County by county news for Friday

Emory-Adventist hold annual rededication

Emory-Adventist Hospital at Smyrna will hold its annual rededication ceremony today with a prayer circle around the hospital’s perimeter.

Each year hospital leadership and staff rededicate themselves and the hospital to the mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ. This year’s goal is to get the community more involved with the hospital and raise awareness of the mission.

To participate in the ceremony, meet at 5:30 p.m. in front of the hospital, 3949 South Cobb Drive S.E.

Information: Chaplain Leno, 770-436-3162 ext. 4647. Janel Davis

4 businesses cited for underage alcohol sales

The Marietta Police Department last week conducted an alcohol compliance check on 35 businesses and cited four for selling alcohol to a minor.

The buyers did not provide false identification or misrepresent their age.

It is the responsibility of the seller to check I.D. and refuse sell to underage persons, according to Marietta Police. The following businesses were cited: La Parrilla at 29 S. Marietta Pkwy.; Whitlock Package at 940 Whitlock Ave.; CVS at 300 Powder Springs St.; and One Package at 1860 Sandy Plains Road Suite 306. Andria Simmons

Powder Springs delays water rate decision

Powder Springs Mayor Patricia Vaughn told the AJC after Monday night’s City Council meeting that a vote on raising water and sewer rates was delayed to gather more information.

During their Wednesday work session, Vaughn said the increase was needed since the city is losing $30,000 a month from absorbing annual increases from the Cobb Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority.

Bill Powell of the Georgia Rural Water Association advised council members on Wednesday to raise the rates and hold a public meeting later to explain them after people receive their bills. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Scout Shabbat today at Ner Tamid

Reform Jewish Congregation Ner Tamid will host its first Scout Shabbat today celebrating Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts from the congregation and surrounding areas.

Area scout troops are invited to attend the service, and participating scouts in uniform will receive a special patch.

The service runs from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. and will be held at Christ Lutheran Church, 176 West Sandtown Road in Marietta.

Information and scout registration: www.mynertamid.org Janel Davis

GWINNETT

Primerica gives $30,000 for Relay for Life

Primerica Inc. of Duluth has donated $30,000 to the American Cancer Society to sponsor its Relay for Life program in Gwinnett County.

The Gwinnett Relay for Life, held in May each year, attracts more than 10,000 people and raises more than $2 million for the fight against cancer.

Similar events are held in more than 5,000 communities across the country.

Information: www.relayforlife.org. David Wickert

Summer school registration is open

Gwinnett County Schools is accepting summer course registration for high school students. Summer school classes will be from June 12 to July 11.

Classes will be available at Mountain View High, Peachtree Ridge High and South Gwinnett High. Students may register online for classes through June 4 or register in person on May 31 at Peachtree Ridge High.

Online summer school classes also are available at Gwinnett County Online Campus. Registration for those courses also closes on June 4.

Animal Task Force to meet Tuesday

Gwinnett County’s Animal Task Force will meet at 7 p.m. Tuesday at the Animal Welfare and Enforcement Center, 884 Winder Highway, Lawrenceville. The task force is studying a variety of animal welfare issues and will make recommendations to the county Board of Commissioners this spring. For more information, visit www.gwinnettcounty.com. David Wickert

Fire damages home in Lilburn

Firefighters are trying to determine what sparked a blaze that occurred Wednesday evening in the 900 block of Hampton Trail in Lilburn. A neighbor called to report the fire at 6 p.m. and firefighters arrived to find a column of heavy smoke spewing from the two-story house. The fire caused a partial collapse of a wooden deck and extensive damage to the porch and attic. The residents were not home. Andria Simmons

Students to engage in Readers Rally

More than 100 Gwinnett County Schools teams will participate in the Gwinnett Readers Rally on March 3 at Berkmar High in Lilburn.

Students from grades 4-12 will compete on teams in the quiz bowl. Students will answer questions about books they were assigned to read.

The top four elementary and top two middle and high school teams will advance to the Championship Event on March 8. D. Aileen Dodd

Hudgens Center to open Kathy Fincher exhibit

The ‘Kathy Fincher: Selected Works, Capturing the Spirit of Childhood’ exhibit opens at the Hudgens Center for the Arts in Duluth on March 1 through May 12. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for students, seniors and children. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday 10 a.m.-5 p.m. A free opening reception for this exhibit will be March 3 from 2 to 4 p.m. Information: www.thehudgens.org or 770-623-6002. Kenneth Musisi

NORTHSIDE

Forsyth early voting begins on Saturday

Forsyth County voters can cast their ballots for the March 6 election from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Forsyth County Administration Building, 110 E. Main Street, Cumming.

