East Cobb high schools stand out in U.S. News rankings

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Lassiter High School graduation rate

Walton High School and Lassiter High School in East Cobb are ranked among the top public high schools in Georgia by U.S. News.

The long-standing news organization’s annual Best High Schools were released earlier this week, and Walton was ranked No. 11 in the state and Lassiter came in at No. 12.

Nationally, their ratings were No. 375 and No. 436, respectively, among more than 27,000 public high schools that were evaluated.

Walton also was ranked No. 77 nationlly among charter schools and Wheeler High School was ranked No. 46 across the country in a listing of top STEM high schools.

Here’s how those ratings are compiled, per the U.S. News release announcing the listings:

“The 2026-2027 Best High Schools national rankings identify top public schools based on six key performance indicators, including student achievement on state-required assessments, strong graduation rates and college readiness measures. Schools are evaluated on how effectively they serve all students, including underserved populations, with college readiness specifically measured through student participation and performance on Advanced Placement and International Baccalaureate exams. The rankings consider curriculum breadth and overall student outcomes as well.”

The Georgia rankings include 522 schools and are led by the Gwinnett school of Mathematics, Science and Technology, which is at No. 7 nationally.  Most of the state Top 10 are specialty magnet or charter schools in metro Atlanta.

Among the other East Cobb high schools, Pope is ranked No. 25 in Georgia and No. 823 across the country, followed by Wheeler at No. 54 and No. 1,859 respectively, Sprayberry (89 and 2,991) and Kell (92, 3,197).

In the Cobb County School District, Kennesaw Mountain, Hillgrove and Harrison followed Walton, Lassiter and Pope, and Wheeler came in at No. 7.

We’ve posted links to the rankings by creating a required free account; if you cannot access those links on this post let us know and we’ll try to get the information you’re looking for.

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Great Southeast Pollinator Census takes place Friday

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Submitted information:McFarlane Nature Park preps for Great SE Pollinator Census

What’s buzzing in Cobb County? On August 21 and 22, you can help find out!

The Great Southeast Pollinator Census, a University of Georgia citizen-science project, invites people of all ages to spend just 15 minutes counting pollinators. You don’t need to be a scientist or an insect expert. With a simple identification guide, you’ll count the insects visiting a flowering plant and record what you see. Your observations become part of a growing regional database that helps researchers and communities better understand and protect our pollinators.

And you can participate with Master Gardeners right here in Cobb County!

On August 21, join us at the Wright Environmental Education Center or the North Marietta Neighborhood Community Garden. Then, on August 22, you can participate at either the Cobb County Extension Office Living Classroom Garden or Green Meadows Preserve.

Last year, Georgians submitted more than 13,000 pollinator counts, contributing to one of the largest regional citizen-science projects focused on pollinators.

So grab your family, bring a friend, and spend 15 minutes discovering the fascinating world of bees, butterflies, flies, wasps, and other garden visitors. Every count matters—and every person who participates helps Cobb grow together!

Grab your family, friends, or fellow gardeners and come count with us! Every observation helps Cobb grow together.

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Keep Cobb Beautiful starts alkaline battery dropoff program

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East Cobb Library replacement proposed on 2028 SPLOST list

Submitted information:

Keep Cobb Beautiful and the Cobb County Public Library are launching a new sustainability initiative to keep hazardous household waste out of landfills. Residents can drop off used alkaline batteries for recycling at seven designated library branches across the county:

  • East Cobb: 4880 Lower Roswell Rd Ste 510-B, Marietta
  • Mountain View Regional Library: 3320 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta
  • North Cobb Regional: 3535 Old 41 Hwy NW, Kennesaw
  • South Cobb Regional: 805 Clay Rd, Mableton
  • Sweetwater Valley: 5000 Austell Powder Springs Rd #100, Austell
  • Switzer: 266 Roswell St NE, Marietta, GA 30060
  • West Cobb Regional: 1750 Dennis Kemp Ln NW, Kennesaw

Through a partnership with recycling innovator TerraCycle, specialized battery collection buckets will be stationed behind service desks of select high-traffic library locations. This initiative addresses a critical gap in local waste management, as alkaline batteries are frequently discarded in regular household trash.

Batteries thrown away in household trash pose a fire hazard, putting residents and sanitation workers at risk. While there are other free recycling drop-off options for other battery types like lithium-ion and lead-acid, finding places to take alkaline batteries is a challenge in our area. This program gives residents a convenient, free way to safely dispose of batteries and support Cobb’s long-term environmental sustainability and safety goals.

The program accepts standard household alkaline batteries, including AA, AAA, C, D, and 9V at the circulation desks of participating library branches. Library staff will ensure safety by making sure all terminals of batteries are taped before placing them in collection buckets.

The battery recycling program began August 17, 2026. 

 

 

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East Cobb Waffle House serving up tacos for a limited time

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East Cobb Waffle House serving up tacos for a limited time

Waffle House is mixing up its menu in a novel way, and one of its restaurants in East Cobb is part of the experiment.

