County by county news for Saturday

The county is receiving U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development funds to buy and rehabilitate foreclosed houses and to sell them. The federal government requires that contracts be awarded to small businesses in these three areas or whose employees reside there. Information: mallen@waltoncommunities.com. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Powder Springs spends $8k on retreat

Powder Springs city officials spent $8,608 for their annual planning retreat March 12-14 at Brasstown Valley Resort in Young Harris.

According to City Clerk Dawn Davi the costs were: $3,673 for lodging and the meeting facility, $3,400 for the facilitator from The University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute, $692 for meals, $480 for mileage reimbursement and $363 for audio-visual equipment. Information: brasstownvalley.com, cviog.uga.edu. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Resume workshop for teens Thursday

A resume workshop for teens will be 2 to 4 p.m. Thursday at the South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton.

This free workshop is to help teens design and produce their resumes as they begin their search for summer employment.

Information: Jo Lahmon, lahmonj@cobbcat.org or 678-398-5831. Carolyn Cunningham

Pet shelter to offer low cost vaccines

Good Mews Inc., a no-kill cat shelter, will offer a low cost vaccination and microchip clinic for dogs and cats 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Sunday at 736 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta. Prices, which include individual services and packages, are $15 to $63.

Information: www.goodmews.org. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Farmers market to open in Smyrna

A farmers market will open 4:30 p.m.to dusk starting Tuesday in the parking lot of St. Benedict’s Episcopal Church, 2160 Cooper Lake Road, Smyrna. The church is located between Cooper Lake and Atlanta Roads. Local farmers and specialty vendors will set up each Tuesday through Sept. 30.

Information: www.stbenedicts.episcopalatlanta.org. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Austell to hold ceremony at Veterans Memorial Park

Austell city officials will hold their Veterans Memorial Park opening ceremony at 1 p.m. Saturday at 2633 Veterans Memorial Highway, corner of Jefferson Street and Joe Jerkins Boulevard.

Parking will be available across the bridge at the Collar Community Center, 3625 Joe Jerkins Blvd., with drop-off available at the new park. The event will begin with a processional ride-by with American Legion bike riders followed by an antique military jeep unit and the presentation of colors by an ROTC Color Guard.

Information: austellga.gov/veterans; Austell Community Affairs, 770-944-4309. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Smart Commute upgrades help drivers plan ahead

Gwinnett DOT has upgraded the GC Smart Commute program to include more traffic cameras and an improved website. Residents can select individual camera views from a map display and view up-to-date snapshots of current traffic conditions. Website snapshots are updated every two minutes. In response to frequent requests, online camera views now have next and previous buttons so motorists can view conditions on specific routes. There are 16 additional camera locations under construction, with 34 planned over the next two years. Information: www.gcsmartcommute.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Recycle old shoes, support middle school

Duluth wants your old shoes donated to City Hall or Bunten Road Activity Building, 3180 Bunten Road to help raise funds for the Duluth Middle School State Champion Destination Imagination Team as they travel to the Global Competition, May 21-24 in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Information: kmarelle@duluthga.net or 678-417-9269. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Buford planning business expo

The Buford Business Alliance is seeking small and large businesses in all industries to participate in the 2014 Business Expo to be held 2 to 7 p.m. June 10 at the Buford Community Center. Event will include networking, workshops, giveaways and other opportunities for potential customers and business-to-business relationships. Deadline for sponsor/vendor registration: May 9.

Information: dannella@oakwoodoccasions.com or 770-297-4750. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Plein Air Challenge to celebrate outdoors

The Gwinnett Parks Foundation invites artists to paint outdoor scenes at four area parks 9 a.m. to sunset beginning April 5.

Information: 770-822-8840. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Applications accepted for leadership class

Applications are being accepted for the 2014-2015 class of the Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership.

The Gwinnett Neighborhood Leadership Institute, a project of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services, is an eight-month program that provides participants with training on community leadership, effective communication, group decision making, building communities through collaboration and leading community change.

A community improvement project is required for program graduation.

Information: www.gnli.org, nicole@gwinnettcoalition.org, (678) 377-4137  Molly Bloom

Millennium Mat Co. expands headquarters

Millennium Mat Co., a manufacturer of industrial mats, announced Tuesday the relocation and expansion of its headquarters and manufacturing operations in Suwanee.

This will add 50 new jobs and $9.5 million in capital investment over the next five years.

