East Cobb’s Congregation Etz Chaim (1190 Indian Hills Parkway, Marietta) welcomes the community to a popular returning program called, People of the Book, on Sunday, August 11th from 2-4 pm. Two authors that will be featured are Harry Stern, discussing his recently released book, The Insider; and Alex Sinclair presenting his newest book, Perfect Enemy. The program will be moderated by East CobberRoni Robbins, award-winning author and journalist. For more information, call 770.973.0137 or visit Congregation Etz Chaim.
“We are so pleased to host Harry Stern and Alex Sinclair for our People of the Book program,” said Rabbi Daniel Dorsch, Congregation Etz Chaim. “Both novels, ‘The Insider’ and ‘Perfect Enemy,’ are fast-paced thrillers that touch on many aspects of Israeli society and military — all with the same objective: the desire for peace in the Middle East and security for Jews worldwide. Although fiction, both books portray many current scenarios and pose real-world questions.”
ABOUT ‘THE INSIDER’
The Insider, a page-turning tale of vengeance and duplicity, is Harry Stern’s second novel in the Bargal/Canaan series, the first being, My Brothers’ Keeper. An international terror plot targeting New York City, The Insider becomes a deadly game of cat and mouse with Iran’s secret service. Leora Bargal and Joshua Canaan, two top Mossad counterterrorism operatives, are enlisted to work with Detective Alex Ramirez and FBI agents to thwart Iran’s plan to attack a New York cultural hub, the 92nd Street Y during a national convention attended by 200 Jewish philanthropists and nonprofit executives. Its goal is to inflict maximum casualties on Jews worldwide.The Insider is available on Amazon.
Alex Sinclair
ABOUT ‘PERFECT ENEMY’
In a covert laboratory under the streets of Tel Aviv, Akiva Cohen, an Israeli scientist, clones Hitler from old samples of his DNA. Akiva wants to change the world for the good; but he is betrayed by those who want to use this new Hitler for unimaginable terror. Akiva is plunged into a desperate struggle to stay alive and salvage his dream, leading to a trail of murders across the country, collaboration with Hamas terrorists, and the uncovering of a devastating conspiracy at the highest levels of Israeli society. Perfect Enemy is an exciting, suspenseful thriller that poses uncomfortable questions about trauma and revenge, the desire for peace, religious extremism, and the schisms of the Middle East. Perfect Enemy is available on Amazon.
ABOUT AUTHOR HARRY STERN
Harry Stern has written and lectured on Middle Eastern affairs and their impact on Israel’s military challenges. Upon receiving his M.A. and doctorate from Columbia University, Stern moved to Israel, where he assumed the role of Director of Community Organization for Southern Tel Aviv and held a faculty position at Hebrew University, in Jerusalem. When Stern returned to the United States, he held the position of CEO of several Jewish organizations, including the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta and the Lawrence Family JCC of San Diego. He launched the Bargal-Canaan series of espionage novels in 2020 with My Brothers’ Keeper and The Insider. Stern lives in Atlanta with his wife, Aviva. They have three children and six grandchildren.
ABOUT AUTHOR ALEX SINCLAIR
Alex Sinclair is Chief Content Officer at Educating for Impact, and an adjunct lecturer at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He has written and spoken widely on Jewish education, Israel-Diaspora relations, and Israeli politics. He has worked or consulted for many of the finest Jewish educational and communal institutions in North America, Europe and Israel, including the Hartman Institute, the Schechter Institute, Hebrew Union College, Hebrew College, and as a full-time or adjunct member of faculty for almost two decades at the Jewish Theological Seminary. His first book, published in 2013, Loving the Real Israel: An Educational Agenda for Liberal Zionism, was a finalist for the National Jewish Book Award, and his debut novel, Perfect Enemy, was published in November 2023. He holds an M.A. (Oxon) and M.St. from Balliol College, Oxford, and a Ph.D. from Hebrew University. He lives with his wife and three children in Modi’in, Israel.
Rabbi Dorsch added, “Congregation Etz Chaim is proud to provide meaningful educational, social, and cultural activities, serving multi-generational needs, such as this upcoming People of the Book program. I am looking forward to the conversations with both authors.”
THE PEOPLE OF THE BOOK PROGRAM – AUG 11
2:00 pm – Harry Stern will be in person at Etz Chaim, with a presentation and Q&A.
3:00 pm – Alex Sinclair will discuss his book, via zoom from Israel, also with a presentation and Q&A.
There will be a short break between the two authors’ presentations for refreshments.
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Watching the Funds-Cobb last month released renderings of a $50M special events facility that the Cobb County School District had not previously detailed.
After hearing public criticism for months, the Cobb Board of Education on Tuesday voted to cancel plans for a $50 million special events facility for the Cobb County School District.
During a special-called meeting, the board voted 6-0 to halt the project, less than a month after blueprints and other details were publicly revealed by a watchdog group opposed to it.
The decision also comes two days before the school board conducts legally required hearings on the millage rate for the fiscal year 2025 budget.
While the millage rate is projected to hold at 18.7 mills, the new $1.8 billion budget technically includes a tax increase because the spending total is 8.73 percent higher than last year. The board will formally adopt the millage rate next week, following a third public hearing.
Superintendent Chris Ragsdale cited economic concerns for pulling the plug on the special events center, including inflationary costs and the possibility of a recession.
“For the last five years, as we have been planning for the multipurpose center, the economy across the country was growing,” Ragsdale said. “Fast forward to the middle of 2024, and the economy has slowed to a crawl.”
He said “this recommendation does not negate the dire need for this facility, but a facility can never take priority over our employees.”
There was little discussion during the brief meeting, which was announced Monday afternoon, ostensibly “to discuss strengthening fund balance.”
“This is a good day for taxpayers in Cobb County,” said Heather Tolley-Bauer of Watching the Funds-Cobb.
But that turned out not to be the case. The meeting was not live-streamed and there was not a public comment session, as is usual at school board public meetings.
While the funding for the center would not have come from the district’s general fund budget—the sources were from special-purpose local-option sales tax revenues and the sale of other school properties—financial critics were vocal from the start.
Members of that group and others had spoken at board meetings for several months, claiming that the special events center wasn’t needed, and that the $50 million represented skewed priorities.
The board voted last fall to approve what was to have been a 190,000-square-foot building housing an 8,000-seat arena for graduations and other major events, as well as conference and banquet space and 1,500 parking spaces.
In March, the board approved the hiring of a construction manager for the facility, which was to have been located adjacent to the Cobb school district headquarters on Glover Street in Marietta.
There was very little public discussion among board members during those meetings, except from Post 2 Democrat Becky Sayler, who said she wasn’t getting many details about the project.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, Heather Tolley-Bauer, a leader of Watching the Funds-Cobb and an East Cobb resident, issued a brief video response delighted with the reversal from the school board.
“This is a good day,” she said. “This is a good day for taxpayers in Cobb County.
“We don’t care what their motivation is. We have our ideas, we have our theories, but we are going to take this win.”
East Cobb resident Stacy Efrat was a founding member of Watching the Funds-Cobb founding member and is now a member of the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration, appointed by the Cobb Democratic Party.
She said in response to a Facebook post on Tuesday’s school board decision that “they figured out that raising the millage rate and planning an unnecessary $50 million event center while ignoring the public outcry is a bad look going into elections.”
In a release issued by the district after the meeting Tuesday, board member Brad Wheeler echoed Ragsdale’s remarks about the economy.
“The real cost of buying groceries, paying for gasoline, and paying for necessary living items made this decision a wise one for all Cobb families,” Wheeler said.
“I will always present a budget that prioritizes our people over facilities,” Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said. “Nothing is more important.”
He is one of two Republican incumbents up for re-election in November, and who have Democratic challengers. The GOP holds a 4-3 majority and three of its four currently held seats expire at the end of the year.
Another is in Post 5 in East Cobb, where four-term Republican vice chairman David Banks is retiring.
Republican John Cristadoro, who is seeking the open Post 5 seat, also referenced economic issues in response to a request for comment from East Cobb News about Tuesday’s board decision.
“The fact is that inflation has increased, our purchasing power has gone down and and our students families and teachers are struggling more to put food on the table,” he said.
“We need to be willing to make choices that are in the district’s best interest and not lock into a decision made in better economic times.”
Cristadoro’s Democratic opponent, Laura Judge, said on her social media platforms that “this decision highlights the importance of community involvement and transparency.
“Thank you to everyone who spoke up and shared their views—this victory is yours. Let’s keep this momentum going. Stay engaged and informed about the decisions affecting our district.”
Before launching her candidacy, Judge was a member of Watching the Funds-Cobb, which formed in 2021 (our profile of the group here) over concerns about COVID-related spending.
Watching the Funds-Cobb has been critical of the district’s purchase of hand-washing machines and UV lights that malfunctioned, leading the district to cancel a vendor contract in 2021.
Watching the Funds-Cobb also questioned the district’s purchase of AlertPoint, an emergency alert system, that was accidentally set off at all schools in the spring of 2021 and prompted a brief lockdown.
The special events center dispute emerged after the board initially voted to remove the project from the SPLOST VI list, citing more pressing priorities.
Ragsdale brought the project back before the board last year, declining to provide Sayler with details she asked about feasibility, cost savings, budget impact, maintenance and staffing costs, saying that “all that information was covered.”
He said the need for an expanded, dedicated venue for graduation was a high priority that would ultimately save money.
The Cobb school district pays Kennesaw State University to hold graduations at its Convocation Center, which has a capacity of 4,500.
That’s not enough for extended family to attend graduations, Ragsdale has said.
“For far too long, we have had families that cannot have grandparents on both sides attend a once-in-a-lifetime event,” he said in March 2023.
