Gwinnett Daily Post - December 10, 2015

FBI UPDATES ON SHOOTERS, 5A

Comey: Couple radicalized before meeting, marrying

RUNNER OF THE YEAR Grayson’s Gomez finishes senior season ahead of the pack • Sports, 1B

Gwinnett Daily Post THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

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Vol. 46, No. 50

Georgia’s health ranking sinks to No. 46

By Andy Miller

11 measures, including having more children and adults with insurance, and Georgia’s ranking on a more children up to date health system scorecard has on vaccines. Still, the state slipped to 46th in the nation. slipped from its ranking of The Commonwealth 45th in 2014.

Fund’s 2015 score card, Nationally, the uninwhich ranked the 50 sured rate for working-age states plus the District of adults declined in nearly Columbia, was released every state between 2013 Wednesday. It noted that and 2014, the first year of Georgia had improved on full implementation of the Georgia Health News

Affordable Care Act, the report said. “These are the most substantial and widespread state improvements in access to care we’ve seen since we created the state score card series in 2007,” said Dr. David Blumenthal, the Commonwealth Fund’s president.

Georgia joined most Southern states in the bottom quartile of the rank-

ings. Only three states in the region rated higher: Virginia, North Carolina and Florida.

Minnesota, Vermont, Hawaii and Massachusetts again ranked at the top nationally. The four lowestranking states were Louisiana, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Mississippi.

The score card is based on 42 indicators over five

general areas: access and affordability, prevention and treatment, avoidable hospital use and cost, healthy lives, and equity.

Georgia scored in the bottom quartile in four of the areas, the only exception being avoidable hospital use and cost.

Overall, states’ health care systems improved more than they declined

since they were measured in the 2014 score card, the Commonwealth Fund said.

Georgia was among 39 states whose uninsured rate dropped by more than 3 percentage points after the insurance exchanges debuted in 2014. But the state’s percentage of people without coverage is still

See HEALTH, Page 7A

Cops’ charity gives $25K in gift cards to military kids

By Joshua Sharpe joshua.sharpe@gwinnettdailypost.com

LAWRENCEVILLE — Operation One Voice, a charity based in Gwinnett County, passed the $1 million mark for giving to families of wounded and fallen U.S. Army Special Forces members.

Adding to that tally, Bill Stevens, the Gwinnett sheriff’s deputy who founded the organization, announced Wednesday that $25,000 worth of Walmart gift cards would soon to be sent to 250 children of Special Forces members. He broke the news at a brief meeting with reporters at the sheriff’s office, joined by volunteers of the group from the Lawrenceville Police Department, the Georgia State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Among the recipients are the 5- and 6-year-old sons of Fort Benning’s Joe Kapacziewski, a Special Ops member who has redeployed six times after an enemy grenade cost him his right leg in Iraq in Actors, from left to right, Bekah Medford, Rachael Endrizzi, Mercury, Dana Knudson and Stuart W. Schleuse bring to life a collection of characters in Gypsy Theatre Company’s production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.” (Special Photos)

See CHARITY, Page 7A

classic medium for a

classic tale

Gypsy Theatre Co. performs ‘It’s A Wonderful Life’ radio play’

By Katie Morris

IF YOU GO

katie.morris @gwinnettdailypost.com

At Christmas time in the late 1940s, families would gather around the big box radio in the living room: dad in his favorite arm chair, mom swaying back and forth in her rocker and the children sitting cross-legged on the area rug.

Dad would turn the dial and everyone would lean in as the grainy, yet strong voice of the host came through the speakers, introducing the live production of “It’s A Wonderful Life.”

As the years passed, televisions came along and replaced the living room radios, and eventually flat-screen, high-definition TVs found their way into households. But the classic tale of compassionate businessman George Bailey, who sacrifices his dreams for the good of his town, has endured.

This Christmas season, local audiences have the chance to experience the heartwarming story in a similar fashion to

• What: “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play” • Where: The Sylvia Beard Theatre at the Buford Community Center, 2200 Buford Highway.

• When: Today through Dec. 20 • Tickets: $20 to $25 • More Info: www.bufordcommunitycenter.com/event

By Keith Farner keith.farner@gwinnettdailypost.com

up. We always call it a magical show because it’s such a nice time of year and such a wonderful story.”

Actor Bekah Medford plays Sally Applewhite, who voices the part of Mary Hatch, in the play. She said the production brings back fond childhood memories for her father, who recently came to see a See PLAY, Page 7A

See CLASSES, Page 7A

MORE ONLINE From left, actors Bekah Medford, Dana Knudson and Mercury perform in Gypsy Theatre Company’s production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play,” playing at the Buford Community and from that period. Then the venue itself sort of jazzes it all Center through Dec. 20.

characters to life on stage. Attired in period dress with retro hairstyles, the actors perform behind 1940s microphones, with light-up applause and laugh signs to help set the period.

“Because it’s set in the ’40s it has this elegant feel to it,” director Danielle Gustaveson said, “and I love what my husband did with the set where he did it Art Deco, which is so elegant

Gwinnett Tech to offer classes in film academy Gwinnett Technical College is joining the film industry.

Starting in February, the school announced this week that it will offer pilot classes for the first semester of the Georgia Film Academy. Gwinnett Tech joins Clayton State and Columbus State universities, which will offer classes in January. There are plans to expand the courses to additional campuses, and Pinewood Studios in Fayetteville.

The Georgia Film Academy is designed to train people for jobs in the film industry is a partnership with the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia.

The state hosted 248 film and television productions in the state last fiscal year.

The academy website said Georgia is third in the nation behind California and

Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for a photo gallery.

those in the ’40s. Gypsy Theatre Company is transporting theatergoers back to Christmas Eve, 1946, to studio A at the WBFR radio station in Manhattan with its production of “It’s A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play.”

Playing at the intimate Sylvia Beard Theatre through Dec. 20, the production features a cast of five portraying Hollywood actors who bring a few dozen

Gwinnett Sheriff’s Deputy Bill Stevens is surrounded Wednesday by fellow volunteers of Operation One Voice, the nonprofit Stevens founded to help military families, as he announces a $25,000 program to get Christmas presents for children. (Staff Photo: Joshua Sharpe)

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INSIDE Classified........5B

Horoscope......4A

Nation............ 5A

Sports.............1B

Comics............8A

Local.............. 2A

Obituaries.......7A

Weather..........4A

Crossword......8A

Lottery............ 4A

Perspectives...6A

World..............5A

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2A • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

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Woodall wants better Snellville man indicted visa waiver screening on tax fraud charges U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., called for tougher screening processes to review foreigners attempting to receive a visa waiver.

The House of Representatives passed the Visa Waiver Program Improvement and Terrorist Travel Prevention Act of 2015 by a 407-19 margin on Tuesday.

Among Gwinnett County’s Rob Woodall three congressmen, Woodall and Rep. Jody Hice voted for the bill, while Rep. Hank Johnson was among the 19 Democrats who cast votes against it, according to the House Clerk’s office.

The bill, which Woodall co-sponsored and comes in the wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, Calif., empowers the Secretary of Homeland Security to stop visa waiver admissions from certain countries.

The countries from which waiver admissions can be halted include those that don’t share counter terrorism information, don’t use INTERPOL data to screen travelers and do not issue biometric e-passports, according to Woodall’s office.

“It is critical that we strengthen the security and screening measures for the visa waiver program, and allowing the Secretary of Homeland Security to suspend any nation that is not completely cooperative and forthcoming in every facet of the process moves the ball forward,” Woodall said in a statement.

“There is more to do, however. I remain committed to working with those in the House to ensure any gaps in our nation’s laws are closed, but ultimately ISIS and those who share their ideology must be defeated — and the president must provide a clear strategy for doing just that.”

Thompson, Gwinnett Democrats planning Toys for Tots fundraiser Anyone looking for a way to help needy children enjoy

Political Notebook

Curt Yeomans Christmas can visit Bob’s Home Cooking in Duluth on Dec. 19 for a toy collection hosted by the Gwinnett County Democratic Party and state Sen. Curt Thompson, Curt D-Tucker.

Thompson The party and the senator will cohost a Toys for Tots Breakfast from 8:30 to 10 a.m. that day at the restaurant, which is located at 3455 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Attendees are asked to bring a new unwrapped toy to the breakfast. The event will take the place of the group’s monthly meeting and Thompson’s monthly breakfast for December.

The gifts will go to the U.S. Marine Corps Reserves’ Toys for Tots program, which aims to provide Christmas presents to underprivileged kids.

Isakson: No Child Left Behind replacement a ‘new chapter’ for education U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., praised a bill designed to replace No Child Left Behind and end the federal government’s Common Core mandate.

The Senate passed the Every Child Succeeds Act by a 85-12 margin on Wednesday.

Among the provisions of the final version of the bill is a de-emphasis on standardized Johnny tests and a Isakson prohibition that prevents the U.S. Department of Education from making states comply with

Common Core academic standards. Isakson sat on the conference committee that negotiated the final version of the bill.

“With the passage of this bill, we end one chapter in education and open a new chapter,” Isakson said. “A chapter that focuses on student improvement, student achievement and sees to it that every child can succeed.

This bill will make sure we disaggregate so we can focus on every child as they perform within their own groups in every school in America.

“I’m honored to have been a member of the committee that worked hard on this bill for every student, every superintendent, every teacher and every parent in America.”

Johnson praises decision to open all military positions to women Rep. Hank Johnson, D-Ga., recently said he will support the Department of Defense’s decision to let women be eligible for all of its positions in the military, including those relating to combat.

“Since 1975, women have attended our prestigious military academies. Since 1993, they have flown our fighter jets and served on our combat ships,” Johnson said in a statement. “Women soldiers served on combat throughout the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and in some cases Hank paid the Johnson ultimate price for their service.

“And earlier this year, two women made history as the first female soldiers to complete the Army’s Ranger School. The announcement today is simply a natural step forward in including women in all our military ranks, and represents progress toward achieving full equality in our Armed Forces.”

Political Notebook appears in the Thursday and Sunday editions of the Gwinnett Daily Post.

By Joshua Sharpe joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com

A Snellville man has been indicted on tax charges in New Hampshire, where he once lived and prepared returns for a living, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Concord.

Okello Odongo, 36, has pleaded not guilty to accusations that he used his

business Tax Smart Solutions Co. in 2011 and 2012 to file false tax returns for some customers, overstating the refund amounts the customers had coming.

“The indictment also alleges that Odongo filed Allocation of Refund Forms that directed the IRS to electronically deposit the fraudulent portions of the refunds to bank accounts Odongo held or had access to,” said a news release

from acting U.S. Attorney Donald Feith’s office.

“None of Odongo’s customers knew that he used their doctored tax returns as a vehicle to defraud the IRS.” A trial has been scheduled for Jan. 5. If convicted, Odongo, who was arrested in Georgia last month, faces a maximum of five years in prison on each of the 19 counts of the indictment.

Hapeville alderman-elect in Gwinnett jail on theft charge

By Joshua Sharpe joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com

A newly elected city of Hapeville official facing a felony indictment in Gwinnett County has been booked in jail.

Ruth Barr, who won a race for alderman in November, arrived and bonded out of the jail in Lawrenceville on Friday.

Charged with theft by taking and accused of stealing $109,409, her bond was set at $40,000, records showed.

The indictment came down a day after the election, accusing the politician of taking advantage of Lilburn residents David Bass and Helen

Bass, who is Barr’s sister.

Barr’s attorney, Steve Adkins, said she Ruth Barr intends to plead not guilty and “fight these charges aggressively.”

“No matter how flat you think you can make a pancake,” the lawyer went on, “it always has two sides. This is a dispute over the death of a family member and a dispute over how certain proceeds were spent for the benefit of another family member.”

According to a Gwinnett County police report,

Barr, an accountant, was supposed to set up an IRA through her B & B Accounting and Tax Service in December 2013, but it never happened. Barr’s sister was reportedly hesitant to cooperate with police because “she did not want to see her sister in jail and did not want to hurt the family.”

The report reveals years of allegations of mismanaging money by Barr, including a $50,000 loan 15 years ago from the Basses that wasn’t repaid.

The city of Hapeville has said it’s aware of the indictment and weighing how to proceed. If it goes forward as normal, Barr’s swearing in would be in January.

N.C. man sentenced to life for molesting relative in Gwinnett

By Joshua Sharpe

being sentenced

by Judge Ronnie K. A young North Carolina Batchelor man was sentenced to life after the in prison for molesting a trial ended family member, the GwinFriday, Syrus Bradett nett County District Ataccording Martin torney’s Office announced to Dan Monday.

Mayfield, chief assistant Syrus Bradett Mardistrict attorney. Mayfield tin, who has been in the said Martin was 15 when Lawrenceville jail without he molested the Gwinnett bond since October 2014, family member, who was “showed no remorse” while almost 8, in 2007 and 2008.

joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com

“The incident occurred in the victim’s residence in the basement when his parents were not home and the victim was left in the care of the defendant,” Mayfield said. “The victim did not make an outcry until the year of 2013.”

Similar incidents allegedly happened between the two in Hall County, where charges are pending.

The case was prosecuted

by Marlene Zekser, an assistant district attorney.

Leaders embrace planning for Gwinnett bicentennial in 2018

By Curt Yeomans

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

Gwinnett County commissioners Lynette Howard and Tommy Hunter have jokingly offered to shoot each other if it will help make the county’s bicentennial in 2018 a memorable occasion.

The tongue-in-cheek offer came during a brainstorming session commissioners had with officials at the Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center last week. The gathering was held to get the ball rolling on planning

the county’s 200th birthday party.

At one point, historical re-enactments were suggested. Howard had already joked earlier, during a history lesson on the county, that she and Hunter were the modern-day equivalent of Gwinnett’s and McIntosh’s political rivalry. Gwinnett famously died after a duel with McIntosh.

“How about the duel?”

Howard asked while shaping her hand like a gun, pointing it at Hunter and pretending to shoot him.

Hunter quipped, “I’ve got the pistols.”

Such is the enthusiasm Gwinnett’s leaders are throwing into making the upcoming bicentennial an affair to remember during what could be a year-long celebration a few years from now.

Gwinnett was one of three counties that were created on Dec. 15, 1818. The others were Gwinnett’s neighbors, Hall and Walton counties, EHC Programs Director Jason West said. The three counties share a common bond that goes beyond shared borders and the same birthdate, however. Each is named for a Declaration of Independence signer from Georgia.

Last week’s meeting ran for an hour as the commissioners, West and EHC Executive Director Steve Canon, and curator Cammie Fulmer casually threw around a long list of ideas.

The concepts thrown

about ranged from putting out a different fact about Gwinnett history for 200 days leading up to the anniversary, to pouring money into recreating Fort Daniel and a replica Native American village, to an expansion of the county historical marker program and a “Button Gwinnett Ball.”

“If you’re going to get a signature project built, you need plans on the table right now,” said Commissioner John Heard, a proponent of recreating Fort Daniel and a Native American village.

A “homecoming” for people whose families lived in the county in the past, and the creation of a historic trail marking key sites from the county’s history were also thrown around. An interactive traveling exhibit on the county’s history and programs designed to celebrate the contributions of the county’s multicultural diversity are other ideas be-

ing discussed.

“This will give us an opportunity to celebrate every corner of the county,” said Hunter, who said he thought the county should do a project that will last long after the bicentennial.

Hunter also heavily hinted that he wanted a fireworks show included in the festivities. Fellow Commissioner Jace Brooks suggested county officials try to get the 2018 Gwinnett County Fair involved in the bicentennial celebrations.

“That would give us a place to showcase our agricultural history,” said Brooks, who also suggested photo and other art contests and exhibits.

Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said Dacula Memorial Day Parade organizer Marvin Atherton has offered his parade-organizing expertise to help the county stage “the mother of all parades.”

Nash said another possible idea for the birthday would be to find a way to tie it into current discussions on transportation in the county. She said the minutes of meetings for the county’s original government authority show the county’s early leaders primarily dealt with road planning and transportation in Gwinnett.

“It’d be really cool to take the county and do as close of a facsimile of where those original roads ran,” Nash said. “Some of them match up with early maps.”

Some of the basic ideas for organizing the bicentennial celebrations include forming either a committee or commission, or even a combination of both groups, to plan and stage events.

Officials are also interested in getting historical and community groups involved in the organizing process.

“We are very proud of our past and we are very, very excited about the opportunities to see us mark the 200th anniversary of Gwinnett County,” West said.

Nash also said she has approached her counterparts in Hall and Walton counties about doing a joint event to celebrate the anniversary. It remains to be seen if such a combined event will happen, though.

“They aren’t as enthusiastic as I am, so I’ve still got to work on that a little bit,” Nash said with a laugh.

“They kind of looked at me puzzled and (Walton County commission Chairman Kevin Little) said ‘Well, that’d be kind of cool.’”

gwinnettdailypost.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 • 3A

Man takes plea deal in Sugar Hill neighbor’s death voluntary manslaughter and agSet to go to trial on gravated a murder accusation assault Monday morning, Gerson in the Salmeron-Diaz opted to death of Gerson Salmerontake a plea deal.

Margaret Diaz The 27-year-old man Binkele, accepted charges of a 58-year-old solitary

By Joshua Sharpe

joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com

woman found nude, battered and seemingly raped in her Sugar Hill trailer on July 25, 2008.

He was sentenced to 25 years in prison.

“After consideration of all the facts and circumstances,” Assistant District Attorney Jon Setzer told the Daily Post, “we

agreed that this was appropriate resolution.”

