COBB
Trial date set for alleged Penske shooter
A trial date of May 28 has been set for Jesse James Warren accused of shooting five of his former co-workers, killing three, at a Penske trucking facility more than three years ago. His lawyers contend he was insane at the time of the shooting and isn’t competent to stand trial. Warren, 63, of Temple, allegedly was wearing camouflage and had two handguns when he fired multiple shots inside the Penske facility. He was arrested nearly a mile away. Jaider Felipe Marulanda, 43, of Lawrenceville; and Penske employees Robert Gonzalez, 31, of Dallas, Ga., and Vance Springer, 59, of Woodstock, were killed in the shootings. Alexis Stevens
Hearing set on Marietta historic district
Marietta’s City Council will hold a public hearing 7 p.m. Wednesday March 6 on proposed guidelines for a historic district on Kennesaw Avenue. It would be the city’s first designated, residential historic district. Some 60 percent of the residents affected by the change would have to approve the designation. Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Powder Springs holds youth baseball parade
The annual opening day parade for Powder Springs Youth Baseball will be 8 to 10 a.m. Saturday from the First Baptist Church of Powder Springs to Powder Springs Park.
The city’s police will close Marietta Street and Brownsville Road along the parade route.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Officials conference in Brasstown Valley f
Powder Springs Mayor Patricia Vaughn, City Council members and some city staff members will travel to the North Georgia mountains for their annual conference Wednesday through Friday.
They will spend two nights at the state-owned Brasstown Valley lodge in Young Harris.
City Manager Brad Hulsey said the meeting is designed for team building and goal setting among the city officials.
Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Smyrna hires city clerk
The Smyrna City Council on Monday approved Terri Ann Graham as city clerk. She was sworn in at the meeting and started work Tuesday. Graham was previously Hiram’s city clerk for six years. She replaces Susan Hiott who was Smyrna’s city clerk for 10 years.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
Marietta will hosta police academy
The Marietta Police Department will host a Citizens Police Academy 6 to 9 p.m. Mondays beginning April 8. Participants will get an inside look at crime analysis, narcotics, special weapons and tactics, crime interdiction, traffic enforcement, community response, crime scene processing and more. Information: 770-794-2364 or dsmith@mariettaga.gov. Andria Simmons
Registration open for chamber expo
Registration is open for the 2013 Cobb Chamber Business to Business Expo, which takes place from 3 to 7 p.m. May 16 at the Cobb Galleria Exhibition Hall D. The event is expected to draw 1,600 attendees and will feature more than 150 companies showcasing products and services. Information: jdudley@cobbchamber.org or 770-859-2359 www.cobbchamber.org/businessexpo. Jaime Sarrio
GWINNETT
Interstate construction to cause lane closures
Intermittent lane closures and up to three lanes of traffic shifts will take place on Interstate 85 at Pleasant Hill Road through March 22, as construction continues to convert the existing the Pleasant Hill Road bridge over I-85 into a Diverging Diamond Interchange. Pleasant Hill Road from Breckinridge Boulevard/Shackleford Road to Venture Parkway will continue to require intermittent lane closures and traffic shifts through September 2013. A DDI shifts traffic to the opposite side of the road, making left turns onto the interstate easier and improving the flow of traffic. Information:www.gwinnettDDI.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
AARP driver ed class taught in Chinese
AARP will offer driver training in Chinese for participants age 50 and older 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Saturday at the Norcross Human Services Center, 5030 Georgia Belle Court. After completion of the course, students may be eligible for a 10 percent discount on auto insurance. Cost: $12 for AARP members or $14 for non-AARP members. Information: 678-242-9886 or www.aarp.org Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Lilburn honoring former mayor, volunteer
Lilburn is dedicating a tree and bench at City Park to honor former mayor Diana Preston and a late volunteer Diane Bronk during its Arbor Day celebration at 11 a.m. March 16. Preston was mayor from 2007-11, and Bronk was active with the city’s Woman’s Club. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC
Nutrition class for seniors on fat intake
The Gwinnett Extension Service will hold a nutrition class for seniors focusing on the control of fat intake 11 a.m. to noon, Tuesday, Feb. 5 at the Norcross Senior Center, 5030 Georgia Belle Ct. in Norcross. This free class will teach seniors about fat and calorie goals, how to properly weigh and measure food, how to keep track of food intake, and how to eat less fat and fewer calories. Information: Ines Beltran, 678-377-4010 or ines.beltran@gwinnettcounty.com. Karen Huppertz
Delta president to highlight awards event
Delta Air Lines president Ed Bastain will be the keynote speaker at Gwinnett’s second annual Movers & Makers Awards at 7:30 a.m. March 28 at the Buford Community Center, 2200 Buford Highway. The event honors manufacturing and distribution companies three years and older.
