Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale will publicly present his proposed fiscal year 2020 budget of $1.3 billion to the board of education Wednesday.
The board has a work session scheduled for 1 p.m. Wednesday at the Cobb County School District main office at 514 Glover Street in Marietta.
The board also will take up more budget discussions at its monthly meeting that starts at 7 p.m. Wednesday. The first of several public forums on the budget will take place right before that, at 6:30 p.m.
Tentative approval of the budget is required now for the district to advertise it and hold additional public hearings required by law. Final approval is slated for May 16; the district’s fiscal year runs July 1-June 30.
The full budget proposal is expected to detail Ragsdale’s previously stated priorities of employee pay raises and increased teacher allotments.
Georgia teachers will be getting a $3,000 raise from the state, but Ragsdale didn’t offer specifics last month because the district was waiting for legislative funding and the county tax digest to be finalized.
For the FY 2019 budget of $1.2 billion most district employees got a 2.6 percent raise to go with 1.1-percent bonuses after the state ended austerity cuts.
At the board’s Wednesday night meeting, several East Cobb athletes will be recognized, including Kell state wrestling champion Andrew Parlato and Walton state swimming relay champions Elizabeth Isakson, Anna Heisterberg, Abby Belinski and Jasmin Hoffman.
Lynn Hamblett of Murdock Elementary School will be recognized as the recipient of a lifetime services award from the Georgia Association of Gifted Children, and STEM and STEAM certifications will be presented to McCleskey and Simpson middle schools, respectively.
The board also is expected to take action on several high-level personnel openings. One was created following the resignation of Jeffrey Castle, the principal at Timber Ridge Elementary School the last three years.
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Demonstrating their literary mastery, the Walton High School Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl team recently claimed the title of State Champions.
Walton students competed against Loganville High School student in what was the team’s first appearance at the state reading bowl event in Athens, Georgia.
The tournament was held during the annual University of Georgia Children’s Literature Conference. Walton’s Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl Team was formed in 2011, but they didn’t start competing until 2012.
Helen Ruffin, a library media specialist at Sky Haven Elementary School in DeKalb County, created the Reading Bowl in 1986. Her vision was to have teams, comprised of students from different schools, compete to test their knowledge of the selected books.
In 2000, after Ruffin’s retirement, several library media specialists formed the DeKalb County Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl. Other school districts in Georgia heard about this unique reading initiative, and soon the Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl opened to students in fourth grade through 12th grade. The winning teams from the Divisional Bowls meet at the Annual Conference on Children’s Literature in March for the State Championship of the Georgia Helen Ruffin Reading Bowl.
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On Thursday, April 18, the 9th District PTA surprised the Cobb County School District and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale with a “Lifetime Achievement Award.”
The surprise award recognized the Cobb County School District Superintendent for his long tenure of service and the important contributions he’s made to education. The 9th District recognized the broad impact Superintendent Ragsdale has made on over 500,000 students in the Atlanta-metro area since first being named interim Superintendent in 2014.
The surprise announcement was made during the District 9 Spring Conference, where PTA representatives from across the District and surrounding districts had gathered to honor Superintendent Ragsdale and to elect new officers. The 9th District PTA represents the schools in Cobb, Paulding, Douglas, Polk, Carroll, and Haralson counties.
Superintendent Ragsdale’s long career of public service began in the Technology department of Paulding County Schools where he served for over 18 years in various leadership roles. He has served first as Chief Technology Officer (CTO) and Superintendent in the Cobb County School District for the last decade and is one of the longest tenured superintendents in the metropolitan area.
Under his leadership, the District has reached record highs in graduation rates and various accountability measures, achieved and maintained a AAA credit rating, and has consistently recruited and retained the very best teachers in the state. The steady focus of the Superintendent since taking office has been, and continues to be, one team, with one goal, student success.
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The leaders of a group promoting cityhood for East Cobb have switched the location for an April 29 town hall meeting.
Rob Eble, one of the leaders of the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb, told East Cobb News Friday that the meeting will now take place in the theater at Walton High School (1590 Bill Murdock Road) due to capacity issues.
The meeting was originally slated for Chestnut Ridge Christian Church. More than 600 people showed up to to hear cityhood leader David Birdwelll at a March town hall meeting (above) at the Catholic Church of St. Ann.
Eble said the town hall at Walton will last from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. and will feature a moderated panel discussion and questions from citizens.
