County by county news for Tuesday

Bailey received two Distinguished Flying Crosses, 13 Air Medals and five battle stars for his service in the US Army Air Corps during WWII.

The city memorial opened six years ago on Veterans Day.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Kennesaw to hold public forum

Kennesaw’s city manager Steve Kennedy and public works officials will talk about the city’s plans for improving transportation, managing storm water and a sanitation billing update at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Ben Robertson Community Center, 3753 Watts Drive.

The public will also have a chance to ask questions at the meeting.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Cobb officials speak to business group

Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell and Cobb Economic Development Director Michael Hughes will address the South Cobb Business Association 11:15 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Presbyterian Village, 2000 East-West Connector, Austell.

Cost is $10 for members or $20 for guests.

Information: sc-ba.org.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Labor Commissioner Butler to speak in Cobb

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler is scheduled to speak to Cobb County employers 11:30 a.m. Wednesday as part of a lunch and learn hosted by Choice Care Occupational Medicine.

The presentations address changes and trends concerning employment in Georgia.

More than 80 employers are schedule to attend the event, which will be held at 470 Franklin Road, Marietta.

Jaime Sarrio

Cobb offers discount for appliance recycling

Keep Cobb Beautiful will hold “appliance amnesty” day from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Cobb County Transfer Station, 1897 County Services Parkway, Marietta.

Recycling appliances with Freon/refrigerant will be $5 instead of $12. Information: 770-528-1135 or cobbcounty.org/kcb.

Jaime Sarrio

Free dental care event set for Saturday

The second annual “Dentistry from the Heart” event hosted by Drs. Azita and Michael Mansouri, owners of Marietta Family Dental Care, will be 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at 4270 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta.

The doctors have teamed up with 16 other dentists and over 70 dental professionals to provide free cleanings, fillings, extractions and dental awareness to those in need from East Cobb and the surrounding counties.

Patients are advised to arrive early.

Care will be given to adults (18 years or older) on a first come, first served basis.

Information: www.NaturalSmile.biz.

Kennth Musisi

GWINNETT

Work on Gwinnett highways this week

Maintenance along two Gwinnett County highways will mean shoulder or median lane closures this week.

The Georgia Department of Transportation will sweep Ga. 8 from Lilburn to Lawrenceville and repair guardrails along Ga. 124.

The work will be done from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. through Friday, weather permitting.

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

David Wickert

Police ID shooting victim

Gwinnett County police have identified the man who was fatally shot on Friday at a Duluth apartment complex as Robert Mixon, 33.

He resided in the Menlo Creek Apartments, 4370 Satellite Boulevard where he was killed. Detectives do not believe it was a random crime, but didn’t release details about the motive or suspects on Monday.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting at 3:40 p.m. Friday and found Mixon deceased.

Andria Simmons

FedEx opens Norcross facility

FedEx Ground has opened its new 216,000-square-foot distribution center at 6265 Atlantic Blvd., Norcross, representing a $43 million investment in the community and adding to facilities in Marietta and Atlanta. “The opening of this new facility speaks volumes to our community’s ability to support its companies and allows them to remain competitive in metro Atlanta and around the world,” Norcross Mayor Bucky Johnson told the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Volunteers needed for recycling event

Individuals or groups wanting volunteer service hours are needed at Gwinnett’s America Recycles Day event 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 17 at Coolray Field in Lawrenceville. Sign up at www.volunteergwinnett.net. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Chamber hires firm to find CEO replacement

The Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce has hired Korn/Ferry International to help it find a new chief executive officer.

Korn/Ferry is the world’s largest executive search firm. The chamber is seeking to replace Jim Maran, CEO and president, who will retire at the end of the year. Maran has held the post since 2003.

David Wickert

Suwanee residents to be surveyed

Twelve hundred randomly selected households in Suwanee are scheduled to receive questionnaires by the middle of this month, requesting they rate their satisfaction with the city’s amenities and services. The questionnaires are part of the National Research Center and International City/County Management Association’s National Citizen Survey. The surveys ask residents to rate community quality, environmental sustainability, community inclusiveness, design, recreation and wellness, civic engagement, public safety and trust.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

NORTHSIDE

Roswell sets sidewalk, crosswalk improvements

Roswell will make pedestrian and sidewalk improvements at four locations over the coming months. Projects include improvements along the south side of Hembree Road, the north side of Pine Grove Road and west side of Coleman Road, along the north side of Norcross Street and at the intersection of Alpharetta and Magnolia streets.