The Atlanta-based Southern 24/7 chain announced Wednesday that it’s offering seven kinds of breakfast, lunch-dinner tacos at 45 select locations in metro Atlanta.

One of them is the Waffle House at 621 Johnson Ferry Road, across from Parkaire Landing Shopping Center.

According to the location’s menu, the breakfast taco options are bacon, egg and cheese; chicken sausage, egg and cheese; sausage, egg and cheese; and ham, egg and cheese.

Customers can order chicken melt; patty melt; and cheesesteak melt tacos on the lunch-dinner menu, all served with onions.

Like everything else on the Waffle House menu, all varieties of the tacos—served in flour tortillas—can be ordered at anytime of the day.

Waffle House has over the years tried or added items to its traditional menu, including protein bowls that are standard at most locations.

Waffle House hasn’t indicated how long the taco test run will last.

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A new orthopedic option for East Cobb—no appointment needed

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A new orthopedic option for East Cobb—no appointment needed

Please Note: This is a paid advertisement.

There is a resource on Bells Ferry Road that a lot of East Cobb families still drive right past. OS1 Orthopedic & Sports Injury Clinic is a walk-in orthopedic clinic, about fifteen minutes from most of East Cobb, and it fills a gap this side of the county has lived with for years: somewhere to take a hurt knee that is not a three-week wait for an orthopedic office or an afternoon in the emergency room.

There are two kinds of orthopedic patients around here. The one who rolled an ankle Friday night, and the one who has been saying the shoulder is fine since March. OS1 treats both, and you do not need an appointment to be either one.

What comes through the door

Sprains and strains. Broken bones. Knee, shoulder, hip and back pain. Foot and ankle injuries. Wrist and hand injuries. Sports injuries. Arthritis. Tendon problems like tennis elbow. And the everyday wear and tear that shows up somewhere around the fortieth birthday and never quite leaves. Patients age two and up. Sports physicals are $25.

You can just walk in

No appointment, ever. No referral needed on most insurance plans. Walk in hurting, see an orthopedic provider the same day, and leave with a diagnosis and a plan, not a triage note and a phone number for somebody else. Doors are open Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Pain that has been hanging around

The injuries are the obvious cases. The bigger group is quieter. The knee that complains on the stairs. The hip that has stopped tolerating a walk. The elbow that has outlasted two tennis seasons. Arthritis slowly shrinking the list of things you are willing to do on a Saturday.

That is treatable, and it does not start with surgery. OS1 does joint injections, ultrasound-guided injections placed exactly where the problem is, PRP and regenerative options for the right candidates, bracing, casting, fracture care, and a real return-to-activity plan. Ultrasound-guided injections and non-surgical treatment are Dr. Andrew Alexander’s specialty. He trained in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Mayo Clinic, completed a sports medicine fellowship at Emory, and has covered professional and high school teams. PRP and regenerative treatments are cash-pay, and you get the price before anything is done.

X-ray and an open MRI, same building

Most people get sent somewhere else for imaging. Different building, another appointment, another week, then a second visit to hear what the pictures showed. At OS1 the X-ray room and the MRI suite are down the hall, and the provider who examined you is the one who orders the scan and goes over it with you.

The MRI is open design, not a tunnel. No sliding into a narrow tube, no long stretch of trying not to panic, which matters to anyone claustrophobic, anyone larger framed, and any parent who has tried to get a nervous fourteen year old to hold still. For anyone paying cash it is a flat published rate of $475, a number most places will not say out loud.

On the sideline in Cobb

OS1 is a partner of North Cobb Warriors football, sponsors the Injury Timeout on the Warrior Radio Network at every game home and away, and runs K-8 physical days for local teams. It is also the preferred orthopedic and injury clinic for USA Prime Atlanta, the travel baseball program running more than thirty teams out of Titan Sports Academy. When a coach or an athletic trainer needs a kid looked at fast, this is the number they call.

And the bill

Most major insurance is accepted, and an orthopedic visit generally lands in the usual specialist copay range. Self-pay patients get flat published cash rates for the visit, the X-ray and the MRI, so nobody learns the price three weeks later in an envelope.

Walk in. Get answers. Get back to it. The clinic puts it in two words: Better. Sooner.

OS1 Orthopedic & Sports Injury Clinic
4300 Bells Ferry Road NW
Monday-Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Last patient accepted at 5:15 p.m.
(470) 790-0725
bettersooner.com/kennesaw

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Letter to the Editor: Drag queen author’s book in Reading Bowl

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The following letter was submitted by Wes Jackson, a Cobb County School District parent, to the Cobb Board of Education and Superintendent, and also was sent to East Cobb News and other media outlets. Jackson has children attending Dodgen Middle School and Mt. Bethel Elementary School in East Cobb.Letter to the Editor: Drag queen author’s book in Reading Bowl

Jackson is a partner with Freeman, Mathis and Gary LLP, a Cobb-based law firm which has represented the Cobb County School District on redistricting matters.

