June 2021

Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition announces winners

June 9, 2021 3:00 PMJune 9, 2021 9:27 AM by Wendy Parker

Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition

Back in March we posted about some East Cobb students who had created a virtual contest for Cobb students in the scientific endeavor of crystal growing.

The group is called STARS (for Structural Nucleic Acid Anticancer Research Society), which formed in 2019 in conjunction with students at Timber Ridge Elementary School.

STARS parent Susanna Huang got in touch to announce the winners of the 2021 Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition that the groups hosted together.

The group created introductory videos to share various effective crystal growing methods with students as well as to teach the principles of crystallography. Toward the end of the crystal growing competition season, the STARS Team created another series of videos that explained the crystal submission steps, further facilitating the submission process for students.

The winners are:

Brooke Bloxom for the title of Most Exciting Experiment
Most Elaborate Experiment
Elliott Neveln for the title of Clearest Crystal
Jahnavi Bhargava for the titles of Most Natural-Looking crystal and the Best Quality Crystal
Johnny Dickerson for the title of Best Crystal Shape
Ms. Judy Osborne for the title of Most Inspiring Crystal
Michael Duke for the title of the Most Innovative Crystal
Steven Huang for the title of Most Impressive Notebook Entries
Ryoma Takagi for the titles of Most Detailed Lab Notebook and Largest Creative Crystals

Medals of Scientific Excellence:

Elliott Neveln for winning the Best Salt Crystal Award for the K-2nd grade division because his salt crystal alone had the highest clarity and his salt crystal alone had an almost perfect cubical shape.
Steven Huang for winning the Best Salt Crystal Award for the K-2nd grade division because his hand-written lab notebook was the most detailed and reflected much thoughtfulness and intuition.

Some other award winners:

Best Creative Crystal Award for the K-2nd division because his creative crystal looked like a real, natural crystal, with colors of blues and glints of shiny specks.

Michael Duke for winning the Best Creative Crystal Award for the 3rd-5th grade division because his creative crystal was the largest in his grade division and because his lab report was very thorough with detailed observations and conclusions.Ms. Judy Osborne for winning the Best Creative Crystal Award for the teacher division because her crystal was beautifully cultivated, and the quality of this crystal was very evident.

Ryoma Takagi for winning the Championship of the entire 2021 Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition for his solid mastery of growing aluminum potassium sulfate, exceptional observation and note-taking skills, and immense diligence, creating a 15 paged lab notebook with 176 data points, tracking the growth of 10 massive alum crystals before putting the data points into Excel graphs and charts to make the crystal growth trends even the more so evident.

The STARS team wrote in to say that over the summer they’re having a free, virtual summer camp to provide students with hands-on experiments and to teach students important note-taking and observational skills to further prepare them for the fall crystal growing competition.

Check their website for further details by clicking here.

COVID-19 vaccinations to end at Jim Miller Park on June 19

June 8, 2021 3:42 PM by Wendy Parker

Jim Miller Park COVID vaccine appointments — *Cobb and Douglas Health has been administering COVID-19 vaccines at Jim Miller Park since January.*

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is winding down its free COVID-19 vaccination site at Jim Miller Park soon, but will continue providing innoculations to the public at various locations indefinitely.

Assistant director Lisa Crossman told the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday that the last day for vaccinations at Jim Miller Park (2245 Callaway Road, Marietta) will be June 19.

Vaccinations are provided there six days a week and members of the public can make an appointment or walk up.

“That doesn’t mean we’re done vaccinating,” she said.

Information on getting vaccination at Jim Miller Park and satellite locations can be found here, along with other details getting a COVID-19 vaccine through Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

A number of “pop up” vaccine locations that have also been in use will continue for the time being.

“We’ll do it until we don’t see a need,” Crossman said.

There’s not a specific location in East Cobb scheduled for this week; the closest spot it the Dwell@750 apartments (750 Franklin Gateway), from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.

We noted over the weekend that Cobb’s transmission rate of the virus had fallen below what’s called “high community spread”—a 14-day average under 100 cases per 100,000 people.

She also said the COVID-19 test positivity rate is at its lowest in many months, 1.9 percent. Public health officials say anything less than 5 percent is good, and while the numbers across the board in Cobb “are headed in the right direction” she urged the public not to let its guard down.

Cobb’s rate of “fully vaccinated people”—those having received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine—is 37 percent, and more than 43 percent have had one dose.

