UPDATED 2:58 PM: Cobb Police say all lanes are reopened and the crash scene has been cleared.
ORIGINAL STORY:
Shallowford Road at Lassiter Road eastbound is closed after a multi-vehicle crash with what appear to be serious injuries.
Westbound traffic is open but moving slowly in sight of a scene involving at least three cars.
We were in the area and saw an ambulance crew wheel a passenger away who had been sitting on the sidewalk; Cobb Police investigators were just getting to the scene and asking bystanders for initial information. There also are two Cobb Fire/EMS crews standing by.
All three cars had spun near a bank in front of a CVS store at the intersection; one landed near the intersection and another is covered with a blue tarp. An SUV suffered less damage and the passengers provided some eyewitness information.
A woman who was in her car when the crash took place said she didn’t see the collision but said “there were cars flying everywhere.”
We’ll update when we have more information.
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Updating a story from Friday about the temporary closure of the Cobb Animal Shelter:
The county is saying two dogs have tested positive for strep zoo, and at least one canine death is being attributed to the contagious bacterial infection.
The county said late Wednesday morning that several other cats and dogs are being treated for symptoms after all the animals housed at the shelter were tested by the UGA School of Veterinary Medicine.
The county said antibiotics have been ordered, and that veterinarians think the infection came with an animal dropped off at the shelter, “but they may never be able to determine which one.”
Animals showing symptoms are being quarantined, and the shelter will reopen after treatment and when no symptoms appear among the shelter population for two weeks.
So there will be no appointments for the public for adoptions during that time, and the shelter will undergo a deep cleaning.
Any animal showing symptoms will be quarantined. Officers at the shelter will respond to calls and animals brought to the shelter while it’s closed will be kept separately.
The shelter has been open to the public for adoption and animal surrender only by appointment since COVID-19 closures in the spring.
Cobb Animal Services is also notifying anyone who recently adopted an animal from the shelter and is advising them to seek treatment for their pet if necessary.
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On Friday, October 16th, The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team held an appreciation barbeque lunch to honor local police, firemen, EMT’s and military personnel. The Capital City Home Loans grilling food truck served up burgers and hotdogs with a variety of sides sponsored by other local partners.
Attendees were welcome to use the “social distancing patio” to enjoy their meal or take it on the road. Event sponsors and members of the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team had a great time serving the 85+ guests and appreciating them for what they do day-to-day.
Additional sponsors for the event included: Arrow Exterminators, First American Home Warranty, Amerispec Home Inspection, Chick-fil-A East Lake, Panera Bread and Perrie & Associates. Local Cobb County and surrounding area first responders, police, fire, detective units and military were all invited. Lunch was also packed up and delivered to Cobb County 911 dispatch.
For more information on community events at the Janice Overbeck Team office, visit: www.JaniceOverbeck.com.
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One motorist died and another suffered injuries after a two-car crash on Terrell Mill Road Sunday afternoon, according to Cobb Police.
Police said Youe Oh Yu, 79, of Marietta, was pronounced dead after being rushed to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
The other motorist, Joseph H. Stewart, 52, also of Marietta, also was taken to Kennestone with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.
Police said Yu was driving a grey 2007 Honda Accord and was turning left from a stop sign on Redwing Drive onto eastbound Terrell Mill Road at 4:44 p.m. Sunday, while Stewart was behind the wheel of a black 2017 Honda Pilot heading southbound on Terrell Mill.
Police said the Accord turned in front of the Pilot, and the two vehicles crashed, striking each of the driver’s sides.
Police said the crash is still under investigation and that anyone with additional information regarding this collision should contact investigators at 770-499-3987.
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The Cobb County Police Department is pleased to announce its participation in the annual National Faith & Blue Weekend on October 9-12, 2020. National Faith & Blue Weekend is a powerful, collaborative initiative that builds bridges and breaks biases to foster more actively engaged communities through activities and outreach amongst law enforcement professionals and the organizations they serve. Throughout the Faith & Blue Weekend, law enforcement agencies across the United States partner with faith-based institutions to host activities focused on strengthening the bond between communities and those protecting them.
The weekend events will consist of activities that will occur in a variety of communities, including Cobb County, and will include a wide array of activities such as picnics, athletic events, forums, and community service projects.
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A Kennesaw man died Monday night when he lost control of his motorcycle on Canton Road and crashed into two cars, according to Cobb Police.
Police said Patrick Penner, 32, was speeding while heading north on Canton Road near Chance Road around 8:32 p.m. Monday and lost control.
