Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb Library Director Helen Poyer (holding check) with staff in April, when the system was recognized for being named the Georgia Library of the Year by the Georgia Public Library Service.
Helen Poyer, who has been the director of the Cobb County Public Library System since 2009, is retiring from her post.
On Thursday, Cobb commissioners will be asked to approve her successor.
According to an agenda item for Thursday’s meeting, Chairwoman Lisa Cupid is recommending that Keith Schuermann, director of the Harris-Troup Regional Library System in LaGrange, be hired for the position.
Under Poyer’s leadership, the 15-branch Cobb library system has undergone a number of expansions and constructed new facilities, including the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center and the replacement Gritters Library, which opened recently.
Those two East Cobb branches are conducting operations with Cobb PARKS to spearhead expanded services and programs.
Sewell Mill offers art and spacemaker classes to the public and conducts events in a blackbox theatre.
The new Gritters Library is housed with the Northeast Cobb Community Center and CobbWorks, the county’s workforce development agency.
Earlier this year, the Cobb library system was named the library of the year by the Georgia Public Library Service “for its commitment to serving its community by partnering with numerous organizations within its county and statewide, and for efforts to expand access to materials and essential services to its community.”
Other library branches in East Cobb, include the East Cobb Library at Parkaire Landing and the Mountain View Regional Library.
Poyer began in Cobb at the South Cobb Library in 2006 before becoming the system’s director three years later.
Schuermann has been in his present role since 2012 and has been a librarian since 2003. He started his library career in the Cleveland, Ohio, area, followed by stints at libraries in Cape Coral, Fla., and Gwinnett County.
He would begin his duties in Cobb on Dec. 2, according to Thursday’s agenda item (you can read it here).
Thursday’s meeting was moved up from next Tuesday due to the Thanksgiving holiday next week.
Also on the meeting agenda (you can read it here) is adoption of the county’s 2025 legislative agenda and a variety of code amendments.
But zoning-related proposals, including one that would allow for accessory dwelling units, have been withdrawn and will not be considered.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. Thursday in the second floor board room of the David Hankerson Cobb Office Building (100 Cherokee St., Marietta).
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up and you’re good to go!
Chief Magistrate Judge Brendan F. Murphy has appointed Norman Barnett and Mellori Lumpkin-Dawson and re-appointed Judge Jennifer Inmon to serve as full-time Magistrate judges for the upcoming term. Those appointed were selected after an open application and interview process from a competitive field of well-qualified candidates.
“This top-notch team brings together sharp minds, hearts dedicated to service, and excellent legal experience,” said Judge Murphy. “Norman, Mellori, and Jennifer are people of genuine character with demonstrated records of hard work who will follow the law and truly listen to the people we serve. I’m excited for them to build on our work of increasing access to justice for our Cobb community.”
The Magistrate Court operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year, with a heavy criminal and civil caseload. Known as the People’s Court, the Magistrate Court provides an easily accessible forum to resolve disputes for tens of thousands of self-represented litigants annually. Presiding over initial hearings in most criminal cases, the Court also plays an essential role in considering public safety and the accused’s Constitutional rights. The Court’s 90-member team is committed to welcoming warmly, helping efficiently, and hearing fairly.
Norman Barnett
Norman Barnett currently serves as an Assistant U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, where he handles both criminal and civil matters. He has previously served as a Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Cobb County DA’s anti-gang unit and felony prosecutor in Douglas County. Mr. Barnett began his legal career in private practice, handling a wide variety of civil matters.
“I am grateful for the trust placed in me to serve as a Magistrate judge,” said Mr. Barnett, “I look forward to working alongside my colleagues to serve the Cobb County community in this role.”
Mr. Barnett is a proud “Double Dawg,” graduating twice from the University of Georgia where he played with the Redcoat Marching Band. He is a leader with the State Bar’s High School Mock Trial program and uses his musical talents in the Atlanta Bar Association’s popular “Courthouse Line” productions. Mr. Barnett resides in Smyrna with his family.
Mellori Lumpkin-Dawson
Mellori Lumpkin-Dawson is a skilled litigator with a large, global law firm. She has previously served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney and Civil Elder Justice Coordinator for the Northern District of Georgia. Before entering public service, Ms. Lumpkin-Dawson handled complex litigation with her current firm and another large international law firm.
“I am honored to be appointed to the Cobb County Magistrate Court,” said Ms. Lumpkin-Dawson, “I look forward to serving the citizens of Cobb County and ensuring fairness, transparency, and accessibility to the Court.”
A graduate of Florida A&M University and the University of California Berkeley Law School, Ms. Lumpkin-Dawson is active in the profession and community. She serves as a Board member of the Georgia Appellate Practice & Educational Resource Center and Ebenezer Baptist Church Missionary Union. Ms. Lumpkin-Dawson is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and resides in Smyrna with her family.
Judge Jennifer Inmon
Judge Jennifer Inmonhas distinguished herself on the Cobb Magistrate Court bench for 25 years. Before serving full-time, she also managed her private practice for two decades. Judge Inmon started her legal career at the People’s Court as a law clerk to then-Chief Magistrate Judge Vic Reynolds.
