Cobb Commission Chairwoman to hold State of the County address

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid will deliver the annual State of the County address next Thursday, May 4, at 7 p.m. at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 S. Marietta Parkway).Cobb transportation sales tax consultants

She will continue her theme of “ALL IN for Cobb,” during the address, introducing individuals “demonstrating integrity, inclusiveness, investment in others, innovation, and intelligent decision-making for the county,” according to an announcement for the event.

It will be preceded by a reception at the adjacent Cobb Civic Center from 6:15 —7 p.m.

The address is free and open to the public, you’re asked to RSVP by clicking here.

The event also will be shown via livestream on CobbTV and the county’s YouTube channel.

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Terrell Mill Tennis Center to hold free clinics in May

Terrell Mill Tennis Center

The Terrell Mill Tennis Center, located at Terrell Mill Park (480 Terrell Mill Road), is taking part in National Tennis Month events in May.

Cobb PARKS has scheduled a number of special activities across the county, including free clinics at the Terrell Mill Tennis Center.

The first is next Saturday, May 6, and its for kids ages 5-8. Kids Tennis in the Park will be broken into two age groups: ages 4-5 from 9-10 a.m. and ages 6-8 from 10-11 a.m.

There will be court games, raffles and refreshments and no experience is necessary. Registration is required and the deadline to sign up is May 4 by calling the Terrell Mill Tennis Center at 770-644-2771.

On May 18, the Terrell Mill Tennis Center’s Serve Fest takes place from 7—8:30 p.m and is open to all adults. The staff will conduct serving contests and challenges, and participants can enjoy refreshments, music and raffles.

Advance registration is required by calling 770-644-2771 by May 15, and space is limited.

Summer tennis and pickleball lessons at Terrell Mill Tennis Center and other county facilities is continuing, and you can browse through the schedule by clicking here.

To learn more about National Tennis Month, click here.

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Man sentenced to 15 years in stalking at Indian Hills home

A Dunwoody man has been given a 15-year sentence, with seven years to serve in prison, after pleading guilty this week to aggravated stalking and other charges stemming from an incident last May at a home in Indian Hills.Man sentenced stalking Indian Hills home

The Cobb District Attorney’s Office Friday said that Cobb Superior Court Judge Jason Marbut handed down the sentence to Anthony Merriwether, 66, after a negotiated plea on a number of felony counts.

Those included discharge of a gun near highway or street, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property in the first and second degrees, possession of cocaine, possession of firearm during commission of a felony, terroristic threats, criminal attempt to commit theft by extortion, and possession of firearm by a convicted felon.

Merriwether was to have gone on trial this week, according to Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office records.

Prosecutors said Merriwether was an ex-boyfriend of the victim’s deceased sister, and they had been in a dispute over the latter’s estate.

In a news release Friday, the DA’s office said that Cobb Police were called to the scene of a home on May 6, 2022, by a woman who reported an armed man in her front yard.

Prosecutors said that a window and interior walls of the home had been shattered by bullets, and that a man was shown on a Ring video camera driving to the home, stepping out of the car and making verbal threats for money.

According to an arrest warrant, the camera footage showed Merriwether pulling up in the driveway in a Porsche and he was in possession of two guns at the home on Indian Hills Parkway.

The victim was home at the time of the incident, the warrant said.

Merriwether had been given a portion of his former girlfriend’s estate, according to prosecutors, who said he believed he was entitled to the entire estate.

According to the release, Merriwether was arrested at a traffic stop on Johnson Ferry Road near Columns Drive shortly after the incident and was was found with two firearms and cocaine in his vehicle.

After his release, however, according to the DA’s office, Merriwether continued to contact the victim, despite a “no-contact” provision of his bond.

Another warrant taken out on Nov. 14 states that Merriwether used his deceased girlfriend’s e-mail address between Oct. 24 and Oct. 26 to send several messages “which contained threats of death, violence and intimidating statements” toward the same victim.