Cobb Police said in a release that his purple 2013 Honda CBR600 entered the center turn lane and struck a silver 2007 Honda Civic that was in the turn lane facing a southbound direction.
The motorcycle then entered the southbound lanes of Canton Road and hit black 2015 Honda Civic that was heading south, police said.
Police said Penner was pronounced dead at the scene. They said that Josie Lofasso, 21, of Marietta, and Amed Tentori, 27, of Marietta, the drivers of the cars hit by the motorcycle, did not require medical attention.
The incident is still being investigated and anyone with information is asked to call the Cobb County Police Department’s STEP unit at 770-499-3987.
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As part of the 20th annual Public Safety Appreciation Week (Oct. 5-11), the Cobb Chamber will honor Cobb County’s finest during a special recognition program at the Public Safety Appreciation luncheon event held at the Coca-Cola Roxy Theatre on October 5. The luncheon will kick off a weeklong effort to celebrate public safety personnel in Cobb County.
Preparations for the event began months in advance, with a nomination process for the Public Safety Employee of the Year Award, in addition to other awards, such as the Medal of Valor, Award of Merit, Distinguished Achievement Award and Outstanding Community Contribution Award. Residents, government officials, public safety agencies and business officials are given the opportunity to nominate public safety personnel for these honors. The 2020 Public Safety Appreciation Committee Chairman is Chief Bill Westenberger, with Kennesaw Police Department.
The Cobb Chamber would like to congratulate the following personnel and public safety units on their nomination for a public safety recognition award:
Individuals
Paramedic Malcolm Defleice, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service
Lieutenant Michael Goins, Marietta Police Department
Shift Supervisor Christopher Hayes, Cobb County 911
Paramedic Michael Jordan, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service
Engineer Ryan Knechtel, Smyrna Fire Department
Detective Brian Moon, Kennesaw Police Department
Firefighter Ron Presley, Marietta Fire Department
Deputy Sheriff Tyrone Reid, Cobb County Sheriff’s Office
Police Officer Matthew Smith, Kennesaw Police Department
Field Intelligence Officer Greg Stacy, Kennesaw State University Police Department
Training Manager Krista Tillman, Puckett EMS
Detective Evan Wallace, Acworth Police Department
Battalion Chief Stephen Westbrook, Smyrna Fire Department
Public Safety Units
Cobb Fire EMS Division, Cobb County Fire Department
Officers Quinius Lyles & Andrew Abernathy, Cobb County Police Department
CCPD Community Affairs Unit, Cobb County Police Department
KSU Office of Victim Services, Kennesaw State University DPS & University
Police Department
MPD Crime Interdiction Unit, Marietta Police Department
Officers Taylor Elliott, Robert Pfeiffer & Jake Prough, Smyrna Police Department
Award winners will be announced and celebrated at the October 5 Public Safety Appreciation luncheon. Sponsors include, Platinum Sponsors, Cobb EMC and Wellstar Health System; Award Sponsor, LoRusso Law Firm; Gold Sponsor, Genuine Parts Company; Silver Sponsors, C.W. Matthews Contracting, GLOCK, Governors Gun Club, Marietta Family Catering, Marietta Wrecker, MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service, Puckett EMS, Six Flags Over Georgia and Vinings Bank; and Patriot Sponsors, All Roof Solutions, E. Smith Heating & Air, Firehouse Subs, Gregory Doyle Calhoun & Rogers, LLC, Georgia Power, LGE Community Credit Union, Northside Hospital, T&T Uniforms, and Walton Communities Apartment Homes.
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Submitted information about an event taking place Saturday morning:
America is at a crossroads. As citizens we have been shamed into silence. We will be SILENT NO MORE! We will DEMAND that our Law Enforcement is funded. We will take a stand against racism! We will rise up in support of Law Enforcement and America? This rally gives you the opportunity to support our brave law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line every single day for our safety.
“Voices for America – Silent No More” is about everyday citizens speaking out in support of Law Enforcement. They are The Thin Blue Line that keeps society from descending into violent chaos. Under current policy, police often are prohibited from defending themselves and protecting our communities. We must stand against tyranny and hold our politicians accountable. We invited all elected officials and candidates from both sides to sign a pledge in support of law enforcement. Those who signed the pledge are invited to join us. (Click link to View / Sign the pledge) https://heritageaction.com/policepledge
We hope you will join like-minded American Patriots who are willing to stand up, showing our Police Officers that CITIZENS BACK THE BLUE and honor the THIN BLUE LINE!