“It has been my privilege to have served the Magistrate Court of Cobb County as a Magistrate Judge,” said Judge Inmon, “I am humbled by the confidence Judge Murphy has placed in me by reappointing me as a full-time judge, and I appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve the citizens of this community as a member of the People’s Court.”
Judge Inmon is a knowledgeable leader in the statewide Council of Magistrate Court Judges. She currently serves as Chair of the Rules Committee and as a member of the Benchbook Committee. Judge Inmon previously served as District Representative for the 7th Judicial District. She is a frequent instructor and mentor judge with the Magistrate Court Training Council. Judge Inmon is a Wittenburg University and Vanderbilt University School of Law graduate. She resides in East Cobb with her family.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Michele Swann, General Manager & CEO of the Cobb-Marietta Coliseum & Exhibit Hall Authority, has announced that she will leave her leadership position effective December 31, 2024.
In her role with the Authority since 1995, Swann has been responsible for the administrative oversight and strategic growth of the Cobb Galleria Centre, Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, Galleria Specialty Shops and ArtsBridge Foundation. An announcement about a new General Manager and CEO will be made in early December.
“Michele deserves all the credit for her steady leadership and execution of the Authority’s vision – among other things – to develop the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre, create the ArtsBridge Foundation, launch the capital plan to construct the performing arts center, guide the operations through a pandemic and oversee the design and programming for the renovation and expansion of the Cobb Galleria Centre,” said Jerry Nix, Chairman of the Authority. “She has been a watchful steward of the Authority’s assets, and the longevity and tenure of her staff is a testament to her quiet, humble leadership.”
Connie Engel, Chairwoman of the Authority’s Personnel Committee, said, “I struggle adequately finding the right words, but we at the Authority (and moreover those of us in Cobb County) are extremely grateful to Michele for the dedication and heart she has put into everything she has done over the last 29 years, including the years spent integrating the Cobb Galleria campus and parking with the new Braves development. Her leadership has resulted in a successful partnership with the Atlanta Braves, Cobb County and other area stakeholders.”
A 40-year veteran of the venue management industry, Swann has opened, operated, and expanded a variety of facilities including convention centers, arenas and performing arts centers in Atlanta, College Park, Ga., Augusta, Ga., and Niagara Falls, N.Y.
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Proposed changes at MBCA include a second traffic access point on Post Oak Tritt Road and relocating sports facilities. For a larger view click here.
As Mt. Bethel Christian Academy prepares to relocate, the private school has been developing a master plan to build out what has been its high school campus on Post Oak Tritt Road.
On Tuesday, MBCA went before Cobb commissioners to sign off on the proposal, which contain some major changes.
But commissioners voted 5-0 Tuesday to hold the request (you can read it here) until December following some community opposition.
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb said she wanted to conduct a “walk through” of the campus and meet with nearby residents who say they’re already enduring noise issues.
During a zoning hearing, MBCA attorney Kevin Moore said the master plan would add a second traffic access point on Post Oak Tritt and relocate an existing swimming pool and tennis courts from the east side of the property to a central location, near other sports facilities.
That’s part of a larger plan to construct permanent classrooms on the 33-acre site, where MBCA has operated a high school since 2014. The current enrollment in grades 9-12 is around 200, but permanent two-story buildings have been proposed to accommodate future growth and expansion.
The school was started by Mt. Bethel Church in 1998 but became a separate entity in 2021, right before before the church’s departure from the United Methodist Church. Since then, the academy has leased space from the church for Grades K-8 on its grounds on Lower Roswell Road.
But last year, Mt. Bethel Church decided to terminate the school’s lease by 2028, prompting the academy to find new facilities.
MBCA purchased the land on Post Oak Tritt Road, near Holly Springs Road, in 2013 from the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, which operated a day-care campus there. Currently, the maximum approved capacity is for 625 students.
MBCA will be moving middle school grades there, and the continued build-out of the property has brought it back before the county, and with nearby community opposition.
Commissioners approved a site plan change in 2022 to allow for athletic fields and as MBCA agreed to create an 85-foot undisturbed buffer between the field and nearby homes. MBCA also agreed to develop a master plan.
At Tuesday’s zoning hearing, Moore said that MBCA has planted an additional 200 trees in that buffer area, which is adjacent to Alberta Drive north of the school property.
Some responses to MBCA plans have indicated that that the school “has been a bad neighbor,” Moore said. “We don’t think that’s true.”
Alberta Drive resident Gary Hughes
He said other public high schools in Cobb County are in residential neighborhoods, and “they’ve all thrived, because they have a school in their neighborhood.”
But Alberta Drive resident Gary Hughes responded by saying that “thousands of trees were removed,” and that he and his neighbors have been subject to consistent noise disruptions stemming from the increased sports activities.
With an Olympic-sized swimming pool and tennis courts moving closer to his property line, he fears there may be even more noise.
“We’ve been forced to accept the football field,” Hughes said, adding that “we’re David against Goliath.”
