County by county news for Wednesday

Marietta Fire Marshall Scott Tucker said the city does require annual inspections and fire extinguisher checks, but does not charge for them.

Tucker said one business paid a man dressed in dark pants and a blue shirt, similar to the firefighter’s uniform, $50 for a bogus inspection. Tucker Mc Queen for the AJC

Student charged with bringing knife to school

A Cobb County high school student was arrested for having a knife with an eight-inch blade in his backpack, according to police. Lonnie Treaudo Benn, 17, was arrested Thursday at South Cobb High School in Austell, jail records show.

Benn was charged with carrying a weapon within a school safety zone, a felony. He was released early the following morning on $5,000 bond, according to jail records. Alexis Stevens

Money raised for Smyrna hospital

The Foundation of Emory-Adventist Hospital said Tuesday it raised $83,079.12 to complete its campaign that has brought in $220,000 for the digital mammography equipment at Emory-Adventist Hospital in Smyrna.

“The Foundation is pleased to provide this state-of-the-art technology to our community,” said Gwen Baldwin, foundation director said. Jeffry Scott

Free income tax help in Austell

Free tax preparation is being offered at two sites in Austell.

One is the South Cobb Recreation Center, 875 Six Flags Drive, 4-8 p.m. on Thursday, Monday and ending Feb. 2.

Christian Aid Mission Partnership (C.A.M.P.), 6289 Veterans Memorial Highway, Suite 12-A, is open 9 a.m.-1 p.m. Wednesdays through April 11.

No appointment is needed for those who earned less than $49,000 last year.

Information: atlantaprosperity.org. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Grocery store hails strip’s redevelopment

A grocery store opening today in Smyrna marks the redevelopment of an aging shopping strip at South Cobb Drive and Concord Road. The 93,000-square foot store replaces and more than doubles the space of a Kroger across the street.

The Crossings at Four Corners center will also have about 230,000-square feet of retail, office and restaurant space after it is completed. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Pope athletes to raise money for cancer

The Pope High School Girls Varsity Basketball program in Marietta will raise money for childhood cancer with their “Pink Out” games on Jan. 31. Their effort is in honor of a fellow student Killian Owen who died of leukemia. Both the boys and girls teams will wear pink t-shirts.

Proceeds from the t-shirt sales and money collected from the passing bucket at half time will benefit Curing Kids’ Cancer – a charity started by Killian’s parents. Information: www.curingkidscancer.org. Kenneth Musisi

GWINNETT

Four groups propose upscale hotel in Duluth

Four groups have expressed interest in building an upscale hotel at Gwinnett Center in Duluth. The Gwinnett Convention and Visitors Bureau wants a private firm to build a hotel at the convention and sports facility. It said Tuesday it had received responses from: Thoroughbred Capital Partners and Welty Building Company, Acquest Development Inc., CGLS Architects of Atlanta, Turner Construction Company and DRB Consulting, Nilhan Hospitality LLC, a joint venture of DCT Group and Concord Hospitality Enterprises Company and Spectrum Capital and Swerdling & Associates. GCVB officials will analyze the proposals. David Wickert

New voter ID cards in Peachtree Corners

Registered voters in Peachtree Corners will soon receive new precinct ID cards showing the polling place where they are eligible to vote.

The last day to register and be eligible to vote in the March 6 city council is Feb. 6. Voters can request absentee ballots now through March 2 or vote in advance at the Voter Registration Office at 455 Grayson Highway, Suite 200 in Lawrenceville. Information: www.gwinnettelections.com. Joel Anderson

Furnace fire damages Norcross home

Mechanical work sparked a fire in the furnace that damaged a house in Norcross on Monday, Gwinnett County firefighters said. The occupant of a home in the 6200 block of Susan Lane reported the blaze around 5 p.m. The fire was contained to the furnace area. No one was injured. Andria Simmons

Schools to authorize sale of tax bonds

The Gwinnett County school board will meet on Thursday to authorize the sale of $275 million in general obligation sales tax bonds to fund district improvements. The meeting will be held at 6:15 p.m. at the Instructional Support Center, 437 Old Peachtree Road, Suwanee. In addition, the board is considering another $35.8 million bond proposal to take advantage of lower interest rates on existing bonds. The refinancing is slated to save the district between $1.4 to $1.5 million over three years. D. Aileen Dodd

Christmas tree recycling rescheduled

Gwinnett Clean & Beautiful has rescheduled its Christmas tree recycling event for Saturday after rain forced organizers to cancel it Monday. Volunteers will gather from 9 a.m. to noon at Bethesda Park in Lawrenceville to help chip trees into mulch for to use on trails in county parks. Information: Connie Wiggins at 770-822-5187. Joel Anderson

Burglars target Suwanee park

Someone broke into a storage unit and stole two lock boxes at Peachtree Ridge Park in Suwanee over the weekend.

