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by Daniel [email protected]

Over the years, MARTA officialsaid that the transit system haseceived numerous complaints

about the overall riding experience.n an effort to address those

concerns, MARTA has implementeda new code of conduct for riders.

MARTA CEO Keith Parker

aid the new Ride With Respectpolicy will make MARTA moreattractive and help riders feel morecomfortable. The new policy goesnto effect Nov. 9.

You should have the freedom toit quietly and enjoy a peaceful ride

on MARTA, Parker said.The MARTA Board of Directors

approved the new policy Sept. 9.Under the new code of conduct,

prohibited activities includeolicitation, selling goods orervices, loud music, spitting,ittering, eating on transit vehicles,

drinking on transit vehicles without

esealable drink containers, fightingand disruptive behaviormany ofwhich are also violations of stateaw and could result in arrest.

Frederick Daniels, chair ofMARTAs board of directors, saidover the years the transit systemsbiggest complaint has been thenegative riding experience.

Moving forward, MARTA willnot tolerate bad behavior on ourystem any longer. We are askinghe community, elected officials,

customers and non-riders to joinwith us in this effort to promotehe idea and notion that everyone

deserves an enjoyable ride on

MARTA, Daniels said.Parker said MARTAs goal with

he new policy isnt to create apolice state and make arrests.However, he cautioned would beule-breakers and said that they will

be held accountable.If a person is playing music

while theyre riding on a bus orrain and its loud enough for our

officer to hear it, he or she willimply say, Could you please turnhat down? When the citation will

come into effect is when that personust simply says, No.

Parker said he hopes the new

policy will encourage people tobehave themselves. He said ifomeone is given a citation for

breaking the policies and aresuspended from using MARTA forseveral days but somehow manageto sneak back onto a bus or train,so be it.

If they completely behaveand we dont see them, mission

WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2013 VOL. 16, NO. 25 FREE

A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNIC ATIONS

Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.

See Church on Page 15A

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FREEPRESS

See MARTA on page 15A

100 year-old Oakhurst Baptist church says of its years of

turmoil and controversy, By God were still hereby Kathy [email protected]

Americas social landscape has changed markedlyduring the past 100 years. Oakhurst Baptist Church,which celebrates its centennial this year, has in manyways been a microcosm of that change. The unas-suming brick building at Third Avenue and East LakeDrive offers few clues to the controversies that haveraged within its walls over the years.

Started as a Southern Baptist Church, OakhurstBaptist held its frst services in a tent. By the 1920s,

parishioners had begun meeting in a wood framebuilding they called the shed or the shack.

By the 1930s, there were plans for a grand buildingwith a high steeple and smaller buildings to accom-

Decatur church celebrates its first century

MARTA implements code

of conduct for riders,announces new services

Pastor Melanie Vaughn-West, center, and church members ride the Oakhurst Baptist Church Float in Atlantas Gay Pride parade. Vaughn-West says people are often surprised to see a church supporting gay pride. Photo by Lynn Farmer

The unassuming brick building at East Lake Drive and Third Avenuehas been the site of numerous controversies since the 1960s. Photo byKathy Mitchell

MARTA CEO Keith Parker and former NBA basketball player and clothing designer KevinWillis talk about the importance of making MARTA an enjoyable ride for everyone. Photo byDaniel Beauregard

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by Andrew [email protected]

Marva Wright said herMilan Estates neighborhoodn unincorporated Decaturs a nice, well-kept commu-

nity.We are a decent neigh-

borhood except for this,he said Sept. 4, pointing tohe property at 4008 Apple-on Court near Wesley Cha-

pel Road.The 1,751-square-foot

plit-level brick house,

which residents said hasbeen vacant for approxi-mately 14 years, is usuallycompletely surrounded withovergrown weeds. On Sept.4, someone had mowed a0-foot strip near the street,eaving thick tall weeds inhe yard.

Wright said that recently,omeone has stolen copper

pipes from the house.Its been like this for

oo long, Wright said.

This property has beenvacant too long and it is aneyesore. The neighbors areired of it looking like this.

We are forced to live in thisenvironment. And wereick of it. No one is doing

anything about it.The longer it stays

empty], the worse it gets,Wright said. We want [theowner] to sell it or come andclean it up and make it lookike us in here. Be a part ofhe neighborhood.

Henry Prather, who

has lived in the communityince 1975, said, This usedo be a real nice house. The

people move out of itandhe house went down.

It needs to be torndown, or sold or xed up,said Prather, adding that he

has called code enforcementfour times in the past monthabout the property. Youvegot rats out there. Youvegot snakes in there.

Prather said he cut theyard once and saw threesnakes.

The investment rm inLas Vegas that owns thispropertybought it sightunseen and I think he spenttoo much money on it and

hes asking a lot for it,he said. They need tobring it down to wheresomebody can afford it.

It could be a nice pieceof property for some-body.

A DeKalb Countycivil hearing notice isattached to the home,but the writing hascompletely faded away.

DeKalb Countyspokesman BurkeBrennan said the coun-ty has issued severalcitations to the ownersof record for failing tosecure the property andhigh weeds and grass.

During a Sept. 3court date a judgeordered default judg-

ments of $500 on two cita-tions, Brennan said. A newcourt date is scheduled forOct. 8 for a last attempt toallow the owners time to ap-pear prior to the court issu-ing nal judgments on thisproperty.

According the DeKalbCounty tax commissionerswebsite, the property isowned by Jacob MillerHoldings LLC of Hender-son, Nev. A search on the

website of the Nevada sec-retary of state revealed thatthe companys business sta-tus is listed as permanentlyrevoked.

Mohammed, who livesbeside the property, said arelative of his was interestedin purchasing the propertybut was unable to reach anagreement on the cost.

He said he regularlyhears animals in the brush.It scares my family andmyself, Mohammed said.

Wright said the county

needs to impose stiffer pen-alties for code violators.Weve got to stick it to

the people who are slack,Wright said.

Neighbors call vacanthose an eyesore

Thisproperty hasbeen vacanttoo longand it is aneyesore.

Residents in the Milan Estates neighborhood say they are tired of looking at a vacant home with overgrownweeds. It needs to be torn down, or sold or xed up, said resident Henry Prather. Photos by AndrewCathen

Marva Wright

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FAILURE to give proper treatment to residents with feeding tubes to preventproblems (such as aspiration pneumonia, diarrhea, vomiting, dehydration,

metabolic abnormalities, nasal-pharyngeal ulcers) and help restore eating skills, if

possible.[11/08/2012, 1/21/2010]

FAILURE to develop a complete care plan that meets all of a resident's needs,

with timetables and actions that can be measured.[11/08/2012, 6/03/2011]

FAILURE to maintain drug records and properly mark/label drugs and othersimilar products according to accepted professional standards.[11/08/2012]

FAILURE to give or get quality lab services/tests in a timely manner to meet the

needs of residents.[11/08/2012]

FAILURE to make sure medically necessary lab services/tests are ordered by the

attending physician.[11/08/2012]

FAILURE to provide necessary care and services to maintain the highest well

being of each resident.[6/03/2011]

FAILURE to allow the resident the right to participate in the planning or

revision of the resident's care plan.[6/03/2011]

FAILURE to have a program that investigates, controls and keeps infection from

spreading.[6/03/2011]

FAILURE to make sure that each resident who enters the nursing home without

a catheter is not given a catheter, and receive proper services to prevent urinary

tract infections and restore normal bladder function.[1/21/2010]

FAILURE to review the work of each nurse aide every year; and give regular

in-service training based upon these reviews.[1/21/2010]

FAILURE to make sure that nurse aides show they have the skills and techniquesto be able to care for residents' needs.[1/21/2010]

GOLDEN LIVING CENTER -

DECATUR

GOLDEN LIVING CENTER -

GLENWOODFAILURE to make sure that the nursing home area is free fromaccident hazards and risks and provides supervision to prevent

avoidable accidents.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to make sure each resident receives an accurate assessment by aqualified health professional.[5/28/2010]

FAILURE to provide care by qualified persons according to each resident's

written plan of care.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to provide necessary care and services to maintain the highest well

being of each resident.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to hire only people with no legal history of abusing,neglecting or mistreating residents; or report and investigate any

acts or reports of abuse, neglect or mistreatment of

residents.[5/07/2012, 5/28/2010]

FAILURE to make sure that each resident who enters the nursing home without

a catheter is not given a catheter, and receive proper services to prevent urinary

tract infections and restore normal bladder function.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to make sure that residents with reduced range of motion get proper

treatment and services to increase range of motion.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to develop a complete care plan that meets all of a resident's needs,with timetables and actions that can be measured.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to immediately tell the resident, the resident's doctor and a familymember of the resident of situations (injury/decline/room, etc.) that affect theresident.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to follow policies and procedures to convey the resident's personal

funds to the appropriate party responsible after the resident's death.[3/25/2009]

FAILURE to have a program that investigates, controls and keeps infection from

spreading.[5/03/2011]

FAILURE to give residents proper treatment to prevent new bed

(pressure) sores or heal existing bed sores.[5/03/2011]

Gary L. Wimbish is responsible for the content of this advertisement.

IMPORTANT NOTICEIf you or your loved one is or was a resident at one

of these facilities, they have been cited for multipledeficiencies including:

THIS IS AN ADVERTISEMENT

If you or someone you love is or has been in the past a resident of Golden Living

Center - Decatur or Golden Living Center - Glenwood, call the law firm of

Wilkes & McHugh, P.A. for a free consultation.

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POOR CARE CAN LEAD TOBEDSORES, BROKEN BONES...EVEN DEATH.

