March 2020

Coronavirus update: First Georgia death was Cobb patient

March 16, 2020 7:42 PMMarch 12, 2020 1:02 PM by Wendy Parker

Gov. Brian Kemp said Thursday afternoon that Georgia’s first Coronavirus death was a man who had been at WellStar Kennestone Hospital.

The man, who was 67 years old, tested positive for the virus on March 7, and had underlying medical conditions, according to a statement issued by the governor’s office and the Georgia Department of Health.

“Marty, the girls, and I are praying for the family and loved ones of this individual during this incredibly difficult time,” Kemp said in the statement. “I know the medical professionals on site did everything that they could, and I greatly appreciate their efforts. As our state continues to address this pandemic, I urge Georgians to remain calm and support their neighbors and communities. We are in this fight together.”

Older people and those with medical conditions are considered at high-risk for contracting Coronavirus, which has claimed more than 4,600 lives, around 40 in the United States, and infected more than 125,000 people in nearly 100 countries.

Those in those high-risk groups—including people with heart disease, diabetes, and lung disease—are being asked to prepare to stay at home for an extended time to limit their exposure to the virus.

Georgia DPH is recommending that they have two weeks’ worth of household items, groceries, water and extra supplies of medications.

The agency also urged all Georgians to continue to take preventatiive measures, including regularly washing hands with soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer, avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands, avoid close contact with people who are sick and staying home if sick.

Citizens are also asked to regularly clean and disinfect objects and surface they frequently use.

Kincaid ES closed for 14 days after positive Coronavirus case

March 16, 2020 7:42 PMMarch 11, 2020 4:52 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District said Wednesday it is closing Kincaid Elementary School in Northeast Cobb for 14 days, starting Thursday, due to a positive case of Coronavirus at the school.

The district statement did not indicate if the individual is a student, teacher or staff member at the school, and said it would not discuss specifics due to federal privacy laws and at the request of the Georgia Department of Public Health.

Nan Kiel, a district spokeswoman, said that within 48 hours of the closure at Kincaid, ”Cobb staff will thoroughly clean and sanitize the entire campus, including buses.”

She said that no other Cobb schools will be closed at this time. The Kincaid closure is the first in the Cobb district, which has 112 schools and is the second largest school districg in Georgia with nearly 112,000 students.

Kincaid is in the Sprayberry High School cluster, and other feeder schools include Daniell Middle School, Simpson Middle School, Dodgen Middle School and Walton High School.

In its statement Cobb schools didn’t mention whether other schools in the cluster or feeder schools that use the same buses as those serving Kincaid may be affected.

Kiel said that Kincaid students will be getting online instruction from their teachers “using a variety of digital platforms and tools.”

Piedmont Church in Northeast Cobb, whose members include families in the nearby Kincaid attendance zone, cancelled its Wednesday night activities.

Fulton County schools, with 94,000 students, have been closed since Tuesday due to a positive case of Coronavirus of a teacher at one of its schools. All but two schools in that district—two middle schools in south Fulton—will be open on Thursday.

Cobb schools has posted its Coronavirus guidance here.

The Kincaid closing comes as cancellations of public events around the U.S. is growing, including in Cobb (see links below).

Ott cancels town halls; Cobb announces Coronavirus measures

March 16, 2020 7:43 PMMarch 11, 2020 2:29 PM by Wendy Parker

Bob Ott

Concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted Cobb government officials to cancel some events and announce other related measures.

Commissioner Bob Ott (above) said Wednesday afternoon that two upcoming town hall meetings he had scheduled in East Cobb are being cancelled “out of an abundance of caution.”

They were to have taken place next Tuesday at the Chestnut Ridge Christian Church and April 21 at the East Cobb Library.

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce has cancelled six upcoming SPLOST open houses for the rest of March, due to concerns over large crowds. The open houses began last week, and those scheduled for April and early May are still on for now, according to a release issued by the county Wednesday afternoon.

“Boyce considered this a prudent move based on concerns of residents and the desire to help staff focus primarily on protecting our community by handling other issues as they develop,” according to the county statement.

The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday and remains closed until further notice after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

The county release said all senior centers, including the Tim D. Lee Center on Sandy Plains Road in East Cobb, will be cleaned on the weekends. Seniors are considered a high-risk group for contracting Coronavirus.

The county has issued travel guidelines for employees and established a task force that is meeting daily, composed of health, public safety and other administrators to address the continuing Coronavirus situation.

East Side Baseball postpones opening day event due to Coronavirus

March 16, 2020 7:43 PMMarch 11, 2020 12:35 PM by Wendy Parker

Fullers Park, East Cobb parks and recreational facilities — Fields at Fullers Park, where the East Side Baseball Association plays. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)

Rainy weather postponed the start of the spring season for the East Side Baseball Association, but concerns over the Coronavirus outbreak have prompted the organization to put a hold on its opening day celebrations for now.

President Marc Glickman told East Cobb News that this wasn’t a typical opening day event, but was a celebration to mark East Side Baseball’s 50th anniversary.

The event was to have taken place this Saturday, after weather issues postponed it last weekend. The opening day event, he said, typically draws several hundred people.

