COBB
Powder Springs man charged with touching girls
A Cobb County grand jury on Thursday has indicted Jerry Dean Westbrook, a 69-year-old Powder Springs man, on sexual battery charges for allegedly touching three young girls on the buttocks at Six Flags Whitewater. He could spend up to 15 years in jail if he’s convicted. Westbrook allegedly touched the girls, ages 8 to 10, on Sept. 2, 2012. Marietta police arrested Westbrook on Oct. 25, 2012, after witness reports led to an investigation into his identity. He was released on $7,500 bond the following morning.
A date has not yet been set for Westbrook’s arraignment. Cailin O’Brien
Firearm education class scheduled
The Foundation of Emory-Adventist Hospital at Smyrna will hold a Glock training class 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday and Aug. 28 at Glock Professional Inc., 5300 Highlands Parkway., Smyrna.
New shooters will learn fundamentals of responsible gun ownership and safety during classroom instruction and live fire range time. Open to adults age 21 and up. A firearm will be provided for training.
Reservations required at www.smyrnacares.org. Mea Watkins
Public meeting on alcohol license today
Cobb District 4 Commissioner Lisa Cupid will host a public meeting at 7 p.m. today at the South Cobb Recreation Center, 875 Six Flags Drive, Austell about an alcohol license.
The license has been requested by the Shell gas station at the intersection of Six Flags Drive and Blairs Bridge Road.
“A significant number of residents have expressed support and opposition,” Cupid said in her email newsletter.
Information: lisa.cupid@cobbcounty.org.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Smyrna to throw birthday party
Smyrna will celebrate the city’s birthday 6 to 10 p.m. Saturday on the Village Green, 200 Village Green Circle. The event will include a free concert. Fireworks will start at dark. Information: www.smyrnacity.com.
Tucker McQueen
Powder Springs on summer schedule
Powder Springs City Council members are continuing to hold their voting meetings once a month, instead of twice, this summer. Upcoming meetings are Aug. 19 and Sept. 23 with work sessions on Aug. 14 and Sept. 11.
Work sessions are 5 p.m. at City Hall, 4484 Marietta St., second floor conference room. Preceded by a 6:30 p.m. work session. Voting meetings start at 7 p.m. in the Council Chambers, 4488 Pineview Drive.
Information: City Clerk Dawn Davis, DDavis@CityOfPowderSprings.org, 770-943-4349 or cityofpowdersprings.org. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Retired educators association to meet
The Cobb Marietta Retired Educators Association will meet at 11:30 a.m. Aug. 8 at the C. Freeman Poole Senior Center, 4025 South Hurt Rd., Smyrna. The featured speaker will be Jay Dillon, communications director for the Cobb County School District. Lunch will be provided at a cost of $10 per person. For reservations, contact Debby Overstreet, debbybob@comcast.net.
Information: ww.cmrea.org/ or 770-801-3400. Mea Watkins
GWINNETT
Victims ID’d in Norcoss fatal shooting, assault
Gwinnett County police hope Thomas Smith, 28, of Powder Springs, can identify who shot and killed 28-year-old Steven Carden, of Marietta. The two were walking outside a Norcross-area apartment complex around 7 a.m. Monday when they stopped to talk to two other men, police said.
Smith was struck from behind by an unknown object. Officers arrived to find Carden dead from a gunshot wound. Smith was transported to Gwinnett Medical Center with head trauma, but is expected to survive his injuries, police said. Alexis Stevens
Norcross painting for Habitat for Humanity
Habitat for Humanity, ArtWorks! Gwinnett and Norcross are hosting Doors to Homes & Hope Oct. 5 through November, an outdoor public art project benefitting Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity.
Paint a door which will go on the display and then sold in the Gwinnett ReStore location. Reserve your door(s) by Monday at www.gwinnettrestore.org. A $25 donation/per door is requested to help cover project costs.
Proceeds are split between Habitat and Artworks! Gwinnett. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Norcross police to host National Night Out
The Norcross Police Department will host a National Night Out event 5 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at Lillian Webb Community Park, 31 College St. N.W.
National Night Out is a nationwide annual crime prevention and community-policing event designed to strengthen neighborhood spirit and community law enforcement collaboration.
Public safety officers will offer tips and facts about crime prevention, and Safe Kids Gwinnett will be on hand with a fire truck and fire safety tips. The event will also feature food, music and activities.
Information: Norcross Police Department detective Arelis Rivera, 770-448-2111. Mea Watkins
Chattapoochee seeks contestants, sponsors
Duluth Parks and Rec and Duluth Historical Society are extending their search for the next Chattapoochee Dog Park Mayor and looking for business partners by Aug. 23 to serve as “Blue Ribbon Sponsors” to help elect the new Dog Mayor.
