County by county news for Saturday

The city appointed Steve Woodman Associate Judge.

Jeffry Scott

Marietta has new business zone

Marietta has a new business zone near Dobbins Air Reserve Base that will give tax credits of $3,500 to companies that hire two or more people in the area where the poverty rate is 15 percent or higher. The Department of Community Affairs recently approved the economic incentive zone as a military zone. The city now has four zones to encourage new business. Information: Beth Sessoms at bsessoms@mariettaga.gov. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Marietta beautification project to begin

Marietta will start construction Monday on a beautification project that will add decorative lights, brick sidewalks, landscaping and replacing bus stops with a central transit center on Roswell Street. The $2.3 million project, funded by a federal Livable Centers Initiative, will finish streetscape improvements on Roswell Street from Fairground Street to the Marietta Square. Work should be completed in nine months. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Career Center recruit for customer service jobs

The Georgia Department of Labor’s Cobb-Cherokee Career Center will help INFOSYS BPO LTD recruit customer service managers on Monday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Career Center, located at 465 Big Shanty Road, Marietta. Applicants must have a resume, high school diploma and a minimum of two years experience working at a call center, insurance agency or business process outsourcing company.

Veterans are encouraged to apply.

Once hired, the employees will be trained by the company. Information: 770-528-6100.

Veronica Fields Johnson

Powder Springs bans sweepstakes parlors

The Powder Springs City Council unanimously voted on Tuesday to ban sweepstakes parlors .

No applications for Internet or phone card sweepstakes cafes will be approved for those businesses that allow customers to buy computer time to gain sweepstakes entries.

The city had a six-month moratorium on these businesses from June through December. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Cobb donors asked to give blood

Donors can give blood Jan. 14 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Mars Hill Presbyterian Church, 3385 Mars Hill Road, Acworth, or seven days a week at the Cobb Blood Donation Center, 2145 Roswell Road, Suite 250, Marietta. Information: www.redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Veronica Fields Johnson

GWINNETT

Skeletal remains found near Buford

Gwinnett County police are investigating the discovery of a partial skeleton that was found near Buford on Thursday.

A person walking through a heavily wooded area off Brown Road between Sunny Hill Road and Morgan Road spotted a skull and other skeletal remains a few hundred yards from the roadway, said Cpl. Edwin Ritter, spokesman for the Gwinnett County Police Department. The remains are believed to be those of a black or Hispanic male, Ritter said. No cause of death has been determined.

Joel Provano

Duluth mayor to give state of city address

Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris will deliver the annual State of the City address on Jan. 24.

The event is scheduled to start at 11:30 a.m. at the Gwinnett Center at 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway. Admission is $25 for an individual and $175 for a table of eight. Reservations must be made by Jan. 20. Checks should be made payable and mailed to Duluth Civitan Club, P.O. Box 1181, Duluth 30096. Information: 678-957-7299 or http://ourduluth.com/state-of-the-city. Joel Anderson

Nash, Masino to speak at forum Jan. 27

Gwinnett County Chairwoman Charlotte Nash and Gwinnett Chamber Vice President Nick Masino will be two of the featured speakers at the Annual Gwinnett Redevelopment Forum on Jan. 27. The forum is designed to educate and inform industry leaders about the region’s vision for redevelopment. The event is scheduled from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the Atlanta Marriott-Gwinnett Place at 1775 Pleasant Hill Road in Duluth. The cost is $55 per person and lunch will be provided. Information: 678-957-4944 or lindsay@gwinnettchamber.org. Joel Anderson

County host cooking seminar for seniors

Gwinnett County will host a senior cooking seminar and bake-off from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 19 at Prime Timers Pointe at George Pierce Park, 55 Buford Highway, Suwanee. The event will feature tips on cooking winter soups and chili. Participants can bring desserts and will vote on the tastiest. The event costs $5 per person. Pre-registration is required by Jan. 13. To register call 770-831-4173. David Wickert

Sierra director to speak to Gwinnett club

Colleen Kiernan, director of the Georgia Chapter of the Sierra Club, will speak to the club’s Greater Gwinnett Group at 7 p.m. Jan. 19 at Berkmar High School, 405 Pleasant Hill Road, Lilburn. Kiernan will discuss the club’s successes in 2011 and what it will do in 2012. For information contact Dan Friedman at dan3688@aol.com. David Wickert

Aurora to show Bonnie and Clyde musical

The Aurora Theatre has announced a new musical, “Bonnie & Clyde: A Folktale,” will debut at the theater in March.

The show is set in Depression-era Texas, following renowned outlaws Bonnie Parker and Clyde Barrow. The shows will run March 15 through April 8.