It’s the first of two public meetings cityhood leaders will be having in short order. They’re also slated to speak at a meeting of the the Powers Ferry Corridor Alliance next month.
The civic association is holding a community meeting May 8 from 7-9 p.m. at Brumby Elementary School (815 Terrell Mill Road) that also will include Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott.
Other topics of discussion include public safety staffing in Cobb, a transit update, issues in the Powers Ferry corridor and news on redevelopment projects that include the MarketPlace Terrell Mill and Restaurant Row.
The day after the March town hall, local legislation was filed that will be considered next year that calls for a referendum in March 2020, and if approved, mayor and city council elections would take place next November.
The cityhood forces have maintained that they want more local control of government, and would provide police, fire and zoning and planning services.
Birdwell, a real estate entrepreneur, joined the group in January, a couple of months after the group commissioned a financial feasibility study. Eble, a technology consultant, is the other new “face” of the cityhood movement
The city map that was drawn and introduced with the legislation includes a population of 96,000 and takes the East Cobb portion of Ott’s District 2 and the Powers Ferry area that is not in the Cumberland Community Improvement District.
Patti Rice, president of the PFCA, told East Cobb News after the town hall that the proposed map would split the community “right down the middle.”
She said while she lives just outside the proposed City of East Cobb, she’s keeping an open mind about cityhood but thinks the cityhood group “needs to organize their message.”
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I-75 at Delk Road Friday morning. (Georgia 511 photo)
UPDATE, 2:32 P.M.: Inclement weather has prompted Georgia DOT to cancel the resurfacing work this weekend. The forecast calls for rain all day Saturday with the sun to return on Sunday.
ORIGINAL REPORT:
From the Georgia Department of Transportation:
Contractors for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) will implement daytime and nighttime lane and ramp closures in the Marietta area on I-75 in Cobb County this weekend to continue resurfacing activities.
Weather permitting, these are the scheduled closures:
Three left lanes will be closed on I-75 northbound from 9 p.m. on Friday, April 19 until 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22 from the Windy Hill Road exit to the Delk Road exit;
One center lane will be closed on I-75 northbound from 9 p.m. on Friday, April 19 until 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22 from the Terrell Mill exit to the Delk Road exit.
The right shoulder lane on I-75 at the South Marietta Parkway exit will be closed from 1 a.m. on Sunday, April 21 until 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22; and
The on-ramp to I-75 southbound from South Marietta Parkway will be closed from 1 a.m. on Sunday, April 21 until 5:30 a.m. on Monday, April 22. Message boards in the area will direct drivers to Delk Road to access I-75 southbound.
Overhead signs and message boards in the Marietta area will alert drivers of the closures in advance and will direct drivers to the next open exit to access I-75.
These major closures reduce prolonged impacts to the traveling public by condensing the crews and equipment needed and ensuring safety for workers and drivers. The project is scheduled for completion in spring 2019.
As always, motorists traveling in the area are reminded to reduce their speeds in the work zone. Motorists are also encouraged to wear seatbelts, eliminate distractions behind the wheel, and plan their routes before getting on the road by calling 511 for real-time information on work status and traffic conditions.
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While there is the chance of rain on Saturday, sunny skies are in the forecast for Easter Sunday, and on tap this weekend are many events related to Easter and Passover.
On Saturday is the 10th annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop (photo above from last year), which goes from 11-5 at the football stadium at Sprayberry High School (2525 Sandy Plains Road).
The highlight is the helicopter drop of thousands of eggs and ensuing scramble, but the event includes food, music, DJs, and all kinds of Easter-related activities. Admission is free, but what you spend there will be used for Shop with a Yellow Jacket and Shop with e Longhorn programs at Sprayberry and Kell High School.
Ninja Quest is having an Easter egg hunt Saturday from 10-2 at its facility at 3010 Canton Road, and it’s free and aimed at kids 4 and older. There will be games, prizes, a food truck, an obstacle course and tickets to its Easter Questival that follows.
Help out the Pope Band from 10-5 Saturday with its Mattress and Sheet Sale fundraiser at the school (3001 Hembree Road), with factory-direct prices and full warranties. Financing is available and Cobb County School District employees can get an additional 10 percent off purchases (excluding sheet and pillowcase sets).
Saturday also is National Tea Day in the United Kingdom, and from 4-5 The Basics of Tea will be presented at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road), with samples of many kinds of tea available.
