County by county news for Wednesday

Also on the agenda: a discussion of the budget, legislative priorities and board protocols. The meeting begins at 8:30 a.m. at school system headquarters, 514 Glover St., Marietta. Ty Tagami

Man honored for saving family from fire

Marietta will recognize Cedric White at its city council meeting today for saving a family from an apartment building fire on Aug. 29. The 21-year-old Smyrna resident was driving by the two-story building near Lemon Street when he noticed smoke from a first floor apartment. After knocking on doors to alert residents in the eight apartments, he went through thick smoke to rescue a mother, grandmother and two children. Marietta Fire officials said White reached the mother and one child before they could jump from a second-floor window. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Marietta PD cooperation earns award

The Marietta’s police department will receive an award today for being the first law enforcement agency in Georgia to submit data for the third and last phase of a national criminal justice information sharing system. The National Data Exchange Program (N-DEx) allows law enforcement agencies to share incident reports, incarceration data, and parole/probation information. Representatives from the FBI will present the award at 4 p.m. in City Council Chambers. Andria Simmons

Saturday is park cleanup day in Smyrna

“It’s MY Park” Volunteer Day takes place from 9 a.m. to noon on Saturday at the following Smyrna park locations: Cobb Park and Kidscape Village Playground, Lake Court Park, North Cooper Lake Park, River Line Park and Tolleston Park. Projects include pruning bushes, raking mulch in playgrounds, cleaning play equipment, trail repair and litter control. Information: 770-319-5400 or email parksrecintern@ci.smyrna.ga.us. Mea Watkins

Smyrna to consider zoning variances

The Smyrna License and Variance Board meets 10 a.m., today at 2800 King Street, Smyrna, to considered two items on the agenda, both zoning variances for a property at 3565 Hickory Circle, Smyrna. Jeffry Scott

Mazzone highlights animal fundraiser

Former Atlanta Braves pitching coach Leo Mazzone will welcome the community to the third annual Furry Friends Fundraiser from noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at Glover Park on the historic Marietta square. The fundraiser benefits Companion Animal Connection (CAC), a non-profit, no kill dog and cat rescue. Former Braves alumni will give autographs and pose for pictures.

Other features include food, a silent auction, free kids’ activities and raffles. Information: www.furryfriendsfundraiser.comNancy Badertscher

GWINNETT

Trickum students win math honors

Trickum Middle School math scholars earned top honors in the Georgia Mathematics League competition.

Jason Fan won first place and was named the 2011 State Individual Winner at the sixth grade level. The Lilburn school’s math team, which included Fan, Tyler Draper, Kevin Mathew, Jake Wiley and Mary Xu, placed second in the 2011 State School Division for sixth graders.

The league promotes math confidence and interest in problem-solving. It offers contests for fourth through eighth graders and high school students, officials said. D. Aileen Dodd

Elizabeth Smart, father to speak Thursday

Elizabeth Smart and her father will join forces with Keep Georgia Safe on Thursday to teach the importance of safety empowerment for children at a conference at Greater Atlanta Christian School near Norcross.

The child safety conference will be from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m. Friday.

Tickets are $10 and the event is open to the public.

Info: http://keepgeorgiasafe.org/293/child-safety-conference Andria Simmons

Women’s networking group to relaunch

Women on a Mission to Earn Commission (WOAMTEC), a networking organization geared toward business women, announced that Kat Altine will serve as the new director of its Johns Creek/Suwanee chapter. A relaunch celebration will be Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Cannongate Golf Club at Olde Atlanta, 5750 Olde Atlanta Parkway, Suwanee.

Information: Visit www.woamtec.com or call 866-757-2611. Kenneth Musisi

Health and fitness fair for kids Saturday

Gwinnett County will sponsor a fitness and health fair for children from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Dacula Park, 205 Dacula Road, Dacula.

Kids can run an obstacle course and learn bike safety while parents learn tips on keeping children safe and healthy. The program includes opportunities for Boy and Girl Scouts to earn a health/fitness badge.

The event is open to all ages. The cost is $5 per person. Pre-registration is required. To register, call 770-614-2060. David Wickert

Want to be a Gwinnett columnist?

You can join eight other AJC community columnists from around metro Atlanta. Send us:

-- A short essay (400 words or less) pegged to a topic in Gwinnett County.

-- Additional paragraph (100 words or less) on yourself and why you should win.

-- A brief list of five topics that you might write about.

You must be a resident of Gwinnett.

Entries will be judged on the basis of writing style, intelligence and freshness of topic, but not on whether AJC editors agree or disagree with your point of view. The first column will appear in November. Send entries to newstips@ajc.com. Please put “Gwinnett Columnist” in the subject line and include your daytime contact information.