Nominated companies are judged on criteria including economic impact, corporate responsibility and workforce excellence. MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC
Casino Night to benefit Snellville garden
The Gwinnett Sunrise Rotary Club and the Community Garden at Snellville Committee will host St. Patrick’s Eve Casino Night from 6 to 10 p.m. March 16 at the Summit Chase Country Club, 3197 Classic Drive in Snellville. Sponsors are needed for the event, which aims to raise funds for the construction of a pavilion at the Community Garden at Snellville. To become a sponsor, contact casinonightsponsors@gmail.com.
The event is open to the public. Tickets are $50. Reservations: casinonightreservations@gmail.com. Mea Watkins
NORTHSIDE
Roswell receives AAA bond rating
Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s have awarded Roswell a AAA bond rating based on its financial strength.
In its analysis, both agencies cited the city’s strong residential community and sound commercial base, strong wealth and income levels, low unemployment, its low overall debt, written financial policies and historical practices and a well-funded defined benefit pension for employees. Patrick Fox
Mayor issues fundraiser challenge
Roswell Mayor Jere Wood has challenged his neighboring north Fulton cities to a fundraising competition for the March of Dimes through its annual March for Babies 10 a.m. April 27 at Riverside Park. The challenge is being issued in honor of Roswell firefighter Jeremy Adams and his wife. In 2011, the Adams lost their first child after complications from a premature birth Information: www.marchforbabies.org.
Patrick Fox
Cherokee debuts notification system
The Cherokee County School District has a new way of communicating with parents. A district-wide, external e-mail notification system went online Monday, to be used for such priority notices as inclement weather/school closures. To get e-mails, parents must sign up with the district’s Family Portal system, which monitors attendance and grades. Information: www.cherokee.k12.ga.us
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Proposed hospital up for vote this month
A March 18 vote is set on a proposed hospital in Holly Springs. The City Council will consider Wellstar’s plans for a 100-bed hospital, a hospice and medical office building at Sixes Road and I-575, deciding whether to approve rezoning of part of the 62-acre property and a conditional use permit. The Planning and Zoning Commission OKed both proposals last month. Mark Woolsey for
Historical group hosts awards banquet
The Cherokee County Historical Society will hold its historic preservation awards banquet at 7 p.m. March 22 at the Northside Hospital-Cherokee Conference Center, 1130 Bluffs Parkway, Canton. A volunteer of the year and owners of several historic properties will be honored. History professor Dr. Thomas A. Scott will talk about the history of Kennesaw State University Info: www.rockbarn.org
Mark Woolsey for the AJC
Johns Creek Fire officials consolidated
The Johns Creek Fire Department’s administrative offices have moved to the third floor of City Hall, 12000 Findley Road. The move consolidates fire marshals previously on City Hall’s fourth floor and department chiefs temporarily in the cramped basement of Fire Station 61 on Medlock Bridge Parkway. The new consolidated space of about 3,300 square feet accommodates the fire chief, deputy chief, training chief, fire marshals, emergency management services coordinator and support services chief.
MICHAEL ALPERT FOR THE AJC
ATLANTA
Man charged with Buckhead robberies
William Berry, arrested for allegedly trying to steal a pellet gun and black gloves from a northwest Atlanta Walmart has now been charged with a string of armed robberies in Buckhead, police said.
Berry, 37, was apprehended Feb. 1 matching the description of a male that had been targeting Buckhead businesses. Berry was positively identified for robbing a Subway store in the 2400 block of Marietta Boulevard as well as January armed robberies of a Walgreens store in the 2900 block of Peachtree Road, the Jan. 7 armed robbery of a Radio Shack in the 2600 block of Piedmont Road and the Jan. 11 armed robbery of a Mattress Firm store in the 2600 block of Piedmont. Mike Morris
Student brought BB gun to school, arrested
A 16-year-old student was arrested Monday morning for bringing a BB gun to Washington High School, a school official said. Another student told a teacher about the BB gun and Atlanta police then arrested the student. Mark Niesse
Woman shot during attempted carjacking A woman was shot in the thigh early Tuesday during an attempted carjacking in southwest Atlanta, police said.
The victim said she was attempting to call her friend to buzz her in an apartment complex when a man entered her vehicle from the passenger side with a gun pointed at her and told her to get out of the vehicle. After shooting the victim, the gunman fled on foot with another male, police said. The victim was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in stable condition. Mike Morris
Photos to celebrate women’s history
Women in Focus, a women’s photography group celebrating its 20th anniversary, will present a photography exhibit at the Central Library, One Margaret Mitchell Square, in honor of Women’s History Month. The opening reception will be 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. Thursday at the library and the exhibit runs through March 29.
Information: 404-730-1700. Veronica Fields Johnson
DEKALB
Man convicted of rape, murder of girlfriend
Delroy Booth, 31, was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences plus 20 years for the brutal slaying of Shantle Vason, his autistic girlfriend.
