County by county news for Wednesday

The exhibit “Tuskegee Airmen: The Segregated Skies of World War II,” will be on display through the end of the year. The first of three additional programs is set for Nov. 7 at 2 p.m., and will include a showing of the film “Flags of Our Fathers,” which tells the life stories of the men who raised the flag at the Battle of Iwo Jima.

The Central Library is located at 266 Roswell Street in Marietta.

Information: www.cobbcat.org Janel Davis

Seminar focuses on coaching businesses

Companies interested in doing business with Cobb County can learn the county’s policies and procedures at a seminar on Nov. 9. The seminar, hosted by Cobb’s purchasing department, is for companies that provide goods and services ranging from tools and hardware to custom printing and plumbing. The seminar is free, but registration is required. The session begins at 5:30 p.m. at the Cobb Safety Village, 1220 Al Bishop Drive in Marietta. Registration: 770-528-3317 Janel Davis

Armed woman robs Metro PCS store

An armed woman sporting a belt with skulls on it robbed the Metro PCS store near Austell on Halloween night. The woman entered the store at 1355 East West Connector at 6:43 p.m. and inquired about her account. She then brandished a handgun and ordered employees to empty the cash register contents into a plastic bag.

The woman fled on foot. She is described as a black female, 5 feet 9 inches tall with a large build wearing jeans, a black hooded sweatshirt and a white belt with black skulls on it.

Anyone with information should call Cobb police at 770-499-3945. Andria Simmons

Anti-bullying play comes to Marietta Saturday

The play “Don’t Be A Bully! Speak Up! Speak Out!” is coming to Marietta Middle School on Saturday.

There will be two shows, at 2 p.m. and 5 p.m., at 121 Winn St. Admission is $10, with tickets available online only: dontbeabully.org. Ty Tagami

Marietta Veterans Day parade Nov. 11

Former Georgia Attorney General Mike Bowers will be the keynote speaker and grand marshal at a Veterans Day Parade sponsored by the city of Marietta and the Marietta Kiwanis Club. Bowers retired in 1997 from the Air National Guard as a major general. The parade starts at 11 a.m. Nov. 11 at Roswell Street Baptist Church and ends with a ceremony at noon on the Marietta Square. The parade will include five high school marching bands, drill teams, floats, military vehicles and members of veterans’ organizations. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Smyrna awarded for keeping city clean

Keep Georgia Beautiful will recognize Smyrna at an awards luncheon in Atlanta Nov. 14 for having the best affiliate in the state for cities with populations of 45,000 to 65,000.

The state organization will also honor the city this year for its community garden and resident and IBM employee Angie Bolton as the female volunteer of the year for Georgia. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

GWINNETT

Suwanee greeway to close for improvements

The oldest section of the Suwanee Creek Greenway, from Martin Farm Road to Suwanee Elementary School, will be closed in two phases over a seven-month period for improvements.

The city plans to rehabilitate and upgrade about one-mile section of the multiuse trail. Existing asphalt and boardwalk will be demolished, and new concrete and boardwalk will be installed at widths matching newer sections of the Greenway.

The total project is expected to cost about $1.2 million. Funds will come from local sales taxes and the city’s remaining open space bond money. Joel Anderson

Suwanee to hold parks celebration Saturday

Suwanee will host a Parker’s Parks Party Saturday in celebration of the 10th anniversary of the bond referendum vote that funded the city’s parks.

A variety of activities will be available to residents at several of Suwanee’s parks from 1 p.m. to 10 p.m. Among the many festivities being offered are fishing at Sims Lake Park, an unprecedented one-day privilege; a petting zoo at White Street Park; and a free concert at Town Center Park. Information: www.suwanee.com. Joel Anderson

Golf tourney boost sheriff’s campaign

The Butch Conway Fall Golf Classic will be held Thursday at Chateau Elan to raise money for the Gwinnett County Sheriff’s re-election campaign.

Registration opens at 8:30 a.m. The shotgun start is at 10 a.m., followed by lunch, an awards presentation and dinner. Prizes will be awarded for first, second and third places. There will also be other contests for golfers. Registration for law enforcement officers is $125 and for other individual golfers is $175. Sponsorships are available. Info: www.magnoliagolfgroup.com/ButchConway/info.html Andria Simmons

GMC to host forum on prostate health

Gwinnett Medical Center and the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce will sponsor a free breakfast forum on prostate health from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. Friday at the 1818 Club at the chamber building, 6500 Sugarloaf Parkway, Duluth. Space is limited, and women are welcome to attend. RSVP to Keyonda at 678-312-3452 or kjohnson11@gwinnettmedicalcenter.org. DAVID WICKERT

Electric powered aircraft talk Saturday

The Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 690 will host a discussion of electric powered aircraft at 10:30 a.m. Saturday at the EAA Sport Aviation Center, 690 Airport Road, Lawrenceville. Engineer Hugh Colton will lead the discussion. Information: Joel Levine at 404-314-7573 or jlevine@bellsouth.net. David Wickert

