Community News

City of Atlanta

Court bars suit involving Iraqi military accident

The federal appeals court in Atlanta has barred a lawsuit filed by the wife of a U.S. Army sergeant who suffered catastrophic injuries during a 2004 fuel convoy accident in Iraq.

In 2006, Annette Carmichael filed suit on behalf of her husband, Sgt. Keith Carmichael, who lives in a Decatur nursing home in a vegetative state. The sergeant provided armed escort to a fuel convoy travelling through a war zone and suffered brain injuries when his truck failed to negotiate a dangerous curve. He was thrown from the truck and pinned beneath it.

The lawsuit was filed against Kellogg, Brown & Root Services and Halliburton Energy Services Inc., which operated the convoy trucks. In a 2-1 decision, the court dismissed the suit on grounds the case would require re-examination and second-guessing of "many sensitive judgments surrounding the conduct of a military convoy at war time."

BILL RANKIN

MDI Medical changes name to Cirrus Allied

MDI Medical has changed its name to Cirrus Allied. The change follows the acquisition last year of MDI Medical by the Cirrus Medical Staffing Inc. group of companies.

Cirrus Allied is a staffing agency that specializes in placing rehabilitation therapists and other health care professionals.

SHELIA M. POOLE

Web site helps families make healthier choices

Children's Healthcare of Atlanta has a new Web site that can help families make healthier choices such as eating more fruits and vegetables.

MyFamilyHealthSpot.org is a free, kid-friendly resource that offers solutions to parents and children seeking to adopt and maintain healthy lifestyles.

In addition to sharing a wealth of knowledge from child health experts at Children's, the Web site offers online health tracking tools. Families can track exercise, food and body mass index. CRAIG SCHNEIDER

GSU names new provost, who will start Sept. 1

Georgia State University announced Wednesday that Risa Palm will become the college's provost and senior vice president for academic affairs beginning Sept. 1. She currently works as the provost and vice chancellor for academic affairs for The State University of New York system.

Palm replaces Ronald Henry, who will retire from Georgia State this summer. LAURA DIAMOND

Food bank will hold volunteer session today

The Atlanta Community Food Bank will hold a volunteer session today from 6 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. at 732 Joseph E. Lowery Boulevard in Atlanta.

The volunteers will be asked to sort items at the food bank's Product Rescue Center. To help feed more people, the food bank is asking volunteers to bring at least two cans of food. For more information, log on to www.acfb.org or call Nikema Williams at 404-437-4778 or NikemaW@yahoo.com. ERNIE SUGGS

Cobb

Acworth * Austell * Kennesaw * Mableton * Marietta * Powder Springs * Smyrna * Vinings

Robbery, carjacking attempt at bank foiled

The Cobb County Police Department is investigating a robbery and carjacking attempt that occurred last week outside a Wachovia bank at 3351 Riverwood Parkway.

The victims were confronted by a gunman with a gray T-shirt wrapped around his face when they went to the bank to make a night deposit Friday. One of the victims ran away clutching the night deposit, according to Cobb police spokesman Officer Joseph Hernandez.

The robber then demanded that a second victim, who was still inside the vehicle, get out. Instead the victim jumped into the driver's seat and drove off. The suspect fled. He is described as a black man in his early 20s, about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 180 pounds. Anyone with information regarding the crime is asked to call Cobb police at 770-499-3945.

ANDRIA SIMMONS

Smyrna mayor to give state of the city address

Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon will give his state of the city address July 9 at a meeting of the Smyrna Area Council of the Cobb County Chamber of Commerce.

The meeting will be held from 11:45 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Smyrna Community Center at 200 Village Green Circle. Registration is required by Tuesday. To register, visit the chamber Web page at www.cobbchamber.org and go to the calendar of events page.

RALPH ELLIS

DeKalb

Avondale Estates * Chamblee * Clarkston * Decatur * Doraville * Dunwoody * Lithonia * Pine Lake * Stone Mountain * Tucker

Avondale Estates plans daylong holiday event

Avondale Estates will host a daylong 4th of July party this Saturday, featuring a parade, baseball and, of course, a nighttime fireworks display.

The day kicks off at 10 a.m., with a parade from Avondale High School up Clarendon Avenue into downtown. Cookouts will be hosted at various spots in the city for lunch, followed by a 1:30 p.m. baseball game at Willis Park. The picnic continues at 6:30 p.m., when Avondale Baptist Church begins selling food at the Community Club on Lake Avondale. The Atlanta Blue Notes will perform a big band and jazz concert at the lake until dusk, when fireworks will be set off over the water. APRIL HUNT

Decatur to weigh annexing DeVry site

DeVry University has asked Decatur to annex its former campus on Arcadia Drive as a way to sell the 21-acre site.

