Marietta Freedom Parade set for July 4

The 2009 Marietta Freedom Parade will begin 10 a.m. Saturday, July 4, at Roswell Street Baptist Church, travel through Marietta Square and end at Cobb County Police Headquarters.

The parade, which will be broadcast live on Cobb government channel TV23, will kick off a day-long festival at the Square.

The event will include arts and crafts booths, food vendors, inflatable bounce houses, games for children and musical performers. The fireworks display will start at dark, around 9:30 p.m., organizers said. The live broadcast of the parade will start at 10:30 a.m. and will be rebroadcast at 6 p.m. the same day.

TV23 will replay the parade at 8 a.m., noon and 6 p.m. July 5-6, 7 p.m. on July 7 and 8 a.m. and noon July 9-10.

Risse Named Ga. Power Professor of Water Resources Policy

Mark Risse has been named Georgia Power Company Professor of Water Resources Policy at the University of Georgia, according to Steve Wrigley, director of the Carl Vinson Institute of Government, where the position is based.

As Georgia Power Professor, Risse will work with the institute’s Environmental Policy Program, which has a strong record of providing research support and technical assistance to those charged with managing Georgia’s water resources at both the state and local levels. He also may be involved in environmental management training conducted by the institute, identifying water experts, and serving as liaison between the institute and the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, where he is a faculty member.

The Georgia Power Company Professorship of Water Resources Policy was established to enable the university to focus its wide-ranging water-related expertise on the specific water challenges confronting the state. The inaugural position was held by James Kundell, director of the institute’s Environmental Policy Program prior to his retirement in 2007.

Merchant's Walk Library to be Relocated

Merchant's Walk Library, the third-busiest library in Cobb, will be relocated to a facility almost double its current size.

The Board of Commissioners recently approved a long-term lease of more than 16,800 square feet in the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center at the corner of Lower Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road. The new library will include a 2,324-square-foot children's area, 1,530-square-foot multi-purpose room and a teen area. Another feature visitors will enjoy is self checkout stations.

The current library is being sold to developers for $1.6 million and money from the sale will help fund the new library, which is scheduled to open in early 2010.

For more information on Cobb libraries, visit cobbcounty.org/library.

Emory Hosts Youth Theological Summer Academy

Forty-five rising high school seniors are gathering at Emory University's Candler School of Theology for the 2009 Youth Theological Initiative (YTI) Summer Academy, an intensive, residential program of justice-seeking theology education for young people.

The academy, which is taking place June 27-July 18, is held on the Emory campus and at various sites around Atlanta.

"Since YTI’s Summer Academy began in 1993 through a grant from the Lilly Endowment, more than 850 rising high school seniors have participated," says Elizabeth Corrie, director of YTI. Students are recruited through church congregations, schools, academy alumni and Emory's admissions office. The program strives for gender balance, racial and ethnic diversity, and denominational variety, says Corrie.

"It's a formative and transformative experience for participants, who live in dormitories, study theology and faith in a way most never have before, and meet peers who have backgrounds vastly different from their own," says Corrie. The 2009 class includes about 16 United Methodists, 12-14 Baptists, five Roman Catholics, and two youths from the Methodist Church of the Bahamas.

In addition to taking classes, students engage in ecumenical worship, attend workshops with Candler faculty, work with agencies in the Atlanta community, and build intentional community with one another.

The 2009 academy will feature a special program exploring ethical issues, including ecology and environmental justice; racial justice and civil rights; and migration, immigration and labor. The program will include visits to historic sites in Atlanta that place the issues in a broader context and volunteering with local organizations and Christian communities that are responding meaningfully to these challenges today.

Participants also will engage in interfaith dialogue and participate in a “Day of Interfaith Youth Service” with an additional 20-40 youth from the Muslim and Jewish communities on July 13.

UGA Students Part of CURO Summer Program

Twenty-six undergraduates at the University of Georgia are spending eight weeks this summer immersed in research projects in their fields of interests through the Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities.

The students, who have earned 2009 CURO summer fellowships, will be investigating various topics in disciplines such as physics, literature, psychology and veterinary medicine under the guidance of faculty in those fields. CURO has provided UGA students with these unique summer opportunities since 2001.

For more information on the Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, see http://www.uga.edu/honors/curo.

The 2009 CURO summer fellows are: Name, Hometown, Major(s) Christine Akoh, Athens, food science Sambita Basu, Griffin, chemistry Charles Blackburn, Roswell, English Corbin Busby, Woodstock, art history, English Kelly Cummings, Marietta, biological sciences Charles Ginn, Ellerslie, history, theater Erin Hansen, Lilburn, biology, psychology Dillon Horne, Loganville, comparative literature Tiffany Hu, Suwanee, microbiology Whitney Ingram, Stone Mountain, physics Daniel Jordan, Birmingham, Ala., comparative literature, anthropology Fahad Khan, Powder Springs, biology Max Klein, Marietta, biochemistry and molecular biology Susan Klodnicki, Marietta, biology, mathematics Bridget Mailley, Athens, international affairs Francisco Marrero, Columbus, chemistry Amar Mirza, Hiram, biochemistry and molecular biology Cody Nichol, Lilburn, German, psychology Emily Pierce, Lawrenceville, applied biotechnology (combined bachelor’s/master’s degrees) Akanksha Rajeurs, Roswell, biochemistry and molecular biology Al Ray III, Lithonia, cellular biology Joe Reynolds, Duluth, philosophy, psychology Matthew Sellers, Perry, chemistry, English Michael Slade, Ringgold, philosophy Alexandra Walker, Warner Robins, chemistry Shuyan Wei, Athens, biology.

Former Investment Manager Sentenced

Frederick Barton, 48, of Atlanta, has been sentenced by United States District Judge Thomas Thrash to serve over six years in federal prison on a charge of wire fraud, for having fraudulently diverted approximately $2 million from several clients and investors.

Barton was sentenced to 6 years, 6 months in prison to be followed by 3 years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $878,100 in restitution.

Barton was convicted of these charges upon his plea of guilty on March 25. He was previously sued by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, which obtained a judgment against Barton and his former investment firms for over $4 million in penalties and disgorgement of profits, as well as various injunctive and other relief.

