COBB
Motorist killed in Cobb crash identified
A motorist killed overnight in a single-vehicle wreck in Cobb County has been identified as Gary M. Humphreys.
Cobb police spokesman Michael Bowman said the crash happened about 1:30 a.m. Thursday on Blackwell Road near Sanford Drive.
Humphreys, 25, was driving a Jeep Wrangler when he lost control and struck a guardrail. He wasn’t wearing a seatbelt, was ejected and died at the scene, Bowman said.
Alcohol was possibly a contributing factor in the crash.
Mike Morris
Museum seeks sidewalk chalk artists
The Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art is looking for artists of all ages to create works of art on sidewalks adjacent to the museum.
The Chalk-it-Up festival will be 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday on Anderson Street between Atlanta Street and Powder Springs Street.
Registration starts at 10:30 a.m. at the museum, 30 Atlanta St. Marietta. The event is part of a fine arts festival Saturday through Monday around the Marietta Square.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Austell agrees to sales tax distribution
Austell City Council members voted 5-0-1 Monday to agree with a new distribution formula for its share of the local option sales tax from Douglas County.
Councilman Martin Standard was absent for the vote during the special called meeting.
Austell will receive no less than $54,000 annually from 2013 through 2022, Austell City Attorney Scott Kimbrough said.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Business association meets Tuesday
The West Cobb Business Association will meet 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Yogli-Mogli Frozen Yogurt, 3600 Dallas Highway, Marietta, across from The Avenues of West Cobb for its free monthly Networking at Nite.
Reservations: Brad McMahan at bmcmahan@cmitsolutions.com.
Information: 770-499-7009 or westcobbbusiness.com/networking/netatnite.html.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Taskforce needs volunteers for survey
The Cobb Alcohol Taskforce is looking for 2,000 volunteers to take a survey on ways to reduce underage drinking and youth binge drinking.
Participants will be asked if they agree or disagree with 13 statements about underage alcohol issues.
The deadline is Sept. 30.
Survey: https//www.surveymonkey.com/s/s/7JXQL6J or www.cobbat.org.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Austell has new city website
Austell has a new city website at austellga.gov with increased access to iPhones and iPads and ongoing redesign and video options planned.
By late September, online payment services will be offered for traffic citations and bills for utility, property tax and stormwater.
Comments are invited by email to webmaster@austellga.gov.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
GWINNETT
Chemical spills closes I-85 northbound ramp
The exit ramp from I-85 northbound to Jimmy Carter Boulevard was shut down Thursday afternoon because of a chemical spill, police said.
Police, fire and hazmat units were on the scene at 12:30 p.m. assessing the situation to find a tanker truck leaking industrial soap. The leak had been stopped, and firefighters were waiting for a crew from a commercial clean-up company to arrive. Two civilians and a police officer were exposed to the chemical, but were evaluated at the scene and did not require transport to a hospital.
Mike Morris
Trash collection on schedule for holiday
Gwinnett County offices will be closed Monday for the Labor Day holiday and reopen Tuesday Sept. 4.
Gwinnett trash haulers will follow their normal collection schedule over the holiday weekend. The county’s solid waste and recycling call center will be closed Monday, but trash hauler call centers will be open. Residents can visit www.sustainablegwinnett.com to find their hauler’s contact information. David Wickert
Duluth announces major road closures
Duluth will begin construction on stormwater pipes crossing Bridlewood Drive beginning Tuesday.
Bridlewood Drive will be closed to all through traffic for approximately five weeks through the middle of October.
Access to the community recreation area will only be available from Albion Farm Road.
Information: Planning and Development 770-476-1790.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Snellville police welcoming youths
Youths ages 14 to 20 who are interested in careers in law enforcement can attend the Snellville Police Explorer Program’s “First Nighter” meeting 7 p.m. Tuesday at the police department, 2315 Wisteria Drive.
You must have completed eighth grade and have a C average or high school diploma. Cost: $23.
Information: Damon Harper, dharper@snellville.org, 770-985-3555. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC
Gwinnett police offer teen driving class
The Gwinnett County Police Department offers a driving class for new drivers and their parents 6 to 8 p.m. Sept. 19 at the West Precinct in Norcross.
The free program is designed for teens drivers age 14 to 16. Officers will not offer behind-the-wheel training but will instruct parents and teens on what to expect during the 40 hours of supervised practice driving time required by Georgia law.
Information: 678-442-6553. David Wickert
Suwanee Police facility opens Sept. 10
The Suwanee Police will host a grand opening ceremony, tour and demonstrations at its new training facility/substation 4 to 7 p.m. Sept. 10 at 2996 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Rd.
The 7,100 sq. foot building will provide office space for training and community relations officers, a firing range and training facilities. www.suwanee.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Cherokee athletes to receive concussion tests
For the first time, high school athletes in Cherokee County Schools are being given baseline concussion tests this year.