It’s been Holy Week for Christians and Passover began Friday; we’ve compiled a Passover and Easter Sunday service schedule for East Cobb synagogues and churches, including special breakfasts, Easter egg hunts and other related activities.
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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Register, who has been police chief since May 2017, was recommended from a group of four individuals to succeed Sam Heaton, a former Cobb fire chief who retired last month.
Register, a retired military veteran who served with Cobb PD for 19 years and later was the the Clayton County Police Chief, is a doctoral candidate in public policy.
Among his initiatives since returning to Cobb include beefing up community-based policing, with a community officer in each of the five police precincts, and holding occasional meetings with faith and other community leaders in the county.
The change at the top of the department comes as commissioners have been pressed by public safety personnel and citizens to improve salary, benefits, retention and other initiatives to address staffing shortages some have said has reached crisis proportions.
Understaffed police and fire services also are among of the primary factors behind the ongoing East Cobb cityhood movement, and are two of the proposed three services included in a bill that will be taken up next year in the Georgia legislature.
At recent commissioners’ meetings, those pushing for more staffing have noted that all five Cobb police precincts have shortages on their patrol “beats.” East Cobb’s Precinct 4 has only eight of 10 beats fully staffed, the least-staffed of all, according to Cobb Fraternal Order of Police head Steven Gaynor.
Cobb Police Chief Mike Register speaking to the East Cobb Civic Association in Aug. 2017 (ECN file).
Cobb currently has 82 police officer openings, and is on pace to lose 100 officers this year. That’s how many applications come in every week, but only a quarter or so of them make the first cut.
Other shortages are in fire/EMS and sheriff’s deputies positions.
The public safety director oversees those functions, along with the county’s 911 dispatch service, emergency management agency and animal services.
In a draft fiscal year 2020 budget proposalreleased last week, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has included recruitment bonuses for public safety, but has decided against budgeting for 40 new police officer and 40 new sheriff’s deputy positions.
Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb told those gathered at a town hall meeting last month that he’s opposed to filling the public safety director’s post, and prefers each of those agency heads to report to the county manager, as has been done in the past.
Ott was the only commissioner voting against Register for police chief, saying he objected to the selection process and not the candidate.
Proponents of more public safety staffing and better salaries are planning to speak out again at Tuesday’s meeting. It starts at 7 p.m. in the second floor boardroom of the Cobb office building, 100 Cherokee St., in downtown Marietta.
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Submitted information and photo is below; the introductory press conference is Friday at 12:30 p.m. at the KSU Convocation Center (590 Cobb Ave., Kennesaw):
Director of Athletics Milton Overton and Kennesaw State University are pleased to announce the hiring of County’s own Amir Abdur-Rahim to a four-year contract as the seventh head coach in KSU men’s basketball history. “We couldn’t be more excited to welcome Amir Abdur-Rahim and his family back home to Cobb County and Kennesaw State University,” said Director of Athletics Milton Overton. “We believe that Coach Abdur-Rahim is the best fit to build the Kennesaw State basketball program into Cobb County’s team because of the roots he has laid over the course of his life developing local basketball players into young men. He has the ability to raise the profile of KSU basketball both locally and nationally as someone who has proven to be very successful at identifying and acquiring great talent. We look forward to seeing Amir hit the ground running with the relationships he has already established in the community both at the high school level and with AAU coaches.” Abdur-Rahim grew up just a stone’s throw away from KSU, playing his prep career at Wheeler High School. A standout guard at Wheeler, he has a proven track record of winning as a player and a coach with 13 years of experience developing and recruiting talented athletes out of the south. “We are thrilled to welcome Coach Abdur-Rahim as the newest member of Owl Nation,” KSU President Pamela Whitten said. “He shares the University’s passion for building student-athletes into the leaders of tomorrow through an outstanding academic experience, and his confidence will undoubtedly translate to success on the court.” Abdur-Rahim comes to Kennesaw State after a year-long stint at Georgia under head coach Tom Crean. Throughout his career, he has helped develop two NBA draft picks in Robert Williams III from Texas A&M and Isaiah Canaan out of Murray State. “This is a job I’ve always had my eye on,” said Head Coach Abdur-Rahim. “When this position came