The following East Cobb food scores for the week of June 28 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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!
The Cobb Board of Education will conduct required public hearings on July 8 regarding the Cobb County Tax Digest for 2021.
The hearings will take place at 11:30 a.m. and 6:05 p.m. in the board room of the CCSD Central Office, 514 Glover St., in Marietta.
Earlier this month the Cobb school board adopted a fiscal year 2022 budget of nearly $1.5 billion that takes effect on Thursday (details here), keeping the property tax millage rate at 18.9 mills.
The board also is obligated to conduct public hearings on the tax digest, which is finalized in July.
The preliminary projection of the 2021 Cobb tax digest, and that was worked into the adopted budget, is for growth of 5.5 percent.
Here’s more about how public commenters can address the board:
The Board requests that speakers maintain appropriate decorum and that comments remain focused and respectful. See Board Policy BCBI. Any person who willfully violates the guidelines found in Board Policy BCBI may forfeit the remainder of their speaking time and may face additional sanctions. Public commentary may be filmed, photographed, recorded and/or edited by the District or other non-District media sources.
Individuals desiring to appear before the Board MUST sign-in and present a valid ID proving residency or property ownership in Cobb County. The sign-in session begins 40 minutes prior to the posted board meeting start times and closes exactly 10 minutes before the meeting starts with NO exceptions.
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!
A fundraising effort identified family members from L-R as Chris Rountree, Libby Rountree, Erica Rountree and Cate Rountree.
The Lassiter High School community is mourning the death of a student in a car crash over the weekend that also killed her father and seriously injured her mother and sister.
That’s according to a fundraiser started for the Rountree family after a Saturday crash in south Georgia.
Libby Rountree, 17, and her father, Chris Rountree, 53, were pronounced dead at the scene of the crash on U.S. Highway 441 near Dublin on Saturday afternoon, according to a news report in Macon, which also said that two other passengers in their car were injured.
Shaun Cunningham, the organizer for the fundraiser, said Erica Rountree, Chris’ wife, and another daughter, Cate, were also in the car and “sustained serious injuries that have put them both in critical condition.”
Cunningham said Cate Rountree, a 2019 graduate of Mt. Bethel Christian Academy, has undergone two surgeries. In a family update, Erica Rountree wrote that “I’m not sure how we left behind will manage. That is a big question mark with no answer.”
The Rountrees were returning home from a family vacation in Florida when the crash occurred.
The Macon news report said that a Volkswagen Jetta traveling north on U.S. 441 was hit head-on by a GMC Sierra truck that was traveling in the wrong direction around 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Volkwagen was carrying the Rountree family, and the Georgia State Patrol said that the driver of the car (later identified as Chris Rountree) tried to avoid a crash, but could not.
The report said the truck hit the front driver’s side of the Volkswagen. “Chris did his absolute best to swerve out of the way, but the driver was going so fast there wasn’t time and he took the full impact on the driver’s side and Libby was sitting behind him,” Erica Rountree wrote. “His actions saved Cate’s and my lives without a doubt. He has always been our protector and shield and I don’t know what we’ll do without him.”
On Monday, Lassiter principal Chris Richie sent out a message to the school community with the news, saying that “there are no words that could ease the pain that has devastated our Lassiter family and left us heartbroken.”
Libby Rountree was a rising senior and soccer player at Lassiter, and also played in the East Cobb-based NASA Tophat youth soccer program.
“Libby will be remembered as a generous young lady whose smile, infectious laughter, and artistic abilities brought happiness to many students and teachers at Lassiter,” Richie said. “Libby was well-loved by her peers, coaches, and teachers. Libby was a valuable member of the Lassiter community, and we will always remember her for her kindness and loving spirit.”
An evening of prayer has been arranged for the Rountree family Thursday from 5-7 p.m. in the Upper Room of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road).
“All are welcome,” Cunningham wrote. “Bring notes, cards, etc. Libby’s soccer team will be there.”
