a
'I knew my civil rights had been violated'
Graham Evatt arrested during “Stop Cop City” protest in downtown Atlanta on Saturday, Jan. 21, 2023.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Resident arrested during ‘Cop City’ protest sues the city of Atlanta
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — Graham Evatt stood before a Fulton County Magistrate Judge in January 2023 while a prosecutor accused him of being the ringleader behind a rowdy protest in Atlanta.
Evatt grew up in Decatur. His local
roots were the only evidence the prosecutor offered when asking the judge not to grant him a bond. He stood accused of numerous felonies, including arson and domestic terrorism, stemming from his involvement in the Jan. 21, 2023 protest against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, called “Cop City” by activists.
“We submit that he was actually maybe one of the primary organizers since he is local, judge, and a lot of the other defendants are not,” the prosecutor said. “So judge, we submit that there is a high likelihood that he will reoffend. ”
See SUIT, Page 20
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EDITOR’S NOTE
Truth Classic
DAN WHISENHUNT Editor dan@appenmedia.com
Dear reader, Lately, I’ve been wrestling with a conundrum.
I’m a journalist by training. My job is to report and interpret a set of agreed-upon facts we call the truth. Sometimes, I fail at my job by over-editorializing or getting the facts wrong. But my pursuit of those commonly agreed-upon facts continues.
But, since November, I’ve reexamined why I’m chasing them.
It is strange to be an arbiter of truth in an era when the truth matters so little and yet so much. Before the advent of social media and the internet, the truth was a well from which we all drank. News outlets were where a thirsty public gathered.
The truth isn’t so much a well nowadays as a bottled water brand. We’re selling the truth as we old-school reporter types used to define it. I’ll call it Truth Classic, where the sky is blue, up is up, down is down and the well water is wet. If you like that brand of truth, you’re now a niche consumer and we are a niche producer of what you consume.
The newspaper you’re reading now is called Decaturish Ink. It’s a newspaper over a decade in the making, a product made possible by the support of people who paid for local news without expecting anything in return but the promise of a steady supply of Truth Classic.
We are happy to provide it, but like any product, ours has a warning label: We will probably make you mad at some point. Come to think of it, we’re going to make all of you mad at least once. I’m the editor of this thing and even make myself mad occasionally. Because, let’s face it, Truth Classic sucks. It’s not the version of reality we want. It’s the version in which we currently reside. Our infrastructure is slowly crumbling, the planet is on fire
and we’re entering a golden age of graft. We’ve lived through many reckonings in recent years. We’re living through another one right now. As a journalist, I ask myself what facts even mean in America 2025. How can we hold our local politicians accountable in a country where the most powerful politicians can’t be held accountable?
The world is an imperfect place run by imperfect people, some more imperfect than others. Some of us strive to improve our world through our current political system. Some people want everything to burn to the ground and profit from it. At present, team “Burn It” appears to be winning.
And as I watch the fire, I wonder if things can get better. Is this quarrelsome country capable of positive change when we can't agree on what that means?
I don’t know the answer, but I think it’s important to figure it out. The Decaturish Team − Me, Zoe Seiler and Jim Bass − thinks it's important.
It starts with local news. We believe a community newspaper can shape that community in some small way. Our business goals are ambitious. DeKalb County has nearly 800,000 people living in it, more than enough to sustain a publication. We are starting with a paper devoted to a sliver of it, but my eye is always toward expansion and growing our audience. That’s why I’ve reorganized the beats with a larger audience in mind, covering local schools and county government. Both are important and affect thousands, including many who are not receiving this paper. Yet.
We’ll see how it plays out. Newspapers are buffeted by the same economic winds as any business. But our town's faith in our humble publication took Decaturish further than I imagined. I will continue on this path as long as I can, relentlessly pursuing whatever amounts to the truth these days.
Decaturish Ink and Decaturish.com will provide helpful, timely information to the optimists left among us. To our growing ranks of pessimists, we’ll help you navigate
this hopelessly dysfunctional world with the best information available. We’ll also provide plenty of interesting local news to distract from our current national dumpster fire.
And to those of us somewhere in between, holding a half-full and half-empty glass: Welcome. Your humble and grateful community news editor counts himself among you.
We promise to sell Truth Classic with fidelity and impartiality. Though we are socially progressive, we will take to task any politician in any party at any level of government who abuses their position. Having a D, R, or I next to your name will not protect you from our scrutiny.
To the extent we have any biases, it’s toward the powerless and against the powerful. But we will not discount any reasonable idea out of hand, no matter who proposes it, and will give any good-faith argument fair consideration. We will always strive toward civility in our commentary when our voice is needed while acknowledging that sometimes passionate disagreement can get the best of anyone.
We will not platform bigotry or knowingly launder lies in newsprint. We will never forget that the readers are the people we serve and that our mission is to give them a community newspaper they can be proud of.
To longtime readers who have supported us for years, this first edition of Decaturish Ink is dedicated to you and your trust in us. It’s my way of thanking you for uplifting my family and me when we needed it most. Without you, this publication you’re now holding would not exist, and I hope it’s a well that will continue to nurture our community long after I’m gone.
I’m not expecting Decaturish to fix the world, but I believe our community paper can be an objective force for good that can improve our corner of it. I hope our informed readers will play a role in making it happen.
Now that we’ve reintroduced ourselves, let’s get to work.
– Dano Dan Whisenhunt, editor and founder
City of Decatur raises sanitation fees for 2025
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — Decatur residents will see a $40 increase in their sanitation fee this year. The Decatur City Commission set the sanitation fees for the year during its meeting on March 3.
Reserve funds were allocated in Fiscal Year 2023-2024 and this fiscal year to balance the solid waste fund budget, but those reserves are depleting. City Manager Andrea Arnold said that without a fee increase, there could be no reserves available as early as next fiscal year.
The residential fee increased from $310 to $350 per unit annually.
“After careful review of the Solid Waste Division budget and operation, the recommended fee for residential sanitation services will support the collection of household pay-as-you-throw garbage, yard waste, commingled recycling, separate glass collection services and the pilot composting program,” Assistant Public Works Director Sean Woodson said.
The estimated revenue from residential fees and pay-as-you-throw bag sales is about $2.8 million.
"This fee should fully cover the cost of providing the residential sanitation and recycling services,” Woodson said. “Cur -
Hi, I’m Zoe Seiler and I report on the city of Decatur and DeKalb County. If you have any story tips or ideas please contact me at zoe@appenmedia.com
rent trends continue to show a rise in the cost of consumables needed in providing solid waste services, such as the price of fuel, vehicle parts and supplies.”
Recycling is included in the sanitation fee as well.
“The city of Decatur recycling program includes cardboard, paper, plastics bottles and jugs, metal and glass collected separately,” Woodson said. “Currently, material recovery facilities are accepting commingled recyclables that include plastics #1 and #2.”