On Nov. 17, Merriwether was arrested on the aggravated stalking charge for violating bond conditions, and he has been detained ever since at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

He was denied bond in December after a probable cause hearing, according to Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s office records.

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East Cobb Weekend Events: Recycling; Taste of Marietta; Music in the Park

Loose Shoes Band, East Cobb Weekend Events
The Loose Shoes Band returns to East Cobb Park Sunday, but rain is in the forecast.

From our calendar listings are some weekend events that will bring the month of April (and some predicted last-dash showers) to a close:

Saturday is expected to be warm and sunny all day, perfect for disposing of unwanted items at the Pope Band Recycling Day. Come by the Northeast Cobb YMCA (3010 Johnson Ferry Road) between 9-2 with your items (list of what’s accepted and not); cost is $10 per vehicle and extra disposal fees may apply for some items.

More plant sales are continuing, this Saturday near the Marietta Square. The Root House Plant Sale offers vintage and native Georgia plants for sale from 9-1 at the William Root House Museum and Garden (80 N. Marietta Parkway).

Bring your appetites and wear some good walking shoes all day Sunday at the Marietta Square, the venue once again for the 28th Taste of Marietta. It bills itself as the largest food festival in metro Atlanta, and from 11-7 you can nosh and enjoy live music, entertainment, kids’ fun and more.

The East Cobb restaurants on hand will be Alumni Cookie Dough, Jacobs Java Cafe, Smokehouse Q and The Freakin’ Incan. (Some of them will also be at The Taste of East Cobb next Saturday, and which East Cobb News is thrilled be involved in as a gold sponsor.)

There’s rain in the forecast on Sunday, when Music in the Park returns to East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road) from 4-6 p.m. If the weather cooperates, you’ll hear the cover tunes of the Loose Shoes Band, with a playlist ranging from classic rock, blues, pop and Motown to country music. Bring some food and blankets/chairs to the concert stage and dance away the rain.

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East Cobb bookstores taking part in Independent Bookstore Day

Bookmiser

When we posted earlier this year about a Barnes and Noble store coming to The Avenue East Cobb, quite a few readers mentioned that the community has a number of smaller, mostly independent bookstores.

For the last 10 years, there’s been an Independent Bookstore Day across the country on the last Saturday in April, and this Saturday three East Cobb stores will be taking part.

It’s the culmination of Independent Bookstore Week, as stores offer special discounts, prizes and other incentives, designed to help the moms and pops of the book retailing world to counter the dominance of Amazon and national chains.

Bookmiser (3822 Roswell Road), the Book Exchange (3932 Canton Road, Suite 230) have and All Things Inspirational (2745 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 156) are among the 20+ stores participating in the Georgia Indie Bookshop Hop, which also has store prizes and a grand prize.

Participants can purchase items from as many bookstores as they choose and submit their receipts to be entered into prize drawings.

Bookmiser (marking its 25th anniversary this year) and the Book Exchange have been in the community for a while. All Things Inspiration is a newcomer, expanding from its original Mableton location to The Corners Shopping Center last fall, and specializes in Christian-oriented books, Bibles, study materials, greeting cards and gifts.

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Sprayberry HS soccer standout to attend U.S. Naval Academy

Sprayberry senior Kenneth Namango, U.S. Naval Academy

A reader saw our post last week about Lassiter High School senior Luke O’Malley being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy and alerted us to another East Cobb student who’s going to the same institution.

He’s Kenneth Namango of Sprayberry High School, where he played varsity soccer, served as team captain and was named the Georgia High School Association’s Region 7-6A player of the year.

He was recently named a Senior Elite at Sprayberry (video here), and was involved in many academic and extracurricular activities, including the Computer Science Club, Shop With a Yellow Jacket, PTSA Craft Show and the Black Student Union.

Namango also was selected as Prom King and with having the Best Smile and being part of the Best Couple in the senior class.

