COMMUNITY
COMMUNITY
New leadership focus
Late hour appeal rejected
Longtime DeKalb NAACP President John Evans has resigned that post to concentrate on Operation Lead, which he founded in 2005. 3
The DeKalb Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to deny extending alcohol sales to 2 a.m. at the Lemon Drop Sports Bar and Grille on Wesley Chapel. 5
Put Litter in Its Place Let’s Do Our Part to Keep DeKalb Beautiful
EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER
Copyright © 2016 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.
July 23, 2016
Volume 22, Number 13
www.crossroadsnews.com
DeKalb officers will be wearing body cameras by Oct. 31 By Ken Watts
out of his or her patrol car, approaches another person or starts running. Interim CEO Lee May says the cameras will help build greater trust, accountability and transparency with the public. “In light of what’s been Lee May going on around the country, I think the community feels better about having this available,” May said at a July 20 demonstration of the equipment. He was referring to the recent fatal police
A close-up view of how the BodyWorn camera fits into a bulletproof vest. It is designed to activate each time an officer gets out of a patrol car, approaches another person or starts running.
DeKalb County’s 600 uniformed police officers will be patrolling the county with wireless body cameras by Oct. 31. Every county police officer will be outfitted with the BodyWorn brand of cameras, which are already in use in Marietta, the city of Decatur, MARTA and the Georgia Department of Corrections and by police departments across the country. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners awarded the $738,000 contract to Decaturbased Utility Inc. at its June 28 meeting. BodyWorn cameras’ automated system is designed to activate each time the officer gets Please see POLICE, page 3
Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews
Midnight basketball league bonds kids, police Program breaks down walls, misperceptions
Teens play basketball at the Gresham Park Recreation Center as part of the DeKalb County PAL Plus Midnight Basketball Summer League.
By Donna Williams Lewis
On the surface, the event looked like nothing out of the ordinary. About 90 teenage boys were gathered for their sixth week of midnight basketball on Gresham Park Recreation Center’s two full-sized courts. But while some of the players were there by choice, about half were playing as part of their probation. Organizers knew that members of rival groups were likely in the mix of their seven teams on the courts. One kid didn’t want to play because he was afraid his ankle monitor would get exposed. The coaches and referees were heavy-duty authority figures – police officers, a school resource officer, even some of the players’ Juvenile Court probation officers. But here, in a basketball oasis, peace prevailed. This was the DeKalb County Police Athletic League Plus Midnight Basketball Summer League, a program that is breaking down walls that can divide kids from each other and from the adults who have power over them. “It’s fabulous,” PAL’s commander, Maj. Sonya Porte, said at the July 14 event. “If we can learn how to deal with them and they can learn how to deal with us, then we can open communication. Does that mean we’re going to solve everything? No, but it’s a start, absolutely.” At one point during the night, DeKalb Police Sgt. R.L. Franklin asked the teens for their opinion on a topic consuming the country. “Raise your hand if you don’t like the police,” said Franklin, a 22-year member of the force. “Tell the truth. You won’t hurt my feelings.”
Special to CrossRoadsNews
Two hands immediately shot up from among the 90 kids. A couple more hands then hesitantly followed. “Well, that’s progress,” Franklin said. Last week, when he asked them the same question, almost every hand was raised.
Life skills sessions included It is shortly after 9 p.m. at Gresham Park, and midnight basketball is about to begin. DeKalb Police Detective K. Ricketts, who founded and coordinates the league, kicked off the games just as he’s launched all of the others. “If you’re part of any gang, clique, crew, or ‘rap group,’ I don’t want to see any affiliation in here,” Ricketts says. “If I see you doing a
special handshake, you and me are going to have a special handshake.” With that business handled, the mandatory pregame life skills session begins. In the first two weeks of the league, the kids spent this time in team-building exercise boot camps conducted by Franklin, a former SWAT team leader. Since then, their life skills sessions have included presentations from local business owners, a Georgia Piedmont Technical College representative, and Detective J. Menefee of the Police Department’s gang unit. The sessions have led to two players getting their first jobs at fast-food restaurants and to a meeting with that college rep for another player.
For the July 14 session, Franklin talks about the police and the power of perceptions. He tells them how he was pulled over by police officers five times in a row when he was driving to Dunwoody on police business in the late ’90s. He talks about being with four other officers rolling into a nearby neighborhood to execute a search warrant a couple of weeks ago. “We saw two young brothers sitting on an electric box,” he said. “It seemed like they were minding their business. Three officers said nothing. Two officers said they were Please see BASKETBALL, page 5
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Election
CrossRoadsNews
July 23, 2016
The advance voting period ended July 22 and 2,466 had cast early ballots as of press time on Thursday.
DeKalb Commission District 4 runoff contentious to the end In the dwindling days before the hotly contested July 26 runoff for the District 4 DeKalb Board of Commissioners seat, incumbent Sharon Barnes Sutton is charging challenger Steve Bradshaw with making false and Sharon B. Sutton misleading claims about his military service. Barnes Sutton posted a “Stolen Valor” video showing Bradshaw talking about his military record and said he is taking credit for service he did not have. “He’s being deceptive,” she said on July 19. “He’s trying to manipulate people into believing he did something that he didn’t do and that he was honored in a way that he wasn’t.” Bradshaw said the latest charges expose his opponent’s desperation. “It is despicable in the extreme and serves as one more example of why she should be voted out of office,” he said. “I am very proud
of my service to this great country. And if I was a young man I would not hesitate to do it all over again.” The two are in a stiff race in District 4. In a three-way race in the May 24 primary, Steve Bradshaw Bradshaw got 48 percent of the vote to Barnes Sutton’s 43 percent, a big difference from their first outing in 2012 when she beat him by more than 3-to-1. Because no one won 50 percent plus one in May, they are facing off again on Tuesday. On the eve of the May primary, Barnes Sutton sent a racially charged flier to voters showing a photo of Bradshaw and his wife, Diane, who is white. She also called him a puppet of the white commissioners on the BOC. On his website, votestevebradshaw.com, Bradshaw says he is a former U.S. Army captain and veteran of the first Gulf War and
a leadership instructor at the Army Officer Candidate School. On July 16, the Barnes Sutton campaign posted a YouTube video showing Bradshaw telling a community forum that “the best leadership laboratories in the world, I think, are commanding troops in combat.” “I spent seven years in the U.S. Army formally trained as a tank commander,” he said. “I think having the opportunity to lead soldiers has been one of the highlights of my life.” The video, which had 544 views through July 21, also shows Bradshaw claiming in an interview with Atlanta radio station WYZE host Amos King that the Army offered him a command but that he turned it down to teach at the Officer Candidate School because he was near the end of his tour. “You turned down a command?” asked King, a retired Army colonel who also wanted to know whether Bradshaw had ever been a company commander. “I taught at OCS in lieu of command,” Bradshaw said. “I knew I was leaving the military. A friend of mine from the Gulf had taught at OCS and he raved about the experience and I did that instead of taking my command and then I resigned.” In a July 20 email, Bradshaw said that he has repeatedly stated in various settings that he “was formally trained as a tank commander.” Bradshaw said that anyone who tries to peddle “the fable” that he was not a tank commander “are bold faced liars.”