The sanitation fee represents an estimated $219 per ton of recycled materials collected. The city's recycling facility increased its tipping fee from $60 to $70 per ton. The city’s monthly average is 150 tons of recyclables collected.
Glass will continue to be collected separately.
“The current recycled glass agreement continues to include a $20 per ton revenue,” Woodson said. “The average monthly collection of recycled glass for the City of Decatur is approximately 40 tons per month.”
The price of the pay-as-you-throw bags increased as well.
"The increases range from $1.40 to $1.70 for the 33-gallon (blue) bag; 70 cents to 80 cents for the 5-gallon (yellow) bag; and, 40 cents to 45 cents for the 8-gallon (green) bag," Woodson said.
The cost of commercial garbage collection has also increased. The cubic yard charge was adjusted from $4.25 to $4.75 per cubic yard.
The charge for collecting 95-gallon carts increased from $800 to $960 for one cart once per week, and the charge for collecting 3 cubic yard containers increased from $1,210 to $1,450 for one container serviced once weekly. Woodson said the total estimated revenue from commercial collections is $600,536.
During the meeting, City Manager Andrea Arnold gave an overview of the revenue and expenditures in the solid waste fund.
In FY23-24, expenditures were $3.6 million, and revenue was $2.9 million. About $648,000 of retained earnings, or reserves from the fund balance, was used to balance the budget.
“That was where, in the memo [attached to the agenda], Mr. Woodson talked about the decrease in our net position from $1.4 million to $805,000,” Arnold said.
The adopted FY24-25 budget anticipates about $3.5 million in expenditures and $3.1 million in revenue, and $350,000 of reserves will be used.
The FY25-26 budget is being developed, but Arnold said the preliminary budget includes a 2.5 percent salary increase for staff and no other changes to the solid waste fund.
If there are no fee changes and the retained earnings continue to be over $540,000, expenses would be about $3.5 million, and revenue is anticipated to be $2.9 million.
“At some point, it could be as soon as 25-26, there would be no retained earnings to use to balance the budget,” Arnold said.
The fee changes and the pay-asyou-throw bag price increase would bring in about $412,000, so in FY25-26, the reserve funds used could be about $130,000.
“Even with all of this, with this recommendation, if the numbers do play out, it’s still showing some use of the retained earnings, but it certainly does slow down that spend,” Arnold said.
She added that city staff will also examine expenditures and ways to cut costs. The largest expenditures in the solid waste fund are salaries, the county’s tipping fee, equipment maintenance, and gasoline.
Student achievement improves during superintendent's first year
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — Growing up in Philadelphia, Gyimah Whitaker often found herself teaching her dolls and the neighborhood kids at her grandmother’s house. That led her to become a teacher, and that career path led to her becoming the superintendent of City Schools of Decatur.
The Decatur School Board hired Whitaker in June 2023 and, last year, extended her contract through June 2027. She came to Decatur from Fulton County Schools, where she was the deputy chief academic officer.
Whitaker initially wanted to be a pediatric physician, since she’s fond of children. She started as a premed major at the University of Pennsylvania. After talking to her grandmother, who said, "Baby, you're supposed to be a teacher,” she switched majors.
Whitaker knows the impact an educator can have on a student’s life. She previously told WABE that when she was a teenager, her mother was murdered. One of her teachers, however, encouraged her to take a different path in life.
“At my core, I am a teacher who evolved into a leader. For more than two decades, I have worked diligently to improve access
to excellence in education and create sustainable outcomes for every student,” Whitaker said at the State of the Schools address in 2024.
When Whitaker was hired, the school board charged her with addressing literacy, interventions and closing the achievement gap for Black students.
CSD has focused on equity work and improving student outcomes, particularly for Black students. The equity department's goal is to close the achievement gap for marginalized students, but outcomes haven’t improved for several years. Within Whitaker’s first year as superintendent, those student outcomes improved.
“We’re closing that gap,” Whitaker said. “Closing the gap does not mean that our white students are dropping. It means that we are looking at how in which we accelerate the learning for our Black students.”
Closing gaps on the College and Career Readiness Index looks at how students progress in achieving performance targets. In elementary school, Black students scored 53.35 in English language arts in 2023 and that rose to 63 in 2024. White students scored 100 in 2023 and 2024 in the same category.
See WHITAKER, Page 19
City Schools of Decatur Superintendent Dr.
and their families arriving for the first day of the 2024-2025 school year at Beacon Hill Middle School on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Gyimah Whitaker greets students
DECATUR
City commission amends noise ordinance to create universal sound level
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — The Decatur City Commission, at its March 3 meeting, amended the noise ordinance to limit the hours landscape equipment and generators can be used, and create a universal sound level.
The unanimous approval of the noise ordinance was met with enthusiasm and cheers, as residents in attendance applauded.
Noise can be 65 decibels at most between 7 a.m. to 10 p.m., and 60 decibels from 10 p.m. to 7 a.m.
“All noise is measured from a stationary point at the property line of the offending noise,” Operations Analyst Langston Leake said.
Generators will be limited between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m., except for during a power outage.
Landscape equipment cannot be used before 7 a.m. or after 9 p.m. on weekdays, or before 9 a.m. and after 5 p.m. on weekends.
In response to a question during public comment, Leake noted that landscaping could be used between 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. if the noise is 65 decibels at most.
“It would essentially be barred during those overnight hours between 10 p.m. and 7 a.m.,” Leake said before the evening
ZOE SEILER/APPEN MEDIA
Decatur City Commissioner Lesa Mayer, Mayor Patti Garrett, City Manager Andrea Arnold, and Commissioners Kelly Walsh and George Dusenbury discussed the noise ordinance and sanitation fees during the city commission meeting on March 3, 2025, at City Hall.
time was changed to 9 p.m. “This matches other specific enumerated categories of noise such as yelling and hooting, noisy vehicles, those types of things are limited in the existing noise ordinance.”
The city staff recommended limiting the use of landscape equipment to before 7 a.m. or after 10 p.m. Commissioners were concerned that 10 p.m. was too late and adjusted the time to 9 p.m.
These changes will go into effect on July 1.
The city held public engagement sessions during the amendment process to get feedback from residents.
"The feedback collected from this public engagement indicated a general lack of awareness of the existing noise ordinance, increased concern about daytime noise in residential areas and a lack of coverage for certain specific types of noise," Operations Analyst Langston Leake said.
City staff also found that the sound levels based on land use categories were ineffective as it was out-of-date with the zoning categories
There are exemptions for city or county contractors, activities at schools or other learning centers, and groups, events or activities that have a permit from the city.
Several residents at the meeting urged the city commission to adopt the amended noise ordinance.
