Cobb Police are searching for a man whom they say robbed a SunTrust Bank Wednesday at Terrell Mill Road and Powers Ferry Road.
The incident happened around 11:20 a.m. Wednesday at the SunTrust branch at 1380 Powers Ferry Road, located near the Terrell Mill Village Shopping Center.
Police say a black male entered the bank and handed a teller a note demanding cash, which he received, and that he left on foot.
There was no vehicle description, but Cobb Police further identified the suspect as being between 20-25 years old and weighing 175-180 pounds. Police said he last seen wearing a black baseball hat, a camouflaged hoodie a black jacket and blue jeans.
Police are asking anyone with information to call 770-499-3945.
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The construction of a double drive-through at the Chick-fil-A Woodlawn Square store in East Cobb was approved at Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners zoning hearing.
The rezoning request was approved 4-0 by the commissioners on their consent agenda. Interplan LLC, which operates the Chick-Fil-A store at 1201 Johnson Ferry Road, wants to reconfigure the parking lot to accommodate the expansion, and needed to convert a parcel of .15 of an acre from community retail to neighborhood shopping (previous East Cobb Newspost here).
The drivethrough plans include a canopy, as shown in the above rendering, the design of which, as well as other architectural renderings, must be approved by District 2 commissioner Bob Ott.
Other conditions include limiting construction vehicles to the Chick-fil-A site, and not allowing them to be parked along Johnson Ferry Road and Woodlawn Parkway while the renovations are in progress.
Commission chairman Mike Boyce recused himself from the vote, saying he frequently attends a men’s group meeting at the Chick-fil-A.
Zoning cases that do not generate opposition are commonly placed on the consent agenda and are voted on collectively.
The commissioners also voted 5-0 to approve a rezoning request by Walton Riverbend (previous East Cobb News post here). The rezoning was necessary for the developer to relocate its headquarters to the 46-acre Walton on the Chattahoochee residential site on Akers Mill Road.
The application is for a master plan for the Walton Riverbend office, as well as stipulations to guide a future mixed-use development that would keep an existing 26-unit residential building, and allow for new office buildings totaling 16,800 square feet.
“The only thing that will be approved today is the moving of the office,” Ott told his colleagues before the vote.
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U.S. Rep. Karen Handel (R-Roswell), who represents East Cobb in the 6th Congressional District of Georgia, was among those lawmakers voting for major tax legislation on Tuesday.
Georgia’s two Republican senators, Johnny Isakson of East Cobb and David Perdue of Macon, voted with the majority in a 51-48 passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act early Wednesday morning.
The $1.5 trillion measure was sent back to the House this morning for a revote because of minor provisions ruled to have violated Senate rules, but passage is expected a second time. The House vote on Tuesday was 227-203, and as in the Senate, went mainly along party lines.
Democrats decried the bill as tax cuts for the wealthy and for major corporate interests that would significantly add to the national debt. Republicans hailed the first major overhaul of the tax code in nearly 30 years as beneficial for job creation and the middle class.
The bill calls for a wide variety of tax cuts for individuals and businesses and eliminates tax deductions in a number of categories. Individual taxpayers will see the doubling of their standard deductions and the doubling of the child tax credit, while general corporate tax rates will be reduced across the board.
On the Senate floor, Isakson said that:
“When you take a risk, at the end of that rainbow is a reward. And in the case of risking lower taxes, the greater reward is more jobs, more opportunity, and a better America for our children and our grandchildren.”
“This is an historic achievement. These changes to the tax code mean greater job opportunities, more capital at work in our economy, and more money back in the pockets of middle-class American families.”
Handel, who was elected in June to succeed Tom Price, issued the following statement after one of her first major votes as a member of Congress:
“This is a historic moment. The provisions of this tax cut bill will be transformative for hardworking American families and American companies, especially our small businesses.
“More than half of Americans currently live paycheck to paycheck. In the end, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act is about letting hardworking Americans keep more of their money. The typical American family of four earning the median family income of $73,000 will see a tax cut of $2,059.”
This bill, which is the result of compromise negotiations between the House and Senate, lowers federal income tax rates for all low and middle-income Americans. It also nearly doubles the standard deduction, increases the Child Tax Credit from $1,000 to $2,000 per child, retains deductibility of up to $10,000 in state and local property taxes, and preserves $750,000 in mortgage interest deduction benefits.
Additionally, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act lowers the corporate tax rate from 35% to 21% – helping put U.S. companies on par with the global averages and their international competitors. America’s current corporate rate is far and away the highest in the industrialized world, as these other nations place – on average – a roughly 22% rate on their corporations.
Most of America’s small businesses will have their rates slashed from the current 40% down to 25%. And each of these entities will be able to fully and immediately deduct investments in equipment and other resources.
“This bill also benefits America’s main street businesses – those small businesses that are the backbone of our economy and job creation. By lowering the small business tax rates, these companies can do what they do best – innovate and grow.”
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East Side Elementary School teacher Leslie Lyiak (center) is receiving a grant for her “Why Math Works” program. (Photos courtesy of Cobb County School District)
Eight East Cobb teachers have been named recipients of the Cobb Schools Foundation IMPACT grants, which are used to enhance classroom learning and other academic purposes.
According to information released Tuesday by the Cobb County School District, the foundation (which is independent from the school system) raised a record $40,000 for the grants, which are based on teacher “wish lists” for programs to help student success.
The money is raised from a variety of sources, including an upcoming fundraiser in January at SunTrust Park, as well as from several foundation partners, including the Cobb EMC Community Foundation, the Atlanta Braves Foundation, Gas South and the Credit Union of Georgia.
