GDP Script/ Top Stories for August 21st Publish Date: August 21st PRE-ROLL: MONSTER JAM From the BG AD Group Studio Welcome to the Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. Today is Thursday, August 21st and Happy birthday to Jack Buck I’m Peyton Spurlock and here are your top stories presented by KIA Mall of Georgia. First Senior Center of Georgia Honored by Congressman Hank Johnson at Annual H.O.P.E. Awards Gwinnett firefighter injured while battling apartment fire taken to burn unit Couple convicted for 2021 shooting at Lawrenceville home Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on budgeting All of this and more is coming up on the Gwinnett Daily Post podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen daily and subscribe! Break 1: MONSTER JAM STORY 1: First Senior Center of Georgia Honored by Congressman Hank Johnson at Annual H.O.P.E. Awards U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Decatur) joined the celebration on Saturday, Aug. 16, to honor First Senior Center of Georgia and other nonprofits at the H.O.P.E. Awards, part of the Week of H.O.P.E. For Von Tran, founder of First Senior Center, the event at Norcross’ Lou Walker Center was a moment of pride. The center has had a big year, from cancer training sessions to emergency funding for elderly Vietnamese residents. STORY 2: Gwinnett firefighter injured while battling apartment fire taken to burn unit A Gwinnett firefighter was rushed to a burn center Tuesday after battling a massive apartment fire that displaced 31 people and caused part of the roof to collapse. The fire broke out at The Oxford apartments on Club Lakes Parkway in unincorporated Lawrenceville around 8:53 a.m. Calls flooded 911—flames were visible from a top-floor unit, and some feared residents were trapped. Crews arrived to chaos. During a search, the roof gave way, briefly trapping firefighters on a second-story balcony. They were rescued by ladder, and over 20 residents were evacuated safely. The fire started on a balcony, investigators say. Cause? Still unknown. STORY 3: Couple convicted for 2021 shooting at Lawrenceville home Nearly four years ago, a messy breakup turned violent in Lawrenceville, leaving two people lucky to be alive. Elijah Malik Hyams and Kyla Aolani Milling, both 32, showed up at Hyams’ ex-girlfriend’s house on Sept. 7, 2021, looking for trouble—and they found it. Shots were fired into a car parked in the driveway, where the ex’s brother and his girlfriend sat. A bullet shattered the rear window, hit the brother’s phone, and cracked the windshield. Miraculously, no one was hurt. Last week, a jury convicted Hyams and Milling on multiple charges. Both got 15 years in prison. We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info. We’ll be right back Break 2: Ingles Markets 9 STORY 4: Duluth names police headquarters in honor of longtime former chief Nearly 50 years ago, Randy Belcher’s first day as a Duluth cop wasn’t exactly what you’d call glamorous. No chasing bad guys or solving crimes. Nope—he was shooting rats. Actual rats. The police chief at the time took him to a garbage pile off a dirt road (now Rodgers Bridge Road) and handed him a gun. “We’re shooting rats,” the chief said. Belcher, stunned, asked, “Sir? We’re doing what?” And that’s how it all began. Fast forward decades, and Belcher’s name now graces Duluth’s police headquarters. From rats to a legacy—what a journey. STORY 5: Gwinnett commissioners leave government millage rate unchanged Gwinnett homeowners won’t see a change in their county tax rate this fall—14.71 mills, same as it’s been for six years now. Commissioners voted 4-1 to keep it steady, with Commissioner Kirkland Carden casting the lone “no.” For homeowners with a value offset exemption, county taxes stay frozen at the level they were when the exemption was granted—no matter how much home values skyrocket. School taxes, though? That’s a different story. They’ve climbed significantly. We’ll be right back. Break 3: MONSTER JAM And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on budgeting Break 4: 07.14.22 KIA MOG We’ll have closing comments after this Break 5: MONSTER JAM Signoff – Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Gwinnett Daily Post Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.gwinnettdailypost.com Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on so
