East Cobb News

Proposed Mt. Bethel Christian Academy stadium draws opposition

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Mt. Bethel Christian Academy

When Mt. Bethel Christian Academy got approval from Cobb commissioners to open a high school campus on Post Oak Tritt Road in 2013, one of the restrictions pertained to the development of an athletic stadium on the back of the 33-acre property.

The special land use permit granted to the school prohibited any field from having lights and permanent seating. Four years after the school opened, Mt. Bethel wants to remove that stipulation in a site plan amendment that’s on the Cobb Board of Commissioners zoning hearing agenda Tuesday.

UPDATED: We understand this case is being delayed until February and are seeking confirmation.

The Mt. Bethel application seeks permission to amend the site plan “to develop a multipurpose field with lighting and permanent seating for a competitive high school.”

The proposal also calls for a reconfiguration of other buildings on the campus to “create a more efficient layout,” with most of the buildings clustered in the interior of the property. The proposed revision also calls for 32 additional parking spaces on campus.

Mt. Bethel isn’t asking to increase an anticipated maximum enrollment of around 450 students (currently 150 students attend grades 9-12). The school currently has a footprint of 230,700 square feet of classroom, activities, recreational and other space.

The proposed site plan revision is shown at the top, and the full agenda item can be found by clicking here. The file also contains details of the 2013 special land use permit process and correspondence.

Nearby residents have been urging their neighbors to write to commissioners in opposition to the stadium. Here’s a letter a resident of the Holly Spring subdivision sent to us:

MBCA stadium letter

Mt. Bethel purchased the land, located near the northwest corner of Post Oak Tritt and Holly Springs Road from the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta, which operated a preschool and camps on the site of the former Shirley Blumenthal Park.

In a letter to Cobb Zoning staff from Mt. Bethel’s attorneys dated Nov. 12, the school explained its plans to develop a field that would be used for soccer, lacrosse, track and other high sports competitions. The revised site plan request also includes room for a 9,400-square foot fieldhouse.

Currently Mt. Bethel has high school boys and girls soccer, high school coed track and field and boys and girls lacrosse at the middle school level.

Some Mt. Bethel teams complete at the academy’s 44-acre lower school campus on Lower Roswell Road.

In the letter to Cobb zoning staff, Mt. Bethel attorneys Jim Ney and Ryan Pulley said that their client “does not foresee any harm to come to the neighboring properties and will take great efforts to ensure that the multipurpose field will be a reasonable and a non-injurious addition.”

Mt. Bethel says in the letter it will present details of a light study it is conducting at Tuesday’s meeting, and will maintain all current setbacks and an 85-foot buffer from surrounding properties.

We’ve left word with Mt. Bethel attorneys for more details and will update when we hear back. 

Mt. Bethel got approval last year to amend the high school site plan to permit a temporarily modular classroom. 

 

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Good Food restaurant closes on Lower Roswell Road

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Jenny Cubbon, owner of the Good Food restaurant at 2044 Lower Roswell Road (across from the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center), announced that it’s closed, as of today.Good Food restaurant closes

Good Food opened a little more than a year ago in The Shoppes at NewMarket Center and served up a variety of what she called comfort food in a cafeteria-style setting.

Here’s the message Cubbon sent out, and she also indicated she may regroup after the holidays for catering purposes:

Unfortunately, though very successful for a first year start up, we simply can not support the rent for this space and the landlord is unwilling to work with us in any reasonable way.

He won’t even allow me to put up a proper building sign. I guess he’d rather have empty spaces than work with us on rent. It’s hard to walk away from a thriving restaurant that I know has been a welcome addition to our community, but I’m left with no choice.

Thanks for the love,

Jenny and the Good Food Crew.

All catering orders will be honored as contracted.

 

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Bring One for the Chipper recycling program returns to East Cobb locations

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tree recycling, Bring One for the Chipper, Keep Cobb Beautiful

Christmas is still another week or so away but Keep Cobb Beautiful is getting out word now about the return of its Bring One for the Chipper recycling program that will take place on Jan. 5.

Live undecorated Christmas trees will be accepted from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. on that day at the following locations in the East Cobb area :

  • Home Depot, 4101 Roswell Road
  • Home Depot, 3605 Sandy Plains Road
  • Noonday Creek Park 489 Hawkins Store Road
  • Fullers Park, 3499 Robinson Road

All decorations, mesh and strings must be removed prior to dropping off.

Here’s more information information that’s being sent out via KCB:

The chipper program involves the entire community and countless volunteers. Since its inception, the program has recycled an estimated 5.9 million Christmas trees statewide.

The mulch from these trees has been used for playgrounds, local government beautification projects and individual yards.

