The Sports Pig

Gwinnett County police are calling for information on what happened to a Hispanic woman who disappeared after going out with friends last fall.

Police issued a call for information on he whereabouts of Selena Garcia on Monday. Garcia's family last heard from her on October 7, her sister Zaira Garcia told the Daily Post last week. The 25-year-old told her sister she was going out with friends. Her family has not heard from her since then. Her sister said a message she sent a few days later was marked read, but never responded to.

The police department's call for information in the Selena Garcia disappearance came days after Crime Stoppers of Greater Atlanta issued its own call for information on her last Friday.

Garcia was reported missing from her home on Dickens Terrace in Lilburn, and police said she is known to frequent the Lilburn, Norcross and Buford areas. She is described as being 5-feet, 4-inches tall and weighing 160 pounds, with brown eyes, straight brown hair and multiple tattoos. Her tattoos include a "503" across her fingers on her right hand, "Maria" on the outside of her wrist and a dark green marijuana plant on the top of her hand. Selena Garcia had been released from the Gwinnett County Jail the day before her family last heard from her. She had been arrested last July on charges of tampering with evidence, criminal trespass for unlawful purposes, and giving a false name, address or birthdate to a law enforcement officer. Anyone who has information about Selena Garcia's whereabouts is asked to call detectives or crime stoppers.

Twenty-five people named in a 210-count indictment — for crimes ranging from racketeering to murder, gang activity and armed robbery — have been arrested by multiple law enforcement agencies, including agencies from Gwinnett County.

Gwinnett County police announced their Gang Unit worked with the Gwinnett Sheriff's Office Fugitive Unit, the Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office, the FBI, the U.S. Marshals Service, the DeKalb County Police Department, the Fulton County district Attorney's Office and the DeKalb County District Attorney's Office to make the arrests.

There were 26 suspects named in the indictment, and one of them, 22-year-old Decatur resident Khari "RX Yano" Kelley, remains at large. The arrests or the 25 other suspects named in the indictment, however, came after a year-long investigation by the Gwinnett Police Gang Unit. In August 2021, multiple shooting cases along Boggs Road in Duluth led investigators to discover ongoing violence between 'Blixtz' gang and '56 Gang. On August 29, 2021, '56 Gang' members shot and killed 18-year-old Jeremiah Pretto (an 18-year-old male from Duluth). The case evolved into a RICO investigation against the "56 Gang" in December 2021 as several members were charged with violent cases. Investigators also discovered the '56 Gang' was working with the 'Drug Rich’ gang as cases began to emerge where members of both gangs were accused or committing crimes began to emerge. The case came to a head when the top two leaders of the "56 Gang" — Lawrenceville resident Ladavion "Chicago" Smith, 22, and Clarkston resident Cameron "XG" Hamilton, 18 — along with the two highest ranking members of the "Drug Rich" gang — Stone Mountain residents Dalemonte "Drug Rich Hect" Neshawn Stilley, 24, and Zaion "Drug Rich Peso" Sharif Martinez, 27 — were indicted on RICO charges by a Gwinnett County grand jury on Jan. 25, along with 22 other members of the two gangs. In addition to the RICO charges, however, the indictment also lists several other crimes, including violations of the Gang Act, malice and felony murder, armed robbery, hijacking a motor vehicle, aggravated assault, terroristic threats, and various firearms offenses.

asmine Morales is mourning the big life events, such as high school graduation, that her little sister, Susana, will not get to have because she was murdered by a now former police officer last summer.

Meanwhile, Zaira Garcia has been in a constant state of worry about her sister, Selena, who has been missing since last October.

The cases involving Susana Morales and Selena Garcia are just some of the cases that are causing concern among Hispanic residents in Gwinnett County. Some of the cases involve people, like Garcia, who are still classified as missing, while others involve people, such as Morales or Jose Daniel Martinez, who have been the victims of murderers. And, other cases, such as the one involving Rodrigo Floriano Mayen, involve deaths that have been classified as being the result of drug overdoses.

These cases all add up to a Hispanic community that is turning to Gwinnett County police and asking what the county’s law enforcement is doing to keep them safe. The Hispanic community got a chance to address its concerns to Gwinnett police officials, including Police Chief J.D. McClure, during a community meeting at Universal Church on Thursday night. Attendees highlighted a number of issues, asking police what they are doing about concerns such as fentanyl, gangs, curfews for young people, missing persons cases and human trafficking.