Only finalists will be contacted by the AJC. Deadline to submit your entry is Friday, Oct. 14.

NORTHSIDE

Sandy Springs to get update on road project

Sandy Springs city officials and representatives from the Georgia Department of Transportation will offer an update and take questions about the controversial road widening project at Abernathy and Johnson Ferry Roads. The town hall meeting was scheduled for 6 p.m. today in response to complaints that the improvement project is responsible for near accidents and traffic back ups. The meeting also will address the frustrations of some who feel the state has not addressed their safety concerns.

The meeting will be at Sandy Springs City Hall. Rhonda Cook

Groundbreakings hail new Forsyth parks

About two dozen people turned out Monday for groundbreaking at one of four new passive parks planned in Forsyth County.

The ceremony, held at the 63-acre Harrison Property Park, 2755 Caney Road, is the start of two weeks of activities observing the addition of nearly 300 acres of public greenspace. Other groundbreakings will be at: 2 p.m. Wednesday at Echols Road Property Park, 2205 Echols Road; 2 p.m. Monday at Old Atlanta Park, 810 Nichols Road; and 2 p.m. Oct. 19 at McClure Property Park off Old Atlanta Road. Patrick Fox

Firefighter groups honor legislator

The Georgia State Firefighters Association and the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs have named state Sen. John Albers, R-Roswell, their Legislator of the Year for 2011.

Albers, a fourth-generation volunteer firefighter, was selected for his work on behalf of the Georgia fire service in the Georgia General Assembly.

As a freshman legislator, Albers was appointed to the Senate Public Safety Committee. He also sponsored SB 155, which sought to ensure that dependents of firefighters killed in the line of duty were properly compensated. Andria Simmons

Roswell partners with CVB to attract business

The Roswell City Council approved a public-private partnership Monday with the local Convention and Visitors Bureau to help launch a commercial venture designed to attract and retain businesses.

The agreement provides $175,000 in start-up funds from the city’s hotel-motel tax to help launch the Roswell Business Alliance Initiative for the first six months. Patrick Fox

Taste of Canton to be Thursday downtown

The 11th annual Taste of Canton is from 5-8 p.m. Thursday, at Cannon Park, 130 E. Main Street in downtown Canton. Residents are invited to sample dishes from about 20 local restaurants, food venders and caterers. Tickets cost 50 cents each. Venders typically charge one to three tickets per sample. Jeffry Scott

Public invited to emergency training

The public is invited to a multi-jurisdictional Community Emergency Response Team training drill at 9:30 a.m. Saturday.

The drill is at the Roswell-Alpharetta Public Safety training center at 11565 Maxwell Road in Alpharetta. The CERT team will demonstrate life-saving skills in disaster preparedness, victim assessment, fire safety, first aid, and rescue searches. Andria Simmons

ATLANTA

Lawyer suspended from practice

The Georgia Supreme Court recently suspended Atlanta lawyer Lagrant Anthony from practicing law for 18 months for neglecting a client.

Lagrant’s client had reached a plea deal for a five-year prison sentence, but instead received to six years in custody, the court said. Anthony told his client he would correct the sentence, but never did, and he never returned phone calls or took any further action, the court said. Anthony failed to respond to both the client’s grievance and the State Bar of Georgia’s notice of investigation, the ruling noted. Bill Rankin

Peace Monument marks 100th anniversary

A 100th anniversary rededication ceremony for the Peace Monument at Piedmont Park will be Saturday at 2 p.m. The free event will draw historical militia units from all over the country. It starts with a parade followed by a military ceremony and will include presentations from other historical societies. The Peace Monument was erected in Piedmont Park in 1911 to symbolize peace between the North and South. Kenneth Musisi

Job fair for veterans on Oct. 20

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the military-to-civilian recruitment firm RecruitMilitary, will have a career fair hiring event for military veterans and military spouses on Oct. 20 at the Georgia Dome. The “Hiring Our Heroes, RecruitMilitary Veteran Opportunity Expo,” which runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., is part of a nationwide initiative to increase the hiring of veterans. Information, visit recruitmilitary.com/hiring-our-heroes. Mea Watkins

Health screening, workshops on Oct. 22

The 14th Annual Interfaith Health and Human Service Conference will take place from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Oct. 22 at the Atlanta Masjid of Al-Islam, 560 Fayetteville Road, S.E. The event, featuring free health screenings and workshops, is sponsored by Sisters United In Health Service. Information, visit www.sistersunited.org or call 770-465-2995. Mea Watkins

DEKALB

Social worker pleads not guilty in fraud

A DeKalb County social worker pleaded not guilty Tuesday to charges she fraudulently collected almost 500 checks totaling $409,000 for providing respite care that she did not give.

