Month: February 2023

Two men arrested for armed robberies at NE Cobb gas stations

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East Cobb man arrested gas station robberies
Cobb Police said $15,000 was stolen from a BP station on Canton Road in a Jan. 29 armed robbery.

Two men have been arrested for what Cobb Police said were two gas station armed robberies in the Northeast Cobb area in late January.

According to an arrest warrant, Shawn Jason Glover, 29, of Kennesaw, drove a getaway vehicle in both incidents, on Jan. 25 at a Shell Station on Ernest Barrett Parkway and on Jan. 29 at a BP station on Canton Road.

Glover was arrested Wednesday on two counts of armed robbery and two counts of aggravated assault and is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

His warrant states that at 7:23 a.m. on Jan. 25, Glover was behind the wheel of a black 2010 Hyundai Tucson with another passenger in the vehicle, Larry Daniels, 34, of Acworth, who went inside the convenience store at the Shell station at 465 Ernest Barrett Parkway.

Police said in the warrant that Daniels was wearing black clothing, a dark mask and black face paint when he approached a store employee, then aimed a handgun and demanded money.

According to police, Daniels received $4,860 in cash, then left with Glover as they drove away from the scene.

That process was repeated on Jan. 29 at 7:18 p.m. at the BP station at 3190 Canton Road, police said. Daniels left the Tucson with Glover behind the wheel, entered the convenience store with dark clothing and a dark mask, the warrant states, then threatened an employee with a gun and demanded money.

The warrant said Daniels left the store with $15,000 in cash and returned to the Tucson, with Glover driving them away.

Booking reports indicate that Daniels was arrested on Jan. 31 and he is being held without bond, also at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

He also was charged with two felony counts each of armed robbery and aggravated assault and is facing additional charges from last year, including theft by taking and identity theft fraud, according to jail records.

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East Cobb food scores: Kouzina Christos; Taqueria Tsunami; more

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Kouzina Christos, East Cobb food scores

The following food scores for the week of Feb. 13 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

American Deli
2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2194
February 17, 2023 Score: 88, Grade: B

Clubhouse ATL
2852 Delk Road, Suite 205
February 15, 2023 Score: 91, Grade: A

Cuban Diner
1484 Roswell Road
February 14, 2023 Score: 93, Grade: A

Kouzina Christos
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 22
February 15, 2023 Score: 86, Grade: B

Kumo Hibachi Sushi
2595 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 103
February 16, 2023 Score: 92, Grade: A

Mambo Italiano
2022 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 240
February 16, 2023 Score: 87, Grade: B

Sabores de Mexico
1951 Canton Road, Suite 330
February 13, 2023 Score: 86, Grade: B

Taqueria Tsunami
1275 Johnson Ferry Road
February 17, 2023 Score: 93, Grade: A

Wings & Things
2555 Delk Road, Suite A8
February 15, 2023 Score: 99, Grade: A

Zama Mexican Cuisine
2550 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 300
February 16, 2023 Score: 88, Grade: B

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Apartments, retail proposed at Powers Ferry Kroger site

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Apartments proposed Powers Ferry Kroger site
A rendering included in the zoning application for apartments on the current site of a Kroger on Powers Ferry Road.

As a new Kroger superstore is being built on the former site of Brumby Elementary School, plans are in the works to redevelop the current supermarket site nearby on Powers Ferry Road.

WC Acquisitions LLC has filed plans with the City of Marietta to build more than 300 apartments and 6,000 square feet of retail space on the current 4.8-acre site for Kroger (1122 Powers Ferry Road), which opened in 1982.

The developer’s attorney, noted Cobb zoning lawyer Garvis Sams, has applied seeking rezoning from community retail commercial to the mixed development category.

The application (you can read it here) is scheduled for its first hearing March 1 before the Marietta Planning Commission.

The apartment building would have 322 units and five stories, and in the application Sams said that the conceptual plan includes new landscaping and two courtyards.

He also said that a traffic study completed for the application “finds that traffic levels will at least remain constant once built, if not be improved. In this sense, the proposed development meets the purpose and intent of the parcel’s mixed-use zoning designation.”

The proposal said 65 percent of the apartments would be one-bedroom units, and 35 percent would have two bedrooms. The building also would have 7,000 square feet of residential amenities.

Sams wrote that the existing Kroger site is not a “redeemable retail location” due to its age and condition and that there are other supermarkets nearby, including a Publix across the street.

He said the area “is in need of a quality housing product offered at relatively affordable prices.”

Man charged Delk Powers-Ferry grocery kidnapping
Kroger opened in 1982 at Powers Ferry and Delk roads and will be relocating to Marketplace Terrell Mill.

