http://www.ajc.com The latest headlines from AJC en-us Copyright 2009, Cox Newspapers Inc., AJC Thu, 3 Dec 2009 09:05:42 EST Newspapers COXnet RSS Generator v1.0 http://img.coxnewsweb.com/C/08/17/52/image_1352178.jpg http://www.ajc.com 5 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2009/06/24/child_drowning.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2009/06/24/child_drowning.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:14:34 EDT A five-year-old girl drowned in her Cumming pool Tuesday night. The girl's baby sitter was watching the girl swim in a pool in the Abington subdivision around 8 p.m. Tuesday when she went inside, Forsyth County Sheriff's Office spokesman Capt. Frank Huggins said. The baby sitter asked her 35-year-old sister to watch the child while she went inside the house get some clothes. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/12/29/new_forsyth_commissioners.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/12/29/new_forsyth_commissioners.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Mon, 29 Dec 2008 10:49:18 EST Two political newcomers are being sworn in today as members of the all-Republican and soon to be all-male Forsyth County Commission. Patrick Bell and Jim Boff take their oaths of office at 4 p.m. in the commissioners meeting room at the County Administration Building in Cumming. Bell is replacing outspoken County Commissioner Dave Richard, who lost his bid for re-election in the GOP primary last summer. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/12/10/forsyth_job_cuts.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/12/10/forsyth_job_cuts.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Wed, 10 Dec 2008 13:03:35 EST Forsyth County's planning director told the county commission Tuesday that major staff cuts planned for his department could mean a reduction in work quality. "We are in the business of providing a service, and we are used to doing that at a pretty high level," Jeff Chance said. "These proposed cuts are going to prevent us from doing that. I don't think we've talked a lot about that part of this." Chance told commissioners that all the focus, to this point in the budget discussions, has been on the potential cost savings, without consideration for the effect on work quality. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/09/05/gainesville_fatal_forsyth.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/09/05/gainesville_fatal_forsyth.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Fri, 5 Sep 2008 11:02:39 EDT A Gainesville man was killed Thursday night in a single-vehicle wreck in Forsyth County, authorities said. Joshua Tyler Jay, 21, was northbound on Bethel Road near Lake Hollow Drive around 9 p.m. when the 1994 Buick Regal he was driving left the roadway and overturned several times, according to Forsyth sheriff's Capt. Frank Huggins. Jay, who was alone in the car, was partially ejected and was pronounced dead on arrival at Northeast Georgia Medical Center. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/09/02/forsyth_manager.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/09/02/forsyth_manager.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Tue, 2 Sep 2008 13:12:25 EDT Forsyth County Manager Rhonda Poston-O'Connor will be back in the hot seat and -- possibly out of a job -- Thursday. Poston-O'Connor's job status is back on the agenda for Thursday's 5 p.m. commission meeting. A three-member majority of the commission was set to fire Poston-O'Connor last week, County Commissioner Linda Ledbetter said. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/29/forsyth_tax.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/29/forsyth_tax.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Fri, 29 Aug 2008 12:29:07 EDT Revenue from Forsyth County's local option sales tax (LOST) could be $2.6 million short of what was forecast for the year, the county's chief financial officer says. The tax had been estimated to generate $29 million for fiscal 2008, said Jodi Gardner, county spokeswoman. "Initially, it was thought that we would be able to reach that estimate, but recent receipts for LOST are showing a slowdown," Gardner said. "Any shortfall will have to be addressed with the Board of Commissioners." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/26/cheerleader_mom_fight.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/26/cheerleader_mom_fight.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Tue, 26 Aug 2008 13:51:10 EDT A Forsyth County mom failed Tuesday to convince a judge that the woman she hit should also face charges. Michelle Rains, 39, asked Chief Magistrate Barbara Cole to issue a warrant against Nancy Cunningham, president of the Sharon Springs Cheerleading Association, for simple battery. Rains has already been charged with simple battery for allegedly hitting Cunningham in the face after Cunningham refused to reassign Rains' daughter to a different cheerleading squad. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/13/forsyth_hiring_freeze.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/13/forsyth_hiring_freeze.