VOLUME 22 NUMBER 24
FREE
SEPTEMBER 17, 2016
Published Since April 1995 Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties • www.facebook.com/ocgnews
G
My Country ‘Tis of Thee
eorgia Piedmont Technical College hosted its 13th Annual Constitution Day and U.S. Citizenship Celebration in the DeKalb Campus Conference Center on Sept. 15. During the naturalization ceremony, GPTC President Jabari Simama helped present citizenship certificates to 16 candidates. Some of the students waved tiny American flags during the celebration. For more on the story, see page 8. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan
DeKalb: Conserve Georgia launches new app to assist parents with child support cases water during drought
T
he Georgia Department of Human Services (DHS) has launched a new child support app to assist customers with child support cases on their mobile devices. The GA DCSS mobile app allows customers to make child support payments, review payment history, view scheduled appointments, and receive notifications/alerts on important information regarding their cases. “Children need emotional and financial support from both parents,” said DHS Commissioner Robyn A. Crittenden. “The GA DCSS mobile app gives parents another avenue to meet their child support obligations. Ensuring children in our state are receiving much needed support from both parents helps build stronger families for a stronger Georgia.” Georgia is the first state to make a full service child support mobile app available to its customers. The GA DCSS app provides self-service options by allowing cus-
DeKalb County is urging residents to conserve water as many metro area areas are in a Level 1 drought and facing unusually dry conditions this year. Persistent dry conditions have prompted the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) to declare a Level 1 Drought Response in 53 counties, including DeKalb. “We are asking DeKalb County residents and business to proactively address these drought conditions by doing everything they can to conserve water,” said DeKalb Interim CEO Lee May. The DeKalb Department of Watershed Management urges residents to follow these watering restrictions set forth by the Georgia EPD, which states that outdoor watering should be limited to the hours between 4 p.m. and 10 a.m. to avoid the hottest part of the day when more evaporation occurs. There children in Georgia. are several exceptions, such as new plantings, listed at http:// The app is available epd.georgia.gov/water-conservation. In addition, DeKalb County is encouraging residents to on Apple and Android conduct a modified outdoor watering according to the odd/ devices and can be downeven schedule: loaded via the App Store Odd-numbered addresses to irrigate on Tuesdays, Thursor the Google Play Store. days and Sundays. The following keywords Even-numbered and unnumbered addresses to irrigate on can be used to find the Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. app to download: “DeKalb County supports the efforts of the Metropolitan • DCSS North Georgia Water Planning District and Georgia Envi• GA DCSS ronmental Protection Division in conserving our precious • Child Support resource of water,” stated Department of Watershed Director • Georgia Child Sup- Scott Towler. port Additionally, DeKalb County offers these tips to residents for saving water: • DHS • Use a rain gauge to determine how much rain has • DHS Child Supoccurred over the week before watering outdoor plants. Most port For more information outdoor plants need an inch of water per week. • Water lawns and plants in several short sessions on programs and services instead of one long session. This reduces runoff and allows within DHS Division of water to infiltrate into soil and plant roots. Child Support Services, • Water lawns only when needed. If the blades of grass please visit www.dcss. don’t bounce back after walking across the lawn, it is time to dhs.georgia.gov or call water. (More plants die from over watering than under wa1-844-MYGADHS (1tering.)Water lawns and plants in the early morning and late
tomers to securely access their child support case on a mobile device. It provides easy access to case details and general information about programs and services provided by DHS Division of Child Support Services (DCSS). “The mobile app is part of the overall effort in continuing to meet the needs of our customers where they are,” said Tanguler Gray, DCSS director. “Custodial and noncustodial parents are both able to access information or updates on their child support case in the palm of their hands.” In fiscal year 2016, an estimated $737 million in child support was distributed to more than 551,000 844-694-2347).
See Drought, page 8