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The East Cobb Cityhood group has added road maintenance and construction as a proposed service, along with zoning and planning, code enforcement and parks.
The group that revived the East Cobb Cityhood effort earlier this year announced Monday it has commissioned a new financial feasibility study to be conducted by Georgia State University.
The group also said it is proposing a fourth service, road and construction maintenance, to be evaluated during the study.
GSU’s Center for State and Local Finance is to conduct the study, which is expected to be completed by Nov. 1, according to information released by the Cityhood group Monday.
The Cityhood group said $10,000 has been paid upfront to initiate the study and it is raising funds for the remaining $10,000 that will be due upon completion.
When asked by East Cobb News about who’s footed the bill thus far, the Cityhood group responded via e-mail that those funds “are being raised by supporters here in the East Cobb Community.” According to a donation page, less than $8,000 of a goal of $25,000 has been pledged.
State representatives Matt Dollar and Sharon Cooper, both East Cobb Republicans, submitted cityhood legislation near the end of the 2021 session, that, if passed by the legislature next year, would call for a November 2022 referendum by voters living in the proposed new municipality.
The proposed services that were mentioned in the bill are planning and zoning, code enforcement and parks and recreation.
Citing a state law regarding ownership and control of county right of way, the Cityhood group explained the addition of road projects by saying that “unless the municipality and the county agree otherwise by joint resolution, new cities forming in Georgia are required to assume these services.”
In Georgia, new cities must provide at least three services, and cityhood legislation requires proponents to conduct a financial feasibility study.
Dollar’s also sponsored a City of East Cobb bill in 2019 that would have included police, fire and community development services.
But the Cityhood group abandoned that effort after a series of town hall meetings in late 2019, after community opposition surfaced.
The initial proposed City of East Cobb would have had a population of more than 100,000.
The new boundaries are much smaller, comprising most of the Johnson Ferry Road corridor west to Old Canton Road, with an estimated population of 55,000.
While some parties in the initial Cityhood group are still on board, the revamped effort features some new leadership that conducted virtual town hall meetings this spring.
The East Cobb group said it will likely hold another virtual information session in August.
Three other Cityhood bills have been filed by Cobb County lawmakers, including new efforts in Vinings and in West Cobb for a proposed City of Lost Mountain.
Another bill for Mableton Cityhood also was filed this year, just as in 2019.
In 2018-19, only a handful of individuals identified themselves as being part of the East Cobb Cityhood effort, and declined to reveal how an initial financial feasibility study conducted by GSU was paid for, at a cost of nearly $30,000.
That study, released in late 2018, declared that the proposed City of East Cobb, with the proposed public safety and community development services, was financially viable.
The initial Cityhood group also spent tens of thousands of dollars on high-powered legislative lobbyists, but didn’t provide the funding sources.
The East Cobb Educational Research Committee, Inc., which was formed in early 2019, is the non-profit that is continuing as the sponsoring group of the Cityhood effort.
According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, Craig Chapin is the CEO, Sarah Haas is the Secretary and Scott Hausman is the Chief Financial Officer.
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!
Worksource Cobb staff is partnering with companies to host recruitment events:
Renaissance Waverly Hotel and Convention Center onsite recruitment event 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Thursday, July 1 Positions available in front desk, housekeeping, food and beverage and loss prevention Benefits include health, dental, 401k/retirement plan, vision, life insurance, paid vacation, free parking, reduced meals, hotel discounts and short-term disability Register by calling 770-528-4300 or emailing information@cobbworks.org.
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“The community smothered me with love,” said Lachance, identifying herself as the hiker who was assisted off the Gold Branch Trails last August after hurting an ankle.
The social and civic bonds of belonging to one of East Cobb’s biggest faith communities are a major part of the draw for Lachance and her husband Frank, who’ve been Mt. Bethel members for 15 years.
She’s also served on the church staff as a photographer and in communications, and has been involved in other ministries.
What Lachance hadn’t done until recently is delve into the politics of a church with nearly 10,000 members.
