County by county news for Thursday

The millage rate, used to calculate residents' property tax bills, is the same rate set by the commission last year. The rate was increased to the current level from 9.60 mills to help close a budget gap and supplement falling revenues.

Commissioners Bob Ott and JoAnn Birrell voted against the rate on Tuesday. The commissioners also voted against the rate increase last year, arguing that other spending cuts could have been implemented to make up the county's budget deficits. Janel Davis

KSU hosts career training expo

Kennesaw State University's College of Continuing and Professional Education will hold a career training expo on 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday at the KSU Center, 3333 Busbee Drive, Kennesaw to highlight its professional certificate programs.

A free job interview tips class will also be offered.

Registration: 770-423-6765, www.ksuexpo.com Janel Davis

Kennesaw ethics charge dismissed

The ethics complaint against Kennesaw Mayor Mark Mathews was dismissed Tuesday. David Ermutlu filed the complaint against Mathews on July 3, alleging he used city resources to conduct business for his job at a local ambulance company, a competitor of Kennesaw's former provider.

According to the complaint, the mayor sent messages—regarding his other job— from his city email address, Iphone and Ipad. The complaint also said the mayor inappropriately arranged meetings in his office with his bosses and the city manager.

The Kennesaw Ethics Board said Mathew's actions did not violate the city's code and unanimously dismissed the complaint. Christopher Hong

Cobb school board to adjust millage rate

Cobb's school board recently approved a new millage rate of 18.90. The millage rate was lowered by 1 mill after administrators discovered excess SPLOST II proceeds in its budget. The millage rate determines local tax payers' property tax and funds the district's maintenance and operation budget.

Daarel Burnette II

Free Muppets movie in Mableton on Thursday

Disney's 2011 film "The Muppets" will be shown free at dusk Thursday at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton.

Gates will open at 7:30 p.m. for this first in the "Moovies at the Mable Movie Series."

More movies will be "Hairspray" on Aug. 2 and "Dr. Seuss' The Lorax" on Aug. 9.

Picknicking is welcome.

Information: mablehouse.org or 770-819-3285. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Marietta picked for recycling challenge

Marietta is one of 50 communities from around the country selected to participate in a recycling competition that could add $100,000 to the city's conservation efforts.

The city with the most residents reporting their recycling efforts will win the six-month, SC Johnson Green Choices Recycling Challenge through Dec. 31. Information: www.recyclebank.com/greenchoices.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

GWINNETT

Former sheriff's employee wins rezoning

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved a rezoning requested by a former sheriff's department employee facing a criminal investigation.

Former Sheriff's Maj. Nick Neal sought a rezoning for 1 acre on Arcadia Industrial Circle near Lilburn to allow him to operate a towing service there. The county staff and planning commission recommended the rezoning, noting similar uses in the area.

The GBI is investigating Neal's dealings with another towing company, as well as a vote last year on a county towing contract.

David Wickert

Vehicle fire ruled arson

Gwinnett County firefighters have determined that a motor vehicle fire Tuesday in the 2900 block of Trailing Ivy Way in Buford was an act of arson.

The blaze engulfed a Ford F-150 pickup truck parked in a driveway and damaged the exterior of a brick home before it was extinguished.

Surveillance video from the scene showed an unidentified man exiting a four-door sedan, breaking the truck window and throwing something inside that ignited.

Anyone with information should call the Gwinnett Fire Arson and Explosives Investigation Section at 678-518-4890.

Andria Simmons

Arsonist sought in medical office fire

Employees at Georgia Medical Center, a family practice and pain management clinic on Lawrenceville Highway, called 911 after arriving to work Tuesday and finding the office filled with smoke. Firefighters found a broken window and some fire damage which did not extend past the receptionist's office.

Anyone with information should contact Gwinnett County Fire, Arson and Explosives Investigation Section at 678-518-4890 or the Georgia Arson Control Hotline at 1-800-282-5804. Georgia Arson Control offers a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible. Andria Simmons

Cintas hosts shredding event, clothing drive

Cintas Corporation will host a Clothe the Kids donation and shredding event from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on July 27, at 85 Howell Ave., Fairburn and 6255 Brook Hollow Parkway, Norcross. Clothing to aid underprivileged children around the world will be collected. Participants will get complimentary on-site shredding services. The event will support Matthew 25: Ministries, an international humanitarian aid organization.

