Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

J i Your Vol. 95, No. 107 License, time in class tied Behavior, broken laws may affect teens ’ status By Nancy Smallwood Associate Editor Beginning July 1, teens wishing to obtain or keep their driver's license had to begin maintaining a good attendance record in school. In an effort to crack down on teenage dropouts, unnecessary school absences and school behav¬ ior, state legislators have passed a new law which will affect the eligi¬ bility of teens in getting their dri¬ ver’s licenses. According to Debbie Rondem, Forsyth County Schools director of student support services, schools are required to report to the Georgia Department of Education students 14 through 17 years old whose dri¬ ver’s licenses are to be revoked or not issued. A student can be report¬ ed if they have dropped out of school without graduating and have more than 10 school days of unex¬ cused absences. A school suspension of a student also will affect driver’s license sta¬ tus, according to Susan Sports, pub¬ lic information officer for the Georgia Department of Motor Vehicles. An instructional permit or driver’s license will be suspended for one year or until the student reaches the age of 18 if the student has been suspended for threatening, striking or harming a teacher or stu¬ dent official, possession or sale of alcohol or drugs on school property, possession or use of weapon on school property, any sexual offense and causing substantial bodily injury or disfiguring another per¬ son. Previously, teens could not obtain a license if they had 10 con¬ secutive unexcused absences, said Rondem. This new law does not specify the days must be consecu¬ tive, she said. Those teens attending a home school program must be registered in an approved state program and will need to obtain a signed certifi¬ cate of attendance validated by the school system in which they live, according to Sports. Forsyth County’s absences and excuses policy reflects state law. Parents of students who have five unexcused absences are sent a letter See TEENS, Page 11A Photo/David McGregor Students learn about Egypt Kathleen Ayala uses tissue to turn Carly Sudderth into a ''mummy” during a summer school class at Cumming Elementary School Friday morning. See story, page 3A. Missed paper policy Fora i replacement pap er, call 8a.m . - 5:30 p.m. Wedr nesday, Thursday Sunday and Friday, and 9 a.m. -1 p.m. on - (770) 887-3126. Copyright 1 2464 roriytti County Nmm o T SUNDAY July 4,2004 City explodes with activity i , r h .-;>raa Mai m Photos/David McGregor Above, Jackie Farahdel and Sarah Wright watch as the Fourth of July festivities in Cumming kick off with a fireworks display at the Cumming Fairgrounds Friday night. Right, sisters Opal and Saramarie Hosey participate in the Little Acres Childcare Center Fourth of July parade Friday morning. INDEX Abby . ..................................... 4C Births................. 4B Classifieds_______ 5C Deaths......... ,...2A Forsyth Life •**••»»••• IB Horoscope . .................. ,4C Opinion 12A Sports ............ 1C 1 \ . « Express bus service will be available for commuters ByToddTruelove Staff Writer Beginning Tuesday, commuters to metro Atlanta will have an alternative travel option as Georgia Regional Transportation Authority’s express bus service cranks up in the city of Cumming. While city and state officials con¬ tinue negotiating the details of a deal, Cumming City Manager Gerald Blackburn said Thursday that the city has agreed to let GRTA use the park¬ ing lot across from the Cumming Fairgrounds on Castleberry Road to load and unload passengers. The parking lot recently was paved. The Cumming City Council accepted a bid of $314,652 for the paving project a cost that will be shared by the two entities. The state's contribution will be determined in a Business Planning your retirement doesn’t have to be stressful. Page 8A What: Express Bus System When: Weekdays between 5:30-7:30 a.m. and 4-6:30 p.m. Where: Castleberry Road, park¬ ing lot across from Cumming Fairgrounds. Cost: $3 one-way; $5 round-trip 12-month lease that’s part of the agreement. Blackburn said. “We're not signing a long-term contract with [GRTA]." said Blackburn. “It’s going to be an agree¬ ment for 12 months. We’ve still got to work out what they're going to pay per month for the 12-month period. GRTA will reimburse the city based on 12 months’ usage." In addition to the express bus sys¬ tem. Blackburn said the parking lot will be utilized by the city for events such as the annual autumn fair. GRTA Communications Manager Sports Forsyth coaches select All-County Baseball Tfcam. Page 1C Widening of Hwy. 20 to begin soon Exit 14 reconstruction also slated to begin in a month By Antonia Hertwig-Benson Staff Writer The widening of Hwy. 20 will begin in a month, as will the reconstruction of Exit 14 at Hwy. 20 and Ga. 400, according to state officials. The Georgia Department of Transportation has awarded the widening and interchange projects of Hwy. 20 and Ga. 400 to C.W. Matthews for $21.9 mil¬ lion. Though the project will relieve traffic on the heavi¬ ly congested road, the GDOT is displacing many busi¬ nesses using its power of eminent domain. Bert Brantley, GDOT spokesman, said though the department has offered property owners fair market value for theif land, many property owners don’t want to give up their land. “We get the best price for the taxpayer,” Brantley said. “We do not want to overpay for the land.” However, David Duncan, manager of Ga. 400 Storage on Hwy. 20. said his problem with the process is not the money. It’s how the GDOT went about tak See DOT, Page 2A Dog attacked Schnauzer injured but alive By Nicole Green Staff Writer Two coyotes attacked a small dog in a north Forsyth backyard Tuesday, reminding residents that Forsyth is still a rural county in some parts. Though the dog survived, the 5-year-old miniature Schnauzer was severely injured, according to veterinarian Mike McLaughlin at Animal Medical Center on Buford Highway. Lisa Morgan let out her dog Tiara into her Shadewater Drive backyard about 3:30 p.m. Tuesday. The residence is located in a neighborhood near Lake Lanier and backs up to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers property. After a few minutes, Morgan reported hearing a pierc¬ ing shriek. “She opens the back door steps outside and there are two coyotes killing her dog," said^McLaughlin. whose clinic resuscitated the mauled. 17-pound dog. Associate veterinarian Nikki Chiorazzi saved Tiara's See COYOTES, Page 2A William Mecke said the buses will roll out of Cumming beginning Tuesday at 5:30 a.m. and continuing every half hour until 7:30 a.m. “The city's been gracious enough to let us start running the buses on Tuesday morning," said Mecke. He said the buses will take passengers to the North Springs MARTA station in north Fulton County. Return trips will be every half hour from 4-6:30 p.m. Passenger costs are $3 one-way and $5 round trip. Mecke said it's expected that once all the bus mutes are up and running in counties around Atlanta, about 4,000 trips will be taken by passengers. As of Thursday, about 220 round trips were taken on two routes that began last month in Henry and Rockdale counties, he said. "It's gone up each week, steadily.”\said Mecke. “The very first day. there were about 45 total round trips." Possible Storms /lli'h 1 II High in the mid-HOs. Low in the low 70s. LI6R PE, IB cing tour of Gumming LAKE LANIER LEVELS Date Level June 29 1071.61 ft June 30 1071.63 ft July July 1 1071,67 1071.77ft ft 2 Full 1071 oaft