He said he is a graduate of both the Armor Officer’s Basic Course and the Armor Officer’s Advanced Course. “And I have the certificates to prove it,” he said. Bradshaw said that he was personally assigned to command tanks in Germany as a platoon leader and as a company executive officer, and that as primary staff officer in charge of personnel administration, he commanded more than 500 soldiers. “The citation on my first Army Commendation Medal lists my assignments,” he said. He said he left the Army in 1993 to pursue private sector opportunities prior to returning to a line unit as a company commander. “These are the facts,” Bradshaw said. “I defy anyone to produce any document in which I claim to have held the title company commander. They will never find such a document because it does not exist.” Bradshaw said most, if not all, soldiers would be deeply offended if there was an attempt to besmirch their service in such a shameful way. “Those who traffic in such trash bring dishonor upon themselves and show disrespect for other veterans,” he said. The advance voting period that started on July 5 ended on July 22 and 2,466 had cast early ballots as of press time on Thursday. Polls are open 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. for the runoff on July 26.
DeKalb voters return to the polls July 26 for runoffs, special election
Irvin Johnson
Susannah Scott
Tonya Anderson
D. Dawkins-Haigler
Vernon Jones
Rhonda Taylor
Alan Cole
Meagan Hanson
Jim Duffie
Lane Flynn
All DeKalb polling precincts will open on July 26 for five primary runoff elections and the special election for tax commissioner. Twelve candidates are vying in four Democratic and two Republican primary runoff elections and one nonpartisan special election. Early voting has been underway since July 5 and 2,466 voters had cast ballots through July 21. The candidates are interim Tax Commissioner Irvin Johnson and attorney Susannah Scott, who are vying for tax commissioner in the Democratic primary runoff and in the special election to finish Claudia Lawson’s term, which runs through Dec. 31. The other races are for Democratic primary runoffs for District 4 commissioner, Senate District 43 and House District 91 and the Republican primary runoffs for House District 80 and 81. Because the special election for tax commissioner is nonpartisan and countywide,
anyone who voted Republican in May but is not in House District 80 can vote nonpartisan in the July 26 runoffs to participate in the tax commissioner’s special election. On the Democratic ballot, incumbent Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton is facing Stephen Bradshaw in Commission District 4. In Senate District 43, former state Reps. Tonya Anderson and Dee Dawkins-Haigler will meet again. The winner will meet Republican incumbent Janice Van Ness in the Nov. 8 general election. In the hotly contested House 91 race, former DeKalb CEO Vernon Jones is facing community activist Rhonda Taylor. On the Republican ballot, Alan Cole will meet Meagan Hanson in the race for House District 80, and in the House District 81 race, Jim Duffie is facing Lane Flynn. There is no early voting on Monday, July 25. For more information, visit www.dekalbvotes.com or call 404-298-4020.
Every Vote Counts, But Only If Its Cast REMEMBER TO VOTE ON JULY 26TH
CrossRoadsNews
July 23, 2016
Community
3
“We’re going to work hard to make sure people get out and vote and watch the polls to protect voting rights.”
Former DeKalb official, businessman indicted on theft, fraud charges By Ken Watts
Former DeKalb Deputy Chief Operating Officer Morris Williams III and a local businessman have been indicted by a DeKalb grand jury on theft and fraud charges. Williams is facing two counts of theft and one count of conspiracy to defraud involving a check made out to interim DeKalb CEO Lee May, who was District 5 county commissioner at Morris Williams the time. Businessman Doug Cotter is facing two counts of theft by taking, one count of conspiracy to defraud and one count of false statements. Williams was chief of staff at the Board of Commissioners and served as deputy COO for DeKalb County. He abruptly resigned
on March 24, 2015, after working 17 years in DeKalb government. His sudden departure caught the interim CEO’s administration by surprise, but Williams told CrossRoadsNews that he had been planning it for months. “I had been thinking about it since I turned 50 last August [2014],” he said at the time. In a three-sentence letter to May dated March 23, 2015, Williams retired from his deputy chief operating officer for infrastructure position that oversees the county’s Watershed Management Department and the county’s $1.3 billion Comprehensive Infrastructure Plan and all county facilities. In January 2010, contractors with Water Removal Services made repairs totaling $6,000 to May’s home, which was damaged by a sewage overflow in December 2009. The indictment says Cotter used Water Removal Services’ invoice 10425 containing false descriptions of work completed in
January 2010 at May’s house and an inflated amount owed. The indictment says sometime between June 17 and June 30, 2011, WRS wrote a check to May for $4,000 and not long afterward the company was awarded a lucrative government contract. The indictment does not address what happened to the invoice between January 2010 when the work was completed and June 2010 when the check made out to May was cut. Cotter told WSB-TV that the money was intended to help then-Commissioner May out of financial trouble after May had recently filed for bankruptcy. May said on July 19 that he never participated in illegal activity. “I am aware that a former county employee and contractor have been implicated in wrongdoing,” he said in an emailed statement. “I support the judicial process and will cooperate to the fullest extent possible. The
judicial process must run its course, but I am looking forward to a successful resolution to this matter.” May says he was unaware of the $4,000 check and that someone forged his signature on it. The DA’s office said someone other than May endorsed his name on the check and the contractor cashed the check. May, whom Cotter believes was the recipient of the funds, is not facing any charges. Williams turned himself in to authorities on July 19 and was released on a $10,000 bond. Marietta-based attorney Otis Williams, who is representing Morris Williams, said the allegations enclosed in the indictment are untrue. “Mr. Williams will plead not guilty,” said Otis Williams, who is not related to Morris Williams. Cotter told WSB-TV that he too will plead not guilty.
John Evans resigns NAACP presidency to focus on own group By Ken Watts
Civil rights veteran John Evans, who has led the DeKalb branch of the NAACP for 16 years, has resigned his post to head Operation Lead, a separate civil rights organization that he founded in 2005. NAACP’s new president is Teresa Hardy, who moves up from first vice president. Hardy announced Evans’ departure in July 19 letters to members. “We are honored to Teresa Hardy have been under his leadership for over 16 years and send many blessings as he continues to fight for the people,” she wrote. Hardy said that as stated in the NAACP
Constitution and Bylaws for Units, second Vice President Cherry Willis will ascend to first vice president and Zepora Roberts, third vice president, will ascend to second vice president. “I appreciate your continued support to NAACP DeKalb County Branch,” she said. Evans, 83, told CrossRoadsNews that it was his decision to leave the NAACP leadership to focus on boosting voter turnout for the July 26 runoff and the Nov. 8 general election in DeKalb and Rockdale counties and across Georgia. Evans said his Stone Mountain-based Operation Lead will be able to react quickly to reports of voter suppression and calls from voters who need transportation to polls. “We’re going to work hard to make sure people get out and vote and watch the polls to protect voting rights,” Evans said.
John Evans, shown at a June 13 SPLOST information meeting in Lithonia, has resigned as president of the DeKalb NAACP to run Operation Lead, and will focus on boosting voter turnout and monitoring voter suppression efforts.
Body cameras monitor interaction with public, upload data to cloud DeKalb Police Officers Bertrant Jean and Mike Freeman try on the new body cameras that the department’s 600 uniformed officers will be wearing by Oct. 31.
