FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 16
JUNE 9, 2018
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National search to find successor for New Birth after Bishop Stephen A. Davis steps down By Valerie J. Morgan
No hands allowed— while driving New “Hands Free Law’ for mobile devices begins July 1
G
eorgia drivers will need to go hands-free on their mobiles while behind the wheel. Staring July 1, it will be illegal for drivers to use or hold their phones while operating a vehicle. Gov. Nathan Deal recently signed House Bill 673, also known as the “Hands Free Law,” making it illegal for drivers to hold or support a phone with their body while driving. The law states the following: • A driver cannot have a phone in their hand or use any part of their body to support their phone. Drivers can only use their phones to make or receive phone calls by using speakerphone, earpiece, wireless headphone, phone is connected to vehicle or an electronic watch. GPS navigation devices are allowed. • Headsets and earpieces can only be worn for communication purposes and not for listening to music or other entertainment. • A driver may not send or read any text-based communication unless using voice-based communication that automatically converts message to a written text or is being used for navigation or GPS • A driver may not send or read any e-mails, social media or other internet content • A driver may not watch a video unless it is for navigation. • A driver may not record a video (continuously running dash cams are exempt) The fines for infraction to the law will be: $50 fine for the first conviction and one point on a license; $100 fine for the second conviction and two points on a license; and $150 fine for the third and subsequent convictions and three points on a license. According to Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, there have been significant increases in vehicle traffic crashes, fatalities and bodily injury. The vast majority of these increases have been in rear-end crashes, single-car crashes and crashes by drivers from 15 to 25-years-old. State and local law enforcement have stated that these incidents are a clear indication of driver inattention. The 15 states that have passed hands-free driving laws saw a 16 percent decrease in traffic fatalities in the two years after the law was passed. For a complete list of details and exemptions, visit www.gahighwaysafety. org.
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national search will be conducted to find a successor for Bishop Stephen A. Davis who has resigned from New Birth Missionary Baptist Church. Church officials announced Davis’ resignation on June 6, saying that he resigned to concentrate on the two churches he founded in Alabama. Thomas W. Dortch Jr., chairman of the church’s board of directors, told On Common Ground News that Davis was challenged in making the weekly drive to Stonecrest while trying to oversee his church in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa. “It was a lot for him. We appreciate what he did. He was never brought on as a permanent successor. We need a full-time pastor and we’re going to do a national search so that New Birth can continue to grow,” said Dortch. Dortch said he has asked Bishop Dale C. Bronner of Word of Faith Family Worship Cathedral in Austell; Pastor John Gray of Relentless Church in Greenville, S.C.; Bishop Neil C. Ellis of Global United Fellowship located in the Bahamas; Elder Vanessa Long, the wife of the late Bishop Eddie Long; and the head of the Deacons Board to be a part of the team. He said others would be added. “We’re not going to rush out and get someone in a few weeks. We’re going to take the time needed to find the right person to lead New Birth,” Dortch said. Dortch said “listening sessions”
Photo by Travis Hudgons
Bishop Stephen A. Davis and his wife Darlene
also would be held to get input from the congregation on what members would like to see in their new pastor. In the meantime, prominent guests pastors will alternate leading the church’s worship services. “I’ve asked Bishop Bronner, Bishop Ellis and others to come,” said Dortch, adding that he would like to also see Edward Long, Bishop Long’s son, nurtured and have a more active role at New Birth. Elder Vanessa Long broke the news that Bishop Davis had resigned to the congregation at its mid-week service. Davis had served as interim senior pastor of New Birth since the
death of Bishop Eddie L. Long in January 2017. Elder Long said she is thankful Davis stepped in for the 16-month period he served at New Birth following her late husband’s death. Bishop Long died last year of cancer at 63. “I am so grateful that Bishop Davis honored the wishes of my late husband by serving New Birth at a time of need. We pray God’s Blessings over him, his wife, First Lady Darlene, and the Birmingham church family,” said Elder Long. Bishop Davis said he would continue to be a part of the New Birth family, although he would no longer lead services in the city of Stonecrest. “I love my New Birth Family both in Birmingham and Stonecrest. However, at this time my wife, my children and the New Birth Birmingham family need my full attention,” Davis said. “We will remain a New Birth Church in Birmingham and maintain a relationship with the New Birth Stonecrest congregation.”
