COBB
Sword-stabbing murder conviction upheld
In a recent opinion, the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the murder conviction against a man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend through her heart with a 3-foot-long sword at a Cobb County restaurant. Eliot Jeffers had been convicted at trial for the murder of Jocilyn Dawn Williams, 27, inside Moe’s Southwest Grill on Powers Ferry Road in October 2006. The court also upheld his aggravated assault conviction for stabbing Daniel Stringfellow, a manager of the restaurant, as Stringfellow wrestled Jeffers to the ground. The entire attack was captured on restaurant security cameras. Bill Rankin
Marietta police chief receives honor
Marietta Police Chief Dan Flynn on Thursday received the prestigious William H. Spurgeon, III Award for his support and leadership of the Marietta Police Explorer Program. Officers in the program volunteer their time, effort and talents to train and mentor the city’s youth. The police explorer program provides vocational training, leadership and experience to young people and offers them the opportunity to become a certified police officer. The Explorer Program was started in 1988. Andria Simmons
Last day to register for youth baseball
Today is the last day to register for Powder Springs Youth Baseball.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Ron Anderson building, Wild Horse Creek Park, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs. Online registration also is available through 2 p.m. Saturday at psyb.teamopolis.com. Registration cost is $80 to $160, depending on the team level. Teams for ages 4-14 will play at Powder Springs Park, 3899 Brownsville Road. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Special needs school to host open house
The MDE School will host an open house on Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the school, at 1000 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite A100 in Marietta. The school, which shares a facility with the Greater Atlanta Speech and Language Clinics, educates special needs children in grades K-8 who are diagnosed with developmental disabilities and special needs. For questions, or to RSVP by Feb. 1, call 770-977-9457 or 770-971-4633. Information: www.mdeschool.com. Veronica Fields Johnson
Marietta to hold citizens police academy
Marietta residents can learn how the city police department works at a Citizens Police Academy, a free 10-week program that will meet 6-9 p.m. Mondays starting March 5. Registration is open through Feb. 17 at the Marietta Police Department, 240 Lemon St. Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Leadership Cobb seeks nominations
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce is seeking nominations for the 2012-13 Leadership Cobb class. The program develops leadership skills through learning sessions including lectures, classroom activities and forums with community leaders. Program events are held one day per month, occasional evening sessions.
Nomination forms are available at www.cobbchamber.org, and due Feb. 24. Information: Michele Bickerstaff, 770-859-2345 Janel Davis
GWINNETT
Man to go on trial in 2010 murder of boy, 13
A 26-year-old Lawrenceville man is set to stand trial in Gwinnett County beginning Monday on murder charges for allegedly firing a shot that killed a 13-year-old boy.
A stray bullet fired into the air by Joshua Simpson Banks pierced the window of Tre Shambry’s bedroom and killed Shambry as he was climbing the ladder to his bunk bed. The shooting happened in Jan. 2010 in Holland Park Apartments in Lawrenceville, where Banks also lived.
Banks has been held at the Gwinnett County Detention Center without bond since his arrest in July 2010. Andria Simmons
Conviction in truck driver killing upheld
The Georgia Supreme Court recently upheld the Gwinnett County murder conviction against Joe Lee Farris for fatally shooting a tow truck driver in May 2007.
Farris was found guilty during his second murder trial in August 2009, months after an initial Gwinnett jury deadlocked, causing a mistrial. Prosecutors said Farris shot and killed Ikuesan, a 41-year-old American citizen born in Nigeria, on a side street off Peachtree Industrial Boulevard south and then took his wallet. Bill Rankin
Gwinnett judge on groups council
At the recent Winter Conference of the Council of Superior Court Judges, Gwinnett Superior Court Judge William Ray was elected as the Secretary/Treasurer of the statewide organization of Georgia judges for the coming year.
The Council is the governing body of the state’s general jurisdiction trial courts. Ray, who has served on the Gwinnett Superior Court for 10 years, will serve on the executive committee, which forms policy for the courts, handles budgetary concerns, and represents the courts before the General Assembly and the governor. Andria Simmons
Christmas tree recycling event today
Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful will host the largest Christmas tree recycling event in Georgia today .
“Chipper 2012” is scheduled from 9 a.m. to noon at the Bethesda Park soccer fields at 225 Bethesda Church Road in Lawrenceville.
