🌱 Heroic Herd Dog Wins Battle Against Coyotes + Police Shortage

Good morning, everybody! It's me, Miranda Fraraccio, your host of the Daily. Let's get this weekend started off right, with a quick review of the most important things happening around town.

But first, today's weather:

A couple of showers. High: 64 Low: 40.

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

1. A Decatur herd dog battled a pack of coyotes on Nov. 3. Casper, a 20-month-old Great Pyrenees, was greatly outnumbered against the 11 coyotes. Casper managed to kill eight of the coyotes. He did not make it out of the fight unharmed, however. He underwent multiple surgeries to patch up wounds on his neck and back. His tail was amputated. The herd of sheep was unharmed. (13WMAZ.com)
2. Three DeKalb County residents have been charged for a series of thefts. Jake Carter, 25 years old; Tammy Walters, 49 years old; and Kristie Cobb, 25 years old, were arrested from Kirk Road in Rainsville, AL, on Nov. 29. The trio has been extradited to Georgia to face additional charges. (WAAYTV)
3. DeKalb County has a shortage of police officers. The county has budgeted for 798 officers and has authorized the strength of 860. The county currently has less than 600 active police officers. The most recent graduating officer class consisted of only 10 recruits. The county has been trying to fix the shortage by increasing officer pay. (Decaturish.com)

Today in Decatur-Avondale Estates:

• Tree Planting With Trees Atlanta At Wiltshire & Berkeley (Mulch Pile) (9:00 AM)
• LEGO Club At Stone Mountain-Sue Kellogg Library (2:30 PM)
• Land Escapes: Journey To Freedom At Salem-Panola Library (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Doris K. Wells Heritage Festival is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 10, at the Wes­ley Chapel-William C. Brown Library at 11:00 a.m. Click for event registration details. (DeKalb County Public Library)
• DeKalb County's Hamilton Recreation Center will be hosting a Parents Night Out and Kids' Pajama & Pancake Party on Friday, Dec. 16, at 6:00 p.m. (DeKalb County)
• Avondale Estates' Historic Preservation Commission will be meeting on Monday, Dec. 5, at 6:00 p.m. (City of Avondale Estates)

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Events:

• Opa! The Greek Pizzeria & Gyros First Anniversary Celebration (December 4)
• Taxes in Retirement Seminar at Emory Continuing Education (December 6)
• Minority Men's Health Program (December 8)
• Jazz at the Ballroom Presents "HOLIDAY IN" (December 17)
• Holidays on Stage and Screen (December 17)
• 2022 Holiday Basketball Camp (December 30)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Saturday off right! I'll see you around.

— Miranda Fraraccio

About me: Miranda Fraraccio is a born and raised Rhode Islander, now living in New York. She works as a staff writer for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and is a graduate of The University of Rhode Island, where she earned a degree in Writing & Rhetoric and Communication Studies. In her free time, you can find her traveling, drinking tea, or photographing her neighborhood as a street photographer.