Richard Grome of the East Cobb Civic Association said MBCA hasn’t reapplied for an expired special land-use permit for the modular classrooms, among other issues.
“The applicants believe they can do whatever they want on their property with no consequences,” he said, calling the master plan proposal “nothing more than labeled rectangles on a piece of paper.”
Birrell said that she checked with Cobb code enforcement and learned that only one noise complaint has been issued, in 2013, so new complaints were news to her.
Commissioners will reconsider the matter at their Dec. 17 zoning hearing.
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An East Cobb massage business that has been closed since August in the wake of allegations of improper operations will remain closed for another nine months.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners last Tuesday voted 5-0 to extend the suspension of the business license of Top Massage (2200 Roswell Road, Suite 150) until August 2025.
Like another East Cobb massage business whose license was revoked in July, Top Massage is accused by the Cobb Community Development Agency’s Business License Division of not having properly licensed therapists on staff or premises (list of alleged violations).
The business license officials and Cobb Police visited Top Massage on April 10 and found two employees working there—one of them performing a message—who had health spa permits but not the required state massage therapist license.
There also wasn’t a state licensed therapist at the business at the time, according to the business license division.
Elisia Webb, the head of the business license division, said there wasn’t a record of treatments at Top Massage as is required, nor was there a list of employees or proof of certification.
Top Massage, she said, was “not licensed or permitted to perform massages in any shape, form or fashion.”
According to testimony at the hearing, the only licensed therapist who had been at the business has returned to China.
Michael Faniletti, the attorney for Top Massage owner Zhe Han, stated that his client voluntarily closed the business when he realized the situation, and has filed a new application for a health spa with a licensed therapist he’s planned to hire.
“All these things have been corrected,” Falinetti told commissioners. A permanent revocation, he added, “would be a harsh penalty. He [Zhe] missed some things and he can see that, but a 90-day voluntary suspension should be considered.”
Sam Hensley, attorney for the business license division, said that “technically, there is no license now.” The Board of License Review had recommended a 60-day suspension that Zhe appealed.
Faniletti said a state-approved licensee “is waiting in the wings” and that his client “would open only with that new licensee.”
Zhe told commissioners he signed a five-year lease on the space where the business is located, and said he has corrected mistakes.
But Commissioner JoAnn Birrell wasn’t sympathetic in making a motion to extend the suspension for a full year—the same duration as Asian Wellness Massage on Canton Road in July.
“These cases we don’t take lightly,” she said. “There’s no excuse not to know the law and our code.”
She said that “there are too many violations here” and wondered how the mistakes have been corrected “if you’ve been closed.”
Under the terms of the decision, Top Massage would be allowed to reapply for a business license in August 2025.
Cobb is currently observing a moratorium on issuing new health spa licenses, following requests from county officials to review those regulations. That moratorium continues through the end of the year.
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The Atlanta Braves are reaffirming their dedication to the youngest fans in Braves Country with the new Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Park opening ahead of the 2025 season. Located in the Left Field Plaza between Truist Park’s Left Field Gate and Third Base Gate, the 30,000 square foot family space will measure over two times the size of the existing Hope & Will’s Sandlot. The new Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Park will be open on gamedays and accessible from The Battery Atlanta for non-gameday events and activities.
Features of the new Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Park will include:
More than 30,000 square-feet of space dedicated to creating a safe and fun experience for kids of all ages.
Reimagined kids’ zone with fan-favorite rock-climbing tower and other interactive play experiences.
BLOOPER’s Clubhouse for fans to meet BLOOPER and take photos during the game.
Hope & Will’s Sandlot, a kid-sized ball field featuring a scaled model of Truist Park’s outfield wall for organized and pick-up games.
Great lawn with seating to play and relax.
Collapsible batting cages for fans of all ages to practice their swing.
A 480-square foot video board on the Delta Deck will allow families to play without missing any of the Braves action.
Dedicated concessions and kid-focused merchandise as well.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
CYP Cultivate, the Cobb Chamber’s newest leadership development program, has selected 51 new participants for the 2024-2025 class. Through a series of skills development workshops and one-on-one pairings with seasoned mentors, this six-month leadership program helps young professionals grow as leaders, excel in their careers, and make impactful connections in the community.
Congratulations to the 2024 Class:
Will Albers Gas South
Andrew Allison Kennesaw State University
Avery Arnold Brasfield & Gorrie
Leah Barton LoRusso Law Firm
Georgia Beggs Win-Tech, Inc.
