Clayton County Public Schools recently held a groundbreaking ceremony for the new Forest Park Middle School. The tossing of the dirt took place at the cleared site of the old campus on Finley Drive in the City of Forest Park. Once completed, the new 231,000-square-foot facility will have a STEM instructional focus, modern academic spaces, administrative offices, media center and a state-of-the-art athletic field.

This summer brought some added sunshine to dozens of local residents thanks to a free shopping event held at Forest Park High School aimed at supporting low-income families and individuals in need. Organizers from Helping Hands Ending Hunger INC., the City of Forest Park, Good360 and Clayton County Public Schools hosted their Free Gifts at the Park event with additional support from community partners, including Kroger Delivery, Robinson Weeks, Bluestar Studios and others. More than 100 individuals were able to sign up for a designated time slot to shop for clothes, shoes, kitchen and household items, bedding, toys, baby supplies and more – all at NO COST.

The Forest Park Police Department hosted its Conversation & Coffee With The Chief event, which was held at Chick-fil-A Forest Park, located at 4959 Jonesboro Rd. Individuals who were interested in learning more about their local police department had the opportunity to ask questions, discuss public safety concerns and hear directly from Forest Park Police Chief Brandon Criss.

The Forest Park Police Department is currently accepting applications for its Citizens Police Academy, an initiative designed to provide constituents with a greater understanding of law enforcement operations and programs, including crime scene investigations, traffic stops, use-of-force tactics and E911. Individuals interested in signing up for the academy must be a resident of Forest Park or Clayton County and at least 21 years of age.

Slots for the academy are limited. To obtain an application, email Capt. Lloyd Owens at lowens@forestparkga.gov. or Sgt. Brittney Sparks at bsparks@forestparkga.gov. The deadline to submit an application is 5 p.m. Monday, July 17. For additional information, contact the Forest Park Police Department at (404) 366-4720 (option 8 on the main menu).

Batter up! Several members from the Forest Park Fire & Emergency Services Department, along with 13 other teams from across the state, recently competed in the Georgia Police and Fire Games in Columbus, Georgia. We're proud to announce that our team placed 4th overall - just one game away from the championship! Watch out Major League Baseball, Forest Park has some certified rock stars.

Forest Park continues to take the film industry by storm. Founded in 1977, Cinelease Inc. is the film and entertainment industry’s leading provider of lighting and grip equipment. From its modest beginnings in Hollywood, Cinelease has woven itself into the fabric of filmmaking, boasting an international presence, offering an extensive inventory of lighting and grip equipment and an impressive portfolio of studios throughout the country. With a location at 2000 Southpoint Dr., the city thanks Cinelease for choosing to do business in Forest Park!