Ken Watts / CrossRoadsNews
POLICE,
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shootings of two black men in Baton Rouge, La., and St. Paul, Minn., and the sniper killings of five police officers in Dallas and three in Baton Rouge. May said the cameras can’t be manipulated and that “we don’t have to worry about getting a third-party witness video and trying to figure out what happened before or afterwards.” May joined DeKalb Police Chief James Conroy and executives at Utility Inc.’s headquarters on East Ponce de Leon Avenue for the July 20 demonstration of the camera system. Police Officers Bertrant Jean and Mike Freeman of the department’s Center Precinct in Tucker showed how the cameras will not only monitor their interaction with the public but instantly upload the data to the cloud and keep a record of the encounters.
The system is similar in appearance to smartphones and about the same size, but the cameras are designed to slip discreetly into a front-facing pocket in a police officer’s bulletproof vest. The camera lines up with an opening in the vest that gives the lens an unobstructed view. Jean, a nine-year member of the department, said he loves the device. “The technology behind it works great for the way that we operate in public safety,” he said. Freeman, a 15-year police officer, said the system can be a lifesaver in emergencies. “Some rookies may not know exactly where they are if they’re involved in a foot chase and that hinders our ability to find them in certain situations,” he said. “Now we’re able to GPS where they are outside their vehicles and provide assistance.” Precinct supervisors can tap into the
system live at any time to see what their officers are doing. The system has redacting technology to blur the video images of anyone not involved in a case. Simon Araya, Utility Inc.’s vice president
of technology, said citizens will quickly see the value of the system when they have questions about a police action. “Not only does it capture data but it allows you to quickly redact the data and make it available to the public,” Araya said.
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Forum
2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007 www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com
Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker General Manager Curtis Parker Assistant Editor Brenda Yarbrough Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Ken Watts Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams CrossRoadsNews is published every Saturday by CrossRoadsNews, Inc. We welcome articles on neighborhood issues and news of local happenings. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher, nor those of any advertisers. The concept, design and content of CrossRoadsNews are copyrighted and may not be copied or reproduced in whole or in part in any manner without the written permission of the publisher. Advertisements are published upon the representation that the advertiser is authorized to publish the submitted material. The advertiser agrees to indemnify and hold harmless from and against any loss or expenses resulting from any disputes or legal claims based upon the contents or subject matter of such advertisements, including claims of suits for libel, violation of privacy, plagiarism and copyright infringement. We reserve the right to refuse any advertisement.
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July 23, 2016
“They gave us no warning. They cited me and said this is the court date. This is so wrong.”
Our building is a ‘blighting influence’? For real? As I See It Jennifer Parker
I am happy that DeKalb County’s Beautification Department is finally trying to clean up Candler Road. After decades of letting this corridor – where my office has been located since 2001 – and every other business corridor and residential district in South DeKalb go to “hell in a hand-basket,” as my grandmother used to say, Code Enforcement officers are showing up and – as many business owners found out the week of July 11-14 – showing out. And to the surprise of many, they are hauling property owners into court on their first visit to their premises. Thursday is press day for our newspaper, and with print deadlines nipping at our heels, my nose was to the grindstone when Officers D. Lee and K. Brown visited our offices on July 14. Lee asked who was in charge, and as I looked up from my computer to own up, he told me he was here to cite us for code violations. What? Did I hear that correctly? You are citing me for violations? What violations? Was I told about them? Do I get a warning first? What’s going on? My first thought was that I had stepped on the toe of somebody at the county again. Since I publish a newspaper, stepping on toes goes with the territory, and it seems every other week, somebody is mad at us. We still remember vividly the day – a few years ago – when a fire truck pulled up in front of our offices and two firefighters came in for a fire safety inspection and proceeded to go over everything with a fine-toothed comb. Since we were the only business visited on Candler Road that day, we couldn’t help but think that we must have ticked somebody off. They found no violations, and life went on. We know that we have been hard-hitting with our coverage of code violations. In every issue since May 30, 2015, we have dedicated space in our newspaper to highlight the good efforts and the bad behaviors of people in our community with our Kudos & Come On Now campaign. We have also encouraged our readers to stop littering and dispose of their trash in cans. Just last month, we won a second-place Community Service Award from the National Newspaper Publishers Association for our Sept. 5, 2015, Special Issue on Beautification and Code Violations. In that issue, we dedicated every story to people who are working to abate litter in our community, and we highlighted neighborhoods overrun by code violations. We also spotlighted the efforts of Marcus Kellum, who runs the county’s Code Enforcement Department, to alleviate the situation. But back to July 14. While Officer Lee took me outside to show me
Does this building (top) look blighted? Code Enforcement officers attempted to issue CrossRoadsNews a “Final Notice of Violation” (far left) on a first visit for faded paint at left.
the faded paint on our building’s eaves/soffits, Brown was taping a “FINAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION” placard on the railing in front of the building, which read in part that: “DeKalb County Code Enforcement Division has deemed your property a general nuisance to the public. These conditions are a blighting influence on the neighborhood and compromise the general well-being and quality of life of the citizens of DeKalb County.” Wait up. Our building at 2346 Candler Road in Decatur is a “blighting influence” on the neighborhood? The sign went on to say that Code Enforcement “has attempted to contact you regarding violations and that an OFFICIAL WARNING NOTICE [their uppercase letters in bold black ink] was issued to you … with a date to correct the violations. Your failure to act has now caused this matter to reach a critical point,” etc., etc. I must have turned the same color of red that the “FINAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION” was written in. In the 15 years we’ve been located on Candler Road, no Code Enforcement officer had pointed out a violation or issued a warning. We did a have visit on May 21 with what we called a “New Sheriff in Town” notification. At that time we were told that our building looked pretty good. When neither Lee nor Brown could produce a copy of any warnings that were issued to our address, I respectfully insisted that they could not leave the “FINAL NOTICE OF VIOLATION” on my property [but only after I took a
Grass is tall again at this property at 4129 Rainbow Drive featured in the June 20, 2015, issue – but no “Final Notice of Violation” here.
photograph of it as evidence]. I also insisted that Lee give me a warning notice, and so now we too have until Aug. 4 to paint the building eaves. I have no excuse for the faded paint on the eaves other than to say I need to look up more often. And I have no problem with touching up the paint. While I seethed this past week about being called a blight on the neighborhood, I learned that the code officers had done similar things to many other business owners along Candler Road and that many of them are being taken to court on Aug. 23. Among them was Sam Armstrong, practice manager for Decatur Family Medical at 1962 Candler Road. He says he got one visit from the code officers last week and a court date. “They gave us no warning,” he said. “They cited me and said this is the court date. “This is so wrong.” Armstrong said he was told that “there will be a bunch of other people” in court on Aug. 23. “I am just stunned,” he said. “We have never seen them before and now you haul me into court. I am surprised that is the order of things.” As a resident who desperately wants to live in a clean, pristine community, I want to see Candler Road and all of South DeKalb
cleaned up. I yearn for the day when the county will do more than cut grass. I can’t wait for the day when it will trim the edges and purchase a tank full of Roundup or other weed killer to stop the weeds growing out of our sidewalks. I hope that one day residents – my South DeKalb neighbors, mind you – will stop tossing their automobile trash on our local streets. I like the fact that the county is making the effort, but the order of things is to warn first, cite next and then take to court. I see people on Candler Road painting the eaves of their buildings. We will paint ours, too. But calling our properties a blight on the neighborhood, when clearly they are not, is counterproductive. Also, how can our property be a blight when 4129 Rainbow Drive is not? I stopped by Thursday morning and couldn’t find a “FINAL NOTICE” placard there. Mind you, this is the same property that we wrote about on the front page of our June 20, 2015, issue. After that story, Code Enforcement got the owner to cut the grass. A year later, it’s almost to the rooftop again. Jennifer Parker is the editor and publisher of CrossRoadsNews.
