County by county news for Tuesday
COBB
Pedestrian hit by car in critical condition
Thomas Eugene Doll, 64, of Marietta was crossing the South Marietta Parkway northbound just west of Lake Drive around 10:15 p.m. when he was hit by a 2008 Ford Fusion driven by Terry Coats, 55, of Dallas, according to the initial investigation by Marietta police.
Doll was transported to Atlanta Medical Center, where he was in critical condition early Sunday. Coats was not hurt.
Authorities are investigating the incident and charges are pending, police said. Anyone with information on the case should contact Officer Geoff Culpepper at 770-794-5357. Angel K. Brooks
Marietta to hold budget hearing Wednesday
Marietta will hold a public hearing noon Wednesday June 5 at City Hall, 205 Lawrence St. to discuss a$48.8 million general budget for the fiscal year starting July 1. The proposed budget is 1.4 percent higher than the 2013 budget.
There are no planned city service cuts, but a selective hiring freeze for city employees will continue. A 2 percent pay increase for city workers is also recommended. The council will vote on the budget June 12.
Information: www.mariettaga.gov.
Tucker Mcqueen for the AJC
KSU football coach to speak Wednesday
Kennesaw State University Head Football Coach Brian Bohannon will speak to the South Cobb Business Association at 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Presbyterian Village, 2000 East West Connector, Austell.
Cost is $12 for members, paying online, $15 for members at the door or $20 for guests.
Information: sc-ba.org.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Scavenger hunt hike at Lost Mountain Park
A scavenger hunt hike will be from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. Wednesday at Lost Mountain Park, lower ball fields area, 4845 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs.
Cost is $2 each, and all ages are welcome.
Registration: 770-528-8803 or karen.faucett@cobbcounty.org. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Powder Springs wards ready for comment
Powder Springs residents may review, copy and submit comments about the city’s submission to the U.S. Justice Department of its proposed line changes for three City Council wards.
Through Georgia House Bill 633, the plan seeks to equalize the population numbers among the city’s wards based upon the 2010 U.S. Census in advance of the Nov. 5 elections.
The plan is available in the office of City Clerk Dawn Davis, Powder Springs City Hall, 4484 Marietta St.
Information: City Hall, 770-943-1666.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Lost Mountain blood drive on Thursday
An American Red Cross blood drive will be 1-6 p.m. Thursday in the Worship Center, Lost Mountain Baptist Church, 5400 Old Dallas Road, Powder Springs.
Appointments: 770-428-5335.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
GWINNETT
Norcross man shot during home invasion
A Norcross homeowner was recovering early Monday after being shot during an overnight home invasion.
Channel 2 Action News reported that two armed men forced their way into a home on Summertown Drive around 11:45 p.m. Sunday, and made unspecified demands.
“At some point while they were inside, there was one round fired, and the male homeowner was struck and he is being treated,” Norcross police Capt. Brian Harr told Channel 2.
The victim’s name has not been released. Other family members inside the home were not injured. Mike Morris
Pedestrian safety projects approved
Gwinnett has approved construction of sidewalks and bus shelter pads along Buford Highway from Simpson Circle to Duluth Industrial Way with pedestrian traffic signals and crosswalks at the Simpson Circle intersection.
In addition, a new sidewalk will be constructed on Oakland Park Boulevard between U.S. 78 and the Gwinnett County Transit Park and Ride facility on Hewatt Road . These two projects will cost $624,142, with 95 percent paid by the Federal Transit Administration and the rest by local transit funds. A third project will provide a sidewalk along Cruse Road between Sugarloaf Parkway and Old Norcross Road with pedestrian signals and crosswalks at Sugarloaf Parkway.
This $532,000 SPLOST-funded contract will also build sidewalks on Beaver Ruin Road from Rockborough Trail to Bailey Drive and on Peachtree Parkway/State Route 141 from Holcomb Bridge Road to Woodhill Drive. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Osborne Middle wins world finals
Osborne Middle School took first place at the Odyssey of the Mind World Finals, which was held May 22-25 at Michigan State University and involved 825 teams from around the world, sharing their ideas and work. Osborne’s team competed in the “pet project” vehicle category. The team designed, built, and ran three vehicles (each with a unique propulsion system) that delivered parts to a designated area. Scoring was largely based on creativity, engineering and risk-taking behind the propulsion systems.
But vehicle designs, pet animal and signal and the overall performance captured the attention of tournament competitors, judges, and spectators. Odyssey of the Mind is an international educational program that provides creative problem-solving opportunities for students from kindergarten through college.
Information: www.odysseyofthemind.com.
Nancy Badertscher
Norcross planning to install sidewalks
Thanks to a Gwinnett County Community Development Block Grant, Norcross is planning to install about a mile of 5-foot-wide sidewalks along Mitchell Road from Brook Hollow Parkway to Norcross Cooperative Ministry, 2275 Mitchell Road.
