Month: September 2025

Walton leads Cobb, ranks 4th in Georgia in 2025 SAT scores

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Walton leads Cobb, ranks 4th in Georgia in 2025 SAT scores

The Class of 2025 at Walton High School turned out an overall score in the Scholastic Aptitude Test that led the Cobb County School District, and was among the best in the state of Georgia among public high schools.

According to figures released Tuesday by the Georgia Department of Higher Education, Walton seniors combined for an overall SAT “mean score” of 1260. Lassiter’s mean score of 1206 was second in Cobb, and 12th in the state.

Wheeler came in third in Cobb at 1191, and Pope was fourth at 1185.

The Cobb school district, in a release, said its overall mean score of 1116 was the best for a large school district in metro Atlanta.

The statewide average overall mean score for 2025 is 1038.

The SAT is administered every spring for seniors, who are tested on evidence-based reading and writing and math, and the maximum score is 1,600.

“Parents I talk to don’t listen to what we say, they watch what we do,” Cobb Board of Education chairman David Chastain said in a statement issued by the district.

“The highest SAT scores in the metro, a record graduation rate, graduates walking across stages straight into high-earning jobs, and scholarships. That’s what we do, year in and year out,”

For the most part, the results from East Cobb high schools and the Cobb school district are only slightly different from the Class of 2025.

Wheeler’s score in 2025 is a 24-percent increase from 2024. In 2023, Wheeler’s score was 1255, tied for first in Cobb with Walton.

Lassiter’s 1206 score also represents a 24-point improvement from last year.

Cobb’s mean of 1116 was followed by 1083 in Marietta and 1076 in Fulton County.

Walton’s 1260 overall score mean was the highest for a traditional high school in Georgia. Specialty academies, charter and magnet schools are more selective in their admissions criteria.

For example, the Gwinnett School of Mathematics, Science and Technology, which typically outpaces all other Georgia public schools in test results, has an enrollment of around 1,200 students. Those students are chosen from a countywide lottery held by Gwinnett County Public Schools.

EAST COBB 2025 SAT BREAKDOWN

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GEORGIA TOP SAT SCORES BY SCHOOL

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Cobb County government to hold cybersecurity event on Friday

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Submitted information:2024 Cobb Cybersecurity Day presented by Cobb County ITS

Cobb County Government invites residents, students, businesses, and community organizations to attend Cobb Cybersecurity Day 2025 on Friday, Oct. 3, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, Marietta.

Held in recognition of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this free event will provide critical insights and hands-on learning opportunities to help individuals recognize and defend against today’s growing cyber threats.

Event highlights:

  • Expert presentations from local universities and industry leaders
  • Insights from Cobb County’s Technology-Based Crimes Unit
  • Practical guidance on protecting personal data and spotting cyber scams
  • Information on how Cobb County safeguards community data
  • Career resources for students exploring cybersecurity fields
  • Complimentary catered lunch
  • Door prizes including a YETI cooler, Surface Laptop, and more*

Since 2004, National Cybersecurity Awareness Month has united public and private partners to raise awareness about cybersecurity and data privacy. This year, Cobb County is bringing that mission directly to the community with a day dedicated to education, prevention, and empowerment.

Why attend?
As reliance on digital systems grows, informed individuals are the first line of defense. Cobb Cybersecurity Day is designed to give attendees the knowledge to protect themselves, their families, and their workplaces.

The event is free and open to the public. Registration is encouraged but not required*. Register at: cobbcounty.gov/CyberDay

*Registration and attendance are required to be eligible for door prizes.

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East Cobb Biz Scene: ECBA, NCBA kick off October with expos

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If you’re looking to meet and mingle with local business owners, the first week in October is for you.East Cobb Biz Scene: ECBA and NCBA kick off October with expos

The East Cobb Business Association and the Northeast Cobb Business Association will be holding business expos three days apart.

For business owners, it’s exposure to the public. For the public, it’s a way to learn about who’s behind the scenes at their favorite stores and service providers.

The ECBA Expo is Tuesday, Oct. 7 from 4:30-7 p.m. at Wellstar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road) and is in a more streamlined format. Organizers are calling it a “mini” format, with about 20 or so businesses and vendors on hand.

