COBB
Anti-SPLOST group won’t challenge vote
Lance Lamberton, president of the Cobb County Taxpayers Association said Thursday his group will not contest Tuesday’s SPLOST referendum, and has turned its attention to changing the tax laws. Cobb voters approved a four-year extension of the one percent special purpose local option sales tax by 79 votes. Despite the close vote, the board of elections — which has to call for a recount for ballot questions — does not plan to conduct one. Lamberton has complained that not holding the election during a regular election cycle leads to low turnout. Voter turnout for Tuesday’s election was about 11 percent. Janel Davis
Boy, 15, charged with raping girl at school
A 15-year-old freshman accused of raping another teen in the girl’s bathroom of a Smyrna high school is being charged as an adult, police said. Chandler Brookins was visiting Campbell High School to watch his brother in a basketball game. The 14-year-old girl told police that while at the school Brookins put her in a headlock and forced her into a girl’s bathroom. Vic Reynolds a lawyer for Brookins and also a family friend said the accusation against his client is untrue. He also thinks the case belongs in the juvenile system. Brookins has been released on a $50,000 bond. Kristi E. Swartz
Kennesaw moves for ban on pill mills
Kennesaw’s City Council will hold a public hearing Monday on an ordinance that will ban pill mills from selling and dispensing powerful pain medications like oxycodone. The council will hold a second public hearing and vote on the issue April 4. Marietta passed a similar ordinance in January and Acworth in February. The council will also vote this Monday to extend a pain clinic moratorium expiring March 30 for 90 days to cover a potential gap. The city voted for the ban a year ago after closing a pain clinic that had opened in the city. Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Cobb schools on AP achievement list
Cobb County Schools is one of 388 public school districts nationwide named to the Advanced Placement Achievement List. The honor is for districts that encourage more students to take Advanced Placement courses, which are more rigorous and can go toward college credit. The percentage of Cobb high school students enrolled in these courses in 2007-08 to 2009-10 increased from 23 to 26 percent. Jaime Sarrio
Artisans sell quilts for Haitian orphanage
Twelve handcrafted quilts of various sizes will be sold to help the God’s Littlest Angels orphanage in Haiti.
Project Orphan Quilt, a group of artisans in Cobb County, will conduct the silent auction from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday at Holt Road Baptist Church, 675 Holt Road in Marietta. The money raised will help fund the building of a new orphanage. Shelia Poole
Marietta Easter Egg Hunt April 15
The 2011 Marietta Easter Egg Hunt, the “Easter Egg Scramble” is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. April 15 at Laurel Park, 151 Manning Road, Marietta. The event, sponsored by the Parks and Recreation Department is open to children up to age 10. Prizes and candy are available for all participants. Information: 770-794-5601. Rich McKay
GWINNETT
Cadillac Jack celebrates opening of new facility
Cadillac Jack, a leading developer of games and technology, celebrated the opening of its new North American headquarters in Duluth Thursday.
The company has opened a new 103,000 square foot facility that will house 170 employees, including 30 to 40 new jobs for Gwinnett County this year.
Cadillac Jack designs, manufactures and markets electronic games and employs 300 people around the world. David Wickert
Gwinnett man, 66, drowns in Lake Lanier
The man who drowned in Lake Lanier on Wednesday afternoon has been identified as Roy Belrose.
Belrose, 66, a resident of Lakeview Drive in Buford, was discovered by a neighbor, who called 911, a Gwinnett police spokesman said.
Authorities said no one had reported Belrose missing.
Police said there is nothing to indicate foul play. Kristi E. Swartz
Suwanee Day opens up for exhibitors
The Suwanee Day festival is looking for artists, craftspeople and food vendors to participate in the Sept. 17 event.
The festival draws about 40,000 people to Town Center Park for shopping, crafts, children’s activities and live entertainment. The deadline for exhibitor applications is June 1. To apply, visit www.suwaneeday.com. David Wickert
Arcado Road section to close for race
A portion of Arcado Road in Lilburn will be closed March 27 during the Arcado Elementary School PTA’s Annual Fun Run.
The race route includes Arcado Road from Rockbridge Road to Lilburn-Stone Mountain Road. The race assembly begins at 1:50 p.m. The race will begin at 2 p.m. and end at 3 p.m. David Wickert
Foster family sessions offered each month
Residents interested in fostering children can attend orientation sessions sponsored by the state Department of Family and Children Services.
There are about 9,000 children in foster care in Georgia, including about 400 in Gwinnett County.
Orientation sessions for foster families are on the second Monday of each month from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Clayton Commerce Center, 33 S. Clayton Street, Lawrenceville. Information: 877-210-5437 or www.gapartnershipparents.org. David Wickert
Dooley, authors to talk about gardening
Former University of Georgia football coach Vince Dooley and several authors will speak at the opening day of Gwinnett Technical College’s spring plant sale at the greenhouse on campus, 5150 Sugarloaf Parkway, Lawrenceville.
