County by county news for Tuesday

Man robs Marietta Red Roof Inn

An armed man robbed a Red Roof Inn in Marietta early Monday morning, according to Cobb County police.Police said the man entered the hotel at 2200 Corporate Plaza and forced an employee to open a safe at the business. After taking an undisclosed amount of cash, the man fled the area on foot in an unknown direction. according to police.

Police described the man as black, about 5’6” tall, and in his late 20’s to early 30’s. He was wearing dark clothing with a bandanna covering his face.

Police ask that anyone with information about this crime is asked to call (770) 499-3945 (770) 499-3945. Fran Jeffries

Austell bazaar set for Saturday

The annual Austell Community Market and Bazaar takes place 8 a.m. -- 3 p.m. Saturday along Jefferson Street in the city’s downtown district.

The free event will include food, arts, crafts and merchandise vendors, children’s activities, music by D.J. Dice and karaoke.

A fashion show by Faye’s Closet will begin at 2 p.m.

Information: 770-944-4309 or kroberts@austell.org. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Acworth police host sports field fundraiser

The Acworth Police Department will host the 4th annual “Covering the Bases” fundraiser at 7 a.m. Saturday. Proceeds from the 24-hour event will go toward improvements to the Horizon Special Needs Field in the Acworth Sports Complex on Main St. Activities include testing pitching skills against the police RADAR gun and a kickball tournament. Walkers and runners to “cover the bases” are needed.

Information: Captain Tony Bailey at 770-974-1232 or donate online at https://secure.rec1.com/GA/acworth-parks-recreation/. Veronica Fields Johnson

Marietta man, student win $250K in Ga. lottery

A Cobb County couple plan to get married and buy a house with their $250,000 winnings in a Georgia lottery game.

Darrell Garner and his fiancee Candace each had a Jeep Outdoor Adventure ticket in hand when Garner scratched the winner.

The couple has three children ages 10, 12, and 13.

Garner bought the $5 winning ticket at Publix Super Market at 2900 Delk Road in Marietta.

Joseph Crandall, a recent graduate of Georgia State University, won a $250,000 top prize playing Jeep Outdoor Adventure at Sydney Food Mart, 639 Morosgo Drive N.W. in Atlanta.

The 23-year-old Roswell resident received the lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship while enrolled at the university. Fran Jeffries

GWINNETT

Suwanee Citizens Police Academy starts again

Suwanee’s Citizens Police Academy will kick off another eight-week program on Oct. 4.

Participants will learn about crime scene processing, traffic stops, building searches, crime prevention and narcotics identification. Class sessions will be held at 6:30 p.m. Tuesdays at the Suwanee Police Department at 373 Buford Highway.

The deadline for applying to the program is Sept. 23. Applications are available at www.suwanee.com.

Information: ecasanas@suwanee.com or 770-904-7612. Joel Anderson

Brooks to run for county seat

Suwanee City Councilman Jace Brooks has announced he will run for the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners next year.

Brooks will seek the District 1 seat currently held by Commissioner Shirley Lasseter. Brooks has served on the Suwanee City Council since 2002. If elected, he said he would stress “greater budgeting and financial discipline, enhanced operating efficiencies for all departments and economic and tax policies designed to expand the county’s tax base.” David Wickert

Suwanee to host workshop

Suwanee will host a visual merchandising training workshop for local businesses on Oct. 3.

Titled “Designing Window Displays That Sell,” the workshop will be led by Susan Shaddox, interior design consultant with Main Street Arkansas.

The workshop is scheduled from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Suwanee City Hall at 330 Town Center Avenue. Registration costs $20 and the deadline is Sept. 20.

Information: astarnes@suwanee.com or 770-904-3388. Joel Anderson

Duluth PTSA donates marquee

The Duluth High School PTSA raised $10,000 to help the campus purchase a new special events marquee on Brock Road.

The group has been fund-raising for several years to help the school get the money to buy a new LED sign. PTSA officials worked with utilities companies to coordinate the relocation of telephone and power lines so the sign could be installed.

A check was presented to Duluth High principal Jason Lane. The principal told PTSA members the sign will be installed by the end of the year. D. Aileen Dodd

International festival in Norcross Sept. 24

The Gateway International Food and Music Festival will be held from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sept. 24 at Lillian Webb Park in downtown Norcross.

The event will feature international cuisine and music. Admission is free. For more information, visit www.gwinnettvillagealliance.com. David Wickert

Gwinnett Place CID to workshop

The Gwinnett Place CID will host a two-day workshop on Oct. 4 and Oct. 6 to provide a 10-year update on the Gwinnett Livable Centers Initiative (LCI) study.

The workshops are scheduled from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Ferguson Elementary at 1755 Centerview Drive in Duluth.