“This has been a work in progress by me personally for about 15 months, but by others going back about four years,” Mike Barcik said. “Thank you for all the work you’ve been doing on this and thank you to the staff. Please help us get it across the finish for my sanity and for others.”
“What Mike said,” another resident added.
Tony Fiore said he strongly supports the guidelines during daytime hours and encouraged the city to be careful about the exemption for city and county workers.
“I don’t know how exactly one could make it more restrictive, but those are
sometimes some of the loudest things,” Fiore said. “If there’s an approval process or some kind of oversight that could be included in the ordinance or in the execution of the ordinance, that would be useful.”
David Holcomb also encouraged the city officials and others to take into consideration that living in a city means living with noise.
“I understand people get upset about hearing noises but just take into account that we live in a city,” Holcomb said. “We live close to each other and I don’t see that changing.”
In other business:
• The city commission extended the hours of the open container districts.
The open container districts allow individuals to drink alcohol off-premise from a restaurant. The hours were 11 a.m. to midnight, Thursday through Sunday in the downtown, West Ponce, Old Depot, East College, West College and Oakhurst business districts.
The amendment extended the hours to 11 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Sunday, every day.
• The city commission approved an easement to Comcast Cable Communications Management, LLC to provide broadband and other communications services to phase two of the South Housing Village at Legacy Park.
If I can bring a smile to somebody's face and they walk out happy that they were here, again it's a win-win.
PAUL BEALL, owner, Monkey Arm Art Gallery
New gallery displays vintage art, acts as 'mini museum'
By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — For art collector Paul Beall, owner of Monkey Arm Art Gallery, the frames covering his new gallery walls don’t just hold artwork; they also carry the story behind it.
Decatur’s newest art gallery opened its doors to the community in November. The gallery features more than 150 paintings, many drawings, and several original prints spread throughout the building.
Paul Beall opened the new gallery, located at 107 N. McDonough Street, to act as a permanent home to display and sell vintage artworks that he and his wife, Denice Beall, have collected over the course of 25 years.
They purchased the 1920s-era building in late 2022 initially as an investment to renovate and lease out as office space. Denice, co-owner of local residential construction company 360 Construction, led the renovation project on the building, which previously sat in disrepair.
After weighing their options, the couple decided to turn it into Monkey Arm last year. Now, it serves as both a gallery and a “mini-museum” with artworks spanning many styles, origins, and eras, primarily from the mid-century period.
“He is definitely a historian of sorts…” Denice Beall said. “For almost every piece in there, he has a story to tell about it. I love the fact that there's so many artists who weren't even necessarily known or appreciated, now he can bring them into some light.”
Paul had 13 years of prior law experience and implemented those research skills into learning about each piece. Across the many artworks on display, Paul can offer a plethora of stories to anyone who wants to listen.
“One of the reasons why I wanted to open the gallery is because I love sharing the information with people and interacting with them,” Paul Beall said. “I like sitting here waiting for people to come in, and if they give me the opportunity to geek out with them, then it's a win-win for me.”
Paul previously rented booths at events including Paris and Ponce, West Side Market and The Modernists before opening Monkey Arm and has primarily relied on word of mouth and foot traffic to get clients and observers to visit.
Beall,
Among the many paintings in Monkey Arm, each has a background, including a William Langdon Kihn painting featured in 1947 Women’s Daily Magazine, artwork from Loretta Young’s estate, and a piece from the late Agnes Scott College art professor
Ferdinand E. Warren.
Paul holds the clients who purchase his artworks in high regard and finds importance in not just transferring the art but passing on their stories with them.
“I like to call my clients guardians of the paintings instead of owners because I believe that they don’t own the pieces so much as guard the pieces and protect it for the next generation,” Paul Beall said.
JIM BASS/APPEN MEDIA
Paul
owner of Monkey Arm Art Gallery, poses inside of the gallery at 107 N McDonough St in Decatur, Georgia on Feb. 17. Monkey Arm opened its doors in November and has over 150 paintings on display.
Gallery:
Continued from Page 8
The couple's passion for learning each piece’s story is one of several reasons why they like collecting vintage instead of contemporary artwork.
“Instead of being compressed in time, as contemporary art is, where you only see something about 20 or 30 years of what has been going on in the art world, collecting vintage [allows] you to see what's been going on for much longer,” Paul Beall said.
The couple believes that the gallery fills the need for a vintage art gallery alongside the contemporary galleries currently in Decatur and could be another step to help grow the city’s art community.
“I would love for people to know that they don't have to go online. They don't have to pay outrageous prices at high-end galleries in New York,” Paul Beall said. “They can get very good art here at home.”
Monkey Arm Art Gallery is open from Noon to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday, and appointments are available on Saturday and Sunday. With a small chalkboard sign indicating the gallery’s location, Paul hopes that anyone who stops by to shop or admire enjoys their visit.
“If I can bring a smile to somebody's face and they walk out happy that they were here, again it's a win-win. It's just great,“ Paul Beall said.
JIM BASS/APPEN MEDIA
A William Langdon Kihn painting hangs inside of the gallery at 107 N McDonough St in Decatur, Georgia on Feb. 17. Monkey Arm opened its doors in November and has over 150 paintings on display.
DeKalb Schools bought office space for $6.5 million, but expenses remain
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The DeKalb County School Board infuriated many parents when a decision to spend $6.5 million on more office space came to light in February.
The building may need repairs costing $1 million or more, district officials confirmed to Decaturish. Records provided by the district raise questions about the condition of the 86,480-square-foot, four-story building, which has been vacant since 2022.
In November, the board purchased the former Kroger office property at 2175 Parklake Drive with little public discussion. The district has been telling the community for months that it won’t have enough money to pay for long-awaited school construction projects.
Following the public outcry, the district said the “one-time” purchase of the Parklake Drive building came from reserves, not from the accounts used to pay for school construction projects.
The purchase wasn’t on the agenda in November but was noted in the meeting minutes published afterward. It only became public when a newly elected board member, Awet Eyasu, posted about it on social media. DeKalb County Schools of-
ficials have admitted they didn’t publicize the purchase when it happened in November.
“[DeKalb County School District] acknowledges that stakeholders were not adequately informed at the time of purchase and regrets the oversight,” the school district said in a statement published on Feb. 10, following Decaturish.com’s initial story. “In the future, we will share all completed real estate transactions on the District’s website and through its various communication channels.”
The district said the search for more administrative office space began in the summer of 2023. The property came to the district’s attention in an old-fashioned way.
“This particular building was brought to our attention by simply driving by it and [seeing a] ‘For Sale’ sign,” a spokesperson for the district said. “That information was shared with the broker who, along with other properties, began to research this property.” The district’s real estate advisory services contractor is DTSpade. The company provides the district with services that include property appraisals, assessments, valuations, brokerage and disposals.
