County by county news for Thursday

Medical personnel on the scene determined Blackwell “appeared to have possibly suffered from a medical event,” according to a news release.

Police say the crash remains under investigation. Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call (770) 499-3987. Michelle E. Shaw

Marietta council member loses recount

Marietta Ward 1 council member Annette Lewis lost her seat to Stuart Fleming by one vote Tuesday in a recount by the Cobb County Board of Elections.

Lewis, who was seeking a third term on council, asked for a recount which confirmed the 142 to 141 vote cast Nov. 5.

The ward has 2,421 voters. Fleming served on the Marietta City Schools Board of Education from 2009-2013 before running for city council.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

KSU to host Civil War music event tonight

The Civil War Roundtable of Cobb County and the Civil War Center at Kennesaw State University will host “Confederates at the Keyboard: Southern Piano Music During the Civil War,” at 7 p.m. tonight at the KSU Bailey Performance Center, 1000 Chastain Rd., Kennesaw. Dr. David B. Thompson, professor of music at Limestone College, will give a lecture and performance. The event is free. Information: www.kennesaw.edu/civilwarera. Veronica Fields Johnson

Three-way runoff

in Austell on Dec. 3

Three candidates in the Ward 3 race for Austell City Council will be in a runoff on Dec. 3.

Former Councilman Randy P. Green received nearly 49 percent or 94 votes on Nov. 5.

Tying were Councilman Martin Standard and Austell Board of Variance and Appeals member Ann F. Turner, both receiving 25.5 percent or 49 votes.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Cobb schools seek input on plan for future

The Cobb County School District is looking for input on a Vision 2026 plan that is considering future options that include charter, performance-based or status quo systems. The 6:30 p.m. meetings will be Nov. 18 at Campbell High School in Smyrna, Nov. 21 at South Cobb High School in Austell, Dec. 3 at Kennesaw Mountain High School in Kennesaw and Dec. 5 at Lasster High School in east Cobb. Information: www.cobbK12.org.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Austell posts Facebook comment restrictions

After the posting of recent negative comments about Mayor Joe Jerkins and the city on its Facebook page, a lengthy “Commenting and Privacy Policy” was posted recently on that page.

Repeat violators may be prohibited from posting on the city’s Facebook page.

Information:

, info@austellga.gov or City Hall, 770-944-4300. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Funeral set for former Lilburn councilwoman

Helen Morriss, a former Lilburn city councilwoman and lifelong public servant passed away Monday. She was 80. Visitation is set for 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at Bill Head Funeral Home, 6101 Lawrenceville Highway, Tucker. Funeral services will follow the visitation at 1 p.m. at the same location. Morriss was elected to city council from 1989 to 1994. She represented Lilburn on the Gwinnett County Planning Commission and helped form the Lilburn Planning Commission. She also served on the Lilburn Merit Board and was a current member of the Downtown Development Authority at the time of her passing. Arlinda Smith Broady

Duluth to hold 35th annual tree lighting

Duluth will celebrate the 35th Annual “Lighting of the Duluth Tree” 4 to 6:30 p.m. Nov. 30 at festival center on Town Green. City Hall will be open 4-6:30 p.m. with live musical performances. Event includes games, story time and holiday crafts for the kids. The outdoor musical celebration begins at 6:30 p.m. al arrival of Santa Claus will arrive with his live reindeer. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Kindles coming to Norcross classrooms

Susan O. Stripling Elementary School has received $15,000 from Corus 360 Cares and the Georgia Compassion Project to support the school’s technology integration and e-class initiatives. New kindles, e-readers, software subscriptions and tablets are among items tp be purchased. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Gingerbread house competition begins

The Gwinnett Environmental and Heritage Center will host its fourth annual Sustainable Gingerbread House Competition and Exhibit with entries accepted beginning Nov. 25.

. Awards will be presented during the GEHC’s Green Your Holiday Program at 11 a.m. Dec. 14. Entries will be available for viewing at the GEHC until Jan. 3. Information: www.gwinnettehc.org/.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Hudgens has Spanish/English workshops

The Hudgens Center for the Arts will hold two workshops taught in Spanish and English this fall.

The first Mosaic Workshop will focus on fall/winter garden décor 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Nov. 16 for adults and children 14 and up. The second Creating Experimental Artwork in Mixed-Media will be 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Dec. 7 for children 8 and older.

Details: www.thehudgens.org.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Call for art, fundraiser for African village

Kudzu Art Zone invites Georgia artists age 18 and up working in two- and three-dimensional media to participate in the Karansi Project art exhibit through Nov. 22, at the gallery, 116 Carlyle St., Norcross.