July 23, 2016
Community
CrossRoadsNews
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“We have worked very diligently. This was once a thriving community and it can be again.”
Sports bar loses bid to open late No Circle K on Wesley Chapel By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
By Jennifer Ffrench Parker
The Lemon Drop Sports Bar and Grille will not be able to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners unanimously denied Myrio Lemons’ application 5-0 on July 19. Lemons had sought to extend his hours to a late-night establishment from 12:30 a.m. The bar and grill, which is located on the Economy Inn property, is taking the old Dudley’s Myrio Lemons sought a special land use permit for Lemon Drop restaurant space at 2565 Wesley Sports Bar and Grille to serve alcohol until 2 a.m. Chapel Road. Lemons told commissioners he was leasing munity, he touted it as a high-end restaurant. the old restaurant space from the hotel’s owners “Now it’s a lounge, and he had hookah bar up and was not affiliated with the hotel. there before we complained,” she said. He said the hotel’s owners had been cleanBobbie Sanford, whose business and home ing up the property, that crime was down from are close by, implored commissioners to con2011, that he had spent $250,000 to renovate the sider the work that was done to revitalize the property, and that the late hours would allow corridor with an LCI, overlay district and the him to hire more people. East Metro CID. He said he needed to stay open late to appeal “We have worked very diligently,” she said. to fans of West Coast sporting events that often “This was once a thriving community and it end at 1:30 a.m. can be again.” “I need this late-night opening for my busiSanford said that Lemons told her he was ness to survive,” he said. opening a family restaurant. His attorney Otis Williams told commis“Most families can dine pleasantly up until sioners that Lemons planned to hire police offi- 12:30 a.m.,” Sanford said, adding that the area alcers and that their decision cannot be “arbitrary ready has a number of late-night establishments. or capricious.” “We do not need any more. If he wants to help “There hasn’t been a substantial link to crime this community, why can’t he run his restaurant to deny this application,” he told the board. to attract families and close at 12:30 a.m.” Residents who opposed the late-night openFaye Coffield, a community activist, said ing lined up to tell commissioners to deny the that it is highly unlikely that Lemons would hire application. more people between 12:30 a.m. and 2 a.m. and Linda Martin, a 26-year resident of the that he can now open until 12:30 a.m. nearby Emerald Community, said that when District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson Lemons first presented his business to the com- made the motion for denial without comment.
Wesley Chapel Road will not be getting a Circle K gas station and convenience store near the intersection of the I-20 West exit ramp. The DeKalb Board of Commissioners voted unanimously, 5-0, on July 19 for the application to be withdrawn without prejudice. District 4 Commissioner Sharon Barnes Sutton was absent. Attorney Bernie Knight, who represents Golden Eagle Partners LLC, owners of the 0.91-acre property, requested the withdrawal. He said the owner needed the opportunity to have discussions with the community about what would best serve his interests and those of the community. Knight also told commissioners that Deborah Nsirim, who made the application, intended to buy the property but was not the owner. Nsirim was seeking to sell gas and beer and wine in the proposed 4,112-squarefoot convenience store and gas station on the property at 2586 Wesley Chapel Road. In making the motion to withdraw the application instead of denying it as requested by several community residents, District 5 Commissioner Mereda Davis Johnson said due process would require that “we hear the owner out.” “We have to be open-minded enough to at least let people give us their options and then let’s make an informed decision as to what has been presented to us,” she said. Davis Johnson said that she lives close to the proposed project and has had concerns about a Circle K coming there and about what comes to the area. “I want you to know that what affects you in the 5th affects me,” she said. “Let’s talk about what is the best fit there because we know what’s there now is not good.” Knight told commissioners that the “true owner” of the property was not involved with the application and found out that the community had not been brought into the process. Community activist Faye Coffield, who asked the BOC to deny the application, said they put a black woman to apply to get the support of the community, “and now we find out that she was a front.” Coffield said they opposed it then and now and she asked the law department to look into whether any laws were broken. Coffield said the parcel was too small for the proposed project and there was a liquor store behind the property and no problem finding liquor and wine in districts 5 and 7. “This is neither a need or a want,” she said. Charles McCorkle, who owns a business across the street from the proposed project, asked for the application to be denied. “It goes against what the community needs and wants,” he said.
League’s founder seeks to expand summer program to more teens, sites BASKETBALL,
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lookouts. Why did the officers say they were lookouts?” He asks if they did the homework he assigned last week. “I asked you to see if you could find the name of the officer who patrols your neighborhood,” he said. No one could give him a name. One kid said the officer he asked just wanted to know why he asked. “Some officers may not want to give you their names,” Franklin told the teens. “Don’t get discouraged. I’m having the same conversation with them that I’m having with you.” He wants his officers to learn the names of young men in the neighborhoods they patrol, he said later, “and not just because they wrote it on a ticket.”
Midnight league alumnus Ricketts, the league’s founder, grew up with midnight basketball, which began in the ’90s as a way to give kids a safe harbor of fun and an alternative to drugs and crime. Back then, his father, Jackie Knowles, was site director of the Bronx and Manhattan locations of the New York City Midnight Basketball summer league. A member of DeKalb’s police force since 2005, Ricketts has been volunteering his time to train and coach basketball players for four years. He started working on the league after his move in April to PAL, a nonprofit that provides safe, formative activities for youth. He hopes to see the summer midnight basketball league expand to hundreds more teens in other locations in the county. “It truly has been a blessing,” Ricketts said, thanking his commanders for supporting his vision. “It was about trying to change the relationships between law enforcement
DeKalb Police PAL Summer Midnight Basketball League n Remaining dates: Thursdays through Aug. 4 at 9 p.m. n Location: Gresham Park Recreation Center, 3113 Gresham Road, Atlanta. For more information, or to make in-kind or financial donations to PAL, visit dekalbcountypalplus.org or call Detective K. Ricketts at 404-664-1225. and people in the community but also, more importantly, helping the youth with how they view themselves.” Decatur resident Tina Marria praised Ricketts for his involvement with her son, Treveon, on and off the court. Treveon, 16, is a rising sophomore at McNair High School, a football player, and one of the county’s top wrestlers. He’s had some trouble in his life lately, he said, but the midnight basketball league is taking him in a new direction. “It’s helping me to stay out of the street and helping me to be a better person,” he said. “I’m seeing that we have good police officers in the world and they’re not always bad. That puts a smile on my face.” Treveon said he’s learning not to run from police when they stop him and to do what they say. “Some just want to know you and want to know how they can help you and your environment,” he said. “Officer Ricketts is a good person.” His mother couldn’t be more grateful to the league. “To me, they’re trying to save our boys, and I really appreciate it,” she said. “I only have one son.”
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Wellness
Oakhurst health fair offers free screenings and immunizations Kids can get free immunizations and school screenings at Oakhurst Medical Centers Inc.’s Health Fair & Family Fun Day on July 30. The event takes place from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 5582 Memorial Drive in Stone Mountain. There will be social service/health information, cultural entertainment, kids amusements, and snacks and beverages on a first-come, first-served basis. Participants will receive a book bag and school supplies with a free new immunization – bring current immunization record. Immunizations will not be duplicated. For more information, contact Brenda Jackson & Associates at 770-403-8448.
