Newspaper Page Text
- HAPPY NEW YEAR 2020 - FROM THE CHAMPION NEWSPAPER
DEC. 26, 2019 - JAN. 1, 2020
VOL. 29 • NO. 26
The CHAMPION
The official legal organ of OeKalb County, GA. Sen/ing East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker, Stonecrest and Stone Mountain. 150 €
Newest Stonecrest council member takes oath of office
Tammy Grimes was sworn in Dec. 17 as the new city of Stonecrest District 5 council member. She is filling the remaining
term of former District 5 representative Diane Adoma, who resigned to run for the mayor’s seat. Grimes secured the
seat after a runoff election Dec. 3 during which she received nearly 54 percent of the votes. (Photo provided by city of
Stonecrest).
Jane Bour’s door. Photo by Jay Phillips
Elder Elves decorate Mansions
BY JAY PHILLIPS
Jay@dekalbchamp.com
The Christmas
decorations are
unmistakable when walking
into the Mansions at
Decatur on Lawrenceville
Highway. Outside facing
doors are decorated with
snowmen and a North
Pole-like light pole that
give a holiday-feeling
before walking through the
Mansions at Decatur’s front
doors.
SEE ELVES ON PAGE 6
Georgia legislators to revisit new DeKalb County ethics laws
BY ASIA ASHLEY
Asia@dekalbchamp.com
After 61 percent of DeKalb County
voters rejected Senate Bill 7 Nov. 5, the
county’s legislative delegation plans to
appoint a task force to address the county’
embattled ethics laws. SB 7 proposed
changes to DeKalb County’s ethics law that
include how board members are appointed
and how complaints are filed.
“When this legislation was voted down,
the only thing it did is require it to take a
lot longer, at least another year, before we
can get something else on the ballot again
that citizens are going to support,” said SB
7 sponsor Ga. Sen. Emanuel Jones, D-
Decatur. “We have to just keep trying until
we get something.”
While only 11 percent of the county’s
514,368 registered voters cast ballots on
the referendum, Jones said he hopes for a
majority of voters’ support of a new bill that
is to be created next year by the task force he
plans to appoint with assistance from Rep.
Karla Drenner, D-Avondale Estates.
“The Joint Senate and House DeKalb
County delegation will appoint a taskforce
whose goal will be to gather information
and provide recommendations on legislation
to be introduced in the 2020 Legislative
Session,” Jones said in a Nov. 7 press
release. “I am committed to working with
the co-chair of the Joint Senate and House
DeKalb County delegation, [Drenner],
SEE LAWS ON PAGE 6
The Georgia General Assembly is expected to take on a reform to DeKalb County’s
ethics laws in the upcoming legislative session. Sixty-one percent of DeKalb County
voters rejected a proposed ethics law reform bill, Senate Bill 7, on Nov. 5.
County leaders put a halt to
new dollar stores
PAGE 3
Community leaders provide educational support
on 10th annual mission trip to Hopewell, Jamaica PAGE10
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