Month: February 2020

Flash flood warning continues in Cobb as road hazards remain

by

Eula Drive flooded NE Cobb

UPDATED, 4 P.M. THURSDAY:

Cobb Parks and Recreation have closed East Cobb Park and Noonday Creek Park due to flooding, until the waters recede.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Cobb, metro Atlanta and much of North Georgia were deluged with heavy rains overnight Thursday and most of Thursday morning, and a flood warning has been extended until 6 p.m. today.

Shortly before 2 p.m. Thursday, the National Weather Service in Atlanta extended the warning for Carroll, Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Gordon, Gwinnett, Haralson, Paulding, Pickens, Polk and Rockdale counties.

A tornado watch issued for Cobb and metro Atlanta through 1 p.m. Thursday expired with no reports of tornado activity.

A flood warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring. Between 2-4 inches of rain was in the forecast, and there are scattered reports in Cobb of roads being flooded and trees falling.

Around 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Cobb County government said the Sope Creek area in East Cobb is particularly vulnerable to flooding.

Eula Drive in Northeast Cobb is closed due to flooding. It’s a residential street between Trickum Road and Keheley Drive. Also closed is Dickson Drive, near Bells Ferry Road and Interstate 75.

There were reports of fields at Fullers Park being partially underwater.

The Cobb County School District said all Thursday classes and activities, including after-school programs, are continuing as scheduled.

The NWS advises motorists to turn around when seeing a flooded road, and not to try to drive through standing water. Report any flooded roads or roads with downed trees or power lines to police.

Temperatures will be dipping into the high 30s Thursday night, with an 80 percent chance of rain in the forecast. Friday will get as warm as the low 40s as the chance of rain is reduced to 20 percent.

More rain returns on Saturday but sun is expected Sunday with highs both days in the 50s and lows around freezing.

 

 

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb included in flash flood watch until Friday morning

by

Cobb flash flood watch

As rain moves into Cobb County and metro Atlanta Wednesday night, weather forecasters are saying enough will be coming to warrant a flash flood watch.

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City says the watch period will start at 6 p.m. Wednesday and continue through 7 a.m. Friday for north and much of middle Georgia.

Cobb is located in a line that could get between 3 and 4 inches during that time. Heavy rains are expected to start Wednesday night, up to six inches in some parts.

A 100 percent chance of rain Wednesday night is in the forecast, and a 100 percent chance is expected on Thursday. Temperatures will be warm, with highs in the mid to high 60s, but with a chance of rain at 80 percent later on Thursday and down to 40 percent as weather gets much colder.

Thursday night’s lows are projected to be in the high 30s, and while sunny, clear skies are forecast for Friday, the highs are forecast to be only in the mid 40s. Friday night will be clear with lows near freezing.

Rain and warmer weather are on tap for the weekend, with sunny skies and highs in the high 50s in the forecast for Sunday.

 

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

East Cobb traffic alert: Sandy Plains Road closed due to gas leak

by

Sandy Plains Road closed

Cobb Police just issued a notice that a stretch of Sandy Plains Road near Scufflegrit Road is closed because of a gas leak.

The portion of Sandy Plains that is shut down in both directions is between Broussard Way and Rosebriar Drive, both residential streets, and the closure could last for several hours.

Police and fire crews are on the scene. The closest alternates are Canton Road and the Canton Road Connector to the west and Scufflegrit Road and Piedmont Road to the east.

Related story

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

East Cobb food scores: Ted’s Montana Grill; O’Charley’s; more

by

Ted's Montana Grill, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores from Jan. Feb. 3-7 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for details of the inspection:

Bagelicious
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 37
February 7, 2020 Score: 98, Grade: A

Cherry On Top Delights
4665 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 107
February 6, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Domino’s Pizza
2146 Roswell Road, Suite 100
February 4, 2020 Score: 96, Grade: A

Kayhill’s Sports Bar & Grill
2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2114
February 4, 2020 Score: 96, Grade: A

Montana’s Bar & Grill
2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 330
February 6, 2020 Score: 81, Grade: B

O’Charley’s 
3550 Sandy Plains Road
February 5, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Ted’s Montana Grill
640 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 150
February 4, 2020 Score: 73, Grade: C

Tofu Village 
700 Sandy Plains Road, Suite B1
February 7, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Touchdown Wings
2856 Delk Road, Suite 301
February 3, 2020 Score: 93, Grade: A

Tritt Elementary School
4435 Post Oak Tritt Road
February 6, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Wing Cafe & Tap House
2145 Roswell Road, Suite 170
February 4, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Related stories

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Deadline for East Cobb PTA scholarship applications is Feb. 28

by

The East Cobb County Council of PTAs awards a $1,000 scholarship to graduating seniors from each of the six Cobb County School District high schools in East Cobb (Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Sprayberry, Walton, Wheeler).ECCC PTA

The deadline for submitting applications for the Margie Hatfield Scholarship Fund is Feb. 28. Here’s more from ECCC PTA about how to apply:

The scholarship, known as the Margie Hatfield Scholarship, honors the dedication and years of service given by Mrs. Hatfield to the youth of our council. In recognition of her volunteer involvement, the Margie Hatfield Scholarship Fund awards deserving seniors who have made significant contributions to the community.

