October 2020

Cobb absentee ballot deadline nears as early voting rises

October 24, 2020 3:31 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb absentee ballots

With a week remaining in early voting in Cobb County, the number of voters who’ve voted in-person has surpassed those casting absentee ballots.

As of Thursday, Cobb Elections said 95,767 votes have been cast at nearly a dozen early voting locations around the county over the last two weeks.

Out of 177,491 absentee ballots requested by voters in the county, 93,241 have been returned, according to Cobb Elections.

Voters who wish to vote absentee but haven’t yet requested a ballot must do so by no later than this coming Tuesday, Oct. 27.

You can do this online by clicking here. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has created an absentee ballot tracker that lets you follow the status of that ballot after you return your application.

Your absentee ballot can be returned via mail as long as it’s postmarked by election day, Nov. 3, at 7 p.m.

For convenience and the sake of time, there are 16 secured absentee ballot drop boxes in Cobb, including four in East Cobb. They are open 24/7, also until 7 p.m. election day:

East Cobb Government Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road);
Sewell Mill Library (2051 Lower Roswell Road);
Mountain View Regional Library (3330 Sandy Plains Road);
Gritters Library (880 Shaw Park Drive).

Early voting was continuing on Saturday, and next week you’ll be able to do that only Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. There won’t be any early voting next Saturday, Oct. 31, or on Monday, Nov. 2, the day before the election.

As of Thursday, the East Cobb Government Center spot had the most early voting numbers, with 12,220 votes. The Art Place (3320 Sandy Plains Road) is second with 11,277, followed by the main Cobb Elections office, where 11,156 votes have been cast.

You can check all the figures by clicking here.

This week, both of those East Cobb locations have had more than 1,000 votes cast per day. At the East Cobb government center, more than 1,500 people voted on Wednesday and Thursday, the highest single-day figures in the county.

The Cobb GIS office has created a wait-time map for each location, with poll managers updating the estimates during the times the polls are open.

If you’re voting early next week, rain is in the forecast Tuesday-Thursday.

East Cobb 2020 Elections Preview: Georgia House District 45

October 25, 2020 1:06 PMOctober 24, 2020 12:48 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia House District 45 Preview

A longtime East Cobb Republican legislator unaccustomed to a general election challenge has drawn a first-time Democratic opponent for the second consecutive election.

Matt Dollar, a real estate professional who has represented District 45 since 2003, is facing attorney Sara Tindall Ghazal. They were unopposed in the primaries.

Since his victory over Essence Johnson in the 2018 general election with nearly 60 percent of the vote, Dollar has been caught up in the controversial East Cobb cityhood effort.

Near the end of the 2019 legislative session, he filed a bill to call for a referendum and create a city charter.

But Dollar couldn’t find any support from his East Cobb colleagues for the bill, which needed a Senate co-sponsor. At the end of last year, the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb announced it wouldn’t pursue the legislation.

At an East Cobb Business Association forum this week, Dollar tried to separate himself from the issue, insisting he was only sponsoring a bill, “not pushing cityhood,” that would only set up a referendum.

He also was critical of the pro-cityhood group, saying it “didn’t do a good job of explaining why it would be beneficial.”

(Previous ECN story here.)

In Dollar’s latest campaign disclosure report, however, several cityhood leaders were listed as contributors, including $1,000 each from Owen Brown, Rob Eble and Chip Patterson and $500 from David Birdwell.

Phil Kent, a public relations executive who initially handled publicity for the cityhood forces, also donated $200 to Dollar’s campaign.

Thus far, Dollar has raised $254,029 in contributions and has $174,584 in cash on hand.

Ghazal, a former staffer at The Carter Center and a former voter protection director for the Georgia Democratic Party, has raised $220,906 and has $152,375 on hand.

Here are the latest campaign disclosure reports filed by Dollar and Ghazal respectively.

Candidate websites

Dollar said at the ECBA forum his biggest priority is safely reopening Georgia’s economy, which he said is “is primed for a fast recovery” despite business shutdowns this spring and restrictions that still exist.

“We need to be safe, but people need to have a job to go back to,” Dollar said.

Ghazal said Georgia has to get a better handle on stopping the spread of COVID, which is her main issue.

“Things are going to get worse before they get better,” she said. “This crisis has highlighted the health disparities” that she said have only grown in Georgia.

Access to health care for lower-income Georgians remains “a long-term crisis that Georgia must face.”

When the candidates were asked if the state should undergo another lockdown, Ghazal said she wasn’t sure, and pointed to the lack of a statewide mask mandate as a possible option instead.

“People are making bad choices,” said Ghazal, who added that public health guidance needs to be followed.

Dollar praised Gov. Brian Kemp’s response, and said “Georgia is doing great in our recovery. Whatever Georgia’s doing, it works.”

On East Cobb cityhood, Ghazal said she’s been adamantly opposed all along, saying a city would create an extra layer of government that would result in higher taxes.

The cityhood bill was “putting the cart before the horse,” especially in light of vocal opposition.

Dollar defended his actions, saying it’s his job to listen as a public official, and said he stopped action on the bill after hearing from opponents.

On his website, Dollar has pointed to efforts to secure 100,000 medical masks and other personal protective equipment for health-care workers on the front lines of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the forum he noted his support for hate-crimes legislation.

Ghazal favors Medicaid expansion and tax-credits to address affordable housing needs, and would work to repeal “stand your ground laws.”