But for the last two months, Mt. Bethel leaders, clergy, staff and members have been in an uproar over a decision by Bishop Sue Haupert-Johnson of the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church to reassign Senior Pastor Jody Ray.
Mt. Bethel leaders also filed a formal complaint against the North Georgia Conference and said Ray would be staying on as CEO and lead minister.
Mt. Bethel is the largest of the 800 congregations in the North Georgia Conference, which has more than 340,000 members.
Mt. Bethel leaders have been vocal about theological disputes that have roiled the United Methodist Church in recent years, and that have prompted the denomination to set up a process to allow conservative congregations to leave.
Ferrell Coppedge, a member of the Mt. Bethel Executive Committee, also serves on the governing council of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a group of conservative UMC churches that formed in 2016. Mt. Bethel was the host for the WCA annual conference in 2018.
In April, in his first sermon since the dispute began, Ray addressed his children by saying that “your Daddy didn’t bow the knee, or kiss the ring, of progressive theology. . . . which is no theology.”
‘Divisive like we have never seen’
Next Friday, July 1, the pastor reassigned to Mt. Bethel, Dr. Steven Usry, formerly of Sugarloaf UMC in Duluth, is set to begin his duties in East Cobb.
With that deadline approaching, Lachance, her husband Frank and Mt. Bethel members Bob and Janet Graff distributed an open letter to several hundred other members, concerned that the church leadership’s refusal to adhere to the UMC Book of Discipline—the denomination’s governing and doctrinal document—could trigger legal action and escalate continuing battles that have been brewing for years.
“I hope we can come together and get it to stop before it destroys our 180-year old community of faith,” they wrote in the first paragraph of their letter.
“If we don’t accept Dr. Usry, the Bishop will have no choice but to invoke the exigency clause and sue to take control of all Mt. Bethel property which, as with all UMC churches, is held in trust by the conference,” according to the letter, a copy of which was obtained by East Cobb News.
“Both sides agree she will likely win.”
The letter, entitled “A Different Perspective,” accuses the Mt. Bethel Executive Committee—made up of seven church leaders—of trying to “drag this fight out, hoping to run out the clock, until the Protocol is passed. . . .
“We don’t know about you, but we haven’t asked for this fight, and we don’t want it,” the letter continued. “We don’t know who is going to pay the substantial legal costs. We do know that we will all pay the costs in terms of discord, uncertainty, and suspicion among people who, until this started, were loving Brothers and Sisters in Christ.”
East Cobb News has contacted the North Georgia Conference and Mt. Bethel leadership seeking comment.
Dr. Jody Ray turned in his UMC ministerial credentials after refusing a reassignment.
In an interview with East Cobb News, Lachance said she’s met with Usry, who’s considered a theological conservative, but not on the main Mt. Bethel campus on Lower Roswell Road.
She said he’s not been allowed to do that, and had been meeting with Mt. Bethel members at their request at nearby Mt. Zion UMC and neighborhood clubhouses in the East Cobb area.
“Saying you won’t accept a pastor isn’t something you can do,” Lachance said, adding that when Mt. Bethel leaders initially announced that decision, she wasn’t aware of that. “This is the bishop’s appointment to make.”
Lachance signed the open letter by citing Romans 13:1, which says, “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established.”
After attending a special town hall meeting held by church leaders last month, Lachance said her concerns grew.
“There was more to this story than what was being said,” she said, adding that she had kept an open mind about the dispute.
‘Not what Mt. Bethel is about’
Lachance said she admires Ray, calling him inspiring and saying he has been of great pastoral assistance to her family.
“I love Jody, he’s been great for Mt. Bethel,” she said. “But at this point we’re still United Methodists.”
What’s more, the full Mt. Bethel membership hasn’t weighed in on the matter, and a congregational vote would be required to disaffiliate. That can’t happen for at least another year.
“Basically, we’re being torn apart,” Lachance said. “I don’t know why we’re fighting this now.”
If that vote comes, Lachance predicted, “it will be divisive like we have never seen.”
