CrossRoadsNews, March 24, 2018

EASTER

WELLNESS

Kids can satisfy their urge to hunt Easter eggs and pursue other fun activities at events all over South DeKalb. 4

Healthy people ages 17 and up can help save lives at an American Red Cross Blood Drive on March 30 at the Decatur Library. 5

Egg hunts easy to find

Giving that can’t be beat

Let’s Keep DeKalb Peachy Clean Please Don’t Litter Our Streets and Highways

EAST ATLANTA • DECATUR • STONE MOUNTAIN • LITHONIA • AVONDALE ESTATES • CLARKSTON • ELLENWOOD • PINE LAKE • REDAN • SCOTTDALE • TUCKER • STONECREST

Copyright © 2018 CrossRoadsNews, Inc.

March 24, 2018

Volume 23, Number 47

www.crossroadsnews.com

Former worker says she was fired for blowing the whistle

By Rosie Manins

A former DeKalb employee is suing the county, saying it violated the Georgia Whistleblower Act when it fired her for speaking out about illegal activity in the Watershed and Purchasing departments.

Teresa Slayton, who worked for the county for a year, filed suit in DeKalb Superior Court on March 15, claiming that the county retaliated against her after she blew the whistle.

“Defendant DeKalb County took adverse actions against Ms. Slayton when it stripped her of supervisory duties, failed to promote her, and by terminating her employment in

Slayton worked from August 2016 to August 2017 as a senior procurement agent and capital improvement program team leader in DeKalb County’s purchasing and contracting department.

Slayton, who lives in Rockdale County, was fired on Aug. 9, 2017, after she reported alleged illegal activity within the watershed and purchasing departments to her county superiors, the FBI, and the Equal EmployTeresa Slayton’s lawsuit against DeKalb County ment Opportunity Commission (EEOC).

Her attorney, Cheryl Legare of Atlantaretaliation for disclosing violations of laws, unspecified compensation for legal fees and based law firm Legare, Attwood and Wolfe, rules, and regulations to either a supervisor “equitable relief ” for lost wages and benefits, is not commenting. a damaged professional reputation, and menor a government agency,” the lawsuit said.

Slayton is demanding a jury trial and tal and emotional stress.

Please see LAWSUIT, page 3

“Defendant DeKalb County took adverse actions against Ms. Slayton when it stripped her of supervisory duties, failed to promote her, and by terminating her employment in retaliation for disclosing violations of laws, rules, and regulations to either a supervisor or a government agency.”

Police officer who lost all in a fire needs help Family of nine homeless after March 1 blaze

DeKalb County Officer Marty Williams and his girlfriend Amber Singleton say they are overwhelmed by the community’s show of support after their family lost everything in a house fire on March 1. “It felt like a big warm hug,” Williams said.

By Rosie Manins

DeKalb County Police Officer Marty Williams was at work on March 1 when a quickmoving fire engulfed his five-bedroom house leaving him, his six children, his girlfriend Amber Singleton, and her grandmother homeless.

The fire, which started on the home’s back porch, destroyed all of the family’s belongings, including an urn with Singleton’s grandfather’s ashes.

Williams’ oldest child Tnes, who is 11, and Singleton’s grandmother Ortilla Profit were inside the Stockbridge home when the fire started.

“They didn’t know the house was on fire,” Williams recalled March 16. “They could smell something but didn’t know what it was.”

Luckily Singleton arrived at the house soon after with the couple’s other children, Chi Chi, 9; Anijah, 7; Waylen and Adisynn, 4; and Nila, 3.

She initially thought the smoke was fog, but managed to get everyone out safely and called 911.

Williams, an eight-year DeKalb police officer, rushed home but said the “powerful blaze” left little to salvage of the house he bought two years ago, shortly after his late wife and the mother of his four oldest children died.

“It was a very intense fire,” he said.

“Flames took the majority of the house and the smoke and water damage took the rest.”

Since the blaze, all nine family members have been living in a hotel.

The children attend Pleasant Grove and Austin Road elementary schools and Sunbrook Academy in Stockbridge.

“We’re just trying to keep the kids focused on learning and being happy and playing like kids should do, and on getting the necessities

Photos By Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

for them,” their father said.

To help Williams, his colleagues at the DeKalb Police South Precinct where he works hosted a March 16 fundraiser with the Mix’d Up Burgers food truck.

The truck raised $1,100 for Williams’ family, which was 20 percent of the burgers and fries sold during the four-hour event.

