County by county news for Friday

The energy efficiency and demand response company has begun auditing the county’s facilities to find energy savings opportunities. Work is expected to take six months. The project is funded through the 2009 federal stimulus, and is estimated to save county taxpayers about $300,000 a year in utility costs, according to the company. In October Servidyne, Inc. began work on a $5.8 million retro-commissioning project for the Georgia Department of Corrections. Janel Davis

Cobb parks present summer camp expo

Cobb County Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs Department will host a summer camp expo on March 8 in Marietta. The expo will provide an overview of the various summer programs available to county youth, including day, art, church, overnight and performing arts camps. The expo runs from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Cobb Civic Center, 548 S. Marietta Parkway in Marietta. Information: Wendy Collins at 770-528-8885, or wendy.collins@cobbcounty.org.

Janel Davis

Rep. Morgan to host education conference

State Rep. Alisha Thomas Morgan will host an education conference March 12 about Common Core Standards and the Race to the Top grant.

Morgan, D-Austell, along with representatives from the Campaign for High School Equity, Coalition for the People’s Agenda, Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund and the Georgia State Conference NAACP Branches will be on hand. The free forum begins at 10 a.m. in the auditorium of Inman Middle School, 774 Virginia Ave. NE in Atlanta. Information: 404-656-0109. Janel Davis

Students to shoot movie in Marietta Square

Chattahoochee Technical College students are scheduled to begin shooting a movie today in the Square in Marietta as part of a class project. Filming is expected to take place all day Friday and continue on Saturday and Sunday mornings in the Square between Cherokee and Hansell streets and from the rooftop of the Cobb County parking deck on Cherokee. An actor portraying a sniper will be atop the parking deck, but no shots will be fired. Information: 770-794-5601. Rich McKay

Loop Group hold drop-in meeting Saturday

The Loop Group has scheduled a community drop-in meeting in the lobby of the Marietta City Hall on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The purpose is to showcase recent city improvements and to show plans for more municipal works, some funded by special purpose local option sales tax. City Hall is at 205 Lawrence St. Rich McKay

Early registration for Spring Chicken run

March 14 is the early registration deadline for the 9th annual Spring Chicken Run to benefit the Christian Aid Mission Partnership (CAMP) in Austell.

Costs are $25 on March 26 for the 8:30 a.m. 5K but $20 if registered by March 14.

Info: www.svcamp.org/chicken_run.html, info@svcamp.org or 770-819-0662, ext. 17 Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Teacher charged with groping teen girl

A Gwinnett County high school teacher is on paid leave after being arrested for allegedly groping a teen. Heriberto Lopez, 33, was arrested and charged with sexual battery Monday and released Tuesday, according to Gwinnett County jail records. Lopez teaches Social Studies at Meadowcreek High School.

Lopez allegedly rubbed a 16-year-old girl’s private areas Feb. 18, the Gwinnett Daily Post reported. The alleged incident occurred on Lockemeade Way in Lawrenceville, according to the report. Address records show Lopez lives on the same street. Alexis Stevens

City Hall open house for Duluth residents

Residents of Duluth have a chance to glimpse into the future. The city is opening the doors to city hall for the second of two open houses on March 9 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. This will offer residents the opportunity to see what’s proposed for the next decade in downtown Duluth through the Envision Duluth LCI Study 10-year update. An earlier open house was held Thursday. Nancy Badertscher

Student arrested for bringing knife to school

A student at Give West in Norcross was recently arrested for bring a knife to school.

Gwinnett Schools police said the knife was discovered while the juvenile suspect went through the campus’ metal detectors. It had a blade exceeding three inches and had been removed from its handle, according to a police report.

The student was charged as a juvenile with possession of a weapon within a school safety zone and released to his parents, the report said. D. Aileen Dodd

GTC student wins leadership award

Gwinnett Technical College has named student Sharon Shelton the winner of its 2011 Georgia Occupational Award of Leadership.

Shelton has a bachelor’s degree in industrial engineering and a master’s of business administration. She studies interiors at Gwinnett Technical College and has a passion for design. Shelton is a brain tumor survivor who has overcome many obstacles in her life and is an inspiration to fellow students, the college said. David Wickert

Snap Suwanee photo winners on display

Thirteen photos have been selected as winners of the 2011 Snap Suwanee competition.

The photos were chosen from among 114 entries received from 35 photographers. The photos feature Suwanee locales and people.

The winning entries will be on exhibit for the rest of the year on the first floor of Suwanee City Hall, 330 Town Center Ave. David Wickert

Norcross mayor to give state of city speech

Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson will present the State of the City address at 7 p.m. on Tuesdayat the city’s cultural arts & community center. Also being presented will be a video “year in review, debuting the new “Norcross song” and photos from around our community. After the presentation, Norcross Neighbors is hosting a reception. Nancy Badertscher

NORTHSIDE

Wild turkeys hit the road, slow traffic in Milton

Forget the chickens. In Milton, it’s the turkeys crossing the road. For two days, wild turkeys have boldly wandered into Arnold Mill Road, a two-lane state highway, near Green Road, Capt. Shawn McCarty with Milton police said. “They go up and attack the cars,” McCarty said.