You can support the chipper program by bringing your live undecorated Christmas tree to a designated drop off site or volunteering with your local coordinator to collect trees.

As a Keep Georgia Beautiful Foundation affiliate, Keep Cobb Beautiful works with sponsors to organize the recycling event for Cobb County. These sponsors include Home Depot, Davey Tree Expert Company, TAG Grinding Services Inc. and Cobb County PARKS.

Numerous local sponsors and volunteers also make contributions and provide in-kind services.

 

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Architect for new Sprayberry High School gym, renovations approved

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Sprayberry High School

Design work for a new Sprayberry High School gym and renovations to the school’s career training building was approved by the Cobb Board of Education Thursday.

The board voted 7-0 to spend $925,162 for an architectural and engineering design contract with CDH Partners of Marietta.

Plans call for a new main gymnasium and renovations to the Sprayberry’s CTAE (Career, Technology and Agricultural Education) facility.

(Click here to view the meeting agenda.)

That project, as well as design work, is included in the upcoming Cobb Education SPLOST V collection period that begins Jan. 1. The design contract will be paid for out of the general fund, which will be reimbursed with SPLOST V revenues.

At a work session Thursday afternoon, John Adams, the Cobb County School District deputy superintendent, was asked by school board member David Banks where the new gym would be located on campus.

Adams said that “we have to hire an architect to tell us what we can do and where.”

Most other East Cobb high schools have gotten new gyms in recent years, or are getting them. Wheeler opened Wildcat Arena three years ago, Pope opened a new gym earlier this year and construction on new gyms at Walton and Lassiter are underway.

The new gyms are built with a capacity of 3,000 and the Sprayberry facility is expected to cost around $20 million.

Another board member, former Sprayberry administrator Randy Scamihorn, asked if the school’s baseball field may have to be relocated to accommodate the renovations.

Adams gave him a similar answer, saying that “we have to get an architect on board.”

He said that the CTAE facility would have a similar capacity within an improved building.

The board also voted 7-0 to approve $90 million in short-term construction bonds to begin work on SPLOST V projects in advance.

The district wants to speed up the completion time for projects and find cost savings with interest rates on the rise.

Brad Johnson, the district’s chief financial officer, told board members at the work session that interest rates have been going up 4-5 percent a year.

The $90 million in bonds, called TANS (tax anticipatory notes) would be repaid at the end of 2019 with revenues from SPLOST V.

Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said it’s a “no brainer” to get started with construction at a lower cost, “instead of waiting for a higher interest rate to kick in.”

Johnson estimated that the strategy could enable the district to “come close to breaking even” after the interest costs are paid.

Earlier this year the school board approved $40 million in TANs for similar reasons. Those funds were applied to completion of the East Cobb Middle School and Brumby Elementary School rebuilds, as well as the Lassiter and Walton gym and fine arts projects that are part of the current SPLOST IV collection.

“We’re borrowing more,” Johnson said, “but we’re borrowing for a longer time.”

Also included on the SPLOST V project list is rebuilding Eastvalley Elementary School on the former site of East Cobb Middle School on Holt Road.

The school board is expected in January to formalize issuing the bonds, with revenues anticipated by February.

 

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Breaking News: Cobb Police Precinct 4 receives bomb threat; all-clear issued

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The Cobb Police Precinct 4 headquarters on Lower Roswell Road was among the county government entities that received a bomb threat today.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt said that e-mail threats were sent to Precinct 4 and Precinct 1 in North Cobb, Cobb Police Headquarters, Cobb Superior Court and Cobb 911.

Cavitt said the threats were not deemed to be credible and those buildings were given the all-clear. While Cobb Superior Court was evacuated, Cobb Police Sgt. Wayne Delk said none of the police facilities receiving threats were.

“We did conduct thorough security checks and determined the threat to be unfounded,” he said.

Precinct 4 is located at the East Cobb Government Service Center, which also houses Cobb Fire Station 21 and a tag office.

A number of e-mailed bomb threats were sent elsewhere in metro on Thursday, including schools and businesses, as well as around the country.

Several lockdowns took place at schools in the Dunwoody area, and another bomb threat was made at Columbine High School near Denver. That’s where a 1999 mass shooting killed 13 students and teachers.

The threats at Columbine and other schools in the Denver area were also not deemed to be credible and lockdowns there were lifted.

Some of the e-mail threats demanded payment in Bitcoin, but it’s not clear now if the messages sent to Cobb agencies were that specific.

Also getting threats across the country were universities, media organizations and even the opera house in Boston.

Cavitt said the Cobb threats have been turned over to the FBI for investigation.

We’ll be updating this story as new information becomes available.