Those numbers are slightly higher than Georgia’s overall figures, but are below the national average.

President Joe Biden has set a 70 percent vaccination goal for the country by July 4. Crossman said while it’s doubtful Cobb will reach that target, “we’re going to give it our best shot.”

She said the vaccinations are available to anyone 12 years of age or older, and encouraged parents sending their children to summer camps to get vaccinated.

Crossman also said businesses with 25 or more employees can have Cobb and Douglas Public Health come to their workplaces and provide vaccinations and said the scheduling is flexible, and can be done in the early evenings and on the weekends

Cobb Drug Treatment Court graduates five individuals

June 8, 2021 2:45 PMJune 8, 2021 11:41 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The judges and staff of the Superior Court of Cobb County congratulate the five people who completed the Drug Treatment Court program on Monday.

The intensive program, suited for offenders who are generally non-violent, lasts a minimum of two years and aims to treat an individual’s underlying addictions and return him or her to a productive member of society while reducing incarceration costs.

“My decision to participate in the drug court program saved my life,” said Timothy, 35, who was previously charged with methamphetamines possession and was among Monday’s graduates. “This program works if you work at it.”

Graduate Wilmer, 52, entered the program in 2019 after an arrest for possession of methamphetamines and cocaine.

“The Cobb County Drug Court program is one of the best ideas the judicial system has ever come up with. It gives people with addiction problems another chance at life. So much of the life I have now, I would never have had without this program,” Wilmer said. “It’s a hard program, and they will hold you accountable. But if you stick with it and do what they ask you to do, it’s well worth it.”

Robert, 56, was also charged with possession of methamphetamines and dangerous drugs before seeking admittance into Drug Treatment Court. “I am a member of the Drug Court program and now a productive member of society. It works,” he said.

Judge Mary Staley Clark now presides over Drug Court, succeeding Senior Judge George Kreeger. A team that includes prosecutors, treatment counselors, probation officers, administrators and the presiding judge, reviews each request for participation in Drug Treatment Court, and monitors admitted participants throughout. Punishment for violations can range from a night in jail to expulsion from the program.

Various county and state offices collaborate with the judges in operating individual Accountability Courts. For more information, visit cobbcounty.org/SuperiorAC

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 County issues COVID scam alert for federal relief funds

June 8, 2021 2:39 PMJune 8, 2021 9:21 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

Scam artists are always looking to take advantage of a situation to steal from you. They’ve been using the COVID-19 pandemic and federal relief monies as tools to gain personal information from unsuspecting victims.

If you receive an email about pandemic relief, no matter how “official-looking,” REMEMBER:

Cobb County will not reach out to you directly about receiving federal assistance money.

Do NOT give out personal ID information to any of these sites.

All official assistance information can be found at www.cobbcounty.org/ERA

Any questions or concerns? Call us at 770-528-1000 or email us at information@cobbcounty.org

FOR MORE on these “phishing” emails, check out these sites:

https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/Securities/coronavirus_scams

https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/phishing

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/…/want-get-your…

More COVID-related information from Cobb County government can be found by clicking here.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar opens at Sandy Plains Marketplace

June 7, 2021 5:30 PMJune 7, 2021 2:26 PM by Wendy Parker

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar East Cobb opening

As we noted at the end of April, the East Cobb location of Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar was awaiting on approval of an alcohol license from the county as it prepared to open.

The new Sandy Plains Marketplace restaurant (3460 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 100) opened its doors on Monday next to the Hollywood Feed store, and there’s a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Phone: 470-632-7500.

The menu includes a variety of burgers (including make-your-own) and some non-beef entrees and salads, ranging mostly from $10-$15, cocktails, beer and wine, starters, shakes and desserts and a kids menu.

College Station Sports Store opens at The Avenue East Cobb

June 7, 2021 11:13 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

“Fans may remember College Station had a location here at The Avenue from 2014-2017 and we are happy to welcome them back.

“College Station was founded in 2000 by Roger Bush and started as a kiosk in the Town Center at Cobb mall. He sold one of the biggest selections of college apparel at the time. He then expanded his business to a full store front inside Town Center. Later he would expand his business to the Mall of Georgia, which recently closed. College Station has always been about college teams but has always been more than just that. College Station carries over 100 teams in the biggest names in NCAA, NFL, MLB, MLS, and NBA! The focus at College Station is to be the premier provider of anything memorabilia athletic-wise from t shirts to shot glasses they have it all!

