ATLANTA -- Two metro Atlanta teachers will soon have the opportunity to receive free food from Pollo Tropical for a year.
The Pollo Tropical Teachers of the Year movement rewards great local teachers for making a daily difference in the lives of students.
"Pollo Tropical and its...more Teachers of the Year campaign honors and rewards teachers and active schools, parents and students," Kim Miller, vice president of marketing and communications for Pollo Tropical, said in a statement. "We hope all of our customers join us in celebrating our teachers and enjoying a well-deserved reward."
One teacher each from Cobb and Gwinnett counties will earn the honor this year. To win, a teacher must be nominated by students and parents.
If you want to nominate a teacher, visit pollotropical.com/myteacher, enroll in the Pollo Reward$ loyalty program, and then provide the deserving teacher's full name, subject and grade taught, school name, school address and school phone

Ray's on the River, known as one of Atlanta's premiere riverside dining destinations, is partnering with The Ken Ford Foundation (KFF), founded by internationally known musician, "King of Strings" entertainer, Ken Ford to host "Strings on the River" on Saturday, May 19, 2012. The Ken Ford...more Foundation is an organization that focuses on enhancing academic excellence through music appreciation and making music classes and programs for youth available throughout the state of Georgia. 

"This is a great day for Fulton County where we merge the charitable side of a business like Ray's and The Ken Ford Foundation's mission of music education," says Foundation Executive Director Annette Davis Jackson.  "We are one and the same."

Mike Ross, director of operations for Ray's Restaurants noted, "With live jazz being such a big part of our restaurants' identities, The Ken Ford Foundation partnership is a natural progression for us."  Since founder Ray Schoenbaum opened the

SMYRNA, Ga. -- Smyrna Police have arrested a person they believe to be responsible for an afternoon hit and run accident, which involved one of their motorcycle officers.  

The accident happened at around 3 p.m. at the intersection of Ridge Road and South Cobb Drive. According to...more officials, a 1997 Nissan Maxima made a left turn into 53-year-old Cpl. Gene Crawford and fled the scene. 

Police located the driver of the Maxima a short time after the accident. The driver, Jennifer Karen Cook, was arrested and charged with two felonies. Charges include Hit & Run, Serious Injury by a Vehicle and Failure to Yield Left Turn. 

Cpl. Crawford is in stable condition but sustained two broken ankles, a broken leg and a fractured hip. He has been a motor officer for about 14 years.

SMYRNA, Ga. -- Crews will install a new pedestrian bridge on Spring Road in Smyrna this weekend, causing several traffic delays in the process.
Smyrna Police spokesman Ofc. Michael Smith says drivers should be aware of significant delays near the Concord and Spring road corridor.
Only...more one lane of the Spring Road Bridge will be open beginning at 7 a.m. Saturday. Police will establish a detour where drivers can take Village Parkway, Windy Hill Road and Atlanta Road to get where they need to go.
Police officers will be on hand to direct traffic and make sure everything goes smoothly during construction. However, drivers are still advised to avoid the area if possible.
Get more information about local traffic on the Smyrna Facebook page.

ACWORTH, Ga. -- Cobb County Police have made three more arrests in the beating death of Zachery Gamble, a 34-year-old Marine from Cobb County.

Tarell Winston Secrest and Jason Scott Hill, both of Marietta, and Arthur Lynell Batchelor of Acworth were arrested and detained Tuesday...more afternoon, in connection with Gamble's murder. 

Their arrests come one day after the arrest of 38-year-old Sean DGene Hall. 

RELATED | Comatose former Marine dies 

Hall, Secrest, Hill and Batchelor are currently being held, without bond, at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on charges of Aggravated Assault, Aggravated Battery and Murder. 

Investigators said witnesses talked about an altercation that took place between a group of people and Gamble after a friend's party at the Concord Chase Apartments in Smyrna; however, investigators have not determined the cause of the altercation. 

This investigation is on going and anyone with information is

SMYRNA, Ga. (WXIA) - The FBI is requesting help from the public in locating a suspect in they said was responsible for an attempted bank robbery at a Bank of America branch in Smyrna Monday.

Officials said at about 11:45, a lone black female entered the bank branch at 2475 South Cobb...more Drive and presented a note to a teller. The suspect then pointed a gun at the teller. FBI officials said that when the teller didn't respond, the suspect fled the bank without obtaining any money.

The suspect is described as black female, mid to late 30s in age, about 5-foot-5-inches tall, weighing about 150 pounds, wearing a black wig, off-white colored sweater and wearing dark sunglasses.

Anyone with information in connection with the suspect or with the robbery is asked to call the Atlanta FBI office at 404-679-9000.

