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CHAMPION
The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain.
ist Place
General Excellence
Award Winner
Georgia Press Association
‘Better Newspaper contest’
2007, 2009-2017
SECTION A: VOL. 27 NO. 4
THURSDAY, JULY 27,2017 THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM
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PAGE13A
Mixed messages
on DeKalb
County Georgia
Milestones scores
District lauds student
scores despite declines
BY R. SCOTT BELZER
Georgia
Milestones
Ai-itsimcnt
m mm
sbelzer@dekalbchamp.com
M ixed messages are
being communicated to
the public in reference
to the most recent DeKalb County
School District (DCSD) Georgia
See Scores on Page 5A
DeKalb County School District’s latest Georgia Milestones test scores are a mixed bag and resulting in mixed
messages from officials.
i i i i i i i i
A $100,000 DAY
PAGE1GA
The Watershed Customer Service and Billing Advisory Group are still awaiting appointments from commissioners
and CEO Michael Thurmond.
Water billing board
awaiting appointments
2017 HIGH SCHOOL
FOOTBALL MEDIA DAY
PAGE18A
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Business 13A
Classified 17A
Education 16A
Opinion 7A
Sports 18-19A
64116 00001
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
It’s been more than five months
since the DeKalb County Board of
Commissioners approved creating
a Watershed Customer Service and
Billing Advisory Group.
According to county documents,
the board of commissioners voted to
create an advisory group on Feb. 28 so
residents “can assist the Department of
Watershed Management in addressing
complaints and problems with existing
billing problems, ongoing customer
service complaints and the meter
replacement program that the county is
currently undertaking.”
As of July 20, the board is awaiting
four appointment positions by CEO
Michael Thurmond, the DeKalb
Municipal Association, Commissioner
Steve Bradshaw and Commissioner
Gregory Adams.
The Champion contacted the offices
of Adams but did not receive a response
by press time.
An official in Bradshaw’s office said
the commissioner is still looking for a
nominee. Bradshaw’s chief of staff,
Alesia Brooks, said a timeline has not
been established for when Bradshaw
will make a nomination.
See Water on Page 5A
Sheriff
Mann asks
judge for
acquittal
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
Suspended Sheriff
Jeffrey Mann’s attorney
asked that charges
against his client be
dropped.
horace@dekalbchamp.com
Through
his attorney,
suspended
DeKalb County
Sheriff Jeff
Mann said
he should be
acquitted of
indecency and
obstruction
charges
because he’s
currently
serving a state
suspension.
Mann, who was arrested May 6
after he allegedly exposed himself
to a police officer in Piedmont Park,
is represented by his attorney Noah
Pines.
Pines argued in court that Mann
should be acquitted because Gov.
Nathan Deal already suspended
Mann for 40 days. Further
punishment would be double
jeopardy, Pines wrote in court
documents.
Mann’s suspension ended July
24. Prior to his suspension, he
issued a formal apology, but said
his apology is not an admission of
guilt.
Mann also served a self
suspension from May 27 to June 4.
“I am disciplining myself for
‘conduct unbecoming,’ specifically
the provision defined as ‘engaging
in conduct on or off duty which
has a tendency to destroy public
respect for the employee and/or the
DKSO and/or destroy confidence
in the operations of the County
service is conduct unbecoming
and is prohibited,”’ Mann wrote
in an internal memo obtained
by The Champion. “This self-
imposed discipline should not be
construed to suggest or imply guilt
of the Atlanta municipal ordinance
charges alleged. I will continue
to vigorously defend myself as it
relates to the charges.”
Mann pled not guilty to the
charges and his trial is scheduled
See Mann on Page 5A
