COBB
Braves prez to speak at Vinings business lunch
John Schuerholz, president of the Atlanta Braves will be the featured speaker at the Vinings Business Association January luncheon 11:30 am - 1:00 pm today at Social Vinings restaurant, 3621 Vinings Slope Dr. Winners of the 2013 VBA Business of the Year will be announced.
Lunch is $15 for members and $20 for non-members.
Information: www.greatfoodinc.com/ or 678-725-0099
Arlinda Smith Broady
Marietta to appoint board members
Marietta Mayor Steve Tumlin on Wednesday will appoint retiring council member Johnny Sinclair to the Marietta Historic Board of Review and the city council will name Johnny Fulmer to the board for Ward 7.
Both are two-year terms. The council will also name t David Freeman, Ward 2, to the Marietta Historic Preservation Commission for a three-year term.
Information: www.mariettaga.gov.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Kennesaw State names new police chief
Kennesaw State University has named Roger Lee Stearns the school’s chief of police. He will oversee 73 sworn officers, security officers and administrative personnel.
Stearns has 20 years experience in law enforcement in higher education, most recently at the University of Texas-Pan American in Edingburg.
He replaces Ted Cochran who retired as chief after 30 years at KSU. Stearns will start at KSU on Feb. 1.Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Farmers market to open winter season
The Marietta Square Farmers market will open its winter season 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Jan. 11 through March 29 on Mill Street off the Marietta Square.
The market, which will open every Saturday rain or shine, will have 43 vendors selling locally grown vegetables and artisan food products.
Information: mariettasquarefarmersmarket. net or Johnny Fulmer at 770-499-9393. Tucker McQueen for the AJC
South Cobb Business Association meets
The South Cobb Business Association will meet 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Wednesday at Presbyterian Village, 2000 East-West Connector, Austell.
Stephen K. Thomas, portfolio manager of Invesco Global Equities, will discuss “The Revival of Markets Outside of the U.S. - Europe and Japan - and Why You Should Be Looking at Global Investing Right Now.”
Cost is $12 for members prepaid online, $15 for members at the door or $20 for guests.
Information: sc-ba.org.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Aquatic center closed until early 2014
The reopening of the West Cobb Aquatic Center at 675 Macland Road, Powder Springs, has been extended from December to early 2014 while improvements are being made.
They include a new pool surface, roll-up door, metal roof and dehumidifier unit, and painting.
Information: prca.cobbcountyga.gov/Aquatics-WestCobb.htm.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
GWINNETT
Tree work in Norcross delayed a week
Work originally scheduled this week in Norcross is being rescheduled for next week due to the weather forecast. Norcross will remove two trees in the downtown area and another near the entrance to Thrasher Park Monday through Friday.
The work will entail some street and sidewalk closures while the trees are being removed and the stumps ground out. Details: www.norcrossga.net.
Concerns or questions: Norcross Public Works Department at 678-421-2069. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Theatre holding comedy auditions
Lionheart Theatre Company, Norcross’ non-profit community theatre, will hold open auditions for I Hate Hamlet 2 at 6 p.m. Sunday and 7 to 10 p.m. Monday at 10 College St., Norcross.
Information: www.lionhearttheatre.org.Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Lilburn looking for opinions of police force
Lilburn wants to know if residents are happy with the police force. Residents are encouraged to complete a survey providing useful information for the Lilburn Police Department.
Find the survey online at www.cityoflilburn.com. Completed surveys may be emailed to bhedley@cityoflilburn.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Kudos and support available for veterans
Hearts for Veterans meets to support the achievement of veterans, answer questions and assist with filling out VA claims 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each Monday and Wednesday at the Buford Human Services Center, 2755 Sawnee Ave., Buford.
Information: 404-834-9784. Karen Huppertz
Lilburn Citizens Police accepting applications
Lilburn Police host a 10-week Citizens Police Academy beginining Feb. 11 to provide members of the Lilburn community with additional knowledge about their police department. Deadline for applications is 5 p.m. Jan. 31.
Information and applications: www.cityoflilburn.com/index.aspx?nid=281.
Questions: Sgt. Tim Allen, 770-279-3712 ortallen@cityoflilburn.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Fire, EMS collecting heaters for seniors
Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services is accepting new portable electric heaters for seniors to be distributed through Project AWARE.
Drop off donations at fire stations until Feb. 28.
Monetary donations should be sent to: Friends of Gwinnett County Senior Services, P.O. Box 1680, Lawrenceville, GA 30046.
