Town Center Mall closed for not paying electricity bills

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Shoppers at the Town Center at Cobb mall on Tuesday were greeted by signs on locked doors saying that “due to unforeseen circumstances” most of the stores at the Kennesaw retail center were closed.Town Center at Cobb

The announcements didn’t explain what those circumstances were, and the said the closures would be in effect “until further notice.”

Later Tuesday, Town Center announced on its website that the mall will reopen Wednesday.

“We appreciate your patience and look forward to seeing you soon,” according to the message, which did not provide further details.

Anchor stores Belk, JCPenney and Macy’s were open on Tuesday.

But Georgia Power said it had disconnected electricity in most of the mall due to “highly delinquent” bills.

And the MDJ reported that the Cobb Fire Marshall has issued a warning saying that due to the electrical disconnection, fire alarm and sprinkler systems aren’t working.

Georgia Power issued a statement saying that “we’ve tried to work with Town Center Mall for many months and have provided numerous solutions to assist them in avoiding disconnection.

“Unfortunately, any customer that is highly delinquent in paying their bills ultimately has a negative impact for all of our customers so, while we will continue to work with the customer and are hopeful a payment will be made, we can no longer continue to extend the grace period.”

Georgia Power said it provided advance notice to Kohan and the tenants with hand-delivered letters and signs, and “we also made key community leaders aware.”

The financially struggling Town Center at Cobb, located on Barrett Parkway near I-575, opened in 1986 and for a time was the largest indoor mall in Georgia.

It currently houses 144 stores and services in more that 1.2 million square feet.

But in recent years, as the retail industry has been transformed by online shopping, Town Center has been proposed for redevelopment, although no specific plans have emerged.

Last year, Gwinnett commissioners approved a mixed-use redevelopment plan for the Gwinnett Place Mall, which like Town Center opened during the peak of the shopping mall industry in the late 1980s.

And at Cumberland Mall, the space that formerly housed a Sear’s store was approved for redevelopment for apartments, offices and other non-retail uses by Cobb commissioners in 2022.

In 2023, Town Center was purchased at auction by Kohan Retail Investment Group after previous owners considering closing the center for good.

The Belk store announced last week that it would be closing in February.

Kohan, which purchases struggling malls, also has had retail properties in other states disconnected for failing to pay electric bills.

Last year, one of its malls in Michigan has been closed for more than a year for non-payment of electric bills, and now has a new owner.

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Golden K Kiwanis Club to feature coach’s inspiring story

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Submitted information:

Golden K Kiwanis Club to feature coach's inspiring story
Andy Robinson
The Club is pleased to welcome Andy Robinson on January 30, 2025 at 10:00 AM to share the story that inspired the book TENACIOUS.
This is the story of legendary Georgia high school football coach Jeremy Williams who courageously battled ALS (Lou Gehrig’s Disease) while leading his team to unparalleled success in the small town of Greenville, GA. Andy shares this inspiring story with professionalism and power.
Come and invite a guest:
January 30, 2025
10:00 AM
Holy Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church
2922 Sandy Plains Road
Marietta, GA 30066

Andy Robinson is a motivational who has shared this story with audiences across the state.

TENACIOUS tells Faith Based story of Coach Jeremy Williams (ALS) and The Williams Family. Coach Williams led Greenville Ga to thrilling undefeated regular season all while on the field courageously battling ALS. He was named National Coach Of The Year.

The Story was voted 2009 AJC Sports Story Of The Year.

The meeting, which starts at 10AM will be at the Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 2292 Sandy Plains Rd, Marietta,  GA.  (https://maps.app.goo.gl/A8zzymaWZK2WU9MR7) and the link provides the location.

Golden K Kiwanis Club to feature coach's inspiring story

 

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Cupid’s upcoming community meetings include NE Cobb location

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Submitted information:Cobb commission special elections scheduled as dispute lingers

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid will host a series of community meetings in the next few weeks addressing items before the Board of Commissioners including House Bill 581 and the Unified Development Code, and also community involvement opportunities.
The meetings will also have representatives from Cobb departments to share information with you about upcoming initiatives, events and more.
Join us for these informative sessions:
  • Jan. 29 – Wednesday, 7 – 9 p.m., Smyrna Community Center (Magnolia Room) 1250 Powder Springs Street, Smyrna
  • Jan. 30 – Thursday, 7 – 9 p.m., Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, Marietta
  • Feb. 4 – Tuesday, 7 – 9 p.m., South Cobb Recreation Center, 875 Riverside Parkway, Austell
  • Feb. 8 – Saturday, 10 a.m. – noon, Ron Anderson Recreation Center, 3820 Macedonia Road, Powder Springs
  • Feb. 12 – Wednesday, 7 – 9 p.m., Northeast Cobb Community Center, 880 Shaw Park Rd., Marietta
  • Feb. 18 – Tuesday, 7 – 9 p.m., North Cobb Senior Center, 3900 S. Main Street, Acworth
To learn more about HB 581 in Cobb County, please visit our website here https://bit.ly/40u2JpJ

Cobb Public Library System announces 2025 spring book sale

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Weekend events, Cobb Library Book Sale

Submitted information:

It’s the moment you’ve been waiting for! The Spring Book Sale will be held at Cobb Civic Center March 7-9, 2025.

Materials for sale include books for all ages in both hardcover and paperback, DVDs, Books on CD and audiocassette, magazines, and puzzles. Prices range from 10 cents to $4.00.

Find a price list here.

Cobb Civic Center is at 548 South Marietta Pkwy SE, Marietta, GA 30060. Hours for the sale are Friday and Saturday from 9 am to 5 pm, and Sunday from 1 pm to 5 pm. There is plenty of free parking.

Acceptable forms of payment are debit, credit, cash, and checks — Visa and MasterCard only.

On Friday until 1 pm electronic (scanning) devices are not permitted. While we hope you will buy lots of materials, we are only able to sell up to 2 boxes of items at a time on Friday until 1 pm. Please plan to pay and take items to your vehicle before coming in to shop some more.

On Sunday we will be working to sell out the Civic Center so please come to buy, buy, buy!

Sunday is BYOB (Bring Your Own Box) Day: fill any size box (you can bodily get back to your car) for a flat rate — $10 upper level only; $20 lower level only; $20 mixed.

All profits from this book sale go directly to buying more items for Cobb County Public Library’s 15 branches and bookmobile. For more information, please visit cobbcat.org.

 

 

 

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, Jan. 13-17, 2025

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High Gates at Robinson Farm, East Cobb real estate sales
High Gates at Robinson Farm

The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records.

They include the street address, subdivision name and sales price listed under their respective high school attendance zones:

Kell

2032 Eula Drive, 30066: $743,250

4466 Whitecap Road, 30066 (Lamplighter): $412,500

1612 Barrier Road, 30066 (Lamplighter Ridge): $355,000

Lassiter

4352 Running Fox Court, 30062 (Raintree Forest): $565,000

Pope

987 Overbrook Circle, 30062 (Overbrook): $387,000

2991 Nestle Creek Drive, 30062 (Creekshire): $735,000

2905 Wendy Lane, 30062 (Wendwood): $406,950

3130 Waterfront Circle, 30062 (Johnson Ferry Estates): $899,900

3430 Rocky Springs Court, 30062: $408,500

Sprayberry

1999 Addison Road, 30066: $335,000

2201 Andy Drive, 30066: $309,000

3160 Ebenezer Road, 30066 (Shadowood): $410,000

2252 Rosemoore Walk, 30062 (Rosemoore at Harper Woods): $565,000

Walton

363 Cove Island Way, 30067 (Kings Cove): $610,000

878 Club Moss Court, 30068 (High Gates at Robinson Farm): $1.915 million

Wheeler

3144 Willow Grove Circle, 30067 (Timberlea Farms0: $600,000

60 Shadowlawn Road, 30067: $1.125 million

1251 Golden Rock Lane, 30067 (Ivy Crest): $510,000

1418 Forest Lane, 30067 (Evergreen Forest): $450,000

1466 Varner Road, 30062: $326,000

520 Salem Woods Drive, 30067 (Salem Woods): $310,000

501 Virginia Place, 30067 (Meadow Brook): $450,000

14 Rhodes Drive, 30068 (East Valley Estates): $600,000

2113 Pawnee Drive, 30067 (Sedalia Park): $460,000

3750 Waterlilly Way, 30067 (Giverny Park): $1.695 million

564 Lullingstone Drive, 30067 (Glens at Powers Ferry): $490,000

280 E Valley Drive, 30068 (East Valley Estates): $307,000

170 Indian Hills Court, 30068 (Indian Hills): $672,500

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Editor’s Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

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I’m deeply honored to be your editor and publisher at East Cobb News! I greatly appreciate your readership as we turn the calendar to 2025.Editor's Note: Inviting our readers to join the 1500 Club!

As a new year unfolds, we are launching a renewed effort to ask readers for their financial support of this community news resource.

