🌱 Sex Offender Life Sentence + Georgia's New Agriculture Legislation

Hello, everybody! It's me, Linda Marlow, your host of the Dallas-Hiram Patch newsletter. Here's all the local news you need to know right now, including...

• A registered sex offender was sentenced to life in prison for Douglas County incidents.
• Gov. Brian Kemp signed new legislation to support Georgia's agriculture industry.
• A motorcyclist died in a collision with a stationary HERO unit on I-75.

But first, today's weather: Partly cloudy morning with afternoon overcast, high of 80 and light winds; cloudy night with possible thunderstorms after midnight, 70 percent chance of rain, low around 55 with light winds.

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Here are the top stories in Dallas-Hiram today:

1. A motorcyclist tragically lost his life on Thursday afternoon after colliding with a stationary Georgia Department of Transportation HERO unit on I-75 southbound near Northside Drive. The victim has been identified as 29-year-old Jonathan Delarosa from Marietta. The incident resulted in the closure of some of the southbound lanes, causing significant traffic delays and congestion in the area. The Georgia State Patrol is currently investigating the crash to determine the cause of the collision, and authorities are urging anyone with information about the incident to come forward. (WSB-TV)
2. A registered sex offender in Georgia was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of release for raping a 14-year-old girl visiting a friend. The incident happened at a friend's residence in Douglas County, where Tyreeq English-Richards spent time despite being forbidden from being around children. After returning to Michigan and discovering she had a sexually transmitted disease, the child reported the sexual assaults to her mother and police. Prosecutors also discovered evidence that English-Richards had impregnated three more girls aged 13-14, leading to accusations of rape, aggravated child molestation, and child molestation. (Atlanta News First)
3. Metro Atlanta's small water supply during droughts is causing concerns among local leaders. Nearly 200 years ago, a mathematician got Georgia's border with Tennessee wrong by approximately a mile, cutting out a major water source, which is resurfacing as a critical mistake due to North Georgia's water needs. The dispute is regularly renewed by state lawmakers to get more water for the region, but it would take a U.S. Supreme Court ruling to move Georgia's border. While the region is investing well in technology upgrades to conserve water, the most important thing is to continue conservation and efficiency until the lake refills. (Yahoo! News)
4. Kennesaw State University professors Dr. Sohyun An and Dr. Theresa Alviar-Martin have received a $50,000 grant from The Spencer Foundation to fund their research project, which aims to incorporate Asian American history into Georgia's school curriculum. The initiative is expected to raise awareness and explore the need for diverse and complex stories of Asian American history to be taught in K-12 classrooms in the state. The educators emphasized the importance of learning about Asian American history and said that the push for further inclusion is not divisive but enriching. (WABE)
5. Gov. Brian Kemp signed new legislation aimed at bolstering Georgia's agriculture business and laying the groundwork for recent citrus fruit developments. Kemp emphasized the importance of the state's agriculture business and highlighted the laws that would help progress the state's number one industry during a signing ceremony at Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College's Bainbridge Campus. House Bill 545, the Citrus Commodity Commission Act, and Senate Bill 220, the Farmland Conservation Fund Act, were both passed into law to safeguard Georgia's agriculture economy. (Times-Enterprises)

Today in Dallas-Hiram:

• Let's Quilt — Dallas Public Library (10:00 AM)
• Canasta — Paulding Senior Center (2:00 PM)
• Kris Anderson Performance — Three Strands Vineyard and Winery (5:00 PM)
• DJ Reverse — 278 South Bar & Grill (8:00 PM)
• Port Nacelle Live at The Box — The Box Sports Bar & Grill (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Fischer Homes: Fischer Homes has announced the opening of its latest active adult community, Poplar Place, in Dallas, Georgia. The community features a new clubhouse with a kitchen and indoor and outdoor gathering spaces, a fitness center, a flex room for yoga and dance classes, walking trails, a pickleball court, and two bocce ball courts. Prospective buyers are invited to attend the grand opening event on Saturday, April 22, from noon to 4 p.m., where they can tour the amenities and enjoy live music and lunch from a local food truck, The Club at Cedarcrest. (Fischer Homes via Patch Community Corner)
• Patch Pet News: Looking to add a furry friend to your family? Look no further than the Dallas-Hiram area, where plenty of lovable animals are up for adoption. From dogs and cats to pigs, birds, and even horses, local shelters are home to a diverse range of animals searching for their forever homes. Sadly, only around half of shelter animals are adopted each year, leaving millions still in need of loving families. To help make a difference, check out this week's list of animals available for adoption near you, compiled by Petfinder and Patch. (Patch Pet News)
• Maude P. Ragsdale Hiram Library: Celebrate Star Wars Day with a movie day at the library. Passive crafts and Star Wars clothing encouraged. May 4 at 3 p.m. (Maude P. Ragsdale Hiram Library via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Linda Marlow

About me: Linda Marlow is an experienced writer and communications professional with a diverse background in industries such as healthcare, education, publishing, and performing arts. She is a Dallas resident who is passionate about sharing the latest news and events happening in Paulding County through her writing. Linda is currently serving as a contributing writer for the Dallas-Hiram Patch newsletter, where she continues to use her storytelling skills to inform and engage the local community.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Dallas-Hiram Patch newsletter? Contact me at Dallas-Hiram@Patch.com