*Deficiencies were obtained from past federal inspection results available on Medicare.gov.

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One Mans Opinion

Charmin understands how dif-ficult it can be for families to findclean public restrooms when theyreout and about and this partnershipallows us to continue to help con-sumers.Proctor and Gamble ex-ecutive and Charmin Brand Manag-erJacques Hagopian, announcingthe launch of the SitOrSquat proj-ect, and online website and phoneapplication that helps consumers

locate more than 50,000 clean, safeand accessible public restroom fa-cilities across the globe.

When you gotta go, you gottago. Anyone who has spent an entireday traveling with a small child orelderly adult is well aware of thesometimes short-fused, acute needto locate a public restroom. No-where is that need perhaps beingmet less during the past severalyears than on MARTA. Severe aus-terity budget cuts three years agocaused the closure of the vast ma-jority of public restrooms across thesystem, leaving only nine restroomsopen and available, and at locationsgenerally dispersed at the north/

south/east and west terminus pointson the system.

Nine may sound like a lot butMARTA operates 38 rail sta-

tions. And there are actually morethan 76 restrooms available for use;the challenge is finding budget forstaffing, cleaning and providing se-curity.

SitOrSquat began as a blog by ayoung New York City resident andhas turned into the worlds leadingpublic restroom database and locat-ing service with applications span-ning nearly every mobile and onlineplatform. If you have an infant ortoddler, IBS, Crohns or any othersituation occasionally requiring im-mediate restroom access then this isthe app for you.

Those in the choir already know

this, and I will make every attemptto avoid potty humor, but try tooriginate a day-long junket from thesuburbs in any direction on MAR-TA, to a Braves game, the GeorgiaAquarium or Hartsfield Airport, andinclude any transfer of bus to rail orrail line to rail linegiven the addi-tional budget cuts reducing bus andtrain frequencyand you are oftenlooking at a two- to three-hour gapbetween access to indoor plumbing.

For many seniors, the disabledand young children, holding it issimply not a realistic option. Fortu-nately most every MARTA station

still has a restroom of sorts, itscalled the elevator. However froma hygiene perspective this option is

unsafe, unsanitary and particularlyoffensive for wheelchair boundpatrons who must regularly use theelevators for train access. Those el-

evators as a result also require muchmore frequent cleaning.Help is however on the way, and

though voices sharing these pottywoes have recently gotten muchlouder, MARTAs new GM KeithParker is also actually a regularMARTA system rider. And whetheror not he has experienced thesechallenges himself, or he simply isa better listener, Mr. Parker is doingsomething about it. After his arrivaland a 90-day top to bottom/inside/out operational review, Parker an-nounced that the existing restroomcapacity and utilization was notrider friendly and that by 2015, all

the original restrooms, open to thepublic and riders since 1979 wouldre-open.

The MARTA budget for 2015allocates $1.32 million toward rest-room operations. Mr. Parker and histeam are able public servants andcivil engineersbut with all duerespect, I believe a plan can eas-ily be put in place to re-open thoserestrooms in half the time at wellless than half that price. I wontbore you readers with the details,but please trust that the plan is be-ing transmitted up the pipeline.

There is a way, not today, but

soon, to form a public/privatepartnership that quickly addressesa pressing public need, and does

so in a way that is as sensitive tothe taxpayer and MARTA riderspocketbooks as the aforementionedCharmin.

So this time next year, when youtake the grandkids downtown for aday on the monster Ferris Wheel,or a visit to Georgia Aquarium orWorld of Coke, you neednt worryabout denying them that extra freeserving of Fanta Kiwi or someother exotic concoction in the Tast-ing Room because though there isstill no deposit, there now will thenbe a place for return. OK, Impushing it.

A little humor on certain subjectscan go a long way, but as someonewho has literally sprinted thoseescalators at Five Points and Harst-field more than a few times, I am

expressing an advanced sigh of re-lief, and true gratitude. And at leastfor now, I wont need to downloadthat useful app from the friendlyfolks at Charmin.

Bill Crane also serves as apolitical analyst and commentatorfor Channel 2s Action News, WSB-AM News/Talk 750 and now 95.5FM, as well as a columnist forTheChampion, Champion Free PressandGeorgia Trend. Crane is a

DeKalb native and business owner,

living in Scottdale. You can reachhim or comment on a column [email protected].

Potty woes to go

Page 4A The Champion Free Press, Friday, September 13, 2013OPINION

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Any U.S. war

with Syria will

turn out badly.

So were going to war in Syria.Maybe. We wont know for sureuntil Congress gets back from thevacation its taking from its othervacations.

One can live in hope, however.What would autumn be without afresh war in the Middle East to oc-cupy us?

I know, the Obama-Bush ad-ministration is saying that its notgoing to be a real war, that wereimply going to conduct a punitiveaid to teach Syrian leaderBashar

al-Assad a lesson.But you know how those things

go. One lesson leads to another, andbefore you know it, were bomb-ing cities to save them, sending introops, and rebuilding the societywe helped knock down.

After that formula worked sowell in places like Iraq, Afghani-stan, and Libya, its no wonderPresident Barack Obama wants totry it in Syria.

The desire for a Syrian raid,according to occasionally reliablesources, arises from a box of redcrayons that Obama keeps in hisdesk drawer in the Oval Office. Ev-ery once in a while he takes one outand draws a line in front of someaction that an enemy power mustnot cross. With Iran, its the produc-tion of a nuclear bomb. With Syria,its the use of poison gas.

Well, to make a long story short,

Assad seems to have used poisongas on his own people and thusmust be punished.

You see, its OK to bomb peoplewith conventional weapons or toincinerate them with napalm (as weourselves did many times in Viet-nam) or to put them in jail and tor-ture them (remember Abu Ghraib?).Its OK to mine farm fields so thatlong after a war is over peasantswill be blowing off limbs on a con-

sistent basis.Its even OK to obliterate entire

cities with a single bomb that vapor-izes all in its path. (Maybe not OKexactly but perfectly understandableunder the proper circumstances.)But if you use poison gas, you are amonster and a lowlife.

Who can argue with logic likethat?

Some do, of course. Not onlydo Russia and China (always thespoilsports) object to the proposedU.S. action, but the British parlia-ment has refused to go along with it.It seems that many Brits rememberbeing fooled into helping out withthe Iraq War only to find that thedreaded weapons of mass de-struction were a figment ofDickCheneys imagination. Theyveseen that movie and they dont like

the ending.The nice thing about being an

American is that you dont have toworry about history because youhave no memory of it. Our nationalmotto should be: A mistake worthmaking is worth repeating.

The other question surround-ing this issue is: Will a raid do anygoodthat is, teach Assad a lesson?

Probably not. Assad wont strikehimself on the forehead and say

What a fool Ive been. Im goingto resign and spend the rest of mylife reading the Federalist Papers.

Assad is a nasty piece of work.I doubt that a limited strike such asthis one looks to be will have mucheffect.

So why do it?Theres that red-line thing, I

suppose, but somehow You crossthat line and Im going to tellCongress lacks something as athreat. Not that Im against consult-ing Congress, if its members can belocated.

In any case, the last time bomb-ing worked out for us was Kosovo,but that was a two-month campaignof intensive bombing, supported byour allies.

Our allies are hiding behindsand dunes this time.

I predict it will all turn outbadly. Ive been predicting that onthe front end of every single devel-opment in the Middle East for thepast 20 years and I have yet to bewrong.

OtherWords columnist DonaldKaul lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan.OtherWords.org

Let Us Know What You Think!

THE CHAMPION FREE PRESSencourages opinionsfrom its readers. Please write to us and express yourviews. Letters should be brief, typewritten and containthe writers name, address and telephone number forverification. All letters will be considered for publication.

Send Letters To Editor, The Champion Free Press, P. O. Box 1347,Decatur, GA 30031-1347; Send E-Mail to [email protected] To: (404) 370-3903 Phone: (404) 373-7779Deadline for news releases and advertising: Thursday, one week prior topublication date.

EDITORS NOTE: The opinions written by columnists and contributing edi-tors do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editor or publishers.ThePublisher reserves the right to reject or cancel any advertisement at anytime. The Publisher is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts.

Publisher: John HewittChief Financial Officer Dr. Earl D. Glenn

Managing Editor: Kathy Mitchell

News Editor: Andrew Cauthen

Production Manager: Kemesha HuntGraphic Designer: Travis Hudgons

The Champion Free Press is published each

Friday by ACE III Communications, Inc.,114 New Street, Suite E, Decatur, GA. 30030

Phone (404) 373-7779.

www.championnewspaper.com

DISPLAY ADVERTISING (404) 373-7779 x 110

FREEPRESS

STATEMENT FROM THE PUBLISHER

We sincerely appreciate the discussion surrounding this and anyissue of interest to DeKalb County. The Champion was founded in1991 expressly to provide a forum for discourse forallcommunityresidents onall sides of an issue. We have no desire to make thenews only to report news and opinions to effect a more educatedcitizenry that will ultimately move our community forward. We arehappy to present ideas for discussion; however, wemake everyeffort toavoid printing information submitted to usthat is known tobe false and/orassumptions penned as fact.

There we go again

Printed on 100%post-consumerrecycled paper

Donald Kaul

Guest Columnist

Page 5AOPINION

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by Carla [email protected]

Proposed changes toDeKalb County zoning or-dinance has serious impli-ations for the Druid Hills

neighborhood, according to

a Druid Hills Civic Associa-ion blog post.

The association said thezoning ordinance would fa-vor commercial interests andtrip rights from homeown-rs, which concerns the as-ociation.

