DeKALB – David Byrd, DeKalb’s first Black Police Chief, has big goals as the city’s first permanent chief since 2019. Byrd plans to reconnect the community through taking outreach measures, which he hopes will decrease the divide between law enforcement and the community. Byrd’s first day in the position was May 1, after serving for.
Northern Star
DeKALB – Mayor Cohen Barnes, sworn in on May 10, expects his time in office to be dominated by an economic windfall brought about by the arrival of two mega-corporations in DeKalb.
Social media monolith Facebook and the Chicago-based Ferrara Candy Company, producer of treats such as Laffy Taffy and Nerds, have both recently invested significant business infrastructure within the City of DeKalb, facilities that Barnes said will start bearing fruit within his term.
Ferrara’s new distribution facility and Facebook’s planned data storage center will amount to a combined total of roughly 2.5 million square feet of new development and will create over 1,000 new jobs in DeKalb, all of which will be coming online within the next two years.
Northern Star
DeKALB – Mayor Cohen Barnes was sworn into office Monday to begin his term as mayor with hopes of working with council members to continue the “momentum” within the city.
“I really look forward to working with this team, this council in order to continue the momentum that we have going on in DeKalb to make sure that we realize the beauty, the wonder and – what I believe – the greatness that this community has, and I will during my four years, always compassionately be proud of DeKalb,” Barnes said.
Barnes, along with Second Ward Alderperson Barb Larson and City Clerk Sasha Cohen, were all sworn in as new city leaders at Monday’s City Council meeting. Fourth Ward Alderperson Greg Perkins and Sixth Ward Alderperson Mike Verbic were also sworn in for an additional term.