County by county news for Thursday

Water authority approves 2012 budget

The County-Marietta Water Authority board of directors on Monday voted 6-0 to approve an operating budget for the 2012 fiscal year, which calls for an 8 percent increase in revenue, to $71.4 million, from $66 million this year. The board said expenses are projected to increase 8.6 percent, from $38.3 million to $41.5 million. Authority general manager Glenn Page said there will be no staff raises or cost-of-living increases. Page said the increase is not expected to raise the rates the authority charges its customers, including Marietta and Smyrna. Jeffry Scott

Lockheed workers back at work after strike

Some Lockheed credit union employees went back to work Tuesday after their union, Lockheed’s Local 709, agreed to a contract last week and ended a strike that began Dec. 2.

Seventeen of the LGE Credit Union employees, returned to work; 11 others lost their jobs that were filled during the strike by replacement workers.

The contract will replace the union’s pension plan with a 401K plan, offer merit increases instead of across-the-board raises and allows employees to be transferred among the company’s seven branches. Janel Davis

Theatre in the Square needs more money

Marietta’s Theatre in the Square has raised $240,389 toward a $350,000 goal to continue the theater’s 30th season. The theater needs to raise an additional $400,000 to open the 2012-13 season in the fall. The theater receives 65 percent of its income from ticket sales, but has seen a drop in individual and corporate donations in recent years. Information: www.theatreinthesquare.com. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Seniors have temporary meeting place

Austell area senior citizens are meeting temporarily in Powder Springs until their new senior center in Cobb County’s Clarkdale Park is ready in April.

Their center flooded twice when it was located at Austell’s Legion Park. Meanwhile, they are meeting in the Stana farmhouse owned by Cobb County on Brownsville Road. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Kennesaw parks offers winter classes

Kennesaw’s Parks and Recreation department has opened registration for more than 125 winter and spring classes for youth and adults from Zumba and Chinese to digital photography and a class that teaches young girls how to keep a healthy weight. Check program information at www.kennesaw-ga.gov/pkrec or at the Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Dr. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

GWINNETT

Norcross hires new police chief

Warren Summers, a drug prosecutor with the Alcovy Judicial Circuit’s Newton County office, has been hired as the new Norcross police chief.

Summers will start his new role Wednesday and replace outgoing Chief Dallas Stidd, who announced his retirement earlier this year. Summers began his law enforcement career in 1976 with the Stockbridge Police Department. He then worked at the Rockdale County Sheriff’s Office in a number of roles until his retirement in 2006. Summers later earned bachelor’s and law degrees before pursuing a career as a prosecutor. Joel Anderson

Five Forks library to get improvements

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has approved $1.1 million worth of improvements to the Five Forks library branch in Lawrenceville.

On Dec. 13 commissioners awarded the contract to Classic Plains Construction, the lowest of eight bidders.

The company will install new lighting, mechanical equipment and temperature controls and make other improvements. It also will add new carpet and repaint the library.

The county will use voter-approved sales tax funds to pay for the project. David Wickert

Suwanee photo contest deadline Dec. 31

The deadline for submitting photos to Suwanee’s annual Snap Suwanee photography competition is Dec. 31.

Photographs should have been taken within the city limits of Suwanee, preferably sometime in the past two years. Winners of the competition will be displayed at City Hall for about a year starting in March.

The competition is open to amateur and professional photographers.

Information: www.suwanee.com. Joel Anderson

Middle school bands to perform at festival

Gwinnett middle school bands were among five in the state invited to perform at the 21st annual University of Georgia Middle School Band Festival.

They include: Jones Middle’s eighth grade honor band, directed by Tonya Millsap; Crews Middle’s eighth grade band, directed by Frank Folds and Amanda Hertel; and North Gwinnett Middle’s eighth grade symphonic band, directed by Mary Wilson and Hunter McRae.

The band directors received the Citation of Excellence presented by the National Band Association. D. Aileen Dodd

Sheriff office to help with homeless inmates

The Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office is partnering with the United Way of Metro Atlanta and the Regional Commission on Homelessness to provide services for homeless inmates following their release from jail.

The released inmates will receive shelter, drug treatment, job skills training and crime prevention classes.

The cost of the program will be covered by money from the agency’s drug asset forfeitures account.

