Cobb Police Precinct 4 Commander Maj. Batterton retires

Cobb Police Precinct 4 Commander Maj. Batterton retires
Cobb Police Maj. Brian Batterton, retiring Precinct 4 Commander

Maj. Brian Batterton, a 30-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department and the commander of Precinct 4 in East Cobb since 2018, has retired.

Batterton was honored at a special ceremony Wednesday marking his service.

He began his tenure in Precinct 4 in 1995, and has served as a patrol officer, a criminal investigations supervisor and as a training center commander.

Batterton, an East Cobb resident, earned a bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and a juris doctor degree from John Marshall Law School. He also has served in the National Guard in Georgia and Alabama.

After Wednesday’s ceremony, Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said that “throughout his tenure, Maj. Batterton served with professionalism, dedication, and a strong commitment to public safety, leaving a lasting impact on Precinct 4 and the community it serves.

“Congratulations, Maj. Batterton, on your well-earned retirement. You will be greatly missed, and we thank you for your 30 years of service and leadership at Precinct 4.”

The new Precinct 4 commander will be Major Darin Hull, currently the head of the Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit, according to Officer Aaron Wilson, a Cobb Police public information officer.

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Cobb students hold ‘Shop With’ events for holiday gifts

Cobb students hold 'Shop With' events for holiday gifts

Submitted information and photos:

Across Cobb Schools, high school students have partnered with feeder middle and elementary school students to help spread Christmas cheer.

With the help of school counselors and social workers, students were selected to receive gifts based on need. 

Pope’s 18th annual Shop with a Greyhound took center stage at Target, where an eager group of students rushed down the aisles searching for their favorite toys and essential items, such as clothes for the colder months.

More than 200 students from Brumby Elementary School were paired with a Pope student, allowing them to spend $115 on an early Christmas gift.

Over at Kell’s Shop with a Longhorn, students returned from a morning of shopping to help younger students wrap their gifts. 

The school also had stations set up for face painting, ornament decorating, and photos with Santa.

With support from school counselors and social workers, students were selected to participate based on need. High school volunteers helped younger students shop for toys and essential items, including winter clothing, providing meaningful support to families during the holidays., 

Kell High School’s Shop with a Longhorn featured a full day of holiday activities. After returning from a morning of shopping, Kell students helped younger participants wrap their gifts and enjoy festive stations such as face painting, ornament decorating, and photos with Santa.

“The coolest part is that some of our high schoolers were once littles, and now they’re the ones helping — it’s come full circle,” said Ryan Hill, Shop with a Longhorn coordinator.

Additional events included Walton’s Shop with a Raider, Lassiter’s Shop with a Trojan, and Allatoona’s Shop with a Buc, among others held in the weeks leading up to Christmas.

These student-led initiatives often raise thousands of dollars to support fellow Cobb students in need. Beyond the gifts, the events create lasting connections, offering younger students positive role models while giving high schoolers the opportunity to give back and lead by example.

Cobb students hold 'Shop With' events for holiday gifts

Cobb students hold 'Shop With' events for holiday gifts

Cobb students hold 'Shop With' events for holiday gifts

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Cobb Sheriff’s Office brings Santa On Wheels holiday cheer

Cobb Sheriff's Office brings Santa On Wheels holiday cheer
Students pose with Sheriff Owens as Santa Claus and Mrs. Owens as Mrs. Claus during the 2025 Santa on Wheels event.

Submitted information and photos:

On Saturday, Dec. 13, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office (CCSO), in partnership with the Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation, spread holiday cheer to students and families through its annual Santa on Wheels program, also known as “Santa Sobre Ruedas”. This year’s initiative shifted to a school-centered approach, delivering toys to elementary students from feeder schools supporting the Lindley and Floyd Middle Schools in Cobb County.

Throughout the morning, CCSO deputies, civilian staff, volunteers, and community partners distributed more than 2,000 toys, hosted bike raffles, and created festive moments for students and families. Sheriff Craig D. Owens and Mrs. Sharon Owens personally took part in the celebration, serving as Santa and Mrs. Claus, bringing smiles, laughter, and holiday magic to students at both school locations.

Dedicated volunteers and partners from Walmart and the Martin Luther King Jr. Center joined  to ensure a memorable holiday experience for hundreds of families.

“Santa on Wheels is about more than toys — it’s about showing our community that they are seen, valued, and supported,” said Robert Haley, founder and executive director of the Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation. “Because of the generosity of our partners, volunteers, and citizens, we were able to make a meaningful impact on Cobb County families and bring joy to thousands of children this holiday season. We are grateful for everyone who helped make this possible.”

At Floyd Middle School, students added to the festive atmosphere with live performances by the string orchestra and dance team, showcasing their talent and contributing to a joyful, community-centered celebration.

