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FRIDAY, JAn. 2, 2015 VOL. 17, nO. 38 FREE

A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS erving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

F REE P RESS

by Andrew [email protected]

Tis is our community, said James B. KynesJr., president of the Southwest DeKalb class of1993.

When members of the Southwest DeKalbHigh School class of 1993 got together Dec. 22,it wasnt for a class anniversary or other celebra-tion. It was to give back to the community sur-rounding their alma mater.

Some of us dont live on this side of townbut we went to Southwest DeKalb, Kynes said.Our class denitely wants to do the best we canas far as making sure we give back to the com-munity.

Kynes said, We got a call that we had somefamilies that might have been in need for the

Christmas season. We had classmates thatstepped up and wanted to contribute to thecause and make sure these families were fed andhad a good Christmas season.

For two hours in a parking lot on WesleyChapel Road near I-20, the alumni sponsoreda Holiday Give Back Initiative service project.Tey distributed turkey meals, brown bag meals,clothes, shoes and provided free haircuts.

Te haircuts were provided by Ernesto Nes-to Williams of Nestos Buckhead, and barbersfrom Kings of Atlanta and Edgetown BarberShop.

[Were] helping the homeless and the peoplewho are a little down on their luck, Williamssaid.

Te haircuts were provided in a mobile bar-

See SWD on page 15A

SWD ALUMNI GIVE BACK

LOCAL, 8A

Education .....................16ABusiness ........................17ASports .............................19AOpinion ...........................5A

Classied .......................18A

QUICK FINDER

2014 Year in Revi

Cleavon Parker, Tiffanii Wyatt, Cassandra Parks, James B. Kynes Jr. and Tiffanie Williams were some of the alumni of the Southwest DeKalb High School Class of 1993 who participated inrecent holiday benevolence project. Photos by Travis Hudgons

The Southwest DeKalb High School Class of 1993 helped needy south DeKalb residents by giving out turkey dinner items,bag lunches, free haircuts and clothing. They even offered prayers to some res idents.

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Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015

LOCAL

NEWS BRIEFS

Charity flows from Decatur to Haitiby Kathy Mitchell

Decatur lawyer EdBuckley said hes astonishedat how what he started 11years ago as a small projecto provide fresh water to

a village in Haiti has bal-ooned into a series of water

systems that now serve be-

ween 350,000 and 450,000esidents of the small islandnation.

Buckley and those whovolunteer with him havenow built more than 300wells and other water sys-ems worth more than $1

million.I sort of fell backwards

nto this, Buckley explained.I was reading about peoplebuilding small fresh watersystems in Africa that weremaking a big difference inhe quality of life for peoplen the areas where the sys-ems were built. I startedooking into how I could getnvolved in something likehat.

Buckley researched

nonprofits involved in suchwork and selected Food ForThe Poor as the one thatbest met his needs. Ear-lier this year, Food For ThePoors Executive DirectorAngel Aloma named Buck-ley and two other Atlanta-area residents AmbassadorsFor The Poor at the charitysseventh annual DreamsAcross The Sea event.

Buckley, managingpartner at The BuckleyLaw Firm, was recognizedalong with the Rev. WilliamThomas Deneke, an Episco-pal priest from Decatur; andAmanda Farahany , a part-ner at Barrett & Farahany inAtlanta.

The great thing aboutthis organization is that ithas people in Haiti whounderstand how things aredone there and cut throughthe red tape so projects canbe completed quickly andcost effectively, Buckleysaid.

He takes a small group,usually four five people, ap-

proximately twice a year toHaiti, where they look atareas that need water. Thegroups work with engineersto help determine the feasi-bility of building a system.Most of the systems webuild are in rural areas, sowe have to look at whetherit can be done and what itwill take to do it. From therewe can figure out how muchmoney the project will takeso we have a fundraisinggoal when we go back to theUnited States, Buckley ex-plained.

Some of the proceedsfrom the Dreams Across theSea event will further themission that got Buckleyinvolved with the charity.They will be used to bringclean, safe drinking water toDalon, Haiti, through the in-stallation of a 10,000-gallonconcrete cistern and waterkiosks. Currently, residentswalk more than a mile toreach the local spring, andbecause of the heavy reli-ance on this resource, resi-

dents usually have to wait45 minutes to collect water,according to Food For ThePoor.

Proceeds from the eventalso will help fund com-ponents for a water proj-ect at the Baptist Hospitalin Quartier Morin, Haiti.There is no piped waterin Quartier Morin, a state-ment from the charity notes.The several shallow, hand-dug wells at the Baptist Hos-pital are inefficient becausethey are susceptible to theregions dry spells, as theyare replenished by rainfall.When necessary, water ispumped by hand and de-livered in wheelbarrows tothe hospital from the nearbychildrens home. That wellwas generously installedin 2012 by Ed Buckley andmembers of Leadership At-lanta.

Buckley called the needfor clean drinking waterthe most fundamental ofhuman rights. He added,Without clean drinking wa-

ter we cannot fully exerciseour other God-given rights.For example, a child cantenjoy her right to educationwith parasites roiling in herbelly because she does nothave clean drinking water. Awoman cant engage in com-merce if she has to spendfive hours a day hunting forclean water and bringing afive-gallon bucket back toher home, only to repeat thesame thing the next day.

He said his appreciationof the need to serve oth-ers increased during whathe termed a recent healthscare, which he creditsDecatur nurse Susan Parry with helping him through.She brought me back tothe land of the living. I feela huge debt of gratitude toher, Buckley said. Earlierthis year, during a trip toHaiti Buckley and his grouphonored Parry through theinauguration of a new waterwell and cistern at BernardMevs Hospital in Port-au-Prince.

Ethics board clears Commissioner Larry Johnson

The DeKalb County Board of Ethics dis-

missed charges against DeKalb County Com-missioner Larry Johnson which involvedseveral payments to the Porter Sanford III Per-forming Arts & Community Center.

The arts support the education of our chil-dren and provide wholesome entertainmentfor families of all ages, said Johnson, in a state-ment. All of my expenditures have been for apublic purpose and this is no different. I willcontinue to support this type of programmingin District 3 to the extent I am able.

The complaint, filed in May by residentRhea Johnson , claimed misuse of the commis-sioners purchasing card.

Johnsons attorney, Mawuli Mel Davis , saidthe ethics complaint was frivolous and shouldnever have taken so long to resolve.

Its those kinds of wild allegations that willcause people to lose faith in their public ser- vants, Davis said.

GBI ends investigation of 2013 death of jailacademy recruit

Following DeKalb County Sheriff Jeffrey Mann s request in November for an indepen-dent review, the Georgia Bureau of Investiga-tions (GBI) has released its report on the cir-cumstances surrounding the death of recruitGeorge Ward .

The GBI does not plan to take any furtheraction on the case, according to the Sheriff sOffice.

Ward was a detention officer recruit whodied unexpectedly in May 2013 during the sec-ond day of the jail academy training program.

We understand that Mr. Wards familycontinues to grieve his loss, and they have oursympathies, Mann said. After reviewing thereport, however, I remain confident that thisagency acted responsibly with regard to histragic death and to our training program duringretired Sheriff Thomas Brown s administration.We continue to do so today. When Mr. Wardbecame ill while training, we responded swiftly,professionally and appropriately.

According to initial reports by the DeKalbMedical Examiner, Ward was a victim of seri-ous pre-existing medical conditions. This wasreconfirmed by the GBI Medical Examiner aspart of its review.

Mann referred to the DeKalb Sheriffs Of-fice training program as a textbook for lawenforcement agencies and he said it is managedby experienced officers who share recruits de-sires to succeed.

Given the nature of the detention officers job, it is critical that all our officers are well-trained physically, emotionally and mentally,Mann said. They must be able to functioneffectively in the life-or-death situations thatoccur inside the jail. While hundreds of offi-cers have successfully graduated from our jailacademy, those few who found it to be too chal-

lenging were either released or left the program voluntarily.

DeKalb Police awarded $68,300 grant

The Governors Office of Highway Safetyhas announced that the DeKalb County PoliceDepartment is one of 17 law enforcement agen-cies in Georgia to receive a Highway Enforce-ment of Aggressive Traffic grant for the 2015grant season. Referred to as a H.E.A.T. grant,the DeKalb County Police Departments awardtotals $68,300.

The goal of the H.E.A.T. program is to com-bat crashes, injuries and fatalities caused by im-paired driving and speeding, while also increas-ing seatbelt use and educating the public abouttraffic safety and the dangers of DUI.

The DeKalb County Police DepartmentH.E.A.T Unit will use the grant from GOHS todevelop and implement strategies to reduce lo-cal traffic crashes due to aggressive and danger-ous driving behaviors.