According to the information presented in court: Barton, a registered broker and investment manager, defrauded several clients and investors of approximately $2 million dollars, including almost the entire life savings of a single, retired elderly woman in her 90's who was suffering from Alzheimer's disease. From at least 1995 through 2002, Barton was a manager at an Atlanta branch of a national brokerage firm. After he was terminated in 2002, he began his own investment advisory firms, "Barton Asset Management LLC" and "Twinspan Capital LLC," both based in Atlanta. On numerous occasions from at least 2001 through 2007, Barton fraudulently diverted to himself client funds that he was entrusted with investing.

In his victimization of the Alzheimer's patient, identified in Court by her initials, "RF," Barton first learned of her diagnosis in 2001. He had begun his fraud two years earlier in 1999, and it continued unabated through 2003. In all, Barton fraudulently diverted nearly $1 million of RF's assets to his own checking account, which he spent on personal lifestyle expenses and to fund the development of Twinspan Capital. Mainly as a result of these frauds, the balance in RF's investment and bank accounts fell from approximately $1.3 million in 1999 to less than $100 in 2004. Prior to the criminal prosecution, RF's estate sued Barton and his former employer, which repaid all but $200,000 of the improperly diverted funds.

In addition to diverting client money from RF and at least one other client, Barton committed securities fraud by selling shares in his new company, Twinspan, based on false pretenses. Specifically, he raised over $1 million in investments in Twinspan by claiming that he would use the proceeds to operate and grow the business. However, he instead diverted at least half of these supposed investments to himself, which he used to satisfy personal debts and pay personal lifestyle expenses.

UGA Employee Gets Term for Non-Profit

Pamela Kleiber, associate director of the University of Georgia’s Honors Program, has recently been elected to serve a one-year term as a Councilor in the At-Large Division for the Council on Undergraduate Research, a national non-profit organization that emphasizes the importance of student-faculty engagement and collaboration in scholarship and research.

Through workshops, publications and networking opportunities, the council supports and promotes student-faculty research mentoring relationships that are the foundation of successful undergraduate research programs in higher education. Established in 1978, the organization’s individual and institution membership base represents more than 900 colleges and universities.

In her role with the Honors Program’s Center for Undergraduate Research Opportunities, Kleiber says she focuses on creating a culture of inquiry and a community of scholars at the undergraduate level. The CURO programs include opportunities that give UGA students a chance to learn outside of the classroom about topics ranging from the bench sciences to advanced studies in the arts through faculty-guided research experiences. CURO also sponsors an undergraduate research symposium every spring for UGA students to share their projects in a public forum.

Kleiber, who has been at UGA since 1994, also is a fellow in UGA’s Institute of Higher Education and a member of UGA’s Teaching Academy. She was recognized last year with the Phi Kappa Phi Love of Learning Award.

Before joining the Honors Program in 2000, she served as coordinator for curriculum development and department head for the University System of Georgia Independent and Distance Learning.

Book Takes a Look at Making Roots

Moving every three or four years for a job is a way of life for a class of American professionals whose numbers have surged into millions with the growth of the global economy. Such periodic relocation is a track to the top of the company hierarchy, and the jobs come with high wages and generous perks.

But according to a book by a journalist affiliated with Emory University, the moves can take a toll on families, who struggle with loneliness, rootlessness and lives on a merry-go-round of homes, schools, doctors and friendships.

“Next Stop, Reloville: Life Inside America’s New Rootless Professional Class” describes the lives of affluent, corporate gypsies – bright men and women recruited straight out of college for 20- and 30-year careers, bounding from town to town and routinely uprooting their families for the sake of professional success, only to end up shedding community and family ties. Author Peter Kilborn was affiliated with the Emory Center for Myth and Ritual in American Life (MARIAL) while he did his research.

Journalist Kilborn expands on his 2005 New York Times profile of the "Relos," rootless, mid-level executives, "an affluent, hard-striving class," mostly of men, who have “put the American dream on wheels.” They follow the money as they migrate through the suburbs of Atlanta, Dallas and Denver and onto the expatriate villages of Beijing and Bombay.

Largely immune to the economy’s cyclical booms and busts, with incomes of $100,000 to $200,000 and more per year, they roost in cloistered subdivisions segmented and stratified by income, price point and age of home, and amenities like private swim and tennis clubs. The fathers often travel for work, leaving their wives and children alone to fend for themselves.

Kilborn first heard the term Relo in the Atlanta suburb of Alpharetta, one of the communities he profiled in his Times article and in the book. Alpharetta has one of America’s highest concentration of Relos, with 52 percent of the population having come from somewhere else, according to the 2000 Census.

Kilborn was a reporter for The New York Times for 30 years, having covered business, economics, social issues and the workplace. He was also one of the contributors to the Times’s award-winning series and book, "Class Matters."

Cobb County Hosting Arts Camps

The Jennie T. Anderson Theatre will host several performing arts camp opportunities this summer, giving youth a chance to hone stage skills. The ETC, or Exciting, Entertaining, Educational Theatre Company, will hold its camps 9 a.m.-12:30 p.m., July 6-10, July 13-17 and July 20-24. The camp is for rising grades 3-9. The cost is $80.

The PROMPT Camps will be held during the same dates as the ETC Camps, from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at a cost of $40. PROMPT Camp is a musical theatre camp for rising grades 5-9, not a performance opportunity.

For more information, call (770) 528-8490 or visit cobbcounty.org/prca. Registration forms can be sent to: Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, Marietta, GA 30060.

Gov. Perdue Notes Infrastructure Projects for Areas

Gov. Sonny Perdue recently announced the approval of 11 state and federally funded environmental infrastructure projects totaling $91.5 million. Five of the projects were either fully or partially financed by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) at a total of $40.5 million.

The Georgia Environmental Facilities Authority (GEFA) board of directors approved the commitments to help finance water and sewer infrastructure projects in Cobb County, ColquittCounty and Gwinnett County, and the cities of Camilla, Hiawassee, Port Wentworth, Portal, Sparta, Stillmore, Valdosta and West Point.

GEFA helps communities prepare for economic growth and development through the provision of low interest loans. The Clean Water State Revolving Fund (CWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for wastewater infrastructure and water pollution abatement projects. Eligible projects include a wide variety of storm water and wastewater collection and treatment projects. The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) is a federal loan program administered by GEFA for water infrastructure projects. Eligible projects include public health-related water supply construction. The Georgia Fund is a state funded program administered by GEFA for water, wastewater and solid waste infrastructure projects. The Georgia Fund provides loans and grants to local governments for projects such as water and sewer lines, treatment plants, pumping stations, wells, water storage tanks and water meters. Low interest loans from this program are available up to $10 million.

Under the ARRA financing terms adopted by the GEFA board of directors, cities or counties that are OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 70 percent subsidy. Cities or counties that are not OneGeorgia-eligible qualify for a 40 percent subsidy. Green projects receive a 60 percent subsidy. For example, if a OneGeorgia-eligible community applies for a $1 million loan, then 70 percent of the loan will be forgiven and the community will close on a 20-year loan of $300,000 at a three percent interest rate. OneGeorgia-eligible communities are located outside the state’s metropolitan areas and have a population of 50,000 or less with a poverty rate of 10 percent or greater. The unprecedented amounts of subsidy in the ARRA financing terms will help Georgia meet the ARRA’s short-term goals of job creation and economic stimulus.

Georgia local governments expressed a tremendous amount of interest in the ARRA funds. Cities and counties submitted more than 1,600 clean water, drinking water and green projects with a total cost that exceeded $6 billion. Total available funding for projects through the ARRA is $144 million. Funding is obligated to projects on a first-come-first-served basis.

Henry County Elementary School Principal Sent to Jail

Most students hate going to the principal's office. In this case, however, it was the principal who got sent somewhere he would have preferred not going.

According to authorities, Jason Douglas was arrested Monday at Walnut Creek Elementary on a probation violation as a result of a pending drunk driving case. Douglas was promoted to principal at Walnut Creek on June 3.

According to arrest records from 2007, Henry County police arrested Douglas for alleged drunk driving after he was reportedly nearly two times over the legal limit.

The officer in the report also noted discovering a small bag of marijuana in Douglas’ car.

Police say that the arrest two years ago was a violation of Douglas’ probation, resulting from a 2004 domestic dispute incident.

UGA's Grady College Launches Poverty Web Site for Journalists

A Web site for journalists who want to improve coverage of poverty on any beat is now live. Developed by a team at the University of Georgia Grady College of Journalism and Mass Communication, the site, “Covering Poverty: A Tool Kit for Journalists,” is at www.grady.uga.edu/poverty.

The site was developed by a four-person team of Grady College faculty and students. Advice was drawn from journalists and journalism educators across the United States, according to John Greenman, Carter Professor of Journalism at Grady and the driving force behind the new resource.

Content on the site includes eight tutorials on covering poverty, 15 “tip sheets,” an annotated bibliography and links to the best poverty-related Web sites. The tutorials were written by UGA faculty whose research focuses on such poverty-related subjects as health, education, financial services, families, housing, politics and race. In addition, journalism faculty from 11 universities offered advice about coverage tips, published sources and Web sites, based on courses they teach about covering poverty.

The Grady team included Greenman; Diane Murray, director of public service and outreach; Grey Pentacost, a graduate student in journalism; and Carolyn Crist, an undergraduate student in journalism. The research was underwritten by a grant from the University of Georgia Research Foundation, administered by the Office of the Vice President of Public Service and Outreach Grant.

Greenman and Murray invite journalists to use the site and provide feedback to them at jgreenma@uga.edu or murrayd@uga.edu.

Cobb County Hosts Juneteenth Event June 20

The Cobb County branch of the NAACP is hosting the sixth annual Juneteenth Celebration 11 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, June 20, on the Marietta Square.

Juneteenth is the oldest nationally-celebrated commemoration of the ending of slavery in the United States and emphasizes education and achievement.

The cultural fest will include moonwalks, ethnic food, entertainment, vendors, music, history, giveaways and fun activities for the whole family. Vendors are welcome and volunteers and entertainment are needed.

For more information, visit cobbnaacp.org or call (770) 425-5757.

WUGA-FM Wins 6 State Journalism Awards

The Georgia Association of Broadcasters has honored WUGA, 91.7/97.9 FM, public radio for the Athens area, with six awards for excellence in programming during the calendar year 2008.

WUGA won a Gabby Merit Award for Best Radio Non-News Program. The honor went to the classical music program Night Music, hosted by Public Service Director David Ferguson. Night Music airs on WUGA from 10 p.m. until midnight, Monday through Wednesday, and from 11 p.m. until midnight on Thursday. News Director Mary Kay Mitchell won a first place Gabby award for Best News Story for “Lynching Re-enactment,” which demonstrated the tale of the last mass lynching in America. Last summer, civil rights volunteers re-enacted the lynching of four black sharecroppers at the Moore’s Ford Bridge in Walton County.

Mitchell also received a first place Gabby for Best Series for numerous reports throughout the year on a controversial bio-lab. The reports looked at both sides of the issue of bringing the National Bio and Agro-Defense Lab to Athens. Two Merit Awards went to Mitchell’s story about the location filming of Black Entertainment Television’s first scripted series in Athens. The piece won recognition in both the news story and feature story categories because it looked at both the economic and cultural impact of the local filming of the Somebodies situation comedy show.

A Merit Award also honored “Organic Meat Farm” in the Best Feature category. Mitchell’s piece visited Nature’s Harmony, one of the state’s few farms, which raises animals entirely in the pasture without any artificial chemicals or feed.

“Awards like these recognize the diligent efforts of the entire staff here at the station to produce quality programming for our listeners,” said WUGA general manager Steve Bell. “It’s a real testament to their dedication that a station as small as ours has won this number of prestigious awards. These honors come on top of being the AP Pacemaker News award winner this year...the best radio news in the state outside of Atlanta.”

The GAB awards were presented recently at the annual convention in Atlanta. WUGA competes against stations in Georgia’s metropolitan areas outside of Atlanta.

Gov. Perdue Certifies $146M in Metro Atlanta Transportation Projects

Gov. Sonny Perdue has submitted the required “1511 Certification” on transportation projects in metro Atlanta that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“These funds include much needed road widening projects, improvements in our intelligent transportation system and upgrades to traffic signals that will ease congestion,” said Gov. Perdue. “It also includes $25 million to keep MARTA moving.”

Projects include widening of Eagles Landing Parkway in Henry County, improvements to 14^th Street in downtown Atlanta improvements and additional lanes on State Route 20 in GwinnettCounty. Gov. Perdue submitted the certification as part of a June 12 letter to US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood.

In the letter, the Governor informed Secretary LaHood that more projects will be certified as the Georgia DOT and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) amend their TIPs to include additional projects.

UGA Holds Trial Gardens Event July 11

What began as a vacant lot of land and one man’s dream have blossomed into world-renowned research gardens, where materials from plant breeders across the world are tested and displayed each year.

The public can get a first-hand look at the University of Georgia Trial Gardens at its annual open house July 11 from 8 a.m. until noon. The gardens are located in Athens, between Snelling Dining Hall and the R. C. Wilson Pharmacy Building. Parking is available in the South Campus Parking Deck. The gardens are always open to visitors, free of charge.

During the annual open house, however, tours will be led by UGA College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences horticulture professor Allan Armitage and his students. A well-known writer, speaker, researcher and teacher, Armitage spearheaded the gardens’ creation in 1982. The recipient of many awards, he has introduced several plants to the ornamental industry. His work with heat- and humidity-tolerant crops resulted in the national marketing program Athens Select. Approximately 30 plants have been introduced under the label, including Princess Pennisetum, Ragin Cajin Ruellia and Bonita Shea Begonia.

The author of 13 books, Armitage will have signed copies available at the open house. Advanced and novice gardeners visit the gardens throughout the year to gather ideas for their own gardens and to view the latest plant releases.

In addition to being a popular site for gardeners, CAES faculty and staff use it for research and teaching. The gardens are also a resource for breeders, retailers, growers, landscapers and consumers. A plant sale featuring interesting and hard-to-find plants is a new feature of this year’s open house. Rain barrels and garden art from a local artist will be available for purchase. The event will be held rain or shine and a donation of $5 is requested.

For more information or for directions, visit the Web site ugatrial.hort.uga.edu.

Augusta Man, Estranged Wife Found Dead in Alabama

Police in Alabama are investigating the deaths of an Augusta man and his estranged wife in Montgomery.

According to authorities, the man took his own life at an interstate rest stop after allegedly killing his estranged wife last weekend and placing her body in the trunk of her car.

Scottie and Jessica Murphy were discovered dead at an I-65 rest stop south of Montgomery.

Jessica Murphy, who was employed by The Augusta Chronicle, failed to show up for work last Saturday.

Police did not say how they believe the couple died.

Gwinnett Commissioners Make First Round of Cuts

In response to the public’s desire to cut services rather than raise taxes, the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners has approved the first in a series of reductions to the 2009 budget and the five-year financial plan.

Taking a phased approach to cuts, the County eliminated spending to the tune of $81 million in round one and in doing so balanced the 2009 budget. The cuts affect services in nearly every area of county government operations.

Last March the Board of Commissioners adopted a budget that was built upon a substantial millage rate increase, with the additional revenue from the increase intended to fund the 2009 budget and improvements to services across the organization as part of the county’s five-year plan. The Board of Commissioners reconsidered their position on the property tax increase and voted against it on June 2. After today’s decision, the County is looking at a budget deficit of $60 million in FY 2010, $45 million in FY 2011, and $44 million in FY 2012.

“Immediately following the vote on June 2, I directed County staff to find ways to close the gap–looking at the current fiscal year first, followed by future years’ budgets,” said Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Bannister. “The only way to narrow the deficit is to make severe cuts that equate to substantial changes in service levels. Our goal is to preserve the core services we provide to residents, however, every department in the organization will experience a budget reduction that will impact the level of services we can deliver.”

The first round of cuts includes the elimination of all 2009 Board of Commissioners initiatives, more than 100 vacant positions and several program modifications. This week's reductions will be incorporated in the County’s budget reconciliation process that will take place in July.

Another set of recommendations will be brought before the Board of Commissioners for consideration at the July 21 meeting.

Duo Arrested in Law Enforcement Scam

Louis Joseph Aprile, 49, of Alpharetta, was arrested last week, along with Michael Garveigh, 45, of Roswell.

Aprile is being charged with violation of 18 USC 912, Impersonation of a Government Official, while Garveigh is being charged with violation of 18 USC 915, Impersonation of a Foreign Official.

The arrests of both Aprile and Garveigh by the FBI came after the two met with members of the Alpharetta Police Department as part of a reported scheme to recover funds allegedly on behalf of the U.S. Government from two locations, one in Alpharetta, and one in Marietta.

As part of this scheme, both individuals solicited law enforcement assistance from both the Alpharetta Police Department and the Marietta Police Department with Mr. Aprile allegedly misrepresenting himself as an agent of the National Security Agency (NSA) while his associate, Mr. Garveigh, a citizen of the United Kingdom, allegedly misrepresenting himself as a member of MI-5 (British Intelligence). Both individuals began meeting with representatives of these police departments approximately two weeks ago, stating that they were attempting to put together a counter-terrorism task force and were recruiting officers to work on this task force.

During these meetings, Aprile and Garveigh briefed the law enforcement representatives of two locations that, according to them, held terrorism related money which needed to be recovered. As a caveat to this scheme, the law enforcement representatives were told not to contact the FBI regarding their efforts.

Their efforts, however, did generate suspicion and the FBI was appropriately contacted.

UGA Student Receives Harwell Scholarship

Jewelin Patulot, a senior from Stone Mountain majoring in early childhood education, has been awarded the 56th Paul Tappan Harwell Scholarship. She received an award of $750 and will use the money during her student teaching semester in the spring of 2010.

The scholarship is funded through a $25,000 donation that was made in 1983 by Donna D. Harwell Odum, a UGA alumna now residing in Franklin, N.C., in memory of her late husband, who graduated from UGA with a degree in business administration. The Harwell family stipulated that the fund would provide scholarships for students in the College of Education majoring in elementary (early childhood) education. With this year’s award, the fund will have provided $30,000 in scholarship support to worthy students.

The scholarship is awarded each year, based equally on financial need and academic achievement. Each applicant must submit an application form, a personal statement and three letters of recommendation. A committee of faculty members from elementary education makes the final decision.

Covington Man Arrested for Alleged Murder

A 22-year-old Covington man is under arrest for the alleged slaying of a Conyers landscaper whose body was discovered in a Newton County creek.

According to authorities, Pablo Maldonado was taken into custody by police in Anniston, Ala., early Sunday and was to be returned to Newton County today.

The body of Timothy Clements, 55, of Conyers was found by a fisherman Friday afternoon in Snapping Shoals Creek near Georgia 212.

According to police, Clements' 1991 red, Ford F150 was found Monday morning off Evans Mill Road in DeKalb County.

Gov. Perdue Notes Certified Work Ready Communities

Gov. Sonny Perdue announced Monday that Chattooga, Cook, Grady, and Jenkins counties were named new Certified Work Ready Communities, a designation showing the county has the skilled workforce that business demands and the educational infrastructure to drive economic growth and prosperity.

The four counties represent the fifth group of Georgia counties to complete their Work Ready Certificate goals.

The new Certified Work Ready Communities achieved the following:

* Chattooga County: 503 Work Ready Certificates earned (56 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 70.3 percent to 75.8 percent;

* Grady County: 352 Work Ready Certificates earned (22 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 65.1 percent to 71.4 percent ;

* Jenkins County: 277 Work Ready Certificates earned (67 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 63.6 percent to 72.3 percent ;

* Cook County: 294 Work Ready Certificates earned (34 percent above goal); increased public high school graduation rate from 64.8 percent to 67.6 percent.

To earn the Certified Work Ready Community designation, counties must demonstrate a commitment to improving public high school graduation rates through a measurable increase, and show a specified percentage of the available and current workforce have obtained Work Ready Certificates.

Each community created a team of economic development, government and education partners to meet the certification criteria. Counties are given three years to reach the goals necessary to earn the designation.

To date, 12 counties have earned the Certified Work Ready Community designation and 112 others are working toward their individual goals.

Once counties attain their Certified Work Ready Community goals, they are able to maintain their status by ensuring a small percent of their available workforce continue to earn Work Ready Certificates, engage local businesses to recognize and use Work Ready, and continue to increase their public high school graduation rate until they reach a threshold of 75 percent. Once they reach 75 percent, they must maintain that graduation rate to maintain their certification status.

To continue their work, each county will receive a $10,000 grant. Their Work Ready Community teams will also receive a two-year membership to their local chamber of commerce and a budget for additional Work Ready outreach materials. Counties that are fully certified receive road signs and a seal denoting the year they achieved certification.

Georgia’s Work Ready initiative is based on a skills assessment and certification for job seekers and a job profiling system for businesses. By identifying both the needs of business and the available skills of Georgia’s workforce, the state can more effectively generate the right talent for the right jobs. The Certified Work Ready Community initiative builds on the assessments and job profiling system to create opportunities for greater economic development.

UGA Ceremony June 16 to Mark New Building

A ceremony marking the opening of a new $3.2 million addition and renovation to the Physics and Astronomy Building at the University of Georgia will take place on Tuesday, June 16, beginning at 2 p.m.

The new and renovated space, which is on the north end of the 50-year-old building, will include a new home for UGA’s Center for Simulational Physics, a conference room that will double as classroom space and much-needed additional space for graduate student offices, among many improvements.

Originally constructed as part of the burgeoning science complex on UGA’s South Campus in the late 1950s, the building on Cedar Street has long been in need of additional space. In special need of new quarters was the internationally known Center for Simulational Physics, which uses computers to develop techniques for solving problems that are intractable to current analytical theory and to gain insight into physical phenomena where the accuracy and scope of experimental results is limited.

Scheduled to be present for the ceremonies will be University of Georgia President Michael Adams, Provost Arnett Mace Jr., Vice President for Research David Lee, Dean Stokes of the Franklin College, David Landau, director of the Center for Simulational Physics, and faculty members and departmental alumni.

Included in the new space will be state-of-the-art research labs that will aid in recruiting new high-quality faculty to the department.

In particular, the upgraded facilities for graduate students will help the department in recruiting top students to continue their studies here. There will also be added space for the annual Computer Simulation Studies in Condensed Matter Physics Workshop that draws participants from all over the world.

The event is open to the public, and there will be a reception afterward for faculty, staff and alumni present.

For more information, call (706) 542-4658.

Gwinnett County, Cities End Mediation

The elected leaders of Gwinnett County and its 15 municipalities last week concluded a seventh day of court-ordered mediation without resolving the dispute over service delivery.

Under state law, counties and cities must operate under an agreement known as the service delivery strategy (SDS). The agreement defines the services to be provided by the county and sets out how those services are to be funded.

After the county and the municipalities failed to agree on a new SDS by a Feb. 28 deadline, the county filed a petition with the court seeking alternative dispute resolution (ADR). Formal mediation sessions were the first step in ADR.

“Gwinnett County government has been seeking a new agreement with the cities for more than two years now, and we remain committed to working out our differences within the framework of Georgia’s service delivery law,” said Gwinnett Board of Commissioners Chairman Charles Bannister. “At this point, however, we simply cannot reach a consensus. The equitable delivery of services to Gwinnett’s 800,000 residents is of chief concern to me and my fellow board members, and we continue to hope for an outcome that serves the best interest of all our citizens. We are now evaluating all available options.”

County Administrator Jock Connell says significant issues remain.

“The essence of the issue is how the county will use revenue received solely from residents, property and business owners who live, work and operate their businesses outside of the 15 cities in Gwinnett County,” said Connell. “The County’s position is that these revenues should be used solely to benefit those who pay it—in this case, 80 percent of Gwinnett County’s population. The cities oppose this view, but each of the cities in Gwinnett collect similar revenues and use such proceeds to benefit their residents, who make up 20 percent of the County’s population. However, the County thinks it is only fair that the people who pay should receive the benefit. I believe it is our obligation to do all that we can to safeguard this fairness on behalf of the large majority of Gwinnett County residents who do not live in a city.”

Americans Finding Religion in Unlikely Places

Religion and ritual in America are coming from some unlikely places, according to a new book by Emory University's Gary Laderman.

In "Sacred Matters," Laderman argues that far from being on the decline, religion in the United States is everywhere, but there are "many more holy possibilities" than the so-called "great religions of the Book"—Islam, Christianity or Judaism.

"Religion in America is a robust, dynamic, shape-shifting force, free-floating and unhinged from conventional anchors," says Laderman, a professor of American religious history and cultures.

He argues that Americans more than ever are finding religious experiences not just in age-old traditions, but "in the cultural sea of rock stars and casinos, virtual memorials and Prozac.

What inspired Laderman's wide-open view of the sacred was 15 years experience teaching undergraduates. When he'd ask them to give their definition of religion, "it became clear that it's impossible to come to a definition that everyone is going to agree on."Instead, Laderman decided to come at religion from a different set of qualities, "looking at people's behaviors and how they use language to find other kinds of spiritual and sacred perspectives."

The book's subtitle gives some ideas about where Laderman found religious activity: celebrity worship, sexual ecstasies and the living dead are listed among today's "signs of religious life in the United States." The book's chapters read like a mixture of "false gods" railed against by organized religion (film, music, sports, celebrity) and some of life's most enduring concerns: death, sexuality, violence, science and medicine. For each of these arenas, Laderman says, there are participants whose behaviors and language indicate a quest for the spiritual and the sacred.

"I stay away from giving a substantive definition of the sacred," says Laderman. "I know it's real. And I know it can be found in different societies and different cultures." He does find certain markers that indicate the sacred. What all these markers have in common is going beyond "just a purely material understanding of the cosmos, the 'something more' than just the material, the biological, which every culture provides."Laderman's ultimate point is that there are no atheists. "We're all religious," he says. "It's just part of human makeup. There may be people who don't believe in a personal god or who don't subscribe to monotheism." But everyone has a value system, or an important community they identify with, or experiences that have felt transformative. "These are all signposts of the sacred."

Laderman also serves as editor of a new online religion magazine, ReligionDispatches.org. "Sacred Matters: Celebrity Worship, Sexual Ecstasies, the Living Dead, and Other Signs of Religious Life in the United States" is published by New Press.

State Declares End to Drought, Conservation Still Encouraged

Georgia EPD Director Carol Couch declared this week that the state of Georgia has returned to a non-drought condition.

According to the state’s rules, outdoor water use is allowed on the even-odd schedule with no restrictions as to hours of use. Gwinnett County will follow the state’s rule.

Gwinnett Commission Chairman Bannister said, “I want to thank Gwinnett County’s residents and business owners for pitching in during the drought. Gwinnett water customers used 17 percent less water in 2008 than they did in 2007, saving more than five billion gallons of water. The lesson to be learned from the dry years is that we can’t take our precious water supply for granted. And that’s why we will continue to urge water conservation.”

Gwinnett water customers are encouraged to observe the practice of watering landscapes outside the hours of 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., which minimizes the evaporation of the water. Lawns only need one inch of water per week to remain healthy. This amount may be provided by rain or by other means.

For more information, refer to the Department of Water Resources Web site, www.gwinnetth20.com, or call (678) 376-7100.

Atlanta Man Sentenced in Home Depot Fraud

Anthony M. Tesvich, 42, of Atlanta, was sentenced this week by United States District Judge Richard Story to serve over six years in federal prison on charges of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and filing false tax returns, in connection with a scheme to defraud Home Depot.

Tesvich was sentenced to serve six years, six months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release, and was ordered to pay $8,292,949 in restitution. Judge Story also ordered Tesvich to forfeit all assets obtained with proceeds of the fraud scheme, including property in Smyrna, Ga.; Desert Hot Springs, Calif.; and Mobile, Ala. Tesvich pleaded guilty to the charges on June 30, 2008.

According to the information presented in court: From October 2002 through October 2007, Tesvich participated in a conspiracy to defraud Home Depot by taking kickbacks from vendors seeking to do business with Home Depot, paying kickbacks to fellow employees to further that scheme while he worked for Home Depot and continuing to pay kickbacks to his former colleagues when he left Home Depot to further the interests of those vendors. Tesvich took the payoffs from foreign suppliers/vendors to insure those vendors’ products were chosen for inclusion in Home Depot stores throughout the country.

After Tesvich left the company, he gave substantial cash payments—which he called “french fries” and “milkshakes”—to co-conspirator employees at Home Depot. One co-conspirator also received a luxury SUV from Tesvich. This scheme involved payoffs totaling more than $2.5 million.

Tesvich also evaded federal taxes on his corrupt income for tax years 2003 ($212,937 in unpaid taxes); 2004 ($821,981in unpaid taxes); and 2005 ($386,997 in unpaid taxes).

Oxford College Institute Shapes Environmental Education

The 2009 Oxford Institute for Environmental Education (OIEE) began this week at Oxhouse Science Center, science field station of Oxford College of Emory University.

Founded in 1992, OIEE provides an opportunity for science teachers in grades k-12 to collaborate with college biology faculty, gaining new science teaching methods and investigative techniques.

“My colleagues and I look forward each year to the two weeks of OIEE,” says Steven Baker, Oxford professor of biology and OIEE director. “Environmental concerns are global, but education starts on the local level; it is exciting for us to work with the teachers of our region in employing best practices for imparting environmental awareness and methods to their students.”

Teachers must apply to attend OIEE. The 20 who are participating this year were selected from more than 80 applicants and represent schools across Georgia and north Florida.

During the 10-day seminar, which ends on June 19, participants learn the basic principles of ecology in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems, methods for applying this knowledge to lesson plans and ways to develop their own schoolyards for environmental education. At a follow-up meeting in the fall, teachers will share their experiences in implementing what they learn this summer and discuss their continuing projects.

The OIEE staff includes Baker as well as Eloise Carter and Theodosia Wade, also of Oxford's Department of Biology. Master teacher for the institute is Sherry Abts, an award-winning science specialist with the Gwinnett County (Georgia) Public Schools.Major funding for OIEE comes from the Arthur Vining Davis Foundations, with additional support from the Chevron Foundation, Georgia Power Foundation, Georgia Wildlife Federation, Georgia Teacher Quality Program and Wal-Mart. The institute has been awarded the Certificate of Environmental Achievement Award from the National Awards Council for Environmental Sustainability and named Conservation Educator of the Year Award by the Georgia Wildlife Federation.

More information can be found on the Web site, http://www.oiee.oxford.emory.edu/.

Emergency Managers Seek Input on Hazards

The public is invited to help plan ways to respond to both natural and manmade hazards in the Gwinnett County area. A public meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, June 15, will offer an overview of the planning process and give the public an opportunity to offer recommendations.

Emergency Services Coordinator Greg Swanson said, “This will be a multi-jurisdictional plan to identify local hazards, assess the risks and plan ways to reduce loss of life and property damage in emergency situations. We welcome any and all input from our residents to help keep everyone safe.”

The final plan will eventually be submitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for review and approval. The public meeting will be held in Conference Room C on the second floor of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

For more information, call (770) 513-5060.

Cobb County Purchases Vacant Shopping Center

Cobb County has purchased a vacant shopping center on Powder Springs Street in Marietta and plans to completely renovate the facilities.

Once done, the location will house many county departments, including Community Development, Senior Services and Property Management. The county similarly renovated an old shopping center on Whitlock Avenue into the West Park Government Service Center.

"At the West Park location, we were able to take a dilapidated building and convert it into a wonderful community resource," Chairman Sam Olens said. "It was more cost-effective than constructing or leasing space and helped rejuvenate the area. We plan to have the same success with the Powder Springs Street location."