“I think it’s very pressing. Literally, we owe this to the parents. We have tried to find a solution for this for years.”
An open-records request by a citizen revealed that Cobb spent $45,000 to rent out the KSU facility last year.
Tolley-Bauer claimed at a board meeting last month that the special events facility the Cobb school district was planning could be a money-loser.
“Are you here to educate our kids or run an events management business? Because one has a high return on our investment and the other will cost us and our children millions in tax dollars for years to come.”
In the district’s release after Tuesday’s meeting, Ragsdale said that “I will always present a budget that prioritizes our people over facilities. Nothing is more important.”
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The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday revoked a health spa license for a business on Canton Road following complaints that it didn’t have properly licensed therapists and for other violations stemming back nearly two years.
During a special hearing at the end of a regular business meeting Tuesday afternoon, Commissioner JoAnn Birrell, whose District 3 includes the Canton Road area, said the allegations are very serious and have not been corrected since initial citations were issued in 2022.
“To me, they’re not minor violations,” she said. “They’re serious. We’re concerned about a hardship putting somebody out of business, but when you don’t follow our code and our laws we have no choice.”
The vote to uphold the recommendation of denial by the Cobb Business License Review Board was 4-0, with Chairwoman Lisa Cupid leaving the hearing early.
The Asian Wellness Massage (3372 Canton Road, Suite 110), which is owned by Lingxia Zhang, had its health spa license revoked and must close. although it can reapply in 12 months. Cobb is currently observing a six-month moratorium on issuing new health spa licenses, following requests from county officials to review those regulations.
The board voted 4-0 to continue a similar hearing to Aug. 13 for V Massage (2800 Canton Road, Suite 1200), at the request of the business’ attorney, citing family obligations.
A third health spa in East Cobb, Peace Spa at 4994 Lower Roswell Road, decided not to appeal the license review board’s decision to issue a two-week suspension earlier this year.
The hearing Tuesday for the Asian Wellness appeal lasted nearly three hours and was complicated by interpretations from English to Mandarin for the benefit of the owner.
Ellisia Webb, the Cobb Business License Division manager, said the issue of alleged violations there first came to the county’s attention when she was contacted by the Georgia Attorney General’s Office, which said it had reason to believe Asian Wellness Massage was advertising on various adult websites.
Asian Wellness was denied a renewal in April after a compliance check found that an employee on premises didn’t have a required health spa permit and another was not listed as an employee of the business.
Agency officials said that during a police compliance check in late 2022, an investigator noticed that people were living on the premises, with a bed in a hallway, as well as hot plates, suitcases, non-work clothing and several pairs of shoes.
In testimony Tuesday, Zhang denied the business was being used for illicit purposes, and said the bed, which was new, belonged to an employee.
V Massage was denied a renewal of its health spa license in April. During a February compliance check, two employees were on-site, and neither could produce a require health spa permit. There also were no records of massage treatments provided, and the business did not post its operating hours, also violations of county code.
Meng Lim, an attorney for both health spas, pleaded for other correctional measures that did not involve the revocation of licenses.
“Do we use this opportunity to make sure that they don’t have a livelihood?” he asked commissioners in the hearing for Asian Wellness. “We all know that the board has a lot of discretion. . . .
“All businesses have minor infractions, and there are remedies for that.”
Sam Hensley, attorney for the Cobb Business License Division, said “we are looking for people who can follow the rules. They are the last line of defense for bad things happening in our community.”
He said there’s concern in the community for the potential for illicit activities, “including trafficking and sexual conduct occurring at businesses providing massages.”
Hensley said two years after the initial 2022 citations issued to Asian Wellness, “we’re still having the same problems. . . . We’re here to protect the community, not that individual.”
Commissioner Monique Sheffield said in reference to the Asian Wellness ads on adult websites that “they’ve taken additional steps to market their illicit massage, and that’s concerning to me.”
She referenced a bed in the back of the business that “I find it to be a stretch that it was just taken out of the packaging and left there. That doesn’t make sense to me. A lot of things are just not adding up to me.
“I have a difficult time accepting some of the testimony as being truthful.”
Cobb County Attorney Bill Rowling said V Massage will be able to stay open until commissioners hear its appeal.
“We cannot force her to close,” he said, in reference to the owner.
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Two days before it conducts required public hearings on the millage rate, the Cobb Board of Education will hold a special called meeting on the budget.
According to a notice on the Cobb County School District website, the meeting will take place at 11 a.m. “to discuss strengthening fund balance.”
The message wasn’t more specific, and there’s nothing posted under the board agenda items except listing an item “for potential action.”
The board adopted a $1.8 billion fiscal year 2025 budget in May that holds the line on the property tax rate at 18.7 mills.
Due to spending increases in the budget, however, that constitutes a tax increase under state law, since there wouldn’t be a “rollback” of the millage rate to match FY 2024 spending.
