Darnell Fullum, DeKalb County's Fire Chief since 2014, has Pennsylvania roots

DeKalb County Fire Chief Darnell Fullum dreamed of being a fireman while he was growing up in Beaver Falls, Pa., according to a profile in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.

Fullum was appointed Dekalb County's fire chief by CEO Lee May in 2014 after 26 years with Fulton County's fire department. He replaced Eddie O'Brien, who had been with DeKalb County's first department for 25 years.

In his DeKalb County office, Fullum has a photo of a Beaver Falls fire station he walked past every day as a child. He says it helps "keep me humble in my quest to be the best I can be in my emergency management role."

Jackson named chair of DeKalb County Senate Legislative Delegation

State Sen. Kim Jackson (D-Stone Mountain) has been elected chair of the Dekalb County Senate Legislative Delegation for the 2023-2024 General Assembly.

"The citizens of Dekalb County share several concerns such as access to resources, cost of living, education and many more," Jackson says in a statement.

Jackson represents the 41st Senate District which includes portions of DeKalb and a small portion of Gwinnett County

Stone Mountain youth wins national classical string musician competition in Detroit

A Stone Mountain high school student has won the Detroit-based Sphinx Organization's national competition for young Black and Latinx classical string players.

Brandon Leonard, the 17-year-old winner of the 25th annual Sphinx Competition, has been playing the cello for eight years. Recognized as an All-State Principal Cellist, Leonard has also worked with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. 

Mitchell sponsors bill to have Georgia driver's license include blood type

State Representative Billy Mitchell (D-Stone Mountain) has introduced a bill in the General Assembly (HB 13) that would allow Georgia driver's licenses to include a space to indicate the driver's blood type.

The proposal amends the current law governing driver's licenses to add this provision:

"Each license shall include a space for indicating the licensee's blood type, the completion of which shall be optional and shall be marked as optional. The state, the department, and officers and employees of the department shall be immune from liability for any injury resulting from an error in the blood type indicated on a driver's license."

NAACP Black History Month event to discuss Georgia "divisive concepts" education law

"Our History Is Under Attack" will be the theme of a Black History Month Program from the NAACP's DeKalb County branch next month.

The event, free to the public, will be held at Rainbow Park Baptist Church, 2941 Columbia Dr. in Decatur at 10 a.m. on Saturday, February 4.

A panel of legislators, educators, administrators, parents and students will discuss a Georgia law passed last year that seeks to prevent "divisive concepts and ideologies from invading the classroom" by barring any discussions that "the United States of America is fundamentally racist," "any other form of race scapegoating or race stereotyping," or "espousing personal political beliefs."

"They are trying to restrict teaching of Black History to our children," the DeKalb NAACP says. "Come and find out what you need to know to save our history."

All are invited to attend, online registration through Eventbrite is required.

Pay raises ahead for DeKalb County elected officials?

A legal notice has been filed suggesting that legislation will be introduced in the Georgia General Assembly this year to change the "compensation of certain county officers and officials of DeKalb County."

The notice, placed in the county's legal organ, does not indicate who will be sponsoring the legislation nor what the pay changes might be.

Name change for longtime Methodist church on Memorial Drive

St. Timothy United Methodist Church, 5365 Memorial Dr., has changed its business name to STAR Community United Methodist Church.

St. Timothy recently merged with Allgood Rd. United Methodist Church, 640 Allgood Rd. The combined congregations have been using the name The Church United Methodist Church and meeting at St. Timothy's Memorial Dr. building. 

The combined church updated its non-profit corporate registration with the Georgia Secretary of State's office earlier this month, changing its name from St. Timothy United Methodist Church Inc. to STAR Community United Methodist Church, Inc.

DeKalb County rejects plan to put homes in woods near Hairston and Rockbridge Roads

A proposal to build 124 single-family homes on 40 acres of woods northeast of the intersection of Hairston Rd. and Rockbridge Rd. was rejected by DeKalb County commissioners on Thursday. 

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted 7-0-0 against the application after hearing opposition from residents of the Hickory Hills and Kenilworth subdivisions. County planners had recommended approval of the proposal with conditions. 

DeKalb County CEO says "terrorists" oppose Atlanta training center

Violent protestors at the site of Atlanta's proposed 85-acre public safety training center in DeKalb County are "terrorists," DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond said Monday.

Thurmond, who receives 24/7 police protection, contends the $90 million center in southeast Atlanta will provide "recreation" and should create jobs for "young men, particularly young black men in that community so that they can pursue honest labor."

