A reader sent the above photo heading northbound on Johnson Ferry Road near the entrance to Woodlawn Square Shopping Center.
A crash has resulted in a vehicle being overturned in the southbound direction, and is causing serious delays.
Cobb police and fire/rescue crews are on the scene, and we’re seeking further information.
A Pope High School social media message said the crash occurred around 5:35 p.m. The school is having its baccalaureate service Tuesday at nearby Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
Cobb DOT said only the left southbound lane is open for the time being.
Cobb DOT camera photo
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At the start of Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners zoning hearing, a request on the agenda for a site plan for a proposed Whataburger restaurant in East Cobb was continued.
Commissioners voted 5-0 to hold off on hearing the plans until June. It’s an “Other Business” case, which means it doesn’t need to go before the Cobb Planning Commission since it’s not a full rezoning request.
The Texas-based fast food chain wants to occupy the former O’Charley’s restaurant on Sandy Plains Road at Shallowford Road, but stipulations include restrictions against a fast-food restaurant and anything with a drive-through service.
Whataburger wants to convert the 7,000-square-foot building for a sit-in restaurant with double drive-through service, and on Monday notified the Cobb zoning office it wanted a delay.
The land was rezoned in 1999 and an Other Business approval in 2000 permitted the opening of the O’Charley’s, which closed last year. The 1.3 acres at 3550 Sandy Plains Road formerly belonged to the Gordy family.
Any changes on those former Gordy properties in the area include a review by a special architectural control committee
In making a motion to continue the request, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell said the continuance would provide time for the site plan details to be considered by the ACC.
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Voters in East Cobb and throughout Georgia are voting today in the 2024 primary elections, choosing party candidates in a number of local, state and federal races, as well as non-partisan judicial seats.
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!
As graduation ceremonies take place this week, the Cobb County School District on Tuesday announced the Class of 2024 valedictorians and salutatorians.
Overall, the valedictorians in the Cobb school district combined for an average grade-point average of 4.697, with salutatorians at 4.659.
Nine seniors from high schools in East Cobb had grade-point averages above 4.7, and two were above 4.8, both from Walton: Valedictorian Ethan Ju and salutatorian Xiyuan Li.
Ju’s grade-point-average of 4.86 is the highest for a student in the Cobb school district, which has announced a Class of 2024 of around 8,000 seniors.
What follows are the vals and sals from the six East Cobb high schools, their GPAs, college choices and intended majors.
Seven of the vals and sals from East Cobb are headed to Georgia Tech, with others bound for UGA, Penn, Cornell, Rice, and MIT.
Kell High School
Valedictorian— Claire Lanaghan, 4.703, Georgia Tech, physics
Salutatorian—Ajanay Butts, 4.648, Rice University, biology
Lassiter High School
Valedictorian—Kelly Wu, 4.768, Georgia Tech, biomedical engineering
Salutatorian—Ruhi Datar, 4.75, Cornell University, history
Pope High School
Valedictorian—Bryce Chapin, 4.796, Georgia Tech, industrial engineering
Salutatorian—Jay Natu, 4.779, Georgia Tech, biochemistry
Sprayberry High School
Valedictorian—Isabella Sternagle, 4.692, University of Georgia, biology
Salutatorian—Jordan Toliver, 4.656, University of Pennsylvania, economics and computer science
Walton High School
Valedictorian—Ethan Ju, 4.86, Georgia Tech, computer science
Salutatorian—Xijuan Li, 4.821, Georgia Tech, industrial engineering
Wheeler High School
Valedictorian—Zachary Tong, 4.766, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, computer science
Salutatorian—Richard Kang, 4.758, Georgia Tech, electrical engineering
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Cobb government and Cobb Police said Monday that the busy intersection of Sewell Mill Road and Bill Murdock Road was closed Monday afternoon for repairs following a gas main break.
Cobb Police issued the first message after 11 a.m. Monday, saying the Sewell Mill closure was between Meadow Chase Drive to its intersection with Ardsley Drive.
That was right before early release at Walton High School and Dodgen Middle School on Bill Murdock Road.
Around 1:30 p.m., Cobb government provided an update saying that “is no danger at either school, however repair work is underway and the intersection will be closed until it is completed.”
Shortly after 6 p.m. Monday, Cobb Police said that “Sewell Mill Road at Murdock Road is still closed and will likely be closed for the remainder of the night.”