“We’re still playing baseball games, but we felt it was the right decision,” he said. “We didn’t take it lightly, and it was a difficult decision, but we don’t have to have that ceremony to play baseball.”

The celebration was to have taken place at Fullers Park. East Side Baseball has between 700 to 800 youths from ages 4-16 who play there in various recreation and travel leagues.

Late Tuesday, Gov. Brian Kemp said the number of “presumptive positive” cases of Coronavirus in Georgia has grown to 16, and Cobb County has the most, with six.

Presumptive positive cases are those that have been conducted by state health officials but still require confirmation by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

The three new individuals in Cobb County who are presumptive positive cases are hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health. One of the Cobb individuals has a travel history outside the U.S.; the other sources of infection are unknown.

The West Cobb Library was closed Tuesday after county officials said an employee there reported possibly being exposed to someone with a confirmed case of Coronavirus.

County spokesman Ross Cavitt said the library worker was sent home and the library branch, located on Dennis Kemp Lane in Kennesaw, is undergoing a deep cleaning remains closed for the time being.

County officials said Tuesday they’re forming a Coronavirus task force to coordinate preparations for a possible shutdown of county government. The plans would call for some county employees to work remotely and other considerations would include child care arrangements in the case of school closures and safety measures for first responders.

A child care center in Acworth also was closed after a teacher there had a presumptive positive test.

In a note to East Side parents sent earlier this week, Glickman said that “while the odds of contracting the virus remain extremely low, moving forward with a gathering event that is not considered essential to the main purpose of our league does not feel like the right thing to do. Our focus at this point in time as it relates to ESBA is to try to play as much baseball as we can and that’s what we will plan to do.”

Games have begun, and Glickman said a no-handshake policy is going into effect after games. Parents are being allowed to visit dugouts during games to wipe down their kids’ equipment and gear.

He said he’s received “very favorable feedback” from parents about the precautionary measures and that nobody’s pulled their children out due to concerns about Coronavirus.

The 50th anniversary celebration was to have included music, food, raffle prizes and other festivities. Glickman said a decision about whether to have that event will be made at a later time.

First Cobb County Coronavirus case confirmed

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East Cobb Biz Notes: New Publix store, Jiu-Jitsu academy to open

March 10, 2020 6:46 PM by Wendy Parker

Publix East Cobb Crossing

When we asked a Publix Atlanta regional official a couple weeks ago about a new store opening at the East Cobb Crossing Shopping Center, she said she couldn’t comment because she didn’t have any information.

But a representative for the retail center’s owner, East Cobb Crossing LLC, is confirming that the supermarket chain is adding what will be a seventh store in East Cobb.

The Shopping Center Group didn’t give an opening date for the new Publix, at the northeast corner of Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road, and next to Dick’s Sporting Goods. The company’s website indicates a fall opening.

For now, there’s still a For Lease sign in the front window. The same goes for a nearby freestanding building that had been a Del Taco and will be a Five Guys burger place (below). Five Guys East Cobb

East Cobb Crossing got county approval for site plan changes for the Five Guys last fall. The Shopping Center Group indicated that renovations will begin soon, also with estimated opening date in the fall.

Publix has two other stores in the Johnson Ferry corridor: At Woodlawn Pointe Shopping Center and at Shallowford Corners Shopping Center.

“This new location is really well-positioned in East Cobb to fortify Publix’ overall foothold in the market,” Brett Fuller, senior leasing advisor and associate broker for The Shopping Center Group, said in a statement. “The Woodlawn Pointe and Shallowford Publix locations book-end this new Publix location.”

The Shopping Center Group, based in Atlanta, represents shopping center owners across the country, including Parkaire Landing, Providence Square, an outparcel at Merchant’s Walk and Village East in East Cobb.

Atos Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu

Changes at Olde Mill Shopping Center

An East Cobb location of Atos Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is headed for the Olde Mill Shopping Center at Roswell Road and Old Canton Road.

The opening is in April, and the academy includes age-group instruction for kids, a women’s only class, as well as adult classes based on experience level. There are also open mat sessions, camps and private lessons.

In the same shopping center, the McDonald’s that fronts Roswell Road looks like it’s closed due to a building overhaul.

There’s no indoor ordering or dining, but the drivethru remains open for the next several weeks while the renovations continue.

McDonald's Olde Mill

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New Sprayberry-area cafe to open in spot of former Cafe 33

March 10, 2020 3:17 PM by Wendy Parker

Cafe 33 restaurant closes

More than two years after Cafe 33 closed near Sprayberry High School, a similar establishment is planning to open in the same space.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday granted an alcohol license to Siamak Mistaly, owner of the forthcoming Prestige Cafe (2595 East Piedmont Road, in the Sprayberry Collection Shopping Center).

There’s been a yellow sign in the vacant spot, a notice of appeal for an alcohol license that had previously been denied by the Cobb County License Review Board.

The denial was routine, given that the cafe location is within 600 feet of a school, park, library or place of worship, the minimum distance under county code for alcohol sales.

In this case, Prestige Cafe would sit 461 feet from the Masjid Ibad-Ur Rahman, a mosque at the adjacent Sprayberry Crossing Shopping Center.

