The Official Legal Organ ofDeKalb County, GA. Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dun woody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain.
THURSDAY, JAN.31 - FEB. 6,2019
www.THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.com
DeKalb to invest $105 million
in sewer maintenance
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
Before purchasing a home
in the 100 block of Hood Circle
in Decatur in 2017, Mette
Sorensen said, county officials
told her the property had had
issues with sewer spills.
Almost a year after moving
into her new home, more than
20,000 gallons of sewage spills
were reported at Sorensen’s
residence Nov. 12 and Nov. 15,
according to sewer spill reports
released by DeKalb County.
“It was very frustrating,”
Sorensen said.
DeKalb County officials
submitted documentation to
The Champion outlining the
scope of three major sewer
improvement projects planned
for 2019 and beyond. Sorensen’s
residence, along with 40 other
areas and properties, are part of
a $ 105-million investment to
address sewer maintenance and
repair issues.
Sorensen said county
workers have checked the sewer
levels at her home often since
the November spills.
“It is great news that things
are moving forward,” Sorensen
said. “It seems like they are
actually putting in the work
to find a permanent solution. I
feel a lot better now than I did
when [the sewer spills] first
happened.”
Project No. 1 will focus
on high-priority areas with
more than 40 previous sewer
overflows, including Sorensen’s
address. Addressing the high-
priority areas by increasing
system capacity will cost
approximately $28.2 million for
improvements.
Other properties considered
“high-priority” areas are
4367 Buford Highway, 2692
SEE SEWER ON PAGE 5
DeKalb County officials said they plan to spend $105 million on sewer maintenance
upgrades to prevent future sewer spills.
Shootings in south DeKalb worry residents
BY HORACE HOLLOMAN
horace@dekalbchamp.com
In less than two months, DeKalb
County police officers and an off-duty
Clarkston Police officer have been
involved in shootings.
In three separate incidents between
Dec. 13, 2018 to Jan. 22, officers have
shot and wounded suspects in south
DeKalb.
The most recent officer-involved
shooting occurred at 2450 Candler Road
on Jan. 22 at a Chevron gas station.
According to police reports, DeKalb
officers stopped a car occupied by
Destiny Dowdell, Dieja Bethea and an
unnamed male suspect who fled on foot.
Officers said while the suspect
was fleeing, an officer noticed him
“attempting to hold an unknown object
within his pants.”
According to DeKalb police, the
suspect fired at officers and officers
returned fire, striking the man several
times. The suspect, who has not been
identified by police, was taken to a local
hospital in critical condition. Bethea
and Dowdell were taken into custody.
Bethea had an outstanding warrant for
violating probation on a shoplifting
charge.
On Dec. 13, DeKalb County Police
officer Edgar Flores, 24, was shot and
killed during a traffic stop on Candler
Road. The suspect was shot and killed
by pursuing officers. Flores, an officer
of the south precinct, received an officer
of the year award for the south precinct.
Longtime community activist Joel
Edwards said he has been in contact
with county public safety and DeKalb
County government officials to bring
positive changes in the community.
“It’s just unfortunate that these
incidents have happened,” Edwards
said. “We’re trying to get things done
in south and east DeKalb...right now
our major concern is crime. With crime,
we won’t be able to attract economic
development.”
SEE SHOOTINGS ON PAGE 5
Flores
QUICK FINDER
Opinion 5
Week in Pictures 9
Education 12
Sports 14-15
FURLOUGHED
EMPLOYEES
OFFERED
ASSISTANCE
PAGE 8
COMMERCIAL GHOST
TOWN RETURNS
TO LIFE WITH AN
INTERNATIONAL FLAIR
PAGE12
o DEKALBCHAMPNEWS O DEKALBCHAMPNEWS 0DEKALBCHAMPNEWS
