County by county news for Tuesday

An Arizona girl alerted police in April 2012 after a man she met through social media, later identified as Whitmore, threatened to send her sexually explicit photos to her family if she did not send him additional photos, according to investigators.Sentencing for Whitmore is scheduled for Dec. 9. Alexis Stevens

Man sentenced for recording women

Mark Allan Storch, 56, of Atlanta, must spend five years of his 20-year sentence in prison, a judge ruled Monday. When he is released, he must serve 15 years on probation and cannot have any type of video-recording device. Storch pleaded guilty to 25 counts of invasion of privacy for recording women at his two salons in July 2012.

Police arrested Storch in August 2012 when an employee and a customer noticed a camera on the ceiling.Alexis Stevens

Slowing school traffic to be discussed

The Marietta City Council will look at safety issues at schools on high-traffic streets 5:15 p.m. Tuesday at City Hall, 2015 Lawrence St. The public works committee will discuss six requests for slowing traffic on streets around Westside Elementary and Marietta Middle Schools. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Smyrna to start Spring Road bridge repair

The Smyrna City Council has approved a $788,562 contract with E&D Contracting Services to repair the Spring Road bridge that spans CSX railroad tracks near Atlanta Road. Some traffic delays can be expected during the renovation which is expected to start in mid October and finish in two to four months.

The project, funded by 2011 SPLOST dollars, includes repairing expansion joints and knee braces, cleaning and painting steel. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Band competition at McEachern

A Bands of America regional competition will begin at 9:30 a.m. and continue into the evening Saturday at the Walter Cantrell Stadium, McEachern High School, 2400 New Macland Road, Powder Springs.

High school bands from Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee will be performing.

The box office will open at 8:30 a.m.

Costs: $22 for a day pass for both preliminaries and finals, $14 for preliminaries or finals ticket, free for children 10 and under.

Information: musicforall.org, Music for All office at 1-800-848-2263. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Food truck Fridays return with movies

West Cobb Food Truck Fridays will return from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday through Oct. 31 in the parking lot of Trinity Chapel Church, 4665 Macland Road, Powder Springs.

Family films also will be shown.

Information:

, 770-222-7023.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Residents to decide on alcohol package sales

Peachtree Corners will decide Nov. 4 on whether to allow alcohol package sales within city limits. This is a municipal election with voting to be held at Peachtree Corners City Hall, 147 Technology Parkway. All residents of incorporated Peachtree Corners who are registered voters may vote on the special referendum. Residents may cast their votes in several ways: absentee voting by mail, on Election Day in person, or by absentee/early voting in person 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.Oct. 13 through Oct. 31. Absentee ballot applications are available on the city’s website www.peachtreecornersga.gov. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Football and food at networking event

The Southwest Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce and Norcross Business Association will host a ‘Football Friendzy and Tailgate Party’ 5:30 to 7 p.m. today, Sept. 23 at Glass Doctor, 4405 International Blvd, Suite 113 in Norcross. Wear your favorite NCAA or NFL attire (optional). Prizes for best team wear, new or vintage. Information: www.southwestgwinnettchamber.org.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Property taxes due next week

Gwinnett County property tax bills for 2014 have a single-installment due date of Oct. 1. Taxpayers may make partial payments as long as the total due is paid in full by Oct. 1. Information at www.GwinnettTaxCommissioner.com. Questions: Tax@gwinnettcounty.com or 770-822-8800. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Developer requests media campus rezone

Jacoby Development Inc. has requested rezoning of 107 acres of the OFS Brightwave Solutions plant in Norcross to turn the campus into a 464,800 square -oot movie studio, 298,870 square-foot film school, a 310-room hotel and more than 1,000 multifamily units, according to the plans filed with Gwinnett for the project at Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Interstate 85. The developer is also proposing up to 2.2 million square feet of office space and almost 200,000 square feet of stores and restaurants. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

County launches prescription program

At no cost to the county, Commissioners have approved an agreement with Coast2Coast Rx to offer prescription drug discount cards to Gwinnett residents. The cards will be available at local governmental offices, senior centers, libraries, and most participating pharmacies by mid-November. Information: www.coast2coastrx.com.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Hazard mitigation plan input is being sought

Learn how the Gwinnett Office of Emergency Management plans to respond during emergencies and disasters at a public meeting on the Hazard Mitigation Plan at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Emergency Operation Center, 800 Hi-Hope Road in Lawrenceville. Attendees will receive an overview of the hazard mitigation planning process and will have the opportunity to offer recommendations. The final plan will be submitted to FEMA for approval. www.gwinnettcounty.com.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Sandy Springs school closes after lockdown

Springmont School, a private school in Sandy Springs, cancelled classes and all remaining activities around 1 p.m. as police continued to search for a driver who fled a traffic stop.