Like other Democrats running for the legislature, she’s also in support of same-day and online registration and favors automatically sending absentee ballot applications to voters in future elections, instead of them having to request them.

While Dollar said he has “a long history that I am proud of, my opponent is a carbon-copy of Stacey Abrams and her agenda.”

That’s a reference to 2018 Georgia gubernatorial candidate.

Ghazal pledged that if she’s elected, “you’ll get someone who is accessible, transparent and responsive to the community.”

Cobb Library Foundation to hold virtual gala on Wednesday

October 24, 2020 1:16 PMOctober 24, 2020 9:13 AM by Wendy Parker

Mark Victor Hansen, Cobb Library Foundation virtual gala

The Cobb Library Foundation‘s annual “Booked for the Evening” fundraising gala that’s held in the fall is going virtual this year.

The event is Wednesday, Oct. 28, starting at 6:30 p.m., and the guest is Mark Victor Hansen, best-selling author of “Chicken Soup for the Soul.”

The honorary chairman is Dr. Grant Rivera, Marietta City Schools Superintendent. The event includes auction items, and individuals not attending online can still participate in that portion of the evening.

Proceeds benefit the Cobb County Public Library System, and you can register and get more information by clicking here.

Individual tickets start at $35, and sponsorships are also available starting at $500.

Among the programs funded by foundation include the Connecting Cobb Internet hotspot program, Cobb GEMS (Girls in Engineering, Math and Science), free public computers with Internet access, literacy programs, summer reading programs and more.

The foundation is a non-profit volunteer organization that provides financial and other assistance to the Cobb library system, including community partnerships.

East Cobb 2020 Elections Preview: Georgia House District 43

November 10, 2020 7:20 PMOctober 23, 2020 5:03 PM by Wendy Parker

District 43 Georgia House, Sharon Cooper, Luisa Wakeman

After having little to no opposition in many of her previous re-election bids, one of the Georgia legislature’s most influential members got a real run for her money in 2018.

State Rep. Sharon Cooper, an East Cobb Republican who is the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, got only 51 percent of the vote against a first-time candidate, Democrat Luisa Wakeman.

Prior to that, Cooper had not had a general election opponent since 2010, when she won with 67 percent of the vote.

Wakeman, part of a wave of newcomers challenging Cobb’s Republican establishment, is running against Cooper again in House District 43, after both women were unopposed in their respective primaries in June.

With Republicans holding a 16-seat majority in the House, the stakes have risen on a number of races, particularly in the Atlanta suburbs, where Democrats see opportunities to flip seats.

The District 43 race has become unusually expensive for a state house campaign. According to campaign disclosure reports filed in early October, both candidates have raised well over six figures.

Cooper reported $364,219 in total 2020 contributions through July, and picked up $77,000 in donations in the third quarter that ended Sept. 30. She is reporting $189,896 in cash on hand.

Wakeman has raised $218,594 overall and $104,460 in the third quarter, with $115,571 on hand.

Here are the latest campaign disclosure reports filed by Cooper and Wakeman respectively.

Candidate websites

Cooper, who was first elected in 1996, touts her longtime service and advocacy of health-care legislation as well as assisted living homes, maternal mortality and landlord evictions in the 2020 session.

Wakeman said she’s running again as she did two years ago, as alternative to what she called “failed leadership” in the state.

At an East Cobb Business Association forum this week, the specific reference was the state’s response to COVID-19.

Cooper, a supporter of Gov. Brian Kemp, said that while she hasn’t agreed with him on everything, he has “protected our most valuable citizens” as the state tries to move forward.

She tried to rebuff Democratic efforts to tie her to state responses to the virus, saying “I’m not in charge of health care in this state.”

While Kemp has followed the advice of Georgia Department of Public Health Director Dr. Kathleen Toome, Cooper noted that changing guidelines that have come down to the state level on such things as mask-wearing and lockdowns have caused confusion.

“No wonder people are upset about it,” said Cooper, a retired nurse.

Wakeman, also a nurse, was critical of Kemp’s steps toward reopening the economy that she said prioritized “tattoo parlors over the safe reopening of schools. We need people who will listen to health care experts.”

Both candidates discussed other health care issues. Cooper said she was proud to work for $20 million in funding in a budget-challenged year to improve maternal mortality rates in Georgia.

That’s to expand a Medicaid waiver to provide coverage for low-income mothers from two to six months after giving birth.

“It’s a start,” she said. “Kemp is the first governor to make that kind of commitment.”

But Wakeman said Georgia’s ranking near the bottom of the nation—46th in all—is evidence that the state needs to do more to provide insurance and expand Medicaid coverage for mothers at the bottom rungs of the economic ladder.

“Stop-gaps in an election year are not real solutions,” Wakeman said.

Cooper and Wakeman are both against East Cobb cityhood (see previous post here).

Cooper also supported tax reform measures that reduced both individual and corporate rates and efforts to curb regulations on small businesses.

At the forum, she mentioned her efforts to secure state dollars for local projects, including East Cobb Park and the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.

“I have a proven track record at the capitol and in the community,” she said.

Wakeman’s other priorities include working to overturn $1 billion in K-12 education funding cuts this year (including nearly $60 million in reductions for the Cobb County School District). She also favors same-day and online voter registration.

At the forum, Wakeman said Cooper gets only two percent of her campaign funds from contributors inside the district, with most of the rest coming from lobbyists.

Cooper’s filings show many contributions from political action committees—especially in the the health-care and medical fields—while Wakeman has a good number of small-amount contributors from within the East Cobb district.

“We have an opportunity to stand up for the community with a grassroots campaign,” Wakeman said.

Cobb schools COVID cases include Mabry MS, Shallowford Falls ES

October 23, 2020 12:38 PMOctober 23, 2020 11:42 AM by Wendy Parker

Two schools in East Cobb are among 16 in the Cobb County School District reporting confirmed cases of COVID-19 this week.

They’re Mabry Middle School and Shallowford Falls Elementary School, and like the others they’re reporting fewer than 10 cases.

That’s according to the district’s weekly update that shows 382 total cases since July 1, up by 33 since last week.

The figures do not break down the numbers of students and staff who have tested positive for the virus. The other schools reporting cases this week include the following:

Austell ES
Chalker ES
Dowell ES
Green Acres ES
Norton Park ES
Pitner ES
Riverside ES
Still ES
Barber MS
Campbell MS
Lindsey 6th Grade Academy
Lost Mountain MS
Palmer MS

This is the second time that there’s been a confirmed COVID case at Shallowford Falls. Other East Cobb schools that have had cases since elementary school students returned for in-person learning include Blackwell, Eastvalley, Nicholson, Powers Ferry and Rocky Mount.

Middle school students returned to in-person classes in Cobb this week, and high school students will be coming back Nov. 5.

The district explained that in accordance with student and health privacy laws, “the Georgia Department of Public Health recommends refraining from publicly publishing numbers of cases or quarantined students or staff that are less than 10 unless the number is 0.”

Cobb and Douglas Public health will “communicate confirmed cases to affected students/staff/ parents,” according to CCSD protocols.

Those guidelines also state that those who test positive “will isolate until 10 consecutive days have passed from their positive COVID-19 test and they are asymptomatic.”

The district details health and safety protocols in this FAQ and encourages parents to follow a daily well-being checklist before sending students to school. More health and safety information can be found here.

East Cobb 2020 Elections Preview: Georgia Senate District 32

October 23, 2020 5:30 PMOctober 22, 2020 6:13 PM by Wendy Parker

Georgia Senate District 32 preview

For the third consecutive election, the same two candidates are on the ballot for the Georgia State Senate seat that covers most of East Cobb.

Republican Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (at left) is being challenged by Democrat Christine Triebsch (at right) in District 32, which also includes a portion of Sandy Springs.

Kirkpatrick, a retired orthopedic surgeon, defeated Triebsch in a 2017 special election runoff to succeed longtime Sen. Judson Hill, who resigned to run for Congress.

In 2018, Kirkpatrick won 58 percent of the vote against Triebsch in the general election to earn a full two-year term.

At a candidates forum this week sponsored by the East Cobb Business Association, Kirkpatrick said she’s “worked regularly across the aisle to solve problems,” both at the state and local level.

Her proudest piece of legislation, she said, was the “Save Our Sandwiches” bill that changed a provision in state law to allow non-profit organizations—especially Cobb-based MUST Ministries—to make sandwiches in church and similar kitchens as part of their efforts to feed those in need.

Triebsch is part of a wave of Democratic candidates in the county, including a number of women in East Cobb, who never been involved in politics until the election of Donald Trump as president.

“I think every race should be contested,” said Triebsch, a family law attorney whose husband is a Cobb County School District teacher. They have two children, a college senior and a daughter who who attends Pope High School.

As of Sept. 30, Kirkpatrick reported having raised $383,535 overall and $95,875 in the third quarter, with $248,345 cash on hand.

Triebsch has received a total of $32,617 in contributions with $10,960 in the third quarter, and has $21,886 in cash on hand/

Here are the latest campaign disclosure reports filed by Kirkpatrick and Triebsch respectively.

Candidate websites

Kirkpatrick, who contracted COVID-19 right before the legislative session was suspended in March, said continued efforts to get the virus under control is the top issue for her, especially following accepted public health guidelines while aiding the state’s economic recovery from shutdowns.

“We have a lot of businesses that have been devastated,” said Kirkpatrick, who has received the endorsements of the National Federation of Independent Business and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce.

In order for business and economic growth to take place, said Kirkpatrick, “we have to get out of the way.”

Triebsch said her top priorities are education funding and expanding health care access, including state Medicaid options.

She said supports fully funding K-12 education and is “totally against [private school] vouchers, and my opponent voted for it,” Triebsch said.

With reapportionment coming up in 2021, Triebsch also supports a non-partisan, independent panel to redraw congressional, legislative and local government and school board lines, a measure supported by Georgia Democrats in general.

“We need to get rid of gerrymandering,” Triebsch said.

She’s been endorsed by a variety of labor, pro-choice and gun-control organizations, including Georgia AFL-CIO, NARAL Pro-Choice Georgia and Moms Demand Action.

Both candidates are against East Cobb cityhood (see previous post here) and in response to another question at the forum, both also said they’re against defunding the police.

“I’ll always back the blue,” Kirkpatrick said. “Cops don’t want bad cops in their ranks.” She said she’s confident that a special legislative committee on police reform that met earlier this year will produce “some good legislation” in 2021.

Triebsch said defunding the police isn’t the way to reform. “I support better funding so we’ll have better-qualified candidates, and we need more funding for training.”

She emphasized her approach as a candidate as “running as your neighbor” and not a politician. Of Kirkpatrick, Triebsch said, “her values and voting are very different from me.”

