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No hot meals for prisoners
For five weeks, the Clayton County jail has been unable to serve hot meals because of broken equipment in the kitchen, Sheriff Kem Kimbrough said. On Monday, the AJC toured the jail with the sheriff and learned that the jail has been without four ovens and three skillets for about a year. Five weeks ago, the jail’s three kettles, which are used to cook rice and pasta, also went out.

Georgia Archives selling books
Photos: Georgia Archives in Morrow, Ga., holds book sale Nov. 19-21, 2009.

Lewis Academy highly popular
Photos: Lewis Academy, a charter elementary school in Riverdale (Clayton County), has just added 14 classrooms to handle the overflow of students.

Sand truck overturns on I-675
A truck carrying 80,000 pounds of sand overturned on I-675, snarling the morning rush hour.

Fire at Forest Park apartment complex
Photos: Fire at Waldorf Creek apartments in Forest Park, south of the city of Atlanta.

Town of Rex delights in Obama connection
Photos: Michelle Obama's ancestor, traced to Rex, Georgia, is seen as a boon for the small town, which has plans to restore some hundred-year-old buildings. Obama's ancestor was an enslaved girl named Melvinia, owned by Henry Shields.

Mother in baby-starving trial
Tessa Zelek, 25, is charged with nearly starving her 13 month old twins during closing arguments at the Clayton County Courthouse Thursday, October 1, 2009. The boys now 3, have since gained about 20 pounds and are healthy. Zelek is charged with two counts of cruelty to children, four counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor and two counts of forgery.

Habitat building frenzy = 8 homes by Friday
Nearly 300 volunteers from at least 30 states are working to finish 8 Habitat for Humanity houses in Jonesboro by Friday.

New dorm at Clayton State U
With the help of parents and friends, students moved into Clayton State University's new 450-bed Laker Hall on Thursday, Aug.t 13, 2009. This is campus' first dorm.

Riverdale woman pinned by car rescued
Paramedics and witnesses lift a car that fell on a Riverdale woman she was working on and then dragged her for 300 feet. She was airlifted to Grady Memorial Hospital.

Capping an uncertain year in Clayton
Clayton's Morrow High school holds graduation at georgia Dome, kicking off grad season for the school district that had a tumultuous year, including loss of accreditation and superintendent.

Superintendent finalist visits Clayton
Clayton County residents meet (and some union members protest) Edmond Heatley, a California superintendent and retired Marine at the school board offices in Jonesboro, , May 6, 2009. Heatley is the lone finalist for superintendent of Clayton County schools.

Boston College kids redo Morrow house
Photo: Boston College students with the nonprofit Volunteers for Communities clean and repair houses in Morrow for a disabled, elderly resident.

Protesters decry moving of slave graves
The NAACP and other organizations joined together to protest the moving of several hundred graves of slaves near Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.

Atlanta woman objects to moving graves
Betty Bowden, who lives in Southwest Atlanta, says the Clayton County Commission will disgrace her family members if it agrees to allow a historic African-American cemetery to be moved.

Atlantans pray for Mumbai siege victims
The Hindu Temple of Atlanta held a prayer vigil for the victims of the Mumbai terrorist attacks at the temple in Riverdale, Ga.

Community prays for Clayton schools
Community members, including Clayton County Superintendent John Thompson, gather at the Clayton County Justice Center in Jonesboro, Ga., for a prayer vigil on September 14, 2008. Clayton County schools have lost accreditation, so people came together to pray for the future of Clayton County.

Clayton school board doesn't meet after all
The three remaining members of the Clayton County school board called a meeting for Friday, but only one member showed up.

Clayton superintendent faces parents
Photos taken Sept. 2, 2008, of Clayton County Superintendent John Thompson speaking with parents on restoring SACS accreditation for the school district. Alexis High, a senior at Forest Park High School, was among those attending the meeting

Timeline: Clayton schools lose accreditation
How did Clayton lose its accreditation? The story began in November of 2007.

Historic houses moved to Morrow to become shopping district
Photos: Historic houses are moved from elsewhere in Georgia to the city of Morrow to create a new shopping district near Southlake Mall and i-75.

Barber business gets on a roll
Creative Connections Mobile Barbershop is a mobile hair styling business that visits metro area senior centers.

Board of Education hopefuls take questions
Candidates for the Clayton County Board of Education answer questions at Clayton State University for a Candidate Forum hosted by the AJC and WSB-TV on June 22, 2008.

Clayton's Class of '08
Clayton's Jonesboro High was among those to hold graduation ceremonies this weekend.

Ellenwood neighborhood trashed by storm
Early morning storms damaged parts of Ellenwood, Ga., including the Katherine Village neighborhood, and residents try to clean up.

Clayton School Board: Should they stay or go?
Clayton School Board: Staying or going?

Clayton board meets angry parents
A Clayton County School Board member who does not live in the county was voted off the board Monday night, just hours after another member resigned. Police escorted board member Norreese Haynes from his seat amid the cheers of 1,500 emotional and vocal residents worried about a possible accreditation loss.

Clayton protest against school board
Several hundred protesters turned out Saturday to demand changes on the Clayton County School Board as the district faces the possibility of losing its accreditation.

Clayton County builds an oasis
Clayton County's constructed wetlands and biologically treated wastewater as a way of freeing Clayton residents from the drought woes.