City cops to work jointly on I-285/Ga. 400 project

The Sandy Springs and Dunwoody police departments will coordinate the activities of offduty police officers working the Interstate 285/Ga. 400 interchange reconstruction under an agreement approved recently by the Sandy Springs City Council.

Most of the project is within the Sandy Springs city limits, but because of the undertaking’s size, Sandy Springs alone cannot provide all the officers needed for safety and security, Police Chief Kenneth DeSimone said in a memo attached to the Council agenda packet.

To provide adequate police coverage and ensure Sandy Springs officers do not work such long shifts that their on-duty performance suffers or becomes unsafe, “it is necessary to find alternate staffing,” DeSimone said. “To increase the pool of available offduty officers for the project, both Sandy Springs and Dunwoody police officers could be permitted to provide off-duty services to the contractor.”

The Georgia Department of Transportation and its contractor, North Perimeter Contractors LLC, are now beginning a project that will take four years and $800 million to complete. It will affect 4.3 miles of I-285 from west of Roswell Road to east of Ashford Dunwoody Road, and 6.2 miles of Ga. 400 from the Glenridge Connector to Spalding Drive.

Information: bit.ly/2jfU8S7

Schools renew partnership with county

The Cherokee County School Board has renewed a partnership agreement with the county Board of Commissioners on issues ranging from sharing road condition information during inclement weather to county internships for students.

The agreement calls on the school district and county to work together on planning parks, libraries and other county facilities and future school sites; and to continue cooperation between the schools and Cherokee Recreation and Parks Agency on using each other’s facilities for recreational programs.

The district and county would work together on the zoning process so that developers are routinely expected to mitigate the financial impact of their projects on the schools and the county.

The county would provide fire education materials and instruction to kindergartners and fourth graders; the “Ghost Out” teen driver safety/demonstration program; career day speakers from various departments including the Sheriff ’s Office and Fire Department; and information to youths interested in participating in the Fire Department’s Explorer program.

Teen Gavel Club: Learning the Art of Public Speaking. 2 p.m. second and fourth Sundays. Free. Alpharetta Branch, 10 Park Plaza, Alpharetta. Members of the Alpharetta Toastmasters chapter facilitate this club for teens. 404-613-6735, afpls.org.

Chinese New Year Crafts and Games for ages 12 and under. 4:30-5:30 p.m. Tuesday. Free. Rose Creek Public Library, 4476 Towne Lake Parkway, Woodstock. Learn more about Chinese culture by playing a traditional Chinese game and learn calligraphy from Confucius Institute at Kennesaw State University. Registration: 770-591-1491. Sequoyah RegionalLibrary.org.

Cupid appointed vice chairman

Cobb Commissioner Lisa Cupid has been appointed by Commission Chairman Mike Boyce to serve as the vice chairman for this calendar year.

Cupid also announced she will deliver her State of the District address for District 4 at 7 p.m. Jan. 31 at Pebblebrook High School, 991 Old Alabama Road, Mableton.

She represents Austell, Mableton, Powder Springs, south Marietta and portions of Smyrna.

Information: 770-528-3312, Lisa.Cupid@CobbCounty.org or District 4 Commission Assistant Bianca Keaton at 770-5283311 or Bianca.Keaton@CobbCounty.org.

Kennesaw Parks and Recreation’s Book, CD and DVD Swap. Noon-8 p.m. today. Free. Ben Robertson Community Center, 2753 Watts Drive, Kennesaw. Drop off gently used hardcover or paperback books, music CDs and DVD movies. Then receive a ticket redeemable for the same number of items during “open swap” 8-11 a.m. Saturday. Books must have their front and back covers intact and be in good condition. CDs and DVDs must be in their original cases and fully operable. Not accepted will be magazines, software, record albums, VHS or cassette tapes, adult content, unauthorized or illegal material. All unclaimed items will be donated to charitable organizations. Items will not be available for purchase. kennesaw-ga.gov.