COBB
Cops: No foul play in Marietta creek death
Marietta police said Wednesday that the death of a man whose body was found Tuesday in a Cobb County creek was not suspicious.
The man was identified Wednesday as David Brainerd Hodge IV, 36, of Marietta.
Hodge’s body was discovered by a passerby around 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, face-down in Rottonwood Creek, Marietta police spokesman David Baldwin said.
Baldwin said that while investigators were awaiting autopsy results, “no foul play is suspected.” Mike Morris
Gazebo named for council member
Marietta will name a gazebo at Brown Park for former city council member Betty Hunter.
The City Council approved a resolution recognizing the 24-year council member for her leadership in historic preservation at the park and adjacent Confederate Cemetery off Powder Springs Street and South Marietta Parkway.
Hunter is president of the Confederate Cemetery Foundation and chairman of Friends of Brown Park.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Acworth to hold a Dickens Christmas
Costumed characters from Charles Dickens’ book, “A Christmas Carol,” will be part of holiday event in downtown Acworth from 1 p.m-9 p.m. Saturday.
Activities will include an appearance by Father Christmas, musicians at the Depot on Main Street, horse and carriage rides and strolling carolers.
Information: Acworthdickensofachristmasyall.com.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Food, clothing pantry fundraiser Saturday
Tickets are on sale for Cafe Noel, Christmas musical variety shows with desserts included, at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday at the city’s new Patricia C. Vaughn Cultural Arts Center, 4181 Atlanta St. behind the library.
Sponsors are Powder Springs First United Methodist Church and the City of Powder Springs.
All profits will go to Christian Aid Mission Partnership, a food and clothing pantry in Austell.
Tickets are $15 in advance or $20 at the door.
Tickets: powderspringsfumc.org/ministries/music/cafe-noel-pay-pal.
Information: svcamp.org or powderspringsfumc.org/community-events/.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Smyrna seeks used cooking oil donations
Smyrna is asking residents and restaurants to donate used cooking oil for the city’s biodiesel program.
The goal is to have a majority of city vehicles running on biodiesel fuel to reduce petrodiesel use and prevent water and sewer drain clogs.
Citizens can leave used oil curbside in sealed plastic containers or at public works department, the recycling center off Concord Road or four fire stations.
Information: www.smyrnacity.com.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
GWINNETT
Sugar Hill seeking public input for city’s future
Sugar Hill is conducting a public opinion survey to help the city with plans for the future.
Log onto www.cityofsugarhill.com/survey to weigh in on the types of events to be held at the City Hall Amphitheater and what items should be included in the Sugar Hill 75th Anniversary Time Capsule.
Survey also wants to know if residents would like to have free WiFi service at the City Hall Town Lawn or Amphitheater. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Tech named finalist for college award
The State Board of the Technical College System of Georgia has selected Gwinnett Tech as one of four finalists for the 2013 Perdue Award, the highest honor awarded in the Technical College System of Georgia. The board named Gwinnett Tech, Augusta Tech, Columbus Tech, and Ogeechee Tech finalists for the award, and selected Savannah Technical College as the system’s College of the Year last week. Info: www.GwinnettTech.edu or 770-962-7580.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Center going green for the holidays
The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center is encouraging visitors to get in touch with their “green” side and consider upcycling as a part of their holiday activities. Learn all about upcycling at the Green Your Holiday Festival 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. Saturday Participants will also enjoy science with Santa activities, tram rides around the center’s campus, viewing the Turtle Travels exhibit and perusing the Imaginarium Gift Shop for its annual Holiday Open House. $5 for ages 13 and up and $3 for ages three to 12. Children two and under and GEHC members are free. Pre-registration required for a $10 holiday wreath making class.
Information: www.gwinnettehc.org/.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Center offers senior computer classes
The Gwinnett SenioR Learning Center offers computer classes for adults age 50 and up. There are classes and workshops covering basic and advanced computer skills, as well as Internet/e-mail, photo editing and others.
Classes are held at Bethesda Senior Center, Lawrenceville and George Pierce Park, Suwanee. Registration will be held 10 a.m. - noon Jan. 7 at Bethesda Park and 10 a.m. - noon Jan. 8 at George Pierce Park.
Information: www.gsrlc.org.
