VOLUME 22 NUMBER 19
FREE
AUGUST 6 2016
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
SWD’s head football coach Michael Tanks dies after stroke
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outhwest DeKalb High School is mourning the loss of its head football coach, Michael Tanks. Tanks died at Grady Memorial Hospital on Aug. 3 after suffering a massive stroke on July 25 at his home. He passed one day before he would have turned 49. A candlelight vigil is set for Sunday, Aug. 7, 7 p.m., at SWD High Auditorium, according to a post on Tanks’ FB account. “We are praying for his family. It’s a traumatic situation for everyone,” said Dr. Melvin Johnson, who chairs DeKalb County Schools’ Board of Education.
Tanks is a Southwest DeKalb alumnus who played for the school’s legendary Buck Godfrey in 1983-84 as a linebacker and went on to become an All-America center at Florida State University in 1989. Tanks took the reigns from Godfrey as Southwest’s head coach in 2013. Tanks’ son, Michael II, is a senior defensive back and punter for Southwest DeKalb. The Panthers were 4-6 in 2015. The high school football season kicks off in DeKalb County on Aug. 19. The Southwest DeKalb High Panthers will play the Redan High Raiders on Aug. 20, 7:30 p.m. at Godfrey Stadium.
Aug. 4,1967- Aug. 3, 2016
By Mackenzie N. Morgan
Getting rid of blight in DeKalb
February 2012. Eight court citations were issued in April 2012 and $4,000 in fines were assessed in eKalb County is continuing its campaign Recorders Court to the owners of record. to wipe out blight, taking a tougher In February 2014, as a result of a structure stance on code enforcement and utilizfire, code enforcement staff met with the property ing the court system to clean up problem properties. owner and issued 9 new court citations. The ownInterim CEO Lee May assisted in the demolier failed to appear in court, a judgment of $4,500 tion on Aug. 4 of a fire-damaged, vacant home on was assessed, another FTA warrant was issued Walnut Ridge Court in Stone Mountain. The demand a lien was placed on the property. olition of the property is the result of collaborative In December 2014, Code Enforcement comefforts of the DeKalb County’s Code Enforcement menced with an In-Rem action and a final order Division and Legal, Community Development and to demolish was awarded to DeKalb County to Sanitation departments. proceed with demolition of the structure in May “This demolition shows DeKalb County’s 2015. commitment to address blight in our communities This year, the county has demolished four in order to make DeKalb a better place to live, work structures with three additional structures that are and play,” said May. “Beautification of our county currently being demolished: is a priority that we will continue to address with 7043 Pine Mountain road, Lithonia additional demolitions in the upcoming months.” 7037 Pine Mountain Road, Lithonia County officials first issued warning notices for 1328 Biffle Road, Stone Mountain high grass and weeds and open storage of trash and County officials say they expect to demolish debris for the property on Walnut Ridge Court in at least 20 structures by the end of 2016.
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Film industry generates $7 billion for Georgia’s economy Gov. Nathan Deal announced that Georgia-lensed feature film and television productions generated more than $7 billion during fiscal year 2016. The 245 feature film and television productions shot in Georgia represent $2.02 billion in direct spending in the state. “Georgia’s film industry provides a significant impact on our state’s economy, employing thousands of Georgians while developing infrastructure and boosting small businesses,” said Deal “The film industry has created a home in Georgia, and I am committed to retaining this relationship by constructing a strong, filmready workforce that will continue to help the industry thrive.” As a result of the High Demand
Career Initiative in 2014, developing the film and television industry workforce was identified as a high demand career opportunity for the state. In 2015, Deal created the Georgia Film Academy, a collaborative effort between the University System of Georgia and the Technical College System of Georgia to fast track students into the film and television workforce. Since its opening, the program has been adopted at eight Georgia campuses. By the end of the year, 610 students are projected to have completed Course One, and 274 students will complete on-set production internships and receive certification. “Georgia’s film industry is on a steady rise year over year and now ranks number three in TV and movie
productions, just behind California and New York,” said Georgia Department of Economic Development (GDEcD) Commissioner Chris Carr. “As long as we continue to deepen our crew base and add even more studios and businesses to support the industry, Georgia is ensuring its place in the film industry well into the future.” In addition to the increase in production expenditures, Georgia has experienced enormous infrastructure and business growth, including the opening of Atlanta Metro Studios in Union City and a significant expansion at Pinewood Atlanta Studios in Fayetteville. More than 130 new businesses have relocated or expanded in Georgia to support this burgeoning
industry, creating jobs for Georgians as well as economic opportunities for communities and small businesses. Georgia-filmed movies will take over the big screen in 2016 with “Solace,” starring Colin Farrell and Anthony Hopkins on Sept. 2; “Sully,” starring Tom Hanks, Anna Gunn and Laura Linney on Sept. 9; “The Birth of a Nation,” starring Nate Parker and Armie Hammer on Oct. 7; and “The Accountant,” starring Ben Affleck, Anna Kendrick and Jon Bernthal on Oct. 14. Upcoming Georgia-filmed television productions premiering within the next few months include “Atlanta,” on FX; “The Walking Dead,” on AMC; and “Halt and Catch Fire,” on AMC.