Santa on Wheels remains a cherished CCSO tradition, reflecting the Office’s ongoing commitment to uplifting the community and living out its motto: One Team. One Fight. One Community.

Col. Michael A. Williams helps showcase the toys collected for students.
Walmart volunteers partner with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office to distribute toys at Lindley Middle School.
Bike raffle winners celebrate with Mr. Robert Haley, founder and executive director of the Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation.
Command staff members pose together during the 2025 Santa on Wheels event at Floyd Middle School.
Pictured left to right: Community Volunteer, Major Jacob Huval, Lt. Col. Stacey Bains, and Col. Eric Yeager.
A smiling student takes a ride on the bike she won in the raffle during the 2025 Santa on Wheels celebration.

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East Cobb Food Scores: First Watch; Ted’s; Tijuana Joe’s; more

First Watch East Cobb opening TBA

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

Canton Cook III
2063 Canton Road
Dec. 12, 2025, Score: 74, Grade: C

Chipotle
1298 Powers Ferry Road
Dec. 15, 2025, Score: 88, Grade: B

Domino’s Pizza
1230 Powers Ferry Road
Dec. 12, 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

Dunkin Donuts
2378 Shallowford Road
Dec. 15, 2025, Score: 93, Grade: A

El Huarache Veloz
1157 Roswell Road
Dec. 15, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

First Watch
1080 Johnson Ferry Road
Dec. 16, 2025, Score: 96, Grade: A

Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers
2716 Sandy Plains Road
Dec. 15, 2025, Score: 96, Grade: A

Lucia’s Italian Restaurant
4705 Woodstock Road
Dec. 12, 2025, Score: 79, Grade: C

Marietta Burger Bar
1392 Roswell Road, Suite B
Dec. 12, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

Mazzy’s Sports Bar and Grill
2217 Roswell Road, Suite A-200
Dec. 16, 2025, Score: 73, Grade: C

Parc at Piedmont
999 Hood Road
Dec. 17, 2025, Score: 97, Grade: A

Starbucks
3631 Sandy Plains Road
Dec. 16, 2025, Score: 93, Grade: A

Ted’s Montana Grill
640 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 150
Dec. 16, 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

Tijuana Joe’s Cantina
690 Johnson Ferry Road
Dec. 15, 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

VFW Lodge 2681 Snack Bar
140 Powers Ferry Road
Dec. 12, 2025, Score: 96, Grade: A

Wendy’s
1270 Powers Ferry Road
Dec. 16, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

Zama Mexican Cuisine
2550 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 300
Dec. 17, 2025, Score: 98, Grade: A

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Wheeler HS graduate evacuates after deadly Brown U shooting

Wheeler HS graduate safely flees deadly Brown U shooting

A Wheeler High School graduate safely evacuated the Brown University campus last weekend during a mass shooting that killed two people, both of whom he knew.

Edward Kim, a freshman engineering major at Brown, said in a cable television interview that he got a message from his mother on Saturday afternoon after the shooting on the Ivy League campus in Providence, R.I.

“We felt that the right decision was to leave immediately,” Kim said in an interview with Katy Tur on MS NOW (formerly MSNBC; you can watch the full interview here.)

He was speaking from his home in Marietta, after Brown officials cancelled the rest of the semester and final exams.

Five days later, law enforcement across New England continues searching for the suspect, who is wanted for shooting to death Ella Cook, 19, of Mountain Brook, Ala., and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, an Uzbeki national who attended high school in Midlothian, Va.

Nine other people were shot, with one having been released, one in critical condition and seven others in stable condition.

One of the victims is another Georgia student, Jacob Spears, 18, from Columbia County, who is recoverimg in a hospital.

Authorities in Providence have released footage of the man they say is the suspect, but he has not been identified, and they’re asking for the public’s help in locating him.

Kim attended the Wheeler STEM Magnet school and graduated in May. As a junior, he took part in a student walkout at Wheeler following a deadly shooting at Apalachee High School in Winder.

At Brown, he was friends with Umurzokov, who was aspiring to be a brain surgeon.

Tur asked Kim if he would be reluctant to return to campus if the shooter was still at-large after the holidays: “Absolutely.”

He said a few days before the shooting there was a false alarm that he said students took seriously.

“The fact that we don’t have anybody in custody has brought a lot of fear into Brown students,” Kim said.

Kim said that he thought Umurzokov was from the Atlanta area because he mentioned to him specific MARTA stations, and that he helped him deal with some homesickness by talking about the Georgia Bulldogs.

“I still can’t believe he’s not going to be with us in January when we come back,” Kim said of Umurzokov.

Kim said in the MS NOW interview that he also had an interaction with Cook in August regarding joining a political e-mail list (she was involved with the Brown College Republican group), although he didn’t know her name at the time.

