CLASSIC CITY NEWS

By Joe Johnson A man who murdered his fiancée by running her over with an SUV two years ago has received a life prison sentence. Jeffrey Scott Tate last month pleaded guilty to murdering 45-year-old Shelby Cox by intentionally striking her with his vehicle as she stood at an Atlanta Highway bus stop on August 11th 2024. In a plea bargain with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to felony murder, aggravated assault and kidnapping .The kidnapping occurred earlier in the day of the m

By Joe Johnson A man who murdered his fiancée by running her over with an SUV two years ago has received a life prison sentence. Jeffrey Scott Tate last month pleaded guilty to murdering 45-year-old Shelby Cox by intentionally striking her with his vehicle as she stood at an Atlanta Highway bus stop on August 11th 2024. In a plea bargain with prosecutors, he pleaded guilty to felony murder, aggravated assault and kidnapping .The kidnapping occurred earlier in the day of the m

By Joe Johnson A Madison County woman has pleaded guilty to a shooting ncident downtown last year that left three teenagers wounded. Tatianna Ambria Wilbon, 25, of Comer, pleaded guilty to multiple counts of aggravated assault and firearms charges and was sentenced to seven years in prison and 13 years of probation. The shooting happened just before 4 a.m. on September 28th, 2025, on East Clayton Street where a fight had occurred. The victims were Athens residents who were 14

Since the founding of the Athens branch in 2019, Concrete Jungle Athens is a nonprofit organization that tackles food security and food waste within the Athens-Clarke County area. It works through organizing volunteers to help glean unwanted produce from farms and partnering with local grocery stores and organizations to pick up produce that isn’t likely to be sold. It is on track to exceed last year’s donations by 20% through new partnerships like the recent connection with

Church-Waddel-Brumby House The Historic Athens Welcome Center will host its popular “Death & Mourning Tours” Fridays at 5:30 PM through October which share the mourning customs of the early 19th century. New additions to the program this year include a photography exhibit of funerary art by Jennifer Keane and Caitlin Short as well as mourning custom artifacts on display. Tours are $20 and take place at the c. 1820 Church-Waddel-Brumby house, where the welcome center operates.

From Visit Athens: On Saturday, Oct. 24, Athens will officially unveil the newly redesigned College Square, marking the completion of a major transformation of one of downtown’s most prominent gathering spaces. Located along College Avenue between East Broad and East Clayton streets, just steps from the University of Georgia, the redesigned College Square prioritizes the pedestrian experience and strengthens connections between downtown destinations and campus. Developed wi

By Joe Johnson Jessica Vencherra Johnson, 41, of Stonybrook Circle, was arrested last week for a drunk-driving incident that occurred in the parking lot of Publix on Barnett Shoals Road. Police said they responded to the scene at about 5 p.m. September 30th on a report of a vehicle collision. They arrived to find a Honda Accord up against a Honda CRV with Publix employees standing around both cars. One of the Accord’s tires was missing and another was flat, and from score ma

By Albert DeSimone Let’s cut straight to semantics. One of the most basic human flaws is greed. Greed is a primordial force of nature, manifesting itself in our social and cultural environment as excessive self-interest. It affects us in many ways, including the two major socio-economic systems—simplified as collectivism (socialism) and individualism (capitalism). Of course, not everyone is going to see greed the same way, but I discovered a study by the National Institutes

By Erik Hogan Change comes suddenly with late September rain. Clouds and cool weather. The brutish heat of summer spilling carelessly into autumn is finally, thankfully, driven into remission. The seasons have found a pivot, but the atmosphere is attended by vague heaviness. A somber recognition of the brevity of autumn already slipping past as life continues to careen wildly down its tracks. In the early morning an owl calls from a tree at the edge of the yard, in the darkne

By Joe Johnson A man holding a machete was recently seen walking around the campus of Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School. The incident happened on the morning of August 31st when the man was observed walking onto the North Chase Street campus and going over to the dumpsters and then the woodline. He had no contact with children or staff prior to leaving but the incident was nonetheless concerning, Additional police patrols of the school were conducted as a precautionary meas

From ACC Leisure Services The Leisure Services Department will host an Open House and a Movies by Moonlight presentation at Sandy Creek Park located at 400 Bob Holman Road. The Open House scheduled for Sunday, October 11 begins at 3:00 p.m. and includes crafts, field games, inflatables, and photo booth. Bike Athens will be on site, from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m., for a “True Beginner” program. Attendees are welcome to bring their own bikes, but can reach out to Bike Athens at...

