Douglas County Sentinel

Meet your new District Attorney! Dalia Racine has lived in Douglas County for over 13 years with her husband, a Douglas County educator, and their 3 children. D...alia brings almost 15 years of prosecutorial experience to serve our community. She has specialized in homicides, crimes against women and children, and human trafficking. Dalia also served as an Attorney Advisor with AEquitas, where she provided training and technical assistance around gender-based violence investigations and prosecutions to prosecutors, law enforcement, and allied professionals across the country. Dalia knows what it takes to be an effective prosecutor. Prosecutors have an obligation to keep their community safe by implementing innovative practices and policies that reduce the number of repeat offenders that cause harm. Dalia has the experience and education to make sure that we integrate smart justice while holding dangerous offenders accountable in our prison system. Additionally, Dalia knows how important it is for the District Attorney's office to be an integral part of our community and to keep servant leadership at the forefront of everything we do.

A Michigan man has been arrested in connection to a jewelry store robbery at Arbor Place that started with a threat called into a local high school as a diversion. Dwan Darris Harris, 25, was arrested in Kentucky and charged with robbery and party to a crime, according to an arrest warrant. Robbers smashed jewelry cases at Ice Jewelers at Arbor Place Mall on Nov. 20, 2019, minutes after what police at the time called an anonymous generic threat was called into Douglas Count...y High located about two miles from the mall. According to an arrest warrant, there was $240,000 worth jewelry stolen that included Rolex watches and diamond jewelry from the mall kiosk store. Douglasville Police Major J.R. Davidson confirmed Thursday that there is a connection between the two events. He said more arrests will be forthcoming. It will take some more time, Davidson said. We can’t say much on the case because we are still pursuing leads. Davidson said no other suspects are currently in custody. Harris is being held without bond.

Good morning, Douglasville. Safe travels today! #onewithourcommunity

1/15/21: At around 7:10pm a patient at Douglas Wellstar Hospital fired a handgun into the ceiling. The patient was quickly taken into custody and there are no injuries reported.

David Engram, 42, of Lithia Springs, is behind bars for allegedly breaking into a work van and a storage unit.

We would like to welcome our newest Board members to the Chamber. We are so excited to have such great additions to our Board of Directors! #dcchamberga Mark DeNyse, DeNyse Companies Elena Hudson, Hudson's Hickory House

Just in from Cobb & Douglas Public Health: Cobb and Douglas County Residents, If you are a first responder, healthcare worker, or 65 years of age or older, please click on one of the links below to schedule an appointment to receive the COVID-19 vaccine. Appointments are posted one week at a time due to uncertain vaccine availability. Please check back each Friday after 5 p.m. for appointments for the coming Monday-Saturday.... Please Note: COVID-19 appointments for this week (week of 1/11/21) have all been filled. Cobb: www.cdphcovidvaccineappointments.org Douglas: www.douglascovidvax.org Key Points to Remember: Everyone must have an appointment to receive a vaccine. Individuals may come together in the same car if they have appointments for the same day, even if different times. Please be patient as Cobb & Douglas Public Health is adding appointments to the system no more than a week at a time due to uncertain vaccine supply. Approved vaccine providers are being activated daily across the state. Please check this Georgia Department of Public Health vaccine locator for vaccine providers: https://dph.georgia.gov/locations/covid-vaccination-site There are a limited number of appointments each day, so you may not get an appointment right away. Please follow the instructions in your appointment confirmation email.

New Manchester wide receiver @HoratioFields inked with @WakeFB during National Signing Day on Wednesday. Fields was one of several locals who signed to play football at the next level.

FYI ...get by Mitchell’s for your appliances or parts before Christmas!