 

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Canadian man who tried to lure Cobb teenage girl into sex gets 16 years

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A Canadian man who had flown to Atlanta to have sex with a Cobb teenage girl last year has been sentenced by a federal judge.Cobb teenage girl, Kell High School teacher indicted

Yves Joseph Legault, 54, from Toronto, will serve 16 years in prison for a variety of sexual exploitation charges that include his attempt to meet a 13-year-old Cobb County girl last year. He also will be on supervised release for life and will be deported to Canada upon his release from prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Atlanta.

Legault pleaded guilty in September to several charges, including coercing and enticing the production of child sexual exploitation images over the Internet. Federal prosecutors said he preyed on victims in Georgia and Mississippi at the same time.

He was arrested last August at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport after getting off a plane for what federal prosecutors was a trip to have sex with the Marietta girl, whom he met via Omegle, an anonymous online text and video chat tool.

During Legault’s trial, prosecutors said Legault and the girl moved their chats to Google Hangouts, where he asked her to perform sex acts for him on a live video stream. Later, he arranged to travel to Georgia to meet her for in-person sex acts.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said the girl’s mother alerted the FBI after her daughter received a package from Canada, and after intercepting messages between Legault and the girl.

While Legault was facing charges in Georgia, prosecutors also said he had engaged in similar behavior with an eight-year-old girl in Pascagoula, Miss. He was charged there with one count of coercing and enticing the production of child pornography, and also pleaded guilty to that charge in federal court in Atlanta.

“Predators like Legault are always lurking on line, and a threat to our children. Hopefully his sentencing will serve as a warning to all parents to monitor what their children are doing on the internet and on their cell phones,” said Chris Hacker, Special Agent in Charge of FBI Atlanta, said in a statement.

The U.S. Attorney’s Office said both the Georgia and Mississippi cases are part of the U.S. Justice Department’s Project Safe Childhood initiative to protect children from online exploitation and abuse.

 

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Lassiter-Pope-Kell NJROTC recognized by Keep Cobb Beautiful

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Lassiter-Pope-Kell NJROTC

Photo and info from the Cobb County School District:

Because of their dedication to community beautification, students in the Lassiter-Pope-Kell (LPK) NJROTC program earned the title of Adopt-a-Mile Youth Group of the Year by Keep Cobb Beautiful. 

Capt. Jim Minta (USN, RET) and First Sgt. Lorenzo Cox (USMC, RET) recently paired the NJROTC unit with the Keep Cobb Beautiful initiative by adopting Shallowford Road in front of Lassiter High School. Once a quarter, cadets, armed with plastic gloves, trash bags, and neon vests, spend a morning picking up trash along the mile stretch.  

Knowing that individuals are far less likely to desecrate a well-maintained community motivates the Cobb students to keep their community beautiful. The student volunteers are not only helping the local community, but they are also helping the environment. 

Ever since the unit’s involvement along the road, litter within the area has decreased dramatically, according to the students’ NJROTC leaders. The reduction of litter mitigates the effect of pollutants flowing into the surrounding water basins. Both the Lassiter High School campus and the area surrounding it appear healthier and cleaner than ever. LPK’s NJROTC cadets plan to continue to set an example with their clean-up efforts in their East Cobb community.  

 

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Cobb Community Development Director Dana Johnson takes Cobb Chamber of Commerce post

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Dana Johnson

The Cobb Chamber of Commerce has hired Dana Johnson, who heads up community development for Cobb County, to head its economic development efforts.

The Chamber made the announcement Wednesday afternoon that Johnson will become executive vice president of economic development and executive director of Select Cobb.

That office directs the chamber’s economic development strategy.

“Dana is the right person to lead Select Cobb for our next chapter of advancing a thriving economy for our community. He brings a great passion for Cobb and our state as well as extensive economic development experience in working with our many partners to attract, recruit and retain jobs,” Cobb Chamber president and CEO Sharon Mason said in a statement. “I look forward to his leadership that will take Select Cobb and our team to the next level.”

Johnson has been with Cobb community development since 2005 and was appointed director in 2015. The agency oversees planning and zoning, code enforcement and business licenses and inspections in addition to economic development.

He has developed a business concierge service to assist businesses to relocate or expand operations in Cobb.

“I am honored to join an organization with a strong record of achievement and I look forward to building on that momentum,” Johnson said in a Chamber release. “I see tremendous potential for Select Cobb’s efforts to attract and retain businesses to the county, to assist entrepreneurs and grow its international strategy. “

 

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Cobb Planning Commission chairwoman Judy Williams reappointed

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After filling out the unexpired term of her predecessor, Cobb Planning Commission chairwoman Judy Williams has been reappointed to a full four-year term.Cobb Planning Commission Chairwoman Judy Williams

Williams was reappointed earlier this week by Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell to represent District 3, which covers the Northeast Cobb and Town Center/KSU areas.