Sometime between Feb. 23 and 24 of 2007, prosecutors say Booth beat his 35-year-old girlfriend to a point that her face was unrecognizable, causing a brain injury that killed her.
He is eligible for parole on both life sentences because he committed the crimes before state law was changed, court officials said.
Booth had served two years of a five-year sentence from 2007 to 2009 in the Autry State Prison for conviction on a 2004 stalking charge, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
But the prison stint didn’t begin until nearly seven months after Vason’s death. Booth also served two years in state prison for a 2001 Clayton County robbery conviction, prison records show. Marcus K. Garner
Police conducting online survey
The DeKalb Police Department has put a public survey online in a bid to see what residents and business owners think of the agency and safety in the county.
The survey is required as part of the department’s process with the Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies. It also will help the county identify ways to improve service. Information: www.onedekalb.com. April Hunt
Gifted Summer Camp available at Emory University
The Summer Institute for the Gifted will host a residential camp for academically talented students this summer at Emory University. The three-week program, which runs from June 23 to July 13, is open to students age 9 to 17 years old. Students will live in the dormitories and study courses from academic, art and recreational classes. Need-based financial assistance and scholarships are available. A day program for 5- to 8-years-olds is also available.
Information: 866-303-4744 Ext. 5159, sig.info@giftedstudy.org or www.giftedstudy.org.
Mea Watkins
Commission approves Callaway purchase
After nearly 18 months of negotiation, Decatur’s commission approved purchasing the Callaway Building property near downtown from DeKalb County for $5,089,300 or $25 per square foot, depending on which is greater. The county’s board also approved the sale last week. Plans call for demolishing the 1960s-era building, probably within the next two years or after it’s been vacated by county employees. The city will then re-sell the property to Cousins Properties, which plans on developing a mixed-use retail/residential block on the site. Bill Banks for the AJC
Grant to help Chamblee update plan
Chamblee has won an $80,000 grant to update a development plan for part of its downtown.
The Atlanta Regional Commission awarded the money as a follow up to the city’s Livable Center Initiative plan around the MARTA station. The city first created that plan in 2000, to focus on transportation and development in that area.
The update will focus on continuing mixed-use projects in the area and more walkable features. April Hunt
SOUTHSIDE
Woman found dead in College Park identified
The Fulton County Medical Examiner’s office has identified a woman found dead Sunday inside a pickup truck in College Park as Randi Miller, 37, of Donalsonville.
While College Park police said there were no signs of foul play at the scene, the man driving the truck was taken into custody on unrelated charges.
The Medical Examiner’s office on Tuesday was awaiting results of toxicology tests to determine how Miller died. Mike Morris
Clayton men convicted of robbery-murder
Chaz Jensen Ballard and Singlee Soun were found guilty last week of murdering James Johnson on Feb. 23, 2011, while trying to take drug money from him.
Soun and Ballard were convicted of multiple counts of felony murder – that is, causing a death during the commission of a felony – as well as multiple counts of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of a gun during while committing a felony. Ballard, 28, and Soun, 26, were said to have met 27-year-old Johnson to sell him drugs. Armed with an assault rifle and a handgun, respectively, Soun and Ballard fired multiple shots at Johnson, killing him, prosecutors said.
The two were caught on videotape fleeing the scene. Both men will be sentenced at a later date. Marcus K. Garner
Peachtree City allows anonymous crime tips
The Peachtree City Police Department is now letting residents submit anonymous crime tips by text message or online. The TipSubmit app can be used to send photographs, videos and other information about crimes, missing children and other situations. Text “PTCTIPS” plus the information to 274367 (CRIMES) or use the Crime Tips link at www.peachtree-city.org/police. The department also has a Facebook page with a tips link.
Jill Howard Church for the AJC
Art contest seeks entries
East Point invites city middle school student o participate in a visual arts contest called “How I See My City.” This year’s competition theme focuses on viewing the city through the eyes of a child. Contestants are asked to submit art that depicts something notable about the city, along with a written explanation about their entry to assist judges.
The deadline for submissions is March 25. The winner will receive a $50 gift card at a city council meeting in April. All entries will be displayed in the East Point Customer Care Center in April. Information:jhammond@eastpointcity.org
John Thompson for the AJC
Town hall meeting in Stockbridge
Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes’ next town hall meeting will be a joint effort with the Stockbridge City Council and Mayor Mark Alarcon. It is scheduled for 9 a.m. Saturday, March 23, at the new Multiplex in Stockbridge, a facility recently acquired by the city. According to county officials, the meeting will focus on the future of Stockbridge, including such topics as opportunity zones, tax incentives, and plans for the future extension of Rock Quarry Road. Monroe Roark
