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I CHAMPION
ist Place
General Excellence
Award Winner
Georgia Press Association
‘Better Newspaper contest’
2007, 2009-2017
SECTION A: VOL. 27 NO. 14
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.
THURSDAY, OCTOBER 5-11,
2017 THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM |
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PAGE 2A
More than 250 homes
damaged in DeKalb by Irma
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
DeKalb County is not out of
the woods yet as many residential
homeowners and DeKalb County
officials work to return to a sense of
"normal" in the aftermath of metro-
Atlanta's first tropical storm.
Hurricane Irma, which killed more
than 100 people in the Caribbean,
Florida and parts of Georgia, hit DeKalb
County in mid-September.
DeKalb County officials said the
recovery process from the storm will be
"ongoing." Chief Sue Loeffler, DeKalb
Emergency Management Agency
(DEMA) director, said 285 homes in
DeKalb County experience damage.
Approximately 50 homes experienced
major damage and 10 homes were
destroyed in the county.
According to DEMA's assessment, the
county suffered $11 million in insured
damages.
"Irma was an anomaly for us," Loeffler
said. "You could see [the storm] coming
SEE IRMA ON PAGE 5A
MARIST REMAINS
UNDEFEATED
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Decatur resident Beate Sass created the "I am Decatur" photo project to celebrate the city’s
diversity.
BEHINDTHE LENS
Creator of Decatur photo project discusses diversity
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
Beate Sass, who
moved from Tallahassee
to DeKalb County in 2011,
said Decatur is the first
place she's lived that feels
like home.
Sass said she wanted
to do something that truly
depicted the essence of
her "home"—lively, diverse
and full of stories to tell.
That's how the photo
essay project"! am
Decatur"got started. The
project was displayed at
events throughout the city
in hopes of bringing the
discussion of diversity to
the forefront.
"Last year during the
SEE LENS ON PAGE 5A
The Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training
Council voted to revoke the certification of DeKalb
County Sheriff Jeff Mann Sept. 27
Future uncertain
for DeKalb sheriff
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
It's unclear what the next step will
be for DeKalb County Sheriff Jeff Mann.
The Georgia Peace Officer Standards
and Training Council voted to revoke his
certification on Sept. 27.
Mann, who was arrested May 5 after
he exposed himself to an Atlanta police
officer in Piedmont Park, will have time to
appeal the decision. According to officials
in the DeKalb County Sheriff's Office, they
have heard no recent updates from Mann.
According to state law, Mann cannot
serve as sheriff without a law enforcement
license.
Mann accepted a plea deal and
pleaded guilty to obstruction and
prohibited conduct on July 27.
According to the incident report, Mann
was seen by an officer rubbing his penis
under his pants. Mann then approached
the officer and completely exposed
himself. Once the officer identified himself,
Mann fled on foot before surrendering.
Mann faced several disciplinary actions
because of the incident, including a self-
imposed one-week suspension.
Mann wrote in a memo to his
employees, "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.'"
Mann also said he donated the one-
week's pay to charity.
Gov. Nathan Deal suspended Mann
for 40 days following an investigation
from Attorney General Chris Carr, Newton
County Sheriff Ezell Brown and Peach
County Sheriff Terry Deese.
Captain Ruth Stringer could serve as
interim sheriff if Mann does not appeal
SEE MANN ON PAGE 5A