County officials, including DeKalb District Attorney Sherry Boston and Clerk of Superior Court Debra DeBerry, and residents also donated cash, children’s clothing, toys, household goods to help the family.

Please see OFFICER, page 2

Officer Marty Williams’ colleagues at the DeKalb Police South Precinct hosted a fundraiser for the family on March 14.

CrossRoadsNews

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Community

March 24, 2018

“We quickly corrected the issues identified and are taking extra steps to prevent this from happening again.”

Ross store remains closed Stonecrest Olive Garden to be after fire; suspect still at large re-inspected after low score The Ross Dress for Less clothing store in the Stonecrest Marketplace received extensive smoke and water damage after suspected arson on March 15.

Tekia L. Parks / CrossRoadsNews

By Tekia L. Parks

The Ross Dress for Less clothing store near the Mall at Stonecrest remains closed this week after a March 15 fire set by a suspected arsonist.

Cleaning crews were Arson suspect working Wednesday to clean up the store in the city of Stonecrest, but no one at the store had any idea when the store would reopen.

Ross’ corporate communications office did not respond to questions about the store’s re-opening date.

An unidentified African-American man was caught on store’s surveillance camera leaving the store around 2:15 p.m. as the fire erupted in its home department.

Some 20 customers and employees had to flee the store in Stonecrest MarketPlace, a shopping center overlooking the mall.

DeKalb firefighters, who responded quickly to the call, were able to put out the flames but the store suffered severe smoke and water damage.

No one was injured in the fire.

Fire investigators believe the suspect, who appeared be in his 20s, intentionally set the fire with a blowtorch. He is described as a man of medium build, between 5 feet 9 inches and 5 feet 11 in height, and weighs about 135 pounds.

DeKalb Police was still looking for the suspect through late evening on March 22.

Anyone with information about the suspect or the fire should call fire investigators at 678-406-7775.

$20k raised for displaced family

Rosie Manins / CrossRoadsNews

Officer Marty Williams, standing with South Precinct Major KD Johson, said he really appreciated the love and support from the community. “It makes us feel loved,” he said.

said. “We thank you all and we really appreciate the love and sentiment that’s been delivThe family also got hugs, handshakes and ered here today. It makes us feel loved.” messages of support from dozens of wellWant to help? wishers who attended the event.

The family still needs cash or new and Through March 21, a GoFundMe page set up for the family had generated about $6,800 gently worn clothes for girls sizes 14Y, 10from more than 100 people. Altogether, 12Y, 5-6Y, 4T and 3T, and shoe sizes, 1, 4, fundraisers have raised about $20,000 for 5, 8 and 10.

Williams’ only son Waylen wears size 4T the family.

Williams and Singleton say they are and a size 9 shoe.

Donations can be dropped off at South grateful for the “amazing” outpouring of Precinct, 2842 H. F. Shepherd Dr in Decacommunity support.

“It felt like a big warm hug,” Williams tur.

OFFICER,

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1

By Tekia L. Parks

DeKalb health inspectors will be back at the Olive Garden restaurant at Stonecrest on March 24 after the restaurant failed a routine health inspection with a score 66 (U).

The store at 3011 Turner Hill Road was cited on March 14 for 11 health code violations ranging from deficient employee hygienic practices to storing food at incorrect temperatures.

DeKalb Board of Health inspector Kortnee Smith said she will re-inspect the store to ensure that the restaurant has corrected the following unhealthy situations she observed during the three-hour health assessment on March 14: n An employee placing a food item in their mouth and beginning to chew in the food prep area. n Black and pink substance on the interior surfaces of the ice machine. n A container used to store ice scoop with debris. n Stack of containers used to store silverware blocking the hand sink. n An employee cleaning a dish at hand sink after noticing it was dirty. n A pan of uncooked chicken stored on shelf in freezer, above open pan of fries. n Food stored at incorrect temperature in the prep top cooler and in the walk-in cooler. n Several dishes stacked wet. n Dirty containers stored as clean.

In its previous two inspections on July 27, 2017, and Aug. 22, 2017, the restaurant got 72 (C) and a 97 (A), respectively.

Restaurants are typically re-inspected within 10 days of a failure.

Failure to achieve at least a 71 percent or

Tekia L. Parks / CrossRoadsNews

The Olive Garden on Turner Hill Road received a 66 on its health inspection on March 14.