Information: 770-822-3924 or Stacey.bourbonnais@gwinnettcounty.com. Joel Anderson

NORTHSIDE

Man gets life plus 20 for home violent invasion

A Sandy Springs man was sentenced to life plus 20 years in prison late Monday for his role in a violent 2009 Roswell home invasion, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office announced Tuesday. Authorities said Rueben Allen, 32, and an accomplice pistol-whipped a pawn shop owner outside his home on Horseshoe Bend. They made the man’s wife open a safe and held a gun on the couple’s 11-year-old son. They choked their 14-year-old daughter, who got away and called police. Two other men have already been sentenced. Angel K. Brooks

Milton to offer Christmas tree recycling

On Jan. 7 the city of Milton will offer Christmas tree recycling as part of Georgia’s “Bring One For The Chipper” program. Residents may take Christmas trees from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. to multiple locations: Milton High School’s Birmingham Road entrance at 13025 Birmingham Highway and Home Depot at 5300 Windward Parkway. Scottsdale Farms at 15639 Birmingham Highway will also offer extended drop off starting Monday through Jan. 7. Also, Milton Boy Scout Troop 841 will pick up trees for a $10 donation. To schedule a pick-up, e-mail treepickup841@yahoo.com. Andria Simmons

Creekview students collect, give gifts

The Creekview High School National Honor Society collected and distributed Build-A-Bear stuffed animals to needy children of more than 130 families in Cherokee County for Christmas. The donations came from club members, Creekview High School students and faculty and the Build-A-Bear Workshop located at Town Center at Cobb in Kennesaw. The gifts were distributed on Dec. 17 at a Christmas party for the needy, sponsored by the Woodstock First Baptist Church Care Ministry. Mea Watkins

Invitational basketball tourney next week

The second annual Peach State Basketball Holiday Invitational will be held Tuesday through Thursday at Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School, located at 805 Mount Vernon Highway N.W. The tournament is sponsored by jumpoffplus.com. Daily admission is $8 for adults, $5 for students and children 5 and under are free. Information: www.peachstatehoops.com. Veronica Fields Johnson

Reinhardt, Moore school give gifts to needy

Reinhardt University, in conjunction with their partner in education, R.M. Moore Elementary School, has collected gifts for local families as part of their annual Giving Tree. University faculty, staff and students donated 70 gifts ranging from clothing and shoes to dolls and games. The gifts will be presented to 18 local children ages 2-12. Mea Watkins

Karate centers break boards for charity

The Dojo American Karate Centers of Crabapple teamed up with North Fulton Community Charities (NFCC) to raise $4,296 to aid families in Alpharetta, Johns Creek, Milton, Mountain Park and Roswell. Over 900 boards for dollar pledges were broken during the “Break-A-Thon,” held on Nov. 19. Mea Watkins

ATLANTA

Council to hold hearing on voting maps

The Atlanta City Council has scheduled a public hearing to discuss the 2011 redistricting of council district boundaries.

Residents are invited to weigh in during the next regular meeting of the Committee on Council, which meets on Jan. 3 at 11:15 a.m. at Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue SW.

The meeting will be held in Committee Room 2 on the second floor of City Hall.

The committee will consider the “Plan 5 map,” which may be viewed in the Office of Municipal Clerk at City Hall and on the City Council website at http://citycouncil.atlantaga.gov/REDISTRICTING.htm Jeremiah McWilliams

Braves 400 Fan Club fundraiser Jan. 21

The Braves 400 Fan Club is hosting its annual winter banquet and fundraiser on Jan. 21, at the Atlanta Marriott Century Center Hotel.

This year’s Gameboree honors the 1991 and 1992 National League Champions.

Players and coaches from those teams have been invited. Braves radio play-by-play announcer Jim Powell will be the emcee.

A gala reception, silent auction and Braves memorabilia raffle begin at 5 p.m., with the awards dinner and program at 6:30 p.m. Reservation info: www.braves400.org or 770-416-4539. Nancy Badertscher

Sign up for Appalachian hike for cancer

The third annual CureSearch for Children’s Cancer Ultimate Hike to benefit pediatric cancer research will be April 21, 2012.

Participants will hike 26.5 miles of the Appalachian Foothills Trail in one day.

Each hiker is required to attend one information session around metro Atlanta in January.

Hikers will learn about Hike weekend, Hike training and fundraising.

A $100 registration donation is required.

To register for an Ultimate Hike information meeting, please visit www.ultimatehike.org/atlanta. Kenneth Musisi

DEKALB

Clarkston trash pick-up on schedule

Curbside trash pick-up will continue on its regular schedule in Clarkston, despite the holidays. Waste Management will collect trash as usual on Monday, Dec. 26 and Monday, Jan. 2. For bulky items, residents must call the Friday before scheduled collection, at 404-296-6489. April Hunt

Leadership DeKalb marks 25th year

A group that provides training to create community leaders recently celebrated its 25th anniversary in DeKalb County.