Kim, who supported Democrat Laura Judge in a Cobb Board of Education election in 2024 in Post 5 in East Cobb, also was a youth advisor for U.S. Rep. Rich McCormick, a Georgia Republican, in 2023.

During the Wheeler walkout in September 2024, Kim spoke to the assembled students, saying that “in major moments of national social change, students coming together and speaking about their challenges pushed the needle. Could you imagine how behind Civil Rights would be without the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee or the Southern Christian Leadership Conference? What about the Vietnam War? The movements were fought on college campuses, not the halls of Congress, not the Oval Office.”

On a social media posting, Judge—who’s involved with the gun-control group Moms Demand Action—said Wednesday morning that she had kept in touch with Kim as he started college, and that the tragedy at Brown “just galvanizes me to continue to enact change.

“It feels weird to say that I’m proud of the interview Edward gave, but I also know these stories must be told, so that the memories of Mukhammad Aziz and Ella live on.

“As always, hug your loved ones and continue to fight on. We do not have to live like this.”

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East Cobb County Council PTA ‘Reflections’ winners announced

The East Cobb County Council of PTA has announced its school-level winners in the 2025-26 school year
ECCC PTAReflections program.

The program encourages creative responses to a set theme, through the visual arts, literature, music composition, dance choreography, photography and film production.

This year’s theme was “I Belong!” and included 428 entries from  students at 27 schools in East Cobb.

“This is an incredibly powerful, creative, and empathetic generation which brings us great hope for our future. All entries were thoroughly reviewed by professionals who donated their time and the feedback we heard from them was phenomenal!” the ECCC PTA said in a social media posting.

There will be an awards reception for all recipients on Jan. 26, 2026. The following were the winning individuals, as selected by an ECCC panel of judges. The students listed here will advance to the Georgia PTA competition:

  • Davis ES: Anaiah Anderson; Elle Kronberg
  • Dickerson MS: Tuhina Basu; Iyanshi Dasgupta; Laura Diaz Ossa; Zhiyue Huang; Naya Munoz; Saachi Patel; Shreya Upadhayay
  • Dodgen MS: Sesharaman Krishnan; Neha Murall; Ashana Satish; Ariba Shaban; Ishanvi Sharan; Bella Xie
  • East Cobb MS: Rose Nelson
  • East Side ES: Neil Aki; Avi Desai; Naina Enneti; Kinsley Field; Arjun Kamath; Yewon Kang; Zain Khan; Ramachandra Krishnan; Evan Luo; Akshara Satish
  • Garrison Mill ES: Fianna Boxa; Tharrini Kathamath; Harijaa Ravikumar
  • Hightower Trail MS: Hannah Kleeman; Kennedy Martin; Hugo Sheward Cai; Samaira Singh
  • Kell HS: Jasmine Strahorn
  • Kincaid ES: Kinley Adams; Simonas Jakucevicius; Tiffany Lee; Reese Lindsay; Ryleigh Lindsay
  • Lassiter HS: Tia Douglas; Alex Hood; Riley Hood; Anna Hoover; Sangyethia Joseph; Hanae Miyazawa; Peter Seguin; Zoya Syed; Kaimi Trevison; Chris Wiggins
  • Mabry MS: Kriya Krishnan; Mahitha Naranthren; Medha Vallabhaneni
  • Mt. Bethel ES: Isla Khasat; Maxwell Knight; Alexander Sun; Elizabeth Clowe Wright
  • Mountain View ES: Adaella Alben Kezhiyur; Kathryn Cook; Madison Devine; Rian Malde; Emilia Mattox; Adelaide Milton; Abigail Nighman; Ayaan Patel; Wynter Richardson; Roshni Singh
  • Murdock ES: Sam Phillips; Julia Suthar
  • Pope HS: Rachel Pendarvis; Maya Pinto
  • Rocky Mount ES: Addison Aumann; Wyatt Etter; Camryn Girard; Tyson Karamitas; Taft Knudsen; Maggie McMurtagh; Ryla Robbins; Adrika Sarkar; Sutton Seguin
  • Shallowford Falls ES: Celeste Hudek; Aadya Khare; Rose Thomas
  • Simpson MS: Lydia Beamer; Arinjoy Sarkar; Noah Xavier Schaefer-Rodriguez
  • Sope Creek ES: Winnie Adams; Meenatchi Baskar; Swara Dongre; Amulya Ganta; Ayana Mittal; Graydon Moberg; Aayansh Palui; Myra Sural; Rachael Thakare; Akshita Vadodkar; Norah Weatherby; Ayaan Yetta
  • Tritt ES: Sean Berg; Hudsen Cannatella; Matthew Martinez; Piper McClanahan; Tyler Metry; Mara Tomiko
  • Walton HS: Alexis Ahn; Ruby Campbell; Ellery Grant; Talia Munoz; Claudia Rohan; Eric Xu
  • Wheeler HS: Elvira Anggraeni; Tanushri Iyyadurai; Riya Kumar; Charlie Sayler; Alan Sun

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Cobb approves Mt. Bethel Christian Academy expansion plans

Cobb approves Mt. Bethel Christian Academy expansion plans
Mt. Bethel Christian Academy is adding a second access point on Holly Springs Road (at right of map).