For attendees their concerns are reinforced by cases such as the murder of Morales, the disappearance of Garcia, the overdose death of Mayen, and the shooting death of Martinez — which police have indicated was an apparent gang initiation killing — highlight the diversity of issues the Hispanic community is concerned about. Zaira Garcia also mentioned that some are afraid of police because they think officers will arrest them and try to have them deported. Major Jordan Griffin, who is the commander of the police department’s West Precinct, said Hispanic residents should not be worried about whether officers will check their immigration status, however, because that is not their job. Zaira also highlighted the need for more Spanish speaking personnel in the department, while Jasmine Morales voiced her frustrations in how the department handled the investigation of her sister’s disappearance prior to her death. JD McClure continued to defend his department and their handling of the Morales case.  

Brookwood senior Diana Collins and Grayson junior Gicarri Harris earned the top awards among the Gwinnett Tipoff Club’s postseason honors Monday for the best in local high school basketball.

Collins was selected as the county’s Girls Player of the Year, and Harris was the Boys Player of the Year.

In addition to Collins’ award, the Brookwood girls were named Co-Girls Team of the Year, sharing the award with the Hebron Christian girls. Both Brookwood and Hebron won state titles, and their coaches — Brookwood’s Courtney Mincy and Hebron’s Jan Azar — shared Girls Coach of the Year honors. For a list off all the players selected to the teams, please head to Gwinnett Prep Sports dot com.

Whataburger is coming to Gwinnett County next week.

The Texas-based restaurant chain announced it will open at the Exchange @ Gwinnett, which is located at 2925 Buford Drive in Buford, on March 20. The restaurant, which will the third Whataburger location in metro Atlanta, will only offer drive-thru service at first. The location will be open 24 hours a day and it is the first of two Whataburger locations that are slated to open in Gwinnett County. An additional location in Snellville is set to open at a later date.

The new restaurant is expected to generate 150 new jobs in the Buford area.

In anticipation of traffic created by the opening, Whataburger has announced is will pay Gwinnett County police to provide traffic control for the restaurant's opening. The openings of Whataburger locations in Kennesaw and Woodstock led to long lines of traffic that spilled out of the restaurants parking lots and onto adjacent streets. Whataburger announced it will add online ordering and pick-up, as well as dine-in options, in the weeks to come as those services become ready to roll out

The Georgia Senate passed legislation Monday that will require Georgia public schools to conduct active-shooter drills by Oct. 1 of each year.  

Governor Brian Kemp’s “Safe Schools Act” also creates a school-safety and anti-gang certification for teachers and other school employees who complete a school safety and gang-deterrence training program.  Though the bill ultimately passed nearly unanimously, it drew criticism from Democrats. Senator Elena Parent, a Democrat from Atlanta lamented that the bill highlights the failure to pass meaningful gun control laws. Parent, who ultimately voted for the bill, noted that several Democratic-sponsored gun control bills have not received committee hearings during this year’s legislative session.  The bill’s focus on gang-violence prevention also drew concerns. Grayson Democratic Senator Nikki Merritt voiced concerns that the identification focused training could lead to racial profiling. The bill now moves to the governor’s desk for his signature. 

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The odds were stacked against the Hebron girls basketball team heading into the 2022-23 season.

After losing in the Class A Private state finals last season, the Lions had the daunting task of moving up two classifications to a much deeper Class AAA, making their road back to the Macon Centreplex that much tougher.

But with a retooled roster and the winningest head coach in the history of Georgia high school basketball, the jump didn’t phase the Lions in the least. Facing off against defending state champion Lumpkin County in the Class AAA state finals Friday afternoon, the Lions pummeled the Indians for four quarters and cruised to a 68-36 win for their second state title in program history and 15th for legendary head coach Jan Azar. Azar now has two state titles in her first four seasons at Hebron.

More impressively, the win over the Indians completes an undefeated season for Hebron at 32-0, the only team in the state of Georgia to do that this season. Standout sophomore guard Aubrey Beckham finished with 16 points, six rebounds and six assists while Jakerra Butler scored 13 of her 16 points in the second half to pair with 13 rebounds.