The firm also made contributions to Republican members of the Cobb school board in 2024 elections via three political action committees it controlled that the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission determined exceeded contribution limits.

Those board members—John Cristadoro, Randy Scamihorn and Brad Wheeler—returned some of those contributions after the commission determined that the PACs were bundled together from the same source. One of those entities, Business Supporting Schools Inc., was fined $5,000 for campaign finance violations.

Jackson told East Cobb News he “sent this letter solely as a concerned parent with several children in Cobb County schools. My law firm had no role in or knowledge of my letter as I was speaking only in my personal capacity. I do not do any legal work with the Cobb County School District.”

We have added a photo of the book that is the subject of the letter and related links for the public’s reference:

Dear Board Members and Superintendent Ragsdale:

I am a Cobb County resident and parent of four current Cobb County public school students. (We have one more who will start kindergarten at Mt. Bethel ES soon.)

My eldest has participated twice in the Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. She enjoyed it very much, and I think it is so important that we teach our children to love reading.

That being said, I recently learned that one of HRRB’s selected books for middle schoolers for the 2027 competition is “The Queen Bees of Tybee County,” by Kyle Casey Chu. Mr. Chu is a self-avowed “drag queen” and “founding member” of Drag Queen Story Hour [author’s website].

I have read his book, and it is exactly what you would expect: a narrative designed to introduce children to “drag culture.”

Respectfully, I do not believe this type of literature should be promoted through Cobb County’s extracurricular reading programs.

I have written an (admittedly long) analysis of the book, the selection process, and what it means for Cobb County families: https://sites.google.com/view/qbtc-review/home.)

I invited the HRRB president to discuss my concerns, but was unable to connect with her. I hope that each of you will give serious consideration to whether “Drag Queen Story Hour” has a place in Cobb County Schools.

I would welcome the opportunity to discuss my concerns with each of you further.

Thank you for your time and consideration. More importantly, thank you for the challenging task of maintaining such an excellent school system for our children. I am continually impressed with your work as a Board and our local schools.

Go Panthers and Buccaneers!

Regards,

Wes Jackson

Editor’s Note: Members of the public are welcome to send Letters to the Editor to East Cobb News on topics of interest to the community. Please e-mail [email protected]. We recommend keeping letters to around 500 words maximum. Contributions may be lightly edited for accuracy and style and to include related links.

Cobb school board to get demographic update at work session

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Cobb school board to get demographic update at work session

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday will get an annual demographic update to be presented during its August work session.

The work session takes place starting at 3 p.m., and will be followed by an executive session and a voting session at 7 p.m.

All meetings take place in the board room of the Cobb County School District Central Office, at 514 Glover St. in Marietta. The combined agenda for the public meetings can be found at this link.

The public meetings will be streamed live and you can watch on Comcast Cable or on a livestream on the district’s Boxcast Channel.

The Cobb County School District contracts with Education Planners, a private Marietta company run by a former Cobb school superintendent, and that provides demographic updates on an annual basis.

Education Planners takes data from the Atlanta Regional Commission, Cobb building permits, live birth numbers and other sources to project long-term enrollment to help Cobb school district officials plan for school construction needs.

Last May, Education Planners founder James Wilson provided a demographic update that projected selected growth “in pockets” of the county.

Those include most school attendance zones in South Cobb, in Smyrna-Cumberland-Vinings and the Town Center-KSU area as well around Wheeler High in East Cobb, where apartments abound and many schools are well over capacity.

A figure in that presentation showing that more apartment units have been approved in Cobb County since 2006 than any other jurisdiction in metro Atlanta prompted a lengthy, sharp response from Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who called the numbers “more than disturbing . . . that is alarming.”

He said that an increase in this trend will “continue to have a detrimental impact on schools’ performance, whether they’re perceived or real.”

Ragsdale went on for a good while about high-density zoning and mentioned how such growth has led to split sessions. Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid invited the district to a “stakeholders” meeting during the week of high school graduations.

Last week, the Atlanta Regional Commission said that the area added more than 53,000 new residents in the last year, with only 3,600 coming to Cobb County.

At the Thursday night board meeting, a number of recognitions will involve students at schools in East Cobb.

They include the state championship baseball team from Kell, the girls state track and field champions from Pope and the girls state tennis champions from Walton, as well as individual athletes winning state championships in the spring.

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Cobb Library System fall book sale returns in October

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Weekend events, Cobb Library Book Sale

After being cancelled last year due to storage issues, the Cobb County Public Library System announced Tuesday that its fall book sale is coming back this year.

The dates are Oct. 16-18 at the familiar venue, the Cobb Civic Center, with items ranging from 10 cents to $4. The proceeds support library branches and bookmobile.

Here’s what the library system issued on Tuesday:

Shoppers can explore an extensive selection of hardcover and paperback books for all ages, DVDs, audiobooks on CD, magazines, puzzles, graphic novels, and vinyl LPs.

