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Superintendent Calvin Watts told the Gwinnett Chamber this past week that Gwinnett County Public Schools is considering new security measures in schools, such as installing metal detectors.
These are the top stories from the past week.
Gwinnett County students may find themselves having to go through metal detectors to get to classes in the future.
Gwinnett County Public Schools Superintendent Calvin Watts told the Gwinnett Chamber, during his State of the School System Address on Wednesday, that the district is considering new security measures in schools, such as installing metal detectors, in response to school shootings that have happened across the nation.
GCPS already has two sets of doorways that visitors have to be buzzed in through by school staff in many schools, but the strategies Watts discussed in his speech go beyond that.
“I’m not naive to the fact that (a school shooting) may happen, but we’re going to do everything in our power to make sure that we prevent it from happening,” Watts said.
“We are looking at strategies such as metal detectors and scanners and artificial intelligence to identify devices or firearms that could cause harm.”
Any decision on installing metal detectors or other security devices would have to first be approved by the county’s school board. District officials have not said when the board could be asked to approve any security changes at GCPS’ 142 schools or what a roll-out would look like.
“We are having those conversations,” Watts said. “We have not made any decisions yet so I’m sharing with our board and our community that these are things we’re thinking about. Why? Because we have to.
“It doesn’t mean these are the solution, but we are looking at a suite of solutions to address the needs of our students and our families and our staff to feel safe, safe emotionally (and) safe physically when they are in our schools.”
The superintendent was not available immediately after his speech to answer reporters’ questions about the measures due to a prior engagement that he had after the luncheon, GCPS communications officials said.
During his speech, however, he did talk about incidents of fights between students and other misbehavior happening at schools in the county.
Earlier this week, a fight broke out at South Gwinnett High School, for example. District spokeswoman Melissa Laramie said the fight began in the school cafeteria and then spilled out into a hallway.
Parents, teachers and students have raised concerns about students acting out and misbehaving in school. Last year’s original GCPS Teacher of the Year left the district at the end of the 2021-2022 school year to take a job in another school system because of concerns about student discipline and students feeling as if they did not have to follow rules.
“I am not deaf,” Watts told the chamber on Wednesday. “I hear and I understand. We know our students are exhibiting behaviors that we don’t appreciate, that we don’t understand in many cases.
“But, here is what I do know about student behavior and human behavior. Every behavior communicates a need. I’ll say that again: Every behavior communicates a need. What we have to understand or unpack is what those needs are, and to say that there are some behaviors that we cannot accept.”
Watts also talked about the district’s Blueprint for the Future strategic plan and the plan’s four main focus areas: empathy, equity, effectiveness and excellence. The district is beginning to put that plan into place now and the superintendent said GCPS officials will conduct a review in January to see how it has been working up to that point.
Parkland Communities recently announced plans to develop a 111-home neighborhood on 50.87 acres of land near Loganville.
The open space conservation neighborhood, which will be called Windance Lake, will be located on Beaver Road in unincorporated Loganville. It is set to feature single-family homes that are expected to start in the low $400,000s, a swimming pool, cabana, playground and walking trails as well as 12.8 acres of conservation space that will include a fishing lake, streams, forested areas and open green space.
“We intentionally designed this community to preserve and protect the existing fishing lake, streams, and natural beauty of the property,” said Parkland Communities President Jim Jacobi. “We believe green space is a necessity and promotes a healthy lifestyle and activities among neighbors. Today’s homebuyers want to spend time outdoors; our goal is to make that easy for them.”
The property where the neighborhood is set to be developed was previously home to an equestrian facility, according to county records, which also show two property parcels at 4130 and 4150 Beaver Road are being used to make room for the neighborhood. It is located near the Gwinnett-Walton County line. Children who live in the neighborhood will be in the South Gwinnett High School cluster.
Each home site will be 60-feet wide and the homes will include 1,800-square0foot ranch homes and 2,000-square-foot two-story homes. Each home will have a two-car garage. Parkland Communities said it plans to install a decorative fence and an entrance monument for the neighborhood on Beaver Road.
Developers are building a new 300-unit apartment development that will be located near Coolray Field, the Exchange @ Gwinnett and the Mall of Georgia.
Aventon Companies is building Aventon Exchange on a 16-acre property on Buford Drive in unincorporated Lawrenceville, marking the company’s first project in the Atlanta market. The company develops, acquires and manages multifamily communities in Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina and the mid-Atlantic region and has been in the process, since 2019, of developing 7,600 Aventon-branded apartment homes from the ground up across its entire footprint.
The developer recently broke ground on Aventon Exchange.
“We are thrilled to be entering the Atlanta metro area, especially Gwinnett County, one of the most high-end and rapidly growing counties within Georgia,” Aventon Companies Senior Managing Director Ron Perera said. “We look forward to Aventon Exchange being the first of many projects in this dynamic and growing region.”