Under the new ordi-nance, all properties in theounty will receive a new

zoning classication, theassociations blog read. TheDeKalb County administra-ion appears eager to pushhrough the new ordinance.

According to the countyplanning and sustainabilitywebsite, the updated DeKalbCounty ordinance will imple-ment the policies of the coun-ys 2025 Comprehensive

Plan with fewer zoning dis-ricts, balanced with greater

design standards. Accordingo the countys zoning code,

the current zoning ordinanceretains residential districtsthat comprise the majorityof the county. DeKalb has21 residential districts in thezoning ordinance; however,the proposed ordinance willconsolidate into eight zoning

districts to achievea more user-friendlycode, according to theproposal.

Some of the pro-posed changes thatthe association hasconcerns about includereducing the size ofbuffers between zon-ing classications to

make it easier to re-develop commercialcorridors; eliminate the35 feet height limita-tion in zones classiedfor ofce buildings,

thereby permitting ve-storybuildings to go up adjacent tosingle family homes; and ex-empting pervious pavementfrom paving restrictions, en-abling homeowners to paveall or larger portions of theirproperties, affects the water-shed, the association said.

The association is alsoconcerned that the zoningordinance severely limitsthe ability of homeownersand public ofcials to appealland use decisions; allowsadministrative reductions ofrequired setbacks and mini-mum lot sizes; allows theconstruction of cellphonetowers anywhere withoutadequate recourse for home-owners and businesses; allowfor rezoning with embeddedvariances and provide forgenerous density bonuses inmany zones countywide.

Champion of the Week

If you would like to nominate someone to be considered as a

future Champion of the Week, please contact Kathy Mitchell at

[email protected] or at (404) 373-7779, ext. 104.

Charles McAleer

Druid Hills Civic Association

Since 1991,Charles McAleerof Atlanta has par-ticipated in the an-nual Bike MS race,which benefts theNational MultipleSclerosis Society.

On Sept. 14-15,McAleer and em-ployees from hislaw frm, McAleerLaw, will participateas a team in the2013 Bike MS Cox

Atlanta Ride. The McAleer Law BikeMS team was created by McAleerin 2011. The team has since raisedseveral thousands dollars for theMultiple Sclerosis Society. Theteam has raised $2,500 for the raceso far and hopes to raise $5,000.

This is the second year the De-catur law frm will participate in therace. McAleer said he got his em-ployees involved in the race to raisemore money and bring more aware-ness to multiple sclerosis.

Its only so much I can do aloneand getting them involved and them

reaching out to their families cre-ates more exposure to the disease,he said. And its kind of a teambuilding event for us as well. Ivegotten all of our employees activein the event either volunteering orriding.

McAleer began fght-ing against multiplesclerosis when one ofhis close college friendswas diagnosed withthe disease in the late1990s. Since then, hehas represented severalclients with the disease.

Fortunately for [mycollege friend], shewas able to handle thesymptoms pretty wellwith medication andgood medical care, he

said. But Ive seen clients of ourswith more severe and disablingtypes of symptoms.

Multiple sclerosis is an inflamma-tory disease in which the insulatingcovers of nerve cells in the brainand spinal cord are damaged. Thisdamage disrupts the ability of partsof the nervous system to commu-nicate, resulting in a wide rangeof signs and symptoms, includingphysical, mental and sometimespsychiatric problems.

Its a disease that affects morepeople than the public might know,

he said. Its very common and itseems like every year [research-ers] get closer and closer to a cure.

A lot of the money thats needed tofnd a cure or create better ways totreat the disease comes from char-ity work.

Proposed county zoningordinance concerns DridHills Civic Association

under the newordinance, allproperties in theconty will receive

a new zoningclassication.

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BROOKHAVEN

City to host Art on the Town

Brookhaven will host the Fallnto Art event, at an outdoor

Artists Market presented by theAtlanta Foundation for PublicSpaces featuring 30 local artists andartisans on the greenspace entryo Town Brookhaven. The event,

which began Sept. 7, will be heldfor three consecutive weekendshrough Sept. 21, and include

acoustic music by local performers.The event, which begins at 11 a.m.,s free to attend. Town Brookhavens located at 4330 Peachtree Road

NE.

CHAMBLEE

Fall crafts subject of librarysenior program

On the third Monday of everymonth, the Chamblee Library holdsan event it callsSenior Moment.The September program, whichwill be Monday, Sept.16, 1:30-3 p.m.,will be onfall-themeddecorative crafts. It is open to thefirst 10 participants. Call or visithe branch to register. Funding forhe program is provided by the

Friends of the Chamblee Library.The Chamblee Library is located at4115 Clairmont Road, Chamblee.To register or for more information,call (770) 936-1380.

CLARKSTON

Library to host CAREing Pawsreading event for children

Children ages 5-8 can share theirnew reading skills by reading aloudo a therapy dog at the CAREing

Paws event at Clarkston Library.The 2-3 p.m. event will be heldSaturday, Sept. 14. The event isopen to the rst eight participants.The library is located at Northndian Creek Drive. To register forhe event, call (404) 508-7175.

DECATUR

Author to discuss book about 19thcentury Quakers

Linda Spalding will be at theDecatur Library Wednesday, Sept.

8, at 7:15 p.m. to talk about hernew book, The Purchase, the storyof a Quaker familywho moves fromPennsylvania to the Virginia frontiern the early 1800s. Spalding is the

author of three novels and a work ofnonction, The Follow, which was

shortlisted for the Trillium BookAward and the Pearson WritersTrust Non-Fiction Prize. Shereceived the Harbourfront FestivalPrize for her contributions to theCanadian literary community. TheDecaturLibrary is located at 215Sycamore Street, Decatur. For moreinformation, call (404) 370-3070.

DORAVILLE

Six candidates qualify for citycouncil seats

Doraville, which recently hired a

city manager and changed its formof government last year, recentlyheld candidate qualications for theupcoming 2013 municipal generalelection.

Of those who qualied for the threeseats, three are incumbents. Thecandidates are:

Council District OneJulie NewmanRobert Patrick(I)

Council District TwoBrian Bates (I)

Dawn OConnor

Council District ThreeKaren Pachuta (I)Sharon Spangler

DUNWOODY

Information meeting to offerdetails on trip to Israel

Marcus Jewish CommunityCenter of Atlanta (MJCCA) willhold a Community Mission toIsrael information meeting Sunday,Sept. 22, 7 - 8 p.m.The public is

invited to an information meetingto learn more about the upcomingCommunity Mission to Israel,which will take place June 15 - 23,2014.

Get ready for an amazingadventure by joining RabbiGlusman and fellow Atlantans onthe MJCCA bus. This adventure ofa lifetime is perfect for rst-timersand those who have been to Israelbefore. Highlights of the trip includea special welcome ceremony, YadVashem, Masada, The Old City, andmore, the announcement states.Travel subsidies are available.

MJCCA at Zaban Park is located at5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.For more information, contactRabbi Glusman at rabbi.glusman@

atlantajcc.org, or (678) 812-4161.

KIRKWOODSeventh annual Wine Stroll tohave Roaring 20s theme

The seventh annual KirkwoodWine Stroll will be on Friday, Sept.27, with 28 pouring stations andwines from around the world, alllocated in the downtown businessdistrict of Kirkwood. This yearsfestival promises to be our best yearyet. We will be closing the streetsand featuring Blair Crimmins andthe Hookers Band. With a Roaring20s Great Gatsby themed soiree,

your festive attire is encouraged,states an announcement from theKirkwood Business Association,which recommends getting ticketsin advance, as the event often sellsout. The event is 6:30-10 p.m. andcheck in is at 2033 Hosea L. Wil-liams Dr., Atlanta. More informa-tion and tickets are available atwww.KirkwoodBiz.com.

LITHONIA

Talk to a Doc events scheduled atDeKalb Medical Hillandale

Upcoming topics include Cel-ebrating Womens Healthto be heldSept. 19, 6-8 p.m.Emphasis will be on changing medi-cal issues and complexities of wom-en in all stages of life, from mater-nity to menopause. Join a panel ofphysicians in the community roomof the DeKalb Medical Hillandalecampus in a celebration of womenshealth.

A second Talk to a Doc event isPuberty Rocks! For Boys. Thisdiscussion will address a youngmans journey into adolescence onFriday, Sept. 20, 6-8 p.m. in the

community room of the DeKalbMedical Hillandale campus. Tipswill be provided to help young mennavigate the tween and teen yearswith the assistance of DeKalb Medi-cal physician, Dr. Ken Harper,according to a release. Topicswill include body changes, moodswings, peer pressure and more.This program is for boys and theirparents only.

Visit www.dekalbmedical.org orcall (404) 501-WELL to register forthese or any upcoming Talk with aDoc events.

Hospital to hold blood drive

Area residents can help others bygiving blood at DeKalb Medicals

blood drive on Thursday, Sept.19, noon - 6 p.m., and receive free

parking and lunch. The drive willbe held in the community roomon DeKalb Medical Hillandalescampus. Pre-registration is notrequired. For additional informationcall (404) 501-WELL for moreinformation.

Collard greens cultural festival tocome to city park

Lithonia City Park & Amphithe-ater will be the site of the fourth an-nual Metro Atlanta Collard GreensCultural Festivalon Saturday, Sept.28, 10 a.m.-7 p.m. The event willfeature a variety of foodsinclud-ing collard green ice creamlivemusic by local talent, arts and crafts,an AfricanMarketplace, childrensSproutland and edutainment duringthis day-long celebration. Admis-sion is free; however, donations arewelcomed.