Note that new Opening Day Guidelines will be implemented in order to speed checkout lines, shorten wait times, and ensure fair access to high-demand items. Guidelines will be in effect Friday, Oct 16, 9:00 am to 1:00 pm.

  • 20-Item Checkout Limit: Shoppers may check out up to 20 items per transaction. Families shopping together may each check out 20 items, provided each individual can carry their own selections (children must be able to hold their own items to qualify). Excess items will be sent to Return Tables and will not be held.
  • Re-entry Permitted: Shoppers are welcome to return to the sales floor and check out 20 items as many times as they like.
  • No Stashing or Holding Items: Storing/saving boxed items on the floor for purchase at a later time is strictly prohibited on ALL sale days. Staff will not accept holds nor take responsibility for watching shoppers’ belongings.
  • Scanning: Electronic scanning devices are not permitted until after 1:00 PM on Friday.
  • Popular Item Limits (Per Person):
    • Puzzles: 1
    • Graphic Novels: 1
    • Manga: 1
    • Comic Books: 2
    • Vinyl LPs: 2

Event Schedule & Deals:

  • Friday, Oct. 16 & Saturday, Oct. 17 (9:00 AM – 5:00 PM): Open shopping across all levels.
  • Sunday, Oct. 18 (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM) – Bring Your Own Box (BYOB) Day: Fill any box you can physically carry to your vehicle for a flat rate ($10 upper level only; $20 lower level only; $20 mixed levels).
  • Address: Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA 30060 (Free parking available).
  • Accepted Payment: Cash, check, debit, and credit (Visa and MasterCard only).

For full event details, please visit cobbcounty.gov/library or contact your local branch.

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Democratic candidates to hold East Cobb community kickoff

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Democratic candidates to hold East Cobb community kickoff
Michelle Schreiner

Two Democrats seeking to unseat long-standing Republican incumbents in East Cobb will be holding a joint community kickoff event on Thursday.

Kevin Redmon, a candidate for District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners, and Michelle Schreiner, who is vying for State House Seat 45 in the Georgia General Assembly, will meet with voters Thursday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. at the Chimney Lakes subdivision clubhouse (4350 Lake Chimney Court).

According to a release sent by Redmon’s campaign, attendees “will have the opportunity to meet both candidates, hear about their campaigns and learn about upcoming volunteer and canvassing opportunities. The campaigns will also collect school supplies for distribution in the community.”

Richardson advisor declares intent for Cobb commission campaign
Kevin Redmon

Redmon is on the November ballot against four-term Republican commissioner JoAnn Birell in Disrict 3, which includes most of East Cobb.

Schreiner is facing State Rep. Sharon Coooper, a Republican who has been in office since 1997 and is chairwoman of the House Health Committee.

Democrats are challenging Republican incumbents throughout East Cobb, which has long been a GOP stronghold.

Those races include the Cobb Board of Education and other state legislative seats.

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How Georgia Votes: Checking your voter registration status

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Submitted information:How Georgia Votes: Checking your voter registration status

The most common Election Day surprise in Georgia isn’t long lines — it’s discovering that a move, a marriage, or a simple typo left your registration out of date. This week, the League of Women Voters of Georgia’s “How Georgia Votes” series shows voters how to head that off with a two-minute check, well ahead of the October 5 registration deadline.

Every registered Georgian has a personal record on the state’s My Voter Page (mvp.sos.ga.gov), maintained by the Secretary of State’s office. Log in with your name, county, and date of birth, and you can see your registration status, your assigned polling place, a sample of the exact ballot you’ll receive, and, once voting begins, the status of any absentee ballot you request. Vote411.org, the League’s own nonpartisan voter information site, offers the same starting point, along with candidate information as it becomes available.

The check matters most for anyone whose life has changed since the last election. Moved across town or across the state, even within the same county? Your registration address needs to match where you live. Married or changed your name? The name on your registration should match the name on your photo ID. Each of these updates can be made through the same online portal or at your county registrar’s office, and each takes only minutes, provided it happens by October 5.

“I tell people to check their registration the way they’d check the batteries in a smoke detector. It takes two minutes, and you want to find out now, not the morning it matters,” said Jackie Killings, President of the League of Women Voters of Georgia. “Whether you vote in Floyd County or Fulton County, the My Voter Page shows you your own record, your own polling place, and your own ballot. It is your election, and the state has built you a window into it.”

Next week in the series: the people who run Georgia’s elections — county election directors, trained poll workers, and the neighbors who make voting work in all 159 counties.

About the League of Women Voters of Georgia

The League of Women Voters of Georgia is a nonpartisan organization that encourages informed and active participation in government. The League never supports or opposes candidates or political parties. Through roughly fifteen local Leagues across the state, volunteers register voters, host candidate forums, and provide trusted election information through Vote411.org.

Learn more about the League of Women Voters of Georgia at lwvga.org.  To see information about activities of the local League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb County, along with Cobb-specific voting and elections information, visit lwvmariettacobbga.com.