Two hearings on the millage rate, required by law, are set for Thursday. A third will be held on July 18.
The budget includes employee pay raises of between 4.4 percent to 9 percent.
It includes using $57.58 million in fund balance reserves, with the raises costing $54 million.
According to district budget documents, $110 million in those reserves was added to the fiscal year 2024 budget that expired June 30.
The board meeting Tuesday takes place in the CCSD central office board room (514 Glover St., Marietta).
The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records. They include the street address, subdivision name, high school attendance zone and sales price:
June 17
804 Exposition Point, 30067 (The Townes at Marietta, Wheeler): $437,000
3313 Chimney Lane, 30075 (Estates of Chimney Lakes, Lassiter): $1.25 million
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Monday marks a very special day at East Cobb News.
Yes, it’s just another Monday in the hot summer, and we’ll be at our Monday routine as well to start off another week.
But on July 8, 2017, coming a few days after our national holiday, is the day that I formally declared my independence as a journalist and pushed the “publish” button for East Cobb News for the first time.
If I had known then what I know now, would I have done it? I wonder about that on occasion, and I have been asked that question too, as it has been a daunting experience from time to time.
Getting anything off the ground is a real grind, and just as we thought we were flexing our wings, the COVID-19 pandemic was declared, which changed so much about our lives, and the work we do here.
But as I set to turn the calendar to Year Eight of this local business of mine—how time flies!—I can say unequivocally that the answer is Yes! Yes! Yes!
We were proud to be a sponsor again at The Taste of East Cobb!
I can’t emphasize that enough! After seven years, I feel as bullish about this enterprise as I ever have.
As I have written previously in anniversary columns, this has been the most difficult work of my 40-year-plus career, transitioning from old-school newspaper reporter to new-fangled local online news publisher.
It’s been quite a leap. Of faith, and into the deep end, and many other things.
But it has also been the most gratifying work I’ve ever done. Connecting directly with readers and advertisers has required skills, patience, resilience and resourcefulness I never thought I could possess.
Building a news enterprise with so much decline in my profession and industry is something I’m very proud to have done.
But there’s still so much more building to be done.
As I mark the 7th anniversary of East Cobb News, I want to start off this new year with a new concept that brings together everything I had in mind from the start—blending the provision of local news and information with local business promotion and community-building.
As I like to tell anyone who asks why I do this, these things all go hand-in-hand.
New business openings—especially tasty ones—are a staple of our coverage of local commerce.
This new campaign, “The Power of Local,” will build on those three components. Whether it’s a story, an advertising campaign or a way for citizens to get involved in a worthwhile project, East Cobb News will be stressing all of those community connections.
It’s about demonstrating the power of a single place, the place we call home, East Cobb, and how it can help others, and redefine the community.
There are some details to be worked out as “The Power of Local” launches, and I will be sharing them here as they are finalized.
More than anything, it’s a way to message how vital all these components are to our community, and how they benefit from one another, and how we all benefit from them.
As we started out last year, we are continuing to ask for reader donations.
When people pitch in to help in the community, we love to share it with others. So keep sending us your group’s news!
You can help support us by clicking here, and donating whatever amount you wish.
We’re suggesting $6 a month on a recurring basis, but that’s up to you. You can learn more by clicking here.
We’re grateful to those who have contributed, and those donations are being used to help us cover the local news that you love, and that you have come to expect from East Cobb News.
This is a voluntary thing do do; we do not have a paywall and readers do not have to pay anything to read what they see here.
But if you value East Cobb News in any way, please consider making a donation.
If you are a local business and would like to learn more about how you can promote your business with East Cobb News, you can get an overview of our advertising options by clicking here.
We’re the only all-online daily news presence in East Cobb, and offer the best opportunities for continued, measured exposure that our competitors simply cannot match.
Our advertisers appreciate our flexibility, our affordability and our willingness to do what it takes to get their message in front of East Cobb’s most engaged audience.
We’d love to talk with you about reaching that audience too!
And for our readers—now having grown to roughly 80,000 unique monthly visitors and more than 9,000 newsletter subscribers—thank you so much!
At the heart of what we do is a full-fledged commitment to providing local news that nobody else is doing in East Cobb!
Thanks for your readership, your feedback, your suggestions, your news tips and items. You have made East Cobb News so much better with your contributions, and we look forward to engaging with you for another year.
To sign up for the newsletter, click here. To send your news, photos, calendar listings, recognitions, etc., click here.
It’s part of our core mission to champion local news and business, and to be a source of powerful community-building.
Thanks to so many of you, we have been able to accomplish some of that. With “The Power of Local,” we’ll be able to take it to another level!
Stay tuned for more details and enjoy the rest of your summer!
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Following up a post from a couple of weeks back, on a measure to issue a moratorium on new health spa licenses in Cobb County:
On Tuesday’s Board of Commissioners meeting are three appeal hearings for health spas in East Cobb. The Cobb Community Development Agency is asking the board to determine if “due cause” exists to deny renewing all three licenses.
