January 2, 2019 — Gwinnett Daily Post

TRUMP CALLS MEETING, 5A

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Gwinnett Daily Post WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

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Vol. 49, No. 1

Two teens killed in double shooting

15-year-old allegedly shot friend by accident, then turned gun on himself

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

An incident involving four teenagers and a gun ended in tragedy Monday afternoon, with two of the boys dying, one by his

own hand.

Gwinnett police responded to Riverlanding Circle in Lawrenceville around 3:15 p.m. after receiving a 911 call from one of the teens, saying his friend had just been shot, according to Gwin-

Gwinnett police investigate a shooting on Riverlanding Circle in Lawrenceville on Monday afternoon.

Two teens died. (Staff Photo: Isabel Hughes)

nett County Police Department Officer Ashley Wilson.

The teens who died were identified Tuesday as Chad Carless, 17, and Devin Hodges, 15, both See SHOOTING, Page 6A

Islamic group seeks to build cemetery in east Gwinnett

BY CURT YEOMANS curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com

ally Jan. 8, and that was my grandfather’s birthday, too,” Kenneth Stephens said.

The family spent the last year renovating Kenneth Stephens’ grandparents’ house, which is now the young family’s home.

Friends, as well as Northeast Georgia Medical Center staff, showered the family with gifts Tuesday, including a gift basket with toys and care items and a stuffed giraffe that was about 5 feet tall. The hospital also treated the parents to a “celebration dinner” in which they could choose from menu items such as steak or shrimp.

The fact that a New Year’s Day birth date was becoming more likely for the little boy was not on his mother’s mind when she arrived at the

Gwinnett County planning commissioners will consider a proposal from an Islamic group to use a nearly 9.9-acre piece of land in rural eastern Gwinnett for a cemetery this week.

The Lawrenceville-based Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences Inc. wants to put its new cemetery on Berry Hall Road, near Harbins Road in unincorporated Bethlehem.

The group said its in application for a special use permit that the new cemetery is needed because of space constraints at a cemetery that it already operates on New Hope Road and was approved by the county in 2002.

“Georgia Islamic Institute has diligently operated and maintained the New Hope Road cemetery in compliance with the approval condiAs the cemetions,” tery is nearing Georgia its full capacIslamic ity, the impending Institute scenario has created President an urgent need for Hafiz Abadditional cemetery in dul Ghaffar the area.”

Khan wrote — Hafiz Abdul Ghaffar Khan, in a letter Georgia Islamic Institute to county president officials.

“As the cemetery is nearing its full capacity, the impending scenario has created an urgent need for additional cemetery in the area.”

The Planning Commission is scheduled to take up the request at its business meeting at 7 p.m. today at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center, which is located at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

If the new cemetery is approved, it would be located on part of a 21.16-acre property that the Georgia Islamic Institute already owns, according to county documents. That land is zoned for an agriculture-residential district.

County staff has recommended approval of the cemetery, which documents show would have 7,827 burial lots.

“Cemeteries can be compatible uses in predominantly rural and residential areas provided adequate screening and other site considerations are implemented in the development,” county staff wrote in their report on the proposal.

“With conditions to restrict the hours of activity, provide additional fencing

See BABY, Page 6A

See CEMETERY, Page 6A

Kenneth Stephens and Brandy Mitchell spend time with their newborn son, Andrew Michael Stephens, in their hospital room at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s Braselton campus. The little boy was born at 12:32 a.m. Tuesday, making him the first baby of the year in the immediate Gwinnett area. (Staff Photos: Curt Yeomans)

New Year’s surprise

Flowery Branch family welcomes area’s first baby of ’19

BY CURT YEOMANS

MORE ONLINE

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

Brandy Mitchell has always wanted a baby boy, but it took a few tries to get there.

She had two girls before and there wasn’t exactly a high number of boys among her parents’ roughly six grandchildren. In fact, before Tuesday, there was only one.

So it’s probably no surprise that Mitchell and Kenneth Stephens were over the moon in their room in the Labor Delivery Unit at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s Braselton campus as the Flowery Branch couple spent time with their new son, Andrew Michael Stephens.

The little boy was born at 12:32 a.m., a couple of hours after his mother went into labor Monday night.

“We tried for a boy and God blessed us with a boy, and he came in like a rocket,” Mitchell said.

The newest addition to the

Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for a photo gallery.

Conyers residents Melissa Eddins and Andra Burdett pose for a photo with their new daughter, McKenzee Nature Burdett, in their hospital room at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville on Tuesday.

Stephens family carries a special honor. Not only was he the first baby born this year at Northeast Georgia Medical Center’s Braselton campus, he was actually the first baby of the year in the entire Northeast Georgia Medical Center system, as well as the broader immediate Gwinnett

area.

Andrew Stephens has a deeper significance for his parents though. His first name comes from his paternal great-grandfather, who was close to the tyke’s father and who passed away a few years ago.

“His due date was actu-

“

Gwinnett deputy arrested, accused of giving cellphone to inmate

BY CURT YEOMANS

to a jail inmate, according to media reports.

Daily Post news partner FOX 5 Atlanta reported A Gwinnett County Monday that officials discovsheriff’s deputy was arered during an investigation rested Monday morning that Deputy Natalie Crawafter officials discovered she ford, 48, reportedly gave the allegedly gave her cellphone phone to the inmate. She is curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

Natalie Crawford

also accused of violating state law by reportedly having a loaded firearm inside a secured area of the Gwinnett County Jail,” according to officials.

Crawford is herself now an inmate at the jail, where she is being held without

bond on charges of felony violation of an oath by public officer and felony items prohibited for possession by inmates. Additional charges are expected.

“Sheriff (Butch) Conway has a zero tolerance for any individual who attempts to

provide or deliver any contraband or weapons into the facility,” a spokesperson told FOX 5. “This breach of security and trust would result in immediate arrest and a case for criminal charges would be submitted to the District Attorney’s Office.”

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2A • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

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STRONG-WILLED

Suwanee resident with heart condition to compete on NBC show

BY ISABEL HUGHES

a power lifter who spends much of her time in the gym. But she’s also a contestant on NBC’s newest Nine years ago, now-26- show, “The Titan Games,” year-old Suwanee resident which premieres Thursday Charity Witt was at work evening. when she suffered a heart The show, which is attack. hosted by Dwayne “The “I was living alone in Rock” Johnson, features 64 Canada at (the time) and contestants — 32 men and one day at work, I had a 32 women — who compete heart attack in front of my in “epic head-to-head chalboss,” Witt said. “I came lenges designed to test the to, drove myself to hospimind, body and heart,” the tal, got several tests and show’s website says. scans and it came back that “Dwayne wanted to I had had atrial fibrillation. create a competition series Essentially, the cardiologist that not only showcased wanted to schedule me for someone competing, but pacemaker surgery. At 17, (told) their background that was just a terrifying story,” Witt said. “It began concept.” with over 100 people that Before immediately he narrowed down to the agreeing to surgery, Witt 64 (competitors) on the decided to consult another show. He felt that each cardiologist for a second person as an individual had opinion. a story and (experience) to “He basically told me I offer.” was out of shape and abusBecause Witt’s story ing my body by working didn’t end at the heart at80 hours a week, getting tack or swimming, recruitvery little sleep and just ers thought she was an (generally) abusing my ideal candidate for “The body,” she said. “The heart Titan Games.” is a muscle and it needs to “(Swimming) helped me be (taken care of); it was control my heart because an awakening and it was a it helped me with my turning point for me to quit breathing and expand my my job and become a U.S. lung capacity,” Witt said.

Masters swimmer.”

“It then led me to the gym Now, nearly a decade af- to lift weights so I would ter her heart attack, Witt is have more power off the isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

to share her love of lifting and as a way to promote her business. She has since garnered a following of more than 100,000 users.

It’s also how “The Titan Show” recruiters found her.

“I was reached out to by a recruiter who sent me a direct message on Instagram,” Witt said. “I wasn’t sure if it was valid, so I kind of ignored them for a little bit. They reached out again and I responded and realized it was legitimate and we corresponded and they convinced me to (try out). I guess they’d been looking for strong women and power lifting and my name had popped up.”

After auditioning, Witt made the cut and began filming, where she competed, one-on-one, against the other women.

“As you progress through competition, it gets harder (until there’s) a winner from each (male and female) group,” she said. “That winner receives $100,000.”

While Witt cannot say how far she made it in the Suwanee resident Charity Witt is a competitor on “The competition — those inTitan Games,” a new NBC show hosted by Dwayne “The terested will have to watch the 10-week show — she Rock” Johnson. (Special Photo: Chris Haston/NBC) said it was an “incredible block, and once I started with it.” experience.” power lifting, that was it.

Like many athletes, “It’s nothing like I’ve I fell completely in love Witt turned to Instagram ever experienced before,”

she said. “It’s almost another world and you kind of end up feeling like you’re living in a bubble because time isn’t really a thing and you’re working all through the night.”

Witt, who never ended up undergoing pacemaker surgery and controls her heart arrhythmia through diet and exercise, had to be mindful of her condition while competing.

“It’s been a constant struggle dealing with afib, but it’s become my norm and I’m aware of signs that say I need to take a step back from lifting because my heart is going into afib,” she said. “I think it helped with competing because (my condition) was always in the back of my mind so it allowed me to be focused and remain calm because I was concerned about becoming too excited and (releasing) too much adrenaline. It was an incredible experience, but nothing that I could have done to prepare myself going into it.”

“The Titan Games” premieres at 8 p.m. Thursday on NBC. For more information, visit nbc.com/thetitan-games.

Witt can be found on Instagram at charity_witt or iamcharitystrong.com.

First American building bank in downtown Lawrenceville

BY CURT YEOMANS

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

A new bank is coming to downtown Lawrenceville in a project that is expected to generate 10 new jobs and represent a $3 million

investment.

City officials recently announced on the town’s Facebook page that First American Bank and Trust will build a new branch at the intersection of Culver and Crogan streets. The new branch is expected to be de-

signed to match the existing architecture of buildings on the Lawrenceville Square and will be located on land the bank purchased last year, according to the city.

“This private development project will bring more than $3 million in

capital investment and an initial 10 new jobs to the city when it opens its doors at the end of 2019,” city officials said. “The new building’s design adheres to the city’s downtown architectural standards, blending historic appeal with

progressive vision.”

Gwinnett County property tax records show the bank owns two parcels of land that are located across Crogan Street from Cornerstone Coworking Space. It would be bordered by a city parking lot to the north and

Bullseye Indoor Range and Gun Shop to the east.

Lawrenceville officials said that in addition to the new bank, new “muchneeded” crosswalks will be installed at that intersection to help improve walkability in the downtown area.

Robbery suspect drives car into retention pond in chase, drowns

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

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Gwinnett police are investigating a robbery that led to the suspect’s car being submerged in a Norcross retention pond, killing the man.

Shortly after 6 p.m., a Gwinnett County Police Department officer saw a

car leaving a Lilburn parking lot at a “high rate of speed” while being chased Jaylen by several Purge people on foot, according to Detective David Smith, a spokesman for the depart-

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“Believing a crime had just occurred, the officer began to follow the vehicle and give out information to other responding officers,” Smith said. “When officers began to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle left the roadway, crashing into the wood line and disappeared from view near Steve Reynolds Boulevard and Pavilion Place (in) Norcross.”

Officers were able to find the vehicle, though it had landed in a nearby retention pond upside down and was almost fully submerged, Smith said.

“Officers began making every attempt to access the vehicle,” he said. “(The) Gwinnett County fire department responded to the scene and the sole occupant was removed from the vehicle and transported to a nearby hospital. The occupant did not survive.”

Police said they later learned that the driver of the car — he was identified as 18-year-old Duluth resident Jaylen Purge — had “just committed a strong-arm robbery of the Italian Pie restaurant at 745 Beaver Ruin Road, Lilburn,” Smith said.

Jail records show the teen, who just celebrated his 18th birthday on Christmas Day, had been released from the Gwinnett County Jail on Dec. 26.