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‘Impaired driver’ arrested near Sprayberry HS intersection

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A Powder Springs man spent the night Monday in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center after being arrested as an impaired driver near Sprayberry High School.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Cobb Police Sgt. Eric Smith said that officers responded to reports of a driver who “appeared to be unresponsive in a black Honda Ridgeline” at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and East Piedmont Road Monday afternoon.

School traffic was lighter than usual because Monday was a “digital learning day” in the Cobb County School District.

But “out of an abundance of caution, officers positioned their patrol vehicles such that the vehicle was boxed-in to prevent the driver from accelerating and becoming a danger to the motoring public once the officers awoke him” said Smith, who added that the man was taken into custody.

He didn’t say how long the truck had been parked in the intersection.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, the man was identified as Michael Eddington, who was charged with misdemeanor counts of driving under the influence of multiple substances and impeding the flow of traffic.

His booking report said Eddington was released Tuesday morning after posting a $1,620 bond.

The information was released to the media via the Cobb Police press distribution list after a media member passing the scene inquired with the department’s public information office about what was going on, and hit the “reply all” button.

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NE Cobb man arrested for stalking after breaking court order

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A Northeast Cobb man was arrested on Monday after violating a court order barring him from contacting or going near a woman he used to live with, according to Cobb Police.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office Records, Robert Steven Read, 55, of a Worley Road address, was still being booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Monday afternoon.

He’s charged with a single misdemeanor count of stalking after being taken into custody at a shopping center on Canton Road Monday morning, according to a booking report.

An arrest warrant for Read was issued on Aug. 13 after the victim filed a complaint that he had been following and contacting her over the summer, in violation of a protective order issued in Cobb Superior Court in April.

That order forbade Read from coming within 500 yards of the woman or anyone in her family, as well as her residence or place of employment or school.

He was further restricted from having any contact with her or immediate family members by phone, text, e-mail voice mail “or any other type of contact,” according to the order.

The order said Read could be subject to being charged and prosecuted for aggravated stalking, a felony that comes with a sentence of 1-10 years.

Read’s arrest warrant said that he and the woman had lived together in the past, but that she received a protective order against him on April 28.

The warrant states that Read came to the woman’s home, also in Northeast Cobb, between May 3 and June 29, “for the purpose of harassing and intimidating” her.

The warrant also said that on the last weekend in June, Read followed her to a restaurant in Roswell, where her favorite band was playing.

According to the warrant, he sat behind her and a friend at the restaurant as the live music was playing, and that the woman “became frightened and did not know what to do.” Her friend told security and Read was escorted off the premises, the warrant states.

The warrant also states that Read is accused of contacting the woman 20 times between May 6-30, and that she has accused him of “multiple posts” on social media platforms he has published about her and that others have told her about.

According to his booking report, Read’s bond is $5,720.

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Editor’s Note: Hey East Cobb News readers, join the party!

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East Cobb News Partyline reader contributions
A reader-submitted drone photo of a winter storm in East Cobb that we hope will help cool you off in the August heat.

We get a lot of contributions at East Cobb News from citizens, volunteers, public relations people and others who want to shine a light on what’s going on in the community—good, not so good and otherwise.

Sometimes it’s about their kids getting a recognition, a roadside cleanup project, a new business ribbon-cutting or a fundraiser for a good cause.

Other times it’s about a crime or a fire or a traffic accident, a blighted property or something you want to see get corrected.

East Cobb student from Troop 1714 to become Eagle Scout
Let us know about when your kids accomplish something!

And there are occasions that are kind of funky or unusual—someone’s pet that’s gone missing, or a purple recycling bin set up for donations. Or really cool photos when we have a weather event.

We’ve been asking you to e-mail us your text, photos and videos and we’ll put everything together and publish it as soon as we can.

But we don’t always do that as quickly as we’d like, and we aren’t always able to get to everything we get.

Now we’ve got a great tool that makes it easy for readers to submit their news—and a snap to get it published on East Cobb News.

Join the Partyline—it’s free and easy!

It’s called Partyline (remember those from the old landline telephone days?), and it’s a new-fangled way of helping us give you the community news you love.

(You can sign up for it here.)

Woody the parrot
A distraught parakeet owner sent us a photo of “Woody” after he flew the coop.

How about snapping that photo of your child’s sports celebration, or a sunset at East Cobb Park or a nifty vintage car you see in a parking lot and use it to boost a sense of community and appreciation of place, and help local journalism in the process?

The idea here is to keep local news truly local, and at East Cobb News, we have been priding ourselves on that proviso for more than nine years.

Nobody does what we do in this community every day, and a big part of the reason why is because of what our readers to do help us keep you informed.

East Cobb house fire
A reader sent us a photo of a house fire where her son lived.

Today we are introducing to our readers that new tool we mentioned above.

Partyline is a service that lets you to take photos from your phone (or any other camera), write up some text to go with it and submit it automatically into the East Cobb News content system.

