CLASSIC CITY NEWS

By Joe Johnson Mark Douglas Fenley, 58, of Winder, was arrested on the afternoon of May 30th after threatened customers in the drive-thru line at Arby’s on West Broad Street. According to police, the driver of a pickup truck honked his horn at Fenley for pulling his truck in front of him in the drive-thru line, at which time Fenley got out and pointed a gun at him and his mother, who was a front seat passenger. When Fenley went to the side window of the pickup the driver aske

Released by the BISSELL Pet Foundation: Gainesville, Ga. (June 1, 2026) — HSNEGA participated alongside more than 335 shelters in 39 states during the 10th anniversary of BISSELL Pet Foundation’s largest national adoption event, which collectively saved 16,073 pets. During the 17-day event, HSNEGA offered a special $50 adoption fee for dogs and cats six months and older, with 79 total animals getting adopted during the Empty the Shelters promotion. "Ten years ago, we launch

By Joe Johnson Will Crawford Dean, 68, of Westchester Drive, was sentenced to prison this week after pleading guilty to trafficking cocaine. He had been arrested in April 2025 during an investigation by the Northeast Georgia Regional Drug Task Force In which a search of his home yielded in excess of 227 grams of prepackaged powder and crack cocaine, oxycodone, and 74 grams of marijuana in designer packaging, according to court records. Dean was subsequently indicted by a gra

By Joe Johnson Brandon Levi Brimer, 38, of Prince Avenue, was arrested on the night of May 29th by police who had surrounded his apartment upon responding to a report of him shooting a gun in the street. The incident happened at the Winfield Chase complex where Brimer was observed entering after having discharged a handgun while walking on Prince Avenue. Police officers surrounded the man’s apartment, from which yelling and screaming was heard, and they tried convincing Brime

By Joe Johnson Authorities are investigating the death of a man whose body was found last week in his apartment on Sunset Drive Athens police said they responded to the home on the afternoon of May 26th after a neighbor reported finding 39-year-old Alexander Garcia unresponsive in his apartment. After being unable to reach him, the woman said she stood on a chair to look through a window and saw Garcia on the floor. Police said that he was deceased upon their arrival. Detecti

By Michael H. McLendon It is imperative that you vote on in the runoff election on June 16th ! Even if you did not vote in the May primary you can vote in the June election! The stakes are high for the Classic City and for you. Athens is in a mess. It is a battlefield littered with the consequences of bad decisions over the past 8 years. This election is about who has the skills and seasoned leadership experience to successfully get Athens out of the mess and restore the lust

Officer killed in off-duty accident Released by the Lawrenceville Police Department Lawrenceville Police Officer Killed in Off-Duty Traffic Accident (May 30, 2026; 08:00AM) It is with profound sadness that the Lawrenceville Police Department announces the passing of Officer Travis Clarke, who was killed in a traffic accident on Friday, May 29, 2026. The accident which is being investigated by the Gwinnett County Police Department occurred while off-duty. Officer Clarke jo

From ACC Leisure Services Celebrate "Mud Day" at Sandy Creek Nature Center! Come play in the mud with us and appreciate all the benefits of mud! "Mud Day" is scheduled for Saturday, June 13 from 10:00 a.m. - noon. This program is open to anyone who likes to get in the mud. Registration is not required. The program is free of charge. Attendees should wear clothes that they don't mind getting dirty and closed toe shoes that will stay on in the sticky mud. No crocs, flip flo

From ACC Leisure Services: The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government welcomes the community to celebrate Independence Day at the Star Spangled Classic on Saturday, June 27 at Southeast Clarke Park at 4440 Lexington Road! Complete details and map are available at www.accgov.com/fireworks The event is free and starts at 6:00 pm with activities including carnival rides, face painting, inflatables, a photo booth, and more. A special concert by the Original Splitz Band will tak

