Douglas County Sentinel

07/27/2024

Vice Chair and District 4 Commissioner Mark Alcarez will host a community meeting Saturday.

Friendly reminder!

Vice Chair and District 4 Commissioner, Mark Alcarez, will be hosting a Community Meeting tomorrow, July 27th, at Ephesus Baptist Church, beginning at 10am.
Hear from Commissioner Alcarez and his panel as they discuss current projects and the future of District 4. See you tomorrow!

07/26/2024

Approvals of plans for apartments and townhouses are on hold under a moratorium approved by Douglas County officials Tuesday.

The Douglas County Commission unanimously passed a resolution creating the hold on new applications for high-density residential developments. The 90-day moratorium also applies to proposed subdivisions with more than 30 homes.

Planning and Zoning Manager Allison Duncan said the moratorium would give time for discussions between the commission, planning and zoning staff, public safety departments and the school system. New developments affect those groups the most.

“We feel there is a need for a larger discussion,” she said at the commission’s Monday work session. “When we see the board consistently making decisions in a direction, we take that as our direction.”

Approvals of plans for apartments and townhouses are on hold under a moratorium approved by Douglas County officials Tuesday.

07/26/2024

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies smoked out a Decatur man Monday who was wanted for breaking into four Dollar General stores stealing menthol ci******es and to***co wraps.
Deon La’Trell Bradley, 31, faces charges of burglary, criminal attempt to commit a felony and criminal damage to property. He was arrested Monday after a search and remained in jail Friday.
According to arrest warrants, Bradley threw large rocks through the glass front doors of the stores on Devonian Drive in Villa Rica and Sweetwater Road in Lithia Springs between 2 and 8 a.m. on July 2. He then struck stores on Bill Arp Road and Cedar Road, both in Douglasville, on July 2 between 1:30 and 3:45 a.m.

Douglas County sheriff’s deputies smoked out a Decatur man Monday who was wanted for breaking into four Dollar General stores stealing menthol ci******es and to***co wraps.

07/25/2024

The attorney for former Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson has filed a motion to have charges from her June arrest in Fulton County dismissed.
Peterson was arrested following a fight outside a Buckhead night club on June 20, and charged with felony obstruction and simple battery for allegedly punching an Atlanta Police officer.
The motion states that “there is no evidence that Officer Wadsworth was actively conducting an investigation.”

Body cam video from that night shows a man holding a woman as Wadsworth approached the scene.

The attorney for former Douglas County Probate Judge Christina Peterson has filed a motion to have charges from her June arrest in Fulton County dismissed.

07/25/2024

Cubans live for music.
In a culture swaying with song and dance, people savor the art much like a fine cigar or a dark, mysterious rum. Heartbeats keep time with son, salsa and Cubano rhythms as nights are rhumbaed away. Imagine being invited to perform with the country’s top national choir and symphony. The Sweetwater Singers can tell you how that feels.

Cubans live for music.

07/25/2024

A Douglasville father faces charges after his 4-year-old son found the man’s gun and shot both of them back in March.
Gabriel Kelvin Gil, 27, was arrested Monday and charged with reckless conduct and cruelty to children. He has been released on a $10,000 bond.
According to arrest warrants, Gil left his loaded Smith & Wesson M&P handgun on a nightstand by his bed at around 6 p.m. on March 23. The child, who was playing on the bed, found the weapon.

A Douglasville father faces charges after his 4-year-old son found the man’s gun and shot both of them back in March.

07/22/2024

Douglas County officials may call a time-out on apartments and townhomes to study the strain those developments put on county resources.
In a work session Monday morning, county commissioners tentatively approved a proposed 90-day moratorium on plan approvals for those developments and subdivisions of more than 30 homes. The commission will vote on the matter during its regular meeting Tuesday.
“I think it’s time that our county to take a pause, step back and take a look at this,” District 4 Commissioner Mark Alcarez said. “I want to build a good, healthy, sustainable community.”
Alcarez initiated the moratorium.

Douglas County officials may call a time-out on apartments and townhomes to study the strain those developments put on city resources.