We’ll edit it as necessary and publish it to our site, where it will show up just like all of our other stories. We’ll even let our readers know who submitted it!

It’s easier—and more effective—than posting to social media and its fragmented siloes.

You’ll be getting your story out to the broader East Cobb community, in just a couple of miutes!

Get your photos and text published in a snap on East Cobb News with Partyline!

We invite anyone with an interest in what’s happening in East Cobb to submit news to us via Partyline—its absolutely free to use, and very easy.

This isn’t a social media, fact free, free-for-all. We’ll need to know who you are, and all your submissions will be checked before being posted.

Partyline is the sweet spot between the unfettered and sometimes toxic world of social media and having a busy newsroom full of roaming photographers (those were the days, back in our old newspaper days!).

But like any other aspect of community, it’s only as good as the contributors who participate.

How to Submit to Partyline

There’s a link for that, and it’s here. Just hit the black bar where it says “Start a Partyline” and upload your information. We’ll take it from there, and get it into publication quickly.

Don’t delay—please sign up and join the Partyline party today!

Glass recycling bin opens near Merchants Walk Whole Foods
When a reader sent us a photo of a glass recycling bin at Whole Foods, the whole community took note.

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LiveSafe Resources event benefits domestic violence survivors

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LiveSafe Resources event benefits domestic violence survivors

Submitted information and photos:

LiveSafe Resources hosted one of Atlanta’s premier fashion events, A Fashion Affair, on Tuesday evening at The Foxglove in Marietta. Cobb County Solicitor General Makia Metzger, a dedicated advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual violence, chaired this signature fundraiser supporting “Good Looks for a Good Cause.”

The night featured a captivating runway fashion show curated and styled by Shaye Strager of Strager Style and A Stylist’s Closet. Guests enjoyed a fun-filled evening with elegant hors d’oeuvres, drinks, exciting raffle prizes, and a variety of pop-up boutiques for an unforgettable night of fashion, fun, and philanthropy.

Event sponsors include:

  • Couture Sponsor: S.A. White Oil Company, Inc.
  • Trendsetter Sponsors: Allied World Assurance Company, Ltd and Cobb County Solicitor General Makia Metzger
  • Runway Sponsors: Cobb EMC, Johnson & Alday, LLC, and Proda Technology
  • Style Sponsors: A 2nd Chance Bail Bonds, CROFT & Associates, Inc., Cumberland Diamond Exchange, GGG Partners, LLC, Nora and Richard Guadet, The Pauley Family, Kaiser Permanente, and SouthState Bank
  • Runway Retail Sponsor: A Stylist’s Closet
  • Catering Sponsor: Carriage House Catering
  • Audio Visual Sponsor: AERO Productions
  • Supporting Sponsor: The Foxglove
  • Featured Boutiques: A Bag Concept, Expressive Fire Arts Coalition, Fused Forever Permanent Jewelry, Kendra Scott, Park Lane Jewelry, The Wig Dr. (Marietta), and Hide and Go Seek Jewelry

This annual fundraiser benefits LiveSafe Resources, a nonprofit that works every day to mitigate the devastating impact of domestic violence and sexual assault on victims and their families. The organization provides safety, dignity, and respect as clients heal, rebuild their lives, and create safer futures for themselves and their children. With 1 in 4 women and 1 in 5 men experiencing abuse or assault during their lifetime, LiveSafe Resources supports all victims, including men, children, LGBTQ+ individuals, disabled persons, and survivors from all backgrounds and socio-economic statuses.

“Fashion Affair reminds us that when a community comes together, we can make a difference,” said Lisa Mello, CEO of LiveSafe Resources. “We are deeply grateful to every sponsor, designer, attendee, and supporter who helped make this event possible. Your generosity and commitment help create a path toward safety, healing, and hope for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and strengthen our ability to serve our community throughout the year.”

About LiveSafe Resources

LiveSafe Resources is dedicated to building a community free from domestic violence and sexual assault where we all live safely. For details on LiveSafe Resources’ programs and services for victims, or how to be part of the solution, visit www.livesaferesources.org. For the 24-hour crisis line, call 770-427-3390.  

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East Cobb Real Estate: Willow Creek home sells for $560K

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East Cobb Real Estate: Willow Creek home sells for $560K

This week’s featured real estate home sale is in the Willow Creek subdivision, in the Kell High School, McCleskey Middle School and Keheley Elementary School attendance zones.

It has 6 bedrooms and 3 baths and includes 2,676 square feet on 0.37 acres, and sold for $560,000 on Aug. 6, 2026.

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The following East Cobb residential real estate sales from Aug. 3-7, 2026 were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records.