Duluth’s Alive! Festival this weekend

Duluth has announced that it will host the first Alive! Festival this weekend, an event that focuses on natural products and green living. The festivities are scheduled from noon to 7 p.m. Saturday and 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Sunday on the Town Green at 3142 Hill Street.The festival will feature more than 50 natural and organic vendors and a sustainable locally grown Farmers Market. Joel Anderson

NORTHSIDE

Group urges Cherokee not to spend bond money

A Cherokee citizen watchdog group, led by Tea Party members, on Monday adopted a resolution calling for the county to stop spending money approved by voters in a 2008 bond referendum for Parks and Recreation projects, including an aquatic center. The Citizens Committee, which was formed last summer to offer advice to the county commission on curbing spending and reducing taxes, asked the commission to abandon the voter-approved projects and instead use the money remaining in the bond fund to pay down the bond debt. Jeffry Scott

Alpharetta police probe string of car break-ins

Alpharetta police are investigating a series of automobile break-ins in restaurant parking lots near Northpoint Mall.

Two of the break-ins occurred at Spice Brick Oven Kitchen, two at Tilted Kilt, and one each at 5 Seasons Restaurant & Brewery and Champps. The thefts were reported between 5 p.m. Monday and 6 a.m. Tuesday. Investigators believe the same culprit could be responsible for all the break-ins. Andria Simmons

Teen Advocacy Group open house today

Parents of children ages 6-18 are invited to a Teen Advocacy Group open house from 6 to 8 p.m. today at the Bethwell Community Center, 2695 Hopewell Road, Milton. Counselors will provide information on learning programs in subjects teens commonly face.

RSVP at 770-367-0662, e-mail info@go4tag.org or visit TAG’s Web site, www.go4tag.org. Patrick Fox

Alpharetta OKs zoning for medical office

The Alpharetta City Council has approved a rezoning request to allow development of a 2,400-square-foot medical office at 12599 Broadwell Road.

Architectural plans call for construction of a traditional farm house-style building similar to the former Reese House. The building will include a counseling practice and other medical professional offices. Patrick Fox

Decision expected on fired planning director

The Forsyth County Civil Service Board has scheduled at meeting at 10 a.m., Thursday where it is expected to render its decision in the case of fired former Planning Director, Jeff Chance, according to county risk manager Charity Clark.

The Civil Service board last December upheld Chance’s Aug. 2010 firing after sexually and racially charged emails were found on his office computer and for other violations of county policy. A superior court judge ordered the board to hear arguments again last month and reconsider its ruling. Jeffry Scott

Reinhardt presents art show Thursday

Kappa Pi, Reinhardt University’s new art honor society, will present its induction art show 7 to 9 p.m. Thursday at the school’s Fincher Visual Arts Center.

Artwork by society members will be sold. Proceeds will help support Reinhardt’s Kappa Pi chapter.

Reinhardt University is at 7300 Reinhardt Circle, Waleska. For information: www.reinhardt.edu. Laurie Hoffman

ATLANTA

Mayor pushes anti-bullying initiatives

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed challenged students, teachers and parents to pledge their support for two Atlanta-based bullying prevention initiatives: Cartoon Network’s “Stop Bullying: Speak Up” and the Anti-Defamation League’s “No Place for Hate.” Reed spoke at a rally at Booker T. Washington High School on Tuesday, Nov. 1. Jeremiah McWilliams

Reed wants to crack down on burglaries

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed says he wants to reduce the number of burglaries, robberies and car break-ins in the city. Reed has touted a falling murder rate at several recent forums. But at an Oct. 27 event at Inman Middle School in Virginia-Highland, he said that’s not enough. “We have to continue to push down on burglaries and thefts,” Reed said. “Also, robberies, car break-ins and quality-of-life crimes. We’ve got to get our arms around it.” Jeremiah McWilliams

Oakland park renamed for James Orange

Atlanta has re-dedicated Oakland City Park in honor of the late Rev. James Edward Orange, a close confident and aide to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

The 15-acre park at 1305 Oakland Dr. S.W. has been renamed “The Rev. James Orange Park at Oakland City.”

Orange joined the civil rights marches led by King and Ralph David Abernathy in Atlanta in 1963. Soon after, he became a project coordinator for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Orange died in February 2008 at the age of 65. Jeremiah McWilliams

Chastain Park Arts Festival on Saturday

More than 180 painters, photographers, sculptors, leather and metal craftworkers, glass blowers, jewelers and other artists and artisans will show their work Saturday and Sunday at the 2011 Chastain Park Arts Festival, organized by the Atlanta Foundation for Public Spaces and a board of experts. The festival runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday and from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. Parking is at 4469 Stella Drive, Atlanta. Johnny Edwards

DEKALB

Emory selects new dean of admissions

John Latting, the dean of undergraduate admissions at Johns Hopkins University, has been hired by Emory University to serve as dean of admissions, college officials announced Monday.