Appeals of those denials are heard by commissioners, and at a public hearing at Tuesday’s commission meeting, commissioner JoAnn Birrell noted there wasn’t an objection to the cafe’s alcohol license from the mosque.

Several other businesses that sell alcohol are nearby, including Catfish Hox, Zama Mexican Cuisine, Willie Jewell’s barbecue, Kumo Hibachi Sushi, a Shell convenience store and the Sprayberry Bottle Shop.

Birrell also wanted to get more information about the Prestige Cafe’s hours.

Mistaly said the restaurant would be similar to Cafe 33 in the nature of its food offerings and will have more bakery-type items. In the evenings, it will be a hookah bar with live entertainment.

The hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday.

Documents filed with the county indicate that the establishment intends to derive 60 percent of its revenues from food sales, and that IDs will be checked in the evenings after 8 p.m. for adult-only admission to the bar.

Mistaly said the establishment is a family-style operation that is family-owned, with the proprietors experienced in the coffee shop, bakery and bar business.

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Cobb Planning Commission changes include new District 2 appointment

March 10, 2020 1:25 PM by Wendy Parker

Galt Porter, Cobb Planning Commission — *Galt Porter*

Tony Waybright, a civic and school activist in the Smyrna/Vinings area, is the new District 2 appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission.

District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott formalized the appointment at Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting.

The vacancy occurred when Planning Commission member Andy Smith of East Cobb resigned last week. He’s running for the District 2 seat after Ott announced his retirement last month.

Planning Commission members hearing zoning cases and make advisory recommendations to county commissioners.

District 2 includes some of East Cobb and the Smyrna/Cumberland/Vinings area.

Waybright is active in the Campbell High School Community, having served as a member and chairman of the school council and being involved with other school-related organizations.

He also was the CEO of the West Vinings Civic Association and has spoken before public bodies, including the Planning Commission and county commission, on behalf of the Oakdale Alliance, a civic group in the Smyrna area.

Waybright will begin his duties in April. The Planning Commission has another new member in Alice Summerour, a former member of the Cobb SPLOST Citizens Oversight Committee and a civic leader in Marietta. She was appointed by chairman Mike Boyce and began in February.

The five-member planning board, appointed by commissioners, also will have a new chairman.

Galt Porter, who has represented District 4 from South Cobb, will be the new chairman. He succeeds Judy Williams of Northeast Cobb, who has stepped aside as chairwoman but remains the District 3 member.

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Temple Kol Emeth chooses successor to retiring Rabbi Lebow

March 9, 2020 6:14 PM by Wendy Parker

Rabbi Larry Sernovitz, Temple Kol Emeth

Temple Kol Emeth, a Reform synagogue in East Cobb, announced Monday that Rabbi Lawrence “Larry” Sernovitz has been chosen to succeed the retiring Rabbi Steven Lebow, effective July 1.

Sernovitz comes from Cherry Hill, N.J., where he was the founding rabbi of Nafshenu, an egalitarian Jewish community catering to non-affiliated Jews. He also was a chaplain for the Cherry Hill Police Department.

“We’re thrilled to welcome Rabbi Sernovitz to lead the next chapter of Temple Kol Emeth’s rich history,” Rachel Barich, President of the Board of Trustees for the synagogue, said in a statement.

Lebow, who became Kol Emeth’s first full-time rabbi in 1986, announced his retirement last fall. In November, he presided over his final Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, which he began as an interfaith community effort in the wake of 9/11.

Lebow also has been active in continuing efforts to exonerate Leo Frank, a Jewish pencil factory manager in Atlanta who was lynched in Marietta in 1915.

“Temple Kol Emeth is an important part of the East Cobb community,” Sernovitz in a statement issued by the synagogue. “Rabbi Lebow has built an inclusive Jewish community that truly stands for something, and I’m eager to help existing members and new unaffiliated families find spirituality, connect and help to repair the world.”

Lebow’s community activities included protesting against an anti-gay resolution by the Cobb Board of Commissioners in 1993. He was honored for his community service and social change efforts by the Cobb Citizens Coalition, Creative Loafing magazine, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the State of Georgia Holocaust Commission.

Sernovitz has been named a recipient of the Camden County MLK Freedom Medal for his efforts to bring South Jersey communities together following the fatal shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.

Lebow will become the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Kol Emeth, conducting occasional sermons at the synagogue. He also plans to continue service through teaching, writing and lending his rabbinic expertise to smaller regional congregations.

Kol Emeth will have a farewell celebration for Lebow in April.

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Cruise passengers to be quarantined at Dobbins for Coronavirus

March 16, 2020 7:43 PMMarch 8, 2020 1:13 PM by Wendy Parker

Another day, another Coronavirus update from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who said Sunday morning that Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb will be a quarantine venue for California cruise passengers as soon as Monday. Cobb coronavirus statement

He said after late briefings Saturday night, 34 Georgians and other passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship are headed here, and that they will be “securely transferred.”

The release didn’t indicate how many more people will be coming beyond the 34, and how long they’ll be quarantined.

The ship was not allowed to port in San Francisco and was being detained offshore after two passengers were confirmed to have Coronavirus.

