County by county news for Tuesday

County won’t privatize golf course

Cobb Commissioners decided last week not to privatize the county-owned Cobblestone Golf Course in Acworth, and will instead continue an operating contract with Affiniti Golf Partners, and pay off outstanding bond debt earlier than scheduled.

The $1.1 million bond debt will be paid in a lump sum this spring out of the county’s general fund, and save $75,000 in interest, said finance director Jim Pehrson. The payoff and $300,000 for golf carts and equipment would be added to the $2.6 million county general fund loan borrowed over the years for Cobblestone. Janel Davis

Jonquil Village plan back to drawing board

For five years Smyrna has been waiting for the redevelopment of the 14-acre tract at the corner of Atlanta and Spring Roads known as Jonquil Village. Last week the developer hoping to finally build there withdrew its plan with the idea of developing the land without residential and making it all retail.

The Smyrna City council approved the withdrawal with the understanding Branch Properties will soon return with a new blueprint. Jeffry Scott

Agrarian activist to rally at capitol today

Activists pushing for a state law making it legal to grow gardens and raise animals in suburban and city settings where they are forbidden, or severely limited, by local ordinances, are staging a rally at 1 p.m. today on the Washington Street side of the Georgia state capitol building in downtown Atlanta. The rally is in support of House Bill 853, the Georgia Right to Grow Act. Jeffry Scott

Community Relations Council gives awards

The Cobb Community Relations Council has named its four recipients of the annual Creating Community Awards.

The winners are: the Special Needs Development Group, Foundation Masonic Lodge, Piedmont Church and Alpha Kappa Alpha/The PEARL Foundation. The winners will receive their awards March 15 at and awards dinner at Piedmont Church. Tickets: www.ccrc.cobbcountyga.gov Janel Davis

CCT adjusts 16 downtown routes

Cobb Community Transit will begin rerouting 16 downtown routes on March 5 to avoid conflicts with the Atlanta streetcar project construction. The morning and afternoon routes serving downtown Atlanta are 10A, 10B, 100, 101, 470, 47 Reverse Commute, 475 and 480. Information: www.cobbcounty.org/cct Janel Davis

GWINNETT

Duluth postal center to expand

A U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution center in Duluth will benefit from the postal service’s recent decision to close five centers in north Georgia. Centers in Acworth, Athens, Cartersville, Douglasville and Marietta are slated to close, with volume handled by more than 100 employees from the Marietta and Athens centers expected to be shifted to Duluth’s center on Boggs Road. The Duluth center might expand from its roughly 700 employees accordingly. The changes are part of the postal service’s comprehensive plan to reduce operating costs by $20 billion by 2015 and return to profitability. Michael Alpert for the AJC

Delta donates $500,000 to GTC

Delta Air Lines has donated $500,000 to Gwinnett Technical College to establish an endowed nursing professorship.

Earnings from the endowment will pay for a full-time faculty member, allowing Gwinnett Tech to expand its nursing program. In August the college opened a new 78,000-square-foot building to train life sciences and health care students.

For information on Gwinnett Tech programs, visit www.gwinnetttech.edu or call 770-962-7580. David Wickert

Rain garden workshop to be March 8

Gwinnett County residents can learn how to build a rain garden at a free workshop from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. March 8 at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium, 75 Langley Drive, Lawrenceville. Residents may qualify for a 5 percent storm water utility fee credit for the following year. To register, e-mail dwrswreg@gwinnettcounty.com or call 678-376-7193, then press 5. David Wickert

Student artwork on display through March

Gwinnett County Public Schools will have on display hundreds of pieces of student artwork throughout March in recognition of Youth Art Month. The district-wide celebration of the arts takes place at the school system’s Instructional Support Center (ISC), 437 Old Peachtree Road in Suwanee. This will include paintings, drawings, three-dimensional art, mixed media, pottery, jewelry, and two-dimensional art. More info: 678-301-7004. Nancy Badertscher

SPCA to hold Run for the Rescues 5K

The Georgia SPCA will hold the annual “Run For The Rescues 5K,” in late March to raise money to save homeless animals.Last year, more than 700 runners and 50 venders helped raise over $14,000. Organizers are hoping to attract more than 1,000 runners this year. The race will begin at 9 a.m. at the Suwanee Town Center on March 24 To register: www.georgiaspca.org.

Ernie Suggs

County to host yard, craft sale March 3

Gwinnett County will host a yard sale and craft fair from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdayat Best Friend Park Gym, 6224 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross.

