East Cobb early voting guide for the 2026 primary elections

April 25, 2026 by Wendy Parker

From April 27-May 15, Cobb voters can cast their ballots in person in advance of the May 19 primary elections.

On the ballot will be a variety of local, state and federal offices, ranging from county commissioner and school board to the Georgia legislature, governor and U.S. Congress, as well as judicial offices (more details below).

Voters must choose to vote in one of the following primaries: Democratic, Republican or non-partisan; no switching over is allowed.

Early voting locations will be set up around the county. Absentee ballots also can be mailed or dropped off at select locations during this period.

The Cobb Board of Elections and Cobb GIS are providing an estimated wait-time map that will be updated several times a day during the early voting period.

When, where, how to vote

Early voting will take place at select locations around the county, including the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road) as follows:

April 27-May 1, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May 2, Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May 3, Sunday, 12-5 p.m. (East Cobb Govt. Center)
May 4-8, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May 9, Saturday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
May 10, Sunday, 12-5 p.m. (East Cobb Govt. Center)
May 11-15, Monday-Friday, 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

There is no early voting May 16-18. On election day, May 19, voters will go their assigned precincts.

For more locations for early voting, click here. Cobb voters can cast early ballots at any location in the county regardless of where they live.

Voters must bring a valid photo ID with them to the polls (click here for details).

Absentee ballots must be received in person or by mail at the Cobb Elections office or delivered to a designated drop box by 7 p.m. on May 19, when the polls close for good on election day.

There is an absentee ballot drop box at the East Cobb Government Service Center that is open during early voting hours.

To check your voter registration status, and to get a customized sample ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter Page.

Cobb Elections also has prepared consolidated sample ballots: Democratic | Republican | Non-Partisan

Who/What’s on the ballot?

At the local level, voters in East Cobb will be choosing candidates in a number of races, including the Republican nominee for District 3 on the Board of Commissioners. Four-term incumbent JoAnn Birrell is facing a challenge from first-time candidate Chris Wasserman. Democrat Kevin Redmon awaits in November.

In Post 4 on the Cobb Board of Education, three-term Republican incumbent David Chastain will face either Micheal Garza or Susan McCartney, the Democratic candidates who have qualified.

First-term Democratic incumbent Nichelle Davis is being opposed in Post 6 on the Cobb Board of Education by Jennifer Susko.

East Cobb News has interviewed the candidates in these contested primaries and will be publishing individual stories this week.

The only countywide race on the ballot is Cobb Solicitor General. Democratic incumbent Maria Metzger has a primary opponent in Christopher Futch; no Republican qualified.

There are seven incumbent judges on Cobb Superior Court and Cobb State Court who are running unopposed.

At the state level, crowded primaries are in store for the governor’s race, where incumbent Brian Kemp is term-limited. Other statewide races include lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, the commissioners of agriculture, labor and insurance and state school superintendent.

There are five races for Georgia Public Service Commissioner, and all state legislative seats will be decided in 2026.

In East Cobb, there is only one contested primary for a legislative seat. Democratic incumbent Mary Frances Williams will face Graham Bowers in the District 37 race.

There are contested primaries in both the Democratic and Republican parties in the race to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Barry Loudermilk in the 11th Congressional District that includes most of East Cobb.

Incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff is unopposed in the Democratic primary as he seeks a second term, while there are five candidates seeking the Republican nomination.

There are three contested non-partisan primaries for Georgia Supreme Court Justice and another for Georgia Court of Appeals Justice, as those incumbents are facing opposition.

East Cobb News will have more details about those state and federal races in the coming week as well.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

East Cobb News Explainer: Covering politics and elections

April 25, 2026April 25, 2026 by Wendy Parker

As part of our continuing effort to help the public understand why we do things the way we do, East Cobb News is running a short feature on an occasional basis that will give you a better understanding of what goes behind some of our news coverage.

East Cobb News Explainer: Covering politics and elections — *We won’t tell you whom you should vote for, just how to go about doing it.*

It’s called East Cobb News Explainer, and we started off a couple weeks ago with a look at how we cover reports of crime and publishing mug shots.

With the 2026 election season underway, we thought we’d share our approach to covering politics and elections.

We’re doing it the same way we have from the beginning, giving our readers nuts-and-bolts information on how to vote, what candidates are on the ballot and what the issues are in a particular race.

(Here’s our early voting guide to the primaries that’s a handy-dandy, all-in-one resource.)

What we will never do is tell you whom to vote for—or against.

In the coming weeks, East Cobb News will be publishing candidate profiles in contested races for Cobb commissioner and Cobb school board that voters in East Cobb will be choosing from.

There’s a lot on the line, and some contentious issues that are at the heart of those election battles. We don’t flinch from presenting them to you, and that’s been a hallmark of our political coverage all along.

But at East Cobb News we don’t dwell on the he-said, she-said dynamic that passes for so much media coverage of politics. In the current environment, that’s not very conducive to helping voters understand what’s behind what’s on their ballot.

We have some readers who love the combat-style approach to political coverage—as long as it confirms their priors.

We’re accused all the time of being in one camp or another, because some people just need an enemy to excoriate, and they love to shout from the rooftops that you’ve got to pick a side.