Information: Connie Wiggins at 770-822-5187. Joel Anderson
Notre Dame Academy to hold open house
Notre Dame Academy will accept applications for the 2012-13 school year during an open house from 2 to 4 p.m. on Sunday at the school, 4635 River Green Parkway in Duluth. Notre Dame Academy is a Marist and International Baccalaureate World School, serving pre-K3 through 8th grades. Information: www.ndacademy.org. Mea Watkins
Redevelopment Forum to be on Jan. 27
The Gwinnett Redevelopment Forum will be held from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Jan. 27 at the Atlanta Marriott Gwinnett Place, 1775 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth. The event will focus on local and regional redevelopment activity and sites available for redevelopment. The cost is $55 per person. For information and to register, visit www.gwinnettchamber.com. David Wickert
NORTHSIDE
Firefighters find body after house burns
One person died in a fire at Cherokee County home Thursday afternoon. But the body was not found until several hours, investigators said. The log-style home on Knox Bridge Trail, off Ga. 20, was fully engulfed when firefighters arrived just before 12:30 p.m., according to Tim Cavender, spokesman for the Cherokee County fire department. A neighbor told firefighters someone was possibly in the home when the fire started, but investigators were unable to locate anyone until around 6 p.m., Cavender said.
Investigators have not yet identified the person. Alexis Stevens
Woman arrested stolen check charges
Milton police have arrested a 43-year-old Pompano Beach, Fla., woman accused of being part of the national “Felony Lane Gang.”
Kelly Marie Mazon-Perez was arrested Jan. 13 after she allegedly tried to cash a stolen check at the RBC Bank on Ga. Highway 9 using the farthest drive-through teller lane, or “felony lane” in law enforcement parlance. She reportedly had stolen checks from Miami Beach, Fla., a stolen driver’s license from Chapel Hill, N.C. and was wearing a red wig.
Mazon-Perez is being held at the Fulton County Jail on $13,000 bond. Andria Simmons
Sandy Springs to hold emergency training
The Sandy Springs Fire Department is accepting applications for its Community Emergency Response Team February training program. Applicants must be at least 18 years old to participate.
The program provides participants with training on basic response skills including disaster preparedness, fire safety, light search and rescue and disaster medical operations. Classes will run from 8 to 11 a.m. Saturdays in February at Sandy Springs Fire Station 4, 4697 Wieuca Road. Registration deadline is Feb. 3.
Information: email jlaudermilk@sandyspringsga.gov. Patrick Fox
Fifth graders get lesson in Great Depression
Fifth graders at River Eves Elementary School in Roswell decided to take a lesson from history, stepping back in time to the Great Depression.
To understand the challenges of the times, the students built shanties from cardboard boxes and duct tape, prepared homemade soup to serve in soup kitchens and made a replica of “hooverville:, camps of homeless that sprang up across the country and were named for President Herbert Hoover.
“This hands-on activity really helped the students grasp how millions of homeless people had to live in the 1930s,” fifth grade teacher Jennifer Roth said. Nancy Badertscher
Excel class Tuesday at Johns Creek library
Those wanting to learn to maneuver the grids Microsoft’s spreadsheet application to build charts and graphics and make complex calculations can take a class Tuesday at Johns Creek’s Ocee Library. Microsoft Excel, the most widely used spreadsheet builder, is handy for crunching statistical and financial data.
“Introduction to Microsoft Excel” is for adults and starts at 1 p.m. at 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road. Reservations: 770-360-8897. Johnny Edwards
ATLANTA
Boy on way to school robbed a gunpoint
A 13-year-old boy was robbed of his cell phone at gunpoint Friday while waiting at a southeast Atlanta bus stop, police said.
Atlanta police said the robbery happened around 8 a.m. at a bus stop in the 1000 block of Conley Road.
The victim, who attends Forest Park Middle School in Clayton County, was not injured in the incident. Mike Morris
APS holds more forums on safety
Atlanta Public Schools will hold three more “community listening” sessions on school safety.
Superintendent Erroll Davis said he wants to invest more in safety, but wants parents to weigh in. The next meetings are Tuesday at Bolton Elementary, Wednesday at Therrell Educational Complex and Thursday at Cleveland Avenue Elementary. All meetings are from 6 to 8 p.m. Information: www.atlanta.k12.ga.us. Jaime Sarrio
Women’s Foundation member wins car
A Conyers woman who has volunteered with the Atlanta Women’s Foundation for 12 years is scheduled to pop up in Facebook and Youtube videos created by Mercedes-Benz of Buckhead, after she won a 2012 “smart” car in a raffle held to benefit the foundation. Carmella Woodard bought the winning raffle tickets out of about 370 purchased during the Dec. 14 drawing. Jeremiah McWilliams
Author to talk about his children’s books
As part of Black History Month, author Calvin Alexander Ramsey will give a talk today on his children’s books about American black experiences.
He will cover “Ruth and the Green Book,” the story of a girl’s journey from Chicago through the segregated south to her grandmother’s house.
“Our Stories, African-American History for Children,” starts at 3 p.m. at the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Avenue, N.E., downtown Atlanta. Information: 404-730-4001, Ext. 100. Johnny Edwards
DEKALB
Indicted clinic owner flees country
A Doraville medical clinic owner indicted Wednesday for Medicare fraud has fled the country, authorities said.