Information: www.millmats.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Cherokee sheriff: race-related traffic delays

The Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office is warning residents and motorists of traffic delays in connection with a 5K race today in the Hickory Flat area. From 7:30 to 9 a.m., road closures will affect East Cherokee Drive, Hickory Road and Little Road near Sequoyah High School and Hickory Flat Elementary School. Drivers are encouraged to seek out alternate routes. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Sandy Springs exploring new park

Sandy Springs is gauging public support for a public park at the site of the old county sewer plant. A meeting is 6 p.m. May 2 at Sandy Springs Fire Station 3, 6025 Raiders Drive. Engineering and architecture firm Lose and Associates has three drawings with an open field and walking/jogging/biking trails. Information: www.sandyspringsga.gov/City-Departments/Recreation-and-Parks Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Join Chattahoochee cleanup event

Volunteers seeking to participate in the spring cleanup of the Chattahoochee River have until noon April 9 to sign up.

The annual Sweep the Hooch is April 12 at 27 sites over 60 miles, many located within the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

Information: www.chattahoochee.org or www.sweepthehooch.org  Kent A. Miles for the AJC

Roswell asks residents to conserve

Roswell is joining communities across the nation in asking residents to commit to water conservation by joining the National Mayor’s Challenge for Water Conservation during the month of April.

The third annual contest, sponsored by the Wyland Foundation, challenges residents to cut water and energy use. Roswell residents are encouraged to sign a pledge at www.mywaterpledge.com from Tuesday through April 30. Cities with the highest percentage of residents who make the commitment will be entered to win hundreds of environmentally friendly prizes.

Information: www.wylandfoundation.org/mywaterpledge  Kent A. Miles for the AJC

Corporate exec to speak at UNG event

The president of Cinnabon Inc., Kat Cole, will keynote the University of North Georgia’s Inspirational Leaders Award Luncheon 11:30 a.m. April 8 at Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd., Cumming. Also, the North Georgia Inspiration in Business and North Georgia Inspiration in Community awards will be presented. Tickets: $35

Information: ung.edu/cfng   Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth group hosts recycling day May 3

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful will hold an electronics recycling event 9 a.m.- 1 p.m. May 3 at the Cumming Fairgrounds parking lot off of Castleberry Road. Accepted items include laptops, stereos, CD players, cell phones, microwaves and cameras. Information: www.forsythco.com  Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Signup for race through Oakland Cemetery

The 5-kilometer Run Like Hell: Pushing Up Daisies Edition to benefit the Historic Oakland Foundation will take place at 9:30 a.m. April 12 through historic Oakland Cemetery, 248 Oakland Ave. SE, Atlanta.

The race this year is an AJC-Peachtree Road Race qualifier. In addition to the 5K, there is a 1-kilometer Run Like Heck fun run. Registration is $35 for the 5K, $20 for the fun run. There is no race-day registration.

Information: www.oaklandcemetery.com/?event=run-like-hell-pushing-up-daisies-edition-2014  Kent A. Miles for the AJC

Play Day Sunday at BeltLine park

The Atlanta BeltLine PLAY DAY for children and adults is 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Boulevard Crossing Park, 500 Englewood Ave. Play Day is a free day of sports, fit­ness, nutri­tion, and edu­ca­tion, where local coaches and orga­ni­za­tions come together to facil­i­tate activ­i­ties, drills and games for var­i­ous sports and activities. Information: beltline.org/event/play-day/. Arlinda Smith Broady

Georgia Southern hosts family days

Georgia Southern University will host spring family days for students and their parents on campus in Statesboro and in Atlanta.

Planned events for the Statesboro days on April 19 will include men’s and women’s basketball games and a baseball game.

Events for the Atlanta today and April 12 will include a Gwinnett Gladiators hockey game at the Gwinnett Arena and an Atlanta Braves baseball game at Turner Field. Information: parents.georgiasouthern.edu; 912-478-7627 Janel Davis

Health care innovators, entrepreneurs to meet

Better Walk hosts an Entrepreneurial Innovation in Healthcare dinner, 6 p.m. April 10 at the Georgia Tech Student Center, 350 Ferst Drive.

Tickets are $50, $15 for students. Proceeds go to Crutches4Kids.

Information: www.smore.com/mt7b  Kent A. Miles for the AJC

DEKALB

Annexation still in Decatur’s future

Although this year’s legislature created no new DeKalb County cities, Decatur City Manager Peggy Merriss said city’s still aggressively pursuing annexation.

She’s organized a consultant team to study potential areas to annex, and wants to present a master plan to the school board and city commission by fall, with the hopes of taking it to the 2015 General Assembly.