Defense attorney Thomas Clegg essentially agreed, though he pointed out that Salmeron-Diaz, a former neighbor of the victim, used an Alford guilty plea, a legal maneuver that allows suspects to settle charges

and be sentenced without truly admitting guilt.

“I think it was a calculated decision on his part,” Clegg told the Daily Post, referring to his client. “The degree of implausibility around his version of events would’ve made it difficult for a jury to swallow.”

The story told by the defendant, who has the words “Only God can judge me” tattooed across his chest, is that he had a sexual relationship with the woman, who neighbors described as a reclusive alcoholic. That would explain the DNA which linked SalmeronDiaz to the crime scene last year, when he was extradited to Gwinnett after being released from prison on a marijuana trafficking conviction.

It wouldn’t explain how Binkele got severely beaten.

What are the odds someone else came in the trailer and killed the woman right after Salmeron-Diaz had intercourse with her and left?

He knew it looked bad, Clegg said.

If found guilty of murder, the defendant would’ve faced a minimum sentence of life.

With the lesser charges, he’ll have a chance at parole much sooner.

When released, he can expect to be deported to his native El Salvador.

He was already sent home once, after the killing, and came back to America. On Dec. 11, 2013, he was arrested with five other men while trafficking “nearly 400 pounds of marijuana,” according to previous reports.

2 wanted suspects booked

By Joshua Sharpe

joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office on Wednesday announced the arrest of two wanted suspects.

Addison Bogan and Demond Jefferson had both been listed on the sheriff’s office’s Wanted Demond in GwinJefferson nett list, which the agency submits to the public in hopes that the suspects Addison might be Bogan spotted and reported.

Jail records show Bogan, who has addresses in Lilburn and Conyers, was wanted on a slew of charges — reckless driving, obstruction, hit and run, serious injury by vehicle. Jefferson, whose addresses are from Buford and Duluth, was wanted a probation violation allegation related to aggravated assault, according to the sheriff’s office.

Both men were booked Dec. 4 and remained held without bond Wednesday.

The sheriff’s office began releasing the list of sought suspects last March. Dozens of suspects have been picked up after inclusion in the ranks.

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4A • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 To Your Good Health

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TODAY

10%

Keith Roach

About blood thinners and colonoscopy DEAR DR. ROACH: I am currently taking 20 mg of Zarelto daily, and have a screening colonoscopy scheduled soon. The preparation instructions said not to stop taking blood thinners, but didn’t specifically mention Zarelto. I contacted the office and spoke with a scheduler, who said those instructions applied to all blood thinners.

Previously, I was told that I would need to go off of blood thinners for five days prior to a colonoscopy. Since this was a contradiction to the instructions from the clinic, I have tried to reach out to other medical sources to see if I could get a consensus on what to do, but no one has responded to me yet.

There is a strong history of clotting problems in my family. Would you weigh in on this matter? The last time I had a screening colonoscopy was around 2005, and there weren’t any issues.

— B.R. ANSWER: Most screening colonoscopies now are done with patients still on their anticoagulants, although for patients on warfarin (Coumadin), it is preferred for levels to be on the low end of the therapeutic range. This is a standard recommendation by the American Society of Gastrointestinal Endoscopy.

The situation would be different for a high-risk endoscopic procedure, such as removing a large polyp.

I have had to deal with this situation many times in my practice, and most often, all anticoagulants are stopped then restarted after the colonoscopy. There are some people who are at such high risk for clots that we use injection medications to prevent blood clots until the night before the procedure, but that is normally reserved for the highest risk of all. It’s a judgment call as to whether to use the injection anticoagulants to prevent clots around the colonoscopy.

DEAR DR. ROACH: Could you have a column about sexually active elderly women (80s) and also touch on the subject of orgasm headaches?

— Anon.

ANSWER: Headaches associated with orgasm are rare, but not as rare as you might think. They happen more often in men than in women, and can be associated with structural problems in the brain. Because of this last point, every person with headache that occurs during sexual activity or orgasm should have an evaluation, such as a CT or MRI scan.

So, you will need to overcome any embarrassment and see your doctor. It is not common, but people have had strokes associated with this type of headache.

If the evaluation shows no structural problems in the brain, there are effective treatments that can be taken before sexual activity to prevent a headache.

As far as other comments on sexual activity in the elderly, many healthy couples continue to be sexually active into their 80s and beyond. Risk of sexually transmitted infections is low, but not zero. I’ve discussed how many medical conditions affect sexual function in both men and women, and often the goal is to improve overall sexual health for the couple.

HOROSCOPES

WEATHER WATCH

66

FRIDAY

SATURDAY

SUNDAY

MONDAY

TUESDAY

WEDNESDAY

10%

0%

20%

60%

10%

60%

69

73

72

63

64

64

53

49

51

54

SOLUNAR TABLES The Gwinnett Daily Post (UPSP 921-980, ISSN 10860096) is published Wednesday through Friday and Sunday by SCNI, 725 Old Norcross Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30045. Periodical postage paid at Lawrenceville, GA 30044. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gwinnett Daily Post, P.O. Box 603, Lawrenceville, GA 30046-0603.

The solunar tables for lakes are based on studies that show fish and game are more active at certain times during the lunar period.

MAJOR

...................... 11:55 a.m. - 1:55 p.m.

MINOR

6:31-7:31a.m.............. 5:15-6:15 p.m.

POLLEN COUNTS Trees: Low Weeds: Low Grass: Low

Lake

41

44

42

LAKE LEVELS

Full Yesterday

Lake

Full Yesterday

Allatoona (840.0) ........ 832.52

Lanier

(1071.0) .......1070.51

Blackshear (237.0) ......... 237.04

Nottely

(1779.0) .......1763.88

Blue Ridge (1690.0) .......1675.07

Oconee

(435.0) ........ 434.63

Burton

(1865.0) .......1865.80

Seminole (77.50)............ 77.27

Carters

(1072.0) .......1083.81

Sinclair

Chatuge

(1927.0) ....... 1921.17

Thurmond (330.0) ........ 326.77

(339.8) ........ 335.23

Harding

(521.0) ........ 520.50

Tugalo

Hartwell

(660.0) ........ 658.59

Walter F. George (188.0).... 187.23

(891.5) ........ 889.22

Jackson

(530.0) ........ 528.57

West Point (635.0) ........ 629.57

TODAY IN HISTORY

LOTTERY

TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1817, Mississippi was admitted as the 20th U.S. state.

In 1869, Wyoming became the first U.S. state or territory to grant women the right to vote.

In 1884, Mark Twain’s “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” was published.

In 1898, the Spanish-American War officially ended with the signing of the Treaty of Paris.

In 1901, the first Nobel Prizes were awarded.

In 1967, 26-year-old singer-songwriter Otis Redding died in a plane crash near Madison, Wisconsin.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Cesar Franck (1822-1890), composer; Emily Dickinson (1830-1886), poet; Melvil Dewey (1851-1931), librarian; Dorothy Lamour (1914-1996), actress; Susan

Wednesday Cash 3 Midday: 8-6-7 Cash 4 Midday: 8-0-8-5 Ga. 5 Midday: 1-2-1-3-4 Tuesday Cash 3 Midday: 1-0-6 Cash 3 Evening: 7-9-2 Cash 4 Midday: 8-4-4-9 Cash 4 Evening: 9-8-5-6 Ga. 5 Midday: 1-0-2-7-2 Ga. 5 Evening: 7-6-8-0-2 Fantasy 5: 3-16-20-26-31 Mega Millions: 7-17-3749-73, Mega Ball:15

Dey (1952- ), actress; Michael Clarke Duncan (1957-2012), actor; Kenneth Branagh (1960- ), actor/director; Bobby Flay (1964- ), celebrity chef; Greg Giraldo (1965-2010), comedian; Meg White (1974- ), drummer; RavenSymone (1985- ), actress.

TODAY’S FACT: President Theodore Roosevelt was the first American to be awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, on this day in 1906.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1935, Jay Berwanger of the University of Chicago won the first Downtown Athletic Club Trophy, which was renamed the Heisman Trophy in 1936.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “I took one Draught of Life — I’ll tell you what I paid — Precisely an existence — The market price, they said.” — Emily Dickinson

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private conversations. My friend brought this up with her husband but he accused her of being “too controlling.”

This past weekend I noticed that Susan and Greg were in the kitchen while the rest of us were eating in the dining room. She was playing him a music video on her phone. Susan does not have similar encounters with other people in the group. My friend feels hurt and insecure.

Susan’s husband seems oblivious. Greg is otherwise a devoted dad and a loving husband. I don’t know what to tell my friend. Should she bring it up again with Greg, even if it makes him mad? Should she approach Susan?

Ignore it?

— Observer DEAR OBSERVER: I’m assuming that your friend is not unilaterally jealous. She might be overreacting to this attention, but in a healthy marriage, partners should be sensitive to one another’s occasional freak-outs and insecurities — even if they seem irrational. Because “Greg” knows that this private attention bothers his wife, his kindest response when “Susan” is sharing

a video with him should be, “Oh — my wife would love this. Honey — have you seen this one?” This gesture would be a loving response.

If your friend’s spidey sense tells her that something noxious is brewing, she should raise this again with her husband and also with Susan. She should say, honestly, “It bothers me when you pull Greg aside from the rest of the group. I feel quite excluded and would appreciate it if you stopped doing that when we’re all together.”

DEAR AMY: Regarding the letter from “Disappointed Dad,” I’ll tell you how to get adult children to pay attention to neglected parents. Send the kids a holiday card saying that the parents have redone their estate plan and are leaving everything to St. Jude’s. No threats. Just the “good news.” Guaranteed to work.

— Parent DEAR PARENT: I disagree, but thank you for offering your idea.

You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: askamy@tribpub.com. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or “like” her on Facebook.

Sisters engage in a ‘friending’ war DEAR AMY: I recently got into a spat with my sister about Facebook. We’re both in our mid-20s. She is furious that I don’t add her Facebook friends to my own friend roster on FB, and that I deleted one of her friends over a year ago.

She says it’s “mean” and “rude,” but I tried to explain to her that my Facebook is very personal.

I only have about 40 connections, and they’re all people I know personally.

It greatly upsets her that I won’t add her friends, even though I don’t know them well and don’t want them to see what’s going on in my life.

My sister has even retaliated to say she would delete my best friend from her connections. My best friend and I both agree that neither of us would care, since it’s her choice and “it’s only Facebook.”

I think she’s overreacting, but maybe I don’t understand her perspective.

Is it really a social faux pas not to “friend” people you’ve only met once or twice? Should I just add her friends and then hunker down with my already topnotch privacy settings?

— Social Network Awkwardness DEAR AWKWARD: There is no “right” way to use Facebook. Many people use social media mainly for professional purposes, others are very locked down and private, while others post a stream of personal disclosure and observations for all the world to enjoy (or endure).

In my experience, despite their reputation for blurring public and private, users in your age

Ask Amy

Amy Dickinson group tend to be cautious about what they share and judicious about whom they choose to include in their circles.

I don’t believe it is mean or rude to ignore a “friend request.” Some of these are automated.

Your sister doesn’t get to tell you how to have your own relationships — virtually or IRL. If she wants to retaliate to punish you, then yes — I agree that you should tell her to have at it.

DEAR AMY: My friend and I need your advice regarding her husband “Greg.” We are all part of a group of couples that meets frequently. Over the past year, one of the women in the group, “Susan,” started to monopolize Greg’s time during dinner.

She tries to sit next to him and corners him for long

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Help bring about changes that will raise your standard of living and professional clout. Strive for perfection, consistency and reliability. If you stick to the truth and live up to your promises, success will follow. Remain focused and live within your means.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Don’t let uncertainty get you down.

Exaggeration will make you look bad. Stick to facts and be open about your motives. No one can fault you for being honest.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Look at the big picture and the trends that are forming. Prepare to head into the upcoming year ready to take on whatever comes your way. Preparation and clear vision will be your saving graces.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 19) — Gravitate to where the action is.

Your involvement in the hustle and bustle that take place this time of year will encourage you to take on more responsibility.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) — Limitations will set in if you have taken on too much. Don’t make promises you cannot keep. Steer clear of indulgent people or deals that are too good to be true.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — Don’t stop short of your goals. Unfinished business will leave you feeling anxious and unable to enjoy the festive season. Don’t say anything if you don’t have something nice or positive to share.

TAURUS (April 20-May 20) — Take note of what transpired this year. There is a lesson you can learn and information you can apply that will help you take advantage of similar circumstances. A romantic encounter is encouraged.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — You’ll end up being a scapegoat if you aren’t careful. Don’t claim to be able to do something you can’t. It’s important to be upfront about your feelings and abilities.

CANCER (June 21July 22) — Enjoy life, live in the moment and put friends and family first.

Do a little shopping and engage in talks that lead you down memory lane.

Romance is in the stars.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Discipline and hard work along with compassion and generosity will put you in a prime position. Network with colleagues and pay close attention to any upcoming job openings.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) — An interesting talk with someone from a different background will spark your imagination and spur curiosity about a joint venture. A personal or professional partnership looks promising.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — A last-minute change of plans can be expected. Don’t let others’ actions ruin your plans.

Attend an event or activity even if you have to go alone.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — It’s a good time to make personal changes that will update your appearance and give your morale a boost. Romance is in the stars. Don’t be shy; share your intentions with someone special.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 • 5A

gwinnettdailypost.com

world&nation WORLD Climate draft a sign that accord may strike deal PARIS — A week and a half of talks produced a slimmer but still-troubled version of a climate deal on Wednesday, with negotiators from 195 countries divided over how far to go in curbing global temperature rise — and how to pay for it.

“We’ve made progress but still a lot of work remains to be done,” French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius told delegates gathered on the outskirts of Paris who are supposed to wrap up an accord by Friday.

Fabius said the new text snipped 14 pages from the previous 43-page draft and settled two-thirds of the disputes over wording. He set negotiators the task of coming up with a new draft by this afternoon.

But a string of remaining disputes, at the climax of four years of negotiations, reflect fundamental disagreements about which countries should shoulder the cost of moving the world to a lowcarbon energy system.

FBI: Shooters radicalized before meeting

By Julia Harte and Mark Hosenball Reuters

PEOPLE Broadway version of ‘Charlie’ seeks new director

LOS ANGELES — Sam Mendes has withdrawn as the director of the incoming Broadway production of “Charlie and the Chocolate Factory,” the musical that he directed in its premiere production in London, where the show is still running.

Mendes, the director of recent James Bond outing “Spectre,” will remain aboard as producer of the project via his company Neal Street Productions, and will also be involved in the final selection of the director to replace him. “Hairspray” director Jack O’Brien is FBI Director James Comey Jr. testifies at a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Capi- rumored to be the likely tol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. The couple who killed 14 people in San Bernardino choice, but that has yet to be last week were radicalized before they met online and spoke of jihad and martyrdom to officially confirmed by those each other as early as late 2013, Comey said Wednesday. (Reuters/Joshua Roberts) involved in the production.

Mendes cited scheduling difficulties as the reason for Bernardino County coEnrique Marquez.

The San Bernardino Sun his exit, and all sides — workers at the party, were According to media newspaper quoted invesincluding lead producer Warinspired by foreign terrorist reports, Marquez had contigation sources as sayner Bros. Theater Ventures organizations. verted to Islam a few years ing multiple photographs — characterize the departure Comey said it would be ago and was connected to of Carter High School in “very, very important to Farook’s family by marriage. Rialto, Calif., were found on as amicable. know” if their marriage had A government source said Farook’s phone. been arranged by a militant Farook may have planned an The FBI said that in 2011 Maika Monroe to group as a way to carry out attack in 2011 or 2012 but or 2012 Marquez legally join Liam Neeson attacks in the United States, did not follow through. bought the AR-15 assaultin ‘Felt’ movie although he said there was no The source gave no style rifles that Farook and Brazil’s top court evidence yet indicating that. details, but CNN cited two Malik used in their attack on gives respite in LOS ANGELES — FolThe investigation of U.S. officials as saying the San Bernardino party. A impeachment Farook, who was born in Illi- Farook and an unnamed sec- government source familiar lowing her break-out role in the horror hit “It Follows,” nois to Pakistani immigrants, ond person selected a target with the investigation said BRASILIA — Brazil’s and Malik, who was born but abandoned their plan authorities were trying to de- Maika Monroe is quickly Supreme Court suspended in Pakistan and lived most after terror-related arrests in termine if Farook had asked building on that success by impeachment proceedings of her life in Saudi Arabia, the area. Fox News reported Marquez to buy the weapons landing a role alongside against President Dilma is looking into his relationMarquez told investigators so as not to draw attention to Liam Neeson.

Rousseff until it rules on the Sources tell Variety ship with his boyhood friend about the aborted plot. himself. validity of a secret ballot Monroe is in negotiations that stacked a congressional to join Neeson in Watergate high school, prosecutors said thriller “Felt.” Jason Batecommittee with opponents man and Diane Lane are also on Wednesday. seeking to oust the leftist on board with “Concussion” The sharing of sexually leader.

Chicago mayor The ruling provided explicit photos via text mes- helmer Peter Landesman respite for Rousseff as she directing the pic. sages by Canon City High apologizes, faces struggles to survive splits in “Felt” is based on a script School students was widecalls to resign her ruling coalition and fend

by Landesman, who will spread, Freemont County CHICAGO — Chicago off the effort to unseat her as also produce. MadRiver District Attorney Thom well as dealing with a severe Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Pictures will finance and LeDoux told reporters. under heavy criticism for his recession and a widening produce, alongside Scott However, he said, there handling of a police shooting corruption investigation Free Productions, Playtone was no evidence of “aggrathat resulted in the death of a at state-run oil company and Cara Films. Ridley vating factors,” such as the Petrobras that has implicated black teen, gave an emotionparticipation of adults, pub- Scott, Gary Goetzman, Tom al apology Wednesday hours many of her allies. lication of the images online, Hanks, Giannina Scott, Marc Rousseff is not under Butan, Christopher Woodbefore angry crowds closed bullying, sexual contact or investigation in the kickback city streets while demanding Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel listens to remarks at a news coercion. row and Jay Roach will scandal but her former point his resignation.

