Week in Review: Dec. 18-24

Acworth Youth Wins NFL PP&K Atlanta Falcons Championship: Pete Derkay, an eighth-grader at , advanced through the first two levels of competition to move on to the Atlanta Falcons Team Championship en route to capturing the team championship challenge. Pete qualified to advance to the National Punt, Pass & Kick Championship that will be held during the upcoming 2012 NFL Playoffs at one of the league’s 32 stadiums.

‘Secret Santa' Movement Hits Acworth: Walmart shoppers at the Acworth store have been anonymously paying bills for layaway items during thisholiday season, 11Alive reported. Secret Santas usually request bills with holiday items such as toys and electronics, store managers told the TV station.

Video: Hero’s Walk of Honor: Wounded Marine and Frey Elementary School alumnus Lt. Cameron West was saluted by hundreds of students, teachers and parents at with a "Walk of Honor." The school adopted West's platoon last year and sent care packages to Afghanistan, where West was deployed. Although the Harrison High School graduate was injured in an IED explosion in October 2010, Frey continued to support West's platoon and his recovery during the past year.

Acworth Burglary Suspect Arrested: Acworth’s Jason Tyler Smith, 20, was charged in connection with the burglary of an Acworth residence, Clark Millsap said. Investigators said Smith and an accomplice broke into a residence on Pickeys Hollow in Red Top Mountain Estates on July 27 and stole several weapons from the home.

Acworth Residents Appointed to State Boards: Maxine McCullar and Earl E. Smith of Acworth were each named to state boards by Gov. Nathan Deal. McCullar was reappointed to the State Board of Nursing Home Administrators and Smith was appointed to the State Workforce Investment Board.

Update: Kennesaw Man Found Safe: Kennesaw resident Davonn Tyree Browder was found safe and returned to his family after Atlanta police found the 19-year-old. Browder, who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia,
was discovered in a park in the city around midnight after officers responded to a report of a suspicious person, Cobb County police reported.

3,300 More Working in Cobb: Cobb County’s unemployment rate continued to fall as the county jobless rate dropped 0.7 percentage point in November to 8.4 percent, according to preliminary figures the Georgia Department of Labor released. The rate improved from , and 9.7 percent in November 2010. According to the Labor Department figures, 3,300 more people were working in the county in November than in October, and the county added about 7,400 jobs in the past year.

Protect Your Home Over the Holidays: Acworth Police offered tips on keeping your home safe during the holidays. For residents who will be out of town, the vacation watch program allows citizens to submit requests online to have free house checks on their property by the department.