07/22/2024

Great work Douglas County Fire/EMS Department

07/22/2024

The City of Douglasville has announced its Fall Concert Series that is hosted at the GreyStone Amphitheater at the Douglasville Town Green. The series will kickoff Aug. 24 with Grammy-award winning artist Brian McKnight. Tickets for this concert will go live at 10 a.m. July 26.
On Sept. 14, singer-songwriter Marc Cohn will perform. Tickets go live on Aug. 9 at 10 a.m.
The final show will be Grammy-nominated Country Artist Blanco Brown on Oct. 5. Tickets go live on August 23 at 10 a.m.

07/20/2024

The developer behind a $1.2 billion data center being built in Douglasville announced plans this week to expand the project with a second center valued at $800 million.
The Douglasville City Council unanimously approved a resolution Monday providing $98 million in tax incentives for the development over 11 years. Those incentives apply only to the building and the property it sits on.
Taxes on computer servers used by the facility are expected to total $37 million annually for Douglasville, Douglas County and the Douglas County Schools. The data centers are expected to bring 25 jobs with salaries around $130,000 a year.

“You’re basically incentivizing the real estate investment to encourage personal property investments,” Chris Pumphrey, president of Elevate Douglas, told the council.

The developer behind a $1.2 billion data center being built in Douglasville announced plans this week to expand the project with a second center valued at $800 million.

07/20/2024

During a special camp this week, incoming Douglas County kindergartners got a taste of what they can expect in a typical school day.
Kindergarten camp took place this week at several county elementary schools as the first-year students participated in activities and got familiar with their new school buildings.
The four-day camp ran Monday through Thursday with half-day attendance. It was a sneak peek into the upcoming school year that begins on Aug. 1.

The camp was free to students registered in the Douglas County School System.

During a special camp this week, incoming Douglas County kindergartners got a taste of what they can expect in a typical school day.

07/20/2024

A Douglasville man remained in jail without bond Friday after he strangled a woman and fired multiple gunshots during an argument Monday.
Leroy Gerald Brown, III, 35, faces charges of aggravated assault by strangulation, battery, kidnapping, false imprisonment, felony terroristic acts and threats and reckless conduct. He was arrested Thursday morning.

A Douglasville man remained in jail without bond Friday after he strangled a woman and fired multiple gunshots during an argument Monday.

07/20/2024

The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville and Douglas County received a recent boost in through three grants totaling just more than $22,000.
The Georgia Council for the Arts (GAC) provided two of the awards — a $7,050 arts education grant and a $3,000 bridge grant. Enterprise Mobility presented the third grant of $12,240.
The bridge and Enterprise Mobility contributions will be used for operating costs, including salaries, utility costs and other regular expenses. The education grant will support the council’s ARTSventures program.

The Cultural Arts Council of Douglasville and Douglas County received a recent boost in through three grants totaling just more than $22,000.

07/20/2024

The Douglas County Georgia Schools Back to School Kickoff is today.

07/19/2024

The Bible says Jesus was a carpenter.
It seems fitting that a group of 75 or so teens spent much of this week under a sweltering Georgia sky building ramps and porches, sealing roofs, cleaning gutters and completing other tasks for Douglas County residents.
Peggy Miller thought he saw angels as part of the group installed a new wheelchair ramp at her home on Forestdale Lane.

“Teenagers doing the work of Jesus, being the hands and feet — it’s just been amazing,” said her daughter Beth Ferrer.

The Bible says Jesus was a carpenter.

07/19/2024

Throwing things away just got more expensive in the City of Douglasville.
The Douglasville City Council approved rate increases Monday for commercial and residential customers Monday with an effective date of Sept. 1. Most homes will see an increase of $2.03 in their monthly bills as the cost of using one 90-gallon cart rises from $22.50 to $24.53.
“That is overwhelmingly the use of most of our citizens,” said Public Works Director Greg Roberts.

Residential costs are going up by 9% across the board, while commercial rates are increasing by 20%. The city is passing along a cost increase from solid waste vendor GFL Environmental, Roberts said.

