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The champion newspaper.
February 29, 2024
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The champion newspaper., February 29, 2024, Image 1
About The champion newspaper. (Decatur, GA) 19??-current | View Entire Issue (Feb. 29, 2024)
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Newspaper Page Text
lAjb* Mb Social ^ (cDDEKALBCHAMPNEWS
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 29 - MARCH 6, 2024 www.THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.com VOL. 34 • NO. 35
e CHAMPION
50£
The official legal organ of DeKalb County, Ga.
"64116 0D0U1
LOCAL
Millions to be
invested in local
parks
DeKalb's Black history
recalled at annual program
PAGE 3
LOCAL
Stonecrest teen
recognized
for designing
financial literacy
teaching tools
PAGE 7
SPORTS
Skip Mason tells those attending DeKalb History Center’s Black History
Month program how he gathered material for his book on Black history
in DeKalb County. Photo by Kathy Mitchell
BY KATHY MITCHELL
FREELANCE REPORTER
At DeKalb History Center's 16th annual Black History
celebration Feb. 22, the principal speaker, Herman
"Skip" Mason Jr., said that when he came to the center
approximately 28 years ago looking for material on the
roles Black residents played in DeKalb County's history, he
was disappointed to find only a couple of folders.
"I had been approached to write a book on DeKalb
County's Black history for Arcadia Publishing. When the
publishing company came to the area looking for someone
to write the book, Carolyn and Earl Glenn, publishers of
The Champion Newspaper, recommended me. I ended up
contacting longtime residents who pulled out boxes and
trunks of old photos and papers. One woman showed me
a photo and asked, 'Do you know what this is?' I said, 'It
looks like a cow pasture.' She said, 'It was. It's now South
SEE BHM ON PAGE 7
Several teams
playing for
Final Four
appearances
PAGE 11
LIFESTYLE
African Textile
Museum opens
in Stonecrest
church
PAGE 15
Countywide
video
surveillance
ordinance
amended
BY CHRISTINE FONVILLE
CHRISTINE@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
A n ordinance that was passed in 2022
requiring gas stations, convenience
stores and other "high-risk" businesses
in DeKalb County to operate a 24-hour video
surveillance system recently received changes
and updates.
According to DeKalb County
Commissioner Lorraine Cochran Johnson,
"minor updates" needed to be made to the
Video Surveillance System (VSS) ordinance,
which regulates details such as video footage
quality, storage and lighting at gas stations
and convenience stores.
SEE VIDEO ON PAGE 6
THECHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM
Ayla Evans (middle right) won DCSD’s first-ever gold medal in girls’ wrestling to cap
off her undefeated season. Photo provided by Keith Johnson
Southwest DeKalb wrestling
program makes history
BY JAY PHILLIPS
JAY@DEKALBCHAMP.COM
Southwest DeKalb High
School senior Ayla Evans won
DeKalb County School District's
(DCSD) first-ever gold medal
in the Georgia High School
Association's (GHSA) Girls'
Traditional State Wrestling
Championships on Feb. 15-17 in
Macon, while Southwest DeKalb
senior Isaiah Scott repeated as
the 215-class state champion on
the boys' side.
It was Evans' first trip to
the state title meet since 2021,
but she guaranteed herself a
spot in Macon with a perfect
record through the regular
SEE WRESTLING ON PAGE 12