County by county news for Wednesday

Kreeger's last day will be Sept. 30. After that, he has requested an appointment to senior judge status, where he can work part-time filling in for other judges.

Prior to his Superior Court judgeship, Kreeger served five years as a Cobb County State Court judge. He has also presided over drug court for the past 10 years.

Andria Simmons

Chairman candidate forum set for Tuesday

The Cobb County Civic Coalition will host a forum on Tuesday for the four candidates vying for the position of Cobb Commission Chairman.

Incumbent Tim Lee is running against former chairman Bill Byrne, retired businessman Larry Savage and retired Marine Mike Boyce in the July 31 Republican primary. No Democrats qualified for the race.

The forum, moderated by community activist Ron Sifen, runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the County Government building, 100 Cherokee Street in Marietta, and will be simulcast on Cobb cable TV23.

Janel Davis

Marietta parade to broadcast live

Residents unable to visit Marietta Square for the Marietta Freedom Parade on Wednesday can follow the festivities live on Cobb County Government Access Channel TV23.

Broadcast begins at 10 a.m. and will feature hosts Cobb Communications Director Robert Quigley, Travel Cobb CEO Holly Bass and Marietta Parks Director Rich Buss. The parade rated begins at Roswell Street Baptist Church, flows past the Square and ends at North Marietta Parkway.

Due to the holiday activities, Cobb County government offices and some Marietta streets will be closed on Wednesday.

Information: www.cobbcountyga.gov

Janel Davis

Cobb Republicans to hold barbecue

Cobb County's republican party will hold a July 4 barbecue from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Wednesday at Jim Miller Park. Elected officials and candidates for the 2012 election will be in attendance.

The barbecue will also feature music, guest speakers and a silent auction. Admission is $15 for adults and $5 for children.

Prepaid admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children. Prepaid admission can be purchased at CobbGOP.org. For more information, contact Billie Dendy at 770-820-4717 or dendybillie@comcast.net.

Daarel Burnette II

Rejected charter supporters go to state

A group of Smyrna parents will now go to the state to approve a charter proposal, according to Jimmy Arispe, a leader in the initiative.

Cobb County's school board last week rejected a petition from the group of Smyrna parents to create Smyrna Academy of Excellence, which would serve up to 600 students in kindergarten through sixth grade in the South Cobb area.

Board members raised concerns about the petitioners' financial structure.

Daarel Burnette II

GWINNETT

Murder conviction upheld by state high court

The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld the murder conviction against a man who beat a Norcross man to death with a television.

The court rejected an appeal by Reginald Pulley, who killed 38-year-old Darryl Mason on April 9, 2008. Police arrested Pulley six days after the murder in Water Valley, Miss., when Pulley was seen driving Mason's Mazda Protege. Pulley had also ransacked Mason's apartment, stealing video game consoles, jewelry and 35 DVDs, the ruling said.

Bill Rankin

Brown Bag concert series continues Friday

Bring your blanket and enjoy free entertainment by Puppatoons at Gwinnett's Brown Bag Concert 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Friday at the Gwinnett Historic Courthouse gazebo, 185 Crogan Street in Lawrenceville. Food and retail vendors on hand, plus free crafts and activities for kids. Information: 770-822-5450. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

County denies rebid on probation contract

Gwinnett County has denied a request from a private probation services company to cancel a contract with its probation services provider and accept new bids.

Professional Probation Services claimed that Gwinnett County State Court judges improperly skirted the bidding process when they voted to award the contract to Southeast Corrections, a company with connections to former County Commission Chairman Wayne Mason.

A county attorney sent PPS a letter Monday stating that the current contract was awarded lawfully and that the county had no authority to cancel or rebid it.

Andria Simmons

Library benefit set for Saturday

Karin Slaughter, bestselling author and library advocate, will appear after a Curious George themed storytime for Barnes and Noble's two-day Bookfair to benefit the Gwinnett County Public Library 3 - 4 p.m. Saturday.

Customers who mention the library while making their purchases any time during the Bookfair will have a portion of their sale donated to the library.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Splash and bash in Norcross

Enjoy summer with a splash 1 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the West Gwinnett Park Aquatic Center, 4488 Peachtree Industrial Boulevard in Norcross. Families will enjoy wacky games, prizes and more. All ages, regular admission fees apply. Children must be accompanied by parent/guardian. Information: 678-407-8801.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Portrait and figure art classes

Kudzu Art Zone in Norcross begins offering portrait and figure art classes 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., for four Mondays starting July 9. Connie Reilly, portrait artist, will teach classes in oils and pastels. Cost: $165 non-Kudzu member, $140 Kudzu member. To register, visit www.kudzuartzone.org.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

NORTHSIDE

Canton considers booze requirements

The Canton City Council Thursday considers lowering its food-to-alcohol ratio.

for some alcohol licensees. Currently, a city ordinance specifies that licensed restaurants must derive at least 60% of revenue from food sales. The revision would lower that requirement to 50%, matching state law. A craft brewer considering opening in Canton has said current regulations would make it difficult to operate.

Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Alpharetta man held on Peeping Tom charges

Forsyth County Sheriff's officials charged an Alpharetta man with being a Peeping Tom after he allegedly took cell phone photos underneath a woman's skirt at a local restaurant. Stephen M. Roegge, 55, has been charged with one count of Peeping Tom and one count of unlawful eavesdropping or surveillance. Both are felonies. The charges stem from an incident Monday at Firehouse Subs at 2320 Atlanta Highway in Cumming. An undercover Forsyth County investigator buying food at the restaurant saw Roegge, seated in a chair, place his cell phone directly under a woman' skirt. Roegge then allegedly began taking pictures. Roegge was booked into the Forsyth County Detention Center and released Monday afternoon on an $11,220 bond. He is set to appear in Superior Court on Aug. 1. His phone was taken into evidence for testing to see if there are other victims. Staff reports

Presentation Saturday for the hard of hearing

For those losing their hearing, experts will talk about the social aspects at a presentation SaturdayJuly 7 by the Metro Atlanta Area Agency on Aging Speakers Bureau. "Managing Hearing Loss" starts at 4 p.m. at the Sandy Springs Library, 395 Mt. Vernon Highway.

Discussion topics include how to tell if you have hearing loss, what to do about it, where to go for help and the latest technology. Information: 404-303-6130. Johnny Edwards

Pies being celebrated in Woodstock Saturday

Main Street Woodstock and the Cherokee County Farm Bureau are sponsoring a "Pie Day" 8:30 - 11:30 a.m. Saturday at the Woodstock Farmers Market at Main Street and Towne Lake Parkway. The event will feature a pie baking contest in several categories, plus a pie eating contest. Information: 678-491-5843. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Area schools compete for $120,000

Several area schools are competing for a chance to win up to $120,000 in financial support. Eight Atlanta-area schools submitted a 90 second video and a brief essay on why their school could use some financial support into the "Lots2Give" national video contest.

The winner will be determined by the amount of votes their videos receive.

The local schools competing are Beulah, Euharlee and Lithia Springs Elementary schools, Adairsville, Sandy Springs Charter and Stewart Middle Schools, North Springs High School and RCPS Open Campus.

To vote, visit www.biglots.com/lots2give.

Daarel Burnette II

ATLANTA

2 hurt in shootout over car repairs

Two men are in the hospital — and awaiting felony charges — after a shootout in southwest Atlanta over a car, police say. Channel 2 Action News reported that the owner of an older-model Oldsmobile Cutlass was upset about what he said were shoddy repairs done on his car. He confronted the mechanic Monday night at the Pryor Road address. The two men exchanged shots and the mechanic was shot in the groin. The car owner drove away, police said, but was found two blocks away at a home on Polar Rock Road with three gunshot wounds in his chest

Both men are convicted felons and are facing aggravated assault charges, police said. Neither man has been identified. Marcus K. Garner

Research aims to recycle food waste

The Buckhead Coalition has teamed with Georgia Tech to help fund a research system that aims to recycle 1,000 pounds of food waste per day from the local community. The "ArkFab" facility is being built on the four-acre Wheat Street Gardens, next to the Martin Luther King Center, by three Georgia Tech student groups. It aims to raise fish in tanks with plants cultivated to grow in water. The Buckhead Coalition, a civic group, pledged $2,500 to build insulating walls made of tires for the facility. Jeremiah McWilliams

Kroger card used in counterfeit scam

An Atlanta woman is back in jail for allegedly cashing at least $40,000 worth of counterfeit checks using her Kroger Plus card, according to police. Sabrina Yvette Cantrell, 41, used the card to get discounts and gain credits for her purchases.

She was being held without bond Tuesday in the Cobb County jail, where she's been for more than a month, according to booking records. Cantrell arrived at the Cobb County jail by way of the Fulton County jail, where she was being held after allegedly violating her probation.

Cantrell allegedly forged and presented counterfeit checks at numerous Kroger stores at least 46 times beginning in February 2011. Alexis Stevens

DEKALB

Court disbars Ellenwood lawyer for fraud

The Georgia Supreme Court has disbarred Ellenwood closing attorney Marcus Vickers for his federal conspiracy and wire fraud convictions.

Vickers was convicted in a mortgage fraud scheme and sentenced to 10 months in prison.

A State Bar of Georgia special master, citing mitigating evidence, had recommended Vickers be suspended from practicing law for three years.