The Lions also got double-digit scoring efforts from Amiya Porter, who had 12 points, and Nickyia Daniel, who scored 11.

Defensively, the Lions held the Indians to just 23 percent from the field and out-rebounded them 37-26.

For the first time in program history, the Brookwood girls basketball team has its state championship.

The Broncos overcame a sluggish first half and struggles on the offensive glass to race past the defending Class AAAAAAA state champion Norcross Blue Devils 43-39 behind a dominant performance from Super Six senior guard Diana Collins.

Collins scored a game-high 21 points, including 15 in the second half, to lead the Broncos. Danielle Osho was the only other Bronco to score in double figures with 10 points. Jade Weathersby was close behind with nine points and 12 rebounds. Despite giving up 21 offensive rebounds on the night, the Broncos defense still managed to hold the Blue Devils to just 25 percent from the field. The Blue Devils attempted 18 more shots than the Broncos, but struggled all night to knock down shots.

For the parents of Elijah DeWitt, the last five months have been what they call a “daily nightmare.”

DeWitt, who was a football and baseball standout at Jefferson High School, died after he was shot in a parking lot at Sugarloaf Mills, outside Dave and Busters, on Oct. 5. The incident has been described as an attempted robbery.

Now, DeWitt’s family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the mall, its owner and security officials as well as Dave and Buster’s. The lawsuit that was filed this week names several defendants, including Simon Property Group, Sugarloaf Mills Limited Partnership, Universal Protection Service LLC, Dave and Buster’s of Georgia LLC, Sugarloaf Mills security director Jason Choy and five individuals referred to as “John Does 1-5.”

The lawsuit alleges that the defendants in the case failed to keep the mall premises safe; allowed a public nuisance to exist; engaged in negligent employee hiring, training, supervision, and retention practices; and failure to voluntarily undertake a duty of care for Elijah DeWitt. Among the allegations outlined in the lawsuit is that there had been ongoing crime-related issues a Sugarloaf Mills before DeWitt was shot, and that the mall’s owners and security officials, as well as Dave and Buster’s officials, did not do enough to address those issues. Chandler Richardson and Kemare Bryan are awaiting trial on murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of certain felonies charges in connection with the teen’s death. An arraignment hearing for Richardson was held Friday morning.

DeWitt had been on a date with his girlfriend at mall on the night he died. Gwinnett police said at the time that DeWitt had gotten into an altercation with Richardson and Bryan.

The DeWitt family has previously said his death was the result of a botched robbery. Officials for Simon Property Group and Sugarloaf Mills could not be reached for comment on Friday.

Dave and Buster’s spokeswoman Karena Bibbins-McKeever told the Daily Post that the entertainment venue chain could not comment on the lawsuit.

Gwinnett County residents are being invited to participate in discussion on mental health in the Duluth area this week.

Gwinnett County Board of Education chairwoman Tarece Johnson said in an announcement on Facebook that community leaders got together to organize the panel discussion, which will take place from 5 until 7 p.m. on Wednesday at the McClure Health Science High School, which is located at 3921 Club Drive in unincorporated Duluth. The event is described as a community listening panel discussion and question-and-answer session. A flyer that has been circulating for the event says a “Gwinnett Team of Mental Health Professionals” will participate in the panel discussion. The flyer states the panel will consist of representatives from the Mental Health Support Network, Viewpoint Health, cyber security firm Fort Security, Barber Therapy, a licensed clinical social worker, and a licensed professional counselor.

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers launched — and then quickly “paused” — efforts to find a new name for Lake Lanier and Buford Dam on Friday afternoon.

The lake and the dam were highlighted in a report from a federal commission that looked at renaming Department of Defense properties which are named for people who served in the Confederate Army. The Naming Commission was created in response to the William M. (Mac) Thornberry National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2021.

The Naming Commission’s Final Report to Congress pointed out Buford Dam is named for the city of Buford, but added that the city was named for Algernon Sidney Buford, who was a member of the Virginia Militia during the Civil War. The commission said Lake Lanier was named for the poet, Sidney Lanier, who had also been served as a private in the Confederate Army.

