County by county news for Thursday

In addition, the North Loop Alternate in both directions between State Route 3/Cobb Parkway and the Wallace Road/Gresham Road intersection will be closed. Westbound traffic will be detoured onto the South Loop via Gresham Road and Cobb Parkway. Eastbound traffic will be detoured onto the South Loop via Cobb Parkway. Information: 404-326-5214 Staff

Police looking for public comment

The Marietta Police Department is asking its employees and the public to weigh in on the city department at a meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday Oct. 8 at City Hall, 205 Lawrence St. A team from a national law enforcement accreditation agency will also take comments about the police department by phone from 1 p.m.-3 p.m. Monday Oct. 7 at 770-794-5374. The assessment is part of a re-accreditation process the agency,the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies, requires every three years. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

SAT scores drop at Marietta school

Marietta High School’s 248 seniors who took the 2013 Scholastic Aptitude Test or SAT scored an average 1456 which is three points less than last year’s average and 42 points below this year’s national average. The city high school though had a higher score than the state average of 1452 and ranked 29 out of the state’s 178 state high schools. District Superintendent Emily Lembeck suggests more academic supports such as a boot camp that will be offered this year.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Floyd Road cleanup on Saturday

Volunteers are needed to help the Mableton Improvement Coalition pick up trash from about 9 to 10 a.m. Saturday along Floyd Road from Veterans Memorial Highway to the Mableton Post Office.

The meeting place will be 9 a.m. at the Boys & Girls Club on Fontaine Road at Floyd Road for the MIC’s quarterly Adopt-A-Mile program.

Participants should wear sturdy shoes or boots and bring gloves. MIC will provide latex gloves, safety vests and bags.

Information:

or mableton.org/AAM.html.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Powder Springs online sale through Oct. 8

Powder Springs officials are selling a 1997 Ford F-250 pickup and a Konica Minolta copier, digital printer model D17210 with finisher, on GovDeals.com through 9 p.m. Oct. 8.

Bidding registration is free at the GovDeals website.

These items may be seen by typing “Powder Springs” in the search box.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Cobb County adoption event planned

Cobb County Animal Control will hold an adoption event from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 5 at the shelter, 1060 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta. The Adopt-a-Thon will feature special adoption rates, vendors, raffle items, food and a DJ. Information: 770-499-4136. Mea Watkins

GWINNETT

Gwinnett seeking poll workers for election

Gwinnett needs an additional 100 detail-oriented individuals to join the approximately 3,000 Gwinnett residents who will be working as poll officials during the upcoming Nov. 5 special election. Requirements for poll officials include completing an online training program and remaining at your assigned poll location from 6 a.m. until election-related duties are completed on Election Day.

Information: www.gwinnettcounty.com/employment for a list of qualifications, job descriptions, and salaries for each position. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Property tax bills due today

Gwinnett residents are reminded 2013 property tax bills have been mailed to Gwinnett County taxpayers. All bills have a single-installment due date of Oct. 3. Taxpayers could to make partial payments as long as the total due is paid by today. View your tax bill, make a payment or for other information: gwinnetttaxcommissioner.manatron.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Gwinnett Tech sees increasing enrollment

Gwinnett Technical College has announced total enrollment for Fall Semester 2013 at 7,040, a 5.3 percent increase over last year. Gwinnett Tech serves over 21,000 students annually in college credit, continuing education and adult education programs.

Gwinnett Tech President, Sharon Bartels notes, “We believe our continued growth reflects our reputation with students for providing relevant career education and training, and our reputation with employers who are confident that our graduates are ready and able to meet the challenges of today’s workplace.”

Information: www.GwinnettTech.edu or 770-962-7580. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Doors exhibit benefits Habitat for Humanity

Norcross will host an art festival - Doors to Homes and Hope 10 a.m. Saturday to help support Gwinnett Habitat for Humanity’s mission to build homes and raise visibility of the arts.

Information: www.gwinnettrestore.org, doorstoHomesandHope@gmail.com or 678.642.9486. Sandra Marshall Murray

Amigos for Christ celebrates 15 years

The nonprofit community development organization Amigos for Christ will host its first Amigos Family Reunion 3 p.m. Oct. 5 at the new Buford Community Center, 2200 Buford Highway. The event will celebrate 15 years of service to the poor in Nicaragua.

The reunion will allow volunteers to gather and raise greater awareness of this cause. Events will include free live music , an eating contest, a photo contest and more. Nancy Badertscher

Vote, help select Sugar Hill’s new logo

Sugar Hill will celebrate the city’s 75th anniversary next year and is choosing a new logo to mark the occasion. Vote by Oct. 11 for one of the six final entries at www.cityofsugarhill.com/Logo-Competition.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Body found in Chattahoochee River ID’d

Authorities have identified the Sugar Hill man whose body was found floating in the Chattahoochee River on Monday as Omar Hugh Richards, 29. He had been missing since Sept. 22.

