Month: June 2018

Georgia hands free law starts Sunday; Cobb Police to issue warnings in July

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What follows is a final rundown of what you can and can’t do with a mobile device in your vehicle, as the Georgia hands free law goes into effect Sunday, July 1.Georgia Hands Free law

We noted earlier that there wasn’t going to be a grace period for enforcement of HB 673, but Cobb Police are saying they’ll be issuing warnings for the first 30 days (unless you cause an accident), with official citations starting on Aug. 1.

Police still want you to start following the law on Sunday, and this is explained in further detail near the bottom. Here’s a link to a PSA video from Cobb and Marietta police. The full law can be found at gahighwaysafety.org:

  • A driver cannot have a phone in their hand or use any part of their body to support their phone. Drivers can only use their phones to make or receive phone calls by using speakerphone, earpiece, wireless headphone, phone is connected to vehicle or an electronic watch. GPS navigation devices are allowed;
  • Headsets and earpieces can only be worn for communication purposes and not for listening to music or other entertainment;
  • A driver may not send or read any text-based communication unless using voice-based communication that automatically converts message to a written text or is being used for navigation or GPS;
  • A driver may not write, send or read any text messages, e-mails, social media or internet data content;
  • A driver may not watch a video unless it is for navigation;
  • A driver may not record a video (continuously running dash cams are exempt);
  • Music streaming apps can be used provided the driver activates and programs them when they are parked. Drivers cannot touch their phones to do anything to their music apps when they are on the road. Music streaming apps that include video also are not allowed since drivers cannot watch videos when on the road. Drivers can listen to and program music streaming apps that are connected to and controlled through their vehicle’s radio.

Exceptions to the law are as follows:

  1. Reporting a traffic crash, medical emergency, fire, criminal activity or hazardous road conditions;
  2. An employee or contractor of a utility service provider acting within the scope of their employment while responding to a utility emergency;
  3. A first responder (law enforcement, fire, EMS) during the performance of their official duties;
  4. When in a lawfully parked vehicle—this DOES NOT include vehicles stopped for traffic signals and stop signs on the public roadway.

Commercial motor vehicle operators

  1. Commercial Motor Vehicle Operators can only use one button to begin or end a phone call;
  2. Cannot reach for a wireless telecommunications device or stand-alone electronic device that it no longer requires the driver to be a seated position or properly restrained by a safety belt.

School bus drivers

  1. The driver of a school bus cannot use a wireless telecommunication device or two-way radio while loading or unloading passengers;
  2. The driver can only use a wireless telecommunication device while the bus is in motion as a two-way radio to allow live communications between the driver and school and public safety officials.

Cobb police enforcement
Again, the law goes into effect July 1st, but in an effort to educate the public, the Cobb County Police Department will be providing verbal or written warning citations for the first 30 days. However, if the violation involves a traffic crash, a citation may be issued.

Effective August 1st, 2018, officers may begin writing real citations. Each jurisdiction may have their own policy for when they begin enforcement, so I would suggest that you begin adhering to the law on July 1st.

What would the fines/penalties be?

  • First conviction: $50, one point on a license;
  • Second conviction: $100, two points on a license;
  • Third and subsequent convictions: $150, three points on a license.

On Friday Cobb Police issued this PSA reminder that’s about a minute long:

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Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square closing July 6; Board and Brush opening July 14

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Woodlawn Square Chick-fil-A

The countdown is underway for the closing of the Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square, which is Friday, July 6.

As we noted previously, the location at 1201 Johnson Ferry Road is undergoing a major renovation that will have it shuttered until around November, but there’s not a specific reopening date.

The store’s got a remodeling countdown on its Facebook page that began on Wednesday, 10 days out.

A few days after that closure, and just a few feet away, is the grand opening of the East Cobb location of Board and Brush, a DIY wood sign workshop that will offer classes, supplies and more.

The grand opening is next Saturday, July 14, from 10-12. The store is 1205 Johnson Ferry, Suite 103. There’s not outside signage up yet, but the space is adjacent to the now-closed Muss & Turner’s restaurant.

Occasional updates are posted on its Facebook page.

More East Cobb business news

 

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Friends for the East Cobb Park starts new fundraising campaign

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Friends for the East Cobb Park

After donating more than $100,000 this week to help Cobb County acquire some of the Tritt property (previous East Cobb News post here), the Friends for the East Cobb Park is replenishing its endowment with a new fundraising campaign.

