SPEAK OUT: Monica Pearson of WSB Signs Off – Suwanee Patch

She's as much a part of Atlanta as the Varsity and Lake Lanier.

Monica Pearson, a TV personality at WSB since 1975, anchors her final newscast Wednesday. Also a pioneer, she was the first African-American and the first woman to anchor a TV newscast in Atlanta.

"How do you know it's time to retire?" Pearson said rhetorically in her announcement (see attached video). "When you're anchoring with a man you met as a teenager (Justin Farmer), while you were anchoring with his father (Don Farmer)."

WSB and other organizations in Atlanta have been doing tributes for Pearson (who broke in as Monica Kaufman) for awhile. These can be found on the WSB website.

Rash of Arson Fires in Gwinnett Under Investigation, 2 in Loganville – Loganville-Grayson Patch

Gwinnett Fire officials are currently investigating a series of recent fires in Gwinnett as arson, two of them in a Loganville neighborhood. Lt. Colin S. Rhoden, public information officer for Gwinnett Fire and Emergency Services, said authorities do not believe that these fires are connected.

“We do have surveillance of the last one, an early morning vehicle fire in Buford, and we hope to be able to release the footage to the media,” Rhoden said.

Information naming four of the fires as arson, including the Buford vehicle fire and a house fire on June 27 in the 2400 block of Range Heights Terrace, Loganville, was sent to media outlets Tuesday. The other two included a house fire in unincorporated Stone Mountain on June 22 and another on Vivid Drive near Lilburn on July 22.

Board: Mayor Didn't Violate Ethics Code – Kennesaw Patch

The Kennesaw Board of Ethics voted on Tuesday night to dismiss a complaint against Mayor Mark Mathews, determining that the allegations in the complaint don’t violate the city’s Code of Ethics.

In the complaint, which was filed by resident David Ermutlu, one allegation was that Mathews used his city-issued cell phone for personal business. Scott Cochran, an attorney advising the board, said that, while the city’s personnel policy prohibits employees from using city property for personal business, elected officials aren’t considered employees.

“A city supervisor can’t terminate an elected official,” Cochran said. “They can’t lose that position through a disciplinary procedure.”

Poll: Georgians Support VLT Gambling to Fund HOPE – Norcross Patch

A recent poll by 11Alive found that a majority of Georgians support video lottery terminals in a casino-style environment to help fund the HOPE scholarship and pre-kindergarten.

Out of the 1,292 registered Georgia voters polled, 56 percent said they favored the use of VLTs. Widespread support was found across all ages, genders and political parties, including conservatives and Republican voters. Thirty-four percent said they opposed it, and 11 percent were unsure.

Willie Nelson to Perform in Duluth – Duluth Patch

The Southeastern Railway Museum in Duluth will be the first stop this fall for a Railroad Revival Tour concert featuring country music singer Willie Nelson as the headliner.

Also performing will be folk rockers Band of Horses, Grammy Award-nominated Jamey Johnson and actor-musician John C. Reilly and Friends.

Performers will arrive in a vintage train for the Oct. 20 concert at the museum located at 3595 Buford Hwy. About 8,000 to 10,000 fans are expected to attend the Saturday concert.