County by county news for Friday

Cobb’s courthouse opened in January and has received a gold environmental design certification.

Each year the Supreme Court travels outside Atlanta to hear cases to make the judicial process more accessible to the public. The Court will hear two appeals on Monday involving a lawsuit against a Gwinnett psychiatrist who discontinued a man’s anti-psychotic medication before he killed his mother, and the murder of a popular liquor store owner in DeKalb County. Janel Davis

Report: Suspects who fired on cop sought

Police in Cobb County are still looking for three suspects who reportedly opened fire on a police officer in Marietta on Wednesday. Police said the officer tried to pull over a silver Dodge Magnum, but the vehicle sped off on I-75.

“The officer was called off of the pursuit. The vehicle was found later near a business on Franklin Road,” a spokesman said. He said the police have recovered the vehicle, and believe the suspects fled on foot. Fran Jeffries

Austell may expand Legion Park

Austell’s formerly flooded Legion Park may expand by nearly 2 acres to possibly increase parking.

City Council members voted unanimously Monday night to negotiate for the property with Cobb County and “a California bank,” said Mayor Joe Jerkins.

Jerkins said the city would have to pay 15 percent of “the flood house” owned by the county on 1 acre.

The other acre is the site of a commercial property owned by the bank, he added.Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Fabric sale to benefit allergy network

Little Quilts in Marietta will hold a fabric sale to benefit the Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. today and Saturday at 1450 -- C Roswell Road. Fabrics will be donated by staffers and sold by the pound. Customers can buy the fabric for $5 a pound. There will also be books for sale.

Shelia Poole

No veto override on Marietta vehicle booting

The Marietta City Council this week decided against overriding Mayor Steve Tumlin’s veto of new vehicle booting rules. Without a council vote, the ordinance the council approved June 8 is no longer in effect. The mayor said he thought the $125 booting fee was too high suggesting $75 to $100 as more reasonable. He also said the 4-3 vote showed the language of the ordinance wasn’t clear and there was uncertainty among council members. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

State Rep. Morgan to hold fundraiser

A wine tasting fundraiser for State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan is scheduled for today in Atlanta. Morgan, who was elected to her fifth term in 2010, has become known for her work in education reform. Morgan is married to Cobb school board member David Morgan. She represents Austell. The fundraiser begins at 6 p.m. at The Colors of Wine, 2355 Cumberland Pkwy. in Atlanta. Information and reservations: Ansley Evans, ansley@alishamorgan.com Janel Davis

GWINNETT

Nursing home cited as one of the best

US News and World Report recently named the D. Scott Hudgens Center for Skilled Nursing of Annandale Village as one of “America’s Best Nursing Homes” in 2011.

The center in Suwanee has made the prestigious list for the second consecutive year, earning a “five-star” quality rating. US News and World Report analyzed more than 15,500 nursing homes in the country.

Of that number, only 14 from Georgia received a five-star rating. Andria Simmons

New businesses to open in Old Town Lilburn

Three new business are preparing to open in historic Old Town Lilburn. Kids Fit and Tau Kwan Do, owned by Eddie Berrian; E’Tali’s Consignments, owned by Kimberly Kimbrough and Music on Mainstreet owned my Scott Mecredy are all scheduled to open at the end of the summer. The businesses will be a tau kwan do and fitness studio, an eco-friendly consignment shop and a music studio that will provide lessons and host events in the community. Alaya Boykin

Car and bike show in Lawrenceville

Lawrenceville Lodge will host the 9th annual car and bike show on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 20 South Clayton Street. The event is free for spectators. The entry fee is $15 the day of the show for participants. Trophies will be given for best of show, people’s choice and best bike of show. Concessions and souvenirs will be available. Information: Ron Denney 404-680-9842 Alaya Boykin

Police offer cyber safety class for parents

The Gwinnett County Police Department will offer a free CyberSafety presentation Monday for parents who want to better monitor their children’s activities online.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation/Georgia International Crimes Against Children Community CyberSafety presentation will be held from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at 6160 Crescent Drive in Norcross, at the West Precinct classroom. Advance registration is required. Info: Officer Richter at 770-417-2376 ext. 5720 or jeffery.richter@gwinnettcounty.com. Andria Simmons

Gwinnett Sierra Club to meet July 21

The Greater Gwinnett Group of the Sierra Club will hold its monthly meeting July 21 at Berkmar High School in Lilburn. Ashley Robbins, president of Citizens for Progressive Transit and vice chair of the Georgia chapter of the Sierra Club, will discuss the project list for the Transportation Investment Act. Information: http://georgia.sierraclub.org/gwinnett/. Joel Anderson

Lightning causes brush fire, road closure

Lightning struck a utility pole and ignited a brush fire Wednesday evening near the intersection of Johnson Road and Suwanee Dam Road in Buford.

