Newspaper Page Text
lAjb* Mb Social ^ (cDDEKALBCHAMPNEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 22 - 28, 2024 www.THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.com VOL. 34 • NO. 34
e CHAMPION
50£
The official legal organ of DeKalb County, Ga.
"64116 0D0U1
LOCAL
Fight to remove
Confederate
image from
Stone Mountain
continues
PAGE 3
LOCAL
Author
discusses book
about her
Black family in
Appalachia
PAGE 7
SPORTS
Towers
student wins
esports state
championship
PAGE 11
LIFESTYLE
Trial begins for suspected cult leader
Eligio Bishop is being held in DeKalb
County Jail without bond due to
charges stemming from his time as a
suspected cult leader. File photo
BY JAY PHILLIPS
JAY@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry
Boston's office announced that the trial
began on Feb. 20 for an alleged cult leader
who was arrested in 2022.
Superior Court Judge Stacey Hydrick
scheduled the case to begin with a
motions hearing and jury selection. The
defendant, Eligio Bishop, was indicted
in July 2023 on charges of rape, false
imprisonment, and three counts of
prohibition on nude or sexually explicit
electronic transmissions.
The charges come after Bishop
allegedly raped one of his followers and
then posted online "revenge porn" of the
victim in March 2022 after she left his cult,
according to a news release from Boston's
office. Bishop was arrested in April 2022.
The news release states that Bishop
has remained without bond in the DeKalb
County Jail.
Bishop's social media accounts,
including aliases such as "3God" and
SEE CULT ON PAGE 6
Advance voting for Presidential Preference Primary kicks off
BY CHRISTINE FONVILLE
CHRISTINE@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
DeKalb County residents interested
in casting a ballot in the presidential
primary election can vote early now
through March 8.
"Advance voting, also called early
voting, is an easy and convenient way
to cast your ballot," stated officials.
"During advance voting, registered
voters can vote at any DeKalb County
advance voting site."
Advance voting dates for the
Presidential Preference Primary are
Monday through Friday (Feb. 19
through March 8), 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.;
Saturday (Feb. 24 and March 2), 9 a.m.
to 6 p.m.; and Sunday Feb. 25 and
March 3, noon to 5 p.m. at:
• Berean Christian Church, 2201 Young
Road, Stone Mountain
• Bessie Branham Recreation Center
2051 Delano Drive NE, Atlanta
• Clarkston Library 951 N. Indian Creek
Drive, Clarkston
• County Line-Ellenwood Library, 4331
River Road, Ellenwood
• DeKalb Voter Registration and
Elections Office, 4380 Memorial
SEE VOTING ON PAGE 6
The DeKalb Voter Registration and Elections
Office in Decatur is one of the advance voting
sites. Photo by Christine Fonville
Plenty to do
in downtown
Denver and
nearby
PAGE 14
Commissioners discuss animal services as
DeKalb County Animal Services is located in Chamblee. Photo
courtesy of LifeLine Animal Project.
BY CHRISTINE FONVILLE
CHRISTINE@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
Officials with LifeLine Animal
Project, the nonprofit in charge
of both DeKalb and Fulton
counties' animal services, have
been vocal on social media about
their struggles with overcrowding
as well as a lack of volunteers,
fosters, and adopters for the
hundreds of dogs and cats in their
care.
"The overwhelming intake
numbers of pets at Life Line's
multiple facilities has led to
THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM
concerns grow
overcrowding and euthanasia,"
said LifeLine officials in October.
"Euthanizing dogs for space is
not a solution our organization
believes in. We're heartsick over
having to make these horrific
decisions. We are pleading for the
community's support to help us
save lives so animals don't have
to continue to die."
Though commissioners and
DeKalb County CEO Michael
Thurmond have acknowledged
that LifeLine has faced numerous
challenges in the last three years,
including multiple breakouts of
SEE LIFELINE ON PAGE 6