That includes the Peace Spa at 4994 Lower Roswell Road, which was the subject of a recent investigation by that agency as well as Cobb Police, following a complaint that “stating the possibility of sexual activities being offered.”
Commissioners approved a six-month moratorium on June 25. In asking for the pause, Cobb Community Services Director Jessica Guinn said that “this is a serious concern for the protection of the health, safety and welfare of the public. Community Development and Public Safety have determined that the illicit health spa establishments are evading code and law enforcement; therefore, a temporary moratorium will provide a necessary opportunity to review the Cobb County Code to enhance regulations and strengthen protections to the public by suspending any health spa applications and further reviewing this regulatory process.”
Peace Spa had its health spa license suspended for two weeks following a Cobb License Review Board hearing in which the agency said the business didn’t have a state-licensed therapist or designated manager on the premises during business hours, which is required by law.
According to agenda items for Tuesday’s meeting, denial letters have been issued recently to two other spas, Asian Wellness Massage (3372 Canton Road, Suite 110) and V Massage (2800 Canton Road, Suite 1200), for similar violations.
According to agenda filings, Asian Wellness Massage was denied a renewal in April after a compliance check found that an employee on premises didn’t have a required health spa permit and the other was not listed as an employee of the business.
Agency officials said that during a police compliance check in late 2022, an investigator noticed that people were living on the premises, with a bed in a hallway, as well as hot plates, suitcases, non-work clothing and several pairs of shoes.
V Massage was denied a renewal of its health spa license in April, according to an agenda item. During a February compliance check, two employees were on-site, and neither could produce a require health spa permit. There also were no records of massage treatments provided, and the business did not post its operating hours, also violations of county code.
All three owners are appealing those denials, and commissioners are scheduled to conduct those hearings near the end of Tuesday’s meeting.
They also will conduct their first public hearings on the proposed fiscal year 2025 budget and millage rate.
The meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).
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!
Atlanta’s Shakespeare Academy presents Tempest, Junior!, a 45-minute version of the comedy appropriate for children ages 4-7, at Sewell Mill Library & Cultural Center, 2051 Lower Roswell Road, Marietta 30068, on Wednesday, July 10 at 7 p.m.
The free Theatre for the Very Young production in the Sewell Mill Black Box Theatre will feature much audience engagement while introducing Shakespeare language and characters to kids. The cast is four energetic professional actors and puppets.
For information on programs and resources of Sewell Mill Library, visit cobbcat.org or call 770-509-2711.
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We’re going to kick back on Independence Day with the rest of you while enjoying this most American of holidays and will get back to posting on Friday.
I just wanted to offer up a short note of thanks to all of you for your continued readership of East Cobb News.
We’re soon approaching our 7th anniversary—so hard to believe!—and we’ll be noting that in more detail in the coming days.
As I noted this time a year ago, the end of Year Six felt incredibly special. We continue to grow our audience and advertising interest from local businesses is also on the rise.
We’re generating more traffic than ever, as citizens, business owners, civic groups and others invested in the betterment of East Cobb turn to us for the latest news and information.
Providing my home community with local news that you depend on, and that is relevant to your lives, has been the honor of my long career in journalism.
Helping my fellow small business owners promote themselves to you also is deeply satisfying.
But I don’t think of myself as just a reporter, or editor, or publisher, or small business owner.
I am all of those things, indeed, but also I’m an East Cobber who appreciates the vitality and quality of life that I enjoy here, and that is made better by the many community connections that are forged here.
I’ve never taken a day of this now-seven-year journey for granted, and I don’t intend to. What I’ve learned along the way is that everything matters, and that becomes increasingly the case as time marches on.
Declaring my independence as a media operator wasn’t just for my sake; it was for a vision to serve my community, this place I call home, during a time in which local news is being threatened everywhere.
It’s getting harder to do this, but I’m as strongly committed as I was at this time in 2017, when I finally pushed the “publish” button for the first time and launched East Cobb News.
I guess that’s one of the reasons why July 4 is my favorite holiday.
I love the history and traditions of our nation’s founding, rooted in a spirit of independence, and that is bolstered by Constitutional provisions such as the First Amendment, so important to my profession and to an enlightened citizenry.
I’ll be back soon with more details on our reader support initiative to mark our 7th anniversary: It’s Called “The Power of Local.”
Happy Independence Day East Cobb! May you have a joyous and peaceful holiday!
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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!
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
Cobb County government sent out this message on Wednesday afternoon:
Several people have contacted Cobb’s Elections Department, saying they received text messages urging them to apply for an absentee ballot. The text messages appear to be coming from a Cobb Elections phone number and point recipients to the Secretary of State’s absentee ballot request page.
While the link is legitimate, the text messages are NOT from Cobb Elections, and the phone number is a spoof. Cobb County Elections currently does not send out unsolicited voting information via text messages.