He was arrested in November for hit and run, fleeing and attempting to elude law enforcement, felony theft by conversion and several other charges.

The Gwinnett County Police Department’s Accident Investigation Unit is investigating the wreck.

The robbery investigation is also still active and further details are “still being gathered,” Smith said.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 • 3A

gwinnettdailypost.com PAID ADVERTISEMENT

Trump Legalizes Controversial Pain Remedy CBD is now legal for all adults on America, but does it work?

by Chris Peterson, Special Health Investigator, Healthline News

M

illions of pain sufferers are ecstatic after President Trump signed a bill making a controversial cannabis-based pain treatment legal at the federal level.

Now with the passage and signing of the 2018 Farm Bill, a wide range of CBD and hemp-based treatments are now legal for Americans.

And Americans are clamoring for these treatments by the millions.

One company in particular, Prosper CBD™, is trying to educate consumers so they can make an informed decision on whether CBD is the right choice for their needs.

Why CBD Is So Effective To understand why this revolutionary remedy is so in demand, it’s important to understand how CBD affects the body.

Every human has an endocannabinoid system in their body the day they are born.

Scientists refer to this system as ‘EC’.

This EC system helps your body naturally stay in balance, relieve pain, regulate sleep, and even governs mood.

But as we age the EC system begins to break down.

That’s one reason why so many people struggle with sleep, pain, and mental issues as they age.

One way to restart this naturally occurring process is to introduce phytocannabinoids, which are present in certain CBD products.

Phytocannabinoids can in fact be more powerful than the body’s naturally occurring endocannabinoids.

Thus, when we use certain CBD products, we’re creating a stronger response to something our bodies are naturally creating.

Similar to Opiates, But Non-Addictive A comparable analogy is how our bodies produce endorphins that are chemically similar to opiates.

Endorphin is the body’s natural ‘morphine’ that sooths pain.

Phytocannabinoids, found in certain types of legal CBD, are like the body’s own endocannabinoids.

In fact CBD products containing these cannabinoids have a similar effect as opiates in that they are powerful pain relievers.

However, opiates tend to be extremely addictive, while CBD products are completely non-addictive.

580557-1

But in order to actually feel these amazing effects of CBD, we need to take one critical step.

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

Two vehicles parked at a home in unincorporated Snellville were destroyed Tuesday morning in a fire whose cause is still under investigation by Gwinnett County fire officials.

Capt. Tommy Rutledge said firefighters responded to the fire at the home on the 3100 block of Octavia Lane at 1:55 a.m. A 911

caller reported one vehicle on fire at the home and he also knocked on the door of the home to let the residents know what was happening.

“Crews arrived to find a work truck and a pickup truck burning in the driveway with immediate exposure to a third pickup truck parked in close proximity,” Rutledge said. “Firefighters quickly deployed a bumper line off the apparatus to extinguish the fire and checked the house for pos-

sible extension. There was no damage to the house and no injuries were reported.”

The work truck was destroyed by the fire while the other pickup that was caught in the blaze sustained heavy damage. There was moderate blistering of the paint on the third pickup truck.

Investigators are not sure if fireworks that were being shot off nearby earlier in the evening ended up serving a potential source of the fire.

By Curt Yeomans

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

The president recently signed a bill legalizing a pain relieving plant. showing it’s critical to load the body with a higher dose of CBD in the beginning.

Users doing a ‘load dose’ take a 3-4 times the normal dose for the first week of usage, and then drop down to a normal ‘maintenance dose’.

This effectively switches the body’s natural EC system on and creates far more benefits for the user.

Prosper CBD™ has been researching this phenomenon for years, and their clients are raving about their results.

It’s no wonder they can barely keep their product on the shelf.

“I’ve already felt a difference in my sore knees.

I finished my load dose of 5-6 drops per day and then went to 1-2 drops a day.

I’m pleasantly surprised at how quickly I’ve felt some pain relief! I’m getting my husband on Prosper CBD™ next!” reports Jennifer Houle of Kentucky.

CBD Has a Multitude of Benefits Restoring the body’s natural EC system can have a wide range of benefits.

Many users report that Prosper CBD™: • Eases joint pain • Loosens muscles and decreases stiffness • Helps improve focus and overall mood • Improves deep sleep The active ingredients are also a powerful anti-inflammatory.

Inflammation is often the cause of much the discomfort and sickness we feel, so lowering inflammation is recommended by doctors for increasing overall health and well-being.

“I just wanted to say how wonderful it was to find something that finally gave me some relief after two decades of pain. My sleep has been so intruded upon by pain that I can’t remember having dreams for many, many years.

On Prosper CBD™, my pain has melted away and I’ve started sleeping more deeply and have started to dream at night. I could hardly believe it. Since taking Prosper CBD™ I have stopped taking my mood drugs too.

Thank you Prosper,” says Curtin Martin of New York.

Not All Cannabis Treatments Are Legal Thanks to the Farm Bill some CBD remedies are legal.

But there are restrictions.

CBD products must have less than 0.3% THC to be legal, which is the ingredient in marijuana that gives people a ‘high’.

Why ‘Load-Dosing’ of CBD is Important

Prosper CBD™ actually touts that it’s CBD products have 0% THC.

In order to activate the endocannabinoid system in our bodies, new research is

That’s the best way to ensure you won’t get high from CBD products and stay legal.

“We test our products weekly and do spot checks even more often to ensure our products have not just less than 0.3% THC but, 0% THC. We are more than happy to provide those results to our clients upon request. We take our product quality and testing very very seriously,” Prosper CBD™ company President Kriss Berg tells me.

Users are advised to ensure that their CBD provider has testing to prove that their products have no THC.

Due To Government Regulations Supplies Are Limited Although these treatments are legal, government red tape means supplies are growing scarce.

The government still places unusually strict regulations on CBD growers, processers, and labs.

The new year began with tragedy for one household in the Lilburn area on Tuesday, according to Gwinnett County firefighters.

Capt. Tommy Rutledge said crews were called to the two-story home on the 2600 block of Delridge Drive SW in Lilburn at 4:27 a.m. and had the house fire under control just before 5 a.m. The family of six that was in the home escaped largely unharmed, although one adult who had been at the home was treated at the scene for minor smoke exposure.

A family pet was not as fortunate, however.

“A cat was found deceased inside the home by firefighters during salvage and overhaul operations,” Rutledge said.

The fire is believed to have begun in the kitchen and caused extensive damage to the kitchen, a portion of the second floor and the attic. Some flames broke through roof soffits on the

Gwinnett County firefighters respond to the scene of a house fire on Delridge Drive in Lilburn early Tuesday morning. Officials said the fire appears to have begun in the kitchen. (Special Photo)

back side of the house.

“Per the fire investigator, the blaze appears accidental and originated on the stove from cooking practices,” Rutledge said. “An occupant was heating a pan of grease to cook and fell asleep upstairs. Another occupant was

asleep downstairs in the den and awoke to a loud popping sound. The man discovered flames in the kitchen and got everyone out of the house.”

The American Red Cross was called in to help the family, which was displaced by the fire.

This causes a shortage in CBD supplies nationwide and is driving up prices rapidly as demand explodes.

Many suppliers, like Prosper CBD™, can only accept a small number of new clients.

Customers interested in trying these CBD solutions are encouraged to do so quickly as those spots fill up within hours.

“I am very pleased with the results of decrease of anxiety and pain already.

The Prosper CBD™ staff have been extremely helpful with instructions after purchasing over the phone. I am so glad I found this incredible product, my life is so much better now ,” Pam Hernandez tells me.

How To Get Prosper CBD™ Due to the overwhelming demand for Prosper CBD™, the company is accepting a limited number of new clients in select areas like Georgia. So the company is offering a special trial period for select candidates who call within the next 48 hours. During this period new clients will also be eligible for free load dose bottles as well.

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The federal government gave conflicting rulings, with the FDA deeming it safe but the DEA classifying it along with other illegal cannabis products.

By Curt Yeomans

Overnight kitchen fire causes damage at Lilburn-area home

This treatment, known commonly as CBD, has shown incredible results for a wide range of pain problems.

But up until now it was in a legal gray area.

Two trucks destroyed by fire at Snellville-area home

BUSINESS AS USUAL AT OUR OTHER STORE LOCATIONS AND STEINMART.COM

4A • Wednesday, January 2, 2019 To Your Good Health

gwinnettdailypost.com

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Terms used to interpret results of med study DEAR DR. ROACH: In a recent column discussing the use of aspirin, you made reference to the results of a study that were neither “statistically significant” nor “clinically meaningful.” While I am quite familiar with the concept of statistical significance and believe it is very helpful in interpreting the results of a study, I am not familiar with the latter concept. Are you referring to a poorly designed study or one with too small of a sample? I am wondering whether “clinically meaningful” adds any benefit to the scientifically accepted concept of statistical significance.

— P.J.B. ANSWER: Statistical significance is a concept central to understanding medical or other scientific studies. Often, one group (an experimental group, who may get a new treatment, for example) is compared with another group (the control group, who got some other treatment, usually the standard treatment or, if there is no standard treatment, a placebo). The difference in the outcome is looked at between the two groups.

A statistician employs one of several methods to calculate the likelihood that the difference between the two groups could have happened by chance, called the p-value. If the p-value is less than 5 percent, then that is usually considered statistically significant. The lower the p-value, the less the likelihood that the observed difference between the two groups could have happened by chance if the two treatments were identically effective.

Clinical significance, or clinical meaningfulness, refers to the real-world usefulness of the intervention. While the term “clinical significance” is subjective and therefore an opinion, the term nevertheless is useful. For example, with a very large trial, a small difference in effectiveness between the two treatments could have a very significant p-value, as low as 0.0001, with only a 1 in 10,000 chance that the two treatments are equivalent. However, the effectiveness may be 50.1 percent in one group and 49.9 percent in the other group. Although statistically significant, the clinical significance is marginal.

If a result is not statistically significant, it cannot be considered clinically meaningful, even if the difference is large, because there is not enough evidence to reject the hypothesis that the difference could have occurred by chance.

It is logically impossible to prove the absence of a difference between two treatments. All we can do is show that it is unlikely that the two treatments are identically effective. Unfortunately, this means that concepts long regarded as true sometimes can be upended by new information.

Medicine is not mathematics: Mathematicians can be sure that once a concept is proved, it will stay proved.

That is not the case for clinical trials in medicine.

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solunar tables The Gwinnett Daily Post (UPSP 921-980, ISSN 10860096) is published Wednesday, Friday and Sunday by SCNI, 725 Old Norcross Road, Lawrenceville, GA 30045. Periodical postage paid at Lawrenceville, GA 30044. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Gwinnett Daily Post, P.O. Box 603, Lawrenceville, GA 30046-0603.

The solunar tables for lakes are based on studies that show fish and game are more active at certain times during the lunar period.

Major

8:47-10:47 a.m.......... 9:11-11:11 p.m.

Minor

2:33-3:33 a.m.............2:52-3:52 p.m.

pollen counts Trees: Low Weeds: Low Grass: Low

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lake levels Full Yesterday Lake

Full Yesterday

Allatoona..............(840.0)...... 831.78 Lanier..................(1071.0)....1073.87 Blackshear............(237.0)......236.89 Nottely................(1779.0)....1765.30 Blue Ridge.........(1690.0)....1675.34 Oconee................(435.0)......434.68 Burton................(1865.0)....1863.60 Seminole.................(77.5)........79.35 Carters............... (1072.0).... 1081.78 Sinclair.................(339.8)......339.23 Chatuge..............(1927.0).... 1921.00 Thurmond............(330.0)......325.85 Harding.................(521.0)......520.10 Tugalo....................(891.5)...... 891.20 Hartwell................(660.0)...... 661.53 Walter F. George.. (188.0)......188.16 Jackson................(530.0)......528.97 West Point............(635.0)......633.06

today in history

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TODAY’S HISTORY: In 1492, the Moors were driven out of Spain as Granada fell to the forces of Ferdinand and Isabella.

In 1967, Ronald Reagan was sworn in as governor of California.

In 1974, President Richard Nixon signed legislation instituting a 55mph highway speed limit in order to conserve gasoline during an OPEC embargo.

