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Serving DeKalb & Metro Atlanta Volume 16 Number 23
www.ocgnews.com MARCH 1, 2011
Gwinnett offers amnesty for old tickets Gwinnett County Recorders Court is offering drivers who have outstanding traffic citations issued in Gwinnett as far back as 1983 the chance to pay their fines without additional penalties. The amnesty program runs March 1-31. Individuals interested in participating in the program can pay their fines at the Recorder’s Court from 8 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. If possible, bring a copy of the citation or citation numbers. “We will work with these individuals to clear their cases, but all legal requirements must be followed,” said Clerk of Court Jeff West. “Individuals must appear in person and be prepared to present identification and sufficient personal information to locate their case.” The $25 bench warrant fee will be waived and the bench warrant recalled for those who pay their fines during the amnesty period. Motorists will also receive the appropriate forms to reinstate their expired driver’s license, if it was suspended for their failure to appear in court. No arrests will be made so long as those who have old tickets pay the fines during the amnesty period. “We will work with these individuals to clear their cases, but all legal requirements must be followed,” said Clerk of Court Jeff West. “Individuals must appear in person and be prepared to present identification and sufficient personal information to locate their case.” A bench warrant will remain active and an arrest will be made to those who do not take advantage of the amnesty program. Gwinnett County Recorder’s Court is located at 115 Stone Mountain Street in Lawrenceville. For more information on the program, visit www.gwinnettcourts.com or contact Jeff West at 770-6196115. INSIDE
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Opponents speak out on overhaul to HOPE
State Representative Elena Parent, D-81, discusses the proposed HB326 with Georgia Perimeter College Political Science major Antonio Molina.
By Joshua Smith
church alone. “We’ve been very diligent about security here. I brought my Mace to work. I’m not going to take any chances,” she said. “We have all kinds of people coming to the church looking for help. You never know who is going to try something.” State Rep. Michele Henson, D 87, said the March 10 PRISM (Pride Rings in Stone Mountain) community meeting will focus on public safety. Henson, who chairs PRISM and holds the monthly meeting at St. Timothy, said she had planned to have lawmakers give a legislative update at the meeting, but decided to change the focus after learning about the rape. “This is too important. This is about our lives. It’s about our safety,” Henson said. “People are saying they would rather pay more taxes, if it’s going to mean safer communities,” Henson said.
Georgia’s HOPE scholarships would go to the state’s brightest students and the amounts would be reduced for recipients under a proposal state lawmakers are considering. The plan is one that has some students, parents and Democratic leaders up in arms, saying the scholarship would unfairly favor upperincome families—not help those who are disadvantaged and need help the most. With state reserves dwindling, Republican legislators are pushing HB326 to try and shore up what’s left of the Georgia Lotteryfunded HOPE program. Under the bill, high school students applying for HOPE to go to college would need a 3.7 GPA to get a full scholarship and a score of 1200 on the SAT. The highest score that can be earned on the SAT is 2400. Those who have a 3.0 GPA would be able to get a partial scholarship (90 percent). HOPE would no longer cover textbooks and mandatory college fees. The changes would impact some 200,000 students who receive HOPE annually. At a recent town hall meeting held by Democratic state lawmakers seeking public input on the bill, students, teachers and parents showed up at Georgia Perimeter’s campus in Clarkston to speak out against the proposal. “Excuse my French, but this is crap,” said Olaseni Ajao Jr., a 23-year-old Psychology student enrolled at Georgia Perimeter College. “I don’t see the reasoning in making it harder to get an education. I don’t see any good points about this bill, which is taking from a group that often
See PRISM, page 7
See Opponents, page 7
No place sacred Rape at Stone Mountain church stuns community By Valerie J. Morgan STONE MOUNTAIN— The brutal rape of a church employee who was working alone at a Stone Mountain church has left the congregation’s parishioners and the community in shock as lawmakers and leaders search for answers. The attack comes on the heels of cutbacks in public safety in DeKalb County, one of many measures taken in February to meet the county’s budget shortfall. The rape occurred at St. Timothy United Methodist Church, located at 5365 Memorial Drive. It’s known as the “Pumpkin Church” so named for the bright orange pumpkins that are sold on the church lawn as a fundraiser every Halloween. The victim was working in the office around 3:30 p.m. A man knocked and when she opened the door, he forced his way in, DeKalb Police spokesperson Mekka Parrish said. Parrish said the man beat the victim, raped her and robbed her of an undetermined amount of money. Parrish said the money belonged to the victim. “She was talking on the telephone and a friend overheard the commotion after the suspect forced his
Above: A message of love is displayed at St. Timothy in the wake of the brutal attack there. Below: Television crews parked outside the church.
way in,” Parrish said. “The friend rushed to the church and found her.” Parrish said the victim, who is in her 50s, had to be taken by ambulance to the hospital. The woman was still recovering in the hospital on Feb. 28, two days after the attack. Detectives interviewed her and she described the attacker as a black male, 6’2, 180 pounds and between 40 and 50 years old. “We want to know if anyone saw someone who was acting suspiciously that fits the description of the attacker,” Parrish said. “My heart really goes out to her. She is such a sweet person. She would do anything to help anyone,” said a church official at Ousley United Methodist Church in Lithonia. Ousley began tightening its security with plans to add more monitoring devices, the official said. She said that staff and board members were immediately reminded to take precaution in opening and closing doors while at the