By Joe Johnson Federal officials are seeking to deport an immigrant who was arrested last month after he reportedly tried to ram two police cars. Israel Cesmas Albarran, 26, of Pine Hollow, tried to intentionally strike the police cars with his pickup truck, according to police. The incident happened on the night of March 28th on Newton Bridge Road where a police officer reportedly had to swerve to avoid a head-on collision with Albarran’s truck. The officer reported that it

By Joe Johnson Athens police last week needed to use its WRAP restraint system on a woman who they arrested for stealing from a downtown business, The incident happened on the night of May 20th at Magic Wines on West Broad Street where 36-year-old Tieleah Niechole Browner argued with the clerk and left without paying for a bottle of Gatorade. The clerk didn’t call police until Browner returned to the store a few hours later. She refused to identify herself to police officers,

Released today by the Gwinnett County Police Department Gwinnett County Police Vice Unit investigators seized more than $900,000 worth of counterfeit designer merchandise following an investigation into the sale of fake luxury items. The investigation began after officers received a citizen complaint regarding counterfeit designer merchandise being sold online and in person. Investigators later identified Quentessa Gordon and Tameka Gordon as suspects connected to the operati

By Joe Johnson A former nurse has pleaded not guilty to charges stemming from her alleged theft of drugs from the infirmary at the county jail in Athens. Jasmine Turquoise Wheeler was arrested last year on multiple theft and drug possession charges that resulted from an investigation into several fentanyl related deaths of jailed inmates. At her arraignment in Superior Court this month Wheeler pleaded not guilty to one count of possession of a controlled substance and seven c

Issued at 1:34 p.m. by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department: Crash-Dr MLK Pkwy shut down between Loop and Conrad Dr. nixle.us/HC6FP Reply with a friend's # to forward

Issued at 1:34 p.m. by the Athens-Clarke County Police Department: Crash-Dr MLK Pkwy shut down between Loop and Conrad Dr. nixle.us/HC6FP Reply with a friend's # to forward

William Gipson, Wendi Gipson, and Chasen Gipson. The following was released by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation An investigator with the Athens-Clarke County Police Department was terminated after being arrested alongside two others in connection with a child abuse investigation in Franklin County. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested and charged 18-year-old Chasen Gipson, 54-year-old Wendi Gipson, and 52-year-old William Gipson on May 18. Chasen Gipson was charged

Issued this afternoon by the Gwinnett County Department:: We are asking for the public’s assistance in locating a critically missing adult. Hein The Vu, age 37, left his residence in the area of Wilson Manner Circle in Lawrenceville on May 15, 2026 and has not returned or made contact with his family since then. Vu is an Asian male, 140 pounds, 5’5” tall, with short brown hair, and wears glasses. He was last seen wearing blue jeans with a black shirt. He was also in possessi

file image The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office released the following on Sunday morning: MEDIA RELEASE Barrow County, Georgia, May 24, 2026, at 0:01 a.m. Law Enforcement Response to Barricaded Suspect The Barrow County Sheriff’s Office is currently assisting the Winder Police Department with an active barricaded suspect incident in the area of Box Circle in Winder. At approximately 9:12 p.m., law enforcement officers were dispatched to the area following reports that led to an

By Joe Johnson Brian Alberto Ozuna, 16, of Lucky Jones Road in Hull, was hospitalized on the night of May11th after he crashed his car while fleeing from police in Athens. The incident began at around 8:30 pm when a police officer attempted a traffic stop on the teen’s Dodge Charger because it’ appeared to have illegally dark tinted windows, After bringing his car to a stop, Ozuna suddenly raced away as the officer was walking toward him, The officer estimated that during the

By Joe Johnson An Athens-Clarke County grand jury this week returned a 10-count indictment against a man accused of murdering two people and injuring a third during a shooting in downtown Athens last March. Mark Anthony Desousa, 22, of Jefferson, was charged with two counts each of malice and felony murder, and three counts each of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm in the commission of a crime, according to the indictment filed in Superior Court on Tuesday. DeSou