Health and Wellness Sponsored section ►►PAGE 30
Avalon arrives!
Special section ►►PAGE 7 - 15
City bids out TDRs Kicks off program ►►PAGE 6
Veterans remembered Honored Nov. 11 ►►PAGE 18
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November 12, 2014 | northfulton.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 9, No. 45
Experts: Drugs a growing teen issue Widely available in schools, homes By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. – Drugs and alcohol are a frequent hassle for parents of teenage children. Recently, they have become more of a problem for county, school and legal professionals, and action is being taken. “Drug abuse is behind most of the crime in Fulton County,” said State Court Judge Christopher Brasher. “That is the
reality. Most of the defendants I see are under 25 years old. When kids come to me, things have gone horribly wrong.” Members from Fulton County government and nonprofits held a town hall meeting Oct. 29 at Northview High School in Johns Creek to inform parents of what is being done to tackle drug issues. The forum was one of several held by Fulton County Chairman John Eaves. “When our children make poor decisions, sometimes they will meet the Fulton criminal justice system,” Eaves said. “We are arming parents with
See DRUGS, Page 21
Ellis outlines county future Cub Scouts from Pack 841 at Crabapple Crossing Elementary School in Milton mark storm drains in the Traymore neighborhood. This is part of a project to raise awareness of storm runoff.
Pack 841’s ‘storm troopers’ leave mark Cub Scouts raise storm runoff awareness MILTON, Ga. – Every time it rains, that water and everything that goes with it has to go somewhere. The boys of Milton’s Cub Scout Pack 841 have joined with other packs to begin a service project to mark storm drains in the city to draw awareness to runoff pollution. The Scouts search for storm drains in neighborhoods and apply decals to them. These decals warn residents against allowing chemicals, debris and waste to get swept away into the sewers. While some storm drains are connected to
sewers and water treatment plants, many are not. Water enters the sewers and then local streams and lakes, where animals, plants and residents downstream depend on it. “Any fertilizers, oil, soap, pesticides, yard waste and trash that might run off your property or the roadways after a rain event or when overwatering your yard is going down those storm drains into the creeks and streams that feed our major waterways like the Chattahoochee
See SCOUTS, Page 44
Gives Milton town hall meeting By JONATHAN COPSEY jonathan@appenmediagroup.com MILTON, Ga. – Milton’s newest politician is Bob Ellis, a resident who will take his place in January on the Fulton County Commission. He was elected earlier in the year to the newly created position covering western North Fulton, a seat created by splitting one position into two. Ellis fielded questions from residents Nov. 6 at Milton City Hall about the upcoming year. “There were a lot of questions,” Ellis said. “We covered everything from county finances to mental health. It was a good town hall meeting.” Of significant concern to
Fulton County residents was the oncoming millage rate tax increase. The County Commission approved a budget this year that called ELLIS for a 17 percent increase in taxes to cover a funding shortfall. This flew in the face of the state legislature, which earlier in the year had decreed the county cannot raise taxes until 2015. The legality of the increase has yet to be played out in court. “My first order of business is to make sure a final budget is approved, one which will hopefully allow us to run a balanced budget without the
See ELLIS, Page 4