Agencies like the DeKalb County PoliceDepartment receive this H.E.A.T. grants be-cause they have showed a particular dedicationto protecting their citizens from impaired driv-ers, said GOHS Director Harris Blackwood .This dedication is crucial because alcohol-related crash deaths still account for 25 percentof traffic fatalities in Georgia. We are gratefulto Chief [James ] Conroy and his staff for theircontinued hard work.

Totaling $3.2 million for 2015, H.E.A.T.

See Briefs on page 20A

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 3ALOCAL

Red Cross releases new safety appA new American Red

Cross app has been createdto help children between theages of 7 and 11 learn emer-gency preparedness whileplaying a game as monstercharacters.

A recent news releasereported the free app,Monster Guard: Preparefor Emergencies, is a gameto teach children how toprevent emergencies such ashome fires and how to helpthem to stay safe if severeweather or naturaldisasters occur.

Set in the mon-ster guard academy,the app user is arecruit who trainsto prepare for di-sasters and practice

what to do if onehappens. Users canrole play as variousmonster characters,go through the ini-tiation and engage in inter-active training episodes forhazards such as tornados,floods and hurricanes. If aplayer completes all the epi-sodes, he or she will gradu-ate and become a memberof the monster guard.

The Monster Guardapp game is emergency pre-paredness disguised as fun,said Russ Paulsen , executivedirector of Community Pre-paredness and Resilience.

As children direct themonsters to identify firehazards, locate a safe roomin a house and select items

needed for their emergencysupplies kit, they are learn-ing how to prepare foremergencies, he said.

Monster Guard runs oniOS 7 and 8 and AndroidOS 4x and up.

The Monster Guard appgame is a complement toThe Pillowcase Project, afree Red Cross youth pre-paredness initiative, for 8- to

11-year-olds, designed to in-crease childrens awarenessand understanding of natu-ral hazards and reduce theirfears. Participants learnsafety and emotional coping

skills, along with personalemergency preparednessskills.

The app and The Pillow-

case Project are both spon-sored by Disney.The Red Cross offers

a series of apps that givepeople instant access to ex-pert guidance on what todo before, during and afteremergencies and disasters.People have used theseaward-winning apps to savelives and help protect petsand property. Localizedweather alerts and warningsfrom the apps have allowedpeople to get themselves andothers to a safe place beforesevere storms came throughtheir area.The app can be down-loaded by searching for RedCross in their mobile appstore or by going to redcross.org/apps.

The American CancerSocietys newly publishedThe Cancer Atlas, Second Edi-ion issued for the first timen book and interactive web-ite formatswas released on

Dec. 4 at the World CancerCongress in partnership withhe International Agency for

Research on Cancer (IARC)within the World Health Or-ganization and the Union fornternational Cancer Control.

The data featured in thebook and on the websitehighlight strategies that gov-rnments can use to reduceheir cancer burden.

The annual number ofnew cancer cases worldwides predicted to increase from4 million in 2012 to almost

22 million in 2030 due topopulation growth and aging.Each country has differenthallenges according to itsevel of development, de-

mographics, risk factors andifestyle patterns, according tohe American Cancer SocietyACS).

According to the Dec. 4media release, researchersrom all over the world culledhrough numerous data

sources to createThe Cancer Atlas to help global healthexperts determine what ac-tions they must take to bettercontrol cancer.

We know more aboutthe burden of cancer and howto reduce itthan we do aboutthe any other noncommuni-cable disease,John R. Sef-frin , CEO of the ACS said.

He added, Information isa powerful tool in the handsof passionate, dedicated in-dividuals. However, makingsense of the mountains ofavailable data can be a chal-lenge.

The Cancer Atlas is saidto alleviate this problem, con-solidating research from 184countries and other sources

into a comprehensive guideto the global cancer land-scape. The website featuresan interactive map and tablesand pages that organize theinformation.

The media report said thedigital interactive promotescancer prevention and controlworldwide by arming thosewho need it with the mostcomplete information avail-able on the global realities of

See Cancer on page 6A

Global cancer data revealschallenges and opportunities

Happy New Year

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The Champion Free Press, Friday Jan. 2, 2015 Page 4AOPINION

Cuba beckons

John [email protected]

Chief Operating Officer

For years I have wanted too to Cuba. Te rebel in meaturally makes me want toisit a nation where Ameri-ans are not supposed to go,ut theres also the appeal o a

and that time has somewhatorgotten or more than hal aentury.

Once a top vacation des-nation or jet-setting world

ravelers, it all changed onan. 3, 1961, when Presidentohn F. Kennedy terminatediplomatic relations with thesland nation afer Fidel Cas-ro assumed power in 1959ollowing the Cuban Revolu-on. Since that time, Ameri-ans have not been allowed toegally travel directly rom the

U.S. to Cuba without specicovernment approval.

As a result o the severing diplomatic relations, Cuba,whose geographically closesteighbor and source o most

their consumer products ishe United States, became e -

ectively cut off rom the reeworld and has been rozen intime.

Part o the allure o theisland to me is to see vintage50s automobiles zippingalong streets lined with archi-tecturally beauti ul historicbuildings, and along relativelyundeveloped coastal roads.O course there is Latin in-uenced music, art, ood and

li estyle that also are hugedraws or me.

Atlanta-based radio andtelevision personality ClarkHoward , who has traveled toCuba, described it as a nation

stuck in 1959.Just in the last week,many people on social mediaplat orms expressed similarinterests in the possibility oAmericans again being al-lowed to travel to what is de-scribed by many as an islandparadise but it appears thattravel is not an area whererestrictions will be lifed asquickly as commercial tradeand commerce.

Putting political argu-ments aside, the normalizingo relations with Cuba is agood move economically

or the United States and orCuba. With Georgia beingwidely known as the poul-try capital o the world, thismeans that with ewer traderestrictions the poultry in-

dustry will be allowed to shipeven more eggs and chickento Cuba.

According to Stone Moun-tain-based USA Poultry andEgg Export Council, which

represents 98 percent o thepoultry and egg industries inthe U.S., we already exportan estimated $150 millionin poultry products to Cubaannually and the potential ismuch greater.

Another potential eco-nomic boom is the automo-tive industry. Its not likelythat the average Cuban citizencan afford a new car but thinko the potential o shippingthe hundreds o thousandso used automobiles thatAmericans no longer desireto a market wanting those

vehicles.Many are critical o Presi-dent Obama s decision toloosen restrictions but I cantsee a downside in this equa-tion. American corporations

have opportunities to markettheir goods and services to anew market, which may boostemployment rates and im-prove our economy. Te Cu-ban people will have access to

better quality ood, clothing,automobiles and other con-sumables; and, as a result mayquickly realize that an openand diplomatic society is armore desirable than how theyhave been orced to live underthe Castro regime.

Tis could be the rst stepin another Cuban revolu-tion that would result in oneless dictatorship in the worldand bring all a better sense ocommunity among the na-tions o our part o the globe.

I see no negatives in thismove, but as usual, there are

always those who nd some-thing to complain about inalmost any situation.

Im ready to go to Cubaand hope to be on one o therst ights out, legal or not!

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OPINIONThe Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 5A

Let Us Know What You Think!THE CHAMPION FREE PRESS encourages opinions from its readers.Please write to us and express your views. Letters should be brief, type-written and contain the writers name, address and telephone numberfor verication. All letters will be considered for publication.Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send email to [email protected] FAX To: (404) 370-3903 Phone:(404) 373-7779 . Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week priorto publication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing editors do notnecessarily re ect the opinions of the editor or publishers. The Publisher reserves theright to reject or cancel any advertisement at any time. The Publisher is not responsiblefor unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: John Hewitt Chief Financial O cer: Dr. Earl D. GlennManaging Editor: Andrew CauthenProduction Manager: Kemesha Hunt Photographer: Travis HudgonsSta Reporters: Carla Parker, Ashley Oglesby

The Champion Free Press is published each Friday by ACE IIICommunications, Inc., 114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA.30030 Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.comDISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110

F REE P RESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this andany issue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion wasfounded in 1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse

for all community residents on all sides of an issue. We haveno desire to make the news only to report news and opinionsto effect a more educated citizenry that will ultimately moveour community forward. We are happy to present ideas fordiscussion; however, we make every effort to avoid printinginformation submitted to us that is known to be false and/orassumptions penned as fact.

ONE MANS OPINION

The ABCs of QBE Our ability to provide

needed improvements inducational spending will not

hinge on extracting a largerax bite from our hard-work-ng citizens. We can and will

do what is necessary by livingwithin our means. GeorgiaGov. Joe Frank Harris, dur-ng remarks to the Governors

Education Review Commis-ion, Nov. 12, 1984.

