Bingocize, an evidence-based health promotion program for older adults that mixes bingo, health education and exercise in a fun setting, will be offered for 10 weeks, two mornings sessions per week at 11 a.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays, starting July 8, at Gritters Library, 880 Shaw Park Road, Marietta 30066. Space is limited and registration is required.
The Bingocize workshops feature exercises for improving functional fitness, including balance, muscle strength, range of motion and cardio-respiratory endurance centered around the game bingo. To get the most out of Bingocize, participants should attend all 20 sessions through September 11.
For information on Bingocize and other programs offered by Georgia HealthMatters through the Atlanta Regional Commission and the 11 other Area Agencies on Aging (AAA) across Georgia, visit georgiahealthmatters.org. Georgia HealthMatters is coordinated through a partnership with the Georgia Department of Human Services’ Division of Aging Services (DAS) and the state’s twelve AAAs.
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The Cobb Board of Education will hold three public hearings in July before it formally sets the property tax millage rate for the fiscal year 2026 budget, which was adopted in May.
The hearings will be held on July 10 and July 17, with the millage rate also to be set on the latter date.
In May, the school board adopted a $1.8 billion budget, which takes effect today, holding the property tax rate at 18.7 mills, and with $33 million more in spending than the FY 2025 budget.
Because the board isn’t rolling back the millage rate to reflect the FY 2025 totals, that constitutes a property tax increase under Georgia law, and public hearings must be held.
According to a notice the Cobb County School District posted last week, the “rollback” millage rate would be 18.499 mills under the state Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.
School taxes comprise the largest portion of property taxes for Cobb homeowners, except for those seniors 62 and over who have received exemptions.
The public hearings on the millage rate are as follows:
Thursday, July 10, at 11:30 a.m. and at 6:05 p.m.
Thursday, July 17, at 6:30 p.m.
The millage rate will be set at the board’s voting meeting on July 17 at 7 p.m. All meetings are in the board room of the CCSD Central Office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.
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Aloke Devalia (left), Farwa Khan (center) and their children break ground at the forthcoming Celebree School in East Cobb. ECN photos.
Aloke Devalia and Farwa Khan are not unlike a number of East Cobb married couples who’ve taken the plunge into running a local business.
Devalia, a corporate revenue manager with Delta Air Lines, is continuing in his position. After working at a Marietta private preschool, Khan had a dream to start one of their own.
They’ve been in East Cobb for the last decade and are raising their children here (and who attend Dodgen MS and Timber Ridge ES).
For the last 15 years, Devalia said, he and his wife have looked at a variety of franchise options, and began saving and planning.
Together, the couple decided to invest in an early childhood education franchise location that’s among the first in the metro Atlanta area.
The Celebree School is set to open in the fall for infants through the pre-kindergarten age, at a former CVS store (1099 Johnson Ferry Road). A groundbreaking was held last Thursday, as work crews continue finishing interior renovations and as Khan provides tours to prospective families.
Another Celebree School is opening in the Smyrna area, as a 31-year-old company based in the Middle Atlantic states is reaching into the Southeast.
“This one is owned by the founder,” Devalia said of the Celebree School, which has locations in 24 states. “It’s an investment for us, but we’re doing it for the children in this community.”
He said that a number of children whose parents have signed them up thus far “are literally living in our neighborhood.”
Khan, who’s been accredited in the early childhood field for 15 years, said a family-focused opportunity was a major factor in getting started.
“We want to create a place,” she said, “that’s just like home.”
For the last two years, she and her husband have been searching for space in East Cobb for such a venture, but they found a dearth of suitable commercial real estate.
They had even been looling in nearby areas of metro Atlanta when the former CVS site became available for lease.
Since March, renovations have been underway to convert 10,000 square feet of what had been open retail space into a facility with nine classrooms and common areas.
The school’s objective is to “encourage curiosity, creativity, and exploration, along with a new, inclusive playground designed to engage children in physical activity and imaginative play.”
Khan said that the building will be ready later in July, with tentative opening in August or September. Each room has a window—those had to be cut out of the brick walls of the former pharmacy—and in the back a playground is being constructed that can’t be seen from Johnson Ferry Road.
The couple’s children are active in youth sports and other activities in the East Cobb area, as the family has settled in like many others who have come here for the same reasons.
“Community, faith and family,” Devalia says, “those are big values for us. This is kind of an opportunity for us to give back.”