In 2006, a methane gas explosion in a Sago, W.V., coal mine trapped 13 miners. Only one survived.

TODAY’S BIRTHDAYS: Michael Tippett (1905-1998), composer; Isaac Asimov (1920-1992), author; Roger Miller (1936-1992), singer-songwriter; Jack Hanna (1947- ), zoologist; David Cone (1963- ), baseball player/sportscaster; Pernell Whitaker (1964- ), boxer; Tia Carrere (1967- ), actress; Cuba

Gooding Jr. (1968- ), actor; Tommy Morrison (1969-2013), boxer; Christy Turlington (1969- ), model; Taye Diggs (1971- ), singer/actor; Dax Shepard (1975- ), actor; Kate Bosworth (1983), actress.

TODAY’S FACT: Castilian Spanish is the official language of Spain, but Catalan, Galician and Basque are all official regional languages.

TODAY’S SPORTS: In 1984, Miami upset heavily favored Nebraska in the Orange Bowl, 31-30, as Nebraska failed on a two-point conversion at game’s end.

TODAY’S QUOTE: “Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that ‘my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge.’” — Isaac Asimov

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To Report a News Item:

Dear Amy: I am one of the many who have found a half-sibling through DNA testing. The birth mother never told my father that she was pregnant, and the child was put up for adoption over 50 years ago.

I told my dad about this and he reacted by getting angry and stopping the conversation by telling me to not have contact with the new half-sibling. I gave it a few months and gently brought it up again, only to be shut down right away. He does not wish to discuss it. I was going to ask him to tell my sibling that we have a newly discovered half-sibling out there, but I know that is out of the question.

I am excited about my new relative and would like to meet and get to know them. I wish my dad would be open to discussing this. Before moving forward, I would like to tell my other sibling about our new half-sibling. I am not sure if they will share my excitement but then they can decide if they’d like to pursue a relationship as well.

I worry that I am going behind my dad’s back and he’ll be furious that I have shared his secret.

The cat is already out of the bag; all it would take is another relative to take a DNA test for someone else to tell my sibling.

I am feeling quite anxious about having to keep this a secret. How do I tell my sibling that we have a half-sibling if our father is not open

your own expectations modest. After you make some initial contact with your half-sibling, tell your father that you are going to inform your other sibling. Reassure your father every step of the way, and if he refuses to discuss it, proceed on your own.

Amy Dickinson Dear Amy: I believe my husband is cheating to discussing this? I’d on me. I went through like to move forward. I his phone once and he am feeling quite anxious had another girl’s naked about having to keep this picture on it. a secret. How do I tell He is also on a dating my sibling that we have a website talking to other half-sibling if our father girls. is not open to discussAmy, he works very ing this? I’d like to move long hours and comes forward. home extremely exhaust— Reluctant ed.

Secret Holder He is a delivery driver, Dear Reluctant: and I believe he may be Your father had no delivering more than just knowledge of this child packages. he fathered, so the exisHe hardly looks at me tence of your half-sibling or talks to me anymore, has not been a long-held and our sex life has been secret. Don’t hold this as devastating. What should a secret now.

I do? Please help.

Your father’s response — Wronged Wife to this is completely Dear Wife: Inunderstandable. He feels stincts are powerful. betrayed and, of course, But you also seem to he is unhappy about it. have ample evidence of He does not want to face your husband’s extrathe imponderable comcurricular activities. If plications of this possible your husband is having relationship. He assumes sex with random people, it will upend your family, you should get tested for but, if anecdotal evidence STDs. I’ve collected on DNA Surely the holiday discoveries is accurate, season was an espethe toughest part of the cially busy time for your experience is the anticipackage-toting Casanova. pation. Your father will Now it’s your turn. You not give you permission should schedule a special to pursue this. Underdelivery: hand him an stand it and forgive him ultimatum. for his own reaction.

You two need to talk, I suggest you take this urgently, about your in discreet stages. Keep relationship. And then

Who To Call

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Dad doesn’t want to know about half-sibling Ask Amy

you have a tough decision to make. Marriages can recover from infidelity — or suspected infidelity. But you can’t recover without communication and trust.

Dear Amy: Thank you for your literacy campaign, promoting the idea of giving books to children at Christmastime.

Ever since my three daughters were babies, our tradition has been to give a book on the first night of Hanukkah.

The kids are now between the ages of 18 and 25, and they still anticipate their first night book.

Even though the authors have evolved from Sandra Boynton and Dr. Seuss to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Lin-Manuel Miranda, I have nurtured their literacy and love of books, which I hope they pass to their own children someday.

— Andrea Dear Andrea: Ever since announcing my annual “Book on Every Bed” literacy campaign, I have been flooded with beautiful literacy stories. Reading them is a warm and wonderful way to get through these dark, cold days.

Your story is lovely.

You can contact Amy Dickinson via email: Askamy@amydickinson. com. Readers may send postal mail to Ask Amy, P.O. Box 194, Freeville, NY 13068. You can also follow her on Twitter @askingamy or “like” her on Facebook.

Visit us online at www.gwinnettdailypost.com.

Take action. Get together with people who share your point of view and are willing to help you make a difference. If you speak up on behalf of the downtrodden, life will take on a new meaning. Bring your loved ones closer by including them in your pursuits.

CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) — Take control of a situation that you feel has potential.

Share your ideas and be willing to put time and effort into making your dream a reality.

AQUARIUS (Jan. 20Feb. 19) — Take a leap forward. Make progress with regard to vocational decisions and goal-setting. Now’s the time to get down to brass tacks.

PISCES (Feb. 20-March 20) — Keep a stiff upper lip, regardless of the emotional issues or insensitive comments you face. Spending a quiet day reading or relaxing with a loved one is encouraged.

ARIES (March 21-April 19) — You’ll have an idea that can help you get out of a stressful situation. Trust in your ability to take advantage of an opportunity, and use your resources to make sure it happens.

TAURUS (April 20May 20) — Go over the fine print and think about what you can afford to lose. If you run your idea past someone who has supported you in the past, you’ll make the right choice.

GEMINI (May 21-June 20) — Look at the big picture, but don’t try to take everything on all at once. Formulate a strategy that will help you get things done incrementally.

CANCER (June 21July 22) — Keep busy with projects that allow you to use your creative imagination. Spending time with children or a loved one will give you a sense of belonging and fulfillment.

LEO (July 23-Aug. 22) — Make a couple of changes that will get you moving in a positive direction. Once you begin, it will be easy to build momentum and achieve your goal.

VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept.

22) — Take on what you know you can do. If you overload your to-do list, you will fall short of your expectations. A physical activity will alleviate stress. Personal improvement is encouraged.

LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23) — Visit someone you enjoy being around, and do your best to avoid people who criticize you. Encouragement will help you choose your goals and give you the will to finish what you start.

SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 22) — If you visit an older friend or relative, you’ll learn something valuable.

Someone’s suggestion will change the way you do things this year. A positive change at home is apparent.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 23-Dec. 21) — Make positive changes at home. Clear a space that will allow you to work on a project that can provide a little extra income. A lifestyle change is encouraged.

Wednesday, January 2, 2019 • 5A

gwinnettdailypost.com

world&nation World Pedestrians struck by driver in Tokyo district At least nine people were injured, one seriously, when a car deliberately plowed into crowds celebrating the New Year in central Tokyo.

The incident occurred early Tuesday on Takeshita Street in the shopping and tourist district of Harajuku, which runs parallel to the famous Meiji shrine.

The narrow, iconic street is known worldwide as a hub of Japanese youth culture and fashion, and the area famous for its “Harajuku girls,” who dress in outlandish, striking costumes.

Tokyo Metropolitan Police told CNN that they have opened an investigation. One person, a 21-year-old man, has been detained on suspicion of attempted murder.

The suspect, named as Kazuhiro Kusakabe, initially told police that he had conducted a terrorist act, later saying he had deliberately driven the car down the narrow street to protest his opposition to the death penalty. A large amount of kerosene was discovered in the suspect’s car. The suspect reportedly told police that he had acted in “retaliation for the execution of Aum cult members.”

The remaining members of the doomsday cult, which was found to be responsible for a 1995 sarin gas attack on a Tokyo subway, were executed in July.

Trump invites leaders to White House

‘Stranger Things’ Season 3 gets July release date

By Phil Mattingly CNN

President Donald Trump has invited congressional leaders from both parties to the White House, according to two congressional sources, setting the stage for the first meeting between top Democratic and Republican leaders and the President since the partial government shutdown began 11 days ago.

While details on the meeting are still being worked out, it likely will occur this afternoon and would include a briefing on border security from Homeland Security Department officials, the sources said.

The meeting would come as negotiations to reopen about a quarter of the federal government have been frozen for nearly two weeks, and just one day before Democrats take over as the majority party in the House. Compromise proposals, to the extent they existed in the first place, have not been traded or even discussed in recent days as both sides settled into their respective positions.

Nancy Pelosi, the

People

President Donald Trump has invited congressional leaders from both parties to the White House, according to two congressional sources, setting the stage for the first meeting between top Democratic and Republican leaders and the President since the partial government shutdown began 11 days ago. (CNN)

presumptive incoming House speaker, and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have laid out their proposals to end the shutdown, which the House is expected to pass just hours after the new Congress is sworn in.

That proposal has already been rejected

by Trump, who tweeted Tuesday: “The Democrats, much as I suspected, have allocated no money for a new Wall. So imaginative! The problem is, without a Wall there can be no real Border Se-

curity — and our Country must finally have a Strong and Secure Southern Border!”

Trump followed this with another tweet later Tuesday, writing, “Border Security and the Wall “thing” and Shutdown is not where Nancy Pelosi wanted to start her tenure as Speaker! Let’s make a deal?”

In response, Pelosi tweeted, “realDonaldTrump has given Democrats a great opportunity to show how we will govern responsibly

& quickly pass our plan to end the irresponsible #TrumpShutdown — just the first sign of things to come in our new Democratic Majority committed to working #ForThePeople.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has made clear that he will not move forward on any measure that doesn’t have the president’s sign-off, leaving a pathway out of the shutdown — short of one side suddenly moving off its current position — elusive.

Nation

we’re being recognized by society and the people around us but were also beHeavy fog the ing recognized by government entities as valid and cause of 20-plus real people,” they said. vehicle collision Johnson said they know Baby boy found in Austin, Texas people who plan on changalive in rubble First responders treated ing their gender to non56 people following a after explosion binary, but so far, they have crash early New Year’s not decided to do it on their A baby boy was plucked Day involving more than own license. alive Tuesday from the rub- 20 vehicles near Austin, “I’ve definitely considble of an apartment building Texas. ered it, but in the end I don’t leveled a day earlier by a Of the 56, nine patients think I’m going to,” they suspected gas explosion in were taken to hospitals First responders treated 56 people following a crash just said. “I just came out to my the Russian city of Magniwith injuries that ranged after midnight New Year’s Day involving more than 20 parents, and in my personal togorsk. from minor to serious. life I’m trying to navigate vehicles near Austin, Texas. (CNN) Dramatic footage released Austin-Travis County that.”

by Russia’s Emergency EMS said there was heavy Most U.S. rail The DMV’s website is Hiatt told CNN that ConSituations Ministry showed fog in the area at the time encouraging those who want gress, railroads and federal systems miss rescue workers pulling away of the wreck, and fire ofto apply for the change to regulators share the blame safety deadline debris to reveal the child ficials said that may have schedule an appointment as for the missed deadline. In Only four of the nation’s 2008, Congress set a 2015 — described as “less than a been the cause. early as today. year old.”