CrossRoadsNews
July 23, 2016
At the World Health Assembly in May, WHO member states adopted the first ever Elimination Strategy for Viral Hepatitis.
World Hepatitis Day focuses on elimination Millions of people across the globe are expected to observe World Hepatitis Day on July 28, urging action to eradicate the disease by 2030. The theme for this year’s global campaign is Elimination. In 2010, the World Health Organization made World Hepatitis Day one of only four official disease-specific world health days. It is observed in an effort to raise awareness about viral hepatitis and to call for access to treatment, better prevention programs and government action. Viral hepatitis is inflammation of the liver caused by a virus. There are five different hepatitis viruses – hepatitis A, B, C, D and E. If untreated, hepatitis can cause liver damage, liver failure or liver cancer.
In DeKalb County from 2008 through 2012, there were 16 cases of acute hepatitis A, 65 cases of acute hepatitis B, and seven cases of acute hepatitis C, the Board of Health’s 2015 Status of Health in DeKalb shows. 2016 is a pivotal year for viral hepatitis. At the World Health Assembly in May, WHO member states adopted the first ever Elimination Strategy for Viral Hepatitis, with ambitious targets and a goal to eliminate the disease as a public health threat by 2030. This will be the first time national governments sign up and commit to the goal of eliminating viral hepatitis. The strategy introduces global targets for viral hepatitis. These include
a 30 percent reduction in new cases of hepatitis B and C by 2020 and a 10 percent reduction in mortality. Key approaches will be to expand vaccination programs for hepatitis A, B and E; focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission of hepatitis B; improve injection, blood and surgical safety; “harm reduction” for people who inject drugs; and increase access to treatment for hepatitis B and C. To elevate the theme, NOhep (www. NOhep.org), a global elimination movement, will launch on July 28 to provide a platform for people to speak out, be engaged and take action to help ensure global commitments are met and viral hepatitis is eliminated by 2030.
District 3, NAACP hosting health fair
Free HIV tests at Clarkston Library
Adults and children can get free screenings at the annual health fair on Aug. 6 presented by the DeKalb NAACP and District 3 Commissioner Larry Johnson. The four-hour event begins at 11 a.m. at the Gallery at South DeKalb in Decatur. It includes health and wellness education, blood pressure checks, glucose testing, nutrition and weight counseling, back-to-school dental exams for kids, and HIV/AIDS testing. The mall is at 2801 Candler Road. Call Cherry Willis at 404-241-8006 for more info.
Free rapid HIV testing will be available on July 27 at the Clarkston Library. It takes place from 1:30 to 4:30 p.m. and registration is not required. The DeKalb Board of Health is offering the free and confidential Rapid HIV Oraquick testing with same-day results. The library is at 951 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston. For more information, call 404-508-7175.
July 23, 2016
Wellness
CrossRoadsNews
7
“This place brings great memories with the return of the campers that are now counselors.”
DeKalb firefighters volunteer at camp for young burn victims DeKalb firefighter Nicholas Ribal, who volunteers at the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation’s camp for young burn victims, attended the camp as a child recovering from his injuries. Now Ribal serves as a counselor at Camp OO-U-La. When he was 10, Ribal was severely burned on his face and an arm after his brother set a gas container on fire while playing with matches. His injuries required extensive treatment at the Joseph M. Still Burn Center in Augusta. After completing his treatment, Ribal received an invitation from the foundation to attend its annual summer burn camp. The camp, which is free for Georgia kids and youth ages 7-17, offers burn-injured children opportunities to grow in their physical and emotional recovery, forge friendships and receive peer support in a fun, safe and accepting environment. Ribal attended the camp for 13 years and even worked there as a counselor. “I talked to firefighters who volunteered at the camp and I liked the camaraderie they shared with each other and the campers,” Ribal said in a July 20 statement. “I wanted to be a member of a fire department,” said Ribal, who chose to work for the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Department, which started the foundation and the summer burn camp. Camp OO-U-La began in the early 1980s and serves about 100 youth annually. Young burn victims can take in the great outdoors and meet other campers who share the common experience of suffering from a burn
Pictured at Camp OO-U-La are Capt. Kelly Sizemore (from far left), Capt. Shawn Staton, firefighter Nicholas Ribal and Capt. Jovan Carter.
injury. Another longtime volunteer is DeKalb Fire Rescue Capt. Shawn Staton, who has served as a camp counselor for 17 years. “It’s hard to describe my experience at the camp in a few words,” said Staton, a 19-year DCFR member who supervises personnel at Station 22 in Tucker. “This place brings great memories with the return of the campers that are now counselors.” During his time volunteering at the camp, Staton has worked as a cabin counselor, supporting counselor and lead counselor. This year, he headed up the fishing activity for the weeklong camp held at the Fort Yargo State Park in Winder.
Nurse of the Year nominations due Colleagues, peers and patients have until Aug. 1 to nominate an outstanding nurse for the seventh annual Georgia March of Dimes 2016 Nurse of the Year Awards. The deadline has been extended to nominate a nurse who has demonstrated excellence and leadership in the field. The March of Dimes will continue to accept nominations in 15 diverse nursing categories until Aug. 1. Winners will be announced and awards presented at a gala event on Nov. 19 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta, Buckhead. To be eligible for an award, nurses must be nominated by a colleague, peer or a patient whom they have served. Nominees may have achievements in research and education or may be working at the front lines of care – from advanced practice to critical care and maternal/newborn care. To submit a nomination, visit https://app. reviewr.com/s1/site/nominationGEORGIA. Only nominations submitted online will be accepted. Award recipients will be determined by a selection committee comprising experienced health care professionals. The event is co-chaired by Lisa Eichelberger, dean at the College of Health at Clayton State University, and Jenny B. Schuessler, dean and professor at Tanner Health System School of Nursing at the University of West Georgia. The presenting sponsor is Northside Hospital, and silver sponsors include Central EMS and Emory School of Nursing. Through the Nurse of the Year Awards, the March of Dimes brings together the health care community to pay tribute to the
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profession of nursing and the often unsung heroes and heroines who save the lives and health of others. The nonprofit works to improve the health of babies by preventing birth defects, premature birth and infant mortality. For more information, including sponsorship, event details, tickets, and tribute gifts, email nwilliams@marchofdimes.org, visit www.nurseoftheyear.org/atlanta or call 404-350-9800.
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8
Scene
CrossRoadsNews
July 23, 2016
“This collection helps us realize a fuller dimension of the richness of African-American life and culture.”