Sprayberry High School English Language Learner teacher Stacey Arnett (center) is using her grant to purchase Word-to-Word dictionaries to assist ELL students with test scores and graduation rates.Leigh Anna Engkaninan, who has already introduced chickens to her students at Daniell Middle School, will receive a $1,810 IMPACT grant to expand her teaching about the animals, including the use of a chicken coop.Charmagne Quenan, East Cobb Middle School, is receiving a $1,695 grant for PocketLab Voyager Probes to increase science engagement.Moniquea Willingham of Sedalia Park Elementary School is receiving a grant for her “Park Math Squad” program in the amount of $1,183.39.Kelley Davis of Keheley Elementary School has been awarded a grant of $1,834.94 for “Keheley Needs the Cube!”
Other East Cobb teachers receiving IMPACT grants include Susanne Smith, East Side Elementary School, who is receiving $2,500 for “Picture-Perfect STEM Books” and Debbi Snyder of Kincaid Elementary School, a $900 grant for “Extraordinary Gentlemen.”
A total of 23 teachers in the Cobb school system received IMPACT grants for the coming year.
In addition to the IMPACT grants, the Cobb Schools Foundation, a non-profit, helps raise money for SAT test prep, college scholarships and other academic and school-related programs.
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Sharon Mason of East Cobb has been named president and chief executive officer of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, where she has worked for the past decade, most recently as chief operating officer.
Mason was the unanimous choice of the chamber’s board of directors to succeed another East Cobb resident, David Connell, who is retiring at the end of the year after seven years in the job.
Mason will assume her new duties on Jan. 1, 2018. The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has more than 2,500 members and organizations.
“Sharon Mason is the right person for the job,” Gary Bottoms, chair of the Cobb Chamber Board of Directors, said in a statement. “She inherits a strong chamber and engaged business community. Over the years, she has worked closely with David Connell to create a national reputation for Cobb County and deliver creative solutions to recruit and retain businesses. We are grateful for David’s leadership and his contribution to the growth of our county, and we are excited to embrace Sharon Mason’s vision for the future.”
Among her duties has been helping raise more than $3 million for Cobb’s Competitive Edge, a chamber initiative for job creation that began in 2012. According to the chamber, more than 22,000 new jobs and $2.5 billion in private investment are attributable to the program.
“I am excited and honored to accept the role of President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber,” Mason said in a statement. “I know as a business community we can achieve great things by working together to advance a vibrant economy. It is important that we continue to offer programs and services that are beneficial to our members, while also addressing the education, workforce and business climate needs of our community.”
In addition to her professional endeavors, Mason has been heavily involved in community activities. She is a past president of the Friends for the East Cobb Park and has been on the board of MUST Ministries, as well as a former director of the Marietta Rotary Foundation.
A graduate of Samford University, Mason previously worked for the Birmingham Regional Chamber of Commerce and the American Cancer Society. She and her husband and daughter attend North Point Community Church in Alpharetta.
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A proposal to rezone the Walton on the Chattahoochee residential complex on Akers Mill Road is on the agenda for the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.
The meeting begins at 7 p.m. in the 2nd floor commissioners meeting room at 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.
It’s one of just a few East Cobb cases on the agenda that will be heard after the Cobb Planning Commission voted earlier this month to table or continue two other major applications in the same Powers Ferry corridor.
The planning board voted on Dec. 5 to table the proposed Terrell Mill Towne Center, at the corner of Terrell Mill and Powers Ferry roads, after residents at the adjacent Salem Ridge condominium complex protested (previous East Cobb News story here).
Another residential proposal, to build townhomes at Windy Hill Road and Wildwood Parkway, is being continued after objections from nearby residents.
The Walton on the Chattahoochee rezoning case also drew opposition from residents in nearby condominium communities in the Akers Mill Road corridor, but the Planning Commission voted to recommend approval. Walton Riverbend, the property owner which has its headquarters on the property, wants to convert the 46-acre tract into three office buildings totaling 16,800 square feet and to keep a 26-unit residential building.
The complex was once known as the Riverbend Apartments, and was a trend-setting development for young renters in the 1970s. Now the area is being eyed for more upscale commercial and residential development with the addition of SunTrust Park in the Powers Ferry corridor.
Kevin Moore, Walton Riverbend’s attorney, said at the planning board hearing that there are no other intentions to develop the property. “We want to set this up for the future,” he said.
That open-ended intent bothered residents of nearby communities. Brian Cipriani of the Chattahoochee Trail complex said Walton Riverbend has engaged in “constant misrepresentation about how it’s going to be developed and what’s going to take place.”
Cipriani said that “it’s inconsistent to add office space along the river,” and that he’s not the only homeowner who’s spent money trying to prevent runoff issues.
Planning Commission chairman Mike Terry, who represents the area, said the proposal “truly is a plan for the future” and added that any “trust issues” residents had with the developer are “with what’s gone on in the past.”
Still, the planning board was split 3-2, with Galt Porter and Thea Powell opposed.
Cases that are continued or held will be taken up in February, since Cobb does not conduct zoning hearings in January.
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Engel & Völkers, a real estate brokerage firm with five offices in metro Atlanta, has recently opened at The Avenue East Cobb.
The North Atlanta office is being led by CEO and managing broker Cynthia Lippert, real estate advisor Jaime Turner and qualifying broker Scott Askew. The office also has 14 other real estate advisors who service the East Cobb, Roswell and Sandy Springs areas.
The Engel & Völkers office is located in Suite 200, next to Bed Bath and Beyond, and the phone number is 770-744-3205.
Changes at Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille
Brewster’s Neighborhood Grille, which opened on Canton Road in 1996, is under new ownership. Tommy and MacKenzie Gilbert, doing business as Goodwin Gilbert Inc., are now the proprietors. They received their business license last week and held a party over the weekend for staff and customers to mark the occasion.
