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VOLUME 23 NUMBER 36
DECEMBER 2, 2017
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
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DDS receives Mother of murdered postal worker mourns grant to replace loss of youngest daughter state’s remaining antiquated court By Mackenzie N. Morgan data systems
T
he Georgia Department of Driver Services has received a $299,463 grant to convert court systems that are still using paper to transmit conviction data to an electronic system. DDS Commissioner Spencer R. Moore said the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (GOHS) grant award provides for ongoing support for the Georgia Electronic Conviction Processing System (GECPS). The secure, electronDDS Commissioner ic transmission Spencer R. Moore of conviction data enables Georgia courts to post conviction data to individual driving records within 10 days, meeting federal requirements, Moore said. “These funds will help augment our court outreach efforts and ultimately improve the timeliness, completeness, and accuracy of court-reported convictions that qualify for addition to a driver’s driving record,” said Moore. GECPS requires each court to submit convictions in a standard format, and then correct and resubmit any convictions containing errors. To date, 890 courts of 900 total courts have adopted the GECPS process. The grant allows DDS to provide training on the GECPS and help the remaining paper citation filers convert to the electronic process. For more information on GECPS, visit the DDS website at www.dds.georgia.gov.
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ugenia Terrell-Grant can’t find the words to express the deep hurt she feels as she mourns the loss of her 22-year-old daughter, Tyrika Terrell, who was killed by a man with whom she was trying to end a relationship. At On Common Ground News’ deadline, that man, 22-year-old Quantez D’Ante Tyre, was wanted by DeKalb County police and the FBI. Tyre allegedly shot Terrell on Nov. 27, around 6 p.m. outside of her job at the U.S. Postal Service on Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur, police said. Her body was found near the loading dock, authorities said. Terrell, who lived with her mother, stepfather and brother in Covington, had only worked as a Postal Service carrier assistant for about 30 days, her mother told On Common Ground News. She said her daughter was the youngest of three girls. She had two brothers. Terrell-Grant said her daughter had been trying to break up with Tyre because he was very abusive. “He shot her in the head four times,” said Terrell-Grant. “He had threatened to kill her. He had asked me if he could stay at my home and I told him no.” Terrell and Tyre had a 6-monthold daughter, T’kyrra, together. Terrell-Grant, who is disabled, said she is now raising the baby, who was born prematurely at 29 weeks gestation and has several health challenges. “My granddaughter is all I have left of my daughter,” said TerrellGrant. Terrell-Grant said the suspect’s mother had reached out to offer her
Tyrika Terrell Photo via Facebook
condolences but the pain of losing her daughter was still too fresh for her to begin reconciliation. The wake for Tyrika Terrell will be held on Sunday, Dec. 3, 1 – 5 p.m., at New Love Missionary Baptist church, 758 Dill Ave., Atlanta. The funeral will be held on Monday, Dec. 4, 1 p.m., at New Love. RW Andrew Mortuary is handling the funeral arrangements. Tyre is considered armed and extremely dangerous. The suspect is 5 feet 8 inches tall and 160 pounds. Anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of Tyre is asked to call the DeKalb County Police Department at 770-724-7850 or Crimestoppers at 404-577-TIPS. All tips will remain anonymous. The public is asked to make donations to assist the family via www.GoFundMe.com (Tyrika Terrell Memorial Fund) or by dropping off donations at RW Andrew Mortuary, 1832 Washington Ave, Atlanta.
Quantez D’Ante Tyre
Anyone with information leading to the whereabouts of Tyre is asked to call the DeKalb County Police Department at 770-724-7850 or Crimestoppers at 404-577-TIPS
Live music fills MARTA stations during holiday season MARTA will feature live music from local musicians at eight rail stations through the end of 2017. The 20 musicians were selected during a two-day audition held at Five Points Station in September. Their live performances during the holiday season are part of MARTA’s reinvigorated arts program developed to enhance the ridership experience through visual and performance arts. The music represents different genres and will be performed live, daily from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Five Points, Hamilton E. Holmes, Kensing-
ton, Lindbergh, North Springs, and West End Stations and on Falcons game days and New Year’s Eve at Dome and Peachtree Center Stations. Please refer to the attached calendar for details. “Atlanta is an incredible hub of dynamic talent in the arts,” said MARTA Arts Administrator Katherine Dirga. “Offering live music to our patrons makes the holiday commute more enjoyable and provides a large audience for local musicians.” One percent of MARTA’s annual budget is allocated for arts-related programs.
