'Friend' Snatches $40 From Bra; Man Held For Sex Trafficking

Fire Guts Forsyth Residential Workshop - Cumming Patch

Investigators are trying to determine the cause of a fire that destroyed a two-story hobby workshop in central eastern Forsyth County Thursday morning.

Division Chief Jason Shivers of the Forsyth County Fire Department said the structure was about 2,000 square feet and was located behind the owner's house at 2705 Samples Road, near Buford Dam Road, in a residential community.

"It [workshop] did have vehicles in it and some entertainment capabilities, but a nice structure for the homeowner to do his automotive hobby in," he said. Read Cumming Patch for more on this story.

'Longtime Friend' Snatches $40 from Woman's Bra - Cartersville Patch

A "longtime friend" snatched $40 from a woman's bra Wednesday at a local motel in what authorities call an alleged strong-arm robbery.

The Guest House resident, 26, told Bartow County Sheriff's Office deputies she was "shocked" when her friend stole her money after hanging out in her room for about 10 minutes, according to the incident report, attached.

She said two "longtime friends" stopped by about 9:30 p.m. and "out of nowhere," one of the men grabbed her from behind and reached into her bra as the second man stood by. He snatched the cash and the pair ran out of the room and fled in a maroon Ford Expedition. Read Cartersville Patch for more on this story.

Decatur Area Man Held on Sex Trafficking Charges - Decatur Patch

The GBI reported Thursday night that a Decatur area man was arrested on sex trafficking charges after a traffic stop on I-20 in South Georgia.

The GBI did not provide a street address for Johnathon Nathaniel Kelly, 29, and no further information about him was immediately available. Read Decatur Patch for more on this story.

Driver of Oldsmobile Leads Oconee Deputy on Chase into Morgan County - Oconee Patch

The driver of a white, 1995 Oldsmobile Cutlass who led an Oconee County Sheriff's deputy on a chase into Morgan County last Friday afternoon has so far eluded capture.

According to an incident report, the deputy grew suspicious as the driver "took exceptional notice of [his] presence" while the deputy waited to turn onto Price Mill Road around 5:30 p.m. on Jan. 4.

The deputy checked the vehicle's tag and found that it had no valid insurance, so he initiated a traffic stop in the parking lot of the Golden Pantry in Bishop on US 441. Read Oconee Patch for more on this story.

Trespasser Leaves Trail of Partially Eaten Muffin and Crumbs - Oconee Patch

An Oconee County woman told Sheriff's deputies this week she had evidence that someone had been on her property without her permission.

The woman says she found a partially eaten muffin and crumbs on the back of her patio on Thornwell Drive around 3 p.m. on Jan. 7. She also said there have been multiple incidents in the past of persons walking through the woods on her property. Read Oconee Patch for more on this story.

Zoo Atlanta Delivers Baby Sumatran Orangutan Via C-Section - East Atlanta Patch

Blaze, a 16-year-old Sumatran orangutan, gave birth to a male on Jan. 10 at Zoo Atlanta. He was delivered via Caesarean section with the consultation of an extensive pre-appointed medical team that comprised human obstetricians, neonatologists and veterinary anesthesiologists.

Blaze’s Caesarean section is one of only three performed on Sumatran orangutans in recent years. She is a small-bodied female, and her reproductive history includes a previous birth, but the offspring did not survive the birth process, possibly due to causes related to Blaze’s small size. Read East Atlanta Patch for more on this story.

Firefighters Extinguish Flames at Norcross Business - Norcross Patch

The Gwinnet County Fire Department was treating a small fire sparked by a power line in the city of Norcross when the crew noticed smoke and fire at a nearby landscaping business Thursday afternoon.

According to a news release from Gwinnett Fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge, the incident started at 4:58 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 10. Firefighters from Fire Station 1 were tending to a brush fire sparked by the downed line about 30 feet behind the business, located on the 5300 block of Old Norcross Road. A passerby had called in after hearing a loud boom and saw an electrical arc in the area behind CVS pharmacy on Buford Highway and Langford Road.

The firefighters had the fire under control in 10 minutes, but then they noticed smoke coming from the eaves of the business, which was closed. Read Norcross Patch for more on this story.