Cobb government said around 9 Monday night the work will continue into Tuesday morning and could affect access to a voting precinct in the primary elections:
Repair crews are working into the evening to repair damage done by a gas main break at the intersection of Sewell Mill Road and Bill Murdock Road in east Cobb County. The intersection remains closed at this hour.
The closed intersection is near a polling place that will be used in Tuesday’s General/Nonpartisan election. The Murdock 01 precinct is at the Atlanta Chinese Christian Church Northwest at1837 Bill Murdock Rd.
The building and area are safe and work to repair the intersection should be completed in the early morning hours. However, Cobb DOT crews are prepared to post a detour routing voters to the precinct if the work is not finished by the time the polls openat 7 a.m.
Elections officials say the precinct has been prepared and workers should be able to open it on time for voters. Voters who use Murdock 01 as their precinct should be prepared to follow the detour to the building if work on the intersection is still in progress.
For more updates, visitcobbcommute.org and click on the Sewell Mill Road Closure link.
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The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports. They include the street address, subdivision name, high school attendance zone and sales price:
April 29
218 Indian Hills Trail, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $1.925 million
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!
More than 8,000 high school seniors in the Cobb County School District will be graduating this week.
The Class of 2024 will have commencement exercises from Monday-Saturday, mostly at the Kennesaw State University Convocation Center, including all six high schools in East Cobb:
More graduation information can be found here; it includes more details about each school’s commencement and venue information, including directions and a KSU campus map, tickets and a graduation contract.
In 2023, the Cobb County School District’s graduation rate was 87.7 percent, second in metro Atlanta to Fulton County (90.3 percent).
Those are federally-calculated figures that include students enrolled for a single day of high school. Walton’s 96.3 percent was fourth in the Cobb, behind 98.4 percent at Lassiter, and 97 percent at Harrison and Hillgrove.
Pope’s graduation rate was 95.6 last year, followed by Kell (93.8), Wheeler (90.7) and Sprayberry 87.5.
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Advance voting is over in Cobb County and Georgia for the 2024 primaries, and on Tuesday will continue with election-day in-person voting at precincts.
The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m., and voters standing in line by the time the polls close will be allowed to vote.
To check your polling station and which races will be on your ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s GA My Voter Page.
All voters must go to the polls with proof of identification (details here).
Here are the key contested races on the ballot for East Cobb voters; they do not include candidates who are running unopposed and will be on the general election ballot in November:
Cobb Commission Chairwoman (Democrat)
Lisa Cupid (incumbent), Shelia Edwards
Cobb Commission District 2 (Democrat)
Erick Allen, William Costa, Jaha Howard, Kevin Redmon, Taniesha Worton
Cobb District Attorney (Democrat)
Sonya Allen, Flynn Broady (incumbent)
Cobb Sheriff (Democrat)
Greg Gilstrap, Craig Owens (Democrat)
Cobb Sheriff (Republican)
David Cavender, Antaney Hogan, Ricci Mason
Cobb Superior Court Clerk (Democrat)
Brunessa Drayton, Carole Melton, Nick Simpson, Connie Taylor (incumbent)
Cobb Tax Commissioner (Democrat)
Jan Becker, Carla Jackson (incumbent)
U.S. House District 11 (Republican)
Barry Loudermilk (incumbent), Lori Pesta, Michael Pons
U.S. House District 11 (Democrat)
Antonio Daza, Katy Stamper
State Senate District 32 (Republican)
Ben Fremer, Kay Kirkpatrick (incumbent)
State Senate District 33 (Democrat)
Euriel Hemmerly, Michael “Doc” Rhett (incumbent)
Georgia Supreme Court (Non-Partisan)
John Barrow, Andrew Prinson (incumbent)
Georgia Court of Appeals (Non-Partisan)
Jeff Davis, Tabitha Ponder
Cobb Superior Court Judge (Non-Partisan)
Sylvia Goldman, Julie Jacobs (incumbent)
Cobb State Court Judge, Post 7 (Non-Partisan)
Carl Bowers (incumbent), Matt McMaster, Crystal Stevens McElrath
Cobb Probate Court Judge (Non-Partisan)
Rebecca Keaton, Kellie Wolk (incumbent)
The two major parties also will have a number of party questions on their ballots that are non-binding: Democrat and Republican.
Please Note: Voters who ask for a non-partisan ballot will not be able to vote for either Democratic or Republican candidates. The non-partisan ballot contains only state and local judicial candidates.