The Cobb Board of Commissioners has approved a site plan change for Mt. Bethel Christian Academy to add an access point at its campus on Post Oak Tritt Road.

Commissioners also approved in a 5-0 vote to raise the enrollment cap to 850 students over the next five years as the private school makes plans to move all of its operations there in the next few years.

The school wants to purchase 9.7 acres of land at the northwest corner of Post Oak Tritt and Holly Springs Road, and add a right-in, right-out access point on Holly Springs, to add to nearly 34 acres it owns there.

Currently there are two access points on Post Oak Tritt, near an already-bottlenecked intersection. Local residents opposed to the request said existing traffic issues would grow worse.

Mt. Bethel Christian has an overall enrollment of around 700 students at all grade levels, but is anticipating long-term growth as it consolidates is operations from its original location on Lower Roswell Road.

When commissioners approved a master plan for the school last year, it capped enrollment at 625 students. At Tuesday’s zoning hearing, the school was seeking a cap of 1,100 (you can read the final zoning analysis here).

Dr. Jim Cianca, MBCA Head of School

Mt. Bethel Christian has operated a high school campus there since 2014, with an enrollment of around 200 students, and will be adding middle school grades next year with another estimated 200 students.

The school was started by the former Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church in 1998 but became a separate entity in 2021, right before before the church’s departure from the United Methodist Church. Since then, the academy has leased space from the church for Grades K-8 on its grounds on Lower Roswell Road.

In 2023, Mt. Bethel Church decided to terminate the school’s lease by 2028, prompting the academy to find new facilities. The K-5 enrollment currently is around 300 students.

Neil Dougherty, who lives in the Mabry Manor neighborhood off Holly Springs, said Tuesday traffic is already bad enough with the current school enrollment, and that Cobb DOT has rated the intersection service level as an “F.”

He asked that school expansion be delayed until the improvements are made, and that the school provide bus transportation to alleviate traffic.

“The real issue here is scale, timing and responsibility,” he said, “specifically, whether it makes sense to expand further, before the existing and well-documented traffic problems are fixed.

“There is no funded or approved fix in place. In other words, this intersection is already broken, and there is no clear plan to fix it.

Cobb DOT has held open houses to collect public feedback on the intersection improvements, but hasn’t decided what that might look like. It concluded that a double roundabout, similar to what’s at the entrance of Pope High School, wouldn’t work there.

Robin Washington, a resident of the Hampton Park neighborhood, located off Post Oak Tritt, asked for a delay until February. She said “this is not about opposing the education of young people, this is about ensuring that the school’s long-term success is supported by infrastructure that can safety and sustainably handle the traffic it will generate.”

In her motion to approve the Mt. Bethel Christian request, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell asked that Cobb DOT conduct another signalized traffic study after the first of the year, when classes resume following the holidays.

She also wants the right-out lane on Holly Springs to extend to Post Oak Tritt.

Kevin Moore, Mt. Bethel Christian’s attorney, said the school currently has bus service for the Lower Roswell Road campus, and will continue to do so on Post Oak Tritt, with designated pickup and dropoff spots in the East Cobb area.

Dr. Jim Cianca, Mt. Bethel Christian’s head of school, said the academy needs to know its enrollment cap now so it can begin planning for the lower school relocation “that would allow us to make our 2028 deadline.”

He said next year’s projected enrollment across all grade levels is 750 students, and that the 850 figure is what’s expected in its immediate five-year plan.

Mt. Bethel Christian agreed to a several stipulations, including a right-of-way donation for the Post Oak Tritt-Holly Springs intersection improvements.

The school doesn’t have any plans to develop on the additional property now, but if it wanted to do in the future, it would have to come back to the county.

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Cobb traffic suspect injured by his own gun in police clash

An Atlanta man trying to evade a traffic stop in the Cumberland area last week injured himself with his own gun while being apprehended by police, according to Cobb Police.Northeast Cobb car crash, Cops on Donut Shops

Sgt. Eric Smith said that last Wednesday, Dec. 10, James Lawrence, 22, was charged with aggravated assault on a police officer, among other charges, and he has been in jail ever since.

Smith said that a car in which Lawrence had been riding was pulled over by police near 3101 Cobb Parkway, at the Parkway Pointe shopping center, around 11:14 p.m. Dec. 10, and that he fled on foot into a nearby parking garage.