A park volunteer discovered that two door handles, two lockboxes and two keys that were in them were missing from the park at 3170 Suwanee Creek Road on Sunday. The estimated cost to replace them was about $100. The complainant told police that a Gator utility vehicle was stolen from the park a year ago, and he feared the suspects might return for a Toro utility vehicle. Andria Simmons

NORTHSIDE

Fulton presses fight against a Milton County

The Fulton commission has given marching orders to its lobbyists at the state Capitol, and the team will again ask lawmakers to “aggressively oppose” any bill allowing the breakaway of Milton County. The county budgeted $677,600 for its intergovernmental affairs office, which includes payments to lobbyists. Other efforts: oppose limiting the county government’s powers, oppose delaying delinquent tax collections, support giving Local Option Sales Tax proceeds to unincorporated south Fulton and support more funds for Grady Memorial Hospital and MARTA. Johnny Edwards

Roswell opens up parking on Mimosa

The Roswell City Council voted unanimously Monday night to remove most of the “no-parking except Sundays” signs along Mimosa Boulevard.

The action will mean an additional 141 parking spaces along a street that has become more commercial over the past several years. Council members could not agree, however, on whether to spend up to $68,000 for curb extensions or elevated crosswalks. Those traffic-calming devices, along with their estimated individual price tags, will be discussed at a future council meeting next month. Patrick Fox

Canton mayor to give state of city address

Canton Mayor Gene Hobgood will deliver his annual state of the city address at this week’s City Council meeting. The meeting will be 6 p.m. Thursday in the council chambers at City Hall, 151 Elizabeth St.

Information: www.canton-georgia.com Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Rotary Club donates $1,000 to Habitat

Rotary Club of North Fulton’s president, Bo Wagner presented a $1,000 donation check to Habitat for Humanity’s Roswell office on Jan. 10. The donation was made during a visit by Colleen Fogarty of Habitat for Humanity’s Roswell office to share information on the latest efforts to build houses in the local community and worldwide. Information: Colleen Fogarty at 678-672-5223 or www.habitat-ncg.org and Bo Wagner at 404-325-0291 or www.northfultonrotary.org. Patrick Fox

Holy Innocents school to hold open house

Holy Innocents’ Episcopal School hosts an open house at 1 p.m. Saturday in the main gym. Parents and students are invited to tour the campus and learn about the school. Administrators, teachers and coaches as well as officers of the Parents’ Association, Athletic Association and Fine Arts Alliance, will be on hand.

The event concludes with a reception in Porter Dining Hall from 2:35 to 3 p.m. Nancy Badertscher

Rescue workers offered free massages

HealthSource of Sandy Springs is offering free stress assessments and 30-minute therapeutic massages to all area emergency rescue workers, firefighters and police officers throughout February. The chiropractic and rehabilitation center is showing its appreciation for emergency workers, said community outreach director Beth Berger. HealthSource is at 275 Carpenter Drive, Suite 209. Information: 404-255-4410. Kenneth Musisi

ATLANTA

Mayor: Corporations back transit tax

Speaking to the Atlanta Press Club on Tuesday, Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said up to $10 million is being raised from the “corporate community” to support a regional transportation sales tax. A vote on that one-percent tax, which could raise more than $6 billion over 10 years, is scheduled for July. Reed has voiced his support for the tax. He said this week that projects funded by the tax would help replace tens of thousands of local construction jobs lost since the recession began, and would also help alleviate traffic. Jeremiah McWilliams

Archibong to host alcohol forum

Atlanta City Councilwoman Natalyn Archibong will host a District 5 forum on the city’s current alcohol license ordinances and enforcement measures today at Charles Drew Elementary School, 301 East Lake Blvd., S.E. The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. Atlanta’s Alcohol Technical Advisory Group is examining and recommending changes to the city’s alcohol code. Today’s forum will be followed at 7 p.m. by an Atlanta Board of Education town hall meeting to discuss school redistricting. Jeremiah McWilliams

CAU names new vice president

Carl Jones has been named Clark Atlanta University’s vice president for enrollment services and student affairs.

In his new role, Jones is responsible for the overall direction of a division that serves the enrollment and campus life for nearly 4,000 students.

A graduate of South Carolina State University and Atlanta University, Jones returns to CAU after spending the last 22 years working in various administrative positions at SCSU. Ernie Suggs

Sorority to hold job fair today

The Atlanta Alumnae Chapter of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, will host a job fair today at Greenbriar Mall, 2841 Greenbriar Parkway from 1 p.m. until 5 p.m. on the upper level.

The sorority is reporting that WedMD, Coca-Cola, Prudential, Home Depot and Wells Fargo will be recruiting. Ernie Suggs

DEKALB

Police investigate two shootings

DeKalb County police were investigating two shootings Tuesday morning in south DeKalb. About 11 a.m. a man inside a home in the 2300 block of Wesley Chapel Road was shot when someone fired multiple shots from a car, police said. The victim died at the hospital.