“College Station Sports Store will be located between Sephora and Simply Mac. https://www.avenueeastcobb.com/College-Station-Sports-Store/”

Northeast Cobb Business Association to hold 5K-9 event

June 7, 2021 8:05 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The North Cobb Business Association is proud to present the 6th annual 5K-9 Race and introduce The Barking Lot street market! This great fundraiser is a pet friendly, socially distanced event which raises money to purchase a service animal for Cobb County Students and Residents. The event will take place at Piedmont Church, 570 Piedmont Church, Marietta.

The race was founded when the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office lost one of its beloved canines. NCBA wanted to start a fundraiser to aid the purchase of a service dog for the Sheriff’s Office. Thus, the 5K-9 Race was born. Since its founding, the 5K-9 event has raised money to provide service and support dogs for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the Cobb County Police Department, US Military Veteran, a student with autism, and most recently, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

This year, for the first time in the event’s history, TWO service dogs will be placed with residents. The first recipient is a Cobb County student who struggles with autism. The second is a young woman living in Cobb County who has suffered multiple car accidents leaving her with partial paralysis.

Join us in supporting this very worthwhile fundraising event on June 12. For Race Sponsorship, click here. For Runner Registration, click here. For Barking Lot Registration, click here.

For more information, visit northeastcobbba.com/events.

NCBA K5-9

Cobb non-profits team up to provide COVID-19 prevention kits

June 6, 2021 1:57 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb non-profits COVID prevention kits

Submitted information and photo:

Tommy Nobis Center, a Marietta-based nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities enter or return to employment, produced 10,000 COVID prevention kits over the course of the last nine months. Kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and COVID education materials were provided to neighboring partner nonprofits to distribute to individuals they serve who were significantly impacted by the pandemic. This included senior citizens, homeless persons, families in poverty, adults with disabilities, women and children experiencing abuse and/or neglect, and individuals in recovery from substance abuse.

Nonprofit organizations that received the kits included liveSAFE Resources, Sweetwater Mission, Special Needs Cobb, Ser Familia, Walton Communities, The Center for Family Resources, The Zone, Freedom Church, and Next Step Ministries.

The initiative which was made possible by the generous support from the Cobb County Community Development Block Grant created employment opportunities for people with disabilities that Tommy Nobis Center serves.

“We are thankful for Cobb County CDBG’s investment in our local community,” says Dave Ward, President and CEO of Tommy Nobis Center. “This project put people to work while helping Cobb County’s most vulnerable stay safe.”

Town Center at Cobb to hold American Red Cross blood drive

June 6, 2021 2:04 PMJune 6, 2021 11:00 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: East Cobb orthdontist blood drive

Supporting the highest blood donor shortage since COVID-19 hit, Town Center at Cobb will hold an American Red Cross blood drive from Weds, June 9-Thurs, June 10 from 12-5 p.m.

Blood donations provide patients with necessary, life-saving treatment. According to the American Red Cross:

Someone needs blood every two seconds in the U.S.

One in seven hospital patients need blood

Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives

Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed in the U.S. every day

Approximately 38% of red blood cells are needed in the U.S. every day

The American Red Cross supplies approximately 40% of the nation’s blood supply

WHERE: Town Center at Cobb – Upper Level JCPenney Wing
400 Ernest Barrett Pkwy
Kennesaw, GA 30144

WHEN: Weds, June 9-Thurs, June 10
12-5 p.m.

HOW: Visit redcrossblood.org using sponsor code ‘tcac’ to schedule an appointment in advance. Donors receive a free gift while supplies last. Appointments are recommended but are not required.

The Red Cross is following FBA blood donation eligibility guidance for potential donors who have received a COVID-19 vaccination. To determine eligibility, donors that have received a vaccine should know the name of the manufacturer. To learn more, please visit redcrossblood.org.

For more information on these events, visit bit.ly/tcc-blood-drive.

Cobb COVID cases continue fall below ‘high community spread’

June 5, 2021 3:04 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID community spread — *Source: Cobb GIS. For more Cobb COVID graphics and data, **click here**.*

In recent weeks the community spread of COVID-19 in Cobb County has dropped well below a key barometer.

What public health officials call “high community spread” is a 14-day average of 100 confirmed cases per 100,000 people.

