County by county news for Wednesday

Melissa Marlowe, 33, refused to give a statement, police said.

Police said they found marijuana and items used to smoke it. Melissa Marlowe was charged with possession of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia. No charges have been filed yet in connection with the shooting. Larry Hartstein

Commission approves Chattahoochee project

Cobb County Commissioners approved a rezoning Tuesday for a planned $300 million mixed-use development on 81 acres along the Chattahoochee River. The project will take seven to 10 years to complete, and will be developed by Green Street Properties and Jamestown Properties. Owners of heavy industrial businesses in the area had complained the project was too close to their businesses. Commissioner Bob Ott cast the lone vote against the zoning change. Janel Davis

County schools release annual report

Cobb County Schools released its annual report Tuesday, with data on enrollment, budget, test scores and district staff. According to the report, the district’s average 2010 SAT score was 1522 and enrollment at the end of 2009-10 was 106,997, making it the second-largest district in Georgia. Report is on the district’s website, www.cobbk12.org. Jaime Sarrio

KSU wins award for its global focus

Kennesaw State University has won the 2011 Sen. Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization from NAFSA: The Association for International Educators. During a June ceremony, Kennesaw State will receive the award which recognizes its approach to creating rigorous academic programs with an eye toward global learning. Rich McKay

Acworth mayor to hold town hall meeting

Acworth Mayor Tommy Allegood will give residents and homeowner groups a chance to discuss issues at a town hall meeting, 6:30 p.m. March 30, at Acworth City hall, 4415 Senator Russell Ave. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Foster children get party at the Strand

Some 50 Cobb foster children and their foster families have been invited to a party at the Earl Smith Strand Theatre Saturday. The Junior League of Cobb-Marietta is organizing the event. League sustaining member and state Rep. Judy Manning (R-Marietta) suggested the party. The children will enjoy crafts, cupcakes and an appearance by magician Joe M. Turner. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Input invited on plans for Mabry park

Cobb County residents are invited for the first public meeting on the Mabry Park master plan on Thursday.

County staff and Friends of Mabry Park volunteers will discuss plans for the park at the corner of Sandy Plains and Wesley Chapel Roads. The meeting begins at 7 p.m. at Garrison Mill Elementary School, 4111 Wesley Chapel Road in Marietta. Janel Davis

GWINNETT

Graduation dates change with make-up days

Gwinnett County Public Schools on Monday announced the last of its snow make-up days for Friday, April 22 and Friday, May 27. The school system previously set three snow make-up days for Feb. 21, March 14 and May 26.

This means the last day of school will be May 27. As a result, high schools are having to change the dates and times of their graduations.

The new schedule is posted at www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us. Nancy Badertscher

Commissioners balance 2011 budget

The Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved two measures that have eliminated the remainder of an $18 million budget deficit.

Commissioners approved a revised revenue estimate that counts on extra money from court fees and investment income to close part of the budget gap. It also created a $9 million temporary fund from unspent 2010 revenue to help balance the budget over the next three years.

Gwinnett County began 2011 with an $18 million deficit in its general fund. David Wickert

Snellville offers informational workshop

Snellville 101 Program -- “Everything You Wanted To Know About Snellville But Were Afraid To Ask” -- teaches the fundamentals about the Gwinnett County town, everything from city codes to opportunities for serve. The class will be limited to 20 to 25 participants, with priority given to city residents. Classes will be Tuesdays from March 22 to April 19 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Information:kmckay@snellville.org or (770) 985-3587. Nancy Badertscher

Antique show at Norcross this weekend

The Norcross conference center will host “The Civil War Exhibit at Pride of Dixie Antiques Show” on March 26-27.

The exhibit will feature memorabilia and artifacts on display. The Antique Show will sell a variety of items. The center, at 1700 Jeurgens Court, will be open for the show from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is $4. Information: www.northatlantatradecenter.comD. Aileen Dodd

Audition dates coming up for Lilburn Idol

Want to be the next Lilburn Idol? If the answer is yes, then it’s time to register for one of three audition dates -- May 16, May 19 and June 9.

The registration form is on the city website and call be faxed to 770-921-8942, dropped at City Hall or brought to the audition. Nancy Badertscher

County hosts Irish afternoon tea

Gwinnett County will host an Irish afternoon tea from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday at Lawrenceville Female Seminary, 455 S. Perry St., Lawrenceville.

The event will feature assorted teas, scones, conversation and live Irish harp music.

It is open to all ages. The cost is $15 per person. Pre-registration is advised. To register, call 770-822-5178. David Wickert

NORTHSIDE

School board rejects Roswell mayor request

A proposal from Roswell Mayor Jere Wood to request the Fulton County School Board recognize geographical boundaries when drawing attendance zones failed Monday for lack of support.