They include the street address, subdivision name and sales price listed under their respective high school attendance zones:

Kell

4782 Jamerson Creek Court, 30066 (Jamerson Forest): $316,000

1680 Pinefield Road, 30066 (Willow Creek): $560,000

4371 Marsh Road, 30066 (Lamplighter): $379,900

Lassiter

4150 Woodlark Court, 30075 (Hedgerow): $550,000

4049 Tutwren Court, 30066 (Sparrow Ridge): $305,000

2950 Perrington Place, 30066 (Northampton): $1.275 million

2694 Bonaire Terrace, 30066 (Northampton): $860,000

2442 Wistful Way, 30066 (Brookview Manor): $1.6 million

Marietta

1713 Glen Echo Way, 30062 (Villages of East Park): $615,000

1453 Rosewood Creek Drive, 30062 (Briarwood): $394,000

Pope

2726 Bentwood Drive, 30062 (Bentwood): $309,000

3354 Keenland Road, 30062 (New Kent): $864,000

3395 Falling Brook Drive, 30062 (Post Oak Square): $715,000

2738 Twin Leaf Trail, 30062 (Lost Forest): $905,000

Sprayberry

26 Briar Gate Lane, 30066 (Big Shanty Plantation): $385,000

3894 Corye Lane, 30066 (Kristen Trace): $565,000

446 Nottingham Drive, 30066 (Canterbury): $730,000

2200 Carey Place, 30066: $440,000

1548 Sprayberry Drive, 30066 (Sprayberry Heights): $470,000

2021 Baramore Oaks Drive, 30062 (Wyncroft): $459,000

2455 Hampton Park Way, 30062 (Hampton Park): $725,000

2185 Waldrop Road, 30066 (Castlebrooke): $1.26 million

1550 Bells Ferry Road, 30066: $222,000

1720 Starlight Drive, 30062 (Hasty Acres): $569,000

1300 Snug Harbor Court, 30062 (St. Charles Square): $560,000

2660 Green Meadow Lane, 30066 (Pine Valley Farms): $450,000

3070 Shaw Road, 30066 (Oak Creek Estates): $990,000

Walton

3990 Tall Pine Drive, 30062 (Tall Pines): $735,000

2242 Hill Creek Way, 30062 (Heritage Trace): $750,000

701 Serramonte Drive, 30068 (Villas at Parkaire): $325,000

570 Creekwood Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills): $1.7 million

Wheeler

2558 Sunny Lane, 30067 (Red Oak Park): $420,000

2265 Fremont Drive, 30068 (Robinson Park): $450,000

3065 Brookview Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills): $875,000

1598 Aldworth Place, 30339 (Reserve at Wildwood): $670,000

789 Gardenside Circle, 30067 (Gardenside at Powers Ferry): $425,000

271 Weatherstone Parkway, 30068 (Weatherstone): $527,500

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EAST COBBER Parade and Festival shifts to October date

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East Cobb's parade returns

The 28th annual EAST COBBER Parade and Festival has been announced for Saturday, Oct. 3.

That’s a couple weeks later than its usual mid-September staging, but otherwise the event will look and feel the same.

Publisher Laren Brown told East Cobb News that the reason for the schedule change is that “we fell victim to the calendar.”

The first weekend of September is Labor Day weekend and then, “Rosh Hashanah falls on the weekend we usually have it. The following weekends are the Fall Break bookends” for the Cobb County School District.

The parade will start this year once again at 10 a.m., and will travel down the same route, from Mt. Bethel Elementary School down Johnson Ferry Road to Olde Towne Parkway.

The parade features dozens of community groups, including scout troops, schools and local businesses and non-profit organizations.

The annual community festival takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church and features food and music, games, inflatables and arts and crafts.

Admission to all portions of the event is free.

Applications are open until Sept. 14 to participate in either or both the parade and festival.

The primary sponsors are Plumb Doctor, the Wood Acres School and Custom Disposal.

Brown said next year’s event will return to its earlier time frame, on Sept. 11, 2027.

 

 

 

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East Cobb Rotary’s Dog Days run raises $77K for charities

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East Cobb Rotary's Dog Days run raises $77K for charities

Submitted information:

The Rotary Club of East Cobb celebrated another successful Dog Days Run, bringing together hundreds of runners, community members, volunteers and local businesses to raise funds for organizations serving Cobb County and the surrounding community.

The 21st Annual Dog Days Run, held Saturday, August 8, welcomed approximately 608 runners and generated $77,550 in sponsorship contributions.

2026 Results

  • Sponsor Giving: $77,550
  • Registered Runners: 608

For more than two decades, the Dog Days Run has been one of the Rotary Club of East Cobb’s signature fundraising events. Since its early years, the race has grown significantly. In 2006, the event welcomed 202 runners and generated $13,100 in sponsorships. Twenty years later, the continued support of local businesses, runners and volunteers has helped make the race an enduring East Cobb tradition.

“The success of Dog Days is truly a community effort,” said Lori Anne Roberson, Rotary Club of East Cobb. “We are incredibly grateful to our sponsors, runners, volunteers and fellow Rotarians who continue to support this event. Every sponsorship and registration helps us give back to organizations doing important work right here in our community.”

