County by county news for Thursday

Reynolds, 26, interceded in an argument Mchaffey and his girlfriend were having outside a house on Brackett Drive. Mchaffey stabbed the unarmed Reynolds once in the abdomen and once in the throat. Mchaffey must serve at least 30 years in prison before he will be eligible for parole. Rhonda Cook

Marietta Art Walk season ends

The last First Friday Art Walk of the season will be 5-9 p.m. Friday at 30 shops, art galleries and museums around the Marietta Square. The event promotes the work of local artists. Maps for the free, self-guided tours are available at locations displaying an art walk banner. Information:www.artwalkmarietta.com.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Teachers honored on walk of fame

Katy Eason, Marietta City Schools teacher of the year, and Tyler Gwynn, Cobb County Schools teacher of the year, left their handprints in concrete Wednesday on the Marietta Square’s Teacher Walk of Fame. The Cobb Chamber of Commerce sponsors the annual event that recognizes Cobb educators. Eason is a fifth-grade teacher at Sawyer Road Elementary School in Marietta and Gwynn is a geography, psychology and current events teacher at Allatoona High School in Acworth.Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Public safety breakfast Monday

Cobb’s public safety personnel will be honored at the 20th annual Public Safety Appreciation Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. Monday at the Cobb Galleria Centre, Two Galleria Parkway, Atlanta.

This Cobb Chamber’s First Monday breakfast also will kick off Public Safety Appreciation Week.

Information: cobbchamber.org/events/First-Monday-Breakfast-4415/details.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Powder Springs ‘Tailgate on the Lawn’

Powder Springs will host “Tailgate on the Lawn” 2 p.m. Oct. 11 to see the Georgia vs. Missouri football game at the Historic Town Square, 4488 Pineview Drive. This event will replace the annual Powder Springs Day, which will be held instead in the spring.

There will be football-themed activities and contests, give-aways, food vendors and entertainment.

Information: cityofpowdersprings.org.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Self-defense seminar for women

The Powder Springs Police Department will host a free Self-Defense Seminar 7-9 p.m. Oct. 6 at Compton Elementary School, 3450 New Macland Road, Powder Springs.

Women may learn about basic self defense, the seven most effective body parts to target, weapons of opportunity, general safety and mental conditioning.

Information: cityofpowdersprings.org/blog.aspx?iid=74, Maj. John Robison, jrobison@cityofpowdersprings.org or 770-257-1384.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Suwanee to host Buford Highway project

Plans for reconstruction of Buford Highway will be shared 5 to 7:30 p.m. Oct. 9 at City Hall, 330 Town Center Ave. Representatives from Georgia DOT, Suwanee, and URS, the City’s planning consultant, will be on hand. Suwanee’s vision for the future of Buford Highway, from George Pierce Park to McGinnis Ferry Road, calls for the roadway to remain a local road. The project is expected to include sidewalks, medians, additional turn lanes, bike lanes, landscaping, on-street parking, and a roundabout at Russell Street. Construction will begin in 2016 and require about two years. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

County adds voting locations

Gwinnett has added two voting locations for the November general election: Bogan Park Community Recreation Center, 2723 North Bogan Road in Buford and Lenora Park Activity Room, 4515 Lenora Church Road in Snellville.

Locations will be available 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 25 and 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday - Friday, Oct. 27 - 31. Information: www.gwinnettelections.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Hire focus of entrepreneur summit

The fourth installment of the 2014 Snellville Entrepreneur Summit is 6:30 to 8 p.m. at City Hall, 2432 Oak Road.

The event includes solution seminars, mentoring and peer advisory boards.

Keynote speaker Dennis Daniels, of Renaissance Executive Forums, will speak on ‘Hiring and engaging people who will help you, not hurt you.’

Information: economicdevelopment@snellville.org or Van Otteren, at 770-985- 3502.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Lawrenceville Lawn grand opening

The Lawrenceville Lawn opents 11:30 a.m. Oct. 11 at 210 Luckie Street.

The ribbon-cutting ceremony will kick-off the Rock’n Ribville Festival for barbeque, cold beer and music.

Information:

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Tech students earn certification

Seven Gwinnett Tech Horticulture students have earned a 100 percent pass rate on a national certification exam for the second consecutive year.

The Landscape Industry Certified Lawn Care Manager designation is offered through PLANET, The Landcare Network, in partnership with the University of Georgia.

