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CHAMPION ist Place General Excellence award Winner Georgia Press Association ‘Better Newspaper Contest’ 2007, 2009-2017 SECTION A: VOL. 27 NO. 41 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, APRIL 12-18,2018 THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM | f * B DEKALBCHAMPNEWS ^^^LIFESTYLE FEATURE:move overbeer: spirits are being handcrafted in decatur 6B FOR THE LATEST UPDATES VISIT US AT THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM FIGHT AGAINST BLIGHT CONTINUES PAGE 2A King honored at Stone Mountain Park THURMOND: Consent decree back on track SWDALUM GIVES HISTIME TO ENCOURAGE STUDENTS PAGE7A QUICK FINDER Opinion 6A Education 14A Classified 12A Sports 15-16A '641 16 000 01 CEO Michael Thurmond acknowledged that people of all races and religions gathered to celebrate Dr. King in “the shadow of a mountain that once stood for racial hatred and bigotry.” BY CARLA PARKER carla@dekalbchamp.com With a Confederate monument behind them, DeKalb County, state and nationally-elected officials acknowledged the changes society has made since Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination 50 years ago, and how much more work needs to be done. The Martin Luther King, Jr. Advisory Council hosted the 50th anniversary commemoration of King's death at Memorial Hall in Stone Mountain Park April 4.The venue features a clear view of the carving of three Confederate leaders of the Civil War: President Jefferson Davis and generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas J. "Stonewall" Jackson and their favorite horses, "Blackjack,""Traveller" and "Little Sorrel." "On this day, on this observance, we who are Black, we who are White, SEE HONORED ON PAGE 11 DeKalb County Commissioner Larry Johnson, left, and State Rep. Billy Mitchell ring bells in honor of Dr. King. Congressman Hank Johnson speaks during the 50th anniversary commemoration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s assassination. BY HORACE HOLLOMAN horace@dekalbchamp.com During his state-of-the-county address, DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond assured residents and officials that improving the county's sewer system is a "top priority." "I am proud to report that the county has gotten our consent decree programs back on track,"Thurmond said. "We have $78 million already contracted in work that will improve our sewer system over the next two years." In 2018 county officials dealt with several major sewer spills, a 48-inch water main break and the South River Watershed Alliance (SRWA) requesting the Environmental Protection Agency investigate violations of DeKalb County's federal consent decree. The SRWA letter, written by SRWA president Jacqueline Echols, accuses DeKalb County officials of five violations of the consent decree, including failure to develop a systemwide hydraulic model— which determines the system capacity under dry weather and wet weather conditions—not having an approved capacity assurance program and capacity certifications not signed by a certified engineer. The letter also alleges the county's sewer assessment and rehabilitation program SEE DECREE ON PAGE 11