Cobb absentee ballot counting may last until Friday

Cobb Elections said Wednesday afternoon that an estimated 90,000 absentee ballots are still being counted, leaving a number of close races in East Cobb and around the county still in question.cobb advance voting, Cobb voter registration deadline, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

County spokesman Ross Cavitt said all results for the moment (available by clicking here) reflect in-person early voting and Tuesday’s primary voting figures at precincts.

Here’s what else he said:

“But the majority of the absentee ballots either mailed in or dropped off remain to be tallied. Work on sending in results from 70,000+ of those absentee ballots is ongoing and could continue through Friday.”

So it may not be until later in the week that we know who will be in the Republican runoff for District 2 of the Cobb Board of Commissioners. For the moment, Fitz Johnson leads a three-man field with 36 percent of the vote, while Andy Smith has 32 percent and Kevin Nicholas 31 percent.

A total of 583 votes separates them, and all that is certain is that the top two finishers will meet in a runoff in August.

An early check of the 39 precincts shows that Johnson, a retired Army officer and business owner, won seven precincts in East Cobb, while winning all but one in his home base of Cumberland-Vinings (marked in blue).

Smith and Nicholas, both from East Cobb, won precincts marked in light green and dark green, respectively. Click here to hover over precinct totals.

Another close race in East Cobb awaiting absentee ballot totals is the Democratic primary in State House 46.

Caroline Holko was leading Shirley Ritchie by 278 votes in a district that includes 12 precincts in Northeast Cobb and four in Cherokee County. As of 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, only 50 percent of those precincts have reported, with absentee ballots also to be counted.

That is the only contested legislative race in East Cobb.

As we noted late last night, Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce and incumbent Cobb school board member David Banks were leading their GOP primaries without the need for a runoff.

So was Julia Hurtado, a Democrat in a two-way race for Post 5 and who had 58 percent of the vote.

Earlier today it looked as though Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Jon Ossoff may not win that primary without a runoff, as he hovered around 48 percent of the vote.

With 81 percent of the in-person vote counted, Ossoff had 49 percent of the vote late Wednesday afternoon, but absentee ballots statewide have not all been counted.

The Democratic primary for Cobb Sheriff also appears headed for a runoff, with Craig Owens collecting 47 percent over Greg Gilstrap (30 percent) and East Cobb resident Jimmy Herndon (25 percent).

In other Cobb elections of note, Reuben Green, Chief Judge of the Cobb Superior Court, appears to have lost his re-election bid to attorney Angela Brown, who led 55-44 percent.

A runoff for an open seat on the Superior Court bench is shaping up between Jason Marbutt and Greg Shenton, while Cobb Magistrate Judge Kellie Hill was leading in a race for another open seat with 61 percent of the vote against Daniele Johnson.

A State Court judge runoff will take place in August between Trina Griffiths and Diana Simmons, also for an open seat.

All Cobb elections results will be updated at this link.

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Handel cruises in GOP primary for 6th District Congress

There will be a rematch in the 6th Congressional District election in November.

Former Congresswoman Karen Handel easily won the Republican primary Tuesday night against four other candidates, getting 73 percent of the vote.

Karen Handel concedes, 6th Congressional District
Former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel

That’s with 135 of the 140 precincts reporting in the district, which stretches from East Cobb to North Fulton and north and central DeKalb.

Handel received 21,287 votes to 4,525 votes for her nearest competitor, former Atlanta Falcons running back Joe Profit (full results here).

She won all 51 precincts in East Cobb, tallying 8,576 votes, or 68 percent.

Handel will be facing U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath, a Democrat who was unopposed Tuesday. Two years ago, McBath unseated Handel to become the first Democrat to represent the 6th in 40 years.

After thanking her supporters, Handel said Wednesday that “Democrats like Nancy Pelosi and Michael Bloomberg will be back to pour in millions to protect the investment they’ve made in Lucy McBath. GA-6 deserves serious, proven leadership in these difficult times, and I look forward to taking on Lucy McBath and her do-nothing record.”

McBath’s campaign sent out several messages Wednesday morning, including a response to a Handel comment that during her time as Georgia Secretary of State, Georgia was “a model for voter integrity.”