Architect and Douglasville City Councilman Terry Miller plans to build a three-story mixed-use building downtown that will become home to the county’s first microbrewery. The building is planned for 6732 Spring St. in Douglasville, behind the Masonic Lodge near the corner of Spring and Bowden streets. The microbrewery will be on the first floor, with offices including Miller’s architectural firm, on the second floor, and residential space including condominiums and a two-stor...y loft unit on the third floor. Miller said there will also be a rooftop garden. He said he’s open to having a restaurant on the rooftop if there is interest, but notes that most eateries outside of major cities prefer to be at street level. The idea is I want this to be the premiere address in downtown Douglasville, Miller said. I want this to be the building that people want to be in, or if they can’t be in it they want to build something next to it because they want to be nearby. Miller said the hope is to start construction on the building in the spring of 2021, with a completion planned for sometime late next summer or early fall. The building will be about 11,000-square feet and Miller estimates it will cost between $2-$2.5 million to build. He estimates the building will be around 45-48 feet high and notes that city zoning limits downtown buildings to no more than 50-feet in height. The microbrewery will be named the Skint Chestnut Brewing Company. Douglasville was originally known as Skint Chestnut by Native Americans because of a large tree in town that was stripped of its bark and used as a landmark. Miller said the brewery on the ground floor will have 14-foot ceilings, with lots of glass and garage door openings so people can see the brewing tanks. The tanks are what make it cool looking, Miller said. That’s what makes a brewery interesting. You want to show those off. Mark Henson, an award-winning longtime home brewer and French teacher at Douglas County High School, is partnering with his brother-in-law Doug Farrell on the microbrewery. Henson lives in Douglasville with his wife Tia, who teaches art at DCHS. He said they’ve come up with some potential names for his local brews, including Deer Lick IPA and Dog River Pale Ale. Corn Crib is another idea, he said, possibly for a cream ale since corn is one of the ingredients from that style beer. Read much more at douglascountysentinel.com and in the Weekend edition of the Sentinel.

Congratulations to Sammi Zhu, who was selected as a Jack Kent Cooke Foundation semifinalist! Sammi, a senior in the IB program at Douglas County High School, is... one of 496 semifinalists selected for this prestigious scholarship, which provides exceptionally talented students with up to $40,000 annually for four years of college. 5,860 students from 428 high schools across the country applied for the scholarship. See more

The Douglas County Board of Commissioners will decide if and how much of a salary and budget increase will be given to probate judge-elect Christina Peterson when they adopt the 2021 budget next week. During a Dec. 1 BOC meeting, Peterson made a plea to have her salary nearly doubled from her predecessor, Hal Hamrick, along with a $344,000 budget increase to hire five additional staff members. Because the county’s population is above 96,000 residents, the probate position cal...ls for a judge with a law degree and at least seven years of practicing experience. Peterson defeated local attorney Leonard Danley in the Democratic primary in June to win the probate judgeship with no Republicans on the ballot in November. Hamrick, who doesn’t have a law degree, was elected in 2004 and is retiring after four terms. Despite no experience in her newly-elected position, Peterson said the pay increase is justified because of her credentials. I’m not asking for a favor, I just want you all to continue to be fair, Peterson told the BOC during the virtual meeting. However, Douglas County Chief Superior Court Judge David Emerson doesn’t believe Peterson’s duties or workload will change even though as an attorney she is able to hold jury trials. Emerson said out of his 29 years as a superior court judge, he has had only one case come to him out of probate court. It doesn’t happen that often, Emerson said. Her being elected didn’t change the fundamental function of the court. Probate judges in the state administer wills and estates, appoint and oversee guardians and conservators, and issue marriage and weapons carry licenses, according to the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia. Read more at douglascountysentinel.com and in the Weekend edition of the Sentinel.

#Missing: Stazia Davenport, white female, 5'3", approximately 120 lbs, brown hair, blue eyes, unknown clothing, 16 years of age. She was last seen at her residence in Douglas County. Please contact Inv. Christina Clark at 678-486-1307 or at [email protected]

Election Day is Tuesday. A recap of all contested races in Douglas, the local Redevelopment Powers referendum and the state constitutional amendments and referendum on the ballot are in today's Sentinel.

COVID-19 cases and deaths in Douglas County and across the state are spiking to levels at or above the peak seen in the middle of July. The seven-day moving average of confirmed cases, which shows the average of confirmed cases over the past week, was at 54.9 for Douglas County on Friday, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. That’s the highest the seven-day moving average which the state reports to show trends has been in Douglas since it peaked at 56.7 o...n July 19. Douglas has seen 663 newly confirmed cases over the past two weeks, with a case rate of 436 per 100,000 people. Anything above 100 cases per 100,000 is considered high transmission. In the seven days between Dec. 4-11, there were 10 deaths caused by the disease in Douglas, according to the DPH. That’s the most deaths in a seven-day period since the pandemic began and the seven-day moving average of 1.3 deaths on Dec. 11 is also a high for the county, state data shows. There were 95 total deaths in Douglas caused by COVID-19 as of Friday afternoon, according to the state DPH. While public health officials say that schools remain the safest place for students during the pandemic, the number of cases in Douglas County schools is increasing, according to Dr. Janet Memark, medical director of Cobb & Douglas Public Health.