open, I felt like the timing was perfect from a family, location, and opportunity standpoint. I felt that being a first time Head Coach, Kennesaw State provided a unique opportunity to build something special and something that could be built to sustain over time. It’s a growing university, an amazing campus, great facilities, close knit community, and then with the recruiting base that we have in Metro-Atlanta and the surrounding areas, this is a place that has all the ingredients to be successful. I feel blessed and fortunate to be the head coach at KSU and I’m excited to get to work with our guys and help them grow as men.” Prior to UGA, he spent four years as an assistant at Texas A&M (2014-18), helping lead the Aggies to three NCAA Tournament bids, including two Sweet 16 appearances in 2016 and 2018. He helped orchestrate three 20-win seasons while at TAMU, helping the Aggies to a school record 28 wins in 2016. Texas A&M won a share of the SEC Regular Season Title during that record season, the first for the program in 30 years. Before moving to College Station, Abdur-Rahim served at the College of Charleston as an assistant from 2012-13 before being promoted to associate head coach for the 2013-14 campaign. The Cougars recorded an overall record of 38-29 during his two seasons, earning a 2013 CBI bid. Abdur-Rahim also spent a year as Georgia Tech’s Director of Player Development after five seasons at Murray State. While earning his masters in organizational communication, he spent two years as a graduate assistant on the Racers’ staff before being promoted to an assistant coach from 2008-11. During Abdur-Rahim’s tenure at Murray State, the Racers compiled a 73-26 overall record, earning two OVC Regular Season Championships and a 2010 OVC Tournament title. The Racers reached the second round of the 2010 NCAA Tournament, upsetting No. 4 seed Vanderbilt in the opening round before falling to eventual runner-up Butler. A graduate of Southeastern Louisiana, Abdur-Rahim was a three-time All-Southland Conference guard for the Lions, finishing his career ranked seventh in the career record books for points scored and second for three-pointers made and steals. As a freshman at Garden City (Kansas) Community College, he ranked No. 24 nationally in scoring, averaging 19.1 points per game. Married to Arianne Buchanan, he and his wife have two daughters, Laila and Lana. He is one of 13 children born to Deborah Hester and William Abdur-Rahim and one of six brothers to play college basketball, including his older brother Shareef who was a 13-year NBA veteran and is now the President of the NBA’s G-League. “For over 20 years Amir and his family have been invested in preparing kids for the opportunity to play college basketball,” said Overton. “Utilizing his brother’s foundation, he has helped shape youth in Cobb County through camps and clinics with a mission of helping young kids in the area grow in the game of basketball and in life.”
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Just a reminder that Cobb County government will be closed for Good Friday, including public library branches.
The libraries will be open at their regular hours on Saturday, and those branches that have been open on Sunday (including Mountain View) will be closed on Easter Sunday.
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Just in time for spring cleaning this year, we will take your stuff at this year’s Community Recycling Event, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., Saturday, April 27. It will be at Jim R. Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road in Marietta. This free biannual event is your opportunity to help our community.
All items must be clean and dry. Accepting plastic shopping bags (any size), plastic straws, coffee stirrers, plastic bottle caps, foam egg cartons, foam peanuts, foam cups, foam plates, foam meat trays, plastic cutlery, bubble wrap, food storage bags, plastic dairy tubs & lids (such as yogurt, butter, cottage cheese containers), plastic food wrap, empty deodorant sticks, empty lotion bottles, plastic pet food/treat bags, and fruit/vegetable salad bags. No wax-coated containers.
On-site Paper Shredding
Please remove paper clips. Protect against identity theft by having your paperwork shredded by a locally-owned, licensed and bonded company. Medical bills, statements, letters, checks, etc. is acceptable. No file folders, glossy paper, magazines, periodicals, newspaper, CDs, DVDs, binders, or books will be accepted.
Electronics (if it has a cord it is acceptable)
Computers (we recommend you remove the hard drive or have it wiped out), cell phones, VCRs, alarm clocks, treadmills, etc. There is a $10 cash-only fee for each CRT television or CRT monitor.
Household Textiles
Gently used shoes, sneakers (tennis shoes), purses, clothing, decorative pillows, blankets, towels, sheets, functional car and booster seats with liners and restraints intact, etc. No flip flops, rugs, carpeting, mattresses, or bed pillows.
Household Appliances
Stoves, microwaves, ovens, washer, dryers, water heaters, refrigerators, grills, toasters, blenders, etc.
Lawn/Outdoor Equipment
Lawn mowers, chainsaws, etc. Fuel must be removed and the tank must be dry.
Metals
Steel, aluminum, cast iron, etc.
