This Giving Tuesday, Dec. 2, the Garrison Mill Education Foundation (GMEF) calls on parents, neighbors and local businesses to rally behind a bold vision: enriching every student’s experience through STEAM, an integrated way to experience the world through science, technology, engineering, arts and math.
As a parent-led nonprofit, GMEF is dedicated to creating joyful, hands-on STEAM opportunities that spark curiosity and confidence in Greyhound students. From robots in the school lab to new instruments in music class, every donation helps shape youthful imaginations that are more vibrant, inquisitive and future-ready.
“Giving Tuesday is about radical generosity,” said parent Amy Starr, co-president of the Garrison Mill Education Foundation. “At Garrison Mill, that means empowering our kids with the tools, experiences, and mentorship they need to thrive in a rapidly changing world. When our kids are exposed to STEAM, you can wonder what new devices will they imagine and build? What new treatments will they create? What virtuoso performances will pour from their soul? What new ideas will they give a delighted world?”
This year’s Giving Tuesday campaign #GiveGMEF aims to raise $5,000 to support items like:
Robotics and STEM lab equipment
Teacher training and science salary supplements
After-school enrichment clubs (Foundation After School Enrichment Time, or FEAST)
Signature community events like Publix Math Night and Fine Arts Night
Support for the school garden, nature trail and Science Olympiad team
Grade-level field trips that connect STEAM learning to the real world
Microgrants for art and music programs
Every contribution matters to help GMEF deliver high-impact programs that make STEAM come alive for every learner. Donors are encouraged to check with their employers about “matching gift programs,” which can double or even triple the impact of their generosity.
“We support our kids throughout the year. That’s why we fundraise multiple times, including Giving Tuesday,” said parent Christine Killinger, GMEF’s other co-president. “We can reach maximum impact when more people join the movement, fuel the future and give to GMEF.”
To donate or learn more, visit GMEF’s Giving Tuesday page at GMEFoundation.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!
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!
“Why would anyone want to move here?” East Cobb resident Rebecca Smith said of her issues with stormwater repairs Cobb County said it wasn’t responsible for.
Despite pleas from citizens—including some East Cobb residents affected by devastating floods four years ago—the Cobb Board of Commissioners Thursday approved the creation of a stormwater utility fee.
Near the end of a meeting that stretched for five hours, commissioners voted 3-2 to charge residential customers a flat $4.75 a month for stormwater services, with commercial and institutional users to be charged $4.75 based on each 3,700 square feet of impervious surface on their properties.
Many citizens who spoke during a public hearing earlier Thursday wanted them to delay a vote to create a master plan for stormwater management, among other things.
Some argued that another tax won’t solve the issues many of them have with stormwater, and that there are enough revenues to address the problems.
East Cobb resident Hill Wright, who’s been long critical of what he calls a rain tax, told District 2 Commissioner Erick Allen during the public hearing that if he supported the fee, it should be called “the Erick Allen Rain Tax.”
But Allen said shortly before the vote—which took place close to 11 p.m.—that “the position of do-nothing doesn’t solve the problem.
“This creates a mechanism to start helping our neighbors that are having these issues.”
Allen was among the three Democrats who voted in favor of the fee, with the two Republican commissioners opposed.
Currently Cobb stormwater customers currently are charged through their water and sewer bills based on the amount of impervious surfaces on their properties. The fee would apply to customers in unincorporated Cobb and the City of Mableton, whose stormwater management is handled by the county.
Republican Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of District 3 in East Cobb said while the proposal would create a dedicated enterprise fund, she’s opposed to a stormwater fee while the county continues to transfer portions of its water revenues—currently four percent—to the county’s general fund.
“I know it’s legal but if we had not done that we’d have a lot more money to be addressing this now,” she said.
“I can’t justify any more revenue. I just can’t.”
Members of the audience applauded, but earlier, during the public hearing, they made pleas to table the fee proposal that were eventually ignored.
Among the concerns expressed were that the county has never created a complete inventory of its stormwater infrastructure, nor developed a master plan for managing it.
