CLASSIC CITY NEWS

By Joe Johnson Someone vandalized the Athens Confederate Monument in an apparent act of protest against the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement operations. According to a police report, the marble obelisk that bears the names of Athens soldiers killed during the American Civil War was spray-painted in red with the words Fuck ICE. The damage was discovered on the morning of January 29th at the monument’s location on Timothy Place off Macon Highway. It had

By Joe Johnson A car crashed into Rent-A-Center on Lexington Road Tuesday afternoon, but luckily no injuries were reported. The incident happened at around 1 pm when a passenger car collided with a logging truck and then travelled through several lanes of traffic before crashing into the furniture store’s front display window. Traffic was reduced to one lane in each direction during the emergency response by police and fire personnel. The identity of the driver was not immedi

The following was released today by the Gwinnett County Police Department The Celebration of Life service and procession for Officer Pradeep Tamang, Badge #2741 are as follows:   Celebration of Life:      12Stone Church                                        1322 Buford Drive                                        Lawrenceville, GA 30043                                       Saturday, February 7, 2026                                       10:00 a.m.    Details regarding the a

By Joe Johnson A 57-year-.old homeless man was arrested Saturday morning at McDonald’s on Prince Avenue where he reportedly exposed himself to others in the dining room. Police said they responded upon receiving a report at 10:49 am about Carr sitting in one of the booths and removing a blanket to expose himself to diners. Management wanted to bar the man from the restaurant, but police took Carr into custody upon learning that the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office had a warrant

By Joe Johnson A homeless woman who was found dead last week outside of an Atlanta Highway business could be the second victim of the recent severe cold weather in Athens. The still-unidentified woman was found the morning of January 27th by an employee of American Pest Control in the rear parking lot of the business. There were no indications of alcohol or drug abuse, according to County Coroner Michael Eberhart, who noted that she died when temperatures were below freezing.

ATLANTA – The Georgia Opioid Crisis Abatement Trust and Advantage Behavioral Health Systems will host a ribbon cutting ceremony for the new REACH mobile treatment program on Monday, February 9, 2026, at 1 p.m. at the Danielsville City Hall in Madison County.   In 2024, the Trust awarded Advantage with $780,000 to develop, launch and staff the REACH mobile clinic program. The program offers medication-assisted treatment, naloxone distribution, peer support, overdose prevention

By Joe Johnson Dexter Lenoris Maxey, 60, of Vineyard Drive has been sentenced to probation after pleading guilty to shooting at his wife three years ago. According to court records, the sentence resulted from a plea agreement with the district attorney’s office, Maxey had been arrested in February 2023 after he discharged a gun from within the car at Peter and Vine streets towards Veronica Maxey, his wife of 19 years, according to the arrest warrants. He was initially charge

Released by the Clarke County School District Due to the lingering road conditions from this weekend’s snow, all CCSD schools and offices will be closed Monday, February 2, in the safety interests of students, staff, and families. All after-school and extracurricular activities for Monday are also canceled.  This decision was made with great care after CCSD staff diligently drove throughout the entire county this afternoon and encountered areas of ice and standing water that

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

Issued by the National Weather Service in Peachtree City ...EXTREME COLD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1 PM EST SUNDAY... WHAT...Dangerously cold wind chills ranging from as cold as 15 degrees below in the north Georgia mountains to the single digits above zero in central Georgia. WHERE...All of north and central Georgia. WHEN...Until 1 PM EST Sunday. IMPACTS...Frostbite and hypothermia will occur if unprotected skin is exposed to these temperatures. An extend

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

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department issued the following statement at 12:05 pm ACCPD: Deteriorating Road Conditions. Please limit travel to emergencies only. Update at 6:28 pm LACCPD: Icy Road Conditions: Roads are starting to ice over. Please limit travel to emergencies only.

By Joe Johnson A 77-year-old Athens woman lost $10,000 last week when she fell victim to a telephone scam. She told police that she received a call from someone purporting to be with Apple Pay informing her that a federal officer would be in touch concerning suspicious activity on her bank account. When the “officer” called, the woman followed their instructions to send a $10,000 wire transfer from her bank account. Steps to Take When Receiving a Phone Scam: Hang Up Immediat

By Joe Johnson Caroline Elizabeth Strong, 44, of Mitchell Bridge Road, was arrested on January 11th after police received complaints that she was naked in the drive-thru area of McDonald’s on Prince Avenue. When officers arrived they found Strong sitting fully-clothed on the ground. “I asked Strong why she had been naked a few minutes ago and she said she was a nudist,” an officer wrote in her report. Strong was arrested for public indecency and also barred from that McDonal

Severe Weather Response Information Last Content Update: 6 minutes ago National Weather Service Alerts (as of Jan. 30, 10:46 AM) Athens-Clarke County is currently under the following watches/warnings from the National Weather Service : Winter Storm Warning - January 31, 1:00 AM EST - February 1, 1:00 AM EST Extreme Cold Watch - January 31, 7:00 PM EST - February 1, 1:00 PM EST Road / Location Updates (Updated 1/29) Ice remains present on some roads - particularly on bridges,

By Joe Johnson Benjamin Reed Heaslip, 40, of Commerce, was arrested early in the morning of January 23rd when he was found hiding in the ceiling at Earth Fare on South Lumpkin Street. Officers who responded to a 2:22 a.m. burglar alarm activation located Heaslip in the ceiling of a back storage room. It’s unclear how he got into the store, but a report notes that Heaslip was in possession of a crowbar and knife, with more burglary tools in the trunk of his car. He used the st

By Joe Johnson A county grand jury has indicted a 26-year-old Athens woman on cruelty charges for allegedly leaving several young children alone without food for over 12 hours. Janinya Chante Johnson, 26, of Towne View Place, was charged with four felony counts each of first and second degree-degree cruelty to children, according to the indictment filed Tuesday in Clarke County Superior Court. The indictment stems from Johnson’s arrest in August concerning her alleged neglect

ATHENS, GA — After a highly successful inaugural year, AthensComedy Fest is officially returning as an annual festival, bringing anotherweekend of top-tier stand-up comedy to the Classic City on May 1 and 2,2026, at the Historic Morton Theatre. The 2026 festival will be hosted by Karen Morgan, one of the Southeast’smost respected and beloved comedians, and produced by an expanded local team of Athens-based performers who helped build the city’s modern comedy scene. This year’

By Joe Johnson A 22-year-old man apparently froze to deathTuesday night in a homeless encampment off Old Hull Road. Dequavious Ragsdale reportedly showed up at the camp a few days earlier needing somewhere to stay and one of the residents offered to share his tent. A family member reported that he had been staying with her until he left on Sunday. The man who allowed Ragsdale into his tent called 911 at 7:25 am Wednesday to report that his guest wasn’t breathing and hadn’t

By Joe Johnson Maurice Anthony Barnes, 44, of Chalfont Lane, was arrested January 14th on a charge of trafficking fentanyl. He had been the subject of an investigation during which he reportedly sold fentanyl on three different occasions to confidential sources who were being supervision by the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force. At the time of his arrest, Barnes reportedly had over 4 grams of the deadly drug in his possession. He is being held at the county jail pend