We’re calling it the 1500 Club and are asking 1500 of you to sign up to becoming recurring monthly donors of East Cobb News.

That’s a little more than 15 percent of the more than 9,300 newsletter subscribers who get the East Cobb News Digest every week.

East Cobb News content will always be free to readers—unlike other news outlets, we don’t have a paywall. We want this to be accessible for anybody, but we do ask for your support if you feel this of special value to you.

We’d like to suggest a monthly payment of $6—you can contribute more if you like, or at whatever amount of your choosing.

We have a safe, secure online payment system called Press Patron via Stripe that makes it easy to donate, and to keep track of your account.

Consider becoming a regular supporter!

Press Patron enables local news publishers like me to ask readers like you for support. Many local news outlets, from the more traditional to the likes of East Cobb News, generate revenues from multiple sources to build sustaining businesses.

Your donations will power our expanding coverage of news in East Cobb, the place we call home, and that’s a very busy place!

There’s so much more that we want to cover for you, and in the next couple of months we’d like to have at least 1500 of you sign up to become continuing supporters.

It’s similar to a pledge drive for public radio, but for East Cobb’s only daily, all-online news source.

I’ve explained more about the 1500 Club in the video, and will be sharing more details about this initiative in the coming weeks.

Will you be among the 1500? Consider starting your financial support today, so we can keep giving you the local news that you love! Thanks East Cobb!

 

Click here to donate now!

 

 

‘Crushin’ for a Cause’ event to benefit SagerStrong Foundation

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Submitted information:'Crushin’ for a Cause' event to benefit SagerStrong Foundation

Join the SagerStrong Foundation and The 6-4-3 Foundation for the second annual “Crushin’ for a Cause,”  a fun, baseball-themed, family event February 1st  in Marietta!  Sports fans of all ages are invited to join us for Crushin’ for a Cause – a baseball-themed festival-style afternoon of good food, family fun and games, baseball opportunities, music, silent auction and more, all leading up to the Celebrity Home Run Derby, featuring 6-4-3, KSU, and Sprayberry Alum and Braves prospect Tyler Tolve along with players from the Astros, Cardinals, Dodgers, Reds, Rangers and Tigers Organizations!  Last year’s winner was Michael Trautwein, with the Reds Organization! 

Tickets are only $15 in advance, and all proceeds will benefit The 6-4-3  Foundations Scholarship Program which benefits families in need in the Marietta area, and metro Atlanta,  and the SagerStrong Foundations blood cancer research initiatives to support pediatric cancer patients and their families in their fight against blood cancer in metro Atlanta.

**There is also an opportunity to watch an amateur HR Derby, prior to the professionals, see the link below for more info!

“Last year’s event was such a great time – raising funds for The 6-4-3 Foundation and Sager Strong Foundation that we decided to make it an annual event!” said Tyler Tolve, 6-4-3 Alum, and Mississippi Braves Catcher. “I wanted to make a difference, and pay it forward, and raise funds for younger player that have aspirations to play baseball on a professional level one day, as well as help raise funds for families dealing with the reality of blood cancer.  My great uncle had Leukemia, and my father had Multiple Myeloma, so I know the toll treatment can take on a family.  My Father and my great uncle are my inspirations, as well as Carson Rozsman… we wanted to recreate the event and help raise funds for these charities through Crushin’ for a Cause! ”

Event details are as follows:

  • Event Date: Saturday, February 1, 2025
  • Time: 1:00 – 5:00 pm  – event schedule online!
  • Location: Aviation Sports Complex
  • 455 Aviation Road, Marietta, GA

Website page for additional info:

Join 6-4-3 Alum Tyler Tolve and Friends for a Celebrity Home Run Derby – Sager Strong Foundation

Information on Tyler Tolve:

SagerStrong Spotlight – Meet Tyler Tolve! – Sager Strong Foundation

Click here to learn more – see the CELEBRITY LINEUP — and buy tickets today:

Crushin’ For A Cause 2025 – The 6-4-3 Foundation

Highlights of the Day:

  • Amateur Homerun Contest, sponsored by Prep Baseball Georgia–Players from Metro Atlanta Compete Prior to the Celebs!
  • Celebrity Homerun Derby – Come See the Professionals – MLB and MiLB Players Compete for Most Dingers!
  • Food trucks,  DJ, games, music, autographs and more fun for the family and true baseball fans!
  • Silent Auction, filled with Sports Items, including signed memorabilia, tickets to Braves games, Hawks game, unique one of a kind offerings, baseball equipment, and even Prep Baseball Georgia Showcase Certificates, and more!