Currently the Book of Discipline doesn’t allow for the ordination of gay clergy or performing same-sex marriage, but that could change should a new Protocol be approved.
Lachance said that “I don’t believe this is something our church should leave the denomination over.”
The Book of Discipline also has a specific paragraph allowing for disaffiliation for reasons concerning human sexuality.
“[Mt. Bethel leaders] will say it’s not just about that issue,” Lachance said. “But that’s how I feel it comes across.”
But she said her concerns are less about theology, but the procedural steps Mt. Bethel is taking now.
She said since her open letter went out this week, she’s heard from Mt. Bethel members who agree with her, but are reluctant to come forward.
“This is not what Mt. Bethel is about,” Lachance said. “We’re fighting ourselves instead of winning souls.”
‘A big test of our faith’
Church leadership created a petition against Ray’s reassignment that nearly 5,000 people have signed, but Lachance said there’s a considerable difference of opinion about how to proceed.
In their open letter, the Graffs and Lachances wrote that while Mt. Bethel leaders “are all good people, doing what they think God called them to do . . . we do not believe they should be taking us down this contentious path without a full, transparent discussion of the costs and benefits of doing so, and without listening to those who disagree.”
They also pleaded with their fellow members to tell the Executive Committee to pursue a different course: “If enough of us speak up, perhaps it will make a difference.”
Lachance said when she was picking up her husband on Friday from an activity at the main Mt. Bethel campus, she saw a fellow member who’s been a good friend, someone with whom she disagrees about how to resolve the congregational dispute.
“We just hugged and said we loved each other and had a very civil conversation,” Lachance said.
That’s the Mt. Bethel fellowship that she says has long nourished her as an evangelical Christian.
She thinks a lot of Mt. Bethel’s divisions “would go away” if Ray were to tell church members to embrace the new pastor, but she doubts that will happen.
“We are not winning a soul for Christ right now, and that’s what we’re called to do,” she said.
However, Lachance also is optimistic that Mt. Bethel will not stay this way.
“This is a big test our faith, but I do believe that we will get past this,” she said.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
After COVID-19 measures cancelled July 4 holiday events in many communities in 2020, most of those places in Cobb and metro Atlanta have scheduled festivities this year in line with years past.
The City of Marietta will hold its Let Freedom Ring Parade and other Independence Day events next Saturday, July 3, on the Marietta Square.
Here’s the schedule:
10 a.m.: Let Freedom Ring Parade
10 a.m.-9 p.m.: Festival with arts and crafts, Kid’s Zone, food, free concerts
Noon: Concert featuring Scott Thompson
2 p.m.: Bell ringing ceremony
2:30 p.m.: Concert featuring Atlanta Concert Band
7 p.m.: Concert featuring Scott Thompson
8-9:30 p.m.: Concert featuring Bogey and the Viceroy
Dark: Fireworks show
Here’s what the city is advising on getting around and about:
“Roads on the parade route will be closed 40 minutes before and during the parade. Roads surrounding the Marietta Square will be closed all day. Parking will be challenging, so please consider using a ride sharing service to drop you off and pick you up. The intersection of Lawrence Street and Waddell Street is the designated convenient drop off/pick up location.”
For more information, visit the City of Marietta website or call the Marietta Parks and Recreation Department at 770-794-5601.
Cobb Landmarks is having a viewing party for the fireworks at its William Root Museum in downtown Marietta (80 N. Marietta Parkway), with tables priced from $250 (for 4 people) to $1,000 (for 8 people and a parking spot).
The proceeds benefit the non-profit’s historic preservation efforts.
Attendees can bring their own table decor, beverages, and food (or order from Carriage House Catering) and Cobb Landmarks will provide the table and chairs. A prize will be awarded to the table with the best decorations. Guests will have access to the restroom in the Root House Visitor Center during the event.
For information and to reserve a table, click here.
Travel Cobb has rounded up other July 4 weekend events in the county, including the Atlanta Braves celebration coinciding with a homestand against the Miami Marlins.