First, lets get one im-portant fact out of the way.Since being signed into lawn 1985 by then Georgia

Gov. Joe Frank Harris, theQuality Basic EducationAct (QBE) has never beenully funded by any Georgia

governor. Public educationby far comprises the largestegment of the Georgia state

budget, as well as accountsor its largest group of em-

ployees. Education funding,ducation consumes nearlyeven out of every 10 stateax dollars.

Public education advo-ates will almost always say

we are not putting enoughesources directly into thelassroom. I am one who

agrees and believe that en-irely too many dollars are

wasted on administrativexpenses, many required by

the federal government. OurDeKalb County School Dis-trict seems to have as manydeputy and/or assistantsuperintendents as we doschool principals. We needstrong performers and lead-ers in the latter category;Im not entirely sold that weneed the former much at all.

Gov. Nathan Deal is say-ing that all options will beon the table to improve thefairness and distributionor equity of state educationfunding to all points of ourgreat state. State funding,per pupil, with the dol-lars following scholars, isreasonably simply equal-ized. Less control and capsexist, as they should, for thelocal contribution, federal

incentives for excellenceand even additional dollarsbrought into the schools byPTAs, booster clubs and cor-porate/nonprofit sponsorsand partners.

And some of our statescontinually highest perform-ing systems are in the small-est of communities, like thetiny city of Trion and TrionCity Schools. Trion schoolswere rebuilt after a disas-trous flood destroyed theelementary, middle and highschools in 1990. The threeshare a campus today andare the center of the com-munity. Leadership in thebusiness and public sectorscompete to serve on the lo-cal school board for practi-cally no pay. The combinedschool enrollment is lessthan 1,300 students, and yetthe PTA and booster clubsare a perennial top fundrais-er in the former mill townin Chattooga County on theAlabama border in Geor-gias northwest corner. Testscores, achievement andgraduation rates are amongthe highest in the state, yearin and year out.

Public education fundingis a hodgepodge, with thelargest piece coming from

the state. State revenue isderived roughly 40 percentfrom the personal incometax, slightly more than 25percent sales tax and bothof these sources are tappedfor education spending,supplanted locally by lo-cal sales taxes, ad valoremproperty taxes on real estate,and the ad valorem taxes onreal property (autos, trucks,boats, etc.). A few years andone state House speaker ago,a major legislative goal wasto eliminate the birthdaytax of annual ad valoremtag taxes on automobiles.

Our new tag tax sys-tem takes those taxes andrevenue at the time of sale,but those waters got mud-died quickly with used carsales. There are few countytax commissioners orcounty commissioners whodont believe they got theshort end of that revenuestick when the system waschanged.

As Gov. Dealthe sonof two educators and whosewife is a retired schoolteacherwants to be knownin Georgia history as aneducation governor, theappointed membership,leadership and formation of

his Education Review Com-mission is critical. He has afull second term and fouryears without facing Georgia voters again to get this right.

We dont have to inventthe successful model; imita-tion is also more than justthe sincerest form of flattery,especially if it works.

Lets consider shiftingour focus from not onlydelivering a Quality BasicEducation to aspiring forexcellence, graduation ratesexceeding 80 percent and ahigher percentage of gradu-ates being ready for collegeor the workforce when theygraduate high school. Seemsas simple as ABC.

Bill Crane also serves as a political analyst and commen-tator for Channel 2s ActionNews, WSB-AM News/Talk750 and now 95.5 FM, as wellas a columnist for he Cham-pion, Champion Free Pressand Georgia rend. Crane isa DeKalb native and businessowner, living in Scottdale. Youcan reach him or commenton a column at bill.csicrane@ gmail.com.

Bill [email protected]

Columnist

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LOCAL

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a future Champion of the Week, please contact Andrew Cauthenat [email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 117.

CancerContinued from page 3A

JERI LLOYD

Governor announcescareer initiative

he digital interactive tools promote cancer.t highlights country-by-country strengthsnd weaknesses worldwide, allowing poli-ymakers, researchers and academics toully assess differences in risk, burden and

revention, and emphasizes the potentialor improvement by closing those gaps.As nations industrialize and develop,

he number of risk factors such as tobaccose, diet, and physical inactivity increase,nd life expectancy increases, allowing foreople to live long enough to get cancer,

Ahmedin Jemal , DVM, Ph.D., lead authorf the Cancer Atlas, Second Edition and viceresident of surveillance research at the

American Cancer Society, said.While developed countries tend to be

ssociated with higher cancer risk, Jemalaid these countries have also seen declinesn cancer mortality due to advances in ear-y detection and treatment. He added, Inhe U.S., for example, more than 1.3 mil-ion cancer deaths have been averted overhe past 20 years.

Economically developing countriesuch as India, China, and other east andentral Asian countries account for nearlyalf of the worlds new cancer cases andeaths. Recognizing and identifying therowing risks will help leaders create a

well-structured plan to combat cancer.Perhaps the most striking message

rom The Cancer Atlas is the inequality inccess to the very interventions that can ei-her prevent or effectively treat and managehe disease, saidChristopher Wild , direc-or, IARC. In relation to cancer, whereou live affects your risk of developing the

isease, how you live with the disease andltimately whether you survive the disease.One of the great cancer control challenges

f the 21st century is to bring the benefitsf effective interventions to as many people

as possible, including in low- and middle-income countries, Wild said.

Cary Adams , CEO of the UICC,added: What we need is the engagementof governments and national cancer lead-

ers around the world to put that knowledgeinto practice. These steps do not needbreakthrough science to be effective. Theydemand the application of known interven-tions which are effective in all situations,as well as the transfer of knowledge so thechallenge of cancer becomes manageable inthe minds of the many.

Other findings from The Cancer Atlas include: Smoking causes more than 16 different

types of cancer and accounts for 20 per-cent of all global cancer deaths.

Indoor air pollution caused by solid fueluse is estimated to cause about 2.5 mil-lion deaths each year in developing coun-tries, or about 4.5 percent of global deathseach year. 137 countries have a national cancer plan.

129 countries have not yet introduced theHPV vaccine, which may prevent infec-tions and certain types of cancers, nearlytriple the number of countries (45) thathave introduced the vaccine.

There were more than 32 million cancersurvivors globally in 2012.

By 2025, 19 million new cancer cases willbe diagnosed based solely on projecteddemographic changes.

The Cancer Atlas, Second Edition is au-thored by more than 60 medical and sub- ject matter experts from six continents.Together, the contributors have published

more than a thousand papers, articles andbooks. Translated editions of the book,available in Spanish, French, Chinese,Arabic and Russian, will be launched in2015.

by Ashley Oglesby [email protected]

Gov. Nathan Deal recentlyreleased the findings from the

High Demand Career Initia-tive, launched in January 2014by Deal and led by the GeorgiaDepartment of Economic De- velopment, University Systemof Georgia (USG) and theTechnical College System ofGeorgia (TCSG) to addressGeorgias workforce needs.

The report highlights over-all trends, high-demand careersand skills, challenges, recom-mendations and what Georgiabusinesses anticipate they willneed in five to 10 years.

Throughout my adminis-tration, Ive made it a top prior-ity to promote Georgias high-quality, highly skilled workforceinfrastructure, Deal said.

He added, This report rep-resents a long-term collabora-tive commitment to ensure thatall Georgia companies have thesupport they need to be com-petitive in the global market-place. I am confident that theexpertise provided by educationand private-sector industryleaders will boost our stateseconomy and maintain Geor-gias status as the No. 1 place inthe nation to do business.

The High Demand CareerInitiative focused on the futureneeds of strategic industries inGeorgia.

More than 80 leaders and

businesses of these private-sector industries participated inthe 13 listening sessions acrossthe state.

A key trend and topic

expressed by many of the par-ticipants included the value ofinternships and co-op programsas a method of gaining access toand training future employees,as some companies anticipatethe retirement of a large per-centage of their current staff inthe coming years. Many par-ticipants also emphasized theimportance of cultivating softskills in younger employees andexpressed a desire to hire more veterans.

Employers reported thatSTEM (science, technology,engineering and mathematics)career fields need to be intro-duced to students at a youngerage as a key part of their schoolcurriculum and noted that part-nerships with local boards ofeducation, TCSG and USG havebeen very productive.

One of Georgias greatesteconomic development assetsis our reliable workforce, saidstate economic developmentCommissioner Chris Carr .The High Demand Career Ini-tiative gives us a unique oppor-tunity to anticipate the needs ofour existing industries in order

to prepare Georgia students forthe high demand jobs that willbe available in five to 10 years,he said.

Walking across the stageat Georgia Perimeter Col-lege (GPC) was a specialmoment for Jeri Lloyd .

The Georgia Perimeter

College student received hernursing pin. It was a walkthat took almost 10 years tocomplete.

When I graduated asa licensed practical nursefrom DeKalb Tech, Iplanned on coming tonursing school. But life hasa way of slowing thingsdown, the mother of threesaid.