1st Cobb County Coronavirus case confirmed

Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said Sunday he’s been in touch with the White House and the governor’s office about the arrival of the Grand Princess passengers and reiterated that “they are not people who have the virus.”

In a video presentation with several county health and public safety officials, Boyce said the Dobbins setup is “a contingency that has been planned for several weeks.”

Dr. Janet Memark, the Director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said the quarantine at Dobbins is a “low-risk operation” and added that 80 percent of those who have been diagnosed are having “very mild” health issues.

She urged citizens to stay home if they’re not sick or feeling well and to take other precautionary measures such as regular hand-washing.

She also said the Georgia Department of Public Health has set up a Coronavirus hotline for anyone with questions. They can call 866-782-4584 to get more information, and the agency has provided this information and prevention tip sheet.

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Wheeler shocks Grayson to claim 7th state basketball title

March 7, 2020 9:32 PM by Wendy Parker

After losing a big lead and some of their poise, the Wheeler Wildcats pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory in the Georgia High School Association basketball tournament.

Facing the 30-1 Grayson Rams, who had beaten them earlier this season and were ranked No. 2 in a national poll, the Wildcats climbed back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Macon Coliseum.

Then, with one second remaining on the game clock, they got the clinching point they needed, on a free throw by Sam Hines Jr., to earn the seventh state championship in school history with a 60-59 win in the Class 7A finals.

Hines scored 28 points in a brilliant finish to his high school career, as he made 11 of 12 shots from the field, sank 6 of 8 free throws and pulled down nine rebounds.

The biggest of those points and the biggest of those rebounds came in the waning seconds.

He had made two free throws with 26 seconds to play to give Wheeler a 59-56 lead. But Grayson’s Toneari Lane tied the game with 10 seconds left on a long 3-point basket.

The Wildcats played for the final shot, as point guard Nash Kelly drove to the basket. He missed, but Hines grabbed the ball and was fouled.

Hines made the first free throw for a 60-59 score, but missed the second after Grayson called timeout.

Grayson’s Caleb Murphy heaved a long shot at the buzzer but it wasn’t close.

Wheeler’s comeback exemplified much of its play in the post-season. The Wildcats dug out a second-round win over highly-regarded Shiloh, held off Berkmar in the quarterfinals and cruised over Milton in the semifinals.

The Wildcats led 42-31 in the third quarter when Hines scored a basket. The Rams then went on a 15-2 run that extended into the fourth quarter, as Wheeler looked sapped of energy and couldn’t get the ball to Hines.

Kell girls come up short in state title game

He hit a jump shot from the free throw line to cut Grayson’s lead to 54-48, then teammate Ja’Heim Hudsom scored on a three-point play to make it a 55-51 game.

Another basket by Hines and two free throws by Prince Davies tied the score at 55-55, part of a 14-5 closing run by the Wildcats.

Grayson retook the lead 56-55 on a free throw, and Hines lost the ball out of bounds closing to the basket on Wheeler’s next possession.

The Rams missed two free throws on the other end, giving Wheeler a glimmer of hope in the final minute.

Kelly was fouled and made two free throws, and Grayson missed an easy shot underneath the basket with a chance to go ahead.

Hines was fouled on the rebound, and made two free throws.

Even after Lane’s heroics looked like the game might head to overtime, Wheeler (23-7) found a way to win its first title since 2015.

The title was the first for third-year head coach Larry Thompson, who won two Class A private school state titles at Greenforest Christian Academy in DeKalb County and succeeded Doug Lipscomb, the architect of Wheeler’s powerhouse program.

Thompson’s mantra for Wheeler in the playoffs was defense, and trying to hold opponents under 50 points. While the Wildcats couldn’t do that against Grayson, they did just enough to bring back another trophy to East Cobb.

It’s also the sixth state title thus far in the school year for East Cobb high schools, as the Wildcats join Walton volleyball, Pope softball, Walton boys cross country, Pope duals wrestling and Lassiter girls swimming.

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Gov. Kemp: First Coronavirus case confirmed in Cobb County

March 16, 2020 7:43 PMMarch 7, 2020 12:07 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb County Coronavirus case — *Calls from public health officials to wash hands and keep counter surfaces clean have prompted a run on handwipes, including this Publix in East Cobb. (ECN photo)*

Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that three additional cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Georgia, including the first in Cobb County.

The governor’s office sent out a news release Saturday morning saying that the state’s confirmed cases now total five, following the first two confirmations earlier this week.

According to Saturday’s release, the Cobb County patient was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Italy, and is in isolation at home.

Another new case concerns an individual who is hospitalized, with an unclear source of exposure.

Those two individuals were tested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.

State officials also are awaiting further results from a possible positive test for Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Gwinnett County. The Georgia Department of Public Health also confirmed it tested an individual diagnosed with Coronavirus in Floyd County, and that patient also is in the hospital, according to Saturday’s release.

The release (you can read it here) did not indicate how many individuals have been tested in Georgia. It did state that “the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low and there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Georgia at this time.”

Coronavirus is a highly contagious viral disease that originated in Wuhan, China and was first identified in December.