Richards’ body was found in the river snagged in a fallen tree by a pair of kayakers on Monday afternoon about a mile south of the McGinnis Ferry Road bridge, authorities said.

Investigators with the Fulton County Medical Examiner’s Officer are trying to determine how he died. Marcus K. Garner

Cherokee signs off on budget

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners has given final approval to the county’s 2014 fiscal year budget. The $167.9 million document is a decrease of more than 10% from 2013’s $187.3 million. County officials say the decrease stems from reduced capital project spending and lower debt service costs. The general fund budget rose slightly to $55.5 million, due in part to a 3% raise given county employees.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Cherokee DA makes statewide honors list

Cherokee County District Attorney Shannon Wallace has been named to Georgia Trend Magazine’s 17th annual list of “Forty under Forty” accomplished young Georgians. Wallace, 36, was elected in 2012. Among her listed accomplishments: reorganizing the grand jury process to reduce inefficiencies and starting the county’s first drug accountability court. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Cherokee victim notification offered

The Cherokee County Victim & Notification Everyday registration is a community awareness program that uses computer technology and the telephone to provide victims of crime with offender custody information 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Callers to the VINE hotline can determine the custody status of an offender in the Cherokee County Jail.

Registered victims will also receive automated telephone notification upon the arrest, release, transfer or escape of that offender. .

Information: 770-928-0239. Staff

Tax burden lighter for Ball Ground residents

Ball Ground residents will pay less in city property taxes this year.

The City Council late last week decided to leave the millage rate at an even 6 mills.

City Manager Eric Wilmarth says that, because the city saw a $1.3 million drop in the tax digest residents will, on average, pay about 3 percent — or $13 — less on taxes due in December. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth sets electronic recycling event Oct. 26

Keep Forsyth County Beautiful will hold an electronics recycling event 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Oct. 26 at the Cumming Fairgrounds parking lot 3 off Castleberry Road. Laptops, CD players, cellphones and microwaves are among the items that will be accepted with a minimum donation of $5 per carload.

Information: forsythco.com. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Shoplifting suspect shot; guard stabbed

A would-be shoplifter at a CVS was shot in the leg Tuesday evening while fleeing from a security guard he had stabbed in arm, Atlanta police said.

The security guard and the shoplifting suspect were transported to Grady Memorial Hospital in stable condition.

Angel K. Brooks

Moody’s calls court ruling ‘credit negative’

A Georgia Supreme Court ruling that charter schools are exempt from contributing to Atlanta Public Schools’ pension costs is a “credit negative” for the school system, according to Moody’s credit rating service.

Moody’s said in its weekly credit outlook Monday that the ruling means less money is available for APS to pay its $550 million pension liability, and other school districts could also be affected because they can’t offload legacy costs onto charter schools. Mark Niesse

Ryan Cameron to speak in Lowery lecture series

More than 500 Atlanta Public Schools students and guests will hear from radio personality and philanthropist Ryan Cameron on Thursday when he delivers keynote remarks for the 13th Annual Rev. Joseph E. Lowery Lecture Series on Civic Engagement.

Cameron is the host of The Ryan Cameron Morning Show on V-103, and he runs the Ryan Cameron Foundation, which offers programs for children including mentoring, tutoring, volunteer opportunities and leadership instruction.

The event will be held at the D.M. Therrell Educational Complex in southwest Atlanta.

Mark Niesse

Briarcliff UMC to hold annual charity event

Briarcliff United Methodist Church, 4105 Briarcliff Road N.E., will host a barbecue dinner, silent auction and variety show at 6:30 p.m. Friday .

Proceeds go to the Murphy Harpst Children’s Home, a treatment center for abused and neglected children. Admission: $8 adults, $4 children and $25 for family.

Information: www.briarcliffumc.com, or 404-321-3854. Mea Watkins

DEKALB

Oktoberfest coming to Stone Mountain

Stone Mountain will host a Village Oktoberfest party Oct. 12 and 13 to celebrate the arrival of fall.

The festival in the historic downtown will feature German beer and food, as well as live music and dancing.

There also will be an arts festival celebrating locally produced work.

The event will be held on Main Street in Stone Mountain Village.

Admission is free. April Hunt

Event to benefit South River alliance

A fund-raising jamboree will be held 7 to 10 p.m. Saturday at the Lithonia Women’s Club, 2564 Wiggins St. featuring music, food and drinkto benefit the South River Watershed Alliance in its environmental work.