Early voting will also run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday, Wednesday and Friday and from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Thursday next week at Cumming City Hall, the Forsyth County Administration Building, Hampton Park Library, Sharon Springs Community Building and Midway Park Community Building.

Information: www.forsythco.com; 770-781-2118. Patrick Fox

Cherokee looks at land for new library

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted this week to consider purchasing 6.14 acres on Ga. 20 near Old Mill Road, to build a new library. The location is about four miles from a site the commission previously considered on Ga. 20 near Jack Page Lane and Water Tank Road. The county needs to survey the property to determine if it’s suitable site to build and talk with the Sequoyah Regional Library System about the proposal, said county manager Jerry Cooper. Jeffry Scott

U.S. education official visits schools

Assistant Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Innovation and Improvement, Jim Shelton, is visiting Forsyth County Schools today to discuss the district’s Investing in Innovation Grant. North Forsyth High School and North Forsyth Middle School are serving as trailblazer schools and have been working with the grant team since the beginning of 2011-12 school year. The project started in January. Jeffry Scott

Alpharetta parks offers tree-climbing course

Alpharetta parks is offering an introductory course in climbing trees. The new program will provide all the professional gear and instruction needed. The course will be held at Wills Park on Saturdays in March for ages 5 and up. The cost is $28 per person for Alpharetta residents and $42 for non-residents. Information: 678-297-6100 or accprograms@alpharetta.ga.us. Patrick Fox

Woodstock to start Friday Night Live series

The Woodstock Downtown Development Authority invites the public to spend the first Friday of every month in Downtown Woodstock and take in the restaurants and stores. Merchants will stay open until 6 9 p.m. Participating merchants will have activities for each theme of the 2012 Friday Night Live series. The “Mardi Gras on Main” theme on March 2. Information: 770-924-0406. Kenneth Musisi

Lions Club pancake breakfast Saturday

The Alpharetta Lions Club annual pancake breakfast runs from 8 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Alpharetta First United Methodist Church, 69 N. Main Street. This year, the club is partnering with North Fulton Community Charities to support the “Have a Heart for NFCC” fundraising campaign.

The charity is trying to raise $200,000 to support less fortunate area citizens. Pancake breakfast tickets are $5.

Information: Jason Blalock, 678-458-2404. Patrick Fox

ATLANTA

Third suspect in gay beating arrested

The third member of an Atlanta gang videotaped beating a 20-year-old gay man earlier this month turned himself on Thursday, police said.

Darael Damare Williams, 17, surrendered to Erie, Pa., authorities and was arraigned on Pennsylvania State Fugitive from justice charges, Atlanta police said.

Williams’ extradition proceedings are expected to take place in about a week.

Williams was wanted for his part in the Feb. 4 robbery and attack on Brandon White outside a neighborhood market in Atlanta’s Pittsburgh community.

Christopher Cain, 19, and Dorian Moragne, 19, have already been arrested in the case.

Atlanta meat company owners get prison

Three owners of the Atlanta Meat Company were given prison terms for immigration and tax fraud.

Rhett Maughon, 49, of Decatur, and Rafael Villareal Sr., 42, of Suwanee, received 5 years in prison, and Marcus Maughon, 47, of Decatur, received 3 years in custody. The owners’ “unwritten business success plan” was to cut corners by hiring undocumented workers and evading federal taxes, U.S. Attorney Sally Yates said in a statement.

All three men halted their trial last October after two days of testimony and entered guilty pleas. Bill Rankin

Free haircuts to support Black History Month

In an effort to expand the concept of Black History Month to community outreach, on Saturday, Atlanta tutoring company Trowers Dream Academy and Mabelton barbershop, King of Clippers, will provide free haircuts, massages and games for local residents.

The day has been designed to honor Black History Month, by educating children, families and the community on the importance of black history and culture.

The event will be held from 10 a.m. until 1 p.m. at the Central Park Recreation Center, 400 Merritts Ave. Atlanta. Ernie Suggs

DEKALB

Police: No charges for man who took toddlers

Police say they likely won’t charge a man they believe took two small children from an Atlanta-area gas station and later left them with friends.

DeKalb County police say Charles Watson of Stone Mountain turned himself in Wednesday. Police say they don’t think he intended to kidnap the children. Police say he took them from a gas station after their mother didn’t return within 30 minutes after speaking with police near her disabled car.