Earlier this year, Williams became the chairwoman of the five-member board, which hears zoning cases and makes recommendations to county commissioners, after then-chairman Mike Terry retired.

Williams, whose term starts on Jan. 1, has served on the planning board before, appointed by former Cobb Commission Chairman Tim Lee. She was chosen early last year to replace Christine Trombetti, an East Cobb realtor who had served for 14 years.

Compensation for chairing the planning board is $275 a month.

Birrell, who was re-elected last month, also reappointed Williams to serve on the Cobb Board of Zoning Appeals, also for four years starting Jan. 1.

District 2 commissioner Bob Ott also made several reappointments this week.

Two prominent East Cobb citizens will continue serving on the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission. Longtime East Cobb Civic Association activist Trish Steiner will serve through September 2020. The term of Joe Gavalis, who is spearheading an East Cobb cityhood initiative, will end in December 2021.

Ott also reappointed Jill Flamm, another veteran East Cobb Civic Association leader, to the Cobb Recreation Board, through March 2023.

Jon Jordan, an East Cobb resident, will continue serving on the Cobb Library Board of Trustees through 2021. An author of military history books and an attorney, Jordan was appointed by Ott last year to fill an unexpired term.

 

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Deadly crash, chain reaction shuts down I-75 near Loop exits for hours

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One person was killed after a collision on I-75 between North and South Marietta Parkway early Wednesday morning that triggered a chain reaction and shut down traffic for more than five hours in that area.Marietta Police

Marietta Police have not identified the victim, a 54-year-old male who lived in metro Atlanta, because they are still notifying his family.

Police said he was riding in a silver 2010 Chevy Silverado truck traveling southbound on I-75 between the Loop exits around 1:30 a.m. when it collided with a black 2008 Infinity G37.

The truck hit a guardrail, then spun back into the interstate and struck two tractor-trailers, according to police, who said the victim was ejected from the truck, which caught on fire.

No one else was transported by ambulance, according to police, who said all southbound lanes of I-75 were closed until around 7 a.m., to clean up liquids from the vehicles involved in the accident.

Marietta Police said anyone with information about the crash is asked to call Ofc. St. Onge at 770-794-5352.

 

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Marietta man found guilty of second-degree murder for ignoring daughter’s medical emergency

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A man whom prosecutors alleged ignored his infant daughter’s serious medical emergency at their Delk Road-area apartment last year was found guilty of second-degree murder on Tuesday.Sidrick Melancon

The Cobb District Attorney’s office said Sidrick Raymone Melancon Sr., 32, was convicted by a Cobb Superior Court jury of all the charges against him, including murder in the second degree, cruelty to children in the second degree, and two counts of influencing a witness.

He is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 21, and could get up to 50 years in prison.

He was charged after dropping off his daughter to an urgent care location on Aug. 5, 2017 after she was unresponsive and purplish, then leaving the scene with another person to run errands and go to a liquor store, according to prosecutors.

They said at the trial that Melancon delivered the girl’s body “like a sack of potatoes” and that doctors found Laura Higgenbotham, who was 10 months old, suffering from massive bleeding on her brain. She also had bleeding in the eye, some neck trauma and leg fractures, according to testimony presented at the trial.

The child was rushed to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, then airlifted to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta before doctors declared her brain dead and removed her from life support, according to prosecutors.

The girl’s mother, Sadai Higgenbotham, 27, texted Melancon the morning of Aug. 5 from her Collingwood Drive apartment that she was unable to wake the child, the Cobb DA’s office said. Sadai Higgenbotham is awaiting trial and also is facing murder and other charges in connection with her daughter’s death.

Melancon was arrested on Aug. 8 and has remained in the Cobb County Adult Detention Center without bond since then.

Also living at the apartment was Melancon’s long-time girlfriend and three children he fathered with her. The woman had threatened to call the Department of Family and Children’s Services for what prosecutors said was Sadai Higgenbotham’s treatment of her daughter.

At his trial, Melancon testified he did not know Laura Higgenbotham was his child at the time of her death. Prosecutors said that investigators reviewed text messages between Melancon and Sadai Higgenbotham and his girlfriend, and alleged that he had asked both of them to lie to police.

According to one of the messages presented at the trial, Melancon said: “I didn’t do anything to that baby, but I didn’t do anything for that baby. So . . . that’s on me.”

Said Cobb assistant district attorney Drew Healy, who tried the case: “This man saw, heard, and was told about everything happening to this defenseless child. Despite all of these warnings, the defendant ignored them, and shut down the opportunities for this child’s life to be saved.”

 

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City of East Cobb group releases ‘favorable’ feasibility study

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City of East Cobb
The map proposed by the Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb, Inc. would include most of Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott’s District 2.

We’ve just gotten a City of East Cobb feasibility study commissioned by a local group that is claiming a number of “positives” for incorporation, including no additional tax levies above the current Cobb millage rate.

The study, which was conducted by the Center for State and Local Finance at Georgia State University, was paid for by a group called Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb, Inc.

Our previous story here. For a more detailed view of the proposed map above, click here.

The study concludes that not only would a City of East Cobb be financially viable, it would start out with a surplus of nearly $3 million.

Here’s a link to the full report, which was made public on Tuesday.

The research analysis concluded that the City of East Cobb could expect annual revenues of around $48 million and expenses of around $46 million.

The cityhood group is led by Joe Gavalis, a resident of the Atlanta Country Club area, who said the study is just the first step toward having a public dialogue about the possibility of East Cobb becoming a city.

He said “the study’s findings are extremely favorable to East Cobb cityhood.”

The Committee for Cityhood in East Cobb is claiming the benefits of cityhood would include more local control, enhanced police and fire services, better road maintenance and expansion of the East Cobb Government Service Center.

A two-year process would be required to formally pursue cityhood, including passage of state legislation calling for a referendum that would give citizens the final say about forming a new city.

According to the study’s executive summary, State Rep. Sharon Cooper, an East Cobb Republican, contacted GSU. Cityhood efforts also require a state representative and a state senator from the possible new city to sponsor referendum legislation.

“This study is not a budget, it is a feasibility study. It develops revenue and expense estimates based on property tax files, a boundary map and estimated business license revenue,” Gavalis said in a statement.

Georgia law also requires that new cities provide at least three public services. GSU was asked to examine the provision of public safety, fire management, parks and recreation and community development in East Cobb. The researchers noted that the latter category is a broad one, and for this study included zoning and code enforcement.

The GSU study estimates that nearly half of the proposed revenues, $23 million, would come from property taxes. The biggest expense would be public safety, around $19 million, with around $12 million of that for police.

The GSU researchers projected a 142-officer police force, as well as the acquisition of five current Cobb fire stations within the proposed East Cobb municipal boundaries (stations 3, 15, 19, 20 and 21, see fire department maps).

The study compared populations, demographics, home values and other data for the East Cobb cityhood proposal with Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Johns Creek, Roswell and Smyrna (see chart below).

The proposed map, which comprises around 40 square miles, doesn’t include all of what’s generally regarded as East Cobb. It includes only unincorporated Cobb east of I-75 that is in Cobb Commission District 2 (in map at top) and outside of the Cumberland Community Improvement District. Click here for a detailed view of that map.

It includes none of the East Cobb area that is in District 3, which generally lies between Sandy Plains Road and Canton Road.

The population in the proposed city map area amounts to 96,858, which would make the city of East Cobb the second-largest in metro Atlanta. Roswell’s estimated population is around 94,000 and Johns Creek, which incorporated in 2006, is around 84,000.

A city of East Cobb would have an elected mayor and six-member city council and an appointed city manager. Neighborhoods in unincorporated areas could petition to join the city if it is chartered.

Startup plans would estimate the hiring of 35 non-public safety city employees. No public works department is being proposed for East Cobb, but such a city would be eligible for Cobb SPLOST and state funding for road maintenance and improvements.

Previous suggestions for East Cobb cityhood haven’t gotten past the talking stage. Most recently former Cobb Commission Chairman Bill Byrne proposed it during his 2012 campaign to regain his seat, but the idea never took off.

That was right before voters in Brookhaven and Tucker began to organize their own successful cityhood efforts. There hasn’t been a new city in Cobb County, which has six municipalities, since the late 1800s.

The Committee for the City of East Cobb, which has not revealed its parties beyond Gavalis and one other person, paid $36,000 for the GSU study.

Gavalis has been a member of the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission, a citizen advisory board, and was reappointed Tuesday by District 2 Commissioner Bob Ott.

According to documents filed with the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office corporations division, the committee registered as a non-profit organization in September and stated that it does not intend to have members.

The only other name listed on the filing forms is the group’s incorporator, G. Owen Brown, who is the president and founder of the Retail Planning Corporation based on Johnson Ferry Road in East Cobb.