Said McBath: “I have heard from numerous constituents who have applied for a ballot and never received it, who were stuck in lines for over two hours today in the rain, and many more who never were able to vote. For Karen Handel to cite this as a model for voter integrity is despicable.”

In 2018, McBath prevailed by fewer than 3,000 votes in one of the key races that swung control of the U.S. House to Democrats. It’s considered another bellwether campaign in the fall.

In the Democratic primary for U.S. Senate, former 6th Congressional District candidate Jon Ossoff appeared headed for a runoff.

With 77 percent of precincts reporting statewide, he had 48.8 percent of the vote to 14 percent for former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson and 12 percent for former lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico.

They’re vying to compete in November against incumbent Republican David Perdue, who was unopposed.

In a special election in 2017, Ossoff held a commanding lead in a jungle primary for 6th District Congress. But he was forced into a runoff, where Handel defeated him.

Georgia’s other senator, Kelly Loeffler, will be involved in a jungle primary in November. A Republican, she was appointed in January to succeed Johnny Isakson.

The winner in the fall will fill out the last two years of Isakson’s term.

In the Georgia Democratic presidential primary, former vice president Joe Biden got 83 percent, although he wrapped up the nomination several weeks ago.

President Donald Trump was the only Republican on the statewide ballot.

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East Cobb Election Update: Boyce, Banks lead in GOP primaries

East Cobb Election Update
From left, Cobb Commission chairman Mike Boyce, Cobb school board member David Banks and Cobb commission candidate Fitz Johnson.

UPDATED, 12:30 AM:

Cobb commission chairman Mike Boyce has a big lead in the Republican nomination Tuesday, earning 67 percent of the vote with 79 percent of the precincts reporting.

Three-term incumbent David Banks also appeared headed for the GOP nomination for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education with 55 percent of the vote against two challengers and 85 percent of precincts reporting.

In the Democratic primary for Post 5, physical therapist Julia Hurtado led Lassiter PTSA co-president Tammy Andress 58-42 percent with 85 percent of precincts reporting.

The GOP primary for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners appears headed to a runoff.

Fitz Johnson has 44 percent of the vote with 75 percent of precincts reporting, while Andy Smith and Kevin Nicholas had 28 and 27 percent respectively.

In the 6th Congressional District Republican primary, former Congresswoman Karen Handel got 68 percent of the vote against four other candidates in polling that stretched from East Cobb to North Fulton to Central DeKalb.

 

Election night reporting

UPDATED, 11:35 P.M.:

We’re still waiting for election-day precinct totals to come in, and not much has changed in the races noted earlier.

There are some local judicial races that are being contested, including one involving Chief Judge Reuben Green of the Cobb Superior Court. He’s trailing early in his non-partisan race against veteran attorney Angela Brown, 61-39 percent.

UPDATED, 10:30 P.M.:

Some initial results from the 6th DISTRICT CONGRESSIONAL GOP primary show former Congresswoman Karen Handel with a big, but early lead, over four other candidates. She has 64 percent of the vote (no precincts yet), and former Atlanta Falcons running back Joe Profit has 24 percent.

In the U.S. SENATE DEMOCRATIC primary, former 6th District Congressional candidate Jon Ossoff has 46 percent, former lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico has 14 percent, and former Columbus mayor Teresa Tomlinson has 12 percent. Again, no precints reporting.

In the STATE HOUSE DISTRICT 46 DEMOCRATIC primary, former Cobb Commission candidate Caroline Holko leads Shirley Ritchie 54-46 percent in early result.

East Cobb Election Update
The precinct at Eastside Baptist Church was one of 19 in Cobb County ordered to stay open until 8 p.m. Tuesday due to problems with voting machines (ECN photo).

UPDATED, 9:40 P.M.:

Incumbent COBB COMMISSION CHAIRMAN Mike Boyce has 63 percent of the vote in initial returns in the GOP primary, Larry Savage 29 percent, Ricci Mason 8 percent. No precincts reporting yet; those are likely early voting figures.