Leadership DeKalb has graduated more than 1,000 people from its program since starting in 1986. The nonprofit works to boost residents’ abilities to address quality of life issues in the community. It also has launched a Youth Leadership program to mentor high school students in leadership and civic engagement.

More information: www.leadershipdekalb.org. April Hunt

UGA DeKalb to hold business workshop

The University of Georgia Small Business Development Center-DeKalb office will present the Starting a Business workshop on Jan. 10, at 2296 Henderson Mill Road, Suite 404B, from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $69. For groups, the first person pays full price and additional colleague’s half price. Pre-registration is required online at www.dekalbsbdc.org. Information: Barbara Johnson at 770-414-3110. Kenneth Musisi

Stalled project set to open in Spring

Panola Slope, a mixed use development in south DeKalb County, is set to open next spring.

The 10-acre project on Covington Highway features brownstones, midrise condos and 12,000 square feet of retail space. A previous developer built the street-level retail area in 2007 but the project ended in foreclosure.

APD Solutions, an Atlanta firm, has since taken over the project. The company and county leaders held a dedication ceremony in November, pledging a 2012 opening. The development is the centerpiece of a larger effort to revamp the Hidden Hills area in DeKalb.

April Hunt

Decatur fire station work on schedule

The gutting and restoration of Decatur’s Fire Station #1 is on schedule according to Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon. Last week the city approved an additional $51,000 of work including relocating the fire pole assembly and adding a sprinkler system in the tower. Total coast for the 10,000-square-foot, three-bay station is $1,843,000. The renovated building, originally built in 1955, should be finished by next April or May, and will include individual showers and restrooms, a dormitory in the rear and a dayroom and kitchen in front. Bill Banks for the AJC

Kingdom Builders church to give away toys

Kingdom Builders Covenant Church at 3355 Columbia Drive in Decatur will present the “No Presents? No Problem!” event, featuring a 3,000 toy giveaway. The event will include Christmas music, treats, Santa, elves, a nativity scene and a toy for every child. The fun starts Christmas Day at 9 a.m. and 11 a.m. For information and to register your child, please visit www.kingdombuilders.tv. Kenneth Musisi

SOUTHSIDE

Commission approves new district maps

Fulton County has approved new commission district maps, accounting for 2010 census figures. If adopted by the legislature and deemed in compliance with federal law, the maps go into effect after 2014 elections. Commissioner Liz Hausmann objected to Northside districts having more than 187,000 people apiece, while two Southside districts will be closer to 180,000. She reminded the panel of the calls for another north Fulton district. Commissioner Bill Edwards said he’s tired of threats to add another commissioner and to re-form Milton County. Johnny Edwards

Callaway principal honored for heroic act

Callaway Elementary Principal Marcus Fuller was honored recently by Clayton County Commissioners for his heroic act which saved the life of a Mundy’s Mill High School student hit by a car. Fuller was on his way to work on Oct. 11 when he saw the young man lying in the road. Fuller positioned his car in the middle of the road to keep traffic from hitting the young man until help arrived. Police are looking for the driver who struck the student. If you have information, contact Clayton’s Hit and Run Investigations at 770-473-3983. Tammy Joyner

Two shot in Clayton home invasion

A Clayton County resident and a suspect were both shot Wednesday during an early morning home invasion in an upscale neighborhood off Jodeco Road. Police are looking for one of the two intruders who kicked in the front door of the home on Betony Wood Trail shortly after midnight.

“A weapon was produced, a struggle ensued and two people were shot,” Clayton police Sgt. Otis Willis told Channel 2 Action News. A man who lives in the home was shot in the hand, and one of the suspects was shot in the head. Both men were alert when they were taken to the hospital. Mike Morris

Kauffman Tire names business of year

Kauffman Tire, a major Clayton County employer, was recently awarded the Georgia Large Family Business of the Year Award by Kennesaw State University’s Cox Family Enterprise Center. It was founded in Wooster, Ohio, in 1936. The headquarters was moved to Clayton in 1975. The company has 860 employees, 48 retail stores in Georgia and Florida, 13 distribution centers in six states, four commercial tire centers, and a retreading facility in Ohio. Tammy Joyner

Clayton County offices close for holiday

Clayton County Government Offices will be closed Friday and Monday in observance of the Christmas holiday.

County offices will reopen with normal operations on Tuesday. Tammy Joyner

Clothes Less Traveled donates $10,000

Clothes Less Traveled, a nonprofit faith-based thrift store in Peachtree City, has given a $10,000 grant to Fayette Senior Services to help serve local residents. The funds will support FSS’s Meals on Wheels program, which delivers about 40,000 meals a year to area seniors, and its transportation programto help those in need get to medical appointments. Jill Howard Church for the AJC