DeKalb-based Nubian Sounds, who played during one of MARTA’s Artbound programs in November, were among the musicians selected to play for the holidays.
Photos provided
Jennifer Warrilow played at the Five Points Station on Nov 20.
PAGE 2 • DECEMBER 2, 2017 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM
Vehicle break-ins on the rise in Conyers, police remind residents to lock doors
The Conyers Police Department is reminding the public to lock their vehicles after a rash of recent vehicle break-ins and burglaries. Sgt. Kim Lucas said 29 vehicles were broken into in a single night in the Valley Oaks, Lakeview Drive and O'Kelly Street neighborhoods. All the vehicles were unlocked and miscellaneous items were stolen in the early morning hours on Nov. 29, Lucas said. “We canvassed the area and we saw the dome lights were on in several vehicles. We knocked on doors to let people know they need to check their vehicle,” Lucas said. “We’re reminding
people that they need to lock their vehicles, especially during the holidays.” Lucas said there has been an uptick in vehicle break-ins this year compared to 2016. Last year, there were 198 incident reports compared to 148 incident reports in 2016, a 33 percent increase. “The numbers reflect the actual reports filed, not the number of vehicles involved. It could actually be far more vehicles that were entered or burglarized because once we go to an area and start canvassing, there may be several vehicles involved,” Lucas said. Lucas said police are urging residents to be more
mindful of leaving valuables in their automobiles and to always lock their vehicles. “We know to brace ourselves for more crime during the holidays,” Lucas said. Conyers police are seeking the public’s help in finding the suspect who stole a vehicle from a Shell station at 2130 Salem Road on Nov. 18. The suspect had broken into several vehicles at multiple locations in Conyers and Rockdale County before his image was captured on a video at the gas station. The stolen vehicle was recovered abandoned in College Park two days later. Any information leading to the arrest of this suspect
Conyers police are looking for this man who stole a car from a Shell station after breaking into several vehicles.
may result in a cash reward up to $2000. Tipsters will remain anonymous and are
asked to contact Crime Stoppers with any information: 404-577-TIPS (8477).
DeKalb forms mental health roundtable to help police de-escalate incidents Clarkston police to host Active The DeKalb County the mother and father Police Department has of Quintas Harris and formed a mental health promised the parents that roundtable to develop DeKalb County would training strategies to do more to protect and help police peacefully save the lives of resihandle incidents condents with mental illcerning the mentally ill. nesses,” said Thurmond. DeKalb CEO MiDeKalb Assistant Pochael Thurmond said the lice Chief Sonya Porter, CEO Michael Thurmond roundtable was formed who is responsible for after speaking with police training, is overthe parents of Quintas Harris, a seeing the roundtable committee 27-year-old mentally ill veteran of more than two dozen mental who died after a shootout at an health experts. apartment complex with police on The mental health roundtable Aug. 3. Harris reportedly had a committee held an initial meethistory of mental illness. ing in September and will meet “I had a private meeting with regularly to assess encounters
and provide guidance on how to recognize and respond to residents with mental health issues, officials said. The group will also identify and provide a list of available resources such as referrals and treatment that can be given to residents. More than half of the county’s sworn officers have completed crisis intervention training (CIT), instructional training involving various mental health topics, county officials said in a news release this week. Thurmond said he plans to request funding in the county’s 2018 budget to offer CIT training to all DeKalb police officers.
Shooter Awareness class
The City of Clarkston Police will be conducting an Active Shooter Awareness Class on Dec. 6, 6 to 8 p.m., at the Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Ave., Clarkston. The public is invited to attend to learn what to do when an active mass casualty shooting occurs. Class topics will include Avoid/ Deny/Defend (ADD) survival tactics and techniques, local law enforcement preparedness, response and readiness, and U.S. Active Shooter events information and data. There is no charge to attend the class.
