The Sports Pig

A Gwinnett County grand jury has convicted James Thomas, a Jonesboro man, of malice murder, aggravated assault, and using a firearm during the commission of a crime in the death of Houston-based rapper Chucky Trill, whose real name was Corey Detiege. Thomas was sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 105 years. Prosecutors said Thomas shot and killed Detiege in March 2021 on Interstate 85 in Atlanta during the NBA All-Star weekend because he held a grudge against the rapper over a drug deal gone bad in Houston in July 2020. Thomas followed a route taken by Detiege and his party using internet and cell phone data, traffic cameras, and surveillance footage.

Gwinnett County officials in Georgia are warning residents in the county's northwest corner to take precautions after a raccoon in the Sugar Hill and Suwanee area tested positive for rabies. This is the second time in less than a month that the county has issued such a warning. The raccoon was attacked by dogs last Sunday, and Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement officials collected it for testing. The county has urged residents to avoid any animals that behave unusually, and to make sure their pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by an animal should seek medical care and contact the Gwinnett County Health Department.

Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, a former Gwinnett County player and Greater Atlanta Christian grad, has been named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. Brogdon received 60 of the 100 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, finishing with 408 total points in voting to beat out the New York Knicks' Immanuel Quickley. In his first season with Boston, Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 67 games off the bench. He also shot a career-high 44.4 percent from 3-point range, ranking fourth in the NBA. Brogdon previously won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2017.

Gavin Hall, who was a first-team all-county and all-state selection in Class AAA last season, plans to transfer from Hebron Christian to Prince Avenue Christian for his senior year. Hall will enroll in Prince Avenue next week and will be playing slot and running back for the team. He plans to continue playing these positions in college after recently committing to Furman. His decision to transfer was not related to football or academics, but rather due to his mother's employment at Hebron being terminated after she missed time taking him on a college visit.

Mercer University College of Pharmacy and Georgia Gwinnett College have signed a transfer admission agreement, allowing GGC students to receive priority applicant status for Mercer’s Doctor of Pharmacy program. Under the agreement, students will complete prerequisites and part of their bachelor’s degree at GGC before enrolling in Mercer’s Pharm.D. program. This will save GGC students a year in earning their bachelor’s degrees, and provide them with enhanced advising from a Mercer pre-pharmacy adviser each year of their undergraduate studies. The program is also expected to provide opportunities for GGC students to engage with Mercer faculty, students, and admissions staff.

Georgia Gwinnett College student Stephen D. Johnson created the Roots to Shoots program, which repurposes organic waste from the college's dining hall and turns it into soil compost for the college's microfarm. Johnson, who is studying environmental science, developed the program as part of his capstone project and hopes it will be incorporated into the college's curriculum. The program aims to teach students about self-sustainability and how to become leaders and teachers in their communities by equipping them with practical social science skills. The Roots to Shoots program also plans to develop sustainable agricultural practices and products in the future.

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A Gwinnett County grand jury has convicted James Thomas, a Jonesboro man, of malice murder, aggravated assault, and using a firearm during the commission of a crime in the death of Houston-based rapper Chucky Trill, whose real name was Corey Detiege. Thomas was sentenced to life in prison without parole, plus an additional 105 years. Prosecutors said Thomas shot and killed Detiege in March 2021 on Interstate 85 in Atlanta during the NBA All-Star weekend because he held a grudge against the rapper over a drug deal gone bad in Houston in July 2020. Thomas followed a route taken by Detiege and his party using internet and cell phone data, traffic cameras, and surveillance footage.

Gwinnett County officials in Georgia are warning residents in the county's northwest corner to take precautions after a raccoon in the Sugar Hill and Suwanee area tested positive for rabies. This is the second time in less than a month that the county has issued such a warning. The raccoon was attacked by dogs last Sunday, and Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement officials collected it for testing. The county has urged residents to avoid any animals that behave unusually, and to make sure their pets are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Anyone who has been bitten or scratched by an animal should seek medical care and contact the Gwinnett County Health Department.

Boston Celtics guard Malcolm Brogdon, a former Gwinnett County player and Greater Atlanta Christian grad, has been named the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year. Brogdon received 60 of the 100 first-place votes from a panel of sportswriters and broadcasters, finishing with 408 total points in voting to beat out the New York Knicks' Immanuel Quickley. In his first season with Boston, Brogdon averaged 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game in 67 games off the bench. He also shot a career-high 44.4 percent from 3-point range, ranking fourth in the NBA. Brogdon previously won NBA Rookie of the Year in 2017.