DeKalb County's government is "pro training center," Thurmond said on the GPB Radio program "Political Rewind." "If we get a safer Atlanta, we get a safer DeKalb County." 

Phone call from L.A.? Political robocalls from DeKalb County's CEO and top prosecutor.

DeKalb County residents have been receiving political robocalls from DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston, with the Caller ID showing a telephone number with the 323- area code, which is the Los Angeles area. The calls promote a Democratic Party June 21 runoff candidate for Georgia Labor Commissioner.

Feds order DeKalb County to pay damages, adopt anti-discrimination policies and training

DeKalb County must adopt new anti-discrimination policies and training and pay $190,000 in damages and lost wages to a former employee to settle a federal lawsuit alleging county officials retaliated against a woman who complained of sexual harassment, government prosecutors said Friday. 

Federal prosecutors filed the lawsuit earlier this year, alleging that DeKalb County retaliated against Cemetra Brooks, who said she was the subject of unwelcome sexual advances, comment and conduct by the deputy director of the county's Facilities Management Department. 

A month after she filed a sexual harassment complaint with the county, the deputy director's supervisor, the director of Facilities Management, asked the county's human resources office for information that would help him to fire Brooks during her initial six-month probation, federal prosecutors said.

DeKalb County certifies May 24 primary election results

DeKalb County election officials voted on Friday to certify the results of the May 24 primary election and deny any requests for recounts.

The 4-1 vote by the DeKalb County Voter Registration and Elections Board dismissed any recount requests that had been made by any candidates or political parties. The board is not legally required to grant them.

The vote came after executive director Keisha Smith assured the board that ballots "have been accurately tabulated to the assigned candidates of their choice." 

"These results are accurate," Smith said.

"I am satisfied with the results of the hand-count tabulation as well as the outcome of the other races for the May 24 primary," said board member Susan Motter, who made the motion for certification.

Road Bumps Ahead in DeKalb County

The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved neighborhood requests for speed tables on Lullwater Rd. and Mulberry Lane, allowing for a 90-day petition process to begin.

Earlier this month, commissioners approved traffic calming petitions for

   - Alford Way, off Alford Rd

   - Browns Mills Ferry Rd., between Browns Mill Rd and Browns Mill Ferry Dr.

   - Collier Dr. between Pinewood Dr. and Tilson Rd.

Traffic calming devices in DeKalb County are paid for by nearby property owners. The county imposes a never-ending assessment on annual property tax bills for properties on and near the designated streets.

Stone Mountain mulls high school art mural

A Stone Mountain High School Art Club mural project is among the subjects to be discussed at a special-called meeting of Stone Mountain's parks committee on Wednesday, Feb. 23.

The city's Parks & Recreation Committee is also set to discuss a wall resurfacing project at Medlock Park. Signage and playgrounds are also on the agenda.

The committee meets at 6 p.m. on Feb. 23, but the City of Stone Mountain only releases Zoom meeting details on its web site a few hours before a meeting takes place. Zoom meeting information does not appear on committee agendas.

NAACP DeKalb president suspended by state organization

The president of the DeKalb County branch of the NAACP has been suspended by the state NAACP organization for unspecified reasons, according to a notice emailed to members of the civil rights group this week. 

Teresa Hardy had served as the President of NAACP DeKalb since July 2016, when she replaced John Evans. Lance Hammonds, a vice president of the branch since 2011 who has served as its education chair, is the new branch president.

"I want to thank President Teresa Hardy for the hard work and dedication to our branch and the DeKalb County community," Hammonds said in the mailing.

Lance Hammonds

Action was taken by administrators of the NAACP Georgia State Conference, the email stated. "We do not have any more specifics that we can share with you," it said.

The NAACP DeKalb web site makes no mention of the suspension, but one page on the site now lists Hammonds as president. Another page still lists Hardy as president.

On Common Ground reports that Hardy, who is the treasurer for the state organization's executive committee, is appealing her suspension.

"There is nothing that gives me any indication that it is criminal," national NAACP board member Edward Dubose of Columbus, told OCGNews.com. 

Hardy led the NAACP branch's recent three-year Remembrance Project to erect markers in DeKalb County recognizing lynchings that occurred as recently as the 1940s.

Hammonds, who grew up in the housing projects of South Central Los Angeles after the 1965 Watts riots, is a 38-year resident of DeKalb County. He is also the chairman of the Rockbridge Coalition of communities and is a member of the DeKalb County Charter Review Commission.

"The mission of the NAACP DeKalb County Branch will continue until racial hatred and discrimination has been eliminated," Hammonds said in the email to members.