COBB

Three burglary spree suspects arrested

Marietta Police have arrested three suspects in connection with a burglary spree that occurred over a six-day period in the Whitlock Heights subdivision.

Rachael Coleman, 26, of Marietta; Timothy Lamar Carter, 23, of Marietta; and Kevin Cortez Till, 25, of East Point, each face three felony counts of burglary and other related charges.

Police said the trio was involved in three burglaries and an attempted burglary between Oct. 31 and Nov. 6. Several items stolen from the burglarized homes were found when police searched the suspects’ residences.

Andria Simmons

Cobb Police awarded for highway safety

The Cobb County Police Department was one of several law enforcement agencies to be recognized Friday at the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety 12th Annual Governor’s Challenge Awards.

The program features recognition in seven different categories based on department size as well as several other categories. Cobb County Police Department won first place in the category for police agencies with 501 or more officers.

The awards recognize agencies for the approach and effectiveness of their overall highway safety programs.

Andria Simmons

Holiday food drive to help 1,400 families

The Center for Family Resources will collect canned and staple food items and grocery store food certificates from 10 a.m.to 4 p.m. Wednesday and Thursday at Jim R. Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road, Marietta.

The Marietta social service agency needs donations to give Thanksgiving food boxes to more than 1,400 low-income families Friday and Saturday.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Ott holds town hall in District 2

Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott will host a town hall meeting for District 2 residents, which includes East Cobb 7-9 p.m. today at Sterling Estates, 4220 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta.

Information: 770-528-3316 or cobbcounty.org/ott.

Jaime Sarrio

Schools head to hold meeting

Marietta City Schools superintendent Emily Lembeck will be at a community meeting 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the after-school building, Woodlands Park Apartments, 861 Franklin Road to talk about how to access school services and programs. A Spanish interpreter and child care will be available.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Hearing today on Marietta redistricting

Marietta will hold the first of two public hearings on redistricting at a city council meeting 7 p.m. Wednesday at City Hall, 205 Lawrence St.

Residents will also have a chance to comment on a proposed redistricting map for the city’s seven wards at the Dec. 12 council meeting.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Designer to speak at Marietta Country Club

James Farmer, a floral, landscape and interior designer will speak 11:30 a.m. Nov. 28 at the Marietta Country Club, as part of the Cobb County Library Foundation’s Booked for Lunch series.

Tickets are $25, which includes lunch. Information: cobblibraryfoundation.org

Jaime Sarrio

GWINNETT

Road work in Gwinnett this week

Maintenance on two Gwinnett County highways will require shoulder or median lane closures this week.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will sweep Ga. 378 from Lilburn to Norcross and will perform shoulder maintenance on I-985.

The work will take place from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. weekdays, weather permitting.

The department urges motorists to slow down in these and other work zones.

David Wickert

4 new principals named

Four veteran educators were named school principals in a called meeting Friday of the Gwinnett County Board of Education. All the appointments were due to retirement, transfer or departure. Approved were: Brenda Johnson, principal of Centerville Elementary; Stacey Schepens, principal at Crews Middle School; Yvette Arthur, principal at Lilburn Middle; and Jason Lane, principal at Mill Creek High.

Nancy Badertscher

Missing south Georgia girl found in Norcross

A Levi’s Call was placed for 14-year-old Griselda Cibrian of Glennville, near Savannah after she went missing around 3 p.m. Saturday.

Cibrian called her father Monday from Norcross after hearing her name in the media.

GBI officials said Cibrian met a man on a phone chat line after saying she was 19.

The 24-year-old man drove the 229 miles from Norcross to Glennville to meet the girl, then, after a confrontation with her parents, arranged another rendezvous and left.

Both the teen and the man she left with are at Norcross Police headquarters and are being questioned by investigators. No charges have been filed.

Marcus K. Garner

ArtWorks! Gwinnett names interim director

Sally Corbet, executive director of the non-profit, tax-exempt arts council, ArtWorks! Gwinnett will be replaced by Raye Varney as interim.

ArtWorks! Gwinnett was developed by volunteer civic leaders to promote and support arts opportunities in Gwinnett. www.artworksgwinnett.org.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Norcross High hosting college fair

Norcross High School will host a College Fair 6:30 to 8 p.m. today. Representatives from more than 50 colleges and universities will be on hand. A representative from the Georgia Student Finance Commission will share information about the HOPE Scholarship and financial aid.

Information:www.norcrosshigh.org or 770-447-2648.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Suwanee looking for your best photos

Residents of Suwanee are invited to submit photos capturing the spirit of the community for the 2013 Snap Suwanee exhibit.

