County by county news for Thursday

William Brian Hughes was convicted during a 2008 trial for the killing of Jacqueline Kay Hughes, 42, in December 2006. In a recent opinion, the state Supreme Court unanimously upheld the conviction, rejecting claims that Mr. Hughes’ lawyer was ineffective and that the trial judge should have granted the defense a continuance before the trial. Bill Rankin

Helicopter moves plane to museum

A U.S. Army Chinook helicopter on Wednesday airlifted a OV-1 Mohawk, a Vietnam era observation and attack plane, from Dobbins Air Reserve Base to the Marietta Museum of History’s Aviation Wing at South Cobb Drive and Atlanta Road. Plans are to clean, paint and re-stencil the plane that is on loan from the Georgia National Guard. The Aviation Wing’s nine planes and a military museum are open to the public at no charge, 10 a.m.-3 p.m., Thursdays-Saturdays. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Westminister student, teacher honored

Matthew Vaughan Shackelford, a senior at The Westminster Schools, was named the 2011 state STAR student by the Professional Association of Georgia Educators. Shackelford picked Tim Howard, his ninth-grade percussion methods teacher as his STAR teacher. The STAR (Student Teacher Achievement Recognition) program recognizes Georgia high school students who excel academically. Shackelford, of Marietta, plans to attend Harvard or Princeton and was honored with a $5,000 scholarship from AT&T. Jaime Sarrio

Marietta school chief to speak April 30

Marietta City Schools head Emily Lembeck will give the community an update on schools programs and progress at a “Superintendent Saturday” talk, 9:30 a.m. April 30 at Marietta Sixth Grade Academy, 340 Aviation Rd., Marietta. A Spanish translation service will be provided. Information: call 770-422-3500, ext. 231. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Egg drop Saturday at Sprayberry High

The 2nd annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop will be held Saturday at Sprayberry High School. The free event will include a helicopter drop of thousands of eggs on the football field to kickoff the hunt. Activities include games and photos with the Easter bunny.

The event begins at 10 a.m. Kids will begin hunting eggs by age group at 12:30 p.m. at Sprayberry, 2525 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta. Information: call, 770-423-1330; visit, http://www.communityeggdrop.com Janel Davis

Easter sunrise service at Kennesaw Mountain

An annual Easter sunrise service will start 7 a.m. Sunday at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park outside the Visitor Center, 900 Kennesaw Mountain Dr., Kennesaw. The Rev. Charles Sineath will lead the community service with scripture readings, music and sermon. Participants are asked to dress for the weather and bring outdoor chairs. Tucker McQueen for t

GWINNETT

Gwinnett Chamber to honor small businesses

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will honor the county’s best small businesses and non-profits at the Pinnacle Small Business Awards Luncheon at 11:30 a.m. April 29 at the Atlanta Marriott-Gwinnett Place, 1775 Pleasant Hill Road, Duluth.

The cost is $55 for individual tickets or $550 for a table of 10. For more information, to help sponsor the event or to register, visit www.pinnaclesmallbusinessawards.com or contact Melissa Britt at 678-957-4958 or melissa@gwinnettchamber.org. David Wickert

Easter party for kids in Snellville

Gwinnett County will host an Easter Eggstravaganza Saturday at Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville.

Children can enjoy inflatable equipment, face painting and egg hunts. Children age 0 to 3 should come at 10:30 a.m.; those age 4 to 6 should come at 11:20 a.m.; those age 7 to 10 should come at noon. Snacks will be available for purchase. Information:770-985-4713 or www.centervillecommunitycenter.com. David Wickert

Lawrenceville author to have book-signing

Lawrenceville resident Barbara Nowell will sign copies of her new Christian fiction novel, “China’s Hope: Contemporary Stories, on April 29.

The event will be 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. at Sweets on the Square at 138 E. Crogan Street in Lawrenceville. Joel Anderson

Bark in the Park in Dacula April 30

Gwinnett County will host a Bark in the Park event from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 30 at Rabbit Hill Park, 400 Rabbit Hill Road, Dacula. Owners can bring their dogs for agility demonstrations, kids’ activities, safety programs, contests and vendor booths. The cost for the Doggy Dash 1 Mile Fun Run is $5. Pre-registration is advised. Information:770-418-2331. David Wickert

Suwanee police plan drug take back April 30

To help prevent prescription drug abuse, the Suwanee Police Department is once again participating in the Drug Enforcement Administration’s “Take Back” event on April 30.

Police will accept expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs for disposal from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Last September, Americans turned in 121 tons of prescription drugs at 4,100 sites, more than 20 pounds in Suwanee.

Intravenous solutions, injected medications, and needles aren’t accepted. Medications can be dropped off at the police department at 373 Highway 23 NW in Suwanee. Andria Simmons

Duluth Mayor to host webchat on April 26

Duluth Mayor Nancy Harris will chat with residents for 30 minutes on April 26 as part of her first webchat of the year.

