About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 22, 2024)
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