Don’t miss it – get your tickets today to support both charities and enjoy a great day at the ballpark!

About the SAGERSTRONG Foundation:

Craig Sager was a two-time Emmy-Award winner, and Hall of Fame Sportscaster, known for his colorful suits and ties, with a personality to match. Sager succumbed to cancer in 2016. Stacy and Craig Sager started the SAGERSTRONG Foundation in the hope that, one day, leukemia patients and their families will never have to go through the battle they have endured. The mission of the SAGERSTRONG Foundation is to give hope to those who need it most, through research to find a cure and programs to support families in their fight against blood cancer.  For more information, please visit sagerstrongfoundation.org.

 

 

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Former Sprayberry HS football coach begins tenure at Etowah

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Shortly after leading the Sprayberry High School football team to its winningest season ever, coach Brett Vavra announced he was taking another job.

Brett Vavra, Sprayberry football
Former Sprayberry head coach Brett Vavra at the East Cobb Pigskin Preview.

Earlier this month, Vavra began his tenure at Etowah High School at Cherokee County.

This week, he penned a farewell letter to the Sprayberry community (he’s a Sprayberry grad) where he taught and coached for eight years.

“There have been ups and downs, but it has been an incredible ride,” he said in a social media posting on Monday. “The positive relationships that I have established over the years with my players, coaching staff, parents, booster club, faculty an administration have been nothing short of amazing and it is the exact reason I wanted to become a coach 20+ years ago.”

Vavra added that “while this moment is extremely bittersweet for me, I know that I’m leaving Sprayberry in a good place. . . . Once a Jacket, always a Jacket.”

When he announced his decision in December, Vavra told the MDJ that he was returning to Etowah, where he previously was an assistant coach, for family reasons.

His family lives in Woodstock and his daughter is a student at Etowah, and he told the newspaper “it was the hardest decision I’ve ever had to make.”

Vavra was 41-45 in his eight seasons at Sprayberry and 11-2 in 2024, when the Yellow Jackets won Region 6AAAAA and reached the Georgia High School Association Class 5A semifinals.

Etowah was 2-8 last season and has struggled in recent years.

Vavra’s successor at Sprayberry has not been named.

 

 

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Retired minister in East Cobb acquitted in 1975 Pa. slaying

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Retired minister in East Cobb charged in 1975 Pa. slaying

A jury in Pennsylvania last week acquitted a retired minister who had been living in East Cobb for the killing of a young girl nearly 50 years ago.

News reports in the Philadelphia area said George Zandstra, now 84, was acquitted by jurors in Delaware County, Pa., after a four-day trial.

He was arrested and extradited in 2023 and charged with the kidnapping and murder of Gretchen Harrington, who was 8 when she was found dead in 1975, after walking to a Bible school at a church where he was a pastor.

Zandstra, who had lived in a home in Northeast Cobb since 2005, following his retirement from the ministry, was accused by prosecutors in Delaware County in a longstanding cold case file.

He had confessed to the murder and abusing two other young girls, but during the trial his attorney said the confession had been coerced and persuaded a jury to find him not guilty.

The district attorney’s office brought the charges after being told by an individual who said she was best friends with Zandstra’s daughter, and who would stay at the minister’s home for sleepovers when she was a girl.

The witness said that when she was 10, she was awakened by Zandstra groping her, and another friend told her that he “did that sometimes,” according to the Delaware County DA.

That was right before Harrington went missing. The same witness also told authorities a child in her class was almost kidnapped twice, and noted in her diary that she thought Zandstra might have been behind those attempts, the DA’s office said at the time.

Her body was found two months after her disappearance by a jogger at a nearby state park, bludgeoned to death with a rock and covered with tree branches.

When Zandstra was charged in 2023, a law enforcement official at the time said that “justice does not have an expiration date.”

But Zandstra’s attorney, who argued that there was no physical evidence linking his client to the crime, said that Zandstra had been lied to and misled by police investigators during an interview they conducted at his home in East Cobb.

“He maintained his innocence for most of his interview, and he maintains his innocence to this day,” defense attorney Christopher Boggs said in a statement issued after the verdict.

“We are happy to have Mr. Zandstra returned to his family. Criminal trials in this country are amazing things and we thank the jury for their hard work this week. Our hearts along with all of Delaware County still break for the Harrington family who deserve an end to the nightmare of losing a family member.”