Lloyd was awarded theOutstanding Nursing Stu-dent Award for her highGPA and clinical excellence,during the colleges 2014

Nurse Pinning Ceremonyheld at GPCs ClarkstonCampus.

The traditional cer-emony celebrates nursingprogram graduates with aceremonial class nursing

pin. Lloyd was one of 31nurses who graduated inDecember.

Lloyd worked as anLPN in the infusion unit of

Emorys Winship CancerCenter when she had twins.The boy and girl were bothborn with a rare blooddisease that does not allowthem to process protein; thecondition requires severalsurgeries. (She already hada 2-year old when the twinswere born).

Over the years, shestopped and started nurs-ing school, several times shesaid. A year ago, she wasaccepted to Georgia Perim-eters LPN-to-RN acceler-ated bridge program, which

allows licensed practicalnurses to take an acceler-ated course load and com-plete the requirements tobecome registered nurses in

three semesters.Lloyd said she had juststarted the program last De-cember, when her maternalgrandmother died. I felt Istarted the program alreadybehind, she said. Then, herstepfather died, followedby the death of her paternalgrandmother. The deathshit her hard, but she contin-ued her studies.

Also during the pro-gram, her daughter be-came severely ill, requiringLloyd to take time out togo to Cincinnati where her

daughter received special-ized treatment and surger-ies. It helped tremendously,she said, that her husbandtook care of the children

while she was in class and inher clinical rotations.It has been really hard,

but I had my familys sup-port. And I knew, I just cantfailI needed to do thisand get it done for my fam-ily. Becoming a registerednurse is a huge accomplish-ment for my entire familywe completed this together.

Despite the long road tobecome an RN, Lloyd saidher next steps will be to ob-tain her BSN and mastersdegree in nursing.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 7A

COMMUNITY

AtlantaFernbank hosting Winter WonderlandFernbank Museum of Natural History is host-

ng Winter Wonderland: Celebrations and Tra-ditions Around the World through Jan. 11. Theholiday exhibition includes martinis and IMAX,holly jolly activities and shopping in the museumstore. Fernbank is located at 767 Clifton RoadN.E. in Atlanta. For more information, call (404)929-6300, or visit www.fernbankmuseum.org.

AvondaleEstatesAvon Garden Club to host meeting

Avon Garden Club will have a meeting Jan.

8 at 10:30 a.m. Kate Chura , executive directorof the Southeastern Horticultural Society, willdiscuss the concept of Learning Gardens andFarms, which serve as locations to teach currentsustainable techniques. The meeting will be heldat the Avondale Community Club, 59 LakeshoreDrive. For more information, contact Jean Brice at (404) 299-1947 or Bruce Johnston at (404)297-4107.

City to recycle Christmas treesAvondale Estates will pick up Christmas trees

rom homes Dec. 29 through Jan. 2. Trees will bechipped Jan. 3 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Residentsmust place their trees on the curb the week afterChristmas. On Jan. 3, the day of the chipping,rees should be brought to the old compost area

by the Lake, near Wiltshire Drive and BerkeleyRoad, between 9 a.m. and 4 p.m. Signs posted byhe lake will mark the drop-off location. Those

who leave their Christmas trees up past Jan. 3 canplace it on the curb and City Public Works asso-ciates will pick it up. For more information, callCity Hall at (404) 294-5400.

DecaturSorority to hold tness, interview preparationprograms

Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. and the De-catur Alumnae Chapter (dstDAC) will host thesecond installment of their D. E. L. T. A (DeltasEncouraging Life Transforming Activities) Fit se-ies on Jan. 10 from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Also on Jan.

10 the dstDAC Scholarship Committee will hostan interview prep session from 10 a.m. to noon.This session will teach students how to dress pro-essionally, speak clearly and conduct themselvesn professional one-on-one and panel interviews.All high school students are welcome to at-end.

Both programs will be at the CommunityAchievement Center, 4522 Flat Shoals Pkwy., De-catur.

DeKalb Medical announces applicationsubmission dates for summer volunteers

DeKalb Medical will begin accepting applica-tions for its summer Voluteen program on Jan. 2,with a closing registration date of Feb. 27. Regis-tration is open to all teens ages 14-18 with at leastone year of high school course work completed.

The DeKalb Medical Volunteen program al-lows students to assist hospital staff in variousdepartments in the facilities. The students alsoparticipate in Lunch and Learn events with medi-cal professionals to learn about various jobs in thehealthcare field.

For more information on the summer Volun-teen program, application guidelines or to beginyour application, visit www.dekalbmedical.org/ volunteers.

Business association announces renewaldeadline

The Decatur Business Association announced

that its membership renewal deadline is Jan. 15,2014. The organization states that more than 98percent of its members renewed their member-ship online in 2013. On-time renewal assuresinclusion in the DBA Membership Directory. Re-newals can be completed at www.DecaturDBA.com.Membership meetings are held on the fourth

Tuesday of each month except for November andDecember; a meeting is held on the first Tuesdayof December.

Tucker Yoga program designed for those with limitedmobility

Mariam Gilmer , certified Hatha yoga in-structor, is offering an eight-week introduction tothe practice of yoga while seated in a chair. Theprogram is at the Northlake-Barbara Loar Li-brary, 3772 Lavista Road, Tucker. Participants willwork on gentle Hatha yoga poses while focusingon breathing. This style of yoga is ideal for se-niors and those with mobility issues, according toan announcement from the library. The sessionsare each Tuesday, 3-4 p.m., starting Jan. 7. Thesessions are open to the first 15 people to register.Participants may register by calling or visiting thebranch. The program is sponsored by Friends ofthe Northlake-Barbara Loar Library For more in-formation, call (404) 679-4408.

LithoniaLibrary hosts poetry collaborationAward-winning south DeKalb County poet

and essayist Gwen Russell Green will host a Cre-ative Collaboration in the Southeast, an eventshowcasing poetic works reflecting on the themeThere is no future without forgiveness, no ad- venture without suffering.

The event, held at the Stonecrest Library Jan.4 from 2:30-4:30 p.m., includes an open mic por-tion for audience members to share their work.Funding for the event is provided by the Friendsof the Stonecrest Library.

For more information call (770) 482-3828 or visit www.dekalblibrary.org.

ClarkstonLibrary to host health insurance registrationassistance

Dr. Kathleen Connors of Georgia RefugeeHealth and Mental Health and certified insurancenavigators will provide Health Insurance Market-place registration assistance. The programs will beheld Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through-

out the month of January. Thursday programswill be held Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23 and 30 from 3-5 p.m.;Tuesday programs will be held Jan. 7 and 28 from5-8 p.m.; and Saturday programs will be held Jan.4 and 18 from 10 a.m.-noon.

To schedule an appointment during thesetimes or at another time, call (678) 545-8641. Ifan interpretation is needed let library officialsknow your language preference.

CountywideDeKalb to offer Christmas tree pickup

DeKalb County will have free curbsideChristmas tree pickup service for county resi-dents through Jan. 16.

The service, sponsored by Keep DeKalb Beau-tiful (KDB) and the DeKalb County Departmentof Sanitation, offers county residents an opportu-nity to dispose of holiday Christmas trees sustain-ably and free of charge. All trees are convertedinto mulch.

To participate, residents must remove alldecorations from trees and place them curbsideon their regularly-scheduled recycling day. Treeslarger than 7 feet tall cannot be collected. Formore information about free curbside Christmastree pickup or how to plan a beautification proj-ect with KDB, contact KDB at (404) 371-2654or [email protected], or visit www.keep-dekalbbeautiful.org.

AROUNDDEKALB

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LOCAL

2014 Year in Rev

From the trial of the countys suspended CEO to the cityhoodmovement to winter storms paralyzing Atlanta and Ebola comingto DeKalbhere is a summary of some the most memorable newsstories of 2014.

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See Year in Review on Page 10A

This year was the year of the cityhood movement.Residents in many communities in DeKalb County tried to create their own cities or

annex into an established city. Cityhood supporters in LaVista Hills (formerly Briarcliffand Lakeside), South DeKalb, Stonecrest and Tucker spent this year trying to form cit-ies. Each group has submitted maps to the Georgia State House Governmental Affairscommittee, with Tucker and LaVista Hills having to have a subcommittee work out theboundaries for those maps.

The proposed cities could be on the ballot in November 2015. Avondale Estates,Brookhaven, Clarkston and Doraville had areas annexed into its city lines, while Decaturand Atlanta possibly will look to annex in 2015.

DeKa side sfail to take state

executive positioFive DeKalb County residents

running for state executive officesdid not fare well in the Nov. 4, 2014,general election.

Sen. Jason Carter of Decatur, aDemocrat running against incum-bent Republican Gov. Nathan Deal lost the race 56 percent to 41 percent.