But the court disagreed; it disbarred Vickers, saying he was a relatively experienced lawyer who had a dishonest motive aimed at a client and his actions, at the very least, facilitated mortgage fraud. Bill Rankin

DeKalb cops seek 2 in Gresham Park killings

DeKalb County police identified two suspects Tuesday in the shooting deaths of two people at a park a day earlier.Their names were not disclosed but spokeswoman Mekka Parish said warrants have been issued for their arrest.

Two people were gunned down at Gresham Park in southern DeKalb. The shootings happened near the park's pool, which was closed Monday.

Family members of one of the victims told Channel 2 Action News the shootings followed a fight at the park. Investigators temporarily closed Clifton Church Road following the shootings.

The names of those killed were not immediately provided. Alexis Stevens

School board changes time for hearing

The DeKalb County School District has changed the time for Monday's final public hearing on a property tax increase. The school board has taken one of two required votes to raise the tax rate 1 mill to 23.98 mills, just shy of the 25-mill cap.

The second vote will follow the hearing now scheduled an hour earlier, at 5 p.m., at 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain. Ty Tagami

Decatur fire station reopens

Decatur's Fire Station No. 1 officially reopened Tuesday after a one-year $1,962,000 makeover which includes a dormitory with 12 individual sleeping rooms, individual showers and restrooms in the rear, and a dayroom and kitchen in front.

Tuesday's ceremony at the three-bay, 10,000 square-foot station, originally built in 1955, featured a ribbon-cutting and public tours.

In the last year Decatur firefighters had operated out of a temporary station at the old Roly Poly on Church Street or out of Fire Station No. 2 in Oakhurst. Bill Banks for the AJC

EPA: No problems with asbestos at school

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency found no problems with the way workers removed asbestos from a DeKalb County school construction site.

A resident alleged last week that workers mishandled asbestos tiles, potentially releasing lung-damaging pollutants into the air. But EPA spokeswoman Dawn Harris-Young said Tuesday that an investigator visited the site at Dunwoody High School on June 27, and "we didn't find any violations."

School district spokesman Walter Woods had said last week that the materials were properly bagged and removed from the site. Ty Tagami

SOUTHSIDE

Fayetteville police catch robbery suspects

Fayetteville police quickly apprehended two men suspected of an attempted armed robbery on June 30.

Officers arrived at the Atlanta Bread Company store at Fayette Pavilion soon after receiving a 3 a.m. emergency call from an employee. A vehicle description quickly led to the apprehension and arrest of Quentin Weems, 30, of Atlanta and Jamel McAllister, 24, of College Park.

No money was taken from the store and the employee was unharmed.

Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Fireworks on display across Henry

Henry County officials, while urging residents not to risk injury by using fireworks at home, are recommending four locations where professional fireworks displays can be seen July 4: Lake Spivey (at the dam) at 9-9:30 p.m.; Community Bible Church at 9:15 p.m.; Nash Farm at 9:30 p.m.; and Atlanta Motor Speedway at 9:15 p.m. (also July 6). Monroe Roark

Atlanta man charged in rape, beating

An Atlanta man was arrested Tuesday on charges he kidnapped a woman from a nightclub and took her to Fayette County, where he allegedly beat and raped her.

The Fayette County Sheriff's Office said once Abdulrahman Hassan Alwi, 23, finished attacking the woman, he took her clothing and her cell phone to prevent her from calling 911.

Sheriff's spokesman Brent Rowan said the kidnapping occurred May 29 at a club on Old National Highway in south Fulton County.

He said Alwi took the woman to a cul-de-sac on Sara Cove in north Fayette, where he sexually assaulted her.

The woman, who suffered injuries, managed to get to a nearby residence and call 911, Rowan said.

Alwi, who was arrested by U.S. marshals, was booked into the Fayette County Jail.

Bond had not been set Tuesday. Christopher Seward

Woman found shot in College Park

Investigators are trying to determine who shot a woman early Tuesday morning in College Park.

Around 7:40 a.m., police found the 34-year-old woman wounded in the abdomen outside a building in the 2100 block of Godby Road.

The woman was taken to a nearby hospital where she is in stable condition, police detective Sgt. Jeff Hightower told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Investigators are combing the streets looking evidence that would point to a shooter.

The woman has not been identified. Marcus K. Garner

Local groups giving away school supplies

A back-to-school supply giveaway presented by 4 Rivers Ministries and Feed My People and sponsored by Henry County Commissioner Bruce Holmes' youth foundation is scheduled for 10 a.m. - 2 p.m. July 21 at Red Oak United Methodist Church on Walt Stephens Road in Stockbridge.

There will be food, games and other activities along with a noon concert. A voucher is required to receive school supplies. Information: 678-565-7800 or www.4riversministries.org. Monroe Roark for the AJC