Parking includes a proposed deck for the apartments with 485 spaces, and 27 spaces for retail.

“Adequate parking is provided for the retail component and therefore satisfies code requirements; however, parking for the residential component may be of concern,” application states.

That’s a ratio of 1.5 spaces per unit, when the Marietta city zoning code calls for one space per multi-family unit.

“The 485 spaces.  . . is slightly more generous. It can be said, therefore, that the amount of parking anticipated is within range of what code prescribes,” Sams wrote.

Kroger will be closing the 50,000-square-foot site once the new superstore opens at Marketplace Terrell Mill, a mixed-use development that also includes a large apartment building in unincorporated Cobb.

That project was described as transformational for the Powers Ferry corridor when Cobb commissioners approved rezoning in 2018.

The new Kroger store is expected to be completed in March and will comprise 90,000 square feet as well as a gas station.

The Marietta Planning Commission will meet March 1 at 6:30 p.m. to make a recommendation; final action is expected by the Marietta City Council on March 8.

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More from Barnes and Noble about The Avenue East Cobb store

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Barnes and Noble coming The Avenue East Cobb

Barnes and Noble issued its own release about the forthcoming store at The Avenue East Cobb after what North American Properties confirmed last month.

As we noted previously, the national book retailer will be occupying 15,0000 square feet of the former Bath Bed and Beyond store this summer, and the space will include a B & N Café similar to some of its nearby stores, including near Cumberland Mall.

Barnes and Noble CEO James Daunt said in a release Wednesday that this is Barnes and Noble’s first new store in Cobb in nearly 20 years, since opening at The Avenue West Cobb.

“Now that Barnes & Noble begins to grow again, opening new bookstores across the country, happily this omission is to be corrected,” Daunt said. “Our booksellers are very excited to be bringing such a large and beautiful new bookstore to the community.” 

Daunt was brought on to revive Barnes and Noble after turning around the famed Waterstone bookselling chain in his native Britain.

The Barnes and Noble release said the store at The Avenue East Cobb—the first in Georgia as part of a “smaller” size concept—is one of 30 the chain is planning to open across the country this year.

The revamped store concept allows for store managers to curate recommended books for local and regional tastes and to reflect the atmosphere of independent stores.

A specific opening time frame hasn’t been announced for the East Cobb store, but two social media sites have just been created, on Instagram and Twitter.

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Dickerson, Dodgen classroom additions on Cobb school board agenda

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Dickerson MS

The forthcoming classroom additions at Dickerson and Dodgen middle schools in East Cobb will get their first action Thursday when the Cobb Board of Education will be asked to set cost limits for both projects.

The Cobb County School District is recommending that the board set what’s called a “Guaranteed Maximum Price” for facility construction.

According to agenda items for Thursday’s meetings, the district is recommending a limit of $ 3.622 million for the Dickerson addition and $3.757 million for the Dodgen addition.

The recommended contractor for both is Carroll Daniell Construction Co. of Atlanta.

The estimated completion of the projects is July for Dodgen and November for Dickerson.

Specifics of the project were not included in Thursday’s agenda (you can read it here).

The projects will be presented for discussion at a work session at 1 p.m. and will be voted on at a 7 p.m. business meeting.

An executive session follows the work session.

The open meetings will be live-streamed on the Cobb County School District’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24. There will be in-person public comment sessions for both; information can be found by clicking here.

The Dickerson and Dodgen classroom additions will be funded from the Cobb-Ed V SPLOST collection, as is the ongoing rebuild of Eastvalley Elementary School and new athletic facilities at Walton High School.

In 2021 Cobb voters approved extending the school SPLOST. Collections began on Cobb-Ed SPLOST VI in 2022 and is funding the rebuild of Sprayberry High School and classroom additions at Kincaid, Mt. Bethel, Murdock, Sope Creek and Tritt elementary schools in East Cobb.

Also on Thursday’s agenda is a request for the Cobb school district to purchase 59 air-conditioned school buses for $8.256 million.

At the work session, the school board will hear a proof of concept presentation about teacher retention.

At the business meeting, the board will be asked to adopt a strategic plan for the first time since the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 2023-28 update, presented last month, outlines a set of nine skills for high school graduates to master, broken into three categories.

The board also could extend the contract of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale. It’s not listed on the agenda but the board’s executive session includes discussion of personnel matters.

Ragsdale current contract expires in February 2025 and the board can extend it annually for up to three years.

He was extended last February at a base salary of $350,000 but for the last two years, the board’s Democrats have voted against those extensions.

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Cobb commissioners approve American Rescue Plan Act spending

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Cobb commissioners on Tuesday approved spending more than $98 million in federal funds under the 2021 American Rescue Plan Act for 80 community-based projects and initiatives.Cobb ARPA spending approved

The broad categories for the funding include infrastructure, community health, economic development, public safety and non-government support services.