Polystyrene
Clean items only. No size restriction. If you have “packing peanuts” bring those in a separate bag for the Hefty® EnergyBag® Plastics Program.
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“Every little choice adds up,” said Katie Rodgers (center) of Rove Fitness, flanked by Cindy Trow of Wellness Now (left) and Noelle Abent of Energetic Therapies.
Imagine taking off 80 pounds with a diet that consists of six small meals a day.
Mix in a modest exercise plan customized for your level of fitness and what you want to achieve.
And address your physical and mental well-being with deep-breathing techniques that help reduce stress as you go about a busy daily routine.
Several East Cobb health and fitness pros insist anyone can incorporate these practices into their lives to improve their quality of life.
Speaking at a recent East Cobb Business Association luncheon, they offered up some sobering figures about the state of Americans’ health:
Six out of 10 Americans have been diagnosed with at least one chronic disease;
Four out of 10 have two or more;
By next year, chronic diseases will affect 157 million Americans;
That’s projected to be 171 million by the year 2030.
Those illnesses add up, financially too, to around $35 trillion in health costs.
“As our lifespans get longer, we are getting sicker,” said Katie Rodgers, a certified personal trainer with Rove Fitness Systems, and who works out of East Cobb.
That may seem paradoxical, but she said seven out of 10 Americans die from chronic diseases “that are preventable.
The U.S. is 34th in the world in health indicators, according to East Cobb chiropractor Dan Ruitenbeek. “We suck,” he said, but his native Canada “is not much better.”
“You’ve got the power to change your body,” Rodgers said. “Every choice counts, every little choice adds up.”
She was joined by Dr. Dan Ruitenbeek, a chiropractor who recently opened a practice at Parkaire Landing; health coach Cindy Trow of Wellness Now; and Noelle Abent of Energetic Therapies, on Johnson Ferry Road.
While their talk was geared to business professionals, their advice and the staggering health figures and trends they discussed can apply to anyone.
Better fitness starts with better food
Trow said you don’t have to be overweight or appear to be in poor health or eat unhealthy diets to have issues. The very thin former special education teacher realized how life-changing a diagnosis of Type 1 diabetes was, and she now helps others learn to eat in moderation as the stepping stone to better health.
“It’s not just how you eat but how you move, and sleep and handle stress,” she said.
Portion control is the key, and Trow pointed to weight-loss stories from clients who followed her six-meals approach. Their “sweet cravings went away” and they felt more satiated.
These are healthy snacks of course, and include a variety of 100-calorie options that include fruit, nuts, yogurt, vegetables, greens, tuna, whole-wheat pasta, hummus and some pasta and cheeses.
For dinner, she suggests you fill no more than a nine-inch plate, and emphasize fruits and vegetables and proteins.
And drink lots of water, starting the day with 24 ounces, and between 64-80 ounces a day total.
Get started with gradual steps
Abent, who formerly worked at a church, had the audience do some deep-breathing exercises, putting their hands on their stomachs while they breathed in for five seconds, and then exhaling for five seconds more.
It’s a standard relaxation technique, she said, but it also helps people get a more tactile sense of themselves.
“We’re not centered in our bodies,” said Abent, who offers therapy options that include Reiki healing, inner light therapy and spiritual counseling. The aim is to help individuals derive and sustain higher energy levels that also improve health outcomes.
“If you don’t have enough energy during the day, how is that going to flow into your business?”
Ruitenbeek said the key to getting started is to develop gradual habits that build up over time.
“It takes 21 days of consistent action to create a new habit,” he said.
Trow said “80 percent” of the formula for better health “is in your head,” with 10 percent each for food and exercise. “You’re not going to create everything in a New York minute.”
But the best news of all, Rodgers said, is that better health results are within reach of anyone who commits to those goals and who can sustain those habits, regardless of age.
“It’s never too late to get healthy,” Rodgers said.
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!
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Following last Friday’s post about Kroger’s proposed fuel center at Sandy Plains Centre: Cobb commissioners approved the measure Tuesday on their consent agenda.
The grocery chain initially got rezoning for the fueling center in 2011 in a case that included the construction of a Chick-fil-A that did not happen.
Kroger’s revised site plan also calls for nine pumping stations, compared to the original five, and to realign the fueling center to be parallel with Shallowford Road.
On April 10 Kroger’s attorneys submitted a letter with more than a dozen stipulations, and commissioners Tuesday moved to put the item on their consent agenda, which was approved unanimously.
