COBB
Powder Springs charter changes approved
A bill that changes several sections of the Powder Springs charter was approved by the House and Senate.
Among the topics of the 38-page House Bill 634 are a code of ethics, qualifications of City Council members and municipal court judges, election of the mayor and City Council and powers and duties of the city manager.
Information: legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20132014/HB/634.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Road resurfacing continues next week
Two roads near Powder Springs will be resurfaced 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday, including lane closures.
However, one lane will remain open on Brownsville Road from Hiram-Lithia Springs Road to the Paulding County line and on Hiram-Lithia Springs Road from Brownsville Road to the Douglas County line.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Legislature agrees to new ward lines
House Bill 633, passed Monday, changes the lines for Wards 1, 2 and 3 in preparation for the Powder Springs November City Council elections.
Next the plan to equalize the population numbers among the wards will go to the U.S. Justice Department for review.
Information: legis.ga.gov/Legislation/en-US/display/20132014/HB/633.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Car Show in Powder Springs Saturday
The Powder Springs Pushrods will have a car show 4 to 8 p.m. Saturday at West Cobb Plaza, 3217 New Macland Road, Powder Springs. Treasure Hunt Antique Mall will host the free cruise of classic and antique cars.
Information: robertsdoug@bellsouth.net or 678-398-9195.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Registration open for ‘Into the Woods’
Registration is open for the Summer Stock Experience for ages 9-18 at the Mable House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton.
“Into the Woods” will be presented at 7 p.m. June 14 and July 19, the last days of the two camps, at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre at the same address.
Cost: $150 for Cobb residents; $175, out-of-county residents.
Information: MableHouse.org or 770-819-3285. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Driver safety course shows law changes
Changes in the law for teen drivers put parents squarely in the passenger’s seat, requiring a parent, legal guardian or responsible adult to affirm that the candidate for a permanent driver’s license has completed 40 hours (six at night) of supervised driving experience.
Most parents don’t feel prepared, or don’t know what to do, to supervise a new teen driver behind the wheel. But their involvement is key to reducing teen crashes and fatalities.
A free course designed to fill the void will be offered from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. April 15 at the Powder Springs Police Department.
Registration is required. Information: www.cityofpowdersprings.org/DocumentCenter/View/2199.
Andria Simmons
GWINNETT
Occupant, pets escape Norcross house fire
Two family pets were rescued early Friday from a house fire in the 1600 block of Black Hickory Place in Norcross.
Gwinnett County firefighters who were called to the two-story house around 5 a.m. tound heavy fire and smoke upon arrival. One person who was home jumped from the back deck to the ground to escape the flames, sustaining a minor injury to the wrist. Two family dogs were rescued from the garage.
The resident and family pets were displaced, but were receiving assistance from Red Cross. The cause of the fire was determined to be accidental.
Andria Simmons
Quilt tour to honor cancer victims
The Make Some Noise Foundation's National Angel Quilt will be on display 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. today in the Dillard's Court at the Mall of Georgia, Buford. The memory quilt honors children who have lost their lives to pediatric cancer. Any family that has lost a child to cancer may add a memory square to the quilt. Information: on.fb.me/108SO4W.
Veronica Fields Johnson
Peachtree Corners hosts roundtable
Residents and business owners interested in the Peachtree Corners Comprehensive Plan are encouraged to register to attend a roundtable discussion no later than Sunday at www.peachtreecornersba.com. The Peachtree Corners Comprehensive Plan Business Roundtable noon to 1 p.m., Tuesday at Peachtree Corners Baptist Church will discuss the Comprehensive Plan process and relevant details for local business owners.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Suwanee looking for artists
Suwanee’s Arts in the Park is looking for artists to create, sell and demonstrate during the festival 11 a.m.-6 p.m. May 18. Exhibitors will be selected through a jury process and are eligible for prize money. The deadline for applications is April 30. Information: suwaneeartsinthepark.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Ga. Gwinnett College waiving application fee
Georgia Gwinnett College is waiving its $20 application fee through Monday to encourage students to start registering early for the fall semester. The application deadline is May 1, but the Lawrenceville school urges students to begin gathering transcripts, SAT and ACT scores and other documents early.
Applications can be completed at www.GAcollege411.org.
Information: 678-407-5000, www.ggc.edu. Michael Alpert for the AJC
County leases Fort Daniel site
Gwinnett has approved a long-term lease of a 4.3-acre site in northeastern Gwinnett that contains remnants of a 200-year-old frontier fort. The Fort Daniel Foundation will maintain and operate the historic site as a permanent archaeological research preserve and active learning facility for researchers, educators and students.