Jacob Bower City of Smyrna Fire Department
Evan Burnett Chattahoochee Technical College
Tiara Chambliss JE Dunn Construction
Kelly Daniels Wellstar Health System
London Demetriou BIS Benefits
DeChino Duke Polsinelli/100 Black Men of North Metro Atlanta
Carson Earnest Delta Airlines
Danny Fischer City of Marietta Fire Department
Katie Guice Cobb Chamber of Commerce
Milad Jabbari Hemophilia of Georgia
Crystal Jordan Cobb County School District
Avery Maddox Cobb Electric Membership Corporation
Katherine Markey Atlanta Braves
Tori O’Bryant Northside Hospital Cherokee
Zack Orr Kimley-Horn & Associates
Jared Rakestraw Marietta Police Department
Timothy Ray Cobb Travel & Tourism
Josh Smith All Contractor Marketing
Lily Smith City of Mableton
Abby Smith Visit Marietta
Alena Urruzmendi Proda Technology
Mentors include:
Allan Bishop Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Edith Boy Edward Jones
Tripp Boyer Boyer Ramey Wealth Management
Angelo Brown Shepherding Leaders
Littie Brown SpeedPro Marietta
Melissa Cantrell CDH Partners
Stewart Carlin Accounting Consultants of Cobb
Kris Delaney Cobb EMC
Joy Doss The Doss Firm
Allison Giddens Win-Tech
Brittney Gray Visit Marietta
Arnold Huffman Yalo!
Kevin Hyland Sweetwater Financial
Fitz Johnson Public Service Commission
Don Keller Don Keller Coaching, LLC
Brian Marcos Smyrna Fire Department
Jesus Martinez Peach Tree Commercial Capital
Mazi Mazloom Mazloom Law Firm
Holly Quinlan Cobb Travel & Tourism
Dena Rodrigues Daniel Corporation
Amanda Seals Cobb Chamber
Jeremy Strife Atlanta Braves
Tracy Styf Town Center CID
Roz Tucker Atlanta Regional Commission
Andrew Walker Colliers International
CYP Cultivate is sponsored by Presenting Sponsor, Cobb EMC, and CYP Cultivate Champion Sponsors, The Mazloom Law Firm LLC and Wellstar Health System. For more information about this program, contact Rebecca Chadwick at rchadwick@cobbchamber.org.
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Nearly a decade after an East Cobb couple was found shot to death in a remote part of middle Georgia, a man suspected in the case pleaded guilty to the killings on Monday.
Ronnie Adrian “Jay” Towns entered the plea in a Telfair County courtroom for the January 2015 murders of Bud and June Runion.
Judge Sarah Wall, who sentenced Towns to life in prison without the possibility of parole, said “it’s been 10 long years,” according to Macon TV station WMAZ.
Towns, from Telfair County, had been scheduled for a court hearing two weeks ago but his attorneys got a postponement.
The Runions left their home in East Cobb on Jan. 15, 2015 in response to a posting on Craigslist to buy a 1966 Ford Mustang that Bud Runion had been interested in buying.
The Runions were reported missing by their daughters the following day, and four days later their bodies were found on a rural road, not far from where their vehicle was spotted in a pond near McRae, 75 miles south of Macon.
Authorities said the Runions had been robbed and shot in the head, but a murder weapon had not been found. Towns, then 28, turned himself in and was charged with murder and armed robbery.
But his murder indictment was overturned in 2019 by the Georgia Supreme Court, upholding a lower court ruling of improper jury selection.
Towns was re-indicted in 2020, but the case languished in the courts after that.
Earlier this year, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said it had found new evidence from a citizen, who discovered a rifle while fishing at a creek near the murder scene.
GBI investigators returned to the scene found a bag and driver’s licenses and credit cards belonging to Bud and June Runion, and a cell phone thought to belong to them. Investigators also executed a search of a home where Towns had been living.
Towns was to have gone on trial in August.
According to the WMAZ report, Towns pleaded guilty to two counts of malice murder Monday morning and the judge said “it’s pretty obvious that the Runions were special people. This was a very senseless act.”
The slain couple’s daughters were in the courtroom on Monday. Daughter Stephanie Bishop said of her parents, according to the TV station, that “we miss them terribly. I was hoping so hard to be able to call my dad…. [But] they were taken from us.”
The Runions lived off Holly Springs Road and were married for 38 years. According to their obituaries, in 1991 the Runions founded Forever Greatful Ministries, which helps families in need in the Marietta area. Bud Runion was retired from AT & T and June Runion was a preschool teacher at Johnson Ferry Christian Academy.
They were longtime members of Mt. Paran Church of God North on Allgood Road.
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We are sorry to announce that the Marietta Studio is no longer hosting workshops and will be closed indefinitely.
We have sent cancellation emails to all customers who had an upcoming event. In addition, refunds have been processed to all customers affected by the sudden closure.
We certainly hope you will visit one of our other wonderful Bb studios hosting festive events! Here is a link to find the location nearest you!
Thank you for being a valued Bb customer! If you have questions, please email hello@boardandbrush.com
ORIGINAL REPORT:
The East Cobb location of the Board and Brush Creative Studio will be closing on Dec. 28, according to a social media posting.
The announcement came on Thursday, and said that customers who have a rebook code, store credit, or gift certificate please should contact the store immediately “so that we can review options with you for the use of these items or if a refund is appropriate.”
Board and Brush is a nationwide company offering DIY wood decor and crafts workshops geared mainly for a female clientele.
The East Cobb location was initially at Woodlawn Commons, then moved to 2323 Shallowford Road in a retail center at Trickum Road.
