County by county news for Saturday

Mayor Mark Matthews said the project should be a catalyst for other redevelopment. South City Partners plans to build about 12,000 feet of commercial space, 250 apartments and a parking deck that will have designated space for public parking. The developer will receive $400,000 in economic incentives if the project is completed on time.

Information: www.kennesaw-ga.gov. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Powder Springs names ‘Volunteer of Year’

Jim Ross has been named the Volunteer of the Year by Powder Springs city officials.

Also, the city held a banquet on Dec. 12 for all of those serving the city as volunteers.

Ross is “a very active volunteer for our Seven Springs Museum and the Keep Powder Springs Beautiful Committee,” said City Clerk Dawn Davis.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Marietta buys Franklin Road apartments

Marietta started a $68 million redevelopment bond project this week by purchasing two apartment complexes with a total 50 acres on Franklin Road.

The city bought Woodlands Park apartments for $7.9 million and adjacent Flagstone Village apartments for $12 million.

The Marietta Housing Authority will help residents move after the end of the school year.

Marietta voters passed a bond referendum in November that includes redeveloping the Franklin Road corridor.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Kennesaw names person of the year

The Kennesaw Business Association has named city council member Chris Welsh person of the year.

Welsh, a chiropractor, was recognized for her work with Kennesaw’s Fit City Initiative and Kilometer Kids programs and the business association where she has served on the board of directors.

Welsh is a former chair of the Kennesaw Development Authority.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Input wanted for shopping center

Cobb District 4 Commissioner Lisa Cupid is requesting suggestions for possible businesses for the unfinished shopping center at Anderson Farm and Powder Springs Roads across from Walmart and RaceTrac.

Contact: lisa.cupid@cobbcounty.org.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Marietta taking school Choice applications

Marietta City Schools is accepting applications through Jan. 17 for its elementary school students interested in the Choice Academy Program.

The program at the district’s eight elementary schools offers a different area of learning at each school.

Students can choose a school that fits their interests, including communications, arts, science and math, literacy and leadership.

Information: www.marietta-city.org.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

GWINNETT

Suwanee officers, city employees recognized

Suwanee recognized three police officers: Officer Chance Belcher, for getting an injured driver out of her burning vehicleand the arrest of burglary suspects; Officer Robert McCoy, selected as Officer of the Year, for running twice into a blazing home and rescuing two homeowners; Cpl. Susan Roetzer for her work and conscientious attention to developing a new departmental Field Training Officer Manual.

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

New library catalog coming in January

The Gwinnett County Public Library will introduce Polaris, a new integrated library system Jan. 15. There will be an enhanced online catalog, including the ability to save reading history. Patrons use existing library cards, online renewals, fee payments, and hold placement.During the transition customers will be unable to place holds in the old catalog after Monday until the new system launches. The online catalog will be unavailable Jan. 10 to 14. Information: lib.gwinnettpl.org/polaris.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Duluth kicks off new year with blood drive

The Red Cross will hold a blood drive 1 to 6 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 31 in the Fountain View Room at the Festival Center in downtown Duluth. Immediately following, Duluth will kick off 2014 with a New Year’s Eve Extravaganza, 6 p.m. to 12:30 a.m. with musical entertainment, fire dancers, kid’s inflatables, a giant snow slide, the Duluth Ball Rise and fireworks. Info: www.duluthga.net.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Fire, EMS collecting heaters for seniors

Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services is accepting new portable electric heaters for seniors to be distributed through Project AWARE.

Drop off donations at fire stations until Feb. 28.

Monetary donations should be sent to Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services, P.O. Box 1680, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.

Information: 678-377-4150. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Animal shelter accepts goods for food banks

The Gwinnett animal shelter is collecting canned goods for local food banks through Dec. 31 by offering a $10 voucher for shelter fees for a five-item donation of such goods as peanut butter, dry beans, pasta, rice, cereal, toilet paper, diapers, soap, shampoo, deodorant and detergent. Drop off donations to Gwinnett’s Animal Welfare and Enforcement Center, 884 Winder Highway in Lawrenceville.

Information: 770-339-3200 or www.gwinnettanimalcontrol.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Peachtree Corners offers business guide

Peachtree Corners offers a guide to licensing, permitting and other information for businesses interested in locating in the city.