“C” on the follow-up inspection could result in a restaurant’s closure.

Hunter Robinson, corporate media relations manger for Darden Restaurants, which owns Olive Garden, said March 16 that while the results of the latest health inspection do not meet their usual high standards, “it is completely safe to eat in our restaurant.”

“We quickly corrected the issues identified and are taking extra steps to prevent this from happening again, including retraining and reinforcing our strict policies and procedures with our team,” he said.

Robinson said nothing is more important to them than the health and safety of their guests and team members.

“Even with our strong standards and procedures, though, people can make mistakes and we’re no different,” Robinson said. “As soon as we know a mistake has been made, we correct it and learn from it.”

March 24, 2018

Community

CrossRoadsNews

3

“I want to have a conversation with these people because I don’t think they realize how much support this issue has.”

Some Georgia gun owners supporting ban on assault weapons

By Rosie Manins

Avid hunters and gun owners in DeKalb are supporting a proposed Georgia ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines and ammunition in the wake of recent school shootings.

A dozen gun owners and enthusiasts from across the county, including Stonecrest, joined Decatur mother Clare Schexnyder at the Georgia Capitol on March 21 to demand that House Bill 10 receive a hearing in the current legislative session.

HB10, introduced Jan. 23, 2017, by Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur), is seeking to ban the possession, sale, transport, distribution and use of certain assault weapons, large capacity magazines, armor-piercing bullets and incendiary .50 caliber bullets.

The bill is languishing in the House Committee on Public Safety and Homeland Security, chaired by Alan Powell (R-Hartwell).

With the end of the 2018 session coming up on March 29, proponents of the bill held

Clare Schexnyder leads a press conference at the Georgia Capitol on Mar. 21, demanding legislators schedule a hearing for House Bill 10.

Rosie Manins/CrossRoadsNews

a press conference at the capitol on March 21 to urge Powell to let the bill be heard.

“Powell told us last week the bill was basically dead on arrival and going nowhere,” Schexnyder said. “But we’re asking Powell and the other Republicans on the committee to wake up and pay attention to what’s going on in our communities. If you bury the bill, you will bury more children.”

Schexnyder founded a public Facebook page, titled National Stop School Shootings NOW, in mid-February following the Feb. 14 shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Fla. The public group now has over 10,000 members and 1,600 posts.

Chris Moser, a gun owner from Stonecrest, said he also wants to see HB10 considered.

“I think we need policies enacted aimed at taking over 90 percent of all guns in this country out of circulation within a generation,” he said. “That’s the only way we’ll ever become a safe and civilized country.”

Chloe Guzman, a 17-year-old Decatur High School junior, said state and federal legislators need to listen to youth who are demanding a safer place to study and live.

“I want to sit down and have a conversation with these people because I don’t think they realize how much support this issue has,” Chloe said. “We have white male and female gun owners here; we have everyone supporting this issue.”

Schexnyder said about 7,000 American children have died from gun violence since December 2012, when 20 children and six adults were killed at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Connecticut.

“That’s 1,400 children a year,” she said.

“That means more kids have been killed by guns since Sandy Hook than U.S. soldiers in combat since 9/11. Just think about that.”

Allegations include collusion, bid-rigging, conflicts of interest and more LAWSUIT,

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1

The lawsuit was filed less than two weeks after the director of DeKalb County’s watershed department, Scott Towler, resigned on March 5.

Towler, who was appointed director in January 2016, issued a scathScott Towler ing letter to DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Ted Rhinehart, claiming they

urged him to make decisions that violated federal and state laws.

Thurmond immediately dismissed Towler’s allegations as “slanderous and baseless.”

In her lawsuit, Slayton alleges that watershed and purchasing teams were rife with collusion, bid-rigging, over-billing, conflicts of interest, destruction of files, use of fake documents, and widespread mismanagement.

She first raised concerns in November 2016 to her department superiors, CIP Manager Warrick Sams and Chief Procurement Officer Talisa Clark.

In January 2017, she said she told them watershed employees were providing inside information to a bidder on a $7.7 million capital improvement project.

Slayton alleges that in February 2017 she was asked by Clark to engage in “unethical and untruthful conduct.”

She says Clark fired Sams on March 6, 2017.

Slayton alleges she was demoted on March 17, 2017, by Clark and Procurement Deputy Director Cathryn Horner. She said they stripped her of her supervisory and team lead responsibilities “in retaliation for

engaging in protected conduct.”