In the lieutenant governor race,former DeKalb County commis-sioner and state representative Con-nie Stokes failed in her bid to upsetCasey Cagle , the Republican incum-bent. The votes were 61.5 percent to

38.47 percent in favor of Cagle.Brian Kemp , the incumbent Re-publican secretary of state, success-fully won re-election over Lithoniabusinesswoman Doreen Carter ,president of the Greater LithoniaChamber of Commerce and a for-mer Lithonia City Council member.Kemp returns to his office with 61percent of the vote over DoreenCarters 39 percent.

Former City Schools of Deca-tur school board member ValarieWilson was unable to win the stateschool superintendents position.Wilson received 44.9 percent of the vote while Richard Woods , a Repub-lican, received 55.1 percent.

Year in view: ci od

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LOCAL

Year in Review Continued From Page 9A

Accrediting agency AdvancED an-nounced Jan. 21, 2014, that the DeKalbCounty School District is no longer onaccreditation probation, which it wasplaced on last year after a visit from theagency.

AdvancED, the parent corporationof the Southern Association of Collegesand Schools, announced the districthas made significant improvementsand has been placed on accreditedwarned status.

There were three significant areasthat led to those determinations, MarkElgart , president of AdvancedED, said.The district had a governing body thatwas failing to successfully govern thesystem; the system was in financialmismanagement and didnt have an

accurate assessment of its financialresources; and third it had an unfortu-nate track record of failing to improv-ing student achievement.

Elgart said over the past year Ad- vancED has worked closely with theleadership in the system to identifythe actions that need to be taken toimprove the system but also begin theprocess of continuous improvement.

When the district was first placedon probation, AdvancED provided thedistrict with 11 issues the district wasrequired to address before being grant-ed full accreditation again. These issuesincluded governance and financial is-sues, as well as policies and proceduresinvolving the board of education.

DeKa sc ol dist ct f p bation

Ebo patie s t ated at E ry spitalTwo Americans infected in the worst-ever

outbreak of Ebola successfully received treat-ment at DeKalb Countys Emory UniversityHospital in August 2014.

Nancy Writebol was serving at Serv-ing In Missions (SIM)Eternal Love WinningAfrica (ELWA) mission campus in Monro- via, Liberia, when she and Dr. Kent Brantly contracted Ebola. Brantly was serving at theELWA Hospital as part of a cooperative workbetween SIM and Samaritans Purse.

After treatment in Liberia, Brantly andWritebol were flown to Atlanta and were ad-

mitted to Emory University Hospital, wherethey were treated in isolation from other hos-pital patients at a special unit set up in collab-oration with the Centers for Disease Control

and Prevention to care for patients exposed tocertain serious infectious diseases.The two Americans were infected during

an outbreak of the virus, which is transmit-ted through direct contact with the blood orbodily fluids of an infected person or throughexposure to objects, such as needles, that havebeen contaminated with infected fluids, ac-cording to a statement by Emory University

Hospital.Two Ebola patients, who received a dose

of an experimental serum while still in Libe-ria, were tested clear of the deadly virus and

discharged from the hospital.After a rigorous course of treatment andtesting, the Emory Healthcare team has de-termined that both patients have recoveredfrom the Ebola virus and can return to theirfamilies and community without concern forspreading this infection to others, said Dr.Bruce Ribner , director of Emorys InfectiousDisease Unit.

Former DeKalb CountyCommissioner Elaine Boyer pleaded guilty Sept. 3, 2014, andstruck a plea deal with federalprosecutors.

In the plea deal, Boyer facesa maximum prison term of 40years, but prosecutors agreedto recommend that [Boyer] besentenced at the low end of theadjusted guideline range18-24months.

Boyers charges of mail andwire fraud also carry a maximumfine of $500,000.

Boyer is accused of conspiring between September2009 and November 2011 to defraud DeKalb Countyby authorizing 35 payments for false invoices for con-sulting services that were never performed. She is ac-cused of authorizing more than $78,000 to an unidenti-fied financial advisor, who then funneled approximate-ly 75 percent of the moneyinto Boyers personal bankaccount.

Boyer used the moneyto pay personal expenses,including purchases at hotels and high-end departmentstores, the charges state.

In the plea agreement, Boyer also agrees to pay fullrestitution forthe offenses to which she is pleadingguilty.

Boyers Aug. 25, 2014, resignation from her commis-sion seat was also a condition of the plea agreement.

The ex-commissioner also faced an ethics complaintalleging that she had a pattern of abusing her county

credit card for personal purchases and bridge loans.Boyer faces sentencing in early 2015.

Ex-co issio r faces p son ti


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 11AWEEK IN PICTURES

After six weeks of listening to wit-nesses and secret recordings and con-sidering a mountain of evidence, the12 DeKalb County residents taskedwith determining whether their leader violated the law could not come to anagreement.

On Oct. 21, 2014 a judge declared amistrial in proceedings against DeKalbCounty CEO Burrell Ellis, who was ac-cused of strong-arming vendors to do-nate to his re-election campaign.

Ellis faced four counts of criminalattempt to commit theft by extortion;three counts of theft by taking; twocounts of criminal attempt to commitfalse statements and writings; threecounts of coercion of other employeesto give anything of value for politicalpurposes; and a count each of conspir-acy in restraint of free and open com-petition, and of conspiracy to defraud apolitical subdivision.

Ellis has maintained his innocencesince his indictment.

I never asked anything in exchangefor a campaign contribution, he saidduring the trial. I never promised any-thing.

During the trial DeKalb County DARobert James said, This case is notabout [Ellis] public service. This case isabout his public corruption.

Jurors admittedly fought and dis-agreed and cried, and in the end weredeadlocked.

After his indictment in 2013, El-lis was suspended by the governor. Heremains suspended and is scheduled toface a jury again in June 2015 for a re-trial.

Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

For a programming guide, visit www.yourdekalb.com/dctvNow showing on DCTV!

Finding DeKalb Countys MissingStories of our missing residents offer profoundinsights and hope for a positive reunion.

DCTV Your Emmy Award-winning news source of DeKalb County news. Available on Comcast Cable Channel 23.

Photos brought to you by DCTV


The DeKalb County Board of Ethics wasunusually busy in 2014 as it dealt with sev-eral complaints against government officialsand even a complaint against the boards ownchairman.

An ethics complaint was filed againstsuspended DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis afterhis indictment on charges of strong-armcontractors to donate to his re-election cam-paign. Two of his aides also were the subjectsof ethics complaints.

Former Commissioner Elaine Boyer ,faced an ethics complaint, which eventuallyled to her pleading guilty to mail and wirefraud and resigning from office. The ethicsboard voted to reprimand Boyer.

Commissioner Jeff Rader was accused inan ethics complaint of defrauding residentsand using his position two enrich himself.

One of two ethics similar ethics complaintsagainst Rader was dismissed.

Commissioner Kathie Gannon was ac-cused in a complaint of illegally purchas-ing gift cards with county funds for personaluse and to pay off her cronies.

Ethics complaints against Commis-sioners Larry Johnson and Sharon BarnesSutton alleged they systematically and con-sistently used their county credit cards fortheir own personal benefit and contrary to

the intended purpose.Commissioner Stan Watson was accusedof using his county purchasing card for per-sonal purchases and being tied to a corrup-tion case in South Carolina involving bribes.

The complaints against Johnson andWatson were dismissed.

County leaders face ethics complaints

Suspended county CEOstrial ends in hung jury


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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 12ALOCAL NEWS

Mann sworn in as DeKalb sheriffJeff Mann took the oath of office as DeKalbs sheriff on Feb. 28,

2014, at the Stone Mountain Judicial Courthouse in Decatur.Superior Court Judge Gregory A. Adams administered the oath

as outgoing Sheriff Thomas Brown held the Bible for Mann.Mann, Browns chief deputy and a former county attorney, suc-

ceeded Brown who stepped down to run unsuccessfully for Congressafter nearly 14 years in office.

Surrounded by staff members, family and friends, Mann saidhe helped improve morale and credibility and is proud to continueworking for the DeKalb community.

I will do the work that citizens expect me to do. I prepared my-self for this job by working hard, by listening, by being a person ofintegrity and by following in the footsteps of people who are trustedand respected, Mann said.

A resident of Stone Mountain Mann attends Berean ChristianChurch, served as president of the DeKalb Lawyers Association,mentored for the Big Brothers Big Sisters Program of Atlanta andmaintains his membership with the State Bar of Georgia as well as theDeKalb Bar Association.

Two cops shot in south DeKalbThe shooting of two

DeKalb County Police of-ficers triggered a manhuntfor several hours on Dec.12, 2014 in unincorporatedDecatur.