No you don’t. In fact, most people don’t. This is political coverage for normies, not social media-obsessed partisans.

The only “side” we pick at East Cobb News is the civics side. If there’s a need for anything in terms of media coverage of politics, that’s definitely it.

There are times in which we have to shut off social media comments for some our stories because a handful of readers decide to act like children and drive others away.

But for the most part, our readers are pretty grown-up about all this, and we do appreciate that.

We don’t endorse candidates or ballot issues (we even took a pass on the East Cobb cityhood referendum in 2022, although we had some choice commentary after the decisive votes were cast).

We focus on the mechanics of voting—where and how, etc. Especially since the COVID-19 election in 2020, when confusion reigned everywhere, we’ve found that voters just want us to help them figure out how to cast their ballots.

And especially with three weeks of early voting, including weekend voting. You don’t go to your normal polling station then. And the machines have changed. And the electoral maps change.

And of course, the candidates, races and issues are in a constant state of flux. Helping citizens keep up with a dizzying Cobb political scene requires a good bit of purely informative reporting, and that’s how we cover politics and elections at East Cobb News.

So stay tuned for candidate interviews, early voting updates and finally, on May 19, primary election day, with real-time results at your finger tips.

And then for the general election, we’ll rinse and repeat.

Please reach out to us to explain how we give you East Cobb News. E-mail us at editor@eastcobbnews.com.

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb commissioners set to vote on 2028 SPLOST project list

April 25, 2026April 25, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Cobb commissioners set to vote on 2028 SPLOST project list

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday is scheduled to finalize the project list for the proposed 2028 Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax extension.

The project list that’s on the agenda for Tuesday night’s meeting (you can read it here) totals more than $794 million in county government construction and maintenance projects.

That includes reducing the cost of the proposed relocation of the East Cobb Library from $25 million to $20 million to finance other projects in the East Cobb area, as well as a major expansion of the Tim D. Lee Senior Center.

The proposed Cobb SPLOST extension includes $1.15 billion for a variety of construction and maintenance projects that include Cobb cities as well.

Commissioners would still have to pass a separate resolution calling for a November referendum for the public to decide whether to extend the one-percent sales tax for a six-year period starting in 2028.

But SPLOST referenda must have detailed project lists before they can proceed.

Earlier this month county officials presented results of an online survey about the 2028 SPLOST, saying that of the 2,088 responses, 84 percent were in favor of renewing the sales tax.

But when breaking down their views of specific projects, only 25 percent said they would support rebuilding the East Cobb Library.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, whose District 3 includes most of East Cobb, wants to take $5 million from the East Cobb Library funding to address flooding problems along Columns Drive, and for general county park upgrades in the district.

Chris Wasserman, her Republican opponent in the upcoming primaries, has been critical of the funding amount of the proposed East Cobb Library rebuild, saying it’s an issue of wants over needs.

The library currently rents space at the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center for more than $400,000 a year. It’s the second-busiest branch in the Cobb library system, and officials have said they need more space.

A relocation site hasn’t been disclosed but county officials have said they’re eyeing existing county property.

The Tim D. Lee Center expansion would cost $8.4 million.

Other big-ticket items on the proposed SPLOST project list include a new $174 million Cobb State Court building, a$130 million in road repaving projects and $60 million for a new infirmary building at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

The Cobb commissioners meeting begins at 7 p.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the county office building at 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta. You can view the full agenda by clicking here.

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

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb Fire Marshal issues burn ban due to drought conditions

April 25, 2026April 24, 2026 by Wendy Parker

A severe drought has resulted in wildfires in South Georgia and has caused haze in some areas of metro Atlanta.

Those conditions prompted the Cobb Fire Marshal on Wednesday to issue an outdoor burning ban “until further notice.”

Cobb Fire and Emergency Services referenced a county ordinance that authorizes the fire marshal “to ban any or all forms of outdoor burning when atmospheric or local conditions make outdoor fires hazardous.

“All outdoor burning is prohibited during this time to help reduce fire risk and to protect our community. We appreciate your cooperation in helping keep Cobb County safe.”

The ban comes a week before the statewide outdoor burning ban that takes place each year from May 1-Sept. 30. During that period, “you may burn limited yard debris such as leaves, pine straw, and small limbs from growth on your property.”

Here are the restrictions for outdoor burning.

The lack of rain has caused wildfires in southern Georgia, which has been under a general burn ban. More than 16,000 acres of have burned and Gov. Brian Kemp issued a state of emergency for that part of the state.

Almost all of Georgia has been experiencing drought in the spring. Rain is in the forecast for Cobb County early next week, as dry, low-humidity weather continues.

State officials predict they’ll be able to contain the south Georgia wildfires by the end of May.