The incident has been reported to the state, and Cobb Information Technology Services (ITS) and others are investigating.
Important Safety Tips:
Do not click on links in emails or texts unless you know the sender’s identity.
Spoof websites can look identical to the real ones. Always verify by typing the URL directly into your browser.
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!
“We really need some time to sort this out before we know what happened,” Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said.
Calling it “a tragic incident,” Cobb Police said Wednesday morning have not filed charges in the death of a 2-year-old who was found inside a vehicle in a home near Jim Miller Park in Marietta.
Police said that officers and Cobb Fire and & EMS were called to a home on Wanda Circle late Tuesday afternoon and found the child unresponsive inside a vehicle.
Police said in a press release that the child was rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital but was pronounced dead there.
While an investigation continues, police said that “there is no evidence to suggest that the child was left inside the vehicle” on purpose.
Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer said in a press briefing Wednesday morning that investigators are unsure why the boy was inside the vehicle.
“We really need some time to sort this out before we know what happened,” VanHoozer said.
“If I was in the position of the father, mother, sibling, friend, I would want a lot of grace and a lot of support.”
He said he didn’t know if criminal charges are warranted, but “we do know that support is warranted.”
VanHoozer asked for people “to be really, really careful in this heat.” He didn’t take questions.
Cobb and metro Atlanta are under heat advisories Wednesday and for the Independence Day Thursday, with temperatures in the low 90s and with high humidity.
Cobb Police Sgt. Eric Smith said anyone with information about the incident is requested to call the Cobb County Police Department Crimes Against Persons Unit at 770-499-3945.
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The Cobb Board of Education next week will conduct two public hearings about the millage rate for the Cobb County School District for fiscal year 2025.
The first public hearing is next Thursday, July 11, at 11:30 a.m., followed by a second hearing the same day at 6:05 p.m., in the board meeting of the Cobb school district’s Central Office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.
A third public hearing is scheduled for the same venue on Thursday, July 18, at 6:30 p.m.
That precedes a school board general meeting at which the millage rate is set to be adopted. FY 2025 began on Monday in the Cobb school district.
Due to spending increases in the budget, however, that constitutes a tax increase under state law, since there wouldn’t be a “rollback” of the millage rate to match FY 2024 spending.
(Cobb commissioners also are holding similar hearings starting next week, since the proposed county FY 2025 budget doesn’t include a rollback rate.)
The Cobb school district, which is required to advertise the hearings as a proposed tax increase, said the rollback rate for FY 2024 would be 17.199 mills.
The tax increase, as advertised, would be 8.73 percent.
Last year, the Cobb school board rolled back the millage rate slightly, to offset rising property tax assessments. The majority of property tax bills goes for public education.
The FY 2025 Cobb schools budget includes employee pay raises of between 4.4 percent to 9 percent.
The Cobb tax digest also is formally announced in July. In April, Cobb Tax Assessor Stephen White forecast a record digest of $60 billion, following a record $55 billion in 2023.
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The Cobb County Water System announced Tuesday that it is investigating three separate instances of treated wastewater being released into Lake Allatoona in the last month that didn’t meet state environmental standards.
A release issued through the Cobb government communications office said that there have been three readings of “out of specification test results” from wastewater released from the water system’s Northwest Water Reclamation Facility since late May.
A total of 7 million gallons of “out of spec” wastewater was spilled into the lake. When that happens, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division requires a public notice.
Cobb said last weekend that routine tests conducted last Thursday, Sunday and Monday revealed “out of spec” readings, and that immediate action was taken.
“The released wastewater, which was disinfected, poses no threat to our drinking water supplies. No cleanup or remediation is required,” the Cobb release said.
On Tuesday, Cobb County said the water system is continuing to determine the cause of the readings. which could come from “a contaminate introduced into the wastewater system that interferes with microorganisms used in the treatment process.
“Test results are pending, and crews are working to adjust the plant’s operations to prevent a repeat.”
Cobb is permitted to release 12 million gallons of treated wastewater daily into Lake Allatoona, the primary source of drinking water for Cobb County.
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The Blackwell Farmers Market held a grand opening June 22. (St. Andrew UMC Facebook page)
The Cobb Planning Commission on Tuesday recommended approval of a land-use permit for a church in Northeast Cobb to operate a weekly farmer’s market on its premises.
A consent item on the agenda said that zoning staff recommended approval of a temporary 24-month permit for St. Andrew United Methodist Church to run the market on Saturday mornings.
The Blackwell Farmers Market features local vendors selling produce, meats, breads, baked goods and other artisanal food items in a portion of the parking lot at the church (3455 Canton Road, at Blackwell Circle).
The hours would be from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Saturday, and the agenda item stated expected business would be between 100 to 200 customers a week.
The market held a grand opening June 22 and is scheduled to continue through the end of September, with temporary 9-12 Saturday hours.
There are roughly 150 available parking spaces on the lot, and there would be no deliveries on the day of the market, according to the agenda item. Vendors bring their own food supplies.
