County by county news for Friday

Among the police department’s unclaimed items will be bicycles, cameras, electronics, jewelry, sporting goods, tools and horse saddles - to be sold individually and in lots.

Information: Powder Springs Police Department, 770-943-1616. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Ex-deputy sentenced for sexual assault

A former Cobb County Sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to charges he sexually assaulted two female inmates.

Kristopher Travitz, a former Cobb County Sheriff’s deputy was sentenced to 15 years in prison Tuesday after pleading guilty to sexually assaulting two female inmates. He will serve five years of that behind bars.

Travitz, a 14-year veteran of the sheriff’s office, was indicted in March after an internal investigation found he fondled one of the female prisoners between October 2010 and March 2011. Christian Boone

Computer Basics taught at libraries

Three free Computer Basics classes will be offered 3 to 4 p.m. Sept. 10 and 12 at the South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton and 11 a.m. to noon, Sept. 16 at the Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta.

Registration is required and space is limited.

Register: South Cobb, 678-398-5828 or Mountain View, 770-509-2725. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Race to benefit cleft charity scheduled

A 5k race to benefit Smile Train, a non-profit organization that performs free cleft surgeries for children, will take place at 8 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 14 at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2922 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta.

This will be the ninth race for the Hot Lips Hustle 5K, which was founded by a 12-year-old Marietta resident born with a cleft. The annual event has raised enough money to fund surgeries for more than 200 children.

Registration is $25. Information: www.hotlipshustle5k.com or www.smiletrain.org. Mea Watkins

Taste of Kennesaw will feature fare from 40 restaurants

More than 40 restaurants will sell menu samples for $1-$4 at the Taste of Kennesaw 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday Sept. 7 on Main Street and Depot park downtown. The event will include children’s acitivites, entertainment on two stages, a beer garden and a 6 p.m. concert. Proceeds will benefit four local charities. Information: www.kennesawbusiness.org. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

New ways to report potholes, other issues

Cobb County residents who would like to report a transportation issue such as a pothole or maintenance problem can contact the Cobb Department of Transportation at 770-528-1600 or www.cobbcounty.org/dot  David Wickert

GWINNETT

Lilburn launches Old Town revitalization

Demolition of buildings this week is the first outward sign of progress on the City of Lilburn’s Old Town revitalization. The city will tear down buildings on Main Street to make way for the road realignment. Currently City Hall sits next to the railroad tracks on which the city was founded. By the end of 2014, a new City Hall will sit atop a hill at the corner of the newly realigned Main Street and Church Street, where passersby on Lawrenceville Highway can see the $10-million municipal building and library. More than 22 acres of developable land with highway frontage is ready for private investment. Arlinda Smith Broady

Gwinnett Park hosting volleyball tournament

Gwinnett Parks & Recreation will host a volleyball tournament 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Rhodes Jordan Park Community Recreation Center, 100 East Crogan Street, Lawrenceville. Teams must have at least four players. Registration $26/team. Register at www.gwinnettcounty.com or 678-277-0890. Karen Huppertz

Suwanee to dedicate 9/11 artifact sculpture

Suwanee will hold a brief dedication ceremony at 7:30 p.m. Wednesday in Town Center Park, for an artistic display created to memorialize 9-11-2001. The sculptural display, created by Statesboro artist Marc Moulton, features a 1,628-pound damaged, twisted relic from one of the World Trade Center towers, which was given to a Suwanee couple by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.

Since unveiling the artifact two years ago, the City has worked to determine a permanent location and create an appropriate display for the artifact, which was part of an exterior steel panel from floors 101-104 of one of the twin towers.

The dedication ceremony will include a performance by the North Gwinnett High School Advanced Chamber Orchestra. www.suwanee.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Parks host Plein Air art reception

An opening reception for the second Gwinnett Parks Plein Air Challenge will be 3 to 7 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Tannery Row Artist Colony, 554 W. Main St., Buford. The exhibition, which runs through Oct. 13, will feature the work of 30 local artists who gathered at various Gwinnett County Parks over the course of six months to capture the parks’ most unique and scenic features.

Information: www.tanneryrowartistcolony.com. Mea Watkins

Ballet Theatre receives dance initiative grant

The National Endowment for the Arts has awarded a $10,000 matching grant to Gwinnett Ballet Theatre in support of The Dance Project, an educational initiative providing dance education for children in Title 1 schools. .

The grant will help 108 students from Title 1 Gwinnett schools to participate in 16 weeks of ballet classes during the school year.

