ajc.com 2008 Holiday Guide

Some stories hold the headlines for days, even years, like the story of Lynn Turner, the woman who is behind bars for killing twice for money.

Others are more fleeting, like the motorcyclist who was clocked doing 135 mph on Ga. 400. Here's a sampling of some of the stories that had Northside readers talking in 2007.

Calvin Cruce/AJC (ENLARGE)

Lynn Turner listens to proceeding during jury selection in her Forsyth County murder trial. She was found guilty.

Andy Sharp/AJC (ENLARGE)

The Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

Renee Hannans Henry/AJC (ENLARGE)

Doraville Police Chief John King.

Kristina Torres/AJC (ENLARGE)

One of the many signs that started popping up in DeKalb County neighborhoods where Sembler Co. wants to build at $1 billion mixed-use complex.

What's your priority for the new year personally, professionally or nationally? In 50 words or less, why not share with your fellow readers and us what, in your mind, would make it a truly good year? E-mail us your comments —and attach a photo if possible— today to: nbadertscher@ajc.com. Don't forget to include the city where you live and a number where we can reach you if we have questions. HOLIDAY GUIDE How not to be the jerk of the party  Northside's top stories in 2007  New Year's resolutions shrinking  A how-to for the perfect thank-you

Lake resort planned

Executives with Great Wolf Resorts, the nation's largest operator of indoor water parks, confirmed their interest in property on Lake Lanier in Cumming.

Ground could be broken on the project this spring, after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deemed that a 600-room resort hotel, conference center and guests —only water park should not have a negative impact on the nearby environment.

Officials with the city of Cumming had been quietly negotiating for more than a year with Great Wolf executives, using the code name "Operation Fun." Cumming Mayor Ford Gravitt says the $140 million resort will likely be Cumming and Forsyth County's biggest project. He also says the resort should draw visitors from a 300-mile radius.

The city and county have committed to covering some road, water and sewer improvements that the resort will require. Businesspeople say the conference center will fill a need in Forsyth County —and the entire Ga. 400 corridor —for a large meeting space. Currently, the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce holds its annual gala in North Fulton County.

Jury decides Turner killed lover, husband

Former 911 operator Lynn Turner of Cumming was convicted of killing her firefighter boyfriend with antifreeze —the same poison that was used to end her husband's life 12 years ago.

Her trial was moved from Forsyth County because of pretrial publicity.

The Whitfield County jury that convicted her of murder in the 2001 death of Randy Thompson, a 32-year firefighter and former deputy sheriff, decided last April to spare her life and sentenced her to life in prison without the chance of parole.

Prosecutors painted Turner as the classic black widow who lured two law enforcement officers into her life and then killed them for their money by poisoning them with antifreeze. "She had a taste for caviar and resources for peanuts, " special prosecutor Jack Mallard told jurors. "This case is about lust, greed and murder —one woman and two men."

Turner was convicted in 2004 of killing husband Glenn Turner in 1995, after she'd become romantically involved with Thompson. Prosecutors built their case against her, largely on the similarities in the two men's deaths.

She is appealing her conviction in Thompson's death and, according to state records, is currently in Arrendale State Prison in Alto.

Costly missed deadline for Milton city manager

Milton City Manager Aaron Bovos resigned Aug. 10 after it was disclosed that the city had probably forfeited almost $900,000 because of a missed filing deadline with the state.

The error was discovered in March, but Bovos waited for four months to tell the City Council that the city had missed the Jan. 1 deadline to file papers to collect certain insurance-related taxes. After the error was publicly disclosed in July, the City Council met for 20 hours behind closed doors to discuss "personnel matters." Bovos agreed to resign and collect $72,500 in severance pay.

The likely loss of $900,000, about 7 percent of the city's $12.6 million annual budget, came as the newly formed municipality was trying to get on its feet. Milton officials tried to talk the Insurance Commissioner's Office into giving the city a break, but Commissioner John Oxendine said there was no leeway in the law. The money remains unreachable and may end up in the state kitty to be remitted to other cities and counties who have met state requirements.

Bovos said the requirements for collecting the money were missed as the harried City Council and staff blew through thousand-page agendas in the initial weeks of the city's official existence, which began Dec. 1, 2006.

Bovos joined Milton in September from Sandy Springs where he helped stand up that new city after it was formed in 2005.

150 car break-ins in three days

With the added free time of a long holiday weekend, six Northview High School students went on a break-in spree through Northside neighborhoods.

When the weekend was over, they'd broken into 150 cars in a three-day period. Of the cars they entered —many parked at homes— about 100 of them were left unlocked.

Alex Platt, James Sung, Joseph Ferguson and Joseph Blank —each 17— and 18-year-old twin brothers Christopher and Matthew Davey went out to a dozen communities in Alpharetta and Johns Creek taking whatever they found in the cars.

One vigilant parent discovered some of the booty, including electronics, purses, and golf equipment, and reported the teens to police.