His soccer awards also include being named to the Region 7-6A Academic All-Region team. Kenny sent us the above photo and the information below about how he came to be offered a chance to continue his educational and athletic careers at the U.S. Naval Academy:

I had been recruited by the Naval Academy’s Men’s Soccer staff at an ECNL Orlando showcase just before my high school season. They became interested in my leadership and soccer skills that I was able to show as I am the Captain of NASA TopHat’s Boys 2005/2004 ECNL team. The staff and I were able to get in contact and they expressed their interest in me and invited me on a visit. I went to the campus in Annapolis and absolutely loved it. I got to wake up early, go to classes and watch soccer practice almost as if I was a student athlete there. They also gave me a tour around campus and a little walk through Annapolis.

The Naval Academy likes people who can balance being a leader, being involved in their community, and having good academics. At Sprayberry I became captain of the Varsity team since my freshman year, did over 100+ hours of community service within the last two years, worked at Mcdonald’s on Barrett Parkway and Wing City on Windy Hill, and was able to maintain a 4.3 GPA taking all honors and AP classes.

With the combination of my recruitment by the Naval Academy’s Men’s soccer staff and my resume, I received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Along with being on the soccer team I seek to study computer science and am interested in choosing to be a Cyber Warfare Engineer as my career following my studies at the academy.

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Let us know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, etc.

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Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.

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East Cobb PTA names 2023 Margie Hatfield scholarship winners

East Cobb PTA 2023 Margie Hatfield scholarship winners
From L-R: Dhanya Naik, Wheeler High School PTSA; Steven Brown, Walton PTSA; Mrs. Margie Hatfield; Kinsley Brennen, Pope High School PTSA; Shraya Patel, Lassiter High School PTSA; Amanda Tubbs, Kell High School PTSA. Not pictured: Sebastian Jean Francois, Sprayberry High School PTSA. (East Cobb Council PTA)

The East Cobb Council PTA named its 2023 recipients of the Margie Hatfield Scholarship on Thursday at its general meeting at Walton High School.

Hatfield is a former ECC PTA president, and nearly 200 such scholarships have been awarded in the organization’s signature awards program bearing her name.

A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to one student at each of the six high schools in the East Cobb area that “honors the dedication and years of service given by Mrs. Hatfield to the youth of our council. In recognition of her volunteer involvement, the ECCC PTA Margie Hatfield Scholarship Fund awards deserving seniors who have made significant contributions to the community.”

The scholarship requires not only academic success, but asks that students “take on leadership roles within the community and service-based programs during their high school years.”

The 2023 recipients were selected from 25 applicants:

  • Amanda Tubbs, Kell High School, who is bound for the University of Georgia with plans to major in interior design;
  • Shraya Patel, Lassiter High School, who plans to attend Georgia Tech, studying management information systems;
  • Kinsley Brennen, Pope High School, who’s been accepted to Mississippi State University to study elementary education;
  • Sebastian Jean Francois, Sprayberry High School, who will be pursuing a degree in computer science at Cornell University;
  • Steven Brown, Walton High School, who will enroll at the University of Alabama with an intended major in business;
  • Dhanya Naik, Wheeler High School, who will be going to Georgia Tech to study biomedical engineering.

The East Cobb Council PTA is a non-profit made up of 35 PTA organizations to enrich the education of students. The ECC PTA also conducts a Reflections Art Contest, organizes community activities and raises funds for academic programs at its member schools.

Its business partners include MissQuito, Cyclebar East Cobb, My Ideal College, School of Rock East Cobb, Peace Love & Pizza; Mathnasium, Cactus Car Wash and East Cobb Tutoring Center.

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NE Cobb zoning cases spark historic preservation efforts

NE Cobb rezoning historic preservation efforts
The McAfee House, which was a Union general’s headquarters during the Civil War, would give way to a car wash at the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway. (Cobb Landmarks)

Two homes built in the 1840s—a decade after the creation of Cobb County—have stood the test of time.

The Power-Jackson Cabin on Post Oak Tritt Road and the McAfee House at Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway have been the subject of considerable attention by historic preservation interests for a number of years.