The store message on Thursday said that its e-mail address (marietta-eastcobb@boardandbrush.com) and telephone number (770-599-2660), “will remain active for the next few weeks. We regret any inconvenience this may cause. We have enjoyed our time in Marietta-East Cobb and we thank you for letting us be a part of your community.”
The store is “a first of its kind in Cobb County,” specializing in books and featuring “a whimsical and serene literary sanctuary where we encourage the importance of reading books that inspire your well-being.”
Topics include emotional, physical, mental, spiritual, financial, cultural and environmental wellness.
Activities will feature author signing events, musical book reads, spoken wellness word gatherings and wellness book clubs.
The store also will sell wellness-related gifts and apparel and includes a children’s reading room.
The owner is Dr. Viola Lanier, a former school teacher who founded a non-profit for women cancer survivors.
NCBA November luncheon
Cobb District Attorney Flynn Broady is the guest speaker at the Nov. 20 monthly luncheon of the Northeast Cobb Business Association.
The event is from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road) and the cost is $20 for members and $35 for non-members. Info and registration: Click here.
Holiday business parties
The East Cobb Business Association is holding its holiday social on Tuesday, Dec. 3 from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at the Wellstar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road). The cost is $10 for members and a member guest, and $15 for non-members.
The NCBA’s Alive After Five holiday event is Thursday, Dec. 5, at Marlow’s Tavern (745 Chastain Road, Kennesaw.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Submitted information from The Center for Family Resources:
Melanie Kagan, executive director, The Center for Family Resources
Last year, more than 1,000 households in our county were homeless and seeking shelter or housing services. Thirty percent of those households were families with minor children. That’s nearly 700 children without a safe place to lay their head. Unfortunately, this doesn’t account for the additional 800 households that are living in extended-stay motels or bouncing from one temporary housing situation to another. The sad truth is that homelessness in Cobb County is increasingly becoming a family problem that is disproportionately impacting children.
Stable housing is the first step toward achieving long-term success for families. When we improve family stability, it enhances our community stability. Keeping that in mind, and during National Homelessness Awareness Month, it is important to share some contributing factors that may lead a family or individual to become unhoused in Cobb County.
The causes of housing instability and homelessness can be complicated. Humans are complicated. It can stem from something sudden and unexpected, like a job loss, a separation or divorce, an illness, or death. Or it can be the result of generational poverty, lack of family support, or lifelong struggles with mental illness. At The CFR, we see Cobb County families who struggle for all these reasons and more when they reach out to us for help; however, there are factors unique to our county that amplify these challenges.
One of the main obstacles is Cobb County’s lack of affordable housing. The median rent here is $1,700 for a two-bedroom apartment, an increase of 39 percent from 2019-2023. Couple this with a 5.6 percent vacancy rent in the county—compared to the national average of 9.6 percent and Georgia’s 10 percent— it can make is nearly impossible to find a vacant, much less affordable property.
Other factors to housing insecurity include our county’s lack of reliable public transportation. This requires many people to own their own vehicle. To add to this cost burden, Georgia is the number one highest-rated state for car insurance premiums. In addition, with 29 percent of Cobb County households earning less than $60K/year, some 51 percent of Cobb County renters are housing cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30 percent of their income on rent. These are unsustainable for our lower-income households.
While the challenges seem daunting, The CFR works tirelessly to stabilize the lives of children and families who are homeless or who are in danger of becoming homeless. We offer an alternative to congregate care with our short-term housing program where families have the privacy they need to regroup and focus on the future. In addition, our transitional housing program allows families to stabilize over a longer period of time to overcome barriers to obtaining permanent housing. The wraparound services we offer—such as job training, financial literacy, and life skills—address some of the root causes of homelessness. Our preventive efforts like financial assistance, the choice pantry, the housing stability court/eviction diversion program and our savings incentive program are aimed at stopping what can otherwise become a cycle of homelessness.
Together, through The Cobb Homeless Alliance and our network of agency partners, we are working to create a system of care that addresses all levels of homelessness. We are looking at opportunities to create public/private partnerships to retain and sustain an affordable housing inventory. We are seeking incentives for builders using tax-credits, and we are working with churches, schools, philanthropists, and business owners to create an infrastructure that provides safe and accessible housing for residents across the income spectrum.
Supporting agencies like ours can have an immediate impact on those experiencing housing instability. However, strategically investing in affordable housing initiatives and developing programs designed to increase a family’s self-sufficiency and decrease their reliance on assistance programs can significantly decrease the number of children experiencing homelessness.
It is important to remember that behind every statistic is a family, a child, and a real-life struggle to make ends meet. It is only when the community comes together to support families that we can change the trajectory of their lives and provide hope for their futures.
Melanie Kagan is the CEO for The Center for Family Resources (CFR), an organization that provides support for children and families who face homelessness in Cobb County. To learn more about The CFR or to donate to support its efforts, please visit TheCFR.org.
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Two schools in East Cobb were recognized by the Cobb Board of Education Thursday for earning STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) certifications.
Sedalia Park Elementary School and Sprayberry High School were among the latest Cobb County School District schools that have completed STEM certifications for the district and Cognia, the district’s accrediting agency.