Latting will transition into his new job over the next couple of months.

Admission to Emory College of Arts & Sciences is highly competitive -- only one of four students who apply are admitted. Laura Diamond

Superintendent to examine school security

School security is near the top of the “to-do” list for DeKalb County School Superintendent Cheryl L.H. Atkinson, who is still in her first 90-day review of the entire school system. She told the DeKalb Board of Education Monday that is initiating a review across all of the district’s 137 schools for problems involving discipline, including incidents that required involvement of the school police. “I want to look at where we are deploying resources,” she said. “Down to the time of day. I want us to look at everything.” No timetable was announced. Rich McKay

Superintendent meeting with parents Thursday

The last scheduled parent round table discussions with new DeKalb School superintendent Cheryl L. H. Atkinson is set for 7 p.m. Thursday at Stephenson High School, 701 Stephenson Road, Stone Mountain. The sessions are part of Atkinson’s plan to listen to the concerns from as many parents as possible in her first 90 days on the job. The session is open to any concerned party. Information: 678-676-4202. Rich McKay

County breaks ground on gas processing facility

DeKalb County recently broke ground on a renewable natural gas processing facility that is designed to provide a clean and cheap fuel to county sanitation trucks.

The facility is being built at the Seminole Road Landfill through a $7.8 million grant from the federal stimulus program.

Under it, the county will convert 70 trucks to run on the methane-turned-fuel instead of diesel, a savings of $3 million over eight years.

The county plans to adapt its entire 306-truck fleet to the natural gas over that period. April Hunt

Police, DA divvy confiscated cash

The DeKalb County Police Department and District Attorney will share in nearly $46,000 confiscated and forfeited in state criminal cases.

The police will receive the bulk of the total, with $35,000. The rest will go to the DA’s office for general expenses. April Hunt

Dunwoody to open new park on Thursday

The city of Dunwoody will host a grand opening of a 16-acre park at 4000 Dunwoody Park at 2 p.m. Thursday.

The property is one of the main focal points of the city’s Georgetown / North Shallowford area Master Plan adopted earlier this year.

The property, previously referred to as the “pipe farm,” has undergone cosmetic changes, including capping and sub-grading of the existing PVC pipe, and is ready for public use. Patrick Fox

SOUTHSIDE

Henry County schools get $14,738 in grants

Several programs and classes in the Henry County School System have received “Bright Ideas” mini-grants from Snapping Shoals EMC. The grants ranged from $750 to $1,500 and totaled $14,738 and covered items from cameras to instructional materials. Randy Shaw, vice president and chief financial officer for Snapping Shoals EMC, said, executives were impressed with the innovative ideas that these educators have developed. “We believe these ideas will capture the attention of the students and increase student achievement,” Shaw said. Nancy Badertscher

Suspicious man seen near school bus stops

Peachtree City police are asking residents in the Braelinn area to watch for a suspicious man seen near school bus stops. Two children in Balmoral Village were approached last week by a white man about 30 years old, with dirty blond hair and brown or hazel eyes. He commented on their appearance and offered to let them sit in his car, a gray Honda Pilot.

Anyone with information should call 770-487-8866, or call 911 if the vehicle is near a bus stop. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Fayette cities early voting through Friday

Voters in Peachtree City, Fayetteville and Tyrone may cast early ballots through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Polls are open at the Peachtree City Library, Tyrone Library and the Fayette County Elections Office. Voting resumes Nov. 8 at regular polling places in Peachtree City but only at the library and the LaFayette Educational Center in Fayetteville. Tyrone voters must use the polls at the First Baptist Church on Arrowood Road. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Fort McPherson an opportunity zone

The Georgia Department of Community Affairs approved an opportunity zone designation for Fort McPherson, the 488-acre former U.S. Army base, which the Pentagon turned over to civilian control last month. The state program allows new or existing businesses located in an opportunity zone that hires at least two employees within one year to receive an annual income tax credit of $3,500 for each job they create. Credits are good for up to five years, or $17,500. John Thompson for the AJC

Clayton accepts block grant applications

Clayton County is accepting applications for the Fiscal 2012 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG), Emergency Shelter Grants (ESG), and HOME Programs. Applications can be obtained from the Clayton County Housing and Community Development Program, 1671 Adamson Parkway, Ste. 101 in Morrow. Deadline in 5 p.m. Dec. 19. Details: 770-210-5208 or email chuck.johnson@co.clayton.ga.us. Tammy Joyner

Holiday Festival of the Arts Nov. 13

McDonough Arts is sponsoring its annual Holiday Festival of the Arts Nov. 13, noon-5 p.m. on the square in McDonough. The Grinch is scheduled to arrive by fire truck at 1 p.m. and will be available for photos until 4 p.m. This event coincides with the McDonough Merchants Holiday Open House. Monroe Roark for the AJC