CLASSIC CITY NEWS

Desousa By Joe Johnson In the early morning hours of March 14th, Mark Anthony DeSousa shot and critically injured a friend of his and killed two other young men in a parking lot off North Jackson Street in downtown Athens. Authorities have not released a motive for his actions, but arrest warrants filed in Superior Court describe the deliberate manner in which the 22-year-.old Jefferson man gunned down his victims. Desousa killed Dylan Bentley “by walking up to him and shoot

By Joe Johnson The man who was killed by train in Winder Monday morning has been identified as 67-year-old Johnny Ray Gooch. The incident occurred shortly before noon on CSX tracks in the area of Atlanta Highway and Cedar Creek Road. The engineer told authorities that he saw Gooch lying on the tracks but was not able to stop the train in time, The incident is under investigation by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, which did not have a home address for Gooch.

By Joe Johnson The man who was killed by train in Winder Monday morning has been identified as 67-year-old Johnny Ray Gooch. The incident occurred shortly before noon on CSX tracks in the area of Atlanta Highway and Cedar Creek Road. The engineer told authorities that he saw Gooch lying on the tracks but was not able to stop the train in time, The incident is under investigation by the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, which did not have a home address for Gooch.

By Joe Johnson A 41-year-old Athens man has been sentenced after pleading guilty to multiple counts of sexual exploitation of children. Jason Carleton Coates had been arrested in September 2021 following a probe by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation’s Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit. A search of electronic devices at his Peabody Street residence found disturbing images that included boys and girls being tortured and having sex with animals. Coates was subsequentl

People discussing the SAVE Act are missing a very frightening possibility.  Eliminating the filibuster—an action  President Trump appears to support if necessary to pass the controversial SAVE Act. Criticism of the act centers on stricter requirements for voter registration and photo ID for voting.  The filibuster is a stopgap measure in the Senate to prevent a political party majority from forcing its agenda on Americans. It requires 60 votes and not a simple majority to pas

People discussing the SAVE Act are missing a very frightening possibility.  Eliminating the filibuster—an action  President Trump appears to support if necessary to pass the controversial SAVE Act. Criticism of the act centers on stricter requirements for voter registration and photo ID for voting.  The filibuster is a stopgap measure in the Senate to prevent a political party majority from forcing its agenda on Americans. It requires 60 votes and not a simple majority to pas

By Joe Johnson A man was reportedly killed when struck by a train Monday afternoon in Winder. A city spokesman referred questions about the incident to the Barrow County Sheriff’s Office, to which Classic City News has reached out and is waiting for a response.

Moses By Joe Johnson An Athens-Clarke County grand jury has indicted a pair of alleged fentanyl traffickers. Deundre Moses, 27, and Quatqvious Borders, 27, were each charged with trafficking in fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, according to the indictment filed last week in Superior Court. Borders Borders was additionally charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing the weapon during the commission of a felony. Both men h

By Joe Johnson An Athens-Clarke County grand jury has indicted a pair of alleged fentanyl traffickers. Deundre Moses, 27, and Quatqvious Borders, 27, were each charged with trafficking in fentanyl and possession with intent to distribute marijuana, according to the indictment filed last week in Superior Court. Borders was additionally charged with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon and possessing the weapon during the commission of a felony. Both men had been arrest

The Clarke County School District has released the following Athens, Georgia — Clarke County School District Interim Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Scott today announced the appointment of Dr. Katie Hanks as principal of Whit Davis Elementary School, a position she has held in an interim capacity since July 2025. The appointment takes effect immediately and was approved by the Clarke County Board of Education at its meeting on Thursday, March 12. "We have seen tremendous student

Dylan Bentley The following was released Sunday evening by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department On March 15, 2026, a second victim, Dylan Bentley, a 19-year-old male of Jefferson, GA, succumbed to his injuries. The third victim remains in critical condition at this time. This is an active investigation. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Detective Johnson at Paul.Johnson@accgov.com or 762-400-7060. Press Release UPDATE 2026-03140035 M

Dylan Bentley The following was released Sunday evening by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department: On March 15, 2026, a second victim, Dylan Bentley, a 19-year-old male of Jefferson, GA, succumbed to his injuries. The third victim remains in critical condition at this time. This is an active investigation. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Detective Johnson at Paul.Johnson@accgov.com or 762-400-7060. Press Release UPDATE 2026-03140035

The following was released Sunday evening by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department: On March 15, 2026, a second victim, Dylan Bentley, a 19-year-old male of Jefferson, GA, succumbed to his injuries. The third victim remains in critical condition at this time. This is an active investigation. Anyone with information related to this case is encouraged to contact Detective Johnson at Paul.Johnson@accgov.com or 762-400-7060. Press Release UPDATE 2026-03140035 March 14, 2026

By Erik Hogan Trout lilies are blooming. A delicate yellow bloom rising from between mottled leathery green leaves catches my attention. The few I saw earlier on the shaded banks of the creek were downcast, petals demurely folded. Sunlight has become harsh now in the late morning, but this flower stands radiant. Scanning the surrounding forest, I am suddenly aware that the hillside is covered in them. Perhaps I can capture a stunning photo of the lily. If I take time here, I

The following was released this afternoon by the Athens-Clarke County Fire Department Earlier today crews responded to a small aircraft that had to make an emergency landing at Athens-Ben Epps Airport. Landing gear failed to deploy, and the plane had to make a belly landing. There were 2 occupants. No fire, and no injuries reported. Good job to all crews on a quick respo

By Joe Johnson A suspect has been charged with murder in connection with a triple shooting in downtown Athens early Saturday morning. Mark Anthony Desousa, 22, of Jefferson was charged with malice murder for fatally shooting Clayton Adams, a 22-year-old employee of Bad Moon Bar on East Clayton Street. Clayton Adams M Adams and the other victims were reportedly gunned down at about 2:20 am in a parking lot near Bad Moon off North Jackson Street. The surviving victims are hos

Desousa By Joe Johnson A suspect has been charged with murder in connection with a triple shooting in downtown Athens early Saturday morning. Mark Anthony Desousa, 22, of Jefferson was charged with malice murder for fatally shooting Clayton Adams, a 22-year-old employee of Bad Moon Bar on East Clayton Street. Adams and the other victims were reportedly gunned down at about 2:20 am in a parking lot near Bad Moon off North Jackson Street. Friends told Classic City News that a

By Joe Johnson A suspect has been charged with murder in connection with a triple shooting in downtown Athens early Saturday morning. Mark Desousa, 22, of Jefferson was charged with malice murder for fatally shooting Clayton Adams, a 22-year-old employee of Bad Moon Bar on East Clayton Street. Adams and the other victims were reportedly gunned down at about 2:20 am in a parking lot near Bad Moon off North Jackson Street. Friends told Classic City News that a second victim l

By Joe Johnson A shooting in downtown Athens early Saturday morning left one person dead and two others hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The incident happened at about 2:20 am in a parking lot in the 400 block of North Jackson Street, according to Athens-Clarke County Police spokesperson Lt. Katie Jenkins. She identified the victim who was killed as 22-year-old Clayton Adams of Hull. No arrests have been made.

By Joe Johnson A shooting in a downtown Athens early Saturday morning left one person dead and two others hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. The incident happened in a parking lot in the 400 block of North Jackson Street, according to Athens-Clarke County Police spokesperson Lt. Katie Jenkins. She identified the victim who was killed as 22-year-old Clayton Adams of Hull. No arrests have been made.