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East Cobb Food Scores: Tacos La Villa; Terikayi Madness; more

April 24, 2026April 24, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Tacos La Villa, 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:

Blackwell Elementary School
3470 Canton Road
April 23, 2026, Score: 100, Grade: A

Blue Moon Pizza
2359 Windy Hill Road, Suite 100
April 20, 2026, Score: 77, Grade: C

Chipotle Mexican Grill
2675 Windy Hill Road
April 21, 2026, Score: 91, Grade: A

Garrison Mill Elementary School
4111 Wesley Chapel Road
April 20, 2026, Score: 99, Grade: A

Jet’s Pizza
2900 Delk Road, Suite 300
April 21, 2026, Score: 100, Grade: A

Little Caesars
2856 Delk Road, Suite 304A
April 17, 2026, Score: 87, Grade: B

Spizzy’s Philadelphia Water Ice
1642 Roswell Road
April 21, 2026, Score: 99, Grade: A

Tacos La Villa
3545 Canton Road, Suite 102
April 23, Score: 94, Grade: A

Rocky Mount Elementary School
2400 Rocky Mountain Road
April 23, 2026, Score: 100, Grade: A

Teriyaki Madness
3000 Windy Hill Road. Suite 180
April 20, 2026, Score: 100, Grade: A

Waffle House
2642 Windy Hill Road
April 20, 2026, Score: 92, Grade: A

Willy’s Mexicana Grill
2900 Delk Road, Suite 8
April 21, 2026, Score: 99, Grade: A

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Proposed Cobb schools FY 2027 budget holds line on raises

April 26, 2026April 24, 2026 by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County School District’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget is tight and lean, reflecting increased costs, lower enrollment and modest tax digest growth.

District officials on Thursday presented a nearly $1.9 billion spending package that doesn’t include employee raises beyond the scheduled step increases.

The budget—which would go into effect on July 1—is based on holding the property tax rate at 18.7 mills and four percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.

The Cobb Board of Education tentatively adopted the budget 7-0 at a voting meeting Thursday night, meaning that the proposal can be legally advertised.

A final budget public forum and formal adoption are scheduled for May 14.

To address the lack of raises in the Fy 2027 proposal, the school board on Thursday voted to to take more than $7 million from its current fund balance to pay for one-time bonuses for non-temporary employees.

Those $2,000 bonuses were approved by the Georgia legislature earlier this year. The total cost to the Cobb school district is around $30 million, with the state providing $22 million in the current fiscal year budget.

District employees getting that bonus will see that in their paychecks by April 30.

At a work session before school board Thursday afternoon, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale admitted that the FY 2027 budget proposal isn’t ideal. But compared to other large districts in metro Atlanta, some of which are proposing to close schools to cut costs, Cobb is in relatively good shape—for now.

“We’re not in a confetti-dropping, champagne-popping situation. But we’re not the alternative either,” he added, calling this a “catch-up” budget following employee raises last year.

Holding the line without raises also is an effort to replenish the district’s general fund balance, which is around $200 million.

Here are links to budget proposal details:

Employees eligible for “STEP” increases as part of their employment contracts will still get those, to the tune of $16 million.

Another line item of $3.5 million will go to hire literacy coaches across the district, but it’s unclear now how that money will be used pending state guidance.

Board members did have questions about some of the line items that were presented Thursday.

They include a reduction of 185 teaching allotment positions due to reduced enrollment and to balance the budget. Ragsdale said no teaching layoffs would occur—the cuts would be made through attrition and reassignments.

Lost positions include some media specialists, with schools being limited to one each.

Losing those allotments will result in a budget decrease of nearly $22 million.

Another line item caught the eye of board member Brad Wheeler—a $275,000 increase in the rent the district pays Kennesaw State University for graduations.

Additional fees and increased staffing charges are the primary reasons for that jump, as well as additional charges when graduations are held on weekends.

Ragsdale had wanted to build a $50 million special events center for graduations and other events, but public pressure prompted the board to cancel that project in 2024.

The increased KSU funding, board member John Cristadoro said, “is not sustainable.”

The budget proposal also includes spending $725,000 to hold a referendum in 2027 to extend the current Cobb Education Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax, which is used to fund school construction and maintenance.

The current Cobb Ed-SPLOST VI will be collected through the end of 2029.

The district also announced that the “rollback” millage rate—what the property tax rate would be if the budget dollar amount was the same as fiscal year 2026—would be 17.69 mills.

But Ragsdale said given the legislature’s appetite for putting a cap on property tax rates, “I won’t be recommending a rollback of the millage rate.

“I have great concern over the funding of public education.”

Cobb homeowners aged 62 and older can file for exemption from school property taxes, but he also said that changes at the state level “could make that exemption go away.”

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Three East Cobb elementary schools to get new principals

April 23, 2026 by Wendy Parker

New principals at two East Cobb elementary schools were appointed for the 2026-27 school year on Thursday, and the retirement of another K-5 principal at a school in East Cobb was announced.

Three East Cobb elementary schools to get new principals — *Dr. Christina Moll*

The Cobb County School District said that Dr. Christina Moll will be the new principal at Addison Elementary School. She is currently an assistant principal at Milford Elementary School in the south Cobb area.

Addison has been led on an interim basis by Brett Ward, a former Cobb elementary school principal, following the resignation of Dr. Jill Spiva. She was arrested for driving under the influence near the Addison campus, and after refusing to take a blood test, Cobb Police got a search warrant from a judge requiring to provide blood.

Moll begins her new post at Addison on June 1.

The new principal at Kincaid Elementary School will be Lauren Rabil, an assistant principal at nearby Keheley Elementary School. Starting July 1, she will succeed Debbie Tennyson, who is retiring after 28 years with the Cobb school district.