The sidewalks supplement recent landscaping of the intersection of Mitchell and Brook Hollow by the city and the Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District. Information: 770-448-2122.
Michael Alpert for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Fulton assessment notices go out later this year
The Fulton County assessors office will mail about 345,000 assessment notices on June 15, telling property owners their tax values and how much they can expect to pay. The notices start the clock on the 45-day appeal deadline. They’re going out a month later than last year. Chief Appraiser David Fitzgibbon cited staff vacancies and a need for quality control and editing. Two years ago there was a disastrous chain of events after the office sent overblown estimates to about 136,000 Atlanta property owners, attributed to a computer glitch and careless staff. Johnny Edwards
Teens arrested for auto break-ins
A Bridgemill resident who witnessed teens breaking into cars called police and followed the suspects’ vehicle until police could stop it, according to Cherokee County Sheriff’s spokesman Lt. Jay Baker.
Shaquille Oneal Webb, 18, and James Logan Ketchum, 17, both of Canton, face several charges including entering auto and possession of less than an ounce of marijuana. Ketchum is also charged with stealing his parents’ car and is linked to an automobile break-in that occurred Friday night in the same subdivision, Baker said.
Ketchum is held on $19,410 bond while Webb is being held on $7,335 bond. Andria Simmons
Handicap van stolen in Cherokee
Cherokee County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for a car thief who stole a customized van with a wheelchair ramp that was used for a 12-year-old boy who has spina bifida.
The 2009 red Toyota Sienna van was reported stolen Monday morning from where it had been parked in a driveway off Ridgewood Drive in Woodstock overnight. Also stolen were the child’s leg braces, a laptop computer and cash that were inside the vehicle.
The vehicle sits low to the ground and says “Handicap Driver Services” in the rear window and “Braun Ramp Van” on the sides. The Georgia tag number is PD1AGK. Andria Simmons
Woodstock man dies in cycle crash
Stephen Ray Brown, 53, lost control of his motorcycle about 7:15 a.m. Sunday while rounding a curve on Wyngate Parkway in Towne Lake, struck two curbs and was thrown. He was rushed to Northside Hospital-Cherokee with what proved to be fatal injuries. Mark Woolsey
Forsyth awarded for weather preparedness
The National Weather Service has recertified Forsyth County as a StormReady community, a severe weather preparedness designation first conferred in 2007. Communities must meet stringent criteria, including having a local 24-hour warning point, an emergency operations center, and having multiple ways of receiving NWS warnings and alerting the public. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Holly Springs warns about flood studies
Holly Springs has hired Jacobs Engineering Group to do detailed flood studies identifying high-water hazards. Survey crews and photographers will check pipes, channels, drains, ponds and lakes on both public and private property. Information: www.hollyspringsga.us. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
ATLANTA
Fraudulent tax ring members plead guilty
Four people recently pleaded guilty in federal court in Atlanta for their roles in an identity theft and tax return ring that tried to collect more than $5 million dollars in fraudulent refunds, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Shawn Brown, of Atlanta; Christopher Edwards, of Eutaw, Ala.; and Kelly Sue Lonas and Nyron Nelson, both of Marietta, are to be sentenced in September.
Federal prosecutors said Brown led a scheme that used stolen identities to file more than 1,000 fraudulent tax returns. Bill Rankin
Job fair to fill high-flying Ferris wheel jobs
SkyView Atlanta, the new 20 story Ferris wheel that is scheduled to open this summer in downtown Atlanta, will host a job fair 9 a.m. – 7 p.m. Wednesday in the Beechnut Room of the Omni Hotel at CNN Center.
Jobs include full and part-time wheel operators, loaders and unloaders, ticket sellers, greeters, porters and wheel maintenance technicians.
Most of the jobs will pay between $9 and $13 per hour.
Applications can be found online at SkyViewAtlanta.com. Ernie Suggs
Smoke School of Art exhibits at library
In collaboration with the Smoke School of Art, an Atlanta-based non-profit art collective; the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Avenue, NE, will host a collective exhibition of Smoke School of Art members June 3 - Aug. 31. An opening event and artists’ talk is 7 p.m. June 6.
Information: 404-730-4001 x100 Veronica Fields Johnson
Illustrator featured in library exhibit
In collaboration with Gregarious Art Statements, the Auburn Avenue Research Library, 101 Auburn Avenue, NE will exhibit works by illustrator R. Gregory Christie, the 2013 Ashley Bryan Illustrated Africana Children’s Literature Award winner through Aug. 25. An opening event and artist’s talk is 7 p.m. June 13.
Information: 404-730-4001 x100. Mea Watkins
DEKALB
Accused ambulance thief jailed
Frank Ponquinette, 36, the man who police say stole a DeKalb County Fire Rescue ambulance with two medics inside, later crashing the vehicle into a chiropractor’s office, remained jailed without bond Monday, a DeKalb sheriff’s spokesman said.