The tests, sponsored by Northside Hospital-Cherokee, are described by the district as 20-minute, noninvasive, “video-game type” procedures designed to improve the diagnosis and management of concussions.
All high school athletes are eligible for testing, which can be given at the school or at an athlete’s home.
Wayne Washington
Dock-diving dogs to visit Cumming
Dixie Dock Dogs and Rucker Horse & Pet will host a regional dock diving competition through Monday at 3540 Keith Bridge Road, Cumming. Some of the top-ranked dogs in the sport of dock diving will amaze crowds at the 4-day event. There is no entry fee.
Bring pets to learn diving strategies and getting started in the sport. Register online at www.dixiedockdogs.com.
Dixie Dock Dogs is a nonprofit organization that benefits canine charities. Kenneth Musisi
Summer camp arts partnership concludes
Each year the Johns Creek Arts Center partners with an institution during summer camp for cross-promotion and an opportunity for its campers to display artwork at that institution. This summer it partnered with the Booth Western Art Museum in Cartersville with the 2012 summer camp theme “Amazing America.” Campers created collaborative art pieces to represent the different themes.
Fall classes at Johns Creek Arts Center start the week of Sept. 10. Registration: www.JohnsCreekArts.org or 770-623-8448. Kenneth Musisi
Eighth grader wins national track award
Becky Arbiv, an eighth grader at The Epstein School in Sandy Springs has qualified for nationals by taking first place at the 2012 USATF Region 3 Junior Olympic Track and Field Championships.
At the event Arbiv placed seventh in the nation with a 9-foot, 2-inch pole vault.
Last school year, Arbiv also competed in the 2012 Georgia State Middle School Championships, where she placed second in high jump, second in pole vault and sixth in 300 meter hurdles. Kenneth Musisi
Woodstock’s Friday Night Live Series set
The Woodstock Downtown Development Authority hosts Friday Night Live, the first Friday of each month in downtown Woodstock where restaurants and storesbstay open until 9 p.m. Participating merchants will have activities for each theme of the series, with the “The Great Downtown Tailgate” theme on Sept. 7. Information: 770-924-0406. Kenneth Musisi
Shore cleanup set for Lake Lanier
Keep Forsyth County Beautiful and the Lake Lanier Association host the 24th annual Lake Lanier Shore Sweep 8 a.m.-1p.m. Sept. 29 at the Bald Ridge, Habersham and Port Royale marinas.
Volunteers will be given trash bags and a shoreline trash pickup assignment. Information: www.lakelanier.org
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
ATLANTA
Search on for man who fired at officers
A southwest neighborhood was blocked off as a SWAT team searched Thursday for a man accused of firing at officers.
The incident began shortly after 10 a.m. when officers attempted to stop a man on a bicycle on Princess Avenue. The man, who has not been identified, got off the bike, ran behind a home.
Officers then heard a gunshot. The officers took cover and called for backup. No one was injured.
Several streets were temporarily closed during the search, according to police. Affected streets include Oakland Avenue between Oakland Terrace and Wilmington Avenue, Avon Avenue between Indale Place and Princess Avenue. Alexis Stevens
60K pills found in Buckhead apartment
Kenneth Ray Tevis was out of jail on $30,000 bond Wednesday, days after police found 60,000 illegal prescription pills in his Buckhead home.
Tevis, 35, was arrested Saturday and released the following day, Fulton County jail records show. Tevis faces seven charges for allegedly running an undercover pill business from a Piedmont Road apartment, police said. Detectives found pills, including Xanax and Ambien, according to police.
Narcotics investigators believe pills were being shipped to the apartment where Tevis separated them into smaller portions before mailing them to buyers.
A laptop also was seized during the drug bust, Channel 2 reported.
The street value of the pills could have been $1 million, police said. Alexis Stevens
Public meeting held on homeless services
The Metro Atlanta Tri-Jurisdictional Collaborative on Homelessness will host a meeting 9 a.m. to noon today Helene S. Mills Senior Multipurpose Facility, 515 John Wesley Dobbs Ave., S.E.
The public can get information on homeless services and needs from government officials and service providers in Atlanta, Fulton and DeKalb counties.
Information: 404-613-7944.
Johnny Edwards
DEKALB
Company donates school supplies
Office Depot gave the DeKalb County School District 1,200 bags of school supplies Wednesday, with NASCAR champ Tony Stewart on hand at Henderson Mill.
The system was among 17 to receive the donation as part a national program.
More than 71 percent of DeKalb students get assistance for meals, said Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson, so parents often can’t afford such school supplies. Ty Tagami
DeKalb County youth secure employment
DeKalb Workforce Development reported that three youths have secured permanent employment as a result of their outstanding performance over the course of the 8-week summer employment program. About 200 kids participated at over 65 summer worksites.
The Summer Employment Training Program concluded with a back to school celebration at Towers High School on Aug. 10. Nine students were awarded a book scholarship.
The year-round work experience program has assisted two youths in securing permanent employment this year.