Kirkpatrick said she’s “got a proven track record” in the legislature and pledged she would continue to be responsive and accessible if re-elected.

Interactive mural at The Avenue East Cobb awaits your photo

October 22, 2020 1:46 PM by Wendy Parker

The Avenue East Cobb mural

At The Avenue East Cobb, the first of two interactive murals has gone up—to the right of the Banana Republic and KSquared stores, and behind the bronze bicycle statue.

It’s part of a photo zone the retail center is creating that’s open to the public. Those who take have their picture taken at the mural are encouraged to post that at The Avenue’s Facebook page comments section or post a tag on its Instagram page, explaining why they love East Cobb.

There’s a $100 gift card for the person judged to have the best photo and comment, courtesy of Michael Moon Studio.

The winner will be announced Monday; we’re told the second mural should be done by the end of the week.

On Saturday kids can come in their Halloween costume between 10-5, snap a photo by a fall display and follow the same Facebook or Instagram posting/commenting steps above, show their posted pic at Smallcakes and get a free cupcake—first 50 kids only, we’re told.

Photos with the most likes will get a $25 gift card, and there’s also a pumpkin decorating contest scheduled.

On Sunday, there’s another custom car and truck show taking place, as several restaurants and retailers at The Avenue (4475 Roswell Road) will be opening early, from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m.

There’s no admission to the show, and if you have a classic or specialty car you’d like to show off, you can reserve a spot by clicking here.

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: Moxie Taco; Los Bravos; schools; more

October 23, 2020 6:26 PMOctober 22, 2020 10:17 AM by Wendy Parker

Los Bravos East Lake, East Cobb Food Scores

The following East Cobb food scores from Oct. 12-23 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Bruster’s Real Ice Cream
2044 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 100
October 22, 2020 Score: 98, Grade: A

Chick-Fil-A East Lake
2105 Roswell Road
October 21, 2020 Score: 89, Grade: B

Delkwood Grill
2769 Delk Road
October 21, 2020 Score: 85, Grade: B

East Side Elementary School
3850 Roswell Road
October 23, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Eastvalley Elementary School
2570 Lower Roswell Road
October 15, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

House of Ming
3101 Roswell Road, Suite 116
October 15, 2020 Score: 91, Grade: A

Jimmy’z Kitchen Marietta
2468 Windy Hill Road, Suite 600
October 14, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Los Bravos
2125 Roswell Road, Suite B-40
October 21, 2020 Score: 95, Grade: A

Los Bravos
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 42
October 23, 2020 Score: 70, Grade: C

Mt. Bethel Elementary School
1210 Johnson Ferry Road
October 16, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Moxie Taco
255 Village Parkway, Suite 330
October 15, 2020 Score: 89, Grade: B

Sabores de Mexico
1951 Canton Road, Suite 330
October 14, 2020 Score: 96, Grade: A

Subway
4880 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 115
October 16, 2020 Score: 96, Grade: A

Subway
2872 Canton Road, Suite A
October 13, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Wheeler High School
375 Holt Road
October 22, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Wildwood Cafe
2300 Windy Ridge Parkway, Suite 175
October 15, 2020 Score: 100, Grade: A

Cobb gets federal grant to establish a Family Justice Center

October 22, 2020 7:07 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: Cobb Family Justice Center, Ga. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council

Cobb District Attorney Joyette M. Holmes announces that her office and its partners have been awarded a four-year grant worth up to $400,000 to create a Family Justice Center, where victims of domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse can receive services in a single location.

“It is exciting that Cobb County has such great collaboration and support among victim-service providers, law enforcement and county government that we were successful in seeking out this opportunity,” DA Holmes said. “The partnering agencies are committed to the establishment of a Family Justice Center for our community so that we can serve the victim where they are rather than the victim having to seek services where the agencies are located. This streamlining of services will provide a safe place for victims and survivors to go to receive wrap-around and holistic services. I am devoted to leading in the planning, implementation, and ongoing partnership to build a Family Justice Center for Cobb County.”

Partners include LiveSAFE Resources, SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., along with Cobb County Government, the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and Police Department, the Solicitor General’s Office, and Legal Aid of Cobb County. Partnering agencies and offices will have the opportunity to house representatives in the new center to serve victims.

Tracey B. Atwater is the Executive Director of LiveSAFE Resources.

“Too often, those seeking help after victimization must visit various service providers and agencies in order to get the assistance they need. This incredible new project will allow us and our community partners to better serve those in need by creating a collocated space, reducing barriers for victims seeking help,” she said.

Jinger Robins, Chief Executive Officer of SafePath Children’s Advocacy Center, Inc., also welcomed the project.

“What a great day for Cobb County citizens! The successful award from the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council of funding for a Family Justice Center will serve all citizens in Cobb County and further ensure victims of crime are able to have the best access to all the services they deserve. SafePath is honored to be one of the partnering agencies as we work collaboratively to connect victims to services as they heal,” Robins said.

The grant is administered through Georgia’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council with federal dollars from the Victims of Crime Act. Only two other Georgia communities, Waycross and Macon, were awarded grants to create family justice centers. Savannah has the only existing center in Georgia.

The family justice center model has been identified as a best practice in the intervention and prevention of domestic violence by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women. Documented and published outcomes include reduced homicides, increased victim safety and empowerment, reduced fear and anxiety for victims and their children, and reduced recantation by victims receiving this level of support.

