🌱 Decatur's Duplexes Gaining Grounds + Assemblyman Drenner And LGBTQ

Greetings everyone. It's your Patch-pal, Cherryl Young/ MamaNyeMatters, coming to you with the Daily. Let's get this day started off right, with a quick guide to everything you need to know about what's happening around town. Today's briefing includes updates on:

• Talks regarding Gov. Brian Kemp's stand against same sex marriage
• The City Commission of Decatur voting to allow the building of duplexes in single-family zoned districts
• Car break-ins resulting in the death of a man in his 30s

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and cooler. High: 55 Low: 35.

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Here are the top stories in Decatur-Avondale Estates today:

1. Move over single-family homes! The City Commission of Decatur has again voted to allow the building of duplexes, triplexes, and quadplexes in single-family zoned districts. The ordinance only needs to pass one more vote. Opposers to the ordinance say they fear there will be negative impacts on traffic, parking issues, housing value, and the "character" of the neighborhood. (Planetizen)
2. State Assemblyman Karla Drenner, a Democrat from Avondale Estates and openly gay, said she’s had to fight many anti-gay laws since 2000 when she first took the position. She goes on to encourage the LGBTQ+ community to continue to believe in and fight for equality. Democratic Lawrenceville State Rep. Sam Park, who is the first openly gay man elected to the Georgia Legislature, stated that the "ban on same-sex marriage is still on the books." All of this after talks regarding Gov. Brian Kemp's stand against same-sex marriage. According to U.S. Census data, there are approximately 17,514 same-sex married households and approximately 1.8 million mixed-sex households here in Georgia. (GEORGIA LAW NEWS)
3. A 15 year old is hospitalized and a man said to be in his 30s has been pronounced dead after shots were fired on Wednesday night around 10:30 p.m. It was reported that the shooting is tied to car break-ins that involved the 15 year old and others. Reports state that the victim was shot during an argument with the group when he went to his car to retrieve something. The victim was found off of Flat Shoals Parkway next to a Waffle House, and transported to the hospital but didn't survive his wounds. The 15 year old may have been shot on Shepherds Path in Decatur. His name hasn't been released due to his age. (11Alive.com WXIA)

Today in Decatur-Avondale Estates:

• Webinar — Starting a Business - DeKalb Chamber of Commerce (10:00 AM)
• Webinar — Start-Up Business Marketing Plan (10:00 AM)
• The Art of Good Penmanship — DeKalb County Public Library (11:00 AM)
• Friday Movies — DeKalb County Public Library (1:00 PM)
• Varsity Basketball @ LITHONIA — Decatur High School (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• If you’d like to volunteer for the Winnona Park PTA event you can check out this link, (https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0948aea92ea0ffc07-2023#/) All volunteers get free admission to the festival and an official DLNY tee. (Winnona Park PTA via Facebook)
• Recreatur, the Decatur Parks and Recreation Master Plan is in its final planning phase. You can review the proposed plan recommendations and provide feedback on the future of the park. (Decatur Active Living via Facebook)
• McCain Library in Agnes Scott College makes print editions of the books they own available to students for a set amount of time, similar to physical reserves. When sections of a physical book are requested, the library will digitally scan it. (McCain Library, Agnes Scott College via Facebook)
• Author Jamila Minnicks will discuss her book, Moonrise Over New Jessup at the Georgia Center for the Book at DCPL next week. Registration requested at (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/4... ) (Georgia Center for the Book at DCPL via Facebook)
• Downtown Development Authority and Publix is sponsoring a new transportation program with Let's Ride Atlanta. The program has an electric shuttle bus that is environmentally friendly. (Decatur Active Living via Facebook)

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That's it for today. I'll be in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next update!

— Cherryl Young/ MamaNyeMatters

About me: Cherryl Young DBA MamaNyeMatters. I was born in Providence, Rhode Island and moved to Georgia in 2017. My first children's book, You Are the Pot of Gold at the End of the Rainbow was published in 2021. https://www.mamanyematters.com... I've worked in Atlanta and Gwinnett County Public Schools assisting children who have special needs. I studied Community Development @ Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. My Purpose In Life Is To Connect, Create, Inspire, Write, and Expand and I am ELATED to Be Here as a Contributing Writer @ Patch! Journey With Me...

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Decatur-Avondale Estates Daily? Contact me at Decatur@Patch.com