Deadline to turn in art work is Oct. 26. Kudzu Art Zone, in partnership with the Tanzania Global Team ministry of Perimeter Church, is sponsoring the fundraiser to benefit relief efforts for the village of Karansi, Tanzania. Information: www.kudzuartzone.org or 770-840-9844.

Veronica Fields Johnson

NORTHSIDE

Qualifying set in House District 22 election

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp has set qualifying next Monday through Wednesday for the Jan.7 special election to fill the seat of State Rep. Calvin Hill, R-Canton.

Hill died Oct.30 of leukemia. Times: 9.a.m-5 p.m. Monday, 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Tuesday, 8 a.m.-noon Wednesday. Place: Secretary of State’s Elections Division, 802. West Tower, 2 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive SE, Atlanta. Fee: $400 for the non-partisan election.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth sheriff’s employees get raises

Sworn Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office employees- up through the rank of lieutenant-will get a roughly 7 percent pay raise.

County commissioners okayed the plan 5-0 Tuesday.

Major Rick Doyle says the bump was needed to keep the office competitive as it recruits employees in conjunction with the new jail project.

The new pay structure takes effect Nov. 18. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Woodstock trail completion delayed

Woodstock Parks and Recreation Director Preston Pooser says construction on the multi-use Noonday Creek trail, originally set for the fall, has been pushed back to January or February.

Pooser says the 1.5 mile, $1 million trail from downtown Woodstock to Ga. 92 near I-575 was held up by bad weather earlier this year.

He says one stretch has yet to be finished.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Annual fundraiser sets record in Cherokee

The 29th annual Riverfest Arts and Crafts festival raised $70,544 for the non-profit Service League of Cherokee County, a record.

Money from the annual fundraiser held Sept. 28 and 29 in Canton’s Boling Park will be used for needy children’s’ initiatives, ranging from healthcare and eyeglasses for kids to rent and utility help for their parents.Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Roswell cultural and arts guide released

The city of Roswell’s 2013-2014 Arts and Cultural Organizations Directory has been released.

The resource guide contains information about 21 organizations in the city which offer arts and cultural programming.

Residents can download the guide at www.roswellgov.com/ArtsMonth.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Alpharetta library hosts exhibit by local artists

The Alpharetta Library Branch will host the Alpha Arts Guild Art Exhibit at the library, 238 Canton St., Alpharetta, daily during library hours through the end of the year.

The display features artwork in a variety of styles and media by members of the Alpha Arts Guild, an organization for North Fulton-based artists. Information: 770-740-2425

Veronica Fields Johnson

ATLANTA

APS cuts a teacher furlough day

The Atlanta Board of Education planned Monday to abolish a teacher furlough day that was scheduled for Jan. 6, which will become a professional development day.

Board members said they wanted to restore staff pay and improve morale by eliminating one of four furlough days, costing the district about $1.5 million. Atlanta Public Schools employees already took one furlough day, and the remaining two are scheduled for March 17 and May 27. Mark Niesse

CAU to host prostate cancer forum today

The Center for Cancer Research and Therapeutic Development at Clark Atlanta University, in partnership with CAU-TV, will host a free town hall forum, Prostate Cancer in African-American Men: Biology vs. Lifestyle, from 1 to 2:30 p.m. today at the Robert W. Woodruff Library, Studio A (lower level), 111 James P. Brawley Dr., S.W. Paid parking in deck on Mildred Street. Information: cancerinfo@cau.edu or 404-880-6878. Veronica Fields Johnson

Aero Club to host Hartsfield GM

The Atlanta Aero Club will meet today at the Capital City Club Downtown, 7 John Portman Blvd. Louis E. Miller, General Manager of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, will be the featured speaker. Attendees can register and network beginning at 11 a.m. Cost is $40 for members and $50 for guests, which includes a three-course lunch that begins at noon. Information: www.atlantaaeroclub.org/.

Veronica Fields Johnson

Grant to give books to 35,000 children

The James M. Cox Foundation announced Monday a $300,000 grant to support Reach Out and Read, Georgia’s Rx for Success initiative. The grant will ensure that 35,000 children receive high-quality books during visits to their pediatricians. Children six months to five years receive a new book to take home, and doctors and nurses provide guidance to parents about the importance of reading aloud every day. Nancy Badertscher

DEKALB

Zoning committee recommends new map

At Tuesday’s meeting, 19 of 21 members of Decatur’s K-3 Zoning Committee recommended to the school board a final draft map rezoning the city’s elementary schools. The committee cited the finalist as having the best balance of capacity and diversity, while keeping most neighborhoods intact. But the map does zone much of Lenox Place to Westchester rather than the much-closer Oakhurst, thus angering roughly 20 Lenox residents attending. There remains a community meeting (Dec. 3) and work session (Dec. 4) before final board approval on Dec. 10.

