🌱 Fulton Co. School Board Budget + Man Indicted For Animal Abuse

Hello, neighbors! It's me, Amy Mayo, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here's all the community news you need to know right now.

But first, today's weather:

Periods of sun with a t-storm. High: 81 Low: 56.

Here are the top three stories in and around Johns Creek today:

1. The Fulton County school board voted unanimously to approve a $2.1 billion budget for the district on the evening of Tuesday, Jun. 6. Large portions of the money appropriated for the $2.1 billion budget will go to the recruitment and retainment of employees, as well as new school safety measures. More than $42 million is slated to go to a 5.1 percent pay increase for employees, with $15 million on 2 percent retention bonuses, and roughly $500,000 in incentives to educators who choose to work at schools with staffing issues. (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
2. A grand jury in nearby DeKalb County has indicted a man accused of abusing a dog on video recorded by a doorbell camera. Mekhi Jackson, 21, was indicted on Tuesday, Jun. 6, on three charges of felony aggravated cruelty to animals and one count of tampering with evidence, for alleged animal abuse which occurred on Mar. 12 at the Highlands of East Atlanta apartment complex. A Ring doorbell recording caught footage of a man authorities believe to be Jackson chasing a dog, punching it, picking the dog up by the collar, and throwing it at the wall before chasing it up a set of stairs. The dog was found dead some time after the video was recorded, and Jackson is also alleged to have tried to hide the dog's body. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
3. A notice for MARTA riders in Johns Creek: the Atlanta City Council has approved on Tuesday a plan to spend about $908,000 to audit MARTA's transit expansion program. Per Atlanta City Councilman Amir Farokhi, the audit resolution's sponsor, the audit is meant to reflect "concern and frustration with both the sluggishness of product execution and a lack of transparency on why that has been." (Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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Today in and around Johns Creek:

Thursday, June 8

• Free Outdoor Fitness - Fitness 108 At The Mark Burkhalter Amphitheater at Newtown Park (10:30 AM)
• Arts, Culture, & Entertainment Committee Meeting At City Hall (6:30 PM)
• Soundcheck Bingo At StillFire Brewing [Suwanee] (7:00 PM)
• Colleen Oakley Book Club Event: Everyone Welcome! At Read It Again [Suwanee] (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The City of Johns Creek offers its thanks to everyone who participated in the Bulky Items Recycling Day last weekend — more than 450 vehicles brought several tons of household items to be recycled including TVs, light bulbs, batteries, old appliances, and more. (City of Johns Creek, Georgia - Government via Facebook)
• JCPD is offering a helpful reminder to make sure any animals you take with you outdoors during warm weather (or just in general!) don't get dehydrated. Signs of dehydration include (but aren't limited to): excessive panting, excessive drooling, fever, lack of urine, rapid pulse, and more. (Johns Creek Police Department via Facebook)
• The Chamber of Commerce offers its thanks to Los Abuelos Mexican Grill of Johns Creek for hosting the Chamber's May Men's Happy Hour Networking! The next Men's Happy Hour Networking will be on Jun. 22 from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m., with the location currently TBD. (Johns Creek Chamber of Commerce via Facebook)

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That's it for today! I'll see you around.

— Amy Mayo

About me: Amy Mayo is a writer, visual artist, and political scientist, living in the NC Research Triangle. She graduated from the University of North Carolina Asheville with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and has worked in a variety of fields outside of copywriting including policy advocacy, the healthcare industry and pharmaceuticals, and education. She hopes one day to live up to the stringent expectations of her cat, Morty.