Police said that as police attempted to arrest the suspect, he was seen fumbling with a firearm, which discharged and struck him. According to Smith, Lawrence was treated for his injuries, but no police officers were harmed.

Lawrence’s booking report indicates that the arrest officially occurred at Wellstar Kennestone Hospital. Police said that he also is charged with possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of a crime, two counts of criminal trespass, willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, possession of marijuana and possession of a firearm by a convicted criminal.

He is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, and also is wanted in Fulton County on outstanding warrants.

According to police, another individual, Aminah Blount, 32, of Atlanta, who was driving a Mercedes involved in the traffic stop, was charged with driving on a suspended license.

A passenger in that vehicle, Tenquantas Smith, 26, of Atlanta, also had outstanding warrants elsewhere, and was charged with attempting to elude a police officer, willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer, possession of a sawed-off weapon and possession of a firearm/knife during the commission of a crime.

Smith is being held without bond in Cobb on holds from DeKalb and Rockdale counties, and Blount posted a $1,650 bond in Cobb on Dec. 11, according to booking reports.

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Tropicups vegan bakery to hold East Cobb grand opening

 Tropicups vegan bakery to hold East Cobb grand opening

Tropicups, a vegan bakery that features scratch items made with no egg, dairy or animal products, will be holding its grand opening on Saturday.

It’s located at 2525 Shallowford Road, Suite 100 (at Steinhauer Road), and the event is from 1-5 p.m. The festivities include free samples, prizes and gift cards and other activities.

The store also offers products without soy, nuts and glutens.

Tropicups is owned by Renee de Gannes Penn, who grew up in the Caribbean and with her family began a vegan lifestyle.

The shop features gourmet cakes and other desserts, including cupcakes, brownies, lemon blueberry bars and muffins.

For more information, visit the store’s website or call 404-868-2877.

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East Cobb real estate: Atlanta magazine home sells for $2M

Tiffany Park, East Cobb real estate sales
Tiffany Park

This week’s featured home sale is in the Tiffany Park neighborhood, once featured in Atlanta magazine, and located near the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

It includes more than 7,600 square feet of space indoors and outdoor amenities including a pool and waterfall on a half-acre lot.

Inside are five bedrooms and six bathrooms, with a two-story foyer, a grand living room with a fireplace, a chef’s kitchen and oversized island, a sitting room with an enclosed porch and hardwood floors throughout.

All bedrooms are ensuite with walk-in closets, and there are two powder rooms and a mudroom, as well as a spacious home office space. Entertainment areas include a stone bar area and family theatre space.

Sales price was $1.975 million. Click the middle button below to see more photos.

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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

1355 Gray Rock Drive, 30066 (Olde Mill Ford): $365,000

4791 Jamerson Forest Circle lot, 30066 (Jamerson Forest): $165,000

Lassiter

3465 Staci Court, 30066 (Swanson Heights): $525,000

3851 Timber Hollow Way, 30062 (The Glenns): $350,000

4887 Raven Way, 30066 (Falcon Crest): $375,000

3870 Sweat Creek Run, 30062 (Highlands at Wesley Chapel West): $1.23 million

Marietta

1410 Gateview Way, 30062 (Stonegate at East Worthington): $455,000

1582 Cambridge Place, 30062 (Cambridge Walk): $440,000

Pope

4780 Waterhaven Bend, 30062 (The Ridge at Easthampton): $1.04 million

2410 Kingsley Drive, 30062 (Newcastle): $1.1 million

2821 Interlaken Drive, 30062 (Alpine Lakes): $729,900

2249 Smoke Stone Circle, 30062 (Chimney Springs): $825,000

2872 Suffolk Court, 30062 (Liberty Ridge): $570,000

4586 Hunting Hound Lane, 30062 (Fox Run): $560,000

16 Alicia Court, 30062 (Heartwood): $535,000

3503 Liberty Ridge Trail, 30062 (Liberty Ridge): $575,000

2993 Byrons Green Court, 30062 (Byrons Pond): $1.696 million

2237 Chadds Creek Drive, 30062 (Chadds Creek): $850,000

4226 Vienna Way, 30062 (Alpine Forest): $600,000

Sprayberry

3601 Canton Road, Unit 82 (The Willows at Chastain): $475,000

2391 Black Oak Drive, 30062 (Bristol Mill): $420,000

2427 Camata Place, 30066 (Hillcrest Oaks): $495,000

3796 Hickory Ridge Court, 30066 (North Ridge): $385,000

144 Vintage Club Circle, Unit 26, 30066 (The Vintage Club): $400,000

2747 Harper Woods Drive, 30062 (Harper Woods): $435,000

Walton

2212 Heritage Trace View, 30062 (Heritage Trace): $496,000

688 Serramonte Drive, 30068 (The Villas at Parkaire): $215,000

1129 Topaz Way, 30068 (Tiffany Park): $1.975 million

3825 Creekview Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills): $875,000

2255 Rushmore Drive, 30062 (Plantation Place): $865,000

Wheeler

450 Somerset Lane, 30067 (Somerset): $835,000

710 Denards Mill, 30067 (Sibley Forest): $965,000

303 Rolling Rock Road, 30067 (Atlanta Country Club): $2.3 million

747 Gardenside Circle, 30067 (Gardenside at Powers Ferry): $430,000

2290 Engineers Drive, 30067 (Red Oak Park): $440,000

2131 Meadowbrook Lane, 30067 (Meadow Brook): $282,000

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East Cobb post office employee charged with stealing mail

East Cobb post office employee charged with stealing mail

Cobb Police have issued arrest warrants for an employee at an East Cobb post office who has been charged with stealing mail.

Police said Friday afternoon that Isis Hinson, 26, of Acworth, is at-large, and is wanted on charges of theft by taking and possession of stolen mail.

Police said Hinson worked at the U.S. Postal Service office at 1395 East Cobb Drive (behind Trader Joe’s) and was the subject of a postal service investigation.

Sgt. Eric Smith of Cobb Police said the investigation revealed that Hinson was stealing greeting cards in particular between Oct. 2 and Dec. 11, with the intent of searching the greeting cards for gift cards and cash.

The investigation began on Oct. 29 after a letter carrier in Acworth reported recovering opened greeting cards from a cluster box, and that the mail had been opened but was not postmarked.

Postal service investigators identified a person in the Acworth vicinity as a suspect and “further investigation confirmed the suspected USPS employee was stealing mail from the post office and using enclosed gift cards for personal benefit,” Smith said.

He added that on Thursday the employee met with USPS special agents, who recovered additional mail, and who accepted the employee’s resignation.

Smith said that “the public is reminded to exercise caution when sending cash or items of monetary value through the mail, especially during the holiday season.

“Anyone who believes they may have been a victim of mail theft is encouraged to contact the United States Postal Service Office of Inspector General (USPS-OIG) Complaint Line at (888) 877-7644.”

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East Cobb father/daughter Christmas display marks 10 years

East Cobb father/daughter Christmas display marks 10 years

Submitted information, photo and video:

Stacy Hagemann moved to East Cobb in the summer of 2015 and has been building her light display with the help of her father Bill ever since. What started as a nice modest display has grown tremendously over the years with Stacy’s “It’s never enough” motto. She likes to joke with her dad, “this is what happens when you don’t let your kids have many holiday lights growing up!”

Each year they offer a different display, always changing things up so it’s always new and exciting every year. This year the duo put the display up in a record 13 days! Scheduling issues on Stacy’s end made it difficult to start as early as they normally do, so it was a lot of very long days. It’s certainly a labor of love for both of them. Stacy said, her dad is truly brilliant in coming up with ways to achieve her ideas. “I have some pretty high (literally) ideas and he does his best to make them happen.”

As they talk to people visiting the display during the season, they see the joy it brings, and they know the reason they keep the display going and growing!

You can visit their home, part of Cobb EMC’s House of Lights – “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year” at 1705 Nordic Trace. There is a Candy Cane Lane to walk the display and photo op at the end with the Grinch and Candy Cane’s for your journey. The display is open daily dusk to 11pm, weather permitting and completely free.

Cobb EMC Voting Link (through Dec 26th) – https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1286249493540804

Top 3 homes will win $500 for charity. The Hagemanns are supporting Cure Childhood Cancer.

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Cobb Stuff-A-Bus collections include East Cobb locations

Cobb Stuff-A-Bus collections include East Cobb locations

Next week Cobb Christmas Inc. and its partners are delivering toys to children in need through its annual Stuff-A-Bus program, and several locations in East Cobb are serving as collection points.

It’s a non-profit that rounds up food and toy donations in a CobbLinc bus that makes designated stops.

Volunteers at these sites gather donations, which are then loaded onto the bus and transported to IAM Local Lodge 709 for distribution to local families.

The East Cobb places where you can drop off donations until then include the following:

  • Dance Stop Studios, 4400 Roswell Road, Suite 128
  • Planet Smoothie, 4805 Canton Road
  • Planet Smoothie, 1050 East Piedmont Road
  • Queen of Hearts Antiques, 2745 Sandy Plains Road

New, unwrapped toys may also be dropped off at IAM Lodge 709, 1032 South Marietta Parkway, Dec. 16-18, from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

More details are included in the graphics below. For further information, e-mail: cobbchristmasinc@gmail.com.

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Men charged in connection with Kell High School vandalism

East Cobb high schools AP honors

Cobb Police have charged two men with breaking into Kell High School and causing several thousands of dollars worth of damage in late November.

