Patch in Review: May 15 - May 21

Another busy week has gone by, and what a busy week it was. Here are top stories from the last week, just in case you were wondering.

May 15:

Akshaya Suresh of Brookwood High School was one of nine seniors from Gwinnett County Public Schools recently named National Merit scholarship winners. Akshaya also happens to be the valedictorian this year.

Brookwood High School's track team placed third overall in the Region 8-AAAAA state championship meet, which took place May 12-14 in Albany, Ga. The team had 42 points overall, with top finishers being Caroline Kissel and QuanDra Shanks.

May 16:

Snellville Farmers' Market opened May 14 for its second year. There are more than 50 vendors, and a crafts market will also begin in June. The market is held on Saturdays through the end of October.

The Georgia Supreme Court reversed a 2008 act that allowed the state to create a new kind of charter school called a “commission charter.” Schools created using the Charter School Commission are now in limbo.

May 17:

Lawanna Owens-Twaites, who became the principal of the new Anderson-Livsey Elementary this school year, resigned for person reasons. Patch reached a Parent Teacher Association leader who gave us her take on the news. The school district was expected to name a new principal May 19.

Late Tuesday afternoon, Patch learned that principal Lawanna Owens-Twaites wasn't the only one leaving. Two other administrators, Tarsha Foye and Derrielle Morris were being reassigned. At least one of the assistant principals was forced to become a teacher at another school. Mikka Solomon, the fourth administrator, was the only current administrator expected to stay on.

May 18:

Robyn Saint-Paen, manager at Snellville and Centerville branch libraries, was this week's Wednesday's Woman. She said the love of books started early, and now, she loves her library patrons, as well.

In light of her own challenges to begin a charter school in the Snellville area, Monise Seward gives her assessment of the recent Georgia Supreme Court decision to allow school district's sole discretion to create charter institutions.

Joanna Hayes is found guilty and given life in prison for the murder of her daughter-in-law, Heather Strube. Jurors deliberated over nearly three days in the trial. Strube was killed in April 2009 in the Snellville Target parking lot. She was the mother of a baby, which prosecutors contended was the main point of contention for Hayes.

May 19:

Brookwood High School's dance department closes out the end of the year with a special presentation. Patch was there to capture photos of the students, some of which danced their last high school dance.

Charlotte Nash delivered her first state of the county address on May 18. The presentation took place before the Gwinnett County Chamber of Commerce and other attendees.

Janice Warren is appointed the new principal of Anderson-Livsey Elementary, during the May 19 school board meeting. Warren is currently an assistant principal at Annistown Elementary, where she has also been a teacher. Warren replaces Lawanna Owen-Twaites, effective June 1.

May 20:

Patch attended The Wizard of Oz (Junior) at New London Theatre, and we captured some great photos. The entire production is cast with children. The play continues until June 4.

Jeff Hall, an assistant principal at Brookwood High School, was appointed the new principal of Maxwell High School of Technology. He replaces Donna Powers, who is retiring. He is appointment is effective June 1.

May 21:

This week we looked closer into a few reports from the Snellville Police Department: an unruly child who did not want to school, check fraud at a Wells Fargo bank and electrical theft from Walton EMC.