East Cobb News Archives

Residents express concerns about Walton HS sports complex

August 19, 2021 1:48 PM by Wendy Parker

Walton sports complex — *A deer wanders around a former homesite on Providence Road where new Walton High School tennis courts will be located.*

After several months of trying to get information from the Cobb County School District about the proposed Walton High School sports complex, residents in neighboring subdivisions are airing their concerns publicly.

A construction contract to build tennis courts and a baseball field on nearly 20 acres of land on Providence Road and Pine Road is slated to go before the Cobb Board of Education in September.

Over the summer, the district has been developing a site plan and completing work on relocating the Walton softball team back to an on-campus location.

But residents living near the new baseball field—which is moving from its “Raider Mountain” site at the back of the Walton campus to the new venue—are worried that it’s too close to their homes.

They’ve asked the district to reconfigure the bleachers and concession stands, which they say will be built 50-70 feet from their homes. Resident Jennifer Sunderland, whose home at the end of a cul-de-sac on Mulberry Lane is among them, told East Cobb News earlier this week that she’s been told “flipping” the field is not possible.

But she said she heard Tuesday from James Wilson, a school district consultant who’s been asked to work with neighbors from Independence Square and other subdivisions, that he would try “to make this happen.”

Sunderland is scheduled to address the topic at a public comment session Thursday night before the Cobb school board.

The mother of a Dodgen Middle School student, she said she’s not against the Walton sports complex and is not used to speaking in public.

“But we fear that the current plan will greatly diminish the enjoyment of our properties and negatively affect our property values,” Sunderland said, speaking on behalf of other neighbors whom she said didn’t want to be identified.

“Receipt of our concerns have been acknowledged and neighbors including myself are awaiting detailed answers.”

Access to the baseball field would be on Pine Road, near a former homesite that has been demolished. So have two homesites near the intersection of Providence Road and Pine Road, where the tennis courts would be located.

Those demolitions, as well as the site plan work and the softball relocation project, are all part of an estimated $3 million Walton sports complex project.

But those tasks apparently were undertaken without formal funding approval by the Cobb school board. Initially, the new complex was to have housed tennis and softball facilities. Walton’s teams in those sports have played at Terrell Mill Park since 2014 to make way for a new Walton classroom building.

The district has not explained the decision to switch out the baseball and softball venues, or to proceed with some of the construction project before formal approval.

The Walton softball team is beginning its current season on the road and according to the team’s schedule, will be playing at its new venue at Raider Mountain, where the baseball field once stood, starting Sept. 7.

When East Cobb News asked the district to explain those actions, as well as the concerns of Independence Square residents, a spokeswoman said that “all available details will be provided [Thursday] during the Board meeting.”

She didn’t elaborate; the board has afternoon and evening meetings Thursday, and there is nothing on the agenda for either meeting about the Walton sports complex.

The Cobb school board approved $5.65 million in land purchases for the new Walton sports complex. Site plan renderings show that the part of the land along Bill Murdock Road, across from the main campus, won’t be developed at all.

That was part of a 20-acre tract formerly owned by Thelma McClure, who sold in November 2019 for $3 million after the Cobb school district threatened eminent domain.

In August 2020, the school board approved the purchases of 3.5 acres on Pine Road for $2 million, and 1.2 acres on Providence Road for $650,000 for the sports complex.

Shortly after that, Sunderland said the district notified nearby residents that Wilson, a former Cobb superintendent who runs Education Planners, a Marietta-based school demographics and planning firm, that he would be their contact point.

She said there have been some Zoom calls and some e-mail exchanges since then, but she said until now there’s been no response to their concerns about the baseball field.

Among the requests she said she will be asking Thursday is for the district to delay approving funding for construction “until you have written confirmation from myself that reasonable modifications and accommodations have occurred.”

Mulberry Lane, Walton sports complex — *Homes on Mulberry Lane in Independence Square would be as close as 50 feet from the new Walton baseball field.*

East Cobb food scores: Waffle House; China Great Wall; more

August 20, 2021 2:22 PMAugust 19, 2021 12:23 PM by Wendy Parker

Waffle House Johnson Ferry, East Cobb food scores

The following Cobb food scores for the week of Aug. 16 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Arby’s
2626 Sandy Plains Road
August 20, 2021 Score: 99, Grade: A

Arby’s
2161 Roswell Road
August 19, 2021 Score: 97, Grade: A

Blue Moon Pizza
2359 Windy Hill Road, Suite 100
August 16, 2021 Score: 92, Grade: A

China Great Wall
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 302
August 18, 2021 Score: 94, Grade: A

Chipotle Mexican Grill
3606 Sandy Plains Road
August 17, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Domino’s Pizza
3545 Canton Road
August 16, 2021 Score: 85, Grade: B

Enjoy Brazilian Cuisine
2852 Delk Road, Suite 215
August 17, 2021 Score: 73, Grade: C

Starbucks
3605 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 200
August 17, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Starbucks
2580 Windy Hill Road, Suite 100
August 17, 2021 Score: 91, Grade: A

Subway
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 301
August 18, 2021 Score: 90, Grade: A

Waffle House
621 Johnson Ferry Road
August 18, 2021 Score: 92, Grade: A

Which Wich Superior Sandwiches
1401 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 310
August 19, 2021 Score: 96, Grade: A

Winston’s Food & Spirits
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 101
August 20, 2021 Score: 81, Grade: B

Cobb’s COVID-19 test positivity rate reaches ‘red’ zone

August 18, 2021 7:24 PM by Wendy Parker

*Vehicles line up along Roswell Road Wednesday for COVID-19 testing at East Cobb United Methodist Church.*

The highly transmissable Delta variant of COVID-19 has been spreading especially fast in Cobb County, which is among the nearly three-quarters of Georgia counties classified as being in the “red zone” for test positivity rate.

