County by county news for Tuesday

A mandatory pre-proposal meeting will be held at 10 a.m. Jan. 16 at City Hall, 4484 Marietta St.

Proposals must be submitted by 10 a.m. Jan. 23 when they will be publicly opened and read aloud.

Information: Croy Engineering LLC, the city’s program manager, at 770-971-5407 or lterry@croyengineering.com. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Kennesaw plans MLK Day event

The city of Kennesaw and local churches will remember Martin Luther King, Jr. at a event 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Saturday Jan. 12 at Kennesaw Mountain High School, 1898 Kennesaw Due West Road. The “United We Stand, Divided We Fall” program, that will focus on youth, will include trailblazer awards to high school seniors. Information: www.kennesaw-ga.gov.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Classes on e-reading this month

Sessions on using e-readers will be given from 2 to 3:30 p.m. today and Jan. 22 at the Powder Springs Library, 4181 Atlanta St.

Registration is requested but not required.

Information: Bruce Thompson, powdersb@cobbcat.org or 770-439-3600.

Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Children may read to listening dogs at library

Children who are 5 years and older are invited to read to certified listening dogs Nemo or Lexie in the READing Paws program at 3:30 p.m. Thursday at the South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton. Children must be independent readers and may be registered for two 15-minute sessions.

Information: Julienne Marks, marksj@cobbcat.org or 678-398-5834. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Drama workshops for youths open this month

Children who are 9 years and older are invited to participate in drama workshops this month at the Mableton library to present short plays, using an array of props.

Classes will be held from 3:30 to 4:15 p.m. today and Jan. 15, 22 and 29 at the South Cobb Regional Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton.

Information and registration: Julienne Marks, marksj@cobbcat.org or 678-398-5834. Carolyn Cunningham

Kennesaw Skatepark construction beginning

Ground breaking on the first phase of the Kennesaw Skatepark in Swift-Cantrell Park takes place at 11 a.m. Thursday. The facility will be the first permanent skate park to feature elements modeled on a competitive street skate park plaza design. It will host large- and small-size skateboarding events.

The estimated total project cost, including both phases, is $1.8 million; $1.4 million was approved by voters as part of the 2011 SPLOST and the remainder will come from corporate, private donations or grants, not the city’s general fund.

Fundraising for Phase II is in progress. Kenneth Musisi

GWINNETT

Lilburn’s greenway trail system expanding

Thanks to a $100,000 Recreation Trails Grant from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Gwinnett Parks and Recreation is creating a nearly mile-long bike and pedestrian trail from Camp Creek Greenway to Lions Club Park in Lilburn.

The $260,000 project, expected to take 90 days, includes a 700-foot boardwalk, asphalt trail and 60-foot concrete bridge underpass at Rockbridge Road.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Buford annexes former industrial park land

Buford annexed an 82-acre industrial park between Buford Highway and I-985, above Lanier Islands Parkway and bordered by Frazer Road.

The city rezoned the tract from residential to light industrial, but has no immediate plans to develop it further. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Duluth mayor to address residents

Mayor Nancy Harris is scheduled to discuss Duluth’s accomplishments and plans in the city’s annual State of the City address during a business expo and luncheon at 11 a.m. Jan. 22 at the Gwinnett Center, 6400 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth.

The expo begins at 11 a.m. and Harris’ address at 11:30. Admission includes lunch and costs $25, with eight-person tables available for $175. Proceeds benefit charity. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Lilburn Art Alliance hosts sip-and-see

Lilburn Art Alliance holds its first art exhibition 1 to 6 p.m. Jan. 12 at 107 Mains St. in Old Town. Sprig restaurant will provide complimentary hors d’oeuvres and wine, and Music on Main Street will provide entertainment.

Local artists on display will include Susan Boudreaux, Diana Dice, Teri Enfield, Alan Harp, Gwendolyn McDonald, David Raderstorf and Peggy Sullens.

The Lilburn Arts Alliance’s mission is to create works of public art, support local artists and create studio space. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Business alliance meets today

The Buford Business Alliance will meet at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Brand Bank, 2255 Buford Highway. Members are asked to bring marketing materials for the BBA table. Information: www.visitbuford.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Ringling Bros. host kids reading program

Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey has partnered with the Gwinnett Library System to host Reading with Ringling Brothers, a reading program that allows kids to participate and earn Ringling Bros. circus tickets. Children (ages 2-12) can enroll with a librarian for their reading at any library branch.

A special event with the Ambassadors of Laughter Clowns will be 10:30 a.m. Jan. 18 at the Peachtree Corners Branch, 5570 Spalding Drive, Norcross. The Reading with Ringling program is sponsored by WSB-TV Family 2 Family.