Let East Cobb News know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, etc., as well as public events.
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From Cobb government about Tuesday’s Cobb Board of Commissioners: meeting that “went to the dogs” with the introduction by commissioner JoAnn Birrell of new K-9 additions for public safety agencies:
“‘Vinny’ is a 2 ½ year old black Labrador Retriever who works with Lee Maness. Maness has been with Cobb for 17 years as both a Police Officer and a Firefighter. He is currently an Investigator II assigned to the Fire Investigations Unit with Vinny, who is trained to detect ignitable liquid accelerants.
“Officer Barlett was accompanied by ‘Brave,’ a brindle colored Dutch Shepherd. Barlett has served with the Cobb County Police Department since November of 2004. K9 Brave was purchased with a donation from the Atlanta Braves. We thank them all for their service to our community.”
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Let East Cobb News know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, etc.
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Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.
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Cobb Sheriff’s Office records show that Donald Terry Welborn Jr., 57, is being held without bond at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
He is accused of shooting at officers after he fired a weapon in a bedroom where his wife was sleeping, and striking the homes of neighbors with gunfire.
Welborn was booked Tuesday on the aggravated assault charges, which are felonies, and three misdemeanor counts of reckless conduct for the other shootings.
Welborn, whose home address is listed as 2518 Kingsley Drive, off Post Oak Tritt Road and near Johnson Ferry Road, was apprehended there shortly after noon on Tuesday, according to Cobb Police.
According to a criminal warrant taken out against Welborn, he was at that address around 5:30 a.m. and went into a bedroom where Susan Welborn was sleeping, then shot at a ceiling fan.
According to Cobb court records, she is Welborn’s wife, but they had been separated. Susan Welborn filed for divorce in Cobb Superior Court later Tuesday afternoon. The filing states they had been married since 1994, but the marriage was “irretrievably broken” and that they had been living in a “bona fide state of separation.”
The warrant also states that Welborn was inside the residence when he shot at the homes of two neighbors, one next door and another across the street, striking their homes.
A statement issued Wednesday afternoon by Sgt. Wayne Delk, a Cobb Police spokesman, said the first officers who arrived at the scene said they heard shots coming from a residence at 2518 Kingsley Drive and that were fired in their direction.
The warrant alleges that eight officers were shot at by Welborn outside the home.
The Cobb Police SWAT team and a crisis negotiation team later arrived and “after an extended negotiation” the suspect, identified as Welborn, was arrested without injuries to him or the officers.
Delk further said that a police bomb squad checked the house and no explosive devices were found.
Police said a 911 dispatcher got a call from Kingsley Drive in the New Castle neighborhood around 5:30 a.m. of gunshots being fired, both inside a home and outside in the neighborhood.
Police blocked off the New Castle and nearby Arthur’s Vineyard neighborhoods while negotiators attempted to get a man to come out of his home.
Delk said Wednesday that the incident remains under investigation and anyone with information is asked to call the Cobb County Police Department’s Crimes Against Persons Unit at 770-499-3945.
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Police said in release Tuesday that Daniel Broder, 20, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on felony charges of first-degree vehicular homicide and another felony count of hit-and-run resulting in serious injury or death.
According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records, Broder is being held without bond.
Police said Martin Rivera, 30, of Chicago, was hit twice by vehicles as he was placing signage on the I-75 shoulder just north of Delk Road near 9 p.m. on Sept. 13.
Police said the first vehicle, a black Volkswagen Golf GTI, hit Rivera and drove away from the scene. The force of the first collision threw Rivera into the path of another vehicle, which police said stopped and the driver cooperated with the investigation.
Police said at the time that the Volkswagen may have “abruptly” exited I-75 at the South Marietta Parkway.
Police said they got an anonymous tip on Monday and worked leads to identify the suspect and his vehicle, and made the arrest at Broder’s home.
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Cobb Police said they have taken the barricaded man into custody and that the standoff ended peacefully with no injuries.
They said the neighborhood will be reopening soon.
ORIGINAL STORY, POSTED 11:07 A.M.:
Residents of two East Cobb neighborhoods were ordered to shelter-in-place Tuesday morning while Cobb Police SWAT officers responded to a call of a barricaded man in his home.
Police said around 7:30 a.m. Tuesday that shots were “actively being fired” at a home on Kingsley Drive in the Newscastle subdivision, near Post Oak Tritt Road.
Police also ordered residents of Kingsley Drive between Castle Lane and Vineyard Court to remain in their homes. The entrance to the New Castle and Arthur’s Vineyard neighborhoods also have been blocked off by police.
