Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How will Gwinnett’s new cellphone ban change your student’s day?

Also check out Christmas Eve at McKendree UMC on the Gwinnett County Patch calendar

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Sunday December 21st Patch AM
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Greetings Gwinnett County! We’re your go-to source for what’s happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How will Gwinnett’s new cellphone ban change your student’s day?
  • Why GBI is probing this Gwinnett officer-involved shooting
  • How Gwinnett officers spotted the tiny clue that saved a child

Also on today's calendar: Christmas Eve at McKendree UMC and 3 more events.

Find out what's happening in Gwinnettfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

Today's riddle: What did the balloon say to the doctor? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

Find out what's happening in Gwinnettfor free with the latest updates from Patch.

  • Sunday: Times of sun and clouds, with a high of 63 and low of 38 degrees.
  • Monday: Partly sunny, temps: high: 57, low: 42.
  • Tuesday: Clouds yielding to sun, with a high of 64 and low of 51 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. State's largest school district bans cellphones for all students (wsbtv.com) — Gwinnett County Public Schools have approved a sweeping new cellphone policy that will affect every student starting July 1, 2026. Phones will be banned all day for kindergarten through 8th grade, and restricted during instructional time for high schoolers, though officials haven’t yet defined exactly what counts as instructional time.
   

2. GBI investigating officer involved shooting in Gwinnett County (accesswdun.com) — An officer-involved shooting in Gwinnett County is under investigation by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation after police say a 19-year-old man charged an officer with a knife outside a Doraville home. Gwinnett officers had responded with a state mobile crisis team, and county fire and EMS provided on-scene aid before the man was taken to a hospital in critical condition.
   

3. Officer finds boy with autism in storm drain: ‘Calls like that hits a little bit closer home' (fox5atlanta.com) — Gwinnett County police officers used quick instincts to find a missing five-year-old boy with autism inside a storm drain at Peachtree Ridge Park after about 40 minutes of searching. Officers describe how they followed subtle clues, crawled into the pipe, and safely reunited the child with his parents while highlighting Project Lifesaver for families facing similar risks.
   

4. VIDEO: Gwinnett police officer goes the extra mile to reunite lost elderly woman with family (wsbtv.com) — A Gwinnett County police officer from the Behavioral Health Unit helped reunite a lost elderly woman with her family after a Good Samaritan found her wandering and confused. Using translation tools, patient questioning, and help from county analysts, the officer located her address and safely returned her home from Fire Station 18.
   

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Ok Gwinnett County! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: I feel lightheaded!
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