Celebree School is accepting enrollment. For information, call 770-574-4867 or visit its website.
(Click the middle button below to view the slideshow.)
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Identity, how history shapes us, friendship, travel, ancestral connections, greed and exploitation, fantasy, even fantasy romance are among the themes on Cobb County Public Library’s July calendar of Book Discussion groups for adults. Most are in-person events alongside some virtual programs. A highlight for the month is a virtual discussion with a popular bestselling author of historical fiction.
The Science Fiction Book Club meets at 6:30 p.m. on the first Tuesday of each month at Switzer Library, 266 Roswell St. in Marietta. The book for July 1 is Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki.
Page Turners Morning Book Group and Page Turners Afternoon Book Group next meet Wednesday, July 2 at Mountain View Regional Library, 3320 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta 30066, at 10:30 am and 1 p.m., to discuss novels. The Morning title is All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriot and the Afternoon selection is The Women by Kristen Hannah. Page Turners meets the first Wednesday of the month. To register, visit cobbcounty.gov/library.
East Cobb Walking Book Club will meet 10 a.m. Thursday, July 3 at the East Cobb Park, 3322 Roswell Road, Marietta 30068. Members gather near the park entrance to walk for exercise before a book discussion. The title for July 3 is Now is Not the Time to Panic by Kevin Wilson, a story about two teen misfits in summertime Tennessee. The club is organized by East Cobb Library. The book selection may change if there are not enough available copies. To confirm the July title and for more information, call 770-509-2730.
The Silent Book Club at Gritters Library, 880 Shaw Park Rd., Marietta 30066, will meet Saturday, July 5 with participants arriving at 2 p.m., reading at 2:30 p.m. and socializing at 3:30 p.m. There is no assigned reading or discussion. No registration required.
Fantasy Book Club meets at Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center, 2051 Lower Roswell Rd., Marietta 30068, on the second Wednesday of the month at 6:30 p.m. The July 9 discussion will be on Blood of the Old Kings by Sung-il Kim.
The East Cobb Book Discussion Group meets the third Thursday of every month with the morning session at 11 a.m. and afternoon session at 2 p.m. at East Cobb Library, 4880 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta 30068. The July 17 morning selection is The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese, a novel which follows three generations of a family in South India. The afternoon title is A Calamity of Souls, a legal thriller set in 1968 southern Virginia, by David Baldacci. The book selections may change if copies are not available. For more information, call 770-509-2730.
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We couldn’t do the news without you! Please support East Cobb News by clicking here today! And thank you!
While preparing Sunday’s newsletter, we really marveled at the variety and importance of the stories that we delivered to our readers this week, and that no other news outlets had.
While we’re truly proud of what East Cobb News provides to the community every day and with the newsletter, we were especially proud in the past week.
The reason for that is very simple—our readers make our coverage better, with their story tips and ideas, comments on how to do the news differently/better, what they add to something we’ve published for context and perspective, and to tell us when we made a mistake, either in accuracy or news judgment.
When looking through the stories in this most recent newsletter, all of them had some significant reader involvement, if the story wasn’t their idea in the first place:
While other outlets covered the story of a 12-year-old boy seriously injured by a van on Jamerson Road, East Cobb News provided further details right away. A reader who organized a GoFundMe for the child’s medical expenses texted us with the information shortly after we published the initial story on Monday, offering some more details on his condition and about the accident. Later, another reader left a comment about an online petition she has started to improve pedestrian safety in that area, and we added that to the story.
When we posted a story about a fatal shooting Monday near KSU, another reader asked us about a shooting that took place at an East Cobb home over the weekend. A TV outlet carried a brief report of the incident, but we were able to provide some more details about the arrest of an older man charged with shooting his son by getting more information from police and an arrest warrant.
After another anti-Trump protest was slated for East Cobb last week—again, this was news sent to us exclusively by a reader—others wanted to know what the county code allows for such public gatherings. After we inquired with the county and heard back, we posted this response. “You Ask, We Answer” has a lot of potential as an occasional behind-the-scenes feature on how things work, with our government, schools, public safety and traffic agencies, etc. We get a lot of questions along these lines, and if you ask us to find out something, we’ll do our best to get you an answer.
Another story, about new ownership at one of East Cobb’s oldest package stores, came a from a reader who couldn’t use his loyalty card for the old place, even though the new signs had not gone up. When we saw the new name, we took some photos, contacted the owner and published a story.
These are all examples of what we call reader-driven news, because we strive every day to bring you stories that are relevant and useful to people in this community. It’s the great advantage of independent local journalism, and this past week was a clear demonstration of that principle.
Readers contact us because they know we’re there for them, and some tell us we’re the first outlet they think of when they have something to share with the community.
That’s the essential difference with East Cobb News in a competitive news market. We’re here, with feet on the ground in this community, every day, with the top commitment being responsive to you.
We don’t answer to corporate overlords or follow predictable templates for how to do the news. We’re not held down by production schedules or space or time limits.
At East Cobb News, we respond directly to what readers tell us is important to them, and we do so much of it in real-time. We’re part of this community and can relate to what’s vital, too, because it also affects us.
We really appreciate how East Cobb News readers value what they get at this website every day, because you’re the reason we do what we do, and the way we do it.
Doing all this news, however, does incur some costs. While we are thrifty, we also have been asking readers who haven’t yet financially contributed to consider doing so, on a monthly recurring basis. We’re suggesting $6 a month, which is about a couple of cups of drive-through coffee.
When you support East Cobb News, you help ensure that stories like the ones above don’t slip through the cracks. Every story we tell matters —whether it’s about local events, school board and county commission decisions, interesting people, or how people are volunteering and serving others.
What makes East Cobb News so distinctive? Simply put, there’s no place else to find news and information that highlights our community and keeps it strong.
Your gift of $6, $12, $25 a month, or an amount of your choice, helps us to tell countless stories and keeps you informed about what’s happening in East Cobb.
Our Press Patron online payment platform is safe and secure, and you can manage your account from there how you like. Please visit eastcobbnews.presspatron.com to contribute today or click any of the green boxes you see in this post.
Next week, East Cobb News will mark its 8th anniversary, and we’re excited about what the future will bring as we continue to give you the local news you love.
In the meantime, we’re wishing all of you a happy Independence Day holiday this week, and thanks for your support!
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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!
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“Every day, he gets a little stronger,” Bernice Veal, Preston’s mother, wrote.
Earlier this week we reported on a 12-year-old boy who was hit by a vehicle on Monday as he walked across Jamerson Road near Davis Elementary School.
His mother updated the situation on a fundraising page set up for his medical expenses, and she said has been in intensive-care at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, and has several surgeries as he recovers.
Preston Veal is a rising 7th grader at Mabry Middle School and is involved in the Lassiter Junior youth football program, but he suffered numerous broken bones and internal injuries in the crash.
“The surgery on his femur was successful. Surgery on his aorta had to be postponed due to a liver laceration and the risk of further bleeding, but thankfully, the aortic bleeding stopped on its own,” Bernice Veal wrote during the week in a GoFundMe appeal that has raised more than $27,000 thus far.
“His fractured ribs are healing, and his severely bruised lungs are improving. A rod was placed in his left leg, and once he’s stronger, additional surgeries may follow. Just today, he sat up on the side of the bed with help from physical therapy, and he is no longer on the ventilator.”
Bernice Veal said her son went to the school Monday afternoon to shoot basketball and was walking back home in a crosswalk when he was struck by a Ford Transit van. The driver was not hurt, according to Cobb Police, but Preston was thrown onto a sidewalk and a grass embankment upon impact.
He was first rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital before being airlifted to Children’s Hospital of Atlanta.
An East Cobb News reader wrote us to say she’s begun an online petition to improve pedestrian safety along that stretch of Jamerson near the school, as she and her family have experienced some dangers.
Courtney Chiang DiStefano is asking for a solar flashing light alert be added, along with crosswalk detectors, a chirping alert for pedestrians and for another crosswalk to be built to cover both sides of the school.
She said she and her family use the crosswalk often to visit grandparents and to go to classes as Davis, but “the lack of a protected crosswalk with sufficient signage and protection puts our children and neighbors at significant risk.”
DiStefano said vehicles routinely surpass the posted 45 mph speed limit, and sometimes are traveling around 65 mph. Cobb Police said they are still investigating the accident and haven’t elaborated on the possible cause or if speeding was a factor.
“This has been the most devastating, heartbreaking, and traumatic experience we’ve ever faced,” Bernice Veal wrote. “But in the midst of it all, we are grateful. We’re thankful that our son is still with us, and his sister is thankful she still has her big brother.”
Among the donors to Preston’s medical fund is the River Ridge Quarterback Club, a football booster club for that high school program in Cherokee County, and which contributed $250.
