Thanks to Donna Goldenberg for the photo and information about her son Trevor, who for the second year in a row organized the For Three Basketball Clinic for exceptional youth, and a few adults.
She says 18 participants, ranging in age from four years old to 39 years old, turned out for the clinic last Tuesday at the Mt. Bethel Christian Academy high school gym on Post Oak Tritt Road.
In addition, around 20 volunteers took part in helping run the clinic, which was held on Election Day, when Cobb schools are closed.
Donna says the clinicians are selected in various ways, usually by word of mouth. She says Trevor, who’s circled at the bottom left of the photo, began the clinic last year as a bar mitzvah project (the family attends Temple Beth Tikvah in Roswell). He is an 8th grader at Dodgen Middle School and is a member of the school’s Beta Club.
She adds that East Marietta Basketball, a youth organization, and president Clark Humble, is involved as a sponsor of the event.
“We are going to do it again next year and will continue to do it with their help,” she said. “Hopefully, we can get more sponsors next year to make it even bigger and better.”
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It’s the week before Thanksgiving, and holiday-themed events are popping up on our East Cobb events calendar, including the Ecumenical Thanksgiving Celebration. on Thursday.
It’s the 14th annual service starting at at 7 p.m. at Temple Kol Emeth (1415 Old Canton Road), and this year’s theme is “Harmonizing the Voice of Humanity.” Representatives of Jewish, Christian, Muslim and other metro area faith communities will participate in readings, music and fellowship.
The public is invited to stay for dessert and is asked to bring canned food donations for Must Ministries and an offering for Give-a-Gobble. Overflow parking is at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3155 Trickum Road.
The elections are over, but the League of Women Voters of Marietta-Cobb is delving into lingering political matters with a discussion Monday night about gerrymandering. It starts at 7 p.m. at WellStar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road), and the guest speaker is Elizabeth McNamara, the former president of the League of Women Voters of the U.S.
Cobb Police are continuing their community outreach events with citizens on Tuesday. Cookies With a Cop goes from 6-8 p.m. at the Great American Cookies/Marble Slab Creamery in Providence Square Shopping Center (4101 Roswell Road). Bring your questions about crime and public safety for Precinct 4 community officers to answer in an informal setting.
Check our full calendar listings for more, including a number of public library book club and other events going on during this week, and beyond.
Did we miss anything? Do you have a calendar item you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us, and we’ll spread the word! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com, and you can include a photo or flyer if you like.
Whatever you’re doing this week, make it a great one! Enjoy!
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A “Blue Wave” tent on election day in front of Eastvalley Elementary School urged voters to support Democratic candidates. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
Cobb County may be trending for the Democratic Party in major elections, but East Cobb remains reliably Republican ground in the county and metro Atlanta area.
But it could be argued that East Cobb’s stronghold status has been dented to some degree in Tuesday’s elections.
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams carried the county by 54-46 percent, following Hillary Clinton’s 46-44 margin over Donald Trump in the 2016 presidential race.
Brian Kemp won precincts in blue; Stacey Abrams in green; click map for precinct details.
Voters in East Cobb stuck with Republicans in those races, just as they did for the most part this week. (The results of all races are to be certified Monday by the Cobb Board of Elections.)
Yet for the first time in a long time, Democratic candidates were on the ballot in every race in the East Cobb area, which no longer has all GOP elected officials.
Lucy McBath, a Democrat from East Cobb and a gun-control advocate with a national profile, unseated Republican incumbent Karen Handel in a close 6th Congressional District race. Handel won East Cobb precincts decisively, getting in some cases more than 60 percent of the vote.
But McBath cruised in DeKalb and nearly drew even with Handel in North Fulton, following some suburban trendlines in Congressional elections that are favoring Democratic candidates.
That it happened in a district that has been in Republican hands since Newt Gingrich was first elected in 1978 is notable.
McBath’s unofficial victory was less than 3,000 votes, a year after Handel fended off Jon Ossoff by four points in a special election that was the most expensive ever for a U.S. House race.
Close calls in county, legislative races
In the Cobb Board of Education Post 6 election, Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney was defeated by Democrat Charisse Davis (in photo) in another close race. The post covers the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones and some of the Campbell area.
Sweeney ran strong in most East Cobb precincts where he lives, but Davis got most of her votes in the Smyrna and Vinings area that is her home.
Longtime legislator Sharon Cooper, the chairwoman of the Georgia House Health and Human Services Committee, was re-elected with only 52 percent of the vote for the District 43 seat in East Cobb she has held since 1997.
That 52 percent number is also is what Republican Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell received in her election to a third term representing District 3. She defeated Caroline Holko, a Democratic first-time candidate like many others in East Cobb, but this was Birrell’s closest margin since she was first elected.