DCSC sues City of Atlanta over Emory annexation DeKalb County School District (DCSD) has filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta over the annexation of Emory University, the CDC and areas totaling 744 acres in DeKalb County into the City of Atlanta. The proposed annexation is the largest by Atlanta in 65 years, since Buckhead was annexed in 1952. District officials say city officials quietly made a change to the annexation plan after the Atlanta City Council approved the ordinance last year. District officials said they were initially told the plan would not impact the DeKalb County School District, prohibiting the extension of the boundaries of Atlanta Public Schools (APS) into the annexed area. The change, however, now means that the DeKalb school district would transfer more than $2 million in tax revenue and nine students who are eligible to attend APS. “After APS threatened to oppose the annexation ordinance if it did not receive the property tax money from the annexed area, the
DeKalb Superintendent R. Stephen Green Photo by Travis Hudgons
mayor asked the City Council to reverse itself on the school district issue, resulting in a complete rewrite of the ordinance to extend the boundaries of APS throughout the entire annexed area,” the district said. The district said it is seeking an immediate injunction against the expansion of APS boundaries into the annexed area, and a permanent injunction invalidating the annexation ordinance. The lawsuit follows failed efforts to reach an agreement with APS, the district said. “Back in July 2017, we were shown an ordinance that included in its title a prohibition on expansion
of APS into the annexed area and lobbied to support the annexation on the basis. We were assured that, in exchange for our support, the annexation would not adversely impact our schools in any way,” said DCSD Superintendent Stephen Green. “We upheld our side of the bargain and publicly supported the annexation. Then, the former mayor conspired with APS to amend the ordinance and unjustly enrich APS at the expense of DeKalb County and our School District. How could a City Council engage in such a blatant bait and switch? We hope a court will right this wrong. I regret the entire annexation is now in jeopardy, but our efforts to find a negotiated solution were rejected out of hand. No one thinks what happened is right or fair, but to date nothing has been done to fix a clear injustice. I call on the new mayor to reject the back room political deal cut by her predecessor just to get this annexation completed before he left office, and help the parties find a workable solution before the annexation is voided.”
PAGE 2 • JUNE 9, 2018
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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.
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Vickie and Robert Turner
Cultural Exchange Breakfast set June 9 The DeKalb Cultural Exchange will host its monthly community breakfast on Saturday, June 9, 9 a.m., at The Greater Travelers Rest Baptist Church/House of Hope, 4650 Flat Shoals Parkway, Decatur. The community is invited to come out and meet the Democratic nominees for Georgia’s Labor Commissioner (Richard Keatley) and Insurance Commissioner (Janice Laws). They will have a Q&A. Stonecrest City Councilmember Rob Turner and his wife, School Board member Vickie Turner, who host the DeKalb Cultural Exchange, also will provide updates on the city of Stonecrest and the DeKalb School District.
City of Stonecrest grapples with short-term vacation rentals
JUNE 9, 2018 • PAGE 3
By Valerie J. Morgan Ruth Johnson Floyd can easily count the number of times over the last month the parties she has heard going on in her Panola Lakes Circle community. The retired DeKalb County educator said a vacation rental home in her community has become a nuisance and she and her neighbors want Ruth Johnson Floyd the Stonecrest City Council to do something about it. “We have had parties there May 1, May 5, May 13, May 18, May 19, May 20, May 22, and just this weekend (June 2), there was a family there from North Carolina,” Floyd told the council. “We have parties that last well into the mornings with loud music, people talking loud, cars moving up and down the streets all times of the morning, people using profane language. Police are having to be called out there.” The City Council was slated on May 6 to vote on three ordinances dealing with short-term vacation rentals, but deferred action after Floyd and others spoke out during public comments. “I’ve heard enough from residents that we need to take a closer look at this. I’m not comfortable with it…I need more time,” said Mayor Jason Lary, who made the motion to defer action. The city is now going back to the drawing board to have the city’s Planning Commission look more closely at the proposed ordinances. The Planning Commission had approved two proposed ordinances concerning the short-term vacation rentals but now will be asked to give a more in-depth look, city officials said. Stonecrest, like many other cities, are grappling with the prevalence of vacation rentals, which are becoming increasingly more popular as companies such as Airbnb offer homes and even spare bedrooms across the globe as