All of those tables have been sold out, but non-exhibitors can still sign up online for $5 at this link. Tickets at the door are $10 (both prices are for ECBA members and non-members).

Two days later, on Thursday, Oct. 7, the Northeast Cobb Business Association Expo will be held from 5-7:30 p.m. at Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road).

The format is similar, but admission for the public is free. Among the exhibitors are WorkSource Cobb, the Cobb County government Economic Development office and the Small Business Development Center at KSU.

For more information, visit the NCBA website.

More ECBA October events

On Friday, Oct. 10, the Professional Women of East Cobb will hold their monthly luncheon at J. Christopher’s at Woodlawn Square (1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 114) from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The cost is $25 for ECBA members and $30 for non-members and registration must be completed online in advance.

The main ECBA luncheon is Oct. 21 from 11:30-1, also at the Wellstar East Cobb Health Park. The guest speaker is Liz Bachman of Wildflower Social Media, who specializes in helping small businesses with their marketing strategies.

Cost is $20/$25 and registration is required online.

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Bookmiser, other businesses closed after fire at retail center

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Bookmiser and other businesses closed after etail center center
Cobb firefighters quickly put out an electrical fire at the Owl Repairs store on Roswell Road Sunday morning, but businesses in a retail center are closed.

The Bookmiser bookstore in East Cobb is one of several businesses in a small retail center that is closed temporarily after a fire broke out there on Sunday

Bookmiser owner Annell Gerson sent out a message Monday morning that her business would be closed “until further notice” to in-store customers due to smoke damage.

Her space is at the Village East strip center at 3822 Roswell Road, at the intersection of Robinson Road East.

She said the fire broke out at the Owl computer repair store next door, and “generated a tremendous amount of smoke which permeated every small business in the center causing extensive smoke and soot damage.”

Other businesses there include the 348 Studio fitness center, a Chopstix Chinese restaurant, an upholstery store, a wax studio and nail salon.

Lt. Stephen Bennett of Cobb Fire and Emergency Services told  East Cobb News that fire started in the workshop for the telephone repair business at Owl Repairs and the cause is still under investigation.

Gerson said the fire broke out Sunday morning, when all the businesses were closed.

“The fire was confined to the room of origin and smoke damage was confined to the phone repair business,” Bennett said. “There was a strong odor-of-smoke in the suites connected to the fire suite.”

On its Facebook page, Owl Repairs showed a video with firefighters on the scene (screengrab above), and said the fire was electrical in nature. “Then the variety of electronics caused the store to go up in endless flames.”

A narrator on the video added that “this place is burned down. . . . We could use all the community support as we attempt to recover.”

Bookmiser sustained extensive smoke and soot damage due to the fire that broke out at Owl Repairs.

Owl Repairs urged its customers to to shop at its other location on Bells Ferry Road.

“Sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused you, we are also devastated,” the message said.

Gerson said her Bookmiser inventory includes more than 35,000 books, and that “although we have begun steps to improve air quality and clean up, much more work remains to be done.”

She encouraged her customers to shop online, via its Bookshop.org and Libro.fm partners. Bookmiser book club events that are held at Bookmiser will temporarily be meeting at Stitches, a quilting store behind Village East.

“In most cases, book clubs will meet there or at another location which will be communicated to book club members by Annell,” the Bookmiser message stated.

Gerson opened Bookmiser in 1998 in space on Sandy Plains Road near Woodstock Road, then opened at second location in East Cobb at the present location on Roswell Road. The original location closed in 2018.

All of the businesses at Village East were closed Monday, and some were doing smoke mitigation work.

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Pope HS leads Cobb school district 2025 graduation rates

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Pope seniors await the graduation ceremony.
Pope’s Class of 2025 graduated to the tune of 98.2 percent in May.

Ten schools in the 17-high school Cobb County School District had graduation rates of 90 percent or higher, and four of them are in East Cobb.

The Cobb school district announced Class of 2025 graduation numbers, and Pope High School leads the pack.

Pope’s graduation rate of 98.2 percent led a Cobb school district that reported an overall rate of 89.2 percent, an all-time high. Harrison was second at 97.8 percent.

Lassiter was third at 97.3 percent and Walton was fourth at 97.2 percent.

Lassiter had been Cobb’s graduation rate leader for the last three years.

