COBB
Marietta police revamp citizen volunteer program
The Marietta Police Department is rolling out a newly redesigned Citizen Volunteer Program.
Volunteers previously performed only basic clerical tasks, but now specialized training will be offered to qualified volunteers to meet their specific interests.
Some assignments will include: photography/videography, detectives’ assistant, special events coordination, transportation management, and cyber system coordination.
Applicants must submit to a screening process. Info: Officer Don Smith at 770-794-2364. Andria Simmons
Kennesaw to look at transportation issues
Kennesaw City Manager Steve Kennedy and Public Works Department officials will talk about transportation improvement plans and storm water management 6:30 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 2529 J.O. Stephenson Ave. The forum is the first of three meetings planned for the public to look at city issues.
Tucker McQueen for the AJC
East Cobb Republicans to meet today
The East Cobb Republicans (House Districts 43, 44, 45, 46) will meet 6:30 to 8 p.m. today at Tijuana Joe’s, 690 Johnson Ferry Road. Speakers: House District 41 candidate Phil Daniell, Cobb GOP Chairman Joe Dendy, Cobb BOC Chairman Tim Lee, and Cobb County Sheriff Neil Warren.
Information: 770-820-6545. Veronica Fields Johnson
Rawlings at ‘Booked for Lunch’ series
The Cobb Library Foundation’s Booked for Lunch series with William Rawlings will be 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. today at the Georgian Club.
Rawlings is author of five suspense novels set in the rural South. His latest book, “A Killing on Ring Jaw Bluff,”will be published next year.
The $25 ticket includes lunch and door prizes.
Information: www.cobblibraryfoundation.org. Kenneth Musisi
Workshop to focus on family reunions
Cobb Travel and Tourism is sponsoring a free workshop on holding a family reunion 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Sept. 29 at DoubleTree Suites by Hilton, 2780 Windy Ridge Parkway, Atlanta.
The workshop will include a presentation by the agency’s service specialists and a meet-and-greet with hospitality industry representatives.
Two guests per reunion are allowed. Reservations are required.
Contact: Melissa Legaux at 678-303-2635 or mlegaux@travelcobb.org. Patrick Fox
Adult co-ed volleyball league meets Thursday
An informational meeting for a new adult co-ed volleyball league will begin at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Ron Anderson Recreation Center, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs.
Information: Jeff Abrams, 770-528-8892. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC
Paper Mill Road Bridge to undergo repair
The Cobb DOT closed Paper Mill Road Bridge at Sope Creek at 4 p.m. Friday to repair the foundation.
The foundation was damaged by recent storms and high water flows in the creek.
Closure of the bridge is expected to last through the week. Kenneth Musisi
GWINNETT
Gwinnett police offer teen driving class
The Gwinnett County Police Department will offer a safe driving class for new drivers and their parents 6 to 8 p.m. today at the West Precinct in Norcross.
The free program is designed for teens drivers age 14 to 16.
Officers will not offer behind-the-wheel training but will instruct parents and teens on what to expect during the 40 hours of supervised practice driving time required by Georgia law.
Information: 678-442-6553.
David Wickert
Peachtree Corners appoints volunteers
Marcia Brandes, project manager Wayne Knox, international development specialist Amreeta Regmi, general management/marketing professional Eric Christ, and attorney James Blum will serve on the Zoning Board of Appeals. For more information: www.cityofpeachtreecornersga.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC
Gwinnett Village seeks input on bike plan
The Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District will host an open house for its bike and pedestrian study from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Thursday at 5855 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Suite 122, Norcross.
The district will discuss options for improving bike and pedestrian connectivity along the Jimmy Carter Boulevard and Indian Trail corridors. A consultant will present draft recommendations, and the district is seeking public input.
Information: www.gwinnettvillage.com/bike-ped. David Wickert
Students semifinalists for National Merit
More than 50 Gwinnett County high school seniors are a step closer to earning a college scholarship. Fifty-two seniors have qualified as semifinalists in the 2013 National Merit Scholarship Program and will be among about 16,000 top students from across the nation who will compete for the official National Merit Scholar title and potentially thousands of dollars in scholarship money. Nancy Badertscher
County offering
water kits
Gwinnett’s Department of Water Resources is offering free leak detection and retro-fit kits to residents as part of its water conservation initiative.
Leak kits contain dye tablets and a drip guide to gage water loss. Retro-fit kits, for homes built before 1993 low-flow plumbing standards, include two one gallon-per-minute bathroom faucet aerators, a 1.5 gallon-per-minute kitchen faucet aerator, a low-flow shower head, dye tablets, and a toilet tank bank.
Kits are available weekdays at the department, 684 Winder Highway. Information: Heather Moody, 678-376-6722, dwrconserve@gwinnettcounty.com.