But they stand on property being eyed by developers in areas of Northeast Cobb where there’s little undeveloped land remaining.

Two current rezoning cases will likely determine the fate of those historic buildings.

On Tuesday, the Cobb Planning Commission will hear for a second time a proposal to develop a subdivision on the Post Oak Tritt property after voting to hold it at their April hearing (case filings here).

In addition to community opposition for density and stormwater issues, the subject of the Power-Jackson Cabin is also a consideration.

It’s regarded as one of the last one-room cabins left in Cobb from that era, and is literally falling apart.

At the April Planning Commission hearing, an attorney for the applicant said the building is “uninhabitable” and urged for its relocation.

In a stipulation letter to the Cobb Zoning Office dated Monday (you can read it here), attorney Parks Huff said his client would provide Cobb Landmarks, a local historic preservation non-profit, access to the cabin “for research purposes” and to make it available for relocation or for preserving parts of the building.

In response to a message from East Cobb News, Cobb Landmarks executive director Trevor Beemon said his organization would like to relocate the Power-Jackson Cabin to Hyde Farm off Lower Roswell Road.

That’s where another 1840s-era cabin, the Power Cabin, has been preserved, and where another cabin in the Power family also sits.

A rezoning case on land where the McAfee House is located was to have been on Tuesday’s Planning Commission agenda.

It was the homestead of farmers Eliza and Robert McAfee, and was used as a Union Army general’s headquarters after the seizure of the Big Shanty during the Civil War. It also served as a field hospital after an 1864 engagement near what was called McAfee’s Crossroads.

Huff, also the attorney for that applicant, has asked for a delay to June (see case filings here).

His client is Tommy’s Express by Northgate, which wants to build a car wash on the two-acre site that’s across from Bells Ferry Elementary School and near a retail center with a Publix and a Barnes & Noble.

The Medford Family Limited Partnership, which owns the land, has wanted to sell for several years. Cobb Landmarks has been in talks since 2019 to find a way to relocate and preserve the land, but acknowledged that despite the designation of an historical marker (there’s also one at the Power-Jackson Cabin) “the house and land are not protected through local zoning or historic designation.”

Those discussions, with the landowner and potential developers, have not been successful, but Beemon said Thursday that efforts would continue “with the developer and a private individual to relocate the home to Marietta for restoration and use as a residence.”

Another East Cobb case that’s been delayed and that also won’t be heard Tuesday is a request to build a new standalone Starbucks at Paper Mill Village.

Garvis Sams, the applicant’s attorney, asked this week for another continuance, to July.

The Cobb Planning Commission hearing begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), you can view the full agenda and individual case files by clicking here.

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 Food Scores: China House; Shish Kabob Grill; more

China House, East Cobb food scores

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

China Great Wall
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 302
April 21, 2023 Score: 87, Grade: B

China House 
1050 E. Piedmont Road, Suite 142
April 21, 2023 Score: 94, Grade: A

Bells Ferry Elementary School
2600 Bells Ferry Road
April 26, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

J.J. Daniell Middle School
2950 Scott Drive
April 26, 2023 Score: 99, Grade: A

Rocky Mount Elementary School
2400 Rocky Mountain Road
April 26, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

Shish Kabob Mediterranean Grill
2060 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 280
April 25, 2023 Score: 80, Grade: B

Timber Ridge Elementary School
5000 Timber Ridge Road
April 26, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

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Walton, Wheeler students named National Merit Scholarship winners

Tianyue Xu of Walton High School and Angie Zhu of Wheeler High School are among the initial group of National Merit Scholarship recipients for the Class of 2023.East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation made the announcements Wednesday in the category of corporate-sponsored scholarships.

Those scholarships went to more than 800 seniors across the nation and are funded by corporations, many of them employing the parents of the students.

The specific scholarship amounts were not revealed, but they typically range between $1,000 and $10,000.

