County by county news for Wednesday

The lines are being redrawn to accommodate population shifts and new construction. The proposed map, which would take effect in two phases over the next two years, is available at www.cobbk12.org. The meeting is 6:30 p.m. at South Cobb High, 1920 Clay Road, Austell.

The school board is expected to vote on a final map in February. Ty Tagami

Postmark marks Lockheed milestone

Lockheed Martin will celebrate the 60th anniversary of its aeronautics facility in Marietta on Thursday with a commemorative pictorial postmark.

Lockheed executives will host the ceremony and postmark unveiling for employees. The U.S. Postal Service will set up a temporary postal station at the facility to allow employees to receive the postmark on items to be mailed.

The temporary Lockheed postmark is only good for Thursday’s date. Janel Davis

Juniors exceed state average in writing test

The percentage of Cobb County high school juniors who met or exceeded expectations on the Georgia graduation writing test dipped one percentage point to 97 percent this year, but the county school system still exceeded the state average.

The results reported Tuesday by Cobb school officials put the state average at 93 percent, though state education officials have not yet released their figures. Information: www.cobbk12.org. Ty Tagami

Austell puts Sunday sales on March ballot

Austell City Council members voted 5-0 Monday to allow the city’s voters to reject or approve Sunday alcohol package sales. The vote will be on March 6, the day of Georgia’s presidential preference primary and of Cobb County’s vote on the same question. The cost of the election to the city will be about $875, city attorney Scott Kimbrough said. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Chamber honors firm for community service

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce picked Balfour Beatty Construction to receive its 2011 Sam Olens Business Community Service Award.

The company volunteered with SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc. and gave nearly $210,000 to 32 not-for-profits over the past year. It and 10 others won the Georgia Trend Magazine Business Community Service Awards: Cobb EMC, Comcast Corp./Comcast Foundation, Digital Insurance, Elite Telecom Services, General Electric, Printpack Inc., SA White/Mobilized Fuels, Star-Tech Inc., Vulcan Materials Co. and Zenith Design Group. Ty Tagami

Powder Springs council enhances retirement

Powder Springs City Council members voted 3-1 Monday to give Mayor Patricia Vaughn and themselves an increase in their retirement benefits. Opposed was Councilwoman Nancy Hudson, and absent was Councilwoman Cheryl Sarvis. The council also voted to give bonuses to city employees, totalling about $27,000 from the contingency fund. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

GWINNETT

Schools’ nutrition program recognized

A Gwinnett County Schools’ nutrition program recently won a federal recognition.

The Farm-to-School initiative, which provides healthy meals to students with produce from Georgia farmers, was lauded by the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Department of Education.

Both agencies presented Gwinnett’s School Nutrition Program professionals with a “USDA Best Practice Award.”

The program was launched at the start of the 2010-2011 school year. D. Aileen Dodd

Duluth police program aimed at students

The Duluth Police Department has launched a new program geared toward middle school students.

The BADGE (Bullying, Alcohol, Drugs and Gangs Education) Program “provides the 7th grade student with skills and knowledge to avoid the pitfalls that so often plague our communities,” said a statement from the police.

The course is offered during health classes four days a week and will last for three weeks.

Information: bjohnson@duluthpd.com or 678-475-3521. Joel Anderson

Norcross police looks for suspect in burglary

The Norcross Police Department is investigating the burglary of a small business on Buford Highway that occurred Saturday.

A masked suspect caused several hundred dollars worth of damage at Mercy African Grocery and stole a cash register containing a small amount of cash.

He appears to be a Caucasian male and was captured on video wearing a Nautica jacket, light-colored blue jeans and white shoes.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Norcross Police Department tip line at 770-448-6457 or direct at 770-448-2111. Andria Simmons

Pets get picture with Santa Saturday

Gwinnett County will allow local residents to get their pet’s photo taken with Santa from 9 a.m. to noon Saturday at the Dacula Park Activity Building, 2735 Old Auburn Ave., Dacula. The cost is $5 per sitting. Pre-registration is required. To register call 770-614-2060. David Wickert

Lovett School students clean Proctor Creek

Environmental science students at The Lovett School in Atlanta recently spent community service hours cleaning Proctor Creek, which runs behind the Grove Park Recreation Center. Students and faculty found 15 tires, filled 12 bags of trash, and two bags of recyclable items. D. Aileen Dodd

New London Theatre Christmas show Dec. 18

The New London Theatre in Snellville is putting on new shows of “A Christmas Carol: The Radio Show” through Dec. 18. Show times are 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2:30 p.m. Sunday at the theater, which is located at 2485 Main Street East in Snellville. Tickets are $10 and available through http://www.newlondontheatre.org/.