Kenneth Musisi

Program to teach about public art

ArtWorks! Gwinnett, in conjunction with Suwanee and the North Gwinnett Arts Association, is sponsoring a program for artists, Creating Public Art: From Artist Application to Art Installation, 7 to 9:15 p.m. today at Suwanee City Hall. Presenter Ayokunle Odeleye, artist and Professor of Art at Kennesaw State University, will lead an in-depth discussion on how artists can get involved in public art. Networking opportunity begins at 6:30 p.m. Program is free & open to the public.

Information: http://artworksgwinnett.org, email info@artworksgwinnett.org and 678-474-1701. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Woodstock town hall meeting Aug. 16

Mayor Donnie Henriques and the Woodstock City Council will host a Towne Hall Meeting Aug. 16.

Among topics up for discussion will be pending road projects, the Citizens Police Academy, and the proposed November HOST sales tax vote that would lower or eliminate the county's part of property taxes.

The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at The Chambers at City Center, 8534 Main St. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Roswell offering toilet rebates

In partnership with the Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District, Roswell is offering residents rebates for installing low-flow toilets. Owners or renters of single-family homes built before 1994 can receive rebates on toilets that replace older ones requiring more than 1.6 gallons per flush. Residents must agree to inspection to ensure the new toilets have been installed. Information: 404-463-8645, northgeorgiawater.org/toiletrebate. Michael Alpert for the AJC

Author to discuss debut novel

Canton author Beth Hermes will appear at FoxTale Book Shoppe, 105 E. Main St., Woodstock at 6 p.m. today to discuss and sign copies of her debut novel, "The Lightbearers: Awake." It's a spiritual/fantasy tale about ordinary people discovering their true meaning and purpose. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Ambulance service hosts coat drive

Rural/Metro Ambulance will conduct a Christmas in July Coat Drive between July 26 through July 31. Coats can be dropped off at 250 Hembree Park Drive, Suite 112, Roswell. The collected coats will be distributed to the needy this coming winter in cooperation with the local Salvation Army chapter. Information: Ron Craig at Ron.Craig@rmetro.com.

Kenneth Musisi

Woodstock hydrant work near completion

Temporary discoloration of water still may exist until Woodstock concludes its two months of testing of its fire hydrants through July 31. In the twice-annual testing the city flushes, lubricates and paints its hydrants. Information: Fire Marshall Jimmy Eley, 770-926-2896. Michael Alpert for the AJC

Mom accused of leaving kids in car

A North Fulton mother was arrested Tuesday after she left her two young children inside her SUV while she shopped, according to Alpharetta police.

Zecole Wilkerson Thomas, 29, was charged with two counts of reckless conduct and booked into Fulton County jail, where she spent the night before posting $2,000 bond Wednesday, booking records showed.

Passersby called police after seeing the children, both under 6, in the SUV without the engine running, which was parked at a Jo-Ann Fabric and Craft Store on North Point Drive. Following the mother's arrest, the two children were released to their father, according to police. Alexis Stevens

ATLANTA

Latin American Chamber supports T-SPLOST

The Latin American Chamber of Commerce of Georgia has scheduled a press conference to voice its support for the transportation referendum on July 31. The event at 10 a.m. on Thursday at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave., will feature Mayor Kasim Reed and representatives of the chamber, the Georgia Hispanic Construction Association and the Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials.

The chamber said the construction jobs that could be created by the T-SPLOST, as the proposed 1 percent sales tax is commonly called, would help small and disadvantaged business owned by Hispanics.

Jeremiah McWilliams

Willy's 'Mission' feeds volunteers

Willy's Mexicana Grill recently fed more than 300 Metro Atlanta Project volunteers at Northside United Methodist Church. The $1,600 food donation was part of the restaurant's "Truck on a Mission," an initiative aimed to provide free food from its food truck to volunteers and those in need. MAP brings Atlanta-area teenagers together to build playgrounds in low-income neighborhoods. Information: www.map.northsideumc.org. Mea Watkins

Hall to join Leadership board

Atlanta City Councilman Kwanza Hall has been selected to serve on the Board of Trustees for Leadership Atlanta. Leadership Atlanta is commemorating 43 years in the metro area this year. It was formed by a concerned group of citizens at the Chamber of Commerce as a formal initiative to address the need for a more knowledgeable cadre of committed leaders. It became an independent organization in 1977.

Hall, an Atlanta native, represents District 2, Atlanta's most economically and culturally diverse district. He currently chairs the Atlanta City Council's Advisory Committee on International Relations. Before his election to City Council, Mr. Hall served three years on the Atlanta Board of Education. He is a graduate of the Leadership Atlanta Class of 2007. Jeremiah McWilliams

DEKALB

APD chief takes state leadership role

Atlanta Police Chief George Turner has stepped into the office of third vice president of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police and also has taken a seat on the board that oversees the organization that represents the heads of local law enforcement agencies statewide.