That’s the percentage of people tested for COVID-19 who get a positive result. Georgia Department of Public Health figures show that 12.6 percent of Cobb PCR tests for the virus have been positive.

That’s from July 29-Aug. 11, during which 27,338 PCR tests were administered in Cobb County.The red category is designated by Georgia DPH for counties with a positivity rating of 10 percent or more, and as of Aug. 11 that’s 73 percent, or 115, of Georgia’s 159 counties.

Some counties had test positivity rates of 30 percent or more, mainly in rural areas of the state.

Only 42 counties were in the yellow zone (positivity rates of between 5-10 percent, and two counties (Fayette and Jefferson) were in the green zone (5 percent or under).

Public health officials have said during the COVID-19 pandemic that anything above a 5 percent test positivity rate is cause for concern.

Cobb’s 14-day average of cases per 100,000 has climbed above 600 (PCR and Antigen tests), a figure as high as late January, when transmission of the virus was dropping.

(You can read the latest statewide test positivity report by clicking here.)

At one point, Cobb’s 14-day average was under 100 cases per 100,000 people, the threshold for high community spread. At the same time, the test positivity rating fell to around 2-3 percent.

But that has shot up as the Delta variant became the predominant strain of the virus in Cobb, Georgia and most of the nation.

The transmission of the COVID-19 prompted Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris to impose a mask mandate for county buildings starting Friday.

The Cobb County School District is also coming under pressure from some parents to impose a mask mandate. The school year started Aug. 1 with a masks-optional policy, and before Thursday’s Cobb Board of Education evening meeting a rally is planned to demand a mandate.

There was a rally last week that was met by counter-protestors, the day after the entire 5th grade at East Side Elementary School was sent home due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

There’s nothing on the school board agenda related to the district’s COVID-19 protocols.

Cobb school district bus drivers, monitors to get $1,200 bonus

August 18, 2021 11:25 AM by Wendy Parker

Cobb school bus safety

Submitted information:

Cobb Schools bus drivers and monitors will soon have an extra reason to love their jobs. Superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced today that the District is offering a $1,200 retention bonus to all bus drivers and monitors payable in their December payroll. To be eligible for the retention bonus, each driver and monitor must be employed by September 24th.

“Superintendent Ragsdale talks a lot about our Team. Our bus drivers and monitors are the first Team member many of our students and parents see every day. We want to do everything we can to hire the best and keep the best,” said Chief Operations Officer Marc Smith.

Safety-minded professionals interested in joining the Cobb Schools team as a bus driver or monitor should apply here. Specific questions about the bonus should be directed to the Payroll Department.

Video: Cobb Schools Hiring Bus Drivers

East Cobb mom pulls children from schools over mask policy

August 19, 2021 12:46 PMAugust 18, 2021 8:38 AM by Wendy Parker

When Sara Cavorley registered five of her children for in-person learning at public schools in East Cobb last spring, she wasn’t aware at the time she couldn’t change that decision.

As it turns out, she wasn’t alone in expressing frustration about not having an option to go virtual, especially as transmission of COVID-19 has rapidly increased in Cobb County in recent weeks.

When she showed up for meet-and-greet events at Kincaid Elementary School and Sprayberry High School last month, Cavorley also was upset that masks would not be required for students and staff, as they were on campuses last year.

“Nobody was wearing masks,” she said about the orientation events.

Cavorley is among those parents who want the district to reimpose a mandate just three weeks into the school year. The Cobb school district has reported 822 staff and student COVID-19 cases since July 1, and nearly 600 last week alone.

The entire fifth-grade class at East Side Elementary School is learning remotely through the end of this week due to an outbreak at that East Cobb campus.

In speaking to East Cobb News last weekend, a few days after a pro-mandate rally at Cobb County School District headquarters, Cavorley said she was thinking of taking her children out of the schools.

Her oldest son, Leland, 13, is enrolled at Simpson Middle School but continues to learn from home. He’s been getting infusions since the age of two due to a rare form of cancer called AML, and as a result lacks a strong immune system.

“If Leland gets it, we are in trouble,” she said of the virus.

Her oldest son, who attends Sprayberry and is autistic, panicked at the sight of students and staff not wearing masks, she said.

On Monday, Cavorley said she had withdrawn her children to protect Leland from getting COVID-19.

*Leland Cavorley in a virtual learning environment at his home last school year.*

She said she’s undecided about her next move, including the option of home-schooling, since virtual is not an option.

“Children are literally dropping like flies out of school as the numbers soar,” she said. “What is a parent to do, choose between life, or school. It’s a no-brainer, we choose life!”

For the time being, Cavorley said she will be among those attending a rally before a Cobb Board of Education meeting Thursday in favor of a mask mandate.

“If everyone wears them, they will make a difference,” Cavorley said.

The rally is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.,. before a 7 p.m. board voting meeting, at which parents are expected to speak about the mask issue.

Last week, around 100 mask mandate advocates were met by counter-protesters at CCSD headquarters in what occasionally became a contentious event.

The school board also meets at 2:30 p.m. for a work session, although there’s nothing on the agenda mentioning the district’s COVID-19 response.