Primaries that are not decided on Tuesday will go to a runoff to be concluded on June 18.
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That’s because the applicant, ADP-Terrell Mill LLC, filed a lawsuit, and a reconsideration to settle the litigation is on the board’s zoning agenda.
It’s near the end of a lengthy agenda in the Other Business category.
According to the agenda item (you can read it here), the proposed 111,230-square-foot facility on 2.5 acres would feature exterior architecture to match nearby townhouse developments.
Despite the fact that some nearby residents—including former commissioner Bob Ott—supported the development, other citizens did not, and commissioners voted 4-1 to deny the request.
During their deliberations, commissioners said they didn’t think a self-storage building should go on the land, where two abandoned homes sit. The property is owned by Mary Beard and Nancy Moore, executors of the estate of Ruby Inez Fridell.
The lawsuit was filed by noted zoning attorney Kevin Moore for what he said in a March letter was an “unconstitutional deprivation of the constitutional rights of the Applicant.”
He said in the suit that “there is no existing use or demand for the Property under the existing classification, and the Property is substantially and unreasonably diminished in value due to the continuation of such zoning restrictions.”
Moore proposed a variety of stipulations as part of the proposed settlement, including an office-industrial zoning category (OI) from low-density residential and a limit of two stories for the building and extensive landscaping.
In 2022, ADP-Terrell Mill sought a community retail commercial (CRC) designation.
Commissioners also would have to approve a special land-use permit, which is required in Cobb for self-storage facilities.
The Powers Ferry Corridor Alliance said that “the project would still meet community priorities for anything developed on this property: low-traffic, residential-friendly, and architecturally attractive. Self-storage facilities generate very little traffic.”
Also at the end of Tuesday’s agenda is another Other Business request by Whataburger, a fast-food chain that wants to occupy the former O’Charley’s restaurant at Sandy Plains and Shallowford roads.
Whataburger is seeking a site plan change that restricts fast-food and drive-through operations on that property, which has been vacant since 2023.
The Cobb zoning staff is not making a recommendation, but noted in its analysis that the proposed site plan (you can read it here) doesn’t have sufficient parking availability.
The zoning hearing begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), and the full agenda can be found by clicking here.
You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.
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L-R: Tucker Smith (Mt. Bethel Elementary School Principal), Community Development Representative William Wesley (Delta Community), Youth essay winner Alexander Goldband and his mother, and Branch Manager Corey Higman (Delta Community).
Submitted information and photo:
Six elementary school students from Cobb County were among the winners of Delta Community Credit Union’s 2024 Youth Essay Contest. There were 21 winners selected from more than 170 entries. Cobb had the most winners of any county in metro Atlanta this year. Each of the winning essayists will receive a $100 Delta Community Youth Savings Account.
The winners from Cobb County are:
Dara Du, third grader from East Side Elementary
Fiona McMillan, third grader from Teasley Elementary
SaiVinayak Anantharaman, fourth grader from Teasley Elementary
Alexander Goldband, fifth grader from Mount Bethel Elementary
Spencer Kehinde, fifth grader from Bryant Elementary
Delaney Stimac, fifth grader from East Side Elementary
The contest was open to third, fourth and fifth graders across metro Atlanta, and seven winners from each grade level were selected. Students were asked to write an essay about what they would do to make an impact at their school if they had unlimited money.
Many of the winning essays described increasing salaries for teachers and staff, offering after-school programs, providing healthier foods and snacks and buying playground equipment for students with special needs. Some unique student ideas to invest in their schools and classmates included establishing a trade school on campus, getting therapy dogs for students, and creating a community garden to help fight hunger.
Delta Community launched the contest in 2016 to recognize the importance of youth financial education and invest in future generations. The winners were contacted in late April in celebration of National Youth Month.
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From L-R: LTC Kelker (Training & Accreditation Commander- CCSO), David Jones (Chief of Staff – CCSO) , LTC Hilsmen (Jail Commander – CCSO), Judge Bowers (Cobb County), Chief Deputy Anderson (CCSO) Sheriff Owens (CCSO), Asst. Chief Hawkins (CCSO) and Capt. Holt (CCSO).
Submitted information and photo:
The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office celebrated the grand opening and ribbon-cutting of its new security checkpoint entrance on Thursday, May 9, 2024, with special guest Judge Carl W. Bowers in attendance.
