County by county news for Friday

Information will be provided about budget and credit, down payment assistance, the loan process and insurance and inspection. Participants will receive a HUD-approved certificate at the end of the workshop. The workshop runs 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Cobb Extension Office, 678 South Cobb Drive in Marietta. Seating is limited to the first 40 people.

Register: 800-251-2227 Janel Davis

Acworth officials to hold town hall meeting

Acworth residents will have a chance to talk to city leaders at a Town Hall meeting 6:30 p.m. Oct. 5 at Acworth City Hall, 4115 Senator Russell Ave. Mayor Tommy Allegood, board of alderman members and department heads plan to give updates on city projects and programs A discussion will follow on the topic of moving forward in the city. Information: www.acworth.org. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Watershed issues topic of Austell meeting

A community meeting Saturday morning at a Clarkdale church on Chattahoochee River will focus on watershed issues.

The 9 a.m. meeting will be at Clarkdale United Methodist Church, 5061 Austell-Powder Springs Road, said Bill Hackett, the church’s program chairman for the Men’s Group.

Information: 770-948-3545 or chattahoochee.org/tapped-out. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Author Mary Kay Andrews to speak today

New York Times best-selling author and former journalist Mary Kay Andrews will be the featured speaker for the Cobb Library Foundation’s “Booked for Lunch” series today.

Andrews, a University of Georgia graduated, worked as a reporter for 14 years — including 10 at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution — before becoming a professional writer. Her newest book is “Summer Rental.”

The luncheon begins at 11 a.m. Tickets are $25, and proceeds benefit Cobb County libraries.

Tickets: http://www.cobblibraryfoundation.org Janel Davis

WellStar to sponsor Pink Ribbon golf Classic

WellStar Health System will be the presenting sponsor of the 13th annual American Cancer Society’s Pink Ribbon Golf Classic in Cobb County.

The golf fundraiser is scheduled for Oct. 3 at the Marietta Country Club. The golf classic raises almost $70,000 every year. WellStar’s sponsorship is expected to boost participation and proceeds.

Register for the event: 770-429-0089, www.pinkribbongolf.org Janel Davis

Bands to compete at Kennesaw school

The 6th Annual Marching Band Competition at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw will be held at the school stadium starting at 7 p.m. on Saturday. Gates open at 6 p.m. and admission is $7. The bands participating at the event are Wheeler, Forsyth Central, Fayette County, Ola, Hillgrove, East Coweta, Pope, Harrison and in exhibition Kennesaw Mountain High School. The award ceremony is at 9:30 p.m. Kenneth Musisi

GWINNETT

Suwanee honored for recreation services

Suwanee was recently honored for having the highest resident-rated parks and overall services among a number of municipalities participating in a national survey.

Suwanee was the only community in Georgia to receive Voice of the People Awards for Excellence and one of nine nationally. The awards were presented last week by the International City/County Management Association and National Research Center at a conference in Milwaukee.

The 2010 National Citizen Survey was conducted in November and results were released in February. Joel Anderson

Schools engage in pre-K reading event

Gwinnett County Schools pre-K to first graders will join students around the work in an international reading event next week to promote early literacy. The students will participate in the “Read for the Record” global campaign on Thursday. Community members have been invited to read to kids. Last year, Gwinnett Schools set the record worldwide with 29,671 students reading the same book, officials said. D. Aileen Dodd

State school chief Barge to speak Oct. 14

State School Superintendent John Barge will speak about the business of education at 7:30 a.m. Oct. 14 at the 1818 Club, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. The cost is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. To register visit www.gwinnettchamber.org. David Wickert

Elizabeth smart to speak at conference

Kidnapping survivor Elizabeth Smart will speak at a child safety conference on Oct. 14 that will encourage parents to educate their kids about escaping and avoiding danger.

The event will be held at 8:30 a.m. on the campus of Greater Atlanta Christian School in Norcross. Registration is required. Admission is $10.

Information: keepgeorgiasafe.org/293/child-safety-conference D. Aileen Dodd

Schools want grant for pedestrian access

Braselton, Hoschton, West Jackson Primary School and West Jackson Intermediate School plan to renew their application for a state grant program designed to develop better pedestrian access to local schools. The “Safe Routes to School” Infrastructure Grant Program is administered by the Georgia Dept. of Transportation. Children attending the schools will bring home a transportation survey for parents to complete. The results will be submitted with the grant application. Information: www.braseltonprojects.com. Joel Anderson

Boston Terrier Tee Off tourney Oct. 7

The Boston Terrier Tee Off Golf Tournament to benefit Boston Terrier Rescue of East Tennessee starts at noon on Oct. 7, at Collins Hill Golf Club in Lawrenceville. Tickets are $80. Boston Terrier Rescue of East Tennessee has a strong presence in the metro Atlanta area with many adoptable dogs fostered in the region. Information: Renee Ussery at russery11@gmail.com, or 404-384-3405 and visit http://bostonterriertn.org. Kenneth Musisi