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DECEMBER 2, 2017 • PAGE 3
EDITOR/PUBLISHER Valerie J. Morgan editor@ocgnews.com
GENERAL MANAGER Glenn L. Morgan gmorgan1@ocgnews.com ADVERTISING MANAGER Richard S. Hill richardhill@ocgnews.com
On Common Ground News is published weekly by On Common Ground, Inc. The newspaper serves DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Rockdale and Henry counties. The opinions expressed by writers and contributors are not necessarily those of the publisher or the newspaper’s advertisers. No portion of this newspaper may be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. We reserve the right to reject material and advertisements we deem inappropriate. On Common Ground News
P.O. Box 904 Lithonia, GA 30058 (678) 526-1910 News 24/7 @ www.ocgnews.com
This house on Tulip Drive was abated by DeKalb County, which included cutting vegetation, removing trash and boarding the property.
Keep DeKalb Beautiful uses concrete barriers painted at community events to close off illegal dumping sites.
DeKalb CEO Thurmond urges stakeholders to clean up trash, “show pride” DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond says the county is making good on its promise to wipe out blight in problem areas of the county and now he’s asking residents and other stakeholders to do their part and pitch in, too. Since taking office in January 2017, Thurmond has made fighting blight in DeKalb a top priority. The Board of Commissioners approved $3.8 million in reallocated funds for a multi-departmental effort that has been underway. So far this year, DeKalb County employees have removed more than 5,600
Conyers receives COPS grant, set to recruit four police officers The City of Conyers plans to hire four additional police officers, thanks to a $400,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Rep. Hank Johnson, who has worked to prevent masCongressman Conyers Police Chief sive cuts to the COPS Hiring Hank Johnson Gene Wilson Program, announced the grant on Nov. 29. The program is designed to reduce crime and advance public safety through community policing by providing direct support to state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies nationwide. “The COPS Hiring Grant Program is a cornerstone of the federal effort to support state and local law enforcement,” said Johnson. “These grants enable our state and local government partners to hire the public safety officers needed to protect our citizens. I’m pleased to fight for this important program and see it pay dividends in our community.” Conyers is one of four recipients in the state that received a COPS grant this cycle. The others include Atlanta Police Department, Clarke County and Dublin Police Department. There were a total of 32 applicant agencies. “We are very happy that we received the grant and felt that we had a strong presentation in our application. We look forward to putting the funds to good use within the City of Conyers community,” said Police Chief Gene Wilson Wilson said the grant would allow Conyers to increase its number of sworn officers from 66 to 70. The Police Department is seeking qualified applicants to fill the positions, he said. Conyers is one of four recipients in the state that received a COPS grant this cycle. The others include Atlanta Police Department, Clarke County and Dublin Police Department. There were a total of 32 applicant agencies. Since 1995, the COPS program has invested more than $220 million in Georgia law enforcement agencies, which was used to hire more than 2,700 officers and provide more than $30 million in technology upgrades. The recent funding is part of more than $98 million awarded nationwide to hire more than 800 officers. CHP funding supports the hiring of career law enforcement officers to increase an agency's community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts.
tons of debris, illegally dumped material and litter from more than 3,500 miles of roadway. More than 20 illegal dumping sites have been cleared and barricaded. By the end of the year, DeKalb will have addressed more than 80 dilapidated properties, either demolishing or removing vegetation and securing the property. “DeKalb employees have made tremendous progress toward improving the health and safety of county roads and neighborhoods,” said Thurmond. “This is not a task we can accomplish alone;
we need citizens, businesses, and civic and church groups to show pride in their communities and get involved in eliminating litter and illegal dumping.” DeKalb County citizens can learn more about participation in beautification efforts through Keep DeKalb Beautiful. The division offers resources to support and maintain clean and sustainable communities. To learn more about activities and participation, visit www.dekalbcountyga.gov/kdb, email kdb@dekalbcountyga.gov or call 404294-2010.