Under the proposal homeowners associations also would be charged the institutional fee for impervious surfaces. That prompted Richard Grome of the East Cobb Civic Association to ask to table the measure.
East Cobb resident Rebecca Smith, whose backyard and home were flooded in the 2021 storms due to a collapsed stormwater pipe, said she and her neighbors had to spend $96,000 for repairs because the county didn’t have it included on a surveyor’s plat.
They’re having to spring for an additional $20,000 to repair the new pipe, which hasn’t worked properly. Flood insurance covers none of those expenses, she said.
“Why does Cobb County think it’s okay to make homeowners responsible for those repairs?” Smith said, her voice cracking with emotion.
“How do you think anyone would want to continue to live in this county if they are forced to take ownership of these repairs? Why would anyone want to move here? Instead of doing what’s right, you’re choosing to do what’s politically expedient.”
Her husband, Orion Smith, followed her, and said as soon as they fix the stormwater pipe, they’re putting their house up for sale and “leaving Cobb County forever.”
He said he’s not opposed to paying taxes for government services and is a “life-long Democrat,” but “well-run is the key component.”
The real problem, he added, is that Cobb County has “woefully incomplete records of it stormwater inventory and refuses to even reconsider to make any repairs to any infrastructure not found in its spotty records.”
Like other speakers and Birrell, he pointed out the stormwater revenues that were transferred to the general fund along with water revenues over the years.
In the current Cobb fiscal year 2026 budget, that transfer amount is $11 million, but only $300,000 comes from stormwater revenue.
Cobb is spending more than $9 million in FY 2026 for stormwater services; the proposed stormwater fee would generate around $17 million a year.
East Cobb resident Debbie Fisher, a Republican member of the Cobb Board of Elections, also spoke against the fee, although she once favored such a thing.
She lives in the Loch Highland neighborhood, which has two private lakes that she and other residents have had to pay to dredge, due to stormwater runoff from the Sweat Mountain area.
Fisher said, however, that in the two years since a stormwater fee was first proposed, “we still don’t have a plan. We still don’t have the number of miles of piping, of sewer pipes, of water pipes. You don’t even know what kind of money you need.
“This is not ready for prime time.”
The fee is slated to go into effect on June 1, 2026.
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Michael Paris, his wife Kim (in black blazer) and their family at Indian Hills Country Club. Photo courtesy of Cobb Chamber.
Submitted information and photo:
The Cobb Chamber’s East Cobb Area Council has selected Michael Paris, President and CEO of the Council for Quality Growth,as its 2025 Citizen of the Year. The Citizen of the Year Awards are given to honor an individual whose impact through the years will be recognized and regarded with pride throughout the area as a role model. These outstanding citizens are chosen for their definable, exceptional deeds, with which he or she has made their community a better place to live. Awards are given based on local area nominations. The 2025 East Cobb Citizen of the Year award was presented at the East Cobb Area Council breakfast at Indian Hills Country Club.
2025 East Cobb Citizen of the Year
Michael Paris, President & CEO, Council for Quality Growth
Michael Paris, a Cobb County native, took the helm at the Council for Quality Growth in late 2003 and has worked to expand the Council and to spread its mission of promoting balanced and responsible growth throughout the metro region and the state. Paris’ steady leadership, quiet influence, and deep commitment have shaped nearly every part of the East Cobb community.
Paris is involved in numerous community and professional activities. His affiliations include the Board of Directors for the Cobb Chamber of Commerce, the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce, and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce, as well as volunteering for the YMCA of Metro Atlanta, the Cobb County Planning Commission, and The Extension. He is a member of the National Association of Industrial and Office Properties, the Urban Land Institute, an Association Member of the Board of the Atlanta Commercial Board of Realtors, and a graduate of both Leadership Cobb and Regional Leadership Institute.
