The South River In Poor Health

Mr. Britt sir thank you for your blog where we can send in our views without being turned away.  I have something serious to discuss being a mother of  three.
The South River that runs from Atlanta down through DeKalb, Rockdale, Henry, Newton and into Jackson Lake is a very polluted river.  The odor after the rain is like death in the air.  Atlanta releases sewerage into the river and other chemicals which flow down to us.  I would never allow my children to even go near the water for fear of bacterial disease.  My husband said he would never eat a fish from the river because he has seen some with sores on them.  I see people all the time in canoes and kayaks on the  river and they are literally taking their lives into their hands by going in the water.    I have read where Atlanta’s permit for releasing sewerage into the river was to be renewed this year and with possible extra releases.  We also heard that the EPD is dragging their feet in the matter.  I am sure they will get what they want.  Look at the Chattahoochee that flows into West Point Lake.  The river is polluted and so is the lake.  Rarely do
 people eat a fish for that lake.  But it is irresponsible for people to advertise to go and enjoy the river when they should know that it is highly polluted and dangerous.  I have heard that the river would take years to clean up even if Atlanta didn’t send anything into the river.  There are other factors like streams and creeks that lead into the river and they are heavily polluted as well.  One person we know who lives along the Snapfinger Creek in DeKalb County that flows into the South River had the water checked along his stretch.  It showed high amounts of bacteria and even high amounts of battery acid from a source up stream.  Please don’t go in the river and stay safe because your life is worth more than someone’s pipe dream.

Aleisha Conn Debray
Rockdale County, Ga.

The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following a link on this site.  Any article sent by citizens are their own property.

Henry County Crime Increase

Hi there at the Henry County Community News Blog.  I am Richard Marks of Rockdale County and have been watching the events over in Henry County.  I have done an extensive study of the crime in your county.  It is very apparent that 62.45% of the crimes that are committed are by African Americans.  Most of the violent felony crimes are committed by them.  This is a dramatic increase since 2005 when at that time 45.6% of the crimes were committed by African Americans.  I am an African American myself and I see a horrible trend here.  Families need to become more active in what is happening to their youngsters since gangs and other problems such as drugs are so prevalent in the community today.  I have watched as the northern section of the county has become more and more in line with these types of crimes.  Home burglaries, thefts, robbery and even some other heinous crimes.  As a community that has shifted more to the African American’s you can do
 better.  This is beginning to spill into Rockdale County.  If this trend continues then the area will become more blighted like what happened in Detroit.  I am afraid not for myself, but for my grandchildren as they will have to live in this turmoil.  There have been some in both the white and black communities who have tried to put a wedge in between the races and cause more trouble.  It is evident if you just look around at what is happening under your noses.  It shouldn’t be left up to some community organization, police or government to correct this problem it must begin at home.  But woefully many of those who have children in crime are criminals themselves.  The children are just living the lifestyles of the parents.  Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. said in 1967 that in order to have better relations that we must do better ourselves.

Richard Marks, Rockdale County

The owner of this blog makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information on this site or found by following a link on this site.  Any article sent by citizens are their own property