But Cavorley said this isn’t just about masks.

“We want all the protocols from last year,” said, including social-distancing, classroom lunches and plexiglass barriers, and she provided a photo of what took place at Kincaid, where she has two children enrolled.

After struggling to oversee the virtual learning of her six children last year—her oldest, a daughter, is now attending Kennesaw State University—Cavorley was initially glad for them to go back to their schools.

*A Zoom screenshot from Kincaid ES in the 2020-21 school year showing social-distancing protocols in place.*

She and her family bunkered down at home for months, including her husband Sean, a technology executive. While they settled in, she went out do to the shopping, wearing extra protective gear.

“I had to be the one to do it,” said Cavorley, who got some help from her mother, who’s retired from the state public health department.

Her husband boosted the household WiFi capacity to cover seven computers. Two of her children, Makana and Saoirse, were set up the kitchen, her son Seamus was in a home office and two other children, Eliana and Jayden, learned in a basement.

Leland was upstairs in his room, and her husband worked in the master bedroom.

“Everyone stayed put but me,” Cavorley said. “And no one got sick. None of us even had a cold.”

Her four oldest children have been vaccinated (children 12 and under are not eligible for the vaccines).

Cavorley said she can’t understand why the Cobb school district isn’t following recent guidance from the Centers for Disease Control recommending universal mask-wearing in schools.

The district has upgraded its protocols to “strongly encourage” masks, but remains one of the few in metro Atlanta not to require them.

“We’re in a mass pandemic,” she said. “We’re trying to protect people as a whole.”

While she “feels for parents who feel their rights are being taken away” with a mask mandate, Cavorley wondered “if they could just see it from a different point of view.”

She said she’s hoping at the very least that parents like her who’ve chosen in-person learning could switch to virtual.

But the district has set up two different learning environments, unlike last year, and hired limited teachers and staff dedicated for the virtual option.

A Cobb school district spokeswoman told East Cobb News last week that around 2,000 of the district’s estimated 109,000 enrolled students were in the full-time virtual options, the elementary virtual program (EVP) and the Cobb Online Learning Academy (COLA).

“We have to get rid of this nasty thing [COVID-19],” Cavorley said. “This saddens me, that parents aren’t being given any good options.”

Cobb imposes mask mandate at county government buildings

August 17, 2021 6:53 PMAugust 17, 2021 4:38 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris said that beginning Friday, a mask mandate will be in effect in all government buildings, due to rising COVID-19 case figures.

They include libraries, but outdoor facilities—including county parks and the Mable House Amphitheater—will be exempt from the order.

McMorris said the decision also stems from an increase in COVID-19 cases within the county workforce, but she didn’t specify how many people are affected.

“As the result of what is going on across the nation, the region, and of course here in Cobb, we’ve had to make some tough decisions on what we are going to do here in Cobb County Government,” Dr. McMorris said Tuesday in a statement issued by the county.

The mandate covers county employees, visitors, contractors and vendors, and public meetings also will be socially-distanced, as they were previously. Cobb courthouses have maintained a mask mandate since the pandemic began in March 2020.

There’s not a timetable for ending the mandate, and McMorris said masks will be available for people coming to county facilities who don’t have them.

Cobb had a similar mask mandate for several months last year and early this year, but dropped it when cases began falling during the spring.

However, the rapidly spreading Delta variant of COVID-19 has resulted in the highest transmission rates in Cobb since then.

As of Tuesday, the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people had soared to more than 600, well above the “high community spread” threshold of 100 cases per 100,000.

“We’re in the second month of this and it just does not seem to be going away,” said Dr. Janet Memark, Director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health in the Cobb statement. “Right now we’re seeing younger people being hospitalized, and we continue to see hospitals that are dangerously low on critical care beds and medical-surgical beds.”

She didn’t offer any figures or further elaborate.

Some cities in Georgia, among them Atlanta, have imposed mask mandates beyond government facilities, including private businesses and other entities that are open to the public.

Cobb has not done that. Former Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce said last year that while he strongly urged citizens to wear masks in public, he didn’t want to stretch law enforcement to that purpose, and also indicated he wasn’t likely to get his colleagues to agree.

Current chairwoman Lisa Cupid has been wearing masks at public meetings, and indicated in a county-produced video last week that she was considering taking some action.

She didn’t specify what that might be.

More from McMorris and Memark about the mask mandate can be seen in the video below.

East Cobb Church rezoning delayed amid commission stalemate

August 17, 2021 11:41 AM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Church rezoning delayed, Jerica Richardson

With a split vote looming, the Cobb Board of Commissioners voted Tuesday to delay the East Cobb Church rezoning request yet again, until September.

District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson made motion to hold the application of North Point Ministries after her earlier motion to approve the mixed-use plan for Johnson Ferry and Shallowford roads failed to gain enough support from her colleagues.

The five-member commission was down to four due to the absence of chairwoman Lisa Cupid, whose grandmother passed away earlier Tuesday.

Commissioners JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb and Keli Gambrill of West Cobb said they couldn’t vote to approve the rezoning because of the RA-6 residential category that’s part of the rezoning request.

North Point Ministries wants to build a 130,000-square foot East Cobb Church on part of the 33-acre assemblage and sell 22 acres to Ashwood Atlanta, a residential developer, for 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes.

That portion of the development has generated substantial community opposition from residents who are still supportive of a church. They’re concerned about density, traffic and stormwater issues, and dozens of variances.

The Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval of the North Point Ministries request earlier this month on its fourth hearing, but the first time the case went before county commissioners drew just as many issues in a 90-minute discussion.

“This application has gone on for the length of a pregnancy,” mused commission vice chairwoman Monique Sheffield to some chuckling, noting it’s been eight months since first being filed.

Richardson’s motion was contingent on North Point Ministries submitted a new residential category and site plan.

Kevin Moore, the North Point Ministries attorney, said “we’d be happy to take a look . . . This applicant has done that the entire time.”

This story will be updated.

Former East Cobb MS campus demolition on school board agenda

August 17, 2021 11:48 AMAugust 17, 2021 10:00 AM by Wendy Parker

Former East Cobb MS demolition
Another major step toward the rebuilding of Eastvalley Elementary School will go before the Cobb Board of Education on Thursday.

The board will be asked to spend $348,000 to demolish the former campus of East Cobb Middle School on Holt Road.

That’s across the street from Wheeler High School, and where the new Eastvalley campus will be relocated.

That item will be presented to the board at a 2:30 p.m. work session, with action scheduled for a 7 p.m. voting meeting Thursday.

Both meetings will take place at the Cobb County School District central office (514 Glover St., Marietta), and you can read through the agendas by clicking here.

The meetings also will be live-streamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

An executive session will take place between the two public meetings.

The board is being asked to award the East Cobb MS demolition contract to Chaplin and Sons Clearing and Demolition, Inc. of Augusta.

The funding for the demolition and reconstruction of Eastvalley on the Holt Road site comes from Cobb Ed-SPLOST V.

According to the agenda item, the estimated time for completion of the demolition project is December. There isn’t a timeline that’s been announced for Eastvalley, which has been located on Lower Roswell Road since the early 1960s.

East Cobb Middle School opened on Holt Road in 1963, and opened in a new venue on Terrell Mill Road in 2018, next to the relocated campus of Brumby Elementary School.

Eastvalley parents have been complaining to the board about the conditions of trailers that are being used to accommodate the over-capacity enrollment of around 700, more than double what the main school building holds.

An architect for the Eastvalley rebuild project was approved by the Cobb Board of Education in February 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic, at a cost of $1.6 million. The project is expected to cost $31.6 million.

Marietta Kiwanis’ Field of Flags events to observe 9/11

August 17, 2021 9:01 AM by Wendy Parker

Marietta Kiwanis Field of Flags events

Submitted information and photo:

The entire community is invited to participate in the 20^th Anniversary of 9.11. Field of Flags Memorial Events sponsored by the Kiwanis Club of Marietta will be held from September 4^th through September 18^th(flag removal occurs on the 18^th). The Field of Flags at Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park will honor and memorialize the 2,977 innocent and unsuspecting individuals who lost their lives on September 11, 2001, each flag representing one life lost on that tragic and horrific day in our nation’s history.

Procession of flags led by the Atlanta Pipe Band will occur on September 4^th 10:00 am from Grace Community Church to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Parking and shuttle bus service to the church will be available from lots on Old 41 beginning at 9:00 am. Return shuttle service will be provided.

Memorial Ceremony will be held on September 11^th 7:55 am to 11:00 am in front of the Visitors Center Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

Ceremony will include: Bagpiper Tommy Burns, Speaker Retired NYFD Capt. James D’Avolio, Soloist Heather Tamburella, Marietta Fire Department Color Guard, 21 Gun Salute by Cobb County and Riderless Horseman presentation by the Cobb County Sheriff’s Department; CCSD Major Mark Rubio, bugler, will play taps after the reading of the names of the 2,977 innocent victims at the end of the Ceremony.

For more information: http://www.911fieldofflags.com/

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Cobb included in flash flood watch after Tropical Storm Fred

August 17, 2021 8:43 AMAugust 16, 2021 7:47 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb flood watch Tropical Storm Fred — *A reader-submitted photo from the Kroger East Lake parking lot on Monday.*

Tropical Storm Fred made landfall in Florida Monday afternoon, and ensuing heavy rains and winds have prompted a flash flood watch for much of Georgia.

The National Weather Service in Atlanta issued the watch, which includes Cobb County, from 2 a.m. Tuesday through 8 a.m. Wednesday.

UPDATED, 7:10 A.M. TUESDAY: The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch for parts of Georgia that include Cobb County until 1 p.m. Tuesday.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

The Tuesday forecast calls from 4-6 inches of rain in that time in part of the watch area that includes Cobb, and winds could be as high as 20-30 mph.

A wind advisory also will be in effect for much of the watch area in Georgia through Tuesday afternoon.

The East Cobb area got a dousing on Monday afternoon, with a heavy chance of rain overnight into Tuesday morning.

The eye of Fred moved over Cape San Blas, Fla., on the panhandle near Port St. Joe, at 3:15 p.m. with sustained winds of 65 mph.

The chance of rain in Cobb will be 100 percent Tuesday, dropping off to 60 percent by Tuesday night, with highs in the high 70s and lows around 70.

The chance of rain is expected to be 50 percent Wednesday, with highs in high 80s and heat index values in the high 90s.

On Thursday, the chance of rain is forecast to be 70 percent and by Friday it’s expected to drop to 50 percent.

The weekend also figures to be wet with a 40 percent chance of rain Saturday and Sunday, and high temperatures reaching into the 90s.

NWS flash flood map Fred 8.16.21

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Two injured in crash at Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill intersection

August 16, 2021 3:00 PM by Wendy Parker

Two motorists were taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital on Sunday, one of them with serious injuries, after their vehicles crashed in the intersection of Powers Ferry and Terrell Mill roads, according to Cobb Police.