“Our record-high graduation rate of 89.2% is something the whole community can celebrate. It shows what’s possible when students work hard, teachers pour their hearts out, and families and staff stand together to support them,” Cobb Board of Education chairman David Chastain said in a district release.

“From big gains at South Cobb to steady excellence at schools like Pope, Walton, Harrison, and Lassiter—this is what happens when we stand as One Team and all invest in student success.”

The district didn’t include school-by-school results, but data released by the Georgia Department of Education show that Kell High School’s graduation rate for 2025 was 93.8 percent, at Sprayberry is was 89.4 percent and at Wheeler it was 89.4 percent.

The figures are compiled as part of what the state calls the “4-Year Cohort Graduation Rate.”

That is defined as follows:

“The number of students who graduate in four years with a regular high school diploma, divided by the number of students who form the adjusted cohort for the graduation class.”

The federal rate is calculated in the ninth grade, and includes even students who are enrolled only for a day.

Cobb also produces what it calls “a more complete” graduation rate, comparing the actual class sizes as they go through the 10th, 11th and 12th grades.

For 2025, Cobb said that 99.2 percent of seniors graduate who spent all four years in the district.

Cobb’s overall rate jumped by 1.3 percent in 2024, and the 89.2 percent figure is second among major school districts in metro Atlanta, trailing only Fulton (91.9 percent).

[wptg_comparison_table id=”71″]

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, Sept. 15-19, 2025

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Christopher Robbins, East Cobb real estate sales
Christopher Robbins

The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records.

They include the street address, subdivision name and sales price listed under their respective high school attendance zones:

Kell

3753 Honey Pot Way, 30066 (Christopher Robbins): $580,000

4707 Jamerson Creek Drive, 30066 (Jamerson Forest): $405,000

2080 Jamerson Road, 30066 (Ravenwood): $435,000

Lassiter

3262 Winterberry Circle, 30062 (Whitfield): $549,900

3470 Summerford Court, 30062 (Summerford): $794,000

4371 Wigley Preserve Drive, 30066 (Wigley Preserve): $900,000

3595 Trickum Road, 30066: $490,000

3330 Creek Hollow Drive, 30066 (The Glenns): $440,000

2237 Blenheim Court, 30066 (Churchill Falls): $430,000

4801 Township Ridge, 30066 (Jefferson Township): $825,000

Marietta

1552 Brentwood Drive, 30062 (Brentwood Park): $605,000

Pope

2708 Long Grove Drive, 30062 (Madison Hall): $1.52 million

3276 Marlanta Drive, 30062 (Marlanta): $340,000

2618 Lulworth Lane, 30062 (Mabry Manor): $1.3 million

3410 Salem Trace, 30062 (Liberty Ridge): $499,900

Sprayberry

2190 Northfield Court, 30066 (North Field): $307,000

2585 Gelding Court, 30066: $4.25 million

2763 Macby Walk, 30066 (Sandy Mill): $385,000

1244 Nottoway Trail, 30066 (St. Charles Square) $587,050

486 Edward Court, 30066 (Hidden Hills): $460,000

2714 Harper Woods Drive, 30062 (Harper Woods): $541,000

1616 Lancaster Drive, 30066 (Huntington Woods): $431,250

2162 Tourney Drive, 30062 (Sandy Plains Estates): $425,000

1940 Kerry Creek Drive, 30066 (Kerry Creek): $725,000

1690 Cedar Grove Drive, 30066 (Cedar Grove): $410,000

Walton

1307 Independence Way, 30068 (Independence Square): $775,000

5058 Meadow Lane, 30068 (The Meadows): $332,000

Wheeler

680 Smithstone Road, 30067 (Dogwood Park): $365,000

1106 Willow Field Drive, 30067 (The Oaks at Powers Ferry): $489,900

432 Langley Oaks Drive, 30067 (Sibley on Paper Mill): $1.425 million

3300 Windy Ridge Parkway, Unit 1307 (The Horizon): $289,900

2324 Ithica Drive, 30067 (Sedalia Park): $489,900

891 Edgewater Circle, 30062 (Barnes Mill Lake): $306,000

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Be a Halloween Hike Station host at East Cobb or Fullers Park!

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Submitted information:Be a Halloween Hike Station host at East Cobb or Fullers Park!