Aventon Exchange will be located on the northeast corner of Buford Drive and Old Peachtree Road, putting it across Buford Drive from a Publix-anchored shopping center which is on a hill that overlooks Coolray Field and The Mansions at Gwinnett Park Senior Independent Living community. It is expected to open in early 2024.
The stretch of Buford Drive between Interstate 85 and Old Peachtree road has seen a lot of development activity, much of which is still underway, in recent years. New apartments, called The Fieldhouse, were recently built in front of Coolray Field, and construction is ongoing at The Exchange @ Gwinnett mixed-use development as well as a new Northside Hospital medical office complex.
The Aventon Exchange project will have one, two and three-bedroom floor plans with European-style cabinets, quartz countertops, wine racks, open shelving and WiFi. The apartment community will also have a dog park, pet spa, green space, EV charging stations in the parking lot, a resort-style saltwater pool, a nearly 12,000-square-foot clubhouse with a game room, a state-of-the-art fitness center, a remote-working lounge and private offices with a conference room and podcast room.
Scott + Cormia Architecture designed the development with Alpharetta-based Studio 5 Interiors working on the interior design.
Gwinnett County police announced they have arrested the third, and final, person wanted in connection with the death of a former Norcross High School football standout, clothing line owner and coach who was killed during an attempted carjacking in July.
U.S. Marshals and deputies with the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit arrested Lithonia resident Josiah Hughley, 20, in Atlanta on Thursday.
Hughley is the latest suspect arrested in the murder of Bradley Coleman, who was shot to death when suspects tried to steal his car at a QuikTrip in Peachtree Corners on July 10. David Jarrad Booker and Miles Collins were previously arrested in connection with the murder.
“At this (time), all three suspects are in custody and detectives do not believe there is anyone outstanding,” Master Police Officer Hideshi Vale said.
Hughley faces felony murder and aggravated assault charges in Coleman’s death.
Police previously said Coleman was putting air in the tires of his car at the QuikTrip located at 5255 Peachtree Parkway on July 10 when another vehicle that had three people in it parked next to him. One of the three suspects got out of the other vehicle and got in the driver’s seat of Coleman’s car.
Coleman got in his car from the passenger side and attempted to stop the carjacking from happening. Another suspect then got out of the vehicle they arrived in and approached Coleman’s car. At that point, a third vehicle pulled up that was not tied to Coleman or the suspects and stopped behind Coleman’s vehicle.
One of the suspects tried to back up Coleman’s vehicle but ended up colliding with the third vehicle. In the midst of the melee, Coleman was shot by one of the suspects and the suspects then got back in the vehicle they arrived in and fled the scene.
Gwinnett County police are looking for a Snellville man who is wanted on rape, kidnapping and child molestation charges.
Master Police Officer Hideshi Valle said the mother of a 15-year-old called 911 shortly after midnight on Wednesday report that Akeem Alleyne, 30, had allegedly assaulted the teen.
“The victim called a friend hysterical stating she had been raped a few hours prior (on) Tuesday,” Valle said. “Alleyne raped and sexually assaulted the child at his home.”
Valle said Alleyne’s current location is unknown and the public is being asked to call detectives to provide any information that may help investigators find him, or if they have themselves been assaulted by Alleyne.
Gwinnett County jail records show he was arrested about 14 times between 2009 and 2019 on various charges ranging from indecent exposure to terroristic threats and acts and obstruction of a law enforcement officer.
Anyone who has information to share should call the detectives at 770-513-5300 or Crime Stoppers, which lets tipsters remain anonymous, at 404-577-8477. They can also visit www.stopcrimeATL.com. Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
Tipsters are asked to reference case No. 22-0076365.
Gwinnett County police have arrested a driver who allegedly hit and killed a pedestrian on Indian Trail Lilburn Road and then fled the scene on Wednesday.
Master Police Officer Hideshi Valle said Norcross resident Ismael Perez, 33, was arrested in connection with the death of fellow Norcross resident Sadie Ware, 66.
Ware was hit by a 1997-2002 teal or green truck or SUV that had a broken tail light. The incident occurred on Indian Trail, between Singleton Road and Tech Drive.
“The suspect left the scene, and Ware died due to injuries she sustained during the collision,” Valle said.
Perez faces homicide by vehicle leaving the scene) and hit and run resulting in serious injury or death charges. Gwinnett County jail records show he has been in the county detention center without bond since Wednesday night.
Anyone who has information about the accident is asked to call detectives at 678-442-5653 or Atlanta Crime Stoppers, which lets tipsters remain anonymous, at 404-577-8477. They can also visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.
Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest and indictment.
Tipsters are asked to reference case No. 22-0076451.
Archer High School officials got a scare after the school’s football game against Shiloh High School last Friday night when a man was spotted carrying a rifle through the school’s parking lot moments after the game ended.
Archer Principal Conquisha Thompson sent a letter to parents on Saturday to inform them of the incident. Thompson said a school resource officer saw the man carrying the gun shortly after the game ended and immediately confronted him.