Since then, it’s spread across the globe to more than 80 countries, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths.

Most of those have been in China, but South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy also have been inundated with cases and fatalities.

As of Saturday morning, 17 deaths have occurred in the United States, including two in Florida. Those were the first deaths in the Eastern U.S.; the majority of deaths and cases has been in the Seattle area.

The Cobb and Gwinnett cases were like the first Georgia cases, following travel to Italy. Nearly 200 people have died in Italy from Coronavirus, including nearly 50 in a 24-hour period, and there are nearly 5,000 confirmed cases there.

On Friday, President Donald Trump visited the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, after initially cancelling the trip.

Here’s more from the CDC about Coronavirus, with information about those at higher risk, symptoms, prevention and treatment.

The Cobb County School District has updated its guidance for Coronavirus.

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Kell’s dream ends in heartbreak in state basketball finals

March 7, 2020 10:45 AMMarch 6, 2020 8:20 PM by Wendy Parker

Kell’s sensational freshman point guard Crystal Henderson did nearly everything she could to lift the Lady Longhorns to their first Georgia state basketball title on Friday.

Weaving up and down the court all night at the Macon Coliseum, Henderson was a handful for one of the state’s best girls basketball programs around.

When she buried a 3-point basket with nine seconds to play in the game, Kell had cut Buford’s lead to 65-63. Kell then fouled Buford’s star player, Tate Walters, who made one of two free throws.

That left the door open for Kell and Henderson, who launched a long shot at the buzzer.

This time, it didn’t go in, and what had been a dream season for the Lady Longhorns ended with their only loss of the season.

Kell was 32-0 coming into the Georgia High School Association Class 5A championship against a team that had been there many times before.

Buford had won seven previous state titles, and was aiming for a fourth in a row.

The Lady Wolves got off to a hot start and led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.

Kell went on a big streak in the second quarter, led by Henderson, who scored 15 points in the first half.

After Mikyah Favors hit a 3, Henderson stole a pass and scored to give the Lady Longhorns at 26-18 lead.

The teams were tied 29-29 at halftime, and Buford regained momentum in the third quarter.

Henderson had been checked offensively until late in the fourth quarter, when she hit a jumper to trim Buford’s lead to 59-54.

She knocked down another 3 with 1:47 to play as Kell pulled to within 61-57.

With 29 seconds to play, Henderson was fouled shooting a 3-point shot and made all three free throws as Kell trailed 63-60.

Buford made two free throws on the other end, then Henderson connected on yet another 3 with nine seconds to play.

Those would be the final points for her and Kell, as she finished with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting.

While Buford (31-1) celebrated yet another state title, Kell figures to have a bright future.

In addition to Henderson, the Lady Longhorns will have back most of their top players under coach Tony Ingle Jr., who in his second season lifted them from a 11-15 record to the brink of a state championship.

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East Cobb Elections Update: Qualified primary candidates

March 8, 2020 1:52 PMMarch 6, 2020 1:09 PM by Wendy Parker

The qualifying deadline for 2020 elections in Georgia has passed, and there haven’t been any major surprises from what candidates had announced in the weeks leading up to this week’s filing period.

The most competitive primary races for East Cobb voters will be in the Republican primaries for Cobb Commission Chairman and Cobb Commission District 2, as well as Democratic and Republican primaries for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education.

There also will be a multi-candidate field in the Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District, including former Congresswoman Karen Handel and four others.

The primaries are May 19, and Cobb voters also will be choosing party nominees for countywide offices including sheriff and district attorney, all legislative seats and one of two U.S. Senate seats.

Non-partisan primaries for judge positions on Cobb State Court and Cobb Superior Court also will be on the primary ballot.

Two legislative elections in East Cobb will feature rematches in November. In State Senate 32, Republican incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick is being opposed once again by Democrat Christine Triebsch.

In State House 43, Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper will face Democrat Luisa Wakeman, who made a close race in what has been a what has been a safe seat for Cooper, the House Health and Human Services Committee chairwoman.

Cobb Commission Chairman

Republican incumbent Mike Boyce of East Cobb is seeking a second term, and will be facing a familiar primary opponent and another newcomer.

Another East Cobb resident, Larry Savage, is making his third attempt in the GOP primary, having run in 2012 and 2016. Ricci Mason of Acworth, a retired Cobb Police officer, will be making his political debut.

The only Democrat to qualify is Lisa Cupid, who is completing her second term as District 4 commissioner in South Cobb.

Cobb Commission District 2

The retirement of Bob Ott has prompted several Republican candidates to qualify for the district, which includes some of East Cobb as well as the Smyrna-Vinings-Cumberland area.

The GOP qualifiers are East Cobb residents Andy Smith, Ott’s appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission, Kevin Nicholas, a Boyce appointee to the Development Authority of Cobb County, and business executive and entrepreneur Fitz Johnson of Vinings.

Nicholas ran for Post 6 on the Cobb school board (Walton, Wheeler clusters) in 2012 and Fitz Johnson is a former candidate for Georgia School Superintendent.

Jerica Richardson, who’s worked on several Democratic campaigns, including that of current Cobb school board member Jaha Howard, is the only Democrat to qualify.