Timber Ridge Elementary School principal Shannon McGill will be retiring, effective July 1. She has been at Timber Ridge since 2019 and has more than 30 years of experience as an educator. Her successor is to be named later.

Shannon McGill, Timber Ridge ES principal — *Dr. Shannon McGill*

Former Walton High School principal Dr. Catherine Mallanda also will be retiring. She has been the Cobb school district’s chief academic officer since 2022 after serving as a teacher and administrator at Walton. Mallanda also is a Walton graduate.

Another member of the district’s executive cabinet will be retiring. Dr. Sherri Hill has been the chief of staff since 2023 and has more than 30 years of experience as an educator.

The upcoming graduations in the Cobb school district will be the last for John Stafford, senior executive officer for the district’s events and venue management department.

He is a Walton graduate who has worked for the Cobb school district for 42 years and has been in his current position since 2017.

Stafford previously was an assistant principal at Harrison High School and was also the district’s spokesman in 2017-18.

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Editor’s Note: Support local news that’s from the heart!

April 23, 2026 by Wendy Parker

We’re taking a brief pause during what’s been a super-busy news week, and with plenty more to come with another week left in what’s been a very busy month. Editor's Note: Support local news that comes from the heart!

It’s been a strong one from what our traffic numbers tell us, and the reader feedback we get. We keep hearing from many of you how important East Cobb News is for you, and we’re delighted to hear it.

With primary elections coming up, we’re preparing in-depth coverage about the candidates you’ll be choosing to represent you at the local level.

It’s part of what we do every day, and have done every day, since East Cobb News began publishing nearly nine years ago.

In April, we’ve really been knocking out exclusive, breaking coverage that has other outlets chasing us. Readers tip us off about what’s happening because they know we’re trustworthy, credible and accessible.

We’re absolutely reader focused, and East Cobb News asks for reader donations to help us to keep giving you the local news that you love.

But we would love to have the support of more of you than we do.

We’ve set up a safe, secure and easy online payment system via Press Patron, which helps local independent online with basic business expenses. They share our passion for local news and want to help small local news businesses like East Cobb News make a go of a tough media environment.

It’s not getting easier, and while East Cobb News is a thrifty operation, our business costs are going up.

We get our payout from Press Patron by the calendar month, and we’d like to close out April with a strong response from our readers. You’ve told us how much you value East Cobb News, and here’s your chance to show that support with a donation today.

Here are some suggested levels of support:

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We do this for our readers without a paywall. We make it easy for you to find out what’s going on, so you can get on with other things.

Whether it’s stories featuring our original reporting, or others in our community passing along news about local events and activities, East Cobb News is devoted to what’s valued the most by readers here.

It’s our stock-in-trade, and for eight-plus years we’ve been building that community trust, one story at a time.

We do this without charging readers, because we believe reliable local news should be accessible to all.

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It’s our passion and our pride to give you the local news that makes a difference in this community.

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Thank you East Cobb! And long live local news! Today and every day!

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Brothers held without bond for assault at East Cobb home

April 23, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Two brothers are being held without bond after they got into a physical altercation Wednesday in front of a home in an East Cobb neighborhood.

Warrants for Franklin Dayne Hudson, 33, and Kyle Robert Hudson, 30, said they have been charged with felony counts of aggravated assault, and misdemeanor charges of fighting in a public place and criminal trespass.

The warrants state that the incident took place Wednesday morning at a home on Ridgetree Drive in the Sentinel Lake subdivision.

Franklin Hudson is accused of hitting his brother’s motorcycle with a baseball bat after a verbal argument about money, and then throwing the bat in Kyle Hudson’s direction, according to the warrants.

Kyle Hudson is accused of throwing a crowbar at Franklin Hudson, and his vehicle.

The warrants state that “the situation escalated and got physical. The Physical altercation happened on the roadway” in front of the Ridgetree Lane home.

The warrants said the motorcycle’s tail lights and exhausts were damaged in the incident.

Both men were booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Wednesday night, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

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East Cobb man’s bid for child’s emotional support pony nixed

April 23, 2026April 23, 2026 by Wendy Parker

An East Cobb father who had been keeping a Shetland pony in the yard of his rented home was denied a request this week to let it stay there.

The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday voted to deny a request by Timothy Terranova to keep the 300-pound pony at a residence in the Heritage Glen Drive subdivision.

That’s because it violates the Cobb code mandating that livestock animals can be kept on properties of at least two acres. Terranova was seeking a waiver from that requirement.

The home where Terranova and his daughter live is at the end of a cul-de-sac on Heritage Glen Drive, on a lot that’s a half-acre.

Terranova said he got the animal, named “Dark Chocolate,” as an emotional support animal for his daughter after a divorce, when she was five, and while they were living elsewhere in Cobb County on a 10-acre lot.

The girl is now nearly 10, but Terranova, who has sole custody of her, said he “lost everything” in the divorce, and had to relocate.

He said at the zoning hearing Tuesday that the pony has helped his daughter reduce her anxiety over the situation. Dark Chocolate is registered as an emotional support animal, he said, adding that he built a stable and fencing on the property for the pony, which neighbors said he also walks around the neighborhood.

Neighbors contacted Cobb Code Enforcement, which issued citations in October for that and other issues on the property, including scattered debris.

And the East Cobb Civic Association led the objections at the hearing. President Richard Grome said allowing a pony on a lot less than two acres at a home zoned for single-family residential would set “a far-reaching precedent.”

He said there are several boarding and riding stables in East Cobb, including the nearby Sunnybrook Stables off Roswell Road.

A Heritage Glen neighbor, Michele Smith, said she was concerned about the welfare of the animal, saying that Terranova shoots off fireworks on his property.

The Cobb Zoning Division recommended denial of the request, for the lot-size minimum and because the home is located in an area close to other neighborhoods.

When Commissioner JoAnn Birrell asked Terranova if he knew he was improperly keeping the pony, Terranova said he didn’t think so, because he was looking for a home to rent near his daughter’s school and that “had a lot large enough for the pony.”

He said that after living in apartments, he moved to East Cobb and wanted to provide “something joyful to be around” that “my daughter and I can look forward to each day.”

Birrell said “this would set a precedent for others” and made a motion to deny the request, which passed 5-0.

“It’s really not appropriate” to have a pony in such a setting, she said. Terranova will have 90 days to relocate the animal.

“I commend your consideration of your daughter during a very difficult time,” Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid told Terranova.

“A lot parents like myself would see this as an heroic effort to meet the needs of your daughter.”

However, she said, the code issues are significant, and what Cobb allows for livestock animals is similar to other jurisdictions in metro Atlanta.

*Tim Teranova constructed fencing for the pony to roam in the yard.*

Small Sliders teams with PORCH Marietta for hunger relief

April 23, 2026April 23, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Small Sliders teams with PORCH Marietta for hunger relief

Submitted information and photo:

PORCH Marietta was recently named “Smalls Town Hero” by new Marietta restaurant, Smalls Sliders. The fast-growing slider brand opened its 50th location at 2355 Windy Hill Road on April 14. At the ribbon cutting, the owners showed their community spirit by presenting a check for $1000 to grassroots nonprofit PORCH Marietta. PORCH runs monthly food drives in 50+ neighborhoods across Marietta and purchases additional groceries like milk and eggs with financial donations. They deliver the food to 15 Marietta food pantries, schools, and organizations, helping them serve families needing assistance.

At the end of the school year, many families will have already spent their tax refunds and will be looking for extra help to compensate for the lack of school breakfast and lunch over the summer. Using Smalls Sliders’ funding, PORCH Marietta will purchase extra groceries for local pantries to ensure families have enough to feed their children until school starts again.

According to Smalls Sliders owner Rocky Moore, partnering with PORCH Marietta “makes all the sense in the world because it’s a grassroots group that feeds the local community. We’re a restaurant. We serve food. This is a group that we can partner with long term. Not only give a check, but stay in contact with and, frankly, grow with. A lot of businesses can give a check to charities, but we want to help in a number of different ways.”

PORCH Communities was started in 2010 in Chapel Hill, and there are now 75 chapters in 15 states. serving their local communities. PORCH chapters have gathered and distributed more than $17 million worth of food to neighbors in need. The PORCH Marietta chapter was founded in February 2022.

Contributing non-perishable food to local food pantries on a monthly basis is the flagship program of PORCH Marietta. To date, PORCH Marietta has donated over 185,000 pounds of food to these pantries. They collect food via monthly neighborhood food drives, based on customized wish lists from the pantries. Neighbors put the requested groceries out on their porch and volunteers pick up and deliver it to the pantries. To add your neighborhood to the team, contact marietta@porchcommunities.org.

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‘Les Misérables’ staged at Pope Theatre for final weekend

April 22, 2026 by Wendy Parker

'Les Misérables' staged at Pope Theatre for final weekend

Submitted information:

The Broadway hit “Les Misérables—School Edition” will be staged three final times at Pope’s Performing Arts Center, giving local audiences a last chance to see the globally acclaimed musical production.

When:

Friday, April 24, 7 pm

Saturday, April 25, 2 pm

Saturday, April 25, 7pm

In addition to the rarity of a high school theater producing Les Misérables, five students from nearby feeder schools, Hightower Trail and Dodgen middle schools, also take on roles in the production.

“On the artistic side, I find the themes of forgiveness and mercy vs justice compelling. The musical explores seeking the balance between the two,” said Pope’s Theatre Director Rachel Jones.

Buy your ticket today to see the performance: https://gofan.co/app/school/GA5246_15

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Woman charged with prostitution and bribery near Wheeler HS

April 22, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Cobb Police on Monday arrested a woman for prostitution near Wheeler High School and also charged her with two counts of bribery for offering officers sexual favors in exchange for releasing her.

According to an arrest warrant, Zulibeth Sarai Worsley, with an address listed at Harold Dean Drive in Northeast Cobb, was walking northbound along Holt Road near the Wheeler campus around 8:20 a.m. on Monday with a “lewd appearance,” topless and with her pants partially down, exposing her breasts and buttocks.

When Cobb Police arrived, officers said she told them she was “offering services to get money for a place to stay and that it was legal for her to do so.”

After she was charged with prostitution, according to the warrant, the woman said she told the officers she would perform oral sex for them if they let her go.

Worsley was charged with misdemeanor counts of prostitution and public indecency and two felony counts of bribery offering benefit to a representative of state or political subdivision.

She was taken into custody at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center later Monday and remains there on a $3,520 bond, according to her Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking report.

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East Cobb students earn corporate National Merit Scholarships

April 22, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Four students from East Cobb have been named recipients of corporate-sp0nsored National Merit Scholarships.

They were among the high school seniors who will receive scholarships financed by about 115 corporations, company foundations, and other business organizations.

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation said Wednesday that students were selected from the finalist level in the NMS competition and met criteria of their scholarship sponsors.

“Corporate sponsors provide National Merit Scholarships for Finalists who are children of their employees, who are residents of communities the company serves, or who plan to pursue college majors or careers the sponsor wishes to encourage,” NMSC said in a release.

Most of the scholarship awards are annual stipends that range from $1,000 to $10,000 per year for undergraduate study. Recipients can use their awards at any regionally accredited U.S. college or university of their choice.

More information about the National Merit Scholarship program can be found at this link.

- Krishna Anand, Campbell High School. Probable career field: Economics (Truist Financial Corporation)
- Ritvik Ranjan, Wheeler High School. Probable career field: Mathematics (Truist Financial Corporation)
- Jerry T. Xu, Walton High School. Probable career field: Law (State Farm Companies Foundation)
- April Zhang, The Westminster Schools. Probable career field: Law (Truist Financial Corporation).

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Woman seriously injured in pedestrian crash at Brumby ES

April 25, 2026April 22, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Updated, 10 a.m. Friday:

Cobb County School District Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said Thursday night the crash victim is recovering, but “it’s a long road to recovery.”

He said during a Cobb Board of Education meeting that it’s a “miracle” and that the woman “has a long road ahead.”

Updated, 3:50 p.m. Wednesday:

Cobb Police said Wednesday that a 35-year-0ld woman suffered serious injuries this morning when she was hit by a vehicle in the drop-off line at Brumby Elementary School.

Sgt. Eric Smith said that the woman was struck around 8 a.m. by a 2017 gray Chrysler Pacifica that was being operated by a 13-year-old juvenile female.

The Cobb County School District told East Cobb News earlier Wednesday that the victim was “tragically struck by their own vehicle.”

The vehicle also included a 4-year-old boy and a 3-year-old girl, Smith added. Police didn’t say why the woman was out of the car, or why the 13-year-old was behind the driver’s wheel.

Police said that the “vehicle accelerated, and the front of the Chrysler collided with the woman and came to a final rest on top of her.”

Smith said the Chrysler then went into reverse, still in the drop-off lane, and crashed into a silver 2020 Chevrolet Equinox that was parked and unoccupied.

Smith said the woman who was hit by the Chrysler was taken to a hospital and that the collision remains under investigation. Anyone with information is asked to contact Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.

UPDATED, 10:30 A.M.:

The Cobb County School District said that the pedestrian involved in the crash was an adult who during the school drop-off period was “tragically struck by their own vehicle. First responders arrived quickly to provide care, and school will continue on a normal schedule today.”

ORIGINAL REPORT, 8:59 A.M.:

Cobb Police and emergency services personnel are at Brumby Elementary School Wednesday morning following a pedestrian crash in the area.

A reader dropping off someone at the adjacent East Cobb Middle School on Terrell Mill Road told East Cobb News he noticed multiple police cars and two ambulances at Brumby around 8:15 a.m.

Cobb Police Sgt. Eric Smith told East Cobb News that that “our STEP Unit has been activated to conduct the investigation. We will be able to provide more information once they have had an opportunity to complete their preliminary investigation.”

This story will be updated.

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Cobb shoots down Walmart drone kiosk for East Cobb store

April 21, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Cobb shoots down Walmart drone service for East Cobb store — *“This is a defining choice for East Cobb,” said Breckenridge resident Jackie Ellis (at microphone).*

The Cobb Board of Commissioners turned down two requests by Walmart to build drone kiosks for delivery services on Tuesday.

They would have been the first such kiosks in Cobb County for the national retailer, which has several others in metro area.

More than 50 people turned out for a zoning hearing to oppose a kiosk at the East Cobb Walmart on Johnson Ferry Road, and many of them live adjacent to the store.

They said the issue isn’t over whether Walmart should operate drones, but rather is a land-use issue.

In requesting a site-plan amendment to a 2005 zoning approval for the Johnson Ferry Road store, Walmart proposed taking out 28 parking spaces for a fenced-in kiosk to accommodate 18 drones.

The drones would travel at 60 mph at a height of 150 feet until reaching the delivery point, then would drop to around 20 feet to a driveway or yard.

By a 5-0 vote, however, commissioners concurred that while the issue of drones for commercial use is evolving, the specific locations are not ideal for that purpose.

“We do look at each case individually, said Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, whose District 3 includes East Cobb, and who held up papers indicating nearly 100 e-mails and other messages opposing the kiosk.

“This location isn’t conducive to this service.”

District 4 Commissioner Monique Sheffield echoed those remarks in moving to reject a Walmart drone kiosk on Barrett Parkway later in the meeting.

