County by county news for Tuesday
COBB
Peachtree Communities fined by city again
Peachtree Communities was fined $3,000 by the Powder Springs City Council recently for violation of a setback requirement in the Vineyards at New Macland subdivision at Steading and New Macland Roads. The company paid $835 to the city for this application and a $1,000 fine for a previous soil and sedimentation violation. However, for the house in question, the City Council voted to allow the setback for the garage to remain reduced . The city could have charged anywhere from $300 to $2500 per day for the 14 days of violation. Information: peachtreecommunities.com. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Public review of city budget begins today
The proposed 2013-14 budget of Powder Springs will be available for public review from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. weekdays at Powder Springs City Hall, 4484 Marietta St., beginning today. Up by nearly $400,000 over last year’s $6.8 million general fund budget, the $7.2 million budget includes no tax increases and no service cutbacks. Information: 770-943-1666. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Meetings planned on bus service
Public bus reservations between the Cumberland Mall area and Austell may be arriving this fall. Four feedback meetings are planned on this new Flex Service by Cobb Community Transit: 7 to 9 p.m. Tuesday at the South Cobb Government Center, 4700 Austell Road, Austell; 6 to 8 p.m. June 18, South Cobb Public Library, 805 Clay Road, Mableton; 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. June 27 at the Ron Anderson Recreation Center, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs; 10 a.m. to noon July 20 at the Mable House Arts Center, 5239 Floyd Road, Mableton. Information: cobbcct.org or 770-427-4444. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Cobb holds family safety day
Cobb County is hosting a “Family Fun Safety Day” 9 a.m. to noon June 21 at the Cobb Safety Village, 1220 Al Bishop Drive, Marietta. Activities include water safety games, finger painting kits and tours of emergency vehicles. Cost is $5 per person, up to $20 per family. Information: 770-852-3270.
Jaime Sarrio
Cobb chairman to host town hall meeting
Cobb Chairman Tim Lee will host a town hall meeting for District 3 residents 7-8:30 p.m., today at Mountain View Community Center, 3400 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta.
District 3 covers the northeast portion of the county, and includes Canton Road and I-575.
Residents will have the chance to get updated on county initiatives and communicate with elected officials.
Information: cobbcounty.org/lee. Jaime Sarrio
Location changes for business meeting
The South Cobb Business Association has changed the location of its second Wednesday Open Networking meetings.
With free coffee served, the next meeting will be 8 to 9:30 a.m. Wednesday at the Holiday Inn Express, 3741 Tramore Point Parkway SW, Austell off the East-West Connector.
Information: sc-ba.org, info@southcobbba.org or 678-224-7300. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
GWINNETT
Community emergency volunteer course available
The Gwinnett County Office of Emergency Management is offering free Community Emergency Response Team training 6:30 to 9:30 p.m. on Tuesdays. This eight-week course will educate residents in basic disaster response skills such as fire safety, light search and rescue, team organization, and disaster medical operations.
A course review and disaster simulation will take place on Saturday, July 27 from 8 a.m. to noon. Information: ema@gwinnettcounty.com. Class size limited to 25 participants.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Lilburn’s new budget available for review
Lilburn's proposed $9.8 million budget for fiscal year 2013-14 may be viewed 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. weekdays at City Hall and at www.cityoflilburn.com. Residents may comment 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at Calvin Fitchett Municipal Complex, 76 Main St. Information: www.cityoflilburn.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Snellville hosting Flag Day celebration
Snellville invites the public to their Second Annual Flag Day Ceremony at 2:00 p.m. Friday in front of City Hall, 2342 Oak Road. This year’s program will involve veterans from World War II, Vietnam, Korea, Iraq and Afghanistan including Snellville residents Sgt. Robert Ricks and Pfc. Marion Nesmith who both were awarded the 3 Oak Leaf Clusters French Region of Honor during World War II. The Sons of the American Revolution Elijah Clark Militia will provide a musket salute. The Snellville Police Department Color Guard will raise a flag that has been flown over our Nation’s Capitol.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
5K run to benefit Gwinnett firefighters
The Gwinnett Fire 5 Alarm 5K race beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday at Towne Center Park in Suwanee will benefit the Gwinnett Fire Employees’ Benevolent Fund, which serves Gwinnett Fire employees and their families in times of hardship.
