CLASSIC CITY NEWS

The following was released today by the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department Just before noon on April 24, 2026, the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department responded to a reported structure fire at 121 Sapphire Court on Athen’s east side. Upon arrival, crews encountered heavy smoke conditions coming from the residence. Firefighters quickly initiated an aggressive interior fire attack. During operations, crews encountered significant hoarding conditions that impeded access and m

By Joe Johnson The man who was charged on Friday with murdering an Athens homeless camp resident is on probation for a first-degree arson conviction in Fulton County, Joshua Robert White, 30, was charged with murder for the death of 42-year-old Rodney Alford in a homeless camp near Danielsville and Hull roads, Police believe that Alfred had been fatally shot about a week ago and an officer found his body in a tent while looking for a suspect in an unrelated case. A detective

By Joe Johnson Authorities have identified a woman who was found dead in Athens in January. On Friday, the Athens-Clarke County Police Department identified her as Rosalinda Gurley, 74, of Statham. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation’’s crime lab positively identified Gurley with assistance from ACCPD. When Gurley was found the morning of January 27th at the rear of American Pest Control on Atlanta Highway it was thought she was homeless and might have died from exposure to

By Joe Johnson Athens police today announced that have charged a suspect with murder for a recent death in a homeless camp. Joshua Robert White, 30, was charged today with aggravated assault and felony murder for the death of 42-year-old Rodney Alford, whose body was found on April 17th at a homeless camp near Danielsville and Hull roads, White had been in custody on a firearms charge since April 19th, when booked into the county jail with the Bigger Vision shelter on North

Heather is informed that Jeremy had died By Joe Johnson Heather Nicole McCall in December pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Jeremy Howard at her home on Nowhere lRoad in 2024. She was sentenced to four years in prison and six on probation. Heather in prison McCall and Howard had formerly been in a romantic relationship that involved domestic violence. After the shooting McCall explained to police that her landlord had told Howar

McCall‘s prison photo By Joe Johnson Heather Nicole McCall in December pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter the fatal shooting of 31-year-old Jeremy Howard at her home on Nowhere lRoad in 2024. She was sentenced to four years in prison and six on probation. McCall and Howard had formerly been in a romantic relationship that involved domestic violence. After the shooting McCall explained to police that her landlord had told Howard to stay away because he had previously

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

Mrs, G, a local rideshare driver for Uber and Lyft was on North Thomas Street when she took remarkable photos of a group of green creatures casually strolling past the News Building that formerly housed the Athens Banner-Herald.

Released today by the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department The Athens-Clarke County Fire Department is advising residents to be aware of declining air quality conditions due to wildfire smoke drifting into the area from southern Georgia. These conditions may pose increased health risks, particularly for individuals with respiratory conditions such as asthma or COPD, as well as children and older adults. The Fire Department’s Emergency Management Agency is closely monitoring

By Joe Johnson Timothy Lamiron Solomon, 21, of Macon, was arrested early in the morning of April 19th after he reportedly pulled a gun during an incident outside of a bar on East Clayton Street. The arrest was made after police saw a large crowd running from the area of Bad Moon Bar, with people yelling about someone pulling a gun, Responding officers saw someone putting a gun back into his pocket and they detained him. Meanwhile other officers arrested Solomon on Jackson Str

By Joe Johnson A worker with a carnival that comes to town every year was recently exposed as an apparent child predator by an Athens area vigilante group. The 40-year-old suspect was working for the Spring Fling Fair carnival at Georgia Square Mall when he engaged in sexually explicit online activity with someone who he thought was a 14-year-old boy. The boy was actually a member of the Street Sweeperz Unit who confronted the suspect and videoed him as he admitted to illegal

By Joe Johnson The missing woman who was the subject of a story published yesterday by Classic City News was found today. Dorothy Gardner had been missing for over a year when CCN reached out to the family and offered assistance by publishing her story. Family members were very concerned because the 65-year-old woman has serious health issues. Her grand-niece informed me of the good news this afternoon. “Dorothy has been located and she’s reconnecting with her family now. Tha

The Clarke County School District has released the following: The Clarke County School District invites the community to its upcoming public surplus sale of district furniture, equipment, and other items. The sale will be open to district employees only from 2-6 p.m. on April 30 and May 1 and will expand to the general public on Saturday, May 2, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at CCSD’s Early Learning Center East location, 280 Gaines School Road in Athens. The event is ideal for local

By Joe Johnson Kimberly Kay Johnson, 27, of Woody Drive, was arrested on April 12th after police say she assaulted a woman who was holding young child. The incident happened when Johnson accompanied her boyfriend to see the mother of his children at her home on Westchester Drive. When an argument broke out she repeatedly punched the victim in the head and ears while she was holding her 4-year-old son, according to police. Johnson left the scene with her boyfriend and was lat

By Joe Johnson Concern for Dorothy Gardner’s welfare has grown as it’s been a year that she’s been seen or heard from by family. The 65-year-old woman has significant health concerns that require her to use mobility aids, according to her great-niece, Hannah Reese. “Her twin brother, David, is having health complications and her other siblings are all worried about her,” Reese said. Gardner became homeless after moving to Athens from Gainesville in 2023. “She last spoke to Da

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 Jabarris Lamar Brown Jr. has become the first person in Athens to be convicted and sentenced under the new state drive-by shooting law, In addition to convicting him of that crime, a jury found the 19-year-old guilty of five counts of aggravated assault and one count of making terroristic threats, The drive-by shooting law went into effect in July 2025 and the penalty for conviction is a minimum prison sentence of five years and a maximum of 20. Superior Court

By Joe Johnson Kingsley K. Dowman, 43, of Highland Park Drive, was arrested early in the morning of April 17th after his car struck and seriously injured a bicyclist on Oconee Street. The incident happened soon after midnight when the bicycle pulled out of Old Winterville Road and into the path of Dowman’s car on Oconee Street. Upon impact 46-year-old Joshua Clark was thrown from his bicycle into the car’s windshield. Dowman reportedly stopped, then panicked and fled the scen

By Joe Johnson Kingsley K. Dowman, 43, of Highland Park Drive, was arrested early in the morning of April 17th after his car struck and seriously injured a bicyclist on Oconee Street. The incident happened soon after midnight when the bicycle pulled out of Old Winterville Road and into the path of Dowman’s car on Oconee Street. Upon impact 46-year-old Joshua Clark was thrown from his bicycle into the car’s windshield. Dowman reportedly stopped, then panicked and fled the scen

By Joe Johnson An Athens police officer was searching for a wanted person in a wooded area near Danielsville and Hull roads last Friday when he came across the body of 42-year-old Rodney Ray Alford inside a tent at a homeless camp, “This is currently being investigated as a suspicious death,” said police spokesperson Lt. Katie Jenkins. “The deceased has been taken for autopsy,” she said. “There are no further information at this time.”