Get ready for a spooky-but-not-too-spooky good time! The Friends for the East Cobb Park and East Side Baseball are excited to announce our first annual “Halloween Hike” event at East Cobb and Fullers Parks, and we’re looking for community members to host one of our themed stations.

This free event for local families will be held on Sunday, October 26, 2025, from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM. We expect about 100 kids and their parents to walk a festive trail around the parks, stopping at each station for a treat and a friendly greeting.

We are looking for 15-20 station hosts to come in costume, decorate a station with a not-too-scary theme, and provide candy or trinkets for the children. This is a great way to showcase your organization, business, or just be a fun part of the community. The best part? There is no cost to be a sponsor! Please also plan to provide a table, chairs, or whatever you’ll want at your station.

We have a list of fun themes to get you started, like a “Wizarding School” or a “Pirate Cove,” but we’re happy to consider other ideas for appropriateness.

Ready to sign up? Just head to our Sign-up Genius page to register and select your station:

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D4BA5A62EA1F4CF8-58112124-halloween

Thank you for helping us make this a fantastic event for our community!

 

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Chestnut Ridge Christian Church to hold waste workshop

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Submitted information:Chestnut Ridge Christian Church to hold waste workshop

Chestnut Ridge Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is hosting a workshop called “Faithful Responses to Reducing Waste” presented by Georgia Interfaith Power & Light on Sunday, October 5, 2025, starting at 12:30 p.m. 

The hour and a half workshop will be taught by Hannah Schultz from Georgia Interfaith Power & Light (GIPL). The goal is to understand the environmental and justice concerns related to the use of single-use plastics and the challenges associated with recycling in Georgia. This workshop will explore opportunities to address plastics at a policy level and solutions to help the congregation reduce and divert waste onsite. The workshop is open to the community. 

Chestnut Ridge Christian Church, a Green Chalice Congregation with the Disciples of Christ, is a recipient of a ReWilding Program grant from GIPL. The ReWilding Program with GIPL is a program to focus on the ecological regeneration of congregational lands, restoring natural processes, and fostering more resilient ecosystems and communities. This Workshop is presented as part of that program.

The “Faithful Responses to Reducing Waste” workshop will take place in the sanctuary of Chestnut Ridge Christian Church, beginning at 12:30pm and ending around 2pm on Sunday, October 5, 2025. The church is located at 2663 Johnson Ferry Road in Marietta, at the corner of Post Oak Tritt and Johnson Ferry. Enter the parking lot off of Post Oak Tritt. 

Learn more about Chestnut Ridge Christian Church’s ReWilding Program: https://www.chestnutridgechristianchurch.com/greenchalice. 

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Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.

We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.

It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!

Pass along your details/photos/videos/information to: editor@eastcobbnews.com, and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.

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, but d0 send them as attachments to your email.

Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.

Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you!

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Bingocize fitness for seniors returns to Gritters Library

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Registration open for Bingocize program at Gritters Library

Submitted information:

Bingocize, an evidence-based health promotion program for older adults, returns to Gritters Library, 880 Shaw Park Rd., Marietta 30066, at noon Oct. 6 for a new round of 20 workshop sessions.

The Bingocize workshops mix bingo, health education and exercises for improving functional fitness, including balance, muscle strength, range of motion and cardio-respiratory endurance, in a playful setting. Registration is required at cobbcounty.gov/library/locations/gritters-library.

Ten weeks of the workshops at noon Mondays and Wednesdays will run through Dec. 17, with no workshops on Nov. 24 and Nov. 26.

For information on programs and resources of Gritters Library, visit cobbcounty.gov/library or call 770-528-2524.

 

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Woman stabbed to death at same hotel where infant was killed

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For the second time this week, Cobb Police are investigating a homicide at a motel off Windy Hill Road.Cobb Police, Holly Springs Road suspicious person, East Cobb crime forum

Cobb Police Sgt. Eric Smith said that Amatrian Hawkins, 45, of Atlanta, died of multiple stab wounds early Friday morning after officers were called to the Budgetel Inn at 4900 Circle 75 Parkway.

Smith said that another woman, Janiyah Jenkins, 19, of Atlanta, suffered a severe laceration to her right hand. Both women were taken to unspecified hospitals, but Amatrian Hawkins was pronounced dead, Smith said.