Proceeds from the Dog Days Run support the Rotary Club of East Cobb’s charitable efforts and nonprofit organizations serving Cobb County and surrounding areas.

The Rotary Club extends its appreciation to the businesses and organizations that sponsored the 2026 race, as well as the runners, volunteers and community members who helped make this year’s event possible.

About the Rotary Club of East Cobb
The Rotary Club of East Cobb brings together local business and community leaders committed to service and creating a positive impact locally and beyond. Through fundraising, volunteerism and community partnerships, club members support a variety of charitable organizations and initiatives.

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Pass along your details/photos/videos/information to: [email protected], and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.

Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.

We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file, but d0 send them as attachments to your email.

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Woman charged with ‘black magic’ stalking of East Cobb man

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A woman who was charged with aggravated stalking against an East Cobb resident last year is being held without bond for similar offenses against the same victim.Cobb Police, Holly Springs Road suspicious person, East Cobb crime forum

According to an arrest warrant, Michelle Lewis Story, 52, of Palmetto, is charged with four felony counts of aggravated stalking for contacting that individual four times in late June and early July.

A booking report with the Cobb Sheriff’s Office said Story has been in custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center since Monday.

She was charged with two counts of aggravated stalking against the same man last year, and terms of her bond prohibited her from having any contact with the victim or coming to his home.

But according to the warrant, which was taken out on July 6, Story broke those conditions by contacting the man and threatening to use “black magic” against him.

On June 27, according to the warrant, she text-messaged the man twice, and acknowledged she knew she “was not supposed to contact” the victim.

The warrant states that Story contacted him again on July 2 via text message, offering to pay him $350 to drive her to her home in Palmetto, and left a voicemail which “contained content to release said victim from said witness’ black magic.”

On July 3, she texted and tried to call the victim again, the warrant states, “with contents concerning said witness holding said victim captive using black magic.”

And the warrant also states that early on the morning of July 4, Story e-mailed the man with a similar message about black magic and urged him “to find someone to take [her] away in exchange for a reward that was unspecified.”

In August of 2025, Story was charged with two counts of aggravated stalking after coming to the man’s home off Murdock Road. A warrant from Aug. 3, 2025 said Story was recorded on a Ring camera that day leaving a box of clothes at his front door and knocking on the door several times.

Those actions violated the terms of a probation order, according to that warrant.

That warrant stated that the victim told him “Michelle, this is harassment, I want you to stop contacting me.” She responded, according to the warrant, by saying that by leaving the clothes she was trying to help him, not harass him.

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$385K Ga. lottery ticket purchased at East Cobb QuikTrip

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East Cobb QuikTrip sells $20K Ga. Lottery 'Mega' ticket

For the second time this summer, a QuikTrip in East Cobb has sold a winning ticket in the Georgia Lottery.

But this one was much larger than the first.

The Georgia Lottery Corp. announced Friday that the QuikTrip at 1900 Lower Roswell Road at the Marietta Parkway sold a Fantasy 5 ticket good for $384,925.

It was one of two such Fantasy 5 winning tickets drawn on Thursday, splitting with another sold in the Athens area.

In late June, the same QuikTrip on Lower Roswell sold a ticket for $20,000 in the Mega Millions jackpot.

The Fantasy 5 jackpots start at $125,000 are held each evening. held every day at 11:34 pm.

Proceeds from Georgia Lottery ticket sales benefit public education in Georgia.

 

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Walton falls to Roswell in Corky Kell+Dave Hunter Classic

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The Walton football team scored on its first two possessions of a brand new season on Thursday night.Walton all-sports champion

Chris Peacock threw for two touchdowns, one for 74 yards, and another, to his brother Jordan.

But for the Raiders, those plays would be highlight of the evening in the Corky Kell+Dave Hunter Classic at Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.

Roswell, ranked No. 4 in Class 5A, scored 25 unanswered points en route to a 32-20 victory, ignited by an interception return for a touchdown not long after Walton built its early lead.

The game was the first for a Cobb school in the 2026 season, which got underway earlier than usual due to the expansion of the Corky Kell+Dave Hunter Classic.

The annual early-season extravaganza is marking its 35th year, initially named for the late Wheeler High School coach Corky Kell.

Kell High School, also named for Kell—the first athletics director for the Cobb County School District—will be playing host to several games next Wednesday, including the Longhorns’ game against Cobb rival McEachern. That takes place at 7:30 p.m., following a 4:30 p.m. kickoff at the Stockyard between Pebblebrook and Clarke Central.

(Here’s more about Kell and the history of the football event named after him from the Cobb County School District.)

Next Friday, three other East Cobb schools will begin their seasons at home: Pope against Woodland of Cartersville; Sprayberry facing River Ridge, and Wheeler pitted against Campbell.

Lassiter will be on the road next Friday, traveling to Cherokee.

Walton is unranked in Class 6A, after losing many of its starters from the 2025 season, in which the Raiders reached the state quarterfinals.

The Raiders are off until their Aug. 28 home opener against North Clayton.

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