For more than three decades, Paris has been a driving force behind the growth and impact of the YMCA in Cobb County, helping establish new branches, strengthen vital programs, and ensure thousands of families have access to opportunities that enrich their lives. Recently, Paris served on The Extension’s Capital Campaign Committee, raising funds for the 2023 addition of their 56-bed men’s dormitory. Tyler Driver, Executive Director of The Extension, said “He helped the organization raise $7,000,000 in record time so we can serve more people. In the process, the trajectory of the families he has touched is forever changed. They have opportunities they never felt possible because he believed they deserved their best future too.” Throughout his years in Cobb, Paris has consistently put service above self in all he does, dedicating himself to helping improve the quality of life in East Cobb.
For more information about Area Councils, contact Katie Guice at [email protected] or 770-859-2334. Thank you to Series Presenting Sponsor, Kaiser Permanente, Program Sponsor, Cobb Community Foundation, and Citizen of the Year Award Sponsor, Capital City Bank.
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The Georgia Symphony Orchestra (GSO) invites audiences to kick off the holiday season in grand style at its much-loved Holiday Pops! concerts on Saturday, December 6 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, December 7 at 3:00 p.m. at the Marietta Performing Arts Center.
This joyful celebration of the season features festive favorites, heartwarming classics, and sparkling symphonic arrangements that capture the wonder of the holidays. From nostalgic melodies to merry sing-alongs, audiences of all ages will delight in the music and magic that have made Holiday Pops! a treasured community tradition.
GSO Music Director and Conductor Timothy Verville, along with Bryan Black, GSO Chorus Director, will lead the orchestra and more than 100 members of the GSO Chorus in performances of timeless favorites including The Christmas Song, Silent Night, Carol of the Bells, and selections from A Charlie Brown Christmas. At the conclusion of the concert, audience members will be invited to join in caroling alongside the chorus—a magical holiday experience for all.
Adding to the merriment, Santa Claus himself will make a special appearance! Guests are encouraged to dress in their favorite festive fare and bring their cameras.
“We’re always very excited to share great music every holiday season, and welcome everyone to join us for this Marietta and Cobb tradition!” said Timothy Verville, GSO Music Director and Conductor.
“The holidays have a way of bringing us together—families, friends, and neighbors joined by the simple joy of shared traditions. For generations, music has been at the heart of those moments, and nowhere is that more true than here in our community,” added Suzanne Tucker, GSO Executive Director.
This year’s Holiday Pops! concert is proudly supported by Wasserman Talent Solutions and Moore Colson, whose generous sponsorship helps bring this beloved tradition to life for the entire community.
Whether continuing a family tradition or starting a new one, Holiday Pops! is the perfect way to share the spirit of the season with friends, family, and neighbors.
The City of Marietta is the Presenting Sponsor of the GSO’s 75th Anniversary Season.
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Graduation honors years of dedication and achievement, celebrating our students’ successes and bright futures ahead. The Cobb County School District is pleased to announce the 2026 commencement schedule so students and their families can celebrate the milestone together.
Commencement ceremonies for Cobb’s Class of 2026 begin Monday, May 18 and continue through the evening of Sunday, May 24.
All district-hosted ceremonies will take place at the KSU Convocation Center.
Pope High School will take the stage for the first commencement ceremony on May 18. The commencement ceremonies will wrap up on May 24 with Walton and Sprayberry High Schools.
Additional information about each school’s ceremony, venue information including directions and parking information, access to live streaming broadcasts of the ceremonies, and video recordings ordering information will be available on the district’s commencement page.
Here’s the schedule for the six high schools in East Cobb, all at KSU’s Convocation Center:
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After a 12-year-old boy was seriously injured this past summer crossing Jamerson Road near Davis Elementary School, a new crosswalk has been installed in that area.
Cobb government and transportation officials were on hand earlier this week as students and their parents traversed Jamerson in a newly constructed crosswalk, along with flashing lights and warning signs for pedestrians and motorists alike.
Cobb commissioners approved spending $146,000 in SPLOST revenues for the safety enhancements, and Commissioner JoAnn Birrell was among those on hand for the debut (see Cobb TV video below).
Preston Veal, a student at Mabry Middle School, has undergone a long recovery after being hit by a van while crossing Jamerson Road near the school in late June. He was hospitalized with numerous broken bones and internal injuries, according to a GoFundMe page set up to help pay for his medical expenses.