The restaurant, located at 3595 Canton Road in the New Chastain Shopping Center, features live music, karaoke, trivia and darts in addition to a sports bar-style menu.
Cobb teacher for a day program
The Cobb Chamber of Commerce is asking for business and community leaders to participate in its Teacher for a Day program during the week of Feb. 5-9, 2018, that include the Cobb and Marietta public schools and post-secondary institutions
The aim is to give participating individuals a first-hand perspective on public education, as they work with a school’s teacher of the year to learn about what schools and teachers face on a daily basis.
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Catch up with top headlines from last week and get a glimpse of what’s to come in this week before Christmas. Click here to read this week’s newsletter.
PLEASE NOTE: We have been having some maintenance issues this weekend that have limited access to East Cobb News. We hope to have these problems resolved by Monday. Thanks for your patience!
The Christmas tree at East Cobb Park will be joined on Sunday by Chabad of Cobb’s coin Menorah in an event that benefits Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
The last weekend of holiday activities before Christmas is busier than usual since some were rescheduled due to the winter storm, and that’s where we’ll lead off in noting East Cobb weekend events over the next few days:
The Empty Bowl Brunch at The Art Place-Mountain View (3330) Sandy Plains Road) was to have taken place last Sunday, but it’s just been moved a week, and at the same time this coming Sunday 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. as the original schedule. The cost is also the same; a $15 ticket gets you a handmade soup bowl to fill as often as you like, with the proceeds benefitting MUST Ministries;
Another delayed event is the final local holiday market of the season. The St. Nicholas Holiday Market goes from 12-4 on Sunday at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church (3431 Trickum Road), with gift items, crafts, jewelry and Greek food goodies;
Also in its final weekend is the Good Mews Holiday Decor Market (1860 Sandy Plains Road), which is open until 6 on Friday, and from 10-6 Saturday and 12-6 Sunday;
Santa’s been making plenty of rounds in East Cobb, even with the snow, but there’s a special visit he’s got in store for pets Saturday at the Janice Overbeck Real Estateoffice (2249 Sewell Mill Road). Bring your furry family member(s) between 12-2 for free photos with St. Nick and refreshments;
One of your last chances to see a live Nativity Scene takes place from 7-9 tonight and Saturday at Wesley Chapel Road UMC (4495 Sandy Plains Road), and it’s a drive-through set up so you can stay in your car, and out of the cold;
Music is in the air all over East Cobb, led by the Cobb Wind Symphony Orchestra holiday concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Lassiter Concert Hall (2601 Shallowford Road). It’s free to get in but they’ll gladly accept donations;
The same Lassiter Concert Hall is the venue at 7:30 p.m. Sunday for the Pope High School Fine Arts Showcase, but you MUST purchase tickets in advance. They’re $10 each and can be ordered here; there will be NO sales as the door;
On Sunday at 6:30 p.m., East Cobb UMC (2325 Roswell Road) is having its musical celebration of the Christmas season. “Chosen” features the church’s children’s and adult choirs and orchestra. It’s free, and the 4 p.m. concert is sold out, with seating limited for 6:30 p.m.; get your online tickets here;
As Hanukkah comes to a close, the Chabad of Cobb congregation is once again holding a Coin Menorah event at 5:30 p.m. Sunday at East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road). Bring loose change and help what’s billed as the largest coin Menorah in the world; your contributions will benefit Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta;
This isn’t on the holiday list of things to do, but is festive in its own way: The 47th annual Cobb County Invitational Wrestling Tournament takes place starting at 6 p.m. Friday and continues through Saturday afternoon at Lassiter High School (2601 Shallowford Road); it features all six East Cobb high schools, including Pope, the reigning county and state champion. Saturday’s slate starts at 8 a.m. and the championship round gets underway at 2:30 p.m.
Did we miss something? Want to add a calendar listing? Please let us know! E-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post it!
Have a great weekend!
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East Cobb resident Sam Olens, who has been president of Kennesaw State University for just over a year, has announced he is stepping down effective Feb. 15, 2018.
Olens, a former Cobb Commission Chairman and Georgia Attorney General, had come under fire this fall for his handling of a protest by KSU cheerleaders who kneeled during the national anthem before football games, a controversy that involved Cobb Sheriff Neil Warren and Cobb State Rep. Earl Ehrhart.
In a letter sent Thursday to KSU staff, faculty and students, Olens recounted the successes of his brief tenure at KSU, which is Georgia’s third-largest university, but said that “I have decided that new leadership will be required for KSU to fully reach its potential.”
He did not allude to the cheerleader controversy, which was the subject of a review by the Georgia Board of Regents. The report was critical of how Olens handled the matter, saying he went against the university’s legal guidance that cheerleaders or others shouldn’t be prevented from kneeling as long as they’re not disruptive.
Warren and Ehrhart were upset when five black cheerleaders kneeled before a Sept. 30 KSU game, and demanded that they be kept off the field. Olens denied he was under any pressure to make changes.
In Nov. 2016, Olens was appointed by the regents after being the only candidate considered, a move that was criticized for not being more comprehensive and transparent, and for hiring a politician with no higher education background. It was nearly a year before Olens was formally installed.
A Republican, Olens got his political start in East Cobb, being elected to represent District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners in 1998. He served as chairman from 2002 to 2010, when he resigned to run for Georgia Attorney General.
He was elected Attorney General in 2010 and re-elected in 2014. As noted by the Atlanta Jewish Times, Olens, a member of East Cobb’s Congregation Etz Chaim, is the first Jewish person elected to statewide office in a partisan race.