Slayton’s lawsuit said that on March 20, 2017, Clark and Horner refused to give her a promotion to CIP manager – the position vacated when Sams was fired – “despite Ms. Slayton’s exceptional credentials.”

Slayton further claims she was coerced

by Horner to engage in “fictitious acts and untruthful conduct about Mr. Sams character and work product,” and that, around the same time in late March, she met with Sams and an FBI agent to report her concerns.

The case has not yet been assigned to a judge and a trial date has not been set.

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Easter 2346 Candler Rd. Decatur, GA 30032 404-284-1888 Fax: 404-284-5007

CrossRoadsNews

March 24, 2018

“We believe that God has no issue with our children celebrating His resurrection in a way that they can always remember.”

Egg hunt over here, dog parade and more over there Children will be able to collect Easter eggs and other goodies at events sponsored by churches and other organizations in South DeKalb on March 24 and March 31.

www.crossroadsnews.com editor@crossroadsnews.com

Editor / Publisher Jennifer Parker Staff Writers Jennifer Ffrench Parker Tekia L. Parks Editorial Intern Rosie Manins Front Office Manager Catherine Guy Multimedia Editor Sharif Williams

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The hunt for Easter eggs is on starting March 24, hosted by churches and other community organizations throughout South DeKalb.

The events cater to different age groups. All are free to attend.

Here are a few places to take the kids:

First Baptist Church of Decatur Hundreds of Easter eggs will be scattered across the front lawn of the First Baptist Church of Decatur on March 24 for their annual Easter Egg Hunt.

The Easter Bunny arrives at 10:30 a.m. for photos and the hunt for eggs begins sharply at 11 a.m.

The hunt is staggered by age so parents with children in different age groups can experience the fun with each of them.

In case of rain, the event will be moved the lower level of the church’s parking garage.

First Baptist Church of Decatur is at 308 Clairemont Ave. For more information, call 404-373-1653.

in Lithonia is hosting its annual family spring fair and Easter egg hunt on March 24.

The noon to 3 p.m. event also includes photos with the Easter Bunny, games, raffles and entertainment.

The church is at 1719 Redan East, Lithonia.

For more information call 678-851-3528.

Egg hunt and dog parade Willis Park in Avondale Estates will be packed with kids and dogs for the city’s annual Easter Egg Hunt and Dog Parade on March 31.

The egg hunt for children 10 years and younger begins at 10 a.m.

The dog parade starts at 10:30 a.m.

Parade entrants must register at www.avondaleestates.org before 3 p.m. March 30.

The first 50 registered participants who check-in between 9:30 a.m. and 10:15 a.m. on event day will get a free goodie bag.

Costumes are not required for the dog parade, but prize categories include best costume, Higher Calling Ministries best owner/dog duo, most spirited/enthusiastic, Children 12 years and younger can find Eas- and best behaved. The event will be resheduled ter eggs at Higher Calling Ministries in Decatur if there is rain. on March 24 starting at 10 a.m.

The park is at 51 Dartmouth Ave. The hunt for eggs begins at 11 a.m. and will For more information call 404-294-5400. be staggered by age groups starting with the youngest children.

Oakhurst Baptist Higher Calling Ministries is at 2901 Wesley Oakhurst Baptist Church is hosting its Easter Chapel Road.

Egg Hunt on March 31.

For more information, call 404-288-2434.

It starts at 10:30 a.m..

The church is at 222 East Lake Drive in Spring fair and Easter Egg Hunt Decatur.

Overcomers Cathedral Tabernacle of Prayer For more information call 404-378-3677.

South Precinct hosting Easter egg hunt Kids ages 3 to 10 years old can hunt for eggs and win Easter candy and small toys at Exchange Park on March 31.

The 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. event also includes egg relays, sack races and face painting.

It is sponsored by DeKalb Police South Precinct’s Community Outreach, which is accepting donations of Easter baskets, plastic eggs, wrapped Easter candy, and school supplies and

Circulation Audited By

age-appropriate small toys or trinkets to stuff goodie bags to give away as prizes.

Exchange Park is at 2771 Columbia Drive in Decatur. Donations can be dropped off at the South Precinct, 2842 HF Shepherd Drive in Decatur.

For more information or to donate, contact Jacquelyn Hines at jmhines@dekalbcountyga. gov or 404-286-7955.