 

Read the full report here

 

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Black ice possible Tuesday morning; Cobb schools and government on delayed opening schedule

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Cobb black ice advisory

UPDATED, 4:30 P.M. This just in from Cobb schools:

In an effort to help parents and staff plan for tomorrow morning’s work and school schedule as early as possible, the Cobb County School District has delayed the start of school by 2 hours tomorrow, Tuesday, December 11th. The CCSD has reached this decision out of an abundance of caution and in order to align with the announcement from the Governor’s Office. We will continue to monitor conditions and reports from the National Weather Service throughout the evening.

Around noon today the National Weather Service in Atlanta issued an advisory about the possibility of black ice on the roads in North Georgia tonight and also into Tuesday morning.

Cobb County government is opening its offices late Tuesday morning (see note below), while Cobb schools say they’re monitoring road conditions and will make a decision by 5:30 Tuesday morning.

That includes Cobb County, as the culmination of continuing rain and temperatures around freezing or below could made conditions hazardous.

Temperatures are expected to drop into the high 20s or around freezing in most of the advisory area, and it won’t be much warmer throughout the rest of the state.

The chance for black ice is highest on secondary and untreated roads, as wells as on bridges, sidewalks and porches. Here’s more from the NWS advisory:

The threats for black ice and slick spots will diminish through the morning hours as temperatures are expected to warm through Tuesday afternoon to well above the freezing mark. Use caution and allow extra time to reach your destination if traveling late Tonight and Tuesday morning.

UPDATE, 3:40 P.M.: The Cobb County School District sent out this message a few minutes ago:

After a colder-than-normal but safe Monday across the district, we are aware of temperatures which may fall below freezing early Tuesday morning. We are in conversation with the National Weather Service and various agencies across the state of Georgia as we monitor for black ice and unsafe driving conditions. We will update you on our social media outlets throughout the evening and will inform you of a decision no later than 5:30 A.M.

At the same time, Cobb government issued this alert:

Due to the possibility of icy conditions on the roads early Tuesday, Cobb County government operations will delay opening until 9 a.m. Any employee who believes the roads are too treacherous to drive should contact their supervisor and delay their travel.

Cobb DOT crews will come in overnight to respond to any reports of icy conditions. If conditions deteriorate, the delayed opening may be changed. We will update the situation on cobbcounty.org and via email if necessary.

Around 2:30 p.m. Georgia DOT sent a message that it “will continue with brine operations in the northern counties that experienced snowfall. With the abundance of potential icy conditions expected, we will begin brine operations in Metro Atlanta tonight at 7 pm.”

Gov. Nathan Deal has delayed the opening of state government offices until 10 a.m. Tuesday “out of an abundance of caution.”

Right now its around 45 degrees in the East Cobb area, with light rain in some places. But temperatures are expected to drop to around 30, as the chance of rain falls from around 70 percent to 20 percent overnight.

On Tuesday, temperatures could reach 50 degrees and the sun is expected to return since the first time since the middle of last week.

Wednesday will be the same, and rain could return by Thursday night.

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East Cobb weather update: Cold rain continues Monday; schools monitoring roads

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NWS winter storm map 12.9.18

Cobb County and metro Atlanta remain outside of a winter storm area in northeast Georgia that experienced snowy and icy conditions this morning.

The storm crippled parts of North Carolina and Virginia, causing mass power outages and shutting down roads as many areas were under a state of emergency.

The watch/warning advisory period for northeast Georgia has been extended to 12 p.m. Monday.

While the forecast here calls for none of that, Cobb County School District officials said they will be monitoring roads early in Monday morning as another week of classes is set to begin.

In social media messages, CCSD said late this afternoon that “based on temperatures looking like it will be above freezing throughout the night, we expect to see our students in school on time tomorrow.”

Earlier today, Cobb government said county DOT crews were called to various areas overnight, including Bryant Lane and Columns Drive in East Cobb, due not to ice but to downed trees, some flooded areas and clogged drains.

Cobb was included in a flood watch that was due to expire at 7 p..m Sunday.

Temperatures have hovered just above freezing most of the weekend and are expected to remain that way Sunday night, with lows overnight around 35.

Monday won’t be much warmer, with a 50 percent chance of rain and highs forecast only for the low 40s. Monday night could be an issue, with lows possibly dipping below freezing, with a chance of rain and snow before 2 a.m. Tuesday.

The sun (remember that?) is expected to return on Tuesday, and it’s supposed to warm up a little, possibly as high as the low 50s.

Wednesday also will be as warm and cloudy, and then rain is expected to return by Thursday night.

 

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Delta Community Credit Union delivers Toys for Tots in East Cobb

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Delta Community Credit Union Toys for Tots

The weather was frightful on Saturday morning, but thanks to those at the Delta Community Credit Union not only for getting out in the cold rain to help out with Toys for Tots but also for passing along the photo and information from its event at Highland Plaza Shopping Center on Sandy Plains Road.