The officers were re-sponding to a report of anearly morning home inva-sion and armed robbery atthe Colony Ridge Apart-ments on Glenwood Road.When they arrived at thescene, they were fired uponby two suspects, with auto-matic assault rifles.

DeKalb Police OfficerTony Luong , 26, was shot in thethigh, while Officer Devon Perry , 29,received a gunshot wound to the calf.The injuries were not life-threatening.

One suspect was struck in theexchange of gunfire and was trans-ported to an area hospital in criticalcondition.

After the shooting, law enforce-ment officers swarmed the south

DeKalb area near GlenwoodRoad and I-285 to search forone of two suspects shot dur-ing the early morning inci-dent.

After an extensive groundsearch, using K-9s, air surveil-lance and support from theSheriff s Office, Marshals Of-fice, Georgia State Police, Ful-ton County Police, ATF, FBIand Doraville and Atlanta, thesecond suspect was caught.

That suspect was takeninto custody after being lo-cated in a nearby cemetery bya Doraville Police K-9. The

suspect had been shot by police andbitten by a K-9 dog.

No one in the residence was hurt,he said.

Anytime a police officer is shotand injured in the line of duty, its not just an attack on that police officer. Itsan attack upon all of us, said Cedric Alexander , the countys top publicsafety official.

Still no commissioner for District 5DeKalb County commissioners finished the year at an im-

passe over the appointment of an interim District 5 commis-sioner.The seat became vacant in July 2013, when Lee May , theelected District 5 commissioner, was appointed interim DeKalbCounty CEO by Gov. Nathan Deal following the indictment andsuspension of DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis .

Super District 7 Commissioner Stan Watson said he was rep-resenting the area all by himself.

May appointed a three-member panel to make two recom-mendations from 20 applicants for a temporary commissioner.In August, May nominated Lithonia resident George Turner Jr., president of the District 5 Community Council and formerlegislative aide in District 43 of the Georgia State Senate, for theDistrict 5 seat.

Commissioners Watson, Larry Johnson and Sharon BarnesSutton supported the nomination of Turner while Commission-ers Jeff Rader , Kathie Gannon and Nancy Jester opposed it.

Rader and Jester said the resignation of May from his District5 seat is one way the voters of that district could decide for them-selves who will be their representative.

Lithonia residents showed up at meeting after meeting in2014 to beg the commissioners to give them a representative.



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Thousands of metro Atlantans were

caught off guard on Jan. 28, 2014 when 2.6inches of snow and ice fell, paralyzing theregion for several days. Snow Jam 2014, asthe storm is being called by many, resulted inhundreds of accidents and thousands of Geor-gians being stranded overnight in their cars,hotels or in the homes of benevolent strang-ers.

Although the National Weather Serviceissued several watches and warnings before

the first snowflake fell, Gov.Nathan Deal

said two days after the storm, As you know,we have been confronted with an unexpectedstorm that has hit the metropolitan areas.

In DeKalb County, interim county CEOLee May issued a state of emergency declara-tion Jan. 28, 2014.

DeKalb County has endured heavy sleet,freezing rain and snow, May said in a state-ment. Many of our county roads are impass-able due to ice, trafc gridlock or both, caused

by the sudden and severe winter weather. If

at all possible, I am urging everyone to stayoff the roads until conditions improve.By Jan. 29, 2014, the county police depart-

ment had responded to more than 700 weath-er-related incidents, including 289 tra ffi c acci-dents, 25 hazards in road, 42 motorist assists,91 traffi c accidents with injured/ trapped pas-sengers, 270 motorist assist/hazards, accord-ing to a DeKalb County statement.

Unexpected snow paralyzes Atlanta

Hundreds gathered early Nov. 8, 2014, for a rare op-portunity to watch a building implode.

Located at the corner of I-85 and North Druid HillsRoad, the 19-story Executive Park Hotel was owned byChildrens Healthcare of Atlanta. It was reduced to rubbleshortly after 7 a.m.

Onlookers counted down from 10 to 1 and after abrief silence, several explosions were heard in the build-ing. A large piece of the building shot out the side nearthe 10th floor. The building quickly went straight down tothe ground, causing a large dust cloud to rise into the air.

The crowd cheered, screamed, laughed and snappeddozens of photos as the building came down.

Atlanta Demolition had the $3.2 million contract forasbestos abatement and demolition of four buildings onthe property totaling 350,000 square feet. It will take acouple of months to clear the debris.

An advertisement in the 1970s described the build-ing as Atlantas Prestige Suburban Hotel. The ad boastedconvention facilities for 800, a grand ballroom, restaurantand 474 comfort-conditioned rooms.

According to a news release, Childrens Healthcare ofAtlanta determined that renovation was not a viable op-tion for this building because of its outdated construc-tion and design.

Vacant building reduced to rubble

Former Southwest DeKalb High

School football coach WilliamBuck Godfrey was inducted inthe 2014 class of the Georgia Ath-letic Coaches Association (GACA)Hall of Fame, May 31, 2014, in Dal-ton.

Godfrey was one of five peoplein the 2014 class. The minimum re-quirements to be inducted includehaving coached high school sportsfor at least 25 years, with 20 of themin Georgia. During his 30-yeartenure at Southwest DeKalb High,Godfrey has a record of 273-89, astate championship, a state runner-up title and 13 regional titles.

Buck Godfrey inducted into the hall of fame

Marvin Pruitt gets 500th winRedan High School baseball coach Marvin

Pruitt reached a historic milestone April 1, 2014as the veteran skipper won his 500th game.

Pruitt became the first DeKalb County base-ball coach to achive the feat after Redan beat Ban-neker 14-0. Pruitt joined former Columbia HighSchool basketball coach Phil McCrary as the onlycoaches in DeKalb with 500 victories.

Along with the 500 victories, Pruitt won astate championship in 2013, led Redan to twoother state Final Four berths in 2003 and 2010and led Lakeside to its only state semifinal ap-pearance in school history in his inaugural seasonas a head coach in 1983.



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DeKalb County was dominate again thisyear in basketball as four teams won statetitles.

Miller Grove boys, Redan girls, St. Piusgirls and Tucker girls hoisted trophies intheir respective classifications March 6-8,2014.

Miller Grove won the Class AAAAA ti-tle, its sixth consecutive state titlethe firstboys program to do so in state history. Thechampionship run was an emotional timefor the Miller Grove Wolverines as they

played in honor of fallen teammate TerrellColeman , who died before the beginning ofthe season.

The Redan Lady Raiders made historyof their own, becoming the third DeKalbCounty girls basketball team to finish un-defeated as state champions. Redan finishedthe season with a 33-0 record and ClassAAAA champions. Redan is still undefeatedin 2014.

The St. Pius Lady Golden Lions teamwon its second consecutive Class AAA state

title on some crucial free throws down thestretch. St. Pius was held to one field goal inthe fourth quarter against Buford, but AsiaDurr was 10-for-10 from the free throwline. Jasmine Carter free throw gave St.Pius a three-point lead in the final secondsand eventually the win.

Tucker dominated then region rivalSouthwest DeKalb in the Class AAAAA titlegame to win its first state title in programhistory. It was the programs first appear-ance in a championship game.

Four DeKalb basketball teams brought home state titles

Clarkston cross countrywins first state title

Clarkston boys cross country teamwon its first state title Nov. 8, 2014,with a 71-93 win over Flowery Branchto claim the Class AAAAA champion-ship.

The state title was the fifth statetitle of any kind for the school.

Dunwoody girls (Class AAAAA),Marist girls (Class AAAA) and St. Piusboys (Class AAAA) also won crosscounty state titles.

Redan boys basketballcoach dies

Redan suffered a tragic loss Nov.18, 2014, when boys head basketballCoach Dannie Love passed away sud-denly at the age of 40.

Love, who was in his first year ashead coach at Redan, died in his sleep.Love served as junior varsity coach atStone Mountain for several years be-fore he was hired at Redan. Love wasdescribe by loved ones as a dedicatedcoach, jokester, loving husband andsupportive father.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 15ALOCAL NEWS

by Andrew [email protected]

When members of the SouthwestDeKalb High School class of 1993 got to-gether Dec. 22, it wasnt for a class anniver-ary or other celebration. It was to give backo the community surrounding their alma

mater.This is our community, said James

B. Kynes Jr ., president of the class of 1993.Some of us dont live on this side of town,but we went to Southwest DeKalb. Our classdefinitely wants to do the best we can as faras making sure we give back to the commu-nity.

Kynes said, We got a call that we hadome families that might have been in

need for the Christmas season. We hadclassmates that stepped up and wanted tocontribute to the cause and make sure theseamilies were fed and had a good Christmaseason.

For two hours in a parking lot on WesleyChapel Road near I-20, the alumni spon-ored a Holiday Give Back Initiative service

project. They distributed turkey meals,brown bag meals, clothes, shoes and pro-vided free haircuts.

