County by county news for Wednesday

Eight of the 11 group members met last week for an introductory meeting, elected an interim chairman and viewed their second-floor workspace in the county’s government building.

The committee is scheduled to present recommendations at the June 28 commission meeting. Janel Davis

New Austell facility expected to start hiring

Around 30 to 40 locals are expected to be hired by summer at the new commercial recycling facility in the old National Envelope Corp. (NEC) South plant in Austell.

An additional 60 to 70 people will be transferred from two facilities, said attorney Don Brooks, representing applicant 2989 Humphries LLC. Nearly 9 acres at 2989 Humphries Hill Road were rezoned Monday night by the Austell City Council from Light Industrial to Heavy Industrial. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Police probe Taco Bell robbery in Smyrna

Cobb County police are investigating an armed robbery Sunday at Taco Bell at 5161 South Cobb Drive in Smyrna. Employees were working in the rear of the business at 10 a.m. when a man appeared from a wood line and approached them wielding a long-barreled gun. The robber demanded money, and fled. Anyone with any information can call police at 770-499-3945. Andria Simmons

Library holds book chats for kids on Tuesdays

South Cobb Library is holding “Let’s Talk Peace” book chats each Monday of April for children age 9 and older.

The next chat will be April 11 about “Don’t Laugh at Me” by Steve Seskin, followed by “The Golden Rule” by Ilene Cooper on April 18 and “The Three Questions” by Jon J. Muth on April 25. The chats begin at 3:30 p.m. at the library, 805 Clay Road in Mableton. Information: 678-398-5834 Janel Davis

Kennesaw tightens rules for pill mills

Kennesaw tightened business license requirements Monday to stop pill mills that sell pain medication like oxycodone. The city council passed a one-year moratorium a year ago after closing a pain clinic that opened on Cherokee Street. The ordinance is similar to legislation approved in Marietta, Acworth and Holly Springs. Kennesaw Police Chief William Westenberger said the ordinance is a permanent solution to regulating these businesses. Tucker McQueen

Motorcycles rev up for reading fundraiser

Marietta City Schools will host a reading and literacy fundraiser for Marietta Reads! on April 23. The event “Revved Up for Reading” is an escorted motorcycle ride starting at 10 a.m. at WOW Motorcycles, 508 Cobb Parkway North in Marietta. Registration before April 15 is $20, $25 after, by mail or in-person at Marietta City Schools central office. Passengers are $10 extra. Information: 770-422-3500 ext. 268 or www.marietta-city.org, www.mariettareads.org. Jaime Sarrio

GWINNETT

Labor department holds job fair for vets April 19

The Georgia Department of Labor’s Gwinnett Career Center will sponsor a job fair for veterans, disabled veterans, and other job seekers in the area on April 19.

The fair will run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance at 2025 Satellite Point in Duluth.

Applicants should bring multiple copies of their resumes and be prepared to fill out applications and be interviewed for available jobs. Information: (404) 232-3685 Nancy Badertscher

Good Samaritan Church to hold fundraiser

Good Samaritan Haitian Alliance Church will hold a fundraiser banquet to help support the launch of its community programs. The Rev. Michael Noel, superintendent of the South Atlantic District of the Christian and Missionary Alliance, will be the keynote speaker. The funds will benefit the church’s elderly care, tutoring and after school programs.

The fundraiser will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Saturday at the church, 711 Davis Road . The cost is $25. For tickets go to www.gshac.org.

Shelia Poole

Duluth restaurant opens month after fire

Sweet Tomatoes at 3505 Mall Blvd. in Duluth reopened Saturday, a month after fire damage temporarily shuttered the restaurant.

The restaurant opened at 11 a.m. and was in business as normal. On March 7, fire damaged the roof and caused smoke and water damage in the kitchen and eating areas. Andria Simmons

Libraries offer puppet shows on Thursday

Three libraries in the Gwinnett County Public Library system will host puppet shows on Thursday.

Shows will start at 11 a.m. at the Hamilton Mill and Mountain Park branches.

Another puppet show will take place at 2 p.m. at the Dacula branch.

People of all ages are invited to the shows.

Information: 770-978-5154. Joel Anderson

Spring Gardening Expo in Auburn Saturday

The city of Auburn will host a Spring Gardening Expo on Saturday in the downtown area.

Residents and visitors are invited to come to the expo to see flowering plants, herbs, vegetables, landscape ideas and workshops hosted by gardening experts.

The show is scheduled to run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Information: 770-963-4002, extension 228. Joel Anderson

‘Partners in Business Expo’ to be April 20

The Northeast Atlanta Metro Association of Realtors third annual “Partners in Business Expo” will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. April 20 at the Gwinnett Center in Duluth.