Police said a yellow 2021 Subaru Crosstrek SUV was heading north on Powers Ferry Road in the right lane around 7:09 a.m. Sunday at the same time a red 2005 Dodge Ram 1500 pickup truck was heading west on Terrell Mill Road in the right lane.

According to police investigators, the Subaru ignored a red traffic light and the vehicle struck the Ram, which had a green light, in the intersection.

Both vehicles were spun around, with the Subaru resting in the intersection, and the Ram stopping in the southbound left turn lanes of Powers Ferry, police said.

Police said Mayque Pereira, 28, of Marietta, the driver of the Ram, suffered serious injuries while David Toohill, 59, of Marietta, the driver of the Subaru, had non-life-threatening injuries.

The crash remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.

Cobb participation down sharply in Georgia Milestones tests

August 16, 2021 12:46 PM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information from the Cobb County School District:

In Spring 2021, Cobb’s fourth-graders sat down to take the Georgia Milestones for the first time. If 2020 had been a typical year, those students would have already taken the state assessment in third grade. However, due to the COVID-19, the Georgia Milestones was not administered in 2020, and even with the opportunity to test reinstated student participation in 2021 lagged below the number of students who took Milestones in 2019.

More than 95% of Cobb students enrolled in grades 3–8 and in EOC courses took one or more Milestones tests in the years before the pandemic. In 2020-2021, approximately 68% of Cobb students enrolled in those grades and courses took a Milestones test. The difference in participation rates, among other factors related to COVID-19, makes a comparison between school years ill-advised according to the Georgia Department of Education.

This was primarily due to conditions created by the pandemic. The State Board of Education approved Superintendent Woods’ proposal to temporarily lower the EOC course grade weight to .01%, which may have also contributed to the lower participation rate.

Guidance issued by State School Superintendent Richard Woods made clear, in line with federal guidance, that school districts could not require virtual students to come into the building solely for the purpose of taking Georgia Milestones if they were uncomfortable doing so due to the pandemic. The Georgia Department of Education applied to the U.S. Department of Education (USED) for a waiver of high-stakes testing requirements for the 2020-2021 school year, but USED denied Georgia’s request for a waiver.

As was the case across Georgia, student participation at Cobb schools varied widely, and no Cobb school had an overall participation rate of 95% or higher. Thirty Cobb schools posted participation rates between 85-94%, followed by 43 schools with 70-85% participation.

As a result, the Georgia Department of Education is encouraging educators, parents, and communities to remember that the Georgia Milestones tests were designed to measure the performance of students in a typical educational environment, so results should be interpreted in the context of the pandemic and associated learning disruptions, along with varying access to instruction. The scores were released along with participation data since some students did not participate in testing last year due to the pandemic.

“Georgia Milestones was designed to measure instruction during a typical school year, and 2020-2021 was anything but,” State School Superintendent Richard Woods said. “Rolling quarantines, rising case counts, and shifting instructional models impacted the educational experience for students throughout the state.”

Despite the wide-ranging challenges of 2020 and 2021, Cobb students demonstrated their ability to lead the way. More Cobb students (73.8%) scored in levels 2–4 than their metro Atlanta (69.2%) and Georgia (68.2%) peers. 

Cobb students scored higher than students in the 12 other school districts located in metro Atlanta and Georgia students overall, both in all subjects and in the percent of students reading on grade level. 

The student participation rate on the Georgia Milestones may have dropped, but Cobb educators do not rely solely on end-of-year assessments. Cobb teachers conduct formative assessments throughout the school year to determine what students know so they can tailor instruction to meet the learning needs of each student. Those assessments occur for every student in the District, regardless of whether they are learning in-person or virtually.

So, Cobb teachers did not have to wait for the results from Georgia Milestones to know where students needed learning support. To help students with any learning loss they experienced due to the pandemic, Cobb Schools expanded summer enrichment opportunities through programs like Summer Learning Quest and the Summer Enrichment Academy. Cobb educators will continue to monitor student progress this year so they can respond promptly to student needs and adjust instruction as necessary.

To assist Cobb families during digital learning, the District provided over $10 million in digital devices. Cobb also dispatched 27 buses equipped with wifi to help students stay connected. The Cobb Schools Food & Nutrition Services helped fuel student success by providing students with 3.5 million meal kits.

District leaders also recognized the importance of providing options that support safe, high-quality learning environments for all 110,000 of our students, their families, and our staff. For most Cobb families, that meant a return to in-person learning.

Starting in Fall 2020, Cobb families had the opportunity to choose the learning environment that worked best for their student. Families were given more options in Spring 2021 to choose whether their student would be best served by in-person or virtual learning. All students and families were also able to choose the classroom that was best for their student and family for the 2020-2021 school year.

An example of the wild fluctuations in testing: The six high schools in East Cobb had vastly different participation rates, with Sprayberry, Kell and Wheeler testing at 79 percent of their student bodies or higher, while Walton, Pope and Lassiter students tested at 28 percent or lower.

Here’s a summary report from the Georgia Department of Education describing the Milestones date; we’ll look at more school-by-school breakdowns in East Cobb in a separate post.