There will be a variety of ven-dors and artists, a health and well-ness pavilion, a sustainability pa-vilion, a farmers market and thetraditional collard greens cook-off.

This community-based festivalhas previously been held in theHistoric West End Community andthe Historic English Avenue Com-

munity. The Metro Atlanta CollardGreens Cultural Festival has a sisterfestival held in East Palo Alto, Ca-lif., annually.

Lithonia City Park & Amphithe-ater is located at 2515 Park Drive,Lithonia. For more information,visit www.collardgreensculturalfes-tival.com, or call (678) 828-4008.

STONE MOUNTAIN

Island independence celebrationannounced

In 1983, St. Kitts and Nevis be-came independent of Great Britain,making it the smallest and newestsovereign state in the Americas.On Saturday, Sept. 21, theSt. Kittsand Nevis Association of AtlantaInc. will hold a30th Anniversary ofIndependence celebrationatRedanCultural Center in Stone Mountain.The event will include dinner, danc-ing and a show as well as a voicecompetition in which the audiencewill choose the winner. Ticketsare $30. Redan Cultural Centeris located at 4964 Redan Road,Stone Mountain. For tickets andadditional information, call (404)376-4214 or (770) 883-8166 or [email protected].

AROUNDDEKALB

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Decatr residents joindoctors for weekly walks

DeKalb mangets life forkilling boy


Some Decatur residents and cityemployees joined a doctor Sept. 4 for awalk around the city.

The walk was sponsored byDecatur Active Living, a city ofDecatur division with a mission toprovide leisure and support serviceshat contribute to the quality of life of

Decatur residents.It was the rst of the citys

Walk With a Doc weekly programduring which walkers will have theopportunity to discuss various topicswith healthcare professionals.

The idea here today is two-fold:ts walking and then the incentive

here is that theres a doctor with us andyoure free to chat about anything thatyou would like to chat to [him] about,aid Tracie Sanchez, Decatur Active

Livings adult program leader, duringhe inaugural walk.

The rst walk featured Dr. ThomasC. Brillante, an optometrist withDecatur Eye Care in the Oakhurst

community.Walk With a Doc is a national

nonprot organization whose missionis to encourage healthy physicalactivity in people of all ages, andreverse the consequences of a

sedentary lifestyle in order to improvethe health and well-being of thecountry. Walk with a Doc has morethan 90 active programs and is in fourcountries.

Collaborations with ChildrensHealthcare and the Osher LifelongLearning Institute at Emory Universityhave helped recruit medical andcommunity professionals, includingorthopedists, reghters, EMTs,veterinarians, optometrists, registereddieticians, psychiatrists, dentists andmaster gardeners.

By incorporating Walk with aDoc, Decatur Active Living and thecity of Decatur are demonstrating

an exceptional level of caring andcommitment to their community, saidDr. DavidSabgir, founder of Walkwith a Doc.

This program has had tremendous

participation and tremendous successin many other cities around thecountry, said TracieSanchez, adultprogram leader at Decatur ActiveLiving. Im very pleased to be a partof this exciting and simple program

that shows such improved healthresults for so many people.The program is free and

preregistration is not required.Weekly walks will be on Wednesdaysat 11 a.m. and posted at www.beactivedecatur.com, the DecaturActive Living Facebook page and viathe Walk with a Doc website, www.walkwithadoc.org.

The walks begin atthe DecaturRecreation Center, 231 SycamoreStreet, and will follow the City ofDecatur and Friends of DecaturCemetery walking tours routeswith options ranging from one tofour miles.In inclement weather

the walkers will use the indoorelevated walking track at the DecaturRecreation Center.


A DeKalb County manhas been sentenced to lifein prison plus 80 years, forkilling a 7-year-old boy andshooting his sister in an at-tempt to stop them from tes-tifying for a burglary trial.

Willie Kelsey, appearedin a DeKalb County court-room Sept. 5 and pleadedguilty for murdering Timo-thy Johnson Jr. and shoot-ing Alexus Sheppard, 15,several times Sept. 16, 2007.Kelsey accepted a negoti-

ated plea agreement ratherthan face the death penalty.Originally, Kelsey was

charged with murder, fourcounts of felony murder,two counts of aggravatedassault, aggravated battery,criminal attempt to com-mit murder, three countsattempting to murder of awitness, burglary and pos-session of a rearm by aconvicted felon.

According to prosecu-tors, Johnson and his sisterwere shot in what appearsto be a gangland-style inci-

dent. The home that the twochildren and their parentsLaMonica Johnson andTimothy Johnson Sr., wereliving in a year earlier hadbeen robbed by four men.

Prosecutors said the nightbefore the two parents wereto testify, Kelsey broke intothe home where they werestaying with relatives andbegan ring. According tothe indictment he seriouslydisgured Sheppard whenhe shot her in the face.

According to court docu-

ments, Timothy Jr. was shot11 times and Sheppard wasshot ve times or more.

The family was supposedto testify in the trial ofJohnny Travitt, who alleg-edly ran a crime syndicatethat Kelsey belonged to.Travitt has since been foundguilty and sentenced to lifein prison for his role in theviolent 2006 robbery of theJohnsons home.

Decatr residents can discss health topics dring a weekly Walk With A Doc program sponsored by the city. Photos by Andrew Cathen

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Public gets Free TV with no monthly billsFederal law makes TV network giants broadcast Free TV signals regionally in crystal clear digital picture in

all 50 states allowing U.S. households to pull in Free TV with a sleek $49 micro antenna device engineered to pull

in nothing but Free TV channels with no cable, satellite or internet connection and no monthly bills

Who Gets Free TV: Listed below are the Decatur area zip codes that can get Free over the airTV channels. If you live in one of these areas immediately call: 1-888-874-3480

SPECIAL ADVERTISING FEATURE 2013 UNIVERSAL COMMERCE 8000 FREEDOM AVE., N. CANTON OH 44720

GEORGIA - Todays announcement by

CompTek has the Free TV Hotlines ring-

ing off the hook.

Thats because Decatur area residents who

find their zip code listed in todays publica-

tion are getting Free TV channels thanks

to an amazing razor-thin invention called

Clear-Cast.

Decatur area residents who call the Toll

Free Hotlines before the 48-hour order dead-

line to get Clear-Cast can pull in Free TV

channels with crystal clear digital picture

and no monthly bill s .

This announcement is being so widelyadvertised because a U.S. Federal law makes

TV broadcasters transmit their signals in dig-

ital format, which allows everyone to r eceive

these over-the-air digital signals for free with

no monthly bills.

Heres how it works. Clear-Cast, the sleek

micro antenna device with advanced technol-

ogy links up directly to pull in the Free TV sig-

nals being broadcast in your area with crystal

clear digital picture and no monthly bills.

Clear-Cast was invented by a renowned

NASA Space Technology Hall of Fame scien-

tist who currently holds 23 U.S. Govt issued

patents. For the past 20 years, he has spe-

cialized in developing antenna systems for

NASA, Motorola, XM Satellite Radio and

companies around the world.

His latest patent-pending invention, Clear-

Cast, is a sleek micro antenna device engi-

neered to pull in the Free TV signals throughadvanced technology with no cable, satellite or

internet connection and no monthly bills.

Clear-Cast is being released to the gen-

eral public because we just dont think peo-

ple should keep paying for TV when they can

get it for free, said Conrad Miller, Manager

of Operations at CompTek.

Theres never a monthly bill to pay and

all the channels you get with Clear-Cast are

absolutely free. So you see, Clear-Cast is not

like cable or satellite. It was engineered to

access solely the over-the-air signals that

include all the top rated national a nd regional

networks, like ABC, NBC, CBS, FOX, PBS,

CW and about 90% of the most watched TV

shows like Americas Got Talent, NCIS, 60

Minutes, American Idol, The Big Bang The-

ory, The Bachelorette, Person of Interest,

CSI, The Mentalist, Two and a Half Men,

Sunday Night Football plus news, weatherand more all for free with no monthly bills,

Miller said.

Thats why Clear-Cast is such a great

alternative for everyone who is sick and tired

of paying expensive cable and satellite bills

every month, he said.

People who get Clear-Cast will say it feels

like getting an extra paycheck every month.

You see, with Clear-Cast youll receive free

over-the-air broadcast channels with crystal

clear digital picture, not the cable or satel-

lite only channels. So being able to eliminate

those channels puts all the money you were

spending back in your pocket every month,

Miller said.

And heres the best part. The sleek micro

antenna device called Clear-Cast is so tech-

nically advanced it pulls in even more of the

channels being broadcast in your area for

Free with no monthly bills.

That way you can channel surf through

the favorite TV shows. The number of

shows and channels youll get depends on

where you live. People liv ing in large met-

ropolitan areas may get up to 53 static-free

NEVER PAY A BILL AGAIN: Georgians will be on the lookout for their postal carrier because thousands of Clear-Casts willsoon be delivered to lucky Decatur area residents who beat the 48-hour order deadline and live in any of the zip code areaslisted below. Everyone is getting Clear-Cast because it pulls in nothing but Free TV channels with no cable, satellite or internet

connection and no monthly bills.