Boule records housed at Emory’s Rose Library Summer revival The records of the first post-graduate fraternal organization for African-American men, Sigma Pi Phi, are now housed at Emory University’s Stuart A. Rose Manuscript, Archives, and Rare Book Library. Notable members have included W.E.B. Du Bois, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Vernon Jordan, Benjamin Mays, and Whitney Young. Sigma Pi Phi, also known as the Boulé, was founded in Philadelphia in May 1904 by Edwin Howard, Algernon Jackson, Henry McKee Minton and Richard Warrick. It was the first Greek-letter fraternity to be founded by African-American men. Unlike undergraduate fraternities, membership is limited to men who have already achieved some degree of success within their chosen profession. Randall K. Burkett, research curator of African American collections at the Rose Library, said the Boulé collection includes a photo archive. “This is an important organization within the African-American community, especially for the professional members who find mutual support and social interaction,” Burkett said in a July 11 statement. “This collection helps us realize a fuller dimension of the richness of African-American life and culture. And we’ll be able to make available to the public a deep photo archive – including black physicians, attorneys, CEOs and others at the top of their professions – that can’t be found anywhere else.” Rose Library Director Rosemary Magee said Emory “is truly honored to have been selected to house the papers of this significant fraternal organization.” “These materials are significant additions to the extensive array of materials that chronicle the African-American experience,” she said. “Scholars, students and faculty will benefit immensely from their presence here.” The Sigma Pi Phi collection consists of more recent administrative records (19412013) related to the fraternity and the Boulé Foundation as well as the Boulé Journal archive (1926-2015) and photographic collection of members and events (1987-2015). The historical records will remain with the archive at Fisk University. James O. Cole, immediate past Grand
in Scottdale
Bishop-elect Cary Williams of Judah House of Praise and Prophetess Rosaline Ash will lead the Worshippers Interceding for Excellence Church summer revival, Victory, on July 29-31 in Scottdale. Services start at 7 p.m. on July 29-30 and at 11 a.m. on July 31 with Praise & Worship by Sharonne Mincey, Gary Fordham and the W.I.F.E. Praise Team. The church is at 599 Hempstead St. For more information, visit www.worshippersintercedingforexcellence.com.
Emory University
Pictured in this undated photo are members of the Kappa Boulé, the Atlanta chapter of Sigma Pi Phi, which was established in 1920.
Sire Archon (president) of the Boulé, said Emory was selected because of its outstanding reputation. “The staff has the modern equipment and advanced methods to protect the rich history of our fraternity,” Cole said. “They also expressed strong interest in working with Fisk University.” Cole said he is looking forward to interested individuals learning more about the Boulé through the Rose Library archive. “In the past, the organization has been somewhat closed, and people were not aware of who was a member of the Boulé and the important role they played in our communities,” Cole said. “Our members have played an important role in many issues of the day since 1904. We believe it is important for these facts to be known. We will continue to be active on the public issues of today.” After its founding in 1904, Sigma Pi Phi quickly grew into a national organization with chapters in Chicago, Baltimore and other cities. Chapter representatives met in Philadelphia in 1908 to establish the Grand Boulé to provide central leadership. The first edition of the Boulé Journal was published in 1912 to facilitate communications among its members. Today, the Boulé has 133 local chapters and more than 5,000 members across the United States, in the United Kingdom and in the Caribbean. Among the Rose Library collections are
the papers of other Sigma Pi Phi members, including Horace Mann Bond, James Weldon Johnson, Kelly Miller, James A. Porter and Carter G. Woodson. The Atlanta chapter, Kappa Boulé, was established in January 1920. Members wellknown in the Atlanta area over the years include former Atlanta mayor and U.N. Ambassador Andrew Young, U.S. Rep. John Lewis, former Atlanta Mayor Maynard Jackson, and Braves player Hank Aaron. Members with an Emory connection include Robert M. Franklin Jr., author, former Morehouse College president and Laney Professor of Moral Leadership at the Candler School of Theology, and James R. Gavin III, Emory University trustee, clinical professor of medicine at Emory School of Medicine and former president of Morehouse School of Medicine. The social action arm, the Boulé Foundation, founded in 1980, is used to fund scholarships and to make contributions to disaster aid efforts such as Hurricane Katrina and the earthquake in Haiti. Both the fraternity and the foundation made a substantial donation toward the building of the National Museum of African American History and Culture at the Smithsonian, said Samuel Bacote, Grand Grammateus (executive secretary). The collection is open and available to researchers and the public. To learn more about working with the collection, visit http://rose. library.emory.edu/using.
National Poetry Slam begins Aug. 1 Teams of poets from across North America and Europe will converge on Decatur on Aug. 1 to compete in the weeklong National Poetry Slam. The annual art, poetry and music festival, which is in its 27th year, kicks off with a ribbon-cutting ceremony at 7 p.m. at 115 Sycamore St. with the DeKalb Chamber of Commerce as host, followed by a reception with the Decatur Arts Alliance as host. The festival is described as part championship tournament, part poetry summer camp, and part traveling exhibition and is staged in a different city each year. For more information, including tickets and schedule, visit http://npsdecatur. com.
CrossRoadsNews
July 23, 2016
Youth
9
“Many athletes improved their times and some times have placed them in the top 10 in the nation according to www.eliteyouth.net.�
Flying Eagles soar at AAU Club Championship Head Start Grant Reynolds of the Mark Trail Flying Eagles youth track club set a new meet record in the 800 meter run in the 8-year-old age group at the 2016 AAU Club Championship in Orlando, Fla. Grant, who set the record with a time of 2:32.36, also won first place in the 400 meter dash at the July 10-16 event. The old 800 meter record was 2:37.84 set in 2008 by Jamir Ferguson of the Miami Garden track club. Mark Trail’s head coach Stephon Rivas said the coaching staff is very proud of all the athletes on the team this year. The club is based at the N.H. Scott Recreation Center in Decatur. “Out of 48 athletes, 46 athletes qualified to participate in the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics in Houston, Texas, July 30-Aug. 6 at Humble High School,� Rivas said on July 20. “The AAU Club Championship was the last qualifying meet and there was competition from across the United States preparing the athletes for the competition in Houston in two weeks. “Many of the athletes improved their times in their events and some athletes’ times have placed them in the top 10 in the nation according to www.eliteyouth.net.� Grant’s teammate Jaylon Allen, also in the 8 years group, picked up first place in turbo javelin and second place in long jump. Bryce Belisle, 9 years, got eighth place in the 60 meter hurdles, and Dylan Belisle in the 14 years group took sixth place in pentathlon. Brooke Fung Chung, 11 years, got seventh place in the 80 meter hurdles and sixth place in the high jump. Kennedy Reynolds, 9 years, took fourth place in the 800 meter and 1500 meter. Caitlin Tate, in the 17 and 18 years group, got second place in the 100 meter and third
seeks infants and children
Low-income families with infants and children up to 5 years old in DeKalb and Rockdale counties are being recruited to enroll in the Partnership for Community Action Inc.’s Head Start/Early Head Start programs. Head Start is a comprehensive prekindergarten program that prepares children and families for school readiness and success. The PCA also provides Georgia Pre-k slots in its Head Start classrooms. Children must be 4 years old by Sept. 1 for enrollment consideration for Georgia Pre-k slots. To qualify for Head Start, Early Head Start, and Georgia Pre-k programs, call 404-929-2503 or visit 815 Park North Blvd. in Clarkston.