The City of Roswell is having its annual fireworks extravaganza on Sunday, July 4, with festivities starting at 5:30 p.m. at the Roswell Area Park (10495 Woodstock Road). There will be live music, entertainment, and food trucks. Attendees can bring chairs and blankets one of various viewing areas throughout the park. Fireworks will start at sunset.
For more information, including a map of the events, click here.
In Sandy Springs, the Stars & Stripes Fireworks Celebration returns, but in a first-time location: The City Springs municipal facility (1 Galambos Way). Music begins at 7:30 p.m., and the fireworks start up at 9:30 p.m.
For more information, including an event map and parking details, click here.
Did we miss anything? Do you know of a public July 4 event to share with the community? Let us know and we’ll add it here. E-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
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!
The following East Cobb food scores for the week of June 21 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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!
Gov. Brian Kemp giving one of several public briefings during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp this week signed two executive orders that will bring the state’s COVID-19 public health state of emergency to a close at the end at June.
In the orders (you can read them hereand here) Kemp simultaneously extended an order that was set to expire on Tuesday, until midnight next Thursday, July 1, and then declared the emergency over beyond that point.
It’s the last of 16 extensions of the Empowering A Healthy Georgia Act approved by the Georgia legislature during a special session in March 2020, at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The law gave the governor additional powers during the pandemic, including business, school and other closures, as well as efforts to protect vulnerable populations, restrict public gatherings and travel, and to mobilize for vaccinations.
“I appreciate the General Assembly granting my office this authority in order to swiftly and appropriately respond to the coronavirus pandemic,” Kemp said in a statement issued by his office Tuesday. “We worked together—along with the Department of Public Health, dozens of state agencies, local leaders, private sector partners, and countless others—to protect both lives and livelihoods.
“Thanks to those efforts, more Georgians are getting vaccinated, our economic momentum is strong, and people are getting back to normal. We have emerged resilient, and I thank all Georgians for doing their part.”
Kemp’s office said there will be one final executive order coming next week, to continue providing aid for “the state and Georgia job creators as they fully recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, which will include the suspension of various state rules and regulations.”
The end of the public health emergency comes as COVID case, hospitalization and death rates are at their lowest since the pandemic began.
Over the last two weeks, the cases per 100,000 people has averaged 36 (100 is considered “high” community spread), and fewer than 4,000 cases have been reported across the state.
The 7-day moving average of both PCR and antigen tests is 260 statewide, as of June 10.
In Cobb County, the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people is 32, with 251 new cases reported in that time. The 7-day moving averages of cases as of June 10 was 19.7.
Since the pandemic began, there have been 901,723 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Georgia, and 18,426 deaths.
There have been 62,073 cases and 1,008 confirmed deaths in Cobb County since March 2020.
Georgia continues to lag in vaccination rates, compared to other states.
The state DPH vaccine dashboard shows that 42 percent of all eligible Georgians (ages 12 and older) have received at least the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, and that 37 percent are “fully vaccinated” with second doses of those vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
In Cobb County, 50 percent of eligible residents have received at least one dose, and 44 percent are “fully vaccinated.”
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There was no discussion as commissioners quickly went through several individual votes on transportation items.
As we noted in our Saturday post, approval of the concept plan means that Cobb DOT can go ahead with property acquisitions that could take into early next year, with a targeted date of May 2022 to put the project up for competitive bidding.
Once that’s done, Cobb DOT estimates two years will be needed to complete the nearly $9 million construction work, covering 0.6-mile stretch of Lower Roswell from Woodlawn Drive to Davidson Road.
Also Tuesday, Cobb commissioners voted 4-1 to provide $1.5 million in new federal funds for emergency food distribution through county non-profit agencies.
Commissioner Keli Gambrill was opposed, saying the criteria favor larger non-profits, such as the Cobb Community Foundation, and penalize smaller organizations, including faith-based groups.
