East Cobb News Archives

Cobb imposes mask mandate at county government buildings

August 17, 2021August 17, 2021 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 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, 2021August 17, 2021 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 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/

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 included in flash flood watch after Tropical Storm Fred

August 17, 2021August 16, 2021 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

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!

Two injured in crash at Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill intersection

August 16, 2021 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 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 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 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 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, 2021August 14, 2021 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, 2021August 13, 2021 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, 2021August 13, 2021 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, 2021August 13, 2021 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 [email protected] 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 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.

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

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

Atlanta Country Club fundraiser nets $118K for Habitat home

August 12, 2021August 12, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Atlanta Country Club Habitat fundraiser

Submitted information and photos:

With 300 people under the stars for a festive night of beautiful music, Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Metro Atlanta raised $118,000 at its inaugural fundraising concert, Harmonies for Homes. The event was held on the 18th green of Atlanta Country Club on Monday, August 9. The concert was produced by local event production company, Moon Crush, and featured music from artists Edwin McCain, Emily Saliers of the Indigo Girls, and Clay Cook of Zac Brown Band, with accompaniment by Faye Petree on fiddle.

The money raised will be used for a full house build for a future waitlisted Habitat homeowner in 2022.

The concert was part of the affiliate’s yearlong 35th anniversary celebration. The fundraiser’s Presenting Sponsor was local custom home builder, Bercher Homes. The Gieryn Family Foundation, Young Contracting Foundation and an anonymous sponsor were Habitat Hero Sponsors. Genuine Parts Company, S.A. White Oil Company, Inc., The Walker School, Keybank, London and Jerry Andes, and Alayne and George Sertl were Hope Giver Sponsors.

Innovative Construction, Jan-Pro, Stadium Spot, LLC, George and Donna MacConnell, and Ann and Sheldon Taylor were Helping Hand Sponsors. Mauldin & Jenkins, Elemica, Dr. Eric Brown, Sandy Cooper, Meredith and Ed Houseworth, the Leech family, Kelly and Sean Sullivan, and Jonathan Tibus were Heart-to-Heart sponsors.

5th graders at East Side ES to learn remotely until Aug. 23

August 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

East Side ES 5th grade remote learning

Fifth-grade students at East Side Elementary School in East Cobb were sent home early on Wednesday and ordered to learn remotely until Aug. 23 due to a COVID-19 outbreak.

In a message sent to the parents of fifth-graders at 9:35 a.m. Wednesday, East Side said the “ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and high positive case numbers” prompted the decision.

Fifth-grade students were to be picked up by 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, and can return to campus on Monday, Aug. 23, according to the message.

“During this time of quarantine, live instruction will occur following your 5th grade student’s normal daily schedule,” the message said. “At this time, ONLY 5th grade classes are moving to remote learning.”

The message did not indicate why only 5th grade classes are affected, nor did it indicate how many COVID-19 cases and close contacts have been determined.

Nor did a Cobb school district spokeswoman, who provided East Cobb News only with the following message:

“Based on our District protocols, fifth-graders at East Side Elementary School will learn virtually August 12-20. When providing high-quality instruction in a classroom is not possible, due to the number of students or staff in quarantine, we look forward to each student receiving a high quality virtual experience through Cobb teachers and the Cobb Teaching and Learning System (CTLS).”

The East Side developments come a week after the district revised its protocols last week to “strongly encourage” mask use, and requires masks for 10 days for asymptomatic people who have been allowed to return to school after being exposed to the virus.

During the first week of classes, Cobb reported 185 COVID-19 cases, including three at East Side.

Cobb remains one of the few school districts in metro Atlanta without a mask mandate.

Some parents have scheduled a rally at Cobb school district headquarters Thursday afternoon demanding a mask mandate.

Transmission rates of COVID-19 in Cobb County have risen rapidly over the last month, well past the “high community spread” threshold of a 14-day average of 100 cases per 100,000 people.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, told Cobb commissioners Tuesday that figure is approaching 500 cases per 100,000, both PCR and Antigen tests combined.

Cobb school parents to hold pro-mask mandate rally Thursday

August 11, 2021August 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Parents demanding that the Cobb County School District issue a mask mandate will be holding a rally Thursday afternoon.

That’s scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at the district’s central office (514 Glover St., off Fairground St. in Marietta), and is scheduled to last for two hours.

Attendees are asked to wear masks, practice social-distancing and to bring water and signs.

One of the organizers is parent Shannon Mathers Deisen of East Cobb, and among the messages at the rally will be urging the district to follow recent guidance by the Centers for Disease Control and the American Association of Pediatricians recommending indoor mask usage in schools.

Cobb is one of several school districts in metro Atlanta that have a masks-optional policy (along with Marietta, Paulding, Cherokee and Forsyth).

Cobb and Douglas Public Health director Janet Memark also has been encouraging indoor mask use, including at schools, and her agency issued a separate message last week saying that while it is “committed to being a trusted resource for planning, mitigation, case identification, and contact tracing” the final decision on masking policy rests with local school districts, per state law.

Cobb revised its protocols last week to “strongly encourage” mask use, and requires masks for 10 days for asymptomatic people who have been allowed to return to school after being exposed to the virus.

Cobb students and staff were under a mask mandate for all of the 2020-21 school year, and a group of parents sued the district because of it.

They dropped their suit after superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced in the spring that the mask policy would be optional for 2021-22.

That’s when the COVID-19 transmission rate was considered low (below a 14-day average of 100 cases per 100,000 people.