How to get Free TV: Listed below are the Decatur area zip codes that can get Free TV channelswith no monthly bills. If you live in one of these areas immediately call 1-888-874-3480 beginning atprecisely 8:30am this morning. Todays announcement photo above shows just a handful of the majorover-the-air broadcast networks you can receive with Clear-Cast for free. It saves a ton of money by notpicking up expensive cable only channels like ESPN so theres never a monthly bill. This is all possiblebecause a U.S. Federal Law makes TV broadcasters transmit their signals in digital format, which allowseveryone to use Clear-Cast to pull in Free TV channels with no monthly bills. CompTek is giving everyU.S. household a 50% off discount to help cover the cost of Clear-Cast. Clear-Cast, the sleek microantenna device is a one-time purchase that plugs in to your TV to pull in Free TV channels in crystal cleardigital picture with no monthly bills. Each Clear-Cast normally costs $98, but U.S. households who beatthe 48-hour deadline are authorized to get a 50% off discount for each Clear-Cast and cover just $49 andshipping as long as they call the Free TV Hotline at 1-888-874-3480 before the deadline ends or onlineat www.clear-cast.com. Trademarks and programs are the property of their respective owners and are notaffiliated with or endorsing Clear-Cast. SLG1086

30002

30021

30030

30032

30033

30034

30035

30036

30038

30047

30058

30072

30074

30079

30083

30084

30087

30088

30294

30316

30317

30319

30329

30338

30340

30341

30345

30360

How It Works:Justplug it in to your TVand pull in Free TVchannels in crystalclear digital picture

with no cable, satelliteor internet connectionand no monthly bills

P6418A OF17176R-1 SLG1086

channels, while people in outlying areas will

get less. That means even if youre in a rural

area that just pulls in NBC, ABC, CBS, FOX

and PBS broadcasts theres hundreds of

shows each year to watch for free.

Consumers report that the crystal clear

picture quality with Clear-Cast is the best

theyve ever seen. Thats because you get vir-

tually all pure uncompressed signals direct

from the broadcasters for free.

Clear-Cast was engineered to link up

directly like a huge outdoor directional antenna

but in a lightweight, slim-li ne package. Its

sturdy copper alloy and polymer construc-tion will most likely far outlast your TV.

It just couldnt be any easier to get Free

over-the-air digital TV shows with Clear-

Cast. Simply plug it into your TV, place Clear-

Cast on a window pane and run autoscan.

It works on virtually any model TV and is

easily hidden out of sight behind a curtain

or window treatment.

Thousands of Decatur area residents are

expected to call to get Clear-Cast because it

just doesnt make any sense to keep paying

for TV when you can get hundreds of shows

absolutely free.

So, Decatur area residents lucky enough

to find their zip code listed in todays publi-

cation need to immediately call the Free TV

Hotline before the 48-hour deadline to get

Clear-Cast that pulls in Free TV with crys-

tal clear digital picture. If lines are busy keep

trying, all calls will be answered.

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DeKalb police officer charged withconspiracy to commit a crime

New mentoring program ses handson activities to empower girls

y Carla [email protected]

Self-esteem, peer pres-ure, bullying, pregnancynd substance abuse are justfew of the obstacles andhallenges that teenage girlsace on a daily basis.

Bianca Singleton knowshat mentorship is one ofhe factors that help girlsace and deal with theseocial issues. That is whyhe founded Precious Menc., a program designed tonurture love for oneself,

ove and appreciation forthers and recognition of theove from others inside andutside of immediate tieshrough experiential learningxperiences.

The program, whichaters to girls ages 11-18cross metro Atlanta, wasounded in April 2012 andaunched this past June.

However, Singleton said thevision for the program beganwhen she was in high school.

The vision in itself waskind of created over time,he said. When I was a pag-

ant queen [in the Alpha PhiAlpha Fraternity Inc. MissBlack and Gold pageant]wareness, self-esteem andody image in young women

was my platform.She used that same plat-

orm to be the focal point ofhe program.

Singleton had a mentorwhile she was in high schoolwho helped her get throughdifcult times and she want-d to be a positive examplen a girls life as well. She

has mentored girls in theBoys and Girls Club and the

YMCA. She was a youthdance coordinator at a cen-ral Georgia church for ve

years and she has coordinat-d and hosted workshops on

topics ranging from etiquetteto empowerment for variousorganizations.

Precious Me Inc. is facili-tated at New Mercies Chris-tian Church in Lilburn. The

program also partners withSistas Circle Inc., a nonprot

based in Lawrenceville. Theorganization hosts a weeklyenrichment support groupfor girls ages 11-17 calledYoung Strong Sistas. Thesupport group uses the samecurriculum that is used inPrecious Me Inc.

Singleton said what

separates Precious Me Inc.from other mentoring andenrichment programs is theexperiential learning methodit uses.

A lot of the other men-toring programs are morediscussion-based with sup-

port groups, she said.Everything is hands on [atPrecious Me Inc.]. If weredoing a workshop on career

building, instead of havingthem looking at differenttypes of resumes well havethe girls actually write a re-sume.

Precious Me Inc. en-forces communication butin a way that young womenof current times can under-stand, she said. Althoughmost programs utilize theadult-to-child model, thisis not the primary means oftheir interaction.

LaToria Jones of Litho-nia, who is a Precious Mementor, said the program is agreat foundation for helpinggirls evolve into what theywant to be at their greatest

potential.Precious Me really is

a foundation for growth ofyoung women, especially atthe age where theyre start-ing sixth grade and trying tond out who they are, Jones

said. I think a lot of youngwomen between sixth and12th grade are kind of stuckin between do I really wantto grow up? and who do Ireally want to be?

The programs structure isbased on four core facets thatcomplement a teenage girlsgrowth in todays society.Those core facets are self-identity reconstruction, ap-

pearance molding, life-skilldevelopment and communityadvocacy.

Singleton said the pro-gram is designed with the

modern girl in mind. Theprogram, along with SistasCircle Inc., hosts workshopsand the topics explored with-in each workshop are perti-nent to needs such as socialmedia etiquette and identitydevelopment.

In a world where sex-ting and cyber-bullying areemerging troubles of todayssociety, young ladies need to

be equipped with the skillsand knowledge to overcome21st century girl problems,she said.

Along with the work-

shops, the program conductsweekly meetings for the girlsto interact with each otherand the mentors and it pro-vides opportunities for girlsto do community serviceactivities and go on collegetours.

The program is free but afew activities will be subjectto a marginal fee.

As a participant in ourprogram, a girl is expected tobe able and willing to grow,to be receptive and positiveto those around them andabove all have fun, she said.

For more informationabout the program, visitwww.facebook.com/pre-ciousmeinc.

Precios Me Inc. Director Bianca Singleton (right) and Sistas Circle Inc. Director Fay Josephs (center) welcomes4-year-old Dayzia Abair into the Young Strong Sistas Program. Photo provided


A DeKalb County Policeofcer was ar-rested Sept. 6and accused ofconspiracy tosell methamphet-amines, accordingto ChiefCedricAlexander.

Unfortunatelywe have to reportthat we arrestedone of our ownpolice ofcers today, Al-exander said during a pressconference at the DeKalbPolice headquarters. Wereall somewhat saddened by it[and] embarrassed by it but

were going to move past thisbecause we still have work todo in this community to makesure we keep this communitysafe.

WilliamMiguel, an 11-year veteran of the policedepartment, was taken intocustody by ofcers from theU.S. Drug Enforcement Ad-ministration and GwinnettCounty DAs Ofce, by Alex-ander, who said he could notrelease specic details aboutthe crime.

This is clearly an ongo-ing investigation and we havesome other leads that we need

to follow as well to makesure that were covering allthe necessary bases, he said.[For] anyone that may be

potentially involved,we have to makesure that we come tosome real conclusionaround any leads thatwe have.

Alexander saidpolice believesMiguels involve-ment in the casespans the metro At-lanta area.

It certainly is a veryunfortunate one that has oc-curred here, but as I indicatedwhen I came to work hereback in very early April,when we nd these types of

behaviors taking place insidethis police department we willtake immediate action andhave those removed, Alex-ander said. And that was thecase here.

This saddens us but wecertainly will continue to work hard for the respectand trust of this communitybecause the majority of themen and women of this de-partment, with the exceptionof the one we saw here today,work very hard every day toserve this community and puttheir lives on the line, Alex-ander said.

The Brookhaven FoodTruck Roundup served morethan 2,000 people Sept. 4 atits rst event, which markedthe citys takeover of itsparks.

Brookhaven is addingmore food trucks for nextweeks event.

The Brookhaven FoodTruck Roundup will be heldfrom 5-9 p.m. every Wednes-day until the end of Octoberat Blackburn Park, 3501 Ash-ford Dunwoody Road.

We were excited to see somany residents come out andenjoy not only the good foodand music, but our beautifulparks, Brookhaven MayorJ.Max Davis said. This eventseries is designed to generateexcitement around our parksand build community amongresidents.

Residents dined at picnictables and on blankets whilelistening to the sounds oflocal band, the ChambleeTuckers, who donated their

talents to the city. Childrenhad the opportunity to exploreBrookhaven Polices new pa-trol cars while residents chat-ted with the mayor and citycouncil members.

The city is hosting thefood truck celebration inconjunction with Fork in theRoad, a joint venture betweenfood truck provider HappyBelly and the Atlanta StreetFood Coalition.

The event far exceededour expectations, especiallywhen compared to neigh-boring events, Terry Hall,president of Happy BellyTruck/Fork in the Road EventManagement. We are excitedto have a good mix of savoryand dessert trucks comingback to Brookhaven, some-thing to satisfy everyonestaste buds.

For the weekly food trucklineup and more information,visit www.facebook.com/Brookhaven.

Brookhaven food trucks serve more than 2,000

Migel

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Th Champ F Pss, Fay, Sptmb 13, 2013 Pag 11Alocal news


Decatur City Policeharged a 15-year-old Deca-ur High School student with

obbery and simple batteryfor stealing an iPhone froma Renfroe Middle Schooltudent.