Veal, a member of the Lassiter Junior Trojan youth football program, was walking home from Davis on June 28 after shooting basketball at the school. Cobb Police said he was crossing from a sidewalk on Jamerson, east of Turtle Rock Drive, when he was hit by a van.
That’s near the only crosswalk across Jamerson serving the school.
Among those walking her child across the crosswalk was mom Courtney Chiang DiStefano, who told East Cobb News last summer that had begun a petition for a solar flashing light alert, along with crosswalk detectors, a chirping alert for pedestrians and for another crosswalk to be built to cover both sides of the school.
She didn’t get everything she initially asked for, but was pleased with the new safety measures this week.
DiStefano previously said she and her family use the crosswalk often to visit grandparents and to go to classes as Davis, but told us “the lack of a protected crosswalk with sufficient signage and protection puts our children and neighbors at significant risk.”
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After opening in 2023 in a small takeout space at the East Marietta Shopping Center, Ducks Burger Bar is moving a little further east.
A sign has gone up over restaurant space at the Pavilions at East Lake Shopping Center next to J. Christopher’s, and another sign has been in the window for a few weeks announcing the relocation.
Ducks Burger Bar serves up a variety of gourmet burgers, Brazilian-style, from a small cinderblock building facing the parking lot at East Marietta (1485 Roswell Road).
On occasion there have been some picnic tables set out but otherwise service is to-go.
But the East Lake space is 6,850 square feet, with plenty of dining room. There weren’t any interior renovations that have been going on; East Cobb News has left a message with Ducks Burger Bar to get more information.
That space has been empty for at least a couple of years; a seafood place had been announced following the closure of AJ’s but never opened. Only the nearby Kroger is bigger at East Lake.
In addition to J. Christopher’s, East Lake has a variety of restaurants and eateries that include Mezza Luna, Cafe Rivkah, Ege Sushi and Taichi Bubble Tea.
At the Ducks Instagram page (which features videos and photos of massive burgers), they’ve been touting the new location, albeit all in Portuguese.
Ducks Burger Bar has outgrown its outparcel space at the East Marietta Shopping Center.
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RaceTrac wanted to build on the former site of the McAfee House, but residents, the Cobb County School District and others fought the proposal.
A proposal for a RaceTrac gas station on an historic site on Bells Ferry Road was withdrawn without prejudice Tuesday morning.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners voted 5-0 to approve RaceTrac’s request to withdraw the request without prejudice, meaning it can reapply at any time.
The request was a last-minute action and thus required commissioners’ approval.
RaceTrac proposed a 24/7 gas station and convenience store (filing and analysis here) at the northwest intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway (2595 Bells Ferry Road), on land where the McAfee House once stood.
It was a home built in the 1840s and was used by a Union general during the Civil War. The home was relocated to Cherokee County earlier this year by Cobb Landmarks, an historic preservation non-profit.
There wasn’t any discussion before the vote at a zoning hearing on Tuesday, and a reason for the withdrawal was not given.
But the withdrawal comes a month after the Cobb Planning Commission essentially scuttled any plans for what RaceTrac had in mind, recommending denial of any gas station use, along with uses that involve alcohol, vaping and tobacco sales, other automotive uses or any type of drive-through business.
That was due to vocal community opposition, and 25 people turned out Tuesday who were against the plans.
The Cobb Zoning Division continued the request to November for a traffic study update (revised Oct. 15).
Opposition came from nearby residents, the Bells Ferry Civic Association, the Cobb County School District (the land is across from Bells Ferry Elementary School) and others for traffic, educational and environmental reasons.
The property also is next to a child care center. The applicant conceded that traffic in a congested area would increase.
In an October Planning Commission meeting, RaceTrac attorney Kevin Moore was asked if his client was looking at other locations.
“I’m not aware of any other options that they have in particular,” Moore said. “I am aware of this option which they consider ideal.” He added that it was “not inherently evil” for a gas station and convenience store to be located there.
At the same meeting, Planning Commission member Fred Beloin said that “this would be the opposite of an old Beatles song where you take a sad song and make it better. This would be take a bad road and make it far, far worse.”
In 2023, a car wash was proposed for the land, owned by the Medford Family LP, and the Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval. But the request was withdrawn by the applicant due to what it said were other business obligations.
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Nearly 600 people have signed a petition opposing plans by a church to build a new worship facility in an East Cobb neighborhood.
In December Grace Resurrection Methodist Church will be asking for a variance from the Cobb Board of Zoning Appeals to build a 15,000-square-foot building and a 286-space parking lot on Oak Lane, near the intersections of Casteel Road and Bill Murdock Road.
Oak Lane is a minor or local road, and the Cobb County Code requires churches located in residential areas to have direct access to a major or collector road.
The online petition (you can read it here) names Cobb commissioners as “decision makers.”
But the hearing will be before the BZA, a five-member appointed body that hears requests for zoning variances and appeals for waivers to county zoning ordinances.
The church also is requesting a variance to reduce a required 50-foot setback to eight feet for an accessory structure, a 6,200-square-foot playground (case filing here).
Grace Resurrection doesn’t need rezoning, since churches are zoned for residential use. The 6.49 acres at 3650 Oak Lane is owned by the Barkis Family Revocable Trust and contains a home. It is otherwise undeveloped and is zoned R-30, a mid- to low-density residential category.
But nearby residents have said that traffic is already a problem in an area with narrow, curvy roads, and they’re concerned about noise, light and environmental issues.
An online petition said that 22 proposed LED light poles for the potential church property “will cause excessive light pollution affecting the tranquility of our area. Coupled with the anticipated noise from regular playground activities and numerous events, the peace and quiet we currently enjoy will likely be shattered.”
Grace Resurrection was formed in 2022 by former members of Mt. Bethel Church, and currently leases a former Lutheran church building on Indian Hills Parkway at Roswell Road.
Church officials told East Cobb News in a statement last month that the congregation is growing and needs more space, and that the Oak Lane property is one of several options under consideration. The proposed building on Oak Lane would seat 750 people.
The church has hired Kevin Moore, a prominent Cobb zoning attorney to handle the request before the BZA.
After the Oct. 30 East Cobb News story was published, some readers expressed vocal opposition to the Oak Lane property for the church.
Rev. James Williams, the Grace Resurrection senior pastor, also commented on an East Cobb News Facebook page thread, expressing thanks for the feedback and said that “you need to know we’re exploring many avenues for the future. We also understand the concerns expressed here.
“Please pray with us about what’s next for our fast growing congregation. We have no solid plans at this point. The East Cobb story is about a first step that must taken in any property we’re considering. God bless you!”
Another reader replied that “I live there and I’ve been fighting to make that road safer for years. We will fight to the last breath to not let you have the release from the requirement to be on a major road. Oak Lane is dangerous. The two blind curves at that driveway are dangerous. That intersection is dangerous.
“You are attempting to further in danger our lives and the lives of our children. Look elsewhere and walk away from this idea.”
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Dodgen Middle School families were notified Monday that the school was briefly evacuated after what turned out to be a false fire alarm was triggered during the school day.
A message that went out from Principal Dr. Patricia Alford didn’t say when the incident happened, she but said that everyone was safety evacuated as Cobb Fire crews came to the scene to investigate.
“They discovered that a faulty smoke sensor was the cause, and it was replaced on the spot,” she said. “Once the repair was made, the system worked again and kids were brought back inside. We were able to continue our day with some minor adjustments.”
Alford didn’t give a time frame, but in her message thanked first responders.
East Cobb News has left a message with the Cobb County School District seeking more information.
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Cobb County Public Library is excited to announce the return of the beloved Cobb Library Book Sale, taking place March 13-15, 2026, at the Cobb Civic Center.
After the cancellation of the Fall 2025 sale due to storage limitations, Cobb Library is pleased to share that suitable storage has now been secured. Because of this, book donations have resumed and are currently being collected at most branch libraries. Check our website for donation guidelines at cobbcat.org.