Olens resigned to become KSU president following the retirement of Daniel Papp, and took over just as KSU was consolidating with Southern Poly, expanding its enrollment to 35,000.
After Olens’ announcement Thursday, KSU said it would conduct a national search to name his successor. KSU Provost Ken Harmon will serve as interim president.
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The staff at Great Expressions Dental Center, 3823 Roswell Road, is accepting toy donations through next Monday, Dec. 18.
There’s still time to donate unwrapped toys in the Marine Toys for Tots Foundation holiday drive. Some locations have stopped accepting toys, but the following places in East Cobb are continuing as dropoff points through Monday, Dec. 18, the final day:
Appliance Smart, 1355 Roswell Road, 10a-9p;
Great Expressions Dental Center, 3823 Roswell Road, 730a-430p Tue-Fri;
Great Expressions Dental Center, 2211 Roswell Road, 7a-3p;
Great Expressions Dental Center, 1545 Powers Ferry Road, 7a-4p Mon-Fri;
Online financial donations also are being accepted and can be made by going here.
To report incorrect or updated information please e-mail: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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The following East Cobb restaurant scores from Nov. 20-Dec. 13 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:
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Surveillance photos of the robbery suspect at the Regions Bank, 2486 Roswell Road, on Dec. 7.
Following up the story about a bank robbery we posted last week during the midst of winter storm: The suspect in that incident at the Regions Bank on Roswell Road is wanted by the FBI for other robberies in metro Atlanta.
On Tuesday, the Atlanta field office of the FBI issued an alert asking for the public’s help in capturing the suspect whom they believe is responsible for five bank robberies since September. The FBI refers to him as the “Zombie Hat Bandit” due to the details of the hat he has worn during the robberies.
The inscription reads “Walking Dead-Beware I Bite” and the FBI believes the man who robbed the East Cobb bank is the same person shown below in a surveillance photo from another incident.
Last Thursday’s robbery in East Cobb is believed to be the last of those robberies, according to the FBI, which released information about the other robberies it is investigating:
Sept. 6, at 12:39 p.m., Regions Bank, 2419 Cheshire Bridge Road, Atlanta. Suspect left in in a black Toyota Corolla (2014 to 2016);
Sept. 22, 2:23 p.m., Regions Bank, 6637 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs. Wearing same outfit as in Sept. 6 robbery;
Oct. 16, Regions Bank, 6503 North Point Parkway, Alpharetta, Georgia. Same clothing as in September robberies;
Dec. 5, 11:45 a.m., Bank of America, 8755 Roswell Road, Sandy Springs.
The East Cobb Regions Bank branch robbed last week also was robbed during a serial robbery spree in 2016 that resulted in a 25-year prison sentence for a Marietta man.
The FBI further describes the suspect in this fall’s robberies as a black male, mid-to-late 30s with a medium build. He has some facial hair and wears a large black wrist watch and shirts that have the “Punisher” logo. He also has been described as occasionally carrying a small zippered bag.
The FBI asks anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers Atlanta at 404-577-8477, which offers a reward, and callers can remain anonymous.
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The Israel residence near Pope High School was one of the last serviced by Cobb EMC that was still without power Tuesday. (East Cobb News photo by Wendy Parker)
UPDATED, WEDNESDAY, 1:20 P.M.:
Murray Israel followed up to say that electricity was restored to his home Tuesday night, but the family was still without heat until this morning because the furnace had to be repaired. It was damaged when a transformer blew out during the storm.
ORIGINAL REPORT POSTED TUESDAY, 5:47 P.M.:
On Tuesday morning, Murray Israel made yet another call to report a service outage to Cobb EMC. His East Cobb family, without power for nearly four days, was among the last customers waiting for the lights—and heat—to come back on.
He placed a service ticket with Cobb EMC, which has been indicating that the Israel residence on Ethan Drive, about a mile from Pope High School, has had its power restored.
Except by late Tuesday afternoon, that wasn’t the case.
For the last three nights, Israel and his wife have kept warm by the fireplace, and later huddled under blankets in the dark, and the cold, while their children have stayed with friends. Everyone else in their Hembree Hills subdivision has had power restored.
Israel was hoping Tuesday would be the day the lights went back on, since he and his family were eager to observe the first night of Hanukkah.
“It’s the Festival of Lights, and we have no lights,” Israel said in a phone interview with East Cobb News, whom he contacted about his situation, frustrated by Cobb EMC’s response. “It’s really, really cold” in the house.
He estimated the temperature inside was around 40 degrees, not much different than Tuesday’s high temperature, and didn’t want to spend another night like the last three.
While the area that includes the Israels’ neighborhood was hard-hit by the winter storms, his particular issue is down to the micro-level. Israel said he noticed downed lines linking a transformer to his house.
“Our problem is just down to our house,” he said. “It’s an isolated situation that’s not affecting anyone but us.”
Kevan Espy, Cobb EMC’s senior vice president for marketing and corporate communications, told East Cobb News around 3 p.m. Tuesday that fewer than 200 of its customers—174, to be exact—were still without power, and that the electric cooperative’s goal was to be down to none by the end of the day.
“I would love to have this all taken care of later tonight,” Espy said of the remaining outages.
For the Israels, sundown also means the beginning of their religious observance. Tentative plans called for a family dinner out, for warmth and light, as much as food.
The storm, which began on Friday, knocked out service to an estimated 69,000 Cobb EMC customers, or about 40 percent of its customer base.
Espy said Cobb EMC called in additional crews from Florida, Tennessee, Alabama and elsewhere in Georgia to conduct around-the-clock repairs that in some places were more difficult than expected.