Construction is expected to be complete by April.

The projects will provide approximately 3,570 linear feet of pedestrian improvements, including new or improved crosswalks. Total project cost is $435,981 and is funded with the remainder of the MARTA Offset Funds and local funds.

Patrick Fox

Milton seeking resident input

Milton’s Parks and Recreation Department is holding a public meeting 7 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Shannondale Farm equestrian facility, 2225 Birmingham Road to discuss use of 14 acres recently purchased to more than double the size of Bell Park.

Residents’ input sought for use of the $1.287 million land pur

chase funded from the parks and land acquisition budget. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Workshop on parenting adult children

Ron Greer, author of “Now That They Are Grown,” will discuss the transition into parenting adult children 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Roswell United Methodist Church, 814 Mimosa Blvd., Roswell.

The weekly church fellowship dinner preceeds at 4:45 p.m. Menu and pricing available at www.rumc.com/WNO.

Information: Patty Hampton at 770-261-1767 or phampton@rumc.com.

Veronica Fields Johnson

Roswell replacing water main

Crabapple Road northbound above Woodstock Road will be partially closed this week, while Roswell converts from two-inch residential water lines to six-inch ones.

Information: Chris Boyd, Roswell water distribution superintendent, 770-641-3707, cboyd@roswellgov.com.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Forsyth campuses make Georgia tops list

Three Forsyth County schools have achieved spots on a list of so-called Reward Schools-Title 1 schools statewide scoring tops in one of several categories for the past three years.

Cumming Elementary School and Otwell and Little Mill middle schools made the “highest-performing” list, putting them in the top 5 percent of such campuses statewide.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth boot drive successful

The Forsyth County Fire Department’s 2012 boot drive generated $20,820 for the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation and local fire safety and burn prevention programs.

Georgia communities raised over $450,000 through local boot drive events.

Forsyth County had the fourth largest total.

The donations are used for local and statewide fire safety and prevention education, the support of medical facilities and the assistance of burn survivors in their recovery.

Money also goes to Camp Oo-U-La, Georgia’s only camp for burn-injured children.

Patrick Fox

ATLANTA

Speedy trial case to be reconsidered

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday ruled that a Fulton County judge must reconsider findings that murder charges against John Johnson should be dismissed on speedy trial grounds.

Last year, Superior Court Judge Marvin Arrington threw out murder charges against Johnson, who was charged with the 2005 shooting death of Brandon Scott. But the state Supreme Court ruled that Arrington, who has since retired, did not correctly apply the law governing speedy-trial challenges. A new judge must now decide whether Johnson must stand trial.

Bill Rankin

Roundtable discussion on urban poverty today

The fight against urban poverty, a priority in France and the U.S. conference is 2 to 5 p.m. today at the Technology Square Research Building auditorium, Georgia Tech, 85 Fifth Street NW.

The free roundtable discussion will highlight challenges of access to housing in developed countries and urban poverty in general.

Information: www.France-Atlanta.org.

Kenneth Musisi

Veterans Day parade to be held Saturday

The 2012 Atlanta Veterans Day Parade is at 11:11 a.m. Saturday from Peachtree Street south of Ralph McGill Boulevard/Ivan Allen Jr. Boulevard and will end at Baker Street next to The World of Coca-Cola.

The theme is “Welcome Home Iraqi War Veterans.” Tim Abell, actor, U.S. Army veteran and television host of the “Grateful Nation,” will be Parade Grand Marshall. Veronica Fields Johnson

Silver Wings meets on Wednesdays

The Georgia Chapter of the Silver Wings Fraternity meets for lunch 11:30 a.m. Wednesdays at the Petite Auberge restaurant, 2935 N. Druid Hills Road. The charitable organization is comprised of pilots who soloed an airplane more than 25 years ago. Information: Bill Bell at 770-449-1364 or www.silverwings.org/.

Veronica Fields Johnson

DEKALB

Court reinstates 2009 conviction

The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday reinstated a DeKalb County woman’s vehicular homicide conviction for striking and killing a 7-year-old boy on his way to Princeton Elementary School in February 2009.

The Court of Appeals had overturned Shirley Ogilivie’s conviction, but the state Supreme Court, in a unanimous opinion, found the appeals court to be in error. Ogilvie was convicted of two misdemeanors, including vehicular homicide in the second degree, for running over Kameron Dunmore with her SUV as he crossed South DeShon Road in the presence of a crossing guard with a stop sign.