This year’s Expo will feature 12 short education and technology sessions, free admission and lunch to the first 500 attendees and numerous prize drawings.

Information: www.namarexpo.com

Patrick Fox

NORTHSIDE

Johns Creek names interim fire chief

Jeff Hogan has been named interim fire chief for Johns Creek, replacing Joseph Daniels.

The appointment, made earlier this year, was not announced publicly.

City officials said it was a personnel matter.

Hogan, 47, has been a member of the Johns Creek Fire Department since the city formed in 2006. Before that, he spent 26 years with the Fulton County Fire Department. Patrick Fox

Alpharetta gets $7,000 gift toward pavilion

The Clorox Company Foundation has awarded Alpharetta a $7,000 gift to go toward a civic project at a local park.

City officials said Monday the money will be used to help pay for a new pavilion at Wills Park. That project has an estimated cost of $21,790. Clorox put no time limit on the use of the funds. Patrick Fox

School’s teacher-taping event hits YouTube

It was a fund-raising event for the Japanese and now it’s a YouTube video. Students at Manning Oaks Elementary School last week taped Principal Sharon Reinig and two teachers to the wall, raising $750 in one hour for Japanese earthquake relief. Once the taping was complete, chairs were pulled out from the under the three and they remained stuck to the wall for more than an hour. Watch at

Nancy Badertscher

Kids offered spring break archaeology class

Children ages 8-12 who are out of school for spring break can learn about archaeology and ancient Inca culture on Thursday, courtesy of Emory University’s Michael C. Carlos Museum. The museum will offer two “Dig It! Archeology for Kids” sessions at 10:30 a.m. and noon at the Sandy Springs Branch library, 395 Mt. Vernon Hwy. Children will make their own khipus, systems of colored cords that the Inca used to record everything from census data to poetry. Registration: 404-303-6130. Johnny Edwards

GEMA to hold bomb threat training

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency/Homeland Security will host bomb threat credibility assessment training today.The “Managing School Bomb Threats” training class is free for education and law enforcement professionals. It will cover planning for a bomb threat, identifying threats, adjudication of a bomb threat suspect and end with an explosives demonstration. The training begins at 9 a.m. at the Georgia Public Safety training center, 1000 Indian Springs Dr. in Forsyth. Information: call, 404-635-7000 Janel Davis

Input asked for new Milton library

The Atlanta-Fulton County Library System will hold a meeting to gather public input for the planned Milton library. The meeting will be at 7 p.m. April 12 in the City Council Chambers, suite 107 E, 13000 Deerfield Parkway. The library is scheduled to open in 2013. Input can also be submitted by email to: librarycomments@fultoncountyga.gov Patrick Fox

ATLANTA

Man, 57, gets life in rape of girl, 5

A 57-year-old Atlanta man has been sentenced to life in prison for raping and molesting a 5-year-old girl.

Warren Fambro was convicted of the 2004 sexual assault while the girl had been left in his care. When the girl’s mother returned home from work and walked in on the attack, she spanked her daughter, the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office said. The mother pleaded guilty to child cruelty and was ordered to submit to mental health treatment, the DA’s office said. Bill Rankin

Martin to help with neighborhood cleanup

Atlanta City Councilman C.T. Martin will spend Saturday cleaning up his community – literally. Martin, the Unity Network Counseling Center, The Home Depot, the city’s Office of Constituent Services and volunteers will partner for a neighborhood clean-up in the Adamsville community on Saturday beginning at 9 a.m.

Volunteers will meet at the Adamsville Recreation Center, 3201 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr., SW. Information: 404-330-6055. Ernie Suggs

Watson kicks off bike rides through city

Atlanta City Councilman Aaron Watson will kick off his Living Smarter initiative on Saturday with a 10-mile springtime bike ride. Riders will leave from the steps of Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Ave. at 9 a.m. for the roundtrip ride through a number of city neighborhoods to reach the Morningside Farmers’ Market before returning. Information: www.atlantapost2.com/rides. Ernie Suggs

LAA presents census information

The Latin American Association (LAA) on Tuesday presented information about the newly released 2010 census data for Latino and Asian populations in Georgia. Senior Partnership Specialist Gerson Vásquez of the U.S. Census Bureau highlighted the data at the LAA Atlanta Outreach Center at 2750 Buford Highway in Atlanta. Information: Jeffery Tapia at jtapia@thelaa.org or 404-638-1811. Andria Simmons

DEKALB

School district asks judge to curb DA

The DeKalb County school district wants a judge to stop District Attorney Robert James from giving certain documents from his criminal corruption case against former superintendent Crawford Lewis and former chief operating officer Patricia Reid to lawyers suing the district on a related matter.

The district’s lawyer W. Ray Persons said the documents have protected attorney-client information and contends the DA wants to “backdoor” it into the criminal trial.