City of Stonecrest’s Deputy City Attorney hires senior counsel Serena L. Nowell has joined the law firm of Fincher Denmark, which serves as Deputy City Attorney for the City of Stonecrest. As senior counsel, Nowell’s areas of Attorney Serena L. responsibility include Nowell public finance, complex real estate transactions, negotiating, reviewing and executing contracts, and serving as outside general counsel for governmental and institutional clients. “We are excited to add Serena to our already very talented collection of lawyers, as she brings more than 25 years of high level experience laser focused to the needs of our clients,” said Steven Fincher, senior partner. “She is a great
addition to our team of highly qualified local government attorneys,” he said. Prior to joining Fincher Denmark, Nowell operated a local government and public finance law firm for almost a decade. Previously, she held the position of Deputy City Attorney for the City of Atlanta. In those capacities, Nowell served as bond counsel, disclosure counsel, underwriter’s counsel and issuer’s counsel in a wide variety of municipal finance transactions valued at more than $5.5 billion. Nowell received her Juris Doctorate degree from Howard University School of Law. She is a member of several professional organizations, including the State Bar of Georgia, American Bar Association and the National Association of Bond Lawyers.
Rockdale Hospital Authority awards $555,000 in grants to nonprofits Health TRUST Rockdale, the grant-making division of the Hospital Authority of Rockdale County (HARC), will disburse more than $555,000 by the end of the year to nonprofit agencies working to improve the physical and mental health of Rockdale residents. The HARC Board of Trustees voted to award the funds on “Giving Tuesday,” a global day of giving celebrated the Tuesday after Thanksgiving. It was the largest amount awarded in any of Health Trust Rockdale’s grant cycles, which have taken place twice a year since the program’s inception in 2010. To date, HARC has invested more than $3 million in grantee partners. The grants to the 21 selected agencies range from $500 to $275,000 to support such services as medical and dental care for indigent and uninsured residents; nutritional supplements for homebound seniors; family planning; pre-natal care; parenting programs for at-risk populations; wheelchairs, walkers and other items needed by mobility-impaired citizens; and counseling for those suffering from mental and behavioral health issues, including addiction. Aldren Sadler, Sr., chairman of HARC’s nine-member Board of Trustees, said HARC is pleased to make the awards. “This community is very fortunate to have so many outstanding agencies working to give hope to people with healthcare needs,” said Sadler. “It is gratifying for those of us serving on the Authority to be able to partner with these organizations and support their efforts through our grants program. The programs we fund are meeting needs that would otherwise go unmet and, by doing that, they are changing and even saving lives.”
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Holiday Events Around Town Rockdale BOC invites community to annual holiday drop-In The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners (BOC) is hosting its holiday drop-in on Dec. 12, 5 to 7 p.m., at the Board of Commissioners office, 962 Milstead Ave., Conyers. BOC Chairman Oz Nesbitt invites the community to stop by for refreshments, say hello and snap a holiday selfie. He says those who come need to move through quickly. The annual event draws a crowd.
Food drive, book sale set at Hairston Crossing Library The Friends of Hairston Crossing Library, 4911 Redan Road, Stone Mountain are hosting a food drive through Dec. 15 with a special Food Drive Book Sale on Saturday, Dec. 9, during normal library hours. For each donation of four canned food items or other non-perishable items, guests will receive one Friends Food Bank Buck that will go toward the purchase of books at the book sale. For more information, call 404-5087170.
Rockdale BOC Chairman Oz Nesbitt
Olde Town Conyers to host 20th annual Christmas Tour of Homes The 20th Annual Christmas Tour of Homes in Olde Town Conyers will offer a candlelight walking tour on Saturday, Dec. 9, 5 to 8 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 10, 1 to 5 p.m. The tour features six homes in the historic district – each beautifully decorated for the season—and will pass several noteworthy sidewalk churches in the downtown area. Proceeds from the tour will benefit Rockdale Emergency Relief (RER), which helps Rockdale County residents who need food, utility and housing assistance. Tickets are available at the Conyers Welcome Center, RER board members, Awake Coffee in downtown Conyers and Peachtree Academy locations ($15 in advance for one day or $25 for both days). Tickets will be $18 on the day of the event or $30 for both tours. For more information, visit rockdalerelief.org or eventbrite.com.
DeKalb History Center sets New Year’s Eve party The DeKalb History Center is preparing for its New Year’s Eve extravaganza. Early bird tickets are available now for the event, which will be held at the Historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square Decatur. Admission includes appetizers from Soiree Catering and Events, two drink tickets, sodas, a champagne toast at midnight and holiday party favors. Guests can purchase additional drink tickets for beer, wine or cocktails. Festive holiday attire is encouraged. There will be a DJ playing dance favorites. Tickets for adults and children are available at the DeKalb History Center offices or online at www.dekalbhistory.org.