LeDoux said hundreds of produce. Steven Shareshian conference in Chicago on Monday. (Reuters/Jim Young) man in the Senate, Delcidio In a special address to the “questionable” images were and Michael Schaefer will Amaral, in jail for allegedly City Council, the mayor said should be denied entry into in a case that could decide discovered during the inves- executive produce alongside obstructing the Petrobras the United States. the fate of programs aimed “I’m sorry” and promised tigation of students from the Michael Bassick and Steven probe, has agreed to cooper- “complete and total reform The calls were part of a at fostering racially diverse school, located southwest of Marshall. ate with prosecutors.

Principal photography is growing global backlash campuses. of the system.”

Denver. But only a few of set to begin in March. against Trump’s proposal But conservative Anthony the subjects were identifiEmanuel’s speech was able, as most images did not Ceasefire of seven met with applause from the that cut across nationalities Kennedy, who often casts the deciding vote in close City Council, but protesters and religions, and began to show faces.

Showtime gives days could get cases, raised the possibilsaid the city’s actions do not hit the real estate mogul’s OK to ‘Homeland,’ brand in the Middle East. ity of sending the closely renewal in Yemen go far enough. Hundreds House facing vote Although Israeli politiwatched case back to a trial of demonstrators filled ‘Affair’ seasons DOHA — Yemeni Forcians demanded Trump be judge to let the University of on stop-gap bill to downtown on Wednesday, eign Minister Abdel-Malek LOS ANGELES — blocked from a planned Texas submit more evidence avoid shutdown temporarily shutting down al-Mekhlafi said on Wednes- some city streets and chant- visit, a Dec. 28 meeting with to defend its consideration of Ahead of their Dec. 20 day that a seven-day ceaseWASHINGTON — The season finales, Showtime has Prime Minister Benjamin race among other factors in ing “no more killer cops” fire expected to start with renewed both “Homeland” House of Representatives Netanyahu was still on. picking applicants. and “Rahm must go.” peace talks next week would will vote on Friday on stop- and “The Affair” for new In addition to the online This suggested Kennedy “This system is designed be renewed if Iran-backed seasons, Variety has learned. petition calling for a ban might be unwilling to throw gap spending legislation to for us to be dead or in jail Houthi militias abided by it. and we’re tired,” said pro“Homeland” was picked extend a deadline for action on Trump from the United out the school’s affirmative Yemen’s President Abdup for Season 6, and “The and avoid a government Kingdom, a Scottish univer- action policy entirely. tester Jamal Wayne.

Rabbu Mansour Hadi said Affair” for Season 3. While sity revoked his honorary It was the second time the shutdown, a House leaderEmanuel’s speech comes on Monday he had asked the after two weeks of protests premiere dates have not been degree. justices considered whether ship aide said. set, both are expected to Saudi-led coalition fightU.S. lawmakers are A major chain of Middle the affirmative action policy in Chicago following the reing the Houthis to begin a return with their new seasons negotiating a $1.15 trilat the University of Texas lease of a 2014 police squad East department stores ceasefire on Dec. 15 in a bid car dashboard video showin 2016. lion funding bill to pay for halted sales of the real estate at Austin violated the U.S. The renewals come as no to end months of fighting government operations mogul’s glitzy “Trump Constitution’s guarantee of ing police officer Jason Van that has killed nearly 6,000 through September, with the surprise. The pickups were Home” line of lamps, mirequal treatment under the Dyke shooting 17-year-old and displaced millions. deadline for action Friday at expected, as the dramas rank law, and the oral argument Laquan McDonald 16 times. rors and jewelry boxes.

“The truce is for seven midnight, when the existing as the top two highest-rated lasted about 90 minutes, days and subject to autopremium cable series for this spending authority expires.

30 longer than usual.

The Some countries Affirmative action matic renewal provided that But lawmakers have been quarter, in addition to bringjustices in 2013 sent the case in college divides back to a lower court. the Houthis abide by it,” Me- hearing support ing much critical acclaim unable to reach agreement khlafi told the Doha-based and award recognition to on a number of policy “ridfor ban on Trump top U.S. court al-Jazeera television.

Showtime. ers” some lawmakers would No charges to Ismail Ould Cheikh Paired together on Sunday WASHINGTON — IsraeWASHINGTON — Conlike to add to the bill. Earlier come from Colo. this week House Speaker Ahmed, United Nations nights, both “Homeland” li politicians and more than servative justices expressed special envoy to Yemen, said 250,000 Britons urged their deep doubt on Wednesday and “Affair” opened stronger Paul Ryan said they would sexting scandal this fall than their respective that Hadi’s government and governments on Wednesabout a university student likely need an extension of No criminal charges will the Houthis were commitday to bar Donald Trump admissions policy that a “handful of days” to allow previous seasons and have ted to the peace process laid from their countries after be filed against the 100-plus work on the spending bill to held steady through their gives preferences to racial down last April. current runs. students involved in a sexthe Republican presidential minorities during a testy be completed.

— From wire reports front-runner said Muslims — From wire reports U.S. Supreme Court session ting scandal at a Colorado — From wire reports WASHINGTON — A couple who massacred 14 people at a California holiday party were discussing martyrdom online a year before they met in person and married, FBI Director James Comey said Wednesday.

Investigators were tracing the radicalization of Syed Rizwan Farook, 28, and Tashfeen Malik, 29, who married in 2014, and evidence mounted that both were interested in Islamistinspired violence before they became acquainted.

“They were actually radicalized before they started … dating each other online, and as early as the end of 2013 they were talking to each other about jihad and martyrdom before they became engaged,” Comey said at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

A U.S. government source said Farook may have been plotting an attack as early as 2011. This diminishes the likelihood of early theories after the Dec. 2 shootings in California that Malik had radicalized her husband.

Twenty-one people were also wounded in the attack.

Classifying the massacre as a terrorist act, the Federal Bureau of Investigation believes that the couple, who were killed in a shootout with police a few hours after their attack on Farook’s San

NATION

‘Happy Birthday’ in public domain after copyright settlement

By Andrew Chung

fear of a lawsuit.

In September, Chief U.S. District Judge George King in Los A settlement has been reached in the settlement, but it puts an end Angeles ruled that Warner/Chapa U.S. lawsuit with Warner/Chapto the class-action lawsuit filed in pell, the music publishing arm of pell Music over the copyright to 2013 by a group of artists and film- privately owned Warner Music “Happy Birthday to You” that will makers who had sought a return of Group, did not own a copyright to put one of the world’s most recog- the millions of dollars in fees the the “Happy Birthday” lyrics. nizable songs in the public domain, company had collected over the “While we respectfully disaccording to court papers released years for use of the song. agreed with the court’s decision, on Wednesday and a source close Once the settlement is finalized, we are pleased to have now to the case. the song will be in the public doresolved this matter,” Warner/ Terms of the deal were not dismain, the source said. That means Chappell said in a statement. An closed in court papers announcing it will be free for all to use without attorney for the artists could not Reuters

MUST READ

immediately be reached.

The case garnered attention from around the world not only because the tune is so commonly performed, but because many people were not aware it was still under copyright.

The song has a complicated history reaching back to the 1893 publication of “Good Morning to All,” a children’s song written by a Kentucky woman named Mildred Hill and her sister, Patty. Warner contended its copyright to the lyr-

ics came through the Hill sisters’ publisher that it had acquired.

That melody eventually came to be sung with the familiar “Happy Birthday” lyrics.

People who sing “Happy Birthday” in their homes or at private gatherings have typically never been at risk of a lawsuit. But when the song has been used for commercial purposes, such as in films, Warner has enforced its rights, and took in an estimated $2 million in royalties for such uses each year.

perspectives

gwinnettdailypost.com

Todd Cline, Editor

todd.cline@gwinnettdailypost.com

PAGE 6 A • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

President’s speech on terrorism

When the President of the United States asks the television networks to set aside time for him to broadcast a speech from the Oval Office, we can usually expect that he has something new to say. But President Obama’s speech Sunday night was just a rehash of what he has been saying all along, trying to justify policies that have repeatedly turned out disastrously for America and our allies.

This was not a speech about how the Obama administration is going to do anything differently in the future. It was a speech about how Obama’s policies were right all along. Obama Thomas is one of those people who are Sowell often wrong but never in doubt.

The president struck a familiar chord when he emphasized that we shouldn’t blame all Muslims for the actions of a few. How many people have you heard blaming all Muslims?

Even if 90 percent of all Muslims are fine people, and we admit 10,000 refugees from the Middle East, does that mean that we need not be concerned about adding a thousand potential terrorists — even after we have seen in San Bernardino what just two terrorists can do?

The first responsibility of any government is to protect the people already in the country.

Even in this age of an entitlement mentality, no one in a foreign country is entitled to be in America if the American people don’t want them here.

Obama’s talk about how we should not make religious distinctions might make sense if we were talking about handing out entitlements. But we are talking about distinguishing between different populations posing different levels of danger to the American people.

When it comes to matters of life and death, that is no time for the kind of glib, politically correct rhetoric that Barack Obama specializes in.

Obama may think of himself as a citizen of the world, but he was elected President of the United States, not head of a world government, and that does not authorize him to gamble the lives of Americans for the benefit of people in other countries.

The illusion that you can take in large numbers of people from a fundamentally different culture, without jeopardizing your own culture — and everything that depends on it — should have been dispelled by many counterproductive social consequences in Europe, even aside from the fatal dangers of terrorists.

Most refugees in the Middle East can be helped in the Middle East, and many Americans would undoubtedly be willing to financially help Muslim countries like Jordan or Egypt to care for these refugees in societies more compatible with their beliefs and values.

The history of millions of European immigrants who came here in centuries past was fundamentally different from what is happening in our own times.

First of all, those immigrants were stopped at Ellis Island to be checked medically and otherwise, and were allowed to get off that island to go ashore only after they had met whatever legal standards there were. Otherwise, they were sent back where they came from.

More fundamentally, people came here to assimilate into the American society they found, not to become isolated enclaves of aggrieved foreigners, demanding that Americans adjust to their languages, their values and their ways of life.

Like so much that President Obama says, his talk of “stronger screening” of people coming into the United States is sheer fantasy, when even his own intelligence officials and law enforcement officials say that we have no adequate data on which to base a meaningful screening of Syrian refugees.

When Obama spoke of the danger of our being “drawn once more into a long and costly ground war in Iraq or Syria,” that was yet another fantasy, that wars are optional.

When terrorists are at war with us, we cannot simply declare that war to be over, whenever it is politically convenient, as Obama did when he withdrew American troops from Iraq, against the advice of his own generals. That is what led to the rise of ISIS. Our only real choice is between destroying ISIS over there or waiting for them to come over here and start killing Americans. As in other cases, Obama has made a choice that reflects politics and rhetoric, rather than reality.

Thomas Sowell is a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305. His website is www.tsowell. com.

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Spike Lee’s film a missed opportunity CHICAGO — Spike Lee’s new movie “Chi-Raq” is not the place to look for answers to the conundrum of how to quell gun violence in Chicago.

This was to be expected — no Hollywood filmmaker should be burdened with the expectation of fixing our societal ills.

But putting them in a larger context — maybe even creating an artistic work of entertainment that could lend new vitality to an old, still unresolved, conversation?

Well, that also proved to be too lofty an ambition. “Chi-Raq,” it turns out, merely drags viewers through a lengthy lampoon of some Chicagoans’ real-life horror stories. It was a missed opportunity.

Opening with a heart-rending musical plea for a stop to Chicago’s murders and powerful calls to action — “Please pray for my city,” “This is an emergency,” “7,365 murders in Chicago, surpassing the death toll in Iraq” — the film quickly devolves into a painful parody.

Its premise is a take on Chicago’s urban warfare through the device of a rhyming-dialogue re-telling of Aristophanes’ “Lysistrata,” the satire in which the Peloponnesian Wars were ended when the women of Greece agreed to freeze their husbands and boyfriends out of the bedroom.

“Chi-Raq,” however, fails in

in tone, in plot progression and in blending details of reality with outrageous fantasy — like the last-minute relinquishment of power by a murderous gang lord because he’s actually just a nice guy — that it was nearly impossible to know what the director, whose previous work Esther I’m a fan of, meant to comCepeda municate.

But don’t take my word for being either wholly thoughtit. provoking or entertaining. The The night before its nafemale protagonists are overly tionwide release, I attended a sexualized, and the bad guys screening of “Chi-Raq” a mere are stereotypically cool as 19 miles from the Englewood ice. Moreover, the film shifts community, where the film is confusingly from real statistics largely set, with people who about actual dead Africanactually live in the violence, Americans in Chicago to a dysfunction and misery this silly scene where a rebel-flagmovie exploits. And some of loving old white man humps a them weren’t terribly happy Civil War-era cannon in a city with what they saw, either. armory.

“I know Hollywood wants Are we really to wonder to entertain us but I don’t want whether the city’s violence to be depicted like that, with might have been instigated by all that tomfoolery, laughing, radical Confederate sympathiz- joking,” said Charles Harders who have infiltrated the wick, who directs an education famously Democratic bastion and employment program at of Chicago to oppress its dark- the Howard Area Community skinned citizens?

Center and introduced himself Or, as the movie suggests during a panel discussion as over and over again, are the having spent 14 years in prison. real culprits the black people He added that he’d recently themselves — both the ones witnessed a gang shooting upthat commit the black-on-black close at a community resource crime and those who refuse to fair. “If I could write to Spike “snitch” on each other to the Lee, I’d tell him I don’t want to police? be represented like that.”

I can’t say, because “ChiAlex Smith Hickman, a poet, Raq” was so all-over-the-place young father and alumnus of

the city’s Family Matters organization, which provides safe spaces to the North of Howard neighborhood said, “From an aesthetic point of view, it was visually pleasing, but the message … I don’t feel it should be conveyed to everyone like it’s funny. I heard a lot of laughing and I don’t feel that burglary, murder, gang violence is funny.

There were a lot of things I agreed with, like we have to come together and talk about it, but there were just so many contradictions and not a lot of understanding the meaning of the violence. Or how actual problem-solving can help in communities, and mentoring, and other things we could be talking about.”

Talk was a major theme among six individuals who live on Chicago’s brutal streets and shared their experiences during the discussion after the screening of “Chi-Raq.” All seemed to agree that more talk about this epidemic, even around a flawed attempt at illumination, was helpful.

Maybe. But if we spent even half the time listening to real people who live and work in urban poverty and violence that we do watching fictional or sensationalized news accounts of the bloodshed, we might actually get closer to fixing it.

Esther Cepeda’s email address is estherjcepeda@ washpost.com.

Waging the terror war outside the box Americans looking for a Snuggy Bear and a blankey to ease their anxieties about the Islamic State will have to become more comfortable with ambiguity and uncertainty.

From President Obama’s recent terror speech in the Oval Office to Donald Trump’s terrifying, race-baiting, religion-testing rebuke in South Carolina, there is little to console those seeking either instant gratification from Obama or sanity from the leading Republican presidential candidate.

While Trump speaks to fear with anti-Muslim rhetoric that builds a wall around our national essence, the president attempts to soothe with reason and inspirational rhetoric more befitting a nation that hasn’t just suffered a horrific terrorist slaughter.

Obama’s speech was never going to satisfy critics and those convinced they know the better route. But the fact of the speech alone — appropriately solemn in recognition of the fact that the killings in San Bernardino, Chattanooga and at Fort Hood were terrorist attacks — spoke volumes.

And though he identified the California terrorists as Islamic State-inspired, he surely disappointed those insistent in their own cultish fashion that Obama refuses to name the enemy and, therefore, can’t defeat him. An absurdity. A dead terrorist is a dead terrorist by any name.

Kathleen Parker Obama’s further reiteration of his current course left wanting those longing for the more-comforting certitude of the cheerleader with a megaphone. And those hoping for a declaration of the usual sort of war — thousands of ground troops in Syria and Iraq — were doubtless disappointed, as well as affirmed in their belief that Obama doesn’t get it. Or that he’s only trying to preserve his legacy as the nonwar president, a trope favored by the right.

But realistically, what president chooses to ignore a necessary war? Who wants to be remembered as the cowardly commander in chief who allowed the world to slip into darkness and despair? No one, and certainly not Obama.

The problem for the president is that the war he is waging feels like a long-term strategy without benefit of the short-term. If not ground troops, then what? There is no good answer. This is a new kind of war requiring fresh approaches. The old templates don’t apply because they actu-

ally work against us. As soon as we put boots on the ground, the Islamic State is rewarded with the war it wants, with the propaganda machine it can’t otherwise replicate, and with the martyrdom its members welcome. Are Americans really ready to watch their military men and women beheaded and burned alive?

Thus, Obama and his advisers have focused on alternative means of defeating a monster that feeds on atrocity and hate.

Strategic hits, special operations, counterterrorism propaganda and so on. At home, he seems to say, fight hate with love, fear with resilience, monsters with the superior force of good. By comparison, admittedly, Trump sounds both decisive and definitive.

But — this is no joke — Trump is also the most dangerous person to emerge on the American political scene in decades. As president, he would be the most dangerous man on the planet.