The was in a “shelter in place” mode, meaning all students were inside and school doors were locked, according to an email sent to parents. The lockdown was momentarily lifted, but parents were told around 11:30 that it was back in place.

Alexis Stevens

Canton Council votes on trash deal

Canton City Council voted to stay with current waste hauler Waste Management, with the company not taking over billing and collecting. Had the city opted for a change, residential curbside service would have gone from $9.88 a month to $10.78, and the senior/disabled charge would have risen from $9.73 to $10.48. Council will vote on a new contract with Waste Management in mid-October. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Cherokee sets budget hearing

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing on the proposed fiscal year 2015 county budget 6 p.m. today at the Cherokee County Administration Building, 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton. Commissioners are considering a $190.9 million budget, up nearly ten percent from 2014’s $174.2 million. The document carries an $8.2 million operating increase, highlighted by employee raises, nearly three dozen new employees and a jump in healthcare costs. It also proposes a $9.1 million increase in capital spending. Final approval is set for Oct. 7. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Domestic violence fundraiser set

The Cherokee Family Violence Center and the PEACH Project will hold a fundrasier to benefit victims and survivors of domestic violence. ” Galloping against Violence” is set from 1 to 4 p.m. Oct. 5 at the Chukkar Farm, 1140 Liberty Grove Road, Alpharetta. Attendees will enjoy polo, a silent auction and other events. Information: 770-479-1804. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Ebola lecture planned in Forsyth

The Forsyth County Public Library is partnering with the Centers for Disease Control, Publix and Walgreens to present an educational session on Ebola and other infectious diseases. Dr. James Lange of the CDC will lecture at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 8 at the Sharon Forks Library, 2820 Old Atlanta Road, Cumming. He’ll cover what Ebola is, how it spreads and how it’s treated. Free.

Information: forsythpl.org Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Woodall gets business award

The nation’s leading small business association recently named U. S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Ga., a Guardian of Small Business for his voting record in the 113th U.S. Congress. The National Federation of Independent Business says those voting favorably on small business issues at least 70 percent of the time were eligible. Woodall represents the 7th district, including a large chunk of Forsyth County. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

ATLANTA

Package on plane deemed harmless

A suspicious package on a plane that landed Monday at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport “was deemed harmless,” an airport spokesman said.

“It’s been given the all clear,” Reese McCranie told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “The plane is getting towed back to the gate.”

Just before 1 p.m., the Transportation Security Administration told Channel 2 Action News it was checking out a suspicious item on a plane.Staff

Death at apartment ruled homicide

Atlanta police are investigating the death of a man at an apartment on Myrtle Street as a homicide.

A tenant in an apartment building in the 1800 block of Myrtle Street discovered the man’s body Monday morning.

Mike Morris

Student brought knife to alternative school

A student at a southwest Atlanta alternative high school was in police custody Monday morning after allegedly bringing a knife onto the campus.

The incident happened shortly before 8:30 a.m. at Forrest Hill Academy, a privately-run Atlanta Public Schools alternative school on Forrest Hills Drive off Cleveland Avenue, Atlanta police spokeswoman Kim Jones said.

“A knife was located on a student when the student entered the school this morning,” she said.

The student’s name and age have not been released. Mike Morris

Fulton Worforce board holds retreat

Fulton County’s Workforce Investment Act board will hold a retreat 9:30 a.m.-2 p.m. Thursday at Adamsville Regional Health Center, 3700 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, SW.

A function of the board is to stay abreast of new programs that serve the changing needs of employers. The Workforce Investment Act also provides career training and job information to the unemployed and underemployed.

Information: 404-613-6381.

Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

DEKALB

Citizen group proposes deep reforms

A group of DeKalb County residents is recommending a series of changes to help overhaul a county tainted by allegations of corruption.

The group’s Blueprint to Redefine DeKalb County calls for an internal audit watchdog, independent appointments of members of the Board of Ethics, a vote on term limits and greater financial transparency.

