VOLUME 23 NUMBER 52
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MARCH 24, 2018
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Serving DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett, Henry and Rockdale Counties
DeKalb County police officer receives outpouring of support after house fire By Mackenzie N. Morgan
H
undreds of supporters flocked to the DeKalb County Police Department’s South Precinct in Decatur to help raise funds for a DeKalb County officer who lost his home to a fire on March 1. Officer Marty Williams, who has been with the DeKalb Police Department for eight years, said the outpouring of support has been overwhelming. The community came out on March 16 to support a fundraiser for Williams and his six children. “The turnout was bigger than I ever could have dreamed of. Not only did people show up to give monetary donations, clothes and toys but they wanted to give their encouragement. Some would shake my hand and tell me ‘thank you’ for what I do as an officer. The fact that what I do for them is appreciated gives me strength to keep going,” said Officer Williams. While the cause of the fire has not been determined, the home was declared a total loss after firefighters spent nearly half an hour putting out the flames. The father of six took shelter at a hotel with his girlfriend and six children ages 3 to 11. Williams’ wife
Stonecrest Mayor Jason Lary and staff members at City Hall pitched in to help the Williams’ family.
Officer Marty Williams, his six children and girlfriend, Amber Singleton, greeted the droves of people who attended the fundraiser. Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCGNews
died two years ago, shortly after the birth of their youngest child. The DeKalb County Police Department, in partnership with Mix’d Up Burgers, hosted the fundraiser and cookout in an effort to help the Williams family rebound. Local elected officials, business leaders, officers from neighboring police departments and members from the general public showed up in droves to offer their support. “We lost family photos that were
SEE SUPPORT page 4
DeKalb Clerk of Court Debra Deberry was among several elected officials in the county who made a donation to Williams.
State Rep. Vernon Jones said he was happy to make a donation to Officer Williams and thanked him for his service.
Actor Afemo Omilami of Hosea Feed the Hungry and Homeless was among the well-wishers who contributed.
LITERACY AMBASSADORS
Photos by Glenn L. Morgan/OCGNews
100 Lithonia High athletes celebrate reading with Stoneview Elementary By Valerie J. Morgan
reading with the elementary students. Mitchell talked about the importance ne hundred Lithonia High of reading. He also told the story School athletes took a break of how he struggled to read while a from the action to give student at the University of Georgia, back to elementary school but overcame that great challenge students with the gift of literacy. by practicing reading with the same The high school students visited fervor that he practiced football. In Stoneview Elementary School on the end, he charged the students to March 22 and were paired with the become literacy ambassadors for younger children, to whom they read a Lithonia High and the community. book written by New England Patriots A local literacy nonprofit, Page wide receiver Malcom Mitchell. Turners Make Great Learners, During a visit he made recently teamed up with Lithonia High to gift to Lithonia High, Mitchell challenged 100 copies of Mitchell’s book, The 100 athletes to share the magic of Magician’s Hat, to the Stoneview
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students. In the book, Mitchell presents the story of a magician who invites kids to reach into his hat and become whatever they want to be making their wildest dreams come true. Stoneview Elementary School Principal Cassandra Davis said the 100 students from her school who participated in the reading day were selected based on their academic performance and behavior. Stoneview was identified on the governor’s list as a “turn around” school that falls in the bottom 5 percent of the state’s College and Career-Ready
Performance Index (CCRPI). Davis said the students and community are striving to fulfill the school’s motto: “We can, we will, we must succeed.” Lithonia High School Principal Darrick McCray said his students were excited to participate in the literacy project and do their part to make a difference in the lives of younger students on the path to excelling. “Literacy is extremely important and what better way to spark that interest and pass it along to others than to share in a project like this,” said McCray.