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Serving DeKalb & Metro Atlanta Volume 16 Number 24
Countdown to Stardom
www.ocgnews.com MARCH 15, 2011
Kids pack McDonald’s talent search for most inspirational singer By Joshua Smith
Kevin Lipsey, who followed right behind a contestant who couldn’t finish her selection and began to cry, performed a gospel selection entitled “Vessel.”
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CONYERS—For 15-year-old Kevin Lipsey, Jr., getting stage fright is not an option. He says he channels that nervous energy into drive to perform better. “It’s not easy to get up here and do this while everybody is looking at you waiting on your every word. I hope you can enjoy this, and sing along, if you like. Help me out a little bit,” Lipsey said to the packed crowd who turned out for The Gift™ Youth Inspirational Singing Competition 2011 sponsored by McDonald’s. The March 12 competition held in
Conyers was the second round of auditions the Greater Atlanta McDonald’s Operators Association has sponsored this year to find and showcase solo musical artists and groups between the ages of 9-15. A competition was held in College Park earlier this month and a third competition will be held March 19 at the McDonald’s restaurant, 5710 Fulton Industrial Boulevard, Atlanta, 30331. The big event is April 3 in Atlanta. That’s when 15 finalists (five from each of the three contests) will compete for a $2,500 scholarship and $5,000 in cash. The grand prize also includes a demo CD, vocal
lessons from a trained vocal coach and appearances on local radio stations. Kevin Lipsey, who was picked as one of the finalists in the Conyers event, is hoping that he will be the grand prize winner. So is his mom. “This is our first competition, but this is his passion so I figured why not support it,” said mother Veronica Lindsay, “He’s been singing since the age of 6 for family and friends but it really makes me proud to see him following his passion successfully.” See Big, page 6
CHAMPS AGAIN
Johnson puts people first in 4th District
Congressman Hank Johnson
Justin Colvin reaches for the Class AAAA state champion trophy during the post-game trophy presentation.
A homeless South DeKalb veteran spent more than 14 years of being unable to collect his disability benefits. After six months of Congressman Hank Johnson’s office working the case with the Veterans Benefits Administration, the man received more than $350,000. He is no longer homeless and continues to receive full disability benefits from the VA. The veterans’ story is just one of many examples of Johnson’s efforts to help those who have contacted his offices in Georgia’s 4th Congressional District, which includes more than 700,000 residents in DeKalb, See Johnson, page 7 INSIDE
Community News...............P 3 Class Notes.......................P 8 Business News.................P 10 Health & Wellness.............P 13 We Worship......................P 14 Home & Garden...............P 16 Classifieds.......................P 18 CONTACT THE NEWSROOM Phone: (678) 526-1910 n Fax: (678) 526-1909 E-mail: editor@ocgnews.com
Miller Grove Head Coach Sharman White proudly holds up three fingers, indicating the number of Class AAAA state champions the school has won, after its 67-59 victory over Rockdale County March 11.
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eKalb County’s Miller Grove High School’s boys basketball team defended its two-time AAAA State Championship with its recent defeat of Rockdale County High School. The Wolverines won 67 – 59 at the Gwinnett Arena on March 11.
Miller Grove’s Tony Evans displays a Class AAAA state champion T-shirt.
The Lithonia school joins nine others in having the title of winning three championships in state history. However, Miller Grove is a little more special than most on the list because its titles have come back to back since 2009.
Miller Grove Coach Sharman White called the game “Mission Possible,” the quest for three. With the victory, Coach White’s prophecy came to be very possible and true for the high school’s basketball program, which debuted in 2005.