Vanderlande Industries to expand in Cobb County, create 500 jobs

August 16, 2021 10:51 AM by Wendy Parker

Vanderlande Industries Cobb expansion

Submitted information:

Today [Aug. 12], Governor Brian P. Kemp announced that global material handling and logistics company Vanderlande Industries Inc. (“Vanderlande”) will invest $59 million in expanding their North American headquarters in Cobb County [1975 West Oak Circle, near Sandy Plains Road and Canton Road]. This expansion will create 500 new jobs in Marietta, bringing the company’s total employment to more than 1,250 people in Georgia.

“Georgia’s world-class logistics network continues to set businesses up for success,” said Governor Kemp. “Vanderlande’s commitment to creating hundreds of jobs for hardworking Georgians also speaks to the high-quality workforce pipeline in our state. I look forward to seeing Vanderlande continue to prosper and create jobs in the number one state for business.”

Headquartered in Veghel, Netherlands, Vanderlande is the global market leader for value-added logistics automation within the airport, parcel, and warehouse markets. The company’s systems are active in 600 airports, including 14 of the world’s top 20. More than 45 million parcels are sorted by its systems every day. Many of the largest global e-commerce players and distribution firms have confidence in Vanderlande’s efficient and reliable solutions.

Vanderlande has called Cobb County its North American home for more than 23 years. This expansion will help the company better serve its customers by investing in and growing a skilled and dedicated local team.

“We are looking forward to moving into our new North American head office here in Marietta, Georgia,” said Nick Porter, President of Vanderlande’s Airports & Parcel Solutions, North America. “Vanderlande continues to enjoy our relationship with the local community, educational institutions, and service providers. Our new campus supports our ability to expand our local teams to meet the growth in our business, and to support our North American customers with the innovative, efficient, and effective solutions they need.”

Vanderlande will expand into a newly constructed 152,612-square-foot facility, located at 3054 Chastain Meadows Parkway Northwest in Marietta. The company has many open job postings and continues to actively hire for positions in engineering, operations, supply chain, software development, and sales. Individuals interested in careers with Vanderlande are encouraged to visit careers.vanderlande.com for additional information.

“Supply chain and logistics is a growing industry in Cobb County, and Vanderlande’s expansion in Marietta is a great example of how our county is attracting high-quality jobs and investment in this sector,” said Sharon Mason, President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber. “We are grateful to work with our economic development partners to help companies expand in our county and look forward to supporting Vanderlande in their continued success.”

“We are pleased that Vanderlande is expanding its operations and presence here in metro Atlanta,” said Katie Kirkpatrick, President and CEO of the Metro Atlanta Chamber. “The growing strength of our region’s supply chain and logistics ecosystem, coupled with assets like Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport, will be important contributors to Vanderlande’s continued success at its North American headquarters and beyond.”

Director Kristi Brigman represented the Georgia Department of Economic Development’s (GDEcD) Global Commerce division on this project in partnership with the Metro Atlanta Chamber, Cobb Chamber, and Georgia Power.

“With the presence of Netherlands’ Consulate General for the Southeastern United States right here in Georgia, the Netherlands has long been a strategic partner for both trade and investment,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “Vanderlande’s success and continuous growth are a testament to that strong relationship and a result of our unmatched global connectivity and proximity to countless e-commerce and logistics companies. Many thanks to Vanderlande for their ongoing investment in our state and to our economic development partners in Cobb County for supporting our existing industries’ success.”

The Netherlands has maintained a consular presence in Georgia since 1819 and opened a new Consulate General in Atlanta in January 2019. More than 290 Dutch companies have a presence in Georgia, employing more than 10,700 Georgians across the state.

Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid on Friday issued the following statement about the Vanderlande expansion:

“We are ecstatic that a company like Vanderlande is choosing to expand in Cobb County, bringing with them 500 skilled and stable jobs. This is yet another example of how companies of all industries view Cobb as an attractive place for their employees to work.”

East Cobb business groups to hold August luncheon meetings

August 16, 2021 7:20 AM by Wendy Parker

Scott Sweeney, Cobb school board, Cobb school calendar — *Scott Sweeney*

East Cobb resident Scott Sweeney, chairman of the Georgia Board of Education, will be the guest speaker at the August luncheon meeting of the Northeast Cobb Business Association on Wednesday.

The luncheon lasts from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Piedmont Church (570 Piedmont Road) and ticket information can be found here.

Sweeney, who served on the Cobb Board of Education for two terms, is an advisor with East Cobb-based InPrime Legal, which provides legal services to businesses. He’s also involved in the revived effort to create a City of East Cobb.

On Tuesday, the East Cobb Business Association will hold its August luncheon from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rich Hart Global Studios (2030 Powers Ferry Road) both in-person and online. To register, click here.

The guest speaker is Kimberly Jackson, a business coach. Before the meeting there will be a “cross coaching” session of peer-group networking that’s facilitator-led.

The ECBA also is resuming its annual Business Expo on Oct. 5 at Olde Towne Athletic Club. For information and to register as an exhibitor, click here.

East Cobb Church rezoning goes before Cobb commissioners

August 14, 2021 3:18 PM by Wendy Parker

East Cobb Church rezoning case delauyed

Some minor changes to the site plan and stipulations for North Point Ministries’ rezoning request were submitted this week before Tuesday’s vote before the Cobb Board of Commissioners.

The mixed-use proposal at Johnson Ferry and Shallowford roads for East Cobb Church, residential and retail got a recommendation for approval by the Cobb Planning Commission on Aug. 3.

That vote, which took place on the fourth hearing, included numerous changes by planning board member Tony Waybright, who represents District 2 that includes the JOSH area.

They address residential density, traffic and stormwater issues that have been raised over the last several months, and as the proposal has been revised.