The contribution made by the non-profit citizens group helped Cobb take in nearly 30 acres of the adjacent Tritt land, and complete green space purchase around the county with $27 million of a 10-year-old parks bond referendum finally funded last year.

At Tuesday’s Cobb commission meeting, District 2 commissioner Bob Ott said he would be chipping in to help Friends begin its fund drive, and here’s what he sent us and is sharing with his constituents and the community today:

I, along with the rest of the Board of Commissioners, am especially grateful to Friends for the East Cobb Park. You may have read in the newspaper that this nonprofit group contributed to make up for a shortfall in County funds needed to close this purchase. The final figure isn’t available just yet but is expected to be over $100,000. You’ll recall that this is the group of community volunteers who raised over $1 million to purchase the original 13-acres of the East Cobb Park almost 20 years ago. This is a very unique public/private partnership that we are all very proud of. The Friends group once again stepped up to assist so that the east Cobb community’s much-loved park can literally double in size.

What wasn’t in the paper is that these funds came from an endowment fund established over 15 years ago from a generous grant matched by funds that the group raised. Interest from this endowment has been used over the years to make various improvements to the park. The Friends group, with the assistance of the Cobb Community Foundation where the fund is held, received permission to utilize some of the principal from the account to cover this shortfall, with a promise to launch a new fundraising campaign to raise money to replenish the fund.

The board of Friends for the East Cobb Park is planning to launch a new fundraising campaign, and you can soon learn more about it on their website www.eastcobbpark.org. It’s my hope that the east Cobb community will rise to the occasion and consider participating in the campaign. Remember that the community will one day have the opportunity to purchase the remaining acreage, and any funds raised over and above the amount needed to restore the endowment fund will be earmarked to assist with this potential purchase down the road. I have heard from many, many of you over the years regarding the Tritt property, and now the east Cobb community will have the opportunity to be a part of this exciting project. I have personally pledged $1,000 to the campaign, and challenge each of you to consider how you and your family can help. To make a tax-deductible contribution please make your check payable to “Friends for the East Cobb Park” and mail it to P.O. Box 6313 Marietta, Georgia 30065.

I’ll continue to provide updates in my newsletter and look forward to seeing a long list of supporters!

 

The Friends for the East Cobb Park has set up an online payment system via PayPal, and you can contribute directly at this link, in any amount that you like. You can make a one-time contribution or set up a monthly payment.

 

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Cobb tax digest for 2018 is announced at a record $36.7 billion

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Robinson Park construction, Cobb tax digest

The Cobb tax digest total for this year is better than initially projected.

Stephen White, the Cobb County Tax Assessor, has announced that it’s a record $36.7 billion for 2018, and was approved Thursday by the Board of Tax Assessors.

The tax digest is the taxable value of all commercial and residential property. White said this year’s digest is a nine percent increase over 2017, which was a record $33.6 billion.

“The increase in the tax digest sends a great message to all business owners and property owners,” White said in a statement issued by the county. “The message is that your investment is doing well. We are a desired county for real estate and this is a very strong real estate market we are in.”

Earlier this year tax digest growth of 7.5 percent was predicted, just as county officials were preparing to address a projected fiscal year 2019 budget deficit of at least $30 million.

That’s just a little bit more than this year’s value of the floating homestead exemption. That exemption freezes the taxable value of a home as it pertains to general fund portion of a tax bill.

The floating exemption total this year is $28.4 million, a savings for residential property owners, but as the county noted in a release this morning, “that exemption means the county’s general fund will not fully reap the benefits of the growth in the tax digest.”

In Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce”s proposed FY 2019 budget of $453 million, the homestead exemption total would rise to $35.6 million. He’s seeking a 1.7 mills increase in the general fund.

Boyce has been holding budget town hall meetings around the county, and they will conclude on July 9 at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.

Budget adoption and setting of the millage rate is scheduled for July 25.

Related stories

 

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Cobb included in thunderstorm watch until 8 p.m. Thursday

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Cobb thunderstorm watch

The heavy rains and storms that began late Wednesday night and have continued today may not quite be over. Cobb County is included in a thunderstorm watch that is covering most of north and central Georgia until 8 p.m. tonight.

Officially the National Weather Service in Atlanta is calling this a severe thunderstorm watch, and the Cobb area has experienced some severe weather since last night.

Sporadic thunderstorm warnings have been issued in the watch area, but one has not been issued for Cobb.

In a watch situation, conditions are present for potential severe storms to emerge, including heavy rainfall, lightning, thunder and high winds.

Today’s high in the East Cobb area is expected to be near 90, with lows tonight in the low 70s. The chance of severe thunderstorms is expected to be reduced from 70 percent this afternoon to 40 percent tonight.

On Friday, the forecast calls for a 30 percent chance of thunderstorms with highs in the low 90s and lows in the low 70s.

Similar weather is on tap for the weekend and into Monday, with a 50 percent chance of thunderstorms Saturday and Sunday.

The stormy weather could be around into the July 4 holiday next Wednesday.

 

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Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector funding approved by Atlanta Regional Commission

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Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector
A Cobb DOT conceptual map of the proposed Windy Hill-Terrell Mill Connector that was approved by Cobb commissioners in 2017. 

The Atlanta Regional Commission announced today that its board has approved $44 million in transportation funding for Cobb County, including the proposed Windy Hill-Terrell Mill connector.

The funding goes through 2023. The Windy Hill-Terrell Mill connector is a planned 0.8-mile, four-lane road with an eight-foot raised median designed to relieve traffic in a busy corridor near Interstate 75 (link to project fact sheet). The project also includes a multi-use trail connecting to the Bob Callan Trail System and the Chattahoochee River.

It’s also designed to feed into the new Northwest Corridor Express Lanes that open in August and that will include an entrance/exit point at I-75 and Terrell Mill Road.

Some living in multi-family buildings and condos have been forced from their homes to make way for the connector and have expressed their displeasure not only with that prospect, but also how it has been handled.

Related story

The projected costs for the connector are $38 million, with $22 million, mostly in Cobb SPLOST funds, for continuing right-of-way acquisitions and $15 million from state sources in 2020 for construction. That’s when construction is scheduled to begin, and is expected to conclude in early 2022.

Other Cobb projects on the ARC approval list include the South Barrett Parkway Reliever near Town Center, Phase I of the Mableton Parkway Trail and the creation of Sunday service and additional Saturday service for the CobbLINC bus system.

The Cobb projects approved today by the ARC were part of a $400 million transportation package in the metro Atlanta area to be spent over the next five years.

 

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Cobb commissioners approve purchase of Tritt property in East Cobb

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Tritt property
The county has acquired the Tritt property in green, a total of 29.7 acres on Roswell Road.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to spend $8.3 million to buy some of the Tritt property next to East Cobb Park.

It was a 3-0 vote (with commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Lisa Cupid absent) to purchase 22 acres from Wylene Tritt with proceeds from the 2008 Cobb Parks Bond referendum. She’s donating 7.7 acres and the Friends for the East Cobb Park is donating around $102,000 as part of the acquisition.

The vote was greeted with applause and cheers from the audience, including members of the Cobb Parks Coalition, who pressed for the funding of the bond that commissioners finally approved last year.

However, commissioners funded only $27 million of the original $40 million amount that voters approved 10 years ago, due to legal reasons in the referendum’s payment schedule.

Related stories

Before the vote, Roberta Cook, active with the Cobb Parks Coalition, spoke during the public comment, bringing a tin cup as a reminder to commissioners that “the $40 million cup is still not full.”

“We are thankful for the Tritt property acquisition and look forward,” she said, to securing the remaining $12.5 million “that will fill up the cup.”Bob Ott, Tritt property

After the vote, Cobb commissioner Bob Ott, whose District 2 includes the Tritt property, saluted Cook and Jennifer Burke of the Friends for Tritt Park. He set a large decorative stein before him, saying it was “my cup” for the Tritt Park.

For now, the newly acquired land will remain as green space. It’s the only land in District 2, which includes most of East Cobb, that was purchased with the parks bond funding.

With that sale, all of the $27 million has been spent. The Tritt parcel was not on the original list of possible property for possible purchase.

Tritt had sued the county in 2016 after her attempt to sell the land to a developer, Isakson Living, for a senior living complex was thwarted due to a rezoning denial. That case was later dropped, and the county entered into lengthy negotiations with her about a sale for park land.