The district spokesperson said the search for more office space began in 2023, when Superintendent Devon Horton started working for the district. The district did not say whether Horton's initiatives
prompted the building purchase, but one of Horton's first actions in office was creating more than 50 new central office positions at an expense of $10 million.
The spokesperson said the district’s central office, called the Administrative and Instructional Complex, had 593 employees in 2023. In 2024, that number grew to 848. Another district office, known as the East DeKalb Campus, had 303 employees in 2023 and 245 in 2024.
At the same time, district enrollment was declining. In 2016, the county schools had more than 100,000 students. Currently, the district has about 92,000 students.
A review of the records related to the purchase shows that the vacant building has experienced an unknown amount of water damage, requires a new hot water boiler, and potentially has some issues with its roofing.
Records show that while the district claimed in its Feb. 10 statement that its current office space on Mountain Industrial Boulevard is 50 years old, that figure appears incorrect. A 2016 assessment of the property notes it was built in 1988, making it 37 years old. It was last renovated in 2010, according to the assessment. The Kroger building on Parklake Drive was built in 1976, making it nearly 50 years old. The district did not respond to a follow-up question about this dis-
Big hearts,Good work
crepancy.
In response to questions about the purchase, the district said it began improving the building after it was purchased.
A spokesperson said that the district’s in-house maintenance team or contractors would make the improvements. The immediate repairs include fixing the paint, flooring, lighting, and purchasing a “variety of furniture.” That cost is not expected to exceed $1 million.
However, other expected upgrades would include converting the office “to DCSD building automation standards such as HVAC controls, network integrations and other security equipment.” The district did not provide a cost estimate for those projects.
The property appraisal report noted that the Parklake Drive building “recently experienced a plumbing issue that resulted in water damage.”
“We were not provided with budgets for repair and have relied upon the extraordinary assumption that the repairs were done properly and with good craftsmanship,” the appraiser wrote.
Due to the damage, the appraiser deducted $15,000 from the building’s estimated value, which the appraiser said was about $6.3 million. It’s unclear why
See OFFICE, Page 11
Award-winning art educator opens Avondale Estates studio
By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com
AVONDALE ESTATES, Ga — Award-winning artist and educator Susan Krause has added another accomplishment to her list: She opened Blue Merle Studio in Avondale Estates on Jan. 3.
Krause graduated with a master's degree from Yale University in 1989, served as the former Chair of Sculpture at SCAD, and won Georgia's Higher Education Art Educator of the Year in 2012.
Despite enjoying her 15-year tenure at SCAD, Krause wanted to expand her teaching to more than college students. She looked to help teach professionals and older artists who don’t get as much support as kids do with art classes.
“I really love it when somebody comes to me at potentially 50 and says, ‘I've been a doctor my whole life, but I have always been a creative person.’ [I love] being able to facilitate that in a different demographic, ” Krause said.
In 2018, Krause began teaching classes at Cherrylion Studios in Atlanta. After starting with a class of 15 students, the number grew over time to about 75 students. Krause felt motivated to start her own studio, and through a connection to Little Trees Art Studios, she found herself in Avondale Estates.
“We're just kicking it off and totally psyched to be here," Krause said. “This is the grooviest neighborhood. I am in love with this neighborhood.”
Office:
Continued from Page 10
the school district paid slightly more for the building than the appraiser said it was worth.
The district provided an environmental review of the property that did not cover whether asbestos or mold was present in the building. The U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration requires certain work practices when renovating buildings that contain asbestos. When asked whether these reports exist, the district pointed to the environmental report it provided.
“If not, present, then in-house staff conducted the ‘inspection’ during the due diligence period,” the district’s spokesperson said.
The roof assessment report provided to the district also revealed issues the board
Krause, her husband Steve Jarvis, and artist Margaret Dyer are the three art teachers who make up the studio. Jarvis teaches some sculpture and metal fabrication classes, and Dyer teaches oil painting and pastels every Monday.
Blue Merle Studios offers multiple classes at varying prices, including eightweek courses in drawing, painting, and several different sculpting types, which is Krause’s specialty.
“I have looked, there is nobody teaching a variety of doable sculptural practices for people who don't want to paint or draw,” Krause said. “So I'm really hoping that this takes off, and more people will have the wonderful experience of working with clay and stone… the three of us are kicking this off, and hopefully we'll be able to grow it."
Krause has been doing community outreach to get acquainted with the Avondale community and hopes to start setting up at future events to increase their involvement further.
The studio also offers special events, including “chick night,” where Krause brought in her own chicks and hens for people to learn how to draw moving animals. She plans to bring goats and piglets in the future.
may have to address. The inspector found that the insulation on the roof may be wet.
The inspector recommended an infrared survey to identify any areas of damp insulation that need replacing.
It’s unclear whether the district conducted an infrared survey. The district could not provide a copy of one.
“Please refer to the roofing inspection report previously submitted,” a district spokesperson said. “If not, present, then in-house staff conducted the ‘inspection’ during the due diligence period.”
The district gave a similar answer when asked if it had external inspection reports for the HVAC system and any assessments about the extent of the water damage to the building.
The district says staff relocation to the building is expected to begin this summer.
Decaturish readers Tracy Brisson and Dori Kleber contributed to the research used in this report.
JIM BASS/DECATURISH
Artist and teacher Susan Krause poses inside Blue Merle Studio.
Hundreds attend Oakhurst Wine Crawl
By DEAN HESSE dean@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — Hundreds of people sampled more than 100 wines at participating restaurants and businesses during the Oakhurst Wine Crawl in Decatur on Saturday, March 8. Originated by an Oakhurst business owner in 2001, the Wine Crawl has grown over the years and since 2023 has been the exclusive source of funding for Oakhurst Porchfest.
— Photos by Dean Hesse
Wine aficionados pose for a photo during the annual Oakhurst Wine Crawl in Decatur on Saturday, March 8.
People gather at Harmony Park in Decatur for the annual Oakhurst Wine Crawl on Saturday, March 8.
Craig Gibbons, Ashley Collom and Vivian Hase in front of Oakhurst Market with their souvenir glasses during the annual Oakhurst Wine Crawl in Decatur on Saturday, March 8.
Pourer’s Grant and Pam Davis with Jennifer Martwick (right) at Paolino Italian Restaurant & Gelateria during the annual Oakhurst Wine Crawl in Decatur on Saturday, March 8.
Mead Road Mardi Gras celebrates 20 years
By DEAN HESSE dean@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — The good times rolled in Decatur’s Oakhurst community on March 1 as Mead Road Mardi Gras celebrated its 20th anniversary with its annual parade of colorful krewes from city schools, families and community groups.
Founded in 2005 by Emily and Dave Berg as a neighborhood gathering, Mead Road Mardi Gras has grown into a nonprofit fundraiser for the Decatur Education Foundation with funds supporting arts and music education in City Schools of Decatur.