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Wed, 13 Aug 2008 11:02:41 EDT Forsyth County Commissioners have put a temporary freeze on hiring while they come to grips with a projected $6.9 million budget shortfall that's largely attributed to a huge slowdown in development. Commission Chairman Charles Laughinghouse said a two-week hiring freeze will slow spending and give the board time to review all options — including across-the-board cuts in every department of county government. "Everybody is going to have to tighten the belt, suck it in," Laughinghouse said. "It's tough economic times, and everyone should have to realize that and participate in what it takes to bring the budget back into balance." http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/08/boff_forsyth_commission.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/08/boff_forsyth_commission.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Fri, 8 Aug 2008 18:52:58 EDT Retired businessman Jim Boff was officially declared late Friday the winner of Tuesday's Forsyth County Commission runoff. Boff, a Republican, has no opposition in November and will take office in January. It was a neck-and-neck battle between Boff and real estate agent Julie Tressler in the race to replace retiring county Commissioner Linda Ledbetter. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/07/election_forsyth_commission.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/07/election_forsyth_commission.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Thu, 7 Aug 2008 11:15:41 EDT And in the runoff for Forsyth County commissioner, the winner is . . . being declared on Friday. As the vote stands now, retired businessman Jim Boff is poised to claim the seat of retiring County Commissioner Linda Ledbetter. Returns counted so far show him besting Realtor Julie Tressler, 3,158 to 3,129, said Chief Registrar Gary Smith. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/05/jail_hearings.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/05/jail_hearings.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Tue, 5 Aug 2008 11:28:46 EDT Two informational meetings are set for later this month to showcase plans for a $75 million jail that Forsyth County voters will be asked to approve in November. Some work has been done on design of the 480-bed detention center that would replace the county's overcrowded and aging 134-bed jail. It will be discussed at meetings on Tuesday, Aug. 12 and Tuesday, Aug 26. Both meetings begin at 6 p.m. and will be held in the Sheriff's Office Conference Room in the government building located at 101 E. Main Street, Cumming. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/01/flag_drop_box.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/08/01/flag_drop_box.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Mon, 4 Aug 2008 08:19:02 EDT Old soldiers never die, as the saying goes. But sometimes, the red, white and blue flags they wave do need to fade away. That's why the American Legion and the Forsyth County Fire Department have set up a flag retirement drop-box at Fire Station 1, at 234 Castleberry Industrial Drive, Cumming. It looks very similar to a Postal Service mail drop, only instead of letters and postcards, it's accepting old flags. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/31/forsyth_runoffs.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/31/forsyth_runoffs.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Fri, 1 Aug 2008 13:31:37 EDT Forsyth County expects to spend about $35,000 and have at least an 8 percent turnout for Tuesday's primary runoff elections, chief registrar Gary Smith says. Smith said he's revising upward his low turnout projections from 5 percent to 8 percent based on a stronger-than-expected showing this week for early voting. By late Wednesday, 1,410 early votes had been cast, he said. On the GOP ticket, voters will pick a replacement for Dr. Linda Ledbetter, who is retiring from the County Commission. Four Republicans competed in the July 15 primary, and the two top vote-getters — Jim Boff and Julie Tressler — are facing off in the runoff. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/30/forsyth_ballot_questions.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/30/forsyth_ballot_questions.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Wed, 30 Jul 2008 11:55:56 EDT Forsyth County commissioners have decided to make funding for a new jail and sheriff's headquarters separate questions on the November election ballot. They'll be asking for $75 million for the jail and about $16 million for a new sheriff's office. Commissioners initially thought of packaging the two projects in one all-or-nothing ballot question, but voted 5-0 Tuesday to let each project stand alone. http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/23/soldier_body_escort.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/northfulton/stories/2008/07/23/soldier_body_escort.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13 Wed, 23 Jul 2008 10:50:52 EDT Dozens of police officers were escorting the body of U.S. Army Cpl. Matthew Phillips home to Cumming on Wednesday. Phillips was one of nine U.S. soldiers killed when their isolated outpost in Afghanistan was attacked by Taliban fighters, the Pentagon announced last week. A contingent that includes deputies from Forsyth, Dawson and Hall counties — as well as state troopers — early Wednesday escorted Phillips' family from Ingram's Funeral Home in Cumming to the Gainesville Airport. They were accompanied by about 40 Patriot Guard motorcycle riders.