The reason this park is going to be realized, Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce said, “is because the board agreed to change the list.

“Every one of these commissioners cares passionately about the county,” and not just his or her district. “Because they do that, we’re going to have this property.”

Ott said the first discussions the county had with about Tritt for the land came when Sam Olens was chairman, and continued with his successor, Tim Lee.

But the bond approved by voters in 2008 was not funded then due to the recession.

During the Isakson Living zoning case, East Cobb citizens opposed to that development urged the county to buy the entirety of the 53-acre Tritt land, which reportedly was valued at $20 million.

That was before the bond was finally funded last year. Boyce, who campaigned on providing the funding in his 2016 election victory over Lee, said at times he wished he hadn’t, given the difficulty of some of the negotiations.

Commissioner Bob Weatherford said that “I’ve never worked as hard as I did on these park properties. It’s not as easy as you might think, when you have $27 million and want to buy something.”

Burke said she and her group are “very excited” to have what is being called for now as Tritt Park “for our children and grandchildren.”

 

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Former Pope pitcher Duane Underwood debuts with Chicago Cubs

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Former Pope pitcher Duane Underwood’s first game in the Major Leagues Monday night wasn’t a successful one for his team on the scoreboard. Former Pope pitcher Duane Underwood

His start for the Chicago Cubs lasted only four innings in a 2-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

But Underwood, who was called up from the minor leagues over the weekend, earned a positive impression from Cubs manager Joe Maddon before he took the mound at Dodger Stadium:

“He really has reinvented himself over the past couple of years. He really has adopted a new work ethic. He got himself in shape.”

Underwood, 23, received a $1 million signing bonus when he was drafted by the Cubs in 2012, after leading Pope to the Georgia high school playoffs and starring for the East Cobb Astros.

He passed up a scholarship offer to the University of Georgia to become one of the first major prospects chosen by general manager Theo Epstein, who assembled the Cubs’ team that won the 2016 World Series.

Underwood has been touted as the first home-grown pitching prospect to have a crack at the Cubs’ rotation since Epstein took over. But he’s been inconsistent in his professional career and has had some sore arm issues. He is 3-7 in Iowa in his first season at the Triple-A minor league level, which is right below the majors.

Underwood admitted in an interview with the Chicago Sun-Times that he’s felt the frustration of his struggles:

“Things weren’t going my way, and I was playing the blame game instead of just looking in the mirror. . . I think I’m on the right path right now.”

His call-up to the Cubs is temporary as he was filling in for a pitcher who had been on parental leave.

But those tracking Underwood’s progress believe it’s only a matter of time before he’ll come back up to the Cubs to stay.

 

Related story

 

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Cobb Police officer charged with assault has resigned

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This just in from Cobb Police: Officer Robert New, a Precinct 4 patrol officer charged last week with aggravated assault and criminal solicitation, has resigned. Cobb Police officer resigns

Cobb Police said in a release issued at 6:11 p.m. Monday that New’s resignation is effective immediately.

There was no other information provided by Cobb Police, who were conducting what Chief Mike Register said last week was an administrative complaint filed against him.

New remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, and is scheduled to have a bond hearing on July 10.

New was in his second stint serving in East Cobb’s Precinct 4 when he was arrested last week for aggravated assault and simple battery during a sexual encounter with a 44-year-old woman.

Police determined the woman, who said New had slapped her face and choked her, had the mental capacity of a 10-to-14-year-old.

Register said at a press conference last Monday that the department was acting “with the intent to reach a timely decision” about New’s employment status and said he had been placed on administrative leave without pay.

On Wednesday, police filed additional charges against New, of criminal solicitation and child pornography by use of wireless internet, involving a 12-year-old girl.

New started with Cobb Police in Precinct 4 in 2005 and served on the department’s DUI task force before returning to Precinct 4.

 

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Woman charged with vehicular homicide in fatal East Cobb crash

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A motorist whose car hit another in a fatal East Cobb crash Sunday night has been charged with first-degree vehicular homicide.Cobb Police, fatal East Cobb accident

Tracy Jean Latronica, 37, of Shadowlawn Road in East Cobb, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center late Sunday night, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office information.

She remained there on Monday afternoon on a $5,720 bond.