Republican State Rep. Sam Teasley, who represents part of Northeast Cobb in District 37, was defeated also by the slightest of margins by Democrat Mary Frances Williams.
Otherwise, Republican incumbents prevailed in East Cobb, which is looking like territory of last resort for the county GOP.
Wake-up call for Cobb GOP
In a statement, the Cobb Republican Party said on Wednesday that “while the Blue Wave did not turn out to be the tsunami Democrats hoped for, it did hit Cobb County and did wash out a couple of our great Republican elected officials.”
Sam Teasley was the lone Republican legislator representing East Cobb who was defeated Tuesday.
Noting that Abrams won won Cobb by nearly 30,000 votes, the GOP added that “we all now see exactly how much we must fight for every vote, or concede Cobb to Democrats along with higher taxes for less services.
“Nothing in politics is ever permanent and sometimes a wake-up call what is needed to spur good people to action,” said the Cobb Republican statement.
Demographic changes are part of the reason why Cobb is becoming more “blue,” and not just in South Cobb. Marietta and points north in Acworth and Kennesaw also are voting more with Democrats.
Some precincts in East Cobb closer to the city of Marietta are also trending purple, if not blue. Some Republicans were getting closer to 50 percent than the 55-and-up margins they enjoy in easternmost precincts.
The Cobb school board, which has had a 6-1 Republican majority for several years, will now be a 4-3 split, with Democrats picking up two seats on Tuesday. Republican David Chastain, who represents the Kell and Sprayberry areas, was re-elected.
The Cobb state house delegation will have a Democratic majority, holding eight of the 15 seats come January.
The Ossoff effect?
In East Cobb, last year’s special Congressional election inspired Ossoff volunteers to launch candidacies of their own.
None of them won on Tuesday, but they did make entrenched Republican incumbents, some of whom see little competition, campaign more than usual.
All of the Democrats were women, and some of them, including McBath and Davis, are minorities. A number of them were outspokenly progressive in their views, which is also unusual for those running for office in East Cobb.
Holko (in photo) was among them, as she advocated for more transit options and other positions that aren’t heard much on the campaign trail in this community. The day after the election, she told supporters that “Rome wasn’t built in a day, and change comes in steps.”
Whether this year’s Democratic surge in Cobb is part of a permanent movement or not remains to be seen.
What seems fairly clear is that with a presidential race looming in 2020, East Cobb will be eyed for further gains by Democrats, and doubling-down efforts by Republicans.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
We got word this afternoon from Greg Felter, the restaurant’s managing partner, that the East Cobb Jason’s Deli opening will be this Monday, Nov. 12.
It was supposed to be Oct. 22 but renovation delays pushed that back. Hours are 10-10 seven days a week.
The Houston-based fast casual eatery chain operates 275 restaurants in 28 states, including 16 in Georgia and two in Cobb, near Cumberland and Town Center malls.
In addition to traditional deli-style menu options, Jason’s Deli also serves burgers, salads (and a salad bar), vegetarian dishes, soups, pasta entrees and a kid’s menu.
The Jason’s Deli space at Merchants Exchange (1401 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 334) has been the home for Sage Social Kitchen, Chequers Seafood and Steak and Houlihan’s.
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If you think it was chilly when you woke up this morning, wait until Sunday. The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a freeze warning for most of north Georgia, including Cobb County.
Around 10 a.m. today, the NWS issued the warning from 9 p.m. Saturday through 10 a.m. Sunday, with overnight temperatures possibly dipping into the 20s.
The freeze warning area runs along and north of a line from LaGrange to Griffin to Covington and Washington.
In Cobb, temperatures dropped into the high 30s last night, with highs today only in the low 50s. That’s also the forecast for Sunday afternoon, but not before low temperatures tonight are expected to be around freezing.
Adding to the chilly conditions are winds that could reach gusts of 15 mph during the day today. They will fade on Sunday, according to the NWS, but rain is expected late Sunday night and through Monday.
After warmer, but often rainy, weather this week, the freeze warning signals a return to colder weather for most of next week.
Tuesday is expected to be rainy all day, and with the lower temperatures there is the chance of more freezing conditions, with lows possibly falling under 32 overnight.
High temperatures aren’t likely to get much higher than the low 50s until the end of the week, with clear and sunny skies.
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After piling up big wins at home to start the Georgia High School Association playoffs, the Kell and Walton football teams now have the challenge of replicating that success on the road.
The Kell Longhorns might be one of the hottest teams in the state after romping 48-8 over Carver of Atlanta on Friday in the Class 5A playoffs. Ebony Jackson scored four touchdowns for Kell (9-2), which has won seven games in a row after starting the season 2-2.
Kell’s high-powered offense, which also includes quarterback Evan Conley, has averaged 37.8 points a game during the season. Next Friday, the Longhorns will play at Buford, which defeated Miller Grove 35-14.