Renovations are underway and slated for completion in spring 2011.

Gwinnett County Families in Tent for Another Night

A pair of Gwinnett County families are spending their second night in tents as opposed to their storm-damaged home.

City officials deemed the Sugar Hill property unsafe this week following storms two months ago and ordered them to leave.

The families sharing the damaged home, a mother, daughter, mother-in-law and two brothers-in-law, blame the landlord for not fixing the damage.

In April, storms sent trees crashing, punching holes in the roof. The landlord has reportedly still failed on her promise to make repairs.

The families are living in tents as they don't have the funds to move and they fear their belongings will be stolen if they go to a shelter.

Pair of UGA Administrators to Attend Forum

Two University of Georgia administrators have been invited to take part in the annual National Leadership Forum sponsored by the American Council on Education’s Office of Women in Higher Education.

Ruth Bettandorff, assistant vice president for academic affairs and director of UGA’s Gwinnett Campus, and Trish Kalivoda, associate vice president for public service and outreach, are among the 28 women from across the country attending the forum, to be held June 17-19 at the National Center for Higher Education in Washington, D.C.

Since 1977, ACE/OWHE National Leadership Forums have served as ACE’s principal means of identifying outstanding women and promoting their advancement to the highest levels of leadership in U.S. colleges, universities and associations.

Bettandorff assumed her position with the Gwinnett Campus in February after previously serving as associate director for learning services at UGA’s Center for Continuing Education Conference Center and Hotel. She is also a senior public service faculty member and holds an adjunct faculty position with UGA’s Department of Lifelong Education, Administration and Policy. Before coming to UGA, she held administrative positions with Kennesaw State University, Agnes Scott College and the University of Louisville.

Kalivoda has served in the Office of the Vice President for Public Service and Outreach since 2002, where she guides a number of initiatives. Previously she held positions in the Provost’s Office and in the Office of Instructional Development. She holds an adjunct faculty position with UGA’s Institute of Higher Education, and is a founding member of the university’s Teaching Academy.

Gwinnett Co. Seeks Public Input on Solid Waste Plan

Gwinnett County residents are invited to attend a series of public forums to provide feedback on what’s most important to them regarding the delivery of solid waste services.

Meetings will be held on weekday evenings and Saturday mornings at various locations throughout the county to encourage attendance. The first meeting takes place next Monday in Norcross.

“We have heard repeated requests from citizens over the past few months for more opportunities for public input before the Board of Commissioners implements a revised solid waste program,” said Commission Chairman Charles Bannister. “I encourage everyone to let your voices be heard during this process.”

The public forum schedule is as follows:

· Mon., June 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center, 4650 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross
· Sat., June 20 from 10 a.m. to 11:30a.m. at Lenora Park Activity Room, 4515 Lenora Church Rd., Snellville
· Thurs., June 25 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium, 75 Langley Dr., Lawrenceville
· Thurs., July 9 from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. at George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center, 55 Buford Hwy., Suwanee
· Sat., July 11 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at Pinckneyville Park Community Recreation Center, 4650 Peachtree Industrial Blvd., Norcross
· Weds., July 15 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dacula Park Activity Building, 205 Dacula Road, Dacula
· Sat., July 18 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center Auditorium, 75 Langley Dr., Lawrenceville
· Sat., July 25 from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. at George Pierce Park Community Recreation Center, 55 Buford Hwy., Suwanee.

Gov. Perdue Submits Info on Transit Projects

Gov. Sonny Perdue has submitted the required “1511 Certification” on transit projects around the state that will be funded through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

“These funds will provide needed assistance to rural and urban transit systems across our state, including Park and Ride lots in Metro Atlanta for commuters to meet up and carpool or take transit,” said Gov. Perdue.

Gov. Perdue submitted the certification as part of a June 2 letter to US DOT Secretary Ray LaHood. In the letter, the Governor informed Secretary LaHood that more projects will be certified as the Georgia DOT and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs) amend their TIPs to include additional projects.

For more information visit Georgia DOT’s stimulus Web site at

www.dot.state.ga.us/gastimulus .

UPDATE: Small Plane Lands on Cobb County Road

A small plane with a pair of people on board made an emergency landing late this morning on a highway in the northern Atlanta suburbs.

According to authorities, the Italian-made Sky Arrow plane was headed for the Cobb County Airport at 11:20 a.m. when the pilot reported smoke in the cockpit along with engine failure.

The pilot landed on U.S. Highway 41 and then taxied the plane into a nearby subdivision.

No injuries were reported with the emergency landing.

KC and the Sunshine Band Play June 13

KC and the Sunshine Band will perform at Mable House Amphitheatre Saturday, June 13.

The band is still as popular as they were when they first danced onto the music scene 36 years ago. Harry Wayne Casey, KC for short, developed a unique fusion of R&B and funk, with a hint of a Latin percussion groove, producing such hits as "Get Down Tonight," "That's the Way (I Like It)" and "Shake Your Booty."

The show begins at 8 p.m. and the amphitheatre is located at 5239 Floyd Road in Mableton. Ticket prices range from $20 to $46. Tables in front of the stage that seat four are available for $300.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, call (770) 819-7765, visit the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre box office in the Cobb Civic Center or visit mablehouse.org.

Gwinnett Juvenile Judge Wins Statewide Election

Presiding Judge Robert Rodatus of Gwinnett Juvenile Court has been elected president of the Georgia Council of Juvenile Court Judges to succeed Judge Steven Teske of Clayton County.

The group, based in Atlanta, has about 155 members statewide. The Council staff provides support to juvenile courts through legal research services, legislative tracking and specialized programs aimed at protecting the best interests of children and the state.

Prior to becoming presiding judge in 1991, Rodatus served as chief judge of the Gwinnett County Recorder’s Court. He has also been a senior district attorney in Gwinnett and has worked in private practice and as a law clerk here.

He is on the Board of Governors of the Georgia Bar Association and teaches classes at the Institute for Continuing Judicial Education, the Institute of Continuing Legal Education, and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council. He has served on the boards of the Gwinnett Coalition for Health and Human Services, Families First, and Gwinnett Clean and Beautiful. Rodatus has also served on the Local School Advisory Council as a PTA president and is a graduate of Leadership Gwinnett. He is married with one son and lives in Lawrenceville.

As part of his duties as President he will serve on the Georgia Judicial Council. The Council is composed of representatives of all classes of Courts and develops policy to improve the administration of justice in Georgia.