“I understand that this news is unsettling,” Thompson said in the letter. “Weapons have no place in our school or at our sporting events. It is not only against school district policy, it is against the law. That is why we take this type of situation very seriously. I want to reassure you, this incident was handled quickly, efficiently, and most importantly, no one was hurt. That is a credit to our SROs and I would like to publicly thank them for their remarkable job handling this situation.”
Thompson said the man was not an Archer student and he will face criminal charges for carrying the gun on school property. The exact charges were not disclosed in the letter to parents. The Daily Post has requested a copy of the Gwinnett County Public Schools Police report from the incident.
The SRO ordered the man to stop and put the gun down when they confronted him, and the principal said he complied with the command. The man was arrested and while the SRO was searching him and the area around him, they found two handguns.
“As a reminder, it is important that students, parents, and staff continue to let us know if they see someone breaking school rules or if they see someone with something that poses a danger to our school community,” Thompson said. “We all have a role to play in keeping the Archer High community safe.”
Check www.gwinnettdailypost.com for updates.
The Gwinnett Police Department said Monday morning that it has arrested a Lilburn man in connection to a shooting that killed a woman Sunday night in Lilburn.
Andre Marvell King, 49, was arrested and charged with Aggravated Assault and Felony Murder in the death of 29-year-old Celeste Lawson of Bowdon, police said.
Gwinnett police said officers responded to a person shot call on Burns Road in unincorporated Lilburn at about 8:30 p.m. after it was reported there was a “person down” in the front yard of a residence. When officers arrived, they said they found Lawson “suffering from an apparent gunshot wound.” Medical aid was rendered, but Lawson was pronounced dead at the scene, police said.
Gwinnett police investigators are asking the public to contact the police department with any information relevant to this investigation.
Anyone with information to share in this case is asked to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.
Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.
Gwinnett County police are searching for a suspect after a Saturday shooting in Lawrenceville left one man dead and another in critical condition.
Patrick Jones, 39, of Lawrenceville was found dead Saturday just before 8 p.m. after police responded to a “person shot” call on Britain Drive in unincorporated Lawrenceville. Officers arrived and found Jones’ body outside of an apartment building.
Police said a second victim, 49-year-old Kevin March of Lawrenceville was found a short distance away. Police said March had multiple gunshot wounds and was transported to a local hospital in critical condition.
:At this time, the motive for the incident is unknown and no arrests have been made,” Sgt. J.R. Richter said. “Gwinnett Police investigators are asking the public to contact the police department with any information relevant to this investigation.”
Police are asking anyone with information to share in this case to contact GCPD detectives at 770-513-5300. To remain anonymous, tipsters should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com.
Crime Stoppers tipsters can receive a cash reward for information leading to an arrest and indictment in this case.
Case Number: 22-0075574 & 22-0075633
Gordon Dickerson’s own athletic career didn’t play out on Gwinnett County high school fields, but he spent more time on them than most as an official.
In his long career as a referee and an umpire, the Vidalia native became known well by coaches and athletes in the Gwinnett area he called home for many years.
Those locals are mourning this week — fittingly, Georgia High School Association Officials Appreciation Week — after hearing news that Dickerson died Wednesday night after a five-year battle with cancer. He was 65.
Dickerson was highly regarded as an official over the course of his 20-year career working high school games with the Georgia Football Officials Association. He also was a referee and umpire with Northeast Georgia Officials Association, Georgia Umpires Association and Southern Elite Officials Association.
The former Lawrenceville resident who had moved to Statham earned the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association’s Official of the Year Award in 2018, and was earned the Touchdown Club of Atlanta’s 2021 George Gardner Award as football official of the year. He began officiating in 2002, and retired with more than 40 years of service with Georgia Power, Cable East, Inc. and Quanta.
“Gordon was consistent in everything he did, he was the same today as he would be yesterday or 20 years from now,” his obituary read. “He was generous and would help those in need even if he didn’t know them at all. His infectious smile would bring a somber room hope. He enjoyed his three dog boys as he would call them. He enjoyed motorcycles and automobiles and preferred them to be black specifically. He was a loving Husband, Father, Papa, PaG, brother, uncle and friend. He was the ever so loving ‘Gentle Giant’ you could have ever met. He will be deeply loved and missed both on and off the field.
A Celebration of Life Service for Dickerson, who had been a deacon and member at Lilburn Oaks Baptist Church, is planned for Saturday, Oct. 1 at 5 p.m. at the Dacula High School Football Stadium with pastor Philip Connell officiating. The family will welcome friends from 4 to 5 p.m. at the stadium.
In lieu of flowers, Dickerson requested that contributions be made to the University Cancer and Blood Center at cancerfoundationofnega.org/ways-to-give.
This poll is not scientific — results reflect opinions of respondents.
185 N. Perry Street Lawrenceville, GA 30046
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