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East Cobb Food Scores: Suburban Tap; Sabores de Mexico; more

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East Cobb Food Scores, Suburban Tap

The following food scores have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Empire Care Center
4360 Johnson Ferry Road
January 17, 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

Legacy Ridge at Marietta
840 Lecroy Drive
January 22, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

Martin’s
3101 Canton Road
January 23, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

McDonald’s
3010 Canton Road
January 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

Sabores de Mexico
1951 Canton Road
January 22, 2025, Score: 82, Grade: B

Suburban Tap
1318 Johnson Ferry Road
January 17, 2025, Score: 90, Grade: A

Taco Bell
2943 Canton Road
January 22, 2025, Score: 100, Grade: A

Twisted Taco Express
2960 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 303
January 23, 2205, Score: 100, Grade: A

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New Akers Mill ramp to I-75 Express Lanes opens Friday

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New Akers Mill ramp to I-75 Express Lanes opens Friday

A $45 million project to build a new ramp connecting Akers Mill Road with the Northwest Corridor Express Lanes on Interstate 75 in Cobb County opens Friday.

Local and state dignitaries held a media event Wednesday that included a groundbreaking ceremony organized by the Cumberland Community Improvement District.

When the new ramp opens for the Friday afternoon commute, it will be the 12th access point for the Northwest lanes, which opened in 2018 and cover 29.7 mile between an area just north of Akers Mill and Hickory Grove Road in north Cobb, and along I-575 in Cobb to Sixes Road in Cherokee County.

“The ramp will serve southbound express lanes users as an exit in the mornings and northbound express lanes users as an entrance in the evenings,” the Cumberland CID said in a statement.

The CID estimates that the ramp will provide daily access to the Cumberland area to around 100,000 motorists, serving six Class-A office towers around the Galleria.

The Ramp will be 24-feet wide for the reversible lanes plus break-down shoulders and will widen to 50-feet at Akers Mill. It will include a barrier separated entrance to the northbound managed lanes,” according to a project description (more info).

Here’s how the funding breaks down:

  • Cobb County SPLOST ($15 million)
  • Atlanta Regional Commmission ($10 million)
  • Cumberland CID ($6.3 million)
  • U.S. Department of Transportation ($5 million)
  • Georgia Department of Transportation ($4.4 million)
  • Georgia State Road and Tollway Authority ($3.5 million)

 

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Cobb commissioner District 2 special election forum set

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In partnership with several nonpartisan organizations, Scout Troop 2700 and 312 will host a candidate forum for Cobb County’s District 2 Commissioner at the Atlanta Area Council offices. The event is free and open to the public.cobb advance voting, Cobb voter registration deadline, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

The purpose of the forum is to give voters in Cobb County’s newly drawn District 2 an opportunity to hear and interact with candidates. The candidate forum will follow a nonpartisan, unbiased, and impartial format where candidates will receive questions from a moderator and answer written questions from the public.

Commissioner candidates:

  • Alicia Adams
  • Erick Allen
  • Dr. Jaha Howard
  • Tracy Stevenson

The forum is 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29 at 1800 Circle 75 Parkway, Atlanta. Register for the forum by clicking here.

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After dodging snow, Cobb weather turns a bit warmer

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After dodging snow, Cobb weather turns a bit warmer

After two doses of severe winter weather, some warmer temperatures will be coming to Cobb over the next week.

For the first time since Sunday, the high on Wednesday was above freezing—around 36 degrees.

But overnight lows for the next few nights will continue to be very cold.

On Wednesday night, lows are forecast to fall into the teens, meaning what precipitation fell in Cobb will freeze over.

The National Weather Service in Atlanta is continuing a hazardous weather outlook that calls for wind chills of 10-15 degrees Wednesday night in parts of Georgia. A cold weather advisory has been issued for parts of central Georgia, along a line roughly connecting LaGrange to Barnesville to Warrenton.

Local lows through the the weekend also will stay around the freezing mark for much of north Georgia and Cobb.

The sun returned to Cobb on Wednesday, as daytime highs will push into the 40s through Sunday.

Cobb government returned to normal operations Wednesday, and Cobb schools operated on a two-hour delay.

Cobb DOT said there were few roads that were impacted by the snow/ice that hit central Georgia hard, and spread to areas of eastern metro Atlanta.

But that bad weather line stopped just short of Cobb County.

Milder weather will gradually return to the Cobb area by early next week, with highs popping back up into the 50s starting on Tuesday.

For more local weather info click here.

 

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Cobb school board to hold hearings on homestead exemption

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Like Cobb County Government, the Cobb County School District has announced its intent to opt out of a new homestead exemption law designed to cap local property tax rates.