All eyes will be on Georgia as advance voting begins Monday for the Jan. 5 runoff election that will decide the state’s two U.S. Senate seats and which party controls the upper chamber in Washington for the next two years. Republican Sens. David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, the two incumbents, face off against Democrat challengers Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, respectively, in hotly contested races. Lauren Bubba McDonald, a Republican member of the Public Service Commission..., is also on the runoff ballot. He is being challenged by Democrat Daniel Blackman. Advance voting will run from Dec. 14 through Dec. 31 at five locations in the county. The runoff election will be held on Jan. 5 from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at voters’ regular polling places. Advance voting sites include the courthouse, Boundary Waters Aquatic Center, Dog River Library, Deer Lick Park and the Old Courthouse. Advance voting locations will be open from 8:30 a.m. until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, except for New Year’s Eve when locations will close at 2 p.m. There will be Saturday voting on Dec. 19 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at all locations. There will be no advance voting on Dec. 24-25 or on New Year’s Day.

Registration for the 6th annual Operation Christmas Douglas County is now taking place. Those interested can sign up in-person at the Douglas County Health Department or on the Douglas County School System website at dcssga.org. Children and teens on free or reduced lunch through the school system qualify for the free Christmas gifts. Registration forms are available in English and Spanish.... Distribution of the toys and gifts at more than 30 local churches, Douglas County Sheriff’s Department, Douglasville Police Department, Douglas County Fire Department, and Douglas County High School will take place on the morning of Saturday, Dec. 12, 2020. Children will receive a Golden Ticket the week prior to the event, directing parents to the sites where they can pick up their gifts. The Golden Ticket will be sent by email. Gifts this year will include Nerf guns, Lego building sets, board games, action figures, sports equipment, Hot Wheels, bicycles, earbuds, Play-Doh, games and puzzles, baby toys, remote controlled vehicles, and dolls. Brands include Fisher- Price, Hasbro, Mattel, Disney, and many more. We also have age appropriate gifts for teenagers. Visit the Operation Christmas Facebook page at @TheElfSquad for the latest information. Those interested are urged to sign up as soon as possible so organizers know how many elves they need to get into Santa’s workshop.

We are continuing to see numbers drop and are just under 11,100 now. For those members who are still without power, we apologize that we are unable to provide a...n estimated time of restoration for your service. With so many scattered outages, assessments and projected outcomes are changing constantly. Rest assured that crews will continue working through the evening. See more

For the November 8, 2016 general election, Douglas County had 74,636 registered voters. 58,300 of them cast a ballot, for a 78.11% voter turnout. This year, Dou...glas County has over 100k registered voters and over 50k have already cast their ballots through yesterday. We can expect more than 25k to vote on election day, spread across 25 precincts. Be an informed voter. ~SEN

From the county government: OXYGEN BATTERY RECHARGING STATION SERVICE CONTINUES Douglasville, Georgia- Cobb and Douglas Public Health continues to provide an oxygen battery recharging station at Wellstar Douglas Hospital today, Friday, October 30, 2020 from 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. The oxygen battery recharging station remains open to ensure citizens in need can recharge their oxygen bottles especially after the impact of the tropical storm. The charging station is located at Wellstar Douglas Hospital- Sycamore Conference Room (Building B), 8954 Hospital Drive. For easy access, enter the campus from Prestley Mill Road. Masks are required and social distancing will be enforced. Four to five people can charge at a time. Parking is limited. Those in need of transportation can call Connect Douglas at 770-949-7665.