Bill Banks for the AJC

Traffic lights not getting longer

Decatur is planning a “complete upgrade” in its traffic signals. There’s no precise date, but officials hope it’ll happen “sooner rather than later.”

The city hasn’t made any of its roughly 50 lights longer. All are on timers with some having loops in the ground triggering a signal. All lights and pedestrian crosswalks with buttons get checked by an outside company once a month. Bill Banks for the AJC

Senior group wins grant to help veterans

Senior Connections, a nonprofit that serves senior citizens in DeKalb and Fulton counties, recently won a $175,000 grant for repairs to the homes of senior veterans or their surviving spouses.

It is the second grant in a row for the group from the Home Depot Foundation for repairs such as new roofs, plumbing work and fixes to heating and cooling systems.

Information: www.seniorconnectionsatl.org. April Hunt

Animal shelter offering “classics”

The new “shelter classics” program at DeKalb County’s animal shelter is offering discounts on adoptable pets that have been overlooked for homes.

Animals that have been at the facility for at least one month can be adopted for $20, while pets at the center for two months can be adopted for free.

The animals come fully vaccinated and fixed. Regular adoption screening rules apply.

Information: www.dekalbanimalservices.com. April Hunt

Event focuses on county maps

DeKalb County maps – for tax purposes, flood insurance and other issues – will be the focus of GIS Day Nov. 20 in Decatur.

The county department for GIS, or geographic information systems, oversees the layout of property around the county. The event, which runs from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Maloof Auditorium, will including mapping demonstrations, food and prizes.

Information: 404-371-2257.

April Hunt

History Center event spotlights JFK death

The DeKalb History Center will host a lecture on Nov. 19 on assassination and funeral of President John F. Kennedy.

Jennifer Richardson, a retired psychotherapist and former history center board member, will lead the Lunch at Learn, which begins at 11 a.m. Nov. 19 at the Old Courthouse on the Square, Decatur.

Information: www.dekalbhistory.org.

April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Stormwater fees to resume in Fayette

Fayette County voters’ rejection of a special sales tax to pay for critical infrastructure repairs will result in a resumption of stormwater fees.

The county is moving ahead to match available funding with the most urgent projects, but “in much smaller increments.”

The Board of Commissioners issued a statement saying it will “do its best to bring the aging infrastructure back into a state of good repair.” Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Santa for Seniors program in Fayette

The “Be a Santa for a Senior” gift drive is under way in Fayette County. Christmas trees with the names and needs of older residents are located throughout the county for donors to choose from.

Unwrapped gifts can be dropped off before Dec. 6; a wrapping party will be held Dec. 7 at Heritage Christian Church.

Information: www.BeaSantaToaSenior.com. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Inman and Oak Grove schools earn honors

The Georgia Department of Education has recognized Inman and Oak Grove elementary schools as among the 78 highest-performing Title I schools in the state. Students at both Fayette County schools scored in the top 5 percent on statewide assessments.

The schools will receive award plaques and flags next June. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Free bulk waste disposal on Saturday

Fulton County Commissioner William “Bill” Edwards will sponsor Bulk Waste Amnesty Day 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Creel Park, 2775 Creel Road; Merk Road Transfer Station, 3225 Merk Road; and South Fulton Service Center, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road all in College Park.Shred documents and dispose of bulk trash at no cost.

Information: 404-612-1011 or shaista.begum@fultoncountyga.gov. Veronica Fields Johnson

Coat and blanket drive at orthopaedics center

Resurgens Orthopaedics and Orthopaedic South Surgical Center will accept donations of new and gently used coats and blankets through Dec. 16 to benefit neglected and abused women and children in need. Items will be donated to Haven House of Henry County and their partnering homeless shelters.

Drop off locations are Resurgens Orthopaedics offices at 6635 Lake Drive, Morrow; 105 Regency Park Drive, McDonough; 1336 Highway 54 West, Building 500, Fayetteville; and the Orthopaedic South Surgical Center, 6645 Lake Drive, Morrow. Veronica Fields Johnson

Christmas events in McDonough set

McDonough will officially kick off the Christmas season Dec. 7, with a variety of events. Santa Saturday on the Square is 11 a.m.-3 p.m. and the Kids’ Downtown Shop Around is 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

The city’s annual tree lighting and concert is set for 5 p.m. and the Christmas Parade begins at 6 p.m. Information: www.mainstreetmcdonough.com. Monroe Roark for the AJC