Newspaper Page Text
Page 16A
LOCAL
The Champion, Thursday, June 18 - 24, 2015
NEWS BRIEFS
Man, 18, sentenced to life for
MARTA bus stop murder, rape
A DeKalb County man was
recently sentenced to life without
parole for murdering a woman at a
MARTA bus stop and raping three
others. Christopher Oliver Merritt,
of Lithonia, pleaded guilty in lieu of
facing the death penalty.
According to the murder in
dictment, Merritt, 18, approached
Marcaysia Dawkins at a Fairing-
ton Road MARTA stop on Nov.
23, 2014. While waiting at the bus
stop, Merritt approached Dawkins
and attempted to steal her handbag.
During the struggle, Merritt fatally
shot Dawkins twice with a 9mm
handgun and fled the scene with the
victims belongings.
Merritt faced two additional in
dictments for three rape charges and
two armed robbery charges from
2013. All of Merritt’s indictments
were included in the recent plea be
fore DeKalb County Superior Court
Judge Gail Flake.
“The life of a vibrant, young and
hardworking 19-year-old woman
was taken away in broad daylight
for no reason at all,” said DeKalb
County District Attorney Robert
James. “While no sentence could
ever undo what has been done at
the hands of Christopher Merritt, I
hope that all of our victims and their
loved ones can rest in knowing that
he will spend the rest of his life be
hind bars.”
State Rep. Michele Henson
receives award from Alzheimer’s
Association
The Georgia chapter of the Al
zheimer’s Association presented
State Rep. Michele Henson its For
get-Me-Not Award for her support
of the Georgia’s Alzheimer’s and Re
lated Dementias State Plan.
“I very much appreciate this
honorable award from the Georgia
Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Associa
tion and all the incredible work they
do in the fight against Alzheimer’s
disease,” Henson said. “I care so
deeply about educating others on
dementia and Alzheimer’s disease;
truly this plan is something we had
to do for our state.”
Alzheimer’s Association of
Georgia’s Forget-Me-Not award
is given to elected officials who
champion the organization’s cause
through policy action. Some past
recipients include Gov. Nathan Deal
and former Gov. Sonny Perdue.
“We are pleased to have Rep.
Henson support this important
plan for Georgia and we honor
her support by presenting her the
Forget-Me-Not Award,” said Leslie
Gregory, president and CEO of Al
zheimer’s Association of Georgia.
Alzheimer’s is a growing epi
demic and the nation’s sixth-leading
cause of death.
“Alzheimer’s alone affects over
600,000 Georgians and is growing at
a pace where serious action is need
ed. More than ever, our state needs
to become even more equipped in
helping the future generations that
will face Alzheimer’s and other re
lated diseases,” Gregory said.
DeKalb County Court appoints
special advocates to hold
informational meeting
The public is invited to attend a
volunteer information meeting host
ed by DeKalb County CASA 6:30 to
7:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 9, at the
Gregory A. Adams Juvenile Justice
Center, 4309 Memorial Drive, De
catur. This session will provide an
overview of the program for those
interested in becoming a CASA vol
unteer. The next training class will
be held on Thursdays 4 to 7 p.m.
from July 30 to Sept. 3.
DeKalb County CASA is a non
profit organization that recruits,
screens and trains community
volunteers who are appointed by
a juvenile court judge to advocate
for the best interest of an abused or
neglected child placed in foster care.
DeKalb County CASA volunteers
work with the DeKalb County Juve
nile Court and Division of Family
and Children Services to ensure that
all the necessary information is col
lected and presented to the court
allowing the judge to make the best
decision possible regarding place
ment of the child.
For more information regard
ing this event or to RSVR call (404)
378-0038 or email Justine.ferreira@
dekalbcasa.org or dekalbcasa@
dekalbcasa.org.
Splash
Continued From Page 9A
“We chose to build a
spray park instead of a pool
for a number of reasons. For
one, it’s much less expen
sive than a pool and just as
enjoyable. This facility cost
approximately $950,000. An
in-ground pool would have
cost us in the millions. Also,
there’s no danger of drown
ing so there’s no need for a
lifeguard,” Wilson said, add
ing that there is nothing like
it in the immediate area.
The new facility is
built on what had been a
green space adjacent to the
31,00-square-foot Exchange
Park Recreation Center,
which houses a gym, walk
ing track, fitness center and
other amenities. The spray
park has a series of foun
tains with four to 12 heads
and fantasy-flower-like pails
that pour water at irregular
intervals. The central fea
ture is a multi-gallon dump
bucket that fills slowly then
suddenly turns over when it
reaches capacity, prompting
screams and squeals from
those beneath it. For those
who want to remain dry as
they watch those splashing
in the fountains, there are
tables with benches and um
brellas.
Noting that the park’s
official name is Exchange
Intergenerational Park, Wil
son said a spray park can be
used by people of all ages
and abilities. “It’s great for
the kids, but we want every
one to use it. Not everyone
can use a pool, but even a
person in a wheelchair can
enjoy this with no problem.”
Wilson said spray parks
have been around for a
while and are growing in
popularity. In addition to
other advantages, transmis
sion of disease is less likely
at a spray facility than at a
swimming pool. “We do,
however, ask people to
shower before using the
spray park just as we do
when they are using the
county’s swimming pools,”
he said.
There is an underground
Wilt HURT 8HBDB
tank that continually filters
and recycles approximately
3,000 gallons of water, ac
cording to Wilson.
The spray park season
schedule is the same as
for the county swimming
pools, Wilson said. It opens
the week before Memorial
Day and closes Labor Day.
Exchange Intergenerational
Recreation Center is located
at 2771 Columbia Drive,
Decatur.
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
GEORGIA, DEKALB COUNTY
A petition has been filed with the Board of Commissioners of DeKalb County, Georgia,
for the construction of a sewer infrastructure in Land Lot(s) 375 of the 18 District of
DeKalb County, Georgia, description of which is as follows:
Sewer Main shall run along Carnaby Court and Yarmouth Court and impact
properties located at 1471,1472,1475,1478,1479,1487,1492,1495,1502,
1503,1511,1512,1519,1520 Carnaby Court, and 5240, 5241 and 5244
Yarmouth Court.
Same to be constructed and the costs assessed against the abutting property. Said
Petition has been set for hearing before the Board of Commissioners at 9:00 a.m. on
Tuesday, August 11, 2015 in the Auditorium of the DeKalb County Maloof Center, 1300
Commerce Drive, Decatur, Georgia.
All persons, whose interests are affected by the proposed sewer, desiring to be heard,
are hereby notified to appear in person or by attorney at said time and place and
present such objection or evidence therein as their interests require.