Among the conditions are operating hours of 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. seven days a week and no beer and alcohol sales to be permitted at the fueling center.
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Some East Cobb citizens who’ve been demanding greater Cobb government SPLOST accountability made their arguments public at a town hall meeting last week.
East Cobb citizen Debbie Fisher at a budget town hall in 2018 at the Sewell Mill Library. (ECN file)
The informal group, led by Jan Barton and Debbie Fisher, has been critical not only of how the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Money has been spent, but also pointed out that was initially designed to be a finite tax has turned into what’s been called a “never-ending slush fund.”
The SPLOST collections, which are a penny on the dollar, go to funding road, facilities and technology improvements, among other things, with a specific project list that is approved by voters in a referendum.
The county SPLOST is separate from the Education SPLOST, also a penny, that is collected for Cobb and Marietta schools.
The school SPLOST wasn’t part of the town hall, and isn’t included in the Cobb SPLOST critics’ arguments with the county.
In December, Barton and Fisher and their group had former state legislator Josh McKoon, an attorney, send an “ante litem” letter (meaning “before litigation”) to Cobb government officials, alleging that some of the items on the most recent SPLOST project lists didn’t include proper descriptions, and that the county hasn’t acknowledged surplus amounts of SPLOST funds from previous collection periods.
In his letter to Boyce and the other Cobb commissioners, McKoon attached a list of Cobb DOT projects his clients are claiming weren’t properly authorized by Cobb voters. They include road improvements on Sewell Mill Road between Johnson Ferry Road and Pine Road, and on Hembree Road at Pope High School.
In January, Cobb County Attorney Deborah Dance responded to McKoon by saying the county “properly funded the projects identified in your correspondence” and that “mandatory SPLOST reporting by the Georgia law has been satisfied.”
Dance said that each project was either specifically included on a list for the referendum or “fit within a category approved by the electorate for each SPLOST.” Finally, Dance replied to McKoon that “Given the County’s compliance with Georgia law . . . and prior efforts to provide your clients with information concerning that compliance, the County is not aware of any additional information or actions that will serve to satisfy your clients’ concerns.”
Barton told East Cobb News after the town hall meeting her group hadn’t decided on any specific next steps, and that litigation is still a possibility.
Below is a Power Point that was unveiled at the town hall meeting, as well as a full video of the meeting that lasts around an hour and a half.
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Get your tickets now for the Cobb Library Foundation’s Booked for Lunch event with Kim Michele Richardson noon-2 p.m., Friday, May 3, at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center. The author’s work includes “Liar’s Bench,” “GodPretty in the Tobacco Field” and “The Sisters of Glass Ferry.” “The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek” will be her fourth novel.
This fundraising event will help support the Cobb County Public Library. Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center is located at 2051 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased by clicking here. For more on the author, visit kimmichelerichardson.com.
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Last week the Los Bravos Mexican Restaurant group relocated a second location in East Cobb, in the spot formerly occupied by Zeal (1255 Johnson Ferry Road, in the Market Plaza Shopping Center), after moving it from 1360 Powers Ferry Road.
That’s where the MarketPlace Terrell Mill development is slated to go, and what was called Los Bravos #1 closed in January.
Los Bravos has been open since April 7 on Johnson Ferry, and the hours are the same as the old place—11 a.m. to 10:30 p.m., seven days a week. There’s not a website for now, but the phone is 770-916-1776.
Those are the same hours for the other nearby Los Bravos restaurant, at 2125 Roswell Road, in the East Lake Shopping Center.
More openings . . .
Also now open, at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2114) is Kayhill’s Sports Bar and Grill, adjacent to the J. Christopher’s.
Plans have been in the works for several months by former Marietta Billiard Club owner James Kayhill to open another sports bar-themed spot with billiards and poker tables and dart boards, along with big screen TVs.
Live entertainment is coming soon. The menu includes daily specials and extensive beer, wine and cocktail selections, and there’s a daily Happy Hour from 2-7 pm.
. . . and a grand reopening
The Chick-fil-A at Woodlawn Square opened this morning, as we’ve noted several times over the months it was closed for remodeling. The hours are 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
Coming attractions
From the ICYMI files, just across the Woodlawn Square parking lot will soon mark the return of Mellow Mushroom to the Johnson Ferry Road corridor. We don’t have an estimated time of opening yet, but will post that as soon as we find out.