Race registration costs $25 and will remain open until the day of the race. Those not running may still register to receive a T-shirt and show their support. Register at www.5alarm5k.blogspot.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Grayson hosts farmers market Wednesdays
Local vendors have convinced Grayson to begin offering a weekly farmers market 4 to 8 p.m. each Wednesday at the Grayson Community Park, 1 Park Drive. The community anticipates twenty to thirty vendors available each week. www.cityofgrayson.org.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Gwinnett Tech offering free OB ultrasounds
Gwinnett Tech's Diagnostic Medical Sonography program offers OB ultrasounds at no charge at the Lawrenceville campus each Tuesday and Thursday. No first trimester sonograms offered. Participants must have the provided permission slip signed by their physician. Information: Ami Bryant at abryant@gwinnetttech.edu 678-226-6966 or Veranda Edmondson at vedmondson@gwinnetttech.edu 678-226-6687.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Forsyth BOE to adopt 2014 budget
The Forsyth County School Board is scheduled to approve next school year’s roughly $282 million budget at its monthly meeting 6 p.m. June 20 at the Forsyth County Board of Education and Professional Development Center, 1120 Dahlonega Highway, Cumming.
The budget is nearly $11 million bigger than this year’s, largely because of 80 new teaching positions and trailers. Information: 770-887-2461. Michael Alpert for the AJC
Book drive set for Okla. tornado victims
Cherokee High School teacher Joseph Stewart, whose family owns the Book Browser bookstore in Woodstock, has started a drive to send books to the public schools in tornado-damaged Moore, Okla. Donations can be made at the store, 295 Molly Lane, Suite 130, Woodstock. Information: 770-384-8644. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Siemens recognizes STEM Academy’s work
Siemens Drive Technologies Division will host team members from Forsyth Central STEM Academy at its manufacturing plant at 100 Technology Drive in Alpharetta at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The celebration is for the design and construction of the students’ electric vehicle, which placed third last month in the Electrathon America Electric Vehicle Race in Quitman.
Siemens hybrid drives teams have donated about $7,500 in engineering resources to support the Forsyth Central STEM Academy’s hybrid e-vehicle team. Nancy Badertscher
Older adult health, fitness fair in Forsyth
Forsyth County will hold its second annual Healthy Aging and Fitness Fair from 10 a.m. to noon today at the Sexton Hall Enrichment Center, 2115 Chloe Road.
The free event for adults 50 and up will include health screenings, exercise demonstrations and chair massage, among other activities.
Information: www.forsythco.com.
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Woodstock warning of traffic delays
Woodstock officials are warning of substantial traffic delays along Ridgewalk Parkway through June 21 (weather permitting) as crews do final paving, milling and temporary striping for the widening project between I-575 and Ridge Trail. The city urges seeking alternate routes.
Officials say the entire project is set for a mid-July completion, just before the scheduled opening of a nearby outlet mall. Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Reinhardt U. to offer new graduate degree
Reinhardt University will offer a new graduate degree program, the Master of Public Administration with a concentration in criminal justice, beginning this fall.
Information session: 7:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Reinhardt North Fulton Center, 4100 Old Milton Parkway, Alpharetta.
More information: 770-720-5526 Mark Woolsey for the AJC
ATLANTA
Morehouse hosting Haiti fundraiser
The Morehouse School of Medicine’s International Health Council, will host a fund-raising event 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at Gordon Biersch in Midtown to raise money to send volunteers to Haiti on a medical mission which will provide healthcare to underserved areas.
The International Health Council will sponsor its annual medical mission to mobilize health clinics in the rural Central Plateau of Haiti from July 14-20. The IHC is partnering on the project with Medishare’s Community Health Project, which will bring medical supplies and medication. The trip will include 14 students, doctors, a team of translators and public health workers. Ernie Suggs
Atlanta school district opens new museum
Tours of the new Atlanta Public Schools Archives Museum began Monday featuring high school yearbooks, a manual school bell and the principal’s counter where the parents of Martin Luther King Jr. registered for school.
The museum, located in the school district’s downtown headquarters, is designed to highlight both innovations and controversies during its 141-year history.
“This museum will not be a neutral place,” said Atlanta Board of Education Executive Director Howard Grant. “It should invoke the same kind of zeal that empowered and motivated the founders of APS.”
Information: 404-802-2200 or 404-802-3500. Mark Niesse
Summerhill hosts Community Reunion
The Summerhill Neighborhood Development Corporation will host the 26th annual Community Reunion from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday at Phoenix Park, 210 Georgia Ave. The event is free and open to the public. Honorees include Mattie Jackson, Vice-Chairman of the Summerhill Reunion Committee, the late Beatrice Underwood, Summerhill native and reunion committee member, and Ingrid Saunders Jones, Senior Vice-President of Global Community Connections with The Coca-Cola Company. Information: 404-586-0151.
Veronica Fields Johnson
DEKALB
Regents sued over Open Records Act
David Schick, a former student journalist at Georgia Perimeter College filed a lawsuit against the State Board of Regents Monday for failing to turn over public records concerning the school’s $25 million budget shortfall.
The system originally told Schick he’d have to pay $2,963.39 to view the records. The cost was ultimately negotiated to $291, but the lawsuit says the system has yet to turn over the records.
