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) and 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 a while. 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.

West Nile Virus Reported in Avondale Estates - Decatur-Avondale Estates Patch

The City of Avondale Estates just sent out an email to residents reporting that a mosquito carrying West Nile Virus (WNV) had been captured at Lake Avondale.

Beth Ruddiman of the DeKalb Board of Health said Tuesday afternoon that eight different traps in the county had positive readings, based on insects submitted for testing the first week of July.

Ruddiman said all those traps were inside the perimeter, but would not give the specific locations, citing department policy.