The Austin Fire Depart- 41 rail systems required deadline for implementThe boy, covered in dust ment assisted with patients to implement lifesaving ing the technology, then Elizabeth Warren and wearing a top and pink and cleaned up multiple technology to prevent train extended it until 2018 and to make first Iowa socks, was wrapped in a fluid and fuel spills result- accidents met Monday’s required federal regulablanket before being taken deadline, according to the ing from the collision. trip this weekend tors to approve extensions to a medical facility. His Other metro areas saw a Department of Transportauntil 2020 for railroads that Massachusetts Sen. condition is “serious,” the foggy and rainy 2019 start, tion. demonstrate progress toward ministry said in a statement. including New York, BosThe others — includimplementing positive train Elizabeth Warren will visit Iowa this weekend, making At least eight people were ing Amtrak — have either ton and Washington, D.C. control. her first trip to the state that killed. Reuters said the applied for or been granted “The blood is on their begins the Democratic presiinfant spent 35 hours in the Marine shot and extensions of the deadline. hands,” Hiatt said of Condential nominating process, elements.

The technology, called gress. killed on duty in positive train control, can days after taking a major step toward a 2020 run. prevent collisions and derailWashington, D.C. Macron calls Calif. DMV to Warren will hold events ments. It involves installing for unity in first offer ‘non-binary’ in Council Bluffs, Sioux A U.S. Marine was shot equipment on locomotives and killed while on duty City, Storm Lake and Des and tracks that communispeech of 2019 gender on at the Marine Barracks in Moines, a source familiar cates information about the IDs in 2019 French President EmWashington, D.C., early with her plans said. The train’s speed as well as the manuel Macron has used A third gender option is Tuesday morning, the Ma- position of the train and details of those events are his traditional New Year’s available for California driv- not yet available. rine Corps said in a news track switches.

Eve address to acknowledge release.

Warren launched an The National Transporta- ers licenses and IDs starting the “anger” among antithis year.

The fatal injury was exploratory committee for tion Safety Board, which government protesters, but The law, SB 179, was not self-inflicted, Marine a 2020 presidential bid on investigates rail accidents, warned that hateful speech signed by Gov. Jerry Brown New Year’s Eve, which Gunnery Sgt. John Jackson has repeatedly called for and actions would not be said. allows her to begin raising positive train control. Chair- in October. tolerated.

It will allow people to D.C. police responded to man Robert Sumwalt told money for the campaign and Without naming the the incident. The circummakes her the first big-name Congress last February that apply for a “non-binary” yellow vest protests distances of the shooting are the board has identified 150 gender marker if they do not candidate to jump into the rectly, Macron railed against unclear and the killing is identify as either male or race. accidents, which caused extreme and violent parts of under investigation, the female.

“Corruption is poisoning 300 deaths, since 1969 that the movement who claimed release said.

“For me, it was surprising our democracy,” Warren could have been prevented to speak “on behalf of the to see this change,” said Al The Marine, whose iden- by the technology. said in a video launching her people” but were actuJohnson, a transgender actity has not been released, campaign on Monday as im“I’ve always referred ally speaking for a “hateful tivist and member of Trans was shot at 5 a.m. The ages of Republican leaders to it as the angel on our crowd” to “attack officials, Family Support Services. shooting was determined flashed across the screen. shoulder,” said John Hiatt, the police, journalists, Jews, not to be a threat to loJohnson is non-binary and Polls show Warren is a former railroad engineer foreigners, homosexuals.” uses pronouns they/them. cal residents because it among the best-known canwho is now an investigaHe called those elements, But with that surprise occurred on the grounds didates in what’s expected to tor with the Bremseth Law “the negation of France.” of Marine Barracks, the be a large Democratic field.

Firm, whose clients include came excitement.

— From wire reports release said.

“Not only does it mean —From wire reports railroad employees.

It’s a good thing viewers will probably already be off for the Fourth of July.

Netflix has announced that’s the day it will release the eagerly awaited new season of its hit “Stranger Things.”

The streaming giant used the New Year’s holiday to tweet an image showing the show’s cast with fireworks and the words “July 4.”

Netflix also released a video showing footage of the countdown on Dick Clark’s “New Year’s Rockin’ Eve” in 1985 (the year in which the new season is set) before revealing the premiere date.

Netflix has been teasing the new season for months.

Last month, it released a brief trailer featuring the episode titles.

In July, the streaming service put out a trailer that featured a faux advertisement for Starcourt Mall, which appears to be the center of serious action.

The sci-fi/horror series set in fictitious Hawkins, Ind., has been a huge breakout hit for Netflix.

Boy uses his life savings for donation to area homeless shelter

Ethan Simons said he sometimes worries it’s not productive for his 9-year-old, Nathan, to watch so many videos on YouTube. But that opinion changed a little after Nathan watched some Youtubers donate hundreds of thousands of dollars to homeless shelters.

“I told my dad a couple hours later when I got done watching the video, ‘I wanna do what they did,’” Nathan said.

Nathan wanted to take all the money out of his savings account and do something for someone else. His dad was hesitant at first.

“There was part of me that almost wanted me to talk him out of him,” Ethan said.

“But what kind of lesson am I teaching him if I tell him, ‘No, you shouldn’t be selfless.’”

And Nathan’s dad even decided to match his son’s donation dollar for dollar.

Nathan called some homeless shelters and decided to get some muchneeded items for them.

“I got my list, and it’s for what we need to buy for the homeless shelter,” he said.

They first stopped at the bank to withdraw about $150 from each of their accounts. They left a few dollars in Nathan’s so the account could stay open.

Then the Simons were ready to shopt.

A local shelter told Nathan they needed shoes, gloves, barbecue sauce and hot sauce.

“It feels good,” Nathan said. “I wish I could have it myself, but I have to think about other people.”

The fourth-grader had a little money left over to get some extra things not on the list so the people staying at the shelter could celebrate the new year. He topped off the cart with soda and cookie cakes.

— From wire reports

Near-capacity toilets an issue during government shutdown

By Ray Sanchez CNN

California’s Joshua Tree National Park will become the latest casualty of the federal government’s partial shutdown today, closing campgrounds amid health and safety concerns over nearcapacity pit toilets.

With a quarter of the federal government employee workforce beginning 2019 out of work or working without a paycheck,

acres of national park nestled between Palm Springs to the south and town of Joshua Tree to agencies from the National Park the north, will remain open durService to the Environmental Pro- ing the shutdown but its popular tection Agency and the Smithson- campgrounds will close at noon, ian museums are feeling the pinch. according to the National Park Unlike some previous governService. ment shutdowns, when national “The park is being forced to parks closed entirely, gates have take this action for health and remained opened under the Trump safety concerns as vault toilets administration, leaving parks reach capacity,” the park service severely understaffed. said. “In addition to human waste Joshua Tree, more than 792,000 in public areas, driving off road

Must read

and other infractions that damage the resource are becoming a problem.”

Additionally, the National Park Service said the shutdown prevented it from making staff available to “provide guidance, assistance, maintenance or emergency response.”

“Any entry onto NPS property during this period of federal government shutdown is at the visitor’s sole risk.” the park service said this week.

Trash collection has stopped along with road and walkway maintenance.

Kristen Brengel, vice president of government affairs for the National Parks Conservation Association, said the shutdown not only hurts the parks but also surrounding communities that rely on an estimated $18 million a day from tourism.

Brengel said staff shortages had created an sense of “lawlessness” in the parks.

6A • Wednesday, January 2, 2019

gwinnettdailypost.com

Used fireworks in trash cause fire

By Curt Yeomans

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

A fire that began with used fireworks in a trash can caused extensive damage to a Loganville area home, with flames getting as high as the home’s attic early Tuesday morning, according to Gwinnett fire officials.

Capt. Tommy Rutledge said crews responded to a report of a fire in the attic at the home on the 1600 block of Summit Glen Circle S.W. in unincorporated Loganville at 2:45 a.m. Firefighters found the exterior wall and attic on the left side of the twostory house on fire when they arrived. Flames also broke through a section of the roof located on the back side of the house.

“A total of five adults

An early morning house fire caused extensive damage to a home on the 1600 block of Summit Glen Circle SW in unincorporated Loganville on Tuesday. Investigators believe the fire began in a trash can that contained used fireworks and then climbed an exterior wall and entered the home’s attic. (Special Photo)

were home at the time and all escaped unharmed,” Rutledge said. “The occupants were awakened by

the smoke alarm and discovered the house filling with smoke on the mainlevel. A fire investigator

responded to the scene and determined that the fire started on the outside of the home and spread up the exterior wall and got into the attic.”

Five people were in the home at the time, including three people who lived there and two guests. No one was reported to have sustained injuries from the fire, however.

“Five occupants were home asleep at the time and were alerted by the smoke alarms sounding,” Rutledge said. “They discovered smoke on the main-level as they exited the home. The occupants were already outside when fire trucks arrived and no injuries were reported.”

Rutledge said the Red Cross was contacted to help the residents who were displaced by the fire.

Books and Beer fundraiser set for Jan. 12

By Curt Yeomans

12 at Summits Wayside Tavern, which is located at 3334 Stone Mountain Highway in Snellville.

Local authors will gath- The event is designed er in Snellville later this to raise money for food month to use the power of cooperative efforts in the words to try and help feed south Gwinnett area. people who are struggling “This is a great opportufinancially. nity to sell books, connect Local author Mickey with an audience and help Kulp said the third Books raise money for the local and Beer fundraising event food co-op,” Kulp said in will be held at 7 p.m. Jan. an announcement for the curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

event. “In our previous two events, we have raised over $200 to help the food pantry, and we had a blast doing it.”

Similar Books and Beer events were held previously in June and September at Summits Wayside Tavern. the event gives lovers of literature a place to gather, buy copies of books from local authors, participate in a fundraising

raffle and listen in on an open mic session where participating authors will read selections from their works, including fiction and poetry.

In the past, Kulp has warned parents that while children are welcome at the event, there is a possibility that “they might hear grownup words and concepts you’ll have to explain later.”

Sugar Hill opens E Center gym today

By Curt Yeomans

spaces. curt.yeomans “The brand new E Center @gwinnettdailypost.com community gym will be open to the public on Jan. 2,” Sugar Sugar Hill residents have a Hill officials said in the Facenew place to stay active and book announcement. “Visit get some exercise as the new http://cityofsugarhill.com/ year begins. recreation for more informaThe city announced on tion and to sign up for classes Facebook that it would open including yoga, dance and the community gym at its new karate.”

E Center development during The community gym is the first week in January. The expected to be a key part gym is one of the many uses of Sugar Hill’s recreation that the city had incorporated department. In addition to into the E Center, which also spaces for yoga, dance and includes the Eagle Theatre, karate, it also has workout office space for businesses areas, basketball courts and a and retail and restaurant walking track.

Shooting

•From Page 1A from Lawrenceville.

Hodges allegedly shot Carless by accident and later turned the gun on himself, according to police. Carless died before medical assistance could arrive on the scene.

“What we’ve learned so far is that (Carless) was in a group of four males gathered in a makeshift shed (behind a home),” Wilson said on Monday. “At some point, a gun was displayed and was fired and (Carless) was struck.

(Hodges) then ran from the shed.”

Police are still investigating the shooting, but some new details emerged Tuesday as to what happened between the teens.

Officials said Hodges was showing off the hand gun when it accidentally went

•From Page 1A and screening, and address signage and other development considerations, the proposed cemetery could be compatible with neighboring uses in the area.”

Proposed conditions on approval of the cemetery include that the cemetery be closed from either 8 p.m. or sunset (whichever comes first) and sunrise.

No buildings would be allowed on the property, and it must have a decorative wrought iron-style fence along the perimeter of the property, with brick or stacked stone fence columns located every 50 feet along Berry Hall Road.

No burial lots would be allowed within 100 feet of the cemetery’s northern

The various pieces of Sugar Hill’s E Center began opening this fall with the opening of the Eagle Theatre. There are some restaurants that have been announced already, and at least one of them, Rushing Trading Company, is close to opening. The coffee shop was expected to open Dec. 20, but it canceled its soft opening and has not yet announced a new opening date.

Crazy Dough’s Artisan Slice Bar and Central City Tavern are also expected to open at the E Center in 2019.

The E Center is located at 5019 W. Broad St.

off and a bullet struck Carless, who was sitting next to Hodges in a “cramped shed.”

Hodges then allegedly ran off and went between two nearby homes where he took his own life, according to police.

