The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current, January 18, 2018, Image 1

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Newspaper Page TextCHAMPION ist Place General Excellence award Winner Georgia Press Association ‘Better Newspaper Contest’ 2007, 2009-2017 SECTION A: VOL. 27 NO. 29 The Official Legal Organ of DeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain. THURSDAY, JANUARY 18-24,2018 THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM | fl* ■ DEKALBCHAMPNEWS llllllllll FOR THE LATEST UPDATES VISIT US AT THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM DEKALB LAWYER LEADS GEORGIA NAACP INVESTIGATION PAGE 2A DECATUR POLICE DEPARTMENT ADDRESSES OFFICER SHORTAGE PAGE4A COUNTY OFFICIALS PROMISETOBEAT DOWN BLIGHT IN 2018 PAGE10A QUICK FINDER Opinion 6A Education 14-15A Classified 16A Business 17A Sports 18-19A '641 1 6 00 01 LIFESTYLE FEATURE: New Orleans is just one Southern site for Mardi Gras 6B DeKalb presents inaugural award during King celebration Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms addresses the crowd at the county’s annual MLK Day celebration. Seated are WSB-TV’s Sophia Choi, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond, judge Penny Brown Reynolds and county commissioner Jeff Rader. Photo by John Hewitt. BY HORACE HOLLOMAN horace@dekalbchamp.com D eKalb County residents and officials packed the Maloof Auditorium in downtown Decatur Jan. 12 for the county's dedication to the life of civil rights activist Martin Luther King Jr. Diversity and cooperation were the themes of DeKalb County's 34th annual birthday celebration of King. During the event, DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond announced the county would present its first humanitarian award named for the late former DeKalb Commissioner Nathaniel Mosby. SEE MLK ON PAGE 5 Mobile career center announces countywide stops Photo by Desi LaPoole BYDESI LAPOOLE During January, the WorkSource DeKalb Mobile Career Center will be stationed at various locations in the county providing residents with job search assistance. The Mobile Career Center is a 13-station, fully accessible computer lab. The unit has a private interview area, a classroom area that can be divided into two separate rooms and an instructor workstation connected to a plasma television.These amenities are intended to provide workforce solutions for businesses and individuals alike. This month, the mobile unit is focusing on getting employment opportunities to DeKalb residents wishing to transition back into the workforce. "We bring the assets and opportunities to the people who might not have the ability to get to our office," said Timothy Dates, WorkSource DeKalb's mobile unit operator."They might not know that these opportunities are out there. We're just helping people figure out what they want to do with their next step." The mobile unit provides individuals with resume building skills, online job search tips as well as job leads from businesses looking to recruit new employees. Mobile unit operators may also assist individuals looking for educational opportunities. WorkSource DeKalb connects people with programs that will allow them to continue their education or receive certifications. According to Dates, finances required for these educational opportunities are covered through federal grants."Essentially, this is money that we're giving back to them for their education," said Dates. Youth are also a focus group for the mobile unit. The Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act Youth Employment and Training Program focuses on individuals ages 14-24 specifically."We're basically able to give them some sort of direction with their next steps," Dates said. This program provides low- income youth who encounter obstacles in their education and employment with a range of services such as academic tutoring, internships and life and soft skills workshops. SEE WORK ON PAGE 5

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The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current, January 18, 2018, Image 1