More than 50 schools in the Cobb school district are STEM-certified (criteria here), including Addison ES, Bells Ferry ES, Blackwell ES, Brumby ES, Davis ES, Dodgen MS, East Cobb MS, East Side ES, Eastvalley ES, Garrison Mill ES, Hightower Trail MS, Lassiter HS, Mabry MS, McCleskey MS, Mountain View ES, Pope HS, Rocky Mount MS, Shallowford Falls ES, Simpson MS, Sope Creek ES, Tritt ES, Walton HS and Wheeler HS in East Cobb.
National STEM Day was observed on Nov. 8, and the Sedalia Park and Sprayberry students had their photographs taken at the Cobb school board meeting with board members and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale.
In addition, Sprayberry teacher Dr. Hannah Oldham was recognized for being named the Air and Space Forces Association STEM Teacher of the Year.
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The last of the $147 million that Cobb County government received in federal American Rescue Plan Act funds will go toward addressing stormwater issues.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to spend the final sum of $3 million on a variety of stormwater projects.
The vote was 4-1 with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid opposed. An agenda item and discussion at the meeting didn’t specify the stormwater work to be done, but stated that those with “critical” needs would be prioritized.
Cupid preferred distributing the money to community non-profits to help those with housing needs, but her colleagues agreed that another longstanding issue that has galvanized public attention in recent months needed to be addressed.
The county had to earmark the funding by the end of the year—the deadline the U.S. government set for using the COVID-era relief money.
After months of contentious meetings, commissioners voted in July to table a proposal by Cupid to establish a stormwater utility fee.
“There’s definitely a need everywhere, but I think that with the balance, I’m for keeping it in county departments,” District 3 Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb said.
Cobb Financial Officer Bill Volckmann said that more than $80 million of the county’s ARPA allocation has gone for housing-related needs, and the rest mainly went to county government departments and agencies.
The Cobb County Water System drafted a proposal to change the way the county charges property owners for stormwater services.
Currently, they pay for that according to water usage. Switching to a formula based on amount of impervious surfaces would range from charging $2 to $12 a month for most residential customers, according to water system calculations.
Birrell and Commissioner Keli Gambrill of District 1 in North Cobb have been opposed to the fee, which some critics called a “rain tax.”
Cobb Water System director Judy Jones has said the current system isn’t enough to pay for what’s needed to maintain the county’s aging stormwater infrastructure.
Following a heated town hall meeting in East Cobb in March, and at other venues, commissioners shelved the proposal, and no timetable has been announced for bringing it back.
“That’s something that we can’t continue to not address,” said District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield of South Cobb, who supported using the ARPA funds for stormwater work.
“Those issues are real and they’re impacting people.”
District 2 Commissioner Jerica Richardson noted that surveys sent out to the public reflected that stormwater and housing were the top needs that were stated.
But Cupid said the continuing stormwater issues mean that the county will have to continue to look for ways to generate recurring revenue for those purposes.
“I don’t want to give anyone the impression that we’re resolving Cobb County’s stormwater needs through this agenda item.”
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up and you’re good to go!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
“It’s clear people want to hear what we have to say,” Watching the Funds-Cobb leader Heather Tolley-Bauer said.
Cobb Board of Education election results last week ensured that a 4-3 Republican majority will continue for the next two years.
But critics of the board and the Cobb County School District, including a Democratic candidate who ran for a seat in East Cobb, vowed that they will continue to speak out.
Following public comments at board meetings Thursday, Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale delivered another broadside at those whom he accused of having a political agenda, including school book removals, spending and finance matters, school board redistricting and school safety.
“I would ask this of our critics,” Ragsdale said in reading from prepared remarks. “The election is over. Perhaps you could take a break from the political rhetoric and false allegations for just a bit, allowing us to perform the duties Cobb County expects of us—providing its children with a world-class education in a safe environment.”
He said some of those critics, especially those who have faulted the district for its response to the deadly school shooting in Barrow County, are making false claims about what can be discussed in public, and that its decision to hire a private intelligence firm without going through a formal contractual vote in public violates state procurement laws.
“In the past four years, more activists than can be named or remembered have attempted to take control of your children’s education and our schools,” he said. “While there is a time and place for political debates, they never have a place in our schools.”
Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale said some of the district’s critics have “a goal requiring unreasoning criticism of everything the district attempts to do, regardless of whether the critic knows anything about it. “
Republicans held all three Cobb school board seats that the GOP had held going into the elections, including an open seat in East Cobb in Post 5, where John Cristadoro defeated Democrat Laura Judge.
In two of those races, Democrats fielded candidates who’ve been involved in groups that have been vocal against district and Republican school board leadership.
One of them is Judge, who has been part of Watching the Funds-Cobb, a citizens watchdog group that scrutinizes district finances and spending.
At a work session Thursday, Judge said the Cobb school district needs to demonstrate greater transparency in a variety of ways, including re-establishing parent advisory councils at the school level, and to conduct town halls.
She said the board is too accommodating to “the one employee” who directly answers to it—the superintendent.
“I urge you to stop being a rubber stamp and get back to why you originally ran for your seat, versus holding a party line,” she told school board members during a public comment period.
