County by county news for Wednesday

The Georgia Lottery reported the donation to the Unity North Atlanta Church in a news release issued Monday. An anonymous person donated the tickets, worth $4,069 total, during a recent Sunday service.

“This is a first for us,” church office manager Wendy Beck said.

Beck said the church plans to apply the winnings toward its mortgage and monthly bills. David Ibata

Former EMC chief back in court Oct. 10

Former Cobb EMC leader Dwight Brown is set to return to court Oct. 10 on criminal charges of theft and racketeering before the same judge who threw out a first indictment. Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert Flournoy threw out Brown’s original 31- count indictment in June. Brown was indicted again in July on the same 31 charges, plus four more. Janel Davis

Commission approves CCT fare increase

Cobb Commissioners approved a fare hike for Cobb Community Transit bus riders.

Fares will increase 50-cent to $2.50 for a one way local adult fare and $1 to $5 for an express trip. Costs will also increase for tickets and passes. The fare increases would take effect Oct. 1. Cobb also increased fares in October 2010. A $605,000 estimated revenue increase is expected for fiscal 2012 if ridership does not decline. Last month Cobb cut three of its bus routes and corresponding paratransit service for disabled riders to save money. Janel Davis

Powder Springs mulls fate of barbershop

The fate of a former historic barbershop in downtown Powder Springs may not be decided by the City Council until next month. For a possible welcome center, bids range from around $68,000 to $85,000, said Butch Walker, the city’s Purchasing and Inventory Control manager.

Walker said he needs more time for evaluation.Built in the 1940s, the 700-square-foot building was moved 75 feet from Marietta Street location to its new home on Lewis Road. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Kennesaw Parks to show off fall programs

Kennesaw’s Parks and Recreation Department will offer a 10 percent discount for classes, camps and workshops at a Program Palooza, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, at the Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive.

Instructors will give demonstrations and information on fall programs, and the Radio Disney Road Crew will entertain children with games, music and prizes.

The event is free. Information: www.kennesaw-ga.gov/pkrec. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Free health screenings in Mableton Wednesday

The Health Mart Healthy Living Tour is offering free mobile screening services for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C tests.

The unit will be available from 3 6 p.m. Mableton Health Mart Pharmacy today at 5390 Floyd Road, Mableton.

Health screening is open to all. Information: http://www.healthmarthealthyliving.com. Sandra Marshall Murray

GWINNETT

Public input wanted on redrawn voting districts

Gwinnett County is seeking public comment on revisions to the boundaries of the county’s four commission districts.

The state General Assembly is considering revisions to the boundaries in light of a decade’s worth of population growth reflected in 2010 census figures. The four commission districts will be revised to ensure each has about the same population.

The public can comment on the redistricting process through Aug. 19. To submit comments visit www.gwinnettcounty.com. Comments will be forwarded to Gwinnett County’s Legislative Delegation. David Wickert

Six schools start year with schedule shift

Six Gwinnett County Public Schools’ campuses began the academic year with new starting and ending times.

Hours were adjusted slightly to allow smoother transitions for students and to fit transportation schedules.

The schools are: Moore Middle, Duluth High, Parkview High, GIVE Center East, Hooper Renwick School and New Life Academy of Excellence.

Starting and ending times for all Gwinnett County Schools are listed on the district’s website. For information: www.gwinnett.k12.ga.us. D. Aileen Dodd

DOT reopens Oak Grove Road

The Georgia Department of Transportation has reopened Oak Grove Road at Ga. 20/Loganville Highway.

The agency raised Oak Grove by five feet and realigned the intersection at Ga. 20.

The intersection improvement is part of a $10.9 million project to widen Ga. 20 to a four-lane divided highway from Cooper/Ozora Roads to Brand Road. David Wickert

Woodall to address Tea Party group

U.S. Rep. Rob Woodall, R-Lawrenceville, will speak to the Founding Fathers Tea Party Patriots at 7:30 p.m. Thursday at the Flying Machine restaurant, 510 Briscoe Blvd., Lawrenceville.

The event is free and open to the public. David Wickert

Police offer child safety seat inspection

Gwinnett County police officers will be conducting a child safety seat check on Saturday.

The event is from 11 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Gwinnett Place Ford at 3230 Satellite Blvd. in Duluth.

Anyone who would like to have a specially trained officer inspect or assist in installing a child safety seat should stop by. The event is free. Andria Simmons

‘Day of Our Lives’ cast to visit Duluth

‘Days of Our Lives’ is in its 45th season as a daytime TV show, and it is the longest-running scripted drama in NBC history.

The national tour of the NBC show’s cast members will make a stop at the Duluth Festival Center from 1– 4 p.m. Aug. 15. The cast will sign books and autographs at the Duluth Festival Center on the Town Green next to City Hall, 3142 Hill St.