The younger woman was released, and Cobb Police have charged Frank Moore, 46, of Atlanta, with felony murder, two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a knife during the commission of a felony. He is being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond, according to his booking report.

Smith said that Moore had fled the scene and was arrested by Atlanta Police and “was familiar to the victims in this case.”

Police said four men have been arrested for a shooting that killed a nine-month-old girl at the same Budgetel earlier this week.

Police are continuing to investigate the Hawkins murder, and said that anyone with information is asked to Cobb Police Major CrimesUnit at (770) 499-3945.

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Grace Resurrection Methodist hosts 2nd mini-day of service

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Grace Resurrection Methodist hosts 2nd mini-day of service

Submitted information and photos:

More than 60 volunteers from Grace Resurrection Methodist Church (GRMC) came together recently for the church’s 2nd Annual Mini-Day of Service, demonstrating the congregation’s commitment to community care and compassion.

In just a few hours, volunteers assisted five local nonprofit organizations by:

  • Making sandwiches for individuals in need
  • Packing sandwich kits for children of incarcerated parents
  • Assembling hygiene kits and cutlery sets for those experiencing homelessness
  • Preparing boxes of supplies for U.S. military personnel serving abroad

Through this effort, GRMC was able to provide essential items to The Zone of Davis Direction, MUST Ministries, Project Mail Call, and Kids2Leaders, extending tangible support to some of the community’s most vital service organizations.

“This event is a reminder of what can happen when people of faith come together with a heart for service,” said Senior Pastor Rev. James Williams. “We are grateful for every volunteer who gave their time to make a difference.”

The Mini-Day of Service is one of many ways GRMC lives out its mission of “Living in Grace and Sharing God’s Love.”

For more information about Grace Resurrection Methodist Church and upcoming service opportunities, visit: www.graceresurrection.org, and follow the church on social media on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn. You can view worship services and podcast recordings on YouTube @graceresurrectionMC.

About Grace Resurrection Methodist Church

Grace Resurrection Methodist Church is a vibrant, welcoming congregation dedicated to “Living in Grace, Sharing God’s Love.” Located at 1200 Indian Hills Parkway in Marietta, Ga., the church is a place for spiritual growth, connection, and impact with in-person services each Sunday at 11 a.m. For more information, visit www.graceresurrection.org or call 678 653 9790.

Grace Resurrection Methodist hosts 2nd mini-day of service

Grace Resurrection Methodist hosts 2nd mini-day of service

Grace Resurrection Methodist hosts 2nd mini-day of service

Send Us Your News!

Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.

We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.

It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!

Pass along your details/photos/videos/information to: editor@eastcobbnews.com, and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.

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, but d0 send them as attachments to your email.

Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.

Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you!

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East Cobb Food Scores: Café Clément; Peace Love Pizza; more

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Cafe Clement, East Cobb food scores

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

Blimpie
1809 Canton Road, Suite 400
Sept. 24, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

Café Clément
1438 Canton Road
Sept. 23, 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

Cazadores Mexican Restaurant
3165 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite D-2
Sept. 25, 2025, Score: 64, Grade: U

Jersey Mike’s
2014 Roswell Road, Suite 300
Sept. 22, 2025, Score: 82, Grade: B

McDonald’s
3101 Roswell Road
Sept. 19, 2025, Score: 85, Grade: B

Mi Rancho (reinspection)
1495 Roswell Road
Sept. 19, 2025, Score: 89, Grade: B
Previous Inspection: Sept. 17, 2025, Score: 67, Grade: U

Peace Love and Pizza
1055 East Piedmont Road, Suite 154
Sept. 25, 2025, Score: 92, Grade: A

Red Elephant Thai Cuisine
3000 Windy Hill Road, Suite 152
Sept. 22, 2025, Score: 61, Grade: U

Willy’s Mexicana Grill
4250 Roswell Road, Suite 120
Sept. 24, 2025, Score: 85, Grade: B

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Cobb DOT: Columns Drive tree removal plans still in progress

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Cobb DOT: Columns Drive tree removal plans still in progress

A reader who lives in the Columns Drive area got in touch with us last week after noticing that some orange flags that had been placed on median trees by Cobb DOT officials for possible removal had been replaced by red flags.