According to Sgt. Jen-nifer Ross, police respondedo a robbery in the 200 block

of Greenwood Circle. Thevictim said he was walk-ng home from the middlechool and noticed the sus-

pect walking behind himnear the upper lot of DecaturHigh School on West How-ard Avenue.

The high school agedmale called out to anotheruvenile male walking acrosshe railroad tracks near Com-

merce Drive and the two metup and continued followingbehind the victim to Green-wood Circle, Ross said.The high school aged malehen suddenly ran up behindhe victim, wrapped his arms

around the victims chest andtated, Give it to me! Give ito me! The second juvenile

male hung back in the road-way.

Ross said the victim wig-gled out of the hold and tried

o keep the suspect from tak-ng his iPhone out his pocketbut let the suspect grab thephone.

The suspect and the sec-ond juvenile male ed backhe way they came on Green-

wood Circle toward PatilloWay, Ross said. The vic-im was not injured and no

weapon was displayed ormentioned.

Police are also investi-

gating the robbery of threeDecatur High School stu-dents who had their iPhonesstolen as they left an Aug.30 football game. Ross saididentifying and locating the

suspects is a top priority andthe department is being as-sisted by a sketch artist fromthe Georgia Bureau of Inves-tigation as well as the CitySchools of Decatur, MARTAPolice, DeKalb Police, At-lanta Police and area schoolresource ofcers.

In two of the three rob-beries, police said the stu-dents were approached andasked for the time before therobbery. Police also receiveda report from another studentwho said when he left thegame he was approached bytwo males who asked for thetime and then followed andquestioned him about his

phone.The student left the area

without further incident,Ross said. The studentswho encountered the robberysuspects reported they didnot recognize them as fellowDecatur students.

ChiefMike Booker said15 ofcers were on duty inthe area during the time ofthe robberies after the game,including the standard six of-cers at the high school.

In addition, accordingto our operating procedure,as the game was ending, theon-duty shift was notiedand they had responded tothe area around the school,as well as the bicycle patrolofcer from the Square,Booker said. There wasadditional law enforcementstaff in the area that was partof security for the Decatur

Book Festival. The DecaturPolice Department and CitySchools of Decatur will con-tinue to work together to puteven more safety precautionsinto effect for future games.

Decatur MayorJim Bas-kett said city ofcials saythey are deeply concernedabout the incidents.

No one wants these in-cidents stopped more thanthe City Commission andthe City of Decatur PoliceDepartment, he said. Thistype of activity is not wel-come in our community.

Ross said cellphone rob-beries are a nationwideproblem because high-endcellphones can be turned intocash and cellphones are notautomatically traceable.

Intelligence in the lawenforcement community sug-gests these phones are oftensold to fencing operationsand sent out of the country

based on the internationaldemand for iPhones and sim-ilar high-end electronics,she said. Thieves are simplylooking for opportunitieswhere they can nd someonewith an iPhone and take itwith little resistance. Thesecrimes are not predictableand are usually completed inless than 30 seconds.

Police suggest thatresidents not talk or text oncellphones while walking

because it can distract themfrom being aware of theirsurroundings and it showsthieves that the potentialvictims have a phone. Po-lice said a common scam isto approach and ask for thetime to get victims to pullout their phone.

If you are approached,

followed or questioned aboutyour phone, leave the areaand get to a safe location

or go to the closest, trustedadult and call police immedi-ately, Ross said.

Decatur High student arrested for robbery

See Soccer on Page 16A

Notice is hereby given that the Board of Directors of the Metropolitan Atlanta RapidTransit Authority will hold a public hearing for the purpose of considering:

Proposed Rail & Bus Modifcationsor December 14, 2013

Notice of Public Hearing: Sept. 19, 2013

Copies o the proposed servicemodifcations will also be available atMARTAs Ofce o External Aairs, 2424Piedmont Road, N.E. Atlanta, Georgia 30324during regular business hours, Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. 5:00 p.m., Sat 9:00 a.m. 12 Noon and onthe website www.itsmarta.com.

For ormats (FREE o charge) in accordancewith the ADA and Limited English Profciencyregulations contact 404-848-4037. For thosepatrons requiring urther accommodations,inormation can be obtained by calling theTelephone Device or the Dea (TDD) at 404-848-5665.

In addition, a sign language interpreterwill be available at the hearing. I you cannotattend the hearing and want to providecomments you may: (1) leave a message

at 404-848-5299; (2) write to MARTAsOfce o External Aairs, 2424 PiedmontRoad, N.E, Atlanta, Georgia 30324-3330;

(3) complete an online Comment Card atwww.itsmarta.com; (4) or ax your commentsno later than September 26, 2013 to404-848-4179.

All citizens o the City o Atlanta and theCounties o Fulton, DeKalb, Clayton and Gwinnettwhose interests are aected by the subjects tobe considered at this hearing are hereby notifedand invited to appear at said time and place andpresent such evidence, comment or objection astheir interests require.

The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid TransitAuthority complies with all ederal regulationsand does not discriminate on the basis o race,color or national origin, in its programs, benefts,services or activities. Complaints or inquiriesregarding Title VI compliance may be directedin writing to the Ofce o Diversity and Equal

Opportunity at 2424 Piedmont Road, N.E.,Atlanta, Georgia 30324 or 404-848-5240.

Thursday, September 19, 2013

MARTA HEADQUARTERS BUILDING:2424 Piedmont Rd., NE, Atlanta 30324

Community Exchange: 6:00 - 7:00 pm

PUBLIC HEARING: 7:00 pmRiding MARTA: Across the street from Lindbergh Center Station.

To improve weekday rail service requency based upon availableresources, and on-time perormance or select bus routes:

Rail Red Line (North Springs) will continue north to North Springs and south to theAirport all days until 9:00 pm. then begin turn backs at Lindbergh Station until end o revenueservice. Service currently turns back at Lindbergh at 7:00 pm.

Rail Green Line (Bankhead) will continue to Candler Park Station all days until 9:00 pm.then begin turn backs at Vine City until end o revenue service. Currently Green Line turns backat King Memorial at midday and Vine City Station at 7:00 pm.

Bus Route 32 Bouldercrest/Georgia Aquarium: Propose terminating service atFive Points Station during all service hours on all service days. Service between Five PointsStation and Civic Center Station will be discontinued.

Bus Route 74 Flat Shoals: Eliminate routing on Doris Drive, Clanton Terrace, SherlockDrive; continuing route on Flat Shoals between Doris Drive and Sherlock Drive.

Bus Route 124 Pleasantdale Road: Weekday peak only deviation to/rom DoravilleStation via Dawson Blvd., connector bridge (I-285 overpass) to Button Gwinnett Drive, ButtonGwinnett Drive to Pleasantdale Road continue regular routing.

Bus Route 153 H.E. Holmes/Browntown: Maintain current routing to/romHamilton E. Holmes Station to H.E. Holmes Drive and James Jackson Parkway, then continueJames Jackson Parkway to regular routing. Service along Hightower Road, 6th Street, EtheridgeDrive, 7th Street, St. James Avenue and Northwest Drive will be discontinued by Route 153.

Route 60 Hightower/Moores Mill will continue to provide service along the Hightower Roadsegment discontinued by Route 153. Route 58 Atlanta Industrial/Hollywood Road willcontinue to provide service along the Northwest Drive segment discontinued by Route 153.

Keith T. Parker, AICP, General Manager/CEO

PUBLIC NOTICE

Notice is hereby given that, in accordance with O.C.G.A.21-2-540, a special election shall be held in the City ofStone Mountain on November 5, 2013 for the purpose offilling the unexpired term of Council Member CyrilMungal, Post #2. The term expires December 31, 2015.

All persons desiring to run for this office shall qualify atCity Hall located at 875 Main Street, Stone Mountain, GA,30083. The qualifying period shall begin at 8:30 a.m. onMonday, September 16, 2013 and end at 12:00 p.m. onWednesday, September 18, 2013. The qualifying fee will

be $108.00 and must be paid during the qualifying period.

All persons who are not registered to vote in the SpecialElection may register with the DeKalb County Board of

Elections and Voter Registration, 4380 Memorial Drive,Suite 300, Decatur, GA 30032 through the close of

business on Monday, October 7, 2013. Polls will be openfrom 7:00 a.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Election Day.

Soccer player chargedwith rape in Brookhaven

Brookhaven Police ar-ested a professional soccer

player on charges he rapeda woman while in town fora North American SoccerLeague game.

On Sept. 4, a DeKalbudge granted Bryan Joshua

Arguez, 24, a $75,000 bond.He has been in the DeKalbCounty jail on one count ofape since last month.

Arguez was in town withhe Carolina RailHawks for

a game against the AtlantaSilverbacks. According to po-

ice, he and several teammateswere staying at a friendshome in Brookhaven Aug. 11

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More than 400 artists and crafters from 38states and two contries displayed theirworks at the 45th annual Yellow Daisy Festivalin Stone Mountain Park. The four-day festivalprovided gest with live entertainment,Childrens Corner activities and crafterdemonstrations throghot the event as wellas a variety festival foods. Recently votedone of the top three arts & crafts shows inthe nation by Sunshine Artist Magazine, aSoutheast Tourism Society Top 20 event andwinner of mltiple awards by the SotheastFestival and Events Association. Photos byTravis Hudgons

For more photos, visit and like ourFacebook page at www.facebook.com/

championnewspaper

45th

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Th Champ F Pss, Fay, Sptmb 13, 2013 Pag 13Aweek in PiCTureS

Searching for Our Sons and Daughters:

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

Finding DeKalb Countys Missing

Stories 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.