St. Andrew said that between 3-6 volunteers oversee the market each week, and there is a dedicated manager on duty with specialized training.
According to an April 18 stipulation letter, Blackwells Farmers Market will not allow loudspeakers to be used when the market is open. Vendors also must comply with local food health regulations, and no open-flame cooking is allowed.
The church initially applied for the land-use permit in March.
“Committed to fostering a healthier, more connected neighborhood, our market thrives on providing fresh, locally-sourced foods while serving as a hub for the diverse families in our area,” the market said on its about page.
“With a dedication to offering wholesome options and supporting local growers, we aim to nourish both body and spirit.”
The Planning Commission’s recommendation goes to the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which will make a final decision on July 16.
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Delta Community Credit Union Logo (PRNewsFoto/Delta Community Credit Union)
Delta Community Credit Union is now accepting grant applications for its 2025 Philanthropic Fund program. For the 12th year, the annual grant program will provide financial support to organizations that share Delta Community’s commitment to helping families manage their finances more effectively; improving the physical and financial well-being of young people; or enhancing educational and career opportunities for teens and adults. As Georgia’s largest credit union with more than $8.5 billion in assets, Delta Community looks forward to distributing a total of $150,000 to 20 nonprofit organizations throughout 2025.
“It is our privilege to support and invest in programs that positively impact the lives of metro Atlanta families,” said Hank Halter, Delta Community’s CEO. “As a not-for-profit financial cooperative, we operate under the ideal of good corporate citizenship and strive to strengthen the communities where our members live and work through our own direct efforts and by partnering with organizations that share our values and sense of responsibility.”
Since launching its Philanthropic Fund program in 2013, Delta Community has invested nearly $1.2 million in more than 220 organizations that offer educational opportunities, job and career training, and medical and human services support to families and individuals in need. In addition, Delta Community invests in local communities through scholarships, school partnerships and support for chambers of commerce and civic organizations.
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!
Leadership Cobb, the Cobb Chamber’s premier leadership development program, has selected 60 new participants for the 2024-2025 class.
Founded in 1983, Leadership Cobb brings together diverse business and community leaders for a 10-month journey focused on personal and professional growth. The program accomplishes this through leadership training, teambuilding, and educational experiences highlighting our community’s greatest success stories and most significant ongoing challenges.
Congratulations to the members of the 2025 Class:
Benjamin Andrews, Advanced Technology Development Center
Eliese Bernard, Wellstar Health System
Melanie Brueggemann, Croy Engineering
Toby Carmichael, City of Acworth
Colt Chambers, The Alley Stage
Ollie Clemons, Jr, City of Austell
Elizabeth Colletti, Cobb Chamber of Commerce
Carl Crumbley, Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services
AikWah Leow, Cobb County District Attorney’s Office
Alyssa Liguori, Northside Hospital
J.D. Lorens, Cobb County Department of Transportation
BJ Martin, W&A Engineering
Jesus Martinez, Peach Tree Commercial Capital, LLC
Jenn McNeely, Delta Air Lines
Lisa Mello, LiveSafe Resources
Stephanie Meyer, Chattahoochee Technical College
Cheryl Morgan, Dobbins Air Reserve Base
Stacey Nicely, Atlanta Braves
Angela Orange, Marietta City Schools
Nehemiah Pace, Atlanta Falcons Football Club
Ashley Palmer, Cobb County State Court
Kirstin Popper, kirpop
Kevin Pounds, MUST Ministries
Troy Refuge, Refuge Law, PLLC | DTSpade Specialized Real Estate
Keisha Register, City of Marietta
Nick Rider, Mauldin & Jenkins, LLC
Rico Short, Apex Endodontics P.C
Rick Shumpert, Kennesaw Police Department
Douglas Simmons, Cox Communications
Kelli Spearman, Freeman Mathis & Gary, LLP
Alina Stevens, All-Pro Pest Services, Inc
Casey Tanner, Kennesaw State University
Eric Trehern, The Home Depot
Joy Ugi, American Council of Engineering Companies Georgia
Naporsha Valentine, Allstate – Law Office of Marcus A. Blackwell
Danny Vander Maten, Cresa
Gretchen Walton, Cobb County School District
Chris Wasserman, Wasserman Talent Solutions
Chad Williams, GB’s Lake & Stable
Jen Willis, Summit Heating and Air
Nick Winbus, Dallas Smith & Company, LLC
Jennifer New, Mount Paran Christian School, and Greg Mize, The Atlanta Braves, will be Co-Chairs for the 2024-2025 program year. Joyette Holmes, Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles, and Eddie Wade, Croy Engineering, will be the Vice Co-Chairs for the 2024-2025 program year. The 2024-2025 class theme is “Bring It Home.”