Dooley, an avid gardener, will be joined by Erica Glasener, the host of HGTV’s “A Gardener’s Diary”; Jim Wilson, author of five bird identification guides; and Jane Bath, author of the “The Landscape Design Answer Book.” Information: www.gwinnetttech.edu. David Wickert
NORTHSIDE
Cherokee charter school holds enrollment lottery
Cherokee Charter Academy officials announced that the school has received more 1,300 applications for enrollment and will have to schedule a lottery to choose its inaugural class.
Approved to open with 710 kids, the school is partnering with Charter Schools USA to provide support and a curriculum, which will be linked to Georgia Performance Standards. The charter will lease the campus of American Heritage Academy of Canton, a private school facing foreclosure, said Sandy Castro of Charter Schools USA. Information: www.cherokeecharter.org. D. Aileen Dodd
Roswell to start work on water main
The Roswell Water Utility will start construction March 28 of a water main that supplies customers on Melody Lane.
This replacement aims to improve system flows and pressures in the surrounding area and provide better fire protection by adding a third hydrant to the street. The new main will also tie in with the new water line on Elaine Drive to provide a loop in the system.
Information: 770-641-3707. Joel Anderson
McEnerny to hold town hall meeting
Sandy Springs council member Karen Meinzen McEnerny will hold a town hall meeting at Holy Innocent’s Episcopal Church on April 4. The meeting will start at 6:30 p.m. in the church’s Inglett Room. The church is located at 805 Mount Vernon Highway NW.
McEnerny holds the council’s District 6 seat. Joel Anderson
How to raise money-savvy kids
A workshop on raising financially responsible children will be offered Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at the Sandy Springs Branch library, 395 Mt. Vernon Highway. The class is based on the book Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees by Neale S. Godfrey, and all attendees will receive a free workbook. Reservations are required. Information: 404-509-3223. Johnny Edwards
Roswell Spring Tea and Fashion Show April 6
The Roswell Garden Club will hold its annual Spring Tea and Fashion Show on April 6 at the Roswell Adult Recreation Center. The show is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at the recreation center, which is located at 830 Grimes Bridge Road.
Tickets cost $20 and reservations are required. Information: Florence Anne Berna at 678-596-0340 or www.roswellgardenclub.com. Joel Anderson
Church to release balloons with invites
Alpharetta residents will see something unusual in the air this weekend. At noon on Sunday, members of Vision Baptist Church will launch 500 balloons containing invitations to visit the church, 1125 Alpha Dr. The release is part of the fifth year anniversary celebration and will take place after the morning service. Shelia Poole
North Spring Charter to sell spring plants
Help the students by ordering spring bedding and hanging plants from North Springs Charter High School. Pre-order only by flat or half flat by March 31 and pick up Saturday, April 15 from 9 a.m. to noon. Information: plantsale@northspringsmagnet.com Nancy Badertscher
ATLANTA
Court rejects selective prosecution claim
The federal appeals court here has upheld the armed-career criminal conviction of an Atlanta man, rejecting his claim that he was targeted for the enhanced penalty because he was African-American. The court found that Ronregus Jordan failed to produce enough evidence to establish a selective prosecution claim. Jordan was convicted at trial in 2009 and then sentenced to 20 years in prison for being found in possession of a .38-caliber revolver in August 2007 and having more than three prior felony convictions. Bill Rankin
DOT agrees to lease land for Beltline
The state Department of Transportation has agreed to lease 3.5 miles of rail corridor for 49 years to the Atlanta Beltline for the future transit loop.
With those segments in southwest Atlanta and Reynoldstown, the Beltline has secured 48 percent of the transit corridor, said Beltline president Brian Leary. The rest is owned by railroad companies and the Beltline is in discussions with them, Leary said. Ariel Hart
Man shot by robbers faces charges
Rodney Williams was shot during a home invasion robbery of his southwest side apartment on Landrum Drive Wednesday. He told police he was wounded when two men forced their way inside. Police believe the thugs targeted Williams because he peddled alcohol and candy from home. They charged the victim with selling liquor without a permit. Steve Visser
Housing authority collects prom dresses
The Fulton County Housing Authority is looking for barely-used prom dresses to give to high school seniors who can’t afford them. The “prom closet” also needs shoes, handbags and accessories such as bracelets, necklaces and earrings. Donations can be dropped off at the Housing Authority, 4273 Wendell Drive, Atlanta, on weekdays from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. until April 1. A giveaway is April 9. Information: 404-588-4972 or jconners@hafc.org. Johnny Edwards
DEKALB
Suspect arrested in February church rape
Police have arrested the man whom they believe raped a 53-year-old woman in a Stone Mountain church last month.
