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Gwinnett Daily Post WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 26, 2018
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Vol. 48, No. 162
GGC president to retire after academic year
BY TREVOR MCNABOE
trevor.mcnaboe@gwinnettdailypost.com
Georgia Gwinnett College is looking for a new leader following school president Stas Preczewski’s announcement Monday that he will retire at the end of the academic year.
Preczewski has served as president of GGC since 2014, overseeing the growth of Georgia’s youngest state institution to an enrollment of more than 12,500. “Whether it’s national rankings, fundraising or accomplishments of our graduates, GGC has been on a remarkable upward trajectory for
over 12 consecutive years,” Preczewski said in a statement. “The credit goes to the faculty, staff and students who shatter records as a matter of routine operations. They have a selfless commitment to our culture and are dedicated to student success in all of its forms. I have been privileged and proud to shoulder this
work alongside the members of this community each and every day.” Preczewski has been a part of the college since its inception in 2006, serving eight years as vice president of academic and student affairs and one year as interim president before See RETIRING, Page 6A
Stas Preczewski
Atlanta teens charged with July murder in Lilburn BY ISABEL HUGHES curt.yeomans@gwinnettdailypost.com
To cross the pond
Parkview’s Marching band celebrates its official invitation to participate in the London 2020 New Year’s Day Parade on Tuesday. (Staff Photos: Trevor McNaboe)
Parkview band invited to march in London parade in 2020 BY TREVOR MCNABOE trevor.mcnaboe @gwinnettdailypost.com
Parkview High School’s marching band can pack its bags and start getting acclimated to fish and chips following Tuesday evening’s official invitation to participate in the 2020 London New Year’s Day Parade. Officials from the parade as well as Lord Mayor Robert Davis visited the Lilburn school to present the school with a welcoming to one of the largest parades in the world. ”It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to march in this parade,” Jason Atha, Parkview band director, said. “We’re honored to have guests here tonight.” Lilburn Mayor Johnny Crist said students should take the opportunity that is presented to them and cherish it for a lifetime. “Students, your parents are making a huge financial sacrifice to offer you an experience that is about to change your life,” Crist said. “You’ll reference this trip and thousands
Deputy Lord Mayor of Westminster Robert Davis was greeted by Lance Kindl, Parkview’s assistant band director, on Tuesday.
MORE ONLINE Visit gwinnettdailypost.com for more photos of the invitation.
of conversations for the rest of your life. This trip is going to
stretch your horizons way past Lilburn, Ga.” According to Bob Bone, London New Year’s Day Parade executive director, Parkview’s selection is “We are the greatest pa-
rade in the greatest city in the world,” Bone said. “There are more than 8,500 performers from 20 different countries. To put that in perspective, See BAND, Page 6A
Two Atlanta teenagers have been arrested in connection with the murder of a 20-year-old Snellville resident who was gunned down at a Lilburn bowling alley in July. Geovanni Perez and Khalid Bays, both 18, of Atlanta, were charged with aggravated assault and felony murder in the shooting death of 20-yearold Snellville resident Rahmier Gardner, who was killed July 29 at the Brunswick Zone bowling alley on Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn. Police responded to the bowling alley around Khalid Bays 11:15 the night of the shooting where they found Gardner, a Brookwood High School graduate, dead in the parking lot. “Despite the responding officer’s efforts at medical intervention, the Geovanni victim was pronounced Perez deceased by responding emergency medical personnel,” officials said at the time. “The investigation has determined Mr. Gardner was bowling with a group of friends when he stepped outside.” Police have not given a motive for the murder, though said that they believe Bays and Perez were at the bowling alley to meet with Gardner specifically. At least one of the teens was an acquaintance of Gardner. Though Bays and Perez are now in custody — Bays is being held in Atlanta for a separate murder and Perez was arrested at his home in northwest Atlanta on Tuesday by Lilburn detectives and the Atlanta Police Department’s Fugitive Unit — Lilburn police said they are still looking for a third suspect. She is believed to be a Hispanic woman living in southwest Atlanta. “I’m proud of the investigative work conducted by the Lilburn detectives and hope these arrests help provide some closure for the Gardner family during this difficult time,” Lilburn Police Chief Bruce Hedley said. “The Lilburn Police Department would also like to thank our partners at the Atlanta Police Department’s Zone 1 Precinct, as well as investigators in the Homicide, Intelligence, Homeland Security and Fugitive units.” Staff reporter Curt Yeomans contributed to this report.
Buford BOE meeting answers some questions, others unresolved BY ISABEL HUGHES
dents about the future of their school system. While those questions were not shied away from Two months after Buat a board of education ford City Schools Super- meeting Monday night, intendent Geye Hamby many residents left feelresigned amid a lawsuit ing more optimistic than and audio recording scan- they had following a simdal in which he is accused ilar meeting last month, of spewing racial epithets in part due to a dialogue about black construction that emerged between workers, questions still school board officials and remain for Buford resiattendees over the course
isabel.hughes@ gwinnettdailypost.com
of the evening. “I didn’t come out here to speak tonight,” Buford resident Molly Moore said. “I came out here because I care and I love this community. But one thing I know about diversity and about change is that listening is so important, and in order to understand anybody, you’ve got to listen to everybody.”
The majority of attendees — and school board members — were listening Monday night as residents expressed their concerns, many of which centered on what community members said they felt was the board’s lack of transparency and its overwhelming silence immediately after the See BUFORD, Page 6A
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Buford residents spoke to the board of education as well as each other at Buford City Schools’ Board of Education meeting Monday night. (Staff Photo: Isabel Hughes)