The tour also is showcasing a book about the show “Days Of Our Lives 45 Years: A Celebration In Photos.” Sandra Marshall Murray

NORTHSIDE

Cherokee Tea Party presses for budget cuts

The Cherokee County Tea Party has asked the Cherokee County Commission to appoint a committee to recommend cutting the county budget rather than increasing revenue as the county commission last week voted to do by raising the county millage rate. Tea Party officials they have volunteers willing to serve on what it calls the Committee to Evaluate County Government and have scheduled a meeting with county manager Jerry Cooper about forming the committee. Jeffry Scott

Teens win ‘Shot for College’ scholarships

Zach Conley, 15, of Alpharetta, and Imani Scott, 17, of Hampton won $2,500 “Shot for College” scholarships on Monday at St. Ives Country Club.

The competition was part of a day of golf activities for Atlanta area youth, hosted by PGA pro Anthony Kim and put on by RBC Bank and RBC Wealth Management in conjunction with this week’s PGA Championship. Patrick Fox

Woodstock unveils electric car recharger

The City of Woodstock made official Monday, with a ribbon cutting, that it’s the first municipality in Georgia with an Electric Vehicle Charging Station (EVSE). The station was installed by Metro Plug-In, a company based in Woodstock. The city said it expands the demand for electric cars, and places to recharge them, to increase over the next year.

The charging station is next to the Train Depot, at 251 East Main St., and is free to the public. Jeffry Scott

Canton council to put pay in writing

The Canton City Council and mayor want to make it official, and part of the city code, that they get paid for their work, even though they’ve been compensated all along.

The six members of the council is paid $2,100 a year.

Mayor Gene Hobgood is paid $3,000 a year. The council plans to vote on the measure at its next meeting Aug. 18. Jeffry Scott

Woodstock Lions Club to hold job fair

The Woodstock’s Lions Club is hosting a job fair for the community.

As a service project for the community, the club will host the job fair on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. at Woodstock’s Chattachoochee Technical College Campus. The event will feature 11 companies, businesses and government organizations. The companies will be looking to fill all entry to management position.

For information visit the Woodstock Lions Club Facebook page. Elise Hitchcock

Cherokee website to be down Saturday

Cherokee County websites will be down for maintenance on Saturday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The IT department will be performing maintenance on most of the cities’ websites, including the cherokeega.com. County email will also be unavailable during the maintenance. For a list of websites and services that will be unavailable, visit cherokeega.com or call 678-493-6000. Elise Hitchcock

ATLANTA

Interim picked for vacant school post

Longtime Atlanta resident Nisha Simama was selected Monday night to fill the interim District 2 seat on the Atlanta school board. Simama, whose children graduated from the district, will occupy the position until a special election set Nov. 8. The seat for District 2 came open July 11, when former school board Chairman Khaatim Sherrer El resigned with more than two years left in his term. Six people are running to fill his seat permanently. Jaime Sarrio

Cyclorama to screen ‘Glory’ on Friday

The Atlanta Cyclorama & Civil War Museum will show the 1989 movie “Glory” in Grant Park on Friday, starting at dusk, around 7:30 p.m. The film tells the story of Union Army Col. Robert Gould Shaw leading the all-black 54th Massachusetts Infantry during the Civil War.

The screening, which is free, will be on the Boulevard side of the park, near the Cyclorama’s parking lot. Information: 404-658-7625. Johnny Edwards

Athlete promotes testing for concussions

Former Pittsburgh Steeler Jerome Bettis has teamed up with Dick’s Sporting Goods to help educate young athletes, parents, and consumers about the importance of baseline testing in treating concussions.

Local athletes can undergo free ImPACT testing on-site from 3 to 7 p.m. Thursday at the store’s Peachtree Road location in Atlanta. For every pair of athletic shoes purchased through September at its stores and online, Dick’s will donate $1 to the PACE program. Gracie Bonds Staples

Autism Awareness Day at Turner Field Aug. 14

Join the Atlanta Braves and Nathan’s Something Special Scholarship Fund for Autism Awareness Day at Turner Field. The event takes place at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 14. Children and adults with autism receive a free ticket with the purchase of one terrace pavilion ticket.

Tickets: Dan Eanes, Atlanta Braves Group Sales, Daniel.Eanes@braves.com or 404-614-1320. Jemea Watkins

DEKALB

Schools move forward to keep accreditation

DeKalb County schools have until Oct. 31 to make changes or risk sanctions from its national accreditation board, but interim superintendent Ramona Tyson told the Board of Education that a draft report is expected by Sept. 1 with the intent to submit the final report to the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools by Oct. 1. DeKalb, which has the state’s third largest school district, was put on notice last year that it could lose its accreditation over issues of its governance, including a financial scandal over a former superintendent. Rich McKay

Former Vatican envoy to speak at Emory

The former U.S. ambassador to the Vatican will speak about religious freedom in a diverse world at Emory University.