Make a holiday ornament at Scott Candler Library Learn how to make a festive candy wreath holiday ornament on Tuesday, Dec. 19, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m., at Scott Candler Library, 1917 Candler Road, Decatur. Candy wreaths are perfect for hanging on your tree or giving to someone special. This workshop is open to the first 12 participants. Please call or visit branch to register. For more information, call 404-286-6986.
Salem-Panola Library offers fun on the go Stop by the Holiday Hang Out at Salem-Panola Library, 5137 Salem Road, Lithonia anytime during regular library hours between Dec. 21 and Jan. 3 to make a quick craft, fill out a holiday themed crossword, play a holiday game or take a holiday selfie in a photo booth. For more information, call 770-987-6900.
Conyers library to host bilingual holiday story time The Youth Services team and the Rockdale Career Academy’s (RCA) are hosting a bilingual holiday story time on Thursday, Dec. 7, 5 – 6:30 p.m., at the Nancy Guinn Memorial Library, 864 Green Street S.W., Conyers. The Friend to Amigo program will be conducted in English and Spanish and open to participants ages 3 to 12 years old. RCA students will read interactive stories, sing songs and make crafts. Parents and guardians are encouraged to participate. Registration is not required.
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DeKalb honored for veterans housing program DeKalb County was recently honored as a 2017 County of Distinction for its “Functional Zero” Veteran Housing Program. DeKalb was one of six counties in Georgia to receive the designation during the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia’s (ACCG) Legislative Leadership Conference, said Kathie Gannon, Presiding Officer for the DeKalb County Board of Commission. The term “functional zero” means the county has achieved a higher number of veterans in housing than homeless. “I am proud to support this housing, transitional, and supportive service initiative that targets our most vulnerable Veterans,” Gannon said. The Counties of Distinction designation recognizes counties that focus on improving the comDeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon munity. This year’s award recipients were chosen for their initiatives to provide better access to healthcare, promote safer streets, combat veteran homelessness, offer alternative solutions to nonviolent offenders, bring jobs to the community, and to establish regional road paving partnerships. The county has a higher number of veterans in housing than homeless. After the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness (USICH) and the departments of Housing and Urban Development and Veterans Affairs encouraged communities to end homelessness, DeKalb developed plans to assist veterans. To achieve functional zero, DeKalb worked with various organizations such as the Housing Authority of DeKalb County and the VA to identify veterans who experience difficulty with locating permanent housing and provided landlords with proper training to ensure both parties maintain healthy relationships to prevent veteran homelessness. “I am proud to support this housing, transitional, and supportive service initiative that targets our most vulnerable Veterans,” said DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon, Presiding Officer for the DeKalb County Board of Commission.
DECEMBER 2, 2017 • PAGE 5
Rep. Oliver pre-files Southern Monuments bill State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver (D-Decatur) has pre-filed House Bill 650, the Southern Monuments Bill, which would give local governments the authority to adopt resolutions to remove or modify monuments that are located on public property. “Citizens in the city of Decatur and DeKalb County have voiced their opinions and asked me to introduce legislation to allow local governments to decide to remove or modify monuments that are located in public spaces,” said Rep. Oliver. “This legislation would simply Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver return this decision-making authority to Georgia’s cities and counties and provide more local control.” The NAACP and a group called Hate Free Decatur have been pushing for the removal of Confederate monuments on public grounds, saying they are symbols of hate and celebrate white supremacy. HB 650 will be formally introduced during the 2018 session of the Georgia General Assembly. The session is scheduled to begin on Jan. 8.
Georgia Apartment Association honor State Sen. Fran Millar State Sen. Fran Millar of Dunwoody has received the Georgia Apartment Association (GAA’s) 2017 Friend of Housing Award. The presentation was made Nov. 16 during the GAA’s annual awards banquet, which was attended by more than 1,000 industry professionals. “Sen. Millar is a true asset to the citizens of Georgia,” said Chris Burns, chairman of the Georgia Apartment Association. “His commitment to education, economic growth and understanding of the importance of diversified Sen. Fran Millar housing made his selection for this year’s award easy.” The Friend of Housing Award is the only award GAA bestows on someone outside of the multifamily industry. Since 1995, GAA has annually recognized a person whose efforts and actions have contributed to the positive business climate enjoyed in both Georgia and the United States. Millar was elected to the State Senate for Georgia’s 40th District in 2010 and represents portions of DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett counties. He serves as chair of the Higher Education Committee and as Secretary of the Health and Human Services and Rules committees. Millar is also a member of the Education and Youth Committee. Additionally, he served on the Governor’s Education Reform Commission and the Governor’s Child Welfare Reform Commission. He also serves as the elected Vice Chairman of the Legislative Advisory Board of the Southern Regional Education Board and the Board for Georgia Partnership for Excellence in Education.