Agencies that provided support for Cobb’s center in the application process include Center for Family Resources; Cobb Collaborative; the Division of Family and Children’s Services; Kennesaw State University’s WellStar College of Health and Human Services; police departments of Acworth, Kennesaw and Smyrna; the Georgia Commission on Family Violence; and the Prosecuting Attorney’s Council of Georgia.

Planning and establishing the center will require significant community buy-in. Cobb’s leaders are planning a virtual community meeting in early December to begin discussions.

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 early voting locations have highest turnouts

October 21, 2020 4:36 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb early voting lines

Cobb Elections said Wednesday that nearly 30 percent of Cobb’s roughly 540,000 registered voters have already cast their ballots, in person and via absentee.

Through Tuesday’s tallies, that breaks down to 88,053 absentee ballots that have been returned, and 72,165 votes cast at the 11 locations in the county open for early voting.

At the top of the list are the two spots in East Cobb. Through the first eight days of early voting, 9,104 ballots have been cast at the East Cobb Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road).

That’s more, at least for the moment, than the main Cobb Elections office on Whitlock Ave. in Marietta, where 8,715 votes have been cast.

Right behind that is The Art Place-Mountain View (3320 Sandy Plains Road), where 8,521 votes have been cast.

More details can be found here, and here are the daily tallies of early voting countywide:

10.12 7,729
10.13 6,865
10.14 8,123
10.15 9,411
10.16 9,835
10.17 7,391
10.19 11,282
10.20 11,529

As the daily turnout has increased, the wait times continue to go down. As of mid-afternoon Wednesday, the estimated wait times at both East Cobb locations were under an hour—50 minutes at The Art Place, and 30 minutes at the East Cobb government center.

You can check estimated wait times by clicking here; the estimates are updated periodically during the day by poll managers at each site.

Early continues through Friday of this week and Monday-Friday next week from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and this Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at all of the existing locations.

Absentee ballot applications can still be requested from Cobb Elections, but you’ll need to hurry, by clicking here. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has created an absentee ballot tracker that lets you follow the status of that ballot after you return your application.

Readers have been inquiring about absentee voting issues, including the ballot tracker.

A few days ago an East Cobb resident asked about how long it takes after a ballot is placed in a drop box before a voter is notified that it’s been received and counted.

The best information we had was that it varies from location to location and by each county’s collection procedures. Cobb Elections says it collects ballots from the 16 drop boxes daily.

The reader got back in touch with us to note that he placed his ballot in the drop box at the Mountain View Regional Library (3330 Sandy Plains Road) on Friday. At 8 a.m. today, he got a message saying his ballot had been received and counted.

The other drop boxes in East Cobb are at the East Cobb government center, Sewell Mill Library (2051 Lower Roswell Road) and Gritters Library (880 Shaw Park Drive) and are available 24/7 until the polls close on election day, Nov. 3 at 7 p.m.

UPDATE: Dog strep zoo cases keeps Cobb Animal Shelter closed

October 21, 2020 12:17 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb animal shelter closes

Updating a story from Friday about the temporary closure of the Cobb Animal Shelter:

The county is saying two dogs have tested positive for strep zoo, and at least one canine death is being attributed to the contagious bacterial infection.

The county said late Wednesday morning that several other cats and dogs are being treated for symptoms after all the animals housed at the shelter were tested by the UGA School of Veterinary Medicine.

The county said antibiotics have been ordered, and that veterinarians think the infection came with an animal dropped off at the shelter, “but they may never be able to determine which one.”

Animals showing symptoms are being quarantined, and the shelter will reopen after treatment and when no symptoms appear among the shelter population for two weeks.

So there will be no appointments for the public for adoptions during that time, and the shelter will undergo a deep cleaning.

This is same process that took place during a strep zoo outbreak last year that resulted in two dog deaths.

Any animal showing symptoms will be quarantined. Officers at the shelter will respond to calls and animals brought to the shelter while it’s closed will be kept separately.

The Cobb Department of Animal Services was to have launched an online appointment booking option starting Tuesday.

The shelter has been open to the public for adoption and animal surrender only by appointment since COVID-19 closures in the spring.

Cobb Animal Services is also notifying anyone who recently adopted an animal from the shelter and is advising them to seek treatment for their pet if necessary.

At East Cobb candidates forum, cityhood remains a hot topic

October 20, 2020 4:51 PM by Wendy Parker

Although it’s been nearly a year since East Cobb cityhood proponents put their efforts on hold, candidates seeking local and state office this fall were asked at a forum Tuesday where they stood on the issue.

Among them was the lone co-sponsor of legislation that would have called for a referendum to let voters decide the matter.

State Rep. Matt Dollar reminded an audience at an East Cobb Business Association luncheon that “there was no bill to create a city.”

He was responding to questions from ECBA members, who included people attending in person and others via Zoom.

An East Cobb Republican who’s represented District 45 since 2003, Dollar said his bill—filed near the end of the 2019 legislative session and the day after cityhood proponents first faced the public—was “the start of a two-year process, and it was worthwhile to start a conversation.”

Dollar insisted that he was “not pushing cityhood,” and while at first he supported the idea of a City of East Cobb, he said the supporters of the effort “didn’t do a good job of explaining why it would be beneficial.”

The cityhood group held two other town hall meetings and the ECBA also held a debate, but no other legislators signed on as a co-sponsor, citing negative feedback from constituents.

In Georgia, cityhood bills must have a co-sponsor in the House and the Senate. State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, also an East Cobb Republican, said that “proponents of the bill need to make their case.” She never signed on to the bill and said if there was enough public support she would back a citizens’ committee to further examine the issue but “at this point it’s a moot point.”