Lightning struck a utility pole at 3:27 p.m. Emergency responders closed Johnson Road and diverted traffic until the blaze was brought under control about an hour later. Andria Simmons

NORTHSIDE

Man brings family to thank firefighters

Tony Endozo, his wife and four children, dropped by the Bridgemill Fire Station in Cherokee County this week to thank firefighters that Endozo is still alive. Endozo, 44, suffered a heart attack June 25 while watching television with his family. When EMTs arrived he had no pulse. They revived him and rushed him to the hospital. Endozo told firefighters he couldn’t remember much of what happened. They gave him a tour of the ambulance where they restored his heart beat with a defibrillator. Jeffry Scott

County recognized for its website

Fulton County has received national recognition for its website, www.FultonCountyGa.gov. The Digital Communities program has ranked the site 9th for innovation in information and communications technology among counties with populations of 500,000 or more.

The Digital Communities Program is a joint effort of the Center for Digital Government and Government Technology magazine. The survey is done with help from the National Association of Counties. Johnny Edwards

Johns Creek to unveil renovated senior center

With more than $500,000 in renovations, Johns Creek is ready to unveil Park Place, an activity and meeting center for residents age 62 and older. The 4,800-square-foot facility is at 3125 Old Alabama Road in the former Newtown School.

Funding was provided through federal grant money, and the Newtown Park Community Foundation provided the patio, landscaping and outdoor furniture. A grand opening ceremony is planned for 10 a.m. July 28. Those wishing to attend should RSVP to Elizabeth Warren at 678-512-3296 or Elizabeth.warren@johnscreekga.gov. Patrick Fox

Children’s author to visit libraries today

Bestselling children’s author Carmen Agra Deedy will appear at two north Fulton libraries today in programs for children ages 5-12. She will be at the Ocee branch, at 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road in Johns Creek, at 11 a.m., and at the Roswell branch, 115 Norcross St., at 2 p.m. Her books include “The Library Dragon” and “14 Cows for America.” Reservations: 770-360-8897 (Ocee) or 770-640-3078 (Roswell). Johnny Edwards

Charity golf tournament July 25

North Fulton Community Charities will host its 3rd annual “Swing into Action with NFCC” Golf Tournament July 25 at The Standard Club.

NFCC provides emergency assistance to area families in need of basic needs.

Information on the tournament and sponsorships: www.nfcchelp.org; 770.640.0399 x215 or vmalbrough@nfcchelp.org. Patrick Fox

Exercise each Saturday in downtown Canton

Every Saturday morning in July, people can gather and participate in a free boot camp class at 7:30 a.m.

The classes are located in Brown Park in downtown Canton and take place outside. Participants should bring a yoga mat, water and workout attire. The class is geared toward all fitness levels. Elise Hitchcock

ATLANTA

Gadfly to get chance to argue case in court

The Georgia Supreme Court has granted an Atlanta City Council gadfly the chance to argue about why state law requires the council to record how all its members voted on an issue instead of just recording the tally.

The Georgia Supreme Court announced this week it is concerned the Court of Appeals may have erred in interpreting the Open Meetings Act not to require the recording of the names of council members who vote against a proposal or abstained.

Matthew Cardinale had sued after council had voted 8-7 not to enforce public speaking times at committee meetings, which are often dominated by gadflies, but didn’t record the individual votes. Steve Visser

MARTA chief tapped for advisory council

Beverly A. Scott, MARTA’s general manager and CEO, has been appointed to the National Infrastructure Advisory Council, a panel of experts responsible for offering proposals aimed at protecting commercial and manufacturing facilities, key information systems, dams and waterways, energy plants and transportation infrastructure.

Members of the panel, who will meet four times a year, include top business executives, leading academics and local government officials. The panel will report to the White House through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Aaron Edwards

PGA events gear up for tourney

Atlanta will be golf central for the next three weeks in the walk up to the 93rd PGA Championship at the Atlanta Athletic Club on Aug. 8.

RBC Bank will start by offering fans a chance to be photographed with the Wanamaker Trophy at the Prado in Sandy Springs 9 a.m. to noon today and at 75 Fifth St. in Midtown 2 p.m. until 5 p.m.

RBC also will give away golf-themed items at its branch on Friday. And fans have until July 29 to design a bag for top golfer Matt Kuchar.

