FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 37
NOVEMBER 3, 2018
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Historic Town Halls
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Winfrey stumps for Abrams at DeKalb County’s Porter Sanford Center
alk show host and global media celebrity Oprah Winfrey came to Georgia to rally for Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams. Winfrey fired up a packed crowd at DeKalb County’s Porter Sanford III Performing Arts Center in Decatur, telling them she wanted to be part of Abrams’ historic bid for governor of Georgia. “Nobody told me to be here. Nobody even asked me to be here. I called her (Abrams) three days ago. I told her I wanted to come here and give my support and that is why I’m here,” Winfrey told the cheering audience. Several top elected officials attended the rally including Congressman Hank Johnson, Congressman John Lewis and DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond. Winfrey went on to say why it was imperative that voters, especially blacks, go to the polls on election day. She said those who sit at home and do not go out to vote disregard their history and disrespect their
Stacy Abrams(left) seated with Oprah Winfrey(right). Photo by Glenn L. Morgan/ OCG News
ancestors who never had the chance to vote. The Nov. 1 town hall meeting was one of two held in the metro Atlanta area where Winfrey joined Abrams in stumping for votes to become the
nation’s first black female governor. Before attending the DeKalb event in the late afternoon, the pair held a town hall meeting at the Cobb Civic Center Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in Marietta.
At both events, Winfrey discussed critical issues at stake in this year’s election including Medicaid expansion, quality affordable health care and jobs for Georgians. Winfrey’s town hall meetings preceded former President Barack Obama’s scheduled Nov. 2 visit to Atlanta to get out the vote for Abrams and other Democrats. Thousands of people stood in line at various locations to try and snag a free ticket to attend the Obama rally. On the Republican side, Vice President Mike Pence led three rallies for Brian Kemp near Dalton, Augusta and Savannah on Nov. 1. President Donald Trump confirmed plans to host a rally for Kemp in Macon on Sunday, Nov. 4. In addition to Abrams and Kemp, Libertarian candidate Ted Metz is running for governor in the hotly contested race. More photos and video of Oprah Winfrey’s visit at www. ocgnews.com.
Low Income Home Energy Gang members to be sentenced in Stone Mountain home Assistance Program now invasion, murdered baby open to elderly, disabled Hit ordered from prison
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pplications are now being accepted for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), administered by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services. The federally-funded program assists low-income, elderly and disabled Georgians with heating bills through direct payments to home energy suppliers. Beginning Nov. 1, 2018 residents aged 65 and older or those who are homebound can apply for assistance through the Department’s Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program. All other eligible residents may apply for assistance beginning Dec. 3. Funds are administered through local Community Action Agencies on a first-come, firstserved basis until all funds are exhausted. In 2018, the LIHEAP program spent over $48 million to assist more than 140,795 clients with their heating bills. Depending on income and household size, those who qualified for the program received between $310 and $350 toward their home heating bills. To qualify, a family’s annual income must be less than or
equal to 60 percent of the median income for a Georgia family. For a household of one, the income threshold is $22,839; the income threshold for a household of five is $50,948. Those seeking assistance must contact their local Community Action Agencies. All applicants must provide the following: 1. Most recent heating bill or statement of service from their heating providers; 2. Social Security numbers for each member of the household; 3. Proof of citizenship for each member of the household; 4. Proof of income for the last 30 days for each adult member of the household. Proof of income can include, but is not limited to, a paycheck stub or a letter granting public assistance. 5. Social Security or unemployment benefits for all household members, if applicable. For more information on the program, contact the Division of Family and Children Services at 404-6573426. To find a Community Action Agency in your area, visit http:// www.georgiacaa.org
Christopher Antonio Florence
Marco Fernando Watson
Two high-ranking Georgia members of the ‘Bloods’ affiliated ‘Sex, Money, Murder’ gang are scheduled to be sentenced by DeKalb County Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams, on Nov. 13 for their part in a deadly Stone Mountain home invasion where a 9-month-old baby was murdered and three women were shot while trying to protect the baby. Jurors returned guilty verdicts on Oct. 29 against Kenneth “K.G.” Jackson, 33, and Christopher “Trillz” Florence, 33, on charges of murder, felony murder, aggravated assault, violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act, and weapons offenses for the murder of nine-month old Kendarious Edwards. Marco Fernando Watson, 39, a third defendant, was convicted of weapons offenses in connection with the crime, the DeKalb District
Kenneth Jackson
Attorney’s Office said. The incident happened on May 10, 2014 at the To Lani Farm Road home of the child’s grandmother. The armed gunmen, Florence and Devin “Rico” Thomas (previously convicted), stormed the home with weapons drawn. The child’s mother, grandmother and another woman who was visiting the home, ran to a bathroom and hid inside of the bathtub while trying to shield the child. The gunmen opened fire, striking the women and the baby multiple times. The victims were transported to the hospital where the infant later died. The women were wounded, but survived, as did the victim’s teen aunt, who escaped the gunfire by hiding in an adjacent bedroom. She called 911 for assistance,
SEE GANG page 5