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said “these funds will be transformational” as she thanked county officials and Deloitte, the outside consultant hired to help the county strategize how to use the money.

“It’s not just what’s immediately before us with the impact of COVID, but we can look at the future and say ‘How can we set this county up for success?’ ”

Cobb was allocated more than $147 million in APRA funding, and with Tuesday’s votes, has only $11 million remaining.

County department heads organized subcommittees in each of the five categories to screen applications, determine eligibility, select participants and assign funding recommendations.

The process also included community and public feedback. More than 200 separate applications were made, by county government departments as well as non-profit agencies.

The requests included health-related efforts to mitigate against COVID-19 (including expanding court space for social-distancing purposes), food distribution, stormwater management upgrades, expanding WiFi at county facilities, workforce development, mental health and substance abuse programs, rental assistance, home repairs for the elderly and financially disadvantaged and equipment for first responders.

Here’s how the funding will be broken down:

Three of the five votes were unanimous votes by the commissioners. Commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb voted against the community health and housing funding, saying she opposed more rental and mortgage assistance beyond what Cobb had paid using CARES Act funds in 2021.

All of the projects that were approved had to meet federal ARPA guidelines, as well as guidelines approved by commissioners that they won’t cost the county recurring expenses when the programs expire.

The projects typically will last for two years, and deputy county manager Jimmy Gisi said at Tuesday’s meeting that the ARPA funding must all be spent by the end of 2026.

Cobb government has set up a special ARPA page with more information.

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Cobb approves design contract for Holly Springs Road project

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Holly Springs road traffic project
The intersection of Holly Springs Road and Post Oak Tritt Road.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday approved the hiring of a traffic engineering firm to start an improvement project in the Holly Springs Road corridor.

The board voted unanimously(5-0) to spend $166,100 for Southeastern Engineering, Inc. to conduct a traffic study, develop a plan concept and involve public feedback.

The funding comes from the 2022 Cobb SPLOST, as will the $3.3 million for the project, which will make improvements on Holly Springs between Old Canton Road and Sandy Plains Road.

A contract for construction would come to commissioners after the design is completed.

The Holly Springs project been prioritized as a “Tier 1” road project in the 2022 SPLOST, which was approved by voters in a 2020 referendum.

In 2021, Cobb DOT completed a nearly $1 million project to make improvements at the Holly Springs-Old Canton intersection, including the construction of pedestrian refuge islands, a guardrail, signage and striping at a three-way intersection.

The initial plans for the 2022 SPLOST project were to make improvements at the Holly Springs-Post Oak Tritt Road intersection.

But an agenda item for Tuesday’s meeting said SPLOST funds “will be used to make operational and safety improvements at intersections and corridors throughout the county.”

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Cobb DOT to hold Noonday Creek Trail extension open house

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Noonday Creek Trail Head

Submitted information:

Join Cobb County Department of Transportation on Tuesday, March 7, 2023 for a drop-in community open house to learn more about the Noonday Creek Trail Extension study. Stop by any time between 5:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. to learn about the project background and existing conditions within the study area. You will also have an opportunity to review and provide feedback on potential trail options that may be considered, as well as potential trail amenities and features.

When: Tuesday, March 7, 2023 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m.
Where: Bells Ferry Elementary School | 2600 Bells Ferry Road NE, Marietta, GA 30066

For more information click here.

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1 person dead, dozens displaced in East Cobb apartment fire

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East Cobb apartment fire, Hamptons at East Cobb
Police blocked off access to the Hamptons at East Cobb apartments, where a building caught fire Monday morning.

UPDATED, Tuesday 10:50 A.M.:

Cobb Police identified the victim as Thomas Alexander, 74, who was found dead in Apartment 226.

Officer Shenise Barner said Cobb Police is investigating the death and Cobb Fire is investigating the fire.

Anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons Detectives at 770-499-3945. Those wishing to remain anonymous should contact Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477) or visit www.stopcrimeATL.com regarding c

ORIGINAL STORY:

Cobb Fire officials said Monday that one person has died and dozens of others were displaced in an apartment fire off Roswell Road in East Cobb.

Ramses Rivas, the public information officer for Cobb Fire, said in a release that the victim was located inside a unit in the building that caught fire, and that 39 people have been displaced.

He said 29 units were damaged or destroyed, and that Cobb Fire is working with the American Red Cross to find housing assistance for those who lost their apartments.

Rivas said that crews were dispatched to the Hamptons at East Cobb (1523 Roswell Road) at 10:53 a.m., and arrived several minutes later to find the front of a three-story apartment building heavily engulfed by fire, with “flames through the roof.”