The renaming of Lake Lanier would not be as simple as the Army deciding to change it in response to the commission’s report. That’s because he lake name was set by Congress when it approved its creation in 1946. In other words, the Republican-controlled House and the Democrat-controlled Senate would have to agree to changing the lake’s name. If that name were to change, it would have a cascading effect that would reverberate across the community because of places in he community that are named for either the lake or the dam.

In Gwinnett, these place include Buford Dam Road and Corps of Engineers-run Buford Dam Park, as well as Lanier Middle School and Lanier High School. There is also Lanier Islands and residential communities.

Gwinnett County’s congressional representatives are asking high school students to submit artwork for a chance to that work displayed in the U.S. Capitol.

Congressional districts across the nation hold art competitions each year where high school students from their respective district can enter artwork they created in one several different types of visual mediums. The winner of each district’s competition will have heir artwork displayed in the Capitol in Washington D.C. for one year.

Most, if not all, members of Congress participate in the nationwide effort each year, and that includes the three congressional members who represent parts of Gwinnett County: U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath, Rich McCormick and Andrew Clyde. McBath announced his past week that the deadline to submit work for the 7th Congressional District Art Competition will be 5 p.m. on April 24. Entries must be submitted in person or by mail to McBath’s district office, which is located at 3700 Crestwood Parkway, Suite 270 in Duluth. An online entry form and a required release form can be found at mcbath.house.gov/art-competition. McCormick and Clyde, who represent the 6th and 9th congressional districts respectively, have not announced their respective district’s submission deadline, but both of them have posted entry forms on their congressional websites. The form for McCormick’s District can be found at mccormick.house.gov/services/art-competition while the form for Clyde’s district can be found at clyde.house.gov/forms/submitartwork/.

McCormick’s office is also directing questions about the 6th Congressional District Art Competition to Suzanne Swain at [email protected].

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Eight Gwinnett grads are among the 35 Georgians whose teams are in the NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Tournament, which begins this week.

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North Atlanta Dance Theatre’s “Pirates of the Phantom Waves” returns to the Gas South Arena this month; Buford’s Cannon Goldin has committed to play baseball for the defending National Champions Ole Miss Rebels; And Georgia kids may no longer have to worry about business licenses for lemonade stands. 

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The former Doraville police officer who has been charged in the death of Norcross teen Susana Morales has now been accused of being involved in a 2019 Snellville burglary. 

At the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber’s First Friday breakfast for March the organization honored Norcross High School’s Corbin Blum with its monthly Character Award.

The award was created to recognize outstanding students whose attitudes and actions embody the organization’s mission, passion, and commitment to excellence and community action.

Gwinnett County has a new fire chief and his appointment is making history for the department.

Fred Cephas, who has been Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services’ deputy chief since 2020, was appointed by county commissioners to be the new fire chief on Tuesday. Cephas will be the county’s first Black fire chief in the department’s nearly 52-year history.

He will officially become fire chief on April 1.

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The longtime Stripers announcer and new Voice of the Braves joins the show. Plus: 

Gwinnett County has a new fire chief and his appointment is making history for the department.

Fred Cephas, who has been Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services’ deputy chief since 2020, was appointed by county commissioners to be the new fire chief on Tuesday. Cephas will be the county’s first Black fire chief in the department’s nearly 52-year history.

He will officially become fire chief on April 1. Cephas will replace soon-to-be-former chief Russell Knick, who is leaving the fire department after about five years as chief to take on a new role in the County Administrator’s Office.

Cephas is a native of Mobile, Alabama, and a U.S. Air Force veteran, having served as a Department of Defense aircraft rescue firefighter. He joined Gwinnett’s fire department in 2001. He rose through the department’s ranks over the years and served in a variety of capacities. Some of those capacities included strategic planning, accreditation management, operations, and as a licensed polygraphist. He then became deputy chief, making him the second highest ranking member of the fire department, three years ago. Cephas earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration from Shorter University.

Last week Georgia Gwinnett College counselors traveled to Collins Hill High School to offer seniors at the school a unique opportunity — an instant decision on admission.

Called Instant Decision Day, these events allow college hopefuls to meet with GGC admissions counselors, who evaluate their transcripts and help them fill out GGC application forms. Students who met GPA requirements are provided an instant admissions decision on the spot.

