WWW.CHAMPIONNEWSPAPER.COM • FRIDAY, MARCH 16, 2012 • VOL. 14, NO. 51 •FREE
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• A PUBLICATION OF ACE III COMMUNICATIONS •
Photos by John SilasPhotos by Matt Amato
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Serving East Atlanta, Avondale Estates, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Clarkston, Decatur, Doraville, Dunwoody, Lithonia, Pine Lake, Tucker and Stone Mountain.
See Basketball on Page 15A
by Robert Naddrarobert@dekalbchamp.com
T
wo of the most dominanthigh school basketball pro-grams in the state sent amessage March 9-10 at theGeorgia High School Associationstate tournaments—they’re onlygetting stronger.Miller Grove and Columbiaaccounted for four state titles, theWolverines winning the boys’ andgirls’ Class AAAA titles at GwinnettArena in Duluth on March 9 and theEagles’ claiming the AAA boys’ andgirls’ crowns in Macon on March10.This is the rst time two DeKalbschools have swept titles in thesame season. Columbia won bothClass AAA championships in 2010.Columbia, led by coach
PhilMcCrary
with more than 500 wins,defeated Drew 65-46 to give the Ea-gles three state championships in arow and ve in the past seven years.The last program to win ve titles inseven seasons was Lanier of Maconin the 1940s. With a 62-57 win over Southwest DeKalb on March 9,Miller Grove became the rst boys’team in the state to win four straightstate championships since Westover did it 1990-93.But the weekend was aboutmore than the success of boys’ basketball in the county. In girls’games, Columbia defeated No. 1Washington County 57-33 in AAAand Miller Grove upended South-west DeKalb 46-39 for the AAAAchampionship.Columbia coach
Chantay Frost
has catapulted the Eagles into thestate spotlight in each of the four seasons she has been at the school.Frost has won at least 23 games per season and is 99-23 with two statetitles in four years at Columbia.Before Frost’s arrival, Columbia’sgirls’ program had won more than20 games only four times since1971.Miller Grove’s girls won its rsttitle in its rst championship gameappearance. Miller Grove began its
Columbia, Miller Grove add to basketball tradition with 4 titles
Page 2A The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 16
,
2012
Accused Dunwoody killer’s fatein hands of jury
Please complete this nomination form and return it to The Champion oce by March 30, 2012. A panel of civic, corporate and governmentvolunteers will select the winners. Recipients will receive charitable contributions to help further their eorts in the county. Winners will behonored at the
CEO’s Community Hero Awards Gala at Callanwolde Fine Arts Center on Sunday, April 29, 2012 - 4 p.m.
Nominations may be faxed to: 404-373-7721
Or mail nomination to: The Champion Newspaper • P. O. Box 1347, Decatur, GA 30030
Email nomination forms to: JohnH@deKalbchamp.comNominator’s name ___________________________________________________Nominator’s address __________________________________________________City _________________________________ State ____ ZIP Code _____________Nominator’s phone number ____________________________________________Nominator’s email ____________________________________________________
Deadline to submit nominations is March 30, 2012.
For more information, please contact Erica M. Brooks at 404-371-3695 or John Hewitt at 404-373-7779 x110.
Award Nominee Information
(attach additional page if needed)
*All individual nominees must live in DeKalb County. Any organization nominated must be able todemonstrate a clear presence and direct impact on DeKalb County. Please indicate below which category best describes your nomination:
COMMUNITY CHAMPION AWARD
This award acknowledges an individual and non-prot organization whose work has had a positive
impact in strengthening communities and improving the lives of others in DeKalb County.
ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AWARD
This award honors a community member and/or organization that works to preserve, protect, and raiseawareness about our environment.
YOUTH VOLUNTEER AWARD
This award will recognize two DeKalb County youths 18 years old and younger who exemplify volunteerism
and community service.
NEIGHBORHOOD EMPOWERMENT AWARD
This award recognizes an individual and organization that fosters civic engagement and promotescommunity involvement.
THE VANGUARD AWARD
This award recognizes an individual and organization whose contributions most exemplify the
National County Government Month theme as established by NACo each year. This year’s DeKalbtheme is “Healthy Counties, Healthy Families; ONE Healthy DeKalb”.
Nominee’s name______________________________________________________Nominee’s Agency, Community Organization, or Individual Volunteer Focus____________________________________________________________________Nominee’s address:____________________________________________________City______________________ State____ ZIP _________________Nominee’s contact info
(required so nominee can be notied if selected)
Name ____________________ Phone ____________ E-mail address _________________
Please tell us why this nominee should be honored as a CEO’s Community Hero:
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Attach additional information if needed
Nominate a community servant, community organization or an individual in the DeKalb community who tirelessly volunteers his or her service for the betterment of DeKalb County.
