County by county

17-year-old shot after confrontation

A teenager was shot and wounded in southwest Atlanta early Monday after confronting a man he believed had stolen a family member’s car, police said.

The shooting happened about 1:15 a.m. near the intersection of Sylvan Road and Langston Street, according to Atlanta police dispatchers.

Responding officers found the victim, 17-year-old Chrishawn A. Grice, face down on the porch of a nearby house in the 1800 block of Bridgewater Street, police spokeswoman Kim Jones said.

“Grice stated he had been shot by a male in a group of four males,” Jones said, adding that the victim told police that “he knew the male as the person he witnessed steal his aunt’s vehicle.”

The victim told investigators that he “walked up to the male and asked the male why he stole from his family. That is when the male pulled out a gun and started shooting at him,” Jones said.

Grice was shot in the right elbow, under the left arm pit and in the chest, and was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment. His condition was not immediately available. Mike Morris

Registration open for March 9 Hunger Walk/Run

The 30th Hunger Walk/Run to benefit the Atlanta Community Food Bank and other local nonprofits with hunger relief programs will be held March 9 at Turner Field’s Green Lot, 755 Hank Aaron Drive. Gates open at noon, and the starting time for the 5 kilometer walk and fun run is 2 p.m.

Registration on the day of the event is $35 for runners, $25 for walkers.

Information: www.hwr2014.org or 404-419-1723. Kent A. Miles for the AJC

Clark Atlanta, Morehouse selected for HBCU innovation group

Clark Atlanta University and Morehouse College have been selected to join an inaugural innovation and entrepreneurship group of historically black colleges and universities.

The Innovation and Entrepreneurship Collaborative, funded by The Lemelson Foundation, is a multi-year program aimed a providing new opportunities on the campuses of the 15 institutions in the group.

The two Georgia institutions were selected from 44 HBCUs that applied for the cohort. The schools were rated on a range of criteria including faculty innovation potential and federal research engagement.

A national conference kicking off the 2014 collaboration is set for next month in San Jose, Calif. Janel Davis

COBB

Deadline Friday to apply for 2 Powder Springs jobs Friday is the deadline for applying to be a senior accountant or a police officer in Powder Springs.

Applications may be downloaded and printed from the website at www.cityofpowdersprings.org, or call 770-943-1666 to request an application by mail.

Completed applications should be submitted to City of Powder Springs, Rosalyn Nealy, Human Resources Director, P.O. Box 46, Powder Springs, GA 30127.

Information: cityofpowdersprings.org/index.aspx?NID=119. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Austell church to host job-seeker workshops

A free workshop series on job-seeking skills is being offered at 7 p.m. on various Thursdays through June by Calvary Baptist Church, 4780 Flint Hill Road, Austell. Topics include Resume Writing/Cover Letter, Feb. 20 and March 6; Interviewing Skills, March 20; Time Management/Self-Organization, April 3; Networking/Building Self-Confidence, April 17; Internet/Social Media/Marketing Yourself, May 1; Dress for Success, May 15 and Workplace Practices/Keeping Your Job, June 5. Information: 770-941-8445 or Kathy Grosskurth, kgrosskurth@gmail.com. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

Council approves city manager’s raise

The Marietta City Council approved raising city manager Bill Bruton’s salary to $187,500, a

5 percent pay increase. Bruton's contract was extended through Dec. 31, 2017. The council on Friday also approved 2 percent raises for city clerk Stephanie Guy and Mayor Steve Tumlin's assistant Betsey Kelley. Information: www.mariettaga.gov. Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Matthews to hold town hall meeting

Kennesaw Mayor Mark Matthews will give a recap of his state of the city talk at a town hall meeting at 6 p.m. Thursday at the Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive. City department heads will be at the meeting to answer questions about services, policies and programs. Information: www.kennesaw-ga.gov.

Tucker McQueen for the AJC

Austell will resurface four roads

Austell will spend $337,501 this year to resurface four roads. They are Austell-Powder Springs Road from the Cureton Woods subdivision to Legion Park ; Greystone Place and Greystone Court from Sweetwater Valley to the dead end; Love Street from the Douglas County line to Jefferson Street; and Peco Lane from Humphries Hill Road to the dead end. Funds will come from the special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST, and the Georgia Department of Transportation's Local Maintenance Improvement Grant. Carolyn Cunningham

Austell introduces free online service request

Austell city officials are offering a new, free online system for residents and businesses to request a service, ask a question or notify the city of problems . However, emergency services should not be requested through this service. Those who use this system will receive a request number by email for following the status and seeing city responses until the matter has been resolved. Info: austellga.gov/servicerequest. Carolyn Cunningham for the AJC

DEKALB

Meeting to focus on county improvement

A special grand jury's recommendations for improving DeKalb County government, along with the issues of cityhood and government ethics, will be the focus of a meeting Thursday. The Blueprint to Redefine DeKalb is designed to encourage community discussion and recommendations. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Decatur library, 215 Sycamore St. To view the blueprint: kathiegannon.com. April Hunt

Dunwoody to host town hall Thursday

Dunwoody's mayor and city manager will host a town hall meeting Thursday to discuss ongoing city projects and listen to concerns. The session will include presentations but also allow time for questions to Mayor Michael Davis and City Manager Warren Hutmacher. It runs from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday at Dunwoody High School, 5035 Vermack Road. April Hunt

County shelter offering pet adoption specials

For the remainder of the month of February, DeKalb County Animal Services will be offering $14 pet adoption specials from the county shelter.

Standard adoption screening will still apply, and every animal will be spayed or neutered, microchipped and vaccinated.

Available animals can be seen at the shelter, 845 Camp Road, near Decatur, or online at dekalbanimalservices.com. April Hunt

County to hold public budget hearings

DeKalb County residents can offer input on the county’s proposed $584 million budget for 2014 at two upcoming meetings.

Interim CEO Lee May recently recommended increasing the budget, originally proposed at $562 million, because of greater-than-expected fund balance from 2013. Part of the additional money will be used to give 3 percent raises to all county workers. Public meetings on the proposal will be held at 10 a.m. Thursday and Feb. 27 at Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Dr., Decatur. The County Commission is expected to vote on the spending plan in the next month but will adopt a tax rate, now expected to remain steady, this summer. April Hunt

Retired educators to meet Thursday

The Georgia Retired Educators Association in Decatur and DeKalb will hold its holiday luncheon during its monthly meeting Thursday in Decatur.

Retirees from Decatur and DeKalb schools, both public and private, as well as retirees of other districts who live in the county, are welcome in the group. The meeting begins at noon Thursday at Decatur First Christian Church, 601 W. Ponce de Leon Ave. Information: 770-498-9493. April Hunt

Breakfast to focus on business development

DeKalb Workforce Development will host a breakfast Wednesday to highlight and explain new initiatives to spur hiring and worker retention.

DeKalb recently launched three separate programs, using federal funds, to subsidize training for new and existing workers and a program to find qualified candidates for open jobs. The breakfast will go into detail on the efforts. It begins at 9 a.m. at the workforce offices, 774 Jordan Lane, building 4, near Decatur. Information: 404-687-3400. April Hunt

GWINNETT

Manufacturer to bring 25 jobs to Norcross

Denmark-based Power Stow announced it will open its U.S. headquarters in Norcross. A manufacturer and marketer of a versatile belt loader extension for use in the airline and air cargo industries, Power Stow will add 25 jobs over the next three years.

Located at 6175 Northbelt Parkway, the company's 20,000-square foot Norcross facility will house sales and after-market support services, as well as the manufacturing of Power Stow's patented Rollertrack baggage conveyor system. Information: www.powerstow.com. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Health care enrollment assistance offered

Get free one-on-one assistance with enrolling in the Affordable Care Act Marketplace from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. today at Norcross Human Services Center, 5030 Georgia Belle Court, Norcross. Bring state-issued ID, Green Card, or immigrant visa identification and wage statements. Appointments: 678-225-5400. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Red Cross blood drive Friday in Snellville

The American Red Cross will hold a blood drive 3 p.m. to 7 p.m. Friday at Centerville Community Center, 3025 Bethany Church Road, Snellville. Photo ID required.

Walk-ins welcome, but appointments encouraged: 1-800-GIVE-LIFE or www.redcrossblood.org. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Recent storms help refill Lake Berkeley

Recent rain, snow and ice have helped return Lake Berkeley to full pool of 974.6 feet. Berkeley Lake officials had anticipated refilling the lake would take over one year once dam repairs were completed last fall. Information: www.berkeley-lake.com.

Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Lanier High among best in app challenge

Lanier High School in Buford has been named one of 24 teams nationally as best in region in the Verizon Innovative App Challenge.

Each team receives a $5,000 cash grant for its school, and each team’s faculty adviser and up to two colleagues will participate in an online course: Teaching App Creation with MIT App Inventor, taught from MIT’s Media Lab’s Center for Mobile Learning. The Lanier High app concept TagIt,

designed to help citizens inform local governments about hazards along roads and walkways, has now won two rounds of judging and is eligible to win one of eight top national honors to be announced Friday. www.appchallenge.tsaweb.org. Karen Huppertz for the AJC

Pet spay/neuter fundraiser planned

Planned PEThood of Georgia will team up with Hooters restaurant at Gwinnett Place for the annual Hooters for Neuters fundraiser on Feb. 25.

Hooters will donate $1 to support pet spaying/neutering for each customer who presents a flier downloaded from the Planned PEThood of Georgia website or Facebook page. Planned PEThood is also offering $10 off all pet surgeries on Feb. 25.

For more information, call (678) 561-3491 or visit www.plannedpethoodga.com. Molly Bloom

NORTHSIDE

Cherokee elementary school awarded grant

Hickory Flat Elementary School in Cherokee County has been awarded a $12,000 grant from the Hickory Flat Foundation.

The foundation is a nonprofit group which works, through various events and projects, to raise money to fulfill the school’s current needs.

School officials say the money will be used to buy additional technology for the campus, including 20 iPads with charging carts and protective covers. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

British car event coming to Alpharetta

The British will invade downtown Alpharetta next month. The Alpharetta Convention and Visitors Bureau will sponsor a display of more than 100 British cars ranging from Rolls Royces to Deloreans from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. March 29 at Main Street and Milton Avenue in downtown Alpharetta. Local vendors and food trucks will also be on hand and the Big Chicken Beatles Tribute Band will play from 12 p.m.-2 p.m. Info: awesomealpharetta.com. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Forsyth-Cumming career fair Feb. 25

The Georgia Department of Labor, along with Lanier Technical College and the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce will hold the Cumming-Forsyth Career Expo, 10 a.m.- 2 p.m. Feb. 25 at the Forsyth Conference Center, 3410 Ronald Reagan Blvd, Cumming. Representatives of manufacturing, retail, computer, healthcare, computer-technology and other businesses will be on hand. Information: dol.state.ga.us. Mark Woolsey

Arbor day celebration Friday in Canton

The city of Canton will celebrate Arbor Day from 9 a.m.- 5 p.m. Friday in Cannon Park downtown. City employees will be giving away more than 1,000 tree seedlings to local residents, including Redbuds, Dogwood and Crabapples. The city will also provide instructions on growing and caring for the trees. The event's first-come, first-served. Mark Woolsey

Superhero 5K Run/Walk Saturday

Registration is underway for the sixth-annual CASA of Forsyth County Superhero

5K Run/Walk, to be at 8 a.m. Saturday at Fowler Park, 4110 Carolene Way in Cumming.

The race is an AJC-Peachtree Road Race qualifier. Proceeds benefit Court Appointed Special Advocates of Forsyth County, which provides volunteer advocates for children who are in foster care due to abuse or neglect. Info: www.forsythcountycasa.org. Kent A. Miles for the AJC

Roswell documentary screening rescheduled

A screening of the documentary "Three Minute Activists: The Soul of Slam" will take place at 7:30 p.m. Feb. 26 at the Aurora Cineplex, 5100 Commerce Parkway. The original screening date of Feb. 12 was canceled due to inclement weather. "Three Minute Activists: The Soul of Slam" was filmed during the 2013 Roswell Roots Poetry Slam, and is part of the Roswell Roots Festival this month. Admission is free, but a check-in wristband is required.Info: 770-641-3705 or 770-518-0977. Kent A. Miles for the AJC

SOUTHSIDE

Fayette to waive fee for debris disposal Saturday

The Fayette County Transfer Station will not charge residents a fee for disposing of trees and other storm-related yard waste if it is brought to the facility on Saturday.

Residents must still provide proof of residency and a phone number.

Mulch loading will be suspended due to the extra traffic; call 770-305-5410 with questions. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

Residents asked to help with tree removal

Peachtree City is asking residents to assist with storm debris removal. The city cannot remove trees from private property, and will let fallen trees remain in greenbelt areas if they are not blocking roads or paths. The location of trees that pose a threat to life or property can be reported to info@peachtree-city.org. Permits are not required to remove damaged trees. Jill Howard Church for the AJC

South Fulton leader sets quarterly session

Fulton County Commissioner William "Bill" Edwards will host his first quarterly "Community Listening Session" for 2014 at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 at the South Annex, 5600 Stonewall Tell Road, College Park. The public's invited to provide feedback on services in unincorporated south Fulton. Staff will be on hand to answer questions and follow up on inquiries. More information: 404-612-8230. Mark Woolsey for the AJC

Housing and Human Services offers grants

The Fulton County Housing and Human Services Department’s Office of Grants and Community Partnerships is accepting applications for the 2014-15 Human Services Grants and FRESH Grants.

Nonprofit organizations that provide services in the county are eligible to apply online. The application deadline is 3 p.m. Friday. Information: fultoncountyga.gov/WebGrants. Kent A. Miles for the AJC

Clayton State students offer tax prep help

Accounting students from Clayton State University will prepare tax returns as part of the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program hosted by the College of Business.

VITA is a national program that provides tax support for certain eligible taxpayers. The 40-year-old program provides learning experience for the students who will get extensive IRS training and testing to help make sure taxpayers have their returns filled out accurately. VITA is offered at the College of Business at Clayton State 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays through March 29. Appointments are on a first-come, first-serve basis. Details: call the VITA hotline at 678-466-4527. Tammy Joyner

Fayette lowers lake level for maintenance

Fayette County has begun lowering the water level in Lake Peachtree in Peachtree City.

The city and county do so every few years at the request of waterfront property owners, to facilitate maintenance on docks and shorelines.

The water will be raised to normal levels in late March. Jill Howard Church for the AJC