This week in photos brought to you by DCTV

Sept. 9. The City of Avondale remembers the victims of the 9-11 tragedy. Photo byTravis Hudgons

Sept. 4. K rt Scobie plays keyboard dring a Decatr Wednesday lnch concert series. Photo byAndrew Cathen

Sept. 9. Interim DeKalb County School District Superintendent Mike Thurmond displays a t-shirt inonor of Gregory Davis who passed away earlier this year. Photo by Andrew Cathen

Sept. 9. Center, Sharon Riley Ordu, principal of DeKalb Early College Academy, is recognized duringDeKalb County Board of Education meeting. DECA was named a Georgia School of Excellence.

Photo by Andrew Cathen

Sept. 7. A dck from the pond in the Decatr Cemetery waddles arond dring afndraising dinner. Photo By Daniel Bearegard

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DeKalb CountyDepartment of Watershed Management

Public AdvisoryInterstate 85 & Oakcliff Industrial Court Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation

September 5, 2013 October 5, 2013

Advisory Issue Date Advisory Close Date

This advisory is issued to inform the public of a receipt of an application for a variance submittedpursuant to a State Environmental Law. The Public is invited to comment during a 30 day period onthe proposed activity. Since the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has no authority to

zone property or determine land use, only those comments addressing environmental issues related toair, water and land protection will be considered in the application review process. Written commentsshould be submitted to: Program Manager, Non Point Source Program, Erosion and SedimentationControl, 4220 International Parkway, Suite 101, Atlanta, Georgia 30354.

Type of Permit Application: Variance to encroach within the 25-foot Sate Waters Buffer.Applicable Law: Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act O.C.G.A. 12-7-1 ET seq.Applicable Rules: Erosion and Sedimentation Control Chapter 391-3-7.Basis under which variance shall be considered {391-3-7.05(2) (A-K)}: D

Project Description & Reason for Initiating:

The proposed project involves buffer encroachments necessary to rehabilitate an existing gravity sewerline. Three sections within the buffer will involve direct line replacement and will impact 676 linearfeet of buffer along an unnamed tributary to North Fork Creek. The project is located near OakcliffIndustrial Court and south to Interstate 85 in DeKalb County.

Project Location:

This project is located in land lot 314 and 318 of the 18th district of DeKalb County, beginning at terminus

of Oak Cliff Industrial Court and running south to Interstate 85 and continuing south to the conuence ofthe North Fork of Peachtree Creek for a total distance of approximately one mile.The Public can review site plans at 1580 Roadhaven Drive Stone Mountain, Georgia 30083. Phone 770-621-7272.

by John Hewitt

[email protected] by John Hewitt

And its on display at theDeKalb History Center.

Believed to be the rstanch house exhibit in the

United States, The Mid-Century Ranch House: Hipand Historic will continueuntil summer of 2014 ands free to the public duringegular business hours of the

DeKalb History Center indowntown Decatur.

DeKalb History CenterExecutive DirectorMelissaForgey said the conceptual-zation of this project started

about four years ago. Weeceived a small grant from

CommissionerJeff Radarsofce to look at the ranchhouse in DeKalb County.The State Historic Preserva-ion Ofce was also begin-

ning to look at this houseype statewide for planning

purposes. That small projecthas grown and so has our ap-preciation of just why thereare so many ranch houseshere in DeKalb and how this

house type ts into local his-ory.

Following the initial dis-ussions and grant receipt,

a Georgia State Universitylass devoted a semester to

developing a historic contextfor the ranch house, For-gey said. Led by professorRichard Laub, the classproducedSingle-FamilyResidential Development inDeKalb County, 1945-1970.Then in 2010, the rm NewSouth Associates was com-missioned by the GeorgiaTransmission Corporation toproduce Guidelines for Eval-uation, The Ranch House inGeorgia. This colorful pub-ication gives the full history

of the house and tips on how

to identify them. All of thesedocuments are available on-line.

Planning forThe Mid-Century Ranch House: Hipand Historic took about ayear, Forgey said. Once theconcept was nalized andhad support of History Cent-er board members, HistoryCenter Exhibits Coordina-tor, Karen Chance was ableto get many of the xturesand furnishings donatedForgey said. But at the end,we needed a few more key

pieces which were loaned byCity Issue, a store special-izing in mid-century dcor.David Ramsey, a designerwith Lord, Aeck and Sargent,loaned a number of piecesas well. We would not have

been able to accomplish allof this without some won-derful board members andvolunteers, including BethShorthouse, John Mullinsand Howard Stacey.

According to Dr. RichardCloues, former deputy statehistoric preservation ofcerfor the Georgia Department

of Natural Resources, ranchhouses rst appeared inGeorgia in 1935. But they

boomed after World War IIwith an estimated 175,000ranch homes constructed inGeorgia between 1940 and1960.

DeKalb County is the epi-center for ranch homes in thestate. During the mid-20thcentury, DeKalb was boom-ing with new industries suchas General Motors. With thenew jobs, came the need fornew home construction inclose proximity to places ofemployment.

Numerous subdivi-sions began to spring up inDoraville, Chamblee, Stone

Mountain and other areas of

the county. Many of thesenew developments almostexclusively featured theranch home.

Ranch houses are typi-cally single-story with a longfootprint and often featuredangular rooines accentuated

by more windows. The ranchhome introduced the use ofmore geometric designs thantypically seen in more tradi-tional southern or bungalowhomes of the period.

Doravilles Northwoodssubdivision, which beganconstruction in the early1950s is one of the rst

planned unit developments,according to the citys

website. Most of the origi-

nal construction homes inNorthwoods were ranch stylefeaturing three bedrooms,a family room, hardwoodoors, exposed beam ceil-ings and replaces.Better

Homes and Gardens fea-tured a Northwoods homein a 1953 edition touting itas having a starting price of$10,000. Northwoods andthe surrounding areas haveapplied and are awaiting ap-

proval to be designated ashistoric district and includedon the National Register ofHistoric Places.

The charm, functional-ity and appeal of the ranchhome continue to be appreci-

ated by many. As with many

things that are reminiscentof days gone by, there is arenewed interest in the pres-ervation of our collectivehistory.

The exhibit developedas a natural evolution fromall this focus and effort onthe ranch house. But it alsotied in well with the twoother exhibits in the largegallery. We invite everyoneto come see why, Forgeysaid.

For additional infor-mation on DeKalb His-tory Center, visit www.DeKalbHistory.org.

The Mid-century ranch house: Its Hip. Its Historic!

A typical mid-century living room. Photo by John Hewittn 1950 Macon architect Bernard Webb, a Georgia Tech graduate, designed this shed-roofed contemporary-tyle ranch house for himself. Photo by Guy Hayes and provided by the DeKalb History Center

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ccomplished, Parker said.In addition to the new policies,

he transit system is also developingn app and call line for customerso deliver real-time train and busracking information.

One of the big complaints thatwe hear are, if someone is waiting

for a bus or about to go off to thebus stop, they dont know when thatnext ones arrivingthey may havejust missed one by a minute or bewaiting for 20-30 minutes for thenext one to arrive, Parker said.

Additionally, Parker said someof the services/routes that were

eliminated due to cost-cuttingmeasures several years ago willopen back up, along with some ofthe restrooms that were also closed.

MARTA is one of the fewlarge transit systems in the countrythat offer restrooms at allmostdontbut it has been historically a

part of the service that we provideto offer restrooms. Were going tolook at some of the restrooms weeliminated a few years ago thatare most needed, Parker said. Itwill be, in some respects, resourcedriven. Weve set aside $1.3 millionin the budget.

modate various church pro-grams. Only the main build-ngwithout the steeple

was built and only it remainsof the original building.Weve always been a churcho care more about our mis-ions than about our physical

facility, explained churchhistorian Lynn Farmer, whowas baptized there at age 7,eft for a while as an adult,hen returned.

Farmer noted that mem-bers are proud that the sign

outside reads, OakhurstBaptist Church meets here.The building, she explained,s only a meeting place. Thehurch is its members.

The church grew peace-fully until the 1960s whenhe neighborhood that sur-ounded it started to change.

The pastor at the time sensedhat change within the church

was imminent and decidedo move on. The new pastor

was from Canada and wasunconcerned that Black chil-dren were showing up for the

hurchs youth programs. Butome members were alarmed.They started to ask what thehurch would do if the par-nts of these children came to

worship services. Many wereurging the pastor to call for avote as to whether the church

would allow Black worship-ers.He said absolutely not,

Farmer recalled. To vote onwhether we allow people toworship here is to vote onwhether we are the body ofChrist.

The churchs recordsreport the events this way:The Oakhurst congregationtook a controversial stand in1967 to welcome African-American members duringa period of White ight. Af-terwards, the 1,300-membercongregation dropped to 500,

and the church gave up plansfor a new sanctuary, mov-ing all of its activities fromseveral new buildings back toits East Lake Drive locationnear todays MARTA station.This decision allowed moreresources to be used for mis-sions than for construction.

The decision to welcomeintegration rather than resistit helped dene the directionof the church for decades tocome. In 1972, Oakhurstordained its rst two womendeacons, and in 1974, the

church ordained a femalelongtime educational directorto the ministry, adding herto the pastoral staff. Severalyears later, Oakhurst again

caught national attention

when it offered the churchproperty as bond for an ill,escaped Indiana inmate whohad been living peacefully inAtlanta the prior 10 years,the church records state.