Photographers may submit up to five high-resolution photos each. Deadline is Dec. 31. Complete guidelines for submission available at www.suwanee.com.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Appraiser appointed to Fulton assessors board

The Fulton County Commission has appointed Roswell-based appraiser Dillon H. Fries to the county’s Board of Assessors, replacing Rick Kenny, who moved to Hall County. North Fulton Commissioner Liz Hausmann made the nomination.

The assessors board oversees the setting of fair market values on properties throughout the county, which determines how much taxpayers get billed. Fries, a real estate appraiser since 1974, is the owner and president of Dillon H. Fries & Associates.

Johnny Edwards

Tips offered on college financial aid

High school students can get tips on applying for college scholarships 6 p.m. today at the Northeast/Spruill Oaks Library, 9560 Spruill Road, Johns Creek.

Financial aid outreach specialist Tentisha Hunter will lead the presentation, called “Get Your Hands on Some Cash by Researching Scholarships.”

Information: 770-360-8820.

Johnny Edwards

Woodstock historic rail depot turns 100

Woodstock city officials will celebrate the centennial of the historic train depot with a reception 6 p.m. Wednesday at the depot, 254 E. Main St. Tickets are $25 and include hors d’oeuvres and a history presentation.

The depot, which now houses a restaurant, was built in 1912. After passenger train service was discontinued in the 1950s, it served as Woodstock’s city hall. The depot has been in private hands since 2005.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Place of Forsyth’s food drive ongoing

The Storage Neighbor Fall Food Drive supporting the Place of Forsyth is ongoing through today at 3585 Hutchinson Road, Cumming. Donate nonperishable items: canned food, dry cereal, baby formula, evaporated milk, etc.

Information: www.theplaceofforsyth.org.

Kenneth Musisi

Milton seeks input on intersection project

Milton is seeking residents’ input on improvements to the intersection of Hopewell and Birmingham roads.

Those interested in offering opinions can either enter them online or attend an open house 5 - 6 p.m. Wednesday in Suite 107E at City Hall.

The open house precedes a City Council work session in which the topic will be discussed.

The preliminary schedule includes acquiring right-of-way beginning in mid-2013 with construction starting later in the year. The completion date is set for late 2014.

Information: miltonintersectionprojects.com/birmingham-road-at-hopewell-road.

Patrick Fox

Reinhardt features exhibit on China

A “Year of China” photography and video exhibition is underway at Reinhardt University in Waleska.

The exhibit features images of China and Tibet recorded by Reinhardt faculty, students and staff during trips. Each year, Reinhardt designates an area of the world for students to learn more about.

The exhibit remains until Wednesday at the Fincher Visual Arts Center on campus.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Elections official vows ‘swift action’

If the leaders of Fulton County’s elections department have been unfairly deflecting blame for Election Day mistakes onto part-time poll workers, an elections board member says “swift action” will be taken, declining to elaborate.

Although elections Interim Director Sharon Mitchell has said some workers didn’t use voter lists correctly, the secretary of state’s office and poll workers have alleged that the head office was still printing lists and delivering them to precincts hours after voting started.

Johnny Edwards

Atlanta restaurants to host leukemia benefit

Der Biergarten German Restaurant, STATS and Max’s Coal Oven Pizzeria will donate a portion of proceeds from meals purchased between 4 and 11 p.m. Wednesday to benefit the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society and 7-year-old Owen Fox of Atlanta, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia.

The restaurants are located in the Luckie Marietta District, 300 Marietta St.

Mea Watkins

Noise-induced hearing loss discussed

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association will present the Listen To Your Buds campaign to area students 10 a.m. today at The Davis Academy Lower School, 8105 Roberts Dr. and 1 p.m. Wednesday at The Howard School, 1192 Foster St. N.W. to bring awareness to a common cause of hearing loss: listening to music—at sound levels too loud for too long and too often.

Information: www.listentoyourbuds.org.

Veronica Fields Johnson

Vigil today for lung cancer awareness

The Atlanta Chapter of Lung Cancer Alliance will host a candlelight vigil at 6:30 p.m. today at Turner Field, 755 Hank Aaron Drive, S.E.

The event is part of the National Shine a Light on Lung Cancer Vigil campaign to bring awareness and support for the disease, which is the leading cause of cancer death.

Information: www.lungcanceralliance.org.

Veronica Fields Johnson

DEKALB

Final planning meeting for Stone Mountain CID

The final community meeting to help the Stone Mountain Community Improvement District plan for economic development will be 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Thursday in a warehouse at 1569 Stone Ridge Dr.

The district wants to gather public input on ways to attract employers to the area between Mountain Industrial Boulevard in DeKalb and into Interstate 85 in neighboring Gwinnett.