John Russell Carver, 50, faces charges of rape, armed robbery and aggravated assault, police in DeKalb County said Wednesday. Detectives identified Carver as a suspect after the Georgia Bureau of Investigations connected him to the crime with DNA, police said. Carver was in the Fulton County Jail after being arrested March 7 on unrelated charges. Carver is accused of raping an employee at St. Timothy United Methodist Church on Memorial Drive on Feb. 26. Ty Tagami
Commissioner: Officers, recruits safe from cuts
No DeKalb County police officer or recruit will lose their job, County Commissioners said Thursday. Last month, the Commission cut $36.6 million from the 2011 county budget, including $4.7 from the police department. The police department proposed cutting 46 positions, including six new recruits and 40 applicants.
On Thursday, Commissioner Lee May said that all of those positions will be filled.
“There will be no layoffs of police officers or anyone in the academy,” said May, chairman of the budget committee. Megan Matteucci
Doctors tell CEO Ellis to stay home
DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis will run the county from his home for the next two-three weeks. On Wednesday, Ellis had surgery to correct a herniated disc. The surgery was successful, but doctors ordered the CEO to spend the next few weeks resting at home, county officials said. Megan Matteucci
Tucker residents to clean up fire station
Tucker residents are giving back to the DeKalb County’s firefighters by helping clean up the patio at Station 5 on Lawrenceville Highway
The Tucker Civic Association is asking residents to spend an hour Saturday morning, sweeping, raking, planting and cleaning the small back patio at the station. The clean-up is scheduled for 10 a.m. Saturday at the fire station. Information: publicsafety@tuckercivic.org. Megan Matteucci
Avondale looks a creating dog park
During Wednesday night’s Board of Mayor and Commissioners Work Session, Avondale created a committee to study costs of a dog park. Long a popular request among city residents, the proposed park, about three-quarters of an acre, is at the corner of Berklee Road and Wiltshire Drive, across from the lake.
City Manager Clai Brown said the Committee will likely give a recommendation in April. Bill Banks for the AJC
Deadline today for food service program
The DeKalb County Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs Department will host a summer food service program from May 31 to July 29.
Agencies with summer camps that are interested in becoming a site for the program should call 678-698-1114 or 404-371-3643. The deadline to apply for the program is today. Applications for the program can be found at the Tucker Recreation Center, 4898 LaVista Road in Tucker, or at www.Dekalbcountyga.gov/parks. Joel Anderson
SOUTHSIDE
Eaves dismisses media relations manager
Fulton Commission Chairman John Eaves has dismissed his part-time media relations manager, effective April 1. It’s not because of anything she did, but because Eaves wanted to end internal bickering over whether he could have a fifth employee, his Chief of Staff Verna Cleveland said. Commissioners are allowed four full-time employees, but Eaves, following the lead of predecessor Karen Handel, split one job into two part-time positions and hired Phyllis Fraley on a temporary basis. Several commissioners charged that he circumvented policy. Johnny Edwards
Darnell explores county travel spending
Fulton Commissioner Emma Darnell wants an explanation from the county manager on why the county spent $689,919 on travel last year, with some departments spending more than $35,000. At Wednesday’s meeting, she said her research found some of the same people made most of the trips, and she wants to make sure they were for legitimate purposes.
Last year’s travel and training total was down 53 percent from the nearly $1.5 million spent in 2007, according to information provided by spokeswoman Ericka Davis. Eight departments spent more than $35,000. Johnny Edwards
Authority offers spring break camps
The Fulton County Housing Authority will offer a free spring break camp for children ages 5-15 from the Fulton Industrial Boulevard area. The camp, April 4-7 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be at the authority’s offices at 4273 Wendell Drive, Atlanta, and parents can register there until March 25. Information: 404-588-4972 or iconners@hafc.org. Johnny Edwards
Sickness prevention clinics coming up
Fulton County Housing and Human Services is holding sickness prevention clinics for older adults. The schedule: March 31 at Northbrook United Methodist Church, Roswell; April 9 at the East Point Fire Station; April 11 at West Hunter Street Baptist Church, Atlanta; April 26 at the Marietta Road High Rise, Atlanta; and May 12 at Senior Citizens Services, 1705 Commerce Drive, Atlanta. All clinics are from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Information: 404-762-4821, ext. 231. Johnny Edwards
Hapeville to get fingerprint scanner
During Tuesday’s council meeting, Police Chief Rick Glavosek announced the city had received a $21,350 grant from the Department of Homeland Security to purchase mobile biometric fingerprint scanning devices. Glavosek said the city was chosen because of its proximity to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. The devices give information to the officers while they are still on the scene with a suspect. John Thompson for the AJC
East Point recycling program to begin
Residents soon should be getting information on the East Point’s new recycling program. Included is a “recyclebank account” that allows participants to earn discounts at local merchants. Residents should start receiving alerts in April, with pickup starting in June. John Thompson for the AJC
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