For more information be sure to visit www.bgpodcastnetwork.com

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https://guideinc.org/ 

https://www.psponline.com/ 

https://www.kiamallofga.com/ 

https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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Sam Devroye, a first-time skater for the “Disney On Ice” tour, spoke positively about his experience so far in a recent phone interview. Devroye said that he was proud of his achievements and that he has grown a lot during the tour. He also shared that he hopes to one day win a role as a featured skater. Devroye’s passion for skating began when he was 15, and he sees himself doing it for quite some time. As an ensemble skater, he is featured in several numbers during the show, including “Be Our Guest” from “Beauty and the Beast” and “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid. The tour concludes at the end of April in Louisiana.

Lee Trevino, a six-time major golf champion, will be hosting the Lee Trevino Championship Experience, a two-day dinner and golf event to benefit the Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett, on May 31-June 1 at TPC Sugarloaf in Duluth. Guests will have special access to spend time with Trevino, who will be the guest of honor at the dinner on May 31 and highlight the golf experience on June 1. Limited availability remains for the event, and interested individuals should contact Jamie Hamilton at [email protected]. The Special Needs Schools of Gwinnett is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that serves the special needs community through their pre-K-12 School and Young Adults Learning Life Skills Program.

Police in Gwinnett County are seeking Jose Antonio Cruz and Tabitha Katurhia Weaver on felony shoplifting warrants. The two allegedly stole over $5,000 worth of allergy medications and bins from two Publix stores in March. Crime Stoppers is offering a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest and indictment. Anyone with information about Cruz and Weaver's whereabouts can call detectives or Atlanta Crime Stoppers ,or visit Stop Crime ATL dot Com.

The city of Lilburn has adopted an updated livable centers initiative (LCI) plan aimed at improving mobility and access to jobs and services in the Lilburn Community Improvement District (CID) area and other parts of the city. The LCI plan includes greenspace needs, trail and park access, and transit improvements. Road and transit improvements outlined in the LCI plan would become eligible for funding once the Improvements and Traffic Management Study for the Lawrenceville Highway corridor is finished. The plan designates several greenspace areas throughout the CID footprint, making it easier for Lilburn residents to be within a 10-minute walk from a trail access point or pocket park.

Disney Concerts has announced a 45-city tour for "Encanto: The Sing-Along Film Concert," including a stop at Atlanta's Fox Theatre on November 8th. The event will feature a live band performing all the music from the Academy Award-winning film while the full movie is shown, and attendees are encouraged to dress up as their favorite characters. The "Encanto" soundtrack, featuring eight original songs by Lin-Manuel Miranda, held the No. 1 position on the Billboard 200 album chart for nine non-consecutive weeks. Tickets go on sale on April 21st.

Schelly Marlatt joins us to talk about the Earth Day Recycling event at CoolRay Field this weekend

For more information be sure to visit www.bgpodcastnetwork.com

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https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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For the first time since Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful began hosting a community-wide Earth Day-themed recycling event six years ago, Earth Day actually falls on a Saturday, the perfect day to rid households of recyclables, including latex and oil-based paints, electronics, tires, clothing, sneakers and paper for shredding.

Earth Day 2023 is this Saturday, and Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful — in concert with Gwinnett County Solid Waste — will welcome recyclers from 9 a.m. to noon at Cooray Field in Lawrenceville.

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https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

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A South Forsyth development may be the key to the NHL’s return to Georgia; A boyfriend and girlfriend were arrested in connection with a murder; And a pair of local middle schoolers are in trouble for a racially motivated attack. 

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Dr. Charles Stanley, the Senior Pastor at First Baptist Atlanta and founder of In Touch Ministries, has died at the age of 90. According to his family Dr. Stanley passed away peacefully at his home. For more than five decades, the pastor, broadcaster, and author served on the staff of First Baptist Atlanta. He was named Senior Pastor in 1971, becoming the 16th pastor at the historic church that was founded in 1848.

For more information be sure to visit www.bgpodcastnetwork.com

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https://www.psponline.com/ 

https://www.kiamallofga.com/ 

https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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Disney on Ice's Pablo Saccinto sits down with us to talk about the upcoming show in Duluth, life on the road, how he started skating, and his favorite Disney movies. 

