County by county news for Tuesday

The opening ceremony speaker was also a quarterback at Marietta High School and the University of Georgia.

Some 2,500 people and 203 teams are expected to walk the park’s track Friday night through Saturday morning. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Birrell to hold town hall meeting

Cobb County Commissioner JoAnn Birrell will hold a town hall meeting for constituents of her northeast district on Wednesday in Marietta.

Birrell will discuss development around the district, as well as, improvements and issues throughout the county.

The meeting begins at 6 p.m. at the Mountain View Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road in Marietta. Information 770-528-3317; www.cobbcounty.org/birrell Janel Davis

Firefighters go to Six Flags for training drill

Several fire departments from around metro Atlanta will be conducting a swiftwater river rescue training drill at Six Flags Over Georgia on Tuesday and Wednesday. The emergency crews will be able to train in rescue situations that simulate turbulent waters on the Thunder River ride. Gwinnett County Fire and Emergency Services, Cobb County Fire, City of Marietta Fire, Walker County Fire and City of Johns Creek Fire will all be present.

The drill lasts from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Andria Simmons

Hearts for Heroes fundraiser on Thursday

Hearts for Heroes, an annual Marietta Museum of History fundraiser which honors local military, starts 7 p.m. Thursday at Marietta’s Earl Smith Strand Theatre. The event is sponsored by Operation Stars & Stripes and community leaders. Ticket information: www.earlsmithstrand.org. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Powder Springs looks for market vendors

Powder Springs is looking for sellers to take part in its weekly Farmers Market.

The market will be open 4 to 7 p.m. Thursdays from June 7 through Sept. 27 in the parking lot of the Community Development Building, 4488 Pineview Drive in the downtown district.

Registration fees are $35 annually or $10 weekly.

Market regulations may be viewed at cityofpowdersprings.org .

Information: market coordinator Kim Peterson, ktpeterson@cityofpowdersprings.org or 770-943-8001, ext. 307.Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

‘Garden Gate’ tour to be Saturday

Folks with green thumbs can enjoy this year’s “Through the Garden Gate” tour on Saturday in Cobb County.

The tour will be from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. through seven private gardens and projects of Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County. Tickets are $10 in advance and can be purchased at the Cobb Extension Office or for $15 on the day of the tour at any of the gardens. Information: cobbmastergardeners.org. Ernie Suggs

GWINNETT

Ga. 316 work to interrupt traffic through Thursday

Construction will lead to overnight lane closures on Ga. 316 in Lawrenceville this week, weather permitting.

The left lane in each direction will close from Ga. 20 to Hi-Hope Road from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights. Delays are expected.

The state Department of Transportation is converting Ga. 316 intersections at Ga. 20 and Collins Hill Road into a single interstate-style interchange. The $37.4 million project is expected to be finished in 2014. David Wickert

Officials break ground Lawrenceville Lawn

Lawrenceville officials, contractors and designers broke ground Monday morning on the $4 million Lawrenceville Lawn project. The Lawrenceville Lawn, located between Clayton and Jackson streets, will feature an amphitheater, a playground and an interactive fountain. City Manager Bob Baroni said the project should be finished sometime in the spring or summer of 2013. City officials hope Lawrenceville Lawn will draw residents to the downtown area, and help solve some of the area’s problems with stormwater retention. Joel Anderson

Median work to begin in Lilburn CID

Improvements to medians along the Highway 29 corridor in the Lilburn Community Improvement District will start this week, according to the district. Lilburn CID said eight median areas from the Ronald Reagan Parkway to the U.S. Post Office will receive new plantings and ground cover.

Information: Gerald McDowell at 678-380-1000 or gmcdowell@lilburn. Joel Anderson

Christian academy to expand

Cornerstone Christian Academy in Norcross Georgia is expanding. The school, which recently celebrated its 10th anniversary, will continue in its current building and will have a second building on the existing campus geared strictly to middle school students. The school anticipates that it will take on more students interested in a Christian-based education and has hired additional teachers. Details: www.cornerstonecougars.org under the new initiatives section. Nancy Badertscher

12Stone Church to build campus in Duluth

12Stone Church will build a new 70,000-square-foot campus in Duluth.

