Monday Essentials: Decatur Schools Start This Week

Back to school. Yes, kids, summer is over.  The City Schools of Decatur will hold its first day of classes Thursday. Meet and greets with teachers are Wednesday. Atlanta schools resume classes Aug. 7, DeKalb County Aug. 12.

Andrea Sneiderman trial. Expect a media scrum around the DeKalb Justice Center this week. Andrea Sneiderman, widow of the man gunned down outside a Dunwoody daycare center, will go on trial, but not for murder. That charge was thrown out last week. She'll face about a dozen lesser counts.

Your favorite book. The Decatur Library will hold its Readers Choice session at 7 p.m. Wednesday. Book lovers can talk the books they'd recommend to others.

Hitting the note. On Tuesday, Twain's will hold its weekly jam session for local jazz musicians. Trumpeter Joe Gransden usually leads the way. Starts around 9 p.m. Free.

Beer festival grants. The Decatur Beer Festival raises a lot of money that's distributed to local nonprofits. If you'd like to apply for a grant, go to the festival website. The festival is held Oct. 19 and tickets go on sale at noon Sept.  16.