He said a total of 12 fire apparatus were on the scene and 50 firefighters responded, from the Cobb and Marietta fire departments.

Cobb Fire has not released the identity of the victim pending notification of next of kin.

The blaze was under control by mid-afternoon Monday, but police officers were preventing residents from driving beyond the gates at the entrance to the complex as vehicles were parked around the leasing office at the front.

Rivas said the cause of the fire has not been determined.

The Hamptons is located on Roswell Road at the intersection of Lower Roswell Road.

East Cobb apartment fire
Photo: Cobb Fire and Emergency Services

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East Cobb real estate sales, week of Jan. 23-27, 2023

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Lake Colony, East Cobb real estate sales
Lake Colony

The following deeds for residential East Cobb real estate sales were filed Jan. 23-27, 2023 with the Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office Real Estate Department.

The addresses include ZIP Codes; subdivision names and high school districts are in parenthesis:

Jan. 23

5027 Fitts Drive, 30075 (Bernham Woods, Lassiter): Kerri Groen to Sol Bitchatchi; $373,500

4602 North Landing Way, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): Linda Berg to Jonathan Adcock; $317,000

929 Millstone Drive, 30062 (Wellcrest Townhomes, Wheeler): Freeport Title & Guaranty Inc., trustee to Viviana Maduro and Gunter Sell; $270,500

3765 Fox Hills Drive, 30068 (Fox Hills, Wheeler): Michael Manning, executor to Julie Jenkins; $385,000

Jan. 24

939 Otter Way, 30068 (Lashley Farms, Walton): Opendoor Property C LLC to Maria Pulliam and Jose de Toledo; $495,000

615 Lyle Drive, 30067 (Meadow Brook, Wheeler): Joseph Dunn to Letecia Acevedo and Jose Gutierrez; $210,000

Jan. 25

3579 Brookhill Circle, 30062 (Woodbine, Lassiter): Caitlin Sabers to Shanteria Brown-Soloranzo; $435,000

Jan. 26

1130 Colony Circle, 30068 (Lake Colony, Walton): Steven and Jackie Pierce to Michael and Beverly Jiminez; $498,000

4837 Wigley Road, 30066 (Edgewood East, Lassiter): Toll Southeast LP Company Inc. to Himanshu Kapoor and Shweta Oberoi; $977,295

2732 Chestnut Ridge Way, 30062 (Chestnut Ridge, Pope): Open House Atlanta Realty & Investments to Alpha Wave Inc.; $495,000

3730 Creek Stone Way, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): Joan Orr to Wendy Mattison; $489,000

2255 Old Orchard Way, 30068 (Weatherstone, Wheeler): Robert Rowan to Michael Skordeles; $585,000

867 Countryside Court, 30068 (Timberlea Farms, Wheeler): David and Craig Abouchar, trustees to James and Kristina Hopkins; $517,500

Jan. 27

728 Blackwell Circle, 30066 (Sprayberry): Compliant Computer Systems LLC to Stacey Adams and Michaeline Dobyns; $415,000

3127 Hilltop Drive, 30066 (Overlook at Hilltop Drive, Sprayberry): Hilltop REI LLC to Luca Savoldelli and Konstantina Rizou; $691,041

4650 Ponte Vedra Drive, 30067 (The Columns at Atlanta Country Club, Walton): Jennifer Chapin to Kenneth Hayes and Shana Kennedy; $1.3 million

2542 Stockbridge Road, 30062 (Chimney Springs, Pope): Walter Derezinski to Bethany and Christopher Peterson; $590,000

272 Bristol Lane, 30066 (Bristol Mill, Sprayberry): Stephen Kuder to Susan Harris; $450,000

4117 Avid Park, 30062 (East Haven, Walton): Bishops TH LLC to Kathleen Doolittle and Gregory Stokes; $925,500

2785 Craig Court, 30062 (Olde Canton Chase, Pope): Beverly Seymour to Christine Lee and Joe Way; $1.2 milion

1525 Heath Lane, 30062 (Meadow Chase, Walton): Paul Wachter to Emma and Claire Holmes; $655,000

1313 Spindlewood Drive, 30062 (Spindlewood, Walton): Lawrence and Judy Harper to Nicholas Merizzi; $415,000

134 Weatherstone Parkway, 30068 (Weatherstone, Wheeler): Janet Parker to David Huseman; $455,000

2871 Dale Drive, 30068 (East Valley Estates, Wheeler): Hani Aboabdo to Travis Turner and Megan Faye; $575,000

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Rainy, winter weather in weekend forecast for East Cobb

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Rainy winter weather East Cobb forecast

Flashes of spring were abounding in East Cobb this week, including blooming trees above at the Sunrise at East Cobb senior care home on Johnson Ferry Road.