The Mark Trail Flying Eagles youth track club is heading to Houston for the 2016 AAU Junior Olympics after competing at the 2016 AAU Club Championship in Orlando.
place in the 200 meter. Serena Tate, 11 years, won first place in the 400 meter and 200 meter and second place in the 100 meter. Taking eighth place in the 11 and 12 girls 4x400 meter relay were Anna Allison, Brooke Fung Chung, Candace Taylor and Danee Waters. The following age groups won overall team trophies: 8 and under boys, first place, and 11-year-old girls, second place. The U.S. Amateur Athletic Union is a nonprofit volunteer sports organization. Its AAU Club Championship, held at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World Resort, is in its 20th year. The nonprofit Mark Trail Athletic As-
One-stop enrollment at GPTC campuses Continuing and prospective students can attend the one-stop enrollment event on July 26-27 at the DeKalb and Newton campuses of Georgia Piedmont Technical College. Participants may be able to complete the admissions and enrollment process and leave with a class schedule in the same day. The event takes place from 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. in the conference center of the DeKalb Campus, 495 N. Indian Creek Drive in Clarkston, and in A-building at the Newton Campus, 16200 Alcovy Road in Covington. Staff will help attendees navigate the admissions process, evaluate transcripts,
schedule placement testing if needed, and review financial aid options. Participants should bring an official high school transcript in a sealed envelope, official college transcript or transcripts in a sealed envelope, a state of Georgia-issued ID or driver’s license, INS documents (resident alien card) if applicable, 2015 tax transcript (dependent student also must have his or her parents’ 2015 taxes), and Social Security card (dependent students also must have their parents’ Social Security numbers). For more information, visit www.gptc. edu or call 404-297-9522, Ext. 1602.
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sociation Inc., also known as Mark Trail Flying Eagles, was organized in 1994. It was created to give economically disadvantaged youth an opportunity to compete in running events on a local, state, regional and national level. MTAA serves more than 150 children ages 5-18 each year. With a focus on fun and fitness, it provides opportunities for kids in both developmental and competitive programs, supporting indoor youth track and field, outdoor youth track and field, and cross country programs. To learn more, visit www.wix.com/ marktrailtrackclub/1994, email marktrailflyingeagles@gmail.com or call 404213-7444.
60 to graduate summer school
About 60 DeKalb students will participate in a graduation ceremony from summer school on Aug. 4 at district headquarters in Stone Mountain. It begins at 11 a.m. in the Administrative and Instructional Complex Auditorium. The students took classes through Georgia Virtual, the District Online Academy, and other accredited institutions. Some schools offered summer classes that were funded through Title I. Superintendent R. Stephen Green will speak at the ceremony. The AIC is at 1701 Mountain Industrial Blvd. Visit www.dekalb.k12.ga.us.
CrossRoadsNews
10
Finance
July 23, 2016
“Managers should look at what they can do to help prevent the large wave of retirements from happening.”
Aging federal work force slow to retire AT&T grant to promote The federal government is bracing for a “Silver Tsunami” as its aging work force bucks retirement trends. A new Georgia State University study shows federal government employees eligible for retirement are not retiring – yet – but the low percentage of workers under 30 suggests that when they do, they could create a federal work force crisis. Study co-author Greg Lewis, a government work force expert and a professor and chair in the Andrew Young School of Policy Study’s Department of Public Management and Policy, said the Great Recession may be a contributing factor. “There’s been all this fear of the Greg Lewis ‘Silver Tsunami’ in the federal government, and there has been a lot of talk about the percentage of employees who are eligible to retire,” Lewis said in a July 18 statement. “But the number of people who actually retire is many fewer than those who are eligible.” The percentage of federal white-collar workers eligible to retire doubled between 1999 and 2007, but the number of federal retirements has not, the study shows. The Government Accountability Office estimates 600,000 federal employees – about 30 percent – will be eligible for retirement by September 2017.
Individuals who work for the federal government are older than the general work force. Only 7 percent to 10 percent of federal white-collar workers are under 30, Lewis said. Lewis and co-author David Pitts of the University of California, Irvine, studied behavior and intent to retire. They warn that if the Great Recession contributed to current low retirement rates and if managers are unable to discourage eligible federal employees from retiring, retirements may soon rise dramatically. Their research indicates age, federal experience and pension design strongly influence when employees retire. Satisfaction with agency leadership seems to strongly affect retirement plans. Job satisfaction and the development of older employees also play a role in the decision. The future of federal white-collar retirements remains uncertain, Lewis said. “We don’t really know what’s going to happen,” he said. “We don’t know if the low probabilities of retirement will continue or if we’ll go back to the levels we had before. For now, federal managers should look at what they can do to help prevent the large wave of retirements from happening.” The study was recently published in the Review of Public Personnel Administration. Visit gsu.edu.
School District hiring bus drivers, mechanics
The DeKalb School District is recruiting bus drivers and mechanics on July 26 at the GDOL North Metro Career Center in Atlanta. The district’s Department of Pupil Transportation will conduct presentations/interviews at 10 a.m., 11 a.m. and noon for bus drivers and at 10:30 a.m., 11:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. for mechanics. The school bus driver Job ID number is 554005238, and the mechanic Job ID number is 555447204. Dress is business casual, and participants should bring writing implements and resumes. If interested in attending the event, access employgeorgia.com to create an account and resume. If you already have a resume, you can upload it once an account is created. Having an account and resume in Employ Georgia will expedite the process at the event. The Georgia Department of Labor center is at 2943 N. Druid Hills Road. For more information, visit http://dol.georgia.gov.
careers in digital media
DeKalb Workforce Development has received a $12,000 grant from the AT&T Aspire initiative to promote careers in digital media, and it has been soliciting retweets of its short video in a contest for an additional $8,000 in funding support. AT&T Aspire is the company’s $350 million signature education initiative focused on helping more students graduate high school ready for college and career. To compete against eight finalists for the extra funding, DWD created a short video describing the organization and its impact in DeKalb County. To help DWD win the competition, supporters were urged to retweet the video posted on Twitter @DeKalbyouth from July 18-22. Each retweet from DWD’s initial tweet including the video is a vote for DeKalb. Each retweet also helps the county spread the word about career training opportunities in digital media for DeKalb youth. DWD hosted the family-friendly Make DeKalb Social Community Outreach Event on July 21 at its office on Jordan Lane in Decatur to present information about the services it has to offer. For more information about DWD, visit www.dekalbworkforce.org. For additional information about the AT&T Aspire initiative, contact Denise Kenner at dkenner@dekalbcoutyga.gov or 404-687-3400. The hearing impaired may call 1-800-255-0135 for assistance.
