News Nearby: Teen Allegedly Kills Mother, Kennesaw Mayor Called to Resign

Teen Allegedly Kills Mother

Update (8:00 a.m., Tuesday): According to a news release from the Cobb County Police Department, Damian Cornell Purdue McElrath has been charged with aggravated assault and murder in the death of Diane McElrath.

Update (10:25 p.m.): The victim has been identified as 58-year-old Diane McElrath. Her son, Damian Cornell Purdue McElrath, 18, has been charged with murder and aggravated assault. He is being held without bond in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

Update (6:15 p.m.): According to Cobb County Police Public Information Officer Sgt. Dana Pierce, officers from Precinct 5 responded to the residence at on Ashley Dr. NW at 1:43 p.m. Monday. Upon arriving at the scene, a male was found near the mailbox and detained. Shortly thereafter, police found the body of a woman inside the home.

Read more on Northeast Cobb Patch. 

Ermutlu Calls for Kennesaw Mayor's Resignation

The man who  earlier this month called for the mayor's resignation during Monday night's City Council meeting, which saw an unusually high attendance of about 50 people. 

David Ermutlu's complaint claims Mathews used city equipment for other business and that he has been facilitating meetings between his employer, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service, and City Manager Steve Kennedy.

Read more on Kennesaw Patch.  

House Rep Candidate Taylor Possibly Disqualified Due to Redistricting

Incumbent State Rep. Alisha Morgan (D-39) no longer has a challenger in her race.

Anne Taylor, the Mableton woman seeking Morgan's seat, may be disqualified now that redistricting has carved her home and others out of District 39, which includes Mableton, Austell and parts of Powder Springs. With the recent redistricting changes, Taylor now lives a quarter mile from District 39.

On Friday, Taylor appeared in an Atlanta courtroom for a hearing, where a judge will decide if Taylor can continue to run in her new district or if she will be disqualified from running for office completely this year.

"There's nothing I can do," Taylor told South Cobb Patch on Friday. "Just stay active in the community."

Read more on South Cobb Patch. 

Austell's Making Strides to Clean Up City 

Austell's newest city council member is making good on her campaign promises to help clean up the city so that it can attract new businesses.

On Wednesday, Austell City Council members and Mayor Joe Jerkins met to discuss solutions for cars without proper tags, tarps draped over improperly stored items and unkempt properties, according to the Marietta Daily Journal.

At-Large Post 2 City Councilwoman Suzanne Thomason called the meeting.

Thomason told South Cobb Patch that it's something she and others had been thinking of since January. 

Read more on South Cobb Patch.

Georgia Ranks 6th in Mortgage Fraud

The likelihood that fraud or misrepresentation is involved in a mortgage in Georgia is higher than 44 other states. Georgia ranked sixth in the Investigation Mortgage Fraud Index issued by Alpharetta-based LexisNexis Risk Solutions on July 13.

Distressed homeowner fraud is becoming more likely to be the source of the misrepresentation these days, displacing loan originating fraud, according to an FBI report.

The 2011 Investigation MFI dropped to 145 from 185 in 2010, according to the company's 14th annual Mortgage Fraud report. The report examines the current state of subscriber-verified residential mortgage fraud and misrepresentation in the U.S. committed by industry professionals who subscribe to the LexisNexis Mortgage Industry Data Exchange (MIDEX).

Read more on Acworth Patch.