🌱 Sewage Spill In Sandy Springs + Fulton County Officer Arrested

Hello again, friends! I'm back with your fresh copy of the Sandy Springs Patch newsletter. Follow along to find out everything you need to know about what's happening these days in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Hot and humid; a p.m. t-storm. High: 95 Low: 71.
• Sunday: A shower and t-storm; humid. High: 95 Low: 73.

Here are the top three stories in Sandy Springs today:

1. On Thursday, a sewage spill was discovered in Sandy Springs near the area of Morgan Springs, and now a large part of the Chattahoochee River is closed off. Segments of the river will be closed over the holiday weekend from Chattahoochee Nature Center to Johnson Ferry as E. coli levels are very high. Officials are continuing to collect samples and monitor the safety levels in the river, but there is no current timeline as to when this section of the river will be reopened. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
2. Police in nearby Dekalb County are currently investigating a case where a mummified body was found in a Dekalb apartment complex in a closet. The victim was identified as seven-year-old Alva Hobbs-Jordan, and her mother, Alondra Hobbs, has been arrested on charges of felony murder and cruelty in the second degree. The body was found after officers were called from a deactivated cell phone, the caller mentioned a body in the closet and officers discovered the decaying corpse. A neighbor reported that the apartment had been vacant for a while but she never saw the child. (WSB Atlanta)
3. 25-year-old Fulton County Detention Officer Demarcus Whatley was recently arrested after not reporting an incident that happened on the job where excessive force was used. An Emergency Inmate Grievance was filed on Whatley, and after the video surveillance was reviewed, it was determined that excessive force was used. Due to not reporting the incident accurately, Whatley was terminated from his position. Whatley is the third member of the Fulton County Sheriff's Office to be arrested this month. He is being held at Fulton County Jail without bond on charges of aggravated assault, violation of oath, cruelty to inmates, and more. (WSB Atlanta)

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Today and tomorrow in Sandy Springs:

Saturday, July 1

• Live Music: Ben Bostick At Sandy Springs Farmers Market (9:00 AM)
• Family Day Out! Fun And Fireworks!! At Painting With A Twist (2:00 PM)
• Elvis Tribute Show: All Shook Up At Byers Theatre Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center (2:00 PM)

Sunday, July 2

• Kids Paint! A Little Guardian At Painting With A Twist (11:30 AM)
• Freedom Celebration At Mount Paran Church Of God (12:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Despite being one of the youngest teams in each tournament this summer, the 10U Summer Softball squad was one of the most exciting teams to watch over four tournaments, scoring 99 runs and stealing over 200 bases in 16 games. The team even overcame a 7-1 deficit to make the gold bracket in the season finale. Sandy Springs Youth Sports is excited to see what these young athletes have coming in their future. (Sandy Springs Youth Sports via Facebook)
• Sandy Springs Police Department wants to remind everyone during the holiday it is important to have fun, but at the same time, it is more important to remain responsible and make good decisions. If you plan to drink this weekend, DO NOT DRIVE. Make sure you are taking care of yourself as well as those around you, and play your part in having a safe and enjoyable weekend. (Sandy Springs Police via Facebook)
• Be sure not to miss out on the Sandy Springs Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration on Jul. 4 at City Springs. The shuttle transport from Lake Forest Elementary starts at 4:00 p.m., food trucks begin at 6:00 p.m., live music from 7:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m., and it all wraps up with fireworks at 9:30 p.m. (Sandy Springs, Georgia: City News via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Atlanta Academy — (Visit website)

Featured events:

• 3hr Salsa Boot Camp Atlanta @ Ballroom Impact - Beginner / Beyond Basic (July 1)
• 4th of July weekend Noche Caliente Latin Night @ Tonys John's Creek July 1st (July 1)
• SSC Trail Blazers Visit Abernathy Greenway in July (July 8)

Featured gigs & services:

• Masonry repairs (Details)

You're all caught up for today. See you all soon for another update!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek