County by county news for Wednesday

Mary Yates, 80, was last seen by her daughter driving away from their home on Brookstone Walk around 4:30 p.m. Saturday to go to church.

Yates was located in the parking lot of a church in Americus around 12:45 p.m. Sunday, said Cobb Police spokesman Sgt. Dana Pierce. The preacher’s wife asked Yates if she needed help. Yates said she needed to get home to Acworth. Relatives picked her up from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office. Andria Simmons

Animal control director wins excellence award

Capt. Jeff Patellis, public safety director for the Cobb County Animal Control department, received the 2011 Martha Logue Excellence in Leadership Award during Tuesday’s commission meeting.

The award, named for former assistant county comptroller Martha Logue, has been awarded each year since 1993.

The award was presented by the alumni association of the Cobb EXCEL management training program.

Other award nominees included Sam Heaton, Cobb’s fire chief. Janel Davis

End is near for Brawner Park oaks

Some of the large oak trees at Smyrna’s 12-acre Brawner Park, the former campus of a psychiatric hospital, are in trouble. Workers on Tuesday started removing two oak trees that date to around the hospital’s opening in 1908 on Atlanta Road. City spokesperson Jennifer Bennett said the trees are not thriving and have reached the end of life span. The city is trying to save another oak tree in front of Brawner Hall and plans to plant 20 to 40 new trees around the park in the fall. Tucker McQueen

Panel formed to review Mableton code

Cobb Commissioners approved on Tuesday a five-member committee that will help decide redevelopment issues in the Mableton area.

Cobb began work last year on a new form-based code for Mableton that is designed to make the area a more livable community for seniors, and incorporates mixed uses.

The new Warrant Committee will hear development cases that deviate from the form-based code provisions, such as some building setbacks and parking areas. Janel Davis

Smyrna hires firm to market property

The Smyrna City Council recently hired an Atlanta-based real estate firm to market property at the defunct Hickory Lake Apartment complex. The city bought the property in December with a plan to demolish and redevelop the property, which sits on 48 acres near Windy Hill and Old Concord roads. The city awarded the contract to NAI Brannen Goddard, a commercial real estate brokerage firm. Rich McKay

Swiftwater rescue teams train at Six Flags

Multi-Agency Swiftwater Rescue Teams and Six Flags Over Georgia are teaming up for Swiftwater Rescue Team Training Tuesday through Thursday.

First responders from Gwinnett, Cobb, John’s Creek, Marietta and Smyrna will gather at the Thunder River ride at the theme park in Austell, which mimics turbulent.Andria Simmons

GWINNETT

Economic analysis chief accepts Ga. Tech post

Gwinnett County Economic Analysis Director Alfie Meek has accepted a job at Georgia Tech. Meek will be the director of community innovation services for the university’s Enterprise Innovation Institute. He joined Gwinnett County in 2002 and oversaw its economic development program and forecasting efforts. County Commission Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said Meek has played an important role in many of Gwinnett’s economic successes. Meek has a doctorate in agricultural economics from UGA, a master’s in business economics from Georgia State University and a bachelor’s in economics from Georgia Tech. David Wickert

Man gets 10 years in juvenile sex case

A drug store manager has been sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for traveling to a Buford motel to have sex with two young boys. Christopher Carroll, 27, who managed a CVS pharmacy in Gastonia, N.C., responded to an Internet posting in October 2010 from an undercover FBI agent posing as a father who was molesting his two boys and arranged for Carroll to do the same, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said. Carroll and the agent settled on a rendezvous near the Mall of Georgia, and he was arrested by FBI agents nearby. Bill Rankin

Nine students win merit scholarships

Nine Gwinnett County Schools’ seniors have earned National Merit Scholarships.

The winners are: Akshaya Suresh of Brookwood High; James T. Eccles and Andres Gonzalez of Collins Hill High; Nihar M. Madhavan of Duluth High; Joshua Chang and Seong J. Park of Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science, and Technology: Walker Z. Argendeli of Norcross High; Brynna S. Paulukaitis of Parkview High; and Deepan A. Mehta of Peachtree Ridge High. D. Aileen Dodd

Gwinnett Village CID to hear plans for site

The Gwinnett Village Community Improvement District will hear about redevelopment plans for a 168-acre industrial site at 7:30 a.m. Thursday at the district office, 5855 Jimmy Carter Blvd., Norcross.

A consultant will present a plan for redeveloping the site at the intersection of Interstate 85 and Jimmy Carter Boulevard. Officials envision a mix of office, residential, retail and industrial uses. David Wickert

R2B2 Racing to have open house benefit

R2B2 Racing will have an open house to benefit the Dream House for Medically Fragile Children from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. Thursday at 3265 Commerce Ave., Duluth.

Information: Travis Rice at r2b2openhouse@hotmail.com or 770-476-7575. David Wickert

Drug Court graduation set for May 20

Gwinnett County is hosting a graduation of six Drug Court participants and 22 DUI Court participants in conjunction with “National Drug Court Month.” The graduation will be at 7 p.m. May 20 at the Gwinnett County Justice and Administration Center auditorium at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville. The graduation ceremony will showcase the accomplishments of the participants and the successes of the program since it began in 2005. Andria Simmons

NORTHSIDE

Report: Woodstock adds 12 businesses, 113 jobs

Downtown Woodstock added 12 new businesses and 113 jobs in 2010, a recent report says. Downtown continues to attract businesses, with a coffee shop, pizza place and an Italian restaurant about to open, says Bill Peppers, the President of Main Street Woodstock. The coffee shop is under construction next to the Yoguri frozen yogurt shop. The city’s effort to rivatilize downtown was hurt by the recession, especially when developer Hedgewood Properties went under. However, John Wieland Homes has taken over home building and businesses are growing. Christopher Quinn

Woodstock OKs first step in alcohol sales

Woodstock’s City Council became the first in Cherokee County to do more than talk about getting Sunday retail sales of alcohol ready for a referendum. The council approved 5-0 a first reading of the ordinance that lays the groundwork for a fall vote on the issue. There will be a second reading, possibly at the council’s next meeting May 23, to put the city on record as letting its residents vote on whether to allow Sunday sales. Christopher Quinn

Emory Johns Creek gets new CEO May 16

South Carolina native Craig McCoy will join the 110-bed Emory Johns Creek Hospital as its new CEO starting May 16.

McCoy most recently was CEO of Paradise Valley Hospital in Phoenix, part of Vanguard Health Systems. He also previously served as vice president of professional services at Oconee Medical Center in South Carolina. Misty Williams

Panel to get update on new courthouse, jail

The Forsyth County Mental Health Criminal Justice Taskforce is scheduled to meet this morning at the Forsyth County Courthouse to bring members up to date on the efforts of Forsyth County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey S. Bagley, and Forsyth County Sheriff Ted Paxton, to upgrade the criminal justice system in the county by building a new court house and jail.

Neither Bagley nor Paxton have yet said how much that will cost. Jeffry Scott

Canton moves forward on alcohol sales

The Canton City Council last week moved toward the preparation of a city referendum for the Sunday sales of alcohol.

Cherokee County and Woodstock are also considering the vote, possibly as early as this fall after the General Assembly passed legislation that would allow local voters to decide whether to allow retail sales of alcohol on Sundays.

Canton leaders directed the city attorney draft a resolution calling for the referendum, which they may consider at a meeting later this month. Christopher Quinn

Alpharetta areas to have water interruptions

Water service in the area of Kimball Bridge Road and Spruell Circle in Alpharetta will be interrupted for approximately six hours on today , beginning at 9 a.m. Contractors working on a Fulton County water line project will be shutting off service to multiple neighborhoods.

City officials said Fulton County is installing larger water pipelines to improve service in the Alpharetta area. Patrick Fox

ATLANTA

Atlanta schools approve $578 million budget

City school board members have approved a $578 million general operating budget for Atlanta Public Schools next year, opting for increased class sizes, a continued employee pay freeze and two days of involuntarily furloughs but avoiding layoffs or a property tax increase. The budget is $11 million less than this year’s operating budget. It goes into effect July 1. Kristina Torres

Artists to rally in face of city cutbacks

Atlanta’s support for the arts appears heading for a significant cut, and the arts community is preparing to rally.

In an e-mail to arts organizations, Monica D. Prothro of the city’s Office of Cultural Affairs said the city is considering a cut from $470,000 to $235,000 next year for its Contracts for Arts Service program funding.

Arts groups have created a “Rally for the Arts” Facebook page inviting supporters to a rally outside City Hall at 5 p.m. Thursday and to a City Council finance committee public hearing at 6 p.m. Howard Pousner

Mitchell leads talk on financial literacy

In an effort to educate Atlanta’s youth on the importance of personal financial management skills, Atlanta City Council President Ceasar Mitchell will lead a panel discussion entitled “Uncorked: A Toast to Financial Literacy” at 7 p.m. todayat The Atlantic, 361 17th Street N.W. The public is invited. Ernie Suggs

Panel to discuss Curt Flood legacy

In recognition of this weekend’s Civil Rights Game at Turner Field, the Auburn Avenue Research Library will host a panel discussion today on the legacy of St. Louis Cardinals center fielder Curt Flood, who challenged Major League Baseball’s reserve clause -- which kept players beholden to their teams, and which he likened to slavery -- in a 1970 lawsuit that reached the U.S. Supreme Court. Flood’s daughter, Shelly Flood, will be a panelist.

The forum starts at 7 p.m. at 101 Auburn Ave. in downtown Atlanta. Information: 404-730-4001, ext. 303. Johnny Edwards

DEKALB

Wasterwater plants win state awards

Two DeKalb County wastewater plants have earned statewide awards for their performance.

The Snapfinger Creek wastewater facility took top honors from the Georgia Association of Water Professionals as the state’s best large treatment plant. The facility also earned a Municipal Safety Award for its in-house safety programs.

A second facility, Pole Bridge, was named the state’s best large facility for biosolids.

The honors are a bright spot for DeKalb’s sewer system, which is under a federal Environment Protection Agency mandate for improvements after reporting more than 800 raw sewage spills in five years. April Hunt

Dunwoody promotes officers to sergeant

Two officers have been promoted to the rank of sergeant in the Dunwoody Police Department.

Fidel Espinoza and William “Rusty” Furman will be assigned to uniform patrol once they complete a field training program. Espinoza, a field training officer before his promotion, has organized the Christmas for Kids program since the department began two years ago. Furman, a community outreach officer, helped start the city’s Police Explorer program and has been active with the community Special Olympics. April Hunt

Get a lesson in Emory’s history May 17

With Emory University’s celebrating its 175 anniversary this year, the founding and refounding of the school will be the topic of a Lunch and Learn at the DeKalb History Center.

Gary Hauk, vice president and deputy to the president of Emory, will conduct the presentation. The free lecture is at noon May 17 at the Old Courthouse on the Square in Decatur.

Information: 404-373-1088 or dekalbhistory.org. April Hunt

Dunwoody court doubles fine collections

Dunwoody’s municipal court – which handles traffic citations and crimes such as shoplifting and DUI arrests – has nearly doubled its contribution back to the city.

The court collected $645,901 in fines in 2009, its first year of operation. In 2010, the court collected $1.14 million in fines.

The city spends about $325,000 to run the court yearly, which handled 1,171 defendants last year. The statistics are part of a State of the Court report from Judge Antonio DelCampo. The report also notes that the court ordered 3,556 hours of community service, most of it in Dunwoody, in 2009. Last year, that figure exploded to 17,833 hours of service. April Hunt

Classes will go on during station renovation

City Manager Clai Brown recently announced that Avondale Estates will offer regular fire prevention classes when DeKalb County begins renovating the city’s fire station. But there’s still uncertainty on when that’ll happen since the county hasn’t heard how much of the $2.3 project will be paid by federal grant funds. DeKalb Chief Communications Officer Burke Brennan said in an email that “July would be a best case scenario [with] fall a more realistic prognostication.” During construction, expected to take nine months, the nearest fire station will be “six to eight miles away,” Brown said. Bill Banks for the AJC

SOUTHISDE

State association give Clayton excellence award

Clayton County was among six Georgia counties recently to get the Georgia County Excellence Award from the Association County Commissioners of Georgia. The counties were recognized for innovative programs that make their county government more efficient and improving the quality of life for residents. Clayton was noted for its Neighborhood Stabilization Program, which used $9.7 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to buy and resell foreclosed homes. The program has been a $68 million boost to the local economy. Tammy Joyner

Church to hold shredding event

Perfecting The Saints Church in Hampton is hosting a free Community Shred Day on June 11 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Bring stacks of paper, letters and sensitive documents and have them professionally shredded by the Shred Doctor. Details: call the church office at 770 909-1000 or log on to www.ptsministries.org. Tammy Joyner

Henry waives rules on classroom spending

The Henry County Board of Education voted May 9 to waive state rules regarding minimum direct classroom expenditures, English language learners, guidance counselors, instructional extension, and personnel for the 2011-12 school year. The move was in according with Georgia law allowing for such action in cases of substantial hardship. Monroe Roark for the AJC

Mackey Road to close for construction

Henry County officials announced this week that Mackey Road, in the Ola community east of McDonough, will be closed at the Mackey Creek crossing from May 16 until July 22 for the installation of a box culvert. Local residents with questions can call 770-288-7319. Monroe Roark for the AJC

Students win in Fayette math competition

Students from Robert J. Burch Elementary School were the fifth grade champions at the 11th annual Fayette County Elementary Math Tournament on May 3. The team consisted of Anna Bridgeman, Jordan Hinnant, Shon Hoberg and Mia Williams. Spring Hill Elementary placed second.

In the fourth grade division, the Kedron Elementary team won top honors thanks to Katie Austensen, Ian Buckalew, John Norris and Clay Lawhead. The team from Braelinn Elementary earned second place. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Art exhibit in Hapeville on Saturday

The Hapeville Arts Alliance is hosting an exhibit of the work of Hapeville artists Saturday from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. The event is at the Norton Arts Center, located at 781 North Central Avenue. Information: hapevillearts@hotmail.com. John Thompson for the AJC

Squadron wins CAP recognition

The Griffin Composite Squadron was recently named Civil Air Patrol Georgia Wing “Squadron Of Merit” for 2011. The unit currently boasts 103 members from Clayton, Henry, Spalding, Pike, Lamar, Fayette and Butts counties. Monroe Roark for the AJC