“I will be advocating relentlessly for policies that truly benefit our children. I will be here to make sure the board upholds its responsibilities, and I’m not going anywhere.”
Heather Tolley-Bauer, a Watching the Funds-Cobb leader and East Cobb resident, followed Judge by saying that the group will continue to monitor district fiscal activities.
The group was outspoken against a proposed $50 million special activities center that the school board dropped from consideration after Watching the Funds-Cobb obtained a site plan the district had not publicly revealed.
She said Watching the Funds-Cobb—which has nearly 3,000 followers on its Facebook page—sent out an e-mail about that issue that reached more than 6,500 people, and had a high click-through rate.
“It’s clear people want to know what we have to say,” she said. “While we don’t have the power to put tens of thousands of messages” to parents as the district does through its online portal, “we don’t need it. Our reach is growing fast.”
She referenced an East Cobb News report quoting Cristadoro as “acknowledging the need for improvement in academics, transparency and public communication by the board. We’re optimistic.
“We’re here to stay, and we’re bringing more Cobb parents with us every day.”
At Thursday night’s board meeting, Watching the Funds-Cobb member Stacy Efrat, also of East Cobb and a Democratic appointee to the Cobb Elections Board, echoed those sentiments.
But Ragsdale countered those criticisms by saying his detractors have “a different—and competing—perspective” about what the district’s priorities should be.
“Some believe schools should spend time and money on a whole variety of ideas that have nothing to do with keeping students safe or the knowledge necessary to prepare them for a life of success,” he said. “It is a vision in which parents and the social and religious beliefs in a child’s home are seen as barriers to overcome rather than partners.
“It is a vision built entirely on the goal of disrupting the educational environment, with little to no concern about how it affects and impacts children, families, or educators. It is a goal requiring unreasoning criticism of everything the district attempts to do, regardless of whether the critic knows anything about it.”
On Friday morning, Ragsdale’s critics pushed back with sarcasm.
Micheael Garza of East Cobb, a Democratic candidate for State House 46 and a member of the Cobb Community Care Coalition, another group opposed to district leadership, responded on social media by translating Ragsdale’s comments in mocking fashion:
“How dare you question us about spending money on keeping our kids safe using secret military intelligence from a company that did not exist a few months ago and that has never used this technology in a school.”
And also:
“‘Can’t you all just go away?’ Says leader of district currently under a new lawsuit for violating the first amendment rights of parents who were denied the right to speak.”
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up and you’re good to go!
A Gritters Library patron browses the shelves at the new facility, located adjacent to the old library at Shaw Park. ECN photos and video.
Four years after groundbreaking, the new multi-purpose building at Shaw Park anchored by Gritters Library is open to the public.
The 20,000-square foot facility, which opened on Nov. 6, includes the relocated Northeast Cobb Community Center and the workforce development headquarters for CobbWorks, the county’s job and employment resource center.
The Gritters building will also serve as an outreach center for civic engagement and health and wellness matters.
At a Thursday ribbon-cutting celebration, officials from those entities and others touted the new center as a dynamic asset for a growing area.
“Wow. Wow,” said Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of East Cobb, who championed the reconstruction project through financial and other hurdles. “Have you ever seen a more beautiful thing than this?”
The main area of the new Gritters Library features computer work stations as well as bookshelves.
The Gritters replacement project was included in the 2016 Cobb SPLOST, with $6.8 million originally budgeted for the library and $1.2 million for the community center.
There was a ground-breaking ceremony in 2021, but a $2.5 million shortfall emerged due to rising construction costs. Cobb commissioners approved some creative financing in 2023 to set the project in motion.
After thanking the many parties involved in the funding and building—including State Rep. Don Parsons of Northeast Cobb and the Georgia Public Library Service, Birrell declared the new Gritters to be “a community asset for the whole area because of the partnerships invested here.”
When the small wooden frame building that served as the Gritters Library branch opened in 1973, it was designed to serve a population of 25,000.
Today, that 3-mile radius now includes more than 65,000 people, as well as a number of educational institutions. There are 11 Cobb County School District campuses, Kennesaw State University and a branch of Chattahoochee Tech in the community.
The children’s room at the new Gritters Library.
“It truly is about community connection—neighbors to neighbors,” Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris said. “The word is spreading about this beautiful facility. We are excited to be a part of this with you.”
Sonya Grant, executive director of CobbWorks said that “this partnership with the library is the perfect fit for us.” With its “wealth of resources,” she said, “CobbWorks is 100 percent committed to the economic vitality of all of our citizens.”
The community center space is expanded from its old quarters in Shaw Park, said Cobb PARKS director Michael Brantley, serving as a venue for public meetings and things like weddings and special celebrations.
It’s the second such collaboration between the parks and libraries, along with the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.
“This is a great investment in your future,” Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said. “What I love about libraries is they foster fellowship with our neighbors.”
Gritters Library is open Monday —Wednesday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., Thursday-Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up and you’re good to go!
Butch Carter with his wife Kimberly Shea-Carter and former East Cobb Citizen of the Year Susan Hampton.