Information: ReadingWithRingling.com. Kenneth Musisi

NORTHSIDE

Boy honored for actions after dad bitten by snake

Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services officials Friday presented a metro Atlanta boy with a certificate for helping save his dad’s life after a November rattlesnake bite.

Shane Newton was hiking with son Grant, 9, near Lake Arrowhead when he was bitten. Officials say Grant followed dispatcher directions, keeping his father alert and talking until rescuers could reach them.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Alpharetta Community Development moving

Alpharetta’s Community Development office is moving Friday from leased space at 287 South Main St., to 217 Roswell St.

Community Development’s services include enforcement of zoning and development codes, issuing building permits and business licenses, enforcing sign and property maintenance codes and coordinating the city’s short and long-term land use planning efforts. Community Development is scheduled to be integrated into Alpharetta’s new City Hall in the City Center Project slated to be complete in summer 2014.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Forsyth sewer facility up and running

The Forsyth County Water and Sewer Department’s new regional waste water lift station is fully operational and is expected to save the department $1 million in operating costs annually. The $7.6 million facility on McGinnis Ferry Road, built with a loan from the Georgia Environmental Finance Authority, is pumping about a million gallons daily, roughly one quarter of its ultimate capacity.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Roswell conducting housing surveys

Roswell is asking residents to participate in a survey to assess fair housing perceptions. Go to www.surveymonkey.com/s/RoswellFairHousing this month. Surveys can be mailed to Roswell Grants Manager Danny Blitch, 38 Hill Street, Suite 115, Roswell, GA 30075. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Forsyth gets highway safety grant

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s office has received a grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to implement strategies to reduce highway injuries and fatalities. The $69,800 grant boosts a project named HEAT, highway enforcement of aggressive traffic, which combats drunk and aggressive driving with high-visibility patrol and sobriety checkpoints.

MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC

Sandy Springs synagogue hosts movie

Congregation Or Hadash, 6751 Roswell Road, Atlanta, will host a screening of “David,” an award-winning interfaith film, at 5 p.m. Wednesday.

The film, about the friendship when a Muslim boy is mistaken for a Jewish student after accidentally swapping holy books, delivers a message of multi-faith friendship and acceptance.

Following the screening, writer-director, Joel Fendelman, will lead a discussion. Admission is free, but donations will be accepted. Information: 404-250-3338. Kenneth Musisi

ATLANTA

Coats for the needy being collected

United Way of Greater Atlanta’s annual Project Overcoat drive runs through Jan. 19. The objective is to collect thousands of new and gently used coats and blankets for disadvantaged men, women and children.

Coats can be dropped off at any metro Kroger. Volunteers are needed to help sort coats at the Atlanta Mission, 2355 Bolton Road from Jan. 23-25 and Jan. 28-Feb 1. To volunteer, go to unitedwayatlanta.org/projectovercoat. Nancy Badertscher

City Councilman to host town hall meeting

Atlanta City Councilman Ivory Lee Young Jr. will host the first of three 2013 town hall meetings 7 to 9 p.m. today at The Foundry at Puritan Mill, 916 Joseph E. Lowery Blvd. Constituents may discuss issues with city departments, including police and fire.

Information: 404-330-6046 or ilyoung@atlantaga.gov.

Jeremiah McWilliams

Thieves steal wire from ‘Anchorman 2’ set

Burglars broke into a northwest Atlanta warehouse on Dec. 27 being used for the filming of the sequel to the 2004 comedy film “Anchorman.” According to police, the thieves made off with $300,000 in wiring stripped from the building as well as four computers.

A hand-written sign on the door of the building offers a $5,000 reward for information leading to an arrest. Mike Morris

Yates to co-chair AG committee

U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder has named U.S. Attorney Sally Yates of Atlanta to be the vice chair of a panel that advises the attorney general on policy, management and operational issues impacting the 94 U.S. Attorney’s offices nationwide.

Holder also named U.S. Attorney Loretta Lynch of the Eastern District of New York to chair the Attorney General’s Advisory Committee of U.S. Attorneys. “I’m confident that U.S. Attorneys Lynch and Yates have the expertise and dedication to lead this critical group in a challenging time,” Holder said. Bill Rankin

DEKALB

Trash pickup topic of today’s meeting

DeKalb County, which has been weighing whether to cut back its near-daily curbside trash pick-up, will begin a series of meetings about the service at a meeting 6:30 p.m. tonight at the Tucker-Cofer Library, 5234 LaVista Road, Tucker. For $265 a year, residents had been receiving twice weekly trash pickup and recycling pickup and yard trimmings once a week with no volume limit. To help keep costs, and the fee, down, the county late last year consolidated recycling and yard waste pick-up into one day.