It’s part of a process by Cobb DOT to identify and ultimately remove trees that county officials say are becoming safety hazards. We first reported on this in March, after a petition drive was started to protest the possible removals.

The petition was sent to Cobb commissioners, and the county decided at that time to re-evaluate to see which trees “pose an imminent risk to the traveling public.” When we checked back in on Tuesday, a county spokesman said that process is still going on.

Our reader said that the flags “are not on every tree but are on a bunch of them. At the opening where River Heights [Crossing] is the red stripes are on several trees in that area.”

Ross Cavitt, the county spokesman, told us that Cobb DOT has met with a homeowner’s group committee “and worked on coming up with a consensus on the scope of work along Columns. The flags were likely part of that effort.

“However, they say the plans are not finalized, they want to do some further public outreach, and no timeline for work on Columns has been set.”

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Police: Infant killed in Windy Hill Road-area motel shooting

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Cobb Police said Wednesday a 9-month-old girl was killed on Tuesday after gunfire broke out in a motel in the Windy Hill Road area, and four men have been arrested for her murder.

Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

According to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, Ladarrius Brown, 22, of Smyrna and Jayvion Young, 23, of an East Cobb address in the Hamby Acres subdivision, are being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond on charges of felony murder, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a crime.

Two other men are facing related charges and are at the Cobb jail wiothout bond.

Camron Harris, 22, of Smyrna, is charged making a false statement and tempering with evidence, according to his booking report.

Anthony Smith, 22, of Penny Lane is East Cobb, also is charged with tampering with evidence.

Cobb Police Sgt. Shenise Barner said in a release that the unidentified victim “was beyond lifesaving measures” when officers arrived at the Budgetel Inn, 4900 Circle 75 Parkway, around 8 p.m. Tuesday.

Her mother reported the child had been shot, and police said the girl was later pronounced dead on the scene.

The motel is located near Windy Hill Road and Interstate 75, and police didn’t indicate what may have prompted the shooting.

Arrest warrants for Young and Brown state they shot at one one another and that the infant was hit by gunfire, causing her death, possibly in an exchange between them.

Harris’ warrant states that he took Brown’s gun and “disposed of said firearm to conceal it from law enforcement.” Furthermore, according to the warrants, Harris lied to officers to prevent them from finding the gun.

Brown and Harris were arrested at the motel; Young’s booking report states that he was arrested at an apartment complex on Powers Ferry Road.

Police said the Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit is continuing to investigate the shooting and that anyone with information is asked to call (770) 499-3945.

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2025 classified employees of the year at East Cobb schools

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The Cobb County School District recently honored its classified employees of the year at respective schools. Campbell High School lockdown

They include paraprofessionals, custodians, nurses, clerks and secretaries and food service workers and were honored at a luncheon on Sept. 16 at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre.

According to the school district, more than 120 employees were “nominated by their peers for exhibiting an exemplary work ethic and a dedication to the District’s direction and goals.”

Here are the recipients at schools in East Cobb:

Elementary Schools

  • Addison: Kathryn Daniell, school secretary
  • Bells Ferry: Rosalyn Figueroa, clerk
  • Blackwell: Iris Aguilar, paraprofessional
  • Brumby: Porscha Kincaid, custodian
  • Davis: Jennifer Cockrill, paraprofessional
  • East Side: Lane Holt, paraprofessional
  • Eastvalley: Rebecca Dumbleton, paraprofessional
  • Keheley: Jeannie Schuetze, clerk
  • Kincaid: McKenzie Sanders, paraprofessional
  • Mt. Bethel: Megan McHale, paraprofessional
  • Mountain View: Gail Arkenberg, clerk
  • Murdock: Vincent Martin, custodian
  • Nicholson: Kathy Breen, school secretary
  • Powers Ferry: Jennifer Letzer, parent facilitator
  • Sedalia Park: Seemi Jamshad, paraprofessional
  • Shallowford Falls: Carmen MacDonald, custodian
  • Sope Creek: Jeffrey Groce, custodian
  • Timber Ridge: Theresa Butcher, custodian
  • Tritt: Gwendolyn Corcoran, paraprofessional

