the News June 20-26, 2015
Volume 7, Issue 10
$1
#BragOnDad Contest winners! PAGE 8 Serving Rockdale County and Conyers
rockdalenews.com
West Ave. sports bar proposal shot down at city council, PAGE 3 GBI investigates Judge Charles Mays By Michelle Kim, Martin Rand, III news@rockdalenews.com
Rockdale County Probate Court Judge Charles Mays, Sr.’s legal issues may not be quite as over as Mays’ team proclaimed it was last month. The Georgia Bureau of Investigations has opened a case and is investigating Mays, a GBI spokesperson confirmed. And on Tuesday, Freya Pearson - the former Probate Court worker suing seeking to sue Mays for alleged backpay - sent an ante-litem notice to the county to warn them about the pending litigation she planned to file against the county unless the county resolves Mays’ alleged $20,000 debt to her. The county is required to be served a notice within a year if they are to be sued. Pearson said this notice was served to preserve her right to sue the county. “Unless this matter can be settled immediate, I will file suit against Rockdale County, its employees and any other people that might be responsible,” Pearson writes in the notice. Pearson then continues by stating the county and its employees may be held responsible for several crimes and immoral acts, including, but not limited to, theft of services, sexual harassment, abuse of authority, slander, intimidation, “creating situations to assist, instead of deter Charles Mays behavior,” and “failure to do your jobs.” She cites Mays specifically for “just being plain stupid & incompetent.” “If you want to discuss this claim and paying me, then I will make myself available to talk with you at my convenience,” Pearson writes. “However, you should know that I will sue Rockdale County unless we can reach a settlement that is agreeable to me.” Pearson confirmed the document had been issued by her and not from the office of her attorney Mike Waldrop, who also serves as the attorney and solicitor for the City of Conyers. Waldrop said no decision had been made whether he would be
See MAYS on PAGE 8
Like us at facebook. com/ rockdalenews
Follow us @rockdalenews
Darrell Everidge/The Rockdale News About 40 elected officials, clergy and community members attended a Friday prayer vigil at Macedonia Baptist for the Charleston Emanuel AME Church shooting this past Tuesday.
Vigil for Charleston
Conyers prayer vigils for Charleston Emanuel AME shooting held Friday, Monday By Martin Rand, III
news@rockdalenews.com
In the wake of the massacre that took place yesterday at a historically black South Carolina Church, church leaders, city and county leaders and the community gathered together for a prayer vigil Friday at Macedonia Baptist to honor the victims. Wednesday evening, 21-year-old Dylan Roof, a white male, walked into the Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina and fatally shot nine black people. He was arrested this morning in North Carolina, according to reports. Macedonia Baptist Pastor Billie Cox, who organized the
praying vigil for the community, says this event is meant to bring the community together during this moment of sadness. “We’re praying for the lives lost and the families affected by the lost,” she said. “That doesn’t exclude the family of the shooter. They need prayer now as well.” Cox gathered several pastors from other churches in Conyers to attend the vigil as well. “I wanted to pull together churches so we could show a solidarity front,” she said. “We want (people) to know that the church is safe.”
See VIGIL on PAGE 2