In early December 2019 the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb announced it would not pursue the bill, which also included a proposed city charter and outlined maps, a city court structure and mayor and council terms, with elections as early as 2021.

The cityhood group spent tens of thousands of dollars on lobbyists, including a leading a prominent government relations firm in Georgia late last year.

Sarah Tyndall Ghazal — *Sarah Tindall Ghazal, who’s running against Dollar, said his East Cobb cityhood bill “put the cart before the horse.”*

State Rep. Sharon Cooper, a Republican from District 43, also didn’t co-sponsor the bill, although she asked for the required financial feasibility study that was completed in December 18 by Georgia State University researchers.

“I didn’t think there was much support,” said Cooper, who attended some of the early town halls in 2019. She said East Cobb citizens are “fat and sassy,” content with the level and quality of public services they receive, and as far as she is concerned, cityhood “now is a dead issue.”

Their Democratic opponents also stated during the forum that they strongly opposed cityhood. Christine Triebsch, an attorney who is challenging Kirkpatrick in the State Senate race, said the cityhood effort “was a colossal waste of time and energy.”

She said she was upset that as a constituent of Dollar’s she never heard anything from him about the legislation or the cityhood effort.

Sarah Tindall Ghazal, Dollar’s opponent on the Nov. 3 ballot, echoed other candidates saying a new city would create an extra layer of government and that Dollar’s bill “put the cart before the horse.”

Luisa Wakeman, who’s running against Cooper for the second election in a row, said “there’s just no support” for East Cobb cityhood.

At the ECBA forum, the two candidates for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners also said they opposed East Cobb cityhood.

Republican Fitz Johnson said he has been adamantly opposed to cityhood all along, but noted that it’s the legislature, not county elected officials, who would put a referendum before the public.

Democrat Jerica Richardson said she’s read the financial feasibility study and concluded there’s “no sustainable economic base” for a city that would be heavily residential and questioned the report’s assumptions.

“The community was not behind it,” she said.

The proposed city map was to have included all of District 2 east of Interstate 75, excluding the Cumberland Community Improvement District, and a population of nearly 100,000.

Cityhood leaders said later in 2019 that they were seeking to expand the map, based on what they were hearing from those outside the proposed city limits who wanted in.

But the East Cobb Alliance, a group opposed to cityhood, offered up a best-guess estimate in December, and a majority of county commissioners and the Cobb legislators expressed doubts about the cityhood issue.

A few days later, the cityhood effort was abandoned. David Birdwell, one of the chief spokesmen for Committee for the Cityhood in East Cobb, said at that time that “we wanted to take the time to do it right.”

The group hasn’t made any public statements since then, and its website domain has expired. An interactive map it commissioned showing the initial boundaries that bored down to the neighborhood level remains active.

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Selling the Cobb SPLOST renewal with a back-to-basics theme

October 20, 2020 10:39 AM by Wendy Parker

Tritt property, Cobb 2022 SPLOST list

Officially, those in Cobb County government can’t openly push for the renewal of the county’s Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax that’s on the ballot this year.

What’s being called the 2022 Cobb SPLOST—for the year when a new sales tax collection period would begin—doesn’t have much in the way of big-ticket items, such as new facilities, upgrades or acquisitions.

Instead, the vast majority of the $750 million in spending over six years (down from an original estimate of $810 million) would go to transportation projects, public safety improvements and community amenities, including more park space and development.

Those major items include an $8 million earmark to complete acquisition of 24 acres of land owned by Wylene Tritt next to East Cobb Park.

It’s the most expensive item on a lengthy list of “community impact projects” that the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved for the 2022 project list in May.

Another project on the list is $4 million for the repurposing of Shaw Park in Northeast Cobb and a replacement for the nearby Cobb Fire Station No. 12.

(Here’s a summary of the proposed projects; and a more detailed look at what’s in the 2022 package.)

Nearly half of funding on that list would go for transportation and road improvement projects. The rest of the projects would be funded accordingly:

$82 million for public safety
$46 million in countywide projects
$32 million for community impact projects
$27.8 million for public services (parks, libraries)
$18 million combined for projects in Cobb’s six cities
$4 million for Cobb Sheriff’s Office improvements

While commissioners and official county communications to the public are noting that the SPLOST extension is on the ballot, the information is objective, for the most part.

“We can’t advocate for it,” Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said in an August interview with East Cobb News.

Before the SPLOST officially was approved for referendum, the county held several town halls that became virtual due to COVID-19 closures.

As Cobb voters are turning out heavily in early and absentee voting, county messages on its social media platforms, e-mails and website have been regularly reminding voter of what current SPLOSTs and the current one have yielded.

A video summary opens with the reminder that “this is not a new tax!” and that the current collection period doesn’t end this year, on Dec. 31, 2020.

In recent days the county has been posting on its Facebook page a “countdown” of its “Top 10” list of SPLOST projects over time, including the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center that opened at the end of 2017.

SPLOST critics like to point out the project list has become a “slush fund” that defies the term “special use.”

We heard from such a reader over the weekend, who wrote in to say that “SPLOST funds cannot be used for maintenance and repair.”

It’s been estimated that nearly 90 percent of Cobb DOT’s budget comes in SPLOST funds for just those purposes, which form the backbone of the items on the 2022 wish list.