The project includes dance wear and shoes, instructional handouts and CDs, and tickets to Gwinnett Ballet Theatre’s presentation of The Nutcracker and its spring concert. Children showing aptitude and a desire to continue their dance education are eligible to enter the ballet’s scholarship program. Mea Watkins

NORTHSIDE

Fulton picks a manager, not saying who

After months of deadlock, the Fulton County Commission has settled on a county manager, according to Chairman John Eaves. But he won’t say who until “terms of agreement” are worked out. The panel hasn’t taken a formal vote. Fulton has been without a county manager since Zachary Williams left in December to become chief operating officer in DeKalb. Finalists: Dwight A. Ferrell, former deputy general manager for MARTA; Fulton County Finance Director Patrick O’Connor; and Morris E. Williams III, chief of staff of DeKalb Commissioners. Johnny Edwards

Cherokee fire, sheriff’s dept. get new cars

Cherokee County first-response vehicles will sport an updated look. The Board of Commissioners approved $514, 000 to buy 15 new sheriff’s patrol vehicles. The money comes from savings in the sheriff’s budget. The commission will also spend a little over $1 million to buy three pumper trucks for Cherokee Fire and Emergency Services. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth sets electronic recycling event

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful will hold an electronics recycling event 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Cumming Fairgrounds parking lot 3 off Castleberry Road. Laptops, CD players, cell phones and microwaves are among the items that will be accepted with a minimum donation of $5 per carload. Information: forsythco.com Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Cobb, Cherokee kids win scholarships

Allianz Life Insurance Co. has awarded $3,000 scholarships to the children of two employees living in Georgia. The scholarships are based on academic performance and community service participation. Mackenzie Jones is a graduate of North Cobb High School Kennesaw and attends Georgia College & State University in Milledgeville. Andrew Elson is a graduate of Etowah High School in Woodstock and attends the University of Georgia. Nancy Badertscher

Funk Heritage Center to host free symposium

History Beneath Our Feet: Archaeology and the Cherokee Trail of Tears will be the topic of a free symposium Sept. 21 at Funk Heritage Center of Reinhardt University, 7300 Reinhardt College Circle, Waleska.

The program features archaeologists who have worked in Cherokee archaeology. The audience will learn how archaeology has enhanced understanding of Cherokee history, including the Trail of Tears.

Registration begins at 8:30 a.m. for the event, which ends at 12:30 p.m. An optional pre-paid luncheon will follow. Due to limited seating, reservations are required.

Information: 770-720-5970 or www.reinhardt.edu/funkheritage. Mea Watkins

United Way Day of Caring in Forsyth

The United Way of Forsyth County is gearing up for its 12th annual Day of Caring and Campaign Kickoff at 8:30 a.m. today at the Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming.

Volunteer teams and sponsors are needed to help prepare 50,000 nonperishable meals for Forsyth County’s hungry. Information: unitedwayforsyth.com. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Police: Illegal southwest club busted

Police found gambling machines, liquor and strippers in an overnight raid on an allegedly illegal nightclub in southwest Atlanta.

The raid followed a two-month undercover investigation of “Club Brazil,” an establishment operating in a two-story warehouse on Welcome All Road.

The club had no business or alcohol licenses. The owner is facing several charges, including operating a business without a license and several code violations. Mike Morris

Fifth grader brings BB gun to school

Resource officers took a student at Boyd Elementary into custody Thursday when the child brought a BB gun to the Atlanta school No injuries were sustained.

School spokeswoman Kimberly Willis Green said the BB gun was found in a 5th grade student’s backpack. The BB gun was confiscated and is in the possession of APS security. There was no interruption to school day operations, she said. Chelsea Cariker

Superintendent search group to meet

The group searching for Atlanta’s next schools superintendent will meet 4 p.m. Thursday at the school district’s downtown headquarter. This is the first meeting since the school board hired a new company to find candidates.

BoardWalk Consulting, plan to review preferences, priorities and next steps at the meeting. Mark Niesse

Planning for school playground today

J.W. Dobbs Elementary School is about to get its first playground in more than 10 years. Officials with Atlanta Public Schools, the South Metro Scholastic Fund and the Humana Foundation are joining organizers from KaBOOM!, a national non-profit at the school on Friday. They are meeting to kick off design plans for the playground/community garden, with input from children at 10 a.m. and adults at 11 a.m.. Nov. 9 has been set aside as the actual build day for the playground. Nancy Badertscher

DEKALB

Foreclosures down in DeKalb

DeKalb County, which had the third worst foreclosure rate in Georgia during the economic downturn, is seeing improvement in its housing market.