Throwing things away just got more expensive in the City of Douglasville.

07/17/2024

The Douglas County Georgia Schools Back To School Kickoff is Saturday.

07/16/2024

Tanna Harris, lives by her own personal mission statement — Saving lives and saving lines at the same time.

The EMT-turned-barber has seen her share of people through difficult and frightening times. Some have suffered head injuries, while others have fallen victim to bad haircuts.

While the two professions may seem worlds apart, Harris says they both come down to one thing — helping others.

Tanna Harris, lives by her own personal mission statement — Saving lives and saving lines at the same time.

07/16/2024

Roads in Douglas County desperately need help.

The question is whether people are willing to pay a little extra to get the work done sooner.

County officials plan a series of meetings in coming weeks to gather public input on a proposed one-cent Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST). The Douglas County Commission recently approved a resolution that would put the matter before voters in the November presidential election.

“This is a chance for voters, and not officials, to decide whether they want a TSPLOST,” Commission Chair Phil Miller said.

Roads in Douglas County desperately need help.

07/16/2024

Joy Ponder Bates is being remembered as a leader and servant of the Douglas County community for her work as a child advocate.
Bates died Friday after an automobile accident while traveling to the airport to attend the NAACP convention in Las Vegas.
Bates was president of the West-Metro Branch of the NAACP and a child advocate through her work with the county’s juvenile courts and CASA program.
“Joy Ponder Bates, was a true pillar of our West Georgia community,” Douglas County District 2 Commissioner Whitney Kenner Jones said.

Joy Ponder Bates is being remembered as a leader and servant of the Douglas County community for her work as a child advocate.

07/16/2024

A Southwest Atlanta man was denied bond Monday afternoon in connection with a strangulation murder at a Douglasville hotel.
Brian Mathis, 32, of Atlanta has been charged with murder while in the commission of a felony and aggravated assault-strangulation for the death of 51-year-old Nathaniel Morgan.
The incident happened at the Intown Suites at 5820 Plaza Parkway in Douglasville.
According to an arrest warrant, Mathis applied pressure to Morgan’s throat early Sunday morning, which caused strangulation.

A Southwest Atlanta man was denied bond Monday afternoon in connection with a strangulation murder at a Douglasville hotel.

07/12/2024

Semi drivers may have to change how they keep on truckin’ in Douglas County as officials develop a master plan to manage freight traffic in the city.

The Douglas County Commission approved a $50,000 match for an Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) grant to cover the study’s cost. The federal Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act provided funds for the $200,000 award.

“The plan is to study the current truck ordinance, truck parking issues and better manage truck routes throughout the county,” said Suleman Rana, the county’s managing director of planning and development. “We are projecting to study the county as a whole and then target specific areas that require cluster management.”

Semi drivers may have to change how they keep on truckin’ in Douglas County as officials develop a master plan to manage freight traffic in the city.

07/11/2024

A South Carolina man and former Douglas County resident faces 30 different charges, including racketeering, for a string of burglaries in Douglas County three years ago.
Shaun Dee Pruitt, 42, was arrested July 5, and remains in the Douglas County Jail without bond.
Douglas County Sheriff’s Office investigators have charged Pruitt with various counts of burglary, smash and grab burglary, criminal attempt to commit burglary, entering an auto, criminal attempt to enter an auto, conspiracy to commit burglary, criminal damage to property, possession of tools for the commission of a crime, criminal trespass and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

A South Carolina man and former Douglas County resident faces 30 different charges, including racketeering, for a string of burglaries in Douglas County three years ago.

07/10/2024

Douglas County’s population surged over the last year, nearly doubling the 2023 increase and placing fourth among metro counties in growth.

Figures released Wednesday by the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) show the county’s population at 153,097, up 1.6 percent from 150,697 reported in 2023. Last year’s increase was less than 1 percent. Figures for the annual report are collected each April.

Of the 11 metro area counties, only Henry, Cherokee and Forsyth posted greater population increases in 2024.