Ruth Johnson Floyd said the vacation rental on Panola Lakes Circle, pictured above, has created problems for neighbors. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan
alternatives to hotels. Some cities, which draw tourists from around the world, have put strict ordinances in place to regulate short-term vacation rentals. The North Carolina city of Asheville, for example, in January restricted vacation rentals in its downtown. City Attorney Emily MacheskiPreston said the proposed ordinances are not intended to create an ordinance authorizing them. She said that right now, a short-term vacation rental could be in any home without the city’s approval. “What we’re trying to do is create some rules and regulations about where they can be located so that you have some control…,” Macheski-Preston told the council. “It’s not attempting to allow something that isn’t already allowed necessarily.” Macheski-Preston said the city has defined the rentals as homes occupied by transient guests for less than 30 days, adopted from DeKalb County ordinances. Floyd urged the council to weigh very carefully how it would decide which communities were suitable for short-term vacation rentals. She said
her community is primarily comprised of elderly and retired professionals. “You really need to research your neighborhoods. Every neighborhood is not conducive and this one is not. We’re zoned for residential, single-family only,” Floyd said. Brenda Ausberry, who lives in the Parks of Stonecrest, said the proposed ordinances do not clarify that communities governed by covenants such as her subdivision supersede the proposed ordinances. “To avoid any confusion regarding community covenants and the proposed ordinances, this information needs to be communicated to all citizens who reside in the City of Stonecrest,” Ausberry said. Brenda Herman, another resident of the Parks of Stonecrest, said she was concerned that the proposed ordinances do not take into consideration that residences are being purchased solely as vacation rentals. “This means that each and every month, you have transient guests occupying these homes,” Herman said. The city’s Planning Commission will meet July 2, 6 p.m., at Stonecrest City Hall.
DeKalb offers free bulky item curbside collection Schedule based on residents’ sanitation service day
As part of the Operation Spring Clean Sweep 2018 campaign, the DeKalb County Sanitation Division will offer free residential bulky item curbside collection every Friday and Saturday in June. Residents have an opportunity to place bulky items, including furniture and appliances, curbside for collection by the Sanitation Division. Collection schedules are based on residents’ designated sanitation collection service day as follows:
• Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Monday will be serviced on Friday, June 8, and Saturday, June 9.
• Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is on Thursday will be serviced Friday, June 29, and Saturday, June 30.
• Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Tuesday will be serviced on Friday, June 15, and Saturday, June 16.
Photo via DeKalb Sanitation Twitter
• Residential customers whose regularly scheduled collection day is Wednesday will be serviced on Friday, June 22, and Saturday, June 23.
For any missed collections based on this schedule, residents should call 404-294-2900 to be placed on a bulky item collection escalation list. Operation Spring Clean Sweep 2018 is a multidepartmental initiative focused on litter collection, illegal dumping, and removing debris, trash and grass from streets, neighborhoods, sidewalks, roadway drains and county rights of way.
PAGE 4 • JUNE 9, 2018
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Steve Henson’s victory stands after recount in State Senate District 41 race Democratic incumbent Steve Henson remained the winner of the State Senate District 41 race, after elections officials recounted the ballots on June 6. Challenger Sabrina McKenzie requested a recount after provisional ballots were counted and the election results were certified following the May 22 elections. Henson had 111 votes more than McKenzie.
Elections officials said there was no change in the results. District 41 covers parts of DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. While Henson narrowly dominated DeKalb, McKenzie received more support from Gwinnett voters. After all of the DeKalb precinct ballots were recounted, DeKalb Supervisor of Elections Erica Hamilton certified the
results as “true and correct.” Henson received 50.40% (6,928 votes), while McKenzie received 49.60% (6,817 votes), according to certified combined results for DeKalb and Gwinnett counties. Henson has represented Senate District 41 since 2003 and formally represented Senate District 55 from 1991-1999.