Cobb Police said Latronica was turning left onto Robinson Road West after traveling westbound on Roswell Road shortly before 9:30 p.m., when the 2012 gray Ford Explorer she was driving struck a silver 2012 Toyota Camry in the intersection that also includes East Lake Parkway.

The driver of the Camry was a 15-year-old male from Marietta. All five passengers in that vehicle were taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, according to police, who said one of them, Begum Fazilatunnesa, 74, of Marietta, was pronounced dead after suffering critical injuries.

Police said the other occupants were treated for non-life-threatening injuries, and Latronica did not require medical attention.

Latronica also has been charged with DUI, failure to yield on a left turn and serious injury by vehicle.

Police said an investigation into the crash is continuing and anyone with information should contact the Cobb Police STEP Unit at 770-499-3987.

 

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Obituary: Beth Farokhi, founding member of East Cobb Democrats group, school board candidate

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Beth Farokhi, a founding member of the East Cobb Democratic Association and a former Cobb school board candidate from East Cobb, has died of ovarian cancer.Beth Farokhi

Over the weekend the Cobb County Democratic Party made the announcement. Farokhi, 70, had been living in Kennesaw and was involved in party activities on several levels.

In 2006, Farokhi received 43 percent of the vote in the Post 6 Cobb school board election in her campaign against Republican incumbent John Crooks. That seat is now held by Scott Sweeney.

Farokhi was a school teacher in Cobb and also ran for state superintendent of schools in 2010. She was a retired administator at the College of Education at Georgia State University. Her son, Amir Farokhi, is a member of the Atlanta City Council.

Here’s the message the county party was sharing Sunday:

Beth was one of the founding members of East Cobb Democratic Association, among her many, many activities in our community. She ran for the Cobb County School Board in 2006, achieving a record for door knocking, even though she did not win. In 2010, she ran for State Superintendent of Schools, traveling the length and corners of our state to spread her message and making many friends. Beth was a constant champion for schools and education and children, as well as for women’s equality. Beth was wife and mother, a professor of education, and officer in numerous organizations, but most of all we will remember Beth Farokhi as our friend, who always had a warm smile and kind word for everyone she met.

Per the AJC’s full obituary, following a private graveside service in her hometown of Augusta, a public memorial service is scheduled for July 7 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.

 

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Later today: Paper Mill Village food truck returns

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From our calendar listings: Today’s Paper Mill Village food truck returns from 5-8, with the entertainment and vendors included in the flyer to the right.Paper Mill Village food truck

As we noted when we got the announcement in May, this will be the only food truck of the summer, with another slated for Oct. 29.

More East Cobb foodie news

Got a restaurant tip to share? Want to know what eats are coming to East Cobb? Get in touch! E-mail us at: editor@eastcobbnews.com with your tip or question.

 

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In the East Cobb News weekly newsletter for June 24, 2018: Green space; new principals; police officer charged; budget town hall; and more

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East Cobb News weekly newsletter
Some East Cobb citizens this week spoke in favor of a property tax increase to preserve parks, libraries and other services. (East Cobb News file photo)

The convenient East Cobb News weekly newsletter is out, with all of this week’s top headlines in one place.

This week’s top stories includes a budget town hall meeting at the East Cobb Senior Center to discuss a proposed property tax increase; the purchase of Tritt property next to East Cobb Park to be preserved as green space; new East Cobb school principals; and a Precinct 4 Cobb Police officer jailed for assault and solicitation.

The East Cobb News Digest is delivered to your e-mail inbox every Sunday, and contains so much more, including the best calendar listings anywhere in East Cobb and convenient community information.

Subscribing to the newsletter is free and easy (just click the signup button below). We don’t sell or rent our e-mail listings to anyone, although we do send out major breaking news alerts to our subscribers.

(Here’s more about East Cobb News).

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Thanks for reading East Cobb News. Whatever you’re doing, have a great week!

PHOTOS: Ebenezer Road park preview, East Cobb’s newest green space

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Ebenezer Road park preview 1

On Saturday the public was invited by the Cobb Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs for an Ebenezer Road park preview to show off the newest parcels of green space purchased by the county.

Also at the event were District 3 Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell and Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce.