I’ve often objected in my column to invoking Hitler as popular analog because it trivializes the suffering and slaughter of the Jews. Now I’m not so sure. Remember that before there could be a Holocaust, there was the identification of the Jewish race as the enemy. Trump’s identification of Muslims as “the problem,” with his threat of a Muslim registry and a religious test at the border, sounds terribly familiar.

Two facts to consider: First, we need the help of the world’s 1.6 billion — and this nation’s 3 million — Muslims if we hope to defeat terrorists who justify their barbarism with their interpretation of Islam. Second, our best defense against radicalization of Muslim-Americans is inclusiveness. By marginalizing our own Muslim community through rhetoric, we vastly increase the risk of radicalization and recruitment.

Obama understands this. He also understands that another ground war in the Middle East risks our becoming entrenched in endless battle against an enemy that can inspire insurgencies indefinitely.

Few doubt that we could easily take over Iraq and Syria in a replay of shock-and-awe, but then what? Invading another Muslim country feeds right into the Islamic State’s playbook and installs a Crusader vs. Caliphate narrative for millennia — or whatever foreshortened era we invent.

Again, ambiguity and uncertainty are our companions for now and probably for a while. In the meantime, our internecine squabbles about our own nation’s principles couldn’t be a better holiday gift to the butchers-in-waiting.

And Trump, by dividing us from within, is the enemy’s hero.

Kathleen Parker’s email address is kathleenparker@ washpost.com.

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 • 7A

gwinnettdailypost.com

Play

•From Page 1A

radio play,” Tricia said, “but it’s been fun because you performance. see how talented they are “He has memories of at doing all of the different sitting down with his whole voices.” family waiting for the “And all the sound effects radio show to come on and over on the side,” Charles listening to it,” she said. “He said. kept repeating to me, ‘I just There is a nook on stage want to close my eyes and where performers create all sit there and listen to it,’ be- of the sound effects during cause I think it brought back the show. From a life-sized memories of being there door that actors open and with his family.” close, to bottles and cutlery Tricia and Charles Bolian they clank together, every watch the Frank Capra film sound, with the exception “It’s A Wonderful Life,” of the music, is created on starring Jimmy Stewart, stage. every Christmas. The couple According to Gustaverecently attended a perforson, a few sound effect mance with their Sunday suggestions were given in school class from Shadowthe script, but she and her brook Baptist Church in husband, Mercury, who apSuwanee. Being huge fans pears in the show as Harry of the film, they were excited “Jazzbo” Heywood, spent to experience the story live. time researching different “We weren’t sure what methods. to expect since it’s a live “Most of it is standard

stuff but we did buy a vintage siren that’s attached to the table,” Gustaveson said.

“There’s an antique register that’s a child’s toy that’s all rusty and we use that.”

But they had to get creative with a few of the sound effects, like the closing car door.

“Other than having a car door on stage it’s kind of hard to get that sound,” Gustaveson said.

Luckily her son, who collects military memorabilia, happened to have an antique ammunition box that, when slammed shut, sounds like a car door closing.

“After trying out many different things, we ended up using his ammo box,” Gustaveson said.

Another show highlight for the Bolian’s church group was the way the actors performed a variety of

voices on stage.

“The way they’ve captured the voices. They are very, very similar to the movie,” Scott Dakunchak said. “And you’re talking to a group that’s lived this movie every year. We could just about get up there and perform it ourselves.”

According to Gustaveson, the similarity wasn’t something they strived for during rehearsals and the actors came up with their own voices.

“That’s one of the challenges for the actors in the show, to create different voices, and they do that not just through their voices but also through physicality,” she said. “I think that helps them as well with all the different voices because there are so many. At some points they’re arguing with themselves.”

•From Page 1A

Health

Rothenberg noted that Southern states largely have among the highest in the held back from expanding nation. their Medicaid programs, “This report presents though more than half the some very troubling data states overall have implefor the health of Geormented it over the past gians,’’ said Marsha Davis, three years. But he said an associate dean at the expansion would result in economic growth as well as University of Georgia’s health gains. “The benefits College of Public Health. to citizens and the economy “We rank at or near the are substantial,” he said. bottom of states for adults The Georgia gains on the being uninsured, adults score card include better without health care because of cost, and children medication management for Medicare patients, and on without a medical home.” avoidable use of hospi(A medical home is care delivery model where treat- tal ERs for seniors. The ment is coordinated through state, though, ranked 44th a primary care physician to on breast cancer deaths, and 45th on children with ensure the patient receives emotional, behavioral, or the necessary care.) developmental problems She noted that Georgia who received the necessary ranked 50th in adults who mental health care. went without care because Nancy Nydam, a spokesof costs. woman for the state “If Georgians were Department of Public insured at the rate of the nation’s leading state, over Health, said Wednesday that the rankings “serve as 1 million more adults in •From Page 1A who, the wife said, also have money’s coming from, just Georgia would have health an important tool to raise The group, which has to sacrifice because of what to enjoy it. care coverage,’’ Davis said. awareness about the health fundraisers throughout the 2006. their father lost. of our state.”

“It’s doing what Ameri“Improvements on numeryear, has also provided tens “I think one of the best “It’s tough living with “That said, the rankings cans are supposed to do of thousands for other needs ous health care indicators things about this organizasomeone that’s been are just one tool we use to — we take care of our would no doubt follow.”

— rehab, travel, education. tion is when they meet a sol- injured,” she said. “People identify areas in need of imown,” said Stevens, who Davis called on state But the Christmas gift ider and a family they really thank me for what I do all provement,’’ Nydam added. has decades of experience cards are a natural highlight policymakers to examine embrace them and treat them the time, for sticking by my in Gwinnett public safety She said public health for children like the Kapac- the report as they consider as family,” said wife Kimhusband. My children get with various agencies. “After ziewskis’. the possibility of Medicaid officials also examine and berly Kapacziewski, who evaluate numerous other overlooked a lot.”

9/11, our soldiers became expansion, which would Cody, the youngest, who has started volunteering for sources of epidemiological The families who benefit first responders, just like extend coverage under the is autistic, will be getting the group. “You’re definitely from the program are chosen we’re first responders here in some toys involving the data. program to more lownot a number with them.”

Nydam noted that Georby Special Forces command. the community.” income people. letters of the alphabet, a Also, Operation One The founder said Operation The organization doesn’t The state’s political lead- gia has made significant favorite topic. Wyatt will get Voice focuses not just on progress in reducing the One Voice doesn’t want only focus on the families at Lego book and “dinosaur ership has so far rejected the family, but the children, the kids to know where the the holidays.

Medicaid expansion, citing number of adult smokers. robot toy.”

“We know that programs the costs involved.

Dr. Richard Rothenberg, like our Tobacco Free Schools and Smoke Free a professor of epidemiol•From Page 1A certification puts students Campuses and Universities “We’re very appreciative Pending accreditation ap- ogy and biostatistics at the on the fast track to gainful are having an impact,” she to be the first technical colproval, the first class would Georgia State University New York for number of employment.” said. lege to work with the Geor- be in the school’s “Term School of Public Health, productions. The industry is The pilot certification She also cited improvegia Film Academy on this C” which starts on Feb. 24, said the state’s rankings ments in child vaccinations, expected to grow by more program is made up of new certificate program,” which allows for time to reflect a large number of as well as agency programs than 3,000 jobs in the next two courses specifically Gwinnett Tech President install equipment. Up to 30 citizens who don’t have three to five years. Many of designed to teach students Glen Cannon said in a state- students are expected to be insurance coverage and ac- to lower obesity rates in children and to reduce the jobs are on set, and the on-set film production ment. “It’s a testament to accepted for the first class. cess to care. infant mortality. average salary for those jobs skills. One course combines our outstanding programs “We’ve seen a great People without insur“We know that there will is $84,000. classroom instruction and at Gwinnett Tech and our level of interest in the ance often use a hospital “On-set film workers are hands-on experience with always be challenges and proven ability to deliver Georgia Film Academy emergency room for care, needed, but even entry-level industry standard equipadditional work to do to quality education.” from potential students and Rothenberg said, adding jobs require a very specific improve the health of our ment. The second course Cannon added that the anticipate these classes will that the ER cost is passed set of skills,” Jeffrey Stepa- is a semester on-set where state,’’ Nydam said. “DPH school has worked on the fill quickly,” Matt Arthur, along by hospitals to koff, executive director of is committed to its mission students learn and hone partnership for about a year deputy commissioner for the insurers. “It affects all of the Georgia Film Academy their craft while working on to participate in that growing Technical College System to promote the health and us, increasing the price of said in a press release. “The the crew of a professional well-being of all Geormedia industry that offers of Georgia, said in a press health care for everyone,” Georgia Film Academy gians.” production. plenty of “exciting careers.” release. he said.

Charity

Classes

obituaries

LOGANVILLE

LOGANVILLE

Ashley Bailey

Gary Barnard

Ashley Marie Bailey, age 31 of Loganville, passed away on Monday, December 7, 2015. Funeral Services will be held at 11 AM on Saturday, December 12, 2015 at the Monroe Chapel of Tim Stewart Funeral Home. Rev. J.B. Kitts, Rev. Jym Hitte, and Rev. David Smith will officiate. Entombment will follow at Hill Haven Memory Gardens in Monroe. Ashley was a member of Lawrenceville Church of God and an Emergency Room Tech with Gwinnett Medical Center-Duluth.

She is survived by her Parents, Ted & Lisa Bailey of Loganville; Brother & Sister-in-law: JB & Melissa Bailey of Monroe; Grandparents: Mary Ellen Johnson of Snellville; Johnny & Angie Bailey of Loganville; Uncles & Aunts: Rev. Bobby & Angel Moore of Brunswick; Mike & Nancy Bailey of Buford; Whitney Johnson of Dunwoody; a Host of Family and Friends. The family will receive friends from 2 - 4 & 6 - 8 PM on Friday, December 11, 2015 at the Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 209 S. Hammond Drive, Monroe, GA 30655. 770-267-2594.

Please sign the online guest registry at www. stewartfh.com

Gary Barnard, age 69 of Loganville, passed away on December 8, 2015.

Tim Stewart Funeral Home, 670 Tom Brewer Road, Loganville, GA 30052. 770-466-1544. www.stewartfh.com.

15 photos are available with all Obituaries and Death Notices $

Call for details

770.963.9205

Ext.1162 or Ext.1163

JOHNS CREEK

Marlene Ginani Marlene Ginani, age 76 of Johns Creek passed away Monday, December 7, 2015. Georgia Cremation 3116 U.S. Highway 23 Duluth, Georgia 30096. 678-584-0914.

GeorgiaCremation.com.

LILBURN

Leonard Becht, Sr. Leonard Clarence Becht, Sr., of Lilburn. Ga., died December 5, 2015. Bill Head Funeral Homes and Crematory, Lilburn/Tucker Chapel, (770) 564-2726.

LOGANVILLE

Cindy Johnson Cindy Scott Johnson, age 50 of Loganville, GA passed away on December 9, 2015. Services and Arrangements by: Junior E. Flanigan, Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA (770) 932-1133.

NORCROSS

William Bell William H. “Bill” Bell, age 70 of Norcross, GA passed away on December 6, 2015. Services and Arrangements by: Junior E. Flanigan, Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA (770) 932-1133.

TUCKER

Ginny Kreunen Ginny Kreunen, age 78, of Tucker, Ga., died December 6, 2015. Bill Head Funeral Homes and Crematory, Lilburn/Tucker Chapel, (770) 564-2726.

ILA

Joyce Cole Joyce Ann Cole, age 64, of Ila, GA, passed away on December 8, 2015. Tim Stewart Funeral Home: 300 Simonton Road SW Lawrenceville, Georgia 30046. 770-962-3100.

Please leave online condolences at stewartfh.com

LAWRENCEVILLE

Helen McLaughlin Helen L. McLaughlin of Lawrenceville, GA formerly of Billerica, MA. She was born on November 20, 1938 and died December 7, 2015 at home with her children. She was a devoted and loving mother who will be sorely missed. Her children were James McLaughlin of Nashua, New Hamp-

For more obituaries, visit www.gwinnettdailypost.com.

shire, Ellen McLaughlin, of Lawrenceville, GA; Michael McLaughlin, who predeceased her. Janet Tew, of Stuart, Florida; William McLaughlin of Paso Robles, CA; and Paul McLaughlin of Lawrenceville, GA. She had 10 grandchildren, Krista, Shawn and Corey McLaughlin all of Nashua, New Hampshire, Amy, Jennifer and Mario Riccardi of New York, HayleyMadison Tew of Stuart, Florida; Tiffany McLaughlin of Paso Robles, CA, and Mason and Olivia McLaughlin of Lawrenceville, GA and one great grandson, Michael Burke of New York. She had two brothers, Walter Conners and Bernard Conners both who predeceased her, and three sisters, Dorothy Kelly of Watertown, MA; Agnes Barry of Auburndale, MA both who predeceased her, and one surviving sister, Mary Elizabeth Hill of Newton, MA and numerous nieces and nephews. Celebration of Life will be held on Friday, December 11, 2015 at Bethesda Senior Center, 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville, GA between 2-4 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to the Bethesda Senior Center. Online condolences can be expressed at www.wagesandsons.com

LILBURN

SNELLVILE

David Rosenthal David Martin Rosenthal, age 65 of Lilburn, GA passed away December 7, 2015. Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, LLC, “A Family Company” Snellville Chapel, 770-9793200, has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

Harry Soper Harry James “Jim” Soper, age 71 of Snellville, GA passed away December 7, 2015. Tom M. Wages Funeral Service, LLC, “A Family Company” Snellville Chapel, 770-979-3200, has been entrusted with the funeral arrangements.

LAWRENCEVILLE

LAWRENCEVILLE

Nicholas Shipley Nicholas Ray Delane Shipley age 24 of Lawrenceville passed away Friday, December 4, 2015. Georgia Cremation 3116 U.S. Highway 23 Duluth, Georgia 30096. 678-584-0914.

GeorgiaCremation.com.

15 photos are available with all Obituaries and Death Notices Call for details

770.963.9205

Ext.1162 or Ext.1163

Florica Stefanuti, age 82 of Lawrenceville, GA passed away on December 6, 2015. Services and Arrangements by: Junior E. Flanigan, Flanigan Funeral Home and Crematory, Buford, GA (770) 932-1133.

LILBURN SNELLVILLE

John Smith John Smith, age 91, of Snellville, GA, passed away on, December 7, 2015. Arrangements by Tim Stewart Funeral Home: 2246 Wisteria Drive, Snellville, Georgia 30078. 770-9795010. stewartfh.com.

Saundra Truelove Saundra Truelove, age 75, of Lilburn, Ga., died December 8, 2015. Bill Head Funeral Homes and Crematory, Lilburn/Tucker Chapel, (770) 564-2726.

TUCKER

Boyd Williams 15 photos are available with all Obituaries and Death Notices $

$

Florica Stefanuti

Call for details

770.963.9205 Ext.1162 or Ext.1163

Boyd Williams, age 85, of Tucker, Ga., died December 7, 2015. Bill Head Funeral Homes and Crematory, Lilburn/Tucker Chapel, (770) 564-2726.

8A •THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 CLOSE TO HOME

John McPherson

FAMILY CIRCUS

gwinnettdailypost.com Bill Keane

Today’s Solution

BEETLE BAILEY

BLONDIE

Mort & Greg Walker

Dean Young & John Marshall

DILBERT® Scott Adams

HAGAR THE HORRIBLE

Zits

PEANUTS

Jerry Scott and Jim Borgman

GARFIELD

PICKLES

Charles M. Schulz

POOCH CAFE

Jim Davis

Chris Browne

Paul Gilligan

Brian Crane

Sudoku is a number-placing puzzle based on a 9x9 grid with several given numbers.

The object is to place the numbers 1 to 9 in the empty squares so that each row, each column and each 3x3 box contains the same number only once.

Solution to today's Sudoku

WHATZIT SOLUTION:

Today’s Answer: Needles

sports

gwinnettdailypost.com

SECTION B • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

Fourth title not Buford’s focus

GIRLS RUNNER OF THE YEAR

Yanely Gomez

By David Friedlander

GRAYSON • SENIOR

david.friedlander@ gwinnettdailypost.com

By Will Hammock

will.hammock@ gwinnettdailypost.com

BUFORD — Winning a state championship is nothing new for the football program at Buford High School, nor is winning multiple state titles.

But when the No. 3 state-ranked Wolves (131) travel to the Georgia Dome to take on No. 2 Cartersville (14-0) in the Class AAAA championship game Saturday afternoon, they will have a chance to pull off a rare feat.

More specifically, the 21 seniors on Buford’s rosters have that rare opportunity.

Having been part of Class AAA championship teams in 2012 and 2013 and the AAAA title team last year, this year’s senior class has a chance to go out the same way it came into Buford — as state

STATE FINALS What: Class AAAA state football finals Who: Buford vs. Cartersville When: Saturday, 4:30 p.m.

Where: Georgia Dome

Former Bronco leading Roswell

By David Friedlander david.friedlander@ gwinnettdailypost.com

See FORD, Page 2B

STATE FINALS What: Class AAAAAA state football finals Who: Roswell vs.

Colquitt County When: Saturday, 8 p.m.

Where: Georgia dome

Grayson’s Yanely Gomez finishes senior season ahead of the pack

By Will Hammock will.hammock@ gwinnettdailypost.com

Yanely Gomez spent a portion of the cross country season chasing Gwinnett’s talented crop of distance runners.