Purchase of the fort and an agreement to provide $5,000 annually to help with maintenance made possible with SPLOST funds.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Lawsuit filed in Roswell college student’s death
Natalie Baine, 20, of Roswell, died Jan. 11 three days after being critically injured in a three-vehicle wreck in Montgomery. Her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.in the Circuit Court of Montgomery County, Ala., alleging negligence, gross negligence and wantonness. The truck Baine was in was driven by Hudson Riedel was owned by Thomas Matheney. The suit names them as defendants in the suit as well as Capital Motor Lines, the company that owns the bus involved in the wreck and the bus driver, Herbert James Sanders.
Alexis Stevens
Cherokee aquatic center sets events
The new Cherokee County Aquatic Center will have a ribbon-cutting May 9 and an open house May 11, with both events starting at 10 a.m. Director Kim Baker says the outdoor pool will first be open on the latter date. The new center will feature two indoor pools and one outdoor, and is located at I-575 and Sixes Road.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Upgrades planned for Newtown playground
The playgrounds at Newtown Park in Johns Creek will be closed for about two weeks beginning Wednesday while the city’s Recreation and Parks Department replaces equipment.
The new playgrounds, which are separate but adjacent, will be age-specific, with one intended for children up to 8 years old and the other for children 9 to 14 years old. The younger playground will include swings, rockers, a horse see-saw and a structure with interconnected platforms, ladders, steps and a slide. The playground for older kids will offer a climbing wall, several ladders, a variety of sliding and climbing elements.
Patrick Fox
Woodstock dog park to open by early summer
Woodstock’s first dog park will be open in late spring or early summer, after rainy weather scuttled the original April 1 target. The 5-acre park at 150 Dupree Road will include both large and small dog play areas, a community garden and a connection to the planned Noonday Trail.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Milton police to hold golf tournament
The Milton Police Department will hold a “K-9 Support” golf tournament May 1 to raise funds for a new K-9 officer to replace a retired police dog.
The tournament will be at Echelon Golf Club at 501 Founders Drive in Alpharetta. It includes registration and breakfast at 8 a.m., a shotgun start at 10 a.m., and a reception and awards ceremony at 3 p.m.
Cost to play is $125 per golfer or $500 for a team of four. Sponsorship levels include $7,500 (platinum), $3,000 (gold) and $1,500 (silver). To register, sponsor or make a donation, call 678-242-2570 or email ara.baronian@cityofmiltonga.us.
Andria Simmons
Woodstock seeks light at mall intersection
The city of Woodstock has applied to Georgia DOT for traffic signal installation at Interstate 575 and Ridgewalk Parkway, adjacent to the Shoppes at Atlanta. City Manager Jeff Moon says the light on the east side of the interstate, closest to the mall, will be installed before the mall opens July 18.
Mark Woolsey
ATLANTA
Alleged drug kingpin arrested in Buckhead
Jeffery Cofield, an alleged drug kingpin from Baltimore, was arrested in Buckhead this week before having a chance to set up shop in Atlanta, a spokesman for the U.S. Marshals Service said.
Cofield was wanted on federal narcotics distribution and weapons charges, as well as being a “person of interest in a brutal drug-related homicide in Baltimore. Cofield was located and arrested without incident Wednesday at a condominium in Buckhead. An assault rifle and pistol, along with large amounts of drugs and cash, were also seized at the condo. Two associates of Cofield were also arrested. Mike Morris
‘Zorro’ star burned during play rehearsal
The lead star of the Alliance Theater’s production of “Zorro” had to be transported to the hospital after burning his hands during rehearsal Wednesday. The actor, identified on thetheater’s website as Adam Jacobs, was taken to the hospital. The burns were minor and he should be back on stage in a few days a spokeswoman for the theater said. “Zorro” is scheduled to open April 10.
Alexis Stevens
Atlanta City Council goes on spring break
No, that wasn’t C.T. Martin in bermuda shorts, but the Atlanta City Councilman and his colleagues are going on spring break.
There will not be a full city council meeting on Monday, as the council begins a two-week recess, from April 1 through April 12.
The next full city council meeting following the recess will take place at 1 p.m. on April 15, in the Council Chamber of Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave.
Ernie Suggs
Professional basketball league holds tryouts
MGBA, a new professional basketball league, will hold tryouts for men and women 9 a.m to 9 p.m. April 20 and 27 at the Campus Recreation Center at Georgia Tech.
The league will have coed teams. Information: www.mgbainc.com or 800-753-3964.
Nancy Badertscher
DEKALB
Lakeside Monday meeting postponed
A meeting featuring the consultant who helped shape Sandy Springs and most of the new Georgia cities that followed its creation has been postponed from its planned session Monday.
The Lakeside City Alliance is looking for a larger venue to hold the event with Oliver Porter, which will include a Q & A session on the proposed city for north-central DeKalb. The session is expected to be held in mid-April.