Any graduating senior enrolling in a full-time course of study at any institute of higher learning may apply. Students, however, must be a member of your school’s PTSA, and if awarded a scholarship, must use the funds for continuing education.

ECCC PTA Scholarship Awards Ceremony 
Date: Monday, April 20, 2020 
Time: 9:30 – 11:30am 
Location: Walton High School

Please contact Kimberly Webb, ECCC PTA Scholarship Chair, at kwebb1970@gmail.com if you have any questions.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Development Authority member launches Commission bid

by

East Cobb resident Kevin Nicholas, a member of the Development Authority of Cobb County, has launched a bid for the District 2 seat on the Cobb Board of Commissioners.Kevin Nicholas, Cobb Development Authority

A software development and technology professional, he’s the fourth Republican to announce for the seat being vacated at the end of the year by retiring commissioner Bob Ott.

Nicholas also ran in the Republican primary for Post 6 on the Cobb Board of Education in 2014, and was defeated by then-incumbent Scott Sweeney.

Nicholas declared his intent to receive campaign contributions on Jan. 29, and on Friday made a brief statement on his Facebook page, saying “we face real challenges that have come along with the growth in Cobb for families like ours and the businesses we work with and support.”

East Cobb News has left a message seeking more details about his candidacy. Nicholas said in that same message that “we need to look forward and prepare for the eventuality of change while embracing values which support our community and make it a forever home for our children and grandchildren. . .  I am passionate to continue serving you – not the establishment or special interests.”

District 2 includes most of East Cobb as well as the Vinings/Cumberland area. Ott was first elected in 2008, and said last month he would not be seeking a fourth term.

The seven Cobb Development Authority members are appointed by county commissioners and consider economic development initiatives and incentives, including tax abatements for redeveloped land.

In recent years, their votes on tax incentives have come under increasing scrutiny.

Nicholas was one of two votes against a measure in 2018 to provide $35 million in revenue bonds for a Kroger superstore at the MarketPlace Terrell Mill project currently under construction on Powers Ferry Road.

The Development Authority’s vote in favor of those abatements was challenged legally by East Cobb resident Larry Savage, and a retired Cobb judge ruled against the bonds being issued.

However, Kroger and the Development Authority appealed the ruling, and the Georgia Supreme Court upheld the abatements last summer.

Nicholas’ term on the Development Authority was due to expire in March 2021.

Another GOP commission candidate, Andy Smith of East Cobb, announced on Monday his intent to accept campaign contributions. He’s been Ott’s appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission since 2018.

The other Republican candidates are entrepreneur Fitz Johnson of Vinings, who announced last week, and East Cobb resident Shane Deyo, an Army veteran and software consultant.

The lone Democrat thus far is Jerica Richardson of East Cobb, who announced last summer.

Savage is running for the third time for Cobb Commission Chairman, and is the only Republican thus far challenging incumbent Mike Boyce in the primary. Savage also ran in 2012 and 2016.

Related story

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

LGE Community Credit Union scholarship applications accepted

by
LGE Community Credit Union scholarships
Maayan Lantzman of Pope High School (third from left) was a 2019 LGE Community Credit Union scholarship winner from the Cobb County School District.

Submitted information and photo:

Applications are now open for LGE’s 2020 Community Service Scholarship Program. The program awards scholarships to high school seniors who display an exceptional commitment to serving their community and others.

LGE is strategically partnered with both Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools, and is proud to offer scholarship opportunities specific to students at those schools. Seniors who attend a Cobb County School District or Marietta City Schools public high school are eligible to apply for a $5,000 scholarship through their respective school. Students should contact their high school for application and details. One winner from each district will be selected as the recipient of a $5,000 scholarship.

An additional $3,000 scholarship is open to all other high school seniors within LGE’s footprint that attend a school that falls outside of LGE’s district-specific scholarships. The application and official rules for this scholarship can be found at LGEccu.org/scholarships. All applications must be received by March 18, 2020 at 5 p.m. ET.

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb voter registration deadline for presidential primary is Feb. 24

by

If you want to vote in the March 24 presidential primary in Georgia and aren’t a registered voter, you’ll have until Feb. 24 to do so.East Cobb advance voting

You can check your registration status or file an online registration form by clicking here with the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

While Democratic voters will have several hopefuls to choose from, the Republican ballot will have only one name—incumbent President Donald Trump.