Admission is free. Spaces cost $20 for Gwinnett residents and $25 for non-residents. Spaces include one table and two chairs. To reserve a spot, call 770-417-2212. David Wickert

NORTHSIDE

Commission to get early working on budget

Fulton County commissioners will hold a special-called meeting Friday to talk strategy on the 2013 budget. Mindful of declining revenues and diminishing reserves, the panel wants to get started early on next year’s finances to avoid a countywide property tax increase, as other counties have resorted to. Commissioners will talk about the criminal justice system, consolidating health care services and outsourcing options. The meeting starts at 2 p.m. in the 4th-floor conference room of the Government Center, 141 Pryor St., S.W., downtown Atlanta. Johnny Edwards

Last LCI hearing in Milton March 7

The fourth and final meeting of the Ga. 9 Livable Centers Initiative study will be at 6 p.m. March 7 at Milton City Hall.

Residents can weigh in on a draft plan to develop strategies linking transportation improvements and land-use developments for the area along Ga. 9 from Bethany Bend in Milton to Mayfield Road in Alpharetta and the areas east of Ga. 9 to Ga. 400. The study is funded by a $100,000 LCI grant with a $25,000 city match awarded by the Atlanta Regional Commission.

Information: 678-242-2538 or michele.mcintosh-ross@cityofmiltonga.us. Patrick Fox

Medlock Bridge students celebrate fitness

Medlock Bridge Elementary School recently received a visit from Radio Disney to celebrate the campus’ commitment to health and fitness.

The Johns Creek school was selected as one of the top 20 in Georgia participating in the “Get Active Get Fit “campaign. D. Aileen Dodd

Visit recycling center, get a free tree

The Roswell Rotary Club is supplying residents with free trees on each visit to the Roswell Recycling Center March 12 and 13. A special tent will be set up at the facility, located at 11570 Maxwell Road, offering Flowering Dogwood, Redbud, Red Maple, White Oak and Northern Red Oak.

The recycling center is open 8:30 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Patrick Fox

Last workshop Wednesday on art grants

Fulton County Arts and Culture has one more workshop scheduled on applying for arts grants. It will be Wednesday at Johns Creek’s Ocee Library, 5090 Abbotts Bridge Road, from noon to 2 p.m. Nonprofit organizations have until March 15 to apply for $1,000 to $150,000 through the county’s contracts for services program. First-time applicants must either attend a workshop or consult with the arts staff. Directions: http://afplweb.com/ocee-branch6. Information: 404-612-5780. Johnny Edwards

Workshop Sunday on wildlife habitat gardens

The Chattahoochee River Environmental Education Center is hosting a free workshop on creating wildlife habitat gardens from 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Sunday. Naturalist and environmental educator Jerry Hightower will lead a class on creating wildlife sanctuary gardens at homes and schools. The center is at 8615 Barnwell Road, Johns Creek. Information: jerry_hightower@nps.gov. Registration is required. Call: 678-538-1245. Patrick Fox

ATLANTA

Xpress buses to reroute Atlanta stops

Two dozen Xpress commuter bus routes will re-route their downtown Atlanta stops starting March 5. The city had long wanted the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, which runs Xpress, to shift them because of their impact on downtown street traffic, and now construction of the streetcar is about to start, which will re-route some street traffic.

For information on specific routes, go to grta.org. Ariel Hart

Wanted: Photos of Vietnam casualties

The Vietnam Memorial Fund’s mission to honor all heroes continues with the National Call for Photos, a movement to collect photos of all those inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Photos of 49 of 60 African American Vietnam casualties from Atlanta are still needed for the exhibit at the Education Center at The Wall. Information: 202-393-0090 or mjohnson@vvmf.org. or visit www.buildthecenter.org. Veronica Fields Johnson

Seniors share Jim Crow stories

For an oral history project, seniors from Senior Citizens Services of Metro Atlanta will be at Atlanta-Fulton’s Central Library today to talk about their experiences growing up in the Jim Crow era and during the civil rights movement. “Letters to My Grandchildren” starts at 11 a.m. The library is at One Margaret Mitchell Square. Information: 404-730-1906. Johnny Edwards

Hospital prom geared for ill teens

Becca’s Closet, a nonprofit that provides formal wear to teen girls in financial need, is partnering with Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston to host a hospital prom on Saturday at the hospital, 1405 Clifton Road NE from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The masquerade-themed event will be for teens who may miss their own prom due to illness. Donations of tuxedos, dry cleaning services, accessories and other items are needed. Information: Emily Petway or Renae Gunter at beccasclosetatlanta@gmail.com. Veronica Fields Johnson

DEKALB

Commission expected to approve budget

The DeKalb County Commission is expected to approve Burrell Ellis’ amended $559 million budget for 2012 today, despite lingering concerns over ongoing property declines and some surprise bills. The commission’s budget committee said it would try to cut from Ellis’ original proposed $547 million budget. They also wanted to cut from the updated budget, which included $12 million more in surplus than originally planned. That’s because Ellis’ new budget also included $10 million more in medical insurance costs, an overage commissioners blamed on lack of finance department oversight. Despite the changes, the budget does not include a tax increase or any major service cuts. April Hunt

School board reduction may be delayed

Lawmakers from DeKalb County met Monday to discuss a mandatory reduction in the number of school board members, and seemed to agree that the best course is to delay, said Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver.