Twenty-one students were admitted to GGC at the Collins Hill event, which was held on March 2. GGC has offered more than 50 Instant Decision Day events to schools in Gwinnett County and metro Atlanta since September with more to come, Lisa Boone, GGC’s assistant director of admissions. Boone said the program has expanded this year to high schools as far east as Savannah and as far south as Valdosta. The school’s future plans include expansion of the Instant Decision Day program to Georgia’s border states. With the support of the University System of Georgia, GGC recently established a waiver so that students in states that border the Georgia will pay in-state tuition

Piedmont Eastside Medical Center welcomed a new chief executive officer this week.

The hospital, which is located in Snellville, announced on Wednesday that Larry Ebert became Eastside's new CEO on Monday. Ebert previously served as CEO at Piedmont Walton Hospital in Monroe for the last five years.

He replaces Trent Lind, who had been Eastside's CEO for more than seven years but recently left to join Community Health Systems in Franklin, Tennessee. Ebert has been with the Piedmont system since 2017, when he became the executive director of strategic operations at Piedmont Athens Regional Medical Center. He then became Piedmont Walton's CEO in 2018.

During his time at Piedmont Athens, Ebert oversaw the planning and execution of strategic efforts, such as the coordination of a master facility plan as well as a key construction and renovation project on the hospital's main campus.

And, during his time at Piedmont Walton, Ebert oversaw that hospital's integration into the Piedmont system; worked on the creation of a joint program between the hospital and the nursing program at Athens Technical College's Walton campus; recruited primary care and specialty clinicians; tripled the hospital's medical staff; and launched and expanded new service lines. Ebert earned his bachelor’s degree from Tennessee Tech University and his Master of Healthcare Administration from Louisiana State University. He and his wife Jessica are the parents of triplets Gavin, Preston and Abigail.

Sixteen Doctor of Osteopathic Medicine students and faculty members exchanged their Christmas holidays for a mission trip to Guatemala where they impacted the lives of almost 1,000 patients.

First, second and third year DO students, along with a DO student from the PCOM South Georgia campus, staffed several clinics located near Antigua, some in remote mountainous areas.

Donald Penney, MD, the chair of clinical education and a clinical professor of emergency medicine at PCOM Georgia, served as the chief medical officer for the trip arranged through International Medical Relief, a nonprofit mission organization headquartered in Colorado. According to first year DO student Alice Manning, the trip to Guatemala was “an amazing and eye-opening experience.” She explained that each clinic had several stations including triage, community education, health care and dentistry. In the community education area, Manning enjoyed informing patients about proper handwashing techniques and hygiene, along with providing information about diabetes and dentistry. Manning shared that she used many skills learned in medical school including taking patients’ histories and vitals and using osteopathic manipulative medicine. She used OMM for neurologic motor exams, upper extremity range of motion tests, special tests for carpal tunnel syndrome, and diagnosing rotator cuff strains.

She noted that a highlight of the trip was using a pocket ultrasound so a pregnant woman could see her baby for the first time.

During the trip, the students’ routine included debriefing sessions each day after clinics to discuss issues related to the day’s work. Some of the students used their free day to hike Pacaya, an active volcano. Manning was fascinated to see a local cooking a pizza on top of lava at the volcano’s peak.

At the Southwest Gwinnett Chamber’s First Friday breakfast for March the organization honored Norcross High School’s Corbin Blum with its monthly Character Award.

The award was created to recognize outstanding students whose attitudes and actions embody the organization’s mission, passion, and commitment to excellence and community action.

Blum serves as the Council Service Chair on the school’s student leadership council and has been selected for several academic honors societies. He participates in karate, ultimate frisbee, band, and golf and serves as a camp counselor during the summers. He looks forward to attending college.

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The Mall of Georgia area has another new restaurant with the recent opening of The Twisted Crab.

Located in The Exchange at Gwinnett at 2925 Buford Dr., Building 1500, in Buford, the restaurant touts itself as offering "fresh seafood and wings."

The menu offers fried baskets and wings as well as seafood boils.

For more info, go to thetwistedcrab.com

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

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https://www.kiamallofga.com/ 

https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

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A former Doraville police officer who is accused of killing 16-year-old Norcross resident Susana Morales is now facing additional accusations that he allegedly broke into a Snellville family's home in 2019 and committed burglary.