The 18.3 acres at 4055 and 4057 Ebenezer Road were acquired earlier this year for a total of $1.7 million as part of the 2008 Cobb Parks Bond referendum, which was finally funded by county commissioners last year.

The land was held in the estate of John Strother, who died in 2015 at the age of 101.

The land, which will ultimately be developed into a passive park, was owned by the Strother family in side-by-side parcels and residences on Ebenezer Road near the intersection of Canton Road and Noonday Baptist Church.

Ebenezer Road park preview

The jewel of the property is a lake, and some visitors brought their dogs to make the trek around and enjoy a sunny weekend morning.

The funding approved by commissioners last year was for a total of $27.4 million. Voters approved $40 million in the 2008 referendum, but no bonds were issued due to the recession.

In 2016, an organization called the Cobb Parks Coalition pressed for the bonds to be issued, and now says the 2017 vote to provide partial funding is “a positive game-changer.”

Ebenezer Road park preview

Birrell said that all of the park bond funding has to be spent within three years to acquire green space.

A year since approval, Cobb commissioners have spent nearly $17 million of that money. On Tuesday they’re poised to spend another $8.3 million to purchase 22 acres of the Tritt property next to East Cobb Park, and preserve it as green space.

Another 7.7 acres will be donated, and the Friends for the East Cobb Park is donating $102,000 as part of the deal.

Related stories

Ebenezer Road park preview

The Ebenezer Road properties are the first to be acquired with the bond money in Birrell’s district, which includes Northeast Cobb and part of the Kennesaw area.

The Tritt property, the subject of a denied rezoning request for a senior living city and related lawsuit, would be the first land acquisition in commissioner Bob Ott’s District 2, which includes most of East Cobb.

Ebenezer Road park preview

 

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The do’s and don’t of the new Georgia hands free driving law

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Via Heads Up Georgia, details about what you will and will not be able to do with an electronic device in your car, starting July 1. The law was sponsored by Northeast Cobb Republican John Carson, who recently clarified that there won’t be a grace period to begin enforcement.Georgia Governor's Office of Highway Safety, Georgia hands free driving law

From the Georgia Governor’s Office of Highway Safety (which has a countdown to the enactment of the new law), here are the penalties for violations and where you can read the entire law.

More below from Cobb Police:

Distracted driving was found to be the leading cause of accidents. Recently House Bill 673 (Hands Free/Distracted Driver Law) was passed and will take effect July 1st to help with this issue.

The new law states that you cannot support any wireless device with any part of your body. This means that you:

  1. CANNOT hold it in your hand
  2. CANNOT lay it in your lap
  3. CANNOT hold it against your ear with your shoulder

Additionally, the law addresses further uses of the phone while driving:

  1. You CANNOT watch or record a video
  2. You CANNOT type, send, or read any text based communication

You MAY use your phone if legally parked. This does not include stopped at a light or stop sign, only legally parked in areas such as parking lots or driveways.

You MAY use your phone as GPS but you MUST set it up before you begin driving and are legally parked. If you need to change your route, you must be legally parked.

Important things to remember:

  1. Citizens may handle an electronic device while driving if they are: Reporting a traffic accident, medical emergency, fire, crime, delinquent act, or hazardous road condition.
  2. Law enforcement officers are exempt from the law as long as they are performing their official duties.

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Cobb Library PASS agreement extended between county government, schools to 2020

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Cobb Library PASS
From L-R: Marietta schools superintendent Grant Rivera; Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce; and Cobb schools superintendent Chris Ragsdale.

Thanks to Nan Kiel of the Cobb County School District for the submitted photo and information about the extension of the Cobb Library PASS system, which took place earlier this week.

It’s a partnership between the CCSD, Marietta City Schools, and the Cobb County Public Library System that enables public school students to use county library system resources with their school IDs. After a pilot period that began in January, the agreement will continue into 2020.

Here’s the Cobb Library PASS website with more information, and here’s an FAQ page with more details:

Cobb students no longer need an extra card to access the digital and print resources in the county’s libraries. The new Library PASS initiative, or Public Library Access for Student Success, links K-12 student identification numbers to the new Cobb County PASS accounts.

The Library PASS program, which launched in January 2018, allows students to access library resources from home, the classroom, or in person at a Cobb library. Currently, there are more than 116,000 CCSD students registered with PASS accounts.