Oliver, D-Decatur, served on a committee that studied the effects of delaying implementation until 2015. A law passed last year mandates a reduction from nine board members to seven or fewer by Jan. 1.

“We seem to be working towards a delay,” Oliver said, adding that a fundamental issue remains unresolved: the shape of a map with districts for seven board members. Ty Tagami

Suspect arrested in Doraville man’s death

A suspect is in custody after a Doraville man was struck and killed with a cinder block Saturday morning, police say.

Oscar Martinez was arrested and charged with murder in connection with the death after confessing to killing Jose Rivas-Mejia, police said.

Rivas-Mejia’s body was found behind a shopping center at 3245 Chamblee Dunwoody Road in Chamblee with head wound, Chamblee Police Chief Marc Johnson said.

Investigators viewed surveillance footage from nearby businesses that showed Rivas-Mejia, 47, with two other men in the area where his body was found Saturday morning, police said.

Police used the video to find the two men later that day and question them, Johnson said. Marcus K. Garner

Woman dead, husband faces charges

Police have arrested a DeKalb County man who claimed he and his wife were attacked, and she was raped and strangled before her death early Sunday morning.

April Denise Armstrong was found dead inside her home in the 1800 block of Ridgeland Drive near Decatur. Her husband Jessie Armstrong, 60, was charged with misdemeanor battery, according to DeKalb County authorities. The investigation continues. Fran Jeffries and Marcus K. Garner

Registration for youth baseball begins

The Central Dekalb Jaguars have begun registering players for the upcoming baseball season. Players must be between the ages of 5 and 12. On-site registration will be held between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday and March 10 at Wade Walker Park, 5584 Rockbridge Road, Stone Mountain. Cost is $135 per player. Register/information: www www.wadewalkerpark.org. April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Man to get new trial in home invasion killing

The Georgia Supreme Court has ruled that a man convicted of murder in Fulton County home invasion must be given a new trial because the jury verdict form was improperly worded.

Soniel D. Cheddersingh was accused of and assisting two other men in a 2007 home invasion. In 2008, a Fulton County jury convicted him of murdering Michael Walker, Jr. and wounding his cousin, Anthony Mack, Jr.

Cheddersingh was sentenced to life plus 25 years in prison. Steve Visser

Driver crashes fleeing from police

A motorist was injured in a wreck that ended a high-speed chase that went from Douglas County into south Fulton County early Monday.

Channel 2 Action News reported that Douglas County deputies tried to stop the driver around 1 a.m. after they spotted a car going the wrong way on Ga. 166 near Chapel Hill Road.

The driver led deputies on a 14-mile chase at speeds of up to 100 mph, according to Channel 2. The chase ended with when the fleeing car crashed and caught fire near the intersection of Old National Highway and Burdett Road. Mike Morris

Peachtree City installs new stop signs

Peachtree City is modifying traffic flow in several locations by installing new stop signs this week. Drivers should watch for new signs on Windgate Road at Bridlepath Lane and Raintree Bend in the Glenloch area and on Windalier Ridge and Trillium Reach at Southern Shore Drive and Gallery Place in Kedron. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Vendors needed for Fayette art show

The Fayette County Art Association is accepting applications for vendors who want to be part of the Fayette Fine Art Show in May. Artists must submit three slides or photographs representative of their work, along with a $125 registration fee, by April 15. Forms are available at www.fayetteville-ga.gov.

The show will be held May 19-20. Call 770-461-4978 for details. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Morrow student heads for state competition

Morrow High School student Michael Hollyday is the 2012 Clayton County School district’s Student Teacher Achievement Recognition(STAR) recipient. He was honored at the recent Rotary Club meeting in Jonesboro. He was among eight students vying for the title. They are invited to attend the Region STAR banquet on March 22 in Griffin. The region winner will then compete with students from 11 other regions for the state title. Tammy Joyner

Henry reservoirs to open for fishing

Henry County Water and Sewerage Authority’s Tussahaw and Gardner (Indian Creek) Reservoirs will be open for fishing Wednesdays, Fridays, and weekends from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. beginning Friday. The season runs through November. Anglers must have an active reservoir use permit to fish. Permits are $45 for one calendar year and available at the authority headquarters. Tussahaw is on CollinsWay, off Peeksville Road. Details: www.hcwsa.com Tammy Joyner