Egg Extravaganza at Achievement Center Kids ages 4 to 10 can hunt Easter eggs at the Community Achievement Center’s Egg Extravaganza on March 31.

The annual half-hour egg hunt starts at 12:30 p.m.

There will be face painting, train rides,

games and photos with the Easter Bunny. Participants must bring their own bags or baskets to collect eggs.

The center is at 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur.

For more information, call 770-330-3872.

Helicopter to drop 10,000 eggs for kids to hunt

Jeff Krage / kcchronicle

Easter egg drops will take place at Southwest DeKalb High School at 2 p.m. and 2:30 p.m.

Kids can hunt for eggs on March 31 after Transforming Faith Church’s first helicopter drop of 10,000 plastic eggs filled with candy and toys on the football field of Southwest DeKalb High School in Decatur.

Lee May, the church’s founder and pastor, said the 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m. event is for kids ages 2 to 11 years old.

“At TFC, we are not confused,” May said.

“We are very clear that Easter is not really about a bunny, eggs or candy. But we also believe that God has no issue with our children celebrating His resurrection in a way that they can always remember.”

He said his church is going “Big for God” with the helicopter drop because “these young children will never forget it.”

“And some of the children who will be there have only seen helicopters when there was a searchlight included. We are excited to show them something different.”

Check-in starts at 12:30 p.m.; food and fun, including bounce castles and slides, will be available from 1 p.m.

The first helicopter egg drop will be at 2 p.m. and the second at 2:30 p.m. Bags or containers for the hunt will be provided.

The event is free to attend but registration is required at www.transformingfaithchurch. com.

The school is at 2863 Kelley Chapel Road.

For more information, call 678-549-8267.

CrossRoadsNews

March 24, 2018

Wellness

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The chapter is hosting the discussions to provide information about the warning signs of domestic and gun violence

Forums on gun and teen domestic violence Donors needed

Speakers from law enforcement and academia and an advocate for families impacted by domestic violence will headline forums on gun violence and teen domestic violence on March 31 at the Wesley Chapel Library in Decatur.

The Stop Teen Domestic Violence and Stop Gun Violence Save Our Children Education forums, sponsored by the 100 Black Women of Decatur-DeKalb, take place noon to 4. p.m.

The Rev. Libya BaaQar, Allen Temple AME Church’s executive pastor, and HARM’s way founder Marilyn Jennings will headline the Stop Teen Domestic Violence forum taking place from noon to 2 p.m.

BaaQar, who has been executive pastor since 2013, is a doctoral student at Mercer University.

Jennings is the sister of 22-year-old Clara Riddles, who was shot and killed inside Atlanta’s CNN Center in April 2007 by her 39year-old boyfriend, Arthur Lawrence Mann,

for Red Cross blood drive

Libya BaaQar

Marilyn Jennings

after he dragged her by her hair down the escalator from the lobby of the Omni Hotel where she worked.

Family members and neighbors said they never saw the violence coming.

At 2 p.m., the Rev. Demarus Fields, a Morehouse College senior, and DeKalb Police Officer Gregg Webb will speak at the Stop Gun Violence Forum.

Both discussions are open to the public and free to attend.

Sharon Burnette, a member of the 100 Black Women’s board of directors, says the

Demarus Fields

Gregg Webb

chapter is hosting the discussions to provide information about the warning signs of domestic and gun violence and to become more equipped and empowered to address those serious issues.

The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence says that firearms are used in about 70 percent of domestic violence deaths in Georgia annually.

The library is at 2861 Wesley Chapel Road. For more information, contact Nicole Lee at sherrielee76@gmail.com or 770-8411518.

Healthy adults can donate blood on March 30 to help save lives at an American Red Cross Blood Drive at the Decatur Library.

The blood drive takes place 11:30 a.m. to 4:30p.m.

Eligible donors must be 17 years old, or 16 with parental consent, weigh at least 110 pounds, and be in good health.

The Red Cross, which services 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide, needs 14,000 units of blood daily for patients.

Donors will get juice and cookies after their donation.

The Decatur Library is at 215 Sycamore St. in Decatur.

For more information, visit www.dekalblibrary.org or call 404-370-3070.

Free disaster training workshops 3rd rabid animal captured in DeKalb

By Tekia L. Parks

DeKalb residents can get training on navigating disasters at two workshops starting April 3 and 5 at the DeKalb Fire Rescue headquarters in Tucker.

The DeKalb County Emergency Management Agency is hosting the nine-week Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Training Workshops one night a week, to instruct residents on disaster safety.

The free workshops will be held at 1950 West Exchange Place. Participants will learn what to do before, during and after a natural or man-made disaster and how to care for

family, friends and neighbors. Participants must pass a background check.

The workshop that begins on April 3 will be held Tuesdays from 7 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

The workshop that starts on April 5 takes place Thursdays from 7p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

Course topics include disaster preparedness, basic fire suppression, medical operations, disaster psychology, autism awareness, and team organization and terrorism.

To register, visit www.dekalbcountyga. gov/dema and click the CERT menu option.

For more information, contact Thomas Paige at tpaige@dekalbcountyga.gov or 678-4067858.

Tucker and other DeKalb County residents are on alert after a rabid raccoon was captured on March 19 in the 1600 block of Drayton Woods Drive.

It is the third rabies case reported in the county in the past 30 days.

On March 3 a raccoon captured in the 3900 block of Garfield Drive in Stone Mountain tested positive for rabies.

A raccoon captured Feb. 23 in the 3200 block of Covington Highway also tested positive for the disease.

Rabies is a deadly virus that affects the brain and can spread to people from the

saliva of infected animals.

Symptoms of rabies infection include excessive drooling or foaming at the mouth.

Animals exhibiting these symptoms should be reported to DeKalb Animal Control immediately.

Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by a wild animal should seek medical attention immediately.

Rabies can be prevented by vaccinating pets every year and registering the tag with DeKalb County Animal Control.

For more information, call 404-2942996.

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Ministry

CrossRoadsNews

March 24, 2018

People who are going to the top of the mountain should dress warmly and carry a blanket.

Thousands to flock to sunrise service ‘7 Last Words’ with millennial flair The Sunrise Service at the top of Stone Mountain began in 1944 when youth from Stone Mountain First United Methodist climbed up to watch the sun rise.

Thousands of Christians will head to Stone Mountain Park on April 1 for two nondenominational Easter sunrise services.

One service, at the top of the mountain, is in its 74th year. The other, on Memorial Lawn at the base of the mountain, started in 2013 to help accommodate worshippers who couldn’t make it to the top.

Both services take place simultaneously at 7 a.m. and feature sign language interpreters for hearing-impaired guests.

People who are going to the top of the mountain should dress warmly and carry a blanket because it can be windy and colder there. Walkers should bring a flashlight.

Believers have been worshipping at the top of Stone Mountain since 1944, before the land around Stone Mountain was officially owned by the state of Georgia.

Lucille A. Lanford of Stone Mountain

First United Methodist started the mountaintop service when she suggested that the church’s youth group climb the mountain on Easter morning to watch the sun rise.

The services are now produced by the Stone Mountain Sunrise Association, and donations from local churches and businesses help pay for the production.

Park gates and the Summit Skyride open at 4 a.m. Participants are encouraged to allow an extra hour or more for large crowds. Church vans and buses enter the park free, and there are no fees for the walk-up trail to the top of the mountain.

The park is off U.S. Highway 78 East, Exit 8, in Stone Mountain. For more information, including parking and skyride fees, call 770-498-5690 or visit www. stonemountainpark.com/Events/EasterSunrise-Service.

Eight youth ministers will preach on the Seven Last Words uttered from the cross

by Jesus at Greenforest Community Baptist Church’s Good Friday on March 30.

Ronald Crenshaw Bobby Hampton Kristian Smith The speakers – Emory Berry Tommy Conley of Berean Christian Church in Stone Mountain; Gabrielle Booth and Rashaad Bettis of The Dream Center in Decatur; Ronald Crenshaw Jr. of Hunter Hill Baptist Gabrielle Booth Rashaad Bettis Tommy Conerly Trell Webb Church in Atlanta; Mike Owens of the Evolve Church in Atlanta; based on the seven statements uttered by Kristian Smith of The Faith Community in Jesus as he hung on the cross. The service Atlanta; Bobby Hampton Jr. of the House of starts at 7 p.m.

Hope in Decatur; and Trell “Donk” Webb The church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive in of the Christian Life Center Worldwide in Decatur. For more information, visit www.

Stockbridge – are primarily in their 20s and greenforest.org or call 404-486-1120.

30s. Greenforest youth pastor Allen Hollie Jr., who is co-hosting the service with senior pas- Young preachers at the Grove tor Dr. Emory Berry Jr., said the Seven Last Students from the Atlanta University Words Millennial Edition is putting a twist Center will preach on the Seven Last Words on the traditional Good Friday service. of Christ at Greater Piney Grove Baptist “We have all youth pastors giving the Church at noon on Good Friday. word because we want the young people to The service takes place in the Frank Jones take the lead with the service,” Hollie said. Memorial Chapel at 1879-1921 Glenwood The preachers will deliver sermonettes Ave. in Atlanta.

Churches observe Holy Week with services and community outreach South DeKalb congregations will join Christians everywhere in celebration of the risen Christ at Easter Services on April 1.

Sonrise, Sunrise and Resurrection services will lure thousands to venues like Stone Mountain Park for the 74th annual Easter Sunrise Service at the top of the mountain, and to sanctuaries, large and small, starting before dawn on April 1.

The services, including these below, will culminate Holy Week, which begins on March 25 with Palm Sunday commemorating Jesus’ triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a donkey to palm-waving throngs.

Members of Greenforest Community Baptist Church’s drama and music ministries will re-enact Palm Sunday for worshippers arriving for the church’s 6:30 a.m. and 10:45 a.m. services.

Dr. Walter Richardson, senior pastor of Sweet Home Missionary Baptist Church in Miami, Fla., will speak at both services.

Over 25 years at Sweet Home, Richardson

has grown the congregation from 50 members to 4,000 today.

He serves as adjunct professor of religion at St. Thomas University and senior chaplain for the Miami-Dade Police Department. He is author of “Going Through Samaria” and “Think on These Things.”

Worshippers arriving for Palm Sunday service will be greeted by members dressed in period garb waving palm leaves and flags.

There will also be donkeys and lambs, and an actor will play the role of Jesus.

The Rev. Emory Berry, the church’s pastor, said a full Southern breakfast will be served after the first service at 8:30 a.m. in the Family Life Center.

On Resurrection Sunday, April 1, Berry will preach at a 6:30 a.m. Sonrise Service and the 10:45 a.m. worship service.

At 9:30 a.m., Greenforest Academy students from first to sixth grades will perform an Easter production that includes a re-enactment.

The church is at 3250 Rainbow Drive in Decatur. For more information, visit www. greenforest.org.

FAPC live streaming Worshippers at First Afrikan Presbyterian Church in Lithonia will celebrate Resurrection Sunday at services at 8 a.m. and 10 a.m. Sermons are streamed live at https://www.facebook.com/First-AfrikanChurch-167700410029761.

The church is at 5197 Salem Road. For more information, visit firstafrikanchurch. org.

Easter at the Ray “The Black Messiah,” an original work

by Ray of Hope Christian Church’s Parable Players, will take place at 10 a.m. March 25 in the church’s Main Sanctuary. The dramatic production poses the question, “Why did Christ die for us?” and places Christ right next to us in the 21st century.

On April 1, The Ray’s “Christ Has Risen” Easter Services take place at 7:30 a.m. and 10 a.m. in its main sanctuary.

After the 7:30 a.m. service, members will break the Lenten fast with a breakfast in the church’s Family Life Center.

The church is at 2778 Snapfinger Road in Decatur. For more information, visit www. rayofhope.org.

Greater Piney Grove Foot washing, a dramatic production and the seven last words preached by Atlanta University Center students are all on tap at Greater Piney Grove Baptist Church this Lenten and Easter season.

Members will wash each others’ feet at a March 29 Maundy Foot Washing and Community Service, starting at 7 p.m.

On March 30 at 7 p.m., the church’s drama ministry will stage “The Day That Changed Everything,” written and directed

by Vanessa Morgan, in the Frank Jones Memorial Chapel.

On March 31, Egg Extravaganza starts at noon, offering food, fun and fellowship for the entire family. There will be an Easter meal for the first 200 families who show up.

The church is at 1879-1921 Glenwood Ave. S.E. in Atlanta. For more information, visit www.greaterpineygrove.com/ or call 404-377-0561.

Resurrection Community Blitz The New Birth Missionary Baptist Church family will head into the community on March 24 to meet neighbors and invite them to join them for Resurrection Weekend Services.

The Resurrection Community Blitz, which takes place noon to 2 p.m., kicks off at “The Jesus Statue” on the steeple side of the church. Some New Birth members will interface with the community and others will beautify the neighborhoods.