Steve Henson
Sabrina McKenzie
Pine Lake to host art wall exhibit The city of Pine Lake will host an opening ceremony for its first public art exhibit on the city’s new art wall, “Public Works at Public Works,” on June 16. The inaugural installation will feature photographs themed on nature and the environment in Pine Lake by Pine Lake photographers Jennifer Bridges, Cindy M. Brown, Matthew J. Collins, Dwight Harriman, Kari Loomis, Julie Odom and Danielle S. Ross. The public is invited to a reception from 7 to 10 p.m. at the city’s Clubhouse, 300 Clubhouse Drive. Attendees may meet the artists, enjoy live music, and stay for the Lighting of the Art Wall at sunset approximately 9 p.m. For more information, email PLArtwall@gmail.com or visit pinelakega. com/PWatPW.aspx
Photo provided
New Lithonia-Stonecrest Kiwanis Club is chartered The new Lithonia-Stonecrest Kiwanis Club held a charter ceremony on June 2 during a breakfast meeting. The new club has 27 members, said Donald Fleary, who serves on the board of directors. Thomas Legall is president of the new club. The original Lithonia club, which was chartered in 1992, had been inactive since 2001, Fleary said. “Many of the members had moved away,” said Fleary. “We are excited about having this new club.” Mayor Jason Lary, who attended the charter ceremony, welcomed the new club to the city. Lary acknowledged some of the previous community service work the former club performed. Kiwanis clubs work to enhance communities, taking on various initiatives.
City of Tucker announces “TKR Summer of Fun” event The City of Tucker is hosting “TKR Summer of Fun,” a series of monthly community events organized by city staff in cooperation with business and community partners. The series begins on Friday, June 8 with “Movies on Main.” A block of Main Street will be shut down for a free 9 p.m. screening of “The Greatest Showman” starring Hugh Jackman. Moviegoers can enjoy popcorn compliments of the city and refreshments provided by Village Burger. On July 3, the City of Tucker and Old Town Tucker Merchants Association (OTTMA) will team up to host the “Independence Day Celebration and Fireworks Spectacular.” The show, which will be staged on the practice field behind Tucker High School, will best be viewed from Main Street. Volunteers from OTTMA have organized a street festival including live music, food, drink and fun for all who come out. The final event in the summer series will be Tucker’s second annual National Night Out celebration on Aug. 7, 6-8 p.m., at Livsey Elementary School, 4137 Livsey Road,Tucker. The public is invited to celebrate and meet the city’s police and Tucker’s elected officials and enjoy a free dinner provided by Chick-fil-A .
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JUNE 9, 2018 • PAGE 5
CELEBRATING DADS, JUNETEENTH
DeKalb NAACP partners with 4th Annual ‘I AM A FATHER 5K’ The DeKalb branch of the NAACP is partnering with the 4th Annual “I AM A FATHER 5K Run/Walk” to host its 2nd Annual Juneteenth: “A Celebration of Freedom” event. The celebrations will be held on Saturday, June 16, 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Families, teams, and individuals will start the 5K at Greenforest Community Baptist Church, 3250 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. After returning the run/walk, the Juneteenth festivities will continue across the street at the Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center, 3181 Rainbow Drive, Decatur. There will be entertainment, workshops, cultural foods and vendors. Juneteenth is the celebration
that marks the freedom of slaves in Galveston, Texas who learned more than two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation that they were free. Lincoln issued the proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862, with an effective date of Jan. 1, 1863. The more isolated Galveston slaves did not get word that they were free until June 19, 1865 when Major General Gordon Granger and an army of 2,000 Union soldiers informed the slaves of their freedom. Since then, the observance of Juneteenth has spread across the United States and beyond with a range of activities, such as festivals, picnics, barbeques, rodeos and other activities. I Am a Father 5K Founder/
Organizer David Manuel said he is looking forward to this year’s celebration with the DeKalb NAACP. “We are excited as we enter into our 4th year to promote organ donor awareness and strengthening families by encouraging increased father engagement,” Manuel said. The I am a Father 5K Run/Walk is an annual event for the entire family, celebrating fathers. Held on the Saturday before Father’s Day, the signature event promotes health and wellness, organ donation and community bonding. DeKalb NAACP President Teresa Hardy said the civil rights organization will participate as a team in the 5K. “We are excited to participate
as a team named NAACP DeKalb Freedom Fighter in the 5K Run/ Walk, as well as host our 2nd Annual Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom at Porter Sanford Performing Arts Center,” Hardy said. Juneteenth will focus on education, self- preservation and selfimprovement, Hardy said. Manuel and Hardy are encouraging the community to come out and support the events. Registration for the 5K may be made at: https://www.iamafather5k. org. To register for the Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom, go to Eventbrite.com (search NAACP DeKalb Juneteenth Celebration of Freedom).