Boyce was mindful of how the Atlanta Transportation SPLOST went down to heavy defeat in 2012, saying that those pushing for that tax disregarded what they were hearing from voters.

Even in spite of the disconnected nature of virtual town halls and indirect feedback in recent months, he said he feels confident that “we’ve done our homework.”

Cobb warns of pine straw scammers coming to neighborhoods

October 20, 2020 9:47 AMOctober 20, 2020 7:44 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb pine straw scammers

We got a message about this recently, and now Cobb County government is getting out the word warning about pine straw scammers who are coming to neighborhoods.

A reader told us that earlier this month an incident happened to a neighbor in East Cobb, after three men in a pickup truck were driving a utility trailer full of pine straw, promising to lay it down for $5 a bale.

The reader said the workers did the job, but then wanted much more money than the agreed-upon price. After an argument, the resident gave them some of the money they demanded for them to go away, afraid of retaliation.

The reader said there may have been a similar incident in the Providence Walk subdivision but with a different vehicle.

Here’s the message the county is getting out to the public:

Workers approach homeowners and explain they are in the area working and have extra pine straw and offer to sell and spread the pine straw for approximately $4 per bale. Depending on the size of the yard the agreement is to spread approximately 10-50 bales of pine straw.

At some point, the workers re-contact the homeowner and say that it will take more pine straw than anticipated to complete the job and the homeowner agrees with the assumption it will only take a few more bales to complete the job. When the workers finish the job they advise the homeowner they installed approximately 4 times the bales the homeowner anticipated.

The workers then try to collect several thousands of dollars for the work they claim they did. In most of the cases, the homeowners start negotiating a rate higher than agreed upon initially but lower than the workers are asking simply to get them to leave.

What to do:

Use extreme caution when dealing with walk-up salespeople.
Ask them for a business card or website so that you can research the business before they start the work.
If possible obtain the business name, employee names, phone numbers, and tag numbers.
Check for a Cobb County Business License and Better Business Bureau review.
If it is a verbal agreement, record the conversation, agree on the specific work that you want to be done, and agree on a specific final price. Before any work starts.
Trying to save a few dollars is not worth it. Use a local reputable company that is established, licensed, and insured.
If you feel that you are being scammed or intimidated to pay a higher amount immediately call 911 to have the issue reported and hopefully resolved.

Rapper arrested in East Cobb being held on fugitive warrant

October 19, 2020 6:39 PMOctober 19, 2020 4:55 PM by Wendy Parker

A Louisiana rapper arrested at a home on Columns Drive in East Cobb after a domestic incident Friday is being held without bond on a fugitive warrant, according to Cobb court records.

Javorius Tykies Scott, 22, of Bogalusa, La., also known as “JayDaYoungan,” was taken into custody late Friday on a misdemeanor charge of battery and family violence for attacking a woman at the residence, located on Columns Drive near Rivercliff Trace.

His arrest warrant states that Scott “did punch, push and grab” an individual, “leaving visible marks and scars” on the accuser’s arms.

The warrant further stated that Scott and his accuser were “living or formerly living in the same household.”

Cobb Sheriff’s Office records show Scott posted a $1,320 bond for that charge, but another warrant was taken out against him on charges stemming from a February arrest in Houston, Texas.

According to the fugitive warrant, Scott was arrested on a domestic abuse charge of hitting a pregnant woman, and possession of a controlled substance. According to news reports there, he was found by police hiding in an attic of a home.

In April, Scott was arrested in Senoia, Ga., on charges of marijuana possession with intent to distribute, narcotics possession and tampering with evidence. That incident included the arrest of a murder suspect and others on weapons and drug charges at an Airbnb home.

A news report in Newnan said a Coweta County’s Sheriff’s Office investigator said Scott was reportedly in the Atlanta area shooting a video and “possibly buying a property in Marietta.” The owner of the Columns Drive home where Scott was arrested is neither him nor his accuser, according to Cobb Tax Assessor’s office records.

A second fugitive warrant taken out against Scott in Cobb was dismissed, but he remained in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond late Monday afternoon, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Records.

The initial fugitive warrant states that officials in Harris County, Texas, intend to extradite Scott.

Scott has recorded several rap singles that have received multi-million impressions on various digital media platforms and he’s also released several mixtape albums.

According to his website, he’s released three music videos since his legal troubles earlier this year. Scott also posts videos and related content on his Instagram page, which has 2.4 million followers.

Nearly 25 percent of Cobb voters have cast early ballots

October 19, 2020 2:47 PM by Wendy Parker

After the first week of early voting in Cobb County, and three weeks after absentee voting began, Cobb Elections figures show nearly a quarter of registered voters in the county have cast their ballots.

Through Saturday’s early voting, a total of 49,354 voters cast their ballots at nine locations.

In addition, 86,302 absentee ballots have been returned, out of more than 172,000 requested by county voters.

That’s 135,656 voters in all out of the roughly 520,000 registered voters in Cobb County who have voted.

Early voting continues the next two weeks and includes two more locations, in Powder Springs and Kennesaw. The East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and The Art Place (3320 Sandy Plains Road) continue as early voting locations, from 7-7 Monday-Friday this week and next, and this Saturday from 8-5.

Thus far, 5,924 people have voted at The Art Place, and 6,347 at the East Cobb government center.

Cobb GIS has developed an an interactive map of estimated wait times and as of mid-afternoon Monday those were 105 minutes at the East Cobb government center and 45 minutes at The Art Place.