Cobb figures haven’t been below that threshold since late last summer, but as case rates plummet that line was crossed in mid-May (as indicated in dotted yellow line above). The Cobb GIS office compiled that data, and you can see more by clicking here.

At the end of last month, that number was 52. As of Friday, the 14-day average in Cobb was 39, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, which posts a daily status report.

Similar trends are taking place across Georgia and the United States, as mask mandates and other restrictions are being lifted.

The drop in case rates from the start of the year was just as precipitous as its climb at the start of winter. The 14-day high of 980 was on Jan. 3, right as vaccines were being rolled out.

By the start of February, the 14-day average had dropped nearly in half, and by a similar rate by the end of the month, when that metric was 264.

Earlier this week, the Cobb County School District announced that masks will be optional for students and staff for summer school and the 2021-22 school year.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, there have been more than 61,000 confirmed cases in Cobb County, and 994 confirmed deaths, according to Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

In Georgia, there have been 897,240 cases during that time, and 18,144 deaths. Cobb’s death total is the third-highest in the state, behind Fulton (1,324) and Gwinnett (1,108).

The Cobb GIS update includes COVID-related hospitalization figures that also have fallen dramatically in recent months, from 1,139 in December to under 200 each in the months of March, April and May.

Vaccination rates in Cobb and Georgia continue to lag other states, but have been climbing steadily.

According to the Georgia DPH vaccination dashboard, 37 percent of Cobb citizens (275,884) are “fully vaccinated,” or have been given both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Another 326,617 Cobb residents have received the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, representing 43 percent of the county population.

Across the state 41 percent of Georgians have received at least one dose and 34 percent are considered fully vaccinated.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, is scheduled to provide her latest COVID-19 briefing to the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

Gritters Library to hold free vision screenings for children

June 5, 2021 2:21 PMJune 5, 2021 12:15 PM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Vision To Learn mobile clinic will visit Gritters Library, 880 Shaw Park Road, on June 14, June 15, and June 16. Clinic hours are 9:30 am – 3:30 pm.

Vision To Learn is a national nonprofit that provides free vision screenings, eye exams and free glasses for children in need. The 2021 summer break clinic visits will operate under health and safety protocols of Vision To Learn and Cobb County. Registration is required and space is limited.

For the VTL at Gritters registration forms, visit www.cobbcounty.org/library/news/vision-learn-back-register-now-free-eye-exams-and-glasses-space-limited.

The generosity of Vision To Learn and VTL supporters has resulted in more than 900 eye exams in Cobb County with over 600 children receiving free glasses. Vision To Learn has provided mobile clinic visits at Cobb libraries since mid-2018.

The VTL events at Cobb Libraries’ are part of collaboration with Learn4Life, Metro Atlanta Regional Education Partnership to make our region a more equitable and prosperous community.

For information on Gritters Library programs, visit cobbcounty.org/library or call 770-528-2524.

Cobb schools to continue summer meal kit distribution service

June 5, 2021 2:15 PMJune 5, 2021 9:14 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

School may be out for the summer, but Cobb Schools will continue to dish out food for students through July 21. Just as they did during the school year, Cobb’s Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) team will provide meal kits for students at no charge, thanks to waivers from the USDA.

Families will be able to pick up the meal kits for children ages 0-18 on Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. at one of six school locations. Check here on pick-up day to verify the location and time and make sure your location is still available.

Cobb Schools Summer Meal Kit Pick Up Locations, which are subject to change:

Clarkdale Elementary School

Clay Harmony Leland Elementary School

Daniell Middle School

King Springs Elementary School

North Cobb High School

Smitha Middle School

Meal kits will include food for breakfast and lunch to help fuel student success on the go. When families arrive at one of the six designated school locations, they will tell the Cobb Schools FNS team member how many meal kits are needed, and the team member will place the meal kits in the trunk or backseat of the car. The FNS team is proud to offer meal kits with items that can be reheated at home. Reheating instructions and a menu will be provided in meal kits for appropriate consumption of meals.

Summer Meal Kit Reminders:

Meal Kits are available at no charge to all children ages 0-18.

Children do not need to be enrolled in the Cobb County School District, Summer School, or Summer Learning Quest to receive Meal Kits at no charge.

Check back here on pickup day to ensure your location is still available as a pickup location.

The last day of the Cobb Schools Summer Meal Kits pickups will be July 21st.