DeKalb School District welcomes graduates to free 2018 summer transition centers
Photo provided
Recent DeKalb County School District (DCSD) graduates can learn more about college entry, military enrollment, and entering the workforce courtesy of the Department of Student Advancement's Summer Transition Centers (STC). STCs are scheduled to open June 4 at locations throughout DeKalb County. The free centers offer assistance in finalizing college paperwork, receiving financial aid, answer questions about what to do after high school, college application, and
reviewing other options. “When a student graduates from a DeKalb County high school, we make sure they have the tools needed to succeed at the next level available," said Superintendent/CEO Dr. R. Stephen Green. "The success of our graduating seniors is among our top priorities–their success reflects and validates our duties as educators. Our students remain a valued part of the DeKalb County School District family even after graduation.” STC sites are designed to combat the ‘summer melt,’ a
Harvard-studied phenomenon in which 10-40 percent of collegeintending students—particularly students with low-income backgrounds—fail to enroll in college the following semester for various reasons. Six STC sites— Cedar Grove High, Cross Keys High, Lithonia High, McNair High, Miller Grove High and Redan High— will be open to DCSD graduates at varying times until June 21. At least one postsecondary transition specialist, college advisor and financial aid advisor will be available to students.
PAGE 6 • JUNE 9, 2018 WWW.OCGNEWS.COM
Rockdale’s Constitutional Corner
Top 10 Jury Duty Excuses of 2017
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By Ruth A. Wilson Clerk of Courts
he right to trial by jury is a cornerstone of our Democracy. It is both an obligation and a right of American citizenship. The U.S. courts cannot function properly without the active involvement and cooperation of the public. It puts the power in the hands of the people to decide guilt or liability. It should not be taken lightly under any circumstances. When you receive your jury summons, DO NOT ignore it under penalty of law and possibly an even greater inconvenience. If you have an issue that prevents you from serving on the date summoned, simply call the jury clerk at the number listed on the summons. We will work with you to reschedule. Don’t bother with the creative excuses. We have heard them all before.
1. “I CAN ONLY COMMUNICATE TELEPATHICALLY.” Be sure you give The Clerk of Courts this excuse via a written message. Remember, you can only communicate through thought! But if you mess up and say something out loud, thus blowing your cover, she might excuse you because you are a total idiot. 2. “I WORK NIGHTS.” “I am going to wear pajamas. I work nights and keep the same schedule when I am off so basically I will be getting up in the middle of my night to go to jury duty. So don’t expect anything ‘cute’ from me.” There are well-established rules against hats, shades, shorts and pajamas in court. But you might be allowed to sit in the basement for the day. How “cute” is that? 3. “MY PEOPLE DO NOT RECOGNIZE YOUR EARTH LAWS.” “Jury duty is only for American citizens. When the lawyers ask me where I was born, I tell them Glaxon VII in the Betelgeuse system. How will they be able to prove me wrong? It’s not like they know what a Glaxonite looks like!”
4. “I WEAR BEES INSTEAD OF CLOTHES.” If you show up for jury duty naked and covered with bees, you’ll probably be excused. Bees not only sting, but also swarm, which means they’d leave you standing naked in the courtroom, and no one wants to see that. 5. “BA DA BA BA DA…I’M LOVIN’ IT.” “No matter what anyone says to me, I respond by singing the McDonalds jingle.” The Clerk will excuse you just to save herself from having to hear you sing the catchy tune over and over and over and over and over… (Note: The Chili’s Babyback Ribs song works well, too.) 6. “I POOT UNCONTROLLABLY.” Eat lots of beans before you arrive for jury selection—you may have to demonstrate your problem to The Clerk. 7. “I HAVE A SCHEDULE CONFLICT.” “I have to report to prison next week.” As soon as you say this, The Clerk will dismiss you for being too out of it to serve.
