NEWS BRIEFS: Animal Welfare offers free pet adoptions on weekend

Get ready to rock and roll for a cause! Gwinnett Animal Welfare and Enforcement is hosting the annual Shelter Pets Rock celebration to find loving homes for pets at the Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Center.

On Saturday, October 19 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Gwinnett Animal Welfare will offer free pet adoptions while attendees enjoy hands-on activities, crafts, music, local vendors, face painting and more.

Animal Welfare and Enforcement Division Director Katrina Amaro. “Come out and immerse yourself in a day of excitement and unforgettable memories.”

All adoptable animals are spayed/neutered, vaccinated and microchipped, and most pets can go home the same day as adoption. Visit GwinnettAnimalWelfare.com to find available pets and learn more about the adoption process. The Bill Atkinson Animal Welfare Center is located at 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville.

NOTABLE

Gwinnett again earns top credit rating 

Gwinnett County has once again earned the highest possible bond ratings, securing triple AAA/Aaa ratings from Moody’s Investors Services, Fitch Ratings and S&P Global Ratings. 

The excellent credit ratings allow Gwinnett County to issue bonds at favorable rates, reducing long-term borrowing costs and generating savings for taxpayers. Analysts from the three agencies commended the county government for its robust economic foundation, low debt levels and proactive financial planning.

Leveraging these top ratings, the Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved the issuance of $17.2 million in revenue bonds through the Urban Redevelopment Agency for Phase II of the Gwinnett Place Mall redevelopment project. The 20-year bonds, priced at an interest rate of 4.7 percent, will finance the acquisition of the Macy’s and Macy’s Furniture Store sites at the mall. The purchase of these key properties will further the County’s efforts to redevelop the mall and transform it into a vibrant economic hub

Gwinnett is one of only 53 counties nationwide to hold this elite AAA/Aaa rating from all three major credit rating agencies, a distinction achieved by less than 2 percent of counties across the nation.

Library plans program for re-entry population

The Gwinnett County Public Library is now accepting applications for its next New Start Entrepreneurship Incubator Program (NSEI).

NSEI  provides business education for formerly incarcerated individuals through in-person classes, online coursework, and a robust network of mentors and community partners. NSEI is specifically geared towards the re-entry population, which, in Georgia, is disproportionately minority populations and people of color. 

This six-month course is designed to help community members who have served time in jail or prison create and sustain their own businesses. NSEI originated as a grant project in 2021, funded by Google in partnership with the American Library Association.

Jackson EMC awards grants to five groups

The Jackson EMC Foundation board of directors awarded a total of $89,240 in grants for organizations during its recent meeting, including $74,240 to organizations serving Gwinnett County. 

  • $17,340 to Side by Side Brain Injury Clubhouse, Inc., to provide rehabilitation services for adults from Gwinnett County who are permanently disabled due to a traumatic brain injury.
  • $15,000 to Junior Achievement of Georgia, Inc., for program materials and supplies for the JA Biztown and JA Finance Park interactive programs that teach the concepts of financial literacy, business, entrepreneurship and career readiness to middle school students in Gwinnett and Hall counties.
  • $15,000 to Project Adam Community Assistance Center, Inc., an organization focused on the prevention and treatment of alcohol and drug dependency for men in Barrow, Banks, Clarke, Gwinnett, Hall, Jackson, Madison and Oglethorpe counties, to provide food for its residential treatment center.
  • $14,900 to Diamond in the Rough Youth Development, Inc., Snellville, whose mission is to prepare, inspire, nurture, and provide knowledge to girls 4-18 in Gwinnett County through a variety of preventive programs and activities for its Clusters Mentoring Program.
  • $12,000 to Latin America Association for its emergency rental assistance program for Gwinnett families in need.
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