COBB COMMISSION DISTRICT 2, GOP: Kevin Nicholas 39 percent, Andy Smith 31 percent and Fitz Johnson 30 percent.

COBB SCHOOL BOARD POST 5, GOP: Incumbent David Banks 60 percent, Shelley O’Malley 22 percent, Matt Harper 17 percent.

COBB SCHOOL BOARD POST 5, DEMOCRAT: Julia Hurtado 56 percent, Tammy Andress 44 percent.

COBB SHERIFF, DEMOCRAT: Craig Owens 49 percent, Greg Gilstrap 28 percent, Jimmy Herndon 22 percent.

Again, all of these no precincts reporting yet.

ORIGINAL REPORT, POSTED AT 7:59 P.M.:

The polls closed at 7 p.m. in all but 19 precincts in Cobb County, and what’s expected to be a long wait for results in today’s Georgia primaries is underway.

According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, results won’t be available until after 10:10 p.m., when the last polling precinct in the state that was still open was scheduled to close.

In East Cobb, voters were choosing primary candidates in several closely watched races, including the Republican primary for District 2 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners and Republican and Democratic candidates for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education.

They joined other Cobb voters in casting ballots in a contested Republican primary for chairman of the Cobb Board of Commissioners, a contested Democratic Party primary for Cobb Sheriff and several county judgeships and court clerk positions.

East Cobb voters also were choosing a Republican Party nominee for the 6th Congressional District seat.

There is one contested Georgia House primary in East Cobb, between two Democrats in District 46.

Other contested races on the ballot include the Democratic primary for a U.S. Senate seat, and several Cobb Superior Court judgeships.

Although its a fait accompli, Democratic voters in Georgia finally will get to have their party presidential preference primary, delayed from March due to COVID-19.

Since then, former vice president Joe Biden easily wrapped up the nomination, and he is one of a dozen names on a Georgia ballot finalized months ago.

The above link from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office will contain all the results from those and other races that may take some time to determine. You can customize it by race, and by federal, state and local results.

Due to a very high number of absentee ballots that must be counted, as well as delays at some precincts Tuesday due to social distancing and technical problems with new voting machines, some races may not be settled for days.

Typically early voting numbers are tallied first, followed by same-day voting results and then absentee figures.

We’ll also be sending out a special election newsletter some time on Wednesday with the latest election results. If you’re not a subscriber, please click this link to have it delivered to your inbox.

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BREAKING NEWS: 19 Cobb precincts staying open until 8 p.m.

Cobb precincts staying open late
Some technical issues affected voting at Murdock ES Tuesday morning, but lines were scant by the afternoon. (ECN photo)

Due to technical issues that resulted in a late start to primary voting, 19 precincts in Cobb County will be staying open an hour later Tuesday.

County government spokesman Ross Cavitt said Cobb is abiding by a local court order to keep precincts open where technical and other issues have occurred.

The polls will remain open until 8 p.m. at the following precincts in East Cobb:

  • Addison 01 (Legacy Church, 1040 Blackwell Road)
  • Bells Ferry 04 (Shiloh Hills Baptist Church, 75 Hawkins Store Road)
  • Eastside 02 (Eastside Baptist Church, 2450 Lower Roswell Road)
  • Elizabeth 03 (Piedmont Road Church of Christ, 1630 Piedmont Road)
  • Sewell Mill 03 (Grace Marietta Church, 675 Holt Road)
  • Sope Creek 02 (Sope Creek Elementary School, 3320 Paper Mill Road).

If you’re in line at any of those precincts by 8 p.m., you will be allowed to vote. Here’s the rest of the list.

All other precincts close at 7 p.m.

The Cobb order, requested by Cobb Elections officials, was signed by Cobb Superior Court Judge Robert D. Leonard, and was done so due to “significant voting machine complications” at the affected precincts.

Tuesday’s primary is delayed from May 19 due to COVID-19, and this is the first election with new electronic voting machines.

Long lines also were projected because of a lack of poll workers stemming from the virus and social distancing and sanitizing measures, as well as a lengthy ballot for most voters.

More than 80,000 Cobb voters have cast absentee ballots, and more than 11,000 people took place in in-person early voting.