Erin Hinek and Katie Bauman took over leadership of the event in 2024 with a new board elected last summer.
Every year, the parade features krewes from Decatur schools, families and community groups. The one-mile route ends at The Imperial with a festival showcasing live bands, food and Mardi Gras merchandise.
BEHIND THE PHOTOS: Photographer Dean Hesse grew up in Decatur and lives in Stone Mountain. He began his career as a stringer covering events for the DeKalb News/Sun in the 1990s and attended the Southeastern Center for the Arts Professional Photography Program. He worked in a photo lab as a custom black & white printer for wedding and portrait photographers. His work has appeared in local and national consumer and trade publications. Dean can be reached at dean@appenmedia.com
— Photos by Dean Hesse
The annual Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade heads down Oakview Road in Oakhurst on Saturday, March 1.
Above: Winnona Park Elementary Krewe at the annual Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade.
At left: Sisters Angelika Pohl and Lilian Bryan twirl their beads while watching the annual Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade in Oakhurst on Saturday, March 1.
Teacher Isha Brooks from the Beacon Hill Middle School French Club Krewe looks festive at the annual Mead Road Mardi Gras Parade after party at the Imperial on March 1.
Decatur cutting ribbon for Legacy Park track, field on March 29
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — The city of Decatur and City Schools of Decatur will celebrate the ribbon cutting of the Legacy Park track and field on March 29.
The ribbon cutting will be held at 10 a.m. at Legacy Park, located at 500 S. Columbia Drive.
The project is a partnership between the city and City Schools of Decatur. The city commission approved an agreement with Sports Turf Company in 2023 for about $6 million to construct the project. The project budget is about $7 million, with each entity contributing $3.5 million. The city and school district celebrated the groundbreaking in February 2024.
FLYWORX LLC/PROVIDED A view of the track and field construction at Legacy Park in Decatur in October 2024.
The track and athletic field will also have athletic lights and natural seating. There will not be bleachers around the track and field. An existing basketball court was removed and converted into a grassy area for
Improvements to the gymnasium include adding a ramp and making access and pathways ADAcompliant. A hallway in the building will be renovated
to provide public restrooms and storage space for the Parks and Recreation Department and CSD.
City officials have urged residents and visitors to stay off the track until construction is finished, and the track is opened on March 29.
Garrett added that the track and field will provide spaces for various athletics and activities for students and the community.
“Walking, running, kicking soccer balls with your neighbors are all possibilities,” she said. “As people come to use and enjoy the track and field, even more residents and visitors will be able to more fully experience Legacy Park.
Decatur School Board Chair Dr. Carmen Sulton said the track and field has been a long time coming and represents a great collaboration between the city and school district.
“I am so glad that our athletes will have a new space to develop their skills and our kids will gain a new area to play and explore,” she said. “The need for athletic space remains a challenge for CSD, so I hope the community will view this as one victory.”
Madeleine Henner, executive director of Legacy Decatur, said track and field was the most requested item in the Legacy Park Master Plan. She looks forward to welcoming the community to the new facility during the ribbon-cutting.
“Now, we have a track, field, accessible gym, and public bathrooms that will introduce more people to everything we have at Legacy and expand the recreation and healthy living vision of the Legacy Master Plan,” Henner said.
Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice awards art contest winners
By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com
GREATER DECATUR, Ga — The Avondale Alliance for Racial Justice (AARJ) held an awards gala to honor student artists who participated in their 5th Annual Black History Month Youth Art Contest on March 1 at The Museum School.
Local students ages 5 to 19 entered the contest before the Feb. 15 deadline. According to an AARJ press release, this year’s theme for their artworks was “Empowering progress: Black labor, employment and HBCUs. "
Local artists Tisean M. Bell, Michelle Boyd, and Ren Dillard judged submissions for this year’s contest and, during the ceremony, encouraged each student artist to pursue art.
Alongside the awards ceremony, DeKalb School of the Arts students Johnny Daniel and Nyla Flewellen performed several a cappella songs for the attendees. The audience for the award ceremony included AARJ supporters and members, community members, student artists and their family, friends and teachers.
Award-winning students received cash prizes, certificates and a framed poster of their art.
Here is a full list of the winners for each category
AGES 5-9 (ELEMENTARY SCHOOL)
1st place: Kush Nayak, The Friends School
2nd place: Madisyn Eford, The Friends School
3rd place: Harrison Hunter, The Friends School
AARJ Pick: Aubrey Spriggs-Wanket, The Friends School
AARJ Pick: Madeline Macquarrie, The Museum School
AGES 10+ (ELEMENTARY/MIDDLE SCHOOL)
1st place: Ashlyn Byrne, The Friends School
2nd place: Olivia Hobbs, The Friends School
3rd place: Chloe Rogers, The Museum School
AARJ Pick: Sana Amlani, The Museum School
AARJ Pick: John MacNorland, The Friends School
AGES 13+ (MIDDLE/HIGH SCHOOL)
1st place: Nyla Flewellen, DeKalb School of the Arts
2nd place: Noel Hamilton, DeKalb School of the Arts
3rd place: Aubrey Jordan-Yarbrough, DeKalb School of the Arts
AARJ Pick: Cai Chee Wah, DeKalb School of the Arts
AARJ Pick: Imani Muhammed, DeKalb School of the Arts
AVONDALE ALLIANCE FOR RACIAL JUSTICE/PROVIDED DeKalb School of the Arts’ Imani Muhammed poses with winning artwork. See more winner photos at decaturish.com.
Student film festival fuels 'friendly competition'
By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga — DeKalb County's annual student film festival is about more than students watching their own films shining across a screen.
Over the years, competition has become a friendly rivalry between schools as student auteurs and cinematographers work to level up their skills as filmmakers.
The seventh-annual DeKalb County Student Film Festival will be held at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center on Tuesday, March 25 at 7 p.m. The event, run by DeKalb County Schools, RE:IMAGINE ATL and Decide DeKalb, highlights students’ developing film skills by putting their work on the big screen.
“This is our Oscars for our students. They get to be the creative genius,” Kenyatta Arnette, DCSD’s CTAE Instructional Coordinator, said. “They get to create their own films and present them to the district for people to really see how ingenious and how creative our students really are, and to see the immense amount of talent that we have in DeKalb County Schools.”
The festival invited high school stu-
Hi, I’m Jim Bass and I report on education and Avondale Estates. If you have any story tips or ideas please contact me at jim@appenmedia.com
dents across the county to submit short films less than five minutes in length with a student-only crew. The rules also state that each film must feature a specific character name, line of dialogue and prop. In 2025, the name is “Avery Adams”, the line of dialogue is “start the clock” and the prop is sunglasses.
There were 37 films submitted from 15 schools and twelve films will be screened during the night of the festival. The films submitted spanned several genres, including comedy and horror.
