Community
Community
Celebrating
Seniors
19 years
New Arabia Mountain trail in Conyers draws a crowd ....page 3
DeKalb Fire Safety House teaches safety to families ....page 5
SERVING DEKALB, FULTON, GWINNETT, HENRY AND ROCKDALE COUNTIES
VOLUME 20 NUMBER 12
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Family celebrates Atlanta resident’s 100th birthday ....page 10
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DeKalb County schools ranked high nationally and statewide
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eKalb School of the Arts ranked third among Georgia’s more than 460 high schools by U.S. News and World Report. The school scored 79th out of nearly 20,000 high schools around the nation. Chamblee Charter High School also was among the top high schools in the national ranking, earning a Gold Medal alongside DSA, the highest award for the nation’s top 500 high schools based on college readiness. DSA had a college readiness score of 100 percent from U.S. News and World Report. “DSA is reflective of the district’s demographics through the audition and acceptance process without it being forced,” said Susan McCauley, DSA’s principal. “We take students from varying backgrounds and push them to a higher level through our combination
of rigorous academics and their passion for the arts.”
File Photo
Chamblee Charter High earned top honors for its high percentage of
students who graduate fully prepared for college. Chamblee Charter ranked 11th statewide. A third DeKalb high school, DeKalb Early College Academy, received a bronze medal and national recognition for its consistent success in producing college-ready graduates. “The U.S. News and World Report rankings acknowledge the work we are doing in DeKalb of academically lifting our students no matter their socioeconomic background,” said Michael Thurmond, superintendent of the DeKalb County School District. “We are proud of the accomplishments of the students and faculty at DSA, Chamblee Charter and DECA. And we won’t stop until every one of our high schools receives top honors, because we know that all of our students can achieve at the highest levels.”
Annual race in Rockdale attracts ducky lovers of all ages
Photos by Joshua Smith/OCG News
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By Joshua Smith
he young and the young at heart came together on June 19 in Conyers to celebrate everyone’s favorite bathtub buddy — the rubber ducky. Participants competed in duck decorating contests, ducky crafts and of course the 10th annual
rubber ducky race. Children also had the chance to compete in relay races while the rubber ducky’s made their way down stream in the annual race. Hundreds of ducks trickled downstream on a small stretch of water at Costley Mill Park as volunteers and Rockdale County staff members got wet and picked them up to announce the first through 14th place rubber ducks.
The event benefits senior citizens at the Rockdale County Senior Center and several of its programs such as Meals-on-Wheels, which allows volunteers to deliver a lunchtime meal to homebound seniors, and transportation vouchers, which provide nonSee Ducks, page 6
Georgia drivers licenses to offer blood type option When drivers in Georgia apply for a new or renewed driver’s license or an ID card with the Georgia Department of Driver Services, they will be able to indicate if they want their blood type printed on the back of their card. “In an emergency situation, medical personnel need up-to-date health information to quickly and efficiently treat injuries,” said Gov. Nathan Deal. “To better assist these first responders, our Department of Driver Services is now giving Georgians the option to include their blood type on their license or identification cards. This is yet another example of our continued commitment to the safety and well-being of our state’s drivers.”
The blood type will be printed on the back of the card under “Medical Information.” This service is completely optional, but the DDS says the information will be very helpful to medical personnel during an emergency. “Every second matters in an emergency,” said Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D., Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Public Health. “If a person becomes incapacitated and cannot speak, it’s our hope that this information could speak for them, alerting rescuers to the person’s blood type and saving precious time.” For more information, visit www.dds. ga.gov.