The upgraded security checkpoint features cutting-edge technology designed to enhance public safety and security. This new checkpoint effectively screens visitors and employees entering the Adult Detention Center, with a particular emphasis on ensuring the safety of attorneys, detainees, and sheriff’s office personnel.
Notable features include a snack center, lobby area, an innovative cell phone holding center, and the Tek-84 full-body scanner. The event was organized to increase transparency, educate the public, and offer insights for other facilities considering similar security upgrades.
The Sheriff’s Office emphasized its commitment to maintaining strict measures to safeguard individuals entering the facility and the detainees housed within, including state-of-the-art controls to prevent contraband from entering the premises.
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New principals were appointed to four public schools in East Cobb on Thursday for the 2024-25 academic year.
Stephanie Santoro
During its May voting session, the Cobb Board of Education ratified the appointment of a number of principal and central office administrators, after emerging from an executive session.
They include Dr. Stephanie Santoro, who is the new principal at Walton High School.
She has been an assistant principal at Walton and has been at the school for 20 years in a variety of teaching an administrative capacities.
Santoro succeeds Richard Tischler, who was appointed to principal in 2022.
At Simpson Middle School, Dr. David Church is the new principal. He had been an assistant principal at Cobb Horizon High School and also has been an assistant principal at Wheeler High School.
He succeeds Dr. LaEla Mitchell, who was appointed to Simpson in 2021.
Kendra Brooks is leaving as principal of Murdock Elementary School to become principal at Bells Ferry Elementary School.
Kendra Brooks
Brooks has served in a number of East Cobb schools, including Sope Creek Elementary School. She has been Murdock’s principal since 2021 and at Bells Ferry, she succeeds Gail May, who has retired.
Murdock’s new principal is Zach Mathis, who has been an assistant principal at King Springs ES.
He has been an elementary school teacher and administrator in the Cobb County School District, including a stint as assistant principal at Sedalia Park Elementary School.
In addition, Sarah Ostrander, an assistant principal at East Side Elementary School, has been appointed principal at LaBelle ES.
Their new tenures will begin on July 1, the start of the fiscal year 2025 for the Cobb school district.
The Cobb school board also voted to extend the contracts of school district executive staff. Among them are Chief Accountability and Strategy Officer John Floresta.
When his name was announced, a spectator in the audience shouted “Fire Floresta!” Board Democrat Tre’ Hutchins sought to remove a staff member he identified only by a number, but his motion failed 3-4 along partisan lines.
The audience member continued to shout, and she and another person were removed from the room. They were identified as Melissa Marten and Jennifer Susko, part of a group called the Community Care Coalition.
The group wants Superintendent Chris Ragsdale and Floresta terminated. Last September, the group complained about a change in procedures to sign up to speak during public comment, saying they were physically injured in a scuffle after the registration table location was moved.
Floresta’s office is in charge of those procedures as well as media and public relations. Susko filed an open records request that revealed that Floresta and his unit planned a new location, with the aim of limiting anti-Ragsdale commenters.
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The Cobb Board of Education Thursday approved a $1.8 billion fiscal year operating budget that includes across-the-board pay raises for full-time employees.
With little discussion, the board voted 6-0 to approve the budget.
For the second year in a row, vice chairman David Banks of Post 5 in East Cobb voted present. He didn’t indicate a reason, but last year voted present because he wanted the board to further reduce the property tax millage rate.
A public speaker urged the board during its final hearing on the budge Thursday to reduce the property tax rate, following another year of rising assessments in Cobb County.
The FY 2025 budget is based on a property tax rate of 18.7 mills (the millage rate is formally adopted in July, after the county tax digest is published).
Cobb school district full-time employees will be getting raises between 4.4 percent to 9 percent, which Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said represents an “employee-centric” budget.
Some other members of the public were critical of the district’s spending $50 million for a new special-events facility (that isn’t part of the FY ’25 budget) they said could be better-spent elsewhere.
The budget takes effect on July 1, the start of the fiscal year 2025 in the Cobb school district.
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Please note: This is a paid advertisement from Tomo.com.
As interest rates begin to trend down throughout the year, the real estate market is ripe for high-return home flips. Lower rates will mean more potential buyers—and higher valuation. If you’re considering flipping your property in 2024, the key word is “timing.” A successful flip in East Cobb, GA is as much about timing as about the features and improvements you choose to add to your home.
