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THE TRUTH SINCE 1886
FAYETTE COUNTY (1) NEWS
f ay ett e-news, net
Vol. 151, No. 38 Wednesday, September 20, 2023 $1.
Ohio Murder Suspect Shot by Fayette Man
Defending Family During Home Invasion
The following story is re
printed from a FOX 5 Atlanta
Digital Team report which ap
peared online Friday, Sept. 15:
FAYETTE COUNTY - An
Ohio man, who is accused of
stabbing to death a 77-year-old
woman, was shot by a man de
fending his family during a
home invasion last Thursday,
according to the Fayette County
Sheriffs Office.
Michael James Brooks II, 28,
of Columbus, Ohio, was recover
ing in an area hospital on Fri
day. Once released, he will face
home invasion, burglary, and
theft by receiving in Georgia,
and murder charges in Ohio.
Investigators say Brooks has
an extensive criminal history.
Just before 2 a.m. Thursday,
Fayette County 911 received a
call from a resident in north
Fayette County about a possible
intruder in his house. At the
same time, they also received a
notice from the alarm company
for that residence.
Deputies were just a couple
of minutes away. They say the
homeowner armed himself with
a gun and confronted the in
truder in the basement. Investi
gators say the intruder
was armed with a knife.
Deputies say the
homeowner warned the
intruder before shoot
ing him. Investigators
say the homeowner
then left the basement
and took up a position
to protect his family on
the second floor at the
staircase.
"There, he took his
stand as the subject made his
way up to the second floor. [He]
made the comment, something
to the effect of, ‘You’re going to
have to kill me.’
When the res
ident fired a sec
ond shot. That
was about the
time the deputies
got there. From
what we can tell,
he was coming
down the stair
way with a second
gunshot wound,"
said Fayette
County Sheriff Barry Babb. "At
that point, they actually still
See Suspect Shot, A5
Michael James
Brooks II
Local first responders and participants gather at the top of Stone Mountain.
Fayette Remembers 9/11 with Tributes Across County
First Responders Climb Stone Mountain
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
Sept. 11, 2001, was the mo
ment Americans stood still as
the Twin Towers were impacted
by terroristic attacks.
The days that followed were
not only filled with mourning
those lost, but also with an in
crease in patriotism and pride in
America’s resilience and cama
raderie to defend and protect its
citizens.
Twenty-two years later, Fay
ette County first responders and
citizens alike continue to pay
homage to the brave souls lost
on that day and fighting for the
country because of the attack on
the Twin Towers.
Eight years ago on Sept. 11,
four Fayetteville firefighters
quietly climbed Stone Mountain
in full turnout gear as a personal
tribute to counterparts who
risked their lives and died on
Sept, li, 2001. Each year since,
they have been joined by more
climbers.
Last week, they were joined
by personnel from the Fay
etteville Fire Department, Fay
etteville Police Department,
Fayette County Sheriff s Office,
and Fayette County Department
of Fire and Emergency Services.
Other agencies across the state
also participated, according to
Fayetteville officials.
Various groups and city offi
cials throughout the county also
commemorated in multiple
ways.
Peachtree City Police De
partment and Fire Department,
along with city staff, came to
gether for its 9/11 Memorial
Walk around Lake Peachtree.
Several of the city’s first re
sponders dressed in full gear
and walked around the lake in
honor of the heroic actions of
men and women who died in the
line of duty on 9/11.
In the town of Tyrone, a time
of recognition and honor took
place at Sandy Creek High
School, as members of the first
responders were honored for
their service, while remember
ing those who were lost in the
tragic events in 2001.
In the City of Fayetteville,
American Legion Post 105 held
a “Flag Wave” to remember the
lives that were lost and honor
the men and women who serve
and protect within the com
munity. Members of Fayetteville
city staff and council joined the
group as they lined the street to
wave American flags from 8:46
a.m. to 10:03 a.m., the time of
the attacks.
Wil lames Candidate
for Tyrone Council Post 1
Wil James is a dedicated
man that has been an advo
cate for not only his family,
as a father of seven chil
dren, but also for the cities
of Atlanta and Tyrone for
more than 20 years. His
committed passion for
growth and implementa
tion has been remarkable
throughout his time, ac
cording to his announcement.
James was born on the northeastern coast of Cen
tral America in Belize on Feb. 13,1961. Later, James
See lames, A5
Jessica Whelan Candidate
for Tyrone Council Post 1
Jessica Whelan is a 14-
year resident of Tyrone, is
Christian, a wife, mother,
grandmother, former credit
union IS manager, and cur
rent office manager of her
husband’s successful res
idential remodeling com
pany, according to Whelan.
Earlier this year, Whe
lan was made aware that
Linda Howard had decided not to run again for Ty
rone Council Post 1. Realizing the adage of “all pol
itics is local” is more relevant than ever, she says she
See Whelan, A5
Wil James
CLARIFICATION:
In the story, “Leadership
Fayette: The New Class,” printed
in the Aug. 23 edition of Fayette
County News, participant Mi
chelle Bennett-Copeland was in
advertently omitted from
Fayette Chamber’s submitted list
of participants.
FCN regrets the omission
and any inconvenience or con
fusion it may have caused our
readers.
County Sets
Millage Rate
Phillips Lake Property Acquired
for $690K to Repair Two Dams
Luke Haney
Editor
lhaney@upsonbeacon.com
Following its third public hearing on
Sept. 14, the Fayette County Commission
approved a 7.814 millage rate with no
rollback, a rate that includes a general
fund millage rate of 4.034 mills, fire serv
ices rate of 3.070 mills, emergency medi
cal services rate of 0.500 mills, and 911
services rate of 0.210 mills.
Chief Financial Officer Sheryl Wein-
mann began the presentation by breaking
down the $9,394,779,107 2023 net tax di
gest, which is $1,027,138,985 (12.28 per
cent) higher than 2022 based on digest
See Millage, A5
BOE to Overhaul
Mission & Vision
Statements
Leah Banks
Investigative Reporter
leah@fayette-news.net
On Sept. 11, the Fayette County Board
of Education held a work session to dis
cuss various topics, including possible re
visions to its mission and vision
statements, as well as current enrollment
trends in the school system.
Public Information Officer Melinda
Berry-Dreisbach noted the importance of
revisiting and revising mission and vision
statements for the system. She empha
sized that it was time for the board to not
only revise these statements, but also to
ensure that those who work in the system
See BOE, A5
Mildred Fitzgerald
Miss Mildred:
Grande Dame
of Azalea Estates
Celebrating 106 Years of Life
Submitted by Gail Noren,
Azalea Estates
When I suggested writing a profile on
my father, he said, “Do Miss Mildred
next. She is 105. How much longer can
she hang on?” So, I strolled down to her
room, knocked, and was invited in. Mild
red was beautifully coiffed, tastefully
made-up, and impeccably dressed.
Encountering her perfect presentation
for the first time, one might assume she
is expecting company (such as visiting
See Miss Mildred, A5
INSIDE: FAYETTE VIEWS
A4 SPORTS
A6 LEGALS
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