COMMUNITY
CRIME Fatal scooter crash tied to rape investigation, PAGE 4
Building brotherhood at MLK Breakfast, PAGE 9
75 cents
Major League Draft
Serving Rockdale County and Conyers OP-ED: Saving ‘Duck Dynasty’, PAGE FILM: ‘Fast 7’ scouts Rockdale, PAGE 3 2014 ELECTION: COUNTY COMMISSION
2014 ELECTION: SCHOOL BOARD
By Michelle Kim
McBrayer bids for BOE re-election
Dean to run for BOC Post 2
during public comment periods, is no stranger to political activism and being active in the community. She founded the Rockdale County Think Thank civic group and speaker series and is on the SPLOST Citizens Oversight Committee. But this would be her first time running
news@rockdalenews.com
Community activist Josie Dean confirmed she is putting her hat in the ring for the county’s Post 2 Commissioner seat. Dean, 53, who regularly attends the Board of Commissioners meetings as a private citizen and usually comments
Ga. Revolution defender drafted by Chivas USA,
Page 11
Find out who’s on the list, PAGE 7
the NEWS
January 25, 2014 Volume 5, Issue 37
rockdalenews.com
SHERIFF’S OFFICE
DEAN
See Dean, Page 7
Of Vampires and Gibson Girls
School Spotlight
By Michelle Kim
Page 10
news@rockdalenews.com
Darrell Everidge/The News
The clock was rewound to the early 1900s as the CW‘s “Vampire Diaries” spinoff TV show “The Originals” transformed Center Street in Olde Town to a simpler, less paved era Thursday and Friday. (See Page 3 for more film and television production news)
GOOD MORNING!
Betsy Jaun
School board chairman Jim McBrayer confirmed he is running for his second term in the Rockdale County Board of MCBRAYER Education Post 1 seat. See McBrayer, Page 15
Young runs again for school board
Conyers Middle represents in arts, science, reading
to subscriber
By Michelle Kim
news@rockdalenews.com
Katrina McCollum Young announced she will run for her third term on the school board after confirming last week that YOUNG she is withdrawing her bid for Post 2 County Commissioner. See Young Page 4
CREDC goals: $15M and150 new Bylaws overhauled; residency proposal partly rolled back By John Ruch
jruch@rockdalenews.com
Marty Jones, the new executive director of the Conyers Rockdale Economic Development Council, this week declared two simple but
ambitious goals for 2014: bringing $15 million in new business and 150 new jobs to Rockdale. “Whether it’s doable or not, nobody knows,” but Jones is eager to try, he told the CREDC board at its Jan. 21 meeting. The goal-setting is part of CREDC’s moves toward becoming a major player among Metro Atlanta economic development
agencies that attract and retain major businesses. Expanding the board and setting new standards for its members is another of those moves. The board continued tweaking its bylaws, work it began last month. Notably, the board essentially dropped controversial plans to impose a residency requirement on board members and to remove
voting privileges from some key members, including the Chamber of Commerce. Jones said his development goals could be any combo of attracting new businesses, expanding existing businesses, and convincing an existing business not to move. He asked the board not to
See CREDC. Page 3