The haircuts were provided by Ernesto

Nesto Williams of Nestos Buckhead,and barbers from Kings of Atlanta and Ed-getown Barber Shop.

[Were] helping the homeless and thepeople who are a little down on their luck,Williams said.

The haircuts were provided in a mobilebarbershop located in a converted tractorrailer truck temporarily parked in a lot.

We use this for the community, Wil-iams said. We dont charge anything.

One recipient of the Southwest DeKalbalumnis benevolence was Calvin Summer-oul .

Right now, I just got a room downhere, Sommeroul said, referring to a near-

by extended stay hotel, when asked wherehe lives.

He received a prayer, a couple of sweat-ers and lunch.

Im hungry right now. I think thatsgreat because theyre giving back, Sommer-

oul said of the alumnis work. I think thisis great. Thats all I can say. Its great whattheyre doing.

Cassandra Parks , a class of 1993 alum-na and Rex resident, said, I feel its very im-portant to come and give back to our com-munity because Southwest DeKalb gave meso much, as a high school student and I felt Ineeded to give back.

Parks said the event lets the communityknow were still here, we love our com-munity [and] we want to help it in any waypossible.

Rashan Ali , a local TV and radio per-sonality and author, said she is a proudmember of the class of 93 of SouthwestDeKalb.

Were here today to give where wecan and what we have left over well takedowntown, said Ali, one of approximately15 alumni helping with the event. We justwant to be able to give. Weve been able tobe so blessed in this community of DeKalbCounty. All of us are products of this greatcounty, and we want to be able to give back.

Ali said the charity projects were developed collectively by the former studentswho have always been a very close class.

We did something for Thanksgivingand we wanted to make it more of an impact

by doing it in our community less than amile away from our school, Ali said.I think its fantastic that we are able

to have an impact in our own communityand be able to help those who are in need,she said. We heard there was a need in ourarea. When people think about homeless-ness and they think about people in need,they always think about just Atlanta. Butthere are people in need all over this coun-try, especially in DeKalb County.

The Holiday Give Back Initiativelaunched during the Thanksgiving holidaywhen the Southwest alumni collected dona-tions from fellow classmates and the com-munity to prepare and distribute 200 brownbag meals to needy people in downtownAtlanta.

Giving is a lifestyle for us, said Kynes,adding that the class 1993 plans to makethe Holiday Give Back Initiative an annualevent.

SWD ALUMNI GIVE BACK

This is our community, said James B. Kynes Jr., president of the Southwest DeKalb High School Class of 1993. We give back to the community. Photos by Travis Hudgons

Free haircuts were provided by Nestos of Buckhead in a mobilebarbershop.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 PAGE 16AEDUCATION

DCSD teen entertainment show receives awards

Georgia charter schoolsreceive donation of property


DeKalb County School Districts (DCSD)een entertainment and variety talk show TheBridge was recognized as a multiple Gold winnerby the Aurora Awards for season two of its televi-ion program.

Based in Salt Lake City, the Aurora Awards isan international competition designed to recog-nize excellence in the film and video industries.Films and videos are judged nationally based onprofessional execution, quality content and cre-ativity.

The Bridge received four Aurora Awards forediting, original score/music, music variety andeducational programming.

Judging panels included working film and video professionals from all 50 states. DCSD isthe only school system to win these awards for

fall 2014.The show launched last May and increasinglyhas gained leverage in youth entertainment.

The student programming is targeted towardstudents and young adults ages 13-25 with tips on video gaming, how to stay fit, budgeting finances,fashion and more.

Congratulations to the more than 40 DeKalbstudents who created, produced and performedin The Bridge, said DeKalb Schools Superinten-dent Michael Thurmond .

These talented, dedicated students haveshared their talents with all of us, and we are en-riched with the experience, he said.

The series features interviews with celebritiesand community leaders, as well as student per-formers, including singers, rappers, spoken word

artists and dancers.Thurmond said the students have done anamazing job and he is excited that the districtcan provide them with programming that givesthem a voice.

The Bridge airs on PDSTV-24, an accesschannel operated by DCSD. The Comcast stationpartners with students in the district to produceprograms that highlight topics the students areconcerned about.

The students will be recognized for theirachievement at the Jan. 12 board of educationmeeting at 7 p.m.


The Sheth Family Foundation donatedproperty in Snellville to the Georgia Char-er Schools Association (GCSA) to increase

access for thousands of students to thepublic charter schools.

According to a recent media release,he donation will support the GCSA, a

nonprofit organization that works to im-

prove student achievement through thecreation of high quality public charterchools in Georgia.

The gift was given by Dr. JagdishSheth , Charles Kellstadt professor of mar-keting at the Goizueta Business School ofEmory University, an author and consul-ant, and his wife Madhu Sheth . The Sheth

Family is involved in the local Atlanta andndian communities in Atlanta.

President and CEO of GCSA, Dr. TonyRoberts , expressed his appreciation for thegift.

The Sheth Family Foundations re-markable generosity reflects their under-tanding of how education can transformives. From humble beginnings in Gujarat,ndia, Dr. Sheth and his children have

pursued every opportunity to deepen theireducation.

Roberts said, Today the family takespride in Dr. Sheths 51-year career in higher

education that has made him a recognizedthought leader in marketing, businesspsychology and sustainability. I know thatthe foundations gift will open up similarpathways for students in Georgia who wantaccess to high quality charter schools.

Sheth explained the reason for thefoundations donation. I believe that or-dinary people can become extraordinarycitizens when given the foundation of aquality education, he said.

The more I have learned about thecharter school experiment nationally, themore impressed Ive become about the suc-cess of charter schools to harness marketforces and improve student performance.

Sheth said, this donation is my wayof giving back to the country that has provided such an outstanding education forme and my family.

Madhu Sheth echoed her husbandssentiments, My life is a testament to thepower of a rigorous and demanding edu-cation, she said. I benefited from everyeducational opportunity that came my way,went to college and eventually became aschool teacher. This gift is our way of giv-ing back.

The Sheth Family Foundation will bepublicly recognized for its generosity at the2015 Georgia Charter Schools LeadershipConference, Jan. 30 at the Busbee Center ofGwinnett Technical College.

tudents participate in the Kick Back portion of the show wheretudents share their opinions on issues that affect them.

Student host Armani Walton with special guest. DeKalb School Superintendent MichaelThurmond chats with host Joi Heard on thestudent-run program.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 17ABUSINESS

Real estate expert predicts promising year

The Voice of Business in DeKalb CountyDeKalb Chamber of Commerce404.378.8000 www.DeKalbChamber.org

Two Decatur Town Center, 125 Clairemont Ave., Suite 235, Decatur, GA 30030

by Kathy Mitchell

During the past decade,he real estate market na-ionally took what many

consumers found to be un-

expected twists and turns.Todd Emerson , 2014 presi-dent of the Atlanta Board ofRealtors, which serves themetropolitan Atlanta area,aid the market is stable now

and should continue to beo through 2015.

The Atlanta real estatemarket in 2014 continuedo experience nice growth,

making steady gains fromhe previous year, Emersonaid. Median and aver-

age sales prices continueo rise and are on average

approximately 10 percentabove where they were ayear ago. Currently there isapproximately a 4.2-monthupply of inventory, whichs advantageous for sellers;

however, with interest ratestill hovering around histor-c lows, and housing [price]till relatively low, its alsotill a great time to buy.

One indication of amore stable market, he said,s a steep drop in the fore-

closure rate. At its peak, theoreclosure market account-

ed for approximately 30 to

35 percent of the overallmarket, currently it accountsor less than 5 percent. Gov-

ernment backed mortgageelief programs are still in

place for distressed home-owners, Emerson added.

DeKalbs real estatemarket has more or lessmirrored what has hap-pened in the greater metroAtlanta area as a whole, heaid. Similar to Atlanta,

unit sales have been rela-ively flat when comparedo 2013. However, DeKalb

has also seen median andaverage sales price gains inhe upper single digits year

over year very similar to At-anta. We expect the marketo be robust in DeKalb as

well in 2015.Emerson said the out-

ook for the entire area ispromising. Housing priceshave steadily risen over theast several years, he said.

Currently we are seeingyear-over-year improve-

ment of approximately 10percent.

For 2015, he said, he ex-pects the availability of newconstruction products tocontinue rising. We expectsales prices to continue ris-ing in the upper single digitpercent year over year andexpect a robust spring mar-

ket with new listings comingto market and homeownerscontinuing to take advan-tage of rising median andaverage sales prices, whichwill ultimately result in anincrease in the total numberof sales anywhere between 5to 10 percent.

Emerson said he hasa few words of advice forhomebuyers in the currentmarket. First is to get pre-

qualified so you can knowexactly how much home youcan afford and be aware ofany hurdles that you mayneed to overcome in orderto qualify.