Families may pick up meal kits for children at one location.

Children do not need to be present in the car.

For students that are enrolled in Summer School:

Meals will be provided on-site at no charge.

Additional drink and snack items will be available for purchase in school cafés.

Families with additional questions can email Meals@cobbk12.org or call the Cobb Schools FNS team at 770-426-3380.

East Cobb food scores: Cazadores; Laredo’s; Menchies; more

June 4, 2021 2:21 PM by Wendy Parker

Cazadores, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores for the week of May 31 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Arby’s
4367 Roswell Road
June 1, 2021 Score: 91, Grade: A

Cazadores Mexican Restaurant
3165 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite D-2
June 3, 2021 Score: 81, Grade: B

Laredo’s Mexican Bar & Grill
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 400
June 2, 2021 Score: 97, Grade: A

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
4475 Roswell Road, Suite 205
June 2, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Wellstar Kennestone Hospital verified as Level II trauma center

June 4, 2021 2:33 PMJune 4, 2021 9:30 AM by Wendy Parker

Wellstar Kennestone Emergency Department

Submitted information:

Wellstar Health System, one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia with the largest trauma network in the state, announced that Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Trauma Center has been verified as one of only four Georgia Level II Trauma Centers by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the Trauma Center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients. Building on Wellstar’s commitment to healthcare excellence, the System was named a top-five finalist for the American Hospital Association’s 2021 Quest for Quality Prize and had 130 physicians – representing almost 26% of the total list – named as Georgia Trend “Top Doctors.”

Wellstar operates the largest trauma network in Georgia, with Wellstar Kennestone’s new state-of-the-art Emergency Department, which opened in July 2020, being one of the largest and busiest in the nation. Wellstar Kennestone provides comprehensive trauma care, with 24/7 access to on-site trauma, critical care trained surgeons, and a wide range of surgical subspecialties to consistently meet the needs of the most seriously injured patients following the highest care, quality and safety standards.

Established by the ACS in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’s (COT) Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers. Participants provide the hospital resources and level of care necessary to address the needs of all injured patients across the entire trauma continuum of care. Trauma center verification provides a structure for trauma care that can raise the overall level of performance throughout a hospital. This prestigious verification recognizes the Wellstar Kennestone Trauma Center’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care for injured patients, spanning community outreach and injury prevention efforts, emergency trauma, operative care, critical care, and rehabilitation.

“Receiving this verification further validates the exceptional life-saving care we provide at Wellstar Kennestone for patients who have suffered from all ranges of traumatic injury,” said Mary Chatman, Wellstar Health System executive vice president and president of Wellstar Kennestone and Windy Hill Hospitals. “We are so proud of the Trauma Center team’s commitment to ensuring that all patients get the appropriate care in a timely and coordinated manner because our communities rely on Wellstar to provide the very best care for every person, every time.”

Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability between ages 0-44, and the fourth leading cause of death overall. According to the Georgia Trauma Foundation, nine main causes account for 92.1% of trauma in Georgia. The leading causes of major trauma are motor vehicle crashes (37.7%); falls (22.2%); gunshot wounds (8.0%); motorcycle crashes (5.4%); pedestrian incidents (5.2%); assaults (4.3%); accidents (4.0%); stab wounds (2.9%) and all-terrain vehicle crashes (2.4%).

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 author’s latest detective mystery novel publishes

June 3, 2021 3:21 PMJune 3, 2021 1:08 PM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: Lance Lo Russo

“Hijacking Justice,” the latest in Lance J. LoRusso’s Blue Mystery series featuring Detective Johnny Till is being released on Friday, June 3, 2021, to subscribers of the Lance LoRusso Books Newsletter. Each week, a new chapter of this police thriller will be released. With a plot similar to today’s headlines, LoRusso draws upon his extensive experience representing over 100 law enforcement officers involved in shootings, in this serial novel portraying a fictionalized world where the fair treatment of our front-line heroes is often sacrificed to feed power hungry politicians and a criminal machine. In this eight-episode story, Detective Johnny Till finds himself thrown in jail and charged with triple murder after being ambushed while visiting Ingram County on the Georgia Coast to help put away a serial rapist. Fans and readers of police mysteries can go to lancelorussobooks.com to sign up for the LoRusso Books Newsletter and read the thrilling chapters of Hijacking Justice as they are released weekly. Regardless of when a person signs up, they will get all the chapters in the order in which they were released. Hijacking Justice is a great easy read for the summer. Readers can also make a donation to the Cobb County Public Safety Foundation that directly benefits and supports our first responders on the frontlines.

