County by county news for Thursday

The campaign is designed to offer safe celebration suggestions for partygoers, with emphasis on the Latino community. Area bars and restaurants will join the campaign by displaying Safe Holiday information, providing free rides home for impaired drivers and offering free non-alcoholic drinks to designated drivers.

TEAM Georgia information: www.teamgeorgia.net

Janel Davis

January will bring Cobb water rate increase

Cobb County residents can expect an uptick in their water bills next year.

A scheduled rate increase of 6 percent takes effect Jan. 1. Since the price is broken into tiers (it increases with each 1,000 gallons consumed) the typical ratepayer will see a 2 percent increase. The wastewater fee is also rising 2 percent.

Ty Tagami

Emory-Adventist hosts home tour fundraiser

The Foundation of Emory-Adventist Hospital at Smyrna will host its 10th annual home tour Sunday.

The fundraiser tour will feature homes in the Smyrna/Vinings area, decorated for the holidays and highlighting the work of local designers. Proceeds from the tour will go towards the purchase of digital mammography equipment for the hospital.

The tour runs from noon to 6 p.m. Tickets: $20, including tearoom and silent auction bid; purchase at: 770-438-5233.

Janel Davis

New health clinic offers free screenings

The HealthCaring Clinic’s grand opening celebration will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. in Kennesaw. Free health screenings for glucose, blood pressure, cholesterol, vision and Body Mass Index (BMI) will be offered while supplies last. Flu shots will be available for $27. The clinic is located at 1615 Ridenour Boulevard, Suite 202, Kennesaw. Information: www.thehealthcaringclinic.com or 678-569-0147. Kenneth Musisi

Annual tree lighting in Austell on Friday

The City of Austell will hold its annual Christmas tree lighting celebration on Friday.

This free event will begin at 6 p.m. at the Collar Park Gazebo, 2625 Joe Jerkins Blvd. next to City Hall.

School choirs and Shannon’s Dance Studio will entertain. Free snacks, pastries and hot chocolate will be served. Santa will arrive on his sleigh around 7:30 p.m. Information: 770-944-4309 or austellga.gov.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Museum showcases woodworking exhibit

An exhibit showcasing the work of Atlantans Ed Moulthrop, son, Philip and grandson, Matt, is on display at the Marietta/Cobb Museum of Art, 30 Atlanta Street, through Dec. 18. “Moulthrop: A Southern Legacy. Three Generations of Woodturning,” honors the family’s contribution to the history of contemporary woodworking. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday -Friday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $8; $5 for students and seniors; free for members and children under 6.

Mea Watkins

DeKalb

Bike lanes coming to Doraville

Doraville is building segregated bicycle tracks along Peachtree Road using grant money from the Atlanta Regional Commission.

The $2.3 million project calls for narrowing the road from five to three lanes and adding a bike path, separated from the road with a curb and landscaping.

Doraville is among 13 communities to receive funding for cyclist and pedestrian projects.

In DeKalb, the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts will use $3.1 million for sidewalks, larger medians and more crosswalks on Lake Hearn Drive, Perimeter Summit Parkway and Parkside Place. Decatur also received $2.1 million for bike paths on Commerce Drive and Tucker received $960,000 for sidewalks and landscaping on its Main Street street scape project.

April Hunt

Downtown district earns historic status

The Ponce de Leon Court Historic District – a single street just east of Decatur Square – has been listed with the National Register of Historic Places.

John Womack developed the street in the 1920s into a short residential area with subtropical plants and deep setbacks.

The area now is a mix of apartments and small homes just off Ponce de Leon Avenue, a major east-west thoroughfare through the city.

April Hunt

AIDS Quilt to be displayed at Emory

Emory University will host one of the largest collegiate displays of the AIDS Memorial Quilt today, which is World AIDS Day. More than 1,430 panels will tell the lives of those who died from the disease. The program will be presented by Emory Hillel, a Jewish student group, and will take place on McDonough Field from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to the display, there will be 25 panels arranged at various locations on campus.

Shelia M. Poole

Watson holds legislative breakfast Saturday

Stan Watson, an at-large county commissioner in DeKalb, will host his monthly legislative breakfast Saturday with a focus on resources for those struggling financially and emotionally through the holidays and winter.

The event, which is free, will feature representatives from U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson’s office, the Salvation Army and DeKalb Community Service Board.

Attendees are asked to bring a canned food item if they can, to be donated to the Atlanta Community Food Bank.

The breakfast is from 9-11 a.m. at Chapel Hill Middle School on Dogwood Farms Road in South DeKalb.