The new facility on Sugarloaf Circle also will serve as headquarters for a leadership program that will train pastors and ministry leaders through partnerships with Wesley Seminary and Indiana Wesleyan University. 12Stone ranks among the 30 largest churches in the country and was the fastest-growing church in Georgia last year. David Wickert

Berkeley Lake farmer’s market rescheduled

The opening for Berkeley Lake’s Lakeside Market has been rescheduled for May 24, 4-7 p.m. The market plans to offer locally grown produce, handmade items and art. Additional information: Cary Thornton at carythornton@gmail.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

DOT to ramp up diverging diamond work

Work is set to pick up on the I-285 at Ashford Dunwoody Road diverging diamond interchange during the next two weeks, weather permitting.

The Georgia DOT will begin ramp construction work, including pouring concrete, grading and utility relocation and installation. No lane closures are planned during this phase of construction, said DOT District Construction Engineer Lee Upkins.

This will be Georgia’s first such interchange, although others are planned this year along I-85 in Gwinnett County. Patrick Fox

Website enhances property research

Researching the state’s largest county’s property records just got easier with a new website launched Monday by the Fulton County Board of Assessors. FultonAssessor.org has aerial photography, interactive maps, better sales search capability and more data on each property. Users can pull sales for whole subdivisions or neighborhoods, then import the results into spreadsheets -- a handy tool for tax value appeals. The site also shows flood maps, topography, voting locations and fire stations. Johnny Edwards

Homeschool student a National Merit Scholar

Bonnie Leigh Cruser, a homeschool student in Johns Creek, has been named as a National Merit Scholar. Cruser was selected to win a $2,500 scholarship to help fund her college education. Cruser has plans to attend the University of Notre Dame. D. Aileen Dodd

Milton residents can sign up for Smart911

Milton residents can now use the Smart911 notification system to increase the information available for first responders in an emergency situation. To sign up, residents can visit www.smart911.com and choose “Create Your Safety Profile.” The system, paid for with existing 911 fees, sends reminders to all users every six months, requiring them to verify all profile information. Patrick Fox

Cherokee takes applications for grants

Cherokee County officials are accepting 2013 program year applications for projects under the federal CommunityDevelopment Block Grant (CDBG) program. Projects that will be considered for grant awards include renovation and construction of public facilities and affordable housing projects. At least 70 percent of people served by CDBG programs must be low or moderate-income. Application deadline is July 6. Info: mpieper@cherokeega.com Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth completes stream project

Forsyth County marked completion of its first stream restoration project Monday. The project, inside Midway Park, was designed to improve overall downstream watershed conditions by stabilizing and restoring approximately 1,000 feet of degraded stream bank, using natural channel design methods. This work was supported by a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency 319(h) grant administered by the Georgia Environmental Protection Division.

Information: 770-781-2165. Patrick Fox

ATLANTA

Bond set for indicted Delta employee

A federal judge Monday set a $150,000 bond for one of three Delta Air Lines employees who were recently indicted on charges they tried to smuggle more than $600,000 worth of drugs through Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

U.S. Magistrate Linda Walker also said that, once bond is posted, Carlos R. Springer, 41, of Hampton, must remain confined to his home, stay away from Delta and its employees and have no communications with co-defendants Kelvin Rondon and Luis Marroquin, both of Atlanta. Marroquin remains a fugitive. Bill Rankin

Top awards for Grady journalism program

The journalism program at Atlanta’s Grady High School earned 10 general excellence awards at the 2012 Georgia Scholastic Press Association Awards, held April 26 at the University of Georgia. The school won four achievement awards and 38 individual awards. Info: http://thesoutherneronline.com Jaime Sarrio

3 women stabbed in domestic incident

Three women were recovering Monday after being stabbed overnight at a home in southeast Atlanta. The stabbings happened during a domestic incident at a house on Little Street.

Channel 2 Action News reported that a man allegedly stabbed his girlfriend, his girlfriend’s sister and a niece.

All three victims are expected to survive. The suspect was arrested. Mike Morris

Babineaux recognized for truancy work

Communities In School of Atlanta has chosen to name an award for NFL star Jonathan Babineaux in recognition of his volunteer work to help end truancy in Atlanta Public Schools. This year’s Jonathan Babineaux Award for Improved Attendance was presented to Oshay Columbus, a 12th grader at Therrell High School in the School of Law, Wednesday at an awards luncheon in Atlanta. Babineaux created a “stop truancy” school tour two years ago to help improve student attendance. Nancy Badertscher

DEKALB

Stone Mountain CID wants to grow

DeKalb County’s newest community improvement district is looking to expand its borders.

The Stone Mountain CID is working to add more commercial properties along Lawrenceville Highway to the Gwinnett County line. Properties inside the district self-tax to fund the CID operations, such as roadway improvements and landscaping.