On March 31, the church is hosting its annual Resurrection Community Block Party from noon to 2 pm in the McKinley Cove neighborhood on Kevin Court in Lithonia. There will be music, fun and fellowship.

New Birth is 6400 Woodrow Road. For more information, visit www.newbirth.org or call 770-696-9600.

CrossRoadsNews

March 24, 2018

7 VS Marlon Mullings DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO:

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Feb. 21, 2018. You are hereby notified that Jan. 30, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is 4553 Carriage Park Drive, Lithonia, GA 30038. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Feb. 21, 2018.

Witness the Honorable Linda W. Hunter, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 20th day of Mar., 2018

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Legal Notices 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2058-2 Shantine Shopshire PLAINTIFF VS Darryl Green DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO:

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Feb. 22, 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 12, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Shantine Shopshire, 5470 Forest Path Ct., Stone Mountain, GA 30088. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Feb. 22, 2018.

Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 22nd day of Feb., 2018

tion in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Dec. 06, 2017 to change the name from: Jonia Antionette Bromell to Jenia Lalindus Cater.

Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Feb. 27, 2018 03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name OF ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2367 Evelyn Brown Conyers filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Feb. 21, 2018 to change name from Eiiylene Brown to Evelyn Brown Conyers.

Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Feb. 14, 2018 03/10, 03/17, 03/24, 03/31

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court

03/03, 03/10, 03/17, 03/24

AMENDED Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name OF ADULT

of DeKalb County State of Georgia

in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 17FM12320-10 Jonia Antionette Bromell filed a peti-

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM1953-3 Lanisha D. Coates PLAINTIFF VS Alton Coates, Jr. DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION

TO: Alton Coates, Jr. 3800 Flat Shoals Pkwy, Apt. 16D Decatur, GA 30034

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Mar. 01, 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 05, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Lanisha D. Coates, 1402 David Cir., Decatur, GA 30032. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Mar. 01, 2018.

Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 1st day of Mar., 2018 03/10, 03/17, 03/24, 03/31

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2097-1 Egbert Samuels PLAINTIFF VS Hyacinth Samuels DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Hyacinth Samuels 32 Mimosa Ave. Kingston, Jamaica

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Mar. 02, 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 13, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce w/o minor children. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and

address is: Egbert Samuels, 4213 Wingfoot Ct., Decatur, GA 30035.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Mar. 06, 2018.

Witness the Honorable Courtney L. Johnson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 06th day of Mar., 2018 03/10, 03/17, 03/24, 03/31

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2097-3 Egbert Samuels PLAINTIFF VS Hyacinth Samuels DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO: Hyacinth Samuels 32 Mimosa Ave. Kingston, Jamaica

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Mar. 02, 2018. You are hereby notified that Feb. 07, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce w/o minor children. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is: Egbert Samuels, 4213 Wingfoot Ct., Decatur, GA 30035.

Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Mar. 06, 2018.

Witness the Honorable Clarence F. Seeliger, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 05th day of Mar., 2018

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM3050-2 Richard Gray PLAINTIFF VS Mirka Roque DEFENDANT NOTICE OF PUBLICATION TO:

By ORDER of the Court service for service by publication dated Mar. 20, 2018. You are hereby notified that Mar. 02, 2018, the above-named Plaintiff filed suit against you for divorce. You are required to file with the Clerk of Superior Court, and to serve upon the Plaintiff’s attorney whose name and address is Richard Gray, 3283 Idle Creek Ct., Decatur, GA 30034. Answer in writing within sixty (60) days of Mar. 20, 2018.

Witness the Honorable Asha F. Jackson, Judge of the DeKalb Superior Court.

This the 20th day of Mar., 2018

03/24, 03/31, 04/07, 04/14

Notice of Petition to CHANGE Name OF ADULT in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM3043 Robin Denise Lanier filed a petition in the DeKalb County Superior Court on Mar. 06, 2018 to change name from: Robin Denise Lanier to Robin Denise Syphrett Randall.

Any interested party has the right to appear in this case and file objections within 30 days after the Petition was filed.

Dated: Mar. 01, 2018

03/24, 03/31, 04/07, 04/14

Notice of Petition in the Superior Court of DeKalb County State of Georgia

Civil Action Case Number: 18FM2381-8 Angelica Clarke PLAINTIFF

03/24, 03/31, 04/07, 04/14

Public Notice

Notice of Petition

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CrossRoadsNews

March 24, 2018