Gwinnett Daily Post THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2015
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75 cents ©2015 SCNI
Vol. 46, No. 34
Body found in car
VETERANS DAY 2015
Missing man had wrecked driving I-985 By Joshua Sharpe
joshua.sharpe @gwinnettdailypost.com
Lieutenant Colonel Anthony Ducksworth of the United States Army salutes as he walks past American flags during the veterans march portion of the Gwinnett County Veterans Day ceremony at the Fallen Heroes Memorial outside the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville on Wednesday. (Staff Photo: David Welker)
To protect and serve Gwinnett honors veterans; residents asked to give back By Curt Yeomans
curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
Veterans spent parts of their military career under fire, putting their lives on the line in combat zones while they served their country. Georgia Gwinnett College President Stanley Preczewski challenged Gwinnett County residents on Wednesday to thank those veterans by finding ways to be of service to them. As he spoke at the Gwinnett County Veterans Day ceremony at the Fallen Heroes Memorial in Lawrenceville, he said veterans and their families made sacrifices to serve the United States. “Service members have or are right now protecting you 24-7, not just on Veterans Day, so let’s choose actions — positive steps — for them each day in return for their sacrifices,” said Preczewski, who is also a retired Army veteran. “Our freedom and society depends upon it. Individually and collectively, we can make a difference.” The Veterans Day ceremony was full of expressions of gratitude toward veterans. Dozens of veterans marched in the memorial together, solemnly singing the refrain from “God Bless America” over and over again as they came
MORE ONLINE Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for more photos of the ceremony.
before the elected officials and residents standing in the audience. County commissioners offered remarks on the special place veterans held in the community. Commissioner Lynette Howard, in particular, said they provide a guiding hand to the nation. “All of you learned how to be leaders and you came home and taught us how to be leaders,” she told veterans. An honor guard made up of several public safety departments in the county presented the colors. A wreath was laid beside one of the marble columns that lists the name of war dead from the county. A three-volley gun salute and the playing of “Taps” followed. Some officials echoed Preczewski’s sentiments that civilians should give some sort of tangible sign of appreciation to veterans. “Some struggled to fit back into civilian life,” county commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said. “They come back with physical, emotional and mental issues in See VETERANS, Page 6A
Army veteran Charles G. Mitchell Jr. listens to a presentation on Wednesday during a veterans appreciation breakfast Lawrenceville Mayor Judy Jordan Johnson hosted at First Baptist Church of Lawrenceville. (Staff Photo: Curt Yeomans)
Lawrenceville mayor recognizes veterans with annual breakfast By Curt Yeomans
Generation” that fought in World War II and the Korean War, on her own dime. They About 60 military veterans enjoyed scrambled eggs, woke up on early on Veterans bacon, biscuits and grits with Day and came to First Baptist their spouses. Church of Lawrenceville The meal was followed by to receive a small token a short ceremony that inof appreciation from Lawcluded a musical performance renceville Mayor Judy Jordan by Lawrenceville Elementary Johnson. School students. For the fifth year, the “It’s just something that I mayor celebrated Veterans think is important,” Johnson Day by providing breakfast to said. “My husband, father the veterans, many of whom are part of “The Greatest See BREAKFAST, Page 6A curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
SUWANEE — A man reported missing over the weekend was found dead Wednesday in an SUV off Interstate 985. A wrecker truck driver spotted 30-year-old Lorenzo Alcaras-Cortez’s 1999 Ford Expedition at the bottom of an embankment, said Cpl. Michele Pihera, spokeswoman for Gwinnett County police. “The incident didn’t just happen,” Pihera said in an email. “Investigators will try to determine how long (it’s) been down there.” Alcaras-Cortez, who was still in his seat belt, is believed to have left the road and crashed into the trees near mile marker one on the northbound side of the freeway. The stretch of interstate, where the land dives sharply at many points off the road, is near the city of Suwanee and not far from the Mall of Georgia. The man was the subject of a missing person report his wife filed this past weekend after she couldn’t reach him, Pihera said, though the spokeswoman couldn’t immediately provide a copy of the report Wednesday. A truck driver, with Willard Wrecker Service, noticed the SUV while driving on the interstate. The driver, who wasn’t identified, exited and came back to further investigate, spotting the man in the Expedition. The 911 call came in shortly after 12:30 p.m. The wrecker service hauled the car away and police inspected it. “At this point in the investigation, the lead investigator believes this is a single-vehicle collision,” Pihera said. Traffic was jammed for a time while emergency personnel worked the scene. Police initially reported that two people had been found in the vehicle, but later corrected the statement.
Special guests teach elementary students about government
By Keith Farner
“His check goes straight over to the bank account and I write checks out of there,” she said. “He can SNELLVILLE — Dismanage the state’s big cussing your personal account with big money finances in front of thirdin it.” graders is just part of the Only moments later, job for Sandra Deal. Even another Brookwood though she doesn’t get student pivoted back to paid. her job status and getting “Does your husband paid, how that reconciles give you half the money?” with the women’s sufa Brookwood Elemenfrage movement and if tary School student asked she votes. Deal paused, Georgia’s First Lady in the then admitted that in some media center on Wednesways, the way the govday morning. ernor and spouse handle
keith.farner @gwinnettdailypost.com
day-to-day affairs is “archaic.” “It’s expected his spouse will support him,” she said. “We work. We just don’t get paid. We consider it a service to the state. … Even though you make a lot of money, when you die, you can’t take it with you, so it’s better in your heart if you give to people when you’re able.” Deal led off a series of discussions about the branches of government before Georgia Supreme
Court Justice Harold Melton and state Sen. P.K. Martin stepped in front of the students to discuss the branch they’re involved in. “The opportunities you have are so great compared to a long time ago,” Deal said. The event was arranged by a Brookwood Elementary parent, Rebecca Sullivan, to help third-graders conceptualize how government works. Georgia First Lady Sandra Deal visits with Brookwood “I wanted to set up Elementary third-graders on Wednesday during a dis-
cussion about the branches of government. (Staff Photo:
See GUESTS, Page 6A Keith Farner)
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