His reponsibilities will be training and professional development of all chiefs. Turner was sworn in on Tuesday at the annual meeting of the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police. Rhonda Cook

Pedestrian struck on Buford Highway

A pedestrian was struck by a vehicle around 6 a.m. Wednesday on Buford Highway just north of I-285. DeKalb police dispatchers told the AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB Traffic Center that the man sustained a broken leg and a head injury. The man's name was not immediately released.

Two northbound lanes of Buford Highway were closed for police investigation, but had reopened by 7 a.m. Mike Morris

DeKalb drug court launches book club

The DeKalb County Drug Court has started a book club for students in middle and high school whose have at least one parent in the program.

Funded by a $2,000 grant from the Decatur Rotary Club, the sessions are designed to encourage the children to read for leisure but also provide support for them to connect with their parents. The parents are all enrolled in the drug court's two-year supervised treatment program, an alternative sentence for non-violent felony offenders. April Hunt

Dunwoody receives policing award

The Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police on Monday awarded the Dunwoody Police Department the 2012 Dr. Curtis E. McClub/Motorola Award of Excellence for its use of an innovative Collision Avoidance Training Program.

The program educates teenage drivers about vehicle dynamics and human kinetics - the forces created by an automobile and the effects of those forces on the human body.

A survey completed by parents of the teenage drivers who were trained in the program found that it had significantly changed the teenager's driving performance. Less than 5 percent of the teens were involved in automobile crashes, and none were deemed at fault for the crashes. Andria Simmons

Stone Mountain Society offers program

The Stone Mountain Historic Society offers a presentation on "English Gardens through the Ages" 7 to 8:30 tonght at the Stone Mountain Park Education Annex . Master gardener and society president Averil Bonsall delivers a historical discussion along with photographs of various gardens. Information: www.stonemoutainhistoricsociety.org. Bill Banks for the AJC

Car crashes into Lithonia bedroom

No injuries were reported early Wednesday when a car crashed through the bedroom wall of a ground-floor unit at the Cambridge Heights complex near Lithonia, Channel 2 Action News reported.

The woman driving the car claimed her brakes failed, but was later arrested and charged with driving under the influence. Mike Morris

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette police seek kidnapping suspect

Police in Fayetteville are still looking for a gun-wielding man who reportedly approached a female jogger around 12:50 p.m. on July 12. The suspect, described as being in his twenties with "Middle Eastern/Hispanic features with curly unkempt hair and a full beard," was driving a small red four-door car in the Villages of Lafayette neighborhood near Fayette County High School. The jogger said the man told her to get in his car but she ran away. Call Det. Melissa Peacock at 770-719-4227 with information.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Clayton to hold medical screenings

The Clayton County Board of Health will hold a back-to-school immunization campaign from 7:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday until Aug. 17. Bring a copy of your child's immunization record to avoid delays.

Clients will be seen on a first-come, first-served basis and early arrival is recommended. Hearing, vision and dental screenings, required by Clayton County schools for first-time enrollees, will also be offered. The maximum fee is $25, based on income. Information: 678-610-7199. Mea Watkins

Two in custody after College Park chase

Two men were in custody Wednesday after leading police on a car chase and a foot pursuit near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport. Channel 2 Action News reported that College Park officers were on a foot patrol at the Harrington Park Apartments on Camp Creek Parkway when they spotted two men acting suspiciously.

When the officers approached the men, a scuffle broke out, and the suspects got into a car and sped off, nearly hitting the officers.

Police chased the car for about three miles, until the suspects jumped out of the car at Riverdale Road and Terminal Parkway.

The names of the suspects have not been released.

Mike Morris

Secretary of state reinstates candidate

Secretary of State Brian Kemp has rejected a judge's request that a Fayette County candidate for state House be barred from the ballot.

Kemp ruled Wednesday that Ronald Mabra meets residsency requirements to run for House District 63. Administrative Law Judge Stephanie Howells ruled earlier this month that Mabra did not live in the district.

State law, however, allows Kemp, as the state's chief elections officer, to overrule administrative law judge's findings.

Mabra faces Linda Pritchett and T.J. Copeland in the July 31 Democratic primary. Pritchett filed the residency challenge with Kemp's office. Aaron Gould Sheinin

Fairburn police host blood drive

The Fairburn Police Department and LifeSouth will host a blood drive event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. today in the police department parking lot, 191 SW Broad St., Fairburn.

Blood donors must be 17 or older (16 with written parental consent) weigh 110 lbs or more, and show photo ID. Kenneth Musisi