Decatur’s ‘Black Lives Matter’ street mural to be a community project August 5, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Later this month, the city of Decatur will get a “Black Lives Matter” street mural similar to those that have sprung up in Washington D.C., New York and other American cities.
Future currently unknown for Decatur’s closed Boys & Girls Club July 30, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution The City of Decatur has long had its eye on purchasing the club and its five acres, a portion of which is a dog park that includes some flood plain. Since 2017 the city has had a lease agreement with the B & G Club to use its pool, which the city paid $360,000 to renovate.
DeKalb CEO: Cities will get a cut of county’s coronavirus relief funds July 17, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution It’s not a matter of “if” DeKalb’s cities will get a cut of the federal coronavirus aid received by the county, CEO Michael Thurmond said Thursday. It’s a matter of how — and how much.
Decatur approves face mask ordinance despite some contention July 13, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur’s city commission unanimously (5-0) approved an ordinance Friday morning requiring the use of face masks within the city’s 4.2 square miles, particularly regarding indoor public spaces.
Statue of Thomas Jefferson in downtown Decatur removed June 23, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution The city of Decatur removed a statue of Thomas Jefferson from Decatur Square almost immediately after county crews took down an obelisk memorializing the Confederacy less than 500 feet away.
LOCAL UPDATE: The Confederate monument in Decatur comes down June 19, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution The ruling, which came in response to a formal complaint filed by the city of Decatur, paved the way for Thursday’s activities — the culmination of a years-long effort to take the divisive pillar down.
Hundreds rally for removal of DeKalb Confederate monument — ‘now’ June 18, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution With fresh attention on the obelisk in Decatur, city attorney Bryan Downs filed a complaint against DeKalb County, which technically owns the monument.
Decatur rally to call on DeKalb to ‘swiftly’ remove Confederate obelisk June 17, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution The order was issued in response to a complaint Decatur’s city attorney filed against DeKalb. The city argued that the 30-foot obelisk had become a threat to public safety during recent protests about racism and police violence towards African Americans. The judge's order says the monument should be placed into storage until further notice.
27 Decatur-based businesses qualify for small-business loans June 16, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution The city of Decatur announced that 27 businesses are receiving loans from the Emergency Small Business Loan Program the city created in April. The loans range from $5000 to $25,000, and according to data provided by Adam Schick with The Wilbert Group, the average amount delivered to loan recipients is $20,185
As Confederate statues topple, groups target Decatur’s monument June 7, 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution In Athens, some 60 miles east of Decatur, Mayor Kelly Girtz has said he’s trying to figure out how to remove a prominent monument at the heart of the city. “We want it gone and gone quickly,” he said Wednesday, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.