A warrant for Micah Peter Zefo, 22, of Acworth says that he and Hunter Bridges, of Marietta, broke into the school in the overnight hours of Nov. 24, and for several hours drove floor scrubbers across the hardwood floors, damaging the machines and newly refinishing flooring.

The warrant said the total of the damages came to nearly $12,000, and that the two men jumped several entrances to gain entry to the football press box and a storage building before entering the main building.

According to a Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking report, Zefo was arrested on Dec. 6 and released the same day on two felony charges of breaking into a vehicle and second-degree criminal property damage and misdemeanor charges of criminal trespass, theft by taking and loiter prowl.

Zefo posted a bond of $16,720 upon his release, the records show. There’s not an arrest report for Bridges, who has been charged with similar offenses.

Zefo’s warrant further states that the men also did damage to a roster board in the main gymnasium, entered a school bus through a roof hatch and tried to get into another bus.

Related:

 

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East Cobb Food Scores: La Madeleine; Mellow Mushroom; more

La Madeleine, 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:

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar
3460 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 110
Dec. 5, 2025, Score: 89, Grade: B

Carlo’s Pizza
1100 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 225
Dec. 11, 2025, Score: 92, Grade: A

Chick-Fil-A
3046 Shallowford Road
Dec. 11, 2025, Score: 99, Grade: A

La Madeleine
4101 Roswell Road, Suite 812
Dec. 8, 2025, Score: 97, Grade: A

Mellow Mushroom
1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 101
Dec. 8, 2025, Score: 89, Grade: B

Nana Thai Eatery
2940 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite C
Dec. 5, 20254, Score: 94, Grade: A

Reveille Cafe
2960 Shallowford Road, Suite 114A
Dec. 5, 2025, Score: 87, Grade: B

Taichi Bubble Tea
2100 Roswell Road, Suite 2148
Dec. 11, 2025, Score: 84, Grade: B

Tandoor Tavern
3045 Gordy Parkway, Suite 108
Dec. 8, 2025, Score: 80, Grade: B

Tokyo Boat
4750 Alabama Road, Suite 101
Dec. 9, 2025, Score: 60, Grade: U

What’s For Lunch?
2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 440
Dec. 11, 2025, Score: 96, Grade: A

Related:

 

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Daniell MS and Tritt ES projects on Cobb school board agenda

Daniell MS and Tritt ES projects on Cobb school board agenda

The Cobb Board of Education will be asked to approve contracts on Thursday for renovation projects at two schools in East Cobb.

According to agenda items, the projects include replacing the annex at Tritt Elementary School at a cost of $7.9 million and making renovations at Daniell Middle School for $1.64 million

They’re among a number of construction projects on Thursday’s meeting agendas.

The board will hold a work session Thursday at 1 p.m., followed by a voting session Thursday at 7 p.m.

All meetings take place in the board room of the Cobb County School District Central Office, at 514 Glover St. in Marietta. An executive session will follow the work session.

The public meetings will be streamed live and you can watch on Comcast Cable or on a livestream on the district’s Boxcast Channel.

You can find agendas for both public meetings by clicking here.

The Tritt project includes demolishing the current 12-classroom annex building and replacing it with an eight-classroom structure. Other work would include a new secure entrance vestibule, roof replacements, mechanical, electrical and fire protection upgrades, restroom renovations and additional parking and a paved fire lane, according to the agenda item.

The recommended bidder is R.K. Redding Construction, Inc. of Bremen and the estimated completion time is July 2027.

The Daniell project includes restroom renovations, roof replacement (annex building only), select door and door hardware replacement, electrical subpanel upgrade, and carpet replacement.

The recommended bidder is FS360, LLC of Atlanta and the project is expected to be completd in July 2026.

Funding for both projects would come from the Cobb Education VI SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax).

The board also will be asked to approve a measure for the CCSD to take out $100 million in construction notes to begin 2026 projects. It’s a short-term loan that’s paid back at the end of the year.

School district officials also will present to the board a number of proposed changes to administrative rules, including a policy to formalize a ban on K-8 student use of personal devices during school hours.

The policy must be in place by January to comply with a new state law, the Distraction-Free Education Act. This summer the district said it would not be providing secure pouches for students to store their devices during the school day, as is done at Marietta City Schools.

The rule change to be presented to the board Thursday states that:

“Students in grades K-8 are not permitted to access personal electronic devices while on school grounds during school hours, including but not limited to cell phones, smartwatches, tablets, e-readers, headphones, earbuds, and other devices with functionalities, such as wireless communication, internet access, messaging, video recording, gaming, social media access, or data transmission during school hours. Any student found in violation of this policy and/or district rules/procedures during the school day shall be subject to progressive 9 discipline consequences as outlined in the Student Code of Conduct.”

