Newspaper Page Text
The Champion, Thursday, January 7-13, 2016
LOCAL
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YIR Continued from Page 13A
TUCKER2015
THE TIME FOfi TUCKER IS
^ NOW
Iuckef2015.com
Voters say ‘yes’ to Tucker, ‘no’ to LaVista Hills
Residents in the Tucker community voted in
favor of the city referendum with 73.92 percent,
while 26.08 percent of voters said “no” to a new
city.
Voters in the proposed LaVista Hills bound
aries voted against the city referendum with
50.50 percent voting against, and 49.50 percent
voting in favor.
Frank Auman of Tucker 2015 said it took a
lot of hard work to incorporate Tucker.
After declaring defeat, Mary Kay Wood-
worth of “LaVista Hills Yes!” apologized to
supporters for “the missed opportunity for this
community to make it a better, stronger com
munity.”
Both cityhood bills passed the Georgia Gen
eral Assembly April 2. Last-minute negotiations
were made between the state House and Senate
over a disputed area in the Livsey Elementary
School area. The House did not agree with the
altered maps approved by the Senate State and
Local Governmental Operations Committee
that shifted 2,000 residents from Tucker’s map
to LaVista Hills.
A conference committee was formed, and
voted 5-1 to return 500 residents, along with a
Walmart and a QuikTrip to Tucker, and 1,500
residents remained in LaVista Hills, according
to reports. The committee also removed the
Medlock and Mason Mills neighborhoods from
LaVista Hills’ map.
The cityhood movement, specifically LaV
ista Hills, had faced opposition from several
groups including DeKalb Strong, which worked
to stop the new cities from forming.
Auman said once the Tucker referendum
passed, he had no doubt that voters would sup
port it.
Ex-commissioner sentenced to 14 months in prison
Former DeKalb County commissioner
Elaine Boyer, who pleaded guilty in 2014 to fed
eral charges of mail fraud conspiracy and wire
fraud, was sentenced to 14 months in prison in
March.
During the March 20 sentencing hearing,
Boyer said, “I’m deeply ashamed. I’m very em
barrassed and humiliated. I betrayed the very
[people] who were entrusted to me. I deeply re
gret my actions.”
Boyer was accused of conspiring between
September 2009 and November 2011 to defraud
DeKalb County by authorizing 35 payments for
false invoices “for consulting services that were
never performed,” according to federal charges
against her. She was accused of authorizing more
than $78,000 to a financial advisor, who then
“funneled approximately 75 percent of the mon
ey. . .into Boyer’s personal bank account.”
Federal prosecutors said Boyer used the
money to pay personal expenses, including pur
chases at hotels and high-end department stores.
“I accept full responsibility for my actions,”
she said, sobbing during the hearing. “I’m deeply,
deeply sorry.”
Boyer’s sentence, which was reduced by four
months because of the assistance she gave inves
tigators in an ongoing case, also includes restitu
tion of $87,000 to DeKalb County. Boyer brought
the court a certified check for $4,000 during her
sentencing hearing.
In August, Boyer’s husband, John, was sen
tenced to one year and one day in federal prison
after pleading guilty to conspiring to commit
mail fraud. He was ordered to pay approximately
$87,000 in restitution.
Protestors bring attention to man killed by police
Anthony Hill, 27, an Air Force veteran from Chamblee, was
shot and killed March 9 by DeKalb County Police Officer Robert
Olsen, who responded to a call about a man acting “deranged,”
knocking on apartment doors and crawling on the ground, Ce
dric Alexander, deputy chief operating officer for public safety,
stated in a March news conference.
Hill became a national topic on social media with #Anthony-
Hill trending on Twitter. Those who knew him said Hill was an
Air Force veteran and had bipolar disorder.
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation looked into the incident
to determine whether Olsen, who is White, acted properly when
he fatally shot Hill, who was Black and described himself publicly
as bipolar.
On March 11, more than 100 protestors of a police-involved
shooting death marched the streets of Decatur chanting “Black
lives matter” and “I am Ant Hill.”
Some protesters wore armbands and headbands made of
strips of purple cloth, Hill’s favorite color. They blocked traffic in
Decatur as they marched, singing and shouting and holding their
fists in the air. Twice they sat down in intersections as Decatur
Police looked on and directed traffic.
In October, a grand jury could not decide whether to recom
mend an indictment of Olsen “because there were contradictions
and inconsistencies in the testimonies presented.” The grand jury
recommended that the case be investigated further to aid DeKalb
County District Attorney Robert James’ decision to pursue the
case.
On Veterans Day, the family of Hill filed a wrongful death
lawsuit against the DeKalb County Police officer who shot and
killed the unarmed veteran.
Four teams win cross country state titles
Clarkston boys, Dunwoody girls and Marist
boys and girls teams brought home cross county
state titles in November.
The Clarkston Angoras won their second
consecutive state title with a 90-128 win over
runner-up Forsyth Central. Clarkston made his
tory last year winning its first cross country title,
the fifth state title of any kind for the school.
The team made more history by becoming back-
to-back champions—becoming just the fourth
program in DeKalb County to win back-to-back
titles.
The Dunwoody Lady Wildcats picked up its
third state title in four seasons with a 70-113 vic
tory over runner-up Creekview.
Marist girls won their eighth consecutive title
and 16th in program history with a 37-95 win
over St. Pius in the Class AAAA meet.
Marist boys defeated defending Class AAAA
champions St. Pius with a close 69-76 victory. It
was the programs 11th title.