Information: 770-559-1484 and information@newlondontheatre.org. Joel Anderson

NORTHSIDE

Milton approves new fees for city permits

The Milton City Council unanimously approved a fee schedule for a small slate of new permits. Licensed businesses wishing to allow “brown-bagging,” that is allowing customers to bring their own wine into the establishments, will pay a $100 fee for a full-year and $50 for a six-month permit. Also, the city will collect 75 cents on each retail sale of wireless telephones. Finally, the City Council approved a fee schedule for media production permits, $100 for low-impact production and $250 for high-impact. There are additional fees for expedited permits. Patrick Fox

Foundation to present annual donation

The Woodstock Foundation, a non-profit that provides financial support to area organizations focused on the needs of seniors and children, will make its annual donation Thursday at the office of Woodstock Financial Group, 117 Towne Lake Parkway, the Grassroots Conservatives of Cherokee announced. This will coincide with an election and holiday celebration for Woodstock Councilwoman-elect Elizabeth (Liz) Baxter. Nancy Badertscher

Roswell in the season spirit on Saturday

Three of Roswell’s historic properties throw open their doors for a holiday celebration this Saturday. From 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., the Southern Trilogy Candlelight Tour invites guests to stroll through the lavishly-decorated Barrington Hall, Bulloch Hall and Smith Plantation while enjoying seasonal treats, children’s activities and entertainment. Admission to all three houses is $20 for adults; $10 for children. 678-639-7500; www.southerntrilogy.com. H.M. Cauley for the AJC

Young Woodward student wins state award

A second grader at Woodward Academy’s Johns Creek campus has won a state award in music. Tobias Liu of Woodward North won the elementary division of the Georgia Music Teachers Association’s String Competition. The violinist won the Outstanding Performer Convention Recitalist award -- the highest accolade in the competition – and was invited to perform at the association’s convention at Columbus State University. Liu’s sister, Phoebe, also a violinist has won the same award for the middle and upper grade divisions in the last two years. D. Aileen Dodd

Holiday fire prevention effort kicks off

The Cherokee County Fire and Emergency Services is conducting “Keep the Christmas Wreath Green,” a fire prevention awareness effort encouraging citizens to prevent fires during the holidays. Through Dec. 31, the fire department will replace a green bulb with a red bulb after a house fire. In 2010, 21 of the 50 green bulbs were replaced with red ones. Kenneth Musisi

Automotive class seeking junk cars

Junk and unwanted cars can find a home and a good use in the automotive training program at Fulton County’s Chattahoochee High School. The vehicles will be used to teach young automotive technicians, said Jeff Shmanske at Chattahoochee. Contact: ShmanskeJ@fulton.k12.ga.us or call 770-521-7600 ext. 178 Nancy Badertscher

ATLANTA

Council president shuffles chairmanships

Ceasar C. Mitchell, president of Atlanta’s City Council, shuffled the leadership of four committees while leaving the chairmanships of three others unchanged. Mitchell put Felicia Moore in charge of the finance/executive committee, replacing Yolanda Adrean. Adrean will take over the committee on council, which makes recommendations on revision of ordinances and ethics issues. Alex Wan replaces Aaron Watson as zoning committee chairman, while Michael Julian Bond replaces Ivory Lee Young Jr. as chairman of the public safety committee. Jeremiah McWilliams

Watershed chief confirmed by council

The Atlanta City Council voted on Monday, to confirm Jo Ann J. Macrina as commissioner of Atlanta’s Department of Watershed Management, effective immediately. Macrina, who previously worked in DeKalb County, has worked as acting commissioner of the city’s watershed department since earlier this year. She takes over a department that is undertaking a audit of residential water meters and seeking an extension to the federal deadline for a $4 billion sewer system overhaul. Jeremiah McWilliams

Atlanta to pony up for Georgia 400 Trail

Atlanta’s City Council voted Monday to authorize Mayor Kasim Reed to participate with the Buckhead Community Improvement District and Liveable Buckhead by providing up to $200,000 for design and planning work for the Georgia 400 Trail, a biking and walking trail from north Buckhead to the Atlanta Beltline. Jeremiah McWilliams

Church offers Mother Teresa exhibit Thursday

A panel exhibit marking Mother Teresa’s life from childhood, to beatification will be on display from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Thursday at Immaculate Heart of Mary School.

The display is free, and open to the public.