Richardson and Smith are first-time candidates for public office.

Cobb School Board Post 5

Three-term Republican incumbent David Banks had little opposition in his last two re-election bids but has plenty this year from several first-time candidates for the seat that includes the Pope and Lassiter attendance zones.

Other GOP candidates he’ll be facing in the primary are Delta Air Lines pilot Shelley O’Malley and IT consultant Matt Harper.

Another announced Republican candidate, attorney Rob Madayag, said this week he wouldn’t be running due to legal action he’s threatening against the Cobb County School District over bullying reporting issues.

Two Democratic candidates have qualified, current Lassiter PTSA co-president Tammy Andress and physical therapist Julia Hurtado.

The Pope High School Council is holding a forum for the Post 5 candidates next Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m. in the school’s performing arts center.

6th District Congress

Handel, who won the seat in a 2017 special election but lost to Democrat Lucy McBath in 2018, got the support of the Republican establishment as she began her bid to regain her seat.

Karen Handel concedes, 6th Congressional District — *Former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel*

In the GOP primary, she will be on the ballot along with operations manager Mykel Lynn Barthelmy, Alpharetta businessman Blake Harbin, retired business owner Paulette Smith and former Altanta Falcons running back Joe Profit.

McBath is the only Democrat to qualify in the 6th District, which includes East Cobb, North Fulton and North DeKalb.

Cobb Sheriff

Longtime incumbent Neil Warren is the only Republican to qualify, but there’s a three-way race for the Democratic nomination, involving former sheriff’s deputy Jimmy Herndon of East Cobb, Gregory Gilstrap and Craig Owens.

Legislative races

The only East Cobb seat in the Georgia General Assembly with a contested primary is in District 46. Caroline Holko, who ran for Cobb Commission District 3 in 2018, is facing nurse Shirley Ritchie. Incumbent State Rep. John Carson is the only Republican who qualified.

In District 33, Republican incumbent Don Parsons will face Democratic consultant Connie DiCicco in November. In District 45, Republican State Rep. Matt Dollar is being challenged by Sarah Tindall Ghazal, a former voter access specialist for the Georgia Democratic Party.

Cobb Judgeships

Five incumbent Superior Court judges will not face re-election opposition: Kimberly Childs, Mary Staley, Gregory Poole, Tain Kell and Chief Judge Reuben Green did not draw any challengers.

Jason Marbutt, Cobb senior assistant DA — *Jason* *Marbutt, Cobb Superior Court Judge candidate*

Two retirements have prompted primary contests: Attorneys John Robert Greco, Jason Marbutt of East Cobb and Greg Shenton are vying for the post being vacated by Stephen Schuster.

Judge Lark Ingram also is retiring, and her post drew candidates Kellie Hill, currently a Cobb magistrate judge, and attorney Daniele Johnson.

In State Court, a retirement there also has led to a contested primary in Division 1, Post 6, where Toby Prodgers is stepping aside. The candidates are attorneys Joseph Atkins, Trina Griffiths, Scott Halperin, Mazi Mazloom, Diana Simmons and David Willingham.

Seven other incumbents are unopposed, as are the incumbent Chief Magistrate Judge, Brendan Murphy, and Probate Court Judge Kelli Wolk.

See State Court candidates listed here.

U.S. Senate

Seven Democrats have qualified for the nomination to oppose Republican incumbent David Perdue, who has no primary opposition.

The hopefuls include Jon Ossoff, who lost to Handel in a special Congressional election in 2017, former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, former lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico, retired military veteran James Knox, journalist Tricia Carpenter McCracken, health care professional Marckeith DeJesus and civil rights lawyer Maya Dillard Smith.

A “jungle primary” to determine who’ll finish the final two years of former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term will take place in November.

Republican businesswoman Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp until then, has primary opposition from Congressman Doug Collins, engineer Derrick Grayson, business executive Wayne Johnson and educator Kandiss Taylor.

Democratic candidates include Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. Senator and Democratic vice presidental nominee Joe Lieberman, Tamara Johnson-Shealey, physician Joy-Felicia Slade, attorney Ed Tarver and Richard Dien Winfield, a philosophy professor at the University of Georgia.

Unless there is an outright winner (50 percent plus-1 of the vote), the top two finishers, regardless of party, would go into a runoff.

Cobb Schools Foundation honors 2020 volunteers of the year

March 6, 2020 11:03 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb Schools Foundation volunteers honored — *Cobb County School District photo*

The Cobb Schools Foundation, which provides financial and other support to the Cobb County School District, honored the volunteers of the year from each of the district’s schools at a luncheon Thursday.

The volunteers were individually greeted by Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale. Walton High School graduate Kit Cummings, founder of the Power of Peace Project, which fosters the creation of community role models, also spoke at the function at the Hilton Marietta Hotel and Conference Center.