Arlinda Smith Broady
Parks announce new partnership for seniors
Gwinnett County Parks and Recreation has joined forces with Positive Public Image, an organization elevating the value and esteem of seniors by encouraging a healthy lifestyle.
Through this partnership, Gwinnett will distribute more information to the seniors on arts and crafts, exercise and computer training.
Information: www.gwinnettparks.com, or learn more about Positive Public Image at www.positivepublicimage.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Alpharetta seeks street name suggestions
Alpharetta city officials want the public’s help naming five downtown streets that are part of the developing City Center project. Names should reflect the history, character or essence of downtown or the community as a whole. Streets can’t be named for the living.
For a depiction of the streets and to submit suggestions: www.alpharetta.ga.us.
The 22-acre, multi-use project us set for completion in the summer of 2014. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
UNG makes magazine’s list of best values
The University of North Georgia has been named to the Kiplinger’s Personal Finance’s list of the 100 best values in U.S. public colleges.
UNG is ranked 94th, and is one of four public universities in Georgia to be tabbed for the 2014 rankings.
The school has campuses in several north Georgia counties. including Forsyth.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Forsyth fire holiday toy drive underway
The Forsyth County Fire Department’s 11th annual Aerial’s House holiday toy collection drive is underway.
New, unwrapped toys for any age and new, tagged clothing for kids ages 6 to 14 can be dropped off at any Forsyth County fire station, fire headquarters at 3520 Settingdown Road, or any county library branch.
Information: forsythco.com
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Board of ethics seeks new member
The Cherokee County Board of Ethics is looking to fill a vacancy immediately.
Prospective candidates should be Cherokee County residents and Democratic Party members.
The position opened up when the incumbent moved outside the county, and the term expires in January of 2016.
Information: lbahrens@cherokeega.com
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Roswell cultural and arts guide released
The city of Roswell’s 2013-2014 Arts and Cultural Organizations Directory has been released.
The resource guide contains information about 21 organizations in the city which offer arts and cultural programming.
Residents can download the guide at www.roswellgov.com/ArtsMonth. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Sawnee EMC overhauls power outage reporting
Sawnee Electric Membership Corp. says it has updated its online portal to expand real time power-outage information.
The portal includes an interactive map spelling out affected areas, the likely cause and the estimated time of restoration.
The portal can be accessed at www.sawnee.com/outages. Cumming-based Sawnee provides power to members in seven north Georgia counties.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
ATLANTA
Teacher suspended for fight with a co-worker
An Atlanta elementary school teacher has been suspended without pay after she was accused of scratching and bruising a co-worker’s face during an Oct. 14 disagreement over carpooling to a professional development event.
The Atlanta Board of Education on Dec. 2 upheld a tribunal’s recommendation to suspend Elaine Nevers-Williams from teaching at M. Agnes Jones Elementary in west Atlanta.
The tribunal wrote that Nevers-Williams should be reassigned and put on probation after her suspension ends Dec. 31, a recommendation that contradicted Superintendent Erroll Davis’ request that she be fired, according to documents obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution through an open records request. Mark Niesse
Park Pride awards local parks
Park Pride is awarding 17 Atlanta and DeKalb County parks a total of $625,000 in matching grants, the nonprofit announced Wednesday. Three parks — Little Nancy Creek, Mountain Way Common and Walker Park — each received $100,000 for park improvements. Southfork Conservancy was awarded about $92,000.
Park Pride Executive Director Michael Halicki said the impact is more than double the size of the grants because they require a local match. The nonprofit has granted nearly $3 million since its inception for playgrounds, land acquisition and park improvements. The organization credits the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, The Home Depot Foundation and the Cecil B. Day Foundation for donations.
For a full list of grant recipients, visit: www.parkpride.org
Katie Leslie
Museum hosts holiday bazaar
Hammonds House Museum, 503 Peeples St. offers jewelry, small works, CDs, books, prints, scuplture, ceramics, photography and more in its holiday bazaar of 1 - 5 p.m. Dec. 14 and 15.
Information: www.hammondshouse.org or 404-612-0481. Arlinda Smith Broady
DEKALB
SACS monitors visit school district
A team from the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools has completed a visit to the DeKalb County School District and will soon issue a recommendation on accreditation.
SACS placed DeKalb on probation last December, threatening to strip accreditation if the school system failed to address 11 “required actions” by this month. .