The Cobb Board of Education must hold three public hearings as a result, and they have been scheduled as follows:

  • Feb. 6, 11:30 a.m. and 6:05 p.m.
  • Feb. 13, 1;30 p.m.

The hearings will take place in the board room of the CCSD central office, 514 Glover St., Marietta. At a Feb. 13 voting meeting at 7 p.m., an agenda item will call for a vote to opt-out of the new law.

HB 581 was passed by the Georgia General Assembly in 2024, and state voters approved enabling legislation in a November referendum to establish a statewide floating homestead exemption.

Those exemptions apply to counties, school districts and municipalities, and would place a cap on property tax rates based on an inflation rate set by the Georgia Department of Revenue.

The law was passed following concerns about dramatic property tax rate increases due to soaring assessments during periods of high inflation.

Like Cobb government, however, Cobb schools have stated that its current exemptions are more beneficial to parents and taxpayers.

The biggest chunk of local property tax rates in Cobb are for school taxes. In Cobb, homeowners over the age of 62 (outside of the city of Marietta) can apply for a senior exemption from school taxes.

According to the Cobb Tax Commissioner’s office, “once approved, the homestead exemption is automatically renewed each year as long as you continually occupy the home under the same ownership. The only time you must reapply for an exemption is if there is a change in ownership, residence or you wish to qualify for a higher exemption.”

The current fiscal year 2025 Cobb school district budget is $1.8 billion, which did not roll back tax rates despite a spending increase from the previous year.

The district’s announcement last week claimed that it would lose an estimated $43 million under the new homestead exemption law, which “could force the District to cut teacher salaries, increase class sizes, or otherwise harm student learning.”

The district said that Cobb’s per capita spending is around $11,000 per student.

“To recommend any process that would most definitely result in the Cobb County School District losing funds, which would be used to educate Cobb children, would not be a responsible recommendation,” Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale said at a Cobb school board meeting last Thursday.

“We have one of the best School districts in the nation – academically, athletically, musically, and artistically. We are consistently recognized in each of these areas. Parents expect a high-quality education when sending their students to a Cobb school; that is exactly what we will continue to provide.”

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Winter storm warning includes Cobb; school opening delayed

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Winter storm warning includes Cobb as snow reaches metro ATL

UPDATED, 7:15 P.M.

The Cobb County School District said Wednesday classes will begin on a two-hour delay.

“Throughout the day, our police, maintenance, and transportation departments have reviewed both road and facility conditions in Cobb,” stated a district message that went out at 7:10 p.m.

All extracurricular and after-school activities, including sports, “will operate on a normal schedule.”

The district said the decision was made “in line with discussions with the National Weather Service Atlanta, Cobb Emergency Management, and Cobb Department of Transportation.”

ORIGINAL REPORT:

An rare winter storm that dumped several inches of snow along the Gulf coast reached metro Atlanta Tuesday.

By mid-afternoon, the National Weather Service in Atlanta expanded a winter storm warning to include Cobb County, as other parts of the metro region experienced significant amounts of snow and ice.

The warning extends through 7 a.m. Wednesday, as temperatures are once again expected to fall into the mid-teens Tuesday night and into Wednesday morning,

Shortly before 5 p.m., the Cobb County School District said it was monitoring weather reports and would decide on whether to cancel Wednesday classes and activities by 7 p.m.

“We continue to monitor conditions in Cobb during a very complicated winter storm,” a district message stated.

“Due to weather conditions that are shifting across the metro area, we are not yet able to announce a decision about tomorrow’s school day.”

School was closed on Tuesday in Cobb, Marietta and other school districts in metro Atlanta, as a storm that swept up through the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida panhandle coastal areas moved inland.

Cobb had been in under a winter weather advisory through Wednesday morning.

Wet and snowy weather arrived early Tuesday afternoon, causing treacherous travel and shutting down Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport.

Along the gulf coast, more than six inches of snow were reported in Mobile, Ala., and the first-ever snow blizzard alerts were issued in Louisiana, where New Orleans was also blanketed with several inches of snow.

Anywhere from 2-6 inches of snow has been forecast. The Cobb Emergency Management Agency said around 6 p.m. that parts of South Cobb have experienced some snow, with “a slight amount of accumulation near the I-20/Riverside area. Douglas County has experienced similar on their side of the line. Our DOT is reporting there are no travel impacts at this time, but this doesn’t mean to throw caution to the wind while driving.”

