Some members of the Cherokee County Board of Education are still in limbo as to which district map they’ll be qualifying under next week. And, there’s a chance they still may not know when qualifying begins on Wednesday. House Bill 978, which changes the way school board members are elected and draws two members out of their districts, was sent to the Department of Justice for pre-clearance on April 5. The process typically takes 60 days, though school board attorney Tom Roach said he requested an expedited review, which is expected to be completed by June 5. “It’s the worst situation to be …

Frank Petruzielo will continue to lead the Cherokee County School System. The Board of Education voted 5-1-1 Thursday night to extend Petruzielo’s contract after the board left the open meeting to go into executive session to discuss the item. Board member Michael Geist cast the dissenting vote, and Rob Usher abstained, citing the fact that he hadn’t seen the contract prior to the meeting. Usher, who raised concerns about not seeing the contract during the meeting, said that the contract wasn’t available during executive session and that he couldn’t in good conscience vote for something he …

At their regular meeting tonight, the county commissioners will consider buying land for a new $5 million library in Lathemtown. The 6.14 acres is located on State Route 20 and Old Mill Road and will cost $170,000. The library is expected to cost about $5 million, $3.1 in SPLOST money and $2 million in state funds, according to the Cherokee Tribune. The board will also consider an intergovernmental agreement with Woodstock for road improvements along Ridgewalk Parkway in conjunction with an outlet mall project. On Dec. 13, 2011 the Woodstock City Council unanimously approved a request to move…

After a discussion that, at times, seemed to grow heated among the Cherokee County Board of Education, school board members voted 4-2 to approve a resolution asking that residents vote down a constitutional amendment that would restore the state’s power to approve charter schools. Board member Michael Geist, who with Kim Cochran voted against the resolution, said that although the school system lost $2.1 million this year because it had 575 fewer students than anticipated, the county saw $4 million more this year than it would have otherwise because of the funding that was allocated to …

The Cherokee County Board of Education voted 4-3 Wednesday night to ratify comments made by their board chairman in letters sent to Gov. Nathan Deal and members of an school accreditation organization. Board Chairman Mike Chapman asked the board to add the motion to the agenda following discussion on whether he should have used board stationery to send personal thoughts regarding redistricting and the recent state legislative proposal to have the board chair position be an elected position. The vote followed a lengthy discussion, during which board member Rob Usher said he was fine with …

The Woodstock City Council meets at the Chambers at City Center at 7 p.m. Review the agenda here.

The Woodstock City Council meets at the Chambers at City Center at 7 p.m. Review the agenda here.

The Cherokee County Board of Education voted Thursday night to name the new elementary school on Hunt Road after a local waterway, despite pleas from two members of the Hunt family to name the building after their grandfather, who owned the property for more than 100 years. The new school will be named Clark Creek Elementary School, after a creek that runs behind the ruins behind the property. However, relatives of Jasper Lafayette Hunt said they wanted the school named for the man who farmed that property for more than a decade. “It’s a perfectly nice creek, but we have creeks all over the …

State Sens. Chip Rogers (R-Woodstock) and John Albers (R-Roswell) heard from residents on education, sales tax, TSPLOST and other issues at a joint town hall meeting at Alpharetta City Hall on Saturday, Jan. 28. After hearing an update from Albers and Rogers, Carol Wood opened with questions, asking the legislators not to balance the state budget on seniors' backs. Seniors haven't seen an increase in Social Security in three years, and most of that was taken up by increasing Medicare costs, she said. Many seniors depend upon the food pantry at her church. More and more residents over 50 "are …

On Tuesday, the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners is expected to review a $700,000 proposal from the city of Woodstock that involves an outlet mall. On Dec. 13, the Woodstock City Councilunanimously approved a request to move forward with The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta. Similar centers across the country include brands such as Coach, Polo Ralph Lauren, Gap Outlet, Nike and Tommy Hilfiger. At the Dec. 20, commission meeting, Woodstock officials asked the county for $700,000 to assist them with improvements to Ridgewalk Parkway. They suggested using a portion of the $3 million in SPLOST …

See a preview and the full agenda for tonight's meeting here.

