Under the rainy skies of Decatur recently, bestselling author Frances Mayes was in town to discuss one of her latest books, "Every Day in Tuscany: Seasons of an Italian life." A native Georgian, Mayes has family in the local area and she will be speaking at Decatur First Baptist Church on Tuesday, March 15, at 7 p.m., at an event hosted by the Georgia Center for the Book.  Mayes is also the author of "Under the Tuscan Sun," which was made into a movie, and "Bella Tuscany," among her works of non-fiction. She is also a poet and fiction writer, including of "Swan," set in Georgia. The Decatur-…

Q: How did last week go? Overall, the week was a challenge for the entire community.  Major cold weather storms with snow and ice happen about once every 5 to 10 years. When that happens our emergency management staff team, which includes the city manager, our emergency management director, public safety staff, most public works staff and administrative staff report to work. We had crews starting on Sunday evening identifying and addressing roadways that needed attention. On Monday we equipped all of our police and fire vehicles as well as many public works vehicles with chains.  The city’s …

Clai Brown, city manager of Avondale Estates, discusses how the city weathered the snow and ice last week. Q: How did the week go? A: The week went extremely well.  We implemented our plan for this storm.  Our crews came in early Sunday and spent the night at Avondale city hall on air mattresses.  Emails were sent to our residents regarding preparation for the storm and what to do if they needed assistance.  Our public works associates prepared for the worst - with chain saws gassed up.  Our police officers were on duty 24/7 - as they always are - with officers reporting for duty before the …