The Wolves are on a similar roll, having won six games in a row, and are averaging 43 points a game during the season.
In Class 7A, Walton also played host to a first-round game on Friday, and had little trouble with a south Georgia opponent. The Raiders (10-1) defeated Camden County 40-20, as quarterback Austin Kirskey threw three touchdown passes, two of them to Kendall Alford.
On Friday, Walton will travel cross-county to play fellow Cobb school Hillgrove. The Hawks are undefeated at 11-0 after defeating Pebblebrook 21-7.
The football season came to an end Friday for Pope, which had a daunting task in its first-round Class 6A playoff game at Creekview. The Cherokee County team was 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the state going in, and cruised 38-14.
The Grizzlies jumped out to a quick early lead, and Pope (5-6) didn’t get on the scoreboard until later in the game. But in two seasons under former Pope player Tab Griffin, the Greyhounds have reached the playoffs have some lean years.
They also fought back to get to the post-season after starting out 0-4.
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Thank you to Gina Duncan of the Georgia Metropolitan Dance Theatre for the information and photos about its presentation of “The Nutcracker” over the Thanksgiving weekend at the Cobb Civic Center.
She says more than 150 young local dancers will be involved in the classic holiday ballet performance, and they range in age from seven to 18. Their training takes place at the Georgia Dance Conservatory on the Marietta Square, with professional dancers D Patton White as Godfather Drosselmeyer and Alex Barros as the Cavalier joining the cast.
Here the dates and times:
Friday, Nov. 23 at 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 24 at 2 and 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 25th at 2 p.m.
The venue is the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre at the Cobb Civic Center (548 S. Marietta Pkwy) and tickets are $10 to $30. For information visit: www.georgiametrodance.tix.com.
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A Catholic Church of St. Ann priest has responded to his parish’s membership this week after the Archdiocese of Atlanta published a list priests, deacons, seminarians and other religious workers it says have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse of minors over many decade.
Two of those named in the report were a pastoral aide who was convicted of molesting two boys while working at St. Ann in 1999-2000, and a priest at a Canton parish who may have been at the East Cobb church on occasion in the early 1990s.
Rev. Wilton Gregory, the Atlanta Archbishop, said he was publicly identifying those on the list “in a spirit of transparency and the hope of continued healing for the survivors of abuse.”
On Friday, the Rev. Raymond Cadran, the St. Ann pastor, sent a letter to members of the Roswell Road parish, expressing “my deepest sorrow and anger and hurt over the actions of any LaSalette or anyone associated with our name who has caused hurt and pain to any of God’s precious children, young people and their families.”
He said that “all credible claims were handled in an appropriate and timely manner.”
The names on the Atlanta list go back to the founding of the archdiocese in 1956 and were compiled from “the best information available to us at this time,” according to the Archdiocese.
Another name on the Archdiocese list is Father Raymond Horan, who was the founding pastor of Transfiguration Catholic Church in East Cobb. He was there from 1977-1981.
Kenneth Cassity was a pastoral aide who lived at the St. Ann rectory from Aug. 1999-July 2000. He had been considering becoming a priest with Missionaries of Our Lady of LaSalette (of which St. Ann is a part) but was dismissed in 2000. In 2002, Cadran wrote, a “credible accusation” was made against Cassity while he was working at a Catholic church in Florida.
In June 2003, he pleaded guilty to two counts of molestation stemming from the St. Ann charges. He was sentenced to three years in prison and seven more on probation.
In December 2003, the Atlanta archdiocese and the Missionaries of LaSalette settled a $10 million lawsuit filed by the parents of Cassity’s molestation victims at St. Ann.
Rev. Ray Cadran
In August, the Catholic Archdiocese of Arlington, Va., acknowledged that it was told of an allegation of abuse by a minor against Cassity when he was a youth pastor at a parish there in 1992, and that law enforcement was notified.
That was the same year Richard Boucher, a priest at Our Lady of La Salette Church in Canton and who visited St. Ann on occasion, was accused of abusing a minor.
According to Cadran, Boucher “was immediately removed from all priestly and pastoral ministry by the La Salette Missionaries, as is still the case to this day. He may have had reason to be on our campus occasionally while he was in Canton for events such as a penance service.”
Cadran, who has been at St. Ann since 1996 and was at the Canton parish before that, also urged church members to contact the Atlanta archdiocese hotline 1-888-437-0764 with about a credible allegation of sexual abuse against a minor by a priest or religious worker.
“With you, I pray that the bishops gathered may find the strength and wisdom to create the way forward with their decisions and truly take the bold action necessary to heal the Church,” Cadran wrote in his letter.