“I’m glad to see people are seeing what Douglas County has to offer and they’re choosing to come here,” said Douglas County Commission Chairman Phil Miller. “As the population grows, the higher-end restaurants and stores people want to see will come.”

Douglas County’s population surged over the last year, nearly doubling the 2023 increase and placing fourth among metro counties in growth.

07/10/2024

A $5-million renovation of the Douglas County Public Library is another step closer after county officials chose a contractor Tuesday to manage the project.

The reputation of well-known Atlanta firm Batson Cook Construction made it a unanimous choice for the committee reviewing the four bids received, according to Library Director Lindy Moore. Architects McMillan Pazden Smith will create plans for the upgrade.

“Between the two of them, they have extensive library experience,” Moore said. “Cobb, Fulton, Gwinnett – they’ve all had libraries built by these contractors.”

The renovation – the first since the library on Selman Drive opened in 1985 – will be full-scale.

A $5-million renovation of the Douglas County Public Library is another step closer after county officials chose a contractor Tuesday to manage the project.

07/10/2024

In Douglas County, there isn’t something in the water.
The Douglasville-Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority’s (WSA) recently released 2024 Consumer Confidence Report proudly proclaims the authority has not recorded a water quality violation in the nearly 40 years it has operated. It’s a streak Gil Shearouse, executive director of the Douglas County Water and Sewer Authority, is proud of.
“That is relatively unheard of in any industry and certainly in the drinking water industry,” Shearouse said. “A lot of hard work goes into delivering that quality of water to our customers.”
The U.S. Safe Drinking Water Act of 1974 requires water departments across the country to publish consumer confidence reports to share certain details with the public. The WSA goes well above standard information, which Shearouse says makes up only 25% or so of Douglas County’s reports. The authority includes the rest voluntarily.

In Douglas County, there isn’t something in the water.

07/10/2024

A Riverdale man has been arrested for threatening another person with a gun at a smoke shop in Douglasville last month.
Qualan Jacolby McGill, 22, faces charges of aggravated assault and terroristic threats and acts.
According to Douglas County Sheriff’s Office arrest warrants, McGill was at Mr. D’s Smoke Shop at 2818 Fairburn Road when he pulled a gun on another man. The incident happened between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on June 24.

A Riverdale man has been arrested for threatening another person with a gun at a smoke shop in Douglasville last month.

07/04/2024

It was a great turnout for the annual city of City of Douglasville - Government Fourth of July Parade. Douglas County High School Head Football Coach Johnny White served as the Grand Marshal for the parade. Here are a few photos from the parade. Have a safe and happy Fourth of July.

07/04/2024

The 2024 Douglasville Fourth of July Parade & Celebration happening at 10 a.m. on Church Street in downtown Douglasville.
The parade route will go from Church Street and Fairburn Road to the Douglasville Town Green.
Immediately after the parade, stick around the Town Green for a brief ceremony featuring the 2024 Grand Marshal Coach Johnny White of Douglas County High School and a special performance by 2023 Georgia Teen Artist of the Year, Johnathon Heilbroun Music. After the ceremony, enjoy food trucks, bounce houses, a gaming truck, and more until 2 p.m.
Fireworks can be viewed from Arbor Place Mall and surrounding areas.

Johnny White knows football. His record shows it. In the span of nine years, he has taken the Douglas County High School Tigers from unranked to five-straight state playoff appearances.

07/04/2024

The owner of a local fireworks stand has some incendiary words for whoever stole about $6,000 worth of inventory from his business that supports veteran causes.
“They don’t care about independence,” said Paul Thompson, owner of Big Grin Fireworks on Dallas Highway and a nine-year U.S. Navy vet. “They don’t care about freedom.”
Video camera footage from a nearby business shows a pickup truck backing up to the fireworks stand on Dallas Highway in the early morning hours Saturday. The thieves switch off the truck’s lights to lessen their chances of getting caught.

The owner of a local fireworks stand has some incendiary words for whoever stole about $6,000 worth of inventory from his business that supports veteran causes.