Regents spokesman John Millsaps was not aware of any lawsuit being filed and said as policy the system does not comment on pending legal action.
Schick wrote for the school’s newspaper and now is a freelance writer and blogger. He requested the files almost a year ago.
His attorney, Daniel Levitas with Burdine and Brown, is representing Schick pro bono at the request of the Student Press Law Center, a non-profit press-rights group. Laura Diamond
Commissioner hosts Father’s Day golf event
DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson is hosting a golf tournament this week in honor of Father’s Day, and to raise money two community groups.
Registration begins at 8 a.m. Friday with a shotgun start at 9 a.m. at the Sugar Creek Golf Course, 2706 Bouldercrest Road in south DeKalb.
Cost is $100 for an individual and $400 for a four-member team and includes a tournament goodie bag. Proceeds benefit the Porter Sanford performing arts foundation and the Scottdale Child Development Center.
Information: 770-925-3201.
April Hunt
New Walmart opens Wednesday
A Walmart Supercenter will open Wednesday in the location of a former auto dealership near Stone Mountain.
The 152,000-square foot store, at 5935 Memorial Dr., creates about 300 new full- and part-time jobs. It will be open daily from 6 a.m. to midnight.
Residents in the area welcomed the retail giant even as those near a proposed Walmart in North Decatur battled against a store. That store has received necessary county permits for work to begin. April Hunt
Park committee meets Wednesday
The committee that helps DeKalb County decide how to spend its parks bond money will meet 5:30 p.m. Wednesday at Henderson Park, 400 Henderson Park Road, Tucker.
The Parks Bond Advisory Committee and Initiative for a Green DeKalb Advisory Council meeting will include an update on current projects and a tour of walking trails at Henderson Park.
Information: 404-371-2082.
April Hunt
Sheriff traveling to Turkey
Sheriff Tom Brown will be among local elected officials to travel later this summer to Turkey for a joint fellowship.
The group will visit various government and religious sites in Turkey. Brown will focus on the country’s judicial system and political perspective.
Brown had previously traveled to Israel to study that country’s law enforcement and military efforts. He will pay for the fellowship, with some funds coming from the sponsoring group, the Istanbul Center.
April Hunt
SOUTHSIDE
Carjacking suspect shot by Clayton County officer
A carjacking suspect was shot and wounded by a Clayton County police officer around 11 p.m. Sunday. Three suspects fled on foot after crashing a stolen Volkswagen sedan into a pickup truck that was parked along Brookstone Road. “At some point during the foot pursuit, a male turned, produced a firearm and pointed it at the officer,” Clayton police Sgt. Kevin Hughes said. “The officer fired, striking the subject once,” Hughes said. The wounded suspect was taken to a local hospital, and is expected to recover. The other two suspects were still at large Monday. Mike Morris
Conviction in baby killing upheld
The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction against Howard Holloman Jr. for the beating death of his girlfriend’s 6-month-old baby.
The state high court found the evidence sufficient to convict Holloman for killing Nathaniel Price, the son of Eva Rodney. In August 2009, Rodney returned home, found Nathaniel unresponsive and called 911. EMS personnel arrived and took the baby to Southern Regional Medical Center, where Nathaniel was pronounced dead. An autopsy found the baby suffered from severe beatings, the court’s ruling said.
Bill Rankin
Peachtree City approves new hotel tax
Following recent approval by the state legislature and Gov. Nathan Deal, Peachtree City’s higher hotel/motel tax will take effect Aug. 1. The City Council ratified the measure last week, raising the tax from 6 to 8 percent, which is in keeping with surrounding areas. The extra revenue will go toward recreation facility improvements that will attract more sports tournaments. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Meet Fayette officials at open house
Representatives from the 27 departments of Fayette County’s government will attend an open house from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at the Fayette County Library in downtown Fayetteville. The officials will answer public questions about their respective operations and discuss resource sharing within the community. Jill Howard Church for the AJC
New maps available in Peachtree City
Peachtree City, in partnership with The Guide and the Peachtree City Convention & Visitors Bureau, has issued the 2013 Map-a-zine, which illustrates city streets and the multi-use path system. The updated publication is available for $2 at City Hall and at the Visitors Center on McIntosh Trail. Free maps will be given to those who register a golf cart at City Hall.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Jonesboro promotes marriage, family
The South Metro & Family Alliance, formerly Clayton County Marriage and Family, sponsors Marriage and Family Day 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday at 121 South McDonough St., Jonesboro. Free. Bring chairs. Food provided by Chick-fil-A, entertainment, bounce house, gifts and vendors. This event is always held the Thursday before Father’s Day to celebrate marriages and families. The alliance exists to promote and equip healthy marriages and families.
Nancy Badertscher
