Atlanta, GA
Vigil for 10-year-old girl, stepfather killed in southwest Atlanta crash
ATLANTA – Family and friends of 10-year-old Janyla Henderson and her stepfather Nicholas Jeffries gathered Thursday afternoon for a vigil days after they have been killed in a crash in southwest Atlanta.
Evelyn Henderson shouldn’t be solely coping with the sudden lack of her daughter and vital different however the truth that she survived a lethal rollover crash when they didn’t.
“It is exhausting being right here as a result of it is my first time again on website because it occurred,” she stated.
Evelyn was one among six individuals within the SUV early final Saturday morning.
Atlanta police say the automobile was touring at a excessive fee of velocity, misplaced management, and rolled over a number of instances close to the intersection of Campbellton and County Line roads. Janyla and Jeffries have been ejected and killed, leaving a large gap within the household.
“They each had a smile once they walked right into a room, oh my God,” Evelyn stated. “It simply lit up, it simply lit up.”
Family members gathered for a vigil Thursday afternoon on the scene for the 2 victims.
The household says the 2 have been inseparable and each have been good, kind-hearted individuals.
Jeffries was a father of three and a stepfather of three.
Dozens confirmed up and it was meant to offer some therapeutic as they handled the damage.
“Pondering again on it, I believe she did look as much as me, however I actually hope that she is aware of that I liked her, actual unhealthy,” stated Janyla’s brother, Jacorey Aliyu.
“It is superb and it reveals assist for my son Jamal too,” Evelyn stated. “Within the hospital, he is preventing for his life, however he is doing good.”
Police recognized the motive force of the SUV they have been in as Zyria Sensley. Investigators say after the crash she ran off.
“I simply need her to show herself in as a result of we’re hurting, all of us are hurting,” stated Tracey Cartwright.
To date, no person has been arrested.
The household has created a GoFundMe, click on right here to assist.
Atlanta, GA
America’s last pandas expected to leave Atlanta for China this autumn
The last US zoo with pandas in its care expects to say goodbye to the four giant bears this fall.
Zoo Atlanta is making preparations to return panda parents Lun Lun and Yang Yang to China along with their American-born twins Ya Lun and Xi Lun, zoo officials said Friday.
There is no specific date for the transfer yet, they said, but it is likely to happen between October and December.
The four Atlanta pandas have been the last in the United States since the National Zoo in Washington returned three pandas to China last November. Other American zoos have sent pandas back to China as loan agreements lapsed amid heightened diplomatic tensions between the two nations.
Atlanta received Lun Lun and Yang Yang from China in 1999 as part of a 25-year loan agreement that will soon expire.
Ya Lun and Xi Lun, born in 2016, are the youngest of seven pandas born at Zoo Atlanta since their parents arrived. Their siblings are already in the care of China’s Chengdu Research Center of Giant Panda Breeding.
It is possible that America will welcome a new panda pair before the Atlanta bears depart. The San Diego Zoo said last month that staff members recently travelled to China to meet pandas Yun Chuan and Xin Bao, which could arrive in California as soon as this summer.
Zoo Atlanta officials said in a news release they should be able to share “significant advance notice” before their pandas leave.
As to whether Atlanta might see host any future pandas, “no discussions have yet taken place with partners in China”, zoo officials said.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta HR commissioner placed on leave over nepotism allegations
ATLANTA – The City of Atlanta has placed its human resources commissioner on administrative leave while it investigates accusations of nepotism.
Officials have confirmed an ongoing investigation by the city’s Law Department into Commissioner Tarlesha Smith.
According to a report obtained by FOX 5, the Office of the Inspector General investigation began in April 2023 over an allegation that Smith created a city position for her daughter and then tried to have her daughter’s supervisor terminated.
In the report, Smith is accused of creating a full-time position with the Office of the City Solicitor specifically for her daughter in the fall of 2022.
“City staff expedited the daughter’s onboarding process, skipping elements of her background check and disregarding her ineligibility,” the report reads. “She did not receive an employment or education verification. She was not interviewed. She did not meet the minimum qualifications of the position.”
When Smith’s daughter reportedly began to be late and absent from her work due to her supervisor, OCS Director of Administration Jennifer Johnson, denying her request to telework, officials say Johnson recommended that she be fired.
Instead, the report says the Department of Human Resources began to investigate Johnson, placed her on administrative leave, and told her department head that she would be terminated.
“The department head, who had worked with the supervisor for more than 25 years and who could not recall a single complaint against the supervisor, requested that DHR provide him with documentation to support this action — a copy of the complaint against the supervisor and a copy of DHR’s investigative findings,” the report reads. “DHR provided no documentation.”
The investigation also revealed additional concerns about Smith’s “unprofessionalism” and “deviation from human resources standards.”
Following the report, a City of Atlanta spokesperson said Smith was placed on administrative leave while City Law handles its independent investigation and interviews additional employees.
“We want to ensure we have a comprehensive review of the facts,” the spokesperson said.
The city has also asked the Law Department to develop an updated policy related to immediate family members.
Atlanta, GA
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