New Movie Studio, 500 New Jobs: Top Good News Stories For 2017

GWINNETT COUNTY, GA — Police officers in Annapolis and Anne Arundel County stepped up to solve crimes and respond to concerns in their communities in ways big and small in 2017. Patch was there to chronicle some of the above-and-beyond steps the departments took this year, which included a search for a mother who left her baby on a doorstep, huge drug raids that took nearly a half-a-million-dollars worth of narcotics off the streets, and a whimsical plea for no more creepy clown sightings.

Here are the top Patch stories of police officers protecting and serving in 2017:

Two Gwinnett High Schools Ranked Most Challenging In Georgia

In May, two Gwinnett County high schools were ranked atop the state in a new ranking of the most challenging campuses in the country. The America's Most Challenging High Schools ranking, by the Washington Post, counts the number of Advanced Placement, International Baccalaureate and Advanced International Certificate of Education tests are given at a school each year, divided by the number of seniors that graduated that year.

New Movie Studio Opens In Peachtree Corners

The movie and TV boom in Georgia has brought a new business to Peachtree Corners. CineStage Atlanta, a full-service production company, opened its doors, in December, off of Jimmy Carter Boulevard near Peachtree Industrial Boulevard. Owned by Laura Huber, Matt Green, Roman Weaver and Matthew McGahren, the film studio was designed with independent filmmakers in mind.

Crawford Bringing 500 Jobs To Gwinnett

Crawford & Company, one of the world's largest independent claims management companies, announced in May it is moving its headquarters to Peachtree Corners. The move is expected to bring roughly 500 jobs to Gwinnett County and represents a $15 million investment over the next three years.

Six People Rescued From Apartment Fire on New Year's Eve

Six people were rescued from a burning apartment building in Lawrenceville last New Year's Eve, Jan. 1, 2017. Gwinnett County firefighters responded to the fire at Cherokee Court Apartments, on Stone Mountain Street, around 9:44 p.m. The blaze was brought under control by 10:20 p.m.

Image courtesy Crawford & Company