Also:

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has postponed voting on using eminent domain to take land owned by a Black family for a century. The family, who sold some of the land to the county previously, were determined to hold on to their property, which includes Lake Sheryl, stating they had plans for its future. A public backlash over plans to create a historical park, which appeared to show the county wanted to recreate slave quarters, had forced the county to delay the vote. Board members are expected to hear from the family and the Gwinnett Historical Restoration and Preservation Board.
The Livsey family met with members of the press on Friday morning to share their memories about growing up on the property, which includes Lake Sheryl, in south Gwinnett. They also made it clear that the land is not for sale.“We do not intend to sell,” said Dorethia Livsey, who is the family’s matriarch. “We have plans for the future, but the main thing is right now to hold onto our land and not to let anyone take it.”

Confederate groups, including two Gwinnett County men, are suing county leaders to restore a Confederate memorial on the Lawrenceville Square. The lawsuit asks the court to order the monument, which was removed and put in storage by the county in 2021, be restored to its former location. The lawsuit is a refiling of a lawsuit filed last year and reflects the Georgia Supreme Court ruling that residents of a county can sue their local government to have a Confederate monument, taken down by the county, put back up. The monument was placed on the historic courthouse grounds in 1993 but was removed after becoming a target of vandalism in 2020. The lawsuit argues that removing the monument violates state law.

A federal grand jury has indicted Christopher Burns, a Berkeley Lake man who has been missing for two-and-a-half years, on 10 counts of wire fraud, two counts of mail fraud, and four counts of money laundering for his role in a $10 million investment fraud scheme. Burns, a financial adviser who conducted business through four different companies, is accused of defrauding investors by promising them safe investments that would yield high returns, while actually using their money to pay back other investors and fund his lavish lifestyle. Burns has been missing since September 2020, but the FBI is searching for him.

Two students at Radloff Middle School are facing disciplinary action after allegedly attacking a classmate with a belt and racial slurs. The school's principal has described the incident as "inappropriate and despicable behavior" and has assured parents that the school will not tolerate violence or racial slurs. A teacher is also reportedly under investigation over whether they did anything to stop the attack. The school has not released further details of the investigation, citing student privacy laws and a "personnel matter."

Andrea Alabi, the Number 2 person in the Fulton County Solicitor's Office and former Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office employee, is planning to run against her former boss, Patsy Austin-Gatson, in the next Democratic Party primary. Alabi accuses Austin-Gatson of being "in over her head" and not addressing critical crime-related issues. Austin-Gatson was elected in 2020, defeating Danny Porter and becoming the first Black person to hold the office. Alabi would like to partner with schools and parents to deter children from making bad decisions and work on second-chance initiatives while focusing on violent crime. Austin-Gatson disputes claims that her office is not getting enough convictions, stating that her office has gotten 59 convictions since she took office in January 2021.

The Mountain Park community has not reached a consensus over the proposed redevelopment of the former Olympic Tennis Center property on the Gwinnett-DeKalb county line in the US. Some residents were excited about the proposal, which features a Costco-type business as an anchor, but others found it lackluster and wanted to know why a better proposal wasn't put together for what county officials had long described as a "gateway" project. The proposed development, which is set to cost around $125m, is expected to include 255 apartments, some green space, three restaurants with drive-thru lanes, and a Costco.

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https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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Two Radloff Middle School students are facing disciplinary action over a racial attack against a classmate, according to school officials. A human resources investigation into a teacher’s actions has also been opened.

Radloff Principal Jennifer Callahan said one of the two students facing punishment hurled a racial slur against the classmate and then hit her with a belt that was provided by the other student who is in trouble. The incident was described as “inappropriate and despicable behavior” in a letter Callahan sent to parents.

For more information be sure to visit www.bgpodcastnetwork.com

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https://www.psponline.com/ 

https://www.kiamallofga.com/ 

https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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Four students from Maxwell High School of Technology in Lawrenceville, Georgia, are heading to Houston on April 19 to offer suggestions in response to some of NASA's biggest challenges as part of the NASA HUNCH program. This is the first year schools from Georgia have been invited to participate in the program, which allows high school students to develop solutions to problems posed on the International Space Station program that are not vital for NASA engineers to work on. The problems become new challenges for the students to address in the areas of design and prototype, video and media, sewn flight articles, flight configuration, software, hardware, and biomedical science.

