Community Corner

Five Things to Know Today, Jan. 16

Guaranteed to tell you something you didn't know yesterday.

Welcome to Monday and Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Here are some things to know about today.

The weather: Perfect for the parade or those volunteer jobs: Sunny, with a high of about 55 degrees. There's a 30 percent chance of rain tonight, and the low will be around 43.

Gas prices are 1 to 2 cents higher than a week ago. Prices in Lilburn reported to www.georgiagasprices.com on Sunday ranged from $3.27 (at Shell, 4032 US-78 at Bethany Church Road, and Kroger, 4155 Lawrenceville Highway at Beaver Ruin) to $3.45 (at Texaco, 4785 Lawrenceville Highway at Indian Trail Lilburn Road).

Find out what's happening in Lilburn-Mountain Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

MLK Day. The main event in Gwinnett County today is the Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Parade in Lawrenceville. It starts at 10:30 a.m at the historic courthouse and ends at Central Gwinnett High School. The theme of this year’s parade is “Unity in Diversity,” reflecting the many nationalities represented in Gwinnett County. Organizers are the United Ebony Society.

Pioneer. On MLK day, it may be useful to remember an earlier generation of black politicians in the South who briefly flourished under Reconstruction in the post-Civil War years. One was Jefferson Franklin Long of Macon, who was sworn in as Georgia's first black congressman on this day in 1871. He served one term and eventually left politics as Reconstruction ended and the freedoms it provided to African-Americans were rolled back. Georgia would not elect another black congressman until Andrew Young in 1973.

Find out what's happening in Lilburn-Mountain Parkwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Wealth of health. Starting out the year with new ideas for diet, exercise or just generally in pursuit of a healthier life? There is a storehouse of knowledge, guidance and tips just down the road at the county library. The library has helpufully organized a website listing its books about exercise, healthier cooking, kids nutrition, home remedies and more. And it’s all free! Maybe the guidance you’ve been looking for is in there.


Get more local news delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here