The Grayson senior placed fourth in the Gwinnett County Championships early in the season, finishing behind sisters Camryn and Hannah Petit of Mill Creek and her Region 8-AAAAAA rival Lauren Flynt of Brookwood. But she turned it up a notch as the season progressed, bypassing all

s

When John Ford leads his Roswell team on to the field at the Georgia Dome for the Class AAAAAA state football championship game against Colquitt County on Saturday, it will be his first time in a state finals as a coach.

However, the 35-yearold Ford, who is in his third season as the Hornets’ head coach, will not be lacking in title game experience.

As a 1998 graduate of Brookwood, Ford was a junior receiver and special teams player on the Broncos’ 1996 Class AAAA state championship team, the first Gwinnett County Public Schools team to win a state title.

Many things have changed over the 19 years since the Broncos’ title run — most notably, the fact that the finals are now played at the Georgia Dome instead of the semifinals.

Still, Ford says that no matter the venue or significance of Saturday’s game, there is at least one piece

Grayson senior Yanely Gomez, Gwinnett’s top girls finisher at the Class AAAAAA state meet, is the Daily Post’s runner of the year. (Staff Photo: Will Hammock)

of them when it mattered most.

Gomez won the 8-AAAAAA title leading into the state meet, where she was Gwinnett’s top Class AAAAAA girls finisher in fourth place.

She followed that up with a 24th-place finish, best among local girls runners, at the Nov. 28 Foot Locker South Regional with a time of 18 minutes, 10 seconds.

“I’m happy with how (the season) went,” the Daily Post girls runner of the year said. “I didn’t know what to expect coming back from injury, but

I think I did a pretty good job coming back. It was a cool season. I think I did pretty good. My goal was to finish top five (at state), so that was really cool. … Finishing above the other girls from the county was a goal because we always compete against each other and they’re so talented. And I wanted to finish as high as I could for my team.”

Gomez already made her mark in Gwinnett cross country as a junior, when she was 14th at state, runner-up at region and fourth at the county meet. But she entered her

senior cross country season with some uncertainty after working her way back from a broken bone in her ankle that wiped out her junior track season.

She slowly worked her way back into peak cross country shape and said the ankle didn’t bother her any more.

“It was five weeks I had to take off and I was pretty much fine after that,” she said. “It’s maybe still achy here and there, but it definitely wasn’t a problem during the season.”

A strong finish to her See GOMEZ, Page 2B

MORE INSIDE: The Daily Post’s All-County cross country selections, 2B

s

See BUFORD, Page 5B

BOYS RUNNER OF THE YEAR

Zach Israel BROOKWOOD • SENIOR

Israel steps in as top runner for Broncos

By Will Hammock

They have been awesome getting me in the flow of things, not only on the team, but also at BrookZach Israel braced for wood with the way things culture shock. work here.”

The Brookwood runner While the Broncos moved to the area prior helped their new student to his senior season from adjust this semester, Israel Texas, where his high did plenty to help his new school, Ranchview, had team, too. roughly 800 students from The Daily Post’s boys grades nine to 12. His new runner of the year was school in Gwinnett, with an Gwinnett’s highest boys enrollment of nearly 3,500, finisher in the soggy Class Brookwood senior Zach Israel, the Daily Post’s boys AAAAAA state championis one of the Georgia’s runner of the year, was Gwinnett’s top finisher in this largest high schools. year’s Class AAAAAA state championship race. (Photo: ship race with a third-place “I definitely thought it showing, backing up a Will Hammock) was going to be a trip,” Isnumber of good perforrael said. “I knew it would in some ways and not in has been amazing since the mances throughout his first definitely be different. It’s others. The very crowded first day that I arrived. He’s season in Georgia. Perenniwhat I always thought high hallways, I wasn’t used to been great with working al power Brookwood, with school was supposed to that. But (boys cross coun- me into the system, him as See ISRAEL, Page 2B be, so I was ready for it try) Coach (Ben) Dehnke well as the guys in general.

will.hammock@ gwinnettdailypost.com

Corky Kell has six local schools Six Gwinnett County football teams are part of the expanded Corky Kell Classic, which has selected its matchups for the 2016 event.

The high school showcase, preparing for its 25th edition, added an extra day with two Thursday night games at Mercer in Macon, but all six Gwinnett teams will be in action Friday and Saturday.

Buford, a state finalist in Class AAAA this Saturday, makes its Corky Kell debut Friday, Aug. 19, against Roswell, which plays for the AAAAAA title this Saturday. The Wolves’ game will be followed by South Forsyth against Hillgrove in a pair of games played at McEachern.

“The Friday night lineup is really good,” Corky Kell executive director Dave Hunter said.

The Saturday, Aug. 20 slate at the Georgia Dome will be Gwinnett heavy, including a pair of state playoff rematches in the night’s final two games.

Archer faces McEachern at 8:45 p.m. in a rematch of a thrilling second-round game this season won by Archer. It follows a 5:45 p.m. rematch of this year’s AAAAAA state semifinal between Mill Creek and Colquitt County.

The 11:45 a.m. matchup pits Brookwood against North Gwinnett and the 2:45 p.m. game features Norcross vs. Walton. The other Saturday game is Kell vs. Tucker at 9 a.m.

“McEachern and Archer we’re excited about,” Hunter said. “They played such a fabulous game this year.

Colquitt and Mill Creek are good to go. I’m sure Mill Creek’s excited about a rematch. We think these are probably some of the best matchups we’ve ever had.”

The Thursday, Aug. 18 games at Mercer will be Houston County vs. Mary Persons at 5:45 p.m. and Lee County vs. Jones County at 8:45 p.m.

Fox Sports Southeast will televise all three days, while 92.9 The Game FM will broadcast the games on radio. MetroPCS serves as the event’s title sponsor.

PREP FOOTBALL What: 2016 Corky Kell Classic When: Aug. 18-20 Where: Mercer, McEachern, Georgia Dome Schedule: Thursday, Aug. 18 At Mercer 5:45 p.m. — Houston County vs. Mary Persons 8:45 p.m. — Lee County vs. Jones County Friday, Aug. 19 At McEachern 5:45 p.m. — Buford vs.

Roswell 8:45 p.m. — South Forsyth vs. Hillgrove Saturday, Aug. 20 At the Georgia Dome 9 a.m. — Kell vs. Tucker 11:45 a.m. — North Gwinnett vs. Brookwood 2:45 p.m. — Norcross vs. Walton 5:45 p.m. — Mill Creek vs. Colquitt County 8:45 p.m. — Archer vs.

McEachern

2B • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

ondeck Prep Schedule

BASKETBALL

Today

5:30 p.m. — GAC at Hapeville Charter 6 p.m. — Archer at Grayson 6 p.m. — Berkmar at Parkview 6 p.m. — Brookwood at Dacula 6 p.m. — Lakeview at Providence 6 p.m. — Meadowcreek at Norcross 6 p.m. — Peachtree Ridge at Mill Creek 6 p.m. — South at Shiloh 6:30 p.m. — Woodward Academy girls at Wesleyan in Marchman

SWIMMING & DIVING

5 p.m. — Wesleyan Invitational 6:30 p.m. — Dacula, Discovery and Mountain View at Collins Hill 6:30 p.m. — Shiloh, Berkmar, Central and South at Mountain Park 6:30 p.m. — Parkview, Archer and North at West Gwinnett

WRESTLING

• Archer in Dobbins Bennett Invitational in Kingsport, Tenn.

• Duluth in Creekview Invitational 5 p.m. — Gwinnett County tournament at Lanier Friday

BASKETBALL

5:30 p.m. — GAC at Hapeville Charter 6 p.m. — Archer at Grayson 6 p.m. — Berkmar at Parkview 6 p.m. — Brookwood at Dacula 6 p.m. — Lakeview at Providence 6 p.m. — Meadowcreek at Norcross 6 p.m. — Peachtree Ridge at Mill Creek 6 p.m. — South at Shiloh 6:30 p.m. — Woodward Academy girls at Wesleyan

SWIMMING & DIVING

5 p.m. — Wesleyan Invitational 6:30 p.m. — Dacula, Discovery and Mountain View at Collins Hill 6:30 p.m. — Shiloh, Berkmar, Central and South at Mountain Park 6:30 p.m. — Parkview, Archer and North at West Gwinnett

WRESTLING

• Archer in Dobbins Bennett Invitational in Kingsport, TN • Duluth in Creekview Invitational 5 p.m. — Gwinnett Co. tournament at Lanier

The Home Teams

TODAY NEXT UPCOMING

Hawks

South Carolina Orlando Off Fri, 7:35 p.m.

Sat, 7:05 p.m.

97.7-FM 97.7 FM

at Carolina at Jacksonville Off Sun, 1 p.m.

Dec. 20, 1 p.m.

FOX/92.9 FM FOX/92.9FM

at Okla. City San Antonio Miami Thu, 8 p.m.

Sat, 8 p.m.

Mon, 8 p.m.

FSSE/92.9 FM FSSE/92.9 FM FSSE/92.9 FM End of season

Georgia

vs. Penn State# Off Jan. 2, noon ESPN/750-AM

Georgia St.

San Jose State* Off Dec. 19, 7 p.m.

CBSSP/680-AM

End of season

Gladiators

Falcons

gwinnettdailypost.com

Gomez

•From Page 1B

“I was not really good at first,” Gomez said. “My first meet I ran like high school cross country career was 25 minutes. From there, I kept bringthe mission for Gomez, who didn’t ing it down and eventually got here.” play other sports growing up and Here is pretty impressive. didn’t get into cross country until her Her senior year started off with the freshman year at Grayson. Some of fourth-place finish at county, where her friends were running and her sis- her finish behind the Petits and ter encouraged her to join the cross Flynt wasn’t too surprising given her country team. layoff during track season. Her time

ALL-COUNTY CROSS COUNTRY BOYS Boys Runner of the Year: Zach Israel, Brookwood, Sr. Was third in Class AAAAAA at the state meet, won the Region 8-AAAAAA title and placed third in the Gwinnett County meet Boys Coach of the Year: Ben Dehnke, Brookwood Led the Broncos to a Class AAAAAA state runner-up finish FIRST TEAM • Tyler Barber, Mountain View, Sr. Was 10th at the state meet, third at region and sixth at county • Ben Cook, Brookwood, Sr. Placed 12th at state, seventh at region and 20th at county • Sam Costa, Mill Creek, Sr. Won the Region 7-AAAAAA and Gwinnett County championships • Noah Hollis, Mill Creek, Sr. Placed 15th at state, runner-up at region and fifth at county • Nate Reichard, Peachtree Ridge, Sr. Was 13th at state, fourth at region and runner-up at county • Pedro Solares, Peachtree Ridge, Sr. Was 16th at state, eighth at region and eighth at county • Gruem Tesfamariam, Brookwood, Jr. Placed ninth at the state meet, second at region and third at county SECOND TEAM Jack Bradley, Peachtree Ridge, Sr. Gavin Childers, Mill Creek, Sr. Chase Condra, Peachtree Ridge, Fr. Christian Corsello, Parkview, Soph.

James Cragin, Archer, Soph.

Patrick Smith, Brookwood, Jr. Bobby Tucker, Mountain View, Jr.

•From Page 1B

GIRLS Girls Runner of the Year: Yanely Gomez, Grayson, Sr. Placed fourth at the Class AAAAAA state meet, won the Region 8-AAAAAA title and was fourth in the Gwinnett County meet Girls Coach of the Year: Terry Brand, Mill Creek Led the Hawks to their first state title in girls cross country FIRST TEAM • Lauren Flynt, Brookwood, Jr. Was 12th at state, runner-up at region and third at county • Mary Kathryn Knott, Peachtree Ridge, Soph.

Finished 13th at state, third at region and eighth at county • Camryn Petit, Mill Creek, Soph.

Placed seventh at state, won the region and county championships • Hannah Petit, Mill Creek, Sr. Was fifth at state and runner-up at both region and county • Kenedi Rodney, Dacula, Jr. Finished ninth at state, fourth at region and sixth at county • Elizabeth Saliba, Brookwood, Soph.

Was 23rd at state, fifth at region and 14th at county • Emily Swanigan, Providence, Sr. Placed ninth at state, runner-up at area and seventh at county SECOND TEAM Ellie Bradach, Wesleyan, Sr. Alexandra Froh, Mill Creek, Sr. Olivia Fuller, Mill Creek, Soph.

Daniela Rodriguez, Dacula, Sr. Sara Scales, Mill Creek, Jr. Melody Weiler, Parkview, Jr. Kimmie Whiting, North Gwinnett, Sr.

Israel

1 p.m. — UEFA Europa League FC Sion vs Liverpool FC FS1 3 p.m. — UEFA Europa League Tottenham Hotspur FC vs AS Monaco FC FS1 9:30 p.m. — Women’s International Friendly: United States vs Trinidad and Tobago ESPN2

really all about place. So I was aiming for top five and that’s what I was able 12 all-time state titles in the largest to do.” class, fell short of the championship Israel looked like a contender but surged to a strong second-place in Georgia after his first race with finish.

Brookwood at the Peachtree Ridge/ Championship pushes are expected Walton Stage Races in August. He from the Broncos, but even that was a won the Stage 5 race against tough new, and fun, experience for their No. competition, then kept the momentum 1 runner. going throughout the year.

“It was a change coming from the He placed third at county in 16:12 program I was in in Texas,” Isand later won the Region 8-AAAAAA rael said. “You can’t be upset with a championship with a time of 16:11. second-place finish as a team. … It’s He was satisfied with the results and the first time I’ve been part of somejust as importantly, how much he thing like (a top team finish at state). It improved in Brookwood’s high-level was great. … We came in thinking if distance running program. everything goes our way that we had a “I’ll really miss the team (after high shot to win, but we were just happy to school),” said Israel, who was 51st in be in the top three.” the recent Foot Locker South RegionIsrael ran 16 minutes, 26 seconds in al. “I’ve never been able to train with Carrollton in his third-place finish. It that many guys that close in speed and was close to the time he ran as a junior that capable to run together. … It just in Texas when he was eighth in the pushed me to do better, not only for AAAA state meet in 16:21. myself, but for the team.”

“I just wanted to run as fast as I Israel hopes to develop more as a could,” Israel said. “Once we saw the college runner, following the path set (muddy) conditions, we knew it was by his older brother Tim, who ran at

Sports Calendar

•From Page 1B

On TV

Today

COLLEGE BASKETBALL

7:30 p.m. — Iowa at Iowa State ESPN2 8 p.m. — Troy at Seton Hall FS1

NBA

8 p.m. — Atlanta at Oklahoma City FSSE 8 p.m. — Los Angeles Clippers at Chicago TNT 10:30 p.m. — New York at Sacramento TNT

SOCCER

ALL SPORTS

Ongoing through Dec. 31: Whitner Hitting Clinics Dec. 21-23: Jack City are being held at Jack City Sports Center in Dacula Sports Center. The clinics will host a Kids Winterfest are ongoing and cost $75 Camp with fun and games for five weeks. To sign up, for children. For more information, go to www.jackcitys- email jackcitybaseball@aol. com or call 770-633-0948. portscenter.com and click on the events tab.

BASEBALL

Dec. 21-22: South East Baseball will host a Christmas pitcher/catcher camp on Dec. 21 at its Norcross facility (4295 International Blvd., Suite F) and on Dec. 22 at its Athens facility (8352 Jefferson Road). The camp, open to all ages, will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and will include basics, advanced drills and proper mechanics instruction among other workouts. The camp will be run by former pro players Adam Brandenburg, Jon Huber, Brett Teschner and James Woods.

For more information, go to southeastbaseball.net/ camps-workouts.

CHEERLEADING

Dec. 20: The Lawrenceville Youth Association Football/Cheer will hold its general membership meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. at Rhodes Jordan Community Center at 100 E. Crogan St. Elections will be held for vice president and football director.

FOOTBALL

Dec. 20: The Lawrenceville Youth Association Football/Cheer will hold its general membership meeting from 3 to 5 p.m. at Rhodes Jordan Community Center at 100 E. Crogan St. Elections will be held for vice president and football director.

Feedback • Will Hammock, Sports Editor: will.hammock@gwinnettdailypost.com • Christine Troyke, Staff Writer: christine.troyke@gwinnettdailypost.com • David Friedlander, Staff Writer: david.friedlander@gwinnettdailypost.com • Paul Thomas, Staff Writer: paul.thomas@gwinnettdailypost.com • Scott Smith, Senior Correspondent: scott.smith@gwinnettdailypost.com • To report scores, call 770-339-5850

Gardner-Webb (N.C.). Gardner-Webb is one of the schools he is considering along with Lipscomb and some colleges back in Texas.

Before he heads to college, another new experience will happen for him in Georgia — his first track season here. He said the qualification process for state is different in Georgia than in Texas, where he won the AAAA state title in the 3,200-meter as a junior and was runner-up in the 1,600. He likes the 1,600 better, though most tell him he’s better at the 3,200.

Brookwood will gladly take his points in both races during the spring.

The Broncos, state track and field champions in 2010 and 2012, regularly finish high at the state meet, as do Gwinnett boys teams, which have won state six of the last seven years in Georgia’s largest class.

“I’m not really too sure how the (track and field) team did last year at state,” Israel said. “But definitely on the distance end we’ll be looking to give the team as many points as we can from our races.”

Ford

things from the entire week leading up to the of his advice he’s going to game at Valdosta’s storied give his players by drawing Bazemore-Hyder Stadium from his own state finals that he says he will never experience. forget.