“I am very excited and proud to release Hijacking Justice and continue the story of Johnny Till” said author Lance J. LoRusso. “For fans of Hunting of Men, they will love the continuing saga of Johnny and for new readers it will be a captivating read and introduction to the world of the Blue Mystery series. But more importantly, it shows what our brave men and women in blue confront in today’s polarized world.”

In Hunting of Men the first book featuring Johnny Till, LoRusso draws upon his diverse law enforcement background that saw him work the street, serve as a trainer, hostage negotiator, and an investigator. The book launches the career of central character, Johnny Till who will be the key character in all the Blue Mystery books. The book’s title, Hunting of Men, is drawn from Ernest Hemingway’s quote, “There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.” The mystery in Hunting of Men focuses upon a cold case murder.

Johnny Till is a force to be reckoned with as a new homicide detective for the Lawler County Police Department. As tradition demands, on his first day on the job, Till pulls a cold case file to investigate. The file in question is one that has haunted the department and community for years: the cold-blooded murder of Officer Michael Dunlap, gunned down in the black of night some twenty years earlier.

Now, in order to solve the murder and heal the victims left behind, Till must reopen old wounds and retrace the final days of Dunlap’s life. The journey will lead him down a rabbit hole to a darker, more sinister conspiracy, one that threatens to steal the lives of children around the world. In order to close this cold case, Till must not only come into his new role as a homicide detective, but face his own fears to truly become a hunter of men.

LoRusso is a lawyer and former police officer who serves as the general counsel to the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police and Cobb County’s Lodge 13 of FOP. He also the founder of the Cobb Public Safety Foundation, which advocates on behalf of the county’s law enforcement and first responder personnel and their families.

Golden K Kiwanis honors 2021 Silver Pen Award winners

June 3, 2021 2:35 PMJune 3, 2021 9:30 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information and photo:

May of 2021 was the month to honor fourth graders from three elementary schools in Cobb County. Talented fourth grade students from Rocky Mount, Acworth, and Tritt Elementary Schools received the now prestigious Silver Pen Award.

The Silver Pen Awards, now statewide programs, were presented by Jim Perry, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K and Co-Chair of the Silver Pen program as the officers of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K were in attendance for the presentations.

As explained by Jim Perry, “Over 25 years ago, Jack Boone started what was called ‘The Silver Pen Award for fourth graders and all the elementary schools could participate. We gave the kids either a story or an essay question to write about. Each classroom had a winner, and the winning entries were sent to the administration. The administration would then forward them to the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K, where a panel of judges, including educators, made the final selection for the school-wide winner.” Each Silver Pen Award winner received a bag containing: a Silver Pen, a roll of 25 one dollar golden coins, and a special engraved plaque that reads: Silver Pen Writing Award presented by The Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K.

This year’s Silver Pen writing winners are: Aubrey Smothers from Acworth Elementary School, Anna Raciborski from Rocky Mount Elementary School, and Adriana Fernandez from Tritt Elementary School.

Each school as well as parents are very proud of this year’s Silver Pen Award winners, since many exceptional entries were submitted and competition was tough!

Congratulations to all the winners and everyone sincerely hopes that the winning students will continue on with their writing skills.

East Cobb veterinarian, homeless pet advocate dies suddenly

June 2, 2021 2:02 PM by Wendy Parker

Dr. Michael Good

The Homeless Pets Foundation, a Marietta-based non-profit, announced that its founder, veterinarian Michael Good, died Friday after a heart attack.

For more than 40 years, he was the owner of the Town and Country Veterinary Clinic on Gresham Road, and used his clinic to provide temporary shelter for animals without homes and to serve as a hub for other pet advocacy work.

The foundation “was founded to provide a solution to the endless homeless pets population by educating our next generation, providing communities, and businesses a means to get involved and tell their stories,” said a post on the Homeless Pets Foundation Facebook page. “He was our visionary and the voice of the voiceless. Dr. Good seemed invincible to all who knew him and our hearts will forever be filled with adoration.”

