County by County Briefs

So far the death is a mystery. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday.

“No obvious signs of foul play, but we can’t rule out anything,” said Capt. Paul Guerrucci, homicide commander for the Atlanta Police Department.

The woman, whose age was estimated to be about 30, was found near the intersection of Vine and Meldrum streets. Anyone with information is asked to contact police, Guerrucci said.

He estimated the woman had not been there for more than a day. BEN GRAY AND STEVE VISSER

Three-hour SWAT standoff ends

A SWAT standoff in Atlanta ended peaceably Tuesday afternoon when two armed Sumter County fugitives surrendered.

The Atlanta police fugitive squad had learned the two men, who were wanted on armed robbery and aggravated assault charges, were in apartments at 1993 Bent Creek Way. But when police arrived, the fugitives barricaded themselves with children and other adults, said Sgt. Greg Lyon, APD spokesman.

The men were identified as DeMarcus Fuller and Travon Hall, though Lyon did not have confirmed spellings for their names.

The stand-off lasted about three hours during negotiations. The adults and children were unharmed. Police recovered at least three weapons, Lyon said. STEVE VISSER

Man shot and killed near Atlanta police HQ

An overnight shooting a couple of blocks from Atlanta police headquarters left a man dead.

Channel 2 Action News reported that officers responding to a shooting downtown late Monday night found the victim near the Trinity Street entrance to MARTA’s Garnett station.

The man was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he later died. The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Montavious Washington, 18, of Atlanta. MIKE MORRIS

COBB

Acworth to hold hearings on property tax increase

Acworth will hold public hearings on a proposed 4.28 percent property tax increase 9 a.m. and 7 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 4415 Senator Russell Ave.

The tentative 7.60 millage rate, an increase of 0.312 mills, would increase taxes $15.60 a year for a $125,000 house and $31.20 for a $250,000 house.

The Board of Aldermen will adopt the millage rate after a third public hearing 6:30 p.m. July 24.

Information: www.cityofacworth.org.

TUCKER MCQUEEN

Austell names advisory board appointment

Joyce Simmons-Celestine has been approved by the Austell City Council as a member of the Austell Area Community Improvement Commission Advisory Board.

She replaces Ollie Clemons who was elected to the City Council in November as the city’s first African-American public official.

This board of five makes recommendations to the City Council on how to spend annual interest earned on the city’s $5 million court settlement account with Norfolk Southern Railroad when the Austell Intermodal Facility was constructed on U.S. 278 at Westside Road around 2000. CAROLYN CUNNINGHAM

Marietta offers citizens police academy

Marietta residents will have a chance to get an inside look at the police department during a free, 10-week Citizens’ Police Academy 6-9 p.m. Tuesdays starting July 29. Applications are available at the Marietta Police Department, 240 Lemon St. Info: gfoster@mariettaga.gov.

TUCKER MCQUEEN

Meetings continue on Cobb SPLOST

A series of public meetings on a proposed 2016 SPLOST continue 7-9 p.m. Wednesday at the West Cobb Senior Center, 4915 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs. The last three county-wide hearings will be 10 a.m. Thursday, 9 a.m. July 21 and 7 p.m. July 22 at the Board of Commissioners Room, 100 Cherokee St., Marietta. Info: www.cobb county.org or www.cobb SPLOST.org.

TUCKER MCQUEEN

Smyrna mayor to give annual address

Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon will give an annual state of city address 11:30 Thursday at the Smyrna Community Center, 200 Village Green Circle. He plans to talk about the city’s financial picture, projects that been completed during the last year and city progress in terms of development and redevelopment.

The meeting is sponsored by the Smyrna Business Association and Smyrna Council of the Cobb Chamber.

Info: www.smyrnacity.com.

TUCKER MCQUEEN FOR THE AJC

Powder Springs plans renovation

Powder Springs seeks bids for the demolition, modification and renovation of the Council Chamber. A pre-proposal meeting is 11 a.m. July 16 at City Hall, 4484 Marietta St.

Proposals must be submitted before 10 a.m. July 30, also to City Hall. They will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Contact: Croy Engineering LLC, the program manager, at 770-971-5407 or tsirmans@croyengineering.com.

CAROLYN CUNNINGHAM

DEKALB

DeKalb commissioners’ spending scrutinized

An outside audit has begun reviewing the last 10 years of DeKalb County commissioners’ spending.

The audit, which will cost the county $83,000 and be conducted by O. H. Plunkett & Co. accounting firm, will examine commissioners’ spending on their charge cards as well as their expenses for travel, services and goods. Purchases will be reviewed for proof the spending was for county business.

The DeKalb County Commission unanimously approved the audit in April after an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation found Commissioner Elaine Boyer had put thousands of dollars in personal charges on her county-issued charge card. Later reports questioned the spending of Commissioners Larry Johnson, Sharon Barnes Sutton and Stan Watson.

Commissioner Kathie Gannon, who also faces a recent ethics complaint about her spending, said her budget will be the first one to be audited.

The audit began July 7 and will take no longer than 90 days to complete.