Information: www.StoneMountainCID.com. April Hunt

History center to begin storytelling series

A storytelling series about pioneer life returns to DeKalb History Center in June.

The program will include weekly session on craft making every Wednesday between June 6 and July 25. Events run between 10-11 a.m. at the historic Biffle Cabin, 720 W. Trinity Place.

The programs, for children ages 6-12, are $4 for children of members and $6 per session for others. There is a 10 percent discount if all seven sessions are bought in advance.

Information or reservations: 404-373-1088, Ext. 20 or dhs@dekalbhistory.org. April Hunt

Tickets on sale for seniors fundraiser

Tickets are still available for the Senior Prom fundraiser that benefits a nonprofit serving senior citizens in DeKalb and Fulton counties.

The party will be held at the Thalia N. Carlos Hellenic Center on Clairmont Road on June 9. Tickets are $150 and include a reception, silent auction, dinner and dancing to a big-band orchestra will top off the evening.

Information: 770-455-7602 or www.seniorconnectionsatl.org. April Hunt

Dunwoody court offers amnesty through July 31

Dunwoody Municipal Court is holding an amnesty program for individuals with past due traffic citations or active bench warrants for failing to appear in court.

The amnesty runs through July 31 at the Dunwoody Municipal Court, 41 Perimeter Center East, Suite 103. Individuals can walk in without appointments from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays except Tuesdays.

Fines must be paid in full with either cash, money order, cashier check or Visa and MasterCard. No personal checks.

Information: 678-382-6973. Patrick Fox

Job expo in Decatur on Wednesday

The Georgia Department of Labor and the Decatur Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., will co-sponsor a career and resource expo from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesdayat the Community Achievement Center, 4522 Flat Shoals Parkway in Decatur. Information: Janice Black at janice.black@dol.state.ga.us or 404-679-0507. Veronica Fields Johnson

Clarkston to open farmers’ market

The grand opening of the Clarkston Farmers Market will be May 20 from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. on the grounds of the Clarkston Community Center, 3701 College Ave.

The market will be open from June through September on the last Sunday of the month from 11:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Information visit www.clarkstoncommunitycenter.org or call 404-508-1050.

Sandra Marshall Murray

SOUTHSIDE

County presses state on pollution points

The Fulton County Commission wants state action after an environmental law firm’s report called the Fulton Industrial Boulevard area the region’s worst “environmental justice hot spot.” The GreenLaw report said it has about 55 pollution points and a nearly 90 percent minority population. Other hot spots are in Atlanta near the Bellwood Quarry and Beltline areas. In a formal resolution, the commission asked the Environmental Protection Division to “take swift action” to develop and enforce environmental justice regulations for Fulton and the whole state. Johnny Edwards

Fayette looks at school-closing options

Following a May 2 workshop, the Fayette County Board of Education is considering more options for closing schools due to budget cuts.

All of the options include closing Hood Avenue Primary, Fayette Intermediate and Fayette Middle while opening Rivers Elementary to full capacity. Also under consideration is whether to close Brooks and/or Tyrone Elementary.

In July or August, the Board will have another workshop to discuss redistricting related to each of the possible scenarios, followed by public hearings in late summer through fall. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Fulton school board to meet today

The Fulton County school board will meet today at the district’s Administrative Center.

Executive session will begin at 12:30 p.m. The workshop presentation will follow at 2 p.m. The school board will hear budget recommendations for the 2013 fiscal year during that time.

It will later discuss the May business meeting agenda, among other things.

Public comment will begin at 6:30 p.m.

A public hearing on the budget will be held at 7 p.m.

The administrative building is located at 786 Cleveland Avenue S.W. Atlanta.

Information: www.fultonschools.org. D. Aileen Dodd

Whitewater seniors win scholarships

Two Whitewater High School seniors are among 88 Georgia students receiving full college scholarships from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.

RoShonda Welch and Jay Newsome II were the only Fayette County students selected as Gates Millennium Scholars.

Welch plans to attend Georgia State University to major in business management; Newsome plans to attend Lee University to study music education. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Scott hosts Help for Homeowners event

Congressman David Scott, in partnership with the U.S. Departments of Treasury and Housing and Urban Development (HUD), will host a two-day “Help for Homeowners” community event. The free June 1-2 program lets struggling homeowners meet with mortgage servicers and HUD-approved housing counselors for help. The June 1 event is 1 p.m.-8 p.m.; June 2 is 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is at the Georgia International Convention Center, 2000 Convention Center Concourse, College Park. Details: www.davidscott.house.gov. Tammy Joyner