Gambrill also was the only vote against the creation of four new positions in the county cybersecurity department after a recent phishing attack. The county will spend just under $50,000 in the remaining fiscal year 2021.
Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson, whose District 2 includes part of East Cobb, announced Tuesday that she will be holding a virtual economic town hall Saturday from 12-1 p.m.
The guest is Bobby Staten, a member of her “Community Cabinet,” who will discusssuch issues as the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, the state of the job market, and more.
Citizens can ask questions and attendance is free; registration information can be found here.
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Cobb County School District was recently awarded the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The school district was recognized for its year-end financial report submitted for fiscal year 2020.
The Certificate of Achievement (COA) was established in 1945 and is the highest form of recognition in governmental accounting and financial reporting. Its attainment represents a significant accomplishment for Cobb Schools and its leadership.
GFOA advances excellence in government finance by providing best practices, professional development, resources, and practical research for more than 21,000 members and the communities they serve.
The COA recognizes local and state governments that go beyond the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles to prepare comprehensive annual financial reports that evidence the spirit of transparency and full disclosure. GFOA’s review process is extensive and generally takes about six months to complete.
Cobb School’s Chief Financial Officer Brad Johnson was happy for his team’s recognition by GFOA. “I couldn’t be prouder of our Finance team as they manage the budget wisely and transparently at the direction of our Board and Superintendent,” Mr. Johnson said. “The Finance Department pays close attention to every detail and makes sure that we are financially sound and completely forthright and transparent about how we spend our money.”
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Citizens lined up on either side of the Sprayberry Crossing rezoning case haven’t completely put last week’s decision behind them, but they are moving on to some other community and political projects.
Some of those who were against the Cobb Board of Commissioners’ 4-1 vote to approve the mixed-use redevelopment have vowed to work to defeat District 3 commissioner JoAnn, who made a long presentation last Tuesday in favor of approving the project.
A Facebook Group called ROD-1 Residents Against Apartments (named after the rezoning case number) has more than 500 members, and group leader Tim Carini indicated after the vote last week a desire to change it to the Sandy Plains Community Coalition.
“She needs to be voted out,” Carini said, echoing other opponents, including Wendi Cliett May, who said, “the next thing on our list is to get her out of office. She does not care about the people in our district. It’s sad. She’ll never have the luxury of another uncontested election.”
Birrell, a Republican who has represented the Northeast Cobb area since 2010, is up for re-election in 2022. In 2018, she defeated Democrat Caroline Holko with 52 percent of the vote.
The Sprayberry Crossing Action Facebook group has nearly 6,000 members, with many in support of the redevelopment, and some leaders said they will monitoring the plan review process to come.
One of the group’s leaders, Shane Spink, also is reviving another civic effort that he began last year.
It’s called SPARC COBB, and unlike the Sprayberry Crossing group, this one’s a private group that stands for Sprayberry Area Residents Council. It invites those “who advocate for the well-being of all residents. This council offers a forum for residents to be part of decision making within their own community.”
Among the initial posts asked over the weekend were to ask citizens what kinds of new businesses they want to see in the area, and urged nearby residents to vote for the Sprayberry Bottle Shop in a “Best Of” poll in a business publication.
“So many times when people form these groups they are always against something, it’s always better to be for something and that’s what I want us to do,” Spink said in one of his initial messages.
However, more rezoning issues figure to galvanize the community soon.
Another major nearby proposal seeks to convert nearly 50 arcres of currently undeveloped land on Ebenezer Road into a 112-home residential development. That request by Pulte Home Company was continued until July.
Spink also is part of a group pushing for a rebuild of Sprayberry High School, which has been included on a list of projects for a proposed Cobb Education SPLOST renewal that would begin in 2024.
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The Cobb Chamber and SelectCobb will host the upcoming seminar, Access to Capital: Finance, Foreign Sales, and Foreseen Risks on Tuesday, June 22 at 9 a.m.