“Just to live in the mo“I remember it snowed ment and be in the moduring practice that ment,” Ford said. “Amidst Wednesday, and how much all the excitement and fun that was,” Ford recalled. hoopla and hysteria, (the “I remember (traveling) field) is still 120 (yards) by down I-75 South and that 53 and a half. Just do what parents had put signs along got you there, and let the the side of the road that rest take care of itself.” said, ‘Go Broncos.’

That advice may seem so “And just doing the walksimple, yet it’s something through (the day before) at Ford admits he wishes he’d Bazemore-Hyder Stadium have heeded back then. and thinking it what a really And now in his 14th cool atmosphere it was goseason in coaching, he says ing to be.” he will definitely look at Mostly, Ford said he Saturday’s championship remembers a coaching staff game in a different light that included current Georthis time around. gia High School Associa“I think as a player, you tion executive committee go through it and you don’t member Dave Hunter, as always appreciate how well as his successor Mark hard it is to get there,” Ford Crews and several other said. “As a coach, I think well-known names around you appreciate that a little Gwinnett County coaching more.” circles.

That’s not to say that “That was such a great Ford doesn’t have plenty staff,” Ford said. “We had of fond memories from so many good coaches. I Brookwood’s 45-24 win don’t think I’m anywhere over Valdosta that Decem- near the head coach Coach ber.

Hunter was, but he also had In fact, there are some a good staff to lean on, too.”

Ford has also surrounded himself with an impressive staff that includes Jermaine Phillips, a former Roswell standout who went on to play at the University of Georgia and in the NFL with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, longtime assistant Jon Coen and former Harrison head coach Bruce Cobleigh.

Though his staff doesn’t include any other coaches with Gwinnett ties, the influences he learned while playing at Brookwood have stayed with him over the years.

Perhaps that’s why the fact that three of the four teams the Hornets had to beat in their road to the Georgia Dome — Parkview, Collins Hill and Grayson

— is one of the things he’s most proud of about his team’s postseason run. “(Collins Hill) Coach (Kevin) Reach, (Grayson) Coach (Mickey) Conn and (Parkview) Coach (Eric) Godfree, I have so much respect for those guys and the programs they run,” Ford said. “When you beat teams like that, you’ve beaten the best.”

But he says all of that, and everything else he and his staff and players have experienced throughout this week, goes out the window once they take to the Dome’s turf against Colquitt County on Saturday.

At that point, all he says his Hornets can do is simply go play.

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of 19 minutes, 9 seconds was solid, though.

She won region in 19:06, then fared well on the tough Carrollton course with a time of 19:38.

“Nely has been awesome for us this season,” Grayson coach Mac Bradbury said. “Actually, all four years she has been outstanding.

This year stands out simply due to her bouncing back from her injury last spring. She had certain goals in mind and she fought very hard to achieve those goals. The whole team is very proud of her and we are excited to see what she can do moving forward to track and in college.”

The college recruiting process is underway now, which will mark the achievement of another goal.

She began thinking of running in college during her freshman season and worked diligently toward it the next three years. She hasn’t pared down her favorite schools much, but knows she will miss her time at Grayson.

“I’m going to really miss enjoying (the season) with my team,” Gomez said. “This year was probably the most fun season of all four years. I feel like my team and I have gotten really close. It’s been really awesome to spend this last season with them.”

Gomez also has a little more work to do in high school.

She has high hopes for the spring track season, too. She wants to make up for the track season she missed with her ankle injury.

“Hopefully I can get some good mileage and be able to go for a county title, a region championship and place pretty high up at state,” Gomez said.

Those goals are similar to the ones she had for this cross country season.

Hard work helped her achieve those, making sure she finished the season atop Gwinnett’s pack of distance standouts at state and not fourth, like she was at county.

“I think I went into state with more confidence than I did at county,” Gomez said. “I just knew from my workouts. When I was up there, I was confident.”

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THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 • 3B

gwinnett grads

North Gwinnett’s Hosch wins prestigious Ivy League award

By Will Hammock

Muntean named all-region Mill Creek grad Nick Muntean, a senior at Oglethorpe, was named to the All-South Atlantic Region second team by the National Soccer Coaches Association of America.

He also was a first-team All-Southern Athletic Association pick this season.

Muntean had 11 goals and 23 points as a senior, ranking second and third in the SAA, respectively.

He helped his team to the SAA regular-season championship and a 10-33 final record.

will.hammock@ gwinnettdailypost.com

Just a few years ago, a Harvard quarterback from a Gwinnett school won the Ivy League’s top football honor. Another one repeated the feat Monday.

North Gwinnett’s Scott Hosch, a senior for the Crimson, was awarded the prestigious Asa S. Bushnell Cup as the Ivy League offensive player of the year during a National Football Foundation event at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The Bushnell Cup is awarded by a vote of the Ivy League’s eight head football coaches to the players who display outstanding qualities of leadership, competitive spirit, contribution to the team and accomplishments on the field.

Hosch is the ninth Harvard football player to win the Bushnell Cup, joining a list that also includes 2012 winner Colton Chapple, a Harvard quarterback who played at Greater Atlanta Christian. The two were teammates earlier in Hosch’s Harvard career.

A first-team All-Ivy selection, Hosch set the Harvard single-season passing record by throwing for 2,827 yards as a senior.

His 22 touchdown passes were the second-most for a single year in program history and he finished eighth in the school’s records book with 4,255 career passing yards, along with a tie for sixth with 30 career TD passes.

Hosch had 3,033 total yards — the second-most in school history — and he finished his career fourth in career completion percentage (61.9) and ninth in ca-

TRACK AND FIELD North Gwinnett grad Scott Hosch, a senior at Harvard, was named the Ivy League’s Offensive Player of the Year this season. (Photo: Gil Talbot)

reer total offense (4,567).

He was 15-1 as Harvard’s starting quarterback over the last two seasons.

Hosch was named Ivy League Offensive Player of the Week three times this fall and helped the Crimson lead the league in total offense (474.2), passing offense (303.5) and rushing offense (170.7). Hosch threw for a career-high four touchdowns in the win over rival Yale. He also threw for third-most passing yards in a single game in school history (437), going 29 of 40 with two TDs vs. Princeton.

For his stellar senior season, Hosch was also named one of 25 finalists for the STATS FCS National Offensive Player of the Year Award.

Kwon of Georgia Southern were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference second team Wednesday.

Cox, a Dacula grad, rushed for 1,261 yards and eight TDs this season, averaging 5.8 yards per carry. He also had 18 receptions for 160 yards and two more scores. He has 3,926 rushing yards through three seasons — with the Mountaineers’ Camellia Bowl appearance left this season — to put him within range of the school’s career rushing mark of 4,804.

Kwon, a North Gwinnett grad, anchored the middle of the Georgia Southern offensive line this season and helped the Eagles rush for a nationalbest 47 TDs.

FOOTBALL

SWIMMING

Cox, Kwon make Brookwood’s Trice all-conference lowers UGA record Gwinnett grads and Brookwood’s Michael juniors Marcus Cox of Ap- Trice lowered his own palachian State and Andy school record last week-

end and helped Georgia’s men’s team win its UGA Invitational meet.

Trice won the 50-yard freestyle in 19.31 seconds, breaking his own school mark in the event. He also tied for second in the 100 free later in the meet with a time of 43.01.

SOCCER Three named All-Sun Belt Three Gwinnett products now at Georgia Southern were named to the All-Sun Belt Conference Soccer Team this season.

Collins Hill’s Emmanuel Raji, a senior, made the first team, as did Peachtree Ridge’s Jeremy Rector, a junior. Parkview grad Jack Falle, a senior, made the second team.

Raji, on the first team for a second time, shared the team lead with four goals and Rector had three goals and two assists. Falle posted five shutouts as the Eagles’ goalkeeper.

Abdullah topples school record, sweeps conference honors Brookwood grad Bilal Abdullah, a junior at Kennesaw State, broke his own school and meet record in the 60-meter hurdles at last week’s Panther Icebreaker in Birmingham, Ala. Abdullah posted a time of 7.96 in preliminaries and then completed the finals in 7.94, the fastest time in the nation this season. He also won the long jump competition at 25 feet, 1/2 inch, a distance that also is best nationally this season.

Abdullah swept the Atlantic Sun Conference track athlete of the week and field athlete of the week honors on Wednesday for his efforts.

“It’s an honor for the Owls to sweep the ASun Athlete of the Week awards,” director of track and field and cross country coach Andy Eggerth said.

“As one of the top combined event athletes in the nation it makes sense that

Bilal would win both track athlete of the week and the field athlete of the week awards. Interestingly, he never even competed in the events in high school that won him these awards now. Obviously he has the talent, but Bilal has brought a great deal of focus and a tremendous work ethic this fall so I’m really happy to see him begin the season at the highest level he left off at the NCAA Championships last year. It’s a privilege for myself and my coaching staff to assist athletes that have such talent and motivation. “ At the same meet, freshman Braden Canamare of Mill Creek was sixth in the 400-meter dash (50.23) and GAC’s Maileka Slayton was third in the 200 (24.69) for KSU. BASKETBALL Fast break Berkmar grad Adonai Rogers leads the Thomas University men’s team in scoring (13.6), thanks to 92.3 percent free-throw shooting (36 of 39). The 6-foot-2 junior also averages 4.8 rebounds. … Duluth’s Alyah McGriff had a career-high 20 points on 10 of 15 shooting, as well as her first double-double thanks to 10 rebounds, in Georgia College’s 94-54 win over Belmont Abbey.

The sophomore forward averages 7.9 points and 4.9 rebounds.

Gwinnett Grads is a column that runs on Thursdays spotlighting achievements of past Gwinnett standouts. Coaches and parents are urged to send suggestions via email to will.hammock@gwinnettdailypost.com.

Big 12 mandates schedule shift, must play one Power 5 school The Sports Xchange

ference game contracts.

Big 12 football teams will be required to play one non-conference game against a team from the ACC, Big Ten, Pac-12, SEC or Notre Dame.

The conference, which does not have a postseason championship game, also announced on Tuesday that each team is permitted to schedule only one game annually against an FCS school.

Big 12 Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said in the release that strength of schedule, a factor in Oklahoma reaching the College Football Playoff, was the key reason for the shift.

“Schedule strength is a key component in CFP Selection Committee deliberations. This move will strengthen the resumes for

Alabama WR Black to transfer Alabama wide receiver Chris Black was released from his scholarship and plans to go elsewhere as a graduate transfer after his 2015 season was cut short by an injury.

If Black completes his degree by the end of the school year, he would be eligible to play next season at another FBS school. Ankle surgery ended Black’s season in November.

“God is closing one door and opening another for me in 2015 and I’ve decided to transfer!” Black said on Twitter. “Have officially been granted by full release from U of A. Want to thank all the coaches, fellow teammates and fans who believed in me.”

Texas Longhorns offensive lineman Connor Williams (55) blocks Baylor Bears defensive end Shawn Oakman (2) during the second half at McLane Stadium. The Longhorns defeat the Bears 23-17. (Photo: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports)

all Big 12 teams,” Bowlsby said. “Coupled with the nine-game full round robin conference schedule our teams play, it will not only benefit the teams at the

top of our standings each season, but will impact the overall strength of the conference.”

The requirement will not override existing non-con-

Black, a former four-star recruit who was considered one of the nation’s top prospects in 2012, entered the 2015 season as the Crimson Tide’s leading returning receiver with 15 catches for 188 yards in 2014.

But injuries and the development of wide receivers Richard Mullaney and Calvin Ridley left Black with just two receptions for 23 yards this season.

Mullaney, a transfer, has 54 catches for 600 yards and four touchdowns. Ridley, a true freshman, has 75 receptions for 893 yards and five touchdowns heading into Alabama’s College Football Playoff semifinal in the Cotton Bowl on Dec. 31 against Michigan State.

Michigan TE Butt weighs NFL option Junior tight end Jake

Butt wants coach Jim Harbaugh to weigh in before he decides whether it’s time to jump to the NFL. Butt, who recovered from a torn ACL in 2014, is the No. 1 tight end potentially available for the 2016 NFL Draft according to NFLDraftScout.com rankings.

“It’s 50-50 right now, I can’t say I’m leaning one way or another,” Butt told the Detroit News.

Butt was the All-Big Ten selection at tight end with 48 receptions for 620 yards and three touchdowns.

The decision for Butt comes down to being drafted in the top three rounds, he said. However, with a number of underclassmen weighing their options before the Jan. 18 deadline, the pecking order isn’t certain.

Report: Ingram may be done for the year The Sports Xchange New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram has a shoulder injury that could sideline him for the rest of the season, NFL Media’s Rand Getlin reported 0nWednesday.

Ingram has been bothered by a shoulder problem for several weeks, but he played in Sunday’s game against the Carolina Panthers.

Ingram, who turns 26 on December 21, has 769 rushing yards this season and also caught 50 passes for 405 yards.

He had 56 rushing yards and 23 receiving yards in Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

He also scored his first rushing touchdown since October.

He signed a four-year New Orleans Saints running back Mark Ingram (22) carries contract with the Saints in the ball against the Carolina Panthers during the second half of a game at Mercedes-Benz Superdome. (Photo: De- the offseason, so the team may be trying to protect rick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports)

its investment by keeping Ingram off the field for the final weeks of the season.

C.J. Spiller and Tim Hightower are likely to be the running backs in Ingram’s absence.

Patriots sign DB Johnson The New England Patriots signed defensive back Leonard Johnson to their 53-man roster on Wednesday.

Johnson, 25, was released from Tampa Bay’s injured reserve list on Dec. 3. The 5-foot-10, 202-pounder originally entered the NFL in 2012 as a rookie free agent with Tampa Bay out of Iowa State. He has played in 48 NFL games (17 starts), registering 139 tackles, five interceptions with two touchdowns, 20 passes defensed, four forced fumbles, one

fumble recovery and nine special teams tackles.

The Patriots waived cornerback Rashaan Melvin on Tuesday. Melvin, 26, was claimed off waivers from the Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 14 and played in eight games for the Patriots. He had three tackles and two special teams tackles for the Patriots.

In addition, the Patriots signed linebacker Eric Martin to the practice squad. Martin, 24, was released by the Patriots on Nov. 27. He made the 53-man roster out of training camp and played in the opening game before being released on Sept.

12. He was signed to the practice squad on Sept.

16 before being re-signed to the 53-man roster on Nov. 12. Martin played in two games after re-joining the 53-man roster and finished with three special

teams tackles.

Chargers waive Phillips, add WR Brown The San Diego Chargers waived safety Adrian Phillips to make room on the active roster for wide receiver Vincent Brown, the team announced Wednesday.

Because of injuries, the Chargers are thin at the wide receiver position.

They signed Brown on Tuesday, and he might play on Sunday.

Brown last played in the NFL last season, when he caught 12 passes for 118 yards for the Oakland Raiders.

Phillips played in six games this season, including one start.

The Chargers also signed tight end Tim Semisch to the practice squad and placed tight end Alex Bayer on the practice squad injured list.

4B • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

gwinnettdailypost.com

North’s Leifson scores 34 to honor late Drew Caymol had 25 points after the third quarter and made his last 3-pointer with 2:30 left, To donate to the striking 34 points on the Caymols’ fund for their medical bills, go to dot. A North assistant tallied https://www.gofundme.

Leifson’s total and when it com/s5d8kgfg hit 34, Garner called an immediate timeout. teammate of his younger Then all involved started brother. thinking about the game Drew’s favorite number Leifson just had. was 34, the jersey number He made a school-record he wore in basketball. Leif- 10 3-pointers on 11 atson decided he would score tempts, breaking North’s 34 points in North’s next old record for made 3-pointgame, texting head coach ers in a game (previously Matt Garner with his plans nine, set by current Archer Friday night, a day before a boys coach Joel Lecoeuvre). matchup with South Gwin- He did it on an efficient 12 nett. of 16 from the field and “Drew loved basketball even had five assists. so much,” Leifson said.

“Honestly, I was uncon“Coach Garner, he asked if scious,” Leifson said. “I hit there was anything that the some shots that felt so off. team could do to help. … I It was incredible. Going in I can usually tell before if I’m North Gwinnett senior Colby Leifson is shown after his thought about it and I said, 34-point game last Saturday against South Gwinnett. He ‘I’m going to have 34 to going to have a big night. scored that total to honor late Level Creek Elementary honor Drew.’”

And I really wasn’t feeling student Drew Caymol, who died last week in a car wreck.

As eager as he was to it that night. I really think it Drew’s GBL jersey number was 34. (Special photo) score 34, Leifson didn’t feel was God helping me a ton.” too confident in warmups Leifson and his teamnessee, traveled to out-of(Thursday) night (that Drew and didn’t get off to a quick mates don’t plan to forget town tournaments. died),” the 6-foot-4 senior start in the first quarter. He the Caymols during this Those thoughts weighed said. “My mind honestly refused to force shots just difficult time, either. The heavily on Leifson’s mind wasn’t focused on the game to get his goal, so he played Bulldogs honor Drew on last Thursday as he went that night. It was just a real within the offense and took their shoes and their new through the motions in emotional week.” his limited shots when they shooting shirts are orange North’s matchup with The North community were open. with a paw — the Caymols state power Norcross. He rallied behind the Caymols His teammates were are big Clemson fans — finished with 16 points, not quickly, stockpiling aware- shooting ridiculously well with the words Caymol that he remembers them ness, funds and prayers.

— North made 21 of 26 Strong. well.

Leifson wanted to pay his 3-pointers in an eventual After losing one son, the “I didn’t figure out until own tribute to Drew, also a 91-60 win — and Leifson Caymol family still faces an two hours before tip-off Gwinnett Basketball League wasn’t missing, either. He uphill fight with the other

FUNDRAISER

Will Hammock Like so many in the North Gwinnett community, Colby Leifson was devastated last week when he heard the news.