The team interviewed school board members, Superintendent Mike Thurmond, central office staff, principals, parents and business leaders, and were told the district had made “significant progress.” SACS is to release a progress report and an accreditation decision by January. Ty Tagami
Grant to help train DeKalb police
DeKalb County recently won a $3,000 Homeland Security grant designed to help train officers as part of a task force focused on electronic crimes.
The funding also can be used for certifications, which must be completed by January. Training is already underway as part of the program. April Hunt
Money set aside for DeKalb park
DeKalb County commissioners recently agreed to set aside $65,000 to plan a new park in Ellenwood.
The county bought the 44-acre parcel on River Road in 2003 but has yet to conduct a site analysis and recreational study for the area. The funding for the study comes from the park bond fund from Commission District 3, which stretches from Decatur to Ellenwood.
April Hunt
Board postpones vote on attendance map
Deciding to make several last-minute changes on its new K-3 attendance zone map, the Decatur school board postponed a final vote until a Dec. 18 special session. The key change, said board vice chair Bernadette Seals, is shifting several neighborhoods so “Glennwood isn’t too full and Clairemont isn’t too empty.” The board emphasized the predominant factors in rezoning are “capacity,” matching the right number of students to the size school, along with racial diversity and an equitable distribution of students receiving free and reduced lunch.
Bill Banks for the AJC
Decatur to annex six more properties
Decatur’s commission approved annexing six single-family residences, three on McKinnon Drive and three on Kirk Road. It was the third such annexation this year with five properties in the same area approved in January and four more in June.
The city is trying to “round out” that area in southeast Decatur where some properties are half in Decatur, half out, and some aren’t contiguous.
Bill Banks for the AJC
McDonough to include innovative filtration
Decatur’s long-planned improvements for McDonough Street, between Trinity Place and Howard Avenue, will include 17 “bio-filtration” water beds, the first such system in metro Atlanta. McDonough will be narrowed from four to two lanes with a two-way bicycle track on the west side, the bio-filtration beds along the track.
Work on the $2 million project should begin next fall. Bill Banks for the AJC
SOUTHSIDE
Fayette teacher’s song becomes iTunes hit
A song written by Cleveland Elementary School music teacher Dana Lamb is the title track of an album that debuted at number five on the iTunes album chart this month.
“You Should Dream,” recorded by the Texas Tenors, has received national airplay and is part of a concert being shown nationwide on PBS. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Toy drive continues in Peachtree City
The Peachtree City Police Department will hold its final “Light Up the Night” toy drive from 5 to 9 p.m. tonight in the Walmart parking lot on Hwy. 54 West, and 5-9 p.m.Thursday at the Kmart on Crosstown Drive. New, unwrapped toys for children age 2 -17 and monetary donations are needed.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Blood drive Dec. 27 at Piedmont Henry
Piedmont Henry Hospital and the American Red Cross will hold a blood drive from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Dec. 27, in the hospital’s Foundation Education Center, Classrooms A and B. To give blood, a donor must be: in good health; age 17 years or older; weigh at least 110 pounds; not have donated blood within the last 56 days; and, show a valid photo I.D. It is recommended donors eat a snack or meal within two hours prior to donating blood. To schedule an appointment, visit redcrossblood.org, click on “Enter a Sponsor Code” located in the left center of the page and enter sponsor code: piedhenry.
Monroe Roark for the AJC
Fayette Ethics Board has positions open
Fayette County’s Ethics Board has vacancies for two alternate positions for three-year terms who meet as needed to receive, review and process complaints about standards violations.
Applications are due Dec. 27; contact Floyd Jones at 770-305-5102 or fjones@fayettecountyga.gov. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
College Park kicks off reporting campaign
College Park officials say that “If You See Something, Say Something.” It’s a new campaign urging reporting infrastructure and code enforcement issues.
To report problems: 404-669-3756 normal business hours, 404-766-3618 other times. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Fairburn creates urban redevelopment plan
The city of Fairburn has firmed up a draft redevelopment plan, designed to revitalize several areas within the city, including the downtown area and the U.S. 29 and I-85 corridors.
The plan seeks to beef up streetscapes and residential housing downtown, revitalize commercial corridors, recruit small businesses and rehab older neighborhoods. The plan is available online at www.fairburn.com.
The City Council will consider adoption of it Monday.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