“It’s individual service calls like this that we’re down to tackling now,” he said, referring to the Israels’ outage.
Israel said his frustration was compounded by being told by customer service representatives the same thing over and over—that his lights were on when they weren’t—and not getting a satisfactory response when he sent a message via Twitter.
He said he’s filed a complaint with the Georgia Public Service Commission, but more than anything just wants to lights to come back on.
There were thousands of power outages in that particular area of Northeast Cobb. Hembree Hills is located between North Hembree Road and Davis Road, which was closed until Sunday afternoon due to downed trees and power lines.
Even on Tuesday, as East Cobb began to thaw out and students returned to school, work crews were still busy. Downed trees and branches were laying by the side of Holly Springs Road and Hembree Road, not far from Pope. Another crew was working on traffic light signalization at Holly Springs and Post Oak Tritt Road.
A message sent by Cobb County Government Tuesday morning said Cobb officials estimate the nearly 12 inches reported in some areas to be an all-time high in the county for a single storm.
By mid-morning Tuesday, nearly 200 locations around the county were being checked for debris and tree removal, according to Cobb spokesman Ross Cavitt, and that final clean-up may not be until after Christmas.
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The construction area along Sandy Plains Road will be between East Piedmont Road and Ebenezer Road, marked in green (mapped via OpenStreetMap.com).
The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a $4.4 million contract for Sandy Plains Road traffic improvements that will include a raised median, new crosswalks and pedestrian signals and resurfacing.
The road work will stretch from East Piedmont Road to Ebenezer Road. The contract was awarded to C.W. Matthews, the low bidder among five, and the funding is coming from the 2011 SPLOST.
The project is estimated to take about a year from the time a notice to proceed with construction is issued.
The elevated concrete median will stretch from Kinjac Drive to Ebenezer Road, which prompted Northeast Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell to ask about the possible use of synthetic turf that’s recently been suggested to replace grass road medians.
“I’d rather see the concrete erased but I know that is more expensive,” she said. Cobb DOT director Jim Wilgus said that issue can be taken up when the construction project reaches that stage.
At a recent work session, Cobb commissioners heard a presentation about two synthetic turf median experiments, along stretches of Cumberland Parkway and Austell Road.
The combined cost for the turfing is close to $150,000, but each job would last more than 20 years and pay for itself in the third year and in the long run cost less than mowing grass.
Also on Tuesday, commissioners approved a nearly $12.7 million contract with Baldwin Paving Co. for 36 miles of countywide resurfacing projects, including $375,000 once the Sandy Plains Road improvements are completed. The funding also comes from the 2011 SPLOST.
Other East Cobb roads on that project list include:
Indian Hills Drive, from Old Canton Road to Ridgewater Drive (1.21 miles);
Wildwood Parkway (0.16 miles);
Gordy Parkway, from Sandy Plains Road to Shallowford Road (1.2 miles);
Jims Road, from Steinhauer Road to Wigley Road (0.67 miles);
Knight Road, from Ebenezer Road to Blackwell Road (0.62 miles);
Sandy Plains Road, from Canton Road Connector to Canton Road (0.25 miles);
Sandy Plains Road, from Ebenezer Road to Shallowford Road (1.8 miles);
Steinhauer Road, from Shallowford Road to Trickum Road (2.01 miles).
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Just after 3 p.m. Monday, the Cobb County School District announced via social media that all classes and other school activities are back on for Tuesday:
All Cobb County schools will resume classes on Tuesday, December 12, on a normal schedule.
Cobb schools have been out of session since an early release on Friday, as a winter storm approached metro Atlanta and left in some areas nearly a foot of snow.
Some of those areas included portions of Cobb County, and resulted in power outages that includes some school facilities.
Cobb schools cancelled Monday classes for that reason, and because of icy roads, including school parking lots and driveways.
Temperatures reached above 50 degrees on Monday afternoon, and lows tonight aren’t expected to fall below 40.
As of 3 p.m. Monday, Cobb EMC said it was down to restoring power to 1,377 Cobb customers and working to repair a broken power pole on Ebenezer Road.
Georgia Power reported Monday afternoon that it has around 6,000 customers still without power, with a handful in Northeast Cobb.
Earlier Monday, Cobb DOT said that Davis Road between Holly Springs Road and Sandy Plains Road remained closed, due to downed trees and power lines that also cut off electric power.
All Cobb government offices reopened under regular hours on Monday, including libraries, which were closed all weekend due to the winter weather.
On Monday evening, Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) is holding a Christmas Festival concert at 7 p.m. That was an addition to the schedule after two Saturday holiday concerts were cancelled due to the weather.
The forecast for Tuesday and Wednesday calls for mostly sunny skies and highs in the mid-40s and for the rest of the week, with highs in the low 50s projected for Thursday and for the weekend.
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A new location of the Pet Supermarket has opened at the Pavilions at East Lake (2100 Roswell Road), which has welcomed a number of new businesses in recent months.
The Pet Supermarket is located in the former Ski and Snowboard store, between A.J.’s Seafood and Poboys and SnowVville Shavery.
Also opening in the same retail center recently is an Emory HealthCare Clinic, a Burn Boot Camp women’s fitness center and Benchmark Physical Therapy.
La Novia Taqueria Open for Lunch
La Novia Taqueria, which opened on Nov. 7 in Paper Mill Village for dinner, is now serving lunch seven days a week: from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and from 11:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Sunday.
Taking Another Road
High Road Craft Ice Cream, with headquarters in the West Oak Commons office park off Allgood Road, posted an interesting announcement on its Facebook page over the weekend: It’s getting off Facebook (where it has more than 25,000 followers), and using other social media channels and incorporating more offline methods of marketing:
“Facebook has become less about sharing and connecting. (We see your heads nodding). There’s a lot of anger in here. It’s divisive. Frankly, it sucks now (save for the cute pictures of the grandkids).”