The wild incident began just before 2 p.m. Saturday as the paramedics completed paperwork in the back of the ambulance, which was parked on the emergency room ramp at Emory University Hospital on Clifton Road.
Ponquinette was charged with two counts of kidnapping and interference with government property.
He remained in the DeKalb jail without bond late Monday morning, sheriff’s Sgt. Adrion Bell said.
The two paramedics suffered minor injuries in the incident.
The ambulance was totaled and the chiropractic office sustained heavy damage. Mike Morris
Donations sought for DeKalb firefighter
Donations are being sought to help with the medical bills of a DeKalb County firefighter who was instrumental in securing new safety gear for the department last year.
Nate Leota suffered complications during heart surgery last month, including a severe allergic reaction to medications. He is recovering in the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
DeKalb Professional Firefighters #1492, the union Leota heads, partnered with the Atlanta Professional Firefighters #134 to raise $7,000 to help offset his expenses.
Additional donations can be given at www.fundrazr.com by searching for Leota’s name under the Find tab. April Hunt
Decatur approves sidewalk projects
Decatur’s commission approved a $281,647 budget for sidewalks and traffic-calming improvements, with work scheduled to last through the fall.
Sidewalk repair and new construction includes Clairemont Avenue, Maxwell Street, the north side of Westchester Drive from Scott Boulevard to Dogwood Way, the north side of Kirk Road from Candler Street to Avery Street and a new pedestrian bridge from the dead end of Derrydown Road to Popular Circle. Bill Banks for the AJC
Dive into Shabbat at MJCCA outdoor pool
Celebrate Shabbat at the MJCCA’s Outdoor Pool and Splash Park 5–7 p.m. June 7, June 28, July 12, July 26 and Aug. 9 at Zaban Park, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody.
Bring a picnic or purchase kosher food at Goodfriend’s Outdoor Grill. Open swim begins at 5 p.m. followed by Shabbat songs and blessings with Rabbi Glusman at 6 p.m.
Free.
Information: Rabbi Brian Glusman, brian.glusman@atlantajcc.org or 678-812-4161. Mea Watkins
County announces June road closure
Beech Haven Road NE will be closed to through traffic between Brook Forest Drive and Wild Creek Trail NE at the following dates and times: 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 5, 6 ,17 and 18; 1 p.m. to 7 a.m. June 20, 21, 24, 25 and 26.
Road closure signs will be posted in the area advising of construction work and traffic detours. Staff
SOUTHSIDE
Algae bloom caused bad Fayette water
Further testing of Fayette County’s water system shows that an algae bloom is to blame for weeks of foul-tasting tap water.
The tests traced two chemicals, geosmin and 2-methylisoborneol, to Starr’s Mill Pond and the Crosstown Water Treatment Plant.
Water System Director Tony Parrott apologized for “the inconvenience we created.”
Water quality is improving as workers address the problem.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
I-75 in Henry County shut down for wreck
All lanes of I-75 in Henry County reopened around 8 a.m. following a crash around 3:40 a.m. north of Hudson Bridge Road that blocked most northbound lanes.
Henry County police said a pickup truck with mechanical problems was blocking the far right lane, and was struck by tractor-trailer, which then collided with a Greyhound bus.
One passenger on the bus was taken to Piedmont Henry Hospital for treatment of non-life threatening injuries.
The pickup driver and a passenger in the pickup were also taken to Piedmont Henry Hospital for observation. Mike Morris
Henry commissioners approve $122 million budget
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a $122 million budget for the 2014 fiscal year, which begins July 1. Just over $3 million will be taken from the reserve fund to meet this total.
County employees will receive a pay increase for the first time in six years. Information: www.henrycounty-ga.org. Monroe Roark for the AJC
Peachtree City seeks festival vendors
Peachtree City’s annual International Festival and Rotary Dragon Boat Races won’t be held until Sept. 28, but the Convention and Visitors Bureau is already seeking vendors for the event.
Artisans and craft and food vendors can contact Nikki Sheets at 678-216-0282 or nikki@visitpeachtreecity.com for applications. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Summer internships available in Fayette
Fayette County’s 2013 Summer Internship Program is accepting applications from rising high school juniors and seniors. The program, which runs July 2-Aug. 2, offers hands-on experience related to government operations and community projects. Parental consent is required.
Applications are at www.fayettecountyga.gov and are due June 7. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Peachtree City considers traffic study
The City Council of Peachtree City is discussing whether to pay $39,000 for a study to help solve traffic problems. At issue is how to relieve congestion along Ga. Hwy. 54 westbound near Ga. Hwy. 74. More development is planned for an area that already has seven traffic lights in rapid succession.
The council said May 9 it wants to facilitate talks between developers and residents to seek solutions. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