“Our entire program has you and your family in our thoughts and prayers,” the River Ridge message said.
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A Better Today Books & Boutique proudly kicks off its Summer Reading Initiative for Families. Summer is here, and it’s the perfect time to dive into a world of imagination by reading exciting books.
Owner, Dr. Viola Lanier, has curated a list of the most entertaining and informative books across various genres that will keep families engaged. For four weeks, starting June 25th through July 25th, families participating in the Summer Reading Initiative for Families will choose any two book titles from the store to read as a family. They will receive two complimentary copies of those titles, or children can choose from an age-appropriate selection.
This allows everyone in the family to have their own copy to read. Families are welcome to enjoy in-store reading time in the Children’s Reading Room any day, during store hours.
Reading as a family can create wonderful bonding opportunities by encouraging conversation, enhancing empathy, social relations, and cultural understanding. According to the National Reading Campaign, reading can also improve mental health by reducing stress levels by 68%.
Summer reading for school-aged children is particularly beneficial because it prevents what educators call the ‘summer slide‘, a decline in reading ability and other academic skills during the summer months. The Department of Education states that children who read at least six books over the summer will maintain or even improve their reading and comprehension skills.
Regular Store Hours: Wednesday – Saturday, noon – 6 p.m.
Where: 2300 Shallowford Rd Ste. 8 Marietta, GA 30066
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An elderly East Cobb man has been charged with shooting his son in a domestic dispute last weekend, Cobb Police said.
Cobb Police public information officer Sgt. Eric Smith told East Cobb News that Bernard Virgilio, 72, was arrested on four counts of felony aggravated assault on Sunday night during an argument with his son, Wesley Virgilio, 43, at the family home on Pauls Way.
That’s in the Barbara Estates neighborhood off Holly Springs Road near Davis Road.
Cobb Sheriff’s Office records show that Bernard Virgilio was booked into the Cobb Adult Detention Center late Sunday and he remains there without bond.
Smith said that Cobb Police were called to the Pauls Way home around 7:20 p.m. Sunday on a report that someone had been shot. Smith said that when officers arrived at the scene, they discovered Wesley Virgilio with gunshot wounds but that he declined medical attention.
According to Bernard Virgilio’s arrest warrant, he fired at his son four times with a .38-caliber Smith and Wesson revolver, striking the younger man in the right forearm and the back of the head.
Neither Smith nor the arrest warrant explained what the dispute was about, but Smith said the Cobb Police Special Victims Unit was called in because of the family relationship.
Smith said that the incident continues to be investigated and that anyone with information is asked to contact the Cobb County Police Department Special Victims Unit at 770-801-3470.
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Docent training for children at Smith-Gilbert Gardens.
Updated:
The City of Kennesaw and Smith-Gilbert Gardens have made the difficult decision to postpone the Grand Re-Opening and Ribbon Cutting Ceremony originally scheduled for Tuesday, July 1.
While we were truly looking forward to welcoming you back to the Gardens and celebrating this exciting milestone together, ongoing construction delays mean the Gardens aren’t yet in a place to fully showcase the improvements or provide the experience we had hoped for.
We want the re-opening to reflect the care, commitment and beauty behind these enhancements, and we believe holding the event as originally scheduled would compromise that goal. A new date is being determined, and we’ll share an update as soon as it’s confirmed.
We also understand the excitement around upcoming events. Unfortunately, Pollinator Palooza will not take place this year.
Thank you for your continued support and patience as we complete this important work. We look forward to welcoming you back soon and celebrating all the Garden has to offer—when the time is right.
Original Report:
Submitted information:
After season upgrades, Smith-Gilbert Gardens will officially reopen on Tuesday, July 1. Fans of the scenic 17‑acre botanical retreat will see upgrades including:
15 unique garden areas, from vibrant flower beds to peaceful woodland trails
Outdoor sculpture displays and tranquil spaces perfect for summer walks
New paved walkways for easier access for all guests
The gardens will be open 9 a.m. – 4 p.m., Tuesday – Saturday. Admission is required, and advance ticket purchases are encouraged. Outside food is not permitted, but water is welcome.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens, the botanical garden for the City of Kennesaw, has been closed for renovations since Nov. 28, 2024.
The project included the construction of four new accessible restrooms, a covered education and events pavilion, nearly one mile of paved paths throughout the garden, a digital marquee on Pine Mountain Road, a paved surface for handicap accessible parking and improvements to the bonsai and butterfly exhibits.