Police were called to the scene after neighbors reported shots around 5:30 a.m.
Sgt. Wayne Delk, a Cobb Police spokesman, said in a statement around 9:30 a.m. that a man was shooting both inside and outside the home, but no injuries have been reported.
Delk said police believe the man is home alone, but he didn’t have any information about what type of weapons were used in the shootings.
“Obviously we’re taking this very seriously in shutting down the neighborhood for the safety of everyone,” Delk said in a press briefing.
He said Cobb Police SWAT team members and negotiators have been in contact with the man, but he wouldn’t elaborate.
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Cobb Police said Wednesday that a driver fell asleep behind the wheel this morning on Interstate 575 at Interstate 75, resulting in a crash that sent the driver and two passengers to the hospital.
Cobb Police said Prasanth Kotharu, 27, Jayakumar Palanisamy, 31, of Dunwoody, and Samuel Anbumani, 33, of Dunwoody, were taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital with serious injuries.
According to a statement sent out by police, Kotharu was driving a black 2020 Hyundai Elantra southbound on I-575 near the merger with I-75 around 7:30 Wednesday morning when the driver fell asleep.
Police said the car veered off the road and onto a grass shoulder, then dropped down an embankment, crashed into a concrete drainage channel and rolled to one side before coming to a stop.
Police said they’re continuing to investigate and that anyone with information is asked to call investigators at 770-499-3987.
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Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes said Wednesday she will request an independent investigation into the recent deaths of Cobb jail inmates.
Holmes’ office issued a statement Wednesday afternoon saying she intends to ask the U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia to conduct the probe, following a federal lawsuit filed last week by the family of Kevil Wingo.
He was being held at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center on a drug possession charge in September 2019, and died in custody after begging for medical help from jail staff.
Wingo’s family, through attorney Timothy Gardner, had asked for an independent investigation, and here’s what Holmes said in response:
“The files that Mr. Gardner obtained through open records requests to the Cobb Sheriff’s Office were submitted to the Cobb District Attorney’s Office, media, and other organizations. Those materials should be a part of an independent investigation into Mr. Wingo’s death and other inmate deaths at the jail. As I have previously stated, I am committed to ensuring that matters of public safety and the concerns of our citizens be addressed by our office or referred to the appropriate agency without favor or fear.”
Wingo, who was 36 at the time of his death, had complained of an ulcer and said he was having trouble breathing. According to the lawsuit, he was taken to an isolation room at the jail, and died an hour later after being taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital.
In February, the Cobb Medical Examiner’s Office issued a report saying Wingo died of natural causes, with complications due to a perforated gastric ulcer.
Wingo is one of eight inmates to have died at Cobb jail since June of last year. According to 11Alive, his death wasn’t made public until the Cobb Sheriff’s Office, which oversees jail operations, completed an internal investigation.
The Wingo family lawsuit was filed against Wellstar Health system, six nurses and three sheriff’s deputies.
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Marietta Police are looking for a vehicle they say struck a road construction worker on Interstate 75 near Delk Road Saturday night.
The construction worker, identified as Martin Rivera, 30, of Chicago, was pronounced dead on the scene, according to Marietta Police.
They said Rivera was placing signage on the shoulder of I-75 northbound, just north of Delk Road, around 8:53 p.m. when he was hit by two vehicles.
Police said the first vehicle, which may be a black Volkswagen Golf GTI, fled the scene. The driver of the second vehicle did stop and is cooperating with the investigation, according to police.
Marietta Police are asking for the public’s help finding the first vehicle, which they said “abruptly” exited I-75 north on the South Marietta Parkway exit ramps.
Police said anyone who may have seen the incident or who has information should call STEP Investigator C. Henry at 770-794-5364.
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Cobb Police said a woman died Tuesday morning when her car collided with a dump truck near the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford intersection.
Police said Janet Muse, 62 of Roswell, was pronounced dead at the scene.
She was driving a 2010 Lincoln around 10:40 a.m. and was attempting to turn left from Chimney Lake Drive on to Shallowford Road eastbound when her car was hit by a dump truck heading west on Shallowford, according to police.
Police said the truck, driven by Keith Rosado, 50, of Cartersville, had a green light, and struck the driver’s side of the Lincoln in the intersection.
Police said Rosado was unhurt. The crash investigation is continuing and anyone with information is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.
The Johnson Ferry-Shallowford intersection and surrounding areas were closed for a time after the accident but traffic reopened by mid-afternoon.