Information: 678-377-4150. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Peachtree Corners offers business guide
Peachtree Corners offers a guide to licensing, permitting and other information for businesses interested in locating in the city.
Go to www.cityofpeachtreecornersga.com to print the guide. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Marlow appeal hearing set for next week
Cherokee County Board of Education member Kelly Marlow’s appeal of her ethics violation sanction by the board will go before the State Board of Education, with a noon Jan. 13 hearing. The Cherokee board sanctioned Marlow Oct. 2 for a pair of ethics violations, stemming from a June letter she sent to the district’s accreditation agency asking for an investigation of alleged policy violations. A decision’s likely in February, officials say.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
House special election set for today
Voters in parts of Cherokee, Forsyth and north Fulton counties go to the polls todayfor a special election in Ga. House District 22.
Nate Cochran of Alpharetta, and Sam Moore, Meagan Biello and Jeff Duncan, all of Ball Ground, are in the running to replace state Rep. Calvin Hill, who died in October.
Polls will be open from 7 a.m.- 7 p.m. For precinct locations, see the elections office websites in each county.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Forsyth library seeks teen input
The Forsyth County Library is looking for students in the sixth through 12th grades to join their new teen advisory board. An inaugural meeting is set for 5:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Cumming Library, 585 Dahlonega Road. Officials seek young library users to plan programs for teens and help make the library more teen-friendly.
Information: forsyth.public.lib.ga.us
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Youth sports program signup in Johns Creek
Young athletes in Johns Creek can register through Jan. 31 for spring sports programs offered by Newtown Recreation. The athletic association, which runs youth athletic programs for the city at Newtown Park, offers baseball, soccer, lacrosse, tennis and other sports.
Information and to register: newtownrec.com or at 3000 Old Alabama Road, No. 104.
Information: 678-297-2662 Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Forsyth senior services holds winter concert
Forsyth County Senior Services is hosting a “Winter Wonderland” concert for all ages 2:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday at Sexton Hall Enrichment Center, 2115 Chloe Road, as part of its quarterly concerts.
The Sounds of Sawnee Concert Band will perform.
Admission: $5 in advance; $8 at the door.
Information: 770-781-2178. Arlinda Smith Broady
Forsyth giving local businesses preference
The Forsyth County Board of Commissioners voted to extend the county’s Local Business Initiative through 2014.
The program offers a five percent local preference credit to qualified businesses responding to county bids or solicitations on projects of less than $500,000.
County officials say the goal is to return as much taxpayer money to the local economy as possible.
Information: forsythco.com
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
ATLANTA
Torch Gala fundraiser this month
The Georgia Chapter of the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation announces its 24th Annual Torch Gala 7 p.m. Jan. 25 at the Ritz-Carlton, Buckhead, 3434 Peachtree Road NE. Reservations begin at $300.
Information: www.torchgala.com, 404-982-0616 or kheckler@ccfa.org.
Arlinda Smith Broady
Buckhead business luncheon set
Dene Oliver, chief executive officer of OliverMcMillan, will deliver the keynote address at the annual Buckhead Business Association luncheon on 11:30 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. Jan. 16 at the Atlanta History Center, 130 West Paces Ferry Road, NW. Oliver will provide commentary on his experience as a leader in the real estate development landscape as well as the Buckhead Atlanta project, a luxury destination for the Southeast and beyond.
Tickets: $85 - $125.
Information: www.buckheadbusiness.org
Arlinda Smith Broady
Buckhead library hosts poetry contest
The Buckhead Library, 269 Buckhead Avenue NE is hosting the Ida Williams Memorial poetry contest for children and teens where winner receive gift cards. Entries due April 19.
Information: 404-814-3500
Arlinda Smith Broady
East Atlanta schools may move to K-8 model
A group of East Atlanta parents and community members will begin meeting this month to consider whether Toomer, Whitefoord and Burgess Peterson elementary schools should be go up to 8th grade.
Atlanta Superintendent Erroll Davis presented three options this week in a letter to the community:the shcools could be combined into one K-8 campus to replace Coan Middle School, or Toomer and Whitefoord could combine as a K-8 school and Burgess Peterson could decide whether to join them, or all three schools could be converted to the K-8 model in their current buildings.
Davis wrote he would make a recommendation to the school board in February. Mark Niesse
DEKALB
Residents urged to sign up for CodeRED
With severe winter weather approaching, DeKalb County residents are urged to sign up for the county’s high-speed notification system, CodeRED.