Xu, whose listed probable career field is law, is the recipient of a State Farm Companies Foundation scholarship.

Zhu, who has listed finance as a probable career field, received a National Merit Norfolk Southern Scholarship.

Several more scholarship winners will be announced through the rest of the spring. Here is the criteria, as per the National Merit Scholarship program:

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to Finalist standing. Each Semifinalist was asked to complete 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, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. From the Semifinalist group, over 15,000 met Finalist requirements.

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Taste of East Cobb finalizes 2023 restaurants, participants

Taste of East Cobb returns
The Woodlawn Square Chick-fil-A is a returning participant at the Taste of East Cobb.

Last month we posted about the 22 restaurants that will be featured at the Taste of East Cobb on May 6, and the festival organizers over the weekend rolled out the final lineup of other vendors, sponsors and participants.

The restaurants are the following:

  • 101 Bagel Cafe; Alumni Cookie Dough; Belen de la Cruz Empanadas & Pastries; Cafe Rivkah; Cajun Meat Company; Camps Kitchen and Bar; Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square; Clean Juice; Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar; Green Coyote Cantina; Jacobs Java Cafe; Kona Ice of Cherokee; McCray’s Tavern; Mediterranean Grill; New York Butcher Shoppe & Wine Bar; Righteous ‘Que; Schmoo.Pies; Seed Kitchen & Bar; Smallcakes; Sterling Estates East Cobb; Summit Coffee; Twisted Taco Express; Vanilla Café e Gelato

And here are the vendors—businesses and organizations providing information about what they do:

  • AAA The Auto Club Group; Altitude Trampoline Park; Apricot Lane Boutique; Blingle of Marietta; Chopt Creative Salad; Club Pilates Merchants Walk; Cobb County Department of Transportation; Cobb County Public Library; Cobb County Republican Party; Cobb County School District Transportation Dept.; Dermatology & Surgery Specialists of North Atlanta; Detail Tech – East Cobb; Discover Greater; East Cobb Tutoring Center: H.M. Patterson & Son Canton Hill Chapel; Homeless Pets Foundation; Kelly + Co; Langley Family Chiropractic; Life Transformed Christian Counseling; Misty Med Spa & Skin Rx; Mosquito Shield; Our Pal’s Place; PeakZen Yoga; Primerica; Providence Veterinary Clinic; Sold By Danielle; The Sunshine House; White Tiger Martial Arts

A variety of sponsors also will have booths at the festival, including East Cobb News—our first time doing this, and we’re really excited about it:

  • PLATINUM—Custom Disposal Service, Inc.; Johnson Ferry Baptist Church
  • GOLD—Atlanta Tent Rentals (no booth); Atlanta United FC: East Cobb City Lifestyle magazine; East Cobb News; East Cobber magazine; Harry Norman Realtors East Cobb Office; Hometown Indoor Billboard Network; Jason Esteves – State Senate; Lamar Advertising (no booth) Nia Pediatric Dentistry; Pigtails & Crewcuts: Haircuts for Kids (no booth)
  • SILVER—Atlanta Falcons; Bath Planet; Big Frog Custom T-Shirts of Marietta; Blue Penguin Car Wash Marietta; Cactus Car Wash Marietta; Camps Kitchen and Bar; Cobb County Democratic Committee; Credit Union of Georgia; Green Coyote Cantina; Plasker Family & Performance Chiropractic

The Taste of East Cobb will take place May 6 at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and is the major fundraiser of the Walton Band Parent Association, which supports Walton HS band programs.

Some of those bands will be performing live music throughout the day, and there will be a kids’ zone, a silent auction of merchandise and a “Best of Taste of East Cobb” voting competition.

As you may have seen on the East Cobb News website and our newsletter, there’s a special ticket sale for advance bulk purchases of food (20 or more) through May 4. Admission to the festival is free as is parking in the south lot of the church.

