Archived News

Lecture discusses urban homesteading in south Decatur

The effects of urban homesteading will be the topic of May’s “Lunch and Learn” series at the DeKalb History Center.  

The urban homesteading program is designed to attract new homeowners who would receive low-interest loans to rehabilitate their houses to bring them up to code and spur investment in surrounding properties.

Urban homesteading was authorized under the same legislation that created community development block grants.  Together, these two acts enabled the rehabilitation of residential properties throughout south Decatur, improvements to McKoy and Oakhurst parks, and the area’s first streetscape improvement project in the newly rebranded Oakhurst business district.

This presentation looks at south Decatur’s history and the impacts that the urban homesteading program had on the neighborhood and the greater city.

Dr. David Rotenstein will lead the presentation on “South Decatur: Urban Homesteading and its Effects.” The event will be May 22, noon to 1 p.m. at the historic DeKalb Courthouse, 101 E. Court Square, Decatur.

The event is free and participants are encouraged to bring a lunch.

Dunwoody Police looking for missing 21-year-old

The Dunwoody Police Department is looking for a 21-year-old mentally challenged man who disappeared May 20.

Andrew Charles Lichtenstadter, a 5-foot-10, 122-pound White male, with brown hair and hazel eyes, was last seen at approximately 8:10 p.m. May 20 at a restaurant in the Perimeter area of Ashford Dunwoody Road with his family.

Police said Lichtenstadter became upset and walked out of the restaurant. His family gave him time to “cool off” and when they went outside to look for him, he could not be found.

Lichtenstadter is a ward of the state of Georgia and resides at a residential group home in Smyrna. Police said they do not believe he has the ability to find his way there.

Police say Lichtenstadter is on medication, which he does not have with him.

The Dunwoody Police does not suspect foul play, but is concerned for the man’s well-being given his mental capacity.

Anyone with information regarding his case is asked to call Dunwoody Police at (678) 382-6908.

County’s job bus coming to Decatur

DeKalb County’s Mobile Career Center, also known as the “jobs bus,” will be stationed at two locations in Decatur this week.

On May 21, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., the jobs bus will be at Georgia Department of Human Services, located at 2910 Miller Road, Decatur.

On May 22, 10 a.m. - 4 p.m., the jobs bus will be at Atlanta VA Medical Center, located at 1670 Clairmont Road, Decatur.

The mobile center is designed to help residents find employment by providing job search assistance, adult workshops and training, resume writing and interviewing tips.

Businesses are also able to use the mobile unit for recruiting, pre-employment screenings, interviewing and training.