Professional planners, designer and market analysts will work with workshop attendees to refine the needs of the LCI study area through various interactive activities and educational sessions. Joel Anderson

Clinic offers free HIV testing Sept. 27

The AID Gwinnett/Ric Crawford Clinic will offer free HIV testing at its Duluth office Sept. 27 to honor the second-annual National Gay Men’s HIV Awareness Day.

The clinic, which is located at 3075 Breckinridge Boulevard in Suite 415, will provide testing from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Participants will take the OraQuick Advance HIV test, which returns results in about 20 minutes.

Information: 678-990-6430 or www.aidgwinnett.org. Joel Anderson

NORTHSIDE

27-year-old drowns in Lake Allatoona

A 27-year-old man drowned in Lake Allatoona Sunday.

Cherokee County divers found the body of Christopher Callahan, of Woodstock, at approximately 6:45 p.m.

Rescuers began searching for Callahan at about 4 p.m. in the area near Jon Jon Tarvin Memorial Bridge on Kellogg Creek Road.

The body will be sent to the Georgia Crime Lab where an autopsy will be conducted, said Lt. Jamie Gianfala with the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office.

The case is under investigation. George Mathis

Milton receives marketing award

For the second year in a row, Milton’s Parks and Recreation Department has been recognized for promoting the city’s special events.

Department coordinator Tom Gilliam received the “2011 Visibility & Marketing Award” for a single-event publication from the Georgia Recreation and Parks Association at the group’s August conference in Macon. The organization cited Milton’s “Concerts in the Park: Boogie Down at Birmingham” posters, created and printed in-house by Communications Manager Jason Wright. Patrick Fox

Alpharetta police investigating violent home invasion

Alpharetta police are investigating a violent home invasion last week in which intruders tied up and threatened a family for about an hour before leaving with jewelry and other valuables.

The incident happened shortly before 10 p.m. Thursday at a home on Garrick Point.

According to a police incident report, the homeowner told investigators that he was working on his cars in his garage, with one of the garage doors open.

“Three males wearing ski masks, gloves and dark clothing stormed into the house,” the report stated. “Two or three of the suspects were armed with semi-automatic handguns and ordered the victim to the floor of the kitchen.”

The suspects then took the man’s ring, Rolex watch and wallet, police said.

They eventually bound the couple and their 16-year-old son with packing tape.

According to the report, the suspects ransacked the house breaking into a safe, which contained jewelry.

The victims were eventually able to free themselves from the packing tape, and pressed the panic button on their alarm system. The suspects had fled by the time police arrived. Mike Morris

Holcomb Bridge Middle receives book award

Holcomb Bridge Middle School of Alpharetta recently launched a literacy initiative that will have all of its students reading the same book.

The school is participating in the One School, One Book program. Over the next two weeks, the school will read Paul Fleishman’s “Seedfolks,” a novel focusing on a community garden that brings together a diverse urban neighborhood. Parents and community members have been invited to also read the story and join in the luncheon on Sept. 30 celebrating the conclusion of the book. D. Aileen Dodd

ATLANTA

City urges businesses to fund health care costs study

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said he hopes the business community will chip in $500,000 to help fund a study of how the city can cut its health care costs. In comments Monday after a meeting of the Atlanta Committee for Progress, Reed compared the effort to find savings in health care with the recent reform of its pension system. But he said he wanted the city to move more quickly in health care than in pensions. Jeremiah McWilliams

Diabetes cooking workshop offered

A free educational workshop and cooking demonstration with reality TV star, Chef Dana Herbert. 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and 2:00 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Carl E. Sanders Family YMCA in the Buckhead Community Room, Atlanta. A diabetes educator will also teach Diabetes 101. The workshop will include types, risk factors, tips for healthy eating and staying fit. Information: diabetesacademy@novonordisk.com or 609-786-4560. Sandra Murray

City oks airport land purchase

The Atlanta City Council voted Monday to authorize the city to purchase undeveloped land east of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport from Jacoby Development for "runway protection and future airport development." The purchase of up to 60 acres will cost up to $32.4 million. Atlanta has requested $25.9 million from the Federal Aviation Administration to help offset the cost of the purchase. The city plans to pay the balance of the purchase price with passenger facility charges paid by travelers. Jeremiah McWilliams

Atlanta to pay $17K for Sunday alcohol vote

The Atlanta City Council approved an ordinance for the city to pay Fulton County up to $17,050 to run a special election on Nov. 8 on whether retailers should be allowed to sell alcohol on Sundays. The Fulton County Board of Registration and Elections will be the election superintendent, ballot clerk and registrar for the special election. More than 90 other Georgia counties and cities are reportedly planning to vote on Sunday sales on that date. Jeremiah McWilliams

DEKALB

DeKalb Medical CEO resigns

DeKalb Regional Health System president and CEO Eric Norwood announced his resignation Monday.