Cobb County government said county DOT crews were out Tuesday morning pre-treating main roads, and all county offices, services and courts closed at 12:30 p.m.

“So far (fingers crossed), most of the county’s roads are in great shape,” the county said on social media around 5:30 p.m Tuesday.

Tuesday night’s lows are expected to be the coldest yet in a winter weather wave that began on Sunday night, with lows around 12 or 13.

On Wednesday, temperatures will rise above freezing, to around 36, with sunny skies, then drop to around 20 on Wednesday night.

Thursday-Sunday weather is forecast to be sunny and in the 40s for highs,, and lows in the 20s.

The start of next week will be warmer, with highs back into the 50s.

For more local weather details, click here.

 

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Cobb part of winter weather advisory; schools closed Tuesday

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Cobb part of winter weather advisory; snow chances TBD

UPDATED, 5;07 P.M.

The Cobb County School District said that all classes and activities will be cancelled on Tuesday, “due to the Winter Storm Watch, including extreme cold and the potential for unsafe road and walkway conditions for students and staff.”

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp on Monday declared a state of emergency as a second winter storm in as many weeks is sweeping through the state.

The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a winter storm warning for central Georgia and a winter weather advisory for parts of north Georgia, including Cobb County, from 10 a.m. Tuesday to 7 a.m. Wednesday.

The forecast indicates that up to three inches of snow could accumulate across the state, but the likelihood of snow in Cobb and the metro Atlanta area is unclear for now.

Cobb is at the northern edge of the advisory area, as temperatures are expected to remain below freezing into Wednesday.

The chances of hazardous weather are greatest in central Georgia.

Kemp’s declaration, which authorizes emergency resources to deploy across the state in an anticipation of snow and ice, means that state government offices in Atlanta are closed on Tuesday, and the Georgia General Assembly session will be cancelled.

After temperatures dropped to near zero Monday morning with the wind chill, Cobb saw sun on Monday with a high in the high 20s.

But lows will continue to fall into the teens the next few nights, with highs on Tuesday expected to be around 33, and 37 on Wednesday.

On Tuesday, there’s a 20 percent chance of precipitation during the day, and fading t0 10 percent Tuesday night.

The sun returns on Wednesday, and above-freezing weather is forecast for Thursday, with highs in the low 40s.

Lows through the end of the week are not expected to rise above freezing, although the sun will be out.

Saturday’s high will be around 50, and into the high 50s by Sunday.

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, Jan. 6-10, 2025

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Roswell Downs, East Cobb real estate sales
Roswell Downs

The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records.

They include the street address, subdivision name and sales price listed under their respective high school attendance zones:

Kell

2000 Eula Drive, 30066: $698,500

1383 Mountain Overlook Court, 30066 (Jamerson Forest): $345,000

Lassiter

None

Pope

2510 Oakrill Road, 30062 (Cedar Forks): $515,000

4650 Newell Drive, 30062 (Chadds Walk): $805,000

2409 Hembree Drive, 30062: $1.488 million

4427 Cheston Bend, 30075 (Havenridge): $850,000

3479 Casteel Road, 30062: $685,000

Sprayberry

2646 Morgan Road, 30066 (Pine Valley Farms): $330,000

2474 Chambers Drive, 30066 (Fraser): $462,500

Walton

1379 Churchill Way, 30062 (Roswell Downs): $645,000

Wheeler

533 Wind Grove Road, 30067 (Grove Meade): $603,000

2256 Ithica Drive, 30067 (Sedalia Park): $440,000

3251 Turtle Lake Drive, 30067 (Somerset): $655,000

2747 Beverly Hills Drive, 30068 (Beverly Hills Estates): $615,000

 

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Weather Update: Extreme Cold Watch issued for North Ga.

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Weather Update: Extreme Cold Watch issued for North Ga.

Cobb County is included in an extreme cold watch issued for Monday morning by the National Weather Service in Atlanta.

The watch is being issued from 1 a.m. Monday to 12 p.m. Monday as subfreezing temperatures and high wind chill factors are converging over much of the Deep South.

The warm weekend we’ve been enjoying will quickly turn much colder on Sunday afternoon, with high temperatures expected only around 40 and wind gusts up to 20 mph in some places.

The NWS said in a Saturday afternoon forecast that temperatures Monday morning will drop into the teens, accompanied by wind chills that could make it feel like near zero.

Some areas could also have a wind chill factor of below zero, according to early forecasts.

The watch area includes most of metro Atlanta and the north Georgia mountains on a line extending east to around Gainesville and south to I-285 south of the city of Atlanta.