The post also expressed frustration with figuring out Facebook’s advertising algorithm, calling its revenue model “a money pit” being dominated by larger companies.
Among the changes High Road plans for its revamped promotional efforts is to “prioritize face to face human interaction,” “use devices and digital technologies as tools, not lifelines or appendages” and to start a podcast after the first of the year.
High Road is still on Twitter (@highroadcraft) and Instagram (@highroadcraft) for now, but the bottom line, according to the post, is “to gun for more substance and less eye-candy.”
A number of readers said they don’t use those social media channels or listen to podcasts, and asked for an e-mail newsletter.
Also opening up in East Cobb
According to the Cobb Community Development office, the following new businesses were granted licenses last week:
Agape Recovery House, 3300 Woods Field Drive (business management);
Alexandra Hodgson, 328 Penny Lane (bookkeeping/accounting);
ANS Property Inspection, 3271 Normandy Circle (home inspection service);
Trees at the Marietta Campground covered with snow. (East Cobb News photos by Wendy Parker)
We did get out and around East Cobb Sunday afternoon, as did many other East Cobbers needing food and other provisions (including Christmas trees) and trying to get back to normal.
Many businesses and restaurants were also open, and most roads with downed trees and power lines had been cleared.
As was reported earlier today, Cobb schools will be closed Monday, due to icy roads expected in the morning, and because some schools still do not have electrical power.
We haven’t gotten details on which schools were without power, but icy road conditions across the county are expected for Monday; temperatures are expected to reach into the low 50s, along with the same sunny skies we’ve had since Saturday.
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
As of 5:20 p.m. Sunday, Cobb EMC estimated that about 5,000 of its customers are still without power (outage map), and that a broken power line on Ebenezer Road in Northeast Cobb is still among those needing repair.
Earlier today we also noted that there was only one road in the county that was closed, and that was the roundabout at Holly Springs Road and Davis Road. It was open when we drove through there shortly after 3 p.m. (photo just below); if you’re heading north on Holly Springs you may notice a few tree limbs hanging close to a power line, which apparently had been the cause of the closure.
We then traveled eastbound on Shallowford Road, from Sandy Plains to Johnson Ferry, there were some patches of ice, since there wasn’t a lot of direct sunshine. In particular, there were icy spots in the right eastbound lane on Shallowford between Sandy Plains and Lassiter Road, so if you’re in that area, take precautions and slow down, especially at the intersections of Wesley Chapel Road, North Hembree Road and Old Suttons Way (just below).
Johnson Ferry Road was well traveled around 3:30 p.m., and as traffic increased for the Johnson Ferry Baptist Church Christmas Festival service that began at 4 p.m. There’s another service at 7 p.m., and there are police officers directing traffic.
Heading westbound on Lower Roswell Road was almost pure slush, especially between Indian Hills Parkway and Old Canton Road. Unlike Shallowford, this stretch of Lower Roswell was getting a lot of direct sunlight, but with temperatures freezing overnight it figures to be treacherous for Monday morning traffic.
Here’s what we have on openings/closings for Monday as of 5:30 p.m. Sunday. Please e-mail your news/photos to: editor@eastcobbnews.com:
Cobb public libraries will be open;
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church preschool and St. Ann Catholic preschool are closed Monday;
Classes at The Walker School are closed Monday. The U.S. Science exam will start at 12pm, the campus will open to U.S. arrivals at 11:30am. This is the only exam tomorrow and includes 8th grade students taking the Biology exam. The Lower School chorus concert will occur as planned at 7 p.m.;
Ronald Sachs Violins will be open from 3-6 on Monday;
High Meadows Schools will be closed Monday;
East Cobb Pediatrics will be open on Monday;
A Monday holiday concert of the Sprayberry High School chorus also is cancelled since there will be no school tomorrow.
Students (and we hope some adults!) get to enjoy a continuation of a most unexpected winter wonderland in East Cobb, two weeks before Christmas.
The entrance to the Willow Ridge subdivision at Robinson Road.
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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Cobb schools posted this notice on its Twitter account just a few moments ago:
All Cobb County schools are closed Monday, December 11, for both students and staff, due to continued power outages at multiple schools and poor travel conditions on secondary roads in the northern part of the county.
ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED 12:47 P.M. SUNDAY:
By noon Sunday, East Cobb was still digging out of snowy and icy weather as temperatures gradually began to rise above freezing.
Work crews were out early Sunday morning, treating roads, removing trees and restoring power. Some areas of East Cobb were affected.
The only remaining road closure in the county is in East Cobb, at the intersection of Davis Road and Holly Springs Road, according to Cobb DOT. There, power lines were tangled with trees, and even after repair work is complete, motorists are advised not to travel through that area (where the roundabout is located).
Bill Shelton, Cobb DOT’s road maintenance manager, said in a statement that “We hope to have the majority of trees cleaned up by mid-afternoon. We’ll spend much of the week picking up the debris off the right-of-way. It will be a long week, but we are up to the task.”
Cobb DOT crews treated roads overnight Saturday into Sunday, treating “black ice” on roads as temperatures dropped into the low 20s, refreezing melted snow and water. More than 50 locations were treated.
Cobb DOT crews also are dealing with tree removal issues on major roads and in county right-of-way areas today. A total of 55 calls were addressed by right before 8 a.m. Sunday, with another hundred or so remaining.
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Some East Cobbers were still without power this morning, some for more than a day since several inches of snow began falling on Friday afternoon.
