🌱 Fulton County Reparations Task Force + Former Officer Arrested

Hello, friends. It's Saturday in Johns Creek and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in the community today. Because community news matters!

But first, today's weather:

Cooler with periods of rain. High: 50 Low: 35.

Shoutout to the awesome local business that keeps this newsletter running:

What could be “sweeter” than a new home? If you are looking to buy or sell a home in Johns Creek, Terri & Michael Hecht of Coldwell Banker have a thorough understanding of our local market, and have watched our area grow for the past 17 years. If you are planning to buy or sell they would LOVE to help — to learn more visit Terri and Michael here.

Want to see your business featured in this spot? Click here to get started.

Here are the top four stories today in Johns Creek:

1. The Fulton County Board of Commissioners approved $250,000 in funding for the county’s Reparations Task Force to conduct an empirical and feasibility study. According to Dr. Sims-Alvarado, the task force will "examine different issues that affected Fulton County’s Black residents," including slavery, eminent domain, convict labor, voting, health care, and more. The task force, which is the first of its kind in the county, could lead to reparations for Fulton County African-American residents. Board of Commissioners Chair Robb Pitts said he is against reparations but is interested in the task force's findings. In October 2024, the Fulton County Reparations Task Force will present its final report to the Board of Commissioners. (WSB-TV)
2. Reynard Trotman, a former Fulton County detention officer, was fired and then arrested on Feb. 9 for allegedly not protecting an inmate from physical harm and aiding and betting during the commission of a crime. Trotman is facing more than a dozen charges for the violent incident that occurred in the county jail on Jan. 31. Charges include seven counts of violation of oath by a public officer, two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of battery, reckless conduct, cruelty to an inmate, and conspiracy to commit a felony. (Fox 5 Atlanta)
3. On Jan. 26, a local man told Johns Creek Police that someone used his identity to open a line of credit at Macy’s on Jan. 18 and an Experian account on Jan. 12. The suspect had opened a Macy's credit line of $1,600 and had a pending Macy's credit card balance of $700. (Appen Media)
4. Recently, World Baseball Classic announced that Brandon Gold, a former Georgia Tech player from Alpharetta/Johns Creek, was named one of the 29 players on Team Israel for the 2023 World Baseball Classic. Gold, a right-handed pitcher with a 5.13 career ERA, spent the last two years with the Albuquerque Isotopes. (Georgia Tech)

Today in Johns Creek:

• Souls Grown Deep: A Collection Of Works By Gerald Burch And Ronald Sullivan At Johns Creek Arts Center (10:00 AM)
• Young Artists At Ocee Branch Library (2:00 PM)
• Wine Tasting: Love Is In The Air At Cibo & Vino Sandwiches, To-Go Meals, And Wine Club (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Construction continues on Cauley Creek Park, even though the rainy weather brings challenges. View the link to see the construction updates, including a special soil mix installed in the bioretention areas of the parking lot and the new 203-acre park off Bell Road south of McGinnis Ferry Road. (City of Johns Creek, Georgia - Government via Facebook)
• Did you lose your smartphone? A smartphone was found this week on a mailbox in the Stratmore/River Knoll neighborhood at Knollcrest Boulevard. If this is your phone, please contact Johns Creek PD at 678-474-1606. (Johns Creek PD via Twitter)
• Here’s some Super Bowl weekend trivia for you: Georgia ranks 5th in the nation for producing the most NFL athletes, with 1,004 NFL players and 218 Super Bowl players hailing from our state since the 1966-67 season. Check out more Super Bowl stats from across the country in this new BeenVerified study. (BeenVerified)
• Due to a lack of space and overcrowding issues, the Canine Cellmates program has been kicked out of the Fulton County Jail. The program brought shelter dogs into the jail to help train them for adoption while helping rehabilitate the prisoners and reduce recidivism. (11 Alive)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Queen Custom Couture www.Queencustomcouture.com — (Visit website)
• Add your business here

Featured events:

• 3hr Salsa Boot Camp Atlanta @ HDC Dance & Fitness Center Sat Feb 11, 2023 (February 11)
• Dee Dee & Steve (February 11)
• Pre Valentines Day Noche Caliente Latin Night @ Tonys Johns Creek Sat Feb 11, 2023 (February 11)
• Free Valentine Treat for YOU! (February 13)
• Havana Nights Atlanta Valentines Day - Dance lesson, 3 course Dinner, & Latin dancing Tues Feb 14th (February 14)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (February 15)
• Forgetful not Forgotten - Dementia Seminar (February 15)
• Anna Razumovskaya Artist Show (February 18)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll be back in your inbox on Monday with another update.

— Rose Mendez

About me: Rose Mendez is a freelance writer. She is studying English Literature at Hunter College. She loves reading, walking around the city, and coffee!