Community News

ATLANTA

Christian college adds 3 degree programs

Atlanta Christian College will be adding three new degree programs in response to the rise in its number of students.

Earlier this week, the school announced the addition of an associate degree in general studies to the Access program, which serves adult students seeking to complete their degrees.

The new programs for traditional students include majors in history, psychology and child and youth development.

For more information, visit the college’s Web site at www.acc.edu.

—- John Hollis

COBB COUNTY

Reward offered in January hit-and-run

The family of Charlie Jones, who was killed in a hit-and-run accident in Cobb County on Jan. 24, is offering a reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the driver who hit him.

Jones, 23, of Fairburn was hit by vehicles twice. The first driver fled the scene near Piedmont Road and Rio Montana Drive in east Cobb County. No charges have been filed against a second driver who hit Jones while he was lying in the road after being struck by the first car. The second driver did stop.

Anyone with information can contact Cobb County police at 770-499-3987. Police are looking for a 2000-2004 Infiniti model I30 or I35.

The family has posted information at http://charlieejones.webs.com.

—- Kay Powell

Superintendent floats budget cut options

Cobb County school Superintendent Fred Sanderson said the district is considering a variety of ways to tackle an anticipated $76 million budget deficit.

Some cost-saving ideas include staff furloughs, salary reductions and eliminating positions in the central office. Sanderson also said the $50 million transportation budget will have to trim, which may mean bus stops will be further apart.

“None of these ideas are desirable, but they have to be considered,” Sanderson told the board.

The district likely will increase class sizes, meaning fewer teachers will be needed.

No staffing cuts have been announced for the system yet. Board member Alison Bartlett encouraged Sanderson to inform teachers soon.

“The longer we wait, the less opportunity there is for them to get a job,” Bartlett said. “And that’s not fair to the individual.”

—- Alexis Stevens

Marietta may freeze salaries for teachers

Salaries for city of Marietta teachers likely will be frozen for the 2009-10 school year.

“This concept of freezing salaries came to us several times, straight from educators,” Superintendent Emily Lembeck told board members Tuesday night.

Lembeck is recommending the move as a cost-saving measure.

Teachers’ salaries are determined by training and years of experience. And pay raises are typically based on both of those factors.

But the Marietta school district, like others across the state, is awaiting word from the state Legislature on how big budget reductions will be. The school district has 1,268 employees.

The district previously announced it would eliminate 58 full-time positions, including 38 teachers. The district also plans to eliminate 39 certified part-time employees as part of a plan to cut more than $3.2 million in personnel costs.

Additionally, staff furloughs may be needed, Lembeck said. School administrators may be asked to take up to five days leave without pay. Other certified staff may have to take two unpaid days.

—- Alexis Stevens

Class teaches outdoor safety tips for women

Women will learn outdoor safety tips at a seminar at 10 a.m. Saturday at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park Visitor Center.

Park Ranger Benita Duling said there have been no incidents at the Cobb County park, but female walkers and joggers are concerned about their safety after the death of Meredith Emerson, a hiker abducted and killed a year ago in Union County near the Appalachian Trail.

“Her attacker traveled through this park. It can happen anywhere,” Duling said. “We don’t want to scare women; we just want them to be aware.”

The park and Big Peach Running Co. are sponsoring the seminar. To register, call: 770-427-4686, Ext. 0, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m.

—- Tucker McQueen

Event lets children explore real trucks

Children can clamber all over firetrucks and construction equipment, a giant roller skate and horse and buggy at the Kennesaw Depot parking lot from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. March 21.

The Touch-a-Truck event will have dozens of vehicles on display and ready for children to climb aboard.

The Cobb County Fire & Emergency Service fire safety house will be there for children to walk through and identify fire dangers. The city’s Fire, Police and Public Works departments will have vehicles on display. The Public Works Department is providing free hot dogs and drinks.

The Depot is across from the Southern Museum of Civil War and Locomotive History. For more information, go to www.kennesaw-ga.gov/pkrec or call 770-422-9714.

—- Kay Powell

DEKALB COUNTY

Legality of Dunwoody subject of hearing

Dunwoody is renovating a new City Hall and recently hired a police force, but officials in DeKalb County may challenge the new city’s very existence.

A proposed lawsuit against the referendum last year that created the city will come up for a vote by the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners at their meeting today.

Former Gov. Roy Barnes and his law firm were hired to research potential litigation under a theory that the referendum violated federal voting rights protections. Some commissioners have complained that the referendum gave a vote only to residents within the proposed city limits, though cityhood affected the tax burden on residents throughout unincorporated DeKalb.