ORIGINAL REPORT, 1:30 P.M.
The busy intersection of Johnson Ferry Road and Shallowford Road is closed due to a fatal crash Tuesday.
According to a Cobb government message posted around 1:20 p.m., the accident vehicles have been cleared, but Cobb police and fire units are conducting an investigation into the crash. The closure is expected to last for several hours.
No other information about the incident is immediately available. Officer Shenise McDonald, a Cobb Police public information officer, said more details will be coming.
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The brother of a Kell High School student who was killed last week in a bicycle crash has begun a college scholarship fund for an autistic student, and to fund autism research.
Robbie Schulz, 15, was a sophomore at Kell when he died last Wednesday after he was hit by a car while riding his bicycle on North Marietta Parkway near Interstate 75.
The boy, who also attended pre-kindergarten at Mt. Zion United Methodist Church, Timber Ridge Elementary School and Hightower Trail Middle School in East Cobb, was autistic.
Nicholas Schulz, in forming what he calls “Team Robby,” said his brother “was the smartest person I’ve ever known” and “was incredibly outgoing, sweet, and kind-hearted.” The fundraising campaign has raised nearly $25,000.
In his obituary, Robby Schulz was praised by his teachers. “He taught me compassion and that it was okay to be different,” said Andrea Cilluffo, his science and social studies teacher at Hightower Trail. “He taught me to teach from the heart because words were just words and sometimes words just didn’t explain what the heart could. Robby made me a better teacher and a better human.”
At Kell, he was a member of a Dungeon & Dragons club. “Robby was a kind soul and I will fondly remember his eruptions of delight when he cast just the right spell to save the day,” said Douglas LaVigne, the club’s faculty leader.
Robby belonged to Cub Scout Pack 795 at Mt. Zion UMC and Boy Scout Troop 713 at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church.
In addition to Nicholas Schulz, Robby’s survivors include his parents, Jim and Alex Schulz, brother Derek Schulz and twin sister Lizzy Schulz.
A visitation is scheduled for family and friends Wednesday from 5-7 p.m. at Mayes-Ward-Dobbins Funeral Home in Marietta, and a memorial service will be held there Thursday at 11 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that a donation be made to Team Robby, Hillside or to a charity of the donor’s choice.
Marietta Police said the accident took place around 4:20 p.m. Wednesday when a 2010 Nissan Maxima driven by Desmond Sipplin, 25, of Marietta, and heading eastbound on North Marietta Parkway, struck the bicycle near the intersection of the I-75 northbound ramp.
Police are continuing to investigate the crash, and anyone with information is asked to call 770-794-5384.
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That’s also where Carolyn Meadows, a longtime conservative and Republican Party activist and the current president of the National Rifle Association, lives.
She’s supporting Republican Karen Handel in her bid to win back her 6th Congressional District seat. Brian Robinson, who’s working on Handel’s campaign, passed along these photos from Meadows’ property, including a sign in her yard.
At a Monday event at the Temple Kol Emeth synagogue in East Cobb, Commissioner Bob Ott said that what’s transpired is “not who we are.”
Robinson also sent the following statement from Handel:
“I join with Commissioner Ott and the entire East Cobb community in taking a zero-tolerance approach to this hate. Sadly, my campaign has been a victim of these bigoted vandals as well. These criminals recently defaced campaign signs with disgusting anti-Semitic symbols. Our community will not tolerate this kind of hate.”
The fence and signs on Meadows’ property are spray-painted with swastikas and “MAGA,” the “Make America Great Again” slogan of President Donald Trump and his supporters.
Robinson said the graffiti was spotted on Aug. 17. It’s similar to what was seen along fences and common areas of the Kings Farm neighborhood, just around the corner from the Meadows home, during the weekend of Aug. 22-23.
Cobb Police said similar graffiti was seen on road signs in the same area, and was quickly removed by Cobb DOT crews.
Spray-paint graffiti in the Kings Farm neighborhood. Source: Atlanta Anti-Defamation League
Police also said they think the half-dozen incidents they’re investigating began on Aug. 16, but they’re not sure when all the others took place, nor do they have any leads.
Cobb Police Chief Tim Cox said at the same event on Monday that anyone who has any information about these incidents should contact Detective Abbott of the Precinct 4 Criminal Investigations Unit at 770-499-4184.
Also speaking at the Kol Emeth event was U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who defeated Handel in 2018. She told an interfaith audience at the synagogue:
“I am so grateful to leaders throughout our community who are standing tall in the face of violence and hatred. Together, we will continue to build a stronger, more inclusive community, and send a strong message to those who spread hate: there is no room for prejudice in our neighborhoods.”