Each of the six confessed to "car hopping" —an apparent trend of entering cars and stealing— admitting to targeting well-to-do neighborhoods to pillage.

Don't Mess with King

Doraville City Council members voted to oust police Chief John King. King, a popular Iraq war veteran, fought to keep his job, even taking his case to a national audience on CNN.

The three council members hired an attorney and tried to build their case against King. Residents protested the move with frenzied e-mails and by wearing "We Support the Chief" T-shirts.

In the end, King won out. He stayed on the job while two of the council members who opposed him were beaten in the November election. The third, council member Bob Spangler, who has two years left on his term, faces a recall.

Big Church, big revelations

What was one of DeKalb County's biggest churches for decades was a palace of revelations in 2007.

The Rev. D.E. Paulk grew up believing Bishop Earl Paulk was his uncle, but he learned over the summer through a court-ordered DNA test that Earl Paulk is actually his father. Later in the year, one of Earl Paulk's granddaughters, Penielle White, said her grandfather touched her and friend Jessica Battle in "inappropriate areas" years ago when the two girls were spending the night together at Paulk's house, according to a TV interview with White in December. White said she was about 8 at the time.

Paulk denied White's accusations and said he was "confused" by her statements. Paulk's church used to be called Chapel Hill Harvester and had a television ministry and 10,000-plus members. Attendance at the church, now called the Cathedral at Chapel Hill, has fallen to about 2,000.

Development plans spark debate

Residents, developers and county officials discussed and often bickered over a proposal by the Sembler Co. to build a massive, $1 billion mini-city in a traffic-clogged corner of north-central DeKalb County.

Supporters said the project would bring new tax revenue, but neighbors worried it was just too big for the area.

The project got a recent big boost when county commissioners approved a special taxing district to help pay for road improvements and other infrastructure fixes in the area. But the year ends with major unanswered questions. Among them: Will DeKalb school officials sell 30 acres at the corner of North Druid Hills and Briarcliff roads that Sembler needs to fulfill its proposal? And will county commissioners agree to rezone the property?

Homeless dogs captured, adopted

Two homeless Shih Tzus, one of them pregnant, eluded east Cobb animal control for 10 weeks. Dozens of people, including Gabriella Toth, the woman who eventually rescued them, tried for more than two months to lure the small dogs with treats and squeaky toys. Toth finally corralled them two weeks before their six puppies were born Feb. 15.

Hundreds of people wanted to adopt the puppies. Toth chose six and required new parents to sign a two-page contract giving her visitation rights. The document also says the new pooch parents have to show Toth, if she asks, proof of vaccinations, de-worming and neutering or spaying within a year. If parents decide not to keep the baby Shih Tzus, they must give them back to Toth, who also plans to keep the little dogs when their new owners go on vacation.

"Barbie Bandits" busted

Two young women, dubbed the "Barbie Bandits," were accused of robbing an Acworth Bank of America supermarket branch and made international headlines. Images of Heather Lyn Johnston and Ashley Nicole Miller, both 19, smiling behind dark glasses, were on television screens for days. The pair and two co-defendants — Benny Herman Allen III, who was a teller at the bank, and Michael Darrell Chastang, a convicted felon —were arrested several days after the Feb. 27 robbery. Johnston pleaded guilty in August to felony theft by taking and a misdemeanor marijuana possession charge, but has not been sentenced yet. Miller was scheduled to plead guilty in October, but instead asked that her plea be withdrawn. The status for her case is unclear at this time.

Arts Centre opens

Metro Atlanta's glitz-and-glam set turned out en masse in September for the premiere of the new Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre. The grand opening of the $145 million center featured a performance by Michael Feinstein and Linda Eder and blended the celebration of a social debut with a healthy dose of civic pride. The gala guest list brimmed with politicians including U.S. Sens. Johnny Isakson and Saxby Chambliss and U.S. Rep. Phil Gingrey, members of the Cobb County legislative delegation and locals like Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens, Marietta Mayor Bill Dunaway and Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon. The center, which sits near the intersection of I-75 and I-285 in the Cumberland Galleria area, has a 2,750-seat theater that is home to the Atlanta Opera. The naming rights went to Cobb Energy, which made a $20 million donation to the project.

Pre-k program ends

Cobb County public schools made headlines in January with the announcement that the system would be closing its pre-k program in the 2007-08 school year, shuttering 26 classes serving 519 students. School officials were optimistic that rising pre-schoolers would find space with private providers, but as the new school year got underway, not enough classes were available to meet the demand in the private sector. Meanwhile, the controversial laptops-for-students program that swept former Superintendent Joe Redden from office was fodder for a Cobb County grand jury. The panel found Redden was not guilty of any criminal wrongdoing, but issued a stern warning to the school system that it needs to clean up the way it does business with future large projects.

Staff writers Doug Nurse, Tucker McQueen, Helena Oliviero, Diane R. Stepp, Larry Conley, Paul Donsky and Marcus K. Garner contributed to this article.