The next question will be whether DeKalb moves to once weekly trash pickup.

Information: 404-371-3689.

April Hunt

House delegation holding meeting today

State representatives from DeKalb County will a town hall meeting 6:30 p.m. today at the Porter Sanford performing arts center on Rainbow Drive.

The session will also be a chance for House members to get information out regarding any upcoming events or issues.

During session, the delegation will meet at noon every Monday in the Coverdell Legislative Office building in Atlanta.

Information: Rep. Dar’shun Kendrick at 678-323-7887 or dkendrick@kendrickforgeorgia.com. April Hunt

Christmas tree recycling this week

DeKalb County sanitation will recycle Christmas trees starting this week, either with curbside collection or with drop-off at the county-owned Seminole Road landfill.

Residents receiving regular trash pick-up can leave their trees out during their regular yard-waste collection day. Trees more than 7-feet in length must be cut in half for collection.

Residents also can drop trees off for recycling 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays and 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays at the landfill, 4203 Clevemont Road, Ellenwood.

Trees will be chipped into mulch for use in county projects and is free for county residents.

Information: 404-294-2900.

April Hunt

Community Council hosts inauguration trip

The Stephenson Community Council and Dream Big Educational Services offers a tour to Washington, D.C. for the presidential inauguration. Buses depart Atlanta on Jan. 19 and return early Jan. 22. Cost is $395 per person: 4 to 6 persons (suite) or $595 per person: 2 to 3 persons (single room).

Pricing includes: transportation, two-night hotel stay, 9 meals, and guided tours of all venues and events. Information: tinyurl.com/d8vojs2. Kenneth Musisi

Decatur police moveto temp headquarters

Decatur’s police department will move into temporary headquarters at the “Wells Fargo Building,” 7500 E. Ponce de Leon Ave., in mid-January. The move is necessitated by renovation of the old Beacon Hill site, which should be finished by April, 2014.

Also, Municipal Court will move into the Callaway Building at 120 W. Trinity this month, and the E-911 department will move to 314 Church Street in early February.

The city will spend $520,000 for updating equipment, relocating to and construction on the temporary sites. Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Henry County fire victims identified

Fire officials on Monday identified the 25-year-old woman killed in a Henry County house fire as Karen Prichard. Michael Haney, 15, remains in critical condition at the Joseph M Still Burn Center in Augusta. The home on Highway 138 East near Redwood Valley Road was ablaze before 6 a.m. Sunday.

Neighbors said Haney rescued his parents, then ran back to save his older sister, but neither made it out by the time fire crews arrived. The battery had been removed from the house smoke detector, fire officials said Monday. Fran Jeffries and Mike Morris

McDonough mayor pro tem re-elected

McDonough city councilman Rufus Stewart recently was re-elected mayor pro tem. He will serve another year in the position. He has been a city councilman for 20 years.

Tammy Joyner

Last chance for feedback on budget

Fulton residents have a last chance to discuss the county’s 2013 budget at a public hearing 10 a.m. Wednesday in the Government Center’s Assembly Hall, 141 Pryor St., Atlanta.

The budget does not include a countywide tax rate increase, but most departments are expected to take 2 percent to 5 percent cuts.Johnny Edwards

Hospital auxiliary seeks applicants

The Piedmont Fayette Hospital Auxiliary is seeking applicants for its Elizabeth Wilmot Bull Memorial Scholarship.

The merit-based award is given to selected students with a 3.0 GPA or above who are enrolled in health-related studies at an accredited Georgia college or university.

Applications are due Jan. 15; call 770-719-7098. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Tech groundbreaking set for Thursday

Groundbreaking for the new Southern Crescent Technical College/Henry County Campus will take place 10 a.m. Thursday on the site adjacent to Henry County High School, McDonough.

Parking will be available at the high school and a bus will take people to the site at 9:45 a.m. An indoor celebration will be held at the Academy for Advanced Studies at the high school immediately following the groundbreaking.

Tammy Joyner

Multiuse trail in the works at Wolf Creek

Fulton County residents can hear about the proposed Wolf Creek Multi-Use Trail, and give input, at a public meeting 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Wolf Creek Amphitheater, 3025 Merk Road.

The trail would connect the amphitheater to a proposed library site and a recreational complex.

Information: 404-612-0520 or Antonio.Valenzuela@fultoncountyga.gov. Johnny Edwards

Fayette Democratic Committee to meet

Dawn Mabra is the new chairperson of the Fayette County Democratic Committee.

The committee will meet 9 a.m. Saturday at the International House of Pancakes, 705 North Jeff Davis Dr., Fayetteville.

Inforamtion: www.fayettedemocrat.com.

Tammy Joyner