IRS relaunches tool for identity theft victims Taxpayers who are identity theft victims can get an IRS “IP PIN” through a tool with a stronger authentication process. Taxpayers from Georgia, Florida and the District of Columbia also may obtain an Identity Protection Personal Identification Number as part of a pilot project. The IP PIN is given to taxpayers who are confirmed identity theft victims and to certain taxpayers who opt into the program. The six-digit IP PIN adds another layer of protection for the Social Security number. The relaunched tool uses a multi-factor authentication process that will help prevent automated attacks. Taxpayers must verify their identities using a more rigorous Secure Access process that requires them to have immediate access to an email address, account information from a credit card or other loan types,
Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM7565-9++ Dana Michelle Lutz filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Jul. 12, 2016 to change name from: Dana Michelle Lutz to Donald Peter Lutz. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: Jul. 07, 2016 Name: Dana Michelle Lutz 5378 Oxbow Rd. Stone Mountain, GA 30087
Legal Notices 07/02, 07/09, 07/16, 07/23
Notice of Petition to Name of ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM6970-3++ Alma McDowell Lewis Williams Melson filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on June 23, 2016 to change name from: Alma McDowell Lewis Williams Melson to Alma Lewis Williams. Any interested party has the right to appear In this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed. Dated: June 21, 2016 Name: Alma McDowell Lewis Williams Melson 3105 Kensington Circle Lithonia, GA 30038 07/16, 07/23, 07/30, 08/06
Notice OF PUBLICATION
in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM7136-2++ Sheila Palmer Sanders Plaintiff Vs. Craig Allen Longnecker Defendant To: Craig Allen Longnecker Pursuant to an Order of Publication signed by the Honorable Asha S. Jackson on June 29, 2016, you are hereby notified that a Complaint for Divorce has been filed in the Superior Court of DeKalb County, Georgia on June 28, 2016, Generally, the Complaint alleges that the Plaintiff Is seeking a divorce from you. You may obtain a copy of the Complaint for Divorce from the Clerk of Superior Court of DeKalb County, located at 556 N. McDonough Street, Decatur, Georgia 30032 or by calling
(404) 371-2836. After you review the Complaint, you must file your written answers and objections to the Complaint with the Clerk of Superior Court. You must also serve a copy of your answer upon the Plaintiff, whose address is as follows: 3212 Canary Court, Decatur, DeKalb County, Georgia 30032. You answer must be made within sixty (60) days of the date of the Order for Service by Publication. Witness the Honorable Asha S. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Courty. This 8th day of July, 2016 07/16, 07/23, 07/30, 08/06
Notice OF PUBLICATION in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: ++16FM6296-6++ Jerome Mosley Plaintiff
and a text-enabled mobile phone. New and returning users must follow the Secure Access steps outlined in Fact Sheet 2016-20, How to Register for Get Transcript Online Using New Authentication Process. The Get Transcript Online tool was the first to use the Secure Access process, and the IRS continues to review its other online applications to determine which ones warrant the stronger verification process. Use of the IP PIN tool is limited to pre-selected taxpayers. About 2.7 million IP PIN holders receive their number through the mail late in the calendar year in advance of the 2017 filing season. Taxpayers who lose their IP PIN may use the tool to retrieve their number. Taxpayers who may be victims of non-tax related identity theft and submitted an affidavit to the IRS may opt into the program and obtain an IP PIN through the tool. For more information, visit irs.gov.
07/23, 07/30, 08/06, 08/13
Notice OF PUBLICATION
Vs. Ruby N. Jones Mosley Defendant To: Ruby N. Jones Mosley By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Jun. 06, 2016. You are hereby notified that on Jun. 03, 2016 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court and to service upon the plaintiff’s attorney whose address is: Jerome Mosley, 2354 Maryland Ct., Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Jun. 02, 2016. Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 3rd day of Jun., 2016 07/23, 07/30, 08/06, 08/13
Notice of Petition to Name of ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia
Civil Action Case Number: ++15CV7572-10++
Landy D. Leake Plaintiff Vs. James C. Leake, Jr. Defendant To: By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated May 31, 2016. You are hereby notified that on Jul. 20, 2016 the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for Divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court and to service upon the plaintiff’s attorney whose address is: Landy Leake, 1836 McLain Lane, Dec., GA 30035. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of publication, Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court. This the 15th day of Jun., 2016
public notice INVITATION TO BID DeKalb County, Georgia requests competitively sealed bids from qualified bidders to pay to the County an amount not less than the aggregate fair market value of that “CERTAIN PORTION OF THE BLUE SKY CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX LOCATED AT 3106 MEMORIAL DRIVE, DECATUR, GEORGIA 30032” in exchange for the County exercising its contractual right to direct Real Estate Alliance Partners/Pellerin & Salomon Real Estate Services, LLC (REAP/PSRES) to convey REAP/PSRES’ title, if any, to such portion of the Blue Sky Condominium Complex to the successful qualified bidder, in accordance with all requirements of Invitation to Bid (ITB) No. 16-100729. The ITB can be downloaded at http://www.dekalbcountyga. gov/purchasing/pc_index_formal_solicitations.html.
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CrossRoadsNews
July 23, 2016
News
11
â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are still trying to find out what his motive was, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s â&#x20AC;Ś part of our investigation. But we believe he was targeting those officers.â&#x20AC;?
Three officers killed, three wounded in Baton Rouge shooting By Ken Watts
Investigators are trying determine a motive in an ambush-style shooting that killed three Baton Rouge, La., law officers and wounded three others on July 17. The gunman, identified as Gavin Long, 29, of Kansas City, Mo., fired the fatal shots before being killed by police and â&#x20AC;&#x153;was targeting officers,â&#x20AC;? state police officials said Gavin Long Monday. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Our preliminary investigation shows that he definitely ambushed those officers,â&#x20AC;? Lt. J.B. Slaton, a public affairs commander for the Louisiana State Police, said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;We are still trying to find out what his motive was, and thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be part of our investigation. But we believe he was targeting those officers.â&#x20AC;? Officers Matthew Gerald, 41, and Montrell Jackson, 32, were killed along with sheriff â&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Brad Garafola, 45. The attack on the Baton Rouge officers
Sheriffâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Deputy Brad Garafola (from left) and Officers Matthew Gerald and Montrell Jackson were killed in Baton Rouge on July 17.
comes in the wake of the sniper killing of five policemen in Dallas on July 7 by Micah Xavier Johnson, an African-American veteran of the Afghanistan war. The fallen Dallas officers were Cpl. Lorne Ahrens, 48; Officer Michael Krol, 40; Sgt. Michael Smith, 55; Officer Brent Thompson, 43; and Officer Patrick Zamarripa, 32. They were protecting Black Lives Matter demonstrators in Dallas protesting the Baton Rouge police shooting of Alton Sterling on July 5 and the shooting of Philando Castile in a suburb of St. Paul, Minn., on July 6. The superintendent of the Louisiana State Police, Col. Michael D. Edmonson, said
that investigators were interviewing people and sifting through visual evidence to track Longâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s activities before he shot the officers and find out why he came to Baton Rouge, adding that it was â&#x20AC;&#x153;critical and importantâ&#x20AC;? to get it right. â&#x20AC;&#x153;There was no doubt in my mindâ&#x20AC;? that Long had intended to kill the officers, Edmonson said on CNN. Long had been positively identified with the use of fingerprint records, Slaton said. As investigators worked, details about Long began to emerge. Court records filed in Missouri showed that Long filed a name-change notice with the Jackson County recorderâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s office seeking to change his name to Cosmo Ausar Setepenra and saying he was a member of the Washitaw Nation, a black offshoot of the â&#x20AC;&#x153;Sovereign Nationâ&#x20AC;? that does not recognize the authority of the federal government. A spokeswoman for the court said Long never filed a name change petition with the court, so the document was not legally binding. Using that name, Long billed himself online as a self-help author and life coach who could help men become more â&#x20AC;&#x153;alpha.â&#x20AC;?
Like the gunman who killed five police officers more than a week ago in Dallas, Long had served abroad in the military. Records show that Long was in the Marines from 2005 to 2010, including a six-month deployment in Iraq. He was a sergeant and a data network specialist who earned several awards, including one for good conduct. In a podcast posted online, Cosmo pointed out that he had not seen combat. â&#x20AC;&#x153;I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t like infantry and whatnot,â&#x20AC;? he said. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;m not saying I was hopping out of the Humvees and kicking in doors and all that; that wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t me.â&#x20AC;? He also was assigned to Okinawa, Japan, and several Southern California locations. Internet domain search tools show that Long registered a website called convos withcosmo.club in April. Another website, registered privately, convoswithcosmo.com, is filled with blog posts and podcasts that match Longâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biography, including his stint in the military and educational career. The site promotes three self-help books and offers life coaching sessions for $119 an hour.
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