There’s also a chance of snow on Tuesday, as the winter storm could bring enough precipitation, combined with the colder temperatures, to make for a bone-chilling week.

On Monday, the wind gusts are forecast to be up to 20 mph in some places, with lows dropping below 20 Monday night.

Low temperatures through Thursday are also expected to get into the teens, with highs barely breaking above freezing if at all.

The chance of snow on Tuesday is 50 percent, mostly after 1 p.m., and continuing through around 1 a.m. Wednesday. according to the NWS forecast.

Wednesday should be sunny, with highs in the mid 30s and lows also in the high teens, and similar weather is in store for Thursday.

By the weekend, high temperatures will return to the 40s, with lows in the 20s.

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Cobb government closings, observations for MLK holiday

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Cobb MLK holiday service

Submitted information:

Jan. 20 MLK Day events in Cobb:

Cobb County NAACP hosts its annual Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Celebration, Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice, and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365, 10 a.m. – noon Monday, Jan. 20 at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre, 548 S. Marietta Parkway, SE, Marietta.

Acworth – Annual MLK Jr. Day of Service Celebration includes breakfast, a unity walk, a service ceremony and community service projects. Sign up for service projects here.

Austell – MLK Day of Service – Keep Cobb Beautiful Adopt-A-Mile – 8:30 a.m. at Riverside EpiCenter, 135 Riverside Parkway, Austell. Make an impact in the community by participating in a roadside cleanup with Keep Cobb Beautiful. High school students: Earn community service hours while making a difference. Bring your family, friends, and neighbors to this community volunteer event and help us create a cleaner, brighter environment for everyone. For questions, email yamos@riversideepicenter.com.

Kennesaw – Community Volunteer Day, 9 a.m. – noon at Smith Gilbert Gardens, 2382 Pine Mountain Road, Kennesaw. Garden entryway beautification project. Project coordinators will lead volunteers in cleaning up the front entryway off Pine Mountain Road into the Gardens and plant new annuals. Register here.

Marietta will celebrate the enduring legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with a parade and ceremony organized by Cobb County Southern Christian Leadership Conference, Al Tariq Temple No. 245, and Al Tariq Court No. 228.

This celebratory parade will trace a route that allows participants to pay tribute to Dr. King’s vision of unity and equality. Participants will begin at 350 Lemon Street at 1 p.m. and march to the Marietta Square.

Metro Atlanta – Hands On Atlanta MLK Days of Service opportunities – find events and volunteer in metro Atlanta

National parks – Martin Luther King Jr. Day is a free entry day at all national parks, including Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area and Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park.

 

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Carter Memorial door signing available at Cobb Habitat store

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Carter Memorial door signing available at Cobb Habitat store

Submitted information:

Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta is celebrating the life and service of President Jimmy Carter by inviting the public to sign a Memorial Door and Frame project erected at the Habitat ReStore located at 3315 South Cobb Drive, Smyrna, GA.

The affiliate covering Cobb, Douglas and Paulding counties joins Habitat for Humanity organizations around the globe in honoring the countless contributions President Jimmy Carter has made to the organization and to Habitat homeowners over nearly four decades.

“Raising a frame with a door symbolizes the many doors of opportunity that President Carter helped make possible through his life of service to others,” says Jessica Gill, CEO, Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta. “He dedicated his long life to opening doors for others through affordable homeownership.”

The public is invited to pay personal tribute to President Carter by signing the wall and door with their name or personal message. The wood from the frame and door will be used to commemorate the life of former Governor of Georgia and President Carter in an upcoming Habitat home day build at Liberty Plaza in front of the Georgia State Capitol on March 5.

When: January 17-25, 10 AM – 5 PM
Where: The Habitat for Humanity ReStore
3315 South Cobb Drive, Smyrna, GA
 

About Habitat for Humanity
Driven by the vision that everyone needs a decent place to live, Habitat for Humanity found its earliest inspirations as a grassroots movement on an interracial community farm in southern Georgia. Since its founding in 1976, the Christian housing organization has grown to become a leading global nonprofit working in local communities across all 50 states in the U.S. and in more than 70 countries. Families and individuals in need of a hand up partner with Habitat for Humanity to build or improve a place they can call home. Habitat homeowners help build their own homes alongside volunteers and pay an affordable mortgage. Through financial support, volunteering or adding a voice to support affordable housing, everyone can help families achieve the strength, stability and self-reliance they need to build better lives for themselves. Through shelter, we empower. To learn more, visit habitat.org. 

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