This insightful seminar will focus on navigating business owners through the funding landscape while connecting them with resources to help obtain the capital they need to expand their business. Featured experts will offer essential advice on how to finance and increase foreign sales while mitigating risks.
This seminar will discuss how businesses can:
Access financing programs for your export sales
Extend credit to foreign buyers
Reduce the risk of nonpayment from foreign buyers
Use vital information from an experienced exporter
Learn more from presenting experts:
David Leonard, Export Finance Manager, SBA Office of Int’l Trade
Susan Kintanar, Regional Director, Easter Region, Export-Import Bank
Zaheer Faruqi, CEO, Aventure Aviation
Darrel Hulsey, Director, UGA SBDC International Trade Center
A live question and answer session will follow the presentations. The seminar begins at 9 a.m. and is presented by Year Long International Program Sponsor, The Manely Firm, P.C. Registration is free and open to members and non-members at www.cobbchamber.org/events. For more information about SelectCobb, contact Amanda Blanton at ablanton@cobbchamber.org.
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A Georgia 511 traffic screenshot of the lane closures on I-75 northbound above Roswell Road.
Marietta Police are urging motorists not to use Interstate 75 north at Roswell Road Sunday afternoon after an accident shut down three left lanes.
Police issued an alert around 12:30 p.m. saying the clean-up would take between 5 and 8 hours, and that the lane closures were necessary to make repairs.
“A hole in this overpass has closed the #3 lane from the left wall and will require a detour of traffic” for several hours, the alert read, suggesting use of the North or Marietta Parkway as alternate routes.
Georgia 511 camera footage shows backups on I-75 north to I-285, and even some of the detour routes are starting to back up, including Roswell Road at Cobb Parkway.
Northhbound traffic on I-75 north at Delk Road is heavily backed up.
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Earlier this year, Cobb District Attorney Flynn D. Broady Jr. announced his support of a record restriction help desk. Partners on this project include the Georgia Justice Project, Cobb Circuit Defender Randy Harris, Cobb Solicitor General Barry E. Morgan, and the Cobb Judicial Circuit.
The record-restriction help desk will be known as Cobb Second Chance Desk. It will be housed in the Cobb Circuit Defender’s Office. Cobb’s Second Chance Desk will be the first of its kind in Georgia. It will be staffed by GJP attorneys and the Cobb Circuit Defender’s Office. These attorneys will assist eligible individuals with clearing their record as Georgia law allows.
The ribbon cutting for the Cobb Second Chance Desk was Wednesday, June 16 in front of Cobb Circuit Defender’s Office Building at 10 East Park Square in Marietta.
Second Chance Desks are an invaluable resource to meet this increasing need for record restriction services.
“Georgia Justice Project helps many Georgians each year with their criminal record, but we can’t do this work alone, and we do so with strong partnership support,” says Doug Ammar, Executive Director of Georgia Justice Project. “Since 4.3 million people have a Georgia criminal history, we need to find creative ways to collaborate with our local institutions to serve as many Georgians as possible. We appreciate District Attorney Broady and Solicitor Morgan for joining us in this effort.”
“This is justice in action,” DA Broady said. “Removing barriers that keep nonviolent people from being productive members of society benefits everyone.”
Cobb Solicitor General Barry E. Morgan added that the service provided by the Georgia Justice Project is needed.
“Prosecutors and court clerks cannot give legal advice, and many people are in limbo if they can’t afford to pay an attorney to navigate the additional, cumbersome process required for record restriction,” Morgan said. “This service will help fill a gaping hole.”
Georgia Justice Project has served Georgians who have been impacted by the criminal justice system for almost 35 years. Learn more at www.GJP.org.
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Cobb PARKS staff is hosting its annual Fishing Rodeo in July. The competition is open to children ages 3-16 and trophies will be awarded for the five biggest fish overall. Participants must bring their own fishing gear and bait.