Information: www.lakesidealliance.org.
April Hunt
High school senior shot to death
Dominique Boyer, 18, a senior at Columbia High School and as the oldest of four, was shot around 4:45 p.m. Thursday at Austin Oaks Apartments on Glenwood Road while visiting a friend.
Dominique was transported to Grady Memorial Hospital, where he died, his family said.
No arrests have been made. Read more about this story.
Alexis Stevens
Allen Wilson’s third phase is underway
Construction recently began on the third and final phase of the $30 million redevelopment of Decatur’s Allen Wilson Terrace, which includes 71 family apartments, a mix of one, two and three bedrooms. The work should be finished by December. Space in the new apartments will initially be offered to those Wilson families who were re-located during construction, and those families currently living in the old Wilson apartments on East Trinity Place. The 10 East Trinity buildings are the final remnants of the original Wilson housing built in 1941.
Bill Banks for the AJC
Emory launches free legal clinic for vets
A new student-founded clinic at Emory University School of Law has begun providing free legal services to Georgia veterans.
The Emory Law Volunteer Clinic for Veterans offers free legal assistance for disability benefit claims and appeal hearings. Students will also work with experienced attorneys on legislation and other initiatives to create an alternative court for state veterans involved in criminal proceedings, the school said.
Bill Rankin
Pet registration, adoption fees go up
A new ordinance in DeKalb requires veterinarians to notify the county when they vaccinate pets for rabies, to allow the county to collect registration fees.
Vets also may collect the registration and charge a $1.50 convenience fee.
In addition, the county is increasing registration fees from $5 to $10 yearly for altered dogs, cats and ferrets and from $15 to $25 for unaltered animals. A new three-year fee will be $25 for altered and $60 for unaltered animals.
April Hunt
Green Expo returns to DeKalb next month
DeKalb County will host its annual Green Expo for residents and businesses 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. April 20 at Georgia Piedmont Technical College’s conference center, 495 North Indian Creek Road.
The expo will feature workshops on conservation and rain barrels and include local green businesses demonstrating eco-friendly products and services.
Information: 404-371-7045 or sustainabledekalb@gmail.com.
April Hunt
SOUTHSIDE
Woman charged for threatening alleged bully
Marvis Renae Henry, 59, was arrested earlier this week for delivering what police described as an expletive-laced threat to a Forest Park Middle School student she said was bullying her great-nephew.
Henry claims she didn’t curse at the boy, but she admitted she would do what she needed to do to protect the child she has adopted and calls “son.”
She was charged with disorderly conduct and disrupting school operations and released Thursday on $5,000 bond.
Marcus K. Garner
College Park restaurant destroyed by fire
Hodges Legends Fine Foods on Old National Highway caught fire around 5 p.m. Wednesday and continued into Thursday, Channel 2 Action News reported.
A band was getting ready to rehearse when they saw smoke coming out of the wall after plugging in their equipment. Fire officials said they had the fire confined to a subceiling but were unable to reach it with their hoses. No one was hurt .
Bryan Cronan
Truckload of tuna catches fire on I-75
A southbound truck hauling 40,000 pounds of canned tuna caught fire around 6 a.m. Friday near Forest Parkway on Interstate 75 in Clayton County.
No injuries were reported, but traffic backed up for more than an hour.
Mike Morris
Riverdale city manager resigns
Riverdale City Manager Iris Jessie has resigned after nine years with the city. An interim city manager will be named next week. Jessie told city officials earlier this month that her resignation would be effective May 10.
Tammy Joyner
Carbon monoxide detectors handed out
A day after Sederick Baliem, 40, and his Sederick Baliem III, 11, were killed by carbon monoxide fumes, East Point firefighters hit the streets Thursday to help prevent a similar tragedy.
Two other children in the home, a 13-year-old boy and a 2-year-old girl, were sickened by the fumes and remained hospitalized Thursday.
Firefighters returned to the street to educate others to the dangers of carbon monoxide and distribute 100 detectors
Alexis Stevens
Union City hosts family Easter event
The City of Union City invites families to the annual Easter Eggstravaganza 10:30 a.m. today at Ronald Bridges Park, 5285 Lakeside Dr. The free event includes moonwalks, food, train rides, pictures with the Easter Bunny, and an egg hunt. Information: www.unioncityga.org.
Free CPR/AED training in College Park
College Park’s Fire & Emergency Medical Services is offering two free CPR/AED courses 9 a.m. - noon and 1 - 4 p.m. Saturdays and Wednesdays through April 27 in the College Park Public Safety Building, 3737 College St. The course will focus on situations for work and home, covering the standards of the American Heart Association.
Information: 404-766-8248; tinyurl.com/b5mo9ze.
Lisa Gibson for the AJC