Troubled times had juststarted; the once fashionableOakhurst-East Lake areawent into serious decline.East Lake was home to whatmany called the worst pub-lic housing development inAmerica. East Lake Mead-ows was notorious for drugs,crime and poverty.

By 1980, according to thechurch, houses surroundingthe church were sold for $1by the federal governmentto encourage home owner-

ship. Through these years, the

church resettled refugees, tu-tored children, gave refuge tothe homeless, and advocatedfor peace, justice, literacy,and other causes.

But it was the decisionto change its covenant toinclude anyone, regardlessof sexual orientation, thatmoved the Georgia BaptistConvention to oust OakhurstBaptist in 1999. We weredisfellowshiped, said Mela-nie Vaughn-West, who nowco-pastors the church withLannyPeters.

We did not leave them;they left us, Vaughn-Westexplained. We had hopedto bring a more enlightenedview to the Southern Bap-

tists, but it didnt work outthat way.

Today the church proudly

displays is covenant in thesanctuary for all to see. Wedont want it hidden awayin a hymnbook or in someseldom-seen document. Wewant everyone who entersto know who we are. Wewant everyone to know thatwe believe that the scripturethat says, There is neitherJew nor Greek, there is nei-ther bond nor free, there isneither male nor female:for ye are all one in ChristJesus(Galatians 3:28) meansthat Christs church is open toall, Vaughn-West said.

The church continues tochoose difcult, often con-troversial ministries such asmission trips to Cuba. Thetag line the church as chosenfor its centennial sums upthe churchs spirit: By Godwere still here.

The church is now plan-ning a centennial celebrationfor the weekend of Sept. 21-22. Events will include an artand church history display,a mission project, storytell-ing and memory sharing, anevening of performing arts a

Centennial Worship Serviceand more. For more informa-tion, visit www.oakhurstbap-tist.org/centennial.

The Champion Free Press, Friday, September 13, 2013 Page 15ALOCAL NEWS

Church

Continued From Page 1A

MARTAContinued From Page 1A

Oakhurst youth paint a mural featuring a quote from the book ofMicah for Race Relations Sunday. Photo by Floyd Craig

Oakhurst member and minister Jim Brooks has had thespecial role of blessing babies for more than 30 years.Photo by Lynn Farmer

Pastor Melanie Vaughn-West and Farmer examine a board of photos of thechurchs Cuban ministry. Photo by Kathy Mitchell

Church historian Lynn Farmer shows a copy ofbook on the churchs colorful history. Photoy Kathy Mitchell

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Brookhaven, Centry Centerles appeal to Supreme Court

Casanova scammer pleads not gilty

Court dates set for high-prole cases

SoccerContinued From Page 11A

DeKalb CountyDepartment of Watershed Management

Public AdvisorySNAPFINGER WOODS SANITARY SEWER ACCESS ROADS

September 5, 2013 October 5, 2013Advisory Issue Date Advisory Close Date

This advisory is issued to inform the public of a receipt of an application for a variance submittedpursuant to a State Environmental Law. The Public is invited to comment during a 30 day period on theproposed activity. Since the Georgia Environmental Protection Division (EPD) has no authority to zoneproperty or determine land use, only those comments addressing environmental issues related to air,

water and land protection will be considered in the application review process. Written comments shouldbe submitted to: Program Manager, Non Point Source Program, Erosion and Sedimentation Control,4220 International Parkway, Suite 101, Atlanta, Georgia 30354.

Type of Permit Application: Variance to encroach within the 25-foot Sate Waters Buffer.Applicable Law: Georgia Erosion and Sedimentation Act O.C.G.A. 12-7-1 ET seq.Applicable Rules: Erosion and Sedimentation Control Chapter 391-3-7.Basis under which variance shall be considered {391-3-7.05(2) (A-K)}: A

Project Location:The proposed project involves buffer encroachments necessary to improve existing sanitary sewermaintenance access roads and associated stream crossings. Articulated concrete block mats will beinstalled to improve ve existing dirt road stream crossings. The project is located near SnapngerWoods Drive in DeKalb County and will impact 184 linear feet of buffer along Snapnger Creek andunnamed tributaries to Snapnger Creek.

Project Description:The proposed site conditions will include the installation of 16ft heavy duty gravel road inside of a 20proposed access easement. The surrounding site conditions will not be altered from the existing. Alldisturbed non-roadway areas and landscaping will be replaced in kind. Abandoned drives will be planted

with approved materials and converted to wetland mitigation areas. County and state buffer encroachmentswill be required for sanitary sewer maintenance road access in order to gain access to different parts of theproperty that contain the overall sewer main. The Public can review site plans at 1580 Roadhaven DriveStone Mountain, Georgia 30083. Phone 770-621-7272.

NOTICEOFNONDISCRIMANTORY

POLICYASTOSTUDENTS

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rights,privileges,programs,and

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Itdoesnotdiscriminateonthebasisof

race,color,nationalandethnicorigin

inadministrationofitseducational

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TreeofLifeMontessoriSchool,Inc2802FairlaneDr.,Atlanta,GA30340


Brookhaven and High-wood Properties have led

an appeal to the GeorgiaSupreme Court to overturnan injunction that stoppedBrookhaven from movingforward with annexing Cen-tury Center.

DeKalb Superior CourtJudge Tangela Barrieentered an order Aug. 16granting Chamblees requestfor an injunction to preventBrookhaven from annex-ing Century Center into itscity limits. She also set atrial date for Oct. 24 in thesuit between Chamblee andBrookhaven and Highwood

Properties.The city led the appealAug. 26 and will be repre-sented by former GeorgiaGov. Roy Barnes.

The city has hired RoyBarnes to represent it be-cause of his expertise inannexation and land use,Brookhaven communicationsdirectorMegan Matteuccisaid. Brookhaven led theappeal to ensure that the citywould have the opportunityto move forward with votingon the application led byHighwoods Properties.

On June 21, HighwoodsProperties led an applica-tion with Brookhaven forCentury Center to be an-nexed into the newly cre-ated city. The city councilwas scheduled to vote on itin July but DeKalb CountySuperior Judge Courtney L.Johnson issued a temporaryrestraining order against

Brookhaven.The city will be unable

to provide some services tomore than 11,000 Chambleeresidents if Century Center

is annexed into Brookhaven.At an Aug. 14 hearing,Chamblees lawyer also ar-gued that if Brookhaven isallowed to annex CenturyCenter it will impact theelection and the referendum.

[Brookhaven] will cre-ate confusion and a lack ofclarity, Chamblee attorneyBob Wilson said. Boththe city of Chamblee andthe residents have a right toknow when they vote whatthey get and the General As-sembly told them [what theywill get]. Brookhaven and

Highwoods Properties donot have a right to overturnthat.

Cecil McLendon, attor-ney for Brookhaven, arguedthat blocking the annexationviolates the rights of the

property owners of CenturyCenter.

Its the property ownerswho initiated this action, notBrookhaven, McLendonsaid. This infringes on therights of [the property own-ers].

The property is boundedby Clairmont Road, Cen-

tury Boulevard, CenturyParkway and Interstate 85South. Highwoods Proper-ties application requests toannex about 120 acres intoBrookhaven.

Chamblee residentsaround the Century Centerarea are scheduled to vote onthe annexation into Cham-

blee Nov. 5.


A man accused of swin-dling women outof thousands ofdollars online

pleaded not guiltyin a DeKalbCounty courtroomSept. 5.

Brian Wedge-worth, 37, ofBirmingham, ischarged with twocounts of forgery,identity fraud anddriving with a sus-pended license.

Also known as the Ca-sanova scammer, Wedge-worth defrauded womenacross the country by meet-ing them through online dat-

ing sites and gaining their

trust, police saidWedgeworth reportedly

posed as a wealthy doc-tor and used stolen money

to pay off hisvictims studentloans, credit card

bills and carloans. He report-edly turned downa plea deal thatwould have puthim behind barsfor seven years.

DeKalb DistrictAttorney RobertJames said he hasnever seen a case

quite like Wedgeworths.Its unique because it

appears to be sort of a shellgame, James said.

Wedgeworth was previ-ously arrested in DeKalb

County in 2005 for larceny,

theft and being a fugitivefrom justice.

According to the indict-ment, Wedgeworth fraudu-lently used the bank accountofMelissa Stephens, andpossessed a $1,500 check

from Stephens with the in-tent to defraud.He would borrow from

one woman to pay anothersdebts, James said. Thegame just continues and atthe end of the day every-body ends up losing.

At the time of his arrest,James said Wedgeworth wasalso carrying a fraudulentdrivers license used for analias.

DeKalb County Judge

Gregory Adams has grant-ed a motion for a Nov. 6,1:30 p.m. bond hearing ledby attorneys ofAndreaSneiderman.

Sneiderman was recentlysentenced to spend veyears in prison for lying un-der oath and hindering thenvestigation into her hus-

bands 2010 shooting death.Her former boss HemyNeuman was found guiltyof killing Rusty Sneider-man and is serving life inprison without the possibil-ty of parole.

Attorneys for Neumanreportedly said they planto le an appeal within thenext few weeks as well, cit-ng that his conviction was

based, in part, on perjured

testimony.Suspended CEO Burrell

Ellis will appear in courtOct. 17 at 9 a.m. in JudgeCourney Johnsons court-room for a hearing on allpending motions related tothe 15-count criminal in-dictment against him.

Ellis is accused ofstrong-arming county ven-dors into donating to hispolitical campaign.

There will be a Sept.5 preliminary hearing forMichael Brandon Hill,the alleged gunman in the

shooting at Ronald E. Mc-Nair Discovery LearningAcademy. H

freepress: 9-13-2013

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