Man Shot, Killed; Missing Girl; Online Votes Help Paulding

A funeral was held Saturday for the man shot Wednesday by drug task force agents executing a warrant at a Nebo Road home. The man died Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday was identified by authorities, who added that the victim had pointed pepper spray at agents before being shot.

A Dallas girl has now been missing a month, and authorities believe she is in the metro Atlanta area.

A New York man who operated a motorcycle sustained injuries while a Dallas driver faces charges in the wake of a two-vehicle wreck Wednesday night in Dallas.

In Alabama, a Hiram man is facing a list of charges stemming from an investigation into multiple reports of breaking and entering of vehicles, many of them unlocked.

Paulding County could be the recipient of a big prize—a $500,000 dog park—if a Hiram woman receives enough online votes.

Speaking of prizes, the high school bands of Hiram and South Paulding are among 28 vying to win a contest to earn $5,000. Voting in the first round of the contest ends today—here’s how you can help.

Lastly, you can walk away with $5,000 if you can show us that you have the Best Halloween Costume in America. Twenty-one finalists—one from each Patch state—will each earn $250, with one finalist selected to win the $5,000 grand prize.

In related news, we hope you’ll heed these Halloween-season safety tips around the house and when going trick-or-treating.

And if you’re keeping Mini-Wheats cereal around your house, you may want to check to see if the box was one that was recently recalled by the Food and Drug Administration.

Early voting began Monday, and Paulding County voters took advantage of it in strong numbers on day one.

Speaking of elections, Patch users across the state continue to offer their opinions on the wake of last week’s debate between President Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney.

Real estate columnist C. Mark Willix shared with us some of the key factors in selling your home, while Local Voices blogger Allison Knight-Khan offered a sinus remedy that you may be able to find in your yard. And Kimberly Alexander, candidate for State House District 66, shared why she is against the charter schools amendment.

We continued to offer you timely stories for Breast Cancer Awareness Month, such as news on how healthy living can prevent breast cancer and details of a support group those with breast cancer can utilize. We also invite you to share your breast cancer-related stories with your fellow readers here.

And in other news:

• Eight establishments earned A’s in the latest round of food scores.
• We took a look at Paranormal Activity 4 in the latest “Dinner and a Movie” review.

You can keep up with all the news in Dallas and Hiram by subscribing to our free daily newsletter and breaking news alerts, liking us on Facebook and following us on Twitter. We also have apps for your Android or iPhone that can bring you news, our business listings, weather forecasts and more.