Drew Caymol, an 11-year-old Level Creek Elementary student, died following a late-night wreck Wednesday, Dec. 2 when another car swerved into the car driven by his father, Teo. Teo and Drew’s 13-year-old brother Matty, both seriously injured, are still in the hospital.

Leifson, a starter on North’s boys basketball team, has a closer connection to the Caymol family than most. His two younger brothers are the same age as the Caymols’ two sons, and they are close friends.

Drew spent so much time at the Leifsons’ house that he called them his “second family,” his regular hosts while his parents and older sister Logan, a sophomore softball player at Buford who has committed to Ten-

two injured in the wreck.

Teo is slowly improving, but Matty is still in ICU with serious brain injuries.

The family will face incredibly daunting medical bills going forward, sparking a GoFundMe page that already had amassed nearly $70,000 as of Wednesday evening.

The community support isn’t limited to the financial aspect, though. Friends and family have surrounded the family with love and acts of encouragement, highlighted by a memorable game from a North basketball player last Saturday. His tribute won’t get the same publicity as Loyola Marymount’s Bo Kimble shooting lefthanded free throws in the 1990 NCAA Tournament to honor late teammate Hank Gathers, but it’s very comparable.

“It was kind of surreal,” Leifson said. “I had my whole family there. They’re so supportive and they knew I really wanted to do it.

Once I got close, I started thinking about it. When Coach Garner called that timeout, it was, ‘I’m done.

That’s it.’ It’s a night I’ll never forget.”

Will Hammock can be reached via email at will. hammock@gwinnettdailypost.com. His column appears on Thursdays.

Shiloh hoping for addition by subtraction Four swimmers at GWINNETT HOOPS POWER RANKINGS Clody Invitational are double-winners

By Guy Curtright

Staff Correspondent

The Shiloh boys were touted as one of the top threats to defending Class AAAAAA state champion Wheeler this basketball season in part because of the addition of two guards from out of state who were headed to NCAA Division I programs.

Now neither is with the Generals.

Khalil Richard, committed to Siena, left before the start of the season. George Washington 5-foot-3 recruit Darnell Rogers left this month.

Shiloh may not be affected that much, though.

Sometimes too much talent is as much of a problem as too little.

The Generals’ top addition proved to be Greg James, a junior who transferred from Alpharetta, and they picked up needed size inside when 6-8 junior T.J. Massenburg’s eligibility was cleared by the GHSA before the start of Region 8-AAAAAA play.

Of course, Shiloh’s focal point remains Josh Okogie, a versatile four-year starter who has signed with Georgia Tech.

The Generals, who host rival South Gwinnett on Friday, are 2-0 in the region and 5-2 overall. Both losses came to out-of-state powers, including Florida’s Montverde Academy – ranked No. 1 nationally by USA Today and a threetime defending national champ.

Montverde is unbeaten and owns victories over four of the top Class AAAAAA teams in Georgia – Wheeler, Westlake, Shiloh and Pebblebrook.

Shiloh lost to Pebblebrook in the state semifinals last season, but owns a victory over the Falcons this season.

The highest-rated Georgia team in national polls this year is unbeaten Class A Private power Greenforest Christian, which handed Norcross its only loss.

GAC boys pull upset The Greater Atlanta Christian boys may be the team to beat in Region 6-AA rather than Pace Academy after they defeated the Knights 55-49 on the road Tuesday.

The victory was especially sweet because Pace upset GAC in the Class AA state football semifinals last Friday.

throwback games at its old gym for nostalgia’s sake, but the switch by Wesleyan The Gwinnett Daily Post’s weekly power rankings of the comes from necessity. county’s high school basketball teams.

Yancey Gymnasium, the Boys Top 10 school’s basketball home Rank School Region Record for nearly 10 years, is being 1. Shiloh 8-AAAAAA 5-2 set up for semester exams.

2. Norcross 7-AAAAAA 5-1 The Wesleyan girls, who 3. Dacula 8-AAAAAA 5-0 have won 11 state champi4.

Collins Hill 7-AAAAAA 4-1 onships, needed non-region 5. Brookwood 8-AAAAAA 5-2 play this weekend to get 6. Berkmar 8-AAAAAA 4-3 ready for the Nike Tour7. Grayson 8-AAAAAA 6-1 nament of Champions in 8. GAC 6-AA 5-3 9. Duluth 7-AAAAAA 5-3 Arizona starting late next 10. Discovery 8-AAAAA 7-3 week.

Girls Top 10 The Woodward game Rank School Region Record begins at 6:30 p.m. and the 1. Wesleyan 6-AA 7-0 Mill Creek game at 2:30 2. Archer 8-AAAAAA 5-0 p.m. There will be a boys 3.

Collins Hill 7-AAAAAA 5-0 game following against 4. Norcross 7-AAAAAA 5-3 BEST Academy on Satur5. Parkview 8-AAAAAA 4-2 day.

6. Buford 8-AAAA 3-2 Overtime blues 7. Duluth 7-AAAAAA 6-2 8.

South Gwinnett 8-AAAAAA 5-2 The Norcross girls, Class 9. Brookwood 8-AAAAAA 5-2 AAAAAA state finalists 10. Grayson 8-AAAAAA 6-1 a year ago, have lost three times this season and all REGION STANDINGS have been in overtime.

7-AAAAAA The latest was at ColBOYS lins Hill on Tuesday, when

Region Overall the unbeaten Eagles won Duluth 3-0 5-3 57-54 in what figures Norcross 2-0 5-1 to be a matchup of the Collins Hill 1-1 4-1 two top teams in Region Mountain View 1-1 5-3 Peachtree Ridge 1-1 3-3 7-AAAAAA this season.

Mill Creek 1-2 4-4 The other overtime Meadowcreek 0-2 4-5 losses by Norcross are 61North Gwinnett 0-2 1-5 60 to Tucker and 70-67 at GIRLS Mays.

Region Overall There were five overtime Duluth 3-0 6-2 contests Tuesday involving Collins Hill 2-0 5-0 Gwinnett teams — three Norcross 1-1 5-3 boys games and two girls Peachtree Ridge 1-1 2-4 games.

Mountain View 1-1 2-7 Mill Creek 1-2 2-5 The unbeaten Dacula North Gwinnett 0-2 2-5 boys had a scare before Meadowcreek 0-2 3-5 winning 69-68 at South 8-AAAAAA Gwinnett. Mountain View BOYS edged North 78-75 and Mill

Region Overall Creek defeated MeadowShiloh 2-0 5-2 creek 47-45 in the other Dacula 1-0 5-0 overtime boys games.

Brookwood 3-1 5-2 The Buford girls, defendBerkmar 3-1 4-3 ing Class AAAA state Grayson 1-1 5-1 Central Gwinnett 1-2 3-3 champ, lost 51-48 at Class South Gwinnett 1-2 3-3 A Private power St. Francis.

Parkview 0-2 4-3 Schedule updates Archer 0-3 2-5 Duluth will host North GIRLS Gwinnett tonight rather

Region Overall than Friday so the boys Archer 3-0 5-0 team can travel to TennesParkview 2-0 4-2 see to play White Creek in South Gwinnett 2-1 5-2 a showcase event Saturday Brookwood 2-2 5-2 at Nashville.

Grayson 1-1 6-1 Shiloh 1-1 2-3 The Duluth girls are Berkmar 1-3 2-5 closer to home on Saturday, Dacula 0-1 3-2 facing Stephenson in the Central Gwinnett 0-3 2-5 Berkmar showcase. That event also features GAC versus Miller Grove and David Eaton took over at Holy Innocents’ and Pace Peachtree Ridge against the for Eddie Martin as GAC to start region play 2-0. host Patriots. coach this season and inherBack to the past Buford’s non-region douited a solid team led by The unbeaten Wesleyan bleheader with Greenbrier senior Garrett Covington. girls return to their roots of Augusta on Saturday has Pace, though, is expected to when they host Woodward been moved up 11:30 a.m. be a contender for the state Academy on Friday night because the Wolves are title behind 6-foot-10 junior and Mill Creek on Saturday playing in the Class AAAA Wendell Carter Jr. at cozy Marchman Gymna- state championship football GAC is just 5-3 overall, sium. game at 4:30 p.m. in the but already owns victories Berkmar holds annual Georgia Dome.

From Staff Reports

won twice, placing first in the 100 fly (56.80) Four swimmers were and the 100 breaststroke double-winners in the (1:08.45).

Region 8 competition of Brookwood also got the Clody Invitational event wins from Hans swimming and diving Kind in the boys 200 meet held last weekend. free (1:56.92), Helen Parkview had two of Harmel in the girls 100 those standout swimmers, free (57.98) and Lindsey Andrew Brock in the boys Garrison in the girls 500 division and Erin Tilfree (5:55.16). Parkview got another race win from lery in the girls division.

Devin Petmecky in the Brock won the 100-yard freestyle in 51.85 seconds boys 500 free (5:21.65).

Dacula also had two and the 100 backstroke in event-winners in Tyler 1:01.62. Tillery was first Stevens (boys 50 free, in the 200 free (2:08.42) 24.14) and Hannah Jaeger and the 100 back (girls 100 breast, 1:16.37).

(1:06.41).

Berkmar’s Christopher Shiloh’s Nyota Edjidjimo won two girls races, Nguyen (boys 200 IM, the 200 individual medley 2:10.12) and Grayson’s (2:22.52) and the 100 but- Anna Calaicone (girls 50 free, 26.87) also won terfly (1:03.83). Brookwood’s Aidan Stoffle also events.

Mets trade P Niese for 2B Neil Walker The Sports Xchange

year. The Baltimore Sun reported the Orioles aren’t The New York Mets willing to go beyond $22 acquired second basemillion a year to re-sign man Neil Walker from Davis.

The 29-year-old Davis, a the Pittsburgh Pirates on first baseman who also has Wednesday in exchange played third base as well as for left-hander Jonathon right field since coming to Niese.

Walker will fill the spot Baltimore in 2011, led the vacated after the season by majors with 47 home runs in 2015 and has 159 homfree-agent second baseers over the past four seaman Daniel Murphy. The 30-year-old Walker batted sons, more than any other player on the free agent .269 with 16 home runs market. The left-handed and 71 RBIs last season slugger was second in the for the Pirates, winning a American League with Silver Slugger award. He 117 RBIs this past season. is eligible for free agency Davis hit 53 homers for the after the 2016 season.

Orioles in 2013.

Niese posted a 9-10 Cubs in pursuit of record with a 4.13 ERA in Jason Heyward 29 starts last season for the The market for Jason Mets. With young standHeyward could be defined outs Jacob deGrom, Matt Harvey, Noah Syndergaard before baseball executives scatter from Nashville and Steven Matz in the today, and it currently rotation, the 29-year-old includes the active ChiNiese was considered excago Cubs, San Francisco pendable by New York.

Giants bidding against his Orioles offer most recent employer, the Davis $150 million St. Louis Cardinals.

The Baltimore Orioles CBS Sports reported the have offered free agent Cubs have been in close slugger Chris Davis a seven-year deal in the $150 contact with Heyward’s million range, according to representatives consistently even after signing second reports.

ESPN reported the offer baseman Ben Zobrist to a $56 million contract and was for about $150 million, which would average adding veteran starter John more than $21 million per Lackey.

B5 • THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015

gwinnettdailypost.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 • 5B

gwinnettdailypost.com

Buford

•From Page 1B

champs.

A near full hand of rings isn’t an unprecedented feat, especially at Buford.

The Wolves’ Class of 2011 left after winning state titles every year from the 2007 campaign until its final season in 2010.

But in the annals of Georgia history, a four-peat is extremely rare.

Other than Buford’s 200710 run, the now defunct West Rome High School is the only other GHSA program to pull it off by winning Class AA state titles each season from 1982-85.

To be part of a second Wolves senior class to accomplish the feat is one that the current seniors find hard to contemplate.

“It’s an amazing feeling to think we can leave our mark here as the Class of 2016 and go for four (state titles) in a row,” said running back Martin Mangrum, who currently leads the team with 770 yards and 25 touchdowns on 106 carries on the season. “It’s a little hard (not to think about). Even at school, you find your mind drifting off,

Buford senior Cooper Simpson (56) addresses the team Friday during the state semfinals in Buford. (Photo: David McGregor)

getting ready to play. It’s like, we can win four and it would be huge for our school.”

While those thoughts are in the back of the minds of the Buford players, head coach Jess Simpson and his staff have worked hard to make sure they stay there and only there, particularly with a formidable opponent like Cartersville to focus on.

He says that hasn’t

been that difficult a task.

It’s a similar situation to the overall winning streak that Buford carried, which reached 42 games before being broken by McEachern back on Sept. 4.

“You know what?

Around here there’s so little talk about streaks and how many you’ve done of this and how many you’ve done of that, that everybody’s just so locked into what we have

to do to be ready for the weekend,” Simpson said. “I do remember back in 2010 people talking about the West Rome streak. Certainly, we’re blessed to have been in good company with that. But talking about that, focusing on those things, it’s not going to help us this weekend.”

True, and neither is dwelling on such a chance to the point to where the

Buford’s Martin Mangram (23) and Brandon Marsh celebrate a touchdown against Stephens County at Tom Riden Stadium in Buford. (Photo: Jared Putnam)

players, particularly the seniors, feel pressure about keeping the streak alive.

Still, after winning their first three years, at least one senior says that the chance as leaving as only the third four-time state champion in state history leaves plenty of incentive for him and his teammates.

“It’s what we’ve prepared for as freshmen,” senior run-

ning back/defensive back Xavier Gantt said. “When you first get here, you’ve got the senior class, they’ll win a ring. The next thing you know, you’re a sophomore and a junior. When you’re finally a senior, … you don’t want your team to be one that drops the ball.

That’s just one of our goals we have together as seniors, just to not drop the ball.”

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 FULL TIME HEALTHCARE

FULL TIME

NOW HIRING

If you are interested in working for an energetic team and a fast paced environment Rockdale Healthcare Center Is seeking applicants for

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To coordinate recreational based treatment for our Residents Please email resume: agrace@rockdalehc. com or apply within @ 1510 Renaissance Drive NE Conyers, GA 30012

GENERAL Join a small team in Duluth with steady income. Must have some carpentry experience. We have been installing skylights for over 20 years. We are expanding & need people with clean driving records & able to interact with homeowners.

Send resume to: Sales@the sunshineboys.net

MEDICAL

PART-TIME

HOUSES FOR SALE

HOUSES FOR SALE

HOUSES FOR SALE

MEDICAL

COVINGTON, GA 30014

COVINGTON, GA 30016

EATONTON, GA 31024

NEW LISTING! PEMCO HUD HOME #105-423154 60 SUNFLOWER LN. Nice Brick Front 2 Story w/ 2 Story Entry Foyer. 1st Level Features Formal Living & Dining Room, 1/2 Bath, Family Room w/ Corner Fireplace, Kitchen w/ Breakfast Area 5BR/3.5BA $150,000 Insured W/ Escrow EHO

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ASSISTANT

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NOW ACCEPTING

APPLICATIONS FOR • Full time Admin Assistant needed.

Must have experience in payroll and accounts payable.

Good customer service and computer skills, filing, organizing and answering phones.

8:30-5:00 p.m.

Mon - Fri., some weekends.

• LPN and RN’s needed days and evening for charge nurse positions • C.N.A.’s needed days and evenings APPLY IN PERSON: 4595 Cantrell Rd. Flowery Branch Email Resumes to:

We are a busy pediatric office located in Duluth, GA and are currently seeking a P/T MEDICAL ASSISTANT. 3 days a week REQUIREMENTS: MA certification is required. Candidate must be experienced with administration of vaccines and general patient care, must work well with children, and be able to multi-task.

Experience with Greenway Prime Suite a plus.

Please email, Resume, Salary Requirements and a minimum of 3 references to

PENDING APPROVAL PEMCO HUD HOME CASE # 105-294214 210 BRAMBLE BUSH TRL WELL MAINTAINED 2 STORY 3BR/2.5BA ON .59 ACRE LOT. Spacious Yard For Entertaining Guest INSURED W/ESCROW $90,000 • EHO Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

HR@medlockpediatrics.com

sjones@sterling-health. com

OR CALL: 770-967-2070 HEAVY DUTY TRUCK MECHANIC/ SHOP FOREMAN 3 years exp. diesel engine & hydraulic system repair. Must have own tools.

CDL Class B pref.

Email: stub@ redoaksanitation.com or fax to 770-536-3288

298837 1 298837-1

FULL TIME

PUNCH OUT SPECIALIST

WANTED FULL TIME PUNCH OUT SPECIALIST FOR PRODUCTION HOME BUILDER. MUST BE SELF SUFFICIENT AND WORK INDEPENDENTLY. MUST ALSO HAVE OWN TOOLS AND TRANSPORTATION. PLEASE CALL 770-616-7513

RESTAURANT Now hiring smiling faces at Subway.

APPLY WITHIN AT: 960 Scales Rd., Ste. 110, Suwanee, 30097 770-271-2338 1160 Old Peachtree Rd., Ste. A, Duluth, 30042 770-623-8013

SOUTH CAROLINA, LAKE KEOWEE Waterfront Cottages Gated, Luxury Amenities! Lodge, Pool, Fitness Center, Boat Slips & more.

Other New & Resale Cottages From $130’s to $299’s!