Its results will be submitted to the county CEO, Board of Commissioners and Board of Ethics for review. MARK NIESSE

Dunwoody continues ‘conversations’

The city of Dunwoody continues its series of community conversations with a Citizen Engagement Meeting Aug. 28 at Dunwoody Nature Center.

The series is in response to residents’ interest in more direct contact with city officials on ongoing projects and initiatives.

District 1 Councilmembers Denis Shortal and Terry Nall are scheduled to answer citizen questions at the August event. The meeting will take place 7-9 p.m. in the covered pavilion of the Dunwoody Nature Center, 5343 Roberts Drive, Dunwoody.

ADRIANNE MURCHISON

Health expo for kids scheduled in Decatur

A “Healthy Kid Expo” will be held Aug. 2, at Leapin’ Lizards Play and Party Center in Decatur. Activities include an interactive karate dance, children’s cooking demonstrations, and jumping inflatables.

The expo is co-hosted by Chilly P’s, an entertainment company that educates children on nutrition and features a penguin mascot.

The event will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Leapin’ Lizards Play and Party Center is located at 185 Sams St., Decatur.

For tickets, visit www.leapinlizardsplay.com.

ADRIANNE MURCHISON

Forum on grant funding process set for Decatur

A public information meeting for DeKalb County organizations interested in applying for nonprofit grant funding will take place at 1 p.m. July 18 at the Manuel Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive, Decatur.

The county Human Development Department is accepting applications for the 2015-16 year. This funding initiative seeks to attract nonprofit groups with experience in preventing violence against women, youth services, helping neighborhoods work with law enforcement, and building family unity and capacity. Only applications from incorporated nonprofit organizations with tax-exempt status will be considered. Applications must be completed by Aug. 15. Details about the program will be posted July 21. Info: human.dekalbcountyga.gov or 404-270-1180. KENT A. MILES

GWINNETT

Snellville mayor appoints Richardson as city clerk

Snellville has named Phyllis Richardson as the new city clerk, replacing Melissa Arnold who resigned in June during the city’s court battles.

Richardson is a former executive assistant to a city of Miami Commissioner and office manager for the Broward County Bar Association. She was responsible for supporting high-level local government officials and coordinated all aspects of office communication.

KAREN HUPPERTZ FOR THE AJC

Park’s water features closed through Sunday

Due to unforeseen mechanical problems, the water features at Lillian Webb Park in Norcross, including the splash pad, will remain closed through Sunday, July 20. The walking path is open to park users, but caution is urged near the construction area. Information: www.norcrossga.net.

KAREN HUPPERTZ FOR THE AJC

School bus camera contract delayed

Gwinnett will probably not have external cameras on any of its school buses in time for the start of the 2014-15 school year, officials said Monday.

District officials want to put the cameras on the buses to catch motorists who drive past buses that have stopped to pick up or drop off students. Gwinnett had hoped to finalize the contract in June, but officials said they needed to work out an agreement.

District spokeswoman Sloan Roach said Gwinnett hopes to have cameras on some buses sometime during the fall semester. The board meeting is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at 437 Old Peachtree Road N.W. in Suwanee. ERIC STIRGUS

New class times for some schools

Several Gwinnett schools will begin and end classes at new times for the upcoming semester, which starts Aug. 5.

Here are the new times when classes will start and conclude at those schools: Berkmar High School will start at 7:05 a.m.; Duluth High School will start at 7:15 a.m.; Meadowcreek High School will start at 7:10 a.m.; GIVE Center East will end at 1 p.m.

Northbrook Middle School, a new school in the district, will have classes from 9:20 a.m. to 4 p.m. A new charter school, North Metro Academy of the Performing Arts, will have classes from 8 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, and 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

The Monarch School will have classes from 7:45 a.m. to 2:15 p.m. STRIVE program students at Oakland Meadow School will be in class from 7 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. ERIC STIRGUS

Olympic medalists delivers keynote

Elana Meyers-Taylor, two-time Olympic medalist, will deliver the keynote address at DeVry University’s commencement Sunday at 1 p.m. More than 500 graduates will be conferred at the Arena at Gwinnett Center in Duluth.

Meyers-Taylor, a Douglasville native, earned a silver medal in the two-woman bobsled at the 2014 Olympic Winter Games and a bronze in the 2010 Winter Games in Vancouver, British Columbia. JANEL DAVIS

NORTHSIDE

Two-car wreck injures 2 women, 1 critically

Two women were injured, one critically, in a two-vehicle wreck Tuesday afternoon in Forsyth County.

The wreck happened on Browns Bridge Road at the intersection with Waldrip Circle near Gainesville, according to Deputy Robin Regan with the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office.

One woman was flown from the scene to the hospital and the other was transported by ambulance, Regan said. The names of the injured women were not released.

ALEXIS STEVENS

Cops: Man accused of DUI with kids in car

A man accused of driving under the influence of alcohol also had three children in his vehicle who weren’t in car seats, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.

A deputy Saturday afternoon witnessed a woman holding an unrestrained child in the backseat of a vehicle traveling northbound on Bells Ferry Road near Eagle Drive, Lt. Jay Baker said.