Second is dont buymore home than you cantruly afford, dont put your-self into a position where all

of your disposable incomeis going towards your housepayment and other expensesassociated with home own-ership, i.e. dont create a sce-nario where you are housepoor.

Third is be preparedto act quickly once you findyour dream home, sincethere is only a 4.2 monthsupply, homes that are ingood condition and priced

well arent staying on themarket long.

He also advised usingthe services of a real estateprofessional whether oneis buying or selling. Thehome buying process iscomplex; you need profes-sional representation andadvice to assist you with

navigating the complexitiesof purchasing a home, hesaid.

Just as the home buy-ing process is complex, sois the home selling process,Emerson added. Pricingis a critical component tosuccessfully selling a homefor the greatest amount pos-sible in the least amount oftime. The temptation mightbe for sellers to want to test

the upper end of the marketand be overly aggressive intheir list price. While thistheory might seem like agood idea on paper oftenwhen a home is overpricedthe seller ultimately losesmore money in the end.

This can easily beavoided though by pricingthe home correctly from thebeginning. An agent notonly helps a seller determinewhat the current and cor-rect market value of theirhome is, they can also assistwith issues like what a sellerneeds to do to prepare thehome for sale like staging,repairs, etc., he said.

Emersons advice forprofessionals in the real es-tate business is know thestatistics for the markets thatyou serve. An agent shouldbe able to readily quotemetrics such as median andaverage sales prices, monthssupply, days on market, listprice to sale price ratios,available inventory andpercent increase/decreasesacross these metrics for themarkets that they work in,he said.

He also advises real es-tate professionals to contin-ually look for opportunitiesto expand what I call their

intellectual propertywhatsbetween their ears, by at-tending educational offer-ings, reading, researchingonline, etc. He said theyshould look for opportuni-ties to differentiate them-selves in the market place byidentifying niches, offeringunique or specialized services to clients/customers,identifying and becomingthe expert on a hyper locallevel, taking advantage of allthe technological advance-ments and parlaying thoseinto an exceptional consum-er experience.However, beyond allthese things always remem-ber that real estate is a peo-ple business and thereforethose who are most success-ful are the ones that makecreating, maintaining andfostering incredible relation-ships with those they knowtheir daily priority, Emer-son said.

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 18ACLASSIFIEDS

DISCLAIMER: We do not knowingly accept advertisements that discriminate, orintend to discriminate, on any illegal basis. Nor do we knowingly accept employmentadvertisements that are not bona-fide job offers. All real estate advertisements aresubject to the fair housing act and we do not accept advertising that is in violation ofthe law. The law prohibits discrimination based on color, religion, sex, national origin,handicap or familial status.

The Champion is not responsible for any damages resulting from advertisements. All sales nal.

RATES: $30.00 for up to 40 words, each additional word $0.60.All ads are prepaid! All Major credit cards accepted!

For Prices, Deadlines and Information

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The Champion Free Press, Friday, Jan. 2, 2015 Page 19ASPORTS

Agnes Scott freshman rankedamong top rebounders

Emory baseball ranked second inCollegiate Baseball Pre-Season poll

REDUCE REUSE RECYCL

Agnes Scott freshmanKisha Simpson ranked inthe Top 20 for rebounds pergame, with a current aver-age of 12.6 per game.

She is the second-rankedfreshman in the nation.

Kisha has been consis-

tent and reliable through-out this season, said headcoach Trish Roberts . Shehas been a player who hashad an immediate impacton our program, and that isvery rare for a freshman.

Simpson leads the team

in rebounding, and in scor-ing at 11.4 points per game.Her 12.6 rebounds per gameleads the Great South Ath-letic Conference.

Kisha is a great person,a hard worker, and carriesa positive attitude into ev-

ery practice, Roberts said.We are very lucky to havesomeone of her character.

Simpson and her team-mates will return to play onJan. 4 at Millsaps College inJackson, Miss.

After finishing runners-up in the 2014 NCAA Divi-ion III Baseball Champion-hips, the Emory University

baseball team will enter the2015 campaign as the sec-ond-ranked team in the Col-egiate Baseball Newspaper

Pre-Season Poll.It marks the highest pre-

eason ranking in the polln the programs history, andhe Emory Eagles best rank-ng in the poll overall sincehe final rankings of the

2007 season.Emory went 38-13 dur-

ng the 2014 season andmatched the best finish inhe programs history by

placing second at the NCAAChampionships. AmongEmorys returning playersare all-American Brett Lake and all-region selectionsConnor Dillman , Wes Pea-cock and Hans Hansen .

The Eagles will facehree opponents during the

2015 regular season that arenationally ranked in the pre-eason poll11th-ranked

Webster University (Feb.

22 in Millington, Tenn.),16th-ranked Case WesternReserve University (March 9and 14 in Sanford, Fla.) and19th-ranked Birmingham-Southern College (March 3in Atlanta and March 31 inBirmingham, Ala.).

Emory will play an ad-ditional nine games againstteams that received votesin the preseason pollFeb.15 at home and Feb. 21 onthe road against RhodesCollege; March 10 and 15against Washington Univer-

sity (Mo.) in Sanford; Feb.16 at home against St. Jo-sephs (Maine.); March 20 inDemorest; April 24 and 25 athome against Piedmont Col-lege; and March 12 againstthe University of Rochesterin Sanford, Fla.

The Eagles are slated toopen the 2015 season withthe Emory Tournament atChappell Park in AtlantaFeb. 1316. Emorys firstgame will be against Lynch-burg College Feb. 14 at 10:30a.m.

Stop bullyingstand up

speak out

tephenson's Pryce Taylor ghts for aebound in a game against Jackson-Olin,

Ala., during the 2014 Chick- l-A BasketballClassic, Dec. 26 in Tucker. Stephenson losthat game 62-59.

Stephenson's Thomas Oglesby, left, makes alay-up over a Jackson-Olin, Ala., defender.

Columbia's Micaiah Henry dunks the ball withauthority over Glenn Hills players. Columbiawon that game 50-47.

On a fast break, Rodriguez Dennis scoresfor Columbia. Photos by Travis Hudgons

8/10/2019 FreePress 01-01-15

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LOCAL

Pet of the WeekShelby (ID#: 23511484)is a ray of sunshine thathas come to brightenyour day. She is a 100%lovebug! Shelby enjoys

playing with toys, butonly if you are playingwith her; otherwise itsno fun! She seems asif she likes to play fetchtoo! Shelby LOVES bellyrubs; she just plops downat your feet and rolls overand relaxes into a pileof Shelby jello. She hasthe most adorable underbite that seals the dealon this great girl. Pleasecome and meet Shelby,shes waiting for you; And

during December you cantake advantage of theHome for the Pawlidays special and pay only $30 for her adoptionfee. This includes her spay, vaccines and microchip. Come in andmeet Shelby at the DeKalb shelter. To get more information aboutShelby email [email protected] or call (404)294-2165. To view other great pets available for adoption visit www.dekalbanimalservices.com.

grants fund specialize trafficenforcement units in coun-ies throughout the state. The

program was designed to as-ist Georgia jurisdictions withhe highest rates of traffic

crashes, injuries and fatalities

with grants awarded based onmpaired driving and speed-ng data.

As law enforcement part-ners in the Operation ZeroTolerance DUI and Click ItOr Ticket seatbelt campaigns,he DeKalb County Police

Department will also conductmobilizations throughouthe year in coordination with

GOHSs year-round waves ofhigh visibility patrols, multi-urisdictional roadchecks andobriety checkpoints.

Chamblee tree recycling

The city of Chamblee andKeep Chamblee Beautiful in-vite residents to Bring Oneor the Chipper at Cham-

blees Public Works Facilityan. 3, 9 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Chamblee residents drop-ping off their trees will re-ceive free seedlings for new

tree plantings and informa-tion about the revitalizationof Keep Chamblee Beautiful.There will also be free des-serts and hot apple cider.

After more than 20 years,Bring One for the Chip-

per remains one of our mostpopular programs. The tripto drop off the tree is a cher-ished holiday tradition formany Georgians and one thatstarts the new year off right,focusing on making easy, sus-tainable choices, said SarahVisser , executive director ofthe Keep Georgia BeautifulFoundation.

Since 1991, Bring Onefor the Chipper, has collectedmore than 6 million trees forbeneficial reuse. Chambleehas been participating in theevent for more than a decadenow and we are proud to bepart of such a great tradition.

Bring One for theChipper is Georgias an-nual Christmas tree recyclingprogram. Non-Chambleeresidents can visit www.KeepGeorgiaBeautiful.org fora ZIP Code-based listing ofdrop-off centers near them.

Briefs Continued From Page 8A

FreePress 01-01-15

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