Detectives learned that the mother, Ashley Mattison, was delayed in returning because she accompanied the tow truck driver to drop off her vehicle Wednesday morning. She returned to the gas station and found the toddlers gone. David Ibata

Ellenwood man gets prison for lying to agents

An Ellenwood man has been sentenced to 1 year and 8 months in federal prison and ordered to pay $43,331 in restitution for lying to federal agents, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In 2010, Charles “Rick” Tomlin, 55, told state environmental officials that an Environmental Protection Agency agent had threatened to fine him $270,000 for soil and water contamination at his Gainesville auto repair business.

EPA special agents, concerned their agency had a rogue agent, set up surveillance and investigated, only to learn that Tomlin was lying about the threat and was using that as an excuse not to pay rent to his landlord, prosecutors said. Bill Rankin

Ex-con charged in Jan. 22 shooting death

A DeKalb County man who served more than 30 years in prison is charged in a second death, Channel 2 Action News reported.

Samuel Hayes, who has been out of prison for only nine months, was taken into custody by DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office’s fugitive squad Wednesday.

Hayes is accused of shooting Joshua Grier and leaving his body near a lake near Stone Mountain on Jan. 22 during what police believe was an argument over drugs, Channel 2 said.

According to Department of Corrections records, Hayes was convicted of a 1979 murder and robbery in Bibb County. Angel K. Brooks

Decatur city manager contract extended

Peggy Merriss, Decatur’s city manager since 1993, was given a two-year extension of her contract, which calls for a 5 percent raise to $154,500. The current contract runs through Dec. 31, 2013. She’s worked for the city since 1983 when she accepted a $17,000 salary 10 days after earning her masters of Public Administration from the University of North Carolina. Mayor Pro Tem Jim Baskett called Merriss “a rock star among city managers.” Bill Banks for the AJC

Barge gives check to Clairemont school

State Superintendent John Barge presented Decatur’s Clairemont Elementary with a plaque and a check for $1,000 on Thursday in honor of its selection as a 2011 Georgia School of Excellence. Clairemont was one of 26 statewide schools selected in December. The money, donated by program sponsor Georgia Natural Gas, can be used however the school wishes. Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHBRIEFS

Fulton early voting open for Saturday

Fulton County residents who can’t make it to the polls Super Tuesday -- or on any other weekday during three weeks of early voting -- can cast ballots this weekend courtesy of a new state law. Saturday voting will be offered from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Government Center in downtown Atlanta, the North Fulton Annex in Sandy Springs and the South Fulton Annex. Other than Atlanta’s referendum on a sales tax extension to fund water and sewer projects, all Fulton ballots will be for choosing a Republican presidential contender or voting for President Obama. Johnny Edwards

County launches mobile website

Fulton County has launched a mobile website called Fulco2Go, which allows residents to keep up with the county government through mobile devices. Users can find information about marriage licenses, birth certificates, jury service, animal control and vehicle registration, as well as news releases. The site also has links to the county’s YouTube channel and Facebook and Twitter pages. More features will be added as the site evolves.

To access the site, text “fulco” to 99699 and follow the link in the automated reply, or go to https://mobilezen.com/fulco. Johnny Edwards

Peachtree City releases catalog of classes

Peachtree City’s Recreation and Special Events Department has released its spring catalog of camps and classes.

The offerings include sports and fitness, arts and instructional courses for children and adults. Classes run March-May and are held at the Kedron and Glenloch recreation centers.

Registration is available at the Kedron Fieldhouse and Aquatic Center or online at www.peachtree-city.org/recreation; call 770-631-2541 for information. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Animal clinic offers pet dental screenings

McDonough Animal Hospital has designated Feb. 29 as Pet Dental Health Day and is offering a free oral health examination for pets from 9 a.m. to noon and 2-6 p.m. that day. No appointment is necessary, and current clients and newcomers are welcome. Any pet examined that day and found to need dental treatment will receive a 10-percent savings voucher for dental cleaning. Monroe Roark for the AJC

Piedmont Henry to hold diabetes screening

Piedmont Henry Hospital will sponsor a free diabetes awareness screening on March 22, from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wal-Mart on Willow Lane in McDonough. Participants will receive a blood glucose screening, education on diabetes symptoms and prevention information.

For information about the event, call the hospital at 678-604-1040. No registration is required. Misty Williams

College Park police officer honored

Captain David Block, a 23-year veteran of the College Park Police Department has been named Officer of the Year by the Atlanta Airport Rotary Club. Block was honored along with police officers from Hapeville, East Point, and the Atlanta Airport during the Airport Rotary Club meeting Feb. 10. John Thompson for the AJC