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For those of you who may have noticed last fall, the Kaminski Jewelry store on Post Oak Tritt Road closed after around three decades in business. Just across the street, Jennifer Cortez, a former Kaminski manager, has opened her own store, Jennifer’s Jewelers.
Next Tuesday, April 23, she’s having a ribbon-cutting event with the Cobb Chamber of Commerce on hand. The ribbon-cutting takes place from 11-12 at her store, 2790 Sandy Plains Road.
She says she’s been in the business for 20 years, holds an accounting degree from Kennesaw State and is accredited by the Gemological Institute of America. Jennifer’s Jewelry provides bridal jewelry, precious metals, diamond jewelry, gemstone jewelry, loose stones, appraisal services, estate liquidation, watch services and jewelry repair:
“Being an independent jeweler is a very special business. I get joy out of knowing I had a big part of making life’s most memorable moments very special to so many people and I look forward to providing beautiful jewelry and great services for many many years to come.”
Credit Union of Georgia
The Woodstock-based Credit Union of Georgia has opened a branch at 1020 Johnson Ferry Road, and a ribbon-cutting is set for Wednesday, May 1, from 11-1 p.m. with the East Cobb Business Association.
The event will include refreshments, tours and networking.
CUG began as a financial institution serving teachers and private and public school employees.
Other branches are in Canton, Woodstock, Towne Lake, Kennesaw, Marietta and West Cobb.
ECBA Community Breakfast
Cobb Board of Education chairman David Chastain is the invited guest at the East Cobb Business Association’s Community breakfast April 30.
The breakfast is from 7:30-8:30 a.m. at J. Christopher’s at the Pavilions at East Lake, 2100 Roswell Road.
Chastain, who represents the Kell and Sprayberry clusters on the seven-member school board, is a graduate of Wheeler High School.
The breakfast is $10 in advance for ECBA members and $15 for non-members, and the fee increases by $5 at the door. For information and to register click here.
East Cobb C of C Breakfast
The first event of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce is a breakfast Tuesday, April 23, from 7:30 to 9 a.m. at Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive).
The guest speaker is Dana Johnson, executive director of SelectCobb, the Chamber’s economic devleopment unit. He is the former director of the Cobb Community Development Agency.
Tickets are $25 for Chamber members and $35 for general admission. For details and to register, click here.
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Cobb is among the 75 counties included in a tornado watch area until 2 p.m. today.
ORIGINAL POST:
A large band of severe storms has been making its way across the Deep South Saturday and could threaten Georgia for most of Sunday.
The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a hazardous weather outlook that includes all of north Georgia, including Cobb County.
The county also is included in a wind advisory from 4 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday.
The storm system that swept through Texas has included deadly tornadoes. Two children were killed early Saturday when a tree hit their vehicle during a storm in Franklin, Texas, and that weather system is moving eastward today through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
In addition to the likelihood of gusty winds, north Georgia can expect scattered severe storms starting early Sunday morning. The chance of rain Sunday is 80 percent, dropping to 30 percent Sunday night, and with as much as three-quarters of an inch or even an inch in some places.
High temperatures Sunday are expected in the high 70s with lows in the mid 40s.
Monday and Tuesday will be sunny but cooler, with respective highs in the 60s and 70s. Warmer weather and the chance of more storms return by Wednesday.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Click the link on the church or synagogue name (listed in alphabetical order) for more information, such as Palm Sunday, Maundy Thursday and Good Friday services, Seders, nursery availability, food, etc.
To report incorrect or updated information or to add a service or event you don’t see here e-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Passover Week
Passover is April 19-27; events at some synagogues take place before that. Click the synagogue links for full details of all activities.
Beautiful Savior Lutheran (2240 Shallowford Road). 8:15 a.m. and 11 Festival Worship; Easter brunch between services and an Easter egg hunt at 9:30 am.
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!
Our next dance is just two weeks away, on Friday, April 26th at the East Cobb Senior Center. Doors will open at 5:00 pm and the Class Act Band will play for our dancing pleasure from 6:00 pm to 9:00 pm.
The suggested attire is dressy or semi-formal. Soft drinks and coffee will be provided. Please feel free to bring a sweet or savory treat to share on the buffet table. The cost is $10.00 per person, payable at the door.
We will have a special guest appearance by Nancy Long, the reigning Ms. Super Senior USA! Nancy will mingle with our guests and be available for photographs.
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!