During a ceremony at the Switzer Library in Marietta on June 20, CCSD Superintendent Chris Ragsdale; Chairman Mike Boyce, Cobb County Board of Commissioners; and Superintendent Grant Rivera, Marietta City Schools, signed a memorandum of agreement to extend the Library PASS partnership for two years.

Chairman Boyce applauded the commitment and dedication of the three organizations in coming together to change lives by making more educational resources available to students in Cobb County.

“When we have partnerships like this, it shows that the focus in Cobb County is very high onprioritizing education,” said Superintendent Ragsdale. “It is very important to us to make sure thatresources are available to not only students but also parents. To have partnerships like this with the library system is very important. All the resources that we can tap into, that our students and staff cantap into, benefit the goal of student success.”

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U.S. Rep. Karen Handel spars with Congressman on House floor over detention camp tape

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U.S. Rep. Karen Handel on Friday shut down a colleague on the House floor as he played an audio recording of immigrant children being held at a detention camp near the Mexican border.

U.S. Rep. Karen Handel

(You can view the full video from the House floor at the bottom of this post).

At the end of a long week of national debate over President Donald Trump’s detention policies, California Democratic Congressman Ted Lieu began to play the recording, made by the news organization Pro Publica.

Lieu was denouncing a “zero tolerance” policy that separated children from their parents after illegal border crossings. Trump later signed an executive order allowing families to remain together in detention camps.

“If the Statue of Liberty could cry, she’d be crying today,” Lieu said in beginning his remarks, which frequently referenced the more than 2,300 children who’ve “been ripped away” from their parents in recent weeks.

Handel, the Roswell Republican whose Georgia 6th District includes East Cobb, was serving as Speaker Pro Tem. Shortly after the recording began, she ruled that Lieu had committed a “breach of quorum” for using an electronic device in the House chambers.

She said that violated Rule 17 of the House, but he continued.

“There is not a rule that says I cannot play sounds from the detention facility,” Lieu said, as the recording continued, and crying children could be heard.

Handel ordered him to stop several times, demanding that “the gentleman will suspend!” and pounding a gavel.

The recording continued for a few more moments, then Handel said that “the sergeant at arms will enforce the rules of decorum.”

Before that happened, Lieu yielded back his time, using a little more than five minutes of the 60 minutes allotted to him.

The House was to have voted on immigration legislation Friday but that has been delayed to next week. Trump has urged Congress to wait until after the November elections.

 

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EAST COBB WEEKEND EVENTS: Ebenezer Park preview; ‘Little Shop of Horrors;’ adult beach book party and more

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Ebenezer Road Park, East Cobb weekend events

With the topic of ever-shrinking green space in the news (here’s yesterday’s post about the Tritt property to be sold to the county near East Cobb Park), another recently-purchased parcel of recreational space will get a public preview in highlighting East Cobb weekend events.

The public preview for the future Ebenezer Road Park is Saturday from 10-12, and to be specific the address is 4055 Ebenezer, close to the intersection of Canton Road. The county recently purchased the 18.3 acres with parks bond referendum money for a passive park that once belonged to the Strother family. You can bring fishing gear and your canines, although swimming won’t be allowed, and parking onsite is very limited;

The students of Summer Cabaret Camp have been working hard for the Friday and Saturday presentations of “Little Shop of Horrors” at The Art Place (3330 Sandy Plains Road). The Mountain View Arts Alliance’s Summer Concert Series events take place both nights at 7:30, with doors opening at 7. Seating is free on the lawn (or $40 for a table), and donations are accepted for concessions;

If cool underwater immersion theatre is your thing, The Little Mermaid Jr. is taking place this weekend and next at Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road). Shows are 7 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Admission proceeds from the church’s adaptation of the Disney Classic will benefit Simple Needs Georgia;

This event is for grown-ups: From 2-4 Saturday come by the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) for its Adult Beach Reads Party that includes a book talk, books to check out and take with you to the beach and some surf dancing to get you in the mood for a vacation;

On Sunday, a low-cost pet vaccination clinic takes place from 12-2 at the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team office (2249 Roswell Road), with all tax-deductible fees to benefit the Homeless Pets Foundation.

Did we miss anything? Do you have a calendar listing to share? Let us know, and we’ll post it here! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com with all pertinent information, and photos/graphics if you like. (This does not include business promotional events. E-mail: advertising@eastcobbnews.com for information on display and newsletter ads and sponsored posts).

