A Georgia square that was home to a Confederate monument for more than a century will now host a statue of the late civil rights icon John Lewis.

Authorities began installing the sculpture of the former Georgia congressman in Decatur last week ahead of its official unveiling on Saturday.

“It’s exciting to see it going up and exciting for the significance of what it represents and what it’s replacing,” Basil Watson, the artist behind the new statue, said at the installation.

Its arrival comes about four years after Decatur officials removed a 30-foot-tall obelisk erected by the Daughters of the Confederacy in 1908.

That statue was taken down in June of 2020, amid national racial justice protests that erupted across the U.S. following the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minn. Floyd, who was Black, died after a white police officer pressed his knee on Floyd’s neck for more than 9 minutes as he lay facedown, hands cuffed behind his back.

A large bronze statue of the late civil rights leader and politician Rep. John Lewis was installed last week in Decatur, Ga., where a monument to the Confederacy was removed in 2020.

Ron Harris/AP

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Ron Harris/AP

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Lewis died in July 2020 at the age of 80 after being diagnosed with advanced-stage pancreatic cancer.

The following summer, a group created by DeKalb County called the John Lewis Commemorative Task Force kicked off its search for a new public art installation at the site of the former Confederate monument.

Watson told Decaturish in 2022 that the 16-foot-tall sculpture of Lewis depicts him with his hands over his heart in a gesture of love that he was fond of.

A civil rights activist, Lewis led sit-ins protesting segregation in the Jim Crow-era South and was beaten alongside other demonstrators during a march across the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma, Ala., in 1965.

Lewis was first elected to Congress in 1987, where he served as a Democrat until his death four years ago.

HIRAM, Ga. — A Georgia sheriff’s deputy was shot and killed while responding to a reported domestic dispute in what police said was an ambush on officers by a suspect who took his own life.

Two deputies responded to a call shortly after 6 p.m. Saturday and immediately were fired upon from a home in a subdivision in Hiram, Georgia, Major Ashley Henson of the Paulding County Sheriff’s Office said during a briefing.

The male suspect also fired “a hail of bullets” at other officers but only one was shot, Henson said.

Deputy Brandon Cunningham, 30, died at a hospital from a gunshot wound, Paulding County Sheriff Gary Gulledge confirmed during the briefing.

“Tonight, we’ve lost a hero,” Gulledge said, adding that “it’s going to be a tough time for all of us and all of our guys.”

The suspect, who was not immediately identified, died of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound, Henson said.

A woman who was involved in the domestic dispute had left but returned while police were at the scene. She also had been shot and was transported to an Atlanta-area hospital and listed in stable condition, Henson said.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation will oversee the investigation, Henson said, adding that it was not immediately clear if any of the officers returned fire in the community about 27 miles (43 kilometers) northwest of Atlanta.

“Unfortunately, it appears as if our deputies were ambushed,” Henson said.

He called the shooting a “tremendously tragic situation,” noting the sheriff’s office had never lost an officer in the line of duty before Saturday.

“Our hearts are broken,” Henson said. “You see us holding it together but there are going to be, there is already heartache, there is already tears.”

HAMILTON, Ga. (WTVM) – The Harris County Champs are “rocking and bowling” into their inaugural season.

From the bowling lane to the swimming lane, this group is set to make waves in the Special Olympics.

“To see the joy on their faces, it’s just priceless,” said Angela Pavlakos, management team chair of Harris County Special Olympics.

Pavlakos said she helped start the Harris County Champs to get kids with special needs out of the house, including her son, Jacob, who has autism. She explained while living in Chicago, Jacob was exposed to many opportunities with adaptive sports, but that all changed when she moved to the south.

“When we first moved to Georgia, there was nothing here for us, especially in Harris County,” she said. “So he really suffered; didn’t have anything to participate in. Now that this is up and running, he is so happy, he’s active and it’s a nice change. The personality, and his self confidence, and the friendships.”

Speaking of friends, there are currently 20 Harris County Champs. Guys and girls ages 8-and-up can join, no matter the skill level.

“I wanted to join Special Oympics because I wanted to see my friends over summer, before school started back up,” said Champ Devin.

He also gave me a few tips on how to throw only strikes. He says it’s all about the “spin”.

Champ Jordan is both a bowler and a swimmer, but says he prefers bowling because just like Devin, he rolls strikes.

What’s an athlete without a coach? For this squad, it’s all volunteer coaches, like Gary Krannacker. His son, Luke, is also on the team and tells me there’s no better feeling than watching the athlete hit their mark.

“We’re improving week over week and seeing a lot of good strides being made by all of the athletes, including Luke,” Krannacker said.

As a volunteer coach, most of the costs come out of pocket. Pavlakos said this is where the community comes in and lends a helping hand.

“All of our donors, God bless them, they have contributed beautifully to make this possible,” she explained. “The facility makes this possible by giving us a reduced rate, and some of the other facilities have no charge. It’s a blessing in the community for all of these people to come together and do this for these kids.”

The Champs are still actively recruiting players and coaches. If you’d like to get involved, send an email to this address: harriscountychamps@gmail.com or find them on Facebook.

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