NORTHSIDE

Alpharetta man wins national golf event

Suneil Aggarwal of Alpharetta won the 2011 Golf Channel National Championship Wednesday for the second year in a row at the famed PGA West golf course in La Quinta, Calif. Aggarwal went wire-to-wire to claim the Jones Flight national championship. The victory did not come easy for the 39-year-old, however. Aggarwal needed all 72-holes to successfully defend his 2010 title, converting a 5-foot bogey putt on the 18th hole at TPC Stadium Course to capture the championship by one shot over Joseph McWhorter of Brooksville, Fla. Kenneth Musisi

Cobb-Cherokee Career Center recruiting today

The Georgia Department of Labor’s (GDOL) Cobb-Cherokee Career Center will help Ryla fill about 175 job openings for customer service representatives to work at a call center in Kennesaw. Recruitment is today , from 9 a.m. to noon at the career center, located at 465 Big Shanty Road in Marietta. For information, contact Michael O’Neal of the Cobb-Cherokee Career Center at 770-528-6109, or e-mail michael.oneal@dol.state.ga.us. Kenneth Musisi

Forsyth recycling event Saturday

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful is sponsoring an electronics recycling event from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday at the Cumming Fairgrounds’ parking lot 3 off of Castleberry Road.

Accepted items include computers, stereos, CD players, cell phones, microwaves, cameras and more. The minimum donation per carload for drop-off is $5. An additional $10 fee will apply for all televisions. Large items will not be accepted. Information: www.forsythco.com or 770-205-4573.Patrick Fox

Civil War presentation at library Saturday

Georgia State University history professor Wendy Hamand-Venet will lead a Civil War presentation and discussion Saturday at the Roswell Library, 115 Norcross Street. “The Civil War in Atlanta,” part of Atlanta-Fulton libraries’ Louisa May Alcott series, lasts from 1 to 2 p.m.

The library system will have a series of events, running through November at various branches, re-introducing audiences to Alcott, who grew up in the innermost circle of the Transcendentalist and antislavery movements, served as a Civil War army nurse and wrote “Little Women.” Johnny Edwards

North Fulton chamber to hold golf tourney

The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce will be hosting its annual golf tournament Monday at Alpharetta Athletic Club. Sponsors include Northside Hospital, the North Fulton Community Improvement District, Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau, Comcast Cable Communications, Georgia Power, Wells Fargo and Verizon Wireless. For sponsorship opportunties or player registration, visit www.gnfcc.com or call 770-993-8806, ext. 306. Nancy Badertscher

CRCT workshop Tuesday for students

Students can get help preparing for CRCT tests at a workshop Tuesday at the Sandy Springs Library. It starts at 6 p.m. at 395 Mt. Vernon Highway and will be held again on Oct. 18. Registration: 404-303-6130. Johnny Edwards

ATLANTA

‘Party on Ponce’ to benefit BeltLine

There will be a “party on Ponce” Saturday to benefit Atlanta BeltLine Partnership and to give folks a last look at the old Sears and Roebuck building before it is renovated into a mixed-use space.

Most recently the building was known as City Hall East and now it is called the Ponce City Market.

Starting at 7 p.m. Indigo Girls, Shawn Mullins and Francine Reed will perform over the next four hours. The evening also will feature food tastings.

Tickets are $90 and can be bought at empiretickets.com. Proceeds will benefit the Atlanta BeltLine. Rhonda Cook

5K run raises sex trafficking awareness

This Saturday is the second annual A Future. Not A Past. “7,200 Steps to Stop Demand 5K” race in Candler Park.

Organizers will also hold a mass “planking” at 8:15 a.m. to show unity in opposing child sex trafficking, a modern form of slavery. Planking was a method of transporting slaves on ships by having them lie down tightly packed, side-by-side and face up.

An estimated 7,200 men buy sex with young girls each month. By walking or running, participants will help decrease demand by raising awareness. Registration is $25. Info: www.afuturenotapast.org. Andria Simmons

Brian Nichols hostage to speak Saturday

Ashley Smith Robinson, author of “Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero”, will be the keynote speaker at an empowerment brunch to benefit Breakthru House at 10 a.m. on Saturday.

Robinson became well-known as the woman who was held hostage by Brian Nichols in 2005 and who convinced him to surrender. The event will be at Northside United Methodist Church, 2799 Northside Dr. N.W.

The nonprofit Breakthru House is a residential treatment program for women recovering from alcohol and drug addiction. The brunch will help raise money for scholarships. Tickets are $40 each. For information: www.breakthru.actionministries.net. Shelia M. Poole

DEKALB

Gunman wounds three teens in Lithonia

Three teenagers were wounded in a shooting at a Lithonia apartment complex Wednesday, police said.

Police said the teens were standing with a group of people in front of an apartment building when someone approached them and started shooting.