UPDATED, SUNDAY, 1:15 P.M. Earlier today Father Fernando Molina-Restrepo, the pastor at Transfiguration, also posted a letter to his congregation regarding Horan, who later served at other churches in metro Atlanta and Georgia.
According to the Atlanta Archdiocese, Horan was removed from the ministry in 1992. He died last year at the age of 74.
“It’s obviously painful to see this news and recognize that enough evidence had been shown” for Horan’s removal, Molina-Restrepo wrote:
“Important now is that we, as a parish family, continue to pray for all victims of child sexual abuse. The Archdiocese of Atlanta is seeking to be transparent and giving assistance to anyone who may have been harmed. The Archdiocese of Atlanta, as the Archbishop has said numerous times, is always ready to assist victims with professional help and with whatever is needed for their healing.
“Here at Transfiguration, please know that we, as your parish clergy, are always willing to find a time to sit down and visit with any of you who may be struggling with this information or need advice, counsel or referral.”
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Back in August, Xi-Anna Graham, an East Cobb mother of four children, was found strangled to death at her home in the Merritt Road area. A man who lived there with them was arrested for her murder and last week he was indicted by a Cobb Grand Jury.
Christopher Gene Scarboro, 27, faces charges of malice murder, felony murder, aggravated assault and cruelty to children in the third degree. He was arrested for the killing of Xi-anna Graham after what Marietta Police said was on ongoing domestic dispute.
Graham, who was 24, had four children living with her and Scarboro at the home at 697 Bonnie Dell Drive. According to police, at least one of the children was home when Scarboro allegedly choked Graham around the neck with his bare hands, and then threw her onto the ground.
Police said they found Graham’s lifeless body when they made a welfare check early on the morning of Aug. 24.
Scarboro has been held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center since his arrest the same day.
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We placed this on the calendar but wanted to expand this item more because there’s some news accompanying a fundraiser the East Cobb-based non-profit Play Me Again Pianos is having on Sunday:
The group that refurbishes, repaints and donates used pianos for community use is inviting the public for a fundraiser from 5-7 Sunday at Red Sky Tapas and Bar (1255 Johnson Ferry Road).
The event will be featured around a Dueling Pianos concert (like the Dueling Pianos entertainment programs at the restaurant), and there will be food, drinks, and other musical fun.
Play Me Again Pianos will accept cash donations, and there will be raffle prizes and Red Sky will donate a portion of food and beverage sales on Sunday.
Co-founders Jason and Kelly Brett are aiming to provide 88 pianos to communities around metro Atlanta. Thus far there are two Play Me Again Pianos in East Cobb. “Sunny” at East Cobb Park, pictured above, whose ribbon-cutting we covered last summer, was painted by summer Artscape! painters. Last fall, “Tommy” was unveiled at Egg Harbor Cafe (4917 Lower Roswell Road).
Now for the news part: A third piano will be placed in East Cobb soon, at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center. Kelly told us there’s not an ETA yet on when “Vincent” will arrive. She says he’s still being painted, and “since our artists are volunteers we pretty much just roll with their timeline. We’re hoping that it’s before the end of the year though.”
While the pianos are donated and are free for the public to use, upkeep is not, and that’s what the fundraising efforts are all about. The Bretts estimate that each piano costs $500 a year to tune and make minor repairs.
And here’s more on how the Bretts began their efforts to create more public music spots for what they say remains a labor of love. Says Jason:
“One of the things we love about these pianos is that they create spaces where friends and strangers alike gather to just enjoy a few minutes of music and happiness together, and that’s exactly the kind of community we want to be a part of.”
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Alyssa Prindle never left ICU after falling out of a moving car on Johnson Ferry Road July 5.
An East Cobb teen charged with the death of another teen who fell out of a moving car over the July 4 holiday has been indicted by a Cobb grand jury.
Abigail Cook, 17, is facing charges of vehicular homicide, having a false identification and underage possession of alcohol.
The indictments were handed Nov. 1, according to online documents filed with the Cobb District Attorney’s Office.
Cook, whose home address is listed as Wood Thrush Way, was charged shortly after Alyssa Prindle, 18, a recent graduate of Pope High School, was seriously injured in the incident and taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
Cobb Police said Prindle was a backseat passenger in an SUV driven by Cook that was heading north on Johnson Ferry Road near Sewell Mill Road around 2 a.m. on July 5.
According to police, Prindle rolled down a window of a silver 2001 Hyundai Santa Fe and began hanging out of the vehicle while it was in motion, yelling and screaming before she fell out.
Prindle, who was to have been a freshman at Georgia Southern University this fall, was in intensive care at Kennestone until she died on July 27.
The charges against Cook, who bonded out of jail shortly after her arrest, were upgraded to include vehicular homicide. She was indicted by the grand jury for violating her class D drivers license hour restrictions.