Snellville police filed a first degree burglary charge against Miles Bryant last week. Police initially had trouble in identifying a suspect in the case, but that changed around the same time that Bryant was arrested last month in connection with Morales' murder. The Snellville burglary is the latest crime that Bryant has been accused of committing. Gwinnett police charged him last month with false report of a crime and concealing the death of another person, and later added felony murder and kidnapping, in connection with the death of Morales, who disappeared and was killed last July.

Gwinnett police also accused Bryant last month of attempting to break into a woman's home in 2018 by climbing in through her window, and of attempting to enter another woman's residence in December 2022.

A Snellville police report shows the burglary at the center of the newest accusations happened at a home on Windsor Lane on May 26, 2019. Bryant was already in the Gwinnett County Jail on the charges related to Morales' death when he burglary charge was filed. Gwinnett police have not ruled out the possibility that Bryan could face additional charges related to the 2018 and December 2022 incidents that they are currently investigating.

The Shiloh High School cheerleading program will host The Black Table Talk — Finding Balance: How To Control My Thoughts On Social Media, Relationships, Work and School — on March 15.

The event, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. in Shiloh’s theatre, is a fundraiser to bring the student body and community together to discuss and ask questions about the importance of coping with mental health by providing methods that will help students learn how to balance life’s challenges like relationships, school, dysfunctional families, work and social media.

The panel includes Crystal Renee Hayslett (Tyler Perry’s Zatima and Sistas’ Fatima), Gail Bean (Snowfall’s Wanda), Venna Excel (a social media influencer), Tracy Stephens (founder of the Black Hiking Club), B.J. Armstead (a sports therapist and life coach) and Lisa Herbert (a family doctor and life coach).

Tickets to the program are $5 and can be purchased through the GoFan app

Gwinnett County Police Department officials, including Chief J.D. McClure, will meet with Hispanic residents in the Norcross area on Thursday to address their concerns about recent crimes, including the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Susana Morales.

The police department will host a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Universal Church, which is located at 6081 Singleton Road in Norcross. In additional to McClure, command staff from the West Precinct and Criminal Investigations will answer questions from members of the Hispanic community. Spanish-speaking officers and interpreters will be in attendance at the meeting as well.

In recent weeks, police have discovered the body of Morales, who disappeared while walking to her home near Norcross last summer. Former Doraville Police Officer Miles Bryant was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping, as well as other crimes, in connection with Morales' death. 

The same week that Morales' body was discovered in eastern Gwinnett, the body of another Norcross teen, Rodrigo Floriano Mayen, 17, was found by his family in a home, a few days after he was reported missing. Police have said he died from an overdose.

Morales and Mayen were students at Meadowcreek High School.

Police officials said they will not be able to discuss specific details about active cases, but they will be able to discuss department procedures for people who have concerns about what is happening in their community.

Gwinnett County Police Department officials, including Chief J.D. McClure, will meet with Hispanic residents in the Norcross area on Thursday to address their concerns about recent crimes, including the kidnapping and murder of 16-year-old Susana Morales.

The police department will host a community meeting at 6:30 p.m. at Universal Church, which is located at 6081 Singleton Road in Norcross. In additional to McClure, command staff from the West Precinct and Criminal Investigations will answer questions from members of the Hispanic community. Spanish-speaking officers and interpreters will be in attendance at the meeting as well.

In recent weeks, police have discovered the body of Morales, who disappeared while walking to her home near Norcross last summer. Former Doraville Police Officer Miles Bryant was arrested and charged with murder and kidnapping, as well as other crimes, in connection with Morales' death. 

The same week that Morales' body was discovered in eastern Gwinnett, the body of another Norcross teen, Rodrigo Floriano Mayen, 17, was found by his family in a home, a few days after he was reported missing. Police have said he died from an overdose.

Morales and Mayen were students at Meadowcreek High School.

Police officials said they will not be able to discuss specific details about active cases, but they will be able to discuss department procedures for people who have concerns about what is happening in their community.

Students at Jordan Middle School in Lawrenceville put down their Chromebooks on March 2 when over 60 professionals from all walks of life took over classrooms to present, inspire and intrigue their young minds.