The university used the campus until this year, when it moved into an office building on Decatur Square. Now, the school wants the city to take the property and zone it for mixed use, to allow redevelopment into shops, condos or other commercial properties.

The city will have its first meeting on the application at its Monday commission meeting. It would require several more meetings before the commission could vote on the matter. The request comes just weeks after Decatur agreed to annex 11 properties in Midway Woods, after a majority of residents there asked to become part of the city. Decatur officials backed off a plan to annex large parcels of land earlier this year, although they have agreed to continue to look at smaller annexations. APRIL HUNT

Five new trustees named at Agnes Scott

Agnes Scott College has elected five new members to its board of trustees. The current board elected Melody Justice of the Coca-Cola Company, Phyllis E. Kozarsky of Emory Healthcare, James E. Love III of Printpack Inc., Richard A. Oglesby of Atlanta Capital Bank and Bernard Taylor of the Alston and Bird law firm. The five trustees will serve a four-year term for the private women's college. The term began Wednesday. APRIL HUNT

Dunwoody student awarded scholarship

Jessica Morrison of Dunwoody was honored recently in Chicago, where she was among the first of 16 high school seniors to receive the ULTA Enrich, Empower & Enlighten Scholarship.

The young women were selected based on their academic achievements, community involvement, leadership qualities and commitment to continuing their education. In addition to receiving a $5,000 scholarship, each winner was awarded a shopping spree in Chicago, mini makeover and a personal meeting with ULTA CEO Lyn Kirby.

Jessica has shown leadership in the classroom, on the soccer field and within her community, ULTA officials said in a press release. Her take-charge attitude and compassion for others earned her the honor and assistance in reaching her dream of becoming a doctor. She will be attending the College of William and Mary this fall. GRACIE BONDS STAPLES

Fulton

Alpharetta * Chattahoochee Hills * College Park * East Point * Fairburn * Hapeville * Johns Creek * Milton * Palmetto * Roswell * Sandy Springs * Union City

Language academy awaits final approval

A private language preschool program attached to a Sandy Springs church could get approval this month to expand into a full-fledged school.

Tabula Rasa now offers day care and Spanish and French instruction for preschoolers in a space at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church on Riverside Drive. The church in January asked to expand by 2,000 square feet, to create an elementary school program. Nearby residents have objected, questioning whether a 2007 permit allowing the school to have 60 children was being abused and complaining of traffic and noise issues.

Last month, though, the city's planning commission approved the expansion but restricted the number of children to 220 and required the church to renovate the property and its septic tank to handle the increase. The school's permit would expire in 2013. The Sandy Springs City Council is scheduled to consider final approval at its July 21 meeting. APRIL HUNT

New programs available for East Point seniors

State researchers have identified East Point as one of Georgia's naturally occurring retirement communities, where a large chunk of households are headed by seniors.

The recognition now allows the city to help residents 60 and older with transportation vouchers, minor home repairs and activities such as walking clubs to get seniors involved in the community. Membership in the programs are free. For information on how to become a member, call 404-762-2094 or visit the program office at the Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility on Church Street. APRIL HUNT

Artwork from program goes on sale July 17

The Fulton County Arts Council's Art At Work Program will soon have for sale art pieces from the "PARADISE" exhibit. This exhibit features painted vintage furniture and colorful linocut placemats designed with the feel and flavor of island life —- oceanic, fauna, habitat and lifestyles, from Polynesian to Caribbean.

This exhibit and sale runs July 17-31. The opening reception, silent auction and sale begins July 17 at 6 to 8 p.m. at the gallery and studio at 2857 Main St. in downtown East Point, directly across from the East Point MARTA Station. The exhibit is open to the public, with free parking.

Summer gallery hours are by appointment only. All artwork is available for purchase, with proceeds going to Art At Work's continued program development. For more information, call 404-762-4133; or check online at www.fultonarts.org, artatwork.arts@fultoncountyga.go or www.theartsworking@blogspot.com. D.L. BENNETT

Gwinnett

Berkeley Lake * Buford * Dacula * Duluth * Grayson * Lawrenceville * Lilburn * Norcross * Snellville * Sugar Hill * Suwanee

Tax protest groups