By Joe Johnson Several animal carcasses were found floating in the North Oconee River last week. The gruesome discovery was made September 24th by a University of Georgia student who was conducting wildlife research with a trail camera in the river park off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Police noted that all of the animals had been decapitated, possibly for religious or other ritualistic purposes. “It is worth noting that none of these animals appeared to have been butc

By Joe Johnson A man holding a machete was recently seen walking around the campus of Johnnie Lay Burks Elementary School. The incident happened on the morning of August 31st when the man was observed walking onto the North Chase Street campus and going over to the dumpsters and then the woodline. He had no contact with children or staff prior to leaving but the incident was nonetheless concerning, Additional police patrols of the school were conducted as a precautionary meas

By Joe Johnson Several animal carcasses were found floating in the North Oconee River last week. The gruesome discovery was made September 24th by a University of Georgia student who was conducting wildlife research with a trail camera in the river park off Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway. Police noted that all of the animals had been decapitated, possibly for religious or other ritualistic purposes. “It is worth noting that none of these animals appeared to have been butc

By Joe Johnson The home of a former detention officer was burglarized hours after he was arrested for alleged gang activity while on duty at the county jail. Derwin Johnson, a purported member of the Bloods street gang, was arrested on September 25th for allegedly allowing jailed gang members to use his phone so they could communicate with associates outside of the Lexington Road facility. Later that night two masked and hooded males were seen inside of Johnson’s St. Andrew’

By Joe Johnson A 19-year-old student reported that she was raped following last weekend’s University of Georgia football game. The assault allegedly occurred at an off-campus residence following a day that began with a tailgate party at Sanford Stadium and later drinking with the suspect and friends at a downtown bar. She told police that the suspect was not a UGA student and her friends think he might have spiked her drink. “It is currently unknown if any drug was introduced

By Joe Johnson Derwin T. Johnson, 27, of St. Andrew’s Court, was arrested last week for alleged gang activity while employed as a detention officer at the county jail in Athens. An alleged member of the Bloods street gang, he reportedly allowed incarcerated gang members to use his phone to communicate with associates outside of the Lexington Road facility. Following an internal investigation by the sheriff’s office, Johnson was fired on September 25th and subsequently arreste

From ACC Leisure Services: The Lyndon House Arts Center will present the "Rooted: Artworks by Students of the Clarke County School District" exhibition. This special show is on view October 1, 2026 - January 23, 2027. The opening reception is scheduled for Tuesday, October 6 from 5:30 - 7:30 p.m. This CCSD exhibition explores what it means to be rooted. Perhaps the mind goes to plants, vegetables, and trees, or to family roots, family trees, and the people and places one come

By Joe Johnson A University of Georgia grad student was found dead in his westside apartment last week, the victim of an apparent suicide. Police making a welfare check found him slumped over in a chair with a revolver in one hand and a guitar in the other. Detectives collected the gun and other items as evidence for their investigation, Ifyou're a college student struggling with suicidal thoughts, reach out now: Call or text 988 (the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline ) or text HOME

file photo By Joe Johnson A 51-year-old man was recently assaulted in the driveway of his home on Cherokee Road. He told police that the suspect used brass knuckles when punching him in the head and face, It happened on the afternoon of September 20th when the victim was taking out the trash and was accosted by a man who he knew as Nick who approached him from behind hurling threatening insults and throwing punches. He accused the victim of stealing from him, but the alleged