The chat will start at noon. Harris and others will discuss upcoming events in Duluth.

To participate, people can login to into http://www.blogtv.com/People/cityofduluthga. Information: Alisa Williams at awilliams@duluthga.net or 678-475-3506.

JOEL ANDERSON

NORTHSIDE

Embattle Fulton assessor delays appearance

Fulton County assessors board member Rick Kenny was slated to appear before the County Commission Wednesday, along with assessors Chairwoman Salma Ahmed, to tell his side of the story. Kenny has been under fire an Atlanta Journal-Constitution article revealed that he was disciplined by the state for being “negligent” in over-appraising a duplex. Ahmed said that Kenny asked to delay giving his presentation at the next commission meeting, but didn’t give a reason why. Commission Chairman John Eaves has pushed for Kenny to quit. Rich McKay

Milton High drumline wins honor

The Milton High School Indoor Drumline was a finalist Saturday at the Winter Guard International Percussion World Championships in Dayton, Ohio. “Our goal was to make it into the finals, as we considered that would be a true achievement for our first year in the World Class Division. And when we made the cut and placed even higher in the finals competition, we were ecstatic,” said Mark Kapral, director of Milton Indoor Drumline. Nancy Badertscher

Fulton School Board to meet today

The Fulton County Board of Education is slated to meet today at will meet today at Dunwoody Springs Elementary School, 8100 Roberts Drive, Sandy Springs. The meeting begins with a 4 p.m. closed-door session and then opens for public discussion of a preliminary 2012 budget. Nancy Badertscher

Woodstock High to rock at Greenstock

Local bands, including the Beau Hall Band, a Jack Johnson cover band and a blues band will play at Woodstock High School football field Friday night to raise money for environmental causes. The school Environmental Club is hosting the Greenstock concert, and entrance is $10. Money raised will go toward a solar energy project at the school and local charities. The music starts at 7 p.m. at 2010 Towne Lake Hills South Drive. Christopher Quinn

Earth Day celebration for kids in Johns Creek

The Fulton County Public Works Department will have an Earth Day celebration for children Friday at the Ocee Branch library, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, Johns Creek. The educational program, for ages 5-7. It starts at 11 a.m. and is limited to the first 25 children. Information: 770-360-8897. Johnny Edwards

School folds origami to help out Japan

Students at Alpharetta’s Dolvin Elementary School put their hands to work for the victims of Japan’s recent natural disasters. They followed an ancient Japanese legend that promises that anyone who folds a thousand origami cranes will be granted a wish by a crane, such as long life or recover from illness or injury. The project was the brainchild of Dolvin art teacher Hope Knight. After students started the project, Knight learned that OshKosh B’Gosh clothing company was offering to donate one article of clothing to a shelter in Japan for every crane they received. By April 20, students had folded 1,000 cranes and sent them to the company in Connecticut. Nancy Badertscher

ATLANTA

Rose Acre Farms gives eggs to food bank

The Atlanta Community Food Bank received an egg-tra special delivery this week.

Rose Acre Farms donated more than 108,000 eggs to the nonprofit. This is the fourth year that United Egg Producers and the Feeding American network of food banks have teamed up in the fight against hunger. Overall, egg farmers are expected to donate millions of eggs to food banks. Shelia Poole

Cleaning, recycling event this Saturday

Anyone in the mood for spring cleaning can get rid of their old junk and pick up free paint for neighborhood beautification projects this Saturday at Atlanta’s Annual Earth Day Collection from 9 a.m. until 1 p.m. in the Gold Lot of Turner Field. People are encouraged to recycle computer and electronic equipment. Old latex paint will be accepted. Groups can get free containers of paint for neighborhood beautification projects. Information: 404-330-6039. Ernie Suggs

Pair sentenced in theft scheme at Tech

Two women have pleaded guilty to conspiring to steal money from Georgia Tech’s Georgia Intern Fellowship for Teachers program.

Ex-Tech employee Merideth Durrah and her accomplice, Shalunda Reed, entered guilty pleas in Fulton County and were sentenced to 10 years on probation, the state Attorney General’s Office said. Durrah also was fined $2,500 and ordered to serve 1,000 hours of community service and pay $15,200 in restitution. Reed must complete 250 hours of community service and pay $10,200 in restitution. Bill Rankin

Northwestern historian to speak at CAU

Historian Darlene Clark Hine, chair of the department of African-American studies at Northwestern University, will be at Clark Atlanta University today to lecture on “Rehearsal for Freedom: Black Professional Women’s Health Care Activism Before Brown.” Hine will speak at 2 p.m. in the Aspacio Atrium in Trevor Arnett Hall on CAU’s campus. Ernie Suggs

DEKALB

DeKalb superintendent choice still pending

DeKalb school board members haven’t announced the pick for superintendent, but an Illinois candidate told a local newspaper Monday it could “go either way.” Arthur Culver of Champaign Community Unit School District No. 4 in Illinois and Lillie Cox of Hickory Public Schools in North Carolina are finalists for the district’s top job. Gloria Davis, superintendent of Decatur Public Schools in Illinois, dropped out last week.

