  The Cost of the Chase: A Night of Shattered Dreams on Scenic Highway SNELLVILLE, GA — In the quiet, bone-chilling hours of Sunday morning, just as Snellville prepared for a looming winter storm, a different kind of violence tore through the silence of Scenic Highway. It was a sequence of events that lasted only minutes but left a lifetime of grief in its wake: a high-speed pursuit, a horrific crash, and the death of a young woman who, according to her family, had spent her final moments begging for the car to stop. The Spark in the Dark: The incident began around 2:30 AM on January 18. Snellville police officers attempted a traffic stop on a Hyundai Elantra driven by 19-year-old Quintavias Martin, a resident of South Carolina. Rather than slowing down, Martin reportedly accelerated, initiating a high-speed chase that quickly spiraled out of control. Inside the car were three passengers. One of them was Naveah McGowan, a 19-year-old aspiring hair stylist. Her family later shared a heartbreaking detail: Naveah hadn't even wanted to go out that night. She had only agreed to join the group to keep a friend company. She didn't even know the driver. "Please Just Stop" As the Hyundai reached "insane" speeds—according to witnesses living near the route—the atmosphere inside the vehicle turned to terror. Naveah’s sister, Tajjone McElya, recounted harrowing details from the survivors. "Everybody in the car was asking, 'Please just stop the car,'" McElya said. The passengers were so desperate that they unbuckled their seatbelts, preparing to jump from the vehicle the moment it slowed down. But it never did. As the car neared Hickory Lane, it struck a concrete median. The impact sent the Elantra rotating counterclockwise across the roadway. It clipped a mailbox and slammed into a utility pole with enough force to snap the wood, before flipping multiple times and coming to rest on its roof. The Aftermath Local resident Susan Justice, who heard the car "flying" past her home, arrived at the scene to find a nightmare. The crash had knocked out power to the neighborhood and stopped only feet from a family’s front porch. While two other passengers were rushed to Northside Gwinnett Hospital with serious injuries, Naveah McGowan was pronounced dead at the scene. Quintavias Martin was arrested and faces a litany of serious charges, including:
A Legacy of "Light" In the days following the crash, Snellville has mourned a girl described as the "light of the room." Naveah was a hard worker, saving every penny for her first apartment and car. Her family now hopes her story serves as a poignant, if painful, warning to other young people. "Please, please watch who you get in the vehicle with," her sister pleaded. As Snellville moves forward, the community is left grappling with the "why" of the pursuit—a tragic reminder that in a matter of seconds, a single reckless decision can extinguish a rising light. www.yahoo.com/news/articles/snellville-high-speed-chase-ends-220223261.html  Ice and Isolation: Winter Storm Fern Paralyzes Gwinnett County Snellville, GA — As the calendar turned to the final full week of January 2026, the familiar hum of Gwinnett County was replaced by the eerie, crystalline silence of Winter Storm Fern. What began as a cautious forecast early in the week transformed into a full-scale regional emergency, encasing Snellville and its neighbors in a dangerous layer of ice that has brought daily life to a standstill. A State of Emergency: The gravity of the storm became clear on Thursday, January 22, when Governor Brian Kemp declared a statewide State of Emergency. By Friday, Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson followed suit, issuing a local emergency order as the National Weather Service upgraded the area to an Ice Storm Warning. "We are looking at a potentially historic icing event," local emergency officials warned. By Sunday morning, those predictions became a reality as freezing rain began to coat power lines, trees, and overpasses across the county. Life Under the Ice: The impact on infrastructure was immediate and severe. As of Sunday afternoon:
A Community in Hibernation: The storm has forced a total shutdown of public services through at least Monday, January 26.