Registration: 678-333-0476 or Amanda.hatton@jacobs.com.

April Hunt

DeKalb hosting Adoption Day Friday

DeKalb County will participate in National Adoption Day with a ceremony finalizing several adoptions in Superior Court 9 a.m. Friday in Courtroom 5D of the county’s courthouse on North McDonough Street in Decatur.

A celebration of the new families will follow in the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr.

Information: 404-687-3873.

April Hunt

Name-your-price adoptions at PAWS

PAWS Atlanta, a DeKalb County animal welfare group, is letting adopters name their price to take home a dog or cat through Saturday.

The group, formerly known as the DeKalb Humane Society, requires that would-be adopters fill out an application on the animal first. All pets are spayed or neutered, micro-chipped and up-to-date on all shots.

Information: www.pawsatlanta.org.

April Hunt

Chamber hosting legislative preview

Members of DeKalb County’s House and Senate delegations will host a legislative preview sponsored by the county’s Chamber of Commerce 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. today at the Georgia Piedmont Technical College near Clarkston.

The luncheon will offer an overview of pending 2013 topics before the General Assembly for chamber members and residents. Cost: $35, members: $45, non-members. Information: www.dekalbchamber.org.

April Hunt

Forman appointed to Emory institute

Emory University sociology professor Tyrone Forman has been appointed director of the school’s James Weldon Johnson Institute for the Study of Race and Difference.

Forman replaces Rudolph Byrd, who founded the institute in 2007. Byrd died in October 2011 after a long illness. Forman formerly co-directed Emory’s Race and Difference Strategic Initiative, which was merged last year with the James Weldon Johnson Institute.

Bill Rankin

Chocolate milk likely to stay in Decatur schools

An Ultimate Menu Committee, appointed by Decatur’s school board, recommended phasing out chocolate milk, along with other food items, for grades K-3.

But in a recent survey of 614 parents, asked for by the board, 50.7 percent said to keep chocolate milk, while 49.3 percent were against.

Among other survey results, parents recommended eliminating muffins, shrimp poppers and high-sugar desserts, while overwhelmingly approving peanut butter.

The board is scheduled to vote on these recommendations at tonight’s meeting .

Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Southside commissioner holds listening session

Fulton County Commissioner Bill Edwards will have his last quarterly community listening session of the year at 7 p.m. Thursday in the South Fulton Government Service Center’s auditorium, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road.

Residents, including youth, can sound off on Southside county services, and county staff will be there to answer questions. Edwards’ office can be reached at 404-612-8230 or 404-612-3079. District 7 information: www.southfultongoodthings.com.

Johnny Edwards

Program provides free parking to patients

Park’N Ticket in College Park, an offsite airport parking and shuttle service, has partnered with the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center for the Angel Parking program that provides free parking and shuttle service to Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport for M.D. Anderson cancer patients and their caregivers traveling to Houston.

Angel Parking was created after Park’N Ticket witnessed the physical, emotional and financial hardships that families endure during cancer treatment. Information: www.parknticket.com/angel-parking.shtml

Kenneth Musisi

Session offers advice, counseling for seniors

Fulton County’s last Assisting Customers Through Information and Networking session this month is 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at the HJC Bowden Senior Multipurpose Facility, 2885 Church St., East Point. Service providers will offer advice on legal, financial, housing, social and health issues. Registration: 404-762-4821.

Johnny Edwards

Morrow to host ‘Christmas in the Park’

Christmas in the Park will be 2 - 7 p.m. Dec. 1 at the Morrow Center. It includes church choirs, a professional caroling group, games, booths for local businesses and the “Christmas Carnival” provided by McNair Amusements.

Attendees get to share dinner with Santa Clause and a Chick-fil-A cow that is dressed to look like Santa Clause. City officials will then light the 40-foot Christmas tree.

Tammy Joyner

Day camp offered at Thanksgiving break

The Henry County Parks and Recreation Department is offering a day camp Nov. 19-21 during the holiday break week at Heritage Park in McDonough, the J. P. Moseley Recreation Center in Stockbridge and the Fairview Recreation Center in Stockbridge. The cost is $75 per child and camp hours are from 7:30 a.m. until 6 p.m. for ages 5 to 12.

Register online at www.hcprd.org.

Information: 770-288-7300.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

AARP needs tax help volunteers

AARP Tax-Aide is seeking Clayton County volunteers to provide free tax preparation and filing assistance to area taxpayers for the 2013 tax season.

Volunteers should have some computer experience, such as e-mail and internet browsing.

AARP Tax-Aide volunteers receive free IRS-certified tax training and learn new skills while giving back to their local communities.

Information: www.aarp.org/tavolunteer8.

Kenneth Musisi