Smith-Gilbert Gardens is located at 2382 Pine Mountain Road in Kennesaw.
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The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art celebrates Major League Baseball’s 2025 All-Star Game in Atlanta with a summer exhibition of works by Hall of Fame and Upper Deck artist Mike Schacht (1936-2001). Based in New York and Atlanta, Schacht created stylized romantic images of baseball’s heroes, legends, and classic moments. The exhibition will run June 28 through August 31, 2025.
MLB All-Star Week is July 11-15, 2025. The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art is located 20 minutes from Truist Stadium at 30 Atlanta Street SE in Marietta Square.
A few more details about the exhibit:
There’s an opening reception Saturday at 6 p.m.; admission is free to MCMA members and $10 for everyone else. MCMA hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday; it’s closed on Monday.
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A couple weeks ago, a reader told us that the long-standing Sherlock’s liquor store on Roswell Road in the East Lake area had been sold, but didn’t know what the new name would be.
We went by there earlier today and the new sign is up on the marquee: It’s called Everest Spirits, officially the Everest Spirits Superstore.
The Sherlock’s that had been on Ernest Barrett Parkway near Town Center Mall is the Everest Spirits and Wine Warehouse, and it opened under that new name in April 2024, per its Facebook page.
Nadeem Hirani, the new owner, told East Cobb News that a number of changes are in the works that customers will notice, including a new beer cooler with a beer cave featuring an increased product line, new red lights inside and outside the store “for better visibility and a secure shopping experience” and a revamping of the liquor and wine selection “to keep up our customers with new trends in the market.”
Hirani, who also owns the Town Center store, said he plans to add military and teacher discounts at the East Cobb location, along with monthly raffles and a new customer loyalty program.
He also said he is “keeping the same staff and adding more help to increase customer service and shopping experience.”
Sherlock’s opened in 1986 at several locations in metro Atlanta, including East Cobb, offering a large variety of wine, beer, spirits and cigars. There also were Sherlock’s stores in Decatur and Brookhaven that have since closed.
There remains a Sherlock’s Wine Shop on Northside Parkway in Buckhead. That’s where our reader was told to take his gift card that wasn’t honored when he wanted to use it at the East Cobb store, but before the Everest Spirits signs went up.
The Everest Spirits Superstore (2146 Roswell Road, at Robinson Road West) is open from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday-Saturday, and 12:30-8 p.m. Sunday.
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Protesters line Roswell Road on June 14 during an anti-Trump rally. ECN file photo.
Since some of you have asked, the kinds of political rallies/protests that we had a couple weeks ago and the one scheduled for Thursday afternoon in East Cobb do not require permits.
Smaller gatherings don’t need to get advance approval from Cobb County, according to a statement we received from government spokesman Ross Cavitt Thursday afternoon.
Here’s what he told us:
“But the Police Department would appreciate notice of such events. They are grateful they have had communications with organizers before recent gatherings.”
As we reported at the June 14 No Kings protest at the Roswell-Johson Ferry intersection, Cobb Police said the event went off without incident. There was an instance in which EMS crews were called for a medical emergency near the Valvoline oil change business on the northwest corner.
Estimates about the turnout varied from several hundred to more than 1,000, with the latter figures coming from people who were there and who told us.
If the latter figure is accurate, it may be a violation of the Cobb County Code, which requires a permit from the Cobb Fire Marshal’s Office for outdoor gatherings with “projected crowds exceeding 1,000 persons” (Sec. 54-54.2, under Operational permits).
We say may because another provision under that section also states that “crowd calculations shall be estimated at one time, not throughout the event.”
The City of Marietta, which has many special events, allows gatherings up to 2,000 people without a permit.
The East Cobb anti-Trump rallies have been organized by Indivisible, a liberal political advocacy organization.
At the June 14 event, we didn’t see any activity that roamed out into the roads, or in access points to shopping centers and other buildings. The protesters held up signs, chanted, and asked motorists to honk their horns in support.
Thursday’s rally, like the first, was specifically to protest Trump’s immigration policies and detentions.
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While the proposed millage rates in four funds is the same as the current fiscal year 2025 budget, those rates are not being “rolled back” to match current spending totals, and to reflect the value of reassessed properties.