Information: www.auroratheatre.com or 678-226-6222. Joel Anderson

NORTHSIDE

Red Cross helps dozens displaced by fires

Red Cross volunteers are assisting dozens of apartment dwellers affected by a pair of fires Thursday and early Friday at complexes in Roswell and near Chamblee. No serious injuries were reported in the late Thursday morning fire at the Kings Bridge apartments in Roswell or the blaze that broke out early Friday at the Chatsworth apartments at North Hill Parkway and North Peachtree Road in DeKalb County, although firefighters had to rescue several people from balconies in the Roswell fire.Mike Morris

Forsyth commission backs off parks plan

Forsyth County commissioners Thursday retreated from a move to wrest control of its parks facilities from a citizens advisory board and place it in the hands of the county manager. General outcry from residents and from members of the county’s 20 youth athletic associations spurred the decision. “I think we’re all happy,” said Bill Moats, president of the Sawnee Mountain Park Booster Club, who addressed the Commission on behalf of eight other associations.Moats said the advisory board has done a fine job of allotting time and space for all the associations, and he didn’t want to see those decisions shifted to a more political realm. Pat Fox

Cherokee commission looks at 2012 budget

The Cherokee County Commission was presented this week with the proposed 2012 budget and will begin the process of fine-tuning and adopting it after holding a public hearing Jan. 17. The budget, as proposed by the county finance department is $132.3 million, a proposed decrease of 1.1 percent from the 2011 budget of $133.8 million. The budget is for the first nine months of 2012 because Cherokee is switching from a calendar year budget to a fiscal year budget that runs from Oct. 1 through Sept. 30. Jeffry Scott

Holy Innocents school to hold open house

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School hosts an open house at 1 p.m. Jan. 28 in the main gym. Parents and students are invited to tour the campus and learn about the school. Administrators, teachers and coaches as well as officers of the Parents’ Association, Athletic Association and Fine Arts Alliance, will be on hand. The event concludes with a reception in Porter Dining Hall from 2:35 to 3 p.m. Nancy Badertscher

Blood drive in Canton on Tuesday

Donors can give blood in Canton on the following dates: Tuesday from 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Northside Hospital Cherokee, 201 Hospital Road and Jan. 16 from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Orange United Methodist Church, 220 Orange Church Circle. Information: www.redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Veronica Fields Johnson

Flower show judge to speak at garden club

Gretchen Collins, Master Flower Show Judge will be speaking at the Roswell Garden Club meeting on Jan. 24 at 10 a.m. at 10495 Woodstock Road, Roswell. The event is free and open to the public. Information: www.roswellgardenclub.com. Sandra Marshall Murray

ATLANTA

Cemetery to plant trees on MLK Day

To celebrate the birth of Martin Luther King Jr., South-View Cemetery will invite volunteers to plant trees on the grounds on Jan. 16, the official holiday.

Between 9 a.m. and noon, volunteers are expected to plant 40 trees throughout the cemetery, one of the oldest and biggest black cemeteries in Atlanta.

King was buried there, but his body was moved to the King Center on Auburn Avenue. His original crypt houses his parents, Alberta and Martin Luther King Sr. King’s grandfather, A.D. Williams, is also buried at South-View, located at 1990 Jonesboro Road. Ernie Suggs

Fifteenth cartel member sent to prison

A federal judge on Thursday sentenced to prison the 15th member of an Atlanta-based drug trafficking and money laundering cell that was broken up by a Drug Enforcement Administration probe dubbed “Operation Four Horsemen.”

Oliver Maciel-Macedo, 29, was sentenced to 16 years and 8 months in prison for his role in the operation, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

The DEA investigation, begun in 2007, resulted in the seizure of 567 kilograms of cocaine and more than $23 million in laundered drug proceeds in the metro area, prosecutors said. Bill Rankin

Atlanta lawyer recognized for service

The American Bar Foundation will present its Outstanding Service award to Atlanta lawyer David Gambrell at the American Bar Association’s midyear meeting in New Orleans on Feb. 4.

Gambrell, senior counsel for the law firm Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz, is a former U.S. senator, former chair of the state Democratic Party and former president of both the the Atlanta Bar Association and the State Bar of Georgia.

The award is presented to those found to have adhered for more than 30 years to the highest principles of the legal profession and public service. Bill Rankin

DEKALB

Stolen tax payments lead to prison time

A Lithonia man has been sentenced to two years in federal prison for stealing almost $25,000 in money orders that were sent to the IRS as tax payments.

Jason Shepherd, 25, worked as a contractor for Bank of America in Tucker, where in 2009 he stole about 50 money orders, altered them and then deposited them into debit card accounts he controlled, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Shepherd, who pleaded guilty to mail fraud last October, also was ordered to pay $24,958 in restitution to the IRS. Bill Rankin

Students to get free eye exams

Around 600 DeKalb County students have been pre-screened to get free eye exams and eyewear through OneSight, a family of vision care charity dedicated to providing healthy vision and eyewear to those in need.