Mary Ann Glendon, a professor of law at Harvard University, will speak at Emory’s school of law at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 20. She will headline the 2011-12 “When Law and Religion Meet Lecture Series”. Her lecture is co-sponsored by Emory’s Aquinas Center of Theology. Shelia Poole

1,300 students want transfers from schools

More than 1,300 students in DeKalb requested transfers from 22 schools that didn’t make “adequate yearly performance” under the federal “No Child Left Behind” act. The law allows students from underperforming schools to move. Officials told the Board of Education Monday that they worked through the weekend to accommodate the requests, but not all transfers had been completed yet. They ask that parents send their children to their original schools until the transfers have been confirmed. Rich McKay

Parks advisory committee to meet

The committee that helps DeKalb County decide how to spend its parks bond funds will meet today. The Parks Bond Advisory Committee and Initiative for a Green DeKalb Advisory Council meeting will include an update on greenspace acquisitions and current parks projects. The meeting begins at 5:30 p.m. at Davidson-Arabia Mountain Nature Preserve, 3787 Klondike Road, Lithonia.

More information: 404-371-2082. April Hunt

Library offers free computer training

The DeKalb County Library will offer a free class on computer basics at its main Decatur branch today. The course is designed for those with no computer experience and will give hands-on lessons on using a mouse and basic terminology.

The course runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the library on Sycamore Street. Registration is encouraged. To register: 404-370-8540. April Hunt

Town hall meeting on ‘soft skills’ Thursday

Gov. Nathan Deal’s Office of Workforce Development will host a town hall meeting from 6:30-8 p.m. Thursday at DeKalb Technical College in Clarkston about plans to teach non-academic skills for the workplace.

House Bill 186 this year authorized the certification of “soft skills,” such as punctuality, learning ability, dressing appropriately and teamwork.

The panel, one of 31 around the state, will comprise state lawmakers, officials from state agencies and local school and government officials. Ty Tagami

SOUTHSIDE

Fulton schools to test new textbooks

Deputy Superintendent for Instruction Linda Anderson announced Tuesday that language arts classes in elementary, middle and high schools will participate in a pilot project to test new textbooks that could eventually be adopted for use in Fulton County Schools. Some of the new material includes online textbooks and other content. Students will use the sample products to enhance their learning of the current curriculum. The books will later be evaluated for district wide use in the textbook consideration process. D. Aileen Dodd

Food vendors wanted for Peachtree City fest

Peachtree City will hold its annual Kidz Fest and Food Fest on Aug. 27 at Shakerag Knoll, and needs restaurant vendors to feed the expected crowd.

Area businesses can rent tables for $50 each to offer tastings of their menus and give away coupons or other promotional items. To reserve space, contact Art Sivertsen at 770-631-2542 or asivertsen@peachtree-city.org by Aug. 25. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Class on foreclosure prevention today

Fulton County’s Housing and Community Development Office will hold a free information session today for residents in danger of losing their homes to foreclosure. Attendees can get information on foreclosure prevention and contacting U.S. Housing and Urban Development Department-certified housing counselors, who can help with seeking loan modifications, forbearance or other alternatives.

The session will last from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Washington Park branch library, 1116 Martin Luther King Jr. Drive, S.W., Atlanta. Information: 404-612-3024. Johnny Edwards

Henry to collect fee on prepaid wireless service

The Henry County Board of Commissioner approved a move to impose a 75-cent charge on each retail purchase of prepaid wireless services, with the funds allocated for the county’s 911 department. This fee was formerly collected by the state, but the passage of HB 256 now allows for local municipalities that operate 911 centers to collect the fee. The change goes into effect Jan. 1, 2012. The vote took place at the Aug. 2 regular BOC meeting. Monroe Roark for the AJC

Free health screens in McDonough Thursday

The Health Mart Healthy Living Tour is offering free mobile screening services for blood pressure, cholesterol, blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C tests. The unit will be available from 9 a.m. to noon Maye’s Health Mart Pharmacy Thursday at 62 Keys Ferry Street, McDonough. Health screening is open to all. Information: http://www.healthmarthealthyliving.com. Sandra Marshall Murray

HMC offers CPR first aid course

Henry Medical Center will conduct a HeartSaver CPR First Aid course Aug. 19, from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. The first aid portion includes medical, injury and environmental emergencies. Registration is required for this class. To register, visit www.henrymedical.com or call 678-604-1040. Monroe Roark for the AJC