Branch manager Eddie Johnson is pictured with Kristin Klingshirn, from The Bert Show on radio station Q100, as part of the Great Toy Drop taking place across metro Atlanta.

Donations will benefit the U.S. Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots campaign, which provides gifts for underprivileged children during the holidays.

Toys for Tots will also be accepted from Dec. 10-23 at metro Atlanta Publix stores. For more information, visit the Q100 website.

 

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Cobb winter weather forecast: Wet and cold, flood watch issued

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Cobb winter weather forecast

Cobb is not included in a winter storm watch that has been issued for northeast Georgia, but we’ll be getting a blast of wet and cold weather this weekend that could turn for the worse by the start of the week.

A winter weather system is moving into Georgia and metro Atlanta later Friday that could bring several inches of rain.

For starters, the National Weather Service has issued a flood watch from 7 a.m. Saturday to 7 p.m. Sunday for a good bit of Georgia, including Cobb. We’re expected to get at least a couple inches of rain, with chances for wintry precipitation on Saturday and Sunday evenings.

Areas of Northeast Georgia are already under a winter storm watch with temperatures expected to dip below freezing. Between 1-2 inches of snow is being forecast, as well as possible accumulations of ice.

Cobb and metro Atlanta are not included in that storm watch for now, although low temperatures Saturday and Sunday are forecast to be in the mid- to low-30s.

Cobb government spokesman Ross Cavitt said Cobb DOT crews have run exercises this week to refine routes and trucks are preparing to lay out brine and clear roads if necessary.

He also said Cobb Emergency Management is monitoring  conditions should road closures be necessary. 

They’re posting updates on the Cobb government Facebook and Twitter accounts.

UPDATE: Shortly after 4 p.m. today, Cobb schools sent out a message saying it also would be monitoring weather conditions, and “will update Cobb parents and staff multiple times over the weekend” on social media outlets.

Cobb schools post those updates on the district’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.

They’re also asking that parents check and update e-mail preferences with their childrens’ schools to receive those messages.

It’s almost exactly a year ago today that we had an unexpected winter storm in Cobb, with several inches of snow and several days of school cancellations.

Here’s more from a special weather statement issued by the National Weather Service this morning:

At this time, the best chance of seeing measurable ice accumulations will be north and east of a Homer to Gainesville to Dawsonville line. The rain-freezing rain line could move as far south and west as Canton to Cumming to Lawrenceville to Winder to Athens, where a mix of rain and freezing rain is possible.

Outside of the winter weather threat, across parts of north and middle Georgia, heavy rain Saturday into early Sunday could result in up to 3 inches of rainfall. This will likely elevate the threat for localized flooding or flash flooding.

Sunday night into Monday, wrap-around moisture in the colder air behind the system could result in some light snow showers across portions of north and central Georgia.

The chance of rain is around 90 percent Saturday and 50 percent on Sunday.

High temperatures are expected to be only in the low 40s on Saturday and the mid 30s on Sunday.

Similar weather is forecast for the start of the week on Monday. By Tuesday, the sun may come out a little, and fully sunny skies are in the forecast for the middle of the week.

 

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Senior Citizen Council of Cobb wants reconsideration of senior fees

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After Cobb seniors were asked to pay a membership fee and pay higher fees for services at county senior centers this year, a senior citizens group is asking that they be eliminated or at least reconsidered.

At a recent Cobb Board of Commissioners meeting, June Van Brackle, president of the Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County, cited a figure that fewer than 3,000 seniors are using the centers this year, compared to around 6,500 before the fees were imposed.

Earlier, commissioners set an annual membership fee of $60 a person to take part in activities at the senior centers.

In January, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce held a town hall meeting at the East Cobb Senior Center to get input on the proposed fees (see photo above) as part of the county’s budget process.

While some were upset by the membership fees and higher cost for activities fees and room rentals, he said “we’re all in this together.”

One group that regularly met at the East Cobb Senior Center has stopped having regular events there. The Foxtrotters Ballroom Dance Club, held a farewell dance in June after 21 years. They’re having a reunion dance there on Jan. 18.

Here’s more from Van Brackle’s remarks:

The Senior Citizens Council of Cobb is urging the Board of Commissioners to eliminate these mandatory fees. Cobb County is renowned for the services it offers to its residents. The reduction in participation at the five centers can only be a major detriment to the overall quality of life for Cobb seniors.