Michael Alpert for the AJC
Peachtree Corners seeking volunteers
Peachtree Corners residents are invited to apply for volunteer positions on the new city’s planning commission and zoning board of appeals. Interested residents may apply at www.cityofpeachtreecornersga.com.
Karen Huppertz for the AJC
NORTHSIDE
Woodstock man drowns in Gulf while on vacation
A Woodstock man drowned Sunday in the Gulf of Mexico while on a family vacation, according to a news report.
Danny Dickens’ wife became concerned when he did not return from a swim in the gulf around 11 a.m. She saw his body floating and called for help, according to The Star newspaper in St. Joe, Fla.
Dickens, 48, was pronounced dead shortly before noon on Sunday. The cause of death was confirmed as drowning on Monday, according to Gulf County Sheriff Joe Nugent. Fran Jeffries
Arrest made in Forsyth stolen eagle sculpture
Pedro Castro Garcia, 29, of Alpharetta was arrested and charged Monday in connection with the disappearance of an eagle sculpture from a Forsyth County park last month.
The 400-pound eagle statue, made of bronze and other metals, was taken from the Big Creek Greenway trailhead off Bethelview Road. It is about about 6 feet tall, with an 8-foot wingspan.
Forsyth County Parks and Recreation staff discovered the eagle was missing Aug. 28. It was found in a storage shed at Garcia’s residence, the sheriff’s office said. Angel K. Brooks
Workshop to focus on City Center plans
Sandy Springs will host the third in a series of public meetings 6-8 p.m. today at City Hall Council Chambers, 7840 Roswell Road to collect input for a master plan to transform downtown. The public may ask questions and provide feedback during break-out workshops. The first two sessions focused on the city’s strengths and key assets and garnered the public’s thoughts on their downtown vision. Patrick Fox
Free mulch offered in Cherokee County
Canton is offering free mulch to area residents and businesses at Southview Cemetery off of Scott Mill road. The city says the site has easy access for loading up vehicles.
Information: 770-720-7674, 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. Mark Woolsey
Wastewater contract draws objections
Fulton Commissioner Liz Hausmann has asked Gov. Nathan Deal to weigh in on a proposal to end the county’s relationship with a north Fulton wastewater treatment plant. In a letter to Deal obtained by Channel 2 Action News and The Atlanta Journal-Constitituion, she said the county could be violating an agreement with the state Environmental Protection Division. The commission will vote today on terminating its contract with the Cauley Creek Water Reclamation facility in Johns Creek. Johnny Edwards
Tweet chat to aid in job hunting
The Fulton County Office of Workforce Development will hold a tweet chat noon to 1 p.m. Friday about finding jobs. Participants can tweet questions about resumes, interviews, training, skills upgrades, dressing for success, etc.
Jason Lane, a youth jobs specialist, will answer questions and he expects to be joined in the chat by a client who recently landed a job. To participate, tweet questions to @FultonInfo and use the hash tag #FultonJobFair. Johnny Edwards
ATLANTA
Atlanta school board to hold special meeting
The Atlanta Board of Education will hold a special meeting at 2 p.m. Sept. 21 to approve the 2012-13 Georgia School Boards Association training plan. The meeting will take place at the district’s headquarters, 130 Trinity Ave. Atlanta. Info: 404.802.2200. Jaime Sarrio
Jarreau to hold master class for students
Jazz singer Al Jarreau will host a music class at Mays High School Thursday as part of Jazz in the Classroom and the Jazz Roots program. Jarreau will talk to students about learning jazz and a career in music. The goal is to promote arts education. Information: www.cobbenergycentre.com. Jaime Sarrio
Buckhead business group meets Thursday
The Buckhead Business Association will hold its weekly breakfast meeting from 7:30 to 9 a.m. Thursday at the City Club of Buckhead.
Durwood Fincher, also known as Dr. Robert Payne, will be there. Fincher is an entertainer, a linguist and an insightful comedian, whose specialty is corporate communications.
Tickets are $10 for BBA members and $20 for visitors and guests. Information: www.buckheadbusiness.org. Kenneth Musisi
Faith leaders gather to discuss education
Stand Up for Great Schools will host a national education policy summit with over 100 faith leaders Friday.
The one-day program, in partnership with StudentsFirst, is designed to include religious leaders in the discussion about education.
Panelists include Bishop Charles E. Blake, West Angeles Church of God in Christ; and Howard Fuller of Black Alliance for Educational Options.
Panelists include Lonnie C. King, community activist; Bishop Charles Blake, West Angeles Church of God in Christ; and Howard Fuller, chairman, Black Alliance for Educational Options.
The event is not open to the public.
Stand Up is an education nonprofit started by Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson in 2009. Shelia M. Poole
DEKALB
School officer hurt in student brawl
A DeKalb County school resource officer has undergone surgery and faces four to five months of recuperation after breaking his ankle when he intervened in a student brawl at Tucker High School.