The commission has deferred a vote on filing the lawsuit five times since Commissioner Lee May proposed it in July. The public can comment on the issue during a public hearing that begins at 10 a.m. at Manuel Maloof auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur.

—- Ty Tagami

Also …

> Ethics clarification: Members of the influential Dunwoody Homeowners Association can now serve on Dunwoody city boards, thanks to recent changes to the city’s ethics policy. The City Council amended the policy to allow appointees to municipal boards such as the community council or planning board to also serve on outside volunteer boards, such as the DHA. Councilman Robert Wittenstein dissented, saying DHA members, who have long worked to close deals with developers, should not be able to oversee similar work for the city.

—- April Hunt

FULTON COUNTY

Mayor to address neighborhood council

Sandy Springs Mayor Eva Galambos will deliver the keynote address this month at the 2009 annual meeting of the Sandy Springs Council of Neighborhoods.

Galambos is expected to run for re-election later this year to a second term as mayor. She will address issues such as protection of neighborhoods and development of Roswell Road, and is expected to take questions following her address.

The meeting is at 7 p.m. March 25 at Sandy Springs City Hall, 7840 Roswell Road.

—- Mary MacDonald

Also …

> History program: As part of the citywide “Roswell Reads” program, the Roswell Library on Saturday will host a panel discussion featuring African-American residents who were raised in the city and can relate their experiences during the decades since 1940. The program, “History of African Americans in Roswell,” begins at 10 a.m. at the library, 115 Norcross St.

GWINNETT COUNTY

Snellville mayor objects to limited vote

Snellville Mayor Jerry Oberholtzer said he “strongly disagrees” with legislation that would limit his voting power and says a city councilman is behind state Sen. Don Balfour’s efforts to change the city charter to end council deadlocks.

“What’s scary is that Balfour is taking direction from [Councilman] Robert Jenkins on the structure of city government,” Oberholtzer said.

“What’s next? Is Balfour going to follow Robert’s lead and pass a law requiring a toilet in every front yard in the city of Snellville?” he added, referring to a toilet-turned-planter at Jenkins’ Street Deville property.

Jenkins said he is not behind Balfour’s efforts but agrees with limiting the mayor’s power. “This is not about Jerry. This is for anybody who happens to be mayor from this point on.”

The Senate could vote on the matter as early as today with a House vote sometime next week.

—- Shane Blatt

Also …

> Also: In an effort to support businesses in Sugar Hill, city officials have published a local business list on the city’s Web site. To see the list of more than 400 businesses, go to www.cityofsugarhill.com.

GREATER ATLANTA

Suit deadline near in Clayton harassment

Clayton County has a week to explain why a police officer who admitted to fondling and kissing a recruit is still employed.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission found the woman, who has since dropped out of the hiring process, was discriminated against and has reason to sue the county and the Police Department, her attorney, Terry Thomas, said Wednesday.

On Feb. 19, Thomas notified the county that a suit would be filed and gave the county 30 days to respond. As of Wednesday, Thomas said she had received no response and plans to file the suit in federal court. Clayton County Attorney Michael Smith said he received the notice and will respond, but he declined to release additional details.

The pending suit involves Officer Henry Derbyshire, who admitted to fondling, kissing and sexually harassing a recruit in August. Chief Jeffrey Turner found Derbyshire, a 28-year veteran, violated the county’s sexual harassment policy and demoted him from sergeant to patrol officer. The move resulted in a $15,000 decrease in pay, Turner said.

Turner declined to comment on Wednesday because of the pending litigation.

—- Megan Matteucci

Peachtree City earns kudos as hot suburb

BusinessWeek Magazine named Peachtree City as Georgia’s Best Affordable Suburb in this month’s issue. The selection notes Peachtree City’s lakes and recreation amenities, along with its 90-mile network of multiuse paths and golf carts.

BusinessWeek focused on towns within 25 miles of each state’s largest city featuring good schools, low crime, reasonable commutes, strong economies and overall quality of life.

Peachtree City also ranked in the top 100 CNN/Money Magazine “Best Places to Live in the U.S.” in 2005 and 2007. It was named as one of the “Best Places to Retire” by U.S. News and World Report in 2007 and by Retire Georgia in 2008, and was featured in Newmax Magazine’s “10 Great Places for Boomers” in 2009.

—- John Hollis