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- Cobb County firefighters will soon be out in the community, boots in hand.
The annual Give Burns the Boot fundraising drive begins Friday and continues for the first three Fridays in May.
Money donated goes to the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation, which works to...more educate the public in burn awareness and prevention, and supports two burn centers in Georgia.
Some of the funds will also support Camp Oo-U-La, Georgia's only camp held exclusively for burn-injured children. In 2011, 94 children attended the camp, which is funded entirely by the Georgia Firefighters Burn Foundation.
Be sure to look around the community for your friendly local firefighters on May 4, 11 and 18.

SMYRNA, Ga. -- A Smyrna resident is revved up over her Georgia Lottery win.
Sandra Carpenter won the top prize playing the instant game Jeep Outdoor Adventure. Lottery representatives presented her with the keys to a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee, taxes paid, Thursday at Ed Voyles Chrysler Jeep...more Dodge in Marietta.
"I'm very excited," Carpenter, 48, said. "I'm just happy I'll be driving a new car."
Carpenter purchased her winning ticket at the Chevron Food Mart on South Cobb Drive in Smyrna. She scratched it in the store.
"I was shaking and crying. I was about to pass out," she said.
In addition to the Jeep, Carpenter also took home $25,000 to customize it.

ATLANTA -- Ted's Montana Grill has been named the Best Gluten-Free Restaurant Chain in the 2012 About.com Gluten-Free Readers' Choice Awards.
The restaurant chain, which was founded by Atlanta media mogul Ted Turner, began offering a gluten-free menu in 2005.
"Although we're known for...more our bison specialties, we try to feature options for many types of dietary needs," Chris Raucci, corporate chef for Ted's Montana Grill, said in a statement. "We're proud to be recognized for our gluten-free choices and plan to continue enhancing our gluten-free menu to offer new products."
Visit www.tedsmontanagrill.com to see the complete menu.
The About.com Readers' Choice Awards highlight some of the best features, products and services across a wide variety of topics. This year's Gluten-Free Readers' Choice Awards showcased gluten-free foods across six categories: bread, bread mixes, frozen pizza, pasta, cookies and restaurants.
Metro Atlanta Ted's Montana Grill locations

SMYRNA, Ga. -- A missing Smyrna teen has been found safe.

13-year-old Marquise Gee left home sometime before 2 p.m. Saturday, according to Smyrna Police spokesman Ofc. Michael Smith. He was reported missing at around 10 p.m., when family members became concerned that he hadn't returned home before dark.

SMYRNA, Ga. (WXIA) -- A 25 year-old mother and her two children were hit by a vehicle Monday morning as they were trying to cross Concord Road at McCauley in Smyrna.

Police said Lisa Stark was racing across the street to the bus stop when she and children were struck.

Stark...more suffered a broken ankle, but her children, ages 7 and 7 months, remain in Scottish Rite Hospital in fair condition.

No charges have filed and police are investigating.

With a daycare center at the corner, parents said they need to slow down the traffic and get a proper crosswalk on the roadway.

11Alive News took a look at the intersection of Concord and McCauley in Smyrna, where the Vinings Academy daycare center is located.

One woman trying to cross Concord Road in front of the center looked both ways before making a dash for it. The same thing happened a bit later with a mother trying to cross the street with her two children.

When Lisa Stark

SMYRNA, Ga. (WXIA) -- Smyrna Police say a mother and her two children were hit by a car while trying to cross the street Monday morning.

 

TRAFFIC JAM | Live traffic conditions, cameras

 

The accident happened at around 7:45 a.m. at Concord Road SE and...more Hollis Street.

The mother, 25-year-old Lisa Stark, told investigators she and the children, a five-year-old and a seven-month-old, were crossing Concord Road to get to a bus stop.

Stark said the older child distracted her by running ahead as they crossed the street. They were then hit by a Hyundai Santa Fe driven by 54-year-old Lawren Butcher.

Stark was taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital; the children were transported to Children's Healthcare of Atlanta at Egleston. All three of them survived the accident.

Smyrna Police spokesman Ofc. Michael Smith said speed was not a factor in the incident and that investigators are working to determine whether to file

SMYRNA, Ga. (WXIA) -- Zach Somerset, 21, and Shawn Thompson, 19, were on their way to get something to eat last Friday night when police say they saved a 15-year-old friend from being raped.

One week after it happened, they told 11Alive News they were walking along Church Street in...more Smyrna around 9 pm when it happened.

Walking behind them were a 15-year-old girl they knew and a man they had recently met at a homeless ministry.

But as they reached a parking lot entrance to a Chick-fil-A on South Cobb Drive, they noticed the other couple was missing.

Then they heard a horrific scream.

"It's one of the most traumatizing screams I've ever heard in my life; it made my blood chill," said Shawn Thompson.

Realizing their female friend was in trouble, they ran back the way they'd come, yelling in the dark for the girl to let them know where she was.

"I kept hollering, you know, 'Keep screaming so I can locate you, keep