The community’s support has always been the cornerstone of the book sale’s success. Cobb Library looks forward to welcoming back patrons, volunteers, and book lovers for this highly anticipated spring event.
In addition to the main book sale, the Library will continue offering in-house book sales throughout the year through its popular Book Nooks, conveniently located inside branches across the county.
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While doing some recent grocery shopping, I saw Christmas stockings on display. A two full weeks before Thanksgiving.
My first instinct was to mutter Bah! Humbug! But the seasons do seem to run together this time of year, whether it’s marketing- and sales-driven or not.
The truth is that as mid-November makes the final turn into Thanksgiving and beyond, we’re all thinking and planning through the holiday season, and into the new year. It’s as busy as most of us will be during the year.
Holiday events, vacations and time away from our routines can get a bit frenzied.
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East Cobb News has become a go-to source for all kinds of news that offers more than a glimpse of what’s happening in East Cobb—they reveal quite a bit about what makes this community tick.
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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!
The chairman of the Cobb Board of Education said Thursday the body has no authority to act on a court settlement involving vice chairman John Cristadoro of East Cobb related to his private business affairs.
Cristadoro and his marketing company last month settled a lawsuit with a former client in Fulton County in which he was alleged to have misused $250,000 meant for the client’s advertising campaign.
The civil lawsuit alleged fraud, breach of contract and fiduciary duty, civil racketeering and gross negligence. There was no admission of guilt in the final consent judgment, but Cristadoro was ordered by a judge to repay all but $25,000 of that amount.
Reading from a prepared statement during a school board work session Thursday, Chastain said that state law prohibits any actions by school boards into members’ behavior outside of their official duties in elected office.
“This board of education does not exceed the authority that it has been given by exploring the personal lives of our board members in the same way we do not involve ourselves in the personal lives of our students, staff and parents,” said Chastain, a Republican from Post 4 in Northeast Cobb.
Becky Sayler
“If we extend our authority into the past and into board members’ personal lives, where does it stop?” he continued.
“Criminal charges filed years before a member ran for the board? Allegations made at divorces, adoption hearings? Comments on Facebook that a member is not fit or was a bad teacher? Defaulting on student loans or filing bankruptcy? Failing to make credit card payments on time?”
Board member Becky Sayler, a Democrat from Post 2 in Smyrna, had asked for a hearing to determine to determine if Cristadoro could have violated the school board’s code of ethics.
But Chastain—who never referenced Cristadoro by name in his statement—said that “I asked for input from my fellow board members. I was reminded the board had no authority on this, or any other personal matter, particularly personal matters occurring before the member was elected to the board.
“I will repeat this again: No board member has the authority to make any decisions. Anyone who suggests otherwise is simply wrong.”
During Chastain’s remarks, the three Democratic members tried to ask for points of order or clarification to see if the statement was being made on behalf of the whole board.
It was only after he had finished that Chastain allowed Democratic member Nichelle Davis of Post 6 in Smyrna to ask a question.
Laura Judge
When she wanted to know if his remarks spoke for all seven board members, some applause broke out. “The statement stands,” Chastain said, and he immediately continued with the work session agenda.
He said the statement would be the board’s only word on the subject. The board’s three other Republican members, including Cristadoro, said nothing.
Chastain’s statement appears to be the first in an open meeting by a Cobb school board member since 2019, when he and the board’s Republican members voted to ban board member comments during public meetings. Two of their then-Democratic colleagues claimed the move was an act of censorship to silence them.
Chastain, who also was board chairman at that time, did not reference the ban in making his remarks Thursday.
On Friday morning, Sayler said on her board member’s Facebook page that her attempt to pursue a possible ethics violation inquiry “did not have the support of enough board members to move forward. You, the community, deserve board members who are informed, thoughtful, and guided by doing what is best for students. I’m sorry that not enough of my fellow board members saw this situation with the same urgency and morals that so many of us did.”
Democrat Laura Judge of East Cobb, who lost to Cristadoro in the 2024 general election, said during a public comment session at the work session Thursday that Cristadoro’s legal issues are “a blemish on this district’s reputation. This was not a minor error or personal dispute. It involved the admitted misuse of $250,000. And yet, some of our long-standing board members and leaders seem willing to look the other way. That should alarm all of us.”
She also objected to Chastain’s handling of the statement “before even discussing it in executive session with fellow board members” but that “it shows exactly how decisions are being made in this district—without all voices at the table.”
John Cristadoro
Judge added that the matter shouldn’t be a partisan issue (Republicans have a 4-3 school board majority). But Chastain, in his remarks, alleged that’s exactly what was happening with Cristadoro, a Republican in his first year on the board.
“During my 11 years on the board there have been numerous requests to consider actions by board members which allegedly affected their elected positions,” Chastain said.
“Virtually of these allegations were made by members who were not part of the majority’s political party. Without exception and regardless of the board member’s political party we have declined. The board of education will continue its unbroken practice and limit itself to actions occurring within a board member’s term of office and his or her elected service.”
In his only comment on the matter, Cristadoro, right after the settlement, accused his critics of creating “fake outrage” over matters that had nothing to with his public service.
“It’s a personal case from a personal business, both of which have nothing to do with serving students, other than being a target by those who are trying to tear down Cobb schools,” he said.
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Cobb PARKS was recognized by the Cobb Board of Commissioners this week for being named the Agency of the Year by the Georgia Recreation and Park Association.
Department officials and staff were present at Wednesday’s BOC meeting. The agency award is the second given to Cobb in recent years, following 2019, and Cobb PARKS Director Michael Brantley was recognized in 2024 as the GRPA’s Distinguished Professional of the Year.
GRPA is a private, nonprofit institution to support and promote the recreation and park industries within the state of Georgia. According to agenda item for Wednesday’s meeting, it is “the only state organization that serves as an advocate for quality recreation and park areas, facilities, programs and services at the local level.”
The Agency of the Year Award is presented to five population groups within the state. Cobb County is in the largest population category—150,000 and over. More from the agenda item:
“The rating period for the award was September 1, 2024 through August 31, 2025, a year that has been a transformative one for Cobb PARKS, marked by achievements that not only provided improved facilities and operations but also strengthened our commitment to equity, community and quality of life.
“A tremendous number of initiatives and projects — from transformational facilities like the Milford Recreation Center and Rhyne Park, to systemwide upgrades, strategic partnerships and organizational improvements — illustrate a year of growth, innovation and service. Each represents a commitment to ensuring that Cobb’s parks, facilities and programs are not only maintained but continually improved for the benefit of all who call this community home.”
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Coach Jerry Mahon is honored by Pope High School officials and his family as he marked his retirement in 2025. Photo courtesy CCSD.
Pope’s season-ending win in varsity football was the last game for a longtime coach in the Cobb County School District.
Jerry Mahon, an assistant coach for the Greyhounds the last 10 years, is retiring, bringing to a close a 50-year career in coaching and teaching that included tenures at Lassiter and Wheeler.
He’s been Pope’s offensive line coach, and his players excelled as the Greyhounds won 35–14, rushing for 385 yards against Riverwood.
“His countless hours of hard work and commitment have made Pope Football a better program,” Pope head coach Sean O’Sullivan said in a release issued by the Cobb school district.
“It has been a true pleasure having such a veteran coach on staff. We appreciate all his support and the positive impact he’s had on our team and community.”
Mahon said he had wanted to be a coach since he was in eighth grade, and started in Mississippi in 1976. After also coaching in Alabama, he moved to Georgia in 1997, and was an assistant and head coach at Lassiter.
That’s where he coached his son Jerry, Jr., an offensive lineman for the Trojans in the late 90s, and said “he’s one of the best centers I ever coached, so the opportunity to coach my son was a real thrill.”
In 2005, Mahon moved to Wheeler, where he served for 11 seasons before coming to Pope.
“Coach Mahon’s legacy in coaching will be left with the thousands of players and hundreds of coaches who have encountered his professional, faith-based approach to teaching life lessons,” Pope AD Josh Mathews said.
“I have witnessed a coach who cares for the heart of the athlete significantly more than he cared about the result of a game or match.”
Mahon said his motivational and teaching philosophy came from an adapted rhyme believed to be inspired by the fourth-century Christian priest St. Jerome.
“Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best. The key to all that right there is to never let it rest. You’ve got to keep working. Being average is halfway from the top, but also halfway from the bottom. You’ve got to be willing to put in the work. Hopefully, that is what I have passed on to my players and students.”
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Several months after placing specially-trained dogs in some high schools to bolster safety in schools, the Cobb County School District will be adding some more.
During a Cobb Board of Education session Thursday, the school board approved a special request by Superintendent Chris Ragsdale to use up to $2 million in the district’s general fund balance for an additional eight dogs, and costs for their handlers and equipment.
Ragsdale said the funding would enable the district to have a dog and handler at each of the district’s 16 traditional high schools.
The district began the program earlier this yearthrough a state school security grant and $80,000 in district funding to purchase canines to as part of officer-led teams that can identify “person-worn or concealed-carried explosives and firearms.”
Without providing specifics due to security concerns, Ragsdale said that what’s called the Vapor Wake program has been successful thus far, and presence of the dogs and handlers is “so accepted in the schools.”
He did not identify which schools have had the dogs, but said the next phase is for all of the high schools to have them “as soon as possible.”
The dogs are trained to “continuously sample the air for concealed firearms and explosives, tracking potential threats even while in motion. This cutting-edge detection capability provides real-time security monitoring, allowing for a swift response to potential threats,” according to Vapor Wake program literature.
The program includes a partnership with Global K9 Protection Group, a private company based in Opelika, Ala., that provides canine-focused security solutions.
Major universities, sports arenas, theaters and other entities use Vapor Wake.
“It will not be a flip of the switch, and they’ll be here tomorrow,” Ragsdale said Thursday. “But it will get us a lot further down the road than waiting for the budget cycle to come around.”
The vote was 6-1, with Becky Sayler of Post 2 in South Cobb of Smyrna opposed, saying she needed more information since “this is the first I’m hearing of it.”
She made a motion to table a vote, but that motion failed.
Ragsdale said that the cost could come to $2.6 million, with additional funding from SPLOST revenues, for equipment and training. Existing district police personnel will be trained to be handlers, as is being done now.
The district has a general fund balance of $386 million. Ragsdale said the cost of the additional dogs would have to be added permanently each year, unless additional state security grant funding becomes available.
“To have dogs at every high school is a preventative measure,” board member Randy Scamihorn said. “We want to be informed and we want to inform the public. But we want to keep our layered security, where the bad guys don’t know what we’re doing.
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These “Warrior Moms” have lived through tragedies that mirror today’s headlines:
Fentanyl poisoning
Hazing and preventable campus deaths
Gun violence
Car accidents and house fires, etc.
Three of the co-authors are from the Cobb area, and eight additional Warrior Moms will be on hand to sign books and speak with attendees. Their stories are raw, real, and deeply relevant—offering both practical guidance and a collective call to reshape how America talks about grief.
You may also recall Slater Nalley, a recent Top 5 American Idol finalist, who performed an original song inspired by Carter Davis. Carter was gunned down behind the Publix in Roswell in 2016. What many don’t know is that Slater was deeply moved by a poem written by his teacher, Michele Davis—Carter’s mother and one of the co-authors of ‘Grieve Like a Mother, Survive Like a Warrior.’ Her words helped shape the emotional core of Slater’s tribute, and she’ll be available for interviews at the event.
This artistic connection between teacher and student—between grief and music—adds a powerful layer to the story. It’s a testament to how personal loss can inspire public healing, and how Georgia voices are shaping national conversations through art, advocacy, and community.
Wanted to share an interesting twist of this story to you.
This is more than a book launch—it’s a moment of solidarity and storytelling from Georgia families who are turning pain into purpose.
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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!