Announcing the 2012
CEO’s Community Hero AwardsCEO’s Community Hero Awards
presented by
The Champion Newspaper and DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis
by Andrew Cauthenandrew@dekalbchamp.comTestimony is over in thetrial of accused killer
Hemy
Neuman
and now it is up to jurors to decide whether hewas insane at the time of thecrime. Neuman is on trial for the November 2010 killing out-side Dunwoody Prep daycarecenter of
Russell Sneider-man
, a 36-year-old entrepre-neur who was shot four timesafter he had dropped off hisson. Neuman has pleaded notguilty by reason of insanity.In his closing arguments,DeKalb County District At-torney
Robert
James
told the jury that Neuman has “lied toeverybody about everything.”“He created lies,” Jamessaid. “He’s the father of lies.Is there any truth that he’stold?”James said the psychiatriststhat determined Neuman wasinsane “either lack sincerity…or they’re dense.”“If you have a problemwith what he’s telling you…if you have a problem withthe ingredients in the sand-wich and if you don’t trustthe cook—Lord knows he’s aliar—then you don’t have toeat the sandwich,” James said.James countered defenseattorneys’ claims that Neu-man’s alleged insanity, de- pression and bipolar disorder were the results of being beat-en by his father as a child.“If he had been smackedwith a belt more maybe hewouldn’t have killed a man,”James said.Defense attorney
Doug
Peters
said the “case is aboutone bad, one really bad wom-an:
Andrea
Sneiderman
.” Neuman, who worked atGE Energy in Marietta, wasthe supervisor of AndreaSneiderman, the victim’s wife.Throughout the trial, the al-leged affair between Neumanand Andrea Sneiderman has been a central theme of boththe prosecution and defenseteams.“The gun was in Hemy’shand, but the trigger was pulled by Andrea Sneider-man,” Peters said.Peters told jurors that if they believed that “AndreaSneiderman did not knowwhat she was doing, did notmanipulate Hemy, did notsuggest to Hemy, did not plant seeds in Hemy, I suggestyou’re not taking a reasonablelook at this case.“Hemy Neuman did nothave the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong,” Pe-ters said.The testimony portion of the trial ended March 12 after jurors heard from rebuttal wit-nesses, during which
WilliamBrickhouse
, the head psychia-trist at the DeKalb County jail,said he never witnessed anysuicidal tendencies from Neu-man.“Though the defendant maytell you he has depression,though the defendant may tellyou he is considering suicide,did you see any evidence thatthat really existed?” asked
Don
Geary
, chief assistant districtattorney.“No, I did not,” Brickhousesaid.On March 9, Brickhouse
See Neuman on Page 8A
Neuman
Page 3A The Champion Free Press, Friday, March 16
,
2012
School board defers vote to cover projected shortfall
COMBINED NOTICENOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENTAND NOTICE TO THE PUBLIC OF REQUEST FOR RELEASE OF FUNDS
March 15, 2012
DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330Decatur, Georgia 30030elephone (404) 286-3308
TO ALL INTERESTED AGENCIES, GROUPS AND PERSONS:
he DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department gives notice that it will submit a request for release of grant funds andan environmental certication pertaining to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) 15 days following this publication.Te request and certication relate to the following projects.Project: HOME Program: Columbia Mills Apartments – Demolition and Redevelopment Project Location: 2229 Flat Shoals Road SE, Atlanta, GA 30316Purpose: Te DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department plans to provide HOME funds to supplement otherfunding and assist the developer (New Aordable Housing Partners, LLC) with the demolition and redevelopment of the Columbia Mill Apart-ments located on approximately 6.1 acres of land at 2229 Flat Shoals Road in DeKalb County Georgia. It has been determined that although wellmaintained, the existing buildings are functionally obsolete and in need of extensive renovations. An analysis has determined that it would bemore cost eective to demolish the existing buildings and construct new housing. New construction will allow for an increase in the total numberof safe and aordable units available to the community. Te redeveloped Columbia Mill Apartments will be garden style apartments for low tomoderate income families and workforce housing households. 80 of the 100 units are set-aside for low income rental at or below 60% AMI while20% of the units are unrestricted (market) rental.
FINDING OF NO SIGNIFICANT IMPACT (FONSI)
I
t has been determined that such request for release of funds will not constitute an action signicantly aecting the quality of the humanenvironment and, accordingly, DeKalb County has decided not to prepare Environmental Impact Statements under the National EnvironmentalPolicy Act of 1969 (P.L. 91-190).Te reasons for such decision not to prepare such Statements are as follows:An Environmental Assessment has been made for the project which concludes that all adverse eects will be minor, and any short-term impactswill be mitigated by either the requirements of the construction contract documents or by the requirements of applicable local, state or federalpermits and environmental ordinances. Te positive eects of providing activities that augment and substantially improve the County’s eortstowards supporting aordable senior housing in the targeted areas of the County outweigh any potential negative impacts. Tis project is consis-tent with the goals and objectives of the DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department, approved Consolidated Plan.Te Environmental Review Records, respecting the proposed projects, have been made by DeKalb County which documents the environmentalreview of the projects and fully sets forth the reasons why such Environmental Impact Statements are not required.Te Environmental Review Records are on le at the DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department, 150 E. Ponce de LeonAvenue, Suite 330, Decatur, Georgia 30030 and is available for public examination and copying upon request between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and5:00 p.m.No further environmental reviews of the subject project are proposed to be conducted prior to the request for release of Federal funds.