Wilson had said on Monday that police quickly responded, and heard a “single gunshot” while they were driving down Riverlanding Circle looking for the Carless’ friend who had called 911. The name of the 911 caller has not yet been released by law enforcement.

“Officers heard the shot, got out, and found (Hodges) deceased from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head,” Wilson said.

“We are not sure at this time if any of them do live in the neighborhood. We are interviewing the two (friends) and trying to find addresses.”

The two incidents occurred six to eight houses apart in a neighborhood that residents said is normally quiet.

“The (shed) is kind of a shack that kids hang out in, so we’re kind of like, ‘Oh my God,’” said Riverlanding Circle resident Barrie Hunter.

“We’ve lived here for 18 years — this is the first crazy thing (like this) to happen.”

The owners of the house whose yard has the shed do not appear to have a connection to the teens, Wilson said, though it was not immediately clear what the boys were doing on the property.

Neighbors said, however, the shed is a popular hangout spot that was built “years and years ago.”

“The kids used to play (in) it when they were younger,” one resident, who asked not to be named, said. “Now, what goes on — who knows.”

•From Page 1A

Georgia Manufacturing Alliance highlights its ’18 accomplishments

By Curt Yeomans

for its new office in Lawrenceville; • Celebrated the 10th anniversary of the alliOfficials with the ance’s founding; Georgia Manufacturing • Added two new staff Alliance said that between members; celebrating its 10th birth• Welcomes 100 new day, opening a new office, members and five new anhosting several events and nual sponsors; welcoming 100 new mem• Added 17 Joint Industry Association of Georgia bers, 2018 was a good partners; year for the organization.

• Staged 120 plant tours, The alliance recently education workshops and issued a year-in-review networking events that roundup of activities and were held around the state, accomplishments for the group, which seeks to pro- with plant tours including mote Georgia manufactur- visits to facilities run by companies such as Daniel ing and products made in Defense, Duracell, Okathe state. bashi, Sherwin-Williams, “As we reflect on 2018 Southwire and Sunny and our 10th anniverDelight; sary year, we are very • Developed the Buythankful for everyone FromGa.com website to who partnered with us to bring about this success,” promote consumer-based products made in Georgia; Georgia Manufacturing • Held the annual Alliance founder and Georgia Manufacturing CEO Jason Moss said in Summit with 800 attenda statement. “Our main objective is to provide our ees and keynote speeches delivered by Gulfstream manufacturers, suppliers, and service industries the President Mark Burns and Thrush Aircraft Vice resources they need for President Eric Rojek; every area of their busi• Handed out the fourth ness and we are looking forward to 2019 being our annual People of Manufacturing Awards; and best year ever.”

• Published two editions Over the last 12 months, of the Georgia Manfacturthe alliance: • Held a ribbon-cutting ing Directory.

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

Baby

hospital Monday night. With a baby on the way, things like what day it was slipped away from the expectant mother’s mind.

“Last night, I didn’t even know it was New Year’s — that was the last thing on my mind,” Mitchell said. “And then they told me and I was like, ‘Oh, that’s awesome.’”

But the big thing for the family is that their long-awaited little boy has arrived. His sisters took turns doting over their new little brother and showing excitement to have a new sibling around, their mother said.

“It actually feels kind of like a dream,” Mitchell said. “I wanted a boy when I had my first (daughter), and my second (daughter), we were told she was a boy for the first six months and then we went to a specialist’s appointment and I was laying there and the lady just looked at me and said, ‘Oh, he’s a she.’ And she said it really quick and I was like ‘Wait, what?’”

Kenneth Stephens is already looking ahead to a year from now, when he can take his son to his first Atlanta Hawks game. The family is really into basketball and the Hawks are their favorite team.

Although the Hawks are in the midst of a season, the elder Stephens wants to wait a little bit before exposing him to the game atmosphere.

“Maybe next year, when he’s a little older,” the little boy’s dad said.

Gwinnett Medical Center’s first baby not the first New Year’s baby in her family If the early hours of Tuesday were any indication, Conyers residents Melissa Eddins and Andra Burdett said they expect 2019 to

be a banner year for their family.

The couple will get married in May, but their new year began with the birth of their daughter, McKenzee Nature Burdett, at 2:07 a.m. at Gwinnett Medical Center in Lawrenceville. That makes her the hospital’s first baby of the year and she and her parents were showered with gifts from Gwinnett Medical officials on Tuesday.

The little girl, who was described by her parents as being a quiet, well-behaved baby, was born nearly a month before her expected Jan. 26 due date, but Eddins said doctors haven’t found any health issues.

“I hope that means we’re going to have a great new year, new beginnings and that everything is going to work out for us,” Eddins said. “2018 wasn’t bad at all, so the way she appeared, I’m assuming 2019 will just be better.”

While McKenzee Burdett was the first baby born in 2019 at Gwinnett Medical Center, she’s not the first New Year’s baby in the family. The little girl is an unofficial birthday gift for her grandmother, Shirley Eddins, who herself has a Jan. 1 birth date.

The younger Eddins said her mother had been hoping that her granddaughter would share her birthday.

“She was so excited,” Melissa Eddins said about her mother’s reaction to news of the birth. “She had been keeping up with me the whole day (on Sunday). She was like ‘Have you had that baby?

Are you going to wait until my birthday?’ I’m thinking ‘That’s two days away. There’s no way I can wait until (Jan. 1).’

“But the contractions stopped by themself (until late Monday night). I’m like ‘this is so weird.’”

Cemetery property line, and there would have to be a 50-foot landscaped buffer along the northern property line and Berry Hall Road. A 25-foot landscaped buffer would be required along the southern and western edges of the property.

Grave markers would also have to be flush with the ground under proposed conditions.

While the Planning Commission will weigh in on the proposal, it will not have the final say on the matter. It will make a recommendation, which will be forwarded to Commissioner Tommy Hunter, who represents that area, and the rest of the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners for a final decision at a later date.

This aerial photograph shows the area where the Georgia Islamic Institute of Religious and Social Sciences Inc. wants to put a new cemetery on Berry Hall Road, near Harbins Road, in unincorporated Bethlehem.

The proposed cemetery site is outlined in the center. (Special Photo)

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019 • 7A

gwinnettdailypost.com

Sheriff’s department Snellville resident wins $2.5K scholarship gets $50,000 grant

BY CURT YEOMANS

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

BY ISABEL HUGHES

isabel.hughes @gwinnettdailypost.com

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office will soon implement a new comprehensive case management software platform, thanks to a $50,000 grant to the agency’s Gwinnett Reentry Intervention Program, or GRIP. The grant was provided by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation and will go toward the implementation of virtual software Pokket.

“GRIP is fortunate to have many community partners providing resources for inmates returning to the community,” said Sheriff Butch Conway. “The Pokket program can reduce the amount of time our staff spends coordinating those resources, making the program more effective in meeting its goal of reducing recidivism in our

county.”

The sheriff’s office partnered with United Way of Greater Atlanta in 2012 to establish GRIP in an effort to reduce recidivism by providing access to resources such as shelter, drug treatment, job skills training, mental health treatment and employment.

More than 3,000 former Gwinnett inmates have received GRIP services since the program began, officials said. The recidivism rate among those individuals is approximately 30 percent, compared to the national average of approximately 68 percent.

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office is one of 13 jurisdictions joining the Safety and Justice Challenge, a national initiative formed by the MacArthurs that is intended to reduce over-incarceration.

For more information about the initiative, visit safetyandjusticechallenge. org.

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AIRLINES ARE HIRING

Snellville resident Keith Richard says it is his dad’s work in supply chain and logistics management that inspired him to pursue a college degree in the industry.

Now he’s getting a little help from Delta Community Credit Union and KISS 104.1 to reach that goal.

Richard, who graduated from South Gwinnett High School in May, was recently named as a winner of the credit union and radio station’s quarterly $2,500 scholarship, which is available to students who are attending historically black colleges and universities.

He is attending Fort Valley State University in central Georgia.

“I’ve always been interested in supply chain

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The scholarship for Richard is part of $10,000 in scholarship money that Delta Community Credit Union

Steakhouse to open on Lawrenceville Square

BY CURT YEOMANS

sometime in January. The restaurants are located directly across Crogan Street from the Gwinnett County Downtown Lawrenceville historic courthouse, with Twill get a new place where Ray’s official address listed diners can enjoy steak, as 125 W. Crogan St. seafood and even a couple An exact opening date for of dishes where beer is an T-Ray’s Fire Grill has not ingredient in the new year. yet been announced. The The owners of Oyster restaurant is hiring employBay on the Lawrenceville ees, however, and anyone Square have announced interested in applying for a plans to open a new position at the eatery should steakhouse called T-Ray’s visit Oyster Bay to fill out Fire Grill next door to its an application. seafood-themed sibling A menu posted on

curt.yeomans @gwinnettdailypost.com

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Delta Community Credit Union CEO Hank Halter, right, and KISS 104.1’s Veronica Waters, left, present a scholarship check to Snellville resident Keith Richard and his mother, Shawntrease Richard, in a ceremony at the Delta Community Vinings Branch on Dec. 20. (Special Photo)

has given four students this year to help them pay for their college education.

The credit union highlighted Richard’s community and school involvement, which includes being active at his church, participating in scouting as a youth, being in the track and field club and Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps at South Gwinnett and being a track team member at Fort Valley State.

“This scholarship program is one of many ways we invest in individuals and local communities,” Delta Community CEO Hank Halter said in a statement.

“We know education is key to building healthy individuals and families, and we’re grateful for the opportunity to help Keith and other bright, motivated students achieve their academic and career goals.”

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8A • Wednesday, January 2, 2019

gwinnettdailypost.com

SPECIAL ADVERTISEMENT FEATURE

Doctor urges seniors to carry medical alert device Seniors snap up new medical alert device that comes with no monthly bills (NATIONWIDE) – People don’t always do what their doctor says, but when renowned emergency room physician, Dr. Philip B. Howren says every senior should have a medical alert device, you better listen up.

“Seniors are just one fall away from being put in a nursing home,” Dr. Howren said. With a medical alert device, seniors are never alone. So it keeps them living independently in their own home. That’s why seniors and their family members are snapping up a sleek new medical alert device that comes with no monthly bills ever,” he said.

Many seniors refuse to wear old style help buttons because they make them look old. But even worse, those medical alert

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“This slick new little device is designed to look like the pagers doctors wear every day. Seniors love them, because it actually makes them look important, not old,” Dr. Howren said.

FastHelp is expected to hit store shelves the summer of 2019. But special newspaper promotional giveaways are slated for seniors in select areas. ■

■ NO MONTHLY BILLS: “My wife had an old style help button that came with hefty bills every month and she was embarrassed to wear it because it made her look old,” said Frank McDonald, Canton, Ohio. Now, we both have FastHelp™, the sleek new medical alert device that our grandkids say makes us look ‘cool’ not old,” he said. With FastHelp, seniors never have to worry about being alone and the best part is there are no monthly bills ever.

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LIFE ALERT IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF LIFE ALERT EMERGENCY RESPONSE, INC. PHILIPS LIFELINE IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF KONINKLIJKE PHILIPS ELECTRONICS N.V. CORPORATION. FASTHELP IS COVERED BY A 30-DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE LESS SHIPPING AND A 1 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY. FASTHELP WILL NOT BE ABLE TO MAKE 911 CALLS WHEN CELLULAR SERVICE IS NOT AVAILABLE. SERVICE MAY NOT BE AVAILABLE IN REMOTE OR HIGH DENSITY AREAS. FASTHELP WILL USE GPS TRIANGULATIONS TO APPROXIMATE YOUR LOCATION WHEN YOUR DEVICE IS TURNED ON. DR. HOWREN IS A COMPENSATED MEDICAL ADVISOR AND FRANK MCDONALD IS AN ACTUAL USER AND COMPENSATED FOR HIS PARTICIPATION. OH RESIDENTS ADD 6.5% SALES TAX. UNIVERSAL PHYSICIANS 7747 SUPREME AVE, NORTH CANTON, OH 44720.

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That’s because for seniors born before 1956, it’s a deal too good to pass up.