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Powers Ferry ES students take part in March reading challenge

Powers Ferry ES reading challenge
Bottom row L to R : Rashida Lee-Walker, Assistant Principal; Donna Evans, East Cobb UMC; Sarah Alwardt, 5th Grade Teacher
Back row standing L to R: Kathy Culbertson, Media Specialist; Sandy Perry, Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K; Jim Perry, Past President KCMGK; Aimee Mendel, Past President KCMGK; Rosie Teague, VP KCMGK; Linda Bonstein, East Cobb UMC; Elayna Wilson, Principal Powers Ferry ES and John Kone, President KCMGK

Submitted information and photo:

On April 14th, 2023 through a cooperative effort of the staff from Powers Ferry Elementary School, volunteer members of the East Cobb United Methodist Church and members of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K (KCMGK), winning 5th grade students received special certificates and books as they were rewarded for meeting the “March Reading Challenge.”  Following the presentation ceremony, the students were treated to snacks and an “Amazing  Readers” engraved cake for dessert!

Quite an accomplishment indeed and one student boasted he read over 30 books!! … GOOD JOB STUDENTS!

“I don’t know who was more thrilled” one of the volunteers exclaimed, “the 5th graders who won the certificates or the adults (Kiwanis club members and East Cobb First UMC volunteers) who provided all the goodies for the winners.” In any event, everyone is extremely proud of the accomplishments of the students.

The amazing thing about the reading challenge is that, at the beginning of the school year, 42 percent of the students were reading below the basic level. At mid-year, this number was reduced to 29 percent for a dramatic improvement! 

Each child completing the challenge got a book to keep and a certificate showing that this is sponsored
jointly by East Cobb United Methodist Church, as a Partner in Education, and the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K as a part of its Student Leadership Program. 

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Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.

We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file. Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.

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Additional funding, time requested for Cobb strategic plan

Cobb Republican commissioners contest meeting minutes

Cobb commissioners will be asked Tuesday night to approve extra funding and a time extension for an outside consultant to complete a strategic plan for county government.

The Cobb County Manager’s office is seeking an additional $285,000 and eight weeks for Accenture LLP to develop the five-year strategic plan, which was approved by commissioners last fall.

The cost of the contract at the time was $1.45 million, and a draft plan was presented to commissioners last week.

But according to an agenda item, more time and money are needed after commissioners wanted the plan to be made public and discussed at a town hall meeting, and for final tasks to be completed.

‘Given the contract with Accenture has recently expired, funding and an eight-week time extension are required to accomplish additional tasks, including community engagement, and synthesizing the data,” the agenda item states.

Accenture is a management and professional services consulting firm that assigned several of its staffers to the Cobb strategic plan project.

Here’s what Accenture presented to the county in order to finish the job, which would include a revised draft plan, more public feedback and final publication.

The vote to approve the consultant was a party-line 3-2, with Democrats in favor and Republicans against.

JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill objected to the cost and questioned the need for such a study, which was designed to give policy makers a long-term (10- to 20-year) vision for meeting those future service needs.

Also on Tuesday, commissioners will honor the state championship basketball teams from Wheeler and Kell high schools and will recognize East Cobb’s Temple Kol Emeth synagogue on its 40th anniversary.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting starts at 7 p.m. at the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta). You can read through the full agenda by clicking here.

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

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Cobb commissioners to be briefed on housing, economic development

Johnson Ferry-Shallowford master plan

The Cobb Board of Commissioners will hold a work session Tuesday afternoon for briefings on the county’s housing assessment and economic development initiatives.

The work session starts at 1:30 p.m. at the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).

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

The housing assessment was compiled by the Atlanta Regional Commission “to get an understanding of current housing inventory, availability, and needs which can serve as a tool to inform the County in considering future housing goals and policy,” according to an agenda item.

Earlier this month, Cobb Tax Assessor Stephen White projected county tax digest growth in 2023 to be 13 percent, increasing due to rising average home sale prices. Last year, the average home sale in Cobb was nearly $453,000.