The new Dog Mayorwill be announced at Chattapoochee PetFest on Oct. 6.
Information: Duluth Historical Society, duluthtopdog@gmail.com or www.duluthhistorical.org/chattapoochee. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Movie event to collect school supplies
Duluth’s free movie event, Flicks on the Bricks, showing “Despicable Me” will collect back-to-school supplies to support underprivileged children 4 to 10:30 p.m. Friday in downtown Duluth.
The project, in conjunction with the Gwinnett County Division of Family and Child Services, will include large inflatables prior to the movie.
For each school supply item provided, guests will receive one ticket, up to five tickets per child for the inflatables.
Information: www.duluthga.net. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Missing Johns Creek man, 69, found unharmed
Emil Valhuerdi, 69, of Johns Creek, who has been missing since Tuesday was found unharmed Wednesday in Brunswick, according to Johns Creek police.
It is unclear exactly where or how Valhuerdi was found.
Valhuerdi was instructed not to drive after suffering a stroke, but he left his house on Tuesday in a silver, four-door 2000 Mercedes after telling family members he was going to visit his mother in Hialeah, Fla., according to Johns Creek police. Cailin O’Brien
Alpharetta jewelry store robbed
During a heist at Sabri Guven Fine Jewelry on Haynes Bridge Road in Alpharetta just after 5 p.m. two men entered the store and asked to see a diamond ring. One of the men asked to see a diamond ring. When the men got the ring, they ran out the door, police said. The owner gave chase and he and an employee physically detain one suspect, police said.
Police took the suspect to jail and charges were pending.The second suspect remained at large. Bryan Cronan
Woodstock campus to close temporarily
Chattahoochee Technical College’s Woodstock campus will be closing Aug. 8 for long-planned renovations. The $5.2 million upgrade to the HVAC system, roof, windows, plumbing and restrooms is expected to take about 18 months.2015. Classes and instructors will relocate to the Canton and Acworth campuses for the duration.Mark Woolsey for the AKC
Fulton to offer college prep for female youth
Fulton County’s Office of Children and Youth will offer a two-year leadership skills development program for 12 to 15 year old females with Priceless University.
Applicants must be Fulton County residents enrolled in a school within Fulton County school, attend new student orientation, weekly classes, etc. Apply online at www.southfultongoodthings.com Aug. 5. through Sept. 13.
Information: Latoya.Walden@fultoncountyga.gov or 404-612-4786. Mea Watkins
County schedules Daves Creek Drive work
Daves Creek Drive in Forsyth County will be temporarily closed to through traffic at Old Atlanta Road beginning Aug. 5. The closure is to allow crews to realign Daves Creek with Old Atlanta to improve sight distance at the intersection.
The project will also include construction of left and right turning lanes on Old Atlanta Road.
The road is expected to re-open by Sept. 8. The work is funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax program, SPLOST VI. Patrick Fox
Market to host home canning program
This Saturday’s Woodstock Farmers Market will present “Preserving the Harvest.” Cherokee County Farm bureau representatives will demonstrate canning, freezing and drying methods for produce, plus producing jams, jellies, preserves and pickles. The market runs from 8:30-11:30 a.m. Saturdays at Towne Lake Parkway and Main Street. Information: 770-924-0406.Mark Woolsey for the AJC
ATLANTA
Vendors closer to temporary program
The Atlanta City Council’s public safety committee approved a temporary program for public street vendors Tuesday, bringing the vendors one step closer to opening shop in the short-term.
Vendors have been unable to operate on public streets this year as a result of a lawsuit challenging the city’s 2008 decision to turn over the vending program to a private company. A Fulton County Superior Court judge struck down the agreement with Chicago-based General Growth Properties in late 2012.Katie Leslie
State Farm to host two-day career fair
State Farm will host a career fair 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Westin Atlanta Perimeter North, 7 Concourse Parkway. Positions in claims, service and sales support functions, as well as some professional/technical level positions, are available. Apply online at www.statefarm.com/careers.Veronica Fields Johnson
Sanford-Brown to hold health fair
Sanford-Brown Atlanta will hold a free family wellness health fair 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. today at 1140 Hammond Dr., Suite A-1150. The event will feature free health care screenings and educational activities, including vision checks, fitness activities, massages and blood pressure screenings. Family Wellness Week provides an opportunity for students to take their classroom knowledge into the community to ensure that families have access to health care screenings. Information: 770-576-4498. Mea Watkins
State computer needed emergency fix
A state computer system that houses statewide applications for driver’s licenses, tags and titles, and benefits, among other information experienced some issues Tuesday, state officials said.
Information already stored in the mainframe was not affected. Technicians worked quickly to determine the cause of the problem and make repairs by 7 p.m. Tuesday. Marcus K. Garner
DEKALB
Housing Authority receives national award
The Housing Authority of the City of Decatur has received the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials Award of Merit for energy efficient renovations to the Oliver House of Allen Wilson Terrace.