In most situations, using the words “high school” and “food fight” in the same sentence would not necessarily portend to a positive community event.

This, however, is not one of those situations.

Culinary students from Gwinnett County high schools in Georgia will compete in a "food fight" to create dishes to feed the food insufficient in the community. The schools with culinary education programs will prepare 10 gallons of a creamed, protein-based product with vegetables that go over rice, potatoes or pasta that will be judged by Chef Hank Reid of the nonprofit Lettum Eat. The top two dishes will be recognized, with the rest of the food available to Reid for use in his food truck. Lettum Eat provides fresh meals for the food insufficient in Gwinnett County. The competition is also an opportunity for the students to give back to the community and consider food service as a career path.

The Atlanta Gas Light (AGL) Foundation has partnered with Gwinnett Technical College and Atlanta Technical College to create a certification program for natural gas technicians, in response to a growing need for a new generation of technicians due to retirements. The one-semester program will begin on May 22 and will consist of 14 credit hours divided into four courses. AGL crews will provide ride-alongs for students. The Technical College System of Georgia received a $400,000 grant from the AGL Foundation to update facilities and equipment and support financially struggling students. Interested students can find registration information on the two colleges’ websites.

 Brookwood celebrated Senior Night with a 10-3 win over Dacula in boys lacrosse on Thursday.

Mack Trentini led the victory with four goals, while Mason Saunders , Elijah Bryant, Chase Whigham and Landon Lofters also contributed in the attack.

The Broncos improve to 5-12 overall and 3-4 in area play. On the ladies’ side, Brookwood cruised to a 21-1 win over Dacula for Senior Night on Thursday.

Triniti Cassidy had seven goals, one assist and two groundballs for the Broncos, while Leah Brown, Zoe Calendine and Alexis Scoggins also had big games.

Greater Atlanta Christian’s powerhouse volleyball program has a new head coach.

The Norcross private school announced Thursday it has promoted assistant coach Crystal Lee to head coach as a replacement for the outgoing Rachel VanderPol. VanderPol led the Spartans to the Class AAAAA state championship in 2022 – with Lee as an assistant — and the AAA state title in 2021. Prior to joining GAC last season, Lee coached from 2019 to 2021 at Johns Creek. She also has coached club volleyball at 575 Volleyball and A5 South.

Lee played college volleyball from 2015-18 at Georgia State, leading the Panthers in attacking her final two seasons and tallying 818 career kills. She was a teammate of Kristina Stinson, North Gwinnett's head coach, early in her college career.

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Fred Cephas, the new fire chief of Gwinnett County, Georgia, recalls his doubts about whether firefighting was the right career for him after watching events unfold on September 11, 2001. Cephas, who had recently joined the fire department, said watching public safety personnel rush into the burning towers and realising that he was now part of that community was a shock. Despite his initial concerns, Cephas stayed the course and has spent the past 22 years serving the department, working in various areas, including strategic planning, operations, and as a licensed polygraphist. He became Gwinnett's first black fire chief on April 1, 2023, and intends to make the department employee-focused and community-centered.

Plans for a proposed mixed-use development on the former Olympic tennis center site in Gwinnett County, Georgia, include a large warehouse grocery store, apartments, and several restaurants, one of which may be a Whataburger. The 31.1-acre development would also feature a multi-use path, a water feature, and several monument-style signs. County officials have recommended the plan for approval, and an informational meeting for residents will take place on April 13. The county is requesting the property be rezoned from commercial only to mixed-use residential zoning, with the final decision to be made by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners after review by the Planning Commission.

Buford head baseball coach Stuart Chester achieved his 700th win milestone in the Battle For Bartow tournament against Etowah. Chester is the sixth high school baseball coach in Georgia to reach this accomplishment. Despite his achievement, he says it's just a number and focuses on the impact he has made on his players and the coaches he's worked with. Chester spent most of his career coaching at Cartersville before becoming Buford's head coach in 2018. He has enjoyed coaching at Buford and doesn't plan to retire soon. The milestone win was aided by a brilliant pitching performance from Damien Brown, who pitched a shutout and recorded 14 strikeouts. Sophomore Cannon Goldin manufactured the only run of the game, leading Buford to a 1-0 victory.

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https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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