Community News

ATLANTA

U.S. education chief to visit local school

U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings is scheduled to visit F.L. Stanton Elementary School on Sept. 9, Atlanta schools spokesman Joe Maguno said Wednesday. Stanton was named a Georgia School of Excellence last school year by the state Education Department for significantly increasing the percentage of students who pass state math and reading tests. The school in southwest Atlanta teaches about 300 students, according to enrollment data from the state Education Department. Spellings visited an Atlanta school in November to highlight the city school district’s scores on the National Assessment of Educational Progress, a test that compares student achievement across the country.

Science, math are focus of conference

An education conference aimed at improving student achievement and interest in science and math will be held Sept. 11-13 at the Hilton Atlanta Airport hotel. The meeting was organized by the Partnership for Reform in Science and Mathematics, or PRISM, a five-year initiative funded by the National Science Foundation and organized by the University System of Georgia. The initiative aims to increase the number of students interested in math, science and engineering and to better prepare the teachers who lead classes in these subjects.

COBB COUNTY

Smyrna to recycle electronics now

The Smyrna Recycling Center is now accepting electronics. You don’t have to be a Smyrna resident to drop items off at 645 Smyrna Hill Drive. The Keep Smyrna Beautiful affiliate takes old computers, phones, monitors, radios, vacuum cleaners and other nonhazardous electronics. There’s a $10 handling fee for televisions. The center is open 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Monday, Tuesday, Friday and Saturday and noon-8 p.m. Thursdays. Check the Web at www.ci.smyrna.ga.us.

New sales tax would maintain schools

Cobb County school enrollment numbers are projected to rise only slightly over the next five years, which means fewer new schools will be built. But the dozens of schools that were built more than 40 years ago need attention, say Cobb and Marietta school system officials.

Four panelists at a Marietta public forum Tuesday night argued both sides of the Sept. 16 special purpose local option sales tax vote.

The 1 percent sales tax proposal, a five-year plan that must be approved by voters, includes major modifications at many high schools: North Cobb, South Cobb, Campbell, Sprayberry and Pope are included. Only four new schools would be built, and three of those are elementary schools.

The proposal would generate $856 million for Cobb and Marietta schools.

DEKALB COUNTY

County, YMCA may build new rec center

DeKalb County may enter a partnership with the YMCA of Metro Atlanta to build a new recreation center in south DeKalb that the YMCA would operate. DeKalb officials propose spending $4.3 million in county bond money to buy the 52-acre Bransby Outdoor YMCA Center on Rock Chapel Road near Lithonia.

The YMCA would continue to operate it, paying a token rent, and also would take on responsibility for a future facility at Wade Walker Park on Rockbridge Road. The Wade Walker center would be built partly with the money the YMCA receives in the Bransby parcel sale, which would be donated back to the county.

DeKalb’s quasi-governmental development authority is in the middle of the deal. County commissioners are scheduled to vote on it Tuesday.

2 more crossing guards for Decatur

Decatur’s push for more people to walk and bicycle its streets has worked so well that the city is hiring two more crossing guards. The city commission Tuesday approved spending $11,000 out of Decatur’s savings to hire the safety officers at two intersections that have seen a significant increase in bike and foot traffic.

One guard will work on East Trinity Street near the city’s fire station, and the other at Commerce Drive and Sycamore Place.

The new hires bring the total number of crossing guards in the city to 18.

FULTON COUNTY

Johns Creek man missing two weeks

Johns Creek police are asking for help in finding a missing 45-year-old man. Orlando Jordan, a delivery driver for United Parcel Service, was last seen about two weeks ago.

He did not report to his job of 13 years and left his dogs unattended, which is out of character for him, a police spokesman said. He was reported missing Aug. 20 by his sister.

His vehicle was found abandoned in DeKalb County after police activated its LoJack system.

Anyone with information is asked to call 678-474-1600.

Also …

> Attorney contract: Sandy Springs has approved a new contract with its city attorney, Wendell Willard. The attorney will receive a $33,000 monthly fee for basic services, including legal advice for city officials. Also, the attorney will be paid $150 an hour for work on litigation and major property purchases.

GWINNETT COUNTY

Media centers, specialists honored

Three Gwinnett County Public Schools media centers recently received state recognition for leadership and the research resources they provide to students and faculty.