No wrecks have been reported, thanks to most vehicles slowing down to avoid hitting the birds. “Slow down and try to go around them,” McCarty said. “They’re not going to damage anything. It’s comical to see a turkey pecking a tire.” Alexis Stevens

Crabapple school needs speakers for career day

Crabapple Middle School in Roswell is looking for speakers for its annual Career Focus Days. Each year the school PTA partners with the school counseling department to expose students to a broad variety of career options during Career Focus Days. The school needs people willing to make three, 25-minute presentations. These presentations are set for 8th grade on March 15, 7th grade on March 17 and 6th grade for March 28. Nancy Badertscher

Fulton School Board to meet today

The Fulton County Board of Education is scheduled to meet today at 10:30 a.m. at 400 Galleria Parkway in Atlanta. The board plans to immediately move into executive session to discuss land, legal and/or personnel matters. No action is anticipated, the board said in a prepared statement. Nancy Badertscher

Cherokee buys land for new green space

New green space is on the way for Cherokee County. The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday night to buy 47 acres of land along the Etowah River east of I-575 for $9,900 an acre from seller Six Ms Investments LP. The land for future park use is being acquired under the $90 million Cherokee County 2008 parks bond issue. The deal is expected to close by April 1.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Johns Creek set to renovate dog park

Johns Creek has finalized its agreement with Nestle Purina for a $500,000 renovation at the city’s dog park. The upscale playground at Newtown Park comes courtesy of resident Pat McNeely, who submitted the winning entry in a Beneful Dog Food contest last May. Plans call for a rubberized mulch trail around the perimeter of the one-acre park and a water spray area with eight nozzles. Officials expect construction to be completed by the end of May. Patrick Fox

Group wants Forsyth variance thrown out

The development watchdog group Smart Growth Forsyth County on Wednesday asked County Attorney Ken Jarrard to ask the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners to throw out a Zoning Board of Appeals decision this past Tuesday granting a variance on a piece of property in the The Orchards of Brannon Oak Farm Subdivision. The variance shortened the required distance of a stream buffer. The group said because of the number of lots the variance involved, the Zoning Board exceeded its authority, and the variance can only be granted by the commissioners. Jeffry Scott

ATLANTA

Court upholds judge’s refusal to recuse

The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld Fulton Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams’ decision not to recuse herself from a case, but said it did not agree with her reasoning. After Fulton District Attorney Paul Howard asked Judge Marvin Arrington to recuse himself from the capital case against Frederick Gude, Arrington referred the decision to Adams. Gude’s lawyers then asked Adams to recuse herself, noting she worked in the DA’s office at the time of Gude’s arrest and received campaign contributions from Howard. In upholding Adams’ refusal, the court on Monday reminded her to consider whether her impartiality could be reasonably questioned, not just whether there is a lack of proof of her actual bias. Bill Rankin

Dog may have sparked fatal shooting

Investigators believe an argument over a dog escalated into gunfire overnight that left a man dead on Addison Place in northwest Atlanta.

“The argument may have involved a dog,” Atlanta police Lt. Paul Guerrucci said.

The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office identified the victim as Keith Jacobs, 29, of Atlanta.Police had made no arrests by late Thursday morning. Mike Morris

Gardening seminar at history center today

Proven Winners, a producer of flowering plants, will hold an all-day gardening seminar today at the Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, NW, Atlanta. The Outdoor Living Extravaganza runs from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is $80. Information: 877-865-5818 or www.provenwinners.com.

Johnny Edwards

Youth group holds anti-bullying rally

The Fulton County Youth Commissioners, a group of 24 teens selected to address community issues, and the county’s Office of Children and Youth will hold an anti-bullying rally today from noon to 2 p.m. at BEST Academy, 1890 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway, NW, Atlanta. Information: 404-409-7761. Johnny Edwards

DEKALB

Aetna, DeKalb Medical hopeful for deal

Aetna customers who go to DeKalb Medical facilities recently received notice the contract between the insurance giant and health care provider could be terminated March 31. But both sides say they are hopeful a deal will be reached before the deadline.

Aetna has already worked out a contract extension with DeKalb until April 15, spokesman Walt Cherniak said. “It’s not unusual for negotiations to go very close to deadline.”

DeKalb Medical, which has three hospitals and 800 physicians, is working to avoid any disruptions in treatment or care for patients, spokeswoman Tori Vogt said. Misty Williams

Man arrested in fatal botched robbery try

The alleged accomplice of a man who was killed during a botched robbery last month outside a Chamblee bowling alley has been arrested.

