defensive lineman Jonathan Ledbetter (left), who signed to Georgia, talks
to reporters as his mother looks on.
Tucker Head Football Coach Bryan Lama (center) with all the Tucker signees.
Middle school
basketball
semifinals
Sports
Page 20A