He also said in court filings the DA office has a “bias” for civil litigant, Heery International. Steve Visser

Indictment obtained for accused church rapist

DeKalb County prosecutors have quickly obtained an indictment against a man accused of raping and beating a woman at St. Timothy United Methodist Church.

The indictment handed up Tuesday charges John Russell Carver, 50, with a dozen counts, including rape, kidnapping, aggravated assault and aggravated battery for the Feb. 26 attack. Carver is being held without bond.

Carver then beat the woman, stomped on her head and then, bearing a knife, raped her, James said.

“This was just an unspeakable act,” said James, who added he will personally prosecute the case. Bill Rankin

Man sentenced in illegal immigrant scheme

A Doraville man who ran an employment agency called “Lucky” is headed to prison for a scheme to transport and harbor illegal immigrants, federal authorities said Tuesday.

Chun Yan Lin, 44, was sentenced to two years in prison. The Lucky agency, located in Chamblee, helped illegal immigrants find restaurant jobs in a number of states, including Georgia, authorities said.

Owners of the Hong Kong Super Buffet in Buford and the Fuji Buffet in Lawrenceville previously pleaded guilty to their roles in the scheme. Bill Rankin

School board moves meeting to April 18

The DeKalb school board meeting scheduled for April 11 has been moved to 6 p.m. April 18. The meeting will be held at the district’s headquarters, 1701 Mountain Industrial Boulevard, Stone Mountain. Information: www.dekalb.k12.ga.us Jaime Sarrio

Decatur now eligible for emergency funding

Decatur’s City Commission approved the city’s portion of the 2010 DeKalb County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan. This makes the city eligible for funding from the Federal Emergency Management Agency in case of specific emergencies. Bill Banks for the AJC

Decatur OKs more money for cemetery

The Decatur City Commission approved an increase of $56,500 for additional work on the Decatur Cemetery Improvements project. The increase goes toward removal of about 650 cubic yards of old soil, replacing it with a combination of off site fill dirt, and about 860 tons of gravel, according to Deputy City Manager Hugh Saxon.

Total cost is now $1,021,500 for phase one of the cemetery improvements which, Saxon said, should be finished in the fall. Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Applicants needed for block grant funds

Fulton County is seeking applicants for Community Development Block Grant funds, which can be used for 2012-2014 projects for low- and moderate-income residents who live outside Atlanta, Sandy Springs and Johns Creek. Applications, due June 17, can be picked up at 137 Peachtree Street, SW, Suite 300, Atlanta, starting April 12. Application workshops will be held April 21 at 10 a.m. at the downtown Fulton government center, April 27 at 6 p.m. at the South Fulton Service Center and May 3 at 6 p.m. at the North Fulton Service Center. Information: 404-613-7944. Johnny Edwards

Nature preserve offers spring-planting tips

Metro area residents can get hands-on tips on how to perfect their spring planting.

Reynolds Nature Preserve in Morrow will host a free Wild Azalea Festival April 16 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.

The festival will feature hands-on planting workshops, azalea exhibits, guided hikes, live animal shows, native plant sales, and face painting.

Shuttle service will be available to the Reynolds Road preserve from Babb Middle School in Forest Park. Megan Matteucci

East Point council leaves ethics law unrevised

The East Point City Council Monday night denied a request to revise the city’s ethics ordinance. Mayor Earnestine Pittman blamed the “Gang of 5” on the City Council for not passing the changes because they wanted to maintain control of the ethics board. John Thompson for the AJC

DEA coordinates drug disposal events

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is coordinating with numerous state and local law enforcement agencies to give the public another opportunity to prevent pill abuse and theft by throwing out potentially dangerous expired, unused, and unwanted prescription drugs.

Bring medications for disposal to numerous sites from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 30. Links to participating locations can be found at www.dea.gov. The service is free and anonymous, no questions asked. Andria Simmons

Health screenings for seniors at fire station

Older adults who need to get a health checkup and who have trouble sleeping can get help this Saturday at the East Point Fire Station. Fulton County’s office of aging will provide screenings for at least a half dozen health issues including cholesterol, blood glucose and blood pressure and evaluate sleep issues. The clinic is 10 am to 2pm at 2757 East Point Street. Information at 404-613-6000. Steve Visser

Henry adds new route to senior transport

The Henry County Transit Department has added a new route to transport senior citizens to the new senior center at the Locust Grove Event Center. A transit bus will make one trip to and from the center each day. Seniors must coordinate pickup service with the Henry County Senior Services Department. Buses run Monday-Friday from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Trips to the county’s three senior centers is $1 each way. The transit will only take riders to the senior center closest to their home. Details: 678 618-4282. Tammy Joyner