Star ting at precisely 8:30am this morning the Pre-Store Release begins for the World’s first-ever medical alert device that comes with the exclusive FastHelp™ One-Touch E 911 Button that instantly connects you to free unlimited help anytime, anywhere nationwide.

“It’s not like old style monitored help buttons that make you talk to a call center and only work when you’re at home and come with hefty bills every month.

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The medical alert device slugfest was dominated by two main combatants: Life Alert® and Philips Lifeline® who both offer old style monitored help buttons that require professional installation of a home telephone land line, expensive base station equipment and a hefty bill every month. But now Universal Physicians, the U.S. based heavyweight, just delivered a knockout blow sending the top rated contenders to the mat with the unveiling of FastHelp. It’s the sleek new cellular embedded medical alert device that cuts out the middleman. There’s absolutely nothing to hook-up or install.

You don’t need a land line and you don’t need a cell phone. Everything is done for you.

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Nearly 1.8 million seniors fall every year and spend more than 12 hours lying on the floor helpless and all alone with no help.

But seniors who fall and get immediate help are nine times more likely to avoid getting sent to a nursing home and get to STAY living in their own home

sports

gwinnettdailypost.com

SECTION B • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

Photo: Dale Zanine

B-MAC’S BACK Duluth native Brian McCann signed with the hometown Atlanta Braves in November, returning to the franchise that gave him his start. The seven-time all-star catcher enjoyed his best seasons with Atlanta, where he played his first nine seasons after being drafted by the club in 2002. He played for the Yankees and Astros after leaving Atlanta, winning a World Series with Houston. The young Braves will count on the 34-year-old for leadership with a young, improving team.

Photo: USA Today Sports

2018

BUFORD, WESLEYAN GIRLS HOOPS CHAMPS AGAIN Another basketball season brought more state championships for the girls powerhouse programs at Buford and Wesleyan. Head coach Jan Azar led Wesleyan to its astonishing 13th state title in 17 years with a 61-44 over rival Holy Innocents’. Buford and head coach Gene Durden won their sixth state championship in a 10-year span.

s

MORE INSIDE

A look at some of the other big sports news for Gwinnett County during the past year, 6B

TOPSTORIES

of

Photo: Nicole Seitz

FINALS SHUTOUT

Most high school football seasons Gwinnett County produces a state champion. In 2018, the county didn’t have a team in the finals. It marked the first slate of state championship games without a Gwinnett team participating since 1999.

GRIZZLIES REIGN CONTINUES CHANGE AT GM FOR STRIPERS

The Georgia Gwinnett College tennis programs continued their domination at the NAIA National Championships, sweeping the titles once again. The Grizzlies won their fifth straight men’s national championship, as well as their third straight women’s title. It also was the fourth title in a five-year span for the women, earning Chase Hodges national coach of the year honors again.

The Gwinnett Stripers lost longtime general manager North Johnson after the minor league baseball season, and replaced him with Adam English in November. Johnson, who headed up the Atlanta Braves’ Triple-A affiliate since 2010, resigned in September, as did assistant GM Shari Massengill. English joins the Stripers after six seasons leading the ticket sales department for the Sacramento River Cats, the San Francisco Giants’ Triple-A franchise.

Photo: GGC Athletics

PRO-BOWLIN’ Peachtree Ridge grad Cameron Heyward played in his first Pro Bowl in 2018, then was voted into his second straight appearance later in the year. Heyward has become one of the NFL’s top defensive linemen for the Pittsburgh Steelers, who made him a first-round pick in the 2011 draft.

STINCHCOMB MAKES COLLEGE FOOTBALL HALL OF FAME Former Parkview and Georgia Bulldog lineman Matt Stinchcomb, was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame during the National Football Foundation Annual Awards Dinner.

The two-time All-American and NFL first-round pick now has a permanent display at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta.

PYLE RETURNS TO GLADIATORS Jeff Pyle returned as the head coach of the Atlanta Gladiators, a role he held for the franchise’s first eight seasons in Gwinnett County. Pyle left in 2011 when he was hired to coach the AHL’s Texas Stars. During his tenure, the Gladiators were 309210-17-40 and made the playoffs six straight times with a trip to the Kelly Cup finals in 2005-06. He ranks third all-time in ECHL wins.

Photo: Dale Zanine

PARKVIEW CLAIMS 3 STATE TITLES IN JUST DAYS

Parkview’s baseball team completed an impressive spring trifecta with a rain-delayed, championship series win over Mill Creek. The championship was the third of the spring for the Panthers, who saw their girls soccer and boys track and field teams win state titles on the same day prior to the baseball series.

FRANCOEUR LEADS GWINNETT SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLASS Longtime MLB outfielder and former Parkview star Jeff Francoeur was among the five-person class selected for the Gwinnett Sports Hall of Fame, which celebrated its ninth class of inductees. Francoeur, who played 12 MLB seasons and was a first-round draft pick of the Braves, led Parkview to two football and two baseball state titles his final two seasons.

He was joined in the class by former NFL and Georgia punter Drew Butler (Peachtree Ridge), former Georgia Tech basketball player Joyce Pierce (Norcross), former Georgia softball pitcher Michelle Green (Duluth) and successful pro and amateur golfer James Mason (Duluth).

MUSTANG POWER The Meadowcreek boys basketball program won the second Georgia High School Association-sanctioned state championship in school history with a 56-43 win over rival Norcross in the Class AAAAAAA finals. The Mustangs reversed three earlier losses to Norcross during the season behind 16 points and eight rebounds from Dequarius Nichols and 12 points and eight rebounds from Amari Kelly.

ondeck 2B • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

Prep Schedule

BASKETBALL

Today

• Wesleyan boys and Darlington at Oglethorpe 2 p.m. — St. Pius girls at Buford Thursday

BASKETBALL

6 p.m. — Walnut Grove at Buford Friday

BASKETBALL

• Meadowcreek boys in Memphis, Tenn. Showcase • Norcross boys and Montverde, Fla. in Wheeling, W.Va. 5:30 p.m. — Atlanta International School at Wesleyan 6 p.m. — Apalachee at Dacula 6 p.m. — Archer at South 6 p.m. — Bethlehem Christian at Hebron 6 p.m. — Collins Hill at Discovery 6 p.m. — Grayson at Shiloh 6 p.m. — Lakeside-DeKalb at Berkmar 6 p.m. — Mill Creek at Duluth 6 p.m. — Parkview at Brookwood 6 p.m. — Peachtree Ridge at North 6 p.m. — Towns Co. at Providence 7 p.m. — East Hall at GAC 7 p.m. — Lanier at Winder-Barrow

SWIMMING AND DIVING

5 p.m. — Collins Hill at Wesleyan 7:20 p.m. — South, Dacula and Discovery at Mountain Park 7:20 p.m. — Parkview and North at West Gwinnett

WRESTLING

5 p.m. — ELCA, Pinecrest Academy at GAC 5 p.m. — Gwinnett County tournament at Mountain View Saturday

BASKETBALL

• Meadowcreek boys in Memphis, Tenn. Showcase • Norcross boys and Dematha, Md. in Wheeling, W.Va. • Wesleyan girls, Grayson girls, Parkview girls in She Got Game Classic at McEachern 1 p.m. — Meadowcreek girls at Peachtree Ridge 4 p.m. — Brookwood at Archer 5 p.m. — Buford at Johnson 5 p.m. — Mill Creek at Flowery Branch 6 p.m. — Commerce at Hebron 6 p.m. — North at Lanier 6 p.m. — Providence at Athens Christian School 7 p.m. — Dacula at Gainesville

WRESTLING

9 a.m. — Gwinnett County tournament at Mountain View

The Home Teams

Hawks

Gladiators

Swarm

TODAY NEXT UPCOMING at Washington at Milwaukee 7 p.m.

Fri, 8:30 p.m.

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Sports Calendar BASKETBALL

April 27: The Harlem Legends, made up of past Harlem Globetrotters and other pro athletes, will host a Hoops and Health Celebrity Basketball Show at the Dacula High School gym. The event features a 3 p.m. youth basketball clinic, a 4 p.m. VIP meet and greet and a 5 p.m. show that pits the Legends against the Gwinnett County All-Stars, made up of local educators, law enforcement members, politicians and other community leaders. For more information, go to www. harlemlegends.com, call 678-630-8843 or email harlemlegends24@harlemlegends.com.

June 3-7: The Shoot for the Stars Basketball Camp, presented by the Michael Douglas Youth

Foundation and led by former Harlem Globetrotter Michael Douglas, will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rhodes Jordan Park gym. Camp is open to boys and girls ages 7 to 14 and cost is $140 per camper.

For more information, go to www.harlemlegends.com, call 678-630-8843 or email harlemlegends24@harlemlegends.com.

LACROSSE

Jan. 6: The Fellowship of Christian Athletes Winter Lacrosse Camp will be from 1 to 4 p.m. at Rabbit Hill Park in Dacula. Participants will go through drills with area college and high school coaches in the camp, which is open to girls in grades 1 to 12. Cost is $35 and includes an FCA shirt.

Registration is available at www.fcagwinnettlax.com.

In Brief Georgia Tech lands Patenaude, Thacker as coordinators Dave Patenaude and Andrew Thacker, who have served as Temple’s offensive and defensive coordinators under new Georgia Tech head coach Geoff Collins for the past two seasons, will join Collins on The Flats in the same roles, the team announced on Monday.

Patenaude, who will also coach Georgia Tech’s quarterbacks, is a 28-year collegiate coaching veteran. Under his direction, Temple put together two of the three highest single-season passing totals in school history (3,273 yards in 2017, 3,297 yards in 2018) and ranks 24th nationally in scoring offense this season. Individually, TU running back Ryquell Armstrong ranks second in the American Athletic Conference and 14th nationally in rushing (109.8 ypg) and wide receiver Randle Jones ranks third in the AAC and 13th nationally in yards per reception (19.35 avg.) this season.

A metro-Atlanta native (Cartersville, Ga.), Thacker was promoted to Temple’s defensive coordinator in 2018 after joining Collins’ TU staff in 2017 as linebackers coach. With Thacker as coordinator, Temple’s defense scored eight defensive touchdowns (No. 1 nationally), forced 31 turnovers (No. 3 nationally), recovered 13 fumbles (No. 3 nationally) and intercepted 18 passes (No. 4 nationally). He’ll coach Georgia Tech’s linebackers in addition to his duties as defensive coordinator.

— From Staff Reports

gwinnettdailypost.com

Getting to Know … Jason Jones Jason Jones is a firstyear defensive line coach for Brookwood High School in Senllville. The Albany, Ga., native played football at the University of Mississippi for four years after a redshirt season his first year. He went on to play professional football in Germany and indoor football in Colorado.

Jones was a senior and first-team all-state player on the 2007 Westover team that Jason Jones went on the longest playoff run in school history. After winning the Cotton Bowl during his redshirt freshman season at Ole Miss, Jones was part of a comeback team at Ole Miss in 2012 that turned around from back-to-back losing seasons and won the Compas Bowl under first-year head coach Hugh Freeze.

Sometimes confused with Ole Miss’ former defensive backs coach Jason Jones, he went on to play professional football overseas before returning to the states. He is the founder of Victory Beyond the Game, an outreach ministry aiming to apply Jones’ college and professional career experiences to assist athletes desiring to pursue purpose beyond performance.

He and staff writer Taylor Denman discuss Westover’s historic 2007 season, what he learned during the college recruiting process and how he shares his experiences as a Brookwood assistant football coach.

TD: After your first year on Brookwood’s coaching staff, what were you expecting as a coach and what’s been new for you in your new job?

JJ: To be honest, it was actually a really fun year.

I learned more than what I thought I would. It’s actually exceeded my expectations. The brotherhood of coaching takes me back to the brotherhood of playing.

All of your guys have to be in sync in order for the other ones to be successful as well. As a coach, sometimes you’re more than a coach. You’re a leader, an encourager and a mentor, a role model. The kids really need that. It’s one of those things where you always have to be on your P’s and Q’s, no matter what. That’s high school football.