As Cobb students began their school year last week, that figure had soared to more than 300, and is approaching a 14-day average of 500 cases per 100,000 people, PCR and Antigen tests combined.

A Cobb school district spokeswoman told East Cobb News this week that all but around 2,000 of the district’s estimated enrollment of 109,000 students were signed up for in-person instruction.

Parents had until the late spring to choose virtual or in-person learning options, and are not allowed to change them during the school year.

Cobb COVID-19 hospitalization rate soars with Delta surge

August 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID hospitalizations — *To view vaccination rates by census tract, **click here**. Source: Georgia Department of Public Health.*

The number of people hospitalized with COVID-19 in Cobb County has risen 600 percent over the last six weeks as community transmission grows well above the high spread category, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health said Tuesday.

Dr. Janet Memark said in a briefing to the Cobb Board of Commissioners that more than 90 percent of those hospitalized have not been vaccinated, and repeated messaging from the Centers for Disease Control that “this is a pandemic of the unvaccinated.”

Memark did not disclose the number of people hospitalized to commissioners, and said that in Cobb there a severe shortage of emergency and critical care beds.

A Cobb and Douglas Public Health spokeswoman told East Cobb News that currently there are 151 COVID patients admitted currently in Wellstar Kennestone Hospital and Wellstar Windy Hill Hospital, and 120 more people who are under investigation for having contracted the virus.

Most of the cases now are part of the Delta variant, which is considered more transmissable that the original strain of COVID-19. Memark said the Delta variant is spreading so fast that anyone feeling symptoms should get tested immediately.

In Cobb County, the 14-day average of combined PCR and Antigen cases per 100,000 people is 446 (100 cases per 100,000 is considered high community spread). In addition, the test positivity rate is 12.2 percent (anything more than 5 percent is also considered high).

Across Georgia, Memark said, the 14-day average is 587 cases per 100,000, a figure she said has shot up 168 percent in the last 10 days.

Also statewide, Memark said there’s been a 60-percent jump in cases involving children between ages 5-17 in the past week, and an 82-percent increase for children from 0-4.

She reiterated CDC guidance from late July recommending indoor mask usage everywhere, including schools.

Memark didn’t mention that that guidance is not being followed by the Cobb County School District and Marietta City Schools, the only school districts in metro Atlanta that have masks-optional policies.

“We are at high spread, but we have brought this down before,” Memark said.

She also urged vaccinations for eligible individuals (ages 12 and older) who have not received them. Currently 48 percent of Cobb residents are fully vaccinated, and 41 percent have received at least one dose.

That’s better than most of the rest of the state, but Georgia lags nationally

For information on vaccines, testing and other COVID information visit www.cobbanddouglaspublichealth.com.

Cobb commissioners delay vote on limiting public comment

August 14, 2021August 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Citizens from across Cobb County used nearly all of their allotted 60 minutes of public comment Tuesday to blast a proposal that would limit their ability to directly speak to county commissioners at their meetings.

Cobb commissioners public comments — *“There should be more access, not less access,” East Cobb resident Hill Wright said.*

A proposal to cut total public comment time to 30 minutes and to limit individual speakers to three minutes was pulled to allow for more consideration, board chairwoman Lisa Cupid said.

The proposed changes drew the opposition of the head of the Cobb Republican Party as well as the local SCLC chapter, and individual citizens, some of them from East Cobb.

The changes would have revised a 30-year-old policy of allowing up to 12 speakers to speak for as long as five minutes each.

In an agenda item, the county said the existing policy was formulated before such forms of communication as e-mails and social media.

But some citizens said those electronic communications often don’t get a response, and they were critical of the proposed changes that would push all public comments to the end of meetings, after commissioners had taken votes.

“This is the one time that we citizens can look all five of you in the eye and tell you what we think, give you feedback and advocate [against] what we feel are bad policies,” East Cobb resident Hill Wright said.

“Yes, there’s e-mail, there’s other communications, but it’s not like standing up here and letting you know. It’s not the same as a room of people showing up to let you know. This is really how our government should work.”

Another East Cobb resident, Christine Rozman, called the proposed changes “a real assault on our freedom of speech.

“Every encroachment on our freedom is starting to add up. People are waking up,” she added, alluding to protests in Europe, Australia and elsewhere over COVID-19 restrictions.

“We don’t trust you now and maybe that’s what you don’t want us talking about.”

To change the public comment policy, four of the five commissioners would have to approve it. But commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Nottheast Cobb was absent from Tuesday’s meeting.

In her weekly newsletter, District 2 commissioner Jerica Richardson said the following:

“I wanted to let everyone know your voice was heard regarding the proposed policy change for public comment. The agenda item was pulled off the list and will go back into review. As I shared in my meeting preview, the intent of the change was for streamlined meetings and identifying consistency with other counties. It was initiated several months ago with that goal in mind. The changes proposed, however, do not get us to that place. Let us know your thoughts as public comment is a great avenue for those to be heard, but we did find a disconnect in individuals speaking and then leaving without any resolution to their issues as we cannot respond to public comment. Many areas are under review in the policy, and I am sure many of you have thoughts on those as well. So, please keep sharing as we all work to come up with policy that best represents and addresses the needs of the community.”

The public comment proposal will likely be taken up at the commissioners’ next voting meeting on Aug. 24.

Related content

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related content

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related content

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Share this post:

Like this:

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories:

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related content

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this:

Related stories

Get Our Free E-Mail Newsletter!

Share this post:

Like this: