County by county news for Tuesday

They include replacement of the existing metal roof, painting, installation of new light fixtures and improvement of the air quality with a new dehumidification unit.

Information: prca.cobbcountyga.gov/Aquatics-WestCobb.htm.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Housing starts help Austell economy

Austell has 60 new houses getting ready to be built, Austell Building Inspector Craig Carpenter told the AJC this week.

Also, 47 new families have moved into the city this year, he added.

Regarding flood homes from the 2009 flood, 24 were rebuilt last year and 11 have been rebuilt this year, he noted.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Empty Plate Social for pantries

The Christian Aid Mission Partnership of Austell and Our Father’s Hands of Powder Springs will present their Empty Plate Social 7 p.m. Saturday at Adventure Outdoors, 2500 South Cobb Drive, Smyrna.

The includes an auction, barbecue and bluegrass to raise funds to provide food and clothing for local residents in need.

Cost: $50 per person. Information: ourfathershands.com/about, svcamp.org.

Reservations: svcamp.org/events/empty_plate/empty_plate.htm. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Acworth to build new police headquarters

Acworth broke ground last week on a $4.75 million police station on Acworth Industrial Drive. Construction should be completed by summer. The headquarters, adjacent to the current facility, will be four times larger, at 23,000 square feet, will have more office and storage space, a meeting space for community outreach programs and kennels for the city’s three police dogs.

The project will be funded by 2011 SPLOST money. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Medicare workshop for baby boomers

Elliott and Associates Wealth Advisors, Inc. will host a free educational Medicare workshop for baby boomers at 9 a.m. Oct. 26 at the office, 1225 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 600, Marietta.

Topics will include how Medicare enrollment periods work, expectations for health care costs, how Medicare works with private insurance and planning for higher health care costs in retirement. Seating is limited and reservations are recommended.

Information: www.elliottandassoc.net or 770-451-2446. Veronica Fields Johnson

Marietta to hold citizens academy

Marietta will give a behind-the-scenes look at local government at a five-week citizens’ government academy from 6 to 8 p.m. Nov. 4 at City Hall, 205 Lawrence St. Must be 18 or older. Registration deadline: Oct. 25. Information: 770-794-5507 or www.mariettaga.gov. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

GWINNETT

Norcross to study railroad crossing safety

Norcross will hold a Public Open House to discuss potential safety improvements to the railroad crossing at Holcomb Bridge Road 5-7 p.m. Tuesday, October 29 at the Norcross Community Center, 10 College Street. Residents will have an opportunity to speak one on one with project staff, discuss project goals and objectives, review and comment on potential solutions. Info: Leah Vaughan at leahvaughan@sycamoreconsulting.net or 404-377-9147.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

3 new principals named in Gwinnett

Three Gwinnett County schools have new principals in the Berkmar and Norcross clusters. The Gwinnett County Board of Education late last week elevated Karen Lillard, assistant principal at Beaver Ridge Elementary, to school principal; Pamela Williams, assistant principal of Nesbit Elementary, to principal of Bethesda Elementary; Alfred “Al” Taylor, principal at Radloff Middle School, to principal of Berkmar high School.

Nancy Badertscher

Online campus hosts semester registration

Registration forGwinnett school system’s online campus extends through Nov. 20 for grades 4-12.

Gwinnett Online Campus will host two informational meetings 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 4 and Nov. 19 at the school, 713 Hi Hope Road, Lawrenceville.

Online Campus students learn the same curriculum and participate in the same assessments as students enrolled in traditional Gwinnett schools.

Information: www.gwinnettonlinecampus.com/attend-goc.html Nancy Badertscher

Duluth announces new Chattapoochee Mayor

Duluth voters have elected Marley, the “Art Shop Dog,” as the 2nd Mayor of the City of Duluth Chattapoochee Dog Park. Mayor Marley will represent the city at public events, coordinate operational improvements of the park, and provide recommendations for future development with the City Parks and Recreation Department. Information: mayormarley@gmail.com, or 770-789-7705. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Park plans move ahead for Five Forks Trickum

Commissioners awarded a contract last week to develop construction documents for the future J.B. Williams Park on Five Forks Trickum Road in Lilburn.

The 26-acre park will feature a lighted baseball field and allow for development of a multi-purpose field at nearby Mountain Park as well as a concession/restroom building, pavilion/playground complex, youth activity area, dog park, asphalt trail, picnic structures, paved connecting walkways, new entrance with deceleration lane, signage, parking lot and site lighting.

Funding for the $171,000 contract comes from the 2009 SPLOST program.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Canton eliminates work session meetings

The Canton City Council voted 5-1 to eliminate its system of one work session, or non-voting meeting a month, and one voting meeting. rom now the sessions held the first and third meetings of the month will be voting meetings.

The present policy, adopted in May of 2012, had limited voting during work sessions to emergencies, however the councilhas voted on items seen as more routine at times. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth schools seeks input on boundaries

Forsyth County Schools officials are seeking input until Nov. 1 on a second draft of proposed school boundary attendance changes for 2014-2015. The changes would impact eight elementary and three middle schools, high schools would stay the same.

The altered attendance lines are designed to relieve overcrowding at several south Forsyth campuses.

A final vote is set Nov. 21.

Information: forsyth.k12.ga.us

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Holly Springs facility named after mayor

The pavilion adjacent to the Holly Springs historic train depot is now officially named after James T. Hardin, a longtime former mayor, city council member and businessman.

A naming ceremony was held Monday morning. Hardin, who operated a blacksmith shop and mill for several decades and was active in both church and civic affairs, died in 1969.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Garden club to host monthly meeting

The Roswell Garden Club will meet at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the Bill Johnson Community Activities Building, 10495 Woodstock Road, Roswell.

Herb Society of America member Rita Bissell will discuss strawberry jars.

The event is free to the public.

Information: 404-372-9556.

Laurie Hoffman

Golf tourney to benefit displaced children

The All Kids Count Golf Classic is 10 a.m. Tuesday at Roswell’s Ansley Golf Club at Settindown Creek.

The $250 registration fee includes the greens fee for 18 holes of golf; a cart, and a box lunch, awards and a silent auction.

Proceeds to assist foster, and displaced children. Information: 770-280-7831, or events@fostercares.org. Laurie Hoffman

Road work set on Cherokee highways

The Georgia Department of Transportation has awarded a $4.1 million contract for safety improvements to Ga. 20 and Ga. 140 in Cherokee County.

The project will include improving signage and pavement markings on both highways, guardrails and edge line/centerline rumble strip installations.

Work is set to be complete by the end of June 2014, but no start date has been set.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Thieves steal ATM from gas station

Surveillance video from Citgo on Cleveland Avenue at I-85 showed that thieves used a pickup truck to repeatedly ram an ATM mounted outside the gas station early Monday before finally knocking the cash machine off its foundation and stealing it.

Police said that once the thieves broke the cash machine free, they put it in the back of the red Dodge Dakota and drove away. Mike Morris

Atlanta school board election forums set

Voters can hear from Atlanta school board candidates at three upcoming forums sponsored by 100 Black Men of Atlanta.

Each of the three forums will cover three of the nine Atlanta Board of Education races that will be decided on Election Day on Nov. 5.

The events will be held at Ebenezer Baptist Church, today, The Temple in Midtown Atlanta Wednesday, and Cascade United Methodist Church Thursday. Mark Niesse

Library to screen art television program

The Friends of Peachtree Library, in partnership with Art21 as part of its Access 100 Artists initiative, will present an exclusive screening of episodes from the Art in the Twenty-First Century television series from 6:30 to 7:45 p.m. on select Wednesdays at the library, 1315 Peachtree St. N.E.

The event features a screening of an entire Art21 themed episode and a short discussion.

The “Protest” episode will screen on Oct. 30.

Information: 404-885-7830.

Veronica Fields Johnson

Google to sponsor Mini Maker Faire

Google will be the presenting sponsor of the 2013 Atlanta Mini Maker Faire, scheduled for 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Oct. 26 at Georgia Institute of Technology, 225 North Ave. N.W.

The free event will showcase robots, electric cars, 3-D printers, vintage computing, textiles, painting, artificial intelligence, music, sculptures, crafts, home fabrication and more. Information: makerfaireatl.com. Mea Watkins

DEKALB

Forum for school board candidates tonight

Decatur school board candidates Mark Arnold, Lewis Jones and Annie Caiola will hold a forum/meet and greet tonight (Tuesday), 7-9 p.m., at The Church at Decatur Heights, 735 Sycamore Drive, Decatur. Longtime Decatur High teacher Chris Billingsley moderates the forum.