Margo Dubose allegedly filed paperwork to have checks sent to various post office boxes that had been rented under the names Antonio Robinson, L. Lawson, Rodrigos Gonzalez, Annie Edwards and Keith Smith. Dubose allegedly took the money over six of the nine years she worked in the adoption division of the Department of Human Services. She is facing five counts of theft by taking. Rhonda Cook

County honors domestic violence group

DeKalb County has honored District Attorney Robert James and the office’s Domestic Violent Unit for its work to prosecute the crime.

The county also is recognizing the Victim Advocate Team for National Domestic Violence Awareness month in October.

James’ office handled more than 600 domestic violence cases last year and has received 458 such cases this year. The two units work together to prosecute the cases, as well as to find support for victims. April Hunt

Doraville library to hold book sale

The Friends of Doraville Library will host one of its book sales this weekend.

The sale includes adult fiction hardcover books, as well as paperbacks, hard covers and CDs and DVDs for adult and children. The organization also will be accepting new members at the event, at $5 for individuals and $10 for families.

The sale runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the library, 3748 Central Ave.

More information: 770-936-3852. April Hunt

Lee returns from seminar in Israel

DeKalb County Commissioner Lee May recently completed an eight-day seminar in Israel focused on foreign policy.

The trip, sponsored by the American Israel Education Fund, also included discussions on national security issues with both former Israeli government officials and Palestinian Authority representatives. April Hunt

Watson to hold small business forum

DeKalb County Commissioner Stan Watson will hold a small business forum later this month, to help local firms learn more about getting involved in the county’s $1.35 billion overhaul of its water/sewer system.

The session will include information about getting bonded and insurance needs for small companies. Work on the project is expected to break ground early next year.

The meeting runs from 6:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Thursday at the Lou Walker Senior Center, 2538 Panola Road, near Lithonia. To register: goteamwatson@gmail.com. April Hunt

Golf tourney raises $4,000 for 9/11 memorial

The Atlanta Area Oil Terminal Cooperative (AAOTC), a group of companies working in the field of petroleum, hosted a golf tournament at the Horseshoe Bend Country Club in Roswell that raised more than $4,000 on Oct. 4. The funds will go towards building a 9/11 memorial in DeKalb County. Kenneth Musisi

SOUTHSIDE

Candidate settles up with homeowners association

East Point City Council candidate LaTonya Martin has settled up with her homeowners association, which sued her last month over unpaid maintenance fees. Heritage Park at East Point will drop its complaint, attorney Dana Tucker Davis said. Martin said she and her father split the sum -- a little over $4,000, including interest, attorneys’ fees and court costs. “My circumstances are no different from my family, friends, neighbors or colleagues’ circumstances or anyone else dealing with these difficult economic times,” she said in an e-mailed statement. Johnny Edwards

Peachtree City looks at private road changes

Peachtree City homeowners in 22 subdivisions must decide if they want to turn their private roads into city streets.

Residents met with the City Council and staff last week regarding maintenance currently not done by the city on roads that were built before a 2008 ban on private streets. Affected areas include Village Park, Brookfield and Cypress Pointe.

Property owners in each development must vote unanimously to apply for public status. Even then, Mayor Don Haddix said there are “no guarantees” the city can or will approve changes. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

McIntosh to induct five into hall of fame

McIntosh High School in Peachtree City will induct five former students into its new Athletic/Distinguished Alumni Hall of Fame on Saturday.

A catered banquet will be held at 6 p.m. at the school to honor athletes Jeff Sheppard, Danny Care, Ginger Harrelson Carr and Jennifer Rawlings. The Distinguished Alumnus Award will go to Jimmy Ellison, founding pastor of Providence United Methodist Church in Fayetteville. Banquet tickets are $20 and are on sale at the school and at www.mcintoshhigh.com. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Henry gets funds for trail at park

The Georgia Department of Transportation has awarded Henry County $435,600 in Transportation Enhancement funds for the installation of a 12-foot-wide paved trail at Nash Farm Park. The required $108,900 county match can be achieved solely through in-kind services such as surveying, clearing and grading.Monroe Roark for the AJC

Henry gets $54,000 for traffic enforcement

Henry County has accepted a $54,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to support the Henry County Police Department’s HEAT program, which enforces DUI, speeding and aggressive driving laws while educating the community on the importance of safety for motorists. Henry County’s HEAT unit consists of one sergeant and three officers.

Monroe Roark for the AJC

Stockbridge to hold LCI workshop

Stockbridge is hosting a community workshop and conducting a survey as part of its Livable Centers Initiative 10-year update. The workshop is Tuesday, Oct. 18, from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Ted Strickland Community Center, 130 Berry Street. Go to www.tunspan.com/stockbridge by Oct. 12 to complete the survey. Monroe Roark for the AJC