Oliver House is the second of three phases of revitalization of Allen Wilson Terrace, a 200-unit public housing community built in 1941. The now energy efficient green community features solar energy, rainwater harvesting and re-use, geothermal heating, and Energy Star appliances. Information: www.nahro.com. Mea Watkins
Decatur schools unveil new buses
With Decatur schools starting today, the system will run its own bus fleet for the first time ever, with a total 19 buses, 17 drivers and four monitors. Each bus is equipped with stop arm cameras recording the license tag of vehicles illegally passing a stopped school bus. The system owns four buses outright, the remainder operating under a 10-year lease/purchase agreement, with an annual leasing cost of about $128,000. Previously Decatur schools had contracted with DeKalb County to run buses.
Bill Banks for the AJC
Meeting today seeks input for roadway
DeKalb County is looking for public review and input for its tentative plans to improve 1.6 miles of North Indian Creek Drive.
The project calls for turning two of the road’s four lanes into a turn lane and bike lane, respectively. Also planned are improved pedestrian crossings at intersections with Rockbridge Road and Church Street.
A public meeting will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. today at the Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Ave.
The public can also review the plans through Aug. 10 at DeKalb’s public works office, 1950 W. Exchange Place, Tucker. April Hunt
Lithonia to hold back-to-school event
The city of Lithonia will host a back-to-school event the first weekend 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Lithonia Stewart Amphitheater, One Brenda Lee Lane. The event will feature food, music and community groups. Information: 770-482-8136. April Hunt
Commissioner hosting Saturday meeting
Stan Watson, the commissioner representing the eastern half of DeKalb County, will host his monthly community breakfast 9 - 11 a.m. Saturday at Chapel Hill Middle School on Dogwood Farms Road in South DeKalb.
Attendance is free, but residents are asked to donate school supplies.Registration is not required. April Hunt
Oakhurst expecting record numbers
The nearly half-year construction on Oakhurst Elementary is complete, with the addition of a new wing that includes eight new classrooms (four more than the old configuration), a new parking lot in back and elimination of all trailers. The school is expecting a likely record 447 students, a 36 percent increase from the 288 on Aug. 10, 2009. The Fifth Avenue 4/5 Academy, which anticipates a record number of 617 students today, is also adding four new classrooms, but they won’t be finished until early October. Bill Banks for the AJC
SOUTHSIDE
Man, 55, stabbed to death in College Park
Police were called shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday to a Lakemont Drive apartment, where they found Bernard Walton, 55, dead from a stab wound to the upper chest. Witnesses told police Walton and a woman, 43-year-old Hazel Lunette Pinson, had been in an altercation. Police are asking the public’s help to find her.
Pinson was last seen in the Washington Road and Camp Creek Parkway area of East Point and has possible addresses in Atlanta and Coweta County, College Park police said. Anyone with information should call police at 404-761-3131. Alexis Stevens
Henry police chief receives FBI award
Henry County Police Chief Keith Nichols received the “Member of the Year” award from the Georgia Chapter of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy.
Chief Nichols attended the F.B.I. National Academy Associates Annual Training Conference hosted in Orlando, Fla. this week where he received his award.
Chief Nichols is one of 900 graduates from Georgia who have attended the FBI National Academy in Quantico, Va.
Tammy Joyner
School supply giveaway, free movie
The Ronald Bridges Parks and Recreation Department, 5285 Lakeside Drive, is hosting a back to school supply giveway 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.
Later in the day there will be a Movies by Moonlight event featuring the animated film “Madagascar” at sunset rain or shine. Everyone is invited. Bring your blankets, lawn chairs and picnic baskets.There will be train rides, moonwalks, food and music available.
The cost is free.
Information: Claire Collins, 770-964-1236 or ccollins@unioncityga.org. Arlinda Smith Broady
Clayton commissioner hosts Saturday talk
Got a concern, complaint or compliment and want Clayton County Commissioner Shana Rooks to know about it?
Stop by “First Saturday Talk” 10 a.m. to noon Saturday at the South Clayton Recreation Center, 1837 McDonough Road in Hampton and let her know what you think. Tammy Joyner
Peachtree City offers August geocaching
Peachtree City is proclaiming August as “31 Days of Geocaching.” Participants of the hobby are encouraged to find and log a cache for each day of the month.
The city has more than 300 caches, and will be the site of two upcoming events by the Georgia Geocachers Association.
Information: www.peachtree-city.org.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Chamber has internship program
The Fayette Chamber of Commerce has a new partnership with Internships.com to provide more career-related opportunities for students.
The free program will connect local businesses with young people seeking job experience and training.
Sign up at www.internships.com/group/fayette-chamber.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