Residents said that locating the kiosks in heavily residential neighborhoods would set a bad precedent.

Jackie Ellis, who lives in the Breckenridge subdivision right behind the East Cobb Walmart, said a drone kiosk there could dramatically alter the residential fabric of the community.

“This is a defining choice for East Cobb.” said Ellis, who was surrounded by several other nearby residents, warning that approving a kiosk would turn the community into an “unregulated test bug” for a commercial service that is in its early stages.

*WING’s presentation stressed the consumer convenience of its drone delivery service to Cobb commissioners.*

Walmart has been working with the drone delivery service WING. Its proposal stated that Walmart deliveries would be provided only during daytime hours.

During a presentation at Tuesday’s hearing a WING representative said the noise levels coming from a drone would be between a regular car and a delivery vehicle.

The delivery parcels—between 5 and 10 pounds—also would be delivered only to single-family homes.

But Ellis and other opponents, including the East Cobb Civic Association, said granting Walmart permission to add drones would open the floodgates for other retailers to do the same.

She said it could pave the way for “a drone highway 150 feet over our heads. The technology is impressive, but it is not infallible.”

The Cobb Zoning Division recommended denial of both drone kiosk applications as land-use matters.

Cobb Commission Chairwoman called the kiosk cases “a novel matter for us to consider as a board.”

She said she wanted to be open to the idea of having drone delivery services but pointed to the neighborhood concerns.

More than a dozen East Cobb communities, or around 400 households, received notices about the Walmart plans because they live within 1,000 feet of the proposed kiosk.

(The notified neighborhoods include Shallowford Pointe, Alpine Lakes, Byrons Pond, Havencroft, Clary Lakes, Mountain Creek, Garden Gate on Lassiter, Waterfront, Yorktown, Chimney Lakes, Westfield, Marlanta, Childers Walk, Coventry Green and residents of homes on Freeman Road and Childers Road.)

Cupid said that she asked WING and Walmart to meet with the community, but there hadn’t been any dialogue.

“A denial today for this doesn’t mean a denial” for another location, she added, saying that this county “continues to evolve” when it comes to business and technological innovation.

But Cupid also admitted that “we haven’t even discussed what a highway in the sky looks like.”

*Commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Monique Sheffield made motions to reject Walmart site-plan requests for drone kiosks.*

GBI: Cobb Police kill murder suspect after officer shooting

April 22, 2026April 21, 2026 by Wendy Parker

Updated, 10: 45 a.m. Wednesday:

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation said Wednesday that Cobb Police shot and killed a man who led them on a manhunt Tuesday after they tried to serve him with an arrest warrant for murder.

The GBI said in a release Wednesday that Damian Strozier, 31, was located by Cobb SWAT officers around 7:40 p.m. Tuesday in the woods behind an apartment complex on Leland Drive near Windy Hill Road and Interstate 75, not far from the site of the initial confrontation.

The GBI said that several officers shot at Strozier, “hitting him multiple times. Strozier was pronounced dead on scene.”

Strozier had been wanted by Atlanta Police for hitting a female pedestrian with a motor scooter last month and who later died at a hospital.

Cobb Police were trying to serve the warrant Tuesday morning when they said Strozier aimed a gun at them, and an offer shot at him in response.

Strozier managed to flee the scene on foot, and police issued a warning to the public and blocked off the area for several hours.

Police said no officers were injured.

The GBI said it will conduct a full investigation into the incident, since it is officer-involved, and turn its report over to the Cobb District Attorney for review.

Updated 10:15 pm Tuesday:

Cobb Police said Tuesday night that the suspect has been “located” and there is no longer a threat to the public, but they offered no further details.

UPDATED REPORT:

Cobb Police have identified the fugitive suspect as Damian Strozier, 31, and issued a mug shot as they continue their manhunt for him.

He is wanted for murder and likely escaped on foot after officers tried to serve a warrant in the area of Leland Road and Windy Hill Road.

Police said the suspect pointed his gun at an officer, who shot at him.

Strozier is described by police as a black male, 5-foot-6 and 135 pounds.

Police said Strozier “should be considered armed and dangerous. If you see this individual, do not approach. Call 911 immediately.”

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Cobb Police said Tuesday afternoon that a suspect they tried to serve with a murder warrant got away after an officer shot at him in the Windy Hill Road area near Interstate 75.

Police said that the suspect, who was not identified, fled on foot around 1 p.m. in the area of Leland Road and Windy Hill Road after an armed confrontation.

In a social media posting, Cobb Police said that the suspect pointed his weapon at an officer, who returned fire.

But the suspect got away, and “there is a significant law enforcement presence to locate him. No officers were injured.”

Police are asking the public to avoid the area and to seek alternate traffic routes. Anyone with information about the incident or who sees “suspicious persons or activity” in the area is asked to call Cobb County 911.

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Cobb school district proposes FY 2027 budget nearing $1.9B

April 21, 2026April 21, 2026 by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Education will hold the first of its required public forums on the proposed fiscal year 2027 budget on Thursday.

But there isn’t a budget proposal for the public to peruse just yet.