The following volunteers from East Cobb schools were honored:

Elementary Schools

Addison: Kim Campbell
Bells Ferry: Stacy Zellner
Blackwell: Jackie Southern
Brumby: Al Zwettler and Bill Campbell
Davis: Kathryn Marek
East Side: Kelly Wilkinson
Eastvalley: Ellen Sauve
Garrison Mill: Lori Morrisey
Keheley: Laura Kubica
Kincaid: Amanda Musson
Mountain View: Stacey Albracht
Mt. Bethel: Dara Onori
Murdock: Kathy Dalen
Nicholson: Samer Dilbeck
Powers Ferry: Donye Demitri
Rocky Mount: Jerry Shepler
Sedalia Park: Susan Monk
Shallowford Falls: Anna Baker
Sope Creek: Darrell Young
Tritt: Lynn Gilbert

Middle Schools

Daniell: Linda Dafoe
Dickerson: Kelly Gunter
Dodgen: Stacy Gillen
East Cobb: Lisa Spessard
Hightower Trail: Sarah Chaloupek
Mabry: Barbara Adamson
McCleskey: Dawn Cooper
Simpson: Leslie Graham

High Schools

Kell: Kara Huey
Lassiter: Lori Bartik
Pope: Laura Borel
Sprayberry: Sharona Sandberg
Walton: Sallie Winokur
Wheeler: Linda Yu

For more on the Cobb Schools Foundation, click here.

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McCleskey MS science teacher honored by state teachers group

March 6, 2020 8:47 AM by Wendy Parker

The Georgia Science Teachers Association has named Annette Simpson of McCleskey Middle School in East Cobb as its middle school teacher of the year for 2020.

It’s not the first time she’s been honored by that organization for her work in the classroom. Annette Simpson, McCleskey MS science teacher honored

In 2015, she was the GSTA’s elementary school teacher of the year when she was at Keheley Elementary School. Per a Cobb County School District release, Simpson also has earned the Cobb STEM Distinguished Educator Award and the Shell Teacher Award, which honors classroom K-12 science teachers.

Here’s what McCleskey principal Dr. Andrea Jenkins-Mann had to say about Simpson:

“Mrs. Simpson is a consummate, caring professional who works tirelessly with all our school’s populations of students. 

“Annette works tirelessly outside of the classroom to extend learning for our students,” her principal praised. “She is a winning Science Olympiad Coach and is an assistant Math Team Coach. She revived our Environmental Club; and leads the 7^th Grade campus cleanup with Rivers Alive! I fully support her efforts to implement new curriculum and bring new professional ideas to our staff. Annette leads our staff with assisting students in taking ownership of their learning, thinking more deeply, delving into the curriculum to relate it to real-world experiences, and engaging in meaningful tasks.”

Simpson and other honorees were recognized recently at the GSTA conference in Columbus.

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Flooding closes Keheley Road-Eula Drive intersection again

March 5, 2020 4:04 PM by Wendy Parker

Keheley Road at Eula Drive closed — *Cobb DOT map*

A waterlogged intersection in Northeast Cobb that was closed last month after heavy rains is shut down again.

Cobb County’s communications office sent a message Thursday afternoon that Keheley Road is closed at Eula Drive for the time being, as another bout of rainy weather is slated to move out of the area.

The water from the rains is running over from a privately-owned late into the intersection.

It’s near Keheley Elementary School, but the closure isn’t affecting related traffic. However, the county’s message said the solution involves negotiating with the lake owner.

The message said the county will monitor water levels before reopening the intersection. Residents aren’t being cut off but some may have to use a detour.

Transportation projects dominate Cobb 2022 SPLOST draft list

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East Cobb food scores: Goldbergs Bagel gets a failing score

March 10, 2020 1:54 PMMarch 5, 2020 2:06 PM by Wendy Parker

Goldberg’s Bagel, East Cobb food scores

Goldbergs Bagel Co. & Deli got a failing score from Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health inspectors on Thursday after they cited the eatery at 1062 Johnson Ferry Road for several health code violations.

Goldbergs received a score of 65, which is unsatisfactory, and a notation of “U” is indicated in the full inspection report (you can read it here).

The violations included improper holding temperatures for food.

Specifically, partially-cooked chicken tenders were being held well above the holding temperature limit of 41 degrees fahrenheit.

What are called “TCS” foods—such as meats, produce and dairy products—also have temperature guidelines. Goldbergs was found to have held chicken and matzo soup below the 135-degree minimum for hot soups.

The eatery also did not properly label the discard dates for ready-to-eat TCS foods, including cream cheese in a walk-in cooler, open packages of deli meat and containers of rice, a repeat violation.

An employee handling trash also was found to have not washed hands before returning to the dish area.

Inspectors noted that all the above violations were corrected on-site.

Another repeat violation indicated in the report was the lack of a test kit for a high-temperature sanitizing machine for ware washing equipment.

When Cobb restaurants get failing scores, inspectors typically return to perform another inspection within a couple weeks.

Goldbergs got an “A” score of 93 on its last inspection last September. In June and July of 2019, Golbergs got “C” scores of 70 and 76.

Another well-known East Cobb restaurant that got a low health score recently was reinspected this week.

Ted’s Montana Grill got a “C” score on Feb. 4, with violations that included no paper towels in the dish washing area and no proof of procedures for employees on how to respond to vomiting or diarrheal events.

When inspectors returned to Ted’s on Wednesday, they gave the restaurant an “A” score of 91 and found only a TCS food storing temperature violation for ribs, horseradish cream sauce, butter and sour cream.