#BREAKING All Polls in Douglas to stay open to 7 p.m. tonight The Douglas County government just announced that all advance voting locations will stay open until 7 p.m. tonight, an hour later than they were originally scheduled to close.... Power outages Thursday kept all advance voting sites from opening Thursday morning. Dog River Library and Boundary Waters Aquatics Center were able to open Thursday afternoon. The following is a list of advance voting location open today until 7 p.m. The Douglas County Courthouse, 8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville, Ga. Old Courthouse, 6754 Church St. Douglasville, Ga. Deer Lick Park Recreation Center, 2105 Mack Rd. Douglasville, Ga. Boundary Waters Aquatic Center, 500 Highway 92, Douglasville, Ga. Dog River Public Library, 6100 Highway 5, Douglasville, Ga. Church at Chapel Hill (opens at 12 noon, 5357 Chapel Hill Rd. Douglasville, Ga. Atlanta West Pentecostal (opens at 12 noon, 2960 Skyview Drive, Douglasville, Ga. Those who don't vote today must vote at their regular polling places on Tuesday, Nov. 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

As you prepare for your Halloween activities with your family and friends, it is important to remember to practice social distancing. Don't forget your mask!

#BREAKING From Douglas County Georgia Schools: Dear Parents and Guardians,... Tomorrow, October 30, we will have school on a normal Friday schedule. All students will learn online from home. We hope that everyone's power is restored by tomorrow morning. If you are still without power or the internet at your home, do not worry. Teachers will work with your child to make up any missed assignments. Thank you for your patience today as we adjusted our expectations based on the weather and power outages in our area.

Just in from the county government: DOUGLAS COUNTY EARLY VOTING POLLING PRECINCTS TO RE-OPEN Douglasville, Georgia The Douglas County Elections and Voter Registration Department has reopened at least two early advance voting precincts and are currently working to reopen the remaining early voting locations after Tropical Storm Zeta brought damaging wind gusts that forced widespread power outages in Douglas County. ... Dog River Public Library reopened for early voting at 1:00 p.m., 6100 Georgia Highway 5, Douglasville, Ga. 30135 as well as Boundary Waters Aquatic Center at 1:00 p.m. located at 5000 Georgia Highway 92 N/166 E Douglasville, Ga. 30135. As of 3:15 p.m. we are continuing to try and reopen our other early advance locations but are unable to do so because power to those facilities have not been restored yet, said Milton Kidd, Director of Elections and Voter Registration. On Friday, October 30, 2020, the last day of early voting, we will have two additional locations, Church at Chapel Hill and Atlanta West Pentecostal open at 12 noon until 6:00 p.m. The last day for early advance voting is scheduled for Friday, October 30th, 8:00 a.m. 6:00 p.m. at the following locations in Douglas County: The Douglas County Courthouse, 8700 Hospital Drive, Douglasville, Ga. Old Courthouse, 6754 Church St. Douglasville, Ga. Deer Lick Park Recreation Center,2105 Mack Rd. Douglasville, Ga. Boundary Waters Aquatic Center, 500 Highway 92, Douglasville, Ga. Dog River Public Library, 6100 Highway 5, Douglasville, Ga. Church at Chapel Hill (opens at 12:00 noon, 5357 Chapel Hill Rd. Douglasville, Ga. Atlanta West Pentecostal (opens at 12 noon, 2960 Skyview Drive, Douglasville, Ga.

As of 9:45 am there have been four vehicle accidents caused by drivers not stopping at intersections with no working traffic signal. If the signal isn’t working, treat it is a 4-way stop (but watch out for others who may not).

Outage numbers are starting to drop to now under 50,000. Crews have been working hard, clearing trees and brush, replacing broken poles and power lines just lik...e in this picture of Merchants Drive in Dallas (still in progress). As you can see, there is extensive damage to the lines. Due to the extent of the damage we find, members may experience extended outages. If you have not already thought about a plan for your family, please do so, especially if you have any type of medical needs. At this time, we are still not in a position to release estimated restoration times as crews continue to assess the damage as repairs are being made. We understand that many of you have medical needs, work and school from home, and electricity is vital. We are working as quickly and safely as possible to provide that for you. We appreciate your patience and support. Current outage numbers: Bartow - 406 Carroll - 1,941 Cobb - 2,873 Coweta - 8 Douglas - 10,174 Fulton - 13,653 Paulding - 20,527

Here are some more pictures from our readers of downed trees in Douglas County caused by Tropical Storm Zeta. The photos were taken in Arbor Station and the Central Church Road area.