Also, DeKalb detectives investigated another shooting that left a man in critical condition. That victim, a Hispanic male, was shot and dumped in the 1600 block of Henrico Road, police said. The victim is in critical condition. Mike Morris

County buys new motorcycles for police

DeKalb County is buying seven new Harley-Davidson motorcycles for its police department. The county will pay $103,000 to Stone Mountain Harley-Davidson for the seven FLHP Road King motorcycles. Officers will use the bikes in traffic and routine patrol.

The county uses a three-year replacement schedule for the motorcycles. April Hunt

ART Station offers new program

The ART Station Contemporary Arts Center has begun offering daytime art visits in downtown Stone Mountain.

The Wednesday Morning Art Party will begin with coffee and pastries before a “meet the artist” tour of ART Station galleries at the non-profit center. Participants then visit three incubator galleries in town for demonstrations and gallery talks.

The first morning party will begin at 10 a.m. Thursday at the arts center, 5384 Manor Dr. Cost is $29 and includes morning drinks, the tour and visits and lunch. Information: www.artstation.org or 770-469-1105. April Hunt

Library feature Afghanistan exhibit

The Reid H. Cofer Library is hosting an exhibit on the culture and history of Afghanistan.

The display includes photography and traditional clothing of the Hazara people, a culturally distinct people who speak Farsi and follow the minority Shia sect of Islam in Afghanistan.

The free exhibit will be shown through March 17 at the library, 5234 LaVista Road. More information: 770-270-8234. April Hunt

Parents council to meet Feb. 1

The Dunwoody-Chamblee Parents Council will hold a monthly meeting at Chamblee Middle School on Feb. 1 from 9:15 -10:30 a.m. The topic of the meeting is “Chamblee Charter High School and Supercluster 1 Construction Update”. The Council brings parents, school board members, school officials, and legislators together to discuss topics that affect public schools in the community. Kenneth Musisi

Decatur pools come in with a profit

Decatur Program Supervisor Jabari Cole recently reported to the city’s commissioners that Decatur’s three public pools made money last year, with a revenue of $163,176, surpassing the contract amount of $151,750. City Manager Peggy Merriss said, “I’ve been working on [the city’s] budget for 26 years and this is the first time we’ve covered operating costs with our pools.” Decatur’s pools drew a record 54,173 last summer, up nearly 11,000 from 2010. Ebster drew 2,892, McKoy 19,856 and Glenlake 31,425. Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Conviction affirmed for boss who killed workers

The Georgia Supreme Court has upheld convictions against a East Point car dealer who shot and killed two of his employees after they had asked for raises. A Fulton County jury had found Rolandas Milinavicius guilty of killing Marytnas Simokatis, 28, and Inga Contreras, 25, in 2007 in the dealer’s offices. All three were natives of Lithuania. Simokatis was shot nine times and Contreras was shot in the head. Prosecutors said they believed financial stress was the motive because Milinavicius was in debt and feeling pressed to give raises to his employees. Bill Rankin

Special election voting on Saturday

Fulton Registration and Elections will offer Saturday voting this weekend in the special election for the state House District 60 seat, which covers parts of Clayton, DeKalb and Fulton counties. Gloria Tinubu quit the post to run for Congress in South Carolina, and Democrats Theresa Middlebrooks, LaTrenka Riley and Keisha Waites are in the running.

Polls will be open for Fulton residents Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the county’s Government Center, 141 Pryor St., Suite 2186, downtown Atlanta. It’s part of advance voting, which runs until Feb. 3. The election is Feb. 7. Johnny Edwards

No charges in girl’s pellet-gun death

No charges will be filed in the death of a 6-year-old Fayette County girl who was shot with a pellet gun last week, police said Tuesday.

The girl died after her older brother accidentally shot her in the throat, police said.

The girl was shot in her Peachtree City home Friday afternoon and died after being transported to Piedmont Fayette Hospital.

One of the girl’s two older brothers told police he did not know the pellet gun was loaded when he fired it across a room, the police report states. Alexis Stevens

Board of Assessors’ meeting to start early

The Fulton County Board of Assessors’ regular meeting Thursday has been moved up two hours. It will start at 10:30 a.m. instead of 12:30 p.m.

Meetings are held twice per month in the assessors office conference room in the Fulton County Government Center, 141 Pryor St., S.W., Suite 2052, downtown Atlanta. Information: www.fultonassessor.org.Johnny Edwards

Clayton chamber banquet on Saturday

The Clayton County Chamber of Commerce will hold its 58th annual banquet on Saturday at the Sheraton Gateway Hotel, 1900 Sullivan Rd. in College Park. Tammy Joyner

Fayette math students win honors

Math students from Fayette County earned high honors at the regional 2012 High School Math Contest. In Division I team competition, Fayette County High and Sandy Creek won second and third place, respectively. In Division II, McIntosh placed first and Starr’s Mill placed third.

Brian Dong of Whitewater and Brent Huang of Starr’s Mill tied for first place in overall individual competition; Karen Anderson and Austin McKeand of McIntosh tied for second place. Jill Howard Church