Feds Shut Down Tucker Limo Service

But management says it's business as usual.

A Tucker-based limousine service has been ordered by the Federal Government to cease all operations immediately due to safety violations, according to the Wall Street Journal, the Sacramento Bee, and other sources. Best Limo Service, at 2179 Morris Avenue, was told April 26 by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) that numerous infractions were discovered during its latest inspection and that "its drivers and vehicles pose an imminent hazard to public safety," the report said.  However, when reached by phone at noon on Friday, a Best Limo manager who would only identify himself as Lindell told Patch: "That's not so. We've been inspected just like everybody else," he said, and the business remains open. When asked again if…

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Op-Ed: Superintendent Thurmond's Tucker Appearance

Michael Thurmond spoke to the Tucker Parent Council on Tuesday.

By Kirk Lunde I attended the Tucker Parent Council meeting on Tuesday night and next morning awoke with two thoughts. Interim superintendent Thurmond’s agenda is to fix the problems of the DeKalb County School District. The three previous superintendents had other, personal, agendas. The meeting can be described as an open conversation with stakeholders about the issues and concerns they have. That alone is a change from many of the previous public meetings. At the meeting I heard several things which give me hope for the future of the district.    First was that Mr. Thurmond is seeking to gain an understanding the institutional history of DeKalb County Schools. While this may not appear to be a priority during this time of crisis, it …

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Cheryl Miller

12:41 pm on Monday, May 6, 2013

I agree about the stability issue. I just don't think Thurmond can do all of what you suggest needs to be done in under a year and I don't have confidence that a BOE without him would be able to hire another Superintendent to carry on in the same manner. A year only gives us a taste of what our children should have, but not enough time to ensure they actually get it.   more ›

DeKalb Schools Holding Public Meetings on Budget

The county's school district has a $728 million budget for next fiscal year.

The DeKalb County School District will hold three public hearings on the district's estimated $728 million budget for the 2014 fiscal year. The hearings will be held at 6 p.m. on April 29 and May 8 at the district's headquarters at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Stone Mountain. The third date will be announced later. The hearings will be broadcast live on PDS-TV24 and on the DCSD website. The public is encouraged to share feedback by emailing budgetfeedback@fc.dekalb.k12.ga.us From a press release by DeKalb County School District Will you be attending, or watching? How do you feel about the way the school district handles their finances? Tell us in the comments-

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UPDATE: Proposed City of LaVista Hills Map Surfaces

The map, created by North Druid Hills resident Rhea Johnson, was sent to a Tucker cityhood blog Sunday.

UPDATE [1:53 p.m.]: A map for a proposed City of Lavista Hills that appeared on a Tucker blog Sunday does not represent The North Druid Hills Study Group and is not formally connected to state Senator Jason Carter, the group's leader said Monday afternoon. Though the map's creator, North Druid Hills resident Rhea Johnson, has worked with The North Druid Hills Study Group, it does not represent the study group, said Don Broussard, the group's head. Johnson called Patch on Monday afternoon and said he sent the map to the Tucker Initiative blog as part of an ongoing discussion about what the boundaries between a proposed City of Tucker and an adjacent city west of I-285 might look like. "It was related to the two-city conundrum that we seem …

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Letters To The Editor

Op-Ed: Tasks Thurmond and BOE Must Accomplish

Superintendent Michael Thurmond will address the Tucker Parent Council on Tuesday evening.

By Kirk Lunde The challenge of repairing the DeKalb school system and restoring it to its former designation of “premiere” will require strong leadership from its superintendent, Mr. Thurmond, and his successor, as well as competent central office employees who are committed to doing their jobs. This means resolving the concerns of parents, students, and teachers who rely upon central office staff to respond quickly and competently to issues as they arise. Central office staff must recognize their roles as public servants and act in the best interest of the all the stakeholders they serve. The question now becomes whether or not Mr. Thurmond can lead his staff, guiding them to excellence and eliminating staff where there is, incompetence, …

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Questions for Lakeside City Alliance

A local parent poses questions to the Alliance and its guest speaker ahead of Thursday's meeting.

Dear Lakeside City Alliance Organizers, I plan on attending Thursday's meeting at the Greek Orthodox Cathedral and look forward to hearing the guest speaker Oliver Porter. However, I do have some questions for the speaker, if he will be taking any. I also have questions for your board members. I understand if time does not permit you to get to them, but I would appreciate a reply and would like to share the information with my personal contacts and friends on social media. I am also sharing my list of questions with some media contacts, such as the Tucker Patch.   I hope they will choose to publish these questions before your meeting so that if time permits and your panel has been unable to get to some of them,others might have the …

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Betsy Parks

2:21 pm on Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Cheryl Miller, hahaha in the first six sentences alone you used the word "I" eight times. Please stop with the silly revisnist history, stick with the facts and thank you like an adult. Holly Molly!   more ›

An Open Letter to Michael Thurmond

A Tucker parent attended Wednesday's Emory LaVista Parent Council meeting and has a few thoughts.

Mr. Thurmond, Thank you for your honest back and forth with citizens at this morning's Emory LaVista Parent Council meeting. I attend a lot of meetings and your willingness to stay in the conversation is a refreshing change. Many of your subordinates have a record of walking out instead of dealing with difficult questions. Every time I hear you speak I become a more ardent supporter. You may be the right person to be superintendent at this time. I particularly appreciate your attitude of getting to know how things work before attempting to make any big changes. Hopefully, you are a fast learner. That said, I have to tell you parents are well aware you are not answering many of the questions asked. I repeat my question, are salaries of …

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Cheryl Miller

3:31 pm on Friday, April 19, 2013

Thank you to Kirk Lunde for writing this letter. I agree with everything stated and appreciate that others are still involved in the process of fixing our schools. We can't just assume that the Governor, or Mr. Thurmond or an appointed board will handle everything so that we no longer need to be concerned. We must watch and listen to the things they are doing now and make note of HOW they are …   more ›

DeKalb School Board Meeting Tuesday

Board members will hold two meetings at the district's headquarters.

The DeKalb Board of Education will hold the following meetings on Tuesday, April 16: 4 p.m. Called Meeting to adjourn to an executive session for the purpose of discussing a student appeal.                         6 p.m. Called Meeting to adjourn to a Committee of the Whole. Both meetings will be held in the Cabinet Room at the Robert R. Freeman Administrative & Instructional Complex, 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard in Stone Mountain. More information can be accessed here

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