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

Corn hole and tailgating event

Duluth Parks and Recreation will host an inaugural Boss of the Toss: Corn hole & Tailgating event 3 to 7 p.m. Oct. 18 on the Duluth Town Green.

The free tournament consists of three categories and three over all “Boss Champion Teams.”

Participants may also root for their favorite college football teams as Duluth streams live games on four large flat screen TVs. www.duluthga.net. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Canton parking plans hit another snag

Parking enforcement in downtown Canton has been delayed again. Police had been set to begin issuing citations Wednesday enforcing two-hour limits and other regulations after a some-months gap, but now say a streetscape project on Church street has reduced two-hour spaces by more than two dozen. Police Chief Robert Merchant says that project should finish by the end of the month. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Canton water, sewer charges jump

Canton residents are paying more for water and sewer service, effective Oct. 1. The base rate has gone from $11.39 to $11.90 monthly, while the sewer base rate has increased from $17.09 to $17.86. The Canton City Council approved 4.5 percent increases for both 2013 and 2014 to pay the debt service on a state loan the city took out to pay for sewer plant improvements. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Softball game to aid youth programs

The mature and the youthful will square off in softball for a good cause. The All-Timers softball team, composed of older adults around age 60 who grew up in Sandy Springs, have challenged the Storm, a Sandy Springs Youth Sports team of 12-year-olds, to a game at 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Johns Methodist Church, 550 Mt. Paran Road, Atlanta. The game is free, but donations will be accepted to support church youth programs. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Gift will assist UNG cadets

The University of North Georgia has received a property gift worth $5.2 million that will be used to set up a fund supporting the school’s Corps of Cadets. The land comes from the estate of Army colonel and alumnus Lewis “Jack” Peevy, who died in January. Officials will liquidate the property to create the fund. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Senior event set in Cherokee

Cherokee County Senior Services is planning its fourth annual Senior Sense Expo from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 7 at the Cherokee County Administration Building, 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton. Guest speakers, live demonstrations, health screenings, and animal adoption information will all be featured. Additional information: 660-345-6730 or 7515.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth to consider animal control changes

The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing at 5 p.m. today in the Forsyth County Administration Building, 110 E. Main St., Cumming, on an amendment to the county’s animal control ordinance.

The proposal would require those adopting animals from the shelter to agree to have them sterilized within 30 days. It also sets a series of fees, including an adoption fee of $85. The recommendations follow the opening of the county’s new animal shelter in late August.

Before that, officials had contracted out shelter operations. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

MARTA driver charged with homicide

Leroy Brown, 59, the driver of a MARTA bus that struck and killed a pedestrian in West End last week has been charged with misdemeanor vehicular homicide.

The bus hit 19-year-old Brenda Travis as she tried to cross Ralph David Abernathy Boulevard at Lee Street just before 9 p.m. on Sept. 24.

Travis was in the crosswalk, and had made it more than halfway across the street when she was hit by the bus.

Brown told investigators that he sounded his horn, “but the pedestrian was distracted and on her cellphone,” according to a police report.

Video from the bus showed that Brown had the green light, and that Travis was wearing ear bud headphones and looking down at her phone. The report also states that Brown “ was traveling at a speed that he should have been able to slow down to keep from striking the pedestrian.”Mike Morris

Spelman alumnae celebrate 100 years

The Atlanta chapter of the National Alumnae Association of Spelman College is celebrating its centennial anniversary with a scholarship brunch on Oct. 11.

The brunch will be hosted by television actors Cassi Davis and Brad James. The event will also feature a live auction led by radio and television personality Moraima “Mo” Ivory, along with awarding of the chapter’s annual student scholarship.

The brunch will be held at the Atlanta Marriott Marquis. Tickets: $100

Information: www.atlantanaasc.org Janel Davis

‘Save the Fox’ anniversary celebrated

Fox Theatre celebrates the 40th anniversary of the “Save the Fox” campaign through spring 2015.

The celebration titled “The Legend Lives On” includes several shows.

A gala event will be held next March followed by a block party in June.

Information: www.foxtheatre.org/thelegend.

Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

DEKALB

Two men arrested after Waffle House robbery

A late-night robbery at an all-night eatery led to a shootout with police at a nearby DeKalb County shopping center Tuesday night.

The incident began around 10:30 p.m. Tuesday when two men robbed a Waffle House on Lavista Road near Interstate 285.