He was involved in a variety of fundraisers to pay for the organization’s work. East Cobb realtor Janice Overbeck, who has held Homeless Pet Foundation vaccination clinics at her office on Sewell Mill Road, said in a statement that “his loss leaves a hole in the heart of our community, where he served so many others in countless ways. Dr. Good had the biggest heart for animals of anyone you’ve ever met. It’s practically in his name.”

He founded the Homeless Pets Foundation in 1998 and extended his animal advocacy to include the Underhound Railroad, which claims to have rescued more than 20,000 dogs from kill shelters in the South and sent them for adoption in the Northeast and Canada.

In 2016, Good was fined by $90,000 by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency for not properly recording the inventory of drugs at his clinic. According to the AJC, Good said the incident was the result of a “witch hunt.”

In 2019, a non-profit with which Good was involved was investigated by the Georgia Veterinary Medicine Board for allegations that orthopedic surgeons trained to operate on humans were performing unlicensed operations on homeless animals.

The board found no violations on Good’s part, and while the non-profit was shut down, Good defended the work of Surgeons for Strays.

Many of the comments on the Homeless Pets Foundation Facebook page thanked Good for his generosity toward their pets. One woman called him an “earth angel for everything he did for our fur friends” while another remembered that he “also personally kept our other cat alive when another vet all but wrote him off. My girl greeted him in heaven for sure because of his organization, she was saved from a kill shelter before we adopted her.”

The Homeless Pets Foundation said a celebration of life service will take place for Good from 2-3 p.m. Sunday at First Baptist Church in Marietta (148 Church St.), preceded by a visitation from 12:30 to 1:15 p.m.

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!

12 more East Cobb students earn National Merit Scholarships

June 2, 2021 1:29 PMJune 2, 2021 9:10 AM by Wendy Parker

The following students from East Cobb high schools have been named recipients of National Merit Scholarships that are financed by the colleges and universities of their choice.

Criteria for the scholarships is explained by the NMSC:

To compete for Merit Scholarship awards, Semifinalists first had to advance to the Finalist level of the competition by fulfilling additional requirements. Each Semifinalist was asked to submit a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, and be endorsed and recommended by a high school official. From the Semifinalist group, some 16,000 met requirements for Finalist standing, and about half of the Finalists will be Merit Scholarship winners in 2021.

The recipients listed below include their high schools, college destinations and likely career fields indicated on their scholarship applications:

Sai Anoop Avunuri, Walton, University of Georgia, computer science;
Eric Brewster, Walton, University of Florida, finance;
Caroline G. Brooks, Walton, University of Georgia, criminology;
Matthew L. House, Wheeler, University of Georgia, computer programming;
Caroline K. Hugh, Wheeler, University of Chicago, urban/city planning;
Anushka Jain, Wheeler, Emory University, quantitative analysis;
Alexander W. Krupp, Walton, Arizona State University, computer science;
Samuel A. Maloney, Wheeler, University of South Carolina, political science;
Allison D. Mawn, Sprayberry, University of Georgia, journalism;
Aniketh S. Tadepalli, Wheeler, University of Alabama-Birmingham, medicine;
Charles M. Yu, Wheeler, Purdue University, aerospace engineering;
Aidan C. Payne, Lassiter, University of Alabama, applied mathematics.

Masks optional in Cobb schools for summer, 2021-22 year

June 1, 2021 7:38 PMJune 1, 2021 6:08 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District on Monday updated its COVID-19 health guidelines to make face masks optional starting June 7.

That’s the start of the district’s summer schedule, and a release issued Monday afternoon said the masks-optional policy will continue for students and employees for the 2021-22 academic year, which begins Aug. 2.

“Any individual wishing to continue wearing a mask while attending school and/or school events should feel free to do so,” the district said.

The district’s decision came after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control on Monday announced new guidelines saying that fully vaccinated people could go without masks both indoors and outdoors.

On May 13 Cobb schools dropped the mask mandate for vaccinated staff and students for the last two weeks of the 2020-21 school year, and also did not specify any proof of vaccination procedures.

“Fully vaccinated” status applies to individuals two weeks after they receive the second dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, or two weeks after the sole dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

The Cobb school district opened the 2020-21 school year online-only until October, then imposed a mask mandate for all students and staff on campuses, as well as for extracurricular activities, including outdoor sporting events.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic was declared in March 2020, the Cobb school district has reported a total of 5,224 cases of the virus among students and staff.