TD: Let’s walk it back.

You’re from Albany and went to Westover High School?

JJ: Yes. TD: What kind of success did you guys have at Westover?

JJ: If you let the record show, we’re not really a football school. We’re a basketball school, which I played as well. The success at Westover has really been based in the leadership. I hate to say it, but my senior

year was the best in school history in football. We put some things together and there was one time during the season, going into Game 8, we were 3-4.

We were playing against Monroe High School and we ended up beating them by one point. We got the good news that next day, one of our games earlier in the season got forfeited because one of the teams we played earlier had a couple of guys playing that were ineligible, too old to be playing in high school. Just like that, in a whirlwind 24 hours, we got two wins in the win column. That really changed our mind frame and we went from 3-4 to 5-3, just like that. It was definitely a whirlwind for us.

TD: So you guys ended up making the playoffs after all.

JJ: We did. We entered the playoffs 6-4 and made a nice little playoff run.

We went up to Thompson and played the Bulldogs in the Brickyard and won by two points. The next week we went to Henry County High School. We beat them up pretty good in the second round. We were considered some road warriors and we enjoyed going on the road. At that point, we were 8-4. Going into the third round of the playoffs, we got beat by Chamblee High School at Chamblee. That was the best year in school history as far as Westover football goes.

TD: Did that teach you something that you can carry into coaching?

JJ: Yeah, it definitely taught perseverance and consistency. One thing that our coach put together was the best gameplan for the athletes we had. We might have been lacking in a couple of places, but for the most part, our attitude was playing together.

We never pointed fingers and the perseverance and endurance of our mindset and the feeling of winning were really like a big thing for us around that time.

We had every opportunity to give up on the season at one point. I guess we wanted something different and we had the ability to do something that had never been done before.

TD: Were you playing defensive line at the time?

JJ: I never played defensive line in high school.

I was a linebacker. I played middle linebacker just about every snap of high school.

TD: Were you picking up defensive line techniques even as you were playing linebacker?

JJ: When I went to Ole Miss in college, I ended up playing linebacker for two years and then moved to D-end. We had a big-time recruit at D-end, but he couldn’t gain weight. So they decided to switch me and him.

TD: What was that like when you’re adapting to a position you never played before?

JJ: Very different. You find out the haves and the have-nots and you find out the do’s and the don’ts as well. You have to hang around a lot more. You have to find favorites now.

You had to change from being a fan of (former Ole Miss linebacker) Patrick Willis to being a fan of Julius Peppers. You have to adapt to your environment.

It was very different, but to be honest I liked to play D-line more than when I played linebacker.

TD: What made Ole Miss so enticing a place to play for you?

JJ: That was just — my visit was everything. That was one thing that superseded my expectations.

When I got the phone call about Ole Miss recruiting me, I didn’t know where Ole Miss was located. I knew of Eli Manning and Deuce McAllister, but that was about it. I took a chance on going on an official visit. I still made it known that I wanted to attend Auburn. Auburn was one of those schools that was recruiting me for years but never offered. When I got back from my visit from Ole Miss, I got a text from a recruiter at Auburn in class. He said, “Hey, Big Man. We’re going to start recruiting you at tight end.”

I read the message and closed my phone. When class was over, I went outside and called (Ole Miss coach Houston Nutt) and committed to Ole Miss. I just knew that I didn’t want to play offense.

TD: Did you feel like they were responding to the fact that Ole Miss was recruiting you heavily?

JJ: Probably so. I think the bigger picture was the run-around. I played tight end a little bit, not a whole lot, but that wasn’t something I saw myself doing. I only did it to help my team. That wasn’t something I thought I’d be successful at the next level. That honestly made my recruiting easy at that point. It was done at that point. I can easily say it was the best five years of my life, playing ball, going to school and graduating from the University of Mississippi.

TD: Were you playing in the 2008 and 2009 seasons?

JJ: I actually redshirted in `08, then `09 was my redshirt freshman year.

TD: Well, a few good years there. Two Cotton Bowl wins back-to-back.

JJ: Two Cotton Bowls, two off years of just not getting it done and then my senior year, making that comeback and one hell of a season that was, actually.

TD: Did you have NFL ambitions even before college?

JJ: You grow up with those ambitions and you

want to pursue that goal. I felt like for a while that I loved the game of football to death. But you come to a play where you realize, it’s what I do, not who I am. It’s not going to break me to go to the NFL or not.

If I never made it to the next level. I wanted to have no regrets.

TD: You said you played indoor ball?

JJ: Yeah, I actually went overseas to the GFL, the German Football Leauge.

In 2014-15 I went out to play indoor football with the Colorado Ice. TD: How different was German football?

JJ: German football plays by the American college rules there, which was very familiar to me.

A lot of the Germans play just as intramural. To a lot of them, it’s an intramural sport. They don’t practice and show up once a week and play. For them, it’s a game. For us Americans, especially if we’re trying to get to a different level, it’s like getting film. Getting a portfolio and letting the bigger leagues know we’re still playing ball. Overall, it was fun. A lot of time on your hands. I would encourage anyone to do it if they have an opportunity.

TD: Indoor must have felt pretty different after that.

JJ: Playing defensive line wasn’t that different. I think for other positions — linebackers, DBs, safeties — it was different for them. But playing D-line was about the same for us.

TD: To wrap up, it seems like you’ve led a football life. How do you try to explain to kids you’ve coached what the game has given you and how do you emphasize that?

JJ: One thing I really harp on is the idea that I don’t just teach them about the game of football, but I teach them about life.

That’s one thing, that everybody is going to encounter life one day. No matter who it is. I developed a business where I do speaking engagements — it’s called Victory Beyond the Game. Our motto is pursuing purpose beyond performance. It’s a platform that I use to express ,no matter if you play 10 years, 15 years or 20 years at the highest level, there comes a day to look in the mirror and understand you still have life to go. What is the victory beyond your game? You look at Derek Jeter, Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant — all of these guys came to a stage of retirement. No matter how you do it, you’re going to have life after that, so you might as well start preparing now. Impacting lives and making sure they understand that you’re not a failure because you didn’t make it to the highest level of your sport — here’s a lot of life to live beyond that.

Falcons fire three coordinators Monday Field Level Media

contract was not renewed.

Quinn said he wanted his A losing season in former player to be able to Atlanta has prompted an call plays elsewhere. overhaul of the Falcons’ “Marquand is a talented coaching staff, which coach and excellent teachbegan Monday as the team er that I have coached with fired offensive coordinator for a number of years,” Steve Sarkisian, defensive Quinn said. “I believe he coordinator Marquand should have the opportuManuel and special teams nity to call plays for a decoordinator Keith Armfense, so we have decided strong. to allow his contract to Head coach Dan Quinn expire so he can explore will take over as defenthose opportunities.”

Atlanta Falcons offensive coordinator Steve Sarkisian sive coordinator. He told Atlanta’s offense was calls a play against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the third the team’s website the 27th in the NFL in rushquarter of an August 2017 game at Mercedes-Benz Staconsistency between team dium. (Photo: Brett Davis-USA Today Sports) ing. Losing running back performance and his vision Devonta Freeman to a did not match. we needed some changes,” Atlanta’s defense was knee injury didn’t help “We know we have a Quinn said.

25th in points per game, matters. group of players here we The Falcons missed the 28th in yards allowed per Quinn told the team’s are excited about and in playoffs for the second game and 31st in thirdwebsite the Falcons made order for us to consistently time in Quinn’s four down conversion percent- the move to part with play true to our identity in seasons at 7-9, a season age.

Sarkisian after reviewing all three phases we thought marred by injuries.

Officially, Manuel’s the entire season.

perspectives

Todd Cline, Editor

todd.cline@gwinnettdailypost.com

Honored as a newspaper of General Excellence

gwinnettdailypost.com

2018

Page 3 B • Wednesday, January 2, 2019

Resolution: To speak English well

“Why can’t the English teach their children how to speak?” asked Professor Henry Higgins in the musical “My Fair Lady.” It’s a good question for Americans, especially millennials.

On a recent flight two young women sat behind me, chattering away rather loudly. In just one minute I counted 16 “likes” and “you knows” from just one of them.

It went this way: “And then she was like and then he was like and I was like, you know.”

As an adverb, “like” means nearly, closely or approximately, as in “the experience was like jumping off a high diving board.” There are other uses of the word “like,” but this is perhaps the most familiar.

As for “you know,” if the person already knows what you are telling them, why tell them?

These are verbal crutches, used to replace common English usage. They are the language of Cal the ignorant, of a Thomas generation that can neither speak well, nor think rationally. Call them Bernie Sanders voters.

The late NBC News Correspondent Edwin Newman wrote two books about the misuse of English. Some of his (and my) least favorite words are heard inside airports. Newman got irritated when airline employees spoke of a “podium,” and not a desk. He was also flummoxed when they invited certain passengers to “pre-board” the airplane, which he noted was impossible. One can board early, or board ahead of others passengers, but to “pre-board” is a contradiction.

When I was in school English grammar was a requirement, not an option.

We diagrammed sentences and learned the proper use and positioning of words.

We were taught never to end a sentence in a preposition and learned when to say “me” and “I,” and the difference between there, their and they’re.

Cliches were once mostly used by young people and inexperienced writers. Today, they have crept into the language of people who should know better. These cliches include “needless to say” (then why bother to say it?), and “cautiously optimistic.” The Washington Post once compiled a list of “200 journalism cliches … and counting” of which the cliches above are only two.

Politicians love cliches and other words and phrases that often serve as smokescreens to fool the public. “The American people” is a favorite, as if all Americans think alike. “We can’t keep spending as if there is no tomorrow” is another. So if we stop spending, will tomorrow come, or is this like Groundhog Day when there will be six more weeks of winter whether or not the rodent sees his shadow?

Don’t get me started on TV hosts and reporters. “As you can see,” they often say. Yes, we can. That’s because it’s called television. It’s not radio, OK? It has pictures. “Shot in the encounter” was a favorite of a former news director at a TV station where I worked. We wondered where one could find the encounter on one’s anatomy? “Rushed to the hospital” was another of his favorites. Why not “taken” or “driven”?

After being rushed to the hospital, one was then “hospitalized,” which always sounded to me as a process resembling the application of wax to a car (Simonize for those who don’t get it).

The point is to learn English as a means of expressing ourselves that shows we didn’t just fall off a turnip truck (deliberate use of a cliche). What’s the point of speaking English if it can’t be properly spoken and understood?

Over Christmas I listened to the Welsh poet Dylan Thomas reading his brilliant “A Child’s Christmas in Wales.”

The delight of words, well-chosen and beautifully spoken, was thrilling and captivating. He makes the listener want to listen, as opposed to wishing to plug one’s ears when assaulted with “like” and “you know.”

“One common language I’m afraid they’ll never get,” lamented Henry Higgins. Could one of our Resolutions for 2019 be to speak better English?

Readers may email Cal Thomas at tcaeditors@tribpub.com.

I plan to live this year full bore It is now January, which is named after the Roman goddess Janus, who has two heads, affording him the opportunity to look forward and backward at the same time.

I ain’t looking back, y’all.

The great baseball player Satchel Paige famously said, “Don’t ever look back; somebody might be gaining on you.”

That’s good advice.

Of course, Satchel also said, “Don’t eat fried food; it angries up the blood.” I’m ignoring that advice. He was a baseball player. What does he know?

My wife calls that selective listening.

But back to January. I am looking ahead and intend to live life full bore as long as the Good Lord lets me wake up and draw that first breath every morning. I want to be that guy.

You know the one — the one where the Devil rolls over and says, “Oh, no. He is up again.”

Speaking of which — getting up, I mean, not speaking of the Devil — I get up early every day. If I am in bed past 6 a.m. something is wrong — 5:30 a.m. is the more common time.

I hear people complain all the time that there aren’t enough hours in the day. Everybody gets 24. Some people choose to

Darrell Huckaby sleep through half of them.

But in 2019 — and I realize that I am getting dangerously close to making resolutions, here — I intend to make the most of the hours I am awake.