The Long Thaw: While the precipitation is expected to taper off by Monday morning, meteorologists warn that the danger is far from over. Temperatures are projected to bottom out in the teens on Monday night, meaning any melted ice will refreeze into a treacherous "glaze." As Gwinnett crews work around the clock to clear debris and restore power, the message from local leaders remains the same: Stay home. In a week already marked by the tragedy of a high-speed pursuit on Scenic Highway, the city is desperate to avoid further loss of life on its frozen roads.  Beyond the Barbed Wire: The Unstoppable Rise of Janine Battista SNELLVILLE, GA — In a week defined by frozen roads and high-speed tragedies, a quieter, more hopeful story has been warming the hearts of Snellville residents. It is the story of Janine Battista, a local woman whose journey from a prison cell to the boardroom is being hailed as a masterclass in resilience and the power of a second chance. Earlier this month, as Georgia grappled with some of the highest incarceration rates in the country, Janine’s story emerged as a beacon of what is possible when the cycle of "lock and key" is replaced by "mentorship and mission." The Interruption: For Janine, the path to prison wasn’t a choice she ever imagined making. "Going to prison interrupted everything in my life," she reflected in a recent interview with CBS Atlanta. Like many who find themselves in the carceral system, Janine describes her former self as "lost"—a version of herself she no longer recognizes. But rather than letting the isolation of the Georgia prison system break her, Janine found an unlikely sanctuary in the written word. Through Common Good Atlanta, a nonprofit that brings higher education and humanities into Georgia prisons, she discovered a hidden talent for poetry. The blank pages of her notebook became the only place where the fences didn't exist. The Invisible Wall: When Janine was released in 2019, she quickly realized that serving her time was only half the battle. The "invisible wall" of reentry—the stigma attached to a criminal record—proved just as daunting as the physical one she had left behind. "It’s terrifying," Janine shared. "When you lay out your past, you have to ask, 'Do you feel comfortable trusting me?'" Despite her education and her talent, she faced a job market that often looked at her history before her humanity. From Poet to Powerhouse Janine refused to be defined by her lowest moment. Today, her life in Snellville looks vastly different:
A Lesson for Snellville Janine’s turnaround comes at a pivotal time for Gwinnett County. With the local success of the GRIP (Gwinnett Reentry Intervention Program) and the recent funding of homeless services for former inmates, the community is shifting its focus toward restoration rather than just retribution. "I can look back and say I did that—even in a really difficult, isolated situation," Janine said. "I found things I liked and discovered more of who I believe I am." Her story serves as a poignant reminder that while a mistake may interrupt a life, it does not have to end it. In the heart of Snellville, Janine Battista isn't just a "returning citizen"—she is a rising star. hourglassjournal.org/author/janine-solurush/ Weather Did You Know; A Fortress of Granite - Snellville's first jail  📚 Mid-Week Magic: Groundhog’s Day Storytime For parents who have been cooped up with restless toddlers for three days, the Barnes & Noble at The Shoppes at Webb Gin is offering a much-needed sanctuary this Wednesday.
The Poignancy: There is something deeply symbolic about a Groundhog’s Day theme right after a winter storm. As the "littlest readers" gather on the stage, the event marks a return to the simple, rhythmic routines of childhood that the storm so abruptly interrupted. It’s a 30-minute window of craft, color, and community for families who have spent the last 72 hours staring at gray skies and frozen windows. 🌶️ Bringing the Heat: The 5th Annual Westside Chili Cookoff If the Barnes & Noble event is the "soft opening" of the post-storm week, the Westside Baptist Church Chili Cookoff is the grand finale.
The Stakes: This isn't just about bragging rights. The church has put up serious prizes:
 A Beacon in the Cold: Inside Snellville’s Winter Warming Stations SNELLVILLE, GA — As Winter Storm Fern encased Gwinnett County in a dangerous glaze of ice this week, a different kind of energy was humming at the corner of Bethany Church Road. While the world outside grew silent and frozen, the Gwinnett Community Resource Center transformed into a vital lifeline for a community caught in the grip of the deep freeze. More Than Just Heat For many Snellville residents, the warming stations have been more than just a place to escape the wind. As power lines succumbed to the weight of the ice, leaving thousands in the dark, these centers became modern-day sanctuaries. Inside the Community Resource Center, the atmosphere is one of weary relief. Beyond the essential warmth, the county has provided:
The "Nash Building" Expansion: Because of the severity of Storm Fern, Gwinnett County took the rare step of expanding its usual warming station roster. In addition to the Snellville site, the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center (GJAC) in Lawrenceville opened the Nash Building’s jury assembly area. For those who couldn't safely drive, Ride Gwinnett and local microtransit services worked tirelessly—until road conditions became too hazardous—to ferry residents from icy neighborhoods to these safe havens. The Human Element: The most poignant part of the warming stations isn't the infrastructure; it’s the people. From the staff earning $18 an hour to monitor the sites overnight to the neighbors sharing stories over paper plates of food, the stations have bridged the gap of isolation that winter storms often create. "It’s not just about the thermometer," one volunteer noted. "It’s about knowing you aren't sitting in the dark alone." How to Access Help As of Sunday evening, the warming stations are scheduled to remain open until Tuesday, January 27, at 9:30 AM, though officials are monitoring the forecast for a "refreeze" that might extend those hours.
Fun Fact, The Olympic Queen of the Pool
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