Major voting problems have been underway most of the day in Fulton, Gwinnett and DeKalb counties.

All precincts in Fulton are open until 9 p.m., and Secretary of State Brad Raffensparger is investigating problems there and in DeKalb County. Elected officials in those counties have blamed the state for problems with the new voting machines, but Raffensparger said local elections officials have had time to test them and to prepare for the unusual circumstances surrounding this election.

A total of 15 Gwinnett precincts with technical problems were open until 7:30 p.m..

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Cobb commissioners approve revised anti-racism resolution

Cobb commissioners anti-racism resolution
“This resolution gives us an opportunity to get it right,” commissioner Lisa Cupid said before the board approved an anti-racism resolution Tuesday.

After some testy public clashes and behind-the-scenes wrangling, the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved a revised resolution decrying racism in the county.

The vote was a unanimous 5-0, as was a companion resolution to support a proposed state hate crimes bill.

After a draft resolution of the anti-racism measure was proposed late last week, a revised resolution was the subject of heated discussion at a board work session Monday morning.

Commissioner Lisa Cupid of South Cobb, the only Democrat and lone black member of the board, said then that she could not support the revision, proposed by commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb, who shared it with her colleagues minutes before the work session.

But later Monday night, a third proposal was circulated and Cupid sent out an e-mail saying she would back that version, which while it “has some deviation from the original, this is a version I can support.”

The resolution that was approved (you can read it here) differed from the original near the end, declaring that commissioners “stand with all citizens of Cobb County against racism and reaffirm our commitment to provide an environment that supports civil rights for all.”

That final portion replaced initial language that called for “fighting for racial and economic justice, gender equality and human and civil rights for all.”

When she posted the initial draft to her Facebook page on Thursday, Cupid said she had heard that some thought the language was too strong, and urged citizens to contact their commissioners to express their views.

When the board met on Monday, Cupid learned that some of her colleagues didn’t appreciate her distributing the resolution publicly before they could meet to discuss it as a group.

That’s why Gambrill said she didn’t send out her revision until right before the work session. Her version included specific language about Cobb Police Department community outreach activities, including the Police Athletic League, faith forums and a community affairs unit that “works daily with all our diverse communities to make their neighborhoods a safer, happier and more productive place to live.”

Cupid didn’t like any of that being included, but she was upset by the whole process, saying she was bearing a heavy burden as the only black commissioner. “I wanted the community to see the stress level I had to deal with and see the boldness of these modifications,” she said.

East Cobb Black Lives Matter rally
East Cobb citizens have shown support for Black Lives Matter at roadside rallies over the last week (ECN file).

On Monday night, Cupid—a candidate for Cobb Commission Chairman—sent out word via her campaign e-mail that “although this process has been an uphill battle, I am confident that citizen communication to commissioners have resulted in us now having a resolution that has better likelihood of passing unanimously.”

She reiterated that sentiment during the commission’s virtual meeting Tuesday.

“This resolution gives us an opportunity to get it right,” Cupid said before the vote. Near the end of the meeting, Cupid said the resolution “presents an opportunity for a new day” in Cobb County. “A lot of people are watching us.”

Before the vote, several citizens spoke in favor not only of the resolutions but also urged the county to improve procedures for complaints about law enforcement excesses, and some called for the creation of a citizens’ review board.

Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb, the board’s public safety liaison, made some emotional remarks about the issue while a video played of Cobb police officers last week retaking their oath of office in a stand against brutality and racism.

She pledged to “take the lead” in continuing county-led efforts to forge stronger ties with Cobb’s minority and ethnic communities.

“We are a diverse county,” Birrell said, “but more importantly, we are all children of God, created equal in the likeness and image of God. We all deserve to be treated equally, with mutual respect and love for one another.”

But commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb said he was “both disheartened and disappointed in the members of this board” for how the process over the anti-racism resolution unfolded.

“It is unbelievable to me the week we’ve spent haggling over the language in the resolution over racism,” said Ott, who supported Gambrill’s revisions. “Every member of this board supports removing racism from community.”

Ott said that Cobb County, while “not perfect,” has been working to address racial