The Leadership Cobb class of 2025’s Yearlong Presenting Sponsor is Kennesaw State University Executive MBA & MBA Programs; and Legacy Sponsors are Genuine Parts Company, Croy Engineering, Mauldin & Jenkins, Accounting Consultants of Cobb, and Johnson & Alday, LLC. For more information about Leadership Cobb, contact Kai Lawrence at 770-859-2346 or klawrence@cobbchamber.org.
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!
Round up your gear and saddle up for the annual Cobb PARKS Fishing Rodeo. You have four chances to cast your line at our fishing ponds. Catch the big one and earn bragging rights. Winners will be awarded at each event. Parents – just register the kids who are fishing, $5 per child. Bring your own gear, bait, water, snacks, etc.
All events are 9 – 11 a.m., rain or shine. Hyde Farm Park ( registration code #38598) Saturday, July 6 (East Cobb) Lost Mountain Park (registration code #38597) Saturday, July 13 (West Cobb) Ebenezer Downs Park (registration code #38599) Saturday, July 20 (North Cobb) Furr Family Park (registration code #38600) Saturday, July 27 (South Cobb)
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!
The Music Studio Atlanta, which has a location in East Cobb, has been named the 2024 School of the Year by Music Academy Success, the largest international coaching organization dedicated to music academy owners.
Cecilia Rowe, The Music Studio Atlanta
“We are so pleased and humbled to have been awarded with these three incredible honors in the past few weeks!” said Cecilia Rowe, owner and founder of The Music Studio Atlanta. “We have been committed to the highest quality music instruction for over three decades. I believe the unique combination of top-notch teachers, our proprietary reward curriculum and decades of experience has helped us reach this level of recognition,”
The Music Studio Atlanta was among 10 schools nationwide nominated for the Music Academy Success distinguished School of the Year award, a select group chosen from a collection of 500 national candidates. This nomination is a testament to those schools that have demonstrated exceptional performance and dedication to music education.
The Cobb Chamber also has recognized The Music Studio as one of the Top 25 Small Businesses of the Year in May.
Doctors’ honors
Dr. Arun Chervu, Vascular Surgical Associates
Four physicians from Vascular Surgical Associates rank among Atlanta’s Top Doctors in Atlanta magazine’s July issue, including one at the practice’s East Cobb location.
They include Dr. Arun Chervu, who is among the more than 1,200 physicians on the publication’s 2024 list.
Physicians are asked to nominate fellow physicians they deem the best in their field of practice. Many votes were cast honoring excellence in all fields of medicine. The featured doctors were screened and selected through the verification of licensing and review of any infractions through applicable boards, agencies, and rating services.
Chervu is a partner at Vascular Surgical Associates, PC in Marietta. He received his undergraduate degree in chemical engineering at Princeton University, graduating magna cum laude, and received his Doctor of Medicine from Cornell University Medical College. He completed his surgical residency and fellowship at UCLA School of Medicine. Dr. Chervu’s hospital appointments include Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and Wellstar Cobb Hospital. He is actively involved in clinical research and is director of clinical trials for Vascular Surgical Associates.
ECBA events in July
The guest speaker at the July luncheon of the East Cobb Business Association is Tim Ashmore of Ashmore Management Consulting LLC.
The topic: “Protect Your Business. How to Avoid Employment Landmines.” The event is from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on July 16 at Rich Hart Global Studios (2030 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 270).
The Professional Women of East Cobb will hold its monthly luncheon on July 12 from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. at J. Christopher’s (1205 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 115). The speaker is a group member who speaks about personal journeys in business.
The registration cost for both luncheons includes lunch.
The July ECBA Lunch & Learn event is also at the same J. Christopher’s, from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on July 23. This month, an ECBA Mastermind Round Table will be held in a workshop format with group participation and opportunities to leverage the experiences of other business owners.
The Rich Hart Global Studios is the venue for the President’s Club Toastmasters meetings on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Wednesdays of each month, from 7-9 p.m.
The ECBA’s free weekly networking event is held every Friday at the IHOP (3130 Johnson Ferry Road) from 7:30-9 a.m. You pay for whatever food and drink you wish.
For information on registration fees and other ECBA events, click here.
Other Biz Association News
The East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce next meets on Friday, Aug. 8.
It’s the organization’s annual pigskin preview, featuring the head football coaches of the six public high schools in East Cobb (Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Sprayberry, Walton and Wheeler).
The breakfast event is from 7:30-9 a.m. at the Indian Hills Country Club (4001 Clubland Drive), and you can purchase tickets by clicking here.
Online registrations and refunds close on Aug. 5/
The Northeast Cobb Business Association is on hiatus until August.
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!
The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records. They include the street address, subdivision name, high school attendance zone and sales price:
June 10
718 Trevett Way, 30062 (The Gates at Hamilton Grove, Marietta): $431,879
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!
Asian Wellness was denied a renewal in April after a compliance check found that an employee on premises didn’t have a required health spa permit and another was not listed as an employee of the business.
Hyde Farm Park ( registration code #38598) Saturday, July 6 (East Cobb)