That’s because the Cobb County School District waits until the day of that first forum—typically only a few hours ahead of time—to lay out the budget proposal to the school board and the public.

On Tuesday, the district released its agendas for Thursday’s public meetings—a work session at 2 p.m., followed by the budget forum at 6:30 p.m. and a voting meeting at 7 p.m.—but with no budget details (you can read them here).

According to an agenda item, the district is proposing a budget of $ 1.881 billion, a slight increase from the approved FY 2026 budget of $1.8 billion.

Anticipated revenues would come to $ 1.869 billion, leaving a projected deficit of nearly $12 million.

The board will be asked Thursday for “tentative approval” of the budget, which is required for the district to publicly advertise it during the budget process; formal adoption is scheduled for May.

The fiscal year budget begins on July 1. Last month, the Cobb chief tax appraiser predicted the county’s tax digest to grow by 4 percent, a figure that is not finalized until July.

The agenda for Thursday’s meetings also indicate that the board will be asked to approve “an estimated rollback millage rate,” but there is no figure indicated about the property tax rate that will be sought for the school district.

The FY 2026 budget was adopted along with a millage rate of 18.7 mills and is typically the largest portion of a property tax bill.

The district has set up a landing page for the FY 2027 budget process that can be found at this link; budget details will be added there after they are presented at the work session Thursday.

The board also will be asked to amend the current budget to factor in $2,000 one-time bonuses for non-temporary employees that were approved by the Georgia General Assembly. According to an agenda item, the cost for the Cobb school district bonuses will come to $30 million, with $22.7 million coming from state funds.

In another agenda item, the board will be asked to provide a $50,000 loan for band uniforms for Sprayberry High School. and that would be repaid over five years.

The district also is asking for $308,798 in funding for the purchase of seven vehicles for the district’s police department.

At the evening voting meeting, recognitions will include the Wheeler High School boys basketball state championship team.

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.

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5 East Cobb voting locations could change for 2026 elections

April 21, 2026April 21, 2026 by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration will be asked to relocate 13 polling stations for the rest of the 2026 election cycle, include five in East Cobb. 5 East Cobb voting locations could change for 2026 elections

The board will meet on Monday at 6 p.m. in a special-called meeting to consider the requests.

There isn’t a published agenda yet, but the Cobb Elections office has posted on social media the precinct locations it wants to change, starting with the May 19 primaries.

They include the following precincts in East Cobb:

Bells Ferry 02: From Christ Worship Church to Kulture Event Center (2932 Canton Road, Suite 290);
Eastside 02: Fron Eastside Baptist Church to the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road);
Elizabeth 02: From Covenant Presbyterian Church to Crossview Baptist Church (11oo Piedmont Road);
Hightower o1: From Shallowford Church to Chestnut Ridge Christian Church (2663 Johnson Ferry Road);
Willeo 01: From Cobb Community Church to Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church (4495 Sandy Plains Road).

Cobb Elections said that any individuals objecting to the changes can state them verbally or in writing at the meeting, which takes place in the second floor board room of the Cobb Government Office Building (100 Cherokee St., Marietta).

“If no objection is made, the Board will adopt this change at that time,” according to the public notices.

The adopted, the changes would go into affect on Tuesday, April 28. They would not affect early voting for the primaries that begin on Monday, April 27 at select locations in Cobb.

The new locations would be used for the primaries and any runoffs, as well as the November general election and runoffs, but only on an election-day basis.

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Suspect arrested for trying to run down Cobb Police officer

April 20, 2026April 20, 2026 by Wendy Parker

An update to a story we posted last week:

Cobb Police said Monday they’ve arrested a man they say tried to run down an officer on Terrell Mill Road, and who fled the scene after an officer shot at his vehicle.

Sgt. Eric Smith said that Quartavious Z. Greene, 40, who has an East Cobb address, is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.

According to his booking report, Greene was taken into custody on Thursday.

He is charged with felony counts of aggravated assault on an officer, two counts of interference with government property and misdemeanor counts of willful obstruction of a law enforcement officer and improper stopping on a roadway.

Police said that officers were called to the intersection of Terrell Mill Road and Brookview Drive—the entrance to the Terrell Mill Estates subdivision—around 5:45 a.m. on Sunday, April 12, in response to to a report of a driver asleep in a black Mercedes SUV.

Greene’s arrest warrant stated that the vehicle “was stopped long enough to raise the concern of a nearby citizen prompting them to call 911.”

When they arrived, officers saw a driver asleep inside the vehicle, according to police, and they placed a patrol car in front of the Mercedes, which was flanked at the back by a parked fire truck.

But police said that as officers woke up the driver, he refused to follow repeated commands to come out of the Mercedes.

According to the warrant, the suspect “reversed his vehicle into a parked firetruck before accelerating it towards” one of the officers “in a manner which was likely to or could actually result in serious bodily injury or death.”

Police said in their release last week that an officer fired at the vehicle, and it was unclear whether the suspect had been hit.

Greene’s warrant states that the Mercedes struck a police car as it fled the scene. Officers followed on a brief pursuit southbound on Terrell Mill Road, but they lost contact.

Smith said Monday that the incident remains under investigation by the Cobb Police Major Crimes Unit and the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, since it involves an officer-involved shooting.

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