1-888-663-1133 www.backwaterlanding. com Office Hours: Fri 8:30-4:00 Sat & Sun By Appointment Only

Please Recycle This Newspaper

COVINGTON, GA 30014

COMMERCIAL PROPERTY FOR SALE

HOUSES FOR SALE

CEMETERY LOTS FOR SALE CONYERS - Two adjacent mausoleum crypts at Green Meadows Memorial Gardens located at 677 Legion Road in Conyers, GA. These are located in the Interior Chapel A, Level B, Grave Sites B3, B4.

This price is below current price. $9000.

770-317-4776 REAL ESTATE FOR RENT

HOUSES FOR RENT

LILBURN - Nice 4BR, LR, DR, sunken den w/ fplc., garage, computer room, fenced. Pool/Tennis n’hood. Reference. $1175. Available 11/25.

770-925-2127 APTS/DUP/CONDOS/ T’HOMES FOR RENT

COVINGTON, GA 30016

CONYERS, GA 30094

Beautiful Land Lot 3604 SAND HILL DR. Imagine Your Dream Home Here & You Sitting In Your Sunroom Overlooking The 8Th Fairway Of Honey Creek Golf Course While Sipping Morning Coffee. .51 ACRE LOT $22,000 Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

LAKE/RIVER/COASTAL PROPERTY FOR SALE

LAKE WALTON ESTATES! 6219 WATERS EDGE DRIVE All Brick, Executive Home In One Of Walton County’s Exclusive, Gated Communities Sits Across From Neighborhood Amenities On 2.18 Acres FULL FINISHED BASEMENT 4BR/4.5BA $579,900 • EHO Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

LOGANVILLE, GA 30052

GWINNETT DUPLEXES

CONYERS, GA 30094 NEW LISTING PEMCO HUD HOME#105-423154 90 FAIRVIEW CHASE Fantastic Find In This Well - Appointed Split Foyer W/Hardwood Floors Family Room, & Formal Dining.

4BR/3BA $125,000 Insured w/Escrow EHO Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

NEW LISTING! 106 HOLLY COURT ALL BRICK 3BR/2BA ON PARTIAL UNFINISHED BASEMENT $174,900 2 ADJACENT LOTS AVAILABLE @ $35,000 • EHO Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

BACK ON MARKET! COMMERCIAL LISTING! REDUCED! 2302 S.E. EBENEZER RD Great Commercial Property In High Traffic Area Of Rockdale County At The Corner Of Ga Hwy 138 & Ebenezer Rd With Double Road Frontage $1,100,000 • EHO Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealtyprofessionals.com

REPORTER CLAYTON NEWS HAS AN OPENING FOR A GOVERNMENT REPORTER EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY. The reporter will be responsible for covering Clayton County Board of Commission and the county’s municipalities. Other duties include features in Clayton and Henry counties and photography. The position requires night hours and occasionally weekend events.

The Clayton News is an award-winning community newspaper that produces quality print reporting every Wednesday and Saturday, and digital reporting every day through our website and social media. Check out our website at www.news-daily.com. Come join our staff in putting out the best local news south of Atlanta.

Applicants must have a four-year college degree, preferably in journalism or mass communications. Experience is preferred, even at the college level, but this is a perfect position for a graduate eager to set the journalism world on fire. A knowledge of local government and basic politics will put a candidate over the rest.

Candidates who live locally in the Southern Crescent are also preferred. Salary will be commensurate with experience.

Send cover letters and resumes to Editor Kathy Jefcoats at kjefcoats@news-daily.com.

Web Press Operator

2 Communities!

One on Singleton Rd. & One on Law’villeSuwanee Rd.! 2BR & 3BR, 2BA, Fireplace, vaulted ceilings, off street parking.

Starting @ $900/mo.

B.C. PROPERTIES 770-446-1550 770-995-8828 ROOMMATE WANTED /ROOM FOR RENT GWINNETT LAWRENCEVILLE Share 5/BR, 3BA home. Priv. bath, furn., cable, int., alarm. Util. incl. No Smoking/drug/pets.

404-667-3880 Lin88@bellsouth.net.

GWINNETT, LAWRENCEVILLE: HOUSEMATE $475 mo. Private entry X-Lrg Room & Closet, micro kit, lounge/dining area. 678-689-8821 text COMMERCIAL RENTALS

Gw Gwi wiin nne net ett tt Daaiily ly Po ost st h haas a fullfu ulllltiime me 2n nd S Sh hiift ft po osi sit iti tio ion n fo for or a qu q ual alliifie fieed iin ndi nd div ivi vid idu du uaal.

Mu usst h have avve ve at least east aast st 5 yyears eear arrs web pre pr reesss ex exp xp per eri rie ience. ence. nce ce. Po osi sit iti tio ion on wiilll be rreesp e pon nsiiibl nsi ble le fo le forr maaiint m nte ten en nan anc nce ce an and nd pr pre reesss op per era rat ati tio io on in a faast st paced aced ceed en envi envir env viirro onm on nme men ent ntt.

LAWRENCEVILLE RECORDING STUDIO SPACE AVAILABLE Office/Warehouses 1200 up to 18000 sf Mike 404-375-5438.

WANTED FOR RENT

WANTED TO RENT

Single Male, 68, clean, quiet, seeking a large room, rooms, or efficiency apartment with full bathroom that only I will be using and cleaning. Unrestricted kitchen privileges and laundry machine privileges are required. No drugs, drama, drunks. Call 470-248-5275 and listen carefully to my message. Gwinnett/South Hall or Jackson area.

1210_GDP_THUR_CLASS_Classifieds 12/9/2015 4:49 PM Page B6

gwinnettdailypost.com

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2015 • B6 VEHICLES

HOME REPAIR/ REMODELING

SERVICES

FLOORING

CLEANING

HARDWOOD FLOORS

LANDSCAPING/ LAWN CARE

The Doctor Is In

FOREST REMODELING, INC.

• Oak • Maple • Cherry • Walnut New Homes Repairs Refinishing Renovations

SERVICE We pick up any of the following items: All scrap metal such as all appliances, air conditioners, lawn mowers, metal windows & doors, garage doors, motorcycles, house & barn tin, gutters & awnings, metal signs, junk cars, old batteries, etc.

•Finished Basements •Bathroom Remodeling •Kitchen Remodeling •Custom Cabinets •Room Additions •Garages/Carports •Screened Porches •Custom Decks •Siding All Types

SPECIALTY WORK

• Borders • Stairways • Medallions Free Estimates Insured/Certified Michael Nanni

*No TVs or computer monitors.

770-867-9670

sdlovern@yahoo.com

770-962-2071

Call 770-601-8495 404-545-3299

HANDYMAN SOLUTIONS

BY HERNANDO

Leave message if no answer.

We offer 24 hour Emergency Service •Licensed & Insured •All Tree Service Needs •Landscaping •Fencing •Land Clearing

Oak Delivered & Dumped

References Available

770-905-2072

770-714-8250 770-271-7127

Call 706-525-1881 or 904-874-1809

LICENSED

Made in USA

If your old stuff is collecting dust, it could be collecting cash!

POWER WASHING

PERSONAL SERVICES

PRESSURE WASHING

CHILDCARE PROVIDED

HOUSES STARTING AT $89 • Roof Cleaning • Black streaks removed from roof • Mold & Mildew removed from homes • Drives-WalkwaysPatios-Decks cleaned/sealed • Gutters cleaned For a FREE Estimate

CALL OR TEXT

404.886.3587 Established 1989

Go Into The Holidays & New Year Knowing That Your Childcare Worries Are Solved Seasoned Christian Childcare Provider is seeking the right situation to provide excellent care for your child or children in my home or possibly yours. Offering a loving, safe, clean and structured environment.

Willing to teach reading, math, etc. Most of all character training from a Biblical prospective.

If interested contact Mary Beth, Hoschton, Ga., 770-940-1605

DO YOUR SHARE

If your old stuff is collecting dust, it could be collecting cash!

classifieds 770-962-SELL

770-962-SELL

404-670-3087

293993-1

FIREWOOD

PETS/LIVESTOCK

GARAGE SALES

DOGS

SNELLVILLE, GA GARAGE SALE FRI & SAT, 10-5.

66 YEARS OF ACCUMULATION 1891 DRIFTWOOD

CHIHUAHUA Beautiful Chihuahua Puppies for sale. Born 09/12/2015. 2 boys and 3 girls. Also I have a brother and sister Chihuahua puppies.

Born 05/27/2015.

404-285-2602 please leave a message.

FIREWOOD Select, Seasoned Hickory & Oak, $180/Cord or $120/Half Cord.

Delivered. MORE FOR YOUR MONEY! Gary, 404-772-1268

APPLIANCES DRYER/WASHER $125 ea.; Super Capacity $175 ea.

Front Loader Set $450 & up; Regular Refrig. & Ranges $175 & up; SXS Refrig. $300 & up.

Dishwasher $100 & up. Different colors.

Del/1 yr warr.

Tim 404-205-2222

VEHICLES

CADILLAC DEVILLE, 2004. Purchased new.

Black with black leather interior, high mileage but well maintained.

New transmission 4 years ago. No dents or scratches. Seals recently replaced but without a warranty. New starter installed in Nov. $3300 404-906-8938

BMW Z3 ROADSTER, 2000. 99K MILES • $6450. M SPORTS OPTIONS. Best you’ll find. Fabulous & priced way under the market.

Auto trans, silver w/ black convert top and leather. Super CarFax & beautiful. Comparable cars are selling for over $9000. Owned

by California collector and babied. Drive daily, very collectable and should appreciate in price while you’re having fun. 770-882-4605.

If your old stuff is collecting dust, it could be collecting cash!

classifieds

FORD EXPEDITION, 1998. Red, 257k mi., does not run, needs repair. Call for details. Call Stacy 678-768-8420 FORD TAURUS SE, 1999. Elderly owner, leather bucket seats, auto. roof. Perfect, extra clean! $1995 Firm.

770-616-7399

770-962-SELL

MISC. FOR SALE

ALL OAK FIREWOOD FOR SALE $120 “Heaping Truckload”, Stacked, Gwinnett Area.

404-805-1783

MAZDA 3, 2006 5 door. Automatic. Well maintained, premium tires, alarm. Great stereo w/CD player, front airbags, exc. mileage. $6995. 404-667-6768

ADOPT A PET

Extension Ladder, 16 ft., $100; Inversion Table, $100; NordicTrac, $50; Oak Entertainment Unit, $50. Call 770-513-2560

KITTENS Free to a good home 4 months old. Lovable litter box trained. 770-910-9659.

--

Your Dealership Should Be Easy To Find!

Duluth Hwy 12

0

400

Boggs Rd Follow the signs to Boggs Road.

Boggs Rd

Hwy 316

CUMMING

4

wy PEA CH IND TREE BLV D

GWINNETT PLACE MALL

WINDER

AV

• Computers

VEHICLES MERCURY SABLE, 2005. Great tires, good body, cold air, runs good. Needs transmission. Sold for parts. $800 OBO. 770-866-5509

MERCEDES 450SL, 1980.

GMC SUBURBAN, 1997, 4-WHD, leather, 3rd seat, clean, almost new tires, 270,386 road mileage, very clean, great orig paint, tow pkg, very comfortable ride, 3rd seat incl, 17 mpg hwy. 2 owners.

Low mileage on 4 Michelins. $3500 CASH. 770-736-2643

• Appliances • Stereo Systems • Baby Furniture • Yard Sets • Antiques & Collectibles

KIM BASINGER’S CONVERTIBLE. (DOCUMENTED OWNERSHIP). Movie star owned with only 89K miles. Two tops and exceptional. NADA and Hagerty Old Car Value Guide value is $17,500-$34,000 plus $5000-8000 CELEBRITY BONUS. Super buy as fun and great investment car that is rising fast in price, only $9,900.

Call 770-873-2627

• Home Furnishings

• Memorabilia NISSAN 300ZX, 1984.

ONLY $3950.

One owner, driven 4,700 miles per year.

WOW CAR. Lady owner had leg operation and cannot drive 5 speed anymore. Super example, 2+2. Very desirable collectible 80’s car. Gorgeous red body and T Tops. Drive it daily or for fun while it goes up in price. Avg. price on AutoTrader is over $10,000. Exceptional and original.

Call 770-899-5856

• Pets • Travel Bargains • Real Estate

NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5S, 2005. 124K MILES. Excellent drive anywhere car. Beautiful white with gray interior, great Car Fax. Exceptional and only $4950.

Call 770-895-7161 MERCEDES-BENZ 450SL, 1977. Driven 2,500 miles/year. Wow, Fabulous. $7000 just spent on preventive maintenance, new red custom paint and Michelin tires. Tan leather.

Two tops. Owned & cherished by university pres. Extensive records. Looks super, drives great. NADA & Hagerty value $17,00036,000. Appreciating, spectacular, super bargain at only $10,700.

Call 770-895-7161

NISSAN ALTIMA 2.5SL, 2003. 134 K MILES. $4200. Black and beautiful with like new tan leather and great CarFax. High quality car loaded with options. Priced way under the market.

770-882-4605 OLDSMOBILE 88, 1999. Anniversary edition, 68,592 mi., good condition. $2800 Firm, cash only.

Call 770-633-9067

For results you can measure, place an ad of your own by calling

Gwinnett Daily Post 770-962-7355

LILBURN HEWATT RD

SNELLVILLE

LOGANVILLE

L

20

20

CONYERS

HAYES LAWRENCEVILLE CHRYSLER DODGE JEEP

4

719 Pike St, Lawrenceville 770-963-5251 www.hayeschrysler.com

JIM ELLIS BUICK GMC

2 MALL OF GA

3600 Buford Drive, Buford, GA 770-945-8700 www.jimellisbuickgmcmog.com

Through a partnership with Georgia MLS, HOMESOURCE users can access nearly 100,000 statewide property listings in Georgia. Additional features include:

• Homeowner/Buyer Helpful Resources • Local Schools Information • HomeSource Print Edition • Open House Directory • Video Home Tours • Builder Directory

RICK HENDRICK CHEVROLET OF BUFORD 4490 South Lee St., Buford, GA 30518 888-804-2957 www.hendrickbuford.com

5

RICK HENDRICK CHEVROLET OF DULUTH 3277 Satellite Blvd., Duluth, GA 30096 888-475-8808 www.hendrickatlanta.com

gahomesource.net

NASH CHEVROLET 630 Scenic Hwy., Lawrenceville 770-963-9266 www.nashchevy.com 280565-1

3

• Bicycles

LAWRENCEVILLE

This map is not to scale and is for illustration purposes only.

1

• Motorcycles

RIA

MO

ME

• Boats

3

BE

N'LAKE MALL

DECATUR

2

• Cars

E IN R R D

RU

TUCKER

1

MALL OF GA

Column Inches of Great Buys Each Week In THE CLASSIFIEDS!

r.

PERIMETER MALL

BUFORD

FORD FOCUS SE, 2012 Sterling Gray, Stk#FC334060A $10,987 866-697-9241 Gwinnett Place

8,000

D Buford

DULUTH 5

400

MALL OF GA r.

Buford D

NORTHPOINT MALL

for

BUFORD

ROSWELL

75

53

dH

9

ATLANTA

COMMERCE

.

ALPHARETTA

60

FORD FOCUS SE, 2005. 169k mi. VERY WELL KEPT. Exc. mechanical condition.

Clean inside/out, zero accidents. Everything works. $2950.

678-200-0812

LINCOLN TOWN CAR, 2004 This one-owner, Lincoln Town Car Signature Series has been pampered and garaged most of its life. Less than 55,000 original miles on the car!

Almost new Michelin tires. It’s packed with loads of features including: wood-grain dash, leather, alloy wheels, dual power front seats, dual automatic climate control, steering wheel audio and ac control, remote key-less entry, automatic headlights, automatic load-leveling, ABS brakes, adjustable foot pedals and more.

Drives and rides like a dream. $8750 404-6631299 after 6pm.

GAINESVILLE Hwy

Bu

llite Sate

WN'S BRO E G BRID

Exit 105 or 1 I-85N, I-85S, Exit 107.

d Bl v

VEHICLES

VEHICLES

PAPILLON PUP - Female. CKC reg. Parents on site. Hand raised in home. 1st shots & dewormed. Does not have Papillon white blaze markings, but very cute. $350, cash only please.

706-677-5229 or 770-262-9957

FIREWOOD

VEHICLES

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• Office Furniture

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770-932-1751 Cell 770-313-5751

Call for a Free Estimate

Tree Removal Prunning Stump Grinding Wood Chipper

Free Estimate!

• Any Lawn Work!

If it’s in your yard, we do it!

Landscape Design using any material Trimming & debris Clean Up • Pressure Washing

1/2 Cord - $100 1 Cord - $190

hcorrales17@gmail.com

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SERENITY LAWN CARE

Summer Seasoned

678-482-1702

All Phases of Tree Work

***CALL TODAY!*** For a Free Estimate www.mandgtreeservice.com

Bucket Truck

All Home Remodeling Projects & General Repairs Including: HVAC troubleshooting & more!

Over 25 years of exp. in all home repairs & improvements. *Licensed & Insured*

All Major Credit Cards Accepted

Experienced Tree Work 20+ Years

Expert Take Downs √ 20Years Experience √ Insured √ Free Estimates √ Stump Grinding

Call John

LANDSCAPING/ LAWN CARE

MIKE’S TREE SERVICE

COUNTRY BOY TREE REMOVAL

BY M.D. NANNI

FREE REMOVAL

LANDSCAPING/ LAWN CARE

PONTIAC GRAND PRIX, 2006 Good Condition Loaded With Leather Cold A/C• Remote Start Asking $3400 darenwh@hotmail.com 678-896-6178