Students were pre-screened using school health personnel and previous medical documentation.

Last fall, approximately 700 students were screened during the week-long vision Clinic. Ernie Suggs

Bands to march in MLK Day parade

DeKalb County high school bands will march in the DeKalb NAACP’s 10th Annual Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Parade and Peace Rally Jan. 16.

The bands from five high schools -- Cedar Grove, Clarkston, Martin Luther King, Jr., McNair and Stone Mountain -- will be allowed to march despite allegations of inappropriate activity in school bands. Last month, Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson ordered nearly all marching band activities ceased pending the outcome of the investigation.

The parade in Stone Mountain starts at 12:30 p.m. at 922 Main St. and ends at 5265 Mimosa Dr. Ty Tagami

Waffle House Museum free tour today

The Waffle House Museum, located in the building at 2719 East College Avenue in Decatur which housed the chain’s original restaurant, will open for a rare public tour today from noon until 3 p.m. No appointment is necessary and admission is free.

The museum’s interior has been restored to nearly its original 1955 appearance and features Waffle House memorabilia from the past half century. Bill Banks for the AJC

Volunteers needed for MLK service day

Decatur’s 10th annual MLK Jr. Service Day is scheduled for Jan. 14-16, with volunteers slated to work on 70 Decatur-area homes owned by lower-income seniors. Saturday and Monday shifts are 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., and 1 p.m. to 5 p.m., while Sunday’s single shift is 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. To volunteer, contact Lee Ann Harvey at 678-553-6548 or leeann.harvey@decaturga.com. Bill Banks for the AJC

Doraville’s vote on vacant seat March 6

Doraville will hold a special election March 6 to fill the vacant city council seat formerly held by Mayor Donna Pittman.

The District 1 seat represents the northern part of the city, including the Tilly Mill and Winters Chapel areas.

Qualifying for the seat will be from Jan. 23 to 25 at Doraville City Hall. The fee is $252, or 3 percent of the $8,400 council salary. April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Commissioner to review 2012 budget proposal

The Fulton commission will hold a work session on Monday to go over a final version of the county’s 2012 budget. With spending outpacing revenues and reserves diminishing, Commissioner Tom Lowe has suggested a countywide 0.60 mill tax rate increase, and the tone of the meeting could reveal whether Lowe has enough backing. The session starts at 11 a.m. in the Fulton County Government Center’s Assembly Hall, 141 Pryor St., S.W., downtown Atlanta. Budget information: http://www.fultoncountyga.gov/finance-budget-information. Johnny Edwards

Peachtree City welcomes new officials

Peachtree City is starting the new year with a new City Council member and mayor pro tem.

George Dienhart was sworn in Thursday as the Post 2 representative, replacing Doug Sturbaum. Sturbaum was recognized for his service and gave an emotional farewell to his colleagues. Several books were donated to the Peachtree City Library in his honor.

Kim Learnard, the Post 3 representative, was unanimously elected mayor pro tem. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Red Cross needs blood donations

The American Red Cross is seeking blood and platelet donations. Donors can give blood Sunday from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, 179 East Lanier Avenue, Fayetteville, or any day Tuesdays through Saturdays at the following locations: South Metro Blood Donation Center, 675 Southcrest Parkway, Suite 120, Stockbridge, or Camp Creek Blood Donation Center, 3645 Marketplace Blvd., Suite 180, East Point. Information: www.redcrossblood.org or 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767). Veronica Fields Johnson

Exercise classes for seniors in East Point

Starting this month and lasting through June, south Fulton seniors looking to keep fit can take part in free aerobic dance classes at two locations in East Point. Classes will be held the first and third Thursdays of each month, from 5 to 6 p.m., at First Mallalieu United Methodist Church, 2651 Church St.; and on second and fourth Thursdays, from 4 to 5 p.m., at Martel Homes, 1148 Calhoun Ave. Registration: 404-762-2094. Johnny Edwards

Henry court graduates DUI participants

Henry County State Court’s DUI Court recently graduated three participants. The latest graduation was the fourth in the two-year-old program. This round of graduates heard from previous graduates who shared their stories. DUI Court is an intensive program that helps people change behaviors that lead to substance abuse. Henry sees an average of 78 DUI cases a month, with about four sent to DUI Court each month. Twenty nine people have completed. Tammy Joyner

McDonough Arts to hold art show

McDonough Arts will kick off its 2012 season with a Juried Art Show and Annual Members Reception Jan. 13, from 6-9 p.m. at Winsor Gallery. The event is free and open to the public. Information: www.mcdonougharts.net. Monroe Roark for the AJC