Porter Sanford’s 500-seat theater is hosting the event for the second consecutive year, with Plaza Theatre in Atlanta hosting in 2023. The event will feature a “red carpet experience,” concessions and a social media interview lounge where students will interview each other about their films.
This year's judges include industry professionals to help decide who wins the awards, including Best Editing, Best Sound, Best Acting and Best Overall.
See FILM, Page 19
DEKALB COUNTY SCHOOLS/PROVIDED
DeKalb students participate in a RE:IMAGINE ATL organized visit to Electric Owl Studios.
DEAR DECATURISH
From the Olympics to World Cup, let's not repeat our mistakes
As you ride the escalator towards baggage claim in Hartsfield-Jackson airport, a wall-sized countdown reminds you that the world's premier sporting event is coming to Atlanta.
The FIFA Men’s World Cup kicks off June 11, 2026 and Atlanta is set to host its first of eight matches shortly thereafter. No event captures attention like the World Cup, and with a newly expanded field, it will be unlike any before. All eyes will truly be on Atlanta.
I am one of millions for whom soccer (or football) defines much of their life. I am an avid fan and local club coach.
I am a former college player who now graces Atlanta’s adult leagues with a poor first touch and wayward passes. I harbor a great deal of excitement as the world’s best teams and players are set to descend on my home city. This excitement is tempered by trepidation.
As a physician who works at a safety net hospital and a researcher who studies the impacts of carceral systems on health, I can’t help but think how the politics surrounding the World Cup will impact my patients. The quickly approaching tournament brings with it echoes of 1996, the last time Atlanta played center stage to a global audience. That summer, Atlanta hosted the Olympic Games. As with other Olympic host cities, it was a story of two experiences. One, full of elation, glamor, and exuberance. Another of abandonment, neglect, and carcerality.
I fear Atlanta is primed to repeat a dark chapter in its history. Few today know the Atlanta City Detention Center (ACDC), the city’s own jail, was built just prior to the 1996 Olympics.
As Atlanta presented itself to the world, it was simply not acceptable for there to be visible signs of poverty. In lieu of investments to address housing insecurity, poverty, and gaps in mental health and substance use treatment, a jail was the more politically palatable and expedient option. To be a world class city, poverty was to be kept out of sight, out of mind. So Atlanta built a behemoth of a jail to detain over 1,000 people, then rounded them up for quality-of-life crimes.
For some, there were pre-printed tickets: “Male”, “African American”, “Homeless”. Others were sent out of the city with a one-way bus ticket. These decisions point to a gap between the city's rhetoric and actions that has long existed in Atlanta. Between the portrayal of a Black Mecca and the reality of extreme racialized wealth inequality. Should so many be made to struggle to afford rent, food, medication, or find adequate paying employment in “a city too busy to hate”? In my clinic, I see the manifestations of a two-tiered system
MARK SPENCER/PROVIDED
DEAR DECATURISH
The growing cost and danger of plastic
I read with interest the article in Decaturish stating that the city of Decatur residents will be charged a $40 increase in sanitation fees in 2025, which includes recycling. Is it right that we taxpayers continue to cover the costs of excess waste disposal at least partially caused by a proliferation of plastic instead of requiring the companies that produce the plastic to share the burden too? 42% of plastic produced today is for single use. It’s estimated that each person annually produces 116 pounds of waste in packaging alone! Yet only 5-6% of plastic waste is recycled.
We accept letters to the editor. Letters to the editor are opinions of the authors of the letter, not Decaturish.com. Everyone has an equal opportunity to submit a letter to the editor. All letters must be signed and are typically between 500 to 800 words. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and content. We also reserve the right to publish longer letters. To send your letter to the editor, email it to dan@appenmedia.com
taking its toll on individuals in the form of premature disease, disability, and death.
Of course, in a tremendously wealthy city, it need not be this way. Criminalization is rarely about safety and more often about control of certain people and places. It is a political tool, wielded asymmetrically.
There was a time when Atlanta was set to choose a different approach for its most marginalized. After decades of criminalizing them for things such as “walking in the roadway," ACDC was slated to become a community resource center. In 2019, former mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms signed legislation to repurpose the space. However, politics is a fickle game, and a new mayor, coupled with a pandemic-driven rise in crime, scrapped these plans in favor of a lease to Fulton County.
The lease of ACDC, which runs from 2022 to 2026, reversed decades of grassroots advocacy. The Fulton Sheriff can now incarcerate up to 700 people there. What was framed as a solution to Fulton’s self-inflicted overcrowding has proven a failed attempt to resolve issues of chronic mismanagement, abuse, and neglect in Fulton’s jails. Unfortunately, as advocates have long noted, there is
no care in a cage, and people have continued to pay with their lives.
In the end, we cannot hide the impacts of poverty and inequality, no matter the number of jail cells. Let us instead allow the World Cup to catalyze a change of course. As the horrifying death of Cornelius Taylor made clear, we have a long way to go. This work must begin now. Atlanta should end its lease with Fulton County and zero its twenty million dollar correctional budget. After thirty years, the ACDC saga must end.
What impact might this building have if utilized instead for shelter, healthcare, food access, and community programming in place of punishment? How might repurposed funds for community health workers, transit and city ambassadors, street medics, and crisis responders impact Atlanta’s most vulnerable individuals?
We should be bothered by visible signs of poverty and despair, not because they are unappealing to visitors but because of the preventable human suffering. I want to share in the joy of the beautiful game, knowing that it doesn’t come at the cost of increased harm to my patients. This is just one of the urgent and necessary changes Atlanta must make to show the world what our true values are.
As the state looks to force an extended lease or sale to Fulton, we must chart our own path for the city. Let us choose equity instead of shame, hope instead of abandonment, care instead of cages.
— Mark Spencer, MD is a physician in Atlanta, local soccer coach, and executive director of Stop Criminalization Of Our Patients (SCOOP) which works to educate healthcare workers and students about the criminal legal systems impact on health.
I’m sure Gov. Kemp is proud of the fact that the state of Georgia has the 2nd largest recycling manufacturing infrastructure in the U.S. and Decatur Mayor Patti Garrett can boast about our site, the Center for Hard to Recycle Materials (CHaRM). But all of this practically ignores the fact that the proliferation of plastic production is a public health hazard, in addition to the cost we taxpayers cover to dispose of it all.
Over 99% of all plastics are produced with chemicals sourced from fossil fuels and every stage of plastic’s life contributes more greenhouse gas into our atmosphere. Are you aware that fossil fuel and petrochemical companies like Exxon Mobil and Dow Chemical are among the top 10 plastic manufacturers? Since less than 94% of plastic waste is recycled, the problem of pollution from plastic is huge. Plastics burned in municipal incinerators and buried in landfills give off toxic fumes. Carbon pollution released today lasts for decades and continues to warm the planet. Plastic waste is choking our oceans, with microplastics and nano plastics being found in marine life, in our air, our soil, our food, our drinking water (including bottled water) and our bodies.