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Early holiday shoppers will have more opportunities to beat the crowds, discover the best finds and help out local charitable efforts with an array of holiday markets leading off upcoming East Cobb Weekend Events.
The Good Mews Holiday Decor Market has been underway for a couple of weeks now and continues every weekend until mid-December at the Sandy Plains Exchange shopping center (1860 Sandy Plains Road at Scufflegrit). Hours are 10-5 Saturday and 12-5 Sunday and all proceeds go to shelter operations;
The Mt. Zion United Methodist Women Craft Show returns (photo above from last year) from 9-5 Friday and 9-4 Saturday at the church (1770 Johnson Ferry Road). It’s the 32nd year for the event, which will have items from more than 100 vendors, door prizes, a bake sale, a quilt drawing and Santa pictures. Proceeds go to UMW programs.
On Saturday, the Ribbons and Holiday Handcrafted Market takes place at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road), with goods from more than 50 vendors, face painting for kids, food and more. Mt. Bethel’s mission projects are the beneficiary.
Well before dawn on Saturday many will be lining up for Free Dental Day at Mansouri Family Dental Care (4720 Lower Roswell Road). It’s the 8th year for the first-come, first-serve service, which provides free cleanings, extractions and fillings for those who can’t afford them. Treatment numbers will be given out starting at 5:30 a.m.
Friday Night Lights have been extended for three East Cobb high school football teams that have qualified for the Georgia High School Association playoffs. Two are playing at home: Camden County is at Walton, while Carver of Atlanta visits Kell. Pope will be playing at Creekview in Canton. Kickoff times are all at 7:30 p.m.
On Sunday, the East Cobb-based Play Me Again Pianos non-profit is having a family-friendly fundraiser from 5-7 p.m. at Red Sky Tapas and Bar (1255 Johnson Ferry Road), as it continues to provide refurbished pianos to communities across metro Atlanta. Two are located at East Cobb Park and Egg Harbor Cafe, and another will be presented soon at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.
Monday is Veteran’s Day, and there are plenty of events slated around the county to mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice ending the First World War. The closest to East Cobb is the Marietta Veterans Day Parade that will be held on Saturday, starting at 10 a.m. at Roswell Street Baptist Church (774 Roswell Street) and traveling to the Marietta Square, where speakers and commemorations will take place. The parade is in its 14th year, and is put on by the City of Marietta and the Marietta Kiwanis Club.
Did we miss anything? Do you have a calendar item you’d like to share with the community? Send it to us, and we’ll spread the word! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com, and you can include a photo or flyer if you like.
Whatever you’re doing this weekend, make it a great one! Enjoy!
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Administrators at Wheeler High School were sending out word around lunchtime that there was “an interruption to the instructional day” but that “all is fine.”
We contacted the Cobb County School District for more information, and this is what a spokeswoman told us:
“An alarm was accidentally triggered at Wheeler High School today. The issue was resolved quickly. Teachers are teaching, and students are learning.”
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This morning U.S. Rep. Karen Handel conceded to Lucy McBath in the 6th Congressional District election.
Here’s part of the statement Handel issued:
After carefully reviewing all of the election results data, it is clear that I came up a bit short on Tuesday. Congratulations to Representative-Elect Lucy McBath and I send her only good thoughts and much prayer for the journey that lies ahead for her.
While Tuesday’s loss is indeed disappointing, there is much for which we can and should be grateful.
We live in a great country. In no other nation in the world could a girl leave home at 17 – finish school on her own and then work her way up – and have the incredible opportunities that I have had.
This country has enabled me to follow my dreams personally and professionally. You gave me the honor of serving as Chairman of the Fulton Commission, as Secretary of State. And, for the last year and a half, you gave me the high honor – the incredible privilege – of serving you as your representative in Congress.
My story underscores just how exceptional this country is. In this great nation, the least among us have opportunities to offer our best. We’re a country that encourages and rewards hard work.
McBath, an East Cobb Democrat, claimed victory on Wednesday. Handel, a Republican from Roswell who touted President Trump’s tax cuts, said in response she wouldn’t make any additional statements then.
The results are still unofficial, but McBath surged ahead of Handel by fewer than 3,000 votes after extremely tight returns all evening on Tuesday. Handel won 55 percent of the vote in East Cobb precincts and barely won her North Fulton home ground. McBath got more than 60 percent of the vote in north and central DeKalb.
The margin was within the realm of a recount, but Handel decided against that. After winning a special election last year in the most expensive race in U.S. House history, Handel will have served 18 months when McBath succeeds her in January.
She will be the first Democrat to hold the seat since Newt Gingrich was first elected in 1978. McBath also is one of 37 Democrats to defeat Republican incumbents this year, with the GOP losing House control as a result.
