Suspicious Package, Vandal Death and Runaway Tortoise

– South Cobb Patch

A contractor working to repair a fence in Mableton made an alarming discovery Monday morning.

The man discovered a foul-smelling package marked "warning" and "radioactive.” The package was located in the carport of a nearby house.

Cobb Fire Lt. Daniel Dupree said Cobb Fire responded and isolated the area before calling the company listed on the box. The box was later determined to be empty.

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– West Cobb Patch

The man accused of shooting and killing Daniel Exum, 26, of Powder Springs last weekend did so because Exum was allegedly part of a group seeking to vandalize his brother's business, according to news reports.

On Friday night, Marvin Copeland was at the business, All Star Automotive in southern Fulton County, when neighbors heard gunshots, police told My Fox Atlanta. The neighbors didn’t report the incident until Saturday morning, and police found Exum’s body after arrival about 8:30 a.m., the station says.

Copeland, 46, of College Park is charged with murder, aggravated assault, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

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– Cumming Patch

It's not every day a tortoise goes missing from its home, that is, a 70-year-old, 155-pound tortoise.

But that's exactly what happened to a beloved family pet named Tortellini, an African Sulcata tortoise, owned by Elexis Hays and her family.

On Aug. 16, Tortellini wandered off from the wildlife rehabilitation farm he calls home located in the Matt Highway area of northwest Forsyth County.

The good news is that the giant tortoise was spotted in a neighborhood near the Hays' farm and was returned safely on Sunday afternoon.

"I'm not a sissy girl, but I cried like a big ol' baby when I got him back," said Hays.

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