Gwinnett’s Juvenile Court, with 60 employees, has jurisdiction over children under 17 alleged to be delinquent or to have committed traffic offenses and children under 18 alleged to be unruly, abused or neglected. The court also handles child custody and support issues as well as such matters as termination of parental rights.

Authorities Search for Bank Robber

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Atlanta Division, along with the Dekalb County Police Department, are requesting the assistance of the public regarding information concerning the armed robbery Friday, June 5, at the Ironstone Bank, located inside of the Kroger grocery store, located at 3871 Peachtree Road, Atlanta.

At approximately 10:20 a.m. yesterday morning, a lone black male entered the above bank and brandished a black semi automatic handgun while calmly announcing a bank robbery. The robber waited patiently while he ordered the teller to pull money from multiple teller drawers at the bank. The robber, after spending an extended period of time at the bank branch, departed the bank without further incident, having obtained an undisclosed amount of money.

It is believed that this individual is also responsible for the 4/6/09 armed robbery of a Metro Atlanta area Suntrust Bank, located inside of a Publix grocery store.

The robber was described as follows:

Race: BlackSex: MaleAge: 30'sHgt: 6'0" -6'2"Build: MediumMisc: bright yellow construction type gloves, bright yellow construction helmet, dark framed prescription glasses, black semi auto handgun.

Anyone with information regarding these robberies should contact the Atlanta office FBI at (404) 679-9000.

Discover Mills Park & Ride to be Expanded

Another 258 parking spaces will be added to the Park & Ride lot on North Brown Road to accommodate an increasing number of transit riders, carpoolers and vanpoolers. The addition will bring the total number of spaces to 814. Gwinnett Transit alone has averaged 684 daily boardings at the lot during the first four months of this year.

Gwinnett Transportation Director Brian Allen said federal and state funds would pay 90 percent of the $397,197 project cost. The Board of Commissioners on Tuesday awarded a contract for the expansion and refurbishment work to the lowest of 14 bidders, Sunbelt Asphalt Inc.

The lot, located between Sugarloaf Parkway and SR-120 across from Discover Mills Mall, serves Gwinnett Transit’s Route 103 express service to downtown Atlanta as well as local routes 40 to Lawrenceville and 50 to the Mall of Georgia and Buford area.

“This improvement will remove a major headache for commuters who lately have had to wonder if they would find a parking place in this Park & Ride lot,” said Allen.

UGA Graduate Program Expands to Cover Autism

An innovative University of Georgia graduate program in special education that has prepared scores of Georgia teachers to work with elementary-age students with autism over the last several years has received a new 4-year, $793,000 federal grant to train teachers to work with similarly challenged secondary-age students.

Autism is a complex developmental disability that is part of a group known as autism spectrum disorders. Today, 1 in 150 individuals is diagnosed with autism, making it more common than pediatric cancer, diabetes and AIDS combined, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“There’s a need for specialized training on how to structure the classroom, how to respond to these kids when they behave inappropriately and how to design instruction that will facilitate the learning of new skills,” said David Gast, a professor of special education, who co-founded the Collaborative Personnel Preparation in Autism program at UGA in 2003.

Gast will co-direct the new program called the Collaborative Adolescent Autism Teacher Training project, with Kevin Ayres, an assistant professor of special education. It will use much of the U.S. Department of Education grant to fund fellowships for up to a dozen graduate students a year to learn how to work with secondary-age students with ASD. CAATT will work largely with teachers in three diverse school districts in rural, urban and suburban areas of Northeast Georgia.

“Our primary efforts will be in Gwinnett, Clarke and Madison counties as those are our partner districts. But if we were to get an applicant from Cobb (County) who may be a current teacher wanting to complete their M.Ed., they would be eligible,” said Ayres. “We are really recruiting statewide as well as out-of-state people. We feel we will be best able to supply Gwinnett, Clarke, and Madison with new teachers when we recruit folks fresh out of their undergrad programs who are not currently teaching anywhere. These are the folks then that we can work with to get into the partner systems.”

Gast and Deanna Luscre, who coordinated the ASD program for Gwinnett County Public Schools from 1996-2003, developed the COPPA program with a grant of $894,000 from the U.S. Department of the Education in 2003. The program received a second grant of $793,000 in 2007 for four more years.The second grant allowed UGA to offer additional training in ASD to interested teachers in Clarke, Cobb and Forsyth county schools. Teachers from other school districts have also participated in one or more of the courses being offered.

The new program will help put more qualified teachers into Georgia schools, which like other schools across the nation face increasing numbers of students with ASD. One Georgia school system reported eight classrooms for students with autism in 1994, today they have 180 classrooms serving those students, said Ayres.ASD occurs in all racial, ethnic and social groups and is four times more likely to strike boys than girls. It is defined by significant impairments in social interaction and communication and the presence of unusualbehaviors and interests.

Drivers in Lilburn Should Look to the Lights

A pair of intersections in Lilburn have the potential to make the city a lot of money.

Following a three-month vacation, red light cameras are working again at a pair of intersections in the city.

The red light cameras are in operation along U.S. Highway 29 at Indian Trail-Lilburn and Beaver Ruin roads.

According to authorities, since the time the cameras were originally installed, accidents have dropped at the respective intersections.

Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System Offers Summer Fun

Join Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System and “Get Creative” this summer to discover the fun, free ways to spend your summer reading. The 2009 Summer Reading Program is open to young people, preschool through young adults with programs, story hours, reading lists, prizes and more.

This program offers children and families numerous reasons to visit their library to learn, read and enjoy good times with friends and neighbors. This year the program began June 1, and ends on Aug. 1.

Throughout the summer, the system’s 33 libraries will provide a wide variety of books and reading materials at no cost; feature storytellers, arts and crafts, animals, movies and music that stimulate children’s creativity and help bring literature and language to life and promote the idea of reading for enjoyment. The program encourages summer reading and works to build a lifelong love of reading and books.

It’s easy and free to join the Summer Reading Program. Children and teens complete a simple form with their name and contact information, and hand the form in at any branch of the Atlanta-Fulton Public Library System.

After signing up, each person receives a reading log to keep track of books that are read during the summer. The library awards a certificate when readers complete ten books, and the reader’s name goes into a drawing for prizes like computers and iPods. Children up to age 12 will participate in the “Get Creative at Your Library” program and teens, ages 13-17, in “Express Yourself at Your Library.”

Find the full list of programs on www.afpls.org. All programs are free and open to the public.