Business owner and civic leader Butch Carter was named the 2024 East Cobb Citizen of the Year Thursday by the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.
The honor was announced during the Chamber’s East Cobb Area Council breakfast at Indian Hills Country Club.
According to the Chamber, “the Citizen of the Year Awards are given to honor an individual whose impact through the years will be recognized and regarded with pride throughout the area as a role model. These outstanding citizens are chosen for their definable, exceptional deeds, with which he or she has made their community a better place to live. Awards are given based on local area nominations.”
Carter is the owner of Honest-1 Auto Care on East Cobb Drive and is a past president of the East Cobb Rotary Club, supervising the distribution of over $100,000 to local charities in the 2023-2024 Rotary year.
The club also raised $30,000 to Lunches for Learning, a charity that provides food for needy children in Honduras. Carter leads the club’s volunteer efforts with East Cobb Park, road cleanup, clean water projects, and veteran organizations.
More from the Chamber about Carter’s community activities:
“Carter’s volunteer endeavors include service at MUST Ministries, the McCleskey-East Cobb YMCA, and the East Cobb Business Association. Some of his notable achievements with the East Cobb Business Association has been supporting the East Cobb Public Safety Celebration and winning the East Cobb Business Association Business Person of the Year award. He served as a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force after attending North Carolina State University on an Air Force ROTC scholarship. His generosity and positive energy are an invaluable part of the East Cobb community.”
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The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration voted on Tuesday to schedule special elections for two seats on the Cobb Board of Commissioners in early 2025.
District 2 no longer includes areas of East Cobb that took part in a 2024 primary election later invalidated in court.
The primary election for District 2 and District 4 will be held on Feb. 11, and the general election will take place on April 29.
If runoffs are necessary, they would take place on March 11.
Qualifying for both seats takes place from Dec. 18-20.
The special elections were ordered by a Cobb judge in July after she struck down electoral maps that the commission’s Democratic majority approved in 2022, claiming home rule redistricting powers.
Those maps had part of East Cobb in District 2. But the ruling declared that only the Georgia legislature can conduct county reapportionment and that the “home rule” maps were unconstitutional.
District 2 Democratic commissioner Jerica Richardson, who had been redrawn out of her East Cobb home by the legislature, ran unsuccessfully for Congress this spring.
Primary elections were held in May under those maps, but Judge Kellie Hill ordered a do-over in both.
Hill’s ruling was based on an appeal by a Republican candidate, Alicia Adams, who had been disqualified.
Adams’ qualification was challenged by Mindy Seger, an East Cobb Democratic activist and Richardson ally, who claimed Adams didn’t live in District 2 under the home rule maps.
The Cobb elections board agreed and voted to disqualify Adams, but she prevailed in Cobb Superior Court.
Previous legal efforts to void the home rule maps failed in the Georgia Supreme Court, which claimed that the plaintiffs didn’t have standing.
Former Cobb Board of Education member Jaha Howard won the Democratic primary for District 2, and East Cobb resident Pam Reardon qualified under the home rule maps.
But under the legislative maps, she lives in District 3, represented by Republican JoAnn Birrell, whose term expires in 2026.
The only East Cobb-area precincts still included in District 2 are Terrell Mill 1, Powers Ferry 1, portions of Sewell Mill 1, Sewell Mill 3, Elizaebeth 2, Elizabeth 3, Elizabeth 4 and East Piedmont 1.
Democratic District 4 commissioner Monique Sheffield easily won her primary. The District 1 seat, held by Republican Keli Gambrill, also expires in 2026.
It’s unclear whether Richardson and Sheffield will be able to continue serving after their terms expire on Dec. 31.
Commissioners voted in September to vacate the District 2 seat, and Richardson is appealing that decision in Cobb Superior Court.
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During the 2024 grant cycle, the Capital City Bank Group (CCBG) Foundation reinvested $13,500 into the Cobb County community, awarding grants to Cobb Collaborative, Marietta Schools Foundation, Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, 10 Women of Hope, Cobb & Douglas Public Health and Communities In Schools of Georgia. The donations provided by the CCBG Foundation help nonprofits carry on the mission of the Foundation to enhance the quality of life for countless local citizens in the areas where we do business.
“Enriching the quality of life in the communities we serve is the primary mission of the Capital City Bank Group Foundation and a calling our bankers are proud to share,” said Ron King, Capital City Bank president of Cobb County. “Whether by way of dollars pledged annually by the Capital City Bank Group Foundation or through the individual efforts of our associates to donate their time and talents, Capital City Bankers are deeply invested in making a meaningful difference in the places we call home.”
The CCBG Foundation – a nonprofit organization created in 1983 by Capital City Bank Group, Inc. – is designed to build strong communities by enhancing the quality of life in communities where Capital City does business. The Foundation provides grants to nonprofits, charitable organizations and institutions exempt under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The mission of the CCBG Foundation is to invest in initiatives that benefit local communities. Most of the funds are distributed to specific areas of focus, including: arts/culture, children/youth services, economic/community development, education, health/sciences and human services.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