April Hunt

Save the Arts fundraiser in Lithonia Saturday

The “Save the Arts” event, a fundraiser to save the Kids Dance Project Center for Youth Development and Performing Arts from closing, will be Saturday from 3 to 6 p.m. at 7199 Maddox Rd., Suite E & F, Lithonia. The center is part of KIDDS Dance Project, a non-profit organization that provides classes in dance, drama and piano for children ages 4-22. Information: www.kiddsdanceproject.com or call 404-539-6922 and e-mail melodymar@gmail.com.

Kenneth Musisi

Gwinnett

Police substation approved for Suwanee

The Suwanee City Council has approved plans for the construction of a new $1.6 million police substation in the Suwanee Gateway area.
Council members agreed Tuesday to a contract with Hogan Construction Group of Norcross to complete the 7,100-square-foot substation and training facility at 2996 Lawrenceville-Suwanee Road.
Work on the substation is expected to start by the end of December or early January and should take about eight months.

Joel Anderson

Live music venue opens at Red Clay Theatre

Eddie Owen, founder of Eddie’s Attic in Decatur, will officially open his latest live-music venue in Duluth’s Red Clay Theatre on Friday.

The inaugural concert at Eddie Owen Presents at the Red Clay Theatre will feature Patterson Hood of Drive by Truckers.

Hood will perform Friday and Saturday, with doors at the venue opening at 7 p.m. and both shows starting at 8 p.m.

Information: www.eddieowenpresents.com, cmcgahee@duluthga.net or 770-497-5309.

Joel Anderson

Cagle to speak at Gwinnett chamber lunch

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle will speak to the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce at noon Dec. 14 at Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth.

The cost is $45 for chamber members and $55 for non-members, or $500 for a table of 10. The deadline to register is Dec. 9. To register and for more information, visit www.gwinnettchamber.org.

David Wickert

Dinner dance for seniors in Lawrenceville Friday

The Gwinnett Council for Seniors will host a dinner and dance at 6:30 p.m. Friday at the Gwinnett Senior Center at Bethesda Park, 225 Bethesda Church Road, Lawrenceville. Dinner will be served from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., followed by dancing until 10:30 p.m. Tickets are $20. Information: 770-822-5147.

David Wickert

Pets can visit Santa in Suwanee Sunday

The Georgia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals will bring Santa “Claws” to town Sunday to sit for photos with pets and family members. For a $10 donation, pet owners will receive a photo of their pets with Santa, as well as a CD, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sadie’s Place, the SPCA resale shop, will also host an open house. The Georgia SPCA is located at 1175 Buford Highway, Suite 109 in Suwanee. Information: 678-765-2726.

Ernie Suggs

Donations needed for Christmas project

Local volunteers are collecting school supplies, toys, hygiene items and notes of encouragement for Operation Christmas Child through Dec. 9. Operating hours at the Atlanta Processing Center, 665 Raco Dr. NW, Suite C, Lawrenceville are from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Information: call 770-777-9342 or visit www.samaritanspurse.org/occ.

Kenneth Musisi

Northside

Fulton County signs charter application today

Fulton County’s making fanfare of filing its application to become the state’s largest charter school system. At 10 a.m. today, Fulton School Superintendent Robert Avossa will be at the state Department of Education for a ceremony marking the signing and delivery of the school system’s charter application. The school system has spent 18 months gathering community input and conducting research into becoming a charter school system. The signing ceremony is in Room 2056 at the DOE offices at 2053 Twin Towers East, across from the state Capitol.

Nancy Badertscher

Holy Innocents school hosts annual fundraiser

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School will host its second annual holiday festival this weekend.

The “Jingle Bell Jubilee” will be held from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 1 to 5 p.m. Sunday. The event features festive trees, ornaments, wreaths and family fun.

Kids can create their own gingerbread houses, visit with Santa and see a giant Lego display.

Proceeds help to fund the education of children at the school and programs of the Parents’ Association and Fine Arts Alliance.

D. Aileen Dodd

Roswell receives enforcement grant

Roswell has received a payment of $68,514 from the U.S. Department of Justice for costs associated with illegal immigration enforcement. The grant is to help compensate for the city’s expenses for detaining undocumented criminal immigrants who have at least one felony conviction or two misdemeanor convictions and were held for at least four consecutive days.

Patrick Fox

Firm to offer free solar recharges for cars

Solar Energy USA of Alpharetta plans to introduce solar powered electric vehicle charging free to the public within the next couple of weeks. The company, which runs its headquarters entirely on solar power, is extending the plug outside to refuel electric cars for free.

Company spokesman Michael Chance said the station should be operational by mid-December. Solar Energy USA’s office is at 7565 Industrial Court, just off McFarland Road. The level 2 charging station will fully refuel a Nissan Leaf, Chevy Volt, or another plug-in EV in four to eight hours.