The South River Jamboree is the group’s first public appeal for funding, held after years of clean-up days and canoe outings to encourage more awareness and conservation at the river.

Tickets are $30.

Information: 404-285-3756 or www.southriverga.org.

April Hunt

5K to benefit breast cancer treatment

Several Decatur-area churches have partnered with DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson to for a 5K walk/run Saturday to benefit breast cancer treatment.

The Breast Cancer Awareness Fun Run/Walk begins at 9 a.m. at Chapel Hill Elementary School on Flat Shoals Parkway, near Decatur.

Registration begins at $10 for children and seniors and $15 for adults. Proceeds will go to DeKalb Medical Foundation for cancer programs.

Information: 404-371-7031.

April Hunt

Help for homeowners to avoid foreclosure

U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson,D-Lithonia, will host a an event 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at Salem Baptist Church, 5460 Hillandale Dr. to help struggling homeowners avoid foreclosure.

More than 780 homeowners in Johnson’s district have been approved for the federal HomeSafe program since 2011, getting nearly $15 million in temporary relief.

Registration required: 404-653-8833. April Hunt

DeKalb adopts local curfew

DeKalb County Commissioners recently adopted a local curfew ordinance that mirrors the state law, to allow for easier enforcement.

Under the law, minors under the age of 17 cannot be in public without supervision between midnight and 5 a.m. Juveniles, and their parents, can be cited under the law, as can business owners who fail to comply by allowing youth to be on site.

The ordinance is slated to take effect in early 2014, to allow for an education campaign with county schools and businesses, to explain the measure. April Hunt

Superintendent will brief parents

Interim school Superintendent Michael Thurmond is expected to brief parents in south DeKalb County at an advocacy group’s meeting 6:30 p.m. Thursday at Towers High School, 3919 Brookcrest Circle. Ty Tagami

SOUTHSIDE

Busy weekend slated for Stockbridge

The fountain across from Stockbridge City Hall is going pink for “National Breast Cancer Awareness” at 6 p.m. Friday with environmentally safe dye. Bridgefest, featuring arts, crafts, food, entertainment, a children’s area and a free community concert is also Friday and continues Saturday with a half marathon, a health fair 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Merle Manders Conference Center, 111 Davis Road. Health fair information: Bishop Irvine Bryer at 678 583-9894. Marathon information: www.raceforthiscity.com/#/race-for-this-city/stockbridge. Tammy Joyner

Clayton leaders take ‘Show on The Road’

Clayton County Commission Chair Jeff Turner is taking his “Show on the Road” at E.W. Oliver Elementary School 4 to 7 p.m. Tuesday to talk about county services available to the public. Other elected officials and representatives from county departments will join him. Information: claytontv23.com/join-us-show-on-the-road/

Tammy Joyner

4-H Funday weekend slated for Oct 10, 11

The 4-H Fundays will be 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 10-11 at the Cooperative Extension Office at Heritage Park. The program is open to students in grades 6 - 8. Students will learn about farming, food and funds and have an opportunity to visit the Fortson 4-H Center in Hampton where they will be able to feed small farm animals, complete a service activity, learn about My Plate guidelines from USDA, spend time in the kitchen making healthy snacks and more. Cost: $25. Registration deadline: Friday. Information: Laura Garrett, 770-288-8421 or lgarrett@uga.edu. Tammy Joyner

Stockbridge Arts Center opens Saturday

Academy Theatre will christen the new Stockbridge Community Arts Center, 146 Burke St. behind the Hamilton State Bank Building, Saturday with “Tapas: Nine Short Plays about Rebirth and Renewal.” Show dates: 8 p.m. Friday, Saturday, Oct. 11-12 and 3 p.m. Saturday, Sunday, Oct.12-13. Cost $12 advance, $15 at the door. Tickets: academytapas.brownpapertickets.com. Information: 404-474-8332 or academytheatre@mindspring.com. Tammy Joyner

Fayetteville posts SPLOST projects

The City of Fayetteville has put online its list of projects that would be funded if a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is approved by voters in November. Under an agreement with the rest of Fayette County, Fayetteville would receive 16.37 percent of the SPLOST revenue, or approximately $6.7 million, over two years. Projects include fire station construction, road resurfacing and stormwater infrastructure repairs. The full list is at www.fayetteville-ga.gov. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Court changes payment deadline

A procedure in Peachtree City requires that all payments due to Peachtree City’s Municipal Court must be received by 1 p.m. the Monday before the court date on the citation. Payments, including those sent online, by mail or in person, can be made in lieu of appearing in court as long as the violation is not listed as “Must Appear.” Information: 770-631-2096. Jill Howard Church for the AJC