The report noted the violation was corrected on-site, the ribs and sour cream were discarded and the horseradish cream sauce was placed on ice.

Ted’s three previous inspections, dating back to 2017, all had “A” scores.

“Ted’s held a mandatory retraining course for the entire team to ensure this does not happen again,” said Eddie Hensley, the director of operations for Ted’s at East Cobb, in a statement issued through a Ted’s spokeswoman.

“Food safety and training are of the utmost importance to the team at Ted’s Montana Grill, and our guests will always be our number one priority. We assure you that incidents such as this are no indicator of the high level of standards and proper training we have established.”

Other food scores this week

Arby’s
4367 Roswell Road
March 5, 2020 Score: 91, Grade: A

McDonald’s
2371 Delk Road
March 5, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Driver in fatal East Cobb crash charged with vehicular homicide

March 5, 2020 12:25 PM by Wendy Parker

Alabama Road crash kills motorcyclist

UPDATE to the fatal crash involving a motorcyclist on Feb. 22 on Alabama Road in Northeast Cobb: The driver of the car who hit the bike turned herself in Wednesday after being charged with vehicular homicide.

Cobb Police Sgt. Wayne Delk said Thursday that Genesis Lugo, 21, of Woodstock, also has been charged with a failure to yield.

They’re both second-degree misdemeanor charges, and Lugo was released from the Cobb County Adult Detention Center after paying a $2,970 bail, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

According to those records, Lugo was booked shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday and was released around 11:30 p.m.

Police said that at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 18-year-old Cameron S. Clason, of Woodstock was heading west on Alabama Road when his black 2009 Suzuki SV650 motorcycle collided with a gray 2001 Nissan Altima making a left turn from eastbound Alabama Road to Old Mountain Park Road, according to police.

Clason was later pronounced dead at North Fulton Hospital. Lugo, the driver of the Nissan, not did not require medical attention at the scene.

The crash was the second of three in as many days that took the lives of motorists in East Cobb, following a Feb. 21 incident at Johnson Ferry Road and Powers Drive that killed a nearby resident.

On Feb. 23, a 91-year-old man died after he was trying to turn left on Davis Road from Sandy Plains Road southbound.

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Cobb included in flash flood watch until Thursday afternoon

March 4, 2020 2:51 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb flash flood watch

After a brief respite from the rain on Tuesday, wet weather has returned to most of Georgia, and the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch that includes Cobb County.

The watch began Wednesday morning and continues until 1 p.m. Thursday. A watch means that conditions are favorable for flash flooding to occur, especially around rivers, streams and creeks.

The watch zone is generally below Interstate 20 but also includes metro Atlanta.

The NWS office in Atlanta reported that between 1-2 inches had fallen in central Georgia Wednesday morning, and that another 1.5 to 3 inches could fall in the watch area by Thursday afternoon.

The chance of rain in Cobb is 90 percent for the rest of Wednesday and Thursday morning, reducing to 20 percent by Thursday night.

Highs Wednesday will be near 60, with lows Wednesday night dropping to the high 40s. Thursday’s highs will be in the low 50s and Thursday night’s low around 40.

Friday will be sunny and clear with a high in the low 50s, and the weekend will be the same, with Sunday’s high in the low 60s.

Low temperatures Friday and Saturday will be around freezing.

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 Biz Update: More Sandy Plains Marketplace openings

March 5, 2020 2:16 PMMarch 4, 2020 12:39 PM by Wendy Parker

First Watch, Sandy Plains Marketplace

A couple more restaurants are opening their doors, or are about to, along with the Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q that christened the Sandy Plains Marketplace.

On Monday, MOD Pizza began serving with a fast-casual menu (peruse it here) and had a grand opening. The 12-year-old Seattle-based chain, with 400 restaurants in the U.S. and United Kingdowm, now has seven locations in Georgia and its first in the East Cobb area.

Hours are Sunday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.

A few doors down, the First Watch breakfast-lunch-brunch eatery (here’s the menu) announced it’s opening Monday, March 16.

Based in Florida, First Watch has more than 200 restaurants in 26 states, including 12 in Georgia (one is in Kennesaw).

On Saturday, the Hollywood Feed organic pet supplies store at Sandy Plains Marketplace is opening with 20 percent discounts. The hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday.

The Clean Juice smoothie bar is continue to hire for an April opening. That’s also the target month for the GreenWise Market that we noted last week, but a specific date is TBA.

Kroger gas stations coming

While a fueling center run by Kroger across the Street at Sandy Plains Village is under construction, work will begin soon on another Kroger gas station in East Cobb.

Reader Kevin passed along the photo below of a portion of the Pavilions at East Lake at Roswell Road that’s being torn down for the gas station.

It’s where a Panera Bread restaurant once was located, and another restaurant had to move to make room.

The Ege Sushi restaurant is now located on the other end of the Pavilions, near J. Christopher’s and Kayhill’s Sports Bar and Grill.

An existing Kroger gas station is at the Shallowford Falls Shopping Center at Johnson Ferry Road.

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Kroger gas stations coming

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