Antwan Milton, 27, was arrested by DeKalb County Sheriff’s deputies at a Sandy Springs apartment Tuesday more than a week after John Williams, 31, was gunned down, DeKalb sheriff’s Sgt. Adrion Bell said Wednesday. Williams was shot Feb. 21 by Rodney Powell, 36, who turned himself in to police afterward, police said. He told police he was robbed at gunpoint by the men and claimed he fired in self defense. Ty Tagami

Community hero nominations sought

DeKalb County is seeking nominations for its annual community hero awards.

CEO Burrell Ellis sponsors the award program, which honors residents and organizations that have made a “significant impact” in DeKalb, he said.

Nominations forms are available at www.dekalbcountyga.gov and due March 18. Megan Matteucci

County reports 15,000 gallons in sewage spills

Almost 15,000 gallons of raw sewage spilled into DeKalb County waters on Wednesday, county reports show.

The county’s watershed management department reported an 11,390-gallon spill into the Indian Creek. The spill occurred in the 3400 block of Kensington Road in Decatur, officials said. About 3,360 gallons of raw sewage also spilled into Snapfinger Creek in the 4100 block of Rockbridge Heights Drive in Stone Mountain, reports show. Megan Matteucci

Man charged with cigarette burglaries

The Dunwoody Police Department this week announced the arrest Jerry Dobbs, 48, of Decatur, for the burglaries of three separate businesses where he allegedly targeted cigarettes. The incidents occurred on Feb. 7 at the BP gas station at 5418 Chamblee Dunwoody Road; on Feb. 21 at CVS Pharmacy at 1610 Mount Vernon Road; and on Feb. 24 at a Walgreens location in Dunwoody. Andria Simmons

Decatur pre-k students face tuition increase

In a letter sent to parents of pre-kindergarten students, Decatur School Superintendent Phyllis Edwards announced the school system plans to start charging a $3,055 annual tuition for full-day students at the city’s College Heights Early Childhood Learning Center. The increase takes effect next school year. Edwards said state cuts it pre-k funding made the increase necessary. Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette officials to take sting out of beekeeping

Fayette County officials agreed Wednesday to make it easier for beekeepers to pursue their hobby. The ordinance doesn’t address bees specifically but in considers them to be livestock. The designation restricts beekeeping from residential districts, where some hobbyists keep their hives. It will take an advertised notice and two public hearings but creating an ordinance addressing beekeeping can be done, said County Attorney Scott Bennett. The delay will impact yield as this is the height of the honey flow season, said Fayetteville beekeeper Michael Maxwell. Jill Howard Church

Mass transit proposal falls on deaf ears

Fayette County Commissioner Steve Brown failed Wednesday to get board support to oppose mass transit.

After Brown read a nearly two-page argument against mass transit for Fayette County, the audience of residents applauded. But Chairman Herb Frady said taking an official position is not needed.

“I’ll never vote for it and it’s not gonna come here without our support and support from the voters,” Frady said.

When the board declined to consider the issue, residents left the meeting, grumbling about “getting rid” of some of the commissioners. Kathy Jefcoats for the AJC

Fairburn buys Duncan Park from Fulton

The City of Fairburn is paying $2.1 million to buy Clarence E. Duncan Memorial Park from Fulton County. The growing city encircled the county park in the mid-1990s and has been leasing the park since 2003. Last May, the city said it wanted to buy the park, but it is paying fair-market value unlike the new cities of Sandy Springs, Johns Creek, Milton and Chattahoochee Hills which paid $100 an acre for county parks within their borders. Fairburn being an old city didn’t qualify for that price. Steve Visser

East Point police focus on Jefferson Park

Because of an increase in crime, the Jefferson Park community will be monitored by the special operations unit and traffic unit of the East Point Police Department. Councilman Lance Rhodes said the detail will include both units saturating the community, including stopping and talking with residents and enforcing road safety checks. John Thompson for the AJC

‘GWTW’ expert to speak March 12

Author and “Gone with the Wind” memorabilia collector Herb Bridges will bring his knowledge of all things Tara to Fayetteville on March 12.

Bridges will lecture about Margaret Mitchell’s life in Atlanta at 11 a.m. at the Train Depot at 250 E. Lanier Ave. Tickets are $5, which includes admission to the nearby Holliday-Dorsey-Fife Museum. Information: 770- 719-4175. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Henry parks offer spring break camp

The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department is offering a spring break camp April 4-8 at five locations around the county. Cost is $90 per camper ($80 for siblings) and includes a midweek trip to Zoo Atlanta and a T-shirt. Registration begins March 14 at www.hcprd.org or at any of the county’s recreation centers. Monroe Roark for the AJC