Three were hit -- Jokera Singal, 15, Erika Johnson, 17, and Shakill Senderson, 17. Singal was treated at Grady Memorial Hospital and released; the other two were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. Joel Provano

Wrong-way collision leaves two hurt

Two people were seriously injured early Thursday when a wrong-way driver collided head-on with a car on I-85 near Clairmont Road in DeKalb County. The wrong-way driver, identified as John Mims, 34, of Cedar Rapids Iowa, collided head on with a Ford Focus driven by a Erin McPherson, 19, of Alpharetta, police said.

Mimms is facing several charges, including reckless driving, driving on the wrong side of the roadway and DUI less safe driver, police said. Joel Provano

Decatur school chief unveils strategic plan

Decatur Schools Superintendent Phyllis Edwards unveiled the system’s 2011-16 Strategic Plan Wednesday at Decatur High School, saying the plan’s most important goal is designing “an academically challenging 21st century environment.” The city’s school board will vote on the plan during its Oct. 11 meeting.

Bill Banks for the AJC

Rain barrel workshop Oct. 27 in Tucker

A workshop to encourage DeKalb County residents to use rain barrels will be held in the evening hours of Oct. 27 at the Tucker Recreation Center.

The county Watershed Management department will host the event, which will help residents make their own barrels. The barrels collect rainwater to help conserve water and reduce water bills.

Cost is $30 and includes all materials needed to make a rain barrel. The workshop is limited to 20 people, with registration ending Oct. 21.

Register at www.dekalbwatershed.com under the public education section or by email at atpennie@dekalbcountyga.gov. April Hunt

Rotary Club to hold flu shot project

The Northlake Rotary Club will host its annual Immigrant Influenza Vaccination Project in partnership with DeKalb Medical Center. Oct. 8 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Clarkston International Bible Church, 3895 Church Street, Clarkston. The program targets persons 50 years and older. Information: www.rotarynorthlake.org. Sandra Marshall Murray

Small business center offers seminars

The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center-DeKalb will host a series of business seminars throughout October.

Offerings will include “Is Entrepreneurship for You?” on Oct. 6; “Starting a Business” on Oct. 11 and “Writing an Effective Business Plan” on Oct. 18. Courses will be held at 2296 Henderson Mill Road, Suite 114, Atlanta. Seating is limited. Pre-registration is required. For times and fee information: 770-414-3110. Laurie Hoffman

SOUTHSIDE

Body on Cascade Road is missing Atlanta woman

The body found on Cascade Road in south Fulton County has been identified as a missing Atlanta woman, police said.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Office confirmed that the deceased is Danelle Shanta Hughes, 24, who was identified through fingerprints and a tattoo, Detective Melissa Parker said Wednesday. The cause of death has not been determined.

Hughes was last seen the night of Sept. 11 when she left in a rust-colored vehicle, Atlanta police said. Her family reported her as missing. Angel K. Brooks

Fayette requires permit for outdoor burning

Fayette County is reminding residents that outdoor burning is allowed by permit only between Oct. 1 and April 30.

Leaves, clippings and brush limbs may be burned on residential property between 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. in piles no larger than 10 feet square. Burning must be conducted at least 50 feet from any structure and attended until extinguished.

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services will issue residential burn permits by phone at 770-305-5468. Contractors must obtain commercial burn permits by calling 770-305-5414. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

East Point customer care center to open

Residents are invited to attend the grand opening ceremony for the city’s new customer care facility Saturday from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. at 2791 East Point Street. The grand opening will is in conjunction with Destination East Point. John Thompson for the AJC

East Point holds fall festival on Saturday

Visitors and residents should head to the heart of downtown East Point Saturday for the annual “Destination East Point Fall Festival, and Carnival”, a part of Fulton County’s “Tour De 29: A Festival of Cities”. The festival is close to the East Point MARTA station and City Hall. There will be a carnival, live music and performances and the festival runs from 2 p.m-5 p.m. John Thompson for the AJC

Henry chair airs state of county address

Henry County Commission Chairman Elizabeth ‘B.J.’ Mathis has recorded a State of the County address, updating citizens on county projects and initiatives. The address will air on the county’s government access channel, Henry TV14, beginning Saturday at 6:45 a.m., 12:45 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. The speech will air every day at those times through Oct. 14. It also will be available on demand on www.henrycounty-ga.org/tv14 beginning Saturday. Tammy Joyner

Domestic violence event in Henry Oct. 6

Henry County will commemorate Domestic Violence Awareness Month with a ceremony Thursday, Oct. 6, from noon to 1 p.m. on the square in McDonough. The public is invited to attend. At the conclusion of the ceremony, the names of all women who died as a result of domestic violence in Georgia over the past year will be read, and purple and white balloons will be released in their honor. More than 1,000 women become victims of domestic violence in Henry County each year. Monroe Roark for the AJC