Tomo, a Stamford-based real estate company, analyzed the most successful home flips in East Cobb. These top 10 best flips generated combined resale prices that were $3.2 million over the initial purchase prices. How did they close with increases as high as 120 percent? The secret isn’t just “how” but “when.”
Identifying what to renovate
The most valuable flips share one thing in common–the entire home was remodeled–some homes were taken down to the studs. Open floor plans, new kitchens with granite or quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances and finished basements were just some of the home improvements. But aesthetic changes weren’t the only upgrades, behind-the-wall updates were also made, including new electric, HVAC, insulation and plumbing. The most amazing fact about some of these flips–3 on the list were accomplished in only 4 months!
We needed to first find homes that were actually “flipped” (i.e., where there was a focused investment on renovating and subsequent reselling of the property). So, we analyzed home purchases (and re-purchases) from January, 2022 through March 30, 2024, and excluded any “new construction” properties. We only looked at houses that were bought and sold within 90-365 days, and didn’t include places that might be in the middle of a flip or that haven’t sold yet. We then analyzed the listings to see whether those properties used terms like “new kitchen,” “new windows,” or “gut renovation” in the description from their agents, which are a pretty clear signal that the property was invested in with a flip as the endgame.
By looking at the original sale price versus resale price, compared to the increase in property value across the area over the same time period, we were able to identify which homes had the highest resale returns. Since there aren’t universal costs associated with development and renovation (e.g., square footage benchmarks don’t typically reflect the real range of costs for a premium home flip). We opted instead to compare cities “apples-to-apples” on original purchase price vs. resale price.
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The budget would maintain a property tax rate of 18.7 mills, holding from last year, when the school board reduced that rate by 0.2 percent to offset rising assessments.
A citizens group called the Watching the Funds-Cobb asked for additional public hearings to be held to give the public time to read through and comment on the budget.
But that isn’t happening, so the group held an online forum last week, inviting all seven board members. Only two, Democrats Nichelle Davis and Becky Sayler, took part.
The school board is scheduled to hold a work session starting at 2 p.m. Thursday that includes a demographics study update.
After that, the board will go into an executive session before the evening public meetings.
At the 7 p.m. meeting, recognitions include state literary champions, including Nathaniel Long of Wheeler High School, as well as the Georgia STAR student and teacher, Omer Mustafa Inan and Tamara Hollingsworth of Walton High School.
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“For the Future,” a film by Riya Kumar, a 7th grader at Simpson Middle School, has received the National PTA Award of Excellence in Film Production (Middle School division) in the 2023-2024 National PTA Reflections program. The Award of Excellence includes a $200 Young Artist Scholarship, Silver Medal, Certificate of Excellence, and her work will be featured in the National PTA Reflections virtual exhibition.
To be awarded the National PTA Award of Excellence, the piece must be one of the 3 or 4 top-scoring entries for its division/arts category in the nation! School winners PTA round. Georgia PTA then judged the artwork by division, each of which encompass multiple grade levels, making these recognitions extremely selective.The first place winners advanced to the National PTA Reflections competition.
Congratulations to Riya on this incredible accomplishment!
About Reflections: The National PTA Reflections program provides opportunities for recognition and access to the arts which boost student confidence and success in the arts and in life. Each year, over 300,000 students in Pre-K-12 create original works of art in response to a student-created theme. This 50+ year-old program helps them explore their own thoughts, feelings and ideas, develop artistic literacy, increase confidence and find a love for learning that will help them become more successful in school and in life.
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Cobb Police Sgt. Eric Smith told East Cobb News Springer was found dead of a “self-inflicted injury” but had no more details.
According to his obituary, Springer was a student at the Cobb Online Learning Academy and was an honor-roll student who “dreamed of working at a history museum.”
A celebration of life service is scheduled for Monday at Marietta Funeral Home.
The family asks that in lieu of flowers donations in Springer’s memory be given to Good Mews Animal Foundation of East Cobb or any teen suicide prevention non-profit.
Updated, 1:58 pm:
Police say Springer has been located, but they have not provided any further information.
Original Report:
Cobb Police are urging motorists to avoid the area around Sewell Mill Road between Murdock Road and Old Canton Road Wednesday morning as they are conducting a search for a missing juvenile
A social media post published shortly before 9 a.m. Wednesday gave the address as 3125 Sewell Mill Road—Eastminster Presbyterian Church.
Police said regular patrol units were joined by special units.