Whatever you’re doing this weekend, make it a great one!

 

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East Cobb principals appointed; Mavity named assistant superintendent

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Adam Hill, Dickerson Middle School, East Cobb principals
Adam Hill 

Three more East Cobb principals were appointed by the Cobb Board of Education Thursday night.

Adam Hill is returning to East Cobb after two years as principal at Nickajack Elementary School. The former principal of Timber Ridge Elementary School has been named the new principal at Dickerson Middle School, succeeding retiring principal Dr. Carole Brink.

Brink, named the Middle School Teacher of the Year last week by the Georgia PTA, was recognized by the board Thursday.

In remarks near the end of the board’s short meeting, Post 6 school board member Scott Sweeney, who represents the Dickerson area, said Hill “has big shoes to fill.”

East Side Elementary School will be getting a new principal after longtime principal Elizabeth Mavity was appointed an assistant superintendent for the Cobb County School District.

Elizabeth Mavity, Cobb County School District
Elizabeth Mavity

Her replacement is Maria Clark, who had been an assistant principal at Mt. Bethel Elementary School.

The new principal at Shallowford Falls Elementary School is Donna Long, currently an assistant principal at Murdock Elementary School. She succeeds Felicia Angelle, now the CCSD’s academic division director of instruction, innovation, teaching and learning.

Their appointments are effective July 1. Walton, Sprayberry, Daniell and Tritt also will have new principals.

Related story

The school board also made several other assistant principal appointments at East Cobb schools:

  • Shannon Hooker, who has been an assistant principal at Bells Ferry Elementary School, was named to the same position at Sedalia Park Elementary School;
  • A new assistant principal at Mt. Bethel Elementary is Kevin Johnson, who had been an academic coach at Brumby Elementary School;
  • Elizabeth Marsili, an instructional specialist at Kennesaw Elementary, is a new assistant principal at Bells Ferry;

    Maria Clark, East Side Elementary School
    Maria Clark
  • Leander Brooks, an assistant principal at Hillgrove High School, is a new assistant principal at Sprayberry High School;
  • Another new assistant principal at Sprayberry is Philip Henderson, a CCSD school leadership intern;
  • Former North Cobb High School principal Joseph Horton was appointed assistant principal at Lassiter High School;
  • Jeff Milton, as assistant principal at Kell High School, was appointed to the same position at Walton High School;
  • A new assistant principal at Kell is Richard Norman, who had been a teacher at Kell.

Those appointments are effective July 11.

Announcing his resignation, effective June 12, was David Chiprany, an assistant superintendent who oversaw a middle school cluster. A former principal at East Cobb Middle School and Wheeler High School, Chiprany is now the chief academic officer for the Bartow County School System.

 

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New charges against Precinct 4 Cobb Police officer include criminal solicitation

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A Cobb Police officer who was arrested on Monday for aggravated assault is facing additional charges that include the solicitation of a minor girl for sex.Cobb Police

Cobb Police said Thursday that Officer Robert New has been charged with criminal solicitation and computer pornography involving the use of wireless internet. Police said they’re investigating with the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

Both of the new charges are felonies. Warrant information indicates that New attempted to solicit a 12-year-old girl and another female related to her via text.

New, 46, who has been a patrol officer at the East Cobb-based Precinct 4, remains in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.

He was arrested at his home on Hawkins Store Road and charged with assault and battery involving a woman in an off-duty incident. New is accused of slapping and choking a 44-year-old woman in a sexual encounter in March.

At a press conference Tuesday, Cobb Police Chief Mike Register said investigators believe New met the woman online. After a forensic interview with the woman, he said, they determined she had the mental capacity of a child between 10 and 14 years of age.

Register also said the department is responding to a non-criminal administrative complaint against New by another woman.

New had his first hearing with a Cobb Magistrate Court judge Tuesday and was told his bond hearing would be July 10. He has been placed on administrative leave without pay by Cobb Police.

New began his Cobb Police career at Precinct 4 and served on the department’s DUI task force before returning to Precinct 4.

East Cobb News does not publish photographs of crime suspects before their cases have gone through the legal system, and then only if they are convicted or plead guilty and are sentenced.

 

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