This year, for instance, I am really and truly going to sit down and put pen to paper and send cards and letters to people when I first take a notion to do so, and not wait until it is too late, or irrelevant. Yours may be on its way right now.

And I am going to finish at least one of the four books I’ve had on the back burner for several years. Maybe two.

In 2019, I am not going to file a tax extension. Are you listening Bob Brayton? I am going to have my return ready to send off as soon as all my pertinent information is on hand. Feb. 1 is my target date. I am. I am. I am.

In 2019, the good Lord willing, I am going to put on

my finest seersucker suit and Panama hat and take my place in the grandstand on the first Saturday in May to watch the 145th running of the Kentucky Derby.

That is, if I have any money left after paying whatever it costs to get inside the gates at Augusta National on Master’s Sunday — if it turns out that Tiger is in contention.

2019 will be the year that I finally either give or throw away all the posters and memorabilia I took off the walls of my classroom when I retired from teaching — six years ago. I know.

I’m pitiful. And I am going to throw away those essays that were just too brilliant to discard, no matter how famous I think the students who wrote them may one day become. Same with all the projects I still have in my basement closet — even Shelly Martin’s overachieving Fun with Flags display.

I may or may not lose some more weight in 2019. I was 232 when I said hello to 2018 — from Pasadena, Calif. When I left for New Orleans and the Sugar Bowl on Dec. 30 I tipped the scales at a svelte 215. The bad news is that I had been down to 200 on Labor Day. Then football season happened.

I hope to listen to a lot more live country music this year — in small venues, with good friends. I’ve had enough big arenas with speaker systems that may or may not work. Give me three chords, an acoustic guitar and a story sung from the heart and I’ll be happy. I can hear Garth and those guys on the radio.

I will still take my seat in the church pews of the Ryman — the Mother Church of Country Music — as often as I can and listen to anybody they put on that golden stage.

I’m gonna drink Coca-Cola and sweet tea whenever I want to in 2019. If I absolutely, positively have to cut back, I’ll find something else to do without.

And if I don’t make it to 2020 because I’m too fat, well, 100 percent of us are going to die of something, and when I do I get to spend eternity in Heaven with Jesus so why give up Coca-Cola?

And my biggest resolution of 2019 is to live every day of the year as if it were the last.

May God bless you and yours throughout the year and beyond.

Darrell Huckaby is an author in Rockdale County. Email him at dhuck008@gmail.com.

Sign of intelligent life in Democratic Party in Ill. WASHINGTON — If Republicans have a lick of sense, they are alarmed by a recent sign of intelligent life in the other party. The sign is the election by Democrats in the House of Representatives of Illinois Rep. Cheri Bustos as chair of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. In November, she won a fourth term by 24 percentage points, the largest margin of any Democrat running in a district Donald Trump carried in 2016. Her task as chair, which is to cement the Democrats’ House majority in 2020, involves this arithmetic: In the next Congress, 31 Democrats will represent districts Trump carried. In 2018, 40 Democrats flipped districts from red to blue — 41, if the Democrat wins the North Carolina race clouded by allegations of vote fraud. Twenty-two Democrats won by 5 percentage points or less. Twenty-three lost by 5 points or less. Democrats have noticed that Bustos prospers in a mostly rural district that extends along the Mississippi from the Wisconsin border to a portion of Peoria.

Sixty percent of the district’s residents live in towns with populations of 1,000 or fewer, 85 percent are in towns of 5,000 or fewer. In November, she won all of her district’s 14 counties, 11 of which are entirely rural.

What lessons can Democrats

George Will learn from her success among Trump voters? They might start by marrying a cop. She says she gets “instant credibility” by telling audiences that her husband, who has been in law enforcement for 34 years, is the sheriff of Rock Island County. Regarding guns, it is helpful if one of your sons finished second in the national collegiate trap-shooting competition. It also is helpful if another son is a union welder.

Favorable trends might tempt Democrats to think that that they can thrive without the voters Bustos reaches. The Economist, noting that Trump’s approval rating is “stratified by age,” reports that baby boomers — those born between 1946 and 1964 — who have been America’s largest age cohort for more than five decades will in 2019 be outnumbered by millennials, those born between 1981 and 1996. Boomers are — were; they are shuffling off stage — almost 75 percent white; millennials are

56 percent white. In this year’s midterm elections, Democrats won two-thirds of voters ages 18 to 29, and 71 percent of millennial women.

Furthermore, the GOP, which thinks of itself as the redoubt of the devout, is competing in an increasingly secular country. The Economist says that “Nones” — people with no religion — “already outnumber Catholics and mainline Protestants,” and in 2019 might outnumber evangelicals. “There will soon be more Nones than any single group of Christians.”

Ex-Catholics are 13 percent of the American population.

Furthermore, The New York Times reports that with the Democrats’ capture of New York’s 11th Congressional District, which includes Staten Island and part of Brooklyn, Republicans now hold no “truly urban” district. Since Republicans lost four Orange County, California, seats in November — the Democrats lost only two seats nationally — come January there will be no Republican from there in Congress for the first time since 1940. And there will be no Republicans from New England.

If, however, Democrats aspire to be less of a coastal party — come January, there will be more House Democrats from California than from 36 other states combined —they

should want to emulate Bustos’ success among voters she calls “Trump triers,” those who are less than his devoted acolytes.

Republicans can hope that in 2020, with Trump presumably at the top of their ticket, the turnout will be much larger and very unlike that of 2018.

But analyst Charlie Cook, citing Michael McDonald of the United States Elections Project, says the 2018 turnout of 50.1 percent was the highest of any midterm election since 1914. David Wasserman of the Cook Political Report says Republicans lost 96 percent of House contests in districts Trump either lost or carried by less than 7 points.

Bustos sometimes connects with her constituents by asking them what they do for fun.

When one woman answered “cable television,” Bustos asked if her family did not go out to movies. No, the woman replied, four tickets and popcorn exceed the family’s budget.

This answer spoke volumes about the constituent’s disposable income. Bustos’ question revealed a well-honed political intuition. Democrats, she says, have to “own” districts like hers, “not rent them.” This is what ownership looks like: Her four margins of victory have been 6 percentage points, 11, 20 and 24.

George Will’s email address is georgewill@washpost.com.

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All bedrooms on upper level. 3 finished rooms on lower level.

FHA insured w/escrow.

EHO • $120,000 Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealty professionals.com

1.9 ACRES 1.9 acre parcel with 2 wells. Ready for you to build your dream home +/- 253 ft. frontage.

EHO • $29,000 Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealty professionals.com

COMMERCIAL SPACE FOR LEASE $2,095 Per Month (CAM included).

Currently a mail package store but owner is moving.

Ample parking, adjacent to Quik Trip in Loganville, GA. EHO. Peters Realty Professionals 770-466-2885 www.petersrealty professionals.com

3 CARS FOR SALE! MOVING MUST SELL! 2006 Chrysler Pacifica, 110,000 mi. $2,400 FIRM; 2005 Cadillac Deville, 126,500 mi., $2,475 FIRM; 1999 Toyota Camry, High mileage, $975 FIRM 770-676-9931

APPLIANCES

LINCOLN CONTINENTAL, 1980

Honda Accord EX-L, 2008 72k miles, silver with black leather, automatic, sunroof, $2,000, dssr@netscape.com, 770-234-6657

APPLIANCES DRYER/WASHER $125 ea.; Super Capacity $175 ea.

Front Loader Set $450 & up; Regular Refrig. & Ranges $175 & up; SXS Refrig. $300 & up.

Dishwasher $100 & up. Different colors.

Del/1 yr warr.

Tim 404-205-2222

COMPUTERS COMPUTER ISSUES? FREE DIAGNOSIS

by GEEKS ON SITE! Virus Removal, Data Recovery!

24/7 EMERGENCY SERVICE, In-home repair/On-line solutions. $20 OFF ANY SERVICE! 844-359-9730

4 door signature series classic, silver grey w/leather top, red cloth interior, mechanically and body overall is an 8 on a scale of 1-10, one family owned, always garage secured, currently insured for $16k, asking $12k OBO. Contact Rosemarie 770-808-8181 or 678-977-1063 WIN A $,3000 GRAND PRIZE! Take our survey at www.pulsepoll. com and tell us about your media usage and shopping plans. Your input will help this paper help local businesses.

FIREWOOD SEASONED OAK FIREWOOD 4x8 Rack $125.

Delivered & Stacked.

Lawrenceville/Buford area. 678-997-5675.

Proceeds for funding Helping Hands Missionary Trips.

FITNESS/HEALTH/ SPORTING GOODS

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MISC. FOR SALE WIN $3,000 IN CASH AND PRIZES! Enter to win. Take our survey at www.pulsepoll.com and tell us about your household shopping plans and media usage.

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ANNOUNCEMENTS

NOTICES GUARANTEED LIFE INSURANCE! (Ages 50 to 80).

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Benefits never decrease. Policy will only be cancelled for non-payment.

855-417-5164.

FOR RATES AND INFORMATION

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770.963.9205

2018

6B • WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 2, 2019

CHANGE AT THE TOP FOR MILL CREEK FOOTBALL

Shannon Jarvis, the second-longest tenured head football coach in Gwinnett, resigned from the program to transition into an assistant principal role at the high school. He is the only head football coach in Mill Creek history, starting the program in 2004, and went 102-68 in 15 seasons with two state semifinal appearances. Those two Final Four teams went 10-0 in the regular season and won back-toback region titles.

gwinnettdailypost.com

TOPSTORIES

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ANOTHER BANNER YEAR FOR MOORE

Maya Moore fell short of another Minnesota Lynx championship, but the Collins Hill grad was named the WNBA All-Star Game MVP. Off the court, Nike created a poster for her that recreates Michael Jordan’s legendary “Wings” pose and unveiled a Jordan Brand shoe in Moore’s name. It wasn’t the only big WNBA news for Gwinnett as Norcross’ Diamond DeShields and North Gwinnett’s Lexie Brown were firstround draft picks.

WILLIAMS NAMED SIXTH MAN OF YEAR

The 2018 calendar year featured a number of memories for South Gwinnett alum Lou Williams, who won the NBA Sixth Man of the Year award for the second time in his career. He averaged career highs with 22.6 points and 5.3 assists, earning the honor for the second time — he also won with the Toronto Raptors in 2014-15. The guard also reached the 10,000-point milestone for his career and dropped 50 points in a win over the NBA champion Warriors.

KAMARA TABBED AS TOP OFFENSIVE ROOKIE NFL Honors Night included a huge honor for Norcross product Alvin Kamara, who was named the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. The Saints running back, also a Pro Bowl selection, led all rookies with 1,554 yards and 14 total touchdowns, in addition to his 81 catches, the third-highest total by a running back in NFL history. He joins Pro Football Hall of Famer Gayle Sayers as the only NFL rookies to have at least five rushing TDs, five receiving TDs and a kickoff return TD.

ALL-STAR CHARLIE

North Gwinnett grad Charlie Blackmon made the National League All-Star Team for the second straight season and third time in his MLB career. The Rockies outfielder’s selection was the highlight of a season that saw him hit .291 with 29 home runs and 70 RBIs. Photo: Craig Cappy

BART HEADLINES MLB DRAFT CLASS

Staff Photo: Jason Braverman

Buford alum Joey Bart, fresh off a stellar career at Georgia Tech, made Gwinnett history in the MLB Draft, which saw 17 players from the county drafted over the course of three days. Bart was picked No. 2 overall, the highest MLB Draft selection in Gwinnett history, by the San Francisco Giants, who gave him a signing bonus of $7.025 million, the largest upfront amount given to a position player in MLB Draft history.

TIMBERWOLVES DRAFT OKOGIE

Former Shiloh and Georgia Tech star Josh Okogie was taken in the first round of the NBA Draft by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Okogie, drafted 20th overall, averaged 18.2 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 201718 as a sophomore. He entered the draft early and impressed even more at the NBA Combine, where he posted one of the event’s top vertical leaps.

New Year...new home projects!

Britt’s has what you need.

FLOORING • CARPET • APPLIANCES • TILE