Bill Rankin

Veterans Day ceremony Thursday in DeKalb

DeKalb County will host a Veterans Day ceremony for all local veterans Thursday 11/8 morning in downtown Decatur.

The event runs from 11 a.m. to noon in Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr., Decatur. It is free and open to the public.

April Hunt

Chamblee streetscape underway

The first phase of a streetscape project in down Chamblee is near completion.

The city is using grants from DeKalb County and the Atlanta Regional Commission for the project, which runs on Peachtree Road between Chamblee Tucker Road and Pierce Drive.

The work includes eliminating a travel lane to add on-street parking and installing a new six-foot wide sidewalk.

April Hunt

Group hopes to start diverse charter school

Parents and educators who hope to start a charter middle school that mixes autistic students with typical adolescents will meet with the public 7:30 - 9 p.m. Dec. 3. at Napoleon’s Bar and Grill, 2836 Lavista Road.

The group wants to open Tapestry Public Charter School in 2014 as a middle school that grows into a high school. The plan is to offer smaller, multi-age classrooms with individualized educational plans and hands-on, sensory-based learning. Information: www.tapestrycharter.org.

Ty Tagami

Thousands more recycling in DeKalb

DeKalb County saw 4,000 new residents sign up for recycling in the first month after County Commissioners voted to make the service free.

After eliminating the $30 start-up fee, more than 4,000 residents joined the service since it became free on Sept. 26. That’s the equivalent of about 2.5 percent more customers, added to the 21 percent who had been recycling.

Information: 404-294-2900 or www.dekalbrecycles.com.

April Hunt

Chamber hosting legislative preview

Members of DeKalb County’s House and Senate delegations will be on hand at a legislative preview 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Nov. 13 at the Georgia Piedmont Technical College dponsored by the county’s Chamber of Commerce.

The luncheon will offer an overview of pending 2013 topics before the General Assembly for chamber members and residents.

Cost is $35 for members and $45 for non-members. Information: www.dekalbchamber.org.

April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Edwards proposes workplace bullying ban

Fulton Commissioner Bill Edwards wants to enact a policy prohibiting county employees from bullying each other.

He will introduce a resolution at Wednesday’s meeting which, if approved, would make workplace bullying a fireable offense, punishable by a minimum of five days suspension without pay.

The resolution says the county’s existing anti-harassment and workplace violence policy doesn’t fully address bullying.

Johnny Edwards

Fulton weighs animal services contract

The Fulton County Commission Wednesday will consider extending its contract with animal control services provider Barking Hound Village Foundation, which the panel has expressed displeasure with. The county has asked for proposals from other companies.

Owner David York came under scrutiny last year over restaurant and hotel charges in monthly spending reports. The company submitted redacted financial documents in an audit, according to county records. The contract extension would be for $1.05 million through June.

Johnny Edwards

Peachtree City police aid hurricane victims

The Peachtree City Police Department is collecting relief supplies to send by truck to victims of Hurricane Sandy. Donations of bottled water, cold-weather clothing and toiletries can be brought to the station on Hwy. 74 South by Nov. 8. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Tyrone closes Valleywood Road

Valleywood Road in Tyrone will be intermittently closed to through traffic this week. Work is being done on the CSX railroad tracks just east of Main Street/Senoia Road.

The road will be kept open until after the morning commute and school hours and will reopen late in the day. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Volunteers sought for holiday program

Preparation for Connecting Henry’s annual Community Cares Christmas Toy Shop is underway and officials are looking for donations of toys, money and gift cards as well as volunteers for a number of positions.

Toy collection boxes will be placed in all municipal buildings in Henry County, and volunteers are needed to decorate those boxes as well as other facets of the program, from interviewing clients to wrapping gifts and sorting toys.

Volunteers are also needed to create and construct the Toy Shop. Information: 770-288-6230 or connectinghenry2@co.henry.ga.us.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

Fayette hospital seeks auxiliary volunteers

Piedmont Fayette Hospital is seeking additional auxiliary volunteers to compensate for recent retirements and increased need.

Men and women over age 18 are wanted for a variety of jobs and services. Flexible schedules can include days, nights and/or weekends.

Information: 770-719-7098 or visit www.piedmontfayette.org/Fayette/VolunteerOpportunitiesfay.aspx.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC