🌱 Homicide Person Of Interest + Racial Incident At Middle School

Hello again, everybody! I'm back with your new copy of the Dacula Patch newsletter. Let's get this Friday started off right with a quick guide to everything you need to know about what's happening these days in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Friday: Showers and a heavier t-storm. High: 70 Low: 52.
• Saturday: Warmer with clouds and sun. High: 78 Low: 57.

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Here are the top three stories today in Dacula:

1. The Gwinnett County Police Department (GCPD) is asking for assistance in looking for a person of interest in a homicide case. The individual in question is described as a male in his late teens or early 20s with short dreadlocks; he is allegedly connected to an investigation of a stolen vehicle where two individuals were seen fleeing away from the scene of a homicide. The stolen vehicle has since been recovered. Investigators are asking anyone with information to contact GCPD detectives. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
2. Middle school students involved in an alleged racial incident in class are now facing charges. Parents and human rights groups are outraged after learning a student allegedly whipped another student with a belt that was provided by another student while using a racial slur at Louise Radloff Middle School in nearby Duluth. Those two students are now being charged with misdemeanors in connection with the incident. It was reported that the young girl involved in the incident was hit by a belt and auctioned off like a slave. (Atlanta News First)
3. Gwinnett College staff rallied on Tuesday to raise awareness about the government's new bill to cut college funding in the state of Georgia by $66 million. The group of professors at the college in nearby Lawrenceville said that this cut will hurt their ability to retain talent and instruct students who attend the college. This news also comes at the same time the college is breaking ground on a new convocation center, which the professors say is money that should be spent on the people at the school not a new building. Some departments at the school have lost 25 percent of their faculty due to the conditions being put on them by the school, the state, and budget constraints, and if the bill is signed by the governor, the school is slated to lose $1.6 million in funding. (Georgia Recorder)

Today in and around Dacula:

• Coffee House With Arts & Entertainment — Unity Atlanta Church, Peachtree Corner (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Gwinnett Symphony Orchestra is bringing two shows to the Gas South Theater in nearby Duluth on May 15. There will be a festival concert and a season finale. The first show will feature some amazing middle school and high school students. (Gas South District via Instagram)
• Greg Bluestein, a top reporter at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and UGA alumnus, will host a lively look at the players and issues that are reshaping Georgia and American politics. The event will be held at the Gwinnett County Public Library Duluth Branch and will include complimentary refreshments and a book signing. (Gwinnett County Public Library via Instagram)
• Gwinnett County Public Schools has rounded up a list of links for all the Earth Day activities happening in the area. Invest in our planet by dedicating your time this Earth Day to planting trees, learning about climate change, and volunteering. (Gwinnett County Public Schools via Facebook)

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• Stress, Depression, and Anxiety Recovery Program (April 16)
• Open rehearsals in April (April 20)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday. I'll see you back in your inbox soon with a new update!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.