You can contact your local representatives in government about this concern and suggest they join other states in enacting an “Extended Producer Responsibility” law. This puts the burden of cost on plastic producers - not taxpayers - and reimburses local governments for providing more recycling options and safer disposal methods. In the US there are already eleven states with EPR laws, in addition to Canada and the European Union. You can find a model bill and lots of helpful information at: https:// www.beyondplastics.org
Consider buying nonplastic products, but when you do, please recycle what you can.
— Patti Linman
Whitaker:
Continued from Page 5
The board also asked Whitaker to look at the district’s fiscal stewardship, staff compensation and communications.
Under Whitaker’s tenure, CSD has created a communications department and hired its first chief communications officer.
The district developed its first budget book for the Fiscal Year 2025 budget.
In 2024, all staff received a raise, including a 7% salary increase for existing teachers and a 5% salary increase for nonteaching positions.
“We were able to ensure every staff member received a raise, and that has not been done in Decatur in over a decade,” Whitaker said.
The school board is considering another raise for staff in Fiscal Year 2026.
Throughout this school year, Whitaker has focused on implementing
Film:
Continued from Page 16
“The fact that they get this professional feedback on their work is something they cannot get anywhere else,” Chair of DeKalb Entertainment Commission Andrew Greenberg said.
Many students vie for the “Best Overall” award, with the winning school receiving bragging rights over their rivals. While the students support each other during the friendly competition, the award’s bragging rights loom large in some students' minds.
A growing blockbuster rivalry
In 2024, Lakeside High School student Nora Barksdale’s group won the festival's “Best Overall” award with her film "Three Cup Monte." The victory ended DeKalb School of Arts’ five-year win streak.
Entering her senior year, Barksdale was once again a director, actor, and editor for this year’s submitted film, "You Break You Buy." Barksdale feels her filming skills have “developed and matured” since her first submitted film during her sophomore year.
“It is really competitive between us and DSA because DSA has won every year and last year was the first year that Lakeside won and we plan on keeping that streak,” Barksdale said.
Arnette has found that the “healthy competition” during the film festival extends past the students making them.
We were able to ensure every staff member received a raise, and that has not been done in Decatur in over a decade.”
GYIMAH
WHITAKER Superintendent of City Schools of Decatur
the district's strategic plan, improving safety, and strengthening the district’s equity work.
Safety has been a priority this year and CSD has worked on enhancing cybersecurity, crisis communications, and crisis response times. The school board adopted a resolution last year encouraging the safe storage of weapons.
She looks forward to continuing CSD’s equity work throughout her tenure.
“That equity work for the student outcome, teacher support and leader systems is what we have to do,” Whitaker said. “All means all, and it’s more than just a mantra.”
“It's not just a competition with the students, believe it or not, it's a competition with the teachers, too,” Arnette said.
Ryan Beddingfield, a Lakeside High School audio/video technology teacher, participates in this friendly rivalry as well. Although the high school has won “Best Editing” multiple times previously, he was happy to have “crushed” DSA in the school’s friendly rivalry last year.
“It's a friendly competition. There's no hatred involved, but it's fun to have a competition,” Barksdale said.
While teachers like Beddingfield offer advice and assistance in the planning with pitches and scripts, once the final draft is created, the film fully enters the student’s hands.
“Having more creative freedom over the project is, I think, what allows the projects to turn out and be creative, new, innovative work because it's really coming from the students and future of filmmaking, in a sense,” Barksdale said.
Barksdale wanted to “do something crazy” for her senior film, so her script involved multiple on-location shoots at places including the Georgia Aquarium, an antique store and a boxing ring.
“It all worked out because the group had a really good sense of communication,” Barksdale said. “That doesn't only that doesn't just apply to film, it applies to everything. You need a good basis of communication or no project is going to end up as good as it could have been.”
School Board Chair Dr. Carmen Sulton said Whitaker has been a natural fit for CSD. It’s hard to think Whitaker has been in Decatur for only two years given the work she has done so far, she added.
“First, I think the community will see her direct impact on reading,” Sulton said. “I was very explicit in my request that we improve our reading curriculum and improve our approach to supporting neurodivergent learners.”
Whitaker immediately prioritized literacy, naming new leaders and determining where students needed direct attention.
“Dr. Whitaker also looks at reading
Beddingfield credited the short film’s directors and praised her for directing her films.
“You also need a good director who has a vision and can lead the group too,” Beddingfield said. “Sometimes you get groups where nobody really wants to do that. They all want to participate. They all want to help out, but nobody wants to kind of push things forward and be the person in charge. And I think a film really needs that.”
Barksdale plans to attend college for film to develop her skills further. She plans to share her visions as a director in the film industry. While the friendly awards competition serves as motivation, Barksdale is driven by the film itself.
“I don't make films to win awards; I make films because I love making films,” Barksdale said. “My motivation doesn't lie with an award on my desk. It lies within completing the film and having something I'm proud of.”
Students learning ‘hands-on’
In preparation for the annual film festival, local nonprofit organization RE:IMAGINE ATL provided both inperson and virtual workshops to give students hands-on experience with script writing, editing software, and post-production. It also invited students to work with film equipment on a mock set.
“The mock set was the highlight of it all. We had different rotations in the mock set, from our directing, our sound, our acting, our camera
and math from the lens of closing the achievement gap for our most marginalized students,” Sulton said. “While this will take time, we are beginning to see some improvements in targeted areas.”
She added that there’s more work to do. On the College and Career Readiness Index, the percentage of high school students reading at grade level declined slightly.
In 2023, 64.55% of Black students were reading on grade level and in 2024, 58.14% of Black students were reading on grade level. White students improved slightly from 92.11% in 2023 to 94.24% in 2024, reading at or above grade level.
Sulton added that having a skilled leader and education as superintendent is critical to student success.
“I am grateful that CSD has found the leadership and stability it needs,” she said. “As a parent to three CSD children and one DHS graduate, I am proud to know she is leading us. We still have work to do, but are committed to it and prepared to do so.”
and they learned how to work with these tools hands on with the teaching artists,” RE:IMAGINE ATL Education Manager Dominique Hebron said. “They would use that knowledge and apply it to their film.“
While RE:IMAGINE ATL works with students through the planning to post-production stages, they also stay connected with students after graduating by offering job apprenticeships and internship training opportunities to help students prepare for their careers.
“We really stay with them throughout the times that they are in school to after school, which is what I think is really special about being at RE:IMAGINE,” Hebron said. “I love reconnecting with them so they never feel like they are by themselves.”