DWD’s programs prepare youth for the demand and expectations of a global workforce. Information: 404-687-3822 or www.dekalbworkforce.org.
Kenneth Musisi
Agnes Scott starts new leadership program
Agnes Scott College will start a program to train students how to tackle the global issues affecting girls and women by allowing students to meet and learn from female leaders in government, corporations and grassroots organizations.
The Women’s Global Leadership Initiative is supported by a $500,000 gift from alumna Sarah B. Gladden and her husband, Joseph R. Gladden Jr., former chairman of the Agnes Scott board.
Students will work as a team to understand the issues women face at home and abroad. They will also learn about their own leadership styles and strengths, officials said.
The college will offer the certificate next fall. Laura Diamond
Repairs to improve cemetery pond
Decatur’s city commission recently approved a $29,000 budget to repair the outfall pipe in the city’s cemetery pond. The existing outfall pipe has failed allowing pond water to bypass the drain valve, and therefore the pond’s remained well below full pool for the past year. Last fall, the city completed a year-long $1.2 million restoration of the cemetery, which has 10,000 graves and is metro Atlanta’s oldest municipal cemetery. Restoring the pond to full level, and stocking it with fish, officially caps the cemetery project. Bill Banks for the AJC
Cakes & Ale among best U.S. restaurants
The September issue of Bon Appétit Magazine named Decatur’s Cakes & Ale one of the top ten best new restaurants in America. Cakes & Ale’s restaurant actually opened in March, 2008. But the company opened a restaurant and bakery at its current location on the southeast corner of Decatur’s square last August after a $650,000 renovation of a nearly-100-year-old building. Excavation of the original walls revealed that the space was originally Mrs. Teele’s Home Bakery, probably before World War I. Bill Banks for the AJC
SOUTHSIDE
McCoughtry‘s Olympic gold medal celebrated
A celebration to honor Angel McCoughtry‘s Olympic gold medal win takes place 5 to 9 p.m. today at Oz Pizza, 5 West Broad Street in downtown Fairburn.
Fairburn Mayor Mario Avery will present a proclamation in celebration of McCoughtry‘s accomplishments. Twenty percent of all purchases benefit the Angel McCoughtry Dream Foundation.
AMDR helps youth gain a positive experience by choosing sports as an instrument to compete athletically. Information: www.angel35dreamfoundation.com.
Kenneth Musisi
Peachtree City project progresses
Construction has begun on the Founders Corner project at City Hall in Peachtree City. The timeline includes six plaques chronicling the city’s history before incorporation in 1959. To participate on the project committee, donate funds or provide historical information, contact Betsy Tyler at info@peachtree-city.org.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Clayton students wear college colors today
In celebration of College Colors Day, students at Clayton County Public Schools will wear colors of their favorite college instead of their traditional uniforms today. School officials say this will help expose more students to colleges they might not know about.
College Colors Day is an annual celebration dedicated to promoting the traditions and spirit that embody the college experience. Kenneth Musisi
Forston 4-H Center to offer fall camp
The Fortson 4-H Center at 999 Fortson Road in Hampton will offer Camp EcoAdventure for kids to learn about the environment while having fun during Sept. 24-28.
The week-long engaging activities will include team building, survival, archery, pond ecology, herpetology, canoeing and more. Lunch will be provided.
Registration before Sept. 14 is $30/day; second sibling discount $25/day. Space is limited. Visit www.fortson4h.org. Information: Jacqueline Muir at muirja@uga.edu or 770-946-3276. Kenneth Musisi
McDonough academy taking applications
People in McDonough who are interested in learning more about the city’s government can sign up for McDonough 101 Academy, which begins Sept. 11 and consists of seven two-hour sessions from 6-8 p.m. every Tuesday night, culminating with an Oct. 30 graduation ceremony.
The program is limited to 20 students who must be 18 years of age or older and either live or own a business within city limits. Applications are available on the first floor of City Hall. Information: www.mcdonoughga.org.
Monroe Roark for the AJC
Woodland High welcomes Earnhardt
Racing superstar Dale Earnhardt Jr. will visit students at Woodland High School in Stockbridge on Friday. He’s making the stop while in town for the weekend’s AdvoCare 500 at the Atlanta Motor Speedway. Earnhardt will answer student questions and pose for pictures. The event is sponsored by the National Guard.
Nancy Badertscher
Mother, boyfriend guilty in child killing
A Fulton County woman and her boyfriend have been convicted of killing the woman’s two-year-old son, the Fulton District Attorney’s Office said.
Makel Moore-Thompkins died Dec. 10, 2010, a day after he was taken to South Fulton Hospital by his mother, Nikita Moore, 25, and Reginald Johnson, 27. When Makel arrived, he was unresponsive and had a fractured skull, and an autopsy later found more than 40 old and new injuries throughout his body. Moore and Johnson were sentenced to life plus 15 years in prison for the crimes.
Bill Rankin