One teen enrolled in an Aug. 8 golf clinic will win a $10,000 college scholarship. Rhonda Cook

DEKALB

Decatur cracks down on neglected property

Decatur Assistant City Manager David Junger wants to keep closer tabs on property owners with consistently neglected parcels. “We’ve identified about a dozen properties that are constant violators of city code,” he said. “Most of these owners are absentee landlords with properties that have overgrown grass and weeds. In some cases there are buildings badly needing repair.” With plans to check up on identified properties every two weeks, Junger added that “We want to get these owners to do something before it gets out of control and neighbors start complaining.” Bill Banks for the AJC

Fire prevention classes offered in Dunwoody

Dunwoody and the DeKalb County Fire Rescue Public Education Unit will offer a free fire safety course 10:30 -- 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 -- 3:30 p.m. Monday ; and 11:30 a.m. -- 1 p.m. and 3 -- 4 p.m. July 20 at Dunwoody City Hall, 41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 103. Information: www.dunwoodyga.gov.

Michelle E. Shaw

Police Athletic League to hold summer camps

Sign ups have begun for children’s summer camps with the Police Athletic League in Dekalb County. Camps are for children between 8 and 16 and include football, cheerleading, basketball and softball. Registration is $55. Information: 770-724-7468 or http://dekalbcountypalplus.org. April Hunt

Workforce Development program hits the road

DeKalb County’s Workforce Development program will hit the road this fall, with a bus that functions as a mobile career resource center. The bus has 13 computer stations with high-speed satellite internet connections, a private interview area and office equipment. Businesses can use the center for recruiting, training and interviews. Job seekers will be able to conduct online job searches and receive training on resume development. April Hunt

Lecture focuses on controversial professor

A Georgia State University professor will speak about a controversial progressive who taught at Agnes Scott College in the 1920s and 1930s during an event at the DeKalb History Center later this month.

Arthur Raper was a founding member of the Southern Conference on Human Welfare, writing about lynching and the plantation South. He also was research secretary for the Commission on Interracial Cooperation in addition to his job teaching sociology at Agnes Scott.

GSU will discuss the overlooked teaching tenure of Raper during the free lecture, which begins at noon on July 19 at the old Courthouse on the Square in Decatur. Information: www.dekalbhistory.org. April Hunt

Meeting to discuss future of Dearborn Park

The DeKalb County parks department will host a public meeting next month to discuss plans for the future development of Dearborn Park.

The 7-acre park, at 1301 Deerwood Dr. near Decatur, now houses a basketball court, a multi-use court, a playground and a picnic area.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. Aug. 3 at Columbia Presbyterian Church, 711 S. Columbia Dr. Everyone is welcome. April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

County to shower jurors with perks next week

Fulton residents serving jury duty next week will be treated to the county’s first Juror Appreciation Week, honoring those who set aside their work and family responsibilities to trek downtown and earn just $25 per day.

The week will include free health screenings, free legal clinics, speeches by past jurors, visits by Superior Court judges and movies, all in the courthouse jury assembly room. There will also be a proclamation by the Fulton commission and an information fair in the government center atrium. Johnny Edwards

Fulton officials to meet on transportation tax

Fulton Commission Chairman John Eaves and Union City Mayor Ralph Moore, both members of the regional roundtable choosing projects for next year’s transportation sales tax referendum, will hold a second summit July 20 for Fulton’s mayors and city council members to keep them apprised of the process. The first summit, in June, was also attended by MARTA and state Department of Transportation officials.

The summit will cover new drafts of a final project list. It starts at 6:30 p.m. in the Fulton County Government Center. Johnny Edwards

Clayton State buys apartments, land

Clayton State University has bought an apartment complex which will add 854 beds on campus for students and 17 acres to the 174-acre campus. The university acquired Clayton Station Apartments and plans to renovate the 15-building, three-story housing complex in time for the start of the school year in August. The purchase was made through Clayton State University Foundation Real Estate II LLC. Tammy Joyner

Clayton County schools closed today

Clayton County Public Schools will observe today and next Friday as non workdays. All schools and offices will be closed on these days. Tammy Joyner

Peachtree City holds auction July 21

Peachtree City is auctioning a variety of vehicles and equipment via two online sites starting July 21.

The city will accept bids at www.Govdeals.com for cameras, a printer, VHS and VCR players, office equipment and televisions. The auction is expected to last through Aug. 5.

Cars being listed at www.adesa.com/Atlanta include nine Crown Victoria Pursuit vehicles, a Ford Taurus and an electric GEM. Other auction items include radios, fuel pumps and Crown Victoria accessories. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Henry event to help kids ready for school

Henry County’s “Back Pack to School” community event is July 23, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Heritage Park in McDonough. Several community groups are participating with the goal of giving away school supplies to students who need assistance before the start of the school year. The event will include food, live entertainment, haircuts, dental and eye exams, and blood pressure screenings. Visit www.connectinghenry.org for information on sponsorships, donations or ways to participate. Monroe Roark for the AJC