What commissioners will be voting on Tuesday is a 130,000-square foot church and accompanying parking lot, 71 townhomes and 59 single-family detached homes, a small amount of retail space and a public park area that includes a multi-use trail.

The density of the residential would be 5.8 units per acre, something nearby residents and the East Cobb Civic Association say does not fit with a suburban setting.

But Kevin Moore, North Point Ministries’ attorney, has said several times that the JOSH area already is heavily commercialized, and there’s nearby residential that’s just as dense.

The North Point Ministries request is the first major rezoning case in the East Cobb area for District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson.

While commissioners typically don’t discuss how they may vote on rezoning cases in advance, she is holding a preview of Tuesday’s zoning hearing on her Facebook Live page at 7 p.m. Monday.

Another case in the East Cobb area of note is scheduled for a vote on Tuesday, and it’s drawn opposition from the Bells Ferry Civic Association.

They’re concerned about a parking lot for a 36-acre distribution facility/warehouse proposed by Scannell Properties on Chastain Meadows Parkway south of Chastain Road.

While that may sound mundane, an open letter the civic group is distributing claims that nearby residents “were not informed that these vehicles were fleets of delivery vans” supporting a yet-to-be-built warehouse between Chastain Meadow, Big Shanty Road and I-575.

“Residents ask that the entire plan for the parking lot and the distribution facility be combined in an open and public hearing, so that their concerns could be heard by the Board of Commissioners,” the Bells Ferry Civic Association letter states.

“Area residents would like measures taken to divert the significant influx of van and tractor trailer traffic away from established residential neighborhoods.”

(There’s more on the BFCA website).

Scannell Properties submitted this stipulation letter on Wednesday.

Tuesday’s zoning hearing begins at 9 a.m. in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta. It also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.

Here’s an agenda summary of the hearing, as well as a thumbnail breakdown of each of the cases to be heard. The full packet can be found by clicking here.

2021 Corky Kell Classic includes Kell, Walton football teams

August 14, 2021 1:21 PMAugust 14, 2021 9:20 AM by Wendy Parker

The Kell and Walton football teams once again have been invited to play in the Corky Kell Classic, which is in its 30th year as a kickoff event for the high school football season. 2021 Walton Raider Day

The extravaganza is named in the honor of the late former Wheeler High School football coach and will be played at several venues next Wednesday through Saturday.

On Saturday, Aug. 21, Kell will play fellow Cobb County school McEachern at 9 a.m. at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta. That’s also where Walton will play Lowndes at 2:45 p.m. the same day.

Ticket information can be found here.

Walton fans can also get tickets Sunday at the “Raider Day” jamboree that goes from 2-4 p.m. at Raider Valley (see flyer).

Walton is ranked No. 4 in Class 7A in the ScoreAtlanta preseason poll while Lowndes is at No. 8.

The other five East Cobb high school football teams are in Class 6A, and none of them are ranked to start the season.

They also will get underway next week, playing on traditional Friday nights.

Lassiter opens on the road at River Ridge, ranked No. 6 in Class 6A; Pope will be at home against Villa Rica; Sprayberry travels to Riverwood; and Wheeler will be visiting North Atlanta.

Earlier this week all six East Cobb football head coaches discussed the upcoming season at a breakfast of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. They also talked about the challenges of the 2020 season that involved COVID-19 protocols and cancellations.

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

East Cobb food scores: Frankie’s; Fuji Hana; Montana’s; more

August 13, 2021 5:42 PMAugust 13, 2021 4:11 PM by Wendy Parker

Frankie's Italian Restaurant, East Cobb food scores

The following Cobb food scores for the week of Aug. 9 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Dunkin Donuts
2340 Windy Hill Road
August 12, 2021 Score: 95, Grade: A

Frankie’s Italian Restaurant
3100 Roswell Road
August 10, 2021 Score: 85, Grade: B

Fuji Hana Steak & Sushi
1255 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 1
August 13, 2021 Score: 85, Grade: B

Marco’s Pizza
2424 Roswell Road, Suite 150
August 12, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Montana’s Bar and Grill
2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 330
August 10, 2021 Score: 95, Grade: A

Olde Towne Athletic Club
4950 Olde Towne Parkway
August 11, 2021 Score: 97, Grade: A

Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen
2830 Windy Hill Road
August 9, 2021 Score: 89, Grade: B

Cobb schools report 587 COVID-19 cases; 46 at East Side ES

August 13, 2021 1:47 PMAugust 13, 2021 1:14 PM by Wendy Parker

A total of 587 new COVID-19 cases were reported this week by the Cobb County School District, including a district-high 46 cases at East Side Elementary School in East Cobb.

That’s where all 5th graders were moved into virtual learning mode starting Thursday through next Friday after an outbreak.

The district’s weekly COVID case update, issued every Friday, includes school-by-school breakdowns.

Last week, as a new school year began, there were 185 cases among staff and students. Since July 1, there have been 822 cumulative cases, including 50 reported before classes began.

Several other schools had double-digit figures this week, including Walton and Wheeler (13 each) and Sprayberry (12) high schools in East Cobb.

When acknowledging the East Side outbreak earlier this week, a district spokeswoman did not explain how the outbreak occurred there, and why the switch to remote instruction was limited only to the 5th grade.

Cobb is among a handful of school districts in metro Atlanta that has a masks-optional policy. Another is Marietta City Schools, which said this week it would increase contact tracing procedures.