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Cobb residents seeking weapons carry licenses will need to make appointments with the Probate Court at least through the end of September. Chief Judge Kelli Wolk said the decision came after consulting with public health officials who said continuing the appointments process would help slow the spread of the coronavirus. “The demand for these licenses is at an all-time high,” Judge Wolk said. “People tend to line up by the dozens to get into the office, and the space to do that is relatively small. The proximity of people in the courthouse put them, my staff and others who do business here in danger of spreading COVID-19.” Even with the appointment process, Judge Wolk says her office is processing weapons carry licenses at a record rate, completing more than 100 applications a day. Those who simply need to renew their licenses can do so by mail. Judge Wolk said using appointments also helps staff track visitors to their office in case an outbreak is reported. She will decide later this month whether they will continue taking appointments into October. To apply for an appointment and to get the latest information on the status of the Probate Court’s office, please visit cobbcounty.org/courts/probate-court/weapons-carry-permits
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Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth said “the strength of the community is how we respond” to recent incidents of anti-Semitic graffiti in East Cobb. (ECN photos and video)
A rash of anti-Semitic incidents in East Cobb in recent weeks has jarred an area with a sizable Jewish community.
In response, representatives of that Jewish community, along with other East Cobb faith leaders and local public officials, said Monday their message will be that such actions won’t be tolerated.
With the Southern Division of the Anti-Defamation League they announced the launching of an education campaign that will include bias training and a chance for the larger public to become allies with those unlike themselves.
The first of those sessions will take place virtually on Sept. 9 starting at 7:30 p.m. It’s free to attend but you must register and can do so by clicking here.
Most of all, their response is that love and understanding are the only ways to overcome hatred.
“I want to say ‘I love you,’ ” said Rabbi Larry Sernovitz of Temple Kol Emeth, one of three synagogues in East Cobb, and where Monday’s gathering was held.
Graffiti found in the Kings Farm neighborhood of East Cobb on Aug. 23. Source: ADL
“I don’t need to know you to love you.”
He said those who scrawled graffiti in East Cobb—there are at least a half-dozen known incidents since the middle of August—were educated that such expressions can be tolerated.
What’s needed again and again, Sernovitz said, is “a million acts of kindness,” and he referenced the Holocaust survivor Elie Wiesel, who “believed that redemption can save the world.”
The gathering was prompted by swastika and other graffiti discovered in a neighborhood near Post Oak Tritt Road and Holly Springs Road. Residents there cleaned the spray-paint quickly.
On Sunday, Sernovitz told his congregation that at least five more similar incidents are being investigated.
Cobb Police Chief Tim Cox, who attended Monday’s event at Kol Emeth, said the first incident took place on Aug. 16, and investigators are not sure if the other incidents happened at once or on separate dates.
Lt. Bruce Danz, an investigator with Cobb Police Precinct 4, said all the incidents were in East Cobb. They included anti-Semitic graffiti being spray-painted on road signs on Post Oak Tritt Road that was removed by Cobb DOT.
He said in two-and-a-half years in Precinct 4, this is the first time he’s known of such incidents.
Danz said that “right now, we don’t have any leads,” but that police are “actively investigating.”
Cox said that anyone in the public who may have information about these or similar incidents should contact Lt. Abbott of the Precinct 4 Criminal Investigations Unit at 770-499-4184.
East Cobb faith leaders have pledged to send a message of love to combat hatred and intolerance.
Several clergy members of the East Cobb faith communities were invited to speak, including Congregation Etz Chaim, Emerson Universalist Unitarian Congregation, Unity North Church East Cobb Church, the Church of Latter-Day Saints and the East Cobb Islamic Center.
Also speaking were U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes and Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb.
Ott said Cobb County Manager Jackie McMorris will be presenting a measure in September to reconstitute the county’s dormant Human Relations Commission.
Those plans had been in the works before the anti-Semitic attacks, but Ott said the timing of these events makes it more imperative to build bridges of understanding in the community.
“This is not who we are,” Ott said. “This is not what we are about.”
The human relations panel was created in the early 1990s, after county commissioners approved a controversial anti-gay resolution.
Among those leading the outcry against the resolution was Steven Lebow, the longtime Kol Emeth rabbi who retired this summer.
Sernovitz started in July as Lebow’s successor, and calls one of his first public actions in his new role “a teachable moment.”
“This can happen anywhere,” he said. “The strength of our community is how we respond.”
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