But the National Weather Service in Peachtree City said Friday that steady rain and colder temperatures could result in some winter weather issues Saturday and Sunday.

The NWS has issued a winter weather advisory for Cobb County and most of north and central Georgia through Sunday morning, as a storm system moves through Saturday night.

Temperatures in the advisory area overnight Saturday into Sunday morning are forecast to be in the mid- to upper 30s, and higher elevations in North Georgia could get a mix of rain, freezing rain and snow.

The NWS said that “any snow mixed with rain should not result in road or any other impacts” at elevations below 2,000 feet.

Cobb government said in a social media message late Friday afternoon that “just in case, Cobb DOT crews will be ready to respond if the roads get slippery.”

Rain begins Friday night and continues in the morning and afternoon on Saturday, with highs in the low 50s.

The low expected in the Cobb area Saturday night is in the mid 30s, with an 80 percent chance of rain/snow Sunday morning.

Highs Sunday are forecast in the mid 40s, dipping to near freezing Sunday night as the weather conditions dry out.

Monday will be sunny and warmer, with highs around 60, and getting warmer in the week, although there is rain in the forecast as well.

Next weekend is expected to be sunny and nearing 60 degrees next Sunday.

 

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Cobb commissioners to consider $98M in ARPA spending requests

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Cobb Republican commissioners contest meeting minutes

Spending requests of more than $98 million from the American Rescue Plan Act will be presented to the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

Cobb County government was allocated $147 million from the federal government in ARPA funding, and last November commissioners unanimously approved using $20 million of that total to raise salaries, improve retention and fill vacancies in public safety agencies.

At Tuesday’s meeting, they will hear details of spending proposals pertaining to infrastructure, community health, economic development, public safety and support service needs stemming from the COVID-19 response.

Last year commissioners voted on the five priority areas. The following totals have been proposed per category, with an overview and project-by-project specifics, with the projects lasting two years:

The requests, formulated by county department heads, are comprehensive and wide-ranging, including health-related efforts to mitigate against COVID-19 (including expanding court space for social-distancing purposes), food distribution, stormwater management upgrades, expanding WiFi at county facilities, workforce development, home repairs for the elderly and financially disadvantaged and equipment for first responders.

They were put together after months of meetings with county government and non-profit service providers and other community “stakeholders,” according to the agenda items. 

Each project is broken down according to several factors, including whether it aligns with the ARPA funding categories. The evaluation considerations for each included “equity,” geographic location, projected impact and “financial continuity,” with the proviso that projects won’t cost the county money beyond the limits of the ARPA funding.

Each priority area will be considered individually at Tuesday’s meeting.

The biggest single request is $7 million to construct the South Cobb Public Health Center, which Cobb and Douglas Public Health said in agenda item “will address many of the public health gaps that exist due to the pandemic and other historical circumstances.” 

Another $5.8 million is being proposed for the Healthy County Building Initiative, which will target HVAC upgrades for “select” county facilities based on indoor air quality and COVID mitigation measures. 

A total of $4.9 million would be granted to SelectCobb, the economic development arm of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, and Cobb Works, the Cobb Collaborative and other agencies to assist “child care learning centers and family child care learning homes with their current workforce challenges.”

An estimated $4.5 million would be distributed in grants to the early childhood education and day care industry “to help offset the cost of retaining and recruiting workers in this difficult labor market for a specific segment of the economy that has a profound impact on families.” 

Another $4 million would be earmarked for Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta to build 14 single-family “affordable homes” for citizens with incomes at or below 65 percent of the area median income.

The estimated cost of each home would be $362,725.00 each, and the agenda items states it would be “helping to close the racial wealth gap by creating equity for homeowners.”

Also requested under economic development is $3.96 million for the “Cobb County Business Boot Camp,” which would provide training and assistance for minority business owners.

The commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), and the full agenda can be found by clicking here.

There are two public comment periods, one at the beginning and the other near the end, with a maximum of six speakers each who are limited to speak for five minutes.

You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.

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East Cobb resident vying to be Atlanta Braves PA announcer

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East Cobb resident Braves PA announcer
Mark Aston is the public-address voice at Walton High School basketball, football and lacrosse home games. (Andrew Pollock, apPhotoMarietta, LLC)

An all-around sports dad some Walton High School athletes call “VOMA” is in contention for the big leagues.

Major League Baseball’s Atlanta Braves, to be specific.

East Cobb resident Mark Aston has done sports-related and other professional voice over-work for more than 30 years, including for his alma mater, Auburn University.