Middle Schools

  • Daniell: Shannon Thompson, paraprofessional
  • Dickerson: Vanessa Moulthrop, school nurse
  • Dodgen: Christine Bishop-Fink, paraprofessional
  • East Cobb: Noemiz Perez, food service assistant
  • Hightower Trail: Stacy Gibbs, paraprofessional
  • Mabry: Andrea Cofield, paraprofessional
  • McCleskey: Barbara Purdy, clerk
  • Simpson: Zella Oliver, custodian

High Schools:

  • Kell: John Douglass, paraprofessional
  • Lassiter: Shannon Frank, paraprofessional
  • Pope: Susan Sawyer, clerk
  • Sprayberry: Odalys Iglesias, clerk
  • Walton: Sandra Guevara Medina, head custodian
  • Wheeler: Karina Mejias-Ortiz, school secretary

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Wheeler HS student’s project aids Kennestone ICU patients

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Wheeler HS student's project aids Kennestone ICU patients

Submitted information and photo:

Seventeen-year-old Aryan Agar, a senior at Wheeler High School, has transformed his hospital volunteer experience into a grassroots movement called Critical Kindness, bringing comfort and compassion to critically ill patients at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital’s ICU.

Aryan has been volunteering at Wellstar Kennestone since his freshman year and quickly saw a gap: many ICU patients receive little human interaction beyond nurses and physicians. “I could see how lonely some of them felt,” Aryan recalls. “I wanted to do something small but meaningful to show they’re cared for.”

With Critical Kindness, Aryan assembles and delivers comfort kits containing lip balm, non-slip socks, stress balls, small stuffed toys, and handwritten notes of encouragement. Each item is chosen to be safe and practical for ICU settings while offering a human touch.

The response has been immediate and heartfelt. Families of patients have praised Aryan’s thoughtfulness, and several patients have shared how these little gestures brightened their days. “It’s amazing to see someone so young caring for strangers in such a meaningful way,” said one family member. Hospital staff have also taken note, with nurses frequently thanking him for making their patients feel seen and valued.

“Critical Kindness started as a small act of compassion, but it’s become a way to restore dignity and connection for people going through some of the hardest moments of their lives,” Aryan said. “I hope it inspires other students to find ways to serve their communities.”

Call to Action

Critical Kindness is seeking community support to expand its reach to more ICU patients. The organization welcomes donations of safe comfort items, financial contributions, and volunteer help to grow its impact.

To learn more or get involved with Critical Kindness, visit its website.

Send Us Your News!

Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.

We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.

It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!

Pass along your details/photos/videos/information to: editor@eastcobbnews.com, and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.

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Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you!

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Police: Man exposed himself to minor at East Cobb LA Fitness

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A 55-year-old man remains in custody after being charged with exposing himself to a minor at an LA Fitness center on Sandy Plains Road last month.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

An arrest warrant for Carlos Ceron, of a Powers Ferry Road address, states that during the afternoon of Aug. 30, he masturbated in front of a mirror in a locker room, and that the victim, who was under 16, stated that the suspect “was looking at him and smiling.”

Ceron has been charged with a felony count of child molestation and is being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond.

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Police: Man pulls gun on taxi driver, arrested by SWAT unit

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Marietta Police said that they’ve arrested a man accused of robbing a taxi driver at a residence in an East Marietta neighborhood Sunday following an overnight standoff that involved SWAT officers.Marietta Police

Police said that Jevelious Bryant, 40, is facing charges of aggravated assault, simple battery and being a felon in the possession of a firearm.

According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Bryant was taken into custody Sunday night at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center and is being held without bond.

Police said that Bryant is accused of pulling out a gun and aiming it at a taxi driver who had dropped Bryant off at a home early Sunday morning on Carolyn Street, located off Wallace Road near the North Marietta Parkway and Interstate 75.

The driver had confronted Bryant, whom police said refused to pay for the taxi ride. Police said the driver ran away on foot and hid until Bryant went into the residence.

Police said officers were called to the scene and couldn’t get Bryant to answer the door. Marietta Police SWAT officers were called to the scene around 5 a.m., and discovered that the home was subdivided into apartments with separate entrances, police said.

Police said that all of the occupants of the building were evacuated from by 7:30 a.m. Sunday, and they arrested Bryant after obtaining a search warrant.

