Community Corner

🌱 Patch AM: How will Lawrenceville’s new Costco change traffic on 316 and Buford?

Happening soon: Taste of BBQ Festival on the Gwinnett County Patch calendar

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Greetings Gwinnett County! We're your go-to source for what's happening in town. Read on to get plugged in! ☀️

In today's newsletter:

  • How will Lawrenceville's new Costco change traffic on 316 and Buford?
  • Lilburn senior facility flunks inspection with 63%—see the key violations
  • What the Norcross Belk closure means for Gwinnett shoppers in 2027

Also on today's calendar: Taste of BBQ Festival and 9 more events.

Today's riddle: What has a cap but no head? 🤔 (Answer below!)

Weather forecast:

  • Saturday: Showers and a heavier t-storm, with a high of 83 and low of 68 degrees.
  • Sunday: Periods of rain and a t-storm, temps: high: 71, low: 65.
  • Monday: Partly sunny and humid, with a high of 78 and low of 62 degrees.

📰 News we're reading

1. Lawrenceville expects road upgrades to ease Costco traffic (wsbtv.com) — Lawrenceville officials have approved a new Costco along Highway 316, promising a connector road, added turn lanes, and retimed signals to ease already heavy traffic for Gwinnett County drivers. Residents are split between worries over congestion and excitement about closer access to groceries, gas, and jobs, with construction pending land acquisition over the next year.
   

2. Sunrise Of Five Forks in Lilburn receives a 63% on their recent health inspection (thegeorgiagazette.com) — If you have loved ones at Sunrise Of Five Forks in Lilburn, be aware the facility recently scored just 63 out of 100 on a state health inspection. Inspectors cited serious issues like missing on-site management, improper food temperatures, expired and spoiled items, inadequate cleaning, and a broken hand sink, and ordered multiple corrections by October 2 with follow-up inspections planned.
   

3. Belk closing another metro Atlanta location in 2027 (wsbtv.com) — Belk plans to close its Norcross department store on Peachtree Parkway on Jan. 15, 2027, ending 25 years of service to local shoppers. Gwinnett County residents can expect clearance discounts up to 75% as the store winds down, and affected employees will be offered transfers to other Belk locations.
   

4. Stone Mountain man pleads guilty to murder in Lilburn shooting (fox5atlanta.com) — A Stone Mountain man has been sentenced to life without parole plus 25 years after pleading guilty to killing his former sister-in-law and shooting her brother at a Lilburn store. The Gwinnett County District Attorney's Office secured the plea before trial, bringing closure to a 2024 case that deeply affected the local Ethiopian community and Lilburn workers.
   

5. Atlanta Pride Announces Congressman Dr. Everton Blair Jr. as a 2026 Honorary Grand Marshal (metroatlantaceo.com) — A familiar name to many Gwinnett County residents, Congressman Dr. Everton Blair Jr. has been chosen as Honorary Grand Marshal for the 2026 Atlanta Pride Festival. Born and raised in Gwinnett and a former county school board chair, Blair will be honored October 10–11 in Piedmont Park for his trailblazing role as Georgia's first openly LGBTQ+ member of Congress.
   

📸 Around Gwinnett County

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Ok Gwinnett County! So now you're in the loop about what's happening today. Thanks for reading, and see you in your inbox next time! Oh -- and if you like what you're reading, invite a friend to Patch AM!

-- The Patch AM Team

P.S. The answer to today's riddle: "What has a cap but no head?" — A bottle (Thank you Glo M. for sending it in!)
Got a good riddle for PatchAM? Submit it here!

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