Here’s the official description in that statement:
“When the total digest of taxable property is prepared, Georgia law requires that a ‘rollback’ millage rate must be computed according to specific instructions issued by the Georgia Department of Revenue. This hypothetical ‘rollback’ millage rate would have produced the same total tax revenue on the current year’s digest that last year’s millage rate would have produced had no reassessments occurred.”
The $1.325 billion budget outlined to Cobb commissioners Tuesday represents a nearly four percent increase from FY 2025 spending totals.
In the county’s announcement Thursday morning, the budget proposal represents a 1.09 percent rise in the amount of property taxes that would be collected.
Under Georgia law, local jurisdictions that do that must designate that they’re asking for a property tax increase and schedule three public hearings. The details are as follows, and will take place at the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., Marietta:
Tuesday, July, 8, 2025, at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, July 16, 2025, at 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 7 p.m.
Budget adoption is scheduled following the final hearing on July 22.
The projected Cobb tax digest growth for 2025 is 2,7 percent, and the final figure will be determined in July.
The general fund is the largest of the county’s tax collecting mechanisms, and is being proposed to hold at 8.46 mills. General fund taxes would fund $645 million in revenues, up from the present fiscal year 2025 total of $624 million.
That fund covers most county government services, including police.
The fire fund covers fire and emergency services and would stay at 2.99 mills, collecting $161 million, up by $8 million. Those revenues also are collected from property taxes.
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Multiple storms have created significant challenges for the county Road Maintenance Division with a combination of issues: increased calls for storm cleanup (flooding / trees down), decreased days to handle regular mowing due to rain, increased growth in shoulder/median vegetation, and staffing problems. Since the start of May, the division has faced 117 flooded roadways, 438 calls for trees down, and 252 unique roadside trimming requests for vegetation issues. As a result, the county is behind on its regular mowing cycle. The new scheduling targets are:
Segment: Regular: Current: Medians 7-14 days 14-28 days Sidewalks 14-28 days 21-35 days Shoulders 45-60 days 60-75 days
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The Georgia Department of Education has made a major change to its English Language Arts requirements for young students—learning cursive handwriting.
The reintroduction of cursive in grades 3-5 will begin with the 2025-26 school year that begins in August, two years after the state board revised the standards.
In an era of digital media with students learning writing via computer keyboards and with content creation increasingly coming from artificial intelligence, old-school pencil-on-paper communication is making something of a comeback.
Georgia is one of several states mandating cursive instruction, but that’s still only half of the states. Many states dropped cursive following the adoption of Common Core standards in 2010 and haven’t resumed the practice.
The Georgia DOE calls handwriting “a basic tool for life, assists with the development of both fine motor skills and working memory skills; automatic handwriting skills facilitate active learning and efficient communications.”
The elements of a strong literacy foundation, according to the department, consist of phonological awareness, concepts of print, phonics, fluency and handwriting.
According to the new standards, the basics of cursive will be taught in third grade, and in fourth and fifth grades, “students continue cursive handwriting practice to build fluency and automaticity in handwriting to communicate effectively.”
The new standards (you can read them here) also show graphics of ideal handwriting forms that will be part of the instructional process, and offer recommendations on body posture, paper position, how to hold pencils and pens and support for left-handed writers.
The Georgia DOE guidelines, which include links to teaching resources, also include a quote from Dr. Rosemary Sassoon, a British educator and handwriting expert: “Handwriting is the imprint of the self on the page.”
The Cobb County School District also has a resource page with links to English Language Arts instruction at all grade levels.
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!
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!
On Saturday, the Cobb Interfaith Habitat Coalition (CIHC) hammered the first nails on the 25th Habitat house that will be a home for a Cobb County Public Servant.
The future homeowner, D, is a Project Utility Manager at the Cobb County Department of Transportation, helping to ensure the county’s residents enjoy quality infrastructure. Despite a stable career and doing overtime work he enjoys, D and his wife Dreika can’t find decent, affordable housing in the county he serves. Instead, they rent a small townhome just outside of Cobb, where they battle with crowding and substandard conditions.
The couple are raising a unique blended family with children ranging in age from 26 to one-year-old, with four living at home. Dreika keeps an immaculate home, but her efforts can’t hide the poor maintenance of the unit – significant water damage, leaky plumbing, and a basement that is always flooded. With safety concerns in the neighborhood, the family is cramped in their small space.
D & Dreika say they felt like they won a prize when they were selected to build through Habitat and are looking forward to watching their kids have a safe yard in which to play. For their family, homeownership is more than walls and a roof, it’s the promise of stability, safety, and cherished memories.
