North Fulton / Forsyth | ajc.com
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- Sandy Springs PD searching for armed robber
Sandy Springs police are looking for a gap-toothed armed robber who may be responsible for as many as three holdups of metro Radio Shack stores. Police want to question the man in store robberies that occurred Dec. 21 on Piedmont Road in Atlanta, Dec. 13 on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs and Dec. 10 on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna. Sandy Springs police released a composite sketch Wednesday. The robber is described as being male, 5-feet-7 inches to 5-feet-9 inches and between 140 and 160 pounds. - Nightclub owner gets police to help him close down
John Cornetta, owner of a chain of adult video stores, fought Johns Creek authorities for two years to keep the Love Shack open in the heart of the city. But Sunday morning, he called Johns Creek authorities to close his nightclub, Club Equity. It seems the on-site managers refused to abide by the new closing time, which the City Council moved from 4:30 a.m. to 2:30 a.m. on Dec. 15. So Cornetta called Johns Creek's finest. - Budget cuts grip Mary Hall Freedom House
Christmas cheer is one thing that can be found in abundance at Mary Hall Freedom House these days. What cannot be found is all of the services that the Sandy Springs comprehensive behavioral health facility once offered. Budget cuts of more than $1 million have shut down several programs that many women and children have come to count on during the past several months, said Lucy Hall-Gainer, founder of Mary Hall Freedom House. The facility helps women and children overcome physical and substance abuse, mental illness, homelessness and provides support services. Private and public grants and funds helped pay for the many services offered by Mary Hall Freedom House. Hall-Gainer said the financial losses that the organization has experienced in the past few months are a by-product of the current economic climate. - 4 Russian immigrants implicated in credit card fraud
Four men, all Russian immigrants, are facing potentially hundreds of charges relating to a sophisticated credit card rip-off scheme, police said. Two of the men are in Fulton County jail on charges unrelated to the theft and fraud cases. Ara Autuni, 24, and Boris Toumasian, 22, are being held without bond on heroin trafficking charges. Police are seeking Karen Khalatayn, a 27-year-old man, who was also arrested on drug charges and was released from the jail on Dec. 13 before other charges were filed, said Police spokesman George Gordon. The Fulton County Jail Web site indicates Khalatayn posted $35,000 bond on three counts of fraud two days after being arrested. - Emory hospital aids schools' science, health education
Emory Johns Creek Hospital is giving some Fulton County schools a financial shot in the arm. The hospital is partnering with all 14 schools in the Chattahoochee and Northview clusters by providing grant money for science and health. Some of the money also is used in the schools' clinic. "Emory Johns Creek Hospital is proud to be so closely connected with our community's schools," John Quinlivan, president and chief executive officer said in a prepared statement. "We believe our investment in education will help produce health-conscious adults who are well-prepared for the future." - Sandy Springs officer recovering from crash
Before Aug. 7, Sam Worsham had never broken a bone. He was a police officer known for investigating fatal crashes, who had never been seriously injured in a wreck. Now he can explain how a pair of screws holds a shoulder together; how a slender titanium rod helps support a man's weight. His recovery from a debilitating crash has given him new perspective. - Forsyth water rates leap as demand sinks
Forsyth County water customers are facing another major rate increase, in part because they did what they were told: they conserved. Two forces were pushing this affluent north Atlanta suburb known for high-end homes and manicured lawns to cut back. State drought restrictions severely limited when residents could water. The county also established new water rates in 2006 that were designed to force big users to conserve. In addition, the slowdown in home building has meant fewer lawns being sodded and watered and fewer tap fees for the county to collect. - Forsyth County axing jobs, raises
Hammered by a slowdown in development and the general economic downturn, Forsyth County is cutting 26 employees and rescinding cost-of-living and merit raises for its nearly 1,300 workers. The cuts are part of a pared-down budget approved 3-2 Thursday night by the Forsyth County Commission. Hardest hit will be the county Planning and Development Department, which is to lose 21 employees or about one-third of its staff. - Johns Creek tax bills questioned
Two Johns Creek homeowners association members noticed their tax bills seemed a little steep, as high as $8,000. They asked the Johns Creek Civic Association to look into it. Turns out the the Fulton County Property Assessors Office had been taxing the swim, tennis and common areas as commercial property, which carries significantly higher taxes than residential property, as it should have been. - 'Black Mafia' member sentenced to 20 years
A Roswell man tagged by federal prosecutors as a top member of the Black Mafia Family crime gang has been sentenced to 20 years in prison for drug trafficking. A federal judge also fined Fleming Daniels $10,000 for taking part in the violent group, which is a target of federal prosecutors in Detroit, Los Angeles, Orlando and St. Louis, as well as Atlanta. "This defendant — someone with multiple prior drug and firearms convictions — typifies what was so alarming about the Black Mafia Family," U.S. Attorney David Nahmias said. - Man pleads guilty in $13 million business fraud case
A Georgia businessman has admitted taking part in a scheme to defraud a California construction company of nearly $13 million. Edgar J. Beaudreault of Alpharetta pleaded guilty Wednesday in Atlanta to conspiracy to commit wire fraud. Federal prosecutors say Beaudreault, 60, and two others conspired to defraud Cornell Corrections of California Inc., which operates private corrections facilities. In 2003, Cornell was hired to build a prison in Canon City, Colo., and the $13 million purchase price was to be placed in escrow until completion. - Recycling project begins at Bell Memorial Park
In one of the first projects by the city-sponsored Bell Memorial Parkenvironmental group Milton Grows Green, signs and barrels will be placed for recycling at various locations at Bell Memorial Park. Milton Grows Green, a brainchild of Council member Julie Zahner Bailey, was established last month to promote environmentally sound practices and to advise the city on green issues. Joined by Community Waste Services, a trash hauler, Milton Grows Green will provide the containers and recycling pickup for free. - Woman charged in St. Joseph's Hospital fire
An Atlanta woman has been arrested for reportedly setting a fire at St. Joseph's Hospital. Sonia Strong, 43, was charged Friday with first-degree arson in the fire that started last Thursday in a fifth-floor restroom at the Sandy Springs hospital. Nobody was injured, but damage from the smoke and water was estimated at $25,000, according to state Insurance and Fire Safety Commissioner John Oxendine. - Park Service ponders pedestrian bridge over the Hooch
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