Presenters included David Still, mayor of Lawrenceville; Jordan Middle School namesake’s daughter, Judy Jordan Johnson, the former mayor of Lawrenceville, as well as a talk show host, lawyers, military personnel, authors, entertainers, and professionals from a host of other fields from medicine to professional athletes.

Students were encouraged to “dress for success” and they did not disappoint. From suits to dresses, students looked the part as they engaged in conversations and activities surrounding possible career paths for their future. Organizers Felecia Sconiers and Kesha Brown have teamed up to put on more than 12 career day events over the years. However, this marked the first one of many to come at Jordan Middle School. Their passion for this event stems from the mindset that, exposing students to careers is important, but allowing them to hear about the path, with its successes and obstacles, is priceless. As an educational leader, Principal Melissa Miller, believes that career days at school are a vital component of a student’s educational experience. School officials credited the volunteers as well as the Jordan Middle School community, parents and friends that showed up for making the event a success.

Liberty University sophomore Jadin Skye Rafus, a Buford resident, has been honored by The National Society of Collegiate Scholars.

The honor society honors high-achieving first- and second-year college students with a minimum of a 3.0 GPA.

The society was founded in 1994 by veteran student affairs professional Stephen Loflin. Notable NSCS distinguished honorary members include former president Jimmy Carter, U.S. Ambassador Dr. Robin Renee Sanders, the late Senator John McCain and former U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Donna Shalala.

For the second time in a less than a week, the state Senate shot down legislation Monday aimed at legalizing sports betting in Georgia.

While 30 of the 56 senators voted in favor of Senate Resolution 140, it fell short of the two-thirds majority needed to pass a constitutional amendment.

Last week, the Senate defeated a second sports betting bill that did not require changing Georgia’s Constitution to bring online sports betting to the Peach State. On Monday, Senator Bill Cowsert, an Athens Republican, the chief sponsor of Senate Resolution 140, argued the constitutional route was the best way to go because it would have let Georgia voters decide whether to legalize sports betting. But Senator Marty Harbin a Republican from Tyrone, said it would be irresponsible for senators to pass the issue to voters because they do not have access to the same information as the Senators. Harbin also opposed legalizing gambling because of its potential to lead to addictive gambling.

The resolution’s supporters pitched it as a way to create a needs-based scholarship program in Georgia to supplement the HOPE Scholarship program, which is based on merit. Under the legislation, half of the state’s share of the proceeds from sports betting would have gone to needs-based scholarships. The loss of the underlying constitutional amendment as well as the defeat of last week’s Senate bill left supporters of sports betting with just one remaining option. A House bill legalizing sports betting without a constitutional amendment was pending in the House Rules Committee on Monday and subject to a vote sending it to the House floor.

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A owner of house in Buford that was undergoing work arrived on Friday afternoon to find firefighters battling a blaze at the home.

A child who lived in another house called 911 at 5:49 p.m. to report that the house on the 2000 block of Appling Circle in Buford was on fire. A dispatcher could hear explosions and popping sounds during the 911 call.

Crews arrived five minutes later to find the carport of the single-story house on fire. A photo released by the fire department shows flames had spread into the house. Crews arrived five minutes later to find the carport of the single-story house on fire. A photo released by the fire department shows flames had spread into the house. Crews used two 1-and-three-quarters-inch attack lines to battle the fire. Firefighters were able to get inside the house and confirm no one was inside and the fire was under control by 6:09 p.m. There were no injuries reported and the cause of the fire has not been determined.

Gwinnett County police have arrested two people after an investigation into a fentanyl overdose case that involved a 16-year-old female victim.

Lawrenceville resident Drolvin Esau Calix-Rodriguez, 21, and Norcross resident Elizabeth Faye Elliott, 19, were arrested on Tuesday. The overdose that police were investigating involved counterfeit Percocet fentanyl.

Calix-Rodriguez faces multiple charges, including two counts of sale of a Schedule I or II controlled substance, possession with intent to distribute,  possession of cocaine, and possession of a stolen firearm during commissions of a crime. Meanwhile, Elliott faces a sale of a Schedule I or II controlled substance charge. Police are using the arrests to remind residents about state laws surrounding medical amnesty and access to Naloxone, which is a drug used to counter the effects of an overdose. GNR Public Health offers free training on how to use NARCAN, which is another name for Naloxone at 52 Gwinnett Drive, Suite A in Lawrenceville. The Gwinnett County Police Department does work with the county’s District Attorney’s Office to charge and prosecute people for charges related to overdoses, including felony murder, in an effort to fight drug trafficking in the county.