The proposal further states that:

“A student whose Individualized Education Plan (IEP), Section 504 Plan, or medical plan explicitly mandates the use of a personal electronic device shall be permitted access to the device as necessary to fulfill the requirements of the respective plan. Parents wishing to reach their child during school hours should contact their child’s school directly.”

Prior to the board’s Thursday night meeting recognitions will include the Walton High School girls volleyball team, which recently won the Georgia High School Association Class 6A state championship.

Heather Mullins, a teacher at Mt. Bethel Elementary School, also will be recognized for earning the 2025-2026 Georgia Council of Teachers of Mathematics Excellence in Teaching Award.

Related:

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East Cobb power outage alert: Lower Roswell/Pinehurst Lane

East Cobb power outage alert: Lower Roswell/Pinehurst Lane

Cobb County government sent out the following message to the public a little after 5:30 p.m. Tuesday:

“Repairs following a construction incident involving an excavator and electric lines will result in a power outage in the Pinehurst Lane/Lower Roswell Road area for the next few hours. Crews were working on Pinehurst Lane when the incident happened.”

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Editor’s Note: Consider making a gift to East Cobb News!

Editor's Note: Consider making a gift to East Cobb News!

We’re coming up on our eighth Christmas season of giving East Cobb News readers community news and information that they can’t get anywhere else.

And we do this without charging the public for any of our stories or content, as well as our newsletter subscriptions.

Why?

Because local news is a vital component of a healthy community, and because we believe it should be accessible to all.

Local business advertising is how we pay most of the bills at East Cobb News, which like our competitors is a for-profit business.

These days, many news outlets, including those that are much bigger, also ask their readers for support.

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.

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

Please donate today!

Help us stuff our stockings early. Donate to ECN today by clicking here!

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

As the holiday season continues, we’d like to ask you to take some time and think about what East Cobb News means to you. We’ve had some great traffic and engagement during the fall, and we’re seeing the same as the year comes to a close.

We know how much you depend on East Cobb News for daily community news and information, but only a small number of readers support us financially.

Our donation amounts are voluntary, and what you pay is up to you. We are suggesting $6 a month on a recurring basis, but you can make an annual or one-time donation in any amount that you choose.

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Before you get too busy with your holiday plans, please consider making a donation today! Thank you!

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Christmas and Menorah lighting events coming up in Cobb

Christmas and Menorah lighting events coming up in Cobb
Chabad of Cobb Rabbi Ephraim Silverman will lead the Menorah lighting festivties at Avenue East Cobb Sunday night.

This weekend’s East Cobb-area events include the Sewell Mill Winter Festival, church festivals and concerts, and Menorah lightings.

Friday, Dec. 12, 5:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST

Christmas at Piedmont Church

Piedmont Church 570 Piedmont Road

Saturday, Dec. 13, 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM EST

Saturday, Dec. 13, 11 am to 2 p.m

Dance Stop Studios Holiday Party and Show

Dance Stop Studios 4400 Roswell Road, Suite 128

Sweets With Santa

Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team, 2249 Sewell Mill Road

December 13, 7:00 PM – 9:00 PM EST

Additional information submitted by Cobb government:

Christmas events continue and families throughout Cobb will break out their candles and menorahs with the beginning of Hanukkah on Sunday, Dec. 14. Upcoming community celebrations include:
  • Saturday, Dec. 13 – Winter Ward-erland – 6 – 9 p.m. at Ward Recreation Center. Take photos with Santa, crafts, snacks, inflatables and more.
  • Saturday, Dec. 13 – Sleighbells on the Square – Jingle all the way through Marietta in this 5K for the Children’s Emergency Fund.
  • Dec. 13 – 14 – Home for the Holidays at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre in Marietta. Performances 7 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday. Tickets available at the door and online.
  • Saturday, Dec. 13 – Toy Swap! Trade up in age and donate gently loved toys you don’t need, 2 – 4 p.m. in the Switzer Library Community Room, Marietta.
  • Sunday, Dec. 14 – Menorah lighting at Vinings Jubilee, 5:30 p.m. Giant Hanukkah snow globe, refreshments, photobooth, DJ, face painting, and balloons. Free admission – RSVP here.
  • Monday, Dec. 15 – Kennesaw kindles the candles on the menorah 6 – 7 p.m. at the Main Street Plaza. Free.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 16 – The Battery Atlanta Chanukah event at 5:30 p.m. Giant LEGO menorah lighting, inflatable sports games, treats, special entertainment, and more. RSVP here.
  • Tuesday, Dec. 16 – Acworth invites the community to Doyal Hill Park for the annual menorah lighting with the Chabad Jewish Center and Mayor Tommy Allegood, 6 – 8 p.m., 4410 Cherokee Street.

Send Us Your News!

Let East Cobb News know what your organization is doing for our community events calendar.

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

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