Immaculate Heart of Mary School is at 2855 Briarcliff Road N.E., Atlanta. For information: 404-636-4488. Laurie Hoffman

DEKALB

Emory ceremony marks 175th year

Emory University will hold a convocation ceremony today as part of a series of activities to mark the institution’s 175th anniversary. The event will honor 175 “Emory History Makers” who helped improve the local and global community through a dedication to education, research and outreach. While many of the honorees are alumni, that was not a requirement. Honorees include: former Georgia Sen. Max Cleland, United Negro College Fund CEO Michael Lomax and former Sears CEO Emory Williams, who graduated from the college in 1932. Laura Diamond

Decatur no real solution to coyote problem

Before a nearly-packed City Hall Monday night, Decatur leaders admitted there’s no easy solution for the city’s coyote problem. City Commissioners heard from residents of Decatur’s East Parkwood Road neighborhood, site of recent coyote attacks on pets.

But City Manager Peggy Merriss said coyotes have been prevalent in the city for at least five years, usually following the flood plain and staying near sources of water.

“We have established a plan of co-habitation,” Merriss reiterated. “We know for a fact that trapping and eradication just aren’t effective.” Bill Banks for the AJC

Umbilical cord blood donors to be honored

Today, DeKalb Medical will honor mothers and babies who donated umbilical cord blood – containing stem cells that can help other patients – and encourage other parents to donate.

The health system is teaming up with the National Cord Blood Program to collect umbilical cord blood to provide stem cell grafts for patients in need. Each year, roughly 7,000 Americans, many of them ethnic minorities, can’t find a matched source of stem cells.

Mothers will be honored from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at DeKalb Medical’s Bobbie Bailey Tower Auditorium. Misty Williams

DeKalb launches code enforcement program

DeKalb County is launching a volunteer program for residents to help with code enforcement countywide.

The Volunteer Ambassador Program will help officials identify violations in neighborhoods and also lets residents remove illegally placed signs.

Training to spot and respond to violations will begin in January.

April Hunt

DeKalb veterans get helping hand

Pitching in has paid off for veterans across DeKalb County. About 80 bags of personal hygiene products were distributed to veterans as a result of a joint effort of the DeKalb County Cooperative Extension, DeKalb County Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing (VASH) program, Master Gardener Extension volunteers, and 4-H clubs.

In addition, assistants in the Extension’s Extended Food and Nutrition Education Program offered veterans participating in VASH classes on nutritious cooking.

The federal VASH program provides permanent housing and ongoing treatment services to the hard-to-serve homeless, mentally-ill veterans and those suffering from substance abuse disorders.

Nancy Badertscher

SOUTHSIDE

Henry county gives Tara Field a new name

Henry County has christened its airport with a new name and is moving forward with plans to expand the runway and improve the facility. Tara Field is now known as Atlanta South Regional Airport. Henry commissioners recently approved contracts with two engineering firms to finish numerous improvement projects over the next five years. The runway extension design and construction project should be finished by 2014. The improvements will create more high-paying jobs. Henry paid $17.7 million for the airport previously owned by Clayton County. Tammy Joyner

Clayton water, sewer bills to rise by 5 percent

Clayton County residents and businesses will see a five percent hike in water and sewer bills next year. The county’s water authority recently approved the rate hike to offset rising operational costs and declining revenues.

The new base rate for water for single family residential users will be $8.93. The new base rate for sewer for single family residential customers will be $9.45. The rates are effective Jan. 1.

An average residential customer who uses about 4,000 gallons a month will see their bill increase by $2 a month. Tammy Joyner

Donors sought for Joy of Sharing

Donors are sought for the Joy of Sharing Program.

The program helps to meet the holiday wishes of children of the Fulton County Department of Family and Children Services. Donations support those in foster care, who have been removed from their homes because of abuse or neglect.

Sponsors will receive a child’s name, age and three items from his or her wish list. Gifts may be delivered unwrapped to the donation warehouse at 1210 Logan Circle, Atlanta by Dec. 19.

For information: 404-699-4387. Laurie Hoffman

Expanded library to hold grand opening

Take a tour of expanded Fayette County Public Library during a grand opening party from 6:15 to 8:15 p.m. Friday. The nearly 6,000-square-foot addition features new shelving for 40,000 books, study rooms and a 220-seat meeting room with a stage.

Entertainment, prizes and refreshments are part of the celebration that wraps up several months of construction. The library is located at 1821 Heritage Parkway, Fayetteville; 770-305-5426.

H.M. Cauley for the AJC

Job training oversight board meets Thursday

The oversight board for Fulton County’s use of federal job-training funds will meet in College Park on Thursday. The meeting starts at 9:30 a.m. at the Office of Workforce Development’s Youth Employment Service Center, 4842 Old National Highway.

The board, officially titled the Workforce Preparation and Employment System-Workforce Investment Act Board, oversees the creation of programs that help put the unemployed back to work, giving job seekers career training, skill upgrades and training in new fields. Services are offered through a statewide network of One-Stop centers.

Johnny Edwards