Last week Cobb updated protocols specifying quarantine policies that include a mandated 10-day mask-wearing period for asymptomatic staff and students who are exposed.

However, the district has not responded to increasing calls for a mask mandate, which is what is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control.

On Thursday, nearly 100 people favoring a school mandate protested in front of Cobb school district headquarters in Marietta, and they were met by counter-protestors.

Earlier this week, Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, urged indoor mask usage in the county, including schools, as transmission metrics continued to climb well past the high community spread level.

On Friday, she issued an even more urgent message, as the 14-day average of cases per 100,000 people approached 500 (100 cases per 100,000 is considered high community spread) and as hospitals were reporting a shortage of critical beds.

“I leave you with the facts of our current state of affairs and implore that each of you make your individual decisions not just for your individual rights, but for the good of our community,” Memark said. “Make sure your facts are from reputable sources and not social media sites. Wear your mask in public and get vaccinated. These are two of the only weapons that we have against this pandemic, but remain two of the strongest.”

The Georgia Department of Public Health also compiles a weekly update called the School Aged COVID-19 Surveillance Report.

Cobb property tax bills mailed; payment deadline is Oct. 15

August 13, 2021 12:53 PMAugust 13, 2021 8:51 AM by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

Tax Commissioner Carla Jackson announced that 2021 property tax bills have been issued. Payments are due by October 15. Payments must be received or USPS postmarked by the October 15 due date to be considered on time.

A total of 266,073 tax bills representing $994,740,860 was calculated consisting of 250,551 Real Property for $926,061,079 and 15,522 Personal Property for $68,679,781.

The six cities of Cobb bill and collect their own property taxes. The chart below details this year’s property taxes for Cobb County’s billing and collection authorities:

Image

Payments may be made online, by phone, mail, or in-person. Processing fees may apply:

Online at www.cobbtax.org via e-Check, debit or credit card.

Phone automated system at 1-866-PAY-COBB (1-866-729-2622).

Mail to Cobb County Tax Commissioner, PO Box 100127, Marietta, GA 30061.

In-person at any of the following locations: o Property Tax Division at 736 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta;

East Cobb Office at 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta; and

South Cobb Government Service Center at 4700 Austell Road, Austell.

24/7 drop boxes for checks/money orders made payable to Cobb County Tax Commissioner at:

Property Tax Division at 736 Whitlock Avenue, Marietta;

North Cobb Office at 2932 Canton Road, Marietta;

East Cobb Office at 4400 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta; and

South Cobb Government Service Center at 4700 Austell Road, Austell.

For property owners with escrow accounts, tax information is sent to the mortgage companies; however, the property owner is responsible to ensure taxes are paid by the due date.

For questions or assistance, email tax@cobbtax.org or call 770-528-8600.

Please visit Understanding Your Tax Bill at www.cobbtax.org for a detailed explanation of our 2021 tax bills.

First look at 2020 Census: Cobb population grows by 11 percent

August 12, 2021 4:53 PM by Wendy Parker

Cobb 2020 Census

The U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday released 2020 data for the purposes of redistricting, and the overall picture (summary report here) is that the nation is getting more ethnically diverse and living more in metropolitan areas as its population grows.

As of April 2021 there were more than 331 million people living in the United States, compared to 308 million people in April 2010.

In Cobb County, that population growth comes to more than 11 percent from the 2010 Census. As of April 2021, Cobb’s population was 766,149, compared to 688,078 in April 2010.

The Census Bureau has provided some initial “QuickFact” localized data at this link, and we’ll summarize some of those findings below.

Nearly 13 of Cobb’s citizens are age 65 and older, similar to the previous Census, and 22 percent are age 18 and under.

When it comes to race and ethnicity, Cobb’s “white alone” population—that portion of the population that does not include other ethnic groups—is at 51.1 percent.

The black or African American population now stands at 28.8 percent and the Latino or Hispanic population is at 13.3 percent.

More than 64 percent of Cobb residents live in owner-occupied housing, and the median value of those units is at $257K. The median gross rent in the county is $1,202.

There are more than 280,000 households in Cobb, and more than 91 percent have a broadband Internet subscription.

But 14.4 percent of Cobb residents under the age of 65 do not have health insurance, which is higher than the national average of 9.5 percent.

Cobb commuters also spend more “mean” travel time than the national average when it comes to getting and from their jobs: 31.6 minutes, compared to 26.9.

The 2020 Cobb Census data also show that the median household income is $77,932, and the per capita income is at $40,031 (both in 2019 dollars). More than 8 percent of Cobb residents live under the poverty line, less than the national average of 10.5 percent.

Total employment in Cobb is 360,023, and there are 80,947 businesses in the county.

As we noted last fall, the Census response rate in the county had exceeded 70 percent, and those numbers were even higher in East Cobb Census tracts.

We’ll be reporting more on East Cobb Census numbers as we get to the ZIP Code level of detail that’s not available for the moment.

The Atlanta Regional Commission has estimated that by 2050, Cobb’s population is expected to surpass 1 million.

East Cobb’s roughly estimated population was around 200,000 in late 2019, according to the Georgia Demographics website:

ZIP Code 30062: 65,801;
ZIP Code 30066: 55,937;
ZIP Code 30067: 46,536
ZIP Code 30068: 32,453.

That doesn’t include the Roswell ZIP Code 30075 which contains the extreme northeast portion of Cobb County, or about 8,100 residents of the 53,779 population of the ZIP Code.

The Census Bureau will be providing more data by the end of September at this link.

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