This year’s faith groups include Smyrna First United Methodist Church, Bethany United Methodist Church, East Cobb Islamic Center, Islamic Center of Marietta, Temple Kol Emeth, Temple Sinai, Ahavath Achim Synagogue, St. Thomas the Apostle Catholic Church, Log Cabin Church, Covenant Church, Unity North of Atlanta Church, Macland Community Church, First Presbyterian Church of Marietta and Due West Methodist Church.
Corporate partners include Pinkerton & Laws Construction of Atlanta, Atlanta West Carpets, Moore Colson, Fortune-Johnson, Dwell Design Studio, Nissan, Burke-Moore and Sentinel Lake Neighborhood.
Henry Hene, Coalition Chair, says, “Staying together as an extremely diverse coalition for 25 years has not always been easy, but we have remained steadfastly committed to our mission of: ‘We Build to Coexist; We Coexist to Build’. We build together for a larger purpose than our individual organizations.”
Kyle Huhtanen, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta. “They are building more than just a house. Together, they are building hope, community and a better future for this family through a safe, affordable home.”
Future homeowner D flanked by Paul Wilson (left) and Henry Hene (R), Cobb Interfaith Coalition Co-Chairs
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On Saturday, June 21, 2025, the Cobb County Police Cadets represented the department and community with pride at the Georgia Cadet State Championship. Competing against 21 teams from across the state, the cadets delivered an outstanding performance and earned the title of Georgia State Cadet Champions for the 13th time in the last 14 years.
The team secured top honors in multiple categories:
1st Place – Felony Traffic Stops
3rd Place – Domestic Dispute
3rd Place – Officer Rescue
2nd Place (Individual) – Physical Fitness (Cadet Sgt. Morgan Ezra)
Their success reflects their dedication, discipline, and the exceptional mentorship of Detective Escarcega, Officer Rose, Officer Rico, and Officer Lindsey. Their guidance continues to shape the next generation of law enforcement leaders in Cobb County.
The Cobb Cadets will now advance to the National Cadet Competition in California, scheduled for July 12 through 19. The department and community will be cheering them on as they represent Georgia on the national stage.
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After projecting a $7 million budget deficit in March, Cobb finance officials presented a nearly-balanced fiscal year 2026 budget proposal Tuesday that holds the line on property tax rates and includes modest raises for county employees.
During a work session, Cobb Chief Financial Officer Bill Volckmann told the Cobb Board of Commissioners that the proposed spending package still needs a $1 million reduction to break even.
During an update in March, he outlined a variety of possible cuts to the $7 million figure, including a contingency fund of $1 million for commissioners to spend at their discretion on various projects in the county and their respective districts.
The budget, which will have hearings and adoption in July, holds the general fund property rate at 8.46 mills and the fire fund rate, which is at 2.99 mills.
The general fund millage rate has been the same since 2018, but many homeowners have seen their tax bills skyrocket due to rising assessments in recent years. Some citizens have asked that the millage rate be “rolled back” to hold the line at spending.
But commissioners have (along mostly partisan lines) ignored those pleas, citing staff openings and the need to boost employee recruitment and retention, especially in public safety agencies.
The general fund would generate $645 million in revenues, up from the present fiscal year 2025 total of $624 million. Fire fund projected revenues would be $161 million, up by $8 million.
Cobb tax digest growth is projected to be a little more than two percent in 2025, compared to higher increases in recent years.
Only four new positions would be created in county government, two lieutenant positions in the fire department, and two stormwater project management inspector positions in the water department, with the funding coming outside of the general fund.
In March, Volckmann told commissioners that county department heads had proposed nearly 300 new positions, with 113 from the Cobb Sheriff’s Office and more than 70 in the Cobb Police Department, in new spending requests totalling nearly $93 million.
Under the proposed budget, county employees would receive two-percent pay raises, and could get merit raises up to three percent. Public safety employees also would get the two-percent raises and step-and-grade raises for those who are eligible.
Volckmann said that while Cobb has filled 106 vacancies in public safety departments during the current fiscal year, several departments still have dozens of openings.
Police, fire and the Cobb Water Department all have more than 70 openings each, he said.
The budget proposal also would reduce the amount of water department revenues from five percent to four percent.
The Cobb government fiscal year 2026 starts on Oct. 1 and concludes on Sept. 30, 2026.
The graphics below were presented at the work session Tuesday; click the middle button to view the slideshow.
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