Wood’s resolution asked the Fulton school board to “consider city boundary lines and the unique community traits” of Roswell during the process of drawing attendance zones. But the proposal failed when only council member Betty Price agreed to support it. A proposal requires the support of two council members before it can be voted on by the entire panel. Joel Anderson

Input needed for Crabapple master plan

Milton released a schedule for the Crabapple master planning process on Tuesday, which includes sessions for the public to provide input. Meetings will be at Milton’s City Hall at 13000 Deerfield Parkway Suite 107. For a list of the meetings and times, visit www.cityofmiltonga.us.

Those who are unable to attend the meetings can comment by emailing crabapple@cityofmiltonga.us. Andria Simmons

Forsyth to send assessments April 15

The Forsyth County Board of Tax Assessors on April 15 will begin sending state-required annual assessment notices to people who own property in Forsyth County. The county emphasizes the assessments are not tax bills. “The dollar amount included on this informational notice is purely an estimate, and will be based on the previous year’s millage rate,” said Chief Appraiser Mary Kirkpatrick. The county will have an informational meeting at 6 p.m. March 31 in the county administration building, suite 220, 110 E. Main Street, Cumming. Jeffry Scott

Leadership Forsyth opens up enrollment

The Forsyth County community organization Leadership Forsyth has opened it recruitment season for new members. The sessions are 8:30 a.m., today at the Cumming Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce Event Facility, 212 Kelly Mill Road Cumming; noon March 22 at Northside Hospital Forsyth, Bennett Education Building, 1400 Northside Forsyth Drive; and 5:30 p.m. March 31 at Forsyth County Schools Board of Education Central Office 1120 Dahlonega Highway, Cumming. Jeffry Scott

Roswell hosts a family overnight camp

Roswell is hosting an overnight family camp out at Hembree Park Saturday.

The camp out starts at 5 p.m. and will end around 9 a.m. Sunday. The cost is $38 for a family of four Roswell residents and $57 for non-residents. Each additional guest will be charged $3. Joel Anderson

Milton firefighters conduct inspections

Milton firefighters are conducting bi-yearly life safety inspections of businesses, schools and non-residential occupancies. Among other things, firefighters are looking for working emergency lights, properly lighted exit signs, current annual inspection tags on all fire extinguishers and accessible emergency exits.

Information: 678-242-2570 or matthew.marietta@cityofmiltonga.us. Andria Simmons

ATLANTA

Doctor charged in false-claim submissions

An Atlanta doctor has pleaded not guilty to federal charges he committed health care fraud by submitting false claims to Medicare and Georgia Medicaid from July 2007 to October 2009. Robert Williams submitted more than 95,000 claims and was reimbursed more than $975,000 for giving treatment to persons in metro area nursing homes, the state Attorney General’s Office said. But in many cases Williams sought payments for beneficiaries who were deceased or hospitalized at the time they allegedly received their therapy, the office said. Bill Rankin

APS forms community engagement panel

The Atlanta school board has formed a community engagement committee to help gather ideas and offer feedback about how it communicates and engages the public. The move aims to help the board meet a mandate from the system’s accrediting agency. The new, 17-member committee includes Peter Aman, the city of Atlanta’s chief operating officer, Oglethorpe University President Lawrence Schall, and a University of Georgia vice chancellor. Kristina Torres

Workers to hear about pension proposals

In anticipation of a large crowd of city workers expected to show up to hear the fate of their pensions, Wednesday’s Atlanta City Council Finance/Executive Committee meeting has been moved to the city council chambers. Many city workers oppose changes to their retirement plans and have threatened to sue. Ernie Suggs

Public input asked for 8 new libraries

The design process begins this year for eight new libraries, and the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System wants suggestions from the public. Input sessions will be in Atlanta and College Park this month, all at 7 p.m.: Thursday at South Fulton Service Center; March 22 at Villages of Carver Family YMCA; March 24 at the Stewart-Lakewood Branch library; and March 29 at the Perry Homes Branch library. Information: 404-730-1777. Johnny Edwards

DEKALB

Tax commissioner halts Saturday hours

DeKalb County resident can no longer pay their taxes on Saturday.

Tax Commissioner Claudia Lawson said budget cutbacks are forcing her to end Saturday hours. Last month, the Commission cut $33.6 million from the 2011 budget.

Lawson said she decided to end weekend hours to allow the county to keep open all three offices, including Memorial Drive, Dresden Drive and South DeKalb Mall. Megan Matteucci

Two die in shooting at apartments

A double shooting at a DeKalb County apartment complex Tuesday afternoon turned into a double homicide when one victim died at the scene and the other died later at a hospital.