Public Comments on FONSI
All interested agencies, groups, and persons disagreeing with this decision are invited to submit written comments for consideration by DeKalbCounty to the Human and Community Development Director. Written comments will be received at 150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330,Decatur, Georgia on or before March 30, 2012. All comments received will be considered and DeKalb County will not request the release of Fed-eral funds or take any administrative action on the proposed projects prior to the date specied in the preceding sentence.
NOTICE OF INTENT TO REQUEST RELEASE OF FUNDS (NOI/RROF)
At least one day aer the termination of the public comment period for the FONSI, but not before comments on the FONSI have been consid-ered and resolved, DeKalb County will submit a Request for Release of Funds (RROF) and certication to HUD. By so doing DeKalb County willask HUD to allow it to commit funds to these projects, certifying that (1) it has performed the environmental reviews prescribed by HUD regula-tions (“Environmental Review Procedures for itle I Community Development Block Grant Program” - 24 CFR part 58), and (2) the CertifyingOcer, Chris Morris, Director, DeKalb County Human and Community Development Department, consents to accept and enforce responsibili-ties in relation to the environmental reviews or resulting decision-making and action. Te legal eect of the certication is that by approving it,HUD will have satised its responsibilities under the National Environmental Policy Act, thus allowing DeKalb County to commit HOME fundsto these projects.
Objection to Release of Funds
HUD will accept objections to its approval of the release of funds and the certication only if it is on one of the following basis: (a) that thecertication was not in fact executed by the Certifying Ocer; or (b) that the applicant’s Environmental Review Record for the project indicatedomission of a required decision, funding, or step applicable to the project in the environmental review process. Objections must be preparedand submitted in accordance to HUD at the Regional Environmental Branch, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, 40 MariettaStreet N.W., 15th oor, Atlanta, Georgia 30303-9812.Objections to the release of funds on basis other than those stated above will not be considered by HUD. No objection received aer April 18,2012 will be considered by HUD.
Chris H. Morris, DirectorDeKalb County Human and Community Development Department150 E. Ponce de Leon Avenue, Suite 330, Decatur, Georgia 30030Date of Publication andDissemination of NoticeMarch 15, 2012
by Daniel Beauregarddaniel@dekalbchamp.comDeKalb County SchoolBoard members deferreda vote on March 12 tocover a projected shortfallof nearly $40 million
onSPLOST II and III proj-ects.Rather than vote on a proposed corrective action plan, board members votedunanimously to accept asubsequent motion putforth by DeKalb CountySchool Superintendent
Cheryl Atkinson
.“What you will be ap- proving is our ability tomove whatever projects wecan to SPLOST IV withinthe legal limits and under-standing two budgetary is-sues,” Atkinson said.Atkinson said the dis-trict would not take out bonds to jumpstart work onSPLOST IV, saving it $11million that was set asideto pay for them. She saidthis would mean all proj-ects would be paid out-of- pocket by the district.Additionally, Atkin-son told board membersthe district would ensurethat all projects withinSPLOST IV would be ableto be completed, and thenlook at what the contingen-cies were for adding theSPLOST III projects to thelist.At the end of February,school ofcials told the board that due to account-ing and over-budgetingfrom SPLOST II projects,as well as issues involvingSPLOST III and the Cham- blee High School replace-ment project, the schoolsystem faces a projectedshortfall of nearly $40 mil-lion if corrective actionwas not taken.Ofcials presented board members with acorrective action plan thatreallocated some funds,closed out other projectsfrom SPLOST II and halt-ed 35 SPLOST III projectsto cover the gap. However, board members tabled thevote twice.
Bill Wildman
, who rep-resents the school system,said its legal team wouldhave to do some researchas to whether the languageon the SPLOST IV referen-dum was broad enough tocover moving some of theSPLOST III projects ontothe SPLOST IV projectlist.“My understanding is thatyou would rst have to com- plete the SPLOST IV projectsthat were on the referendumthen if we had any addi-tional money come in fromSPLOST IV we could applyit. But, I believe we rst haveto nish SPLOST IV projectsthat were on the referendumand voted on by the public,”Wildman said.If the projects weren’t ableto be added, Atkinson said the board would then vote on acorrective action plan.“I’m not sure how longthat would take us to check the language of the referen-dum. We should probablyhave an answer within 24 or 48 hours,” Atkinson said.Board member
PamelaSpeaks
said that if it is pos-sible to move some of theSPLOST III projects to theSPLOST IV list, she wantedto make sure the legal teamlooked at whether it couldmove those SPLOST III proj-ects to the front of the line.“I just want to make surethat we’ll also be lookingat the order in which we dothose,” Speaks said. “If it’s possible we should movesome of these projects to thefront of SPLOST IV.”
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