In Cobb County, some polling precinct locations have changed, including several in East Cobb, as noted last month. The Cobb Board of Elections formally approved those changes last week.

Advance voting in the presidential primary starts March 2; full schedule here.

The deadline to register for the May 19 general primary—which includes Congressional, state and local offices—is April 20. 

Last week, Cobb Elections formally adopted filing fees for candidates running for local office. Qualifying for various judgeships, county commission, county school board, court clerks, sheriff and tax commissioner is March 2-6.

This year, Georgia is rolling out new voting machines that includes a paper balloting system, and they will be used initially for the presidential primary.

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Mountain View ES recognized for book drive for Cobb students

by

Mountain View ES book drive

Students and teachers at Mountain View Elementary School in East Cobb were recognized last week by the Cobb Board of Commissioners for a book drive they conducted for students at Clay Elementary School in Mableton.

During the drive, the Mountain View students met their goal of providing a new book for each Clay student to take home over the Christmas and New Years’s holiday break, collecting and donating used books, making bookmarks and wrapping and decorating each book with bows, ribbons and stickers.

The drive was undertaken in response to hearing about a dearth of reading materials for students at Clay, whose principal, Dr. Cynthia Winter, attended Mountain View. The Mountain View students took measures to provide books for Clay students that closely matched their reading interests.

Here’s Mountain View Elementary Principal Renee Garriss, in a comment from the Cobb County School District:

“We make it a priority to engage our children in acts of compassion and gratitude, of being nice to one another and thinking globally about kindness. Every day we invite our students to live out our mottos, which are ‘Be Nice, Show Compassion, and Express Gratitude.’ This is just one way in which they connect their learning with the world around them, and it so beautifully shows the kind of kids we have, thoughtful, generous, and kind.

“To be able to play a small part in connecting the students’ efforts allows us all at Mountain View to be active in what we believe: that the world is made better by practicing compassion and expressing gratitude. Our students are committed to not only doing their best every day but being their best, to making a difference in their community and to the world. It’s a simple act, to give someone a book, but the impact goes far beyond, and in the case of a child, can last a lifetime.”

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

 

St. Ann Catholic to hold Cobb emergency preparedness training classes

by

Submitted information:

Cobb CERTThere are two Cobb County Community Emergency Response Team training opportunities in February and residents are encouraged to sign up now.

Cobb Senior Services Wellness Center, 1150 Powder Springs Street, MariettaClasses will be held from 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on three consecutive Wednesdays (must attend all three classes), Feb. 5, 12 and 19.To register, contact Tracy Shehab at tracy.shehad@cobbcounty.org.

St. Ann’s Catholic Church, La Salette Hall, 4905 Roswell Road, MariettaClasses will be held from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. on three consecutive Saturdays (must attend all three classes), Feb. 22, 29 and March 7.To register contact Linda Walsh, RN at LWalshRN@st-ann.org or call 770-552-6400 ext. 6019.

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!

Georgia gas prices drop 7 cents at the start of February

by

Georgia gas prices New Year

From AAA:

Georgia gas prices declined at the pump compared to a week ago. Georgia motorists are now paying an average price of $2.30 per gallon for regular unleaded gasoline. Monday’s state average is 7 cents less than a week ago, 14 cent less than last month, and 16 cents more than this time last year.

It now costs $34.50 to fill a 15-gallon tank of gasoline; that is $6.60 less than what motorists paid in April of 2019, when pump prices hit their peak of $2.74 per gallon.

“Increased total domestic stocks of gasoline have helped to ease pump price,” said Montrae Waiters, spokeswoman, AAA – The Auto Club Group. “Typically, we see lower demand during this time of year. When combined with higher stock levels, pump prices usually decrease in response.”

Rising Gas Stocks Put Downward Pressure on Winter Pump Prices

The national gas price average is $2.47, which is 5 cents cheaper than last week, 11 cents less than last month, and 22 cents more than a year ago. Gas prices have continued to drop over the last week as gasoline stocks grew again, measuring at 260 million barrels– the highest stock level ever recorded by the Energy Information Administration (EIA) since it began recording the data in 1990. EIA estimates that demand grew slightly from 8.56 million b/d to 8.66 million b/d. However, the current rate is lower than last year’s 8.87 million b/d at this time.

Regional Prices:

Atlanta ($2.31)

  • Most expensive Georgia metro markets –Brunswick ($2.43), Hinesville-Fort Stewart ($2.42), and Savannah ($2.38).
  • Least expensive Georgia metro markets – Catoosa-Dade-Walker ($2.19), Dalton ($2.20), and Rome ($2.21).

Click here to view current gasoline price averages

 

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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!