East Cobb United Methodist Church, on Roswell Road near East Piedmont Road, did not hold services today because it’s still without electricity. The same was the case for St. Andrew United Methodist Church on Canton Road, which also cancelled a holiday concert scheduled for Sunday.
By mid Sunday morning, Cobb EMC reported that it was still working on repairing several broken utility poles in the county, including Ebenezer Road in East Cobb.
Around 5,000 Cobb EMC customers, some of them in East Cobb, were still without power by mid-morning. The agency said it cannot estimate the time when service might be restored.
Earlier this morning, Cobb EMC said it is still working in that area, and in portions along Paper Mill Road, to restore electricity. Here’s an outage map that indicates more detail; those who haven’t reported outages should call 770-429-2100.
Georgia Power offered some general time blocks for restoring power to affected areas, including by 3 p.m. in metro Atlanta and by 6 p.m. in Atlanta North.
Its latest outage map shows that most customers in metro Atlanta who have lost power have had it restored, with most remaining issues in north Georgia.
OPENINGS/CLOSINGS, ETC.
Here’s the latest on what we know, at around noon Sunday. Send your news/photos to: editor@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll add it here, or in future posts:
Lutheran Church of the Resurrection cancelled all Sunday services and is postponing today’s Christmas Pageant and Advent Dinner to a later date;
Cactus Car Wash is open from 12-6 today;
The Pope Showcase of the Arts that was scheduled for today has been postponed to Sunday, December 17th at 7:30 p.m.;
As of now (around 12:30 p.m. Sunday), the Atlanta Youth Wind Symphony concert at 4 p.m. at the Lassiter HS concert hall is still going on as scheduled;
The Johnson Ferry Christmas Festival concerts at 4 p.m. and 7 p.m. are still scheduled as of now, and a makeup concert from Saturday will take place at 7 p.m. Monday;
Sunday ChrisTeen classes at Transfiguration Catholic Church (4:30 and 7:30 p.m.) are cancelled;
The Carols for Christmas concert at Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church at 6 p.m. is still scheduled;
The St. Nicholas Holiday Market scheduled from 12-4 today at Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Catholic Church is being postponed to next Sunday, Dec. 17, as power at the church was only restored at midnight;
The Empty Bowl Brunch today at The Art Place-Mountain View also is being postponed a week, to Sunday, Dec. 17. If you have tickets and cannot make it next week, please contact The Art Place on Monday for a refund; the event is a benefit for MUST Ministries;
A Monday holiday concert of the Sprayberry High School chorus also is cancelled since there will be no school tomorrow;
Here are some social media postings yesterday and today from around East Cobb; we’ve also been iced in at East Cobb News and are going to try and get out a little bit today!
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
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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!
Snowfall estimates in Cobb County range from two to eight inches, and freezing temperatures are in the Saturday night forecast.
UPDATED, 4:30 P.M. SATURDAY:
Shortly after 3 p.m. Saturday, Cobb EMC indicated that around 16,000 customers were still without power combined in all of its five counties of service, with the following numbers of customers without power in the following East Cobb ZIP codes:
30062: 1,624
30066: 2,621
30067: 536
30068: 990
30075: 1,620 (Cobb and Fulton)
In a Tweet sent out at 4:15 p.m., Cobb EMC said its hardest-hit areas that remained in East Cobb were along Lower Roswell Road, Little Willeo Road, Timber Ridge Road and Sandy Plains Road.
Georgia Power doesn’t have a number of customers still needing power to be restored, and says it can’t give estimates on when the lights will go back on, but also has been updating an outage map.
Although temperatures have risen above freezing this afternoon, and combined with sunshine have caused some melting of snow, state and local officials are urging citizens to stay home for the rest of Saturday, since freezing temperatures will be in effect.
All of metro Atlanta and north Georgia has been subjected to downed trees and power lines, and work is underway to clear them.
At 3 p.m. Cobb government sent a message saying that the county DOT is undertaking tree removal tasks.
“Most main roads are considered to be in good shape,” the DOT message said, indicating that crews will be out again on Sunday “to make sure every road is open by the end of the weekend.”
Residents should report downed trees by calling Cobb County 911.
The Bethlehem Walk holiday event scheduled for 7-9 Saturday at Mountain View United Methodist Church has been cancelled, as it was on Friday.
SUNDAY CHURCH SERVICE UPDATES:
While some businesses—and especially restaurants—have decided to open today, at least for dinner service, many remain closed. The weather situation also is prompting some churches to call off or reschedule not only holiday events scheduled for the weekend, but also Sunday services. Here’s what we have thus far:
Piedmont Church will not be holding Sunday services after earlier cancelling its Christmas Festival that had been scheduled for Friday and Saturday;
Johnson Ferry Baptist Church has cancelled its Christmas Festival services that were scheduled for 4 and 7 today. The Sunday Christmas Festival services slated for 4 and 7 on Sunday are still on for now, and a service has been added for 7 p.m. Monday to make up for today’s cancellations. The 8:30 a.m. worship service and related Bible Studies or activities will be held on Sunday, but the 9:50 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. worship services and Bible Studies, and activities scheduled around them are still on;
Holy Trinity Lutheran Church is holding regular worship services Saturday and Sunday;
St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church is holding one combined service at 11:15 a.m. Church school classes and the 7:45 and 8:45 services are cancelled;
Mt. Zion United Methodist Church also is holding just one service Sunday, at 11 a.m.;
Catholic Church of St. Ann will have most regular Sunday services and events as scheduled, except for hospitality hour;
Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church will have an 11 a.m. service only at its Lower Roswell campus. Here’s more, per the church’s Facebook page: “Nursery will be available, but all Sunday school classes and breakfast are cancelled, and shuttles will not run. Carols for Christmas is still planned for 6pm. North Campus will hold its 10:30 service only. All other NC activities are cancelled.”