The shooting of a man and a woman at the Colony at Stone Mountain Apartments was reported at 1:30 p.m.

“The pair were inside a car when an unidentified person walked up to the car and fired,” DeKalb police spokeswoman Mekka Parish said.

The suspect fled on foot or in a car, Parish said. Ty Tagami

Ex-officer pleads guilty to sex charges

A former DeKalb County Police officer has pleaded guilty to forcing two women to perform oral sex on him in exchange for his agreeing not to arrest them, the DeKalb District Attorney’s Office said.

Javier Garces was sentenced to three years of which 30 days are to be spent in jail and the rest on probation.

“Garces’ actions were inexcusable and unacceptable for a sworn officer charged with keeping peace and justice. Instead of upholding his oath of office, he preyed on the very people he was tasked to protect,” District Attorney Robert James said. Bill Rankin

Decatur holds pre-k lottery today

The City Schools of Decatur will hold its annual pre-k lottery today at 11:45 a.m. The lottery takes place at the Central Office at Westchester (758 Scott Blvd., Decatur 30030) and is open to the public. Contact: Suzanne Kennedy at 404-370-4480. Bill Banks for the AJC

Jason Adler to speak to Dunwoody chamber

Guest speaker Jason Adler will discuss “five ways to grow profits” before the Dunwoody Chamber of Commerce on Thursday morning.

The event will be from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the Staybridge Suites at 4601 Ridgeview Road.

For those interested in attending the event, members who RSVP will be charged $5 and non-members who RSVP must pay $10. Members who don’t RSVP will pay $15 and non-members will be charged $20. Joel Anderson

9,800 gallons of sewage spills into creek

Grease and excess debris caused about 9,800 gallons of raw sewage to spill from a DeKalb County manhole and into South Peachtree Creek, county water reports show.

The spill occurred in the 2400 block of East Club Drive in Atlanta, near the Brookhaven Country Club. In December, the federal Environmental Protection Agency mandated DeKalb upgrade its sewer system after the county reported more than 800 raw sewage spills in five years. Megan Matteucci

SOUTHSIDE

Commission to discuss changes to sales tax

The Fulton commission plans to delve into the pros and cons of replacing the county’s 1-cent Local Option Sales Tax, or LOST, with a 1-cent Homestead Option Sales Tax, or HOST, at today’s meeting. The county cannot legally have both, and the issue could be treacherous for north Fulton because eliminating LOST would drastically reduce revenues for cities. Earlier this year, on a suggestion by Commissioner Robb Pitts, the commission voted to have the county manager and finance director study whether having HOST would reduce property taxes. Johnny Edwards

East Point in line for $323,000 grant

East Point is hoping to learn soon if it will receive a $323,000 U.S Department of Homeland Security grant for assistance to firefighters, fire prevention and safety grants. The grant requires a $30,000 match from the city and would help fund existing fire prevention programs.

John Thompson for the AJC

Mock disaster in College Park Saturday

Fulton County Fire Rescue Department will hold a mock disaster Saturday at its training center at 3025 Merk Road, College Park from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community Emergency Response Team (CERT) Program volunteers from multiple jurisdictions, including Alpharetta, Atlanta and Sandy Springs, will participate. The program educates people about preparing for disasters and hazards and how to respond to them, including fire safety and disaster medical operations. For more information, log on to www.fultoncountyga.gov or call Natalie Riggs at 404-612-5700. Steve Visser

Jonesboro spaghetti dinner Saturday

Historical Jonesboro of Clayton County will hold its annual spaghetti dinner fundraiser Saturday from 5 p.m. .to 7:30 p.m. at the Jonesboro Firehouse Museum and Community Center, 103 West Mill Street in Jonesboro. Tickets are $7 and include spaghetti, salad, garlic bread, iced tea and dessert. The event raises money for the upkeep of the Historical Society properties at the Stately Oaks Plantation ad the old Jail. Advance tickets are available at Juddy’s Country Store on the Stately Oaks property, 100 Carriage Lane, Jonesboro or at the door on the night of the event. Tammy Joyner

Math text ready for review in Fayette County

A new math textbook recommended for next school year is available for public review in Fayette County.

The book can be reviewed at the LaFayette Educational Center, 205 LaFayette Ave. in Fayetteville, during normal business hours until April 18. The Board of Education will vote on the book’s adoption on April 19. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Riverdale Community Yard Sale April 16

The Riverdale Community Yard Sale will be Saturday, April 16 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. in the open field adjacent to the Riverdale Town Center, 7200 Church Street in Riverdale. Yard sale rental is $20 and $50 for marketer’s or solicitor spaces. For more information or to participate, log on to www.riverdalega.gov or call 770 909-5300. Tammy Joyner