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Archive for 2012

Snapfinger Road now Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway

Congressman Hank Johnson, Georgia state senators, community leaders and Martin Luther King Jr. High School students celebrated the designation of Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Photo by Carla Parker
DeKalb County now has a street named after the late civil rights icon Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Elected officials, the DeKalb NAACP, members of the local DeKalb County chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, DeKalb County school district officials, a...

DeKalb voters turn out in large numbers for early voting

More than 30,754 DeKalb voters cast ballots in the first six days of early voting. Photo by Carla Parker
DeKalb County voters are showing up in droves to vote early in the 2012 presidential election. More than 30,754 DeKalb voters cast their ballots in the first six days of early voting, which began on Oct. 15 in Georgia. Only 9,219 ballots were cast in...

Trial underway for martial arts instructor accused of raping 9-year-old student

The 9-year-old victim of alleged rapist Adrian Spellen, 29, testified that the defendant raped her multiple times during a summer camp held at his karate studio in Lithonia. Spellen, a 2012 Olympic hopeful, was charged in July with two counts of rape...

M.L. King, Stephenson face off in big regional matchup

The Region 6-AAAAA champion title will be on the line Oct. 26 when the Martin Luther King Jr. Lions play region rivals Stephenson Jaguars at Hallford Stadium. The game is a must-win for the Jaguars, who hope to stay in the race for the region title. ...

DeKalb Rape Crisis Center in jeopardy of closing

The DeKalb County Rape Crisis Center will close its door at the end of the year if it does not come up with $80,000 to continue funding services. The Decatur center needs the $80,000 to get through to the end of the year with its services, such as fr...

Residents, teachers, advocates discuss proposed charter amendment

Attendees crowded into the International Community School’s auditorium Oct. 17 to hear from advocates who are for, and against, the charter school amendment on the November election ballot. Photo by Daniel Beauregard
With the November elections several weeks away, one of the major issues residents will be voting on is Amendment 1, which involves the creation of state-funded charter schools. A large group of parents, community members and others gathered at the In...

Trial underway for martial arts instructor accused of raping 9-year-old student

The 9-year-old victim of alleged rapist Adrian Spellen, 29, testified that the defendant raped her multiple times during a summer camp held at his karate studio in Lithonia. Spellen, a 2012 Olympic hopeful, was charged in July with two counts of rape...

DeKalb toughens smoking ban

It just got a little harder to light up in DeKalb County. The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners amended its ordinance to ban smoking in most “public places, outdoor recreational public places, common areas and places of employment.” “While ...

DeKalb Police searching for shooter of teen

DeKalb County Police are look for a suspect in the shooting death of a teenager Oct. 21. According to a media release, officers responded to the Vineyard at Flat Shoals Apartments, located at 2109 Vineyard Walk, after receiving a call at approximatel...

Library usage increases despite lack of funding

It appears everybody loves a new thing and that seems to be the case with the DeKalb County Public Library. The DeKalb library branches have seen their facility usage increase in the wake of the remodeling and expansion of old facilities and the cons...