The Senior Citizen Council of Cobb County is an all-volunteer organization that has been in existence for 45 years and advocates for better public policies for Cobb seniors. The Council has always been against additional burden on our oldest citizens and if you are interested, we ask that you contact your commissioner and express your feelings regarding these fees.

Commissioners will be holding their semiannual retreat Monday at the Cobb Civic Center, and Boyce told Van Brackle to attend.

 

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Amazing Grace Invitational meet to honor former Walton swimmer

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Back in March the Walton school community mourned the death of Grace Bunke, a student and swimmer who fought osteosarcoma, an aggressive form of bone cancer. Grace Bunke, Amazing Grace Invitational

On Saturday, the renamed Amazing Grace Invitational will honor her memory and serve as a fundraiser for cancer research.

Since 2009 the Walton swimming program has held a cancer research fundraiser, initially in memory of Margaret Soulen Gilbert, a former swimmer and coach in the Atlanta area.

Now the name of the event has been changed to the Amazing Grace Invitational.

Bunke was 11 when she was diagnosed with cancer, and had many surgeries and a partial leg amputation. In order to get back into physical shape, she began to swim, and even was a member of the U.S. Paralympic team.

She later made the Walton swim team, but her cancer returned, and spread to both lungs. She died a day before her 15th birthday.

Saturday’s meet starts at 1:15 p.m. at the Cobb Aquatic Center (520 Fairground St., near the Cobb Civic Center) and the other teams competing are from Etowah, Hillgrove, Marietta, Kennesaw Mountain and North Springs high schools.

The fundraiser will benefit Swim Across America, and each school will have a bucket at the sign-in table for donations from those attending the meet.

“Race for Grace” T-shirts also will be sold, with partial proceeds going to Swim Across America and the Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.

 

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Pope Fastpitch Toys for Tots drive includes free admission to Friday girls basketball game

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New Pope Gym

The Pope Fastpitch softball team is gathering some holiday cheer for needy kids with a Toys for Tots collection at Friday’s varsity basketball games.

Those bringing unwrapped toys will receive free admission to the girls game against Dunwoody, which tips off at 6 p.m. The boys will play at 7:30 p.m.

The goal is to collect a record number of toys for the softball team to later this month as it volunteers to help the U.S. Marines with its Toys for Tots toy drive.

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McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA named recipient of Cobb Chamber health awards

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McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA
From L-R: Trey Sanders, 2018 Cobb Chamber Chairman; Becky Shipley, East Cobb YMCA, 2018 Health Hero Award Winner (organization); Misty Lathem, East Cobb YMCA, 2018 Health Hero Award Winner (individual); Dr. Ross Brakeville, 2018 Health & Wellness Committee Chair (Photo: Cobb Chamber)

Thanks to the Cobb Chamber of Commerce for the info and photo with some good news about the McCleskey-East Cobb Family YMCA:

The Cobb Chamber presented its 2018 Health Hero Awards to two recipients at its First Monday Breakfast at the Cobb Galleria Centre on Dec. 3. The awards, sponsored by MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service and the Cobb Community Foundation, recognized the outstanding accomplishments of one individual and one organization who have made significant impacts on the health of the Cobb County community.

The individual 2018 Health Hero Award was presented to Misty Lathem, Wellness Director for the YMCA of East Cobb. In addition to her role as wellness director, Lathem serves as the East Cobb Y hunger relief coordinator, organizes and manages the YMCA run club and oversees the Haunted Hustle 5K/10K, Little Nugget 1 Miler and Youth Fit 4 Life events.

Lathem further serves the Cobb community by managing Farm Fresh Markets for impoverished seniors, promoting active lifestyles through the Atlanta Y Kids Tri program and providing leadership as a board member of the Roswell Bike Club, Cobb 2020 and the Cobb Health and Wellness Committee. 

The organizational 2018 Health Hero Award was presented to the YMCA of East Cobb, which actively seeks gaps in the Cobb community and plays a critical role in the health and wellness of thousands of citizens. The Y tackles hunger through Farm Fresh Market food deliveries and the School’s Out Lunch program, and as America’s Swim Instructor, teaches thousands of children how to protect themselves in water.

Additionally, East Cobb YMCA addresses the needs of special community populations, having designed programs such as PD Gladiators, a program designed for people living with Parkinson’s Disease, and programs supporting cancer survivors and promoting diabetes prevention.

In 2018 alone, East Cobb YMCA partnered with Walton Communities to offer adult swimming lessons, with Brumby Elementary and MUST Ministries to create a food pantry, with Cobb and Douglas Public Health to prepare children for their first-ever triathlon and continued a partnership with East Valley Elementary School and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, offering Youth Fit 4 Life, an after-school fitness program designed to lower the BMI and increase the cardio health of children.

 

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