On Thursday afternoon, McBath issued a statement in response to the mass shootings in southern California that killed 12 people at a nightclub. Her son was shot and killed six years ago in an incident that prompted her to become a gun-control advocate:
The tragedy in California is one of far too many. I grieve with the families affected and for every life lost. I pray that Congress will support me in taking action to prevent these tragedies from affecting the lives of so many. I am deeply thankful for all of the first responders.
As a congresswoman, but more importantly as a mother,I pledge to do every thing I can to make our communities safer. The most important title I am ever going to hold is Jordan’s mom – and that is what drives me to keep going. Knowing firsthand the deep pain of losing a loved one to gun violence is what drove me to stand up. Then, after watching the tragedy of Parkland, I knew I had to do more. That is why I am here today.
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Democratic challenger Lucy McBath is declaring victory in the Georgia 6th Congressional District race over Republican incumbent Karen Handel.
Here’s the statement issued by McBath’s campaign shortly before 2 p.m. today:
“After a hard fought race, I am honored to announce that the people of Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District have put their trust in my vision for the future of our district and nation.
The voters responded to my commitment to put aside partisan fights for the good of the American people. Six years ago, I went from a Marietta mom to a mother on a mission. After my son was lost to gun violence, I stood up and started demanding more. After Parkland, I was compelled to enter this race for Congress – to provide leadership that would be about the business of putting lives over profit. I vow to make that my top priority.
I look forward to representing the people of Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District, and I pledge to work hard fighting for every single person and family in this district.”
Handel’s campaign had this response around 3 p.m.:
Given the close results of our race, and the fact that the official results at this time are within the 1% threshold where a recount is possible, we believe it is prudent to review and assess all data before making additional actions or statements.
Both candidates exchanged the lead more than once in the hours shortly after the polls closed on Tuesday in a race that late polls showed to be a dead heat.
Shortly after 2 a.m., Handel held an extremely thin lead, by around 50 votes. Both candidates told supporters late last night that a recount seemed likely
But as absentee ballots and other late-reporting votes came in from Fulton County this morning, McBath, an East Cobb resident and nationally known gun-control advocate, took the lead.
Handel won the East Cobb portion of the 6th District and McBath cruised in DeKalb. In Handel’s home base of North Fulton, she leads McBath by less than 1,000 votes.
If McBath is officially declared the winner, she’ll be part of the new Democratic majority in the U.S. House.
She would also would end a 40-year Republican Congressional hold on the seat that Newt Gingrich first won in 1978.
We’ll keep updating this post.
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Charisse Davis will be the only woman on the Cobb Board of Education. (East Cobb News file photo)
Catching you up on the day after some notable elections results in East Cobb, and starting with one incumbent who was defeated last night.
That’s Republican Scott Sweeney, who was vying for his third term for the Post 6 seat on the Cobb Board of Education that includes the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones.
He was ousted by Charisse Davis, who like many fellow Democratic challengers in local races was running for the first time.
Some additional votes came in from when when we posted early this morning, and Davis received 21,654 votes, or 51.27 percent. Sweeney had 20,580 votes, or 48.734 percent.
As we noted last night/early this morning, Davis’ win closes the GOP majority on the school board to 4-3 come January. She’s a former school teacher and now librarian in Fulton County whose children attend school in the Campbell attendance zone, some of which is in District 6.
Here’s what Davis told her supporters this morning.
As a school district, we have an opportunity to celebrate our successes while facing our issues with the goal of finding solutions. As an educator and mom of two in the district, I am committed to seeing the district become a leader in implementing solutions that can help all of our students achieve. We can, and will, do better to provide access to early learning options, provide transparency to the families in this community, and focus on the students of this district, no matter how they learn.
East Cobb News covered a candidates’ forum between Davis and Sweeney last month during what came to be a competitive election. Both were unopposed in the primaries, but she received more votes than Sweeney, whose sons attend Walton and Dickerson.
On Tuesday, Sweeney won most of the East Cobb precincts, although Davis carried the Terrell Mill precinct handily. He carried a precinct in Vinings, but she enjoyed large margins in all other precincts in the Cumberland-Smyrna area.
We’ve got a table below that breaks it down, and will be adding more reaction.
For now, she breaks the Republican lock on elected officials that represent East Cobb residents. The 6th Congressional District and State House 37th District races are still in too-close-to-call mode.
Republican Cobb school member David Chastain won a second term Tuesday, defeating Democrat Cynthia Parr to keep the Post 4 seat that includes the Kell and Sprayberry districts.
Chastain received 20,592 votes, or 53.61 percent, while Parr got 17,820 votes, or 46.39 percent.
We’ll have more later in the week on reaction from other races, including commissioner JoAnn Birrell’s close re-election, legislative results and where the Georgia governor’s race stands.