8. “I’LL HAVE TO BRING MY SEEING-EYE WOMBAT.” The Clerk probably wouldn’t bat an eye if a jury candidate needed a seeing-eye dog, but a wombat might be a different matter. No one would pay attention to the witness testimony because they’d all be wanting to play with your wombat. 9. “I BROUGHT A NOTE FROM MY MOMMY.” If Mommy says you don’t have to do jury duty, then The Clerk will have to excuse you, right? Be sure to wear diapers, and pin the note to your chest so you don’t lose it. 10. “JUSTIN BIEBER TICKETS ARE GOING ON SALE THAT DAY!” If you try to use this excuse, you won’t have to serve—the judge will throw your sorry butt in jail. Your best bet is to arrive on time and ready to serve when called for jury duty. Who knows…you might learn something. Throughout each month, the clerk of courts, tax commissioner, sheriff and probate judge—Rockdale’s elected constitutional officers—discuss topics relevant to their respective roles
Thomas Brantley, president of the Rockdale NAACP (far right), Gladys Brown (next to Brantley), treasurer, Allene Eatman (far left), assistant secretary, pose with scholarship recipients and parents. Photo by Glenn L. Morgan
Rockdale NAACP awards $1,000 scholarships to four high school graduates Four high school graduates from the class of 2018 were each awarded $1,000 scholarships from the Rockdale branch NAACP on June 4. The presentation was held at Antioch Baptist Church. The scholarship recipients were: Alexis Berry, a graduate of Salem High School, who plans to attend the University of West Georgia to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner. David Duncan, a graduate of Rockdale High School, who plans to attend Mercer University to pursue a career as a veterinarian. Tredarius Lassiter, a graduate of Heritage High School, who plans to attend Tennessee State University to pursue a career as a pediatrics anesthesiologist. Zaharia Selman, a graduate of Rockdale Magnet High School, who plans to attend University of Georgia to pursue a career as a veterinarian. The students had to prepare an essay and be in good standing with their schools to receive the scholarships.
Congressman Hank Johnson (far right) celebrates 2018 Service Academy appointees with Service Academy Board Member David Brice. Photo provided
Rep. Johnson announces U.S. Service Academy nominations and appointments
Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) announced the 25 students who were nominated to attend a U.S. Service Academy: Military Academy (West Point), Naval Academy, Air Force Academy, Coast Guard Academy and Merchant Marine Academy. Six of the 25 students who were nominated received appointments to attend a Service Academy. Every year, members of Congress nominate students to attend the nation’s military academies. Those nominees who are accepted into the academies are awarded four-year scholarships that include tuition, books, room and board, medical and dental care. The average award per appointment is worth $425,000. “Each year, I consider it an honor to send you off on your journey to our esteemed institutions where you will be educated, trained, and inspired to Larry Johnson to host Prayer with a Purpose Walk help shoulder the wheel in defense of our nation,” Johnson told the students at a reception at Stone Mountain’s Art Station. “All of you are outstanding DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson is young people and you have the kind of leadership skills necessary to be urging the community to unite against gun violence successful in school, business and in life.” plaguing neighborhoods. Johnson is hosting a Prayer with Appointees: a Purpose Walk & Rally on Friday, June 15, 6:30 p.m., at James Ferrante Providence Christian Academy (Air Force) New Life Church, 3592 Flat Shoals Road, Decatur. Justin Nelson Arabia Mountain High School (Navy) “As concerned community activists and residents, Jaison Taylor Newton High School (Navy) we will not allow violence to continue to ravish our Christopher Terry Stephenson High School (West Point) neighborhoods without a fight. It is time for us to rise up Beining Xiao Chamblee Charter High School (Navy) and show that we will not tolerate the senseless killings,” Avery Jones Miller Grove High School (West Point) Larry Johnson Johnson said. “Please come out and join us if you are All members of Congress may nominate up to 10 candidates per willing to take a stand and be a voice for our community. opening. Those who graduate from a Service Academy will receive a All ages are encouraged to attend.” Bachelor of Science degree, be commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, and Johnson will hold a meeting from 6:30 to 7 p.m. before the walk to the honorably serve in the military for a minimum of five years. Intergenerational Center at Exchange Park, where the event will end with a rally. For more information about the nomination process, contact For more information, call Commissioner Larry Johnson’s office at 404Congressman Johnson’s office at 770-987-2291 or visit Johnson online at 371-2425 or visit www.commissionerlarryjohnson.com. hankjohnson.house.gov/serving-you/military-academy-nominations.
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