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Christ Our Hope Catholic Church sets revival Parishioners and the Rev. Fr. JohnPaul Ezeonyido of Christ Our Hope Catholic Church in Lithonia invite the community to the church’s annual Advent Revival, “Moving with the Spirit.” The three-night revival will be held Dec. 3-6, 7 p.m., at Christ Our Hope, 1560 Wellborn Road, Lithonia. The revivalist will be the Rev. Fr. Celsus Auguiste, who hails from Florida via the island nation of Dominica, West Indies. Everyone is invited to attend and encouraged to bring a bible and a friend to enjoy singing and an uplifting message.
SES Social Butterflies successful cereal drive for homeless D.L. Sims Elementary School’s Social Butterflies service club in Rockdale County recently held a cereal donation drive for the families of Phoenix Pass, a transition housing program for homeless women and children in Rockdale County. With help from the SES community and the faculty and staff of Memorial Middle School, the Social Butterflies, under the guidance of Fatima Cheffen, were able to collect and donate more than 269 boxes of cereal and other breakfast items.
DeKalb NAACP makes final push for first round of volunteers for school district The DeKalb NAACP has registered 86 people so far to attend the first round of orientation training sessions for those who would like to become volunteers in the DeKalb County School District. The organization partnered with the district with a goal of recruiting volunteers to work in every school in the district as a way of ensuring that all DeKalb students achieve and succeed. The district is providing the volunteer training and the upcoming sessions will mark the first phase of recruitment. Another recruitment drive is planned for early next year, said Lance Hammonds, chair of the DeKalb NAACP’s Education Committee. NAACP officials say, however, there’s still time to register for one of two December training sessions: Tuesday Dec. 12, 6-7:30 p.m., DeKalb County Schools Administrative and Instruction Center, 1701 Mountain Industrial, Blvd., Stone Mountain 30083 Saturday Dec 16, 1:30-3 p.m., Sue Kellogg Library, 952 Leon Street, Stone Mountain To register to become a Community School Volunteer, go to https://communityschoolvolunteer.eventbrite.com. All candidates must pass a background check in order to volunteer.
Springfield Baptist Church to stage “Soulful Noel” Springfield Baptist Church will host its annual NewRock Christmas production, “Soulful Noel,” which tells the story of love, hope and joy. There will be four shows: Friday, Dec. 8, ($25 admission fee for opening night, red carpet reception at 6 p.m., and the show at 8 p.m.); Saturday, Dec. 9, 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. (free admission); and Sunday, Dec. 10, 4 p.m. (free admission). For more information, visit www.sbcgrowth.church.
Louise Evans-Jones, DeKalb pillar, celebrates 80th birthday Over 200 people helped Louise Evans-Jones celebrate her 80th birthday recently at the Lou Walker Senior Center in DeKalb County. Evans-Jones, an associate pastor of Overcomers Christian Fellowship in Lithonia, attended a gala in her honor. The 50-year DeKalb resident was lauded as a beacon in the community, who has lived by the motto: “Love God, Love yourself and Love God’s people.” Evans-Jones taught for the Atlanta Public School system for 37 years. She went on to work another 15 years for the Partnership for Community Action’s Early Headstart program in DeKalb. Ever committed to positively impacting her community, Evans-Jones and her daughter, Francine Harris, started a food program in Lithonia to assist the needy in May. Every third Saturday, her children and grandchildren come Louise Evans-Jones together to assist her with feeding people in the city of Lithonia. Over 100 people are fed each month. Evans-Jones is the proud mother of 6 children, 14 grandchildren, and 8 great grandchildren.
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DECEMBER 2, 2017 • PAGE 7
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