Cobb Police Tuesday released surveillance photos of a man they say is an East Cobb motel sexual assault in an attack that took place nearly a month ago.
The man is accused of attacking a victim on Oct. 7 at the Intown Suites located at 2030 Roswell Road, and police are asking for the public’s help in identifying him.
According to police, the victim and suspect were in contact through a mobile phone application.
Police said just a few minutes after that, the suspect arrived at the victim’s location at the motel. The victim was then allegedly overpowered and sexually assaulted, police said.
Police said the suspect is a black male between 26 and 30 years old. He has a medium to dark complexion and is around 5-foot-10 to six feet in height, weighing between 200-230 pounds.
Police said the suspect was wearing the clothing shown in the photo above, and that he had a full beard short in length.
Anyone with information regarding asked to call the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons unit at 770-499-3945
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Most East Cobb incumbents prevailed in Tuesday’s elections, but two races may not be determined for a while.
And the governor’s race could be headed for a runoff.
In the 6th Congressional District race, Republican incumbent Karen Handel was fighting to hold on to the seat she won in a special election last year against Democratic newcomer Lucy McBath.
As of this writing, Handel led by fewer than 200 votes, out of more than 300,000 cast, with a handful of Cobb and some Fulton precincts still not reporting.
That’s because some polls closed in Fulton around 10 p.m. after technical issues, and the last of the voters cast their ballots shortly before midnight.
Fulton is the battleground in the 6th District, which has been in GOP hands since 1978. Handel won East Cobb precincts with 56 percent of the vote, while Handel cruised in north and central DeKalb with 59 percent.
In north Fulton, Handel’s home turf, she was leading 50.53-49.47 percent. Handel and McBath both told their supporters late Tuesday the final results won’t be determined until Wednesday.
The close race comes as Democrats were projected to regain control of the U.S. House.
In the Cobb Board of Education Post 6 race, Republican incumbent Scott Sweeney also was in a battle with a newcomer, Democrat Charisse Davis, for the seat that includes the Walton and Wheeler and part of the Campbell attendance zones.
Shortly before 1 a.m., and with 100 percent of the precincts in, Davis has 19,324 votes, or 50.46 percent, to 18,971 for Sweeney, or 49.54 percent.
Sweeney is the parent of sons in the Walton district, and was first elected in 2010. He got his biggest margins in his East Cobb base.
Davis is a former teacher and public librarian who lives in the Campbell attendance zone, and that’s where she picked up most of her votes.
Her election would cut the Republican majority on the seven-member school board to only 4-3. She also would be the only woman on the board.
Charisse Davis pulled ahead of Scott Sweeney by 300+ votes late Tuesday in the Cobb school board Post 6 election.
Two-term Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell pulled out a close re-election bid to keep her District 3 seat that includes Northeast Cobb. A Republican, she defeated Democrat Caroline Holko with 33,899 votes, or 52.40 percent, to 30,790, or 47.60 percent.
Republican Cobb school board member David Chastain was re-elected to the Post 6 seat that covers the Kell and Sprayberry attendance zones. He defeated Democrat Cynthia Parr with 19,247 votes, or 54.18 percent, to 16,278, or 45.82 percent.
Another close race in East Cobb was for the State House District 37 seat. Republican incumbent Sam Teasley was holding a very narrow lead over Democrat Mary Frances Williams. He had 10,932 votes, or 50.34 percent, to 10,785 votes for Williams, or 49.66 percent.
Other East Cobb legislative incumbents, all Republicans, held onto their seats: State Senator Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and representatives Sharon Cooper, Matt Dollar, Don Parsons and John Carson.
Cooper had the closest race of all, defeating Democrat Luisa Wakeman by 52.55-47.45 percent in the State House 43 seat she has held since 1997.
In the Georgia governor’s race, Republican Brian Kemp was holding on against Democrat Stacey Abrams after rolling up a big lead early in the evening.
But Abrams fought back as metro Atlanta counties reported, including Cobb, and the race could be headed for a runoff.
With 95 percent of all precincts reporting, Kemp had 1,925,539 votes, or 51.06 percent. Abrams received 1,809,629 votes, or 47.99 percent. Abrams, who won Cobb by 53-45 percent, came out to her supporters in Atlanta early this morning and did not concede.
Libertarian Ted Metz got just 35,659 votes, but his 0.95 percent share of the statewide vote could extend a contentious race for a few more weeks.
We’ll follow up these developments and take a deeper look at the other races on East Cobb News Wednesday and through the rest of the week.
UPDATED, 10:15 P.M.
The “Blue Wave” election Democrats were hoping for has been little more than a trickle thus far in East Cobb, with one major exception.