A community meeting on the Blueprint is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 30 in the Maloof Auditorium. Details: BlueprintDeKalb.org. Mark Niesse

Feasibility Study will consider road diet

A feasibility study, scheduled for later this fall, will decide how Avondale Estates should construct a road diet on U.S. 278 from Ashton Place to Sams Crossing. Among other things the diet would include eliminating two lanes from Avondale’s main drag. As part of this study the city’s received a $62,500 grant from the Atlanta Regional Commission to fund a “demonstration project,” which includes a physical approximation – using chalk, flags and cones – of what a slimmed down 278 would look like, including a possible roundabout at 278 and Clarendon Road.

Bill Banks for the AJC

Chamblee Police use heroin antidote

Chamblee Police successfully used the heroin antidote Naloxone to reverse on overdose.

On Sept. 12 officers responded to a call at Huntington Station Apartments where a unit is used as a halfway house and drug rehabilitation. They found a man passed out on the bathroom floow with shallow breathing.

Officer Atlas Hardy administered the Naloxone spray to each nostril to wake the victim, who was transported to the hospital.

Chamblee Police have been carrying the antidote since August. Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

DeKalb Medical offers free cancer screenings

DeKalb Medical will hold free and reduced cost cancer screenings from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. Oct. 4, at the Hillandale campus, 2801 DeKalb Medical Parkway, in Lithonia; and 2701 North Decatur Road, Decatur.

Clinical breast exams along with mammograms, prostate and skin cancer screenings will be provided. Appoints are required by calling 404-501-9355.

Information: www.dekalbmedical.org.

Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

Decatur to repair

three more streets

Decatur will mill, repair and repave three more city streets: Ansley Street, from Oakview Road to Kings Highway, Talley Street fronting the lofts and Public Works facility and the north side of Sams Crossing. Cost is $200,000 and the work should be done next month.

The city this year will have fixed portions of 10 streets totaling 2.45 miles. Bill Banks for the AJC

Church helps to collect shoes for charity

Clarkston First Baptist Church and The Soul Project have partnered to collect shoes for people in Liberia. Shoes can be dropped off 11 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturdays, through Oct. 11 at Clarkston First Baptist Church Life Family Center, 4007 Church Street, Clarkston.

Information: 404-292-5686, ext. 239. Adrianne Murchison for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Passenger killed in Clayton County crash

A wreck Sunday on I-75 southbound just before the Ga. 85 exit left a passenger dead. Clayton County police said a Ford Explorer left the roadway and overturned in a wooded area. The woman driving the SUV was taken to the hospital with extensive injuries. Police discovered a deceased male, whose name wasn’t released, in the passenger seat. Witnesses said the woman, whose name hasn’t been released, was driving erratically and weaving in and out of traffic before clipping a pickup truck in a neighboring lane while attempting to change lanes. Mike Morris

Dragon boats change location

This year’s International Festival and Rotary Dragon Boat Races will be 9 a.m. Saturday at Lake McIntosh in Peachtree City. The site change is due to ongoing repairs and low water levels on Lake Peachtree. Exhibits, performances, food, crafts and 34 teams of racers will reflect cultures from China, India, the Philippines and America. Admission is free. Details: ptcdragonboats.org.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Schools sign teacher education agreement

An agreement between Georgia Perimeter College and Clayton State University will allow students studying to become high school teachers to transfer seamlessly between the two schools. The new agreement lets Georgia Perimeter students who earn associate degrees in teacher education to enroll in Clayton State to finish bachelor degrees in teaching.Students will be certified secondary education teachers after graduating from Clayton State’s program.Janel Davis

McIntosh flutist chosen for orchestra

Natalie Hung, a flutist with the McIntosh High School band, has been selected as the first chair flute player for the Metropolitan Youth Symphony Orchestra of Atlanta.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Peachtree City told higher pay appropriate

A human resources firm has recommended that Peachtree City increase employee pay rates by at least 3 percent, and modify job classifications.

Results of a comprehensive survey conducted earlier this year by Condrey and Associates Inc., were presented to the mayor and city council Tuesday night. The firm said Peachtree City is about 15 percent below average pay for comparable jobs in similar cities, which will affect employee retention and recruitment. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Safety preparedness seminar set

The Clayton County Board of Health’s Office of Emergency Preparedness and Response is leading a coalition to help make neighborhood watch groups better at fighting crime in their communities and helping the county during times of disasters and emergencies.

A seminar is 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday in the Azalea Room at the board of health office, 1117 Battle Creek Road, Jonesboro.

The seminar will cover disasters, emergency management, dispensing of medicine and vaccines. Details: 678 610-7468 or email Doug Dugger at Freddie.Dugger@dph.ga.gov.

Tammy Joyner