Voters can go to any early voting location regardless of where they live, or drop off absentee ballots at any of 16 secure drop boxes in the county, including four in East Cobb (see links below). They’re open 24/7 until 7 p.m. on Nov. 3, when the polls close on election day.

Absentee ballot applications can be requested through Oct. 30 from Cobb Elections by clicking here. The Georgia Secretary of State’s office has created an absentee ballot tracker that lets you follow the status of that ballot after you return your application.

More than 3K Cobb small businesses get federal relief grants

October 19, 2020 2:16 PMOctober 19, 2020 12:10 PM by Wendy Parker

Last week the Cobb Board of Commissioners approved spending $40 million in federal CARES Act funds to help more than 3,000 small businesses with relief grants.

Those grants are being used primarily to pay and hire employees, and can be used to meet other basic expenses, such as rent and utilities.

The vote was 5-0, and came after commissioners reworked the terms of a memorandum of understanding to distribute the remainder of an original $50 million allotment for businesses suffering from COVID-19 shutdowns.

Commissioners approved $7.5 million in relief grants in July to 409 businesses. Those recipients were chosen by a committee chosen by Select Cobb, the economic development office of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, which was hired by the county to distribute the funds.

Many of the applicants had received federal relief funding under the Payroll Protection Program (PPP) or through the U.S. Small Business Administration, which wasn’t originally permitted in order to get a county CARES Act grant.

Commissioners then voted to relax that requirement, and more than 3,000 small businesses applied.

Amounts varied depending on whether a business had received PPP/SBA funding. The general limit on those businesses was $11,700, while the top tier for businesses who had not received other aid was $20,000.

A total of 3,647 businesses were approved for the CARES Act funds from the county and are listed as follows:

PDF: Small Business Grants with no PPP/SBA
PDF: Small Business Grants with PPP/SBA

Six Cobb seniors receive ‘lifetime achievement’ proclamations

October 19, 2020 1:16 PMOctober 19, 2020 9:10 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb seniors lifetime achievement

Submitted information and photos:

The Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County celebrated National Senior Citizen Day by selecting six outstanding Cobb senior citizens to receive Life Achievement proclamations from Cobb County. These distinguished individuals were presented with their proclamations in a ceremony
at the Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting on October 13.

The Life Achievement award recipients were called up separately and Commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill read their individual proclamations aloud. The six honorees were Dr. Julie Bolen, Dr. Betty Ann Cook, Ms.Shelle O’Loughlin, Ms. Jessica Townley, Ms. Jeanene Abernathy, and Ms. Mildred White (who was unable to attend).

All of the honorees have a lifetime of professional accomplishment and years of devotion to the betterment of the Cobb community. A video of the awards ceremony can be accessed at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8U_bsby-WQ&t=278s.

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Heavy early voting turnout includes both East Cobb locations

October 17, 2020 1:13 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb early voting lines

The two early voting locations in East Cobb reported some of the biggest turnouts in the county through most of the first week.

According to numbers compiled by Cobb Elections, a total of 32,134 people cast their votes in person at the county’s nine early voting locations through Thursday.

That’s a new record, and compares to 14,288 for a similar period in 2016 and 5,536 in 2012.

At the East Cobb Government Service Center, there were 3,954 ballots cast during from Monday-Thursday, and 3,643 at The Art Place-Mountain View.

Although waiting lines were longer earlier in the week—as elections officials observed social-distancing measures and sorted through some technical issues—more voters turned out later in the week.

More than 1,000 people turned out on Wednesday and Thursday at both East Cobb locations after those numbers were in triple figures on Monday and Tuesday.

Some lines on Monday were several hours in some places, and polling managers were providing occasional updates during the day on a Cobb GIS interactive map.

On Friday, those wait times were an hour or two at the East Cobb locations, but elections officials have said voters can go to any location in the county regardless of where they live.

Saturday was the first of two weekend days for early voting, and as of 1 p.m. the estimated wait time at The Art Place is 45 minutes and at the East Cobb government center it’s 30 minutes.

Early voting will take place Monday-Friday for the next two weeks from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and next Saturday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at all of the existing locations.

As was the case during the primary, however, more people have already voted via absentee ballot. A total of 69,394 absentee ballots have been returned to Cobb Elections, which has sent out 169,868 absentee ballots upon request.

More information about absentee balloting can be found at the top story link below, including drop box locations that are open 24/7 until the polls close on election day, Nov. 3.

PHOTOS: An East Cobb public safety appreciation luncheon

October 17, 2020 12:31 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb public safety appreciation luncheon

Submitted information and photos:

On Friday, October 16th, The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team held an appreciation barbeque lunch to honor local police, firemen, EMT’s and military personnel. The Capital City Home Loans grilling food truck served up burgers and hotdogs with a variety of sides sponsored by other local partners.

Attendees were welcome to use the “social distancing patio” to enjoy their meal or take it on the road. Event sponsors and members of the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team had a great time serving the 85+ guests and appreciating them for what they do day-to-day.

Additional sponsors for the event included: Arrow Exterminators, First American Home Warranty, Amerispec Home Inspection, Chick-fil-A East Lake, Panera Bread and Perrie & Associates. Local Cobb County and surrounding area first responders, police, fire, detective units and military were all invited. Lunch was also packed up and delivered to Cobb County 911 dispatch.

For more information on community events at the Janice Overbeck Team office, visit: www.JaniceOverbeck.com.

East Cobb public safety appreciation luncheon

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