In the 6th Congressional District race, Republican incumbent Karen Handel and Democratic Lucy McBath are running just about even and have exchanged thin leads.
At 10 p.m., Handel held a slight lead, 50.89 percent to 49.11 race, with 61 percent of the precincts fully reporting.
Due to technical issues, some precincts in Fulton County closed at 9:30 and 10 p.m.
In East Cobb, a Republican stronghold, Handel enjoys a 68.6-31.3 percent lead.
McBath has a 53-46 percent edge in DeKalb, and McBath is up 50-49 in Fulton.
In the Cobb Commission District 3 race, Republican incumbent JoAnn Birrell is leading Democrat Caroline Holko 62-38 percent, but none of the seat’s 44 precincts are fully reporting.
It’s also early in two Cobb school board races in East Cobb, where Republican incumbents David Chastain and Scott Sweeney have 60 and 67 percent of the vote, respectively.
East Cobb’s legislative incumbents, also all Republicans, also are leading handily, with most having 60 percent or more of the vote.
In the governor’s race, Republican Brian Kemp had a big early lead over Democrat Stacey Abrams that has narrowed to around 55-44 percent with 63 percent of the precincts reporting.
Metro Atlanta counties still have to fully report, including Cobb.
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On Tuesday voters will be going to the polls in midterms that have spiked interest across the country, and close to home. This East Cobb Election Day post rounds up everything we’ve put together before you head to your precinct and contains some late news from Monday as campaigning drew to a close.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all precincts.
In East Cobb, there’s a full slate of competitive races that is rare for a community that’s been strong Republican territory for years.
Every elected official who represents East Cobb—federal, state and local—is in the GOP, but there are Democrats in all of the 10 state and local races on Tuesday’s ballot.
All of the Democrats are women, many of them minorities. Nine of them are first-time candidates, some reacting to Donald Trump’s presidential election and energized by Jon Ossoff’s Congressional campaign.
With plenty of midterm prognostications focused on suburban voting, the results from East Cobb figure to be closely watched.
On Monday, some national polls declared the 6th Congressional District race that includes East Cobba toss-up, including the Cook Political Report and The New York Times.
Republican incumbent Karen Handel (left), who defeated Democrat Ossoff in a special election last year, is facing Democrat Lucy McBath (right), a high-profile gun-gun control advocate, in a race that could help determine party control of the U.S. House of Representatives.
Handel had been holding a slight lead within the margin of error. When she defeated Ossoff last year, Handel got some of her strongest margins in East Cobb. The district also includes north Fulton, Sandy Springs, and north and central DeKalb.
Republicans are trying to hold on to their majority in the House, and are expected to lose seats. The 6th Congressional District of Georgia has been in GOP control since 1979, when Newt Gingrich was first elected.
The Georgia governor’s race also is expected to be close and is seen as sparking early voter turnout.
Democrat Stacey Abrams has drawn virtually even with Republican Brian Kemp, and Cobb County is seen as battleground turf. The possibility of a runoff looms with Libertarian candidate Ted Metz on the ballot.
The politicking also has gotten ugly, with Kemp, the current Secretary of State, accusing the Georgia Democratic Party of trying to hack the state elections system.
At the local level, there’s a Cobb Board of Commissioners race and two Cobb Board of Education races for East Cobb voters to decide.
District 3 Republican incumbent commissioner JoAnn Birrell is being challenged by Caroline Holko for a seat that includes Northeast Cobb.
For the Cobb school board Post 6 race, which includes the Walton and Wheeler attendance zones, two-term incumbent Scott Sweeney will face Charisse Davis. In Post 4 (Kell and Sprayberry), David Chastain is vying for a second term against Cynthia Parr.
East Cobb’s legislative delegation, which typically doesn’t generate much general election competition, has it this year.
One State Senate race and five State House races will be determined on Tuesday as well.
Early voting has been at a record pace in Cobb and Georgia. Cobb government said Monday that the nearly 135,000 people who have voted early make up around 27 percent of al the registered voters in the county.
There is the threat of stormy weather Tuesday, and rain could last for most of the day.
Cobb government said late this afternoon that:
“If voting is delayed due to weather, the Elections Office will ask a judge to extend voting past 7 pm for the length of time they had to shut down.”
We will post more about this as weather updates become available during the day.
East Cobb News will provide continuing coverage all day and evening on Tuesday.
We’ll also be sending out a special election newsletter first thing Wednesday morning, since it figures to be a long night.
If you’d like to sign up, click the link below.
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The following East Cobb restaurant scores from Oct. 23-Nov. 2 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Sweeney ran strong in most East Cobb precincts where he lives, but Davis got most of her votes in the Smyrna and Vinings area that is her home.
None of them won on Tuesday, but they did make entrenched Republican incumbents, some of whom see little competition, campaign more than usual.