The economic development initiatives will be presented by Sabrina Wright, who was named the county’s economic development director last year.

You can view the full agenda by clicking here.

Commissioners will hold a regular meeting Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the same venue and with the same viewing options. That meeting agenda can be found here.

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Legislative leader to speak to East Cobb Civic Association

State Rep. Sharon Cooper, a Republican from District 45 in East Cobb, is the featured speaker at the East Cobb Civic Association‘s monthly meeting on Wednesday.East Cobb Civic Association logo

The meeting takes place at 7 p.m. at Fullers Park (3499 Robinson Road), and is open to the public.

Cooper, the chairwoman of the Georgia House Public Health Committee, is expected to review the recently concluded 2023 legislative session.

The East Cobb Civic Association is an all-volunteer organization of around 9,000 homeowners that influences development in the community by getting involved in zoning and code matters, as well as transportation, community service and other issues.

The meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of each month and include a discussion of and recommendations on zoning cases to be heard by the Cobb Planning Commission and Cobb Board of Commissioners.

Upcoming zoning cases include a rezoning on Post Oak Tritt Road for a subdivision near Clary Lakes, and replacing the current Starbucks at Paper Mill Village with a larger coffee shop in a standalone building.

Those cases have been delayed several months and are tentatively scheduled to be considered in May.

The ECCA opposed a decision last week by Cobb commissioners to allow for a King’s Hawaiian restaurant at Shallowford Road and Gordy Parkway.

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, April 3-7, 2023

East Cobb real estate sales, Indian Hills
Indian Hills

The following East Cobb residential real estate sales between April 3-7 were compiled from agency reports:

April 3

4509 Chattahoochee Way, 30067 (Chattahoochee Plantation, Walton): $1.05 million

1662 Terrell Ridge, 30067 (Terrell Ridge Condos, Wheeler): $269,000

473 Salem Woods Drive, 30067 (Salem Ridge, Wheeler): $299,000

564 Greystone Trace, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $1.430 million

2549 Stoney Brook Lane, 30062 (Holly Springs North, Pope): $385,000

2147 Mainsail Drive, 30062 (Autumn Lake, Sprayberry): $408,500

1955 Enchanted Woods Trail, 30066 (Enchanted Woods, Sprayberry): $585,000

2252 Ravenwood Trail, 30062 (Ravenwood, Kell): $313,587

1226 Lake Colony Drive, 30068 (Lake Colony, Walton): $645,000

3081 Rio Montana Drive, 30066 (Rio Montana, Sprayberry): $310,000

521 Shannon Drive, 30066 (Addison Heights, Sprayberry): $575,000

April 4

727 Somerset Court, 30067 (Covered Bridge, Wheeler): $241,500

1413 Old Virginia Court, 30067 (Salem Ridge, Wheeler): $365,000

250 East Valley Drive, 30068 (Eastvalley, Wheeler): $320,250

130 Willow Glenn Drive, 30068 (Weatherstone, Wheeler): $510,000

2200 Meadow Wood Court, 30062 (Meadow Wood, Walton): $395,000

2866 Colleton Drive, 30066 (Colleton Plantation, Sprayberry): $401,000

4782 N. Inlet Drive, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): $295,000

April 5

2372 Addison Road, 30066 (Addison Heights, Sprayberry): $343,500

2658 Stoney Creek Road, 30067 (Covered Bridge, Wheeler): $269,000

463 Indian Hills Trail, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $685,000

1770 Donald Drive, 30062 (Hasty Acres, Sprayberry): $435,000

921 Richmond Hills Drive, 30068 (Yorkshire Hills, Wheeler): $610,000

April 6

3811 High Green Point, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $493,000

671 Oakhurst Drive, 30066 (Oakhurst, Sprayberry): $299,000

1992 Claiborne Court, 30062 (Cambridge Park, Sprayberry): $547,000

2231 Sims Drive, 30066 (Heatherwood, Lassiter): $330,000

4801 Converse Court, 30062 (Chadds Walk, Pope): $775,000

April 7

3010 Balearic Drive, 30067 (Valencia Hills, Wheeler): $350,000

284 Ivy Green Lane, 30067 (Ivy Green, Wheeler): $284,000

1987 Clearwater Drive, 30067 (Cayuga Forest, Wheeler): $363,000

3983 Sentry Walk, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $695,000

2270 Tourney Drive, 30062 (Sandy Plains Estates, Sprayberry): $390,000

3468 Winter Wood Lane, 30062 (Country Crossing, Lassiter): $415,000

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East Cobb boy wins grand prize at Cobb Gem and Mineral Show

East Cobb boy Cobb Gem Show grand prize winner

Carson Konopelski, age 5, recently was named a grand prize winner at the Cobb County Gem and Mineral Show.

He lives in East Cobb and his entry at the show was a carcharocles megalodon, or “big tooth” shark.

Reader Heather Webb-Singh tells us the extinct shark’s tooth is seven inches long, indicating that it was a megalodon mammal between 45 and 50 feet long.

Carson, the son of Bob and Cindy Konopelski, donated his big tooth to his school of choice, the STEM lab at Rocky Mount Elementary School, and presented it to principal Dr. Cheri Vaniman.

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Credit Union of Georgia to give away reusable totes on Earth Day

The first 25 members who come to any branch of the Credit Union of Georgia on Saturday will receive a free reusable tote bag to mark Earth Day.

The Cobb-based financial institution said in a release that this year’s theme is “Together We Can Invest In Our Planet.”

Local branches are located at 1020 Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb.

For more click here.

Credit Union of Georgia Earth Day tote bags

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Kell Touchdown Club to hold football ‘Lift-A-Thon’ fundraiser

The Kell Touchdown Club is holding its annual “Lift-A-Thon” fundraiser May 10, with proceeds going to purchase equipment and pay for team camps and meals and other components of the football program.Kell football games cancelled

Donations are accepted by pledging per-pound amounts that selected players will be lifting in the weight room for the event. Flat-rate donations also will be accepted.

The Kell Touchdown Club is having another fundraiser next month, the 10th annual Longhorn Golf Classic on May 18 at Eagle Watch Golf Club in Woodstock.

Proceeds also benefit the Kell Touchdown Club’s support of the Longhorn football program.

On June 9, the Longhorn 7 on 7 Shootout will take place at Kell.

The Longhorns will begin their 2023 season as usual in the Corky Kell Classic with a home game Aug. 16 against Parkview.

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Walton baseball team to open state tournament at Marietta HS

The Walton High School baseball team was to have opened the first round of the Georgia High School Association Class 7A state tournament Saturday at its temporary home field at the East Cobb Baseball facility near Kell High School.Walton baseball state tournament venue change

But due to a full schedule of East Cobb Baseball games there this weekend, the Raiders will be playing at Marietta High School instead.

They’ll still be the home team against South Forsyth in a Saturday doubleheader with games at 5 p.m. and 7:30 p.m.

A third and decisive game in the series, if necessary, will take place at East Cobb Baseball on Monday at a time to be determined.

Walton, which is 19-11 this season, has been playing the last two years at East Cobb Baseball while a new facility is under construction near campus.

Cobb County School District officials had hoped it would be ready for the 2023 season, but the facility was reconfigured due to neighborhood concerns about noise and lighting.

They also will be constructing a pedestrian path and bridge from the main campus to the new sports complex—which includes courts for the Walton tennis teams—for safety reasons.

The former Walton baseball field on campus was converted for the Walton softball team, which along with the tennis teams played home competitions at Terrell Mill Park when the school’s new classroom building was being built.

Walton HS sports complex pedestrian path

Grading has been completed at the new Walton baseball facility, and foundational construction supplies have been delivered to the site.

Also on Saturday, the Pope High School baseball team will be opening its defense of the Class 6A state championship at home against Apalachee. The doubleheader starts at 2 p.m.

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