The Waffle House is about a quarter-mile from DeKalb police headquarters, and officers arrived just as the suspected robbers were leaving in a car.

The suspects drove across the street and crashed into a pole in a Target parking lot.

The suspects fled the wrecked getaway car on foot,but were caught. No one was injured in the incident. Mike Morris

City uninterested in annexing Druid Hills

Some neighborhoods in unincorporated DeKalb County near Emory University are unlikely to be annexed by the city of Atlanta, said county schools superintendent Michael Thurmond.

Fielding questions after giving a speech about the state of the school system Tuesday, Thurmond told a crowd at Georgia Perimeter College in Clarkston that he’d inquired about annexation interest.

Annexation has been a hot topic in Druid Hills as the county school board prepares to vote on a petition to put schools in the area under the governance of an independent charter board.

The county board rejected the proposal once, but proponents resubmitted their application. Thurmond has recommended denial again. Ty Tagami

Schools propose new governance model

The DeKalb County School District has released a proposed application to the state for a new form of governance.

DeKalb wants to become a “charter” system, which would allow ongoing access to waivers from Georgia mandates, such as caps on class sizes or minimum attendance days. Recent changes to state law would restrict waivers for districts that do not change their governance models to give schools more freedom.

DeKalb’s proposal would establish school governance councils and, in a nod to proponents of a charter school cluster near Emory University, also create cluster advisory councils. But the cluster councils would have only advisory capacity.

The petition emphasizes better service for low-income students and those who speak limited English, while also attracting, keeping and motivating high-quality teachers and principals.

Information: www.dekalb.k12.ga.us. Ty Tagami

Caregiver charged with stealing from employer

Dunwoody Police recently arrested Terry Demetrice Sawyer, 43, of Decatur, for stealing personal checks and credit cards from her employer who is now deceased.

Sawyer was caregiver to the 92-year-old victim. During her employment, she allegedly wrote checks to herself and used the victim’s credit cards after his death.

The suspect is charged with financial transaction card fraud, forgery and elder exploitation.

If you have information relating to the case or others contact Det, Brian Lauda, 678-382-6914.

Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Clayton PD evacuated over suspicious powder

The Clayton County Police Department received the envelope around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday that contained a powdery substance.

The building was evacuated and emergency crews were called in to investigate.

The package was not in a public area of the building, but in a part of the building where officers conduct investigations.

Employees were allowed back inside before noon.

Officials said the package and powder have been handed over to the FBI. Staff

Play addresses domestic violence

McIntosh High School’s production of the one-act play “Five Kinds of Silence” will be performed at 7 p.m. today through Saturday at the school, 201 Walt Banks Road, Peachtree City. The play’s message relates to National Domestic Violence Awareness Month, and proceeds benefit Promise Place shelter. Tickets: $7 at the door, $5 with a donation of paper towels, toilet paper or antibacterial soap for the shelter. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Burn permits change in Fayette

The Fayette County Department of Fire and Emergency Services has changed the procedure for getting outdoor burning permits in unincorporated Fayette County, Tyrone, Brooks and Woolsey to an online process.

Information:www.fayettecountyga.gov. Anyone conducting a commercial or land-clearing burn must call the Fire Marshal’s office at 770-305-5414. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Union Citybegins roadwork

Resurfacing of Dodson Road in Union City will start Monday and continue through Oct. 27. Motorists will be allowed on the road during the project, however traffic will be controlled.

Buffington Road is closed to through traffic. Bridge construction is scheduled to be complete by July 2015. A detour map is available at www.unioncityga.org.

Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

Parks’ fall break camp will be Oct. 6-10

The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department is sponsoring a day camp Oct. 6-10, which is fall break for Henry County schools. Hours are 7:30 a.m.-6 p.m. and camp is for ages 6-12. Locations are Fairview Recreation Center, Heritage Park, J.P. Moseley Recreation Center, Locust Grove Recreation Center and Nash Farm Park. Cost is $100 per child, with a $10 discount for each additional child in a family. Register in person or online. Information: www.hcprd.org.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

Paramedic program earns accreditation

The Henry County Fire Department has been awarded national recognition with initial accreditation from the Commission of Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs for its EMT to Paramedic Training Program.

Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services is the only other department in the state to receive this recognition, county officials said. Information: www.henrycounty-ga.org. Monroe Roark for the AJC