Three local companies want their name associated with the much-anticipated amphitheater being built in Downtown Woodstock. The Parks and Recreation Department received three proposals after a two-month drive for requests from regional businesses with the intention to create a partnership with a local corporation and the City of Woodstock for the public outdoor facility. The proposals will be presented at tonight’s City Council meeting at the Chambers at City Center starting at 7. The three businesses along with their proposed fees and contract terms and conditions are as follows: 1. Acru …

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners this afternoon is expected to review a proposal for a second outlet mall within 10 miles of another proposed shopping center. Construction on The Outlet Shoppes at Atlanta is slated to begin in the first half of the year, according to a Dec. 13 news release from Horizon Group Properties, the Michigan company that plans to develop the 365,000-square-foot mall at Ridgewalk Parkway and Interstate 575. But commissioners will talk about another shopping center at Highway 92 and Interstate 75 at today's 3 p.m. work session. Discussions actually started at …

The Woodstock City Council meets at the Chambers at City Center at 7 p.m. Review the agenda here.

Officials with the Cherokee County School System are hoping a waiver of the state’s ban on personal communication devices will enable them to start a pilot program utilizing smart technology to aid in learning. “It’s a growing trend nationwide,” said Bobby Blount, assistant superintendent for accountability, technology and strategic planning. “What we want to do is leverage their student-owned technology to increase access. We’re getting into a world where more and more testing is coming online. There’s a plethora of digital content out there. We want to be sure our students can access that …

Downtown Woodstock can expect 54 more parking spots by the Christmas holiday season. The Downtown Development Authority was the driving force behind the Mill Street Parking Lot that will not only add parking to help congestion downtown, but will also add streetlights and a sidewalk. Perry Tanner, board member, said he was pleased with the progress and believes the lights will be positive and safe addition behind the Johnson building at the meeting Thursday night at the Chambers at City Center. Pedestrians will enjoy the sidewalk that will line Mill Street before the completion of the gravel …

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners is meeting at the county administrative building at 1130 Bluffs Pkwy., Canton. Commissioners will hold a public hearing for those in the Comcast franchise area. The county wants to, among other things, identify future cable needs and interests. County Manager Jerry Cooper will also ask commissioners to rescind a bid the board awarded to the Atlanta Hawks at the Oct. 18 meeting. Chandler Graphics was second in line, and Cooper will ask the board to award the bid them to produce the Cherokee County Youth Basketball league's uniforms. Woodstock-Towne …

The Cherokee County Board of Commissioners meets at 3 p.m. for its work session and 6 p.m. for its regular meeting. Among the items on the agenda: Commissioners will hold a public hearing for those in the Comcast franchise area. The county wants to, among other things, identify future cable needs and interests. Open the PDF to review the final draft of a franchise agreement between Cherokee County and Comcast. County Manager Jerry Cooper will ask commissioners to give MUST Ministries $153,876 to acquire property at 111 Brown Industrial Pkwy., Canton. The money, part of the county's Community …

Cherokee County superintendent of schools said there was “a lot of interest about the concept” of the proposed Cherokee Academies that could open at the start of the 2012 school year at Thursday's Board of Education meeting. The Academies would be a system of specialized programs offering more opportunities for students in fields such as fine arts and technology. The proposed schools would be housed in available space at current school locations or in repurposed facilities.  Superintendent Dr. Frank Petruzielo reported the findings of a recent community survey and said the majority of parents…

In a few hours, Northside Hospital-Cherokee will be able to add the Cherokee County Board of Commissioners to the list of supporters for itsreplacement hospital. At today's meeting, commissioners will adopt a "resolution of recognition supporting the relocation" from Hospital Road to a new $250 million facility near Canton Marketplace. The resolution comes one month after WellStar Health System Inc. challenged Northside's relocation plan. While Northside said the new hospital location is less than three miles from the current one and therefore exempt from the state's rigorous certificate of …