In addition, some DeKalb County students get the opportunity to attend the annual national Student Television Network event, which allows students to connect with industry workers and learn more about the industry. This year’s STN was held in Tampa, Florida.
With teaching workshops throughout the year, the students see the annual film festival an event that offers them a unique opportunity.
“There's just something special about being in a movie theater and seeing your work and your actors up on a big screen, not just on a computer or smart board,” Beddingfield said. “I love the students get that experience.”
Suit:
Continued from Page 1
Evatt was never indicted for the crimes, and evidence reviewed by Decaturish doesn’t show that he engaged in any acts of vandalism or violence. The arrest is now the subject of a federal lawsuit Evatt filed against the city of Atlanta and the officers who arrested him. The complaint requests an unspecified amount of damages, but his family says he’s seeking $1 million in compensation.
A spokesperson for the Atlanta Police Department declined comment, citing a policy of not providing statements about pending litigation. The city of Atlanta filed a motion in response, asking a judge to dismiss the case, and claimed Evatt was “lawfully arrested.”
tic terrorism, arson in the first degree, rioting and obstructing a police officer, all of which have been dismissed.
The judge did grant a bond and set it at $355,000, an amount so high his parents struggled to pay it even after using some of his college money to pay down the debt on their house so it could be used as collateral. Evatt waited in the Fulton County Jail for five days. He contracted scabies there and his bond restrictions made it difficult for him to see doctors, so the condition lingered for six months.
The Atlanta Solidarity Fund, which has been targeted by police for its work in support of the protestors, stepped in to help with Evatt’s bail. The arrest and pending charges have loomed large in his life for the last two years.
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Evatt said the arrest “altered the course of my life.” Some of his college savings went to pay down the debt on his mom’s house so it could be used as collateral for bail. He’s had to spend money on therapy, and his name is still attached to “domestic terrorism” charges in search results.
“I knew my civil rights had been violated,” he said.
Protestors gathered in front of Underground Atlanta on Jan. 21, 2023, after a State Trooper shot and killed Manuel “Tortuguita” Teran, 26. Teran was protesting the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, an 85-acre police and fire training facility located in DeKalb County’s South River Forest. The state trooper was also injured in the exchange.
While the protest started peacefully, some who attended torched police cars and vandalized buildings. Evatt spent much of the protest helping others hold a large sign that said, “Trees Give Life. Police Take it.” He was still holding it when Atlanta Police arrested him. His account is supported by photos a Decaturish photographer took during the event. When a Fulton County Grand Jury returned an 18-count indictment against 61 people connected to the Cop City protests, accusing them of being part of a RICO conspiracy and domestic terrorism, Evatt was not among the indicted.
Evatt had never been arrested before Atlanta police detained him at the protest, making him wait in the back of a police car parked inside a parking garage for hours before transporting him to the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street. One officer told him he was likely being charged with “pedestrian in a roadway.”
As officers came to and from the car, Evatt would ask for updates. One of the officers told him, “It looks like they're going to try and make a big deal out of this.”
The big deal involved tacking on numerous other charges, including domes-
If a police officer ever detains him, a “domestic terrorism” charge will be on his record. In 2024, when returning to the United States from England, he was detained and questioned about the charge. He was doxxed on far-right websites, leading to the harassment of his family.
One of the family’s Decatur neighbors stopped talking to them.
“Plaintiff Evatt’s life will never be the same,” the lawsuit says.
In a recent interview, he said he’s still in therapy and is haunted by what happened.
“I'll wake up at night if I hear sirens,” he said.
His mom, Kim, has continued to advocate for him. She noted the case affected his college opportunities and is affecting his future employment opportunities as well. Google search results for his name produce no results that say the charges were dropped.
“You know, this is affecting him as far as employment forever,” she said.
The protests ultimately did not achieve their goal. The construction of the public safety training center is complete, though many legal issues remain pending, including a lawsuit over a thwarted referendum to block the project.
Decaturish media partner WABE reported that the $115 million training complex includes walking trails, dog kennels, classrooms, a six-story burn building and even a barn near the front entrance that will house 11 horses. The Atlanta City Council recently approved $1.7 million in additional funding to secure the site, WABE reported.
Evatt said his arrest and the seemingly inevitable completion of the training center opened his eyes to how things work in Atlanta and who calls the shots. The experience did not change his opinion of the project.
“My stance has not changed on the training center,” he said. “I do not believe in it whatsoever.”
Connect-It
puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD
1. Unit of measurement. Gold__ (do nothing). Poker pot.
2. Gold __ (commendation). Barber shop request. Box.
3. Ambrosia. Destroy. Gold __ (Krugerrand).
4. Eye color. Hate. Gold __ (49er’s adventure)
5. Campus building. Gold __ (person of avarice). Police action.
6. Gold __ (dentist’s implant). It’s overhead. Armada.
7. Hawaiian dance. Season. Gold __ (tank resident).
Worth Its Weight In Gold
1 Unit of measurement. Gold ___ (do nothing). Poker pot.
2. Gold ___ (commendation). Barber shop request. Box.
How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!
3. Ambrosia. Destroy. Gold ___ (Krugerrand).
4. Eye color. Hate. Gold ___ (49er’s adventure)
5. Campus building. Gold ___ (person of avarice). Police action.
6. Gold ___ (dentist’s implant). It’s overhead. Armada.
7. Hawaiian dance. Season. Gold ___ (tank resident)
BUSINESS OWNER?
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SOLUTIONS
Found a parking spot in Decatur
DeKalb County
Ran over a metal plate, popped a tire
Being an unwilling drag race spectator Supporting a Decaturish advertiser
Attended a local festival
Called in a noise complaint about a local festival
Power outage lasting more than 12 hours
Water outage lasting more than 24 hours
Argued with your neighbor on Facebook
Attended a public meeting
Writing a letter to an elected official
Voting in a local election
Those damn planters
Appealed your property assessment
Gave a quote to a Decaturish reporter
Submitted feedback about a proposed transportation project
Ate at Chick Fil A
Made eye contact with your neighbor while shopping at Walmart
Weatherrelated school closure
Judged someone for eating at Chick Fil A
Received an unsolicited offer to buy your house
Appeared in a Decaturish photo
Became a paid Decaturish supporter Ate a meal at a local restaurant
Living in DeKalb County can be an adventure. Water main breaks, drag racing, Facebook arguments, festivals, food: we have it all. Sometimes it’s fun, sometimes it’s frustrating. But it’s never dull, which is good for us because we need things to write about. The Decaturish team collaborated with our readers to create our first DeKalb County Bingo Card. People can turn them in at the end of the year for Decaturish swag. (In a future edition of Ink, we’ll provide more details about how to send us your cards.) Let's see how Decaturish you actually are!
M AY 10 3-7 P. M . Early DiscountBirdEnds April 10