We’ve got other openings/closings/cancellations listed below that we posted earlier, with some additions.
Send us your photos and news!
Share your winter weather pictures, and we’ll post them, as well as business or other closings or cancellations. E-mail editor@eastcobbnews.com.
ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED AT 11:37 A.M. SATURDAY:
By mid-morning Saturday, the sun was starting to sneak out in East Cobb, and some of Friday’s record snowfall was starting to melt away.
But citizens throughout metro Atlanta and north Georgia are being asked to stay off the roads if at all possible today as work crews travel to repair downed electrical lines and trees, restore power and prepare roads for sub-freezing temperatures tonight.
So you’re being asked to enjoy this holiday winter wonderland at home, at least for another day.
As was the case on Friday, many East Cobb businesses are closed, holiday and other events have been cancelled or postponed all day Saturday.
There are still some Georgia Power and Cobb EMC customers without power in East Cobb, although western and more northern portions of the county were harder hit.
Georgia Power has been posting most of the morning that it is not able to give estimated times for restoration of power. It is updating on its outage map.
Cobb EMC is reporting “high volume with our outage reporting channels,” and also is tracking via an outage map that is working intermittently.
More than 30,000 Cobb EMC customers in the county are without power, including an estimated 7,500 customers in the East Cobb area.
Of those East Cobb outages, around 3,200 have been reported in the 30066 ZIP Code of Northeast Cobb. Cobb EMC has asked for outside help from crews in middle Georgia and other parts of the state as it works to restore power.
Cobb EMC is asking those without power to call 770-429-2100. If the call volume is high (you’re likely to get a constant busy signal), e-mail your outage to memberservices@cobbemc.com. While you won’t get a reply, Cobb EMC said it is logging all e-mails.
Traffic accidents have been reported just about everywhere, with vehicles stranded beside roads, and the hazards of downed trees and power lines are widespread. Here’s what Cobb DOT issued right before 10 a.m. Saturday:
Major roads are mostly passable, but avoid traveling unless absolutely necessary;
Reports of 100 trees down countywide, crews are still in the process of clearing 50 of those;
Another 1.5 inches of snow fell overnight. Reports of 7+ inches in parts of the county are common.
Here’s another update from Cobb DOT, sent at 11:20 a.m.:
Cobb DOT crews working 12-hour shifts have kept most of the main roads passable, but the 911 center has taken hundreds of calls about trees down many blocking roads. Cobb DOT is calling in extra tree-cutting crews at noon to help PARKS crews already dealing with the increasing amount of calls.
Cobb residents that encounter trees blocking roadways or on power lines should report those locations to Cobb County 911.
“We’re hoping the sun stays out and the breeze helps clear the moisture off the roadways,” said Bill Shelton, Cobb County Road Maintenance Division Manager. “If the roads can dry up before temperatures drop back below freezing that would be the best-case scenario.”
Most of the main roads closed by downed trees had been reopened by 11 a.m., but other calls were coming in. Road sensors across the county were reporting temperatures several degrees above freezing.
Here’s else what we know, as of 10:30-11 a.m. or so, about what’s open and what’s not in East Cobb, and what’s been cancelled. Some of this information is obviously very fluid and subject to change. We’re getting e-mails and monitoring social media traffic for most of these items, so please let us know if we need to make a correction/update.
We will be posting significant updates at the top of this post if/when they become available:
CLOSED/CANCELLED
All Cobb public library branches, Cobb Linc service also will be out of operation;
Piedmont Church Christmas Festival is cancelled and is not being rescheduled;
All Upward Basketball games and pictures have been cancelled at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church, as have today’s Christmas Festival services. They’re still on for Sunday at 4 and 7 and a 7 p.m. Monday service that’s been added;
Righteous Que restaurant is closed;
Montrose Animal Hospital is closed, Saturday appointments will be rescheduled starting Monday, dropoff for pets with boarding reservations accepted until 2 p.m. today around the back;
Chattahoochee Nature Center is closed all day;
All Saturday services at Transfiguration Catholic Church are cancelled, as well as the 8 a.m. Sunday Mass;
C’est Moi is closed all day Saturday.
OPENINGS/DELAYED STARTS
Loyal Q and Brew restaurant opening at 11 a.m. with limited staff on hand;
The WellStar East Cobb Urgent Care is open from noon to 7 p.m. today;
Simply Fresh Market is open from 12-4 today;
Chick-fil-A Lassiter is tentatively opening between 11:30 a.m. and noon with a limited menu;
Rose and Crown Tavern is closed for lunch and is tentatively planning to open for dinner service at 6 p.m.;
Seed, Stem Wine Bar and Drift are opening for dinner service at 5 p.m.;
Bradley’s Bar & Grill and Zeal Restaurant & Bar are both open Saturday;
Frankie’s Italian Restaurant on Roswell Road opened at 12 pm.;
WZ Tavern on Shallowford Road is open Saturday;
GTC Merchants Walk Cinema is open Saturday;
Both locations of Moxie Burger and La Novia Taqueria will be open until 8 p.m. Saturday;
Black Swan Tavern opening was delayed to 4 p.m. Saturday.
Some East Cobb social media postings to share below, illustrating the depth of the snow, and the danger of the ice underneath that will be freezing again tonight:
Hoping everyone is warm and safe. Don’t forget to work on that jump shot. ❄️ 🏀 pic.twitter.com/wNQAVt5gA4
Send news of opening/closing/cancellations and photos of the snow near you to: editor@eastcobbnews.com.
Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!
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!