This emergency notification system has the ability to quickly deliver time-sensitive messages via voice, email, and text to targeted areas or the county during emergency situations or disasters.
To sign up go to www.dekalbcountyga.gov and follow the link to the CodeRED Community Notification Enrollment page or call 770-270-0413 8 a.m.- 5 p.m. weekdays.
Individuals who have unlisted phone numbers, who have changed their phone number or address in the past year, and those who use a cellular phone or VoIP phone as their primary number should especially sign up. Arlinda Smith Broady
Youth sports offered this month
The Marcus Jewish Community Center, 5342 Tilly Mill Road, Dunwoody, offers youth sports this month: swimming, dance, gymnastics and tennis. Baseball, soccer, basketball and triathalon training begins in February.
Information: 678-812-3798.
Arlinda Smith Broady
County to demolish public housing
The DeKalb Housing Authority is ready to move residents so it can raze the 50-year-old Tobie Grant Manor housing project and so it can be developed into a mixed-use development.
About 600 residents are being relocated in January so demolition can begin by spring. The new $34 million development will be a mix of public housing and market apartments and single-family homes on the Scottdale site. April Hunt
Emory offers new mother resource
Emory University School of Medicine has launched MotherToBaby Georgia, a free statewide counseling service that connects experts in the field of birth defects research with expectant moms, health care providers, and the general public.
For counseling, call 866-626-6847.
MotherToBaby GA is funded by the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.
Information: www.MotherToBaby.org or www.emory.edu/msacd.
Arlinda Smith Broady
Clarkston seeks zoning board candidates
Clarkston is looking for residents to help fill three vacancies on its planning and zoning board.
There are no requirements beyond being a resident of the city interested in serving. The mayor will nominate appointees, for approval by the City Council.
Letters of interest and resumes should be sent to Jason Gaines at jgaines@cityofclarkston.com. April Hunt
Rep. Drenner to host healthcare event
State Representative Karla Drenner (D-Avondale Estates) and DeKalb County Commissioner Kathie Gannon will host an Affordable Care Act Enrollment Event 6 to 8:30 p.m. today at Robert Shaw Elementary School, 385 Glendale Road, Scottdale
Licensed navigators will be available to assist with enrollment.
Information: healthcare.gov
Arlinda Smith Broady
SOUTHSIDE
Hearings set for Smith-Barnes Elementary
The Henry County Board of Education has scheduled two public hearings regarding the possible closing of Smith-Barnes Elementary School.
The first will be 4 p.m. at Wednesday night’s work session at the school system’s administrative offices, 33 N. Zack Hinton Parkway, McDonough. The second is at the regular monthly board meeting, which will be 7 p.m. Monday on the Smith-Barnes campus, 147 Tye St., Stockbridge.
Information: www.henry.k12.ga.us. Monroe Roark for the AJC
2 shot at club in south Fulton
Two people were shot at a club early Sunday in south Fulton County, police said.
Fulton County police received a 911 call just after 7 a.m. about the incident at Rocafella’s on Old National Highway, Detective Melissa Parker said.
One person was in serious condition, she said, while the other was stable.
The investigation is continuing and no additional information was immediately available.
Angel K. Brooks
Small Business Boot Camp set for Jan. 11
The McDonough Small Business Boot Camp, hosted by Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes and McDonough Councilwoman Sandra Vincent, is from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Jazzy Brown Jazz Cafe, 1101 McDonough Place, McDonough. Admission is free.
Information: mcdonoughbusinessbootcamp.eventbrite.com.
Monroe Roark for the AJC
Credit cards now accepted at tag offices
Customers can now pay for motor vehicle tags in person using credit or debit cards at both the McDonough and Stockbridge tag offices.
The Henry County Tax Commissioner’s office made the announcement just before Christmas.
Previously customers could only make in-person transactions by cash or check.
The office also offers a variety of services online at www.henrytc.org.
Monroe Roark for the AJC
Fayette partially restores teacher pay
Fayette County teachers and staff who were furloughed for two days this school year will have part of their pay reinstated as of February.
The Board of Education voted unanimously recently to amend this year’s budget and allocate $1.2 million of its projected $21 million fund balance to restoring the furlough pay for the second half of the year.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Piedmont Hospital offering scholarship
The Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary is accepting applications for the Elizabeth Wilmot Bull Memorial Scholarship until Jan. 20.
The merit-based award is open to students enrolled in a medical- or health-related field of study (except pre-med or pre-nursing) at an accredited Georgia college or university.
Information: 770-719-7098.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
