🌱 Lyft Driver Fatally Shot + Search For Missing Girls

Good morning, Decatur-Avondale Estates! Like many of you, the Patch staff will be taking some time off for the Thanksgiving holiday, so you won’t see a newsletter from me tomorrow. We’ll be back bright and early Saturday morning, but for now, here’s all the most important things happening in the community.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy and cooler. High: 59 Low: 49.

Business owners and marketers in Decatur-Avondale Estates: Do you want to build awareness with local customers? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. Click here to learn more.

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

1. DeKalb County police report a Lyft driver was shot and killed on Monday night after dropping off a passenger on Cedar Croft Court. Lauren Allen, 31 years old, was found dead in her car. She was the daughter of Peachtree Corners Councilman Joe Sawyer. The gunman was shot and killed by responding officers. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation has opened an investigation into the incident. (WSB-TV)
2. The DeKalb County School Board will be auditing the use of federal COVID-19 funds. DeKalb County spent nearly $90 million on teacher and employee bonuses. The county was awarded a total of about $505 million and about 57 percent of the funds are still unspent. The audit will take months to complete. (WSB-TV)
3. Two young girls have gone missing in DeKalb County. Deaiyka, 13 years old, and Reginae, 11 years old, were last seen on Nov. 21 near Evans Mill Road. Anyone with information about the missing girls' whereabouts is asked to contact the DeKalb Police Department. (11 Alive)

Today in Decatur-Avondale Estates:

• Brow Threading Training At Micromi Brows (1:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Are you growing increasingly frustrated with online home listings and are seeking an alternative? Consider this upcoming in-person open house occurring in the Decatur-Avondale Estates area this weekend. Click the link for where, when, time, property dimensions, price, and photos. (Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch)
• The City of Decatur has released the holiday schedule for solid waste and recycling collection. Click here for the 2022-2023 collection schedule. (City of Decatur GA- Government via Facebook)
• The City of Decatur's first community meeting for the Decatur Town Center Plan 2.0 will be held on Wednesday, Nov. 30 at Decatur Recreation Center on Sycamore St. at 5:30 p.m. (City of Decatur GA- Government via Facebook)

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Events:

• Jazz at the Ballroom Presents "HOLIDAY IN" (December 17)
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That's all for today! Have a happy Thanksgiving!

— 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.