Bryant also faces misdemeanor charges of theft of services and marijuana possession, according to his booking report.

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St. Ann to hold Bible series for Catholic and Jewish faiths

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St. Ann to hold Bible series for Catholic and Jewish faiths
Rabbi Albert Slomowitz, Jewish Christian Discovery Center executive director

Submitted information:

The Jewish Christian Discovery Center (JCDC) in Atlanta and the Catholic Church of St. Ann in Marietta are launching a monthly lunch series studying the Bible through interfaith connections. JCDC Executive Director Rabbi Albert Slomovitz and Father J. Eliscar Lamartine will lead participants in exploring biblical passages from both the Jewish and Catholic traditions. Each lunch and learn session will include a reading of scripture with interpretations by both religious leaders. 

The first session will take place on September 29, 12:00-1:30pm in the Donnellan Room at St. Ann’s. Both Rabbi Slomovitz and Father Lamartine will host the lunch & learns on Mondays during the next ten months. 

The goal is to foster friendship between the two communities, promote mutual understanding, and remind everyone that people of different faiths are often more alike than different. Together, they will engage in respectful, nonjudgmental dialogue that honors differences while celebrating shared values.

“What better way can there be to read the scriptures together in friendship and respect,” Rabbi Slomovitz said. “Each month I will sit alongside my friend Father Lamartine and read some of the Bible with him. Then we get to explain our perspectives with a Jewish and Catholic audience.”

The lunch & learn series reflects one of former Pope Francis’s teachings, “Let the Church always be a place of mercy and hope, where everyone is welcomed, loved and forgiven.” 

JCDC and St. Ann’s have worked together on many projects in the past five years including the annual blessing of Christmas trees after Thanksgiving, the J Star Christmas campaign, and Breaking Badness Choosing Goodness Easter and Passover prayer service. JCDC is a non-profit educational foundation whose mission is to reduce antisemitism and other forms of intolerance. It publishes children’s books in English and Spanish about Judaism and Jesus’ Jewish life. It produced the award-winning film, “The Magical Encounter.” 

For more information, click here. To register, click here.

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Editor’s Note: Slide into fall and support East Cobb News!

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Editor’s Note: Slide into fall and support East Cobb News!

About this time a year ago, I took the above photo at East Cobb Park while taking a break on a fantastic day.

It’s a signal that my favorite time of the year is just around the corner.

The autumnal equinox also means it’s fall break for school families in Cobb County, and a good time for all of us in the community to take a bit of a breather and enjoy our gorgeous surroundings! We are truly blessed with natural beauty that lasts year-round.

We’ve had a busy couple weeks here in East Cobb news-wise, and last week was no exception, with the Charlie Kirk vigil, among other headlines.

I’ll be honest—it was a contentious and trying week covering all of this, and I’m taking stock a little bit here as we start the week before digging into more news for you.

We do appreciate our readers, and I was delighted to get positive comments from readers who thanked us for this and other coverage of what goes on in East Cobb. It’s our passion and joy to do this, even when the headlines can be challenging.

We’ve become a go-to source for all kinds of news that offers more than a glimpse of what’s happening in East Cobb—they reveal quite a bit about what makes this community tick.

Local business advertising is how we pay most of the bills at East Cobb News, but all news outlets, including those that are much bigger, also ask their readers for support.

Please donate today!

But unlike some of our competitors, we don’t hide our reporting behind a paywall.

We believe high-quality local journalism is the bedrock of a healthy community, and it should be available to everyone, regardless of a person’s current financial situation.

In order to keep local news free, however, we need your help.

You rely on us to stay informed and we depend on you to make our work possible.

We’re asking our readers to help support us financially, but it’s entirely voluntarily.

If you value what you get from East Cobb News—what we post every day to our site, as well as our weekly newsletter, and our connections with readers and community on social media–please consider making a financial donation today.

At East Cobb News—where nobody else does what we do, every day—we’ve built an engaged audience that comes to rely on what we do every day.

We’ve been at this since 2017, and we intend on staying at it for a long time to come—giving you the local news that you love, and that makes a difference in this community.

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With our growth has come some additional costs, and while we’re thrifty, we have bills that come due every month.

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Put a better way, here’s how to think about what you can do to help us out:

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Please consider making a donation today! Thank you!

 

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