The health system includes three hospitals -- DeKalb Medical at North Decatur, DeKalb Medical at Downtown Decatur and DeKalb Medical at Hillandale -- as well as a physicians group. Chief financial officer Diane Harden will serve as interim CEO while the system’s board of directors searches for a new president. Under Norwood, who has served as CEO since 2003, the system built a 100-bed hospital off of Hillandale Road in south DeKalb and new tower on the North Decatur campus. Misty Williams

Long-time business closes

Avondale Antiques, operating for nearly 50 years in Avondale Estates, announced Monday that it has closed its North Clarendon Avenue location. The announcement was made Monday by co-owner Mary Bell, who told the City Happenings email newsletter, “Our hope was to be able to withstand the economic downturn until the Avondale Estates development began. Sadly, we could not.” She added that the store’s email address will continue to be active at avondaleantiques@gmail.com. Bill Banks for the AJC

Crime prevention meeting on Thursday

State Rep. Scott Holcomb, the Northlake Community Alliance and the DeKalb County Police Department are hosting a community meeting Thursday to focus on crime prevention.

The meeting at Henderson Mill Elementary School in Tucker starts at 7:30 p.m. and will last just over an hour.

Officers will discuss crime trends in the greater Northlake, Tucker, Lakeside, and Embry Hills areas. They also will suggest steps residents can take to the chances of being victims of home break ins and thefts from autos.

The meeting will close with a question and answer period. Rhonda Cook

Website supporting rail now online

DeKalb County has launched a new website to engage residents for support of a rail line in the I-20 corridor as part of next year’s transportation tax referendum.

The site, www.Rally4RailNow.com, is gathering names from those who want the project included in the regional sales tax vote. It also will list upcoming meetings and other ways residents can get involved.

The I-20 project calls for extending the current MARTA line from the Indian Creek Station to at least Wesley Chapel Road in south DeKalb. April Hunt

Household waste drive set for Oct. 1

Keep DeKalb Beautiful will sponsor a recycling drive for household hazardous waste 8 a.m. -- noon Oct. 1 at the county’s central transfer station, 3720 Leroy Scott Dr., Decatur.

The event is designed to divert potentially hazardous materials from Seminole Landfill. Electronic equipment not toto be accepted are: adhesives, aerosols, batteries, cleaners, flammables, fluorescent lights, lawn-care products, mercury, paints and photo and swimming pool chemicals.

Bio-hazards, medical and agricultural waste, pharmaceuticals and non-hazardous waste not accepted.

Information: 404-371-2654 or kdb@dekalbcountyga.gov. April Hunt

SOUTHSIDE

Henry police offer program for teens

The Henry County Police Department is offering a one day program to qualified high school students from ages 14 through 18. Saturday, Oct. 5., at the Henry County Police Headquarters. The program includes an overview of the Henry County Police Department, a Tour of the Henry County Police Department, Internet Safety and K-9 Demonstrations and more. Application deadline is Oct. 12. www.co.henry.ga.us/POLICE/YouthLeadershipAcademy.shtml or Captain James Burch 770-288-8205 or jburch@co.henry.ga.us. Sandra Marshall Murray

‘Living Well’ programs Wednesday in Hapeville

The second of three six-week “Living Well” programs offered by Fulton County’s Office of Aging starts Wednesday at the Hapeville Senior Center. The workshops are designed to help people suffering from chronic diseases -- such as diabetes, arthritis, asthma and heart disease -- manage their daily lives. Workshops cover, among other things, dealing with isolation, strength-improving exercises, communicating with family, medications and making treatment decisions.

Wednesday’s workshop is from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at 527 Arnold St.

Registration: 404-613-6000. Johnny Edwards

College Park hosts arts festival

The Historic College Park Neighborhood Association Arts Festival is 10 a.m.to 5 p.m. Saturday at the corner of East Main Street and Rugby Avenue. The day kicks off with the children and pets parade, headlined by the drum corps from Woodward Academy. Festival attendees will enjoy local art displays, food vendors and a specially adjudicated artist award. John Thompson for the AJC

East Point hosts 5K on Saturday

East Point’s Jefferson Park Neighbor’s Association is staging its inaugural Autumn Rush 5K Run/Walk at 9 a.m. Saturday at Tri-Cities High School. Funds from this race will fund multiple neighborhood projects, such as the association’s annual Lottie Maynard Fund, which provides a full Christmas experience to local families in need through the purchasing of gifts for all family members, holiday décor, and food. The association also focuses on neighborhood beautification projects and co-sponsored projects between Tri-Cities High School and the association. For more information, contact Jennifer Cobb at 678-662-1725. John Thompson for the AJC

Peachtree City amends offender rule

The City Council of Peachtree City has approved changes to the city’s First Offender/Youthful Offender ordinance.

At the recommendation of the Municipal Court Solicitor Marcia Moran, the new Pre-Trial Intervention Program will allow certain offenders of any age to expunge a first offense after pleading guilty and meeting other requirements.

The ordinance previously applied only to those under 21, but the city noted “an increase in the number of more mature individuals” being cited for offenses such as shoplifting. Jill Howard Church for the AJC