9-11 a.m., July 10 Lost Mountain Park, 4845 Dallas Highway, Powder Springs
9-11 a.m., July 17 Ebenezer Downs Park, 4057 Ebenezer Road, Marietta
9-11 a.m., July 24 Hyde Farm Park, 726 Hyde Road, Marietta
9-11 a.m., July 31 Furr Family Park, 4570 Old Westside Road, Powder Springs
The entry fee is $5 per child. For registration or more information, visit cobbcounty.org/parks and click on the “Outdoor/Nature” tab. You can also contact John Purcell at 770-528-8825 or john.purcell@cobbcounty.org.
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!
Family-friendly movies will be shown the last Thursday of every month through August beginning at sunset. Arrive early to enjoy fun, family activities. Movie titles will be announced at the beginning of each month on our website https://www.avenueeastcobb.com/events/
Summer fun continues on June 24th with the movie:SCOOB! – The never-before told stories of Scooby-Doo’s origins & the greatest mystery in the career of Mystery Inc.
* This movie is FREE with NO RESERVATIONS REQUIRED! SAVE THE DATE!
* Family Fun Entertainment from 6-8pm. Enjoy an INFLATABLE OBSTACLE COURSE, BASKETBALL CHALLENGE and a DJ with Trivia and Games!
* Pick up dinner from onsite restaurants Drift Fish House, Tin Lizzy’s, Stockyard Burgers, Panera and Kale Me Crazy. Enjoy sweet treats from Smallcakes Cupcakery or Menchies.
* NO DRIVE-IN SPACES – ALL PICNIC STYLE. Bring folding chairs, tables, blankets. No umbrellas or tents permitted.
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!
Submitted information from Cobb County government:
During the pandemic, many have realized how much we miss gathering in physical places, including our libraries. This week, we were elated to celebrate the reopening of Switzer Library in downtown Marietta after major renovations to improve indoor and outdoor areas and its administrative and support services spaces. To watch a short video about the history of Cobb’s flagship library and get an inside look at some of the new features, click here.
New features include a family computing space on the main floor, the Accessibility Services Room for patrons with disabilities, sensory processing disorders or in need of a calmer environment, a new children’s programming room and two makerspaces, for both teens and adults. An enclosed outdoor plaza with seating and a garden area is accessible through the Hattie Gaines Wilson Youth Services area. The Georgia Room — the Cobb library special historic and genealogical collection — also now has a dedicated conference room and additional space. This project was mainly funded by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax and also a grant from the Georgia Public Library Service.
Located at 266 Roswell St., Switzer Library is one-half mile from the Marietta Square. For more information, visit cobbcounty.org/library.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
A reader-submitted photo of a motorcycle that crashed with a Lincoln at Roswell and Providence roads Thursday night.
A 58-year-old Marietta man was killed Thursday night after his motorcycle crashed with a car on Roswell Road in East Cobb, according to police.
Cobb Police said Casey Sullivan was pronounced dead at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital after being taken there following the crash, which took place on Roswell Road near its eastern intersection with Providence Road.
Sullivan was heading westbound on Roswell on a BMW R1200 RT that collided with a Lincoln MKX driven by Preksha Bhargava, 22, of Marietta, around 6:54 p.m., according to police.
Police said the Lincoln was headed east on Roswell and was attempting a left turn onto Providence Road when the crash occurred.
Sullivan was thrown from his motorcycle on contact and the car Bhargava was driving crashed into a Toyota Tundra waiting at a red traffic light on Providence Road, according to police.
Police said Bhargava was not injured but a 16-year-old male passenger in the Lincoln had minor injuries. The Toyota driver, Alan Dunbar, 56, of Marietta, and three passengers in that vehicle—Karen Dunbar, 56, of Marietta; Elizabeth Dunbar, 56, of Port Saint Lucie, Fla.; Nathan Dunbar, 18, of Marietta—were uninjured, according to police.
Police said the collision remains under investigation and anyone with information should contact Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.
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Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb PARKS staff is hosting its annual Fishing Rodeo in July. The competition is open to children ages 3-16 and trophies will be awarded for the five biggest fish overall. Participants must bring their own fishing gear and bait.