In recent years, he’s been the public address announcer for Walton football and lacrosse games, and this season added basketball duties to his already-busy schedule.

Aston does voice acting projects for Auburn athletics and other business clients from his home studio, in addition to his full-time work in medical sales.

“I’m a parent volunteer,” Aston said. “I just happen to be the parent volunteer they hear at the games.”

Come April 6, Aston could be sitting behind the mic at Truist Park as the public address announcer as the Braves play their home opener for the 2023 season.

After more than 130 people sent audition videos and several hundred more did auditions at the Braves’ FanFest last month, he’s been named one of 12 finalists for the job.

They’re in the running to succeed Casey Motter, the Braves’ PA man since 2006, and who died last June.

Aston said East Cobb resident Larry Haber, who’s also involved in youth sports in the Walton area, mentioned the opening to him.

A Braves spokeswoman told East Cobb News that the top three finalists will be announced between Feb. 17-20, and that fans will be invited to vote for their favorite.

Aston said he hasn’t been told anything since the audition. It’s a part-time job, like the rest of his voice-over work, and would consist of informing and entertaining fans at 81 home games and any post-season events at Truist Park.

East Cobb resident Atlanta Braves PA announcer
Mark Aston at his Atlanta Braves audition on Feb. 3. A snippet is shown on the video below, around the 10-minute mark.

“I used to pretend I was a Braves announcer,” Aston said, referencing Marshall Mann, who was the Braves’ PA announcer fro 1967 to 1996.

“I’ll go as big as the Braves want me to go. You’re there to enhance the Braves’ experience. It’s not about you.”

A native of Columbus, Ga., Aston finished second in the state high school shot put competition to a future University of Georgia football star named Herschel Walker.

He then attended Auburn on a football scholarship in the early 1980s, and was a teammate of another Heisman Trophy winning running back, Bo Jackson.

Aston said he played enough to keep his scholarship and earned a degree in business administration and finance.

He started his public address work right out of college, with World Championship Wrestling and the National Wrestling Association, and moved to Los Angeles in the late 1990s as a voice-over actor for the William Morris Agency and the Solid Talent Agency.

He also was a venue announcer at the Rose Bowl and UCLA’s Pauley Pavilion basketball arena.

His work with Auburn commenced in 2016, after he moved his family to East Cobb. He does podcast and highlight program intros and narrates videos and other productions for a number of college clients, including Georgia Southern University athletics.

But he said some of his proudest moments in sports involve his sons. Andrew is a Walton junior and the football team’s long snapper and also plays lacrosse.

Taylor Aston, now a student at Auburn, played on Walton’s state championship lacrosse team in 2019, and his father got to call the home games in the state tournament.

The finals were played on a neutral field, at Kennesaw State University. “VOMA,” which the kids meant as “The Voice of Mark Aston,” was a very happy onlooker.

His son scored two goals and an assist as Walton won 8-7 in sudden-death overtime against Lambert on a goal from Tate Harran.

“I was literally crying,” he said. “What a moment. When he scored that goal, that was so special.”

Aston said his enthusiasm for sports is about more than winning and losing. The lessons he learned from his Auburn coach, Pat Dye, and others, are about developing character, sportsmanship and team work.

The best things that adults can do for their children through sports, Aston said, “is to model the kind of behavior they want their kids to follow.”

East Cobb resident Atlanta Braves PA announcer
Mark Aston after his audition at Truist Park, where the Braves play their 2023 home opener on April 6. From his Voice of Mark Aston Instagram page.

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The Avenue East Cobb announces new restaurants, shops

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The Avenue East Cobb jewel box
New renderings of The Avenue East Cobb’s dining space in the forthcoming “jewel boxes.”

Two new restaurants are coming to The Avenue East Cobb as part of a series of new lease signings as the retail center continues redevelopment.

North American Properties announced Thursday that Press Waffle Co., an eatery chain featuring Belgian Liége waffles, will occupy space this fall in one of two new “jewel box” buildings featuring restaurants and retail shops.

The Press Waffle Co., which began as a food truck venture in St. Louis in 2016 and vaulted into famed via the television show “Shark Tank,” has seven locations in Missouri, Arkansas, Texas and Colorado.

The 1,200-square-foot space will be located near Sephora, according to an NAP release.

The East Cobb franchisees will be Keith and Niki Ginel, a married couple who “envision a French café ambience for customers to soak up while indulging in a selection of savory and sweet dishes like The House, a bestseller featuring strawberries, cookie butter, Nutella, and a house made whipped cream atop a golden Liége waffle,” NAP said (menu items here).

The Avenue East Cobb live music stage
The live music area of the forthcoming public plaza at The Avenue East Cobb.

