FREE VOLUME 24 NUMBER 27
AUGUST 25, 2018
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Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
Remembering Aretha March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018
Local nonprofit helps Towers High grad make it to Nashville
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ngels come in all forms. For Dahjia Turner, a graduate of DeKalb County’s Towers High School, a nonprofit called Communities in Schools of Atlanta (CIS) was the godsend she needed to start her freshman year in college a few days ago. Turner had her bags packed and everything she needed for her dorm and new life at Tennessee State University in Nashville. But she didn’t have a way to get there because her family does not own a car.
Atlantans pay tribute to Aretha Franklin, Queen of Soul
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By Valerie J. Morgan
tlantans, like the rest of America, is remembering Aretha Franklin, the Queen of Soul. While several pre-homegoing events are planned in Detroit, where Franklin will be laid to rest, many in Atlanta also are honoring the icon singer with tributes, stories and reflections ahead of her Aug. 31 funeral. The Rev. Jasper Williams, pastor emeritus of Atlanta’s Salem Baptist Church, discussed in a video what it means for
him to be chosen to deliver the eulogy at the private funeral, which will only be open to family, friends, and invited guests. Williams also delivered the eulogy for Franklin’s father, the Rev. C.L. Franklin, his mentor and friend. “My admiration, love and respect for Dr. Franklin is infinite. In other words, there are no boundaries. There are no limitations,” Rev. Williams said in the video where he was interviewed by his son, the Rev. Joseph L. Williams . “I feel
SEE ARETHA page 7
More people moving to metro Atlanta, DeKalb hits fastest growth spurt in two decades
Dahjia Turner is overcome with emotion.
CIS Atlanta stepped in to help. In addition to driving Turner to the campus in Tennessee and helping her with dorm supplies, the campus the nonprofit made sure Turner connected with campus ambassadors, and introduced her to community stakeholders and potential mentors to assist with her transition into higher education. CIS Atlanta is a drop-out prevention organization founded in Atlanta in 1971. Turner started ninth grade at Clarkston High School, where she was introduced to the CIS program. She continued with the program through her graduation this year at Towers. “We are all in for our students and their families even after they graduate from high school and go to college,” said Frank Brown, Esq., CEO of Communities in Schools of Atlanta. “We surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life.” For more information on CIS Atlanta, visit www.cisatlanta.org.
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etro Atlanta’s population is booming. The metro added 75,800 new residents in the past year, increasing its population to 4,555,900 in the 10-county region. The numbers reflect the second-largest one-year increase since 2007-2008, trailing its 2016-2017 increase of 78,300, according to a new report released by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC). DeKalb County added 10,600 people in the past year, its largest single-year growth in nearly two decades. The surge brings the county’s total population to 744,530. Fulton County, which took the No. 1 spot with an increase of 17,570 people now has a population of 1,020,370. Gwinnett County, which had an increase of 16,700, came in second with a population of 910,700, the ARC reported. DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond says the growth is a positive sign. “DeKalb County is becoming the preferred location for many residents and businesses,” said Thurmond. “We have gotten our fiscal house in order and made significant investments to improve county services, governance and accountability.” Thurmond said county strengths
include an extensive interstate highway system, the second busiest airport in Georgia, a strong public transit network, improvements in the public school system, numerous higher education and technical schools and incomparable healthcare facilities such as the Centers for Disease Control, Emory, DeKalb Medical and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. The surge continued a trend of rapid growth. DeKalb grew by 8,900 people between April 2016 and April 2017 and 6,600 the previous year. The county has added more than 52,000 people since 2010. State Rep. Doreen Carter, whose District 92 includes a portion of Decatur, the cities of Lithonia, Stonecrest and Conyers, said it’s clear metro Atlanta has become
more populated because of the traffic congestion. “I leave at 6:15 every morning and there’s already a traffic jam on I-20. If I leave at 6:30 a.m., it’s too late. I know I’m going to be late getting downtown,” said Carter. Carter said more work must be done to create jobs where people live. “With all of the growth that is going on, it’s a good opportunity to lure more headquarters, even smaller companies, to east metro Atlanta, particularly in the new city of Stonecrest and Lithonia. There’s plenty of land in Stonecrest that is ripe for development,” said Carter. “New development will create more revenues for the cities and the county.” Carter said more efforts also must be made to encourage employers to offer flexible schedules to workers so everyone is not headed to work at the same time. “We’ve got push flex time, carpooling and the use of public transportation and encourage incentives to reduce the traffic congestion,” said Carter. “I left the office at 5 p.m. and it took me one hour and 20 minutes to go less than 15 miles.”