The driver, Luis Marquez-Bernal, 30, of Acworth, was arrested and charged with DUI, three counts of endangering a child, three counts of child not in restraint and driving without a license, Baker said. Marquez-Bernal was booked in to the Cherokee County jail, where he was being held Tuesday afternoon on a possible immigration violation.

ALEXIS STEVENS

Milton holds meeting on green space plan

Milton city officials will hold an open house from 7:30-9 p.m. July 30 at City Hall, 13000 Deerfield Parkway, Suite D, to discuss the city’s forthcoming green space preservation plan. University of Pennsylvania professor and conservation planner Tom Daniels, who will develop the document, wants public input on identifying needed public and private green space and strategies for preserving it. MARK WOOLSEY

Bridge replacement planned in Cherokee

Plans are in the works to replace the Ga. 372 bridge over the Etowah River in Cherokee County, about two miles southeast of Ball Ground. Georgia DOT awarded a nearly $6 million contract to Baldwin Paving Company of Marietta for the 0.6 mile project, which is set to be finished November 2016. The exact date for the start of construction hasn’t been fixed. MARK WOOLSEY

Holly Springs roadwork to cause delays

Holly Springs city officials say parts of Hickory Road, Holly Street and Palm Street will be repaired and resurfaced starting the week of July 21, posing traffic delays. Projected finish date is the end of July, weather permitting. MARK WOOLSEY

Groundbreaking of library scheduled

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will break ground Thursday at 11 a.m. on its new Northwest Atlanta at Scotts Crossing Library.

The library, at 2489 Perry Blvd. in Atlanta, will be 25,000 square feet and is part of Phase I of the Library Building Program. The grand opening of the branch is expected in the third quarter of 2015.

Info: www.afpls.org.

LEA HOLLAND

SOUTHSIDE

Suspect in East Point slaying arrested

The man suspected of killing an East Point restaurant manager during a late-night robbery attempt earlier this month was arrested Monday night.

Yusuf Abdul Alkarim, 27, was arrested about 9 p.m. and booked on charges of murder, armed robbery, false imprisonment, aggravated assault and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, a jail spokeswoman told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Riyadh Nuriddin, 36, of Austell, was shot to death July 2 as he closed his family’s restaurant, Ikhlas Superb Seafood. MIKE MORRIS

S.C. man accused of I-20 hit-and-run

A South Carolina man has been arrested in connection with a hit-and-run earlier this month.

Irving B. McMurtry Jr., 35, of Beaufort, S.C., turned himself in to the Rockdale County jail Sunday, a week after a July 6 wreck on Interstate 20, according to a release from the Rockdale County Sheriff’s.

McMurtry is accused of hitting 21-year-old Isaac Akwara, of Covington, on I-20 and leaving pieces of his Cadillac Deville behind as he fled the scene. Akwara was taken to an Atlanta hospital by a medical helicopter. MICHELLE SHAW

Lincoln, Obama together in play

Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama match wits in the play “Lincoln’s Last Debate: A Staged Reading” at Hapeville Village Church.

In the play, the two presidents draw parallels on their presidencies, discuss the Civil War, the Civil Rights Movement, leadership, national pride and American character.

“Staged Reading” starts at 7:30 p.m., July 26 and 27. Hapeville Village Church is located at 3418 Dogwood Drive, Hapeville. Tickets are $10-$20. Visit www.presidentlincoln.com. ADRIANNE MURCHISON

Peachtree City reviews 498-page traffic study

The city council of Peachtree City is reviewing a traffic study of Ga. Highway 54 that suggests ways to alleviate congestion. A summary presented at Monday’s workshop includes short- and long-term recommendations involving signal changes, modified lanes and intersection rerouting between Willowbend Road and MacDuff Parkway. The 498-page report is at www.peachtree-city.org under the government tab for the July 14 meeting. JILL HOWARD CHURCH

Family movie night in Peachtree City

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will host a free family movie night at 7 p.m. Saturday at Drake Field in Peachtree City, next to City Hall. “Rio 2” will be shown on a giant outdoor screen. Concessions will be available; bring blankets or lawn chairs. JILL HOWARD CHURCH

Barbers on hand for Fulton’s Back-to-School Kickoff

Free school supplies and barber services will be available to ready students for the upcoming school year during Fulton County’s “Back-To-School Kickoff” on July 29 at Atlanta Technical College.

The Kickoff is 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. in the Academic Complex, Barbering Department at Atlanta Technical College, 1560 Metropolitan Parkway, Atlanta.

ADRIANNE MURCHISON

Library to break ground Thursday

The Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System will break ground Thursday at 11 a.m. on its new Northwest Atlanta at Scotts Crossing Library.

The library, at 2489 Perry Blvd.in Atlanta, will be 25,000 square feet and is part of Phase I of the Library Building Program. The grand opening of the branch is expected in the third quarter of 2015. This library will replace the Bowen/Bankhead and Perry Homes branches. For more information, visit www.afpls.org.

Lea Holland