Patrick Fox

Recycling book drive to benefit libraries

Johns Creek residents can recycle more than pie plates and bottles next week. Residents can place clearly marked bags of books in their curbside recycling bins. The books will be given to Better World Books, a pro-literacy company.

Books in good shape will then be sold on-line or donated to various literacy causes. Twenty percent of the proceeds will go to the Friends of Spruill Oaks Library and Friends of Ocee Library.

Bagged books also can be dropped off at Santa Jam at Johns Creek High School, from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday.

Patrick Fox

Southside

Parent, student expo in Hapeville Saturday

Fulton County schools will hold a workshop Saturday to encourage parents from the district’s 53 Title I schools to become more involved in their students’ education.

The Parent & Student Expo will be held from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. at Teaching Museum South, 689 North Ave. Hapeville. Parents will hear information about Title I programs and attend workshops on everything from testing to PTA involvement. Information: Call Sonya West or Tracy Allabice at 404-669-8217.

Ernie Suggs

GDOT to host meetings on reversible lanes
The Georgia Department of Transportation will host two open houses on the proposed reversible express lanes on I-75 through Henry County. The meetings will be from 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 13 at Eagle's Landing High School; and on Thursday Dec. 15 at Southside Christian Fellowship on Mt. Carmel Road in McDonough. The proposed project involves constructing barrier-separated reversible lanes within a 12.24-mile section of I-75 between Highway 138 in Stockbridge and Highway 155 in McDonough.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

Driver dies in Interstate 675 crash Wednesday
Clayton County police are investigating a fatal accident Wednesday morning in which a driver ran off I-675 southbound and crashed into a tree.
The accident happened about 10:35 a.m. when a 1993 Red Buick LeSabre swerved from left to right, went off the roadway and under the Ga. 42 bridge, and ran into a tree, said Officer Gary A. Syblis, spokesman for the Clayton County Police Department.
The victim's name was being withheld pending notification of relatives.
The motorist was wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident, and the vehicle's air bag deployed.
David Ibata

Holiday fun at The Fred Saturday
The Fred Amphitheater will hold its annual Hometown Holiday event Saturday. The family-friendly event is free. Featured performers: Twilight Theater, Peachtree Wind Ensemble, The Cratchit Family, Carolers from A Company of Friends Productions, Legacy Dance Stars, Music Schools International, local singers Paige McCauley and Alison Chambers. Gates open at 5 p.m. Concessions provided by Delta Zi Sorority. Tree-lighting is at 8 p.m. Program details: Nancy Price, 770 631-0630. Tree-lighting: Becky Kimble, Peachtree City Recreation Department, 770 631-2525.
Tammy Joyner

Fundraiser on tap for Clayton State player
A Clayton State University basketball doubleheader Saturday will cap off a week of fundraising activities for injured Clayton State student Zac Bradley. The Riverdale native graduated from North Clayton High School and played last season at Clayton State as a freshman. He was leaving campus on May 25 when a tree fell on his car. There will be a women's basketball game at 1:30 p.m. Saturday followed by a men's game at 4 p.m.  Information:  http://athletics.clayton.edu/general/bradleybenefit.htm

Tammy Joyner

Atlanta

Atlanta lawyers disbarred by high court

The Georgia Supreme Court on Wednesday disbarred two Atlanta lawyers for paying “runners” to refer clients to them.

Law partners Steve Freedman and Thomas Sinowski had fiercely litigated the cases against them since 2002. But the court, in a 5-2 ruling, found “their conduct was egregious -- they cast a wide net covering more than 1,300 cases.” The ruling said Freedman and Sinowski paid at least $276,025 to runners from 1996 to 1999, and the court found the two lawyers “were motivated by greed and ... are not remorseful.”

Bill Rankin

Police to use integrated surveillance system

Atlanta police Motorola Solutions this week announced a contract to integrate the city of Atlanta’s surveillance camera systems.

The first phase has been completed: upgrading existing analog cameras to digital, wireless ones that can pan, tilt and zoom. The next phase will combine public and private video camera systems in downtown and Midtown into a single display at Atlanta’s E911 Video Integration Center.

Police will be able to glean information from incidents as they are unfolding and pass it to first responders.

Andria Simmons

Lawyer sentenced in online sex sting

A New Jersey lawyer who was caught in an undercover sting was sentenced Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Atlanta to 12 years in prison for trying to entice a young girl to have sex with him, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

In May 2010, Tobin Nilsen, 58, of Buena, N.J., began an online chat with an undercover FBI agent who posed as the mother of a 7-year-old girl. Nilsen told the agent he wanted to have a sexual encounter with the girl and, after he bought a ticket to fly to Atlanta to have sex with the girl, Nilsen was arrested in New Jersey.

Bill Rankin