David Song Sen Cui, of Duluth, left for China shortly after federal agents conducted a search of his Atlanta Hope Medical Clinic, Assistant U.S. Attorney Shanya Dingle told WSB Radio. U.S. Marshals officials said Friday that a fugitive file had been opened on Cui and said that the FBI would lead the search. Cui, 43, has been accused of billing more than $5.5 million in false claims to Medicare. Marcus K. Garner
Man accused of pimping to go on trial
A man accused of pimping girls goes on trial Monday on 17 charges. DeKalb County prosecutors will begin selecting a jury that morning to hear the case against Erik Djon Ferguson and opening statements could start as soon as that afternoon.
According to the indictment, in Oct. 2007 through the next January, Ferguson would require the girls to hand out “Addicted Pleasure Models” business cards, offering to have sex for a price. He also is accused of having images depicting the girls’ genitals and of the girls engaged in sex acts. Rhonda Cook
Clarkston police reach out on new website
The Clarkston Police Department has launched an interactive website to help residents communicate with officers.
The Interactive Defense website lets residents sign up for home watches while away, view photos of wanted or missing people and receive email directly from officers about their neighborhoods.
To register: www.clarkstonids.com. April Hunt
New trustee for GPTC Foundation
Georgia Piedmont Technical College Foundation in Clarkston announces the appointment of Roger Harrison to its board of trustees. Harrison is senior vice president for economic development at the Covington-Newton County Chamber of Commerce. The GPTC Foundation strives to promote the cause of technical and adult education through fundraising and resource development.
Kenneth Musisi
Decatur man named Georgian of the Year
Georgia Trend magazine named Decatur resident Bill Bolling as Georgian of the Year in its January issue. Bolling is the creator and executive director of the Atlanta Community Food Bank, and he also started the South’s first food bank in 1979 in the basement of Atlanta’s St. Luke’s Episcopal Church. Other Decatur residents making the magazine’s 100 Most Influential Georgians: Decatur mayor Bill Floyd, Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Carol Hunstein, former DeKalb County D.A. Robert Wilson and Alan Essig, executive director of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute. Bill Banks for the AJC
Tucker planners to meet Monday
Tucker Civic Association’s Proactive Planning, Land Use & Zoning Committee will discuss planning and zoning developments on Monday at 5 p.m. The quarterly meeting is at Shorty’s Pizza, 3701 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker. Information: Bruce Penn at ppluz@tuckercivic.org. Kenneth Musisi
SOUTHSIDE
Fayette County schools search for mentors
The Fayette County Public School System is asking volunteers to “Invest in the Future, Mentor a Child” during January’s National Mentoring Month.
The program, now in its 19th year, needs individuals to work one-on-one with students from elementary through high school for an hour per week. Volunteers must complete an application, background check and a two-hour orientation.
For information, call Jane Gough at 770-460-3990, ext. 255. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Holmes to hold town hall meeting Jan. 21
Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes has scheduled his first town hall meeting of 2012 for 9 a.m. today at the Fairview Recreation Center. The meeting will focus on the county’s finances and accomplishments in 2011. The special guest speaker will be Henry County Commission Chairman Elizabeth ‘B.J.’ Mathis, who will give her annual State of the County address. The meeting is open to the public and all are encouraged to attend. Monroe Roark for the AJC
Piedmont Henry to offer heart screenings
Piedmont Henry Hospital will hold its annual Heart Health Screening on Thursday, Feb. 16 in the hospital’s South Tower Atrium between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m. Participants will receive a free total cholesterol screening and cardiovascular risk assessment. No fasting is required for the total cholesterol screening. Details: call the Community Education Department at 678-604-1040 or logon to the hospital’s website: piedmonthenry.org/classes/earlydetection. Tammy Joyner
Fayette pushes find homes for pets
The Fayette County Humane Society needs more residents to give homes to abandoned animals. The group seeks both permanent and foster homes, and holds adoptions at the Peachtree City PetSmart store Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Adoption fees include spaying or neutering, initial vaccinations, deworming and flea treatment. A special “Seniors for Seniors” program pairs older animals with adopters over age 62, with reduced fees. See www.fayettehumane.org for details. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Synagogue to hold special concert
Congregation B’nai Israel of Fayetteville will host a special concert by award-winning singer and guitarist Beth Shafer on Jan. 28 at 7 p.m. Tickets are $18 and can be reserved by phoning the synagogue at 678-817-7162, after which buyers can mail in a check for payment.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Father/daughter dance registration opens
Registration is now open for the annual Father/Daughter Valentine’s Dance in Peachtree City. The event for girls ages 6-12 will be held Feb. 4 from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Kedron Fieldhouse.
The cost is $35 per couple and $15 for each additional daughter for county residents, and $45 per couple for those outside Fayette County. Register at the Fieldhouse or online at www.peachtree-city.org/recreation. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
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