The other restaurant is Peach State Pizza, which is debuting at The Avenue under the brother partnership of David and Michael Cohen, occupying the former space of Stockyard Burgers and Bones.

The Cohens are pizza industry veterans, and the new concept focuses on “Southern-style pizza with an emphasis on fresh, local ingredients,” NAP said.

The menu will include appetizers, salads, sandwiches, and desserts, as well as locally brewed beer, domestics and specialty cocktails.

The space will include 3,650 square feet with décor “reflect[ing] the warmth of a Southern farmhouse and the relaxation of a front porch swing, punctuated by vintage photos, signs and artwork of classic Georgia landmarks.

Peach State Pizza will have two outdoor patios that will have events such as cornhole competitions and live music.

Construction is set to begin in the spring and is expected to open in the late summer, NAP said.

Lauren Ness, a spokeswoman for NAP, told East Cobb News that the New York Butcher Shoppe (previous ECN post here) is opening on Saturday, next to the J. Jill store.

To mark the opening, the store is also launching a “Name the Steer” contest through Feb. 28, with the winner receiving two Angus steaks.

On the retail front, in addition to the Barnes and Noble opening we posted recently, The Avenue also will be welcoming Faced The Facial Studio, an Atlanta-base skincare studio with locations in Buckhead, Morningside and Westside. The 2,100-square-foot space will be next to Warby Parker.

And Evereve, a women’s fashion retailer, will be opening later this year in its third Georgia location.

The Avenue East Cobb public plaza rendering
An aerial public rendering of the public plaza, which is in the early construction changes.

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East Cobb food scores: Fire Stone; Tijuana Joe’s; Mod Pizza; more

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Fire Stone Chinese open East Cobb early 2023

The following food scores for the week of Feb. 6 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Alumni Cookie Dough
1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 118
February 9, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

Capozzi’s Restaurant
4285 Roswell Road
February 9, 2023 Score: 90, Grade: A

Dunkin Donuts/Baskin Robbins
2765 Sandy Plains Road
February 8, 2023 Score: 95, Grade: A

Fire Stone Chinese Cuisine
1401 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 128
February 8, 2023 Score: 100, Grade A

Hibachi & BBQ
2856 Delk Road, Suite 305
February 6, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

Indo Fusion
279 Powers Ferry Road, Suite F
February 8, 2023 Score: 91, Grade: A

Minas Emporium
2555 Delk Road, Suite B4
February 6, 2023 Score: 85, Grade: B

Mod Pizza
3460 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 250
February 8, 2023 Score: 86, Grade: B

Ruby Tuesday
2435 Delk Road
February 7, 2023 Score: 92, Grade: A

Tijuana Joe’s Cantina
690 Johnson Ferry Road
February 9, 2023 Score: 97, Grade: A

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CenterStage North begins 2023 season with ‘Moon Over Buffalo’

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CenterStage North Moon Over Buffalo

The 2023 season of CenterStage North Theatre gets underway this weekend with the first performances of “Moon Over Buffalo.”

After COVID-related disruptions the last three years, a full season slate of four featured plays, plus Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” are being produced at The Art-Place Mountain View, the community theatre’s since 1985.

Shows of “Moon Over Buffalo” take place Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at The Art Place (3330 Sandy Plains Road) and continue next Wednesday-Saturday, also at 8 p.m.

Written by veteran Tony Award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, “Moon Over Buffalo” is a comedy about a husband and wife who are failed Broadway actors struggling in the repertory scene in Buffalo.

It’s set during the 1950s, and the Hays have to navigate complicated family matters while learning that film director Frank Capra is coming to see their matinees.

Tickets are $15-$27 and can be purchased by clicking here. CenterStage North is also selling season subscriptions for $110 per seat.

CenterStage North, an all-volunteer organization created in 1974 in Smyrna, will be producing “Til Beth Do Us Part” in May, “Fireflies” in August and “The Outsider,” a political comedy, in October.

More information about those and other performances can be found by clicking here.

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Atlanta Jewish Film Festival returns to Merchants Walk Cinema

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Israel Swings for Gold, Atlanta Jewish Film Festival Merchants Walk

The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival began Wednesday and continues through Feb. 21, and for the first time in several years the Merchants Walk Cinema in East Cobb is among the venues for screenings and other events.

Ten screenings will take place at Merchants Walk (1301 Johnson Ferry Road), including three on Thursday and another on Friday, as part of the 60-film AJFF, which began in 2000.

The others will take place on Saturday and Sunday, including “Israel Swings for Gold,” the story of the Israeli baseball team’s participation in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.

It will be the world premiere for the 75-minute film, which will be shown at 11 a.m. at Merchants Walk, and whose showing there and two other venues at the festival is being sponsored by the Atlanta Braves.

Since there was no media due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Israeli players shot their own videos that formed the core of the film, a sequel to a 2017 film chronicling Israel’s run in the World Baseball Classic.

Other films to be shown at Merchants Walk include “Hummus Full Trailer,” with a storyline described as a “zany gangster comedy caper” that features “a mix-up in Haifa links a cesspit of nutty Middle East sorts.”

In “Remember This,” actor David Straitharn plays a World War II hero Jan Karski, a Polish Catholic diplomat who warned about Nazi atrocities that fell on deaf ears.

The full schedule of screenings at Merchants Walk and other venues, as well as ticket purchases, can be found by clicking here.

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Richardson conducting ‘Priorities Tour’ during February

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Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson is holding meetings with citizens during the month of February as part of her annual “Priorities Tour.”Richardson priorities tour

As she has done in her first two years in office, Richardson is seeking feedback about issues in District 2 and Cobb County, ranging from economic development, transit, health, government finance, housing, the arts and more.

Other priorities included environmental justice and SMART communities, a concept built around technology- and data-driven innovations to guide urban transition for a range of public services.

The SMART communities tab for the 2022 priorities tab says it complements another priority, “Building a Better Cobb,” focused on infrastructure improvements, as well as enhancements to public safety.

The current priorities tour comes as Richardson and her Democratic colleagues on the Cobb Board of Commissioners are legally challenging reapportionment maps that would draw her out of District 2.

A lawsuit contesting the county on its claim of home rule powers is expected to be refiled soon by East Cobb resident Larry Savage, a former commission chairman candidate.

Richardson’s priorities tour is different from town halls that have open to the general public

“These tour stops are highly collaborative, and you and your organization or group will have the opportunity to offer changes in real-time during her presentation,” says a message included in Richardson’s e-mail newsletter this week.

“Please note these tours are private and virtual only, and may include anyone from your group. We ask for at least three people to join the call to ensure that it is as effective as possible.”

If you want to sign up for a tour stop, click here for more information.

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Simpson MS STEAMapalooza showcases variety of activities

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Simpson MS STEAMapalooza
Photos: Cobb County School District

In late January Simpson Middle School put on a STEAMApalooza event that attracted several hundred students and their families, as well as external organizations, in an exploration of science, technology, engineering, art, and math activities and demonstrations.

Activities ranged from the building of “squishy circuits” with playdough to a dominoes challenge, as well as speedcubing, virtual reality demos and a student-built robot.

The latter was done by Simpson students guided by students from the Wheeler High School robotics team, according to a release issued by the Cobb County School District.

Simpson principal Dr. LaEla Mitchell said in the release that “this opportunity to showcase what the students are learning and invite family members to join us in this experience is priceless. It was truly a community event—our PTSA, community partners, and feeder schools all showed up and showed out! I am grateful to my wonderful faculty and staff for making this fun night of learning one to remember!”

STEAMapalooza also featured a poetry wall, open mic night, hands-on art activities, and a Tesla demonstration. Guest speakers from the Georgia Institute of Technology Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, American Society of Microbiology, and Emory University covered topics such as rocks and minerals, corals and their survival, magical wonders of protein folding, and bacteria and cells.

Families also had the opportunity to learn about the science of baseball, check out the Bach to Rock demonstrations, try the Tangram Challenge, and more.

Other participants included the Sprayberry High School JROTC and Wheeler’s Society of Women Engineers.

Simpson MS STEAMapalooza

Simpson MS STEAMapalooza

Simpson MS STEAMapalooza

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Chick-Fil-A Lassiter closed two weeks for drive-thru upgrade

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Chick-Fil-A Lassiter drive-thru upgrade

A busy Chick-Fil-A location in East Cobb is closed this week and next for expansion of its drive-thru service.

Brian Baldwin, the operations manager for the Chick-Fil-A Lassiter (3046 Shallowford Road), said in a video release over the weekend that “we are committed to improving your drive-thru experience.”

He didn’t specify what the renovations would entail, but management reassured a customer that they wouldn’t be getting rid of the play area for kids.

The closest Chick-Fil-A in that area is across from Sprayberry High School at 2530 Sandy Plains Road.

Chick-Fil-A locations in the East Cobb area have expanded recently to include a double drive-thru at some locations, with one dedicated for customers who order ahead.

The Chick-Fil-A at Woodlawn Square on Johnson Ferry Road was closed for several months in 2018-19 due to significant renovations that included reconfiguring its drive-thru access.

Retail Planning Corp., which manages the retail center, has applied to expand to a double pick-up lane and needs county approval to relate a Delta Community Credit Union ATM in order to do that. That case goes before Cobb commissioners on Feb. 21.

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