CLASSIC CITY NEWS

By Joe Johnson The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is investigating the death of a University of Georgia student after his body was found in his off-campus apartment. The 21-year-old student reportedly had been found deceased in the apartment’s bathroom by a roommate. He had stab wounds to his neck and a knife was on the floor beside him, according to police, “This case is still being actively investigated,” said police spokesperson Lt. Katie Jenkins, “Currently, ther

By Joe Johnson A University of Georgia student reported to police that he recently paid an extortionist $300 to keep sexually explicit photos of him from being sent to his family members. The 22-year-old victim told police that he had met “Kevin” through the Grindr dating app and they subsequently exchanged explicit photos themselves. The extortionist initially demanded that money be sent with a bitcoin link that he provided but the student went to Walmart and bought a $300 A

I wrote this for the ABH back in 2019 on the 10th anniversary of one of the most horrific incidents in Athens history By Joe Johnson The sun shone bright over Athens on April 25, 2009. An especially festive atmosphere pervaded the downtown area as thousands gathered for the annual Twilight Criterium nighttime bicycle race. It was also a beautiful day for the annual picnic for the Town & Gown Players, a close-knit local theater group. On the last Saturday of each April, member

From the University of Georgia The University of Georgia’s Chapel Bell will be temporarily unavailable this summer as part of a longer-term preservation effort to protect it and ensure the bell-ringing tradition can continue for years to come. The bell will remain available for ringing through Sunday, May 10. It will be removed from the tower on Monday, May 11. Temporary barricades will be in place during removal and will be taken down once the bell has been lowered. During t

By Joe Johnson Police say they are investigating the death of a University of Georgia student who apparently shot himself this week in his off-campus apartment, The body of the 22-year-old student was found by roommates Wednesday night in the bathtub filled with water.A pistol was in his right hand and he had a bullet wound to the right temple, according to police. “Currently there is no foul play suspected in this ongoing death investigation,” police spokesperson Lt. Katie J

Lawrence By Joe Johnson An inmate has been harassing a University of Georgia student in phone calls from Macon State Prison. According to police , 32-year-old Reuben Scott Lawrence made over 50 unwanted calls to the student using numerous different phone numbers without caller ID. He also sent vulgar and threatening text messages to her. He knew about the student because he had been romantically involved with her sister during his incarceration, UGA police are investigatio

By Joe Johnson Athens police last week cited the Theta Chi fraternity after receiving neighborhood complaints about loud music being played by a band at its South Milledge Avenue frat house, At about 11:30 am March 28th an officer confirmed that the county noise ordinance was being violated by parking several hundred feet away from the fraternity house, at the corner of Peabody and Bloomfield streets, “Measuring the distance using Google Earth shows a difference of approxima

By Joe Johnson A University of Georgia student has been sentenced to probation for an alleged drunk-driving incident in which his car struck and killed a man three years ago. Benhur G. Tedfai, a 23-year-old management information systems major, pleaded no contest to a misdemeanor hit-and-run charge for the 2023 incident on West Broad Street that claimed the life of 34-year-old Michael Jerrell Kitchen. He entered the plea in an agreement with prosecutors after a Superior Cour

By Joe Johnson A man who was accused of raping a University of Georgia freshman in her dorm room has been sentenced to 10 years of probation. The probationary period for 20-year-old Theodore Bennett Angell will begin when he completes a brief period of confinement. On Wednesday a Superior Court judge sentenced him in accordance with a plea agreement reached last month between Angell and the District Attorney’s Office. The plea deal was made with the approval of the victim, a

ShotSpotter/file photo By Joe Johnson Brandon Dominique Tremble, 29, of University Oaks apartments, was arrested on the afternoon of March 7th after he fired a gun on University of Georgia property. When he shot his gun in an area between River Road and the North Oconee River, police said they were alerted to it by the UGA ShotSpotter system. The campus video surveillance system helped to identify the car that Tremble was in and county police subsequently located the vehicle