The county had 113 foreclosures in July, a 62 percent drop from a year ago, according to RealtyTrac Inc. T

he high number of foreclosures depressed home values countywide, cutting the tax revenue DeKalb relies on for most county services. Values appeared to stabilize this year, after several years of declines.

The county has yet to issue its revenue projections for 2014. April Hunt

Commissioner hosts monthly meeting

Stan Watson, the commissioner representing the eastern half of DeKalb County, will host his monthly community breakfast 9-11 a.m. Saturday at Stephenson High School.

Representatives from the police department and code enforcement offices will attend the session. April Hunt

South River cleanup set for Saturday

The South River Watershed Alliance, working with several other environmental groups, will host a tire roundup and clean-up on the South River on Saturday in south DeKalb.

Volunteers are needed to help remove trash and debris from the river at the Panola Shoals/Highway 155 area and downstream at Constitution Lakes. Crews will work from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and must register in advance.

Questions/register: southriverwatershedalliance@gmail.com. April Hunt

Meet and greet school board

The DeKalb County Council of PTAs will host a meet and greet for the DeKalb Board of Education at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 11 at the Administrative & Instruction Complex, 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain.

Parents, staff and community members will have an opportunity to meet their board representatives and discuss educational concerns.

Information: Dionne McGee at atty@dionnemcgee.com. Veronica Fields Johnson

Doraville hosts ‘Movie Under The Stars’

The City of Doraville will sponsor “Movies Under the Stars,” a free screen presentation of the Warner Brothers’ movie, “42: The Jackie Robinson Story,” at Honeysuckle Park on Saturday.

The park will open at 6 p.m. and feature kids inflatables, games, face painting, a live band and food.

The event is open to everyone and attendees are encouraged to bring lawn chairs and blankets.

Information: Doraville Recreation Center, 770-936-3850. Haley Castillo

School board ‘tables’ commission resolution

Every Decatur school board member expressed “disappointment” in the city commission’s proposed resolution to create a “Blue Ribbon Committee,” with the board subsequently tabling the resolution for further discussion during a future work session.

As proposed the committee would study student enrollment trends and other issues the school board says it has spent two years researching.Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette commission approves millage rates

Fayette County’s Board of Commissioners accepted a resolution last week to establish the 2013 property tax millage rates.

The General Fund Maintenance and Operations rate will be 5.714 mills; Fire Services, 3.070 mills; EMS Services, 0.456 mills; and E-911 Services, 0.210 mills.

The county’s projected levy of $32.7 million reflects increased industrial growth but lower reassessments of residential property. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Man found shot in vehicle in Fulton

A 30-year-old man was found suffering from a gunshot wound around 2:40 p.m. Wednesday when a passerby saw him slumped over in a vehicle at Stonewall Tell Road and Enon Road, Fulton police said.

Police said the man was unconscious when they arrived. He was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Police have not released the man’s identity or the location of the shooting. Angel K. Brooks

Election slates set in Fayette

With county qualifying now over, Fayette’s fall election slate is set. Peachtree City incumbent mayor Don Haddix will face George Dienhart, Vanessa Fleisch, Ryan Jolly and Harold Logsdon. Austin Chanslor, Mike King and Shayne Robinson will vie for City Council post 2; Cathy Haddix will challenge post 3 incumbent Kim Learnard; and Terry Ernst and Stephanie Franz will compete for post 4. The only contested race in Tyrone is for Town Council post 3, where incumbent Ken Matthews will face Pota Coston.

Municipal elections in Fayetteville have been canceled because Scott Stacy, Jim Williams and incumbent Paul Oddo are running unopposed for City Council posts 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

McClarin High gets $3.4 million grant

McClarin High School in Fulton County has been awarded a $3.4 million school improvement grant from the U.S. Department of Education.

The money is to be dispersed over a three-year period if the school meets improvement targets.

“McClarin is the lowest performing high school in Fulton County,” said Superintendent Robert Avossa. “This is our effort to transform the school. With a new principal and assistant principal this year, and thanks to this grant, we’re now in a place where we can do something dramatically different. The results at this school are just not acceptable – we can and must do better.” Wayne Washington

Poster contest focuses on school bus safety

Entries are being accepted until Sept. 13 for the Henry County School Bus Safety Poster Contest. It is open to all students in kindergarten through eighth grade enrolled in Henry County public schools. There are four categories: K-2, 3-5, 6-8 and special education.

Every poster and slogan must harmonize with the 2013 poster contest theme: “At my Stop – You Stop!”

Information: www.henry.k12.ga.us. Monroe Roark for the AJC