The fight broke out Wednesday after dismissal time,Channel 2 Action News reported. Four students allegedly started fighting and Officer Jarvis Brown and others tried to break it up.
When Brown tried to restrain two students, he twisted his right ankle, causing broken bones that required surgery, Channel 2 reported.
A DeKalb schools spokesperson said four students were suspended for 10 days and will have to appear in court on charges related to the fight.
David Ibata
Retired educators group meets Thursday
The Decatur-DeKalb Retired Educators Association will meet at 2 p.m. Thursday at the Decatur First Christian Church Fellowship Hall, 601 W. Ponce de Leon Ave.
The group meets on the third Thursday of each month at the same location, Sept. through May.
The September meeting will feature an introduction of the leadership team and an overview of the programs for the 2012-2013 year.
DDREA is a unit of the Georgia Retired Educators Association and is actively recruiting newly retired educators and those who have been retired for some years.
Information: 770-498-9493. Kenneth Musisi
County hosts job fair Friday
DeKalb County will host a Workforce Development Day Job Fair: Making ONE DeKalb Work 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Friday at the Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr., Decatur.
Job seekers may have resumes critiqued, receive interviewing and networking tips and apply for positions. Register online at http://conta.cc/NEPg1q.
Veronica Fields Johnson
Public can weigh in on Project Renaissance
Project Renaissance, Dunwoody’s public-private redevelopment initiative for the Georgetown / North Shallowford area, will be the subject of two information meetings today at the Dunwoody Public Library, 5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road.
The city has set up two sessions for residents to offer input, the first from 9:30 to 11 a.m., and an afternoon session from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
Project Renaissance is a revitalization effort to develop 35 acres of property and promote development opportunity for the Georgetown area. Patrick Fox
School board schedules meeting
The DeKalb County school board on Tuesday scheduled a meeting for today to discuss policies and legal issues and to vote on a resolution.
The board will meet publicly at 2:30 p.m. followed by a 4 p.m. private session to discuss undisclosed legal matters.
Several board policy changes are on the public agenda, plus a vote on a resolution for “quality public education.”
Also at 1 p.m. Wednesday, a board committee will hear updates on curriculum and school staffing from Superintendent Cheryl Atkinson. Ty Tagami
SOUTHSIDE
Commissioners to record closed session minutes
The Henry County Board of Commissioners approved a resolution allowing for the recording of executive session minutes at meetings. The action at Tuesday’s commission meetings is in response to this year’s state legislative session, which saw a number of changes enacted regarding the Open Records Act and Open Meetings Law, including a new requirement that minutes be taken in every executive session.
These minutes will not be public record, but are to be available in the event of litigation. Monroe Roark for the AJC
Fulton County offering $25 flu vaccines
Fulton County’s Health and Wellness Department is offering flu vaccines 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both shots and the nasal mist cost $25. The vaccines are recommended for children age 6 months and older, adults age 50 and older, nursing home residents, health care workers, day care workers and women who will be pregnant during the flu season.
The health centers: Adamsville, Neighborhood Union, Lakewood and the Center for Health and Rehabilitation in Atlanta; College Park Regional; North Fulton Regional in Alpharetta and the North Fulton Service Center in Sandy Springs. Johnny Edwards
Volunteers meeting set for Haunted Depot
Hampton will hold a volunteers meeting for the Haunted Depot 7 p.m. Thursday in the Hampton Depot.
The fourth annual Haunted Depot takes place 7 to 10 p.m. Oct. 26-27. Tickets are $3.
Information: Candy Franklin at 770-946-4306 or cfranklin@cityofhampton-ga.gov. Kenneth Musisi
Hampton teacher named ‘Hero’
Hampton Middle School teacher Fredrick Braswell has been named one of the Atlanta Falcons and Symetra Financial’s Heroes in the Classroom. He was honored during halftime at Monday night’s Falcons-Broncos game. The school also received $1,000. He has spent 24 years in education and has been named his school’s Teacher of the Year. Monroe Roark
Henry promotes no-text pledge
A proclamation adopted at Monday’s meeting of the Henry County Board of Commissioners makes today No Text on Board Day in Henry County. All citizens are encouraged to take a pledge never to text while driving. County officials cited numerous accidents that are related to distracted driving caused by such actions as texting. Monroe Roark for the AJC
Learn Henry history from the talking “dead”
McDonough Arts, a nonprofit organization, will host the second annual “Spirits of McDonough City Cemetery Tour” 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 20 and 2:30 to 4 p.m. Oct. 21.
The tour provides an entertaining look at the history and heritage of Henry County through the people who experienced it. Nine “spirits” dressed in period attire (Civil War through early 90s) will share tales of life as it was back then.
Advance tickets: $10 adults, $5 children (12 and under). Information: 404-660-3813 or www.mcdonougharts.net.
Kenneth Musisi