The libraries/media centers at Meadowcreek Elementary School, Mill Creek High School and North Gwinnett High School were named “Exemplary Media Centers” by the state Department of Education.

Specialists working at media centers also were honored by the state for their dedication. The honorees are: Meadowcreek Elementary media specialist Kim Thames; Mill Creek High media specialists Cheryl Spotts, Julie Hatcher and Mary K. Donovan; and North Gwinnett High media specialists Jim Stewart and Carla Youmans.

Shelter receives year of food for dogs, cats

Dogs and cats at Gwinnett’s Animal Welfare and Enforcement Center are getting an upgrade in their diets, thanks to an agreement made Tuesday between county commissioners and Hill’s Pet Nutrition Inc.

The Kansas-based firm will donate its Science Diet pet foods to the shelter for a year, saving the county more than $6,000.

“This agreement will also provide a free small bag of pet food to people who adopt a shelter animal,” said Mary Lou Respess, the center manager.

Photos of dogs and cats available for adoption are posted online at gwinnettcounty.com.

County OKs road improvements

Gwinnett County has approved two agreements for improvements to McGinnis Ferry Road:

> Extension of the road about two miles past its current end at Satellite Boulevard, across I-85 to Lawrenceville Suwanee Road, at a cost of $447,000. State and federal officials already have approved the county’s plan to widen and lengthen the bridge over I-85.

> Provide $1.7 million for Georgia Power Co. to begin moving transmission lines away from construction to widen the bridge over the Chattahoochee River to accommodate four lanes of traffic.

The projects, funded with SPLOST revenues, are expected to begin early next year.

Also …

> Open house: Gwinnett County District 3 Commissioner Mike Beaudreau has announced a time change for his Sept. 13 open house. This month, constituents can meet with the commissioner two hours earlier than usual, from 8 a.m. until 10 a.m., in his office at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center in Lawrenceville. Beaudreau conducts an open house on the second Saturday of every month.

GREATER ATLANTA

High school seeks clothing donations

The STAR International business class at Sandy Creek High School needs help with one of its biggest fund-raisers of the year with its International Clothes Drive, through Oct. 1. The nonprofit, student-run organization will collect adult and children’s clothing for donation to a local company that distributes clothes for sale in developing countries. More than 66,000 pounds of clothing have been collected since 2005.

Collection locations include Sandy Creek High, North Fayette Elementary, Robert J. Burch Elementary, Tyrone Elementary and Flat Rock Middle schools. Clothes can be dropped off in the front office of these locations during regular school hours Monday through Friday.

Forsyth to honor safety workers

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful is hosting its seventh Liberty Garden ceremony, honoring local public safety workers and all who died on Sept. 11, 2001. The ceremony will be at 11:15 a.m. Sept. 11 at 2300 Keith Bridge Road in Cumming. Officials with the Forsyth County Fire Department and Sheriff’s Office will be involved.

Hanna evacuees can camp at speedway

Atlanta Motor Speedway will open its facilities to aid those expected to be displaced by Tropical Storm Hanna this week. Free camping and shower facilities will available to those escaping hurricanes striking the Atlantic or Gulf coasts.

Facilities will be available to both tent campers and RVs. All unreserved camp areas will be available to pop-up tent campers, while East Turn will be used for dry RV camping.

In addition, those with RVs in need of full hook-ups can reserve a premium RV spot for $35 per day.

More information: 1-877-926-7849; 770-957-9121.

FBI seeking Fayette armed bank robber

The FBI is asking for the public’s help in identifying and locating an armed man who robbed a Fayette County bank Tuesday. Wearing a wig, fake teeth and a beard drawn on his face with makeup, the suspect robbed the RBC Centura Bank on Beckett Lane in Fayetteville just before 5 p.m., police said. He wore a long-sleeve white dress shirt, baggy blue jeans and new white tennis shoes, and carried a black bag. He left in a small, white vehicle.

Anyone with information should call the FBI at 404-679-9000.

Contributing: John Hollis, Nancy Badertscher, Mike Morris, Ty Tagami, Kathy Jefcoats, Mary MacDonald, Michelle E. Shaw, Laura Diamond, Patrick Fox, Tucker McQueen, Alexis P. Stevens and Leon Stafford