By Joe Johnson Brittani Ann Clark was arrested on the night of March 3rd after she stole food from an apartment on West Hancock Avenue shared by University of Georgia students. The 34-year-old homeless woman told police that she had permission to take the food from what she believed was a kitchen owned by the church across the street. A 21-year-old UGA student had called 911 to report a burglary in progress because noises were coming from the kitchen when her roommates were

Released by the University of Georgia: DJ Shockley, highly awarded former University of Georgia and Atlanta Falcons quarterback, will deliver the spring undergraduate Commencement address at the University of Georgia on May 8 in Sanford Stadium. The ceremony will begin at 7:30 p.m. Meg Amstutz, dean of the Jere W. Morehead Honors College, will deliver the address at the graduate ceremonies on May 7 in Stegeman Coliseum. The master’s and specialist ceremony begins at 10 a.m. w

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department has released the following: On February 28, 2026, at approximately 1:38 AM, ACCPD officers responded to a report of a rape that occurred in the area of 400 North Thomas Street. The investigation determined that 19-year-old Tydarius Wingfield, of Athens, GA, approached the female victim, who is a UGA student and unknown to Wingfield, and requested to walk her home. During the interaction, Wingfield forced the female behind a building

By Joe Johnson The University of Georgia Police Department has issued the following community notification: February 28, 2026 3:55 a.m. The Athens-Clarke County Police Department is currently investigating a Rape incident that occurred at approximately 1:25 a.m. in the area of 520 North Thomas Street. The victim reported that while in the area of 510 North Thomas Street she was approached by an unknown male who offered to walk her to her residence. The victim reported that

ATLANTA, Feb. 25 — The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation released today its 2026 list of 10 Places in Peril in the state. Sites on the list include: Boggs Rural Life Center in Keysville (Burke County); Civilian Conservation Corps Camp at Hard Labor Creek State Park in Rutledge (Morgan County); Egleston Hall at All Saints’ Episcopal Church in Atlanta (Fulton County); Legion Pool at the University of Georgia in Athens (Clarke County); McCranie Turpentine Still in Willaco

Cole By Joe Johnson Two players with the University of Georgia football team were arrested Wednesday night after they were caught allegedly driving recklessly on the Athens Perimeter. Linebacker Darren Ikinnagbon and linebacker Christopher Cole were reportedly observed by police driving on the highway at over 100 mph near Olympic Drive, The Georgia Bulldogs were booked into the county jail on charges of speeding and reckless driving. Ikinnagbon was additionally charged with

By Joe Johnson A former University of Georgia student has pleaded guilty to charges stemming from the reported rape of a freshman in a UGA dorm room two years ago. According to a plea agreement filed in Superior Court on February 12th, 20-year-old Theodore Bennett Angell pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated assault, sexual battery, and battery in return for dismissal of the rape charge. According to court documents, Angell had choked, slapped and bit the 18-year-old victi

By Joe Johnson Following a full week of testimony, the trial of the man accused of murdering University of Georgia law student Tara Baker came to a halt after the wife of the defense attorney was reportedly hospitalized. The prosecution rested its case on Wednesday and the wife of attorney Ahmad Crews was hospitalized as he was preparing to present his case in defense of Edrick Faust.

The following was released by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department On January 28, 2026, at approximately 7:35 p.m., ACCPD officers responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 300 block of Peabody Street. The investigation determined that a 2018 Toyota Tundra was parked along Peabody Street while the driver, George Whittenburg, a 21-year-old UGA studen of Austin, Texas, was standing outside the driver’s door. The vehicle began rolling in reverse, striking and rolling over

The following was released this afternoon by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department On January 28, 2026, at approximately 7:35 p.m., ACCPD officers responded to a single-vehicle crash in the 300 block of Peabody Street. The investigation determined that a 2018 Toyota Tundra was parked along Peabody Street while the driver, George Whittenburg, a 21-year-old UGA studen of Austin, Texas, was standing outside the driver’s door. The vehicle began rolling in reverse, striking a