Information: www.cityofpeachtreecornersga.com to print the guide. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Early voting continues in special election

Early voting continues for the Jan. 7 special election to fill the vacant Ga. House District 22 seat. Forsyth County voting : 8 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday, Thursday and Friday at 110 E. Main St., Cumming (closed Tuesday and Wednesday for holidays.) Cherokee County: 8:30 a.m. - 5 p.m. Monday and Friday at 400 E. Main St., Canton. (closed Tuesday-Thursday)

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth library will expand hours in 2014

The Forsyth County Public Library will expanding operating hours effective Jan. 5 after the Forsyth County Board of Commissioners provide an additional $67,000 in funding.

The changes mean the Cumming, Post Road, Hampton Park and Sharon Forks branches will be open until 8:30 p.m. one additional night weekly. Hampton Park will also open earlier on Tuesdays, at 10 a.m. Information on hours: forsyth.public.lib.ga.us

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Educational foundation gives grant to Cherokee

The Cherokee County Educational Foundation awarded $6,000 in grants to the school district during its annual meeting Dec. 18. The grants include a $3,000 award to the Office of School Operations for scholarships for students who have flunked classes and need to pay to retake them online The group also honored 2014 district Teacher of The Year Lindsay Bowley and other instructors.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Youth baseball, softball signup set in Forsyth

The Forsyth County Parks and Recreation Department will sign up youths ages 5 to 18 for spring baseball and softball. Four registration sessions are set: 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. Jan 11 and 18, and 2- 4 p.m.Jan. 12 and 19 . Registration will be held at a half-dozen recreation centers and community buildings. Practices start the week of Feb. 17, games March 17. More info: forsythco.com

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth County launches web portal

The Forsyth County Water and Sewer Department has created a new web portal allowing customers to view a variety of account information, as well as view bills and more quickly make online payments.

Customers will be able to view their consumption history and look up previous bills, among other information.

To access:waterbill.forsythco.com

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Woodstock trail completion delayed

Woodstock Parks and Recreation Director Preston Pooser says construction on the multi-use Noonday Creek trail, originally set for the fall, has been pushed back to January or February.

Pooser says the 1.5-mile, $1 million trail from downtown Woodstock to Ga. 92 near I-575 was held up by bad weather earlier this year.

He says one stretch has yet to be finished. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Charter school finalists announced

The Georgia Charter Schools Association has named three finalists for charter school of the year: Atlanta Neighborhood Charter School, Brighten Academy in Douglasville and Oglethorpe Charter School in Savannah.

The winner of the award, established to honor excellence in education in Georgia public charter schools, will receive a $50,000 grant from The Coca-Cola Foundation.Mark Niesse

Atlanta lawyer tapped for UGA post

Atlanta lawyer Mike Raeber, a partner at the firm King & Spalding, has been named the new executive director of legal affairs for the University of Georgia.

Raeber has specialized in complex business litigation and is a 1993 cum laude graduate at the UGA School of Law. But one of his most noteworthy cases involved his pro bono work on behalf of James “Country” Parkerson, a Hawkinsville man sentenced to life in prison for murder. Raeber, arguing Parkerson did not commit the crime, gained Parkerson’s release from custody in 2010 after Parkerson spent more than 15 years in prison. Bill Rankin

Academy competes for science lab

KIPP STRIVE Academy is one of five finalists in a contest that could give the school a new $25,000 science lab.

The prize, through FedEx, will be awarded to the school that gets the most votes by Monday through blog.van.fedex.com/countlesspossibilities. Mark Niesse

Public invited to learn about database

The Atlanta City Council is inviting the public for free training on its new electronic legislative management system, also known as ELMS. The ELMS database is designed to save paper while making legislative documents immediately available to the public. Training is available at the Municipal Court building, 150 Garnett St., DIT Training Room on the ground floor. Information: 404-330-6771 or vawaldon@atlantaga.gov. Katie Leslie

DEKALB

2 arrests in girl shot by stray bullet

Two men have been arrested in connection with the shooting of a 5-year-old girl at a DeKalb County apartment complex.

Deandre Shepherd and Randy Mannuel, both 18, were arrested on charges of aggravated assault Wednesday, authorities said. The men could face additional charges, police said.

