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Ellis combats efforts to remove CEO position at chamber meeting

DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis used a business chamber meeting this month to combat the County Commission’s efforts to eventually eliminate his position and hire a county manager instead. While speaking before the DeKalb County Chamber of Commerce...

School board tables ethics policy at Walker’s request

The DeKalb County Board of Education tabled the discussion of a proposed ethics policy this month after board member Gene Walker angrily told the board it was acquiescing too easily to board critics. “I’m deeply offended by you all feeling that t...

County studies heavy redevelopment, fast growth in North Druid Hills

Businesses could see better-planned growth and motorists might find themselves less frustrated along the North Druid Hills Road corridor if a DeKalb County study works the way local officials are hoping. The $150,000 study, known as the North Druid H...

Reed appears to take narrow victory in Atlanta mayor race

Sen. Kasim Reed votes at Ralph E. Bunche Middle School is southwest Atlanta on Dec. 1. Photo by Jonathan Cribbs
In a dramatically close battle to become Atlanta’s next mayor, Sen. Kasim Reed was the apparent winner as of press time Dec. 1, defeating City Councilwoman Mary Norwood in a runoff by a margin of less than 2 percent. Reed won 40,994 votes, which wa...

Runoff seals Tygrett win as Clarkston’s next mayor

Howard Tygrett thought he had been elected mayor of Clarkston Nov. 3, but a second look at the rules indicated a runoff was necessary. The Dec.1 runoff election, however, cemented Tygrett’s healthy lead over City Councilwoman Pat Davis-Morris in th...

Athens murder suspect captured in police standoff

Local police officers stand outside the South Candler Road home in downtown Decatur where William Studstill fled to after police believe he murdered his wife in Athens on Nov. 19. Photo by J. Cribbs
Carla Abuata thought someone was stealing her car when she looked out her window while making coffee early in the morning Nov. 19 and saw two police officers with guns drawn, searching the area. She peeked out the front door of her Decatur home on So...

Construction firm wants access to seized school district documents

A years-long lawsuit between the DeKalb County School System and a construction firm became more complicated this month after the company demanded access to documents seized by investigators last month in a separate probe. Heery/Mitchell, a managemen...

Levitas wants to create ethics commission for school system

State Rep. Kevin Levitas plans to pre-file legislation next week that would subject the DeKalb County School System to an ethics commission designed to prevent school board members from serving with conflicts of interest. The bill, called the DeKalb ...

County hires Georgia State to recommend staff reductions as budget shortfall looms

As it faces the specter of budget shortfalls and staff reductions next year, the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners is looking to Georgia State University for advice. The board voted Nov. 10 to pay the university more than $48,000 to conduct a staf...

DeKalb puts the brakes on school closures, attendance zone changes

The DeKalb County School System slammed the brakes Nov. 6 on recently announced plans to close schools and redraw attendance zones districtwide, saying they plan to consult the public over the next year before making decisions, officials said. A new ...