Culver said he was told by the district’s search firm that a decision had been delayed, according to The News-Gazette. Jaime Sarrio

Hearing today on smoke-free changes

A public hearing will be 3 p.m. today in the Bohan Auditorium of the E.L. Richardson Health Center, to hear comments on a proposed amendment to the county’s smoke-free environment ordinance. Comments will be heard on expanding the list of places were smoking is prohibited in the county and smoking outdoors.

Raw sewage spills into creeks Tuesday

Approximately 2,800 gallons of raw sewage spilled into DeKalb County waterways Tuesday, according to the watershed management department. County water reports show a spill into Stone Mountain Creek from the 900 block of Second Street in Stone Mountain.

In December, the federal Environmental Protection Agency mandated the county upgrade its sewage system after more than 800 spills were reported in five years. Michelle Shaw

Bike club donates $500 for bicycle racks

Bike Decatur, with about 100 members, gave the city a $500 check at this week’s City Commission meeting to install bicycle racks downtown. The city will also contribute $500 toward the 10 racks which should be finished before summer. “It’s not a lot but it’s a start,” said Commissioner Fred Boykin. “Eventually we’ll add more. With all the festivals we have, people lock their bikes to trash cans, or trees, which scrapes the bark.” Each rack consists of two steel upside down Us or “staples,” and secures two bicycles apiece. Bill Banks for the AJC

Decatur to hold on the pre-k teachers

Decatur Schools Superintendent Dr. Phyllis Edwards said she won’t cut staff from the city’s College Heights pre-k program, even though there will be 20 fewer days next year due to the state’s cutting of lottery-funded pre-k dollars. “We will have nine teachers next year, and all our classes will be intact,” Edwards said. “Our next step is to go to the parents and see if they can fund a couple extra weeks. We can’t make up for all 20 days, but if [parents] can fund extra days, we can turn around and give a supplement to the teachers.” Bill Banks for the AJC

Doraville to have amnesty day for tickets

Doraville’s Municipal Court has scheduled an amnesty day for people who have past due, unpaid traffic tickets. The amnesty day will be from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. on April 30 at Municipal Court 3765 Park Ave., Doraville. Fees for past due citations will be waived, but the original citation fines will be due. Information: call the court at 770-455-1001. Rich McKay

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette schools restore salaries for teachers, staff

With a 3-2 vote on April 19, the Fayette County Board of Education restored the remaining 3 percent to teacher and staff salaries that were cut two years ago. The measure takes effect May 1.

The Board had already restored 1.5 percent of the original 4.5 reduction in January. With a projected fund balance of nearly $20 million this year, a majority of members felt comfortable reinstating salary rates to 2008-09 levels. Board Chairman Bob Todd and Marion Key voted against the measure, citing concerns about future budget shortfalls. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Old National Highway cleanup on April 30

On April 30, the Old National Area Residents United will join the Old National Merchants Association for the annual spring cleanup of Old National Highway. Residents, students and volunteer groups are encouraged to participate.Sign up starts at 7:30 a.m. at Grown Folks Cafe’ at 5495 Old National Highway. Cleanup begins at 8 a.m. Information: Tyrone Carter at 770-367-1519 John Thompson for the AJC

Hapeville offices closed for Good Friday

The city of Hapeville will close in observance of Good Friday. If you have an emergency, please call 911. The non-emergency number for the Police Department is 404-669-2111 and the Fire Department is 404-669-2141. John Thompson for the AJC

Program aims to help teen dads

Fulton County is looking for 40 teenage fathers who need help raising their infants.

The Teen Determined Active Dedicated Supportive (D.A.D.S.) program invites 40 young dads to take part in their program, which provides legal assistance to legitimize children and job search help. The program also offers help buying diapers, formula, food and other infant items, officials said.

Information: 404-613-8738. Megan Matteucci

Man punches woman at ATM; suspect held

Police have captured a suspect in an attack on a 75-year-old woman outside a Clayton County bank.

The woman told police she was punched in the face Saturday outside the BB&T Bank on North Main Street in Jonesboro.

The victim told police she pulled up to the ATM and the suspect approached her car, according to a police report. After punching the woman, the suspect took her purse, including her credit cards and AARP card, the report states.

The woman was treated for minor injuries.On Wednesday, officers captured a suspect and said others may be involved. Charges are pending. Megan Matteucci

Concert to benefit Starr’s Mill High School

Jazz and jive will fill the Frederick Brown, Jr. Amphitheater in Peachtree City Saturday night during the “Night of Starrs” concert to benefit Starr’s Mill High School’s music programs. The concert starts at 7 p.m. and will feature the “Swingin’ Starrs” Jazz Ensembles and the “Octave Above” Jazz Choir, as well as a silent auction and refreshments.

Tickets are $10 and available at the door. Jill Howard Church for the AJC