A Gwinnett County Public Schools bus driver quit his job just over two weeks before police arrested him on child molestation and public indecency charges.

Former bus driver Steven Wilkins resigned from his job on February 10, according to GCPS officials, and he was subsequently arrested by Gwinnett County police on Monday. A parent had raised concerns to Gwinnett County Police about Wilkins’ behavior, prompting an investigation, Suwanee Elementary School Principal Mary B. Taylor told parents in a letter. GCPS officials said Wilkins was removed from driving his bus route as soon as the parent raised their concerns about his behavior.

District officials said the parent’s complaint and Wilkins’ arrest serve as an example of why they said parents should report any suspicious behavior that they see taking place. Wilkins was still being held in the Gwinnett County Jail as of Friday.

More than a month after police arrested one suspect in the murder of a man who died after he was shot in the Norcross area last November, investigators are asking the public for information about another suspect.

Lawrenceville resident Alinton Joel Riveria-Zuniga was shot on Estates Court in unincorporated Norcross on Nove,ber 27 and later died from his injuries at a hospital. Police arrested Lawrenceville resident Jose Caraballo on January 18 and charged him with felony murder, aggravated assault, armed robbery, and possession of a firearm during a felony in connection with the shooting.

Now police are looking for an additional suspect in Zuniga’s murder, and here are a least two possible names that officials said this suspect has gone by. Detectives believe the suspect has used the name Brayan Duarte and Brayan Sanchez. If anyone has any information, they are asked to please call Gwinnett Police or Crime Stoppers.

Gwinnett Technical College is set to open a gleaming new facility, and the three-story building — dedicated to computer information systems, cybersecurity and emerging technologies training — will be complemented by other renovations and improvements on campus.

Classes in the 82,000-square-foot facility are set to begin this week. The $42 million building will house the computer science and gaming departments, a cybersecurity war room, gaming technologies room, 29 classrooms and an eSports lab.

The construction of the new building set off a domino effect for other buildings on campus.

In addition to the new building, Cannon is particularly enthused about renovations taking place in the college’s main building and the resurfacing of parking lots on campus. According to a release from Gwinnett Tech, other improvements on campus include the construction of a new “quad” area near Building 100 and the new facility; the renovation and expansion of the One-Stop area; a new entrance for the library, with more computer stations and the creation of the Center for Teaching Excellence; and a “facelift” for the student Life Center.

Cannon added that almost all of the planning and design phases of the project were completed during the COVID pandemic.

Families choose private schools for a variety of reasons, one of which is the parents themselves attended an independent school and wanted their children to have a similar experience.

There are a number of students at Greater Atlanta Christian whose parents also went to private school, but more than half of the students at GAC come from what is termed “first-time private-school families.”

When asked what often goes into the decision to enroll children in a private school like GAC for the first time, Dr. Katherine White, GAC’s vice president of advancement, pointed to several factors, a number of which can apply to just about any independent school. White also pointed to the consistency in curriculum, the spirit of collaboration and the feeling students have of being part of a small but significant community. GAC has grown a great deal since its founding in 1968 with some 150 students, and even though the student body now numbers in the 1,500s (with some 650 in the high school), the determination to offer small class sizes has not changed over the last seven decades. GAC also has an exemplary graduation rate of 100% and White said that 100% of GAC grads go on to continue their education after high school. For more information on GAC, visit Greater Atlanta Christian School dot org.

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Gwinnett County police have arrested two people after an investigation into a fentanyl overdose case that involved a 16-year-old female victim.

Lawrenceville resident Drolvin Esau Calix-Rodriguez, 21, and Norcross resident Elizabeth Faye Elliott, 19, were arrested on Tuesday. The overdose that police were investigating involved counterfeit Percocet fentanyl.

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

https://www.lawrencevillega.org/ 

https://www.foxtheatre.org/ 

https://guideinc.org/ 

https://www.psponline.com/ 

https://www.kiamallofga.com/ 

https://www.milb.com/gwinnett 

https://www.fernbankmuseum.org/ 

www.atlantagladiators.com

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.