The weekly figures have been dropping sharply since the first of the year. For the week of Jan. 15, that total was 470, the highest for any week in the district.

During that time, three Cobb school teachers and classroom staffers died, including a paraprofessional at Sedalia Park Elementary School on the day of a Cobb Board of Education meeting.

Public commenters urged the district to go back to online-only classes and some admonished Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and board members David Chastain and David Banks of East Cobb for not wearing masks at meetings.

But the district did not change its hybrid learning options.

By the first of March, the weekly case count figures had dropped roughly in half. By late April, they were under 100 a week, and in the final week of the school year in late May a low of 44 new cases was reported.

According to the Georgia Department of Public Health, one-third of all Georgians are considered fully vaccinated (7.368 million doses) against COVID-19.

In Cobb County, 35 percent are fully vaccinated (264K with second doses) and 42 percent haved received one dose (317K).

Some Cobb parents filed a lawsuit against the district for its mask mandate, saying it was negatively affecting the breathing of their children and was creating “separate but unequal” learning environments.

A federal judge in Atlanta rejected their request for a temporary restraining order for the rest of the 2020-21 school year, and last week the parents dropped the lawsuit after Ragsdale said he expected the coming school year to be masks-optional.

The district will offer virtual learning for students for the coming school year but has not indicated how many of them have chosen that option.

For the spring semester, nearly two-thirds of the district’s 107,000 students attended classes in person.

Planning Commission punts on Sprayberry Crossing rezoning

June 1, 2021 11:41 AM by Wendy Parker

After hearing the complicated Sprayberry Crossing rezoning case for the third month in a row, the Cobb Planning Commission decided on Tuesday to make no recommendation about whether rezoning should be approved or denied.

After hearing the latest site plan revisions and being briefed about last-minute meetings to create a signalized main entrance to the proposed mixed-use development on Sandy Plains Road, the three members of the planning board who were in attendance voted unanimously not to forward a recommendation to approve or deny.

Instead, the Cobb Board of Commissioners will be asked to make a final decision on June 15 with a number of issues pending, including traffic concerns that were the focal point of questions by planning commissioners.

While saying that “everyone ought to be commended for the great attention that’s been shown to this matter,” planning commissioner Deborah Dance said that “challenges remain.”

Yet “time is of the essence and there is a time for taking action,” she noted, in reference to comments by Kevin Moore, the attorney for the developer, Atlantic Reality Acquisitions LLC, that his client wants no further delays in rezoning decisions.

The redevelopment proposal for the blighted shopping center on Sandy Plains Road, between East Piedmont Road and Post Oak Tritt Road, has been underway for nearly two years by Atlantic Realty Acquisitions, LLC.

Atlantic Realty, an Atlanta-based apartment builder, has revised the site plan several times for more than a year.

In what went before the planning commission Tuesday, the developer would build a senior apartment building, townhomes and a retail grocery center on property that’s been the site of a run-down shopping center.

The latest Sprayberry Crossing site plan, filed last week, reduces the number of senior apartments to 132 and increases the number of townhomes to 102.

It was the latest attempt by the developer to alleviate community opposition to rental residential units, after Atlantic Realty dropped plans in April to build a market-rate apartment building.

“There could not be a greater candidate for redevelopment” than the Sprayberry Crossing property, Moore said, while acknowledging that his client’s proposal “does have some challenges.”

On Friday, the developer met with Brij Patel, owner of the Sprayberry Bottle Shop, which sits on an outparcel along Sandy Plains across from Kinjac Drive, where the main entrance would be located.

In order to align the traffic signal at Kinjac into Sprayberry Crossing, the developer is proposing to cut through what’s now the front parking lot of the liquor store and relocate parking to the other side of the building.

Moore and Shaun Adams, an attorney for the liquor store, said they’re confident they can continue discussions before county commissioners meet in two weeks.

Other traffic access challenges include Post Oak Tritt Road, and planning commissioner Fred Beloin fretted that Atlantic Realty hadn’t done much to address it.

“The applicant doesn’t want to spend any money to fix the problem on Post Oak Tritt,” he said, referencing a Cobb DOT recommendation to provide right-out-only access from Sprayberry Crossing.

While he said his preference would be to hold the case again, Beloin, serving in his first meeting as chairman, voted for Dance’s motion.

Planning commissioners Tony Waybright and Michael Hughes, appointed last week, were not in attendance.

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