Sgt. Eric Smith of Cobb Police told East Cobb News the juvenile, identified as Reed Springer, 17, is considered endangered because he is autistic.
He said the boy left his home in the area after noon Tuesday for a walk, but never returned. Police said Springer had been feeling stress due to final exams.
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Pictured from L to R: Jennifer He (Walton), Timy Dang (Sprayberry), Ella Jeffres (Pope), Margie Hatfield, Julia Randall (Lassiter) and Andrew Herrera (Kell).
Information and photo submitted by Micheal Garza, Scholarship Chair, East Cobb County Council of PTAs:
The East Cobb County Council of PTAs (ECCC PTA) named its 2024 recipients of the Margie Hatfield Scholarship at its general meeting at Kell High School in April.
Hatfield is a former ECCC PTA president, and the ECCC PTA scholarship was named on her behalf due to her diligent work and tireless commitment to the students of East Cobb.
Every year, ECCC PTA offers a $1,000 service-based scholarship to deserving seniors at each of the six high schools in the East Cobb area. Each recipient has worked hard to be successful, not just in their scholastic endeavors, but also by giving back to the community through their service and their time.
Selected from 30 applicants across five schools, the scholarship recipients are:
Andrew Herrera, Kell High School, who will attend Kennesaw State University to study Mechanical Engineering. When Andrew isn’t winning BMX races, he can be found maintaining the local BMX track, being a role model to the next generation of young racers, and volunteering at food drives for veterans.
Julia Randall, Lassiter High School, who will study Accounting at University of Georgia. Guided by the Maya Angelou quote, “Be a rainbow in someone else’s cloud,”, Julia has been that rainbow for her peers in starting The Joy Mission Club that supports students in the community grieving the loss of a loved one.
Ella Jeffres, Pope High School, who will attend Georgia Tech where she will study History, Technology, and Society. Ella’s passion for making the world a better place knows no bounds, as she has organized meals for families dealing with food insecurity and provided hygiene care packages for the homeless.
Timy Dang, Sprayberry High School, who will study Marketing at Georgia State University. Timy’s commitment to acts of service is drawn from his Vietnamese American culture that thrives on community and includes painting murals with pop culture references that will adorn the halls of Sprayberry for years to come.
Jennifer He, Walton High School, who will attend Princeton University to study Operations Research Financial Engineering. Through her work distributing school supplies to the homeless, Jennifer hopes to humanize their experience and build relationships with kids to inspire their academic growth regardless of income barriers.
As the largest council within the state of Georgia, the East Cobb County Council of PTAs promotes the academic achievement and well-being of all students within the 35 schools within East Cobb.
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Cobb commissioners on Tuesday approved spending $23,000 for a consultant to provide ridership projections for proposed projects listed for the county’s transit tax referendum that’s on the November general election ballot.
Along party lines, commissioners voted 3-2 to authorize Kimley-Horn and Associates, Inc. to do the ridership projections. They also voted to formally submit the project list for the Cobb Mobility SPLOST (Special-Purpose Local-Option Sales Tax) to the Transit Link Authority of metro Atlanta, a prerequisite for the referendum.
The proposed 30-year, one-percent sales tax would collect an estimated $11 billion, primarily for building out a high-capacity bus transit system in the county, and increase other transit operations.
They include restoring a two-pronged bus line between the Marietta Transfer Station and the Roswell Road-Johnson Ferry area, and from there to the Dunwoody MARTA Station.
Another local bus route would connect East Cobb and Roswell, but route specifics haven’t been released.
There also would be an East Cobb Transit Center constructed, but a specific site has not been determined.
Nor were details included in the project sheet (you can read it here) that would designate a Northeast Cobb microtransit zone.
If the referendum is approved, it would restore bus service to East Cobb that was eliminated in county government budget cuts during the recession.
At the time, that route, bus line No. 65, had one of the lowest ridership figures in the Cobb Community Transit system.
Cobb DOT officials haven’t estimated any ridership numbers for the proposed routes.
Earlier this year, the MDJ reported that ridership across the overall Cobb bus system has plummeted from 3.7 million annual trips in 2014 to just under 1 million trips in 2022, and that the decline began well before COVID-19.
A total of $6 billion from the referendum would be used to build out and expand “high capacity” transit, including the East Cobb route.
Most of the projects on the newly released list are in South Cobb and areas of the county along the I-75 corridor, including Marietta and around Town Center and Kennesaw State University, as well as the Cumberland area and Truist Park.
