CLASSIC CITY NEWS

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By Joe Johnson Terry Bernard Ball Jr., 38, of Simmons Street, has been indicted for shooting a man last month on The Block, a popular hangout in east Athens. On July 17th he committed assault with a deadly weapon “by shooting Mario Orlando Baker in the butt,” states the indictment filed in Superior Court last week. The incident happened at around 12:30 a.m. when Ball shot Baker at the corner of Vine and Gressom streets, according to the police report. Baker, a 38-year-old

By Joe Johnson Two men have been indicted on drug and gun charges. Jamarvin Deontae Graves, 39, of Sayemore Drive, and Tristan Pierre Knox, 38, of Atlanta, have each been charged with trafficking methamphetamine and trafficking fentanyl, according to the indictment filed last week in Superior Court, Knox was additionally charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. The indictment stems from an investigation by the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force and

By T.W. Burger It was built somewhere around 1917, the same year my father was born and while the U.S. threw itself into World War One, also known as The Last War. As if. It was a gift from a schoolteacher aunt when I was 15. I like to think she gave it to me because she recognized in me a writer taking root. More likely, she had decided nobody would ever be able to decipher my handwriting. It was the beginning of a very productive relationship. School papers, journals, poetr

An AMBER Alert has been issued by the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation for two missing children believed to be in extreme danger. Norah Cooper: 11-month-old black female with black hair and brown eyes; last seen wearing a pink onesie. Zola Cooper: 4-year-old female with black hair and brown eyes; last seen wearing a multi-colored Abducted by Lakesha Brown. Last Seen Location: 356 James P. Brawley Drive NW, Atlanta, Vehicle InformationVehicle:

By Joe Johnson A man who was working to build an Athens Perimeter ramp fell into heavy machinery Friday morning and was rescued by an extraordinary team effort by firefighters, EMS workers and medical personnel. In order to save his life, however, a surgical team had to amputate one of his legs that was caught in the machine, an aggregate placer being used to lay concrete. “Due to the nature of the entrapment, a specialized medical team consisting of surgeons, an anesthesiolo

From the Watkinsville Downtown Development Authority: The City of Watkinsville invites the community to come hungry to Oconee’s Best BBQ Competition & Community Event on Saturday, August 29, at Rocket Field in Downtown Watkinsville. The annual event will bring together more than 18 BBQ teams competing for bragging rights and prizes, while raising funds for Lydia’s Place, a local nonprofit serving young adults who have experienced foster care or housing insecurity. The festiv

By Joe Johnson Firefighters are responding to an explosion on the University of Georgia campus. The incident involves what was described as a “main switch gear for a building” on Cedar Street that exploded. CCN will update this story as more information becomes available.

By Joe Johnson County emergency officials are asking motorists to avoid the area of Atlanta Highway at the Athens Perimeter interchange where a rescue operation is wrapping up. “We have had a lengthy extrication of a person stuck inside a piece of construction equipment,” said fire department Captain Kevin Kearney. Classic City News will update this story as more information becomes available.

By Joe Johnson A child has died from injuries he suffered last weekend when struck by a pickup truck in eastside Athens. The incident happened on the evening of August 8th when 9-year-old Maxton Ball of Ellenwood wandered into the intersection of Lexington and Whit Davis roads, where he was struck by a Dodge Ram pickup. Police said that the child entered the roadway from the former Hardee’s parking lot but didn’t say how he came to be there. Ball Died in the hospital three da

By Joe Johnson A resident of the westside Stonehenge neighborhood reported that her home was burglarized last week while she was in jail. Belongings with a value of at least $8,000 were stolen, including a shotgun, trombone, a safe containing coins and jewelry, clothing, an air compressor, security system, and a bank card that was used to make fraudulent purchases. The woman told police that she would get back to them after making a complete inventory of her possessions.

By Joe Johnson A 28-year-old resident of Hidden Pines apartments off Old Commerce Street reported that belongings valued at nearly $50,000 were stolen during a burglary of his home last week. The break-in occurred late the night of August 7th or early the next morning when someone busted a back window of the apartment on North Bluff Road, Among the items that were stolen was a safe containing $25,000, several gaming consoles, a laptop computer, and a Blackout AR-15 rifle.

From the Gwinnett County Police Department Lawrenceville, Ga., Aug. 11, 2026) – The Gwinnett County Police Department is asking for the public’s assistance in locating 17-year-old Deaniyka Body. On July 24, Body jumped out of a vehicle while being transported and ran near the State Route 316 eastbound ramp. Officers responded to the area and attempted to locate her. During the search, Body was reported hiding between vehicles at the QuikTrip located at 5050 Sugarloaf Parkway

Joe Johnson Lisa Lynn Lagunas, 62, of Stonehenge Place, was arrested on the night of August 5th after a witness called 911 requesting a welfare check on someone who had been lying on the road and was attempting to drive. When police arrived they saw Lagunas parking a Jeep facing the wrong way on Marlborough Downs Road. “I observed Lagunas’s clothing to be soaked and dirty, she was covered in mud and had a small abrasion to her right knee,” an officer wrote in his report, fu

Alas, the terms are mixed up in too many minds. Admit it, we all practice democratic socialism when we ride down public streets and interstate highways. Our schools are funded by taxpayer democratic socialism. Our police, our fire departments and libraries, and even our military are funded by democratic socialism. Rich or poor, we all live in a pluralistic democratic social society. Democratic socialism allows individuals to earn their living at different pay scales. Communis

By Joe Johnson Tony Lynn Fleming, 68, of Prickle Lane in Watkinsville, was arrested on the afternoon of July 26th after he savagely beat a woman with a wood stake. The incident happened on Newton Bridge Road after Fleming argued with the woman for refusing to get out of his truck. Police said he stopped at a construction site where he got a long wood stake and assaulted the 28-year-old woman and drove away. Police said they found the victim in a roadside ditch, covered with b

(Photo by Dink NeSmith) By Doug Hatch The 1996 Paralympic Torch arrived in Athens 30 years ago on August 12 on its way to Atlanta to light the cauldron opening the tenth Paralympics Games. Almost 1,800 people gathered at the Classic Center welcoming its arrival. The relay was significantly delayed when the torch accidently fell into the water while crossing Lake Hartwell. An emergency flame was available, another torch was lit, and the relay continued. People, many with famil

ACCPD: MISSING PERSON: Area of E Carver Dr. Quiniyah Baker. 10 year old African-American female. She has short hair with a ponytail, wearing a black shirt with a pink and purple teddy bear, blue jean pants and black slides. Call 911 if you see her or have information

By Joe Johnson Carlos Terrell Wise, 32, of Stonehenge Way, has been sentenced to prison after being convicted of trafficking methamphetamine. Wise had been arrested in February following an investigation by the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force, which searched his home and found 521 grams of meth, a large amount of marijuana and a .380-caliber pistol. The District Attorney’s Office went forward with just a trafficking charge, to which Wise pleaded guilty this week. H

By Joe Johnson A coordinated investigation by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department Gang Unit and Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force this week resulted in the seizure of multiple firearms, including machine guns, a significant amount of marijuana, and thousands of dollars in U.S. currency. On August 5th the Gang Unit conducted a traffic stop that resulted in the seizure of about a quarter pound of marijuana, a Glock 27 pistol, and $968. The driver, Siderious O’Ne