Detectives believe the men had a disagreement that escalated into gunfire Sunday. The girl was hit by a stray bullet that came through a window. She remains in the hospital in stable condition. Michelle E. Shaw

Annexation focus of committee

Decatur School Board Chairman Marc Wisniewski said that a “Blue Ribbon Committee” — proposed though a nebulous collaboration between board and city commission – should focus strictly on annexation, and not on getting a bond referendum on next November’s ballot. With Decatur once again studying potential annexation of those areas northwest and northeast of the city, Wisniewski said there’s a more “urgent need” for the two bodies to work together addressing this issue. Bill Banks for the AJC

Donations needed for animal welfare group

LifeLine Animal Project is seeking year-end donations to its animal welfare work because gifts will be matched from a grant from Anisa International, an Atlanta cosmetic firm.

The firm will match all donations up to $25,000, to be used for the group to spend on low-cost spay/neuter surgeries, veterinary care and adoption of homeless pets.

LifeLine also oversees operations at both the DeKalb and Fulton county animal shelters.

Donations: www.LifeLineAnimal.org or P.O. Box 15466, Atlanta, GA 30333. April Hunt

Brookhaven hires first park director

Brookhaven has hired a veteran park director to serve as the first head of its eight parks.

Ray Holloway Jr., now the president of the Mississippi Recreation and Parks Association, will begin in the city on Jan. 13. He will earn $91,000 in the role and help overseeing planning and maintenance of the city’s parks.

April Hunt

Decatur losing tree canopy, group reports

Decatur’s tree canopy, which covered 50.9 percent of the city in 1991, was down to 45.1 percent in 2010. Catherine Fox, a leader behind Trees Decatur, believes the canopy’s declined further, particularly in the last 18 months, making tougher tree-removal regulations more crucial.

Earlier this year Trees Decatur produced a petition with 700 signatures, influencing the city to revise its tree ordinance, which hasn’t been updated since 1989.

The new ordinance’s first draft is scheduled for presentation Jan. 6. Bill Banks

Emory offers new mother resource

Emory University School of Medicine has launched MotherToBaby Georgia, a free statewide counseling service that connects birth defects research experts with expectant moms, health care providers, etc. Counseling: 866-626-6847.

Information: www.MotherToBaby.org or www.emory.edu/msacd.

Arlinda Smith Broady

SOUTHSIDE

Henry receives U.S. Secret Service grant

The Henry County Board of Commissioners received a $1,750 grant from the U.S. Secret Service Financial Crimes Task Force for use by the Henry County Police Department participates. Through the task force the, HCPD investigates while collar financial crimes such as fraud, bribery, Ponzi schemes, insider trading, embezzlement, cybercrime, copyright infringement, money laundering, identity theft and forgery. The grant funds can be used for training, certifications or purchases of equipment for task force members. No local match is required. Monroe Roark for the AJC

Henry police dept. receives award

The Henry County Police Department has been named “Agency of the Year” by the Metro Atlanta Traffic Enforcement Network, a division of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety.

Actively engaged in traffic enforcement since its inception in 1991, HCPD “garnered this award among peers as a testament to its dedication to DUI, speed and safety restraint enforcement on county, state and federal roadways in its jurisdiction,” according to a county spokesperson.

Information: www.henrycounty-ga.org.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

Haddix bids farewell to mayor’s office

Don Haddix presided over his last meeting of the City Council of Peachtree City on Thursday . Mayor-elect Vanessa Fleisch presented him with an honorary gavel commemorating his years in office. Haddix, who experienced frequent clashes with other council members, said of his tenure, “It’s had its major ups and it’s had some really doozies of downs.”

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Peachtree City helps fund visioning project

The City Council of Peachtree City has approved $10,000 of financial support for the Fayette Visioning Initiative, which aims to identify and support county-wide growth. The total budget for the project is $150,000, with other funds coming from municipalities as well as private companies and individuals.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Piedmont Hospital offering scholarship

The Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary is accepting applications for the Elizabeth Wilmot Bull Memorial Scholarship until Jan. 20.

The merit-based award is open to students enrolled in a medical- or health-related field of study (except pre-med or pre-nursing) at an accredited Georgia college or university.

Information: 770-719-7098.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Steakhouse proceeds to benefit group

The Longhorn Steakhouse at 2256 Mt. Zion Parkway in Morrow will serve breakfast from 9 to 10:30 a.m. each Saturday this month.

All proceeds during that time period will go to Grandparents Raising Grandchildren of Clayton County.

The cash-only $5 breakfast includes grits, scrambled eggs, pancakes, bacon or sausage, and coffee or soda. Tammy Joyner