Merriss reiterated her belief that by 2018 all of DeKalb north of Memorial Drive will be located in either a new or existing city. Bill Banks for the AJC

Race to benefit area parks

The Civic Association Network is sponsoring the 4th annual Embrace Our Green Space Race 10 a.m. today at Oak Grove United Methodist Church, 1722 Oak Grove Road, Decatur. Proceeds benefit four local parks: Clyde Shepherd Nature Preserve, Mary Scott Nature Park, Frazier-Rowe Park and Kittredge Park.

Sign up thru the website www.embraceourgreenspacerace.org that links to Active.com. Online registration is $20.

Walk up registration is $25 for adults, $10 for 12 and under and begins at 9 a.m. Arlinda Smith Broady

Upgrades underway at intersections

More than $1.2 million of work has begun to spiff up seven key interchanges in DeKalb County.

The Fresh Start program is designed to encourage economic development by providing professional landscaping, including new trees, and monument signs at central entry points into the county along I-20, I-285, I-85 and U.S. Highway 78.

Work is slated to be completed by June. April Hunt

Franklin back on Lithonia council

Al T. Franklin, a former city councilman in Lithonia, won the city’s recent special election to return to the board.

Franklin won the March 18 special election with 30 votes, or 51 percent of those cast.

He takes his seat on the six-member council on April 7. April Hunt

East Metro DeKalb CID taking shape

About a third of commercial property owners in a proposed 39-square-mile community improvement district in DeKalb County have signed on to the project.

The owners would tax themselves to fund the East Metro DeKalb CID, to run between I-20 and Stonecrest to the Wesley Chapel and Candler Road business areas.

The deadline for property owners to sign up is April 25. More information: www.eastmetroCID.com. April Hunt

Run for Kenya 5K in Stone Mountain

The Mwangaza Children’s Foundation will hold the Run for Kenya 5K on April 5 at Yellow River Park in Stone Mountain. Registration is $25 in advance and $30 on race day.

The foundation asks that participants register by March 18.

Race proceeds will benefit the foundation’s work with orphans in Kenya.

Information: www.mwangazachildren.org  Molly Bloom

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette standardizes golf cart rules

The Fayette County Board of Commissioners approved a new ordinance Thursday that makes rules regarding golf cart use in the unincorporated parts of the county mirror those of Peachtree City. The measure allows 15-year-olds with learner’s permits to operate carts alone, although youths age 12-14 must still be accompanied by adults. Registration fees and other reciprocity measures are pending with Peachtree City, Tyrone and Fayetteville. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Body found in a car in McDonough

McDonough police and several other law enforcement agencies are investigating the discovery of a body found in a car.

Channel 2 Action News is reporting two men surveying land near the intersection of Bridges Road and McDonough Parkway saw the body in the car and called police. It was not immediately known if the scene was that of a homicide or suicide.

Police from Henry County, McDonough and the GBI are investigating. Michelle E. Shaw

Sickle cell charity run, walk April 12

The 35th annual Sickle Cell Road Race/Walk is April 12 at Welcome All Park, 4255 Will Lee Road, College Park. The South Fulton Running Partners Inc. hosts the event to benefit the Sickle Cell Foundation of Georgia.

Runners can use times for placements in the Peachtree Road Race. A pre-race expo will be held at the park 6 to 8 p.m. on April 11.

Information: www.active.com or email: race@sicklecellga.org or 404-755-1641. Tammy Joyner

Deadline extended for BOE applications

The Fayette County Board of Education has extended the deadline for submitting applications to fill its vacant Post 2 seat. Letters of interest and resumes must be received by 10 a.m. on April 14 at the BOE office in Fayetteville.

Information: www.fcboe.org. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Clayton State students offer tax prep help

Accounting students from Clayton State University will prepare tax returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program hosted by the College of Business.

VITA is a national program that provides tax support for certain eligible taxpayers.

VITA is offered at the College of Business at Clayton State 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday. Appointments are on a first-come, first-serve basis.

Details: call the VITA hotline at 678-466-4527. Tammy Joyner

Tutoring help available in McDonough

Operation Education, a program to assist local students in need of tutoring, is holding free tutoring services at 10 a.m. Saturday mornings at 1900 Pennsylvania Ave., McDonough.

One-on-one tutoring, education services and organizational and test-taking skills help will be available.

Information: www.ebotutoring.com or 770-288-8595. Kent A. Miles for the AJC