Also on the project list is a proposed shuttle that would run between the Cumberland area and Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport.
During their discussion, Republican commissioners JoAnn Birrell and Keli Gambrill said they weren’t clear whether the transit resolutions needed four of five votes from the commission to be approved.
Commissioners adopted new rules in March requiring a four-fifths vote for resolutions, but the county attorney’s office said that any item coming before the vote needs only a simple majority.
Other more formal resolutions need a fourth vote, but Birrell and Gambrill—both of whom oppose a 30-year-transit tax—voted against both measures Tuesday.
Kimley-Horn also is being paid $287,000 by the county to develop an education program for the public ahead of the referendum.
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Tommy Nobis Center, a Marietta-based nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities enter or return to employment, hosted its 26th annual Galaxy of Stars luncheon on Friday, May 3, 2024 at the Georgia Aquarium’s Ocean Ballroom.
The event brought together more than 400 corporate leaders, community supporters, and friends to honor the impact of Tommy Nobis Center’s programs, celebrate its participants, and raise much needed funds to support growth of programs.
This year’s Galaxy of Stars theme was Building Brighter Futures. Masters of Ceremonies, WSB-TV Anchors Justin Farmer and Linda Stouffer kicked off the event. Participants in The Academy at Tommy Nobis Center took the stage to thank the event sponsors and attendees for their support followed by a welcome and comments from President & CEO Dave Ward.
“This year’s event was truly amazing,” said CEO Dave Ward. “It was inspiring to hear the stories of success and honor the champions in our community.”
Tommy Nobis Center presented four awards to recognize the hard work and dedication of outstanding individuals who have contributed greatly to building inclusive communities where employment success is possible.
The award winners included:
Tommy Nobis Rising Star Award – Presented to Niarchos (Nick) Wright, an assistant supervisor at Tommy Nobis Center’s EPA mailroom in Atlanta. Although Nick was born deaf, he has exhibited outstanding achievement and exceptional character since he was a young child. He did not let living in silence, silence him from achieving his goals. During his 17-year career at Tommy Nobis Center, he has steadily advanced and has excelled in every position he has held, becoming a mentor and role model to his teammates.
Community Champion Award – Presented to Karen Dernavich, a Client Success Director for Jabian Consulting. Karen loves to ponder the possibilities in every situation and inspire others to join her in the endeavor to innovate and achieve results. Her mantra and method is to ‘Love God, Love People, Solve Problems’ and this shapes her approach to leadership. Karen is deeply committed to serving her community with a special devotion to the Disability Community. She founded The Duet Project, a non-profit dedicated to providing music therapy scholarships in Georgia. Karen has become a steadfast advocate and a true champion of Tommy Nobis Center’s mission.
Family Member Advocates Award – Presented to Katherine and Jay Wolf, founders of Hope Heals Camp that provides resources and relationships to families experiencing disabilities. Having miraculously survived a catastrophic stroke at the age of 26, Katherine navigated the long and difficult recovery with the enduring support of her husband, Jay. Together, they have shared their journey of steadfast hope through their books, Hope Heals and Suffer Strong, and at speaking events both live and online before millions. They leverage their redemptive story to encourage those with broken bodies, broken brains, and broken hearts and have inspired countless people disrupting the myth that joy can only be found in a pain-free life.
Lifetime Achievement Award – Presented to Alan Moak, retired business owner and corporate executive. Alan has a servant’s heart and is always stepping up to help in the community in any way he can. He has a heartfelt passion for the mission of Tommy Nobis Center as his son, Chris, successfully completed training at TNC, which has enabled him to be successfully employed since 2012. Alan served on the TNC Board of Directors for a decade and served as chair for three years. Under his leadership, TNC made great strides in developing innovative programs to help students with disabilities find their pathway to success. He spearheaded the initiative to sell the TNC facility and purchase the new training and education center in the Cumberland area which will make a huge impact in many lives for years to come. He has been actively involved with many organizations including Boy Scouts of America, Young Life, C3G Career Networking Group, and Baptist Health Systems. He has served in his local church throughout his life and currently serves as an Elder at Christ Covenant in Atlanta.
The event that raised $218,000 to directly support programs and services for people with disabilities was sponsored by Cobb EMC Foundation, WSB-TV, and Publix Super Markets Charities. A recording of the event can be viewed at https://tommynobiscenter.org/galaxy.
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