Arnold and Lewis are running for the District 1, Post A seat being vacated by Marc Wisniewski, board member since 2001 and chairman since 2011. Caiola, who’s unopposed, replaces Valarie Wilson, an at large member since 2002.

Bill Banks for the AJC

Veteran teacher recognized at IMH

Second grade teacher Ruthie Patch has been named Employee of the Year at Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic School. Patch has taught at IHM in DeKalb County for 25 years, 23 as a second grade teacher. “I am so fortunate to teach children who are respectful, kind, and eager to learn,” Patch said. “Their parents are supportive and involved, and the faculty and staff are a second family to me.” She will be honored in February at the Archbishop’s Education Banquet.

Nancy Badertscher

Schools step up residency audit

City Schools Decatur has recently intensified efforts of auditing residencies to detect out-of-district students illegally enrolled.

Superintendent Phyllis Edwards said with the system’s increasing growth, she is “putting a focus on checking residency and [making] home visits,” beginning with first-year students and those in the transitional grades (fourth, sixth, ninth).

So far 15 illegal students have been removed. CSD currently has a total enrollment of 3,986, the fifth consecutive year with a growth of 10 percent or more.

Bill Banks for the AJC

Tucker to fund cityhood study

Tucker Together has become the latest cityhood group to raise enough money to fund a study to determine whether it should become a new city in DeKalb County.

Group director Michelle Penkava said the group reached its $30,000 goal in just one month and will soon hire the Andrew Young School of Policy Studies at Georgia State University to create a financial and service study for the area.

At least three other cities, some with overlapping borders, are under review in DeKalb. Organizers for a city of Briarcliff, Lakeside and Stonecrest are also funding studies. April Hunt

DeKalb offers mental health training

A daylong course in mental health first aid will be offered Thursday at the Richardson Health Center in Decatur.

The DeKalb Community Service Board is offering the program, designed to identify and help connect people in crisis with available resources.

Registration/information: 404-508-7875 or www.dekcsb.org. April Hunt

Lawmakers to host youth town hall

State lawmakers from DeKalb County will host a youth town hall today to help young residents voice their concerns.

The event runs from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, near Lithonia. April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Unprepared lawyer suspended 18 months

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday suspended Jonesboro lawyer Herbert Adams Jr. from practicing law for 18 months for repeatedly being unprepared to represent his clients at trial.

Adams, who agreed to the recommended discipline, was cooperative during the investigations of the complaints against him and remorseful for his actions, the court said. Before being reinstated, Adams must provide certification from a psychiatrist that shows he is mentally competent to practice law, the court said.

Bill Rankin

Fire department kicks off cancer fundraiser

The Union City Fire Department is selling T-shirts in support of breast cancer awareness and education.

Funds go to the Canton-based Georgia Breast Cancer Coalition. Price: $13 or $15.

Information: demoore@unioncityga.org

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

College Park intends to set up night court

College Park city officials are working on setting up a night court program.

It’s planned for the first and fourth Tuesdays of each month beginning Jan 7. City Manager Terrence Moore says discussions have been taking place on staffing and funding.

He says increasing police department and municipal court caseloads are driving the program. Plans are for the court to hear such cases as minor criminal offenses and code-enforcement issues.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Commissioner hosts second masked ball

Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes will host the second annual Commissioner’s Masked Ball from 7-11 p.m. Oct. 31, in the Egyptian Ballroom of the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. A.J. “Buddy” Welch Jr., June Wood, and Dr. Cynthia McCray will be honored during the evening’s festivities.

All proceeds benefit the Commissioner Bruce Holmes Youth Foundation. Tickets may be purchased through Eventbrite at www.cbhyf.eventbrite.com.

Information: 404-310-0460 or 770-597-7544.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

Peachtree City firehouse gets haunted

The Peachtree City Volunteer Firefighters Association will create thrills and chills at its annual Haunted House 7 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday at the Leach Fire Station at Ga. Hwy. 74 and Paschall Road.

Hot dogs and drinks will also be available.

Admission is $10 for adults and $8 for students; proceeds benefit the association. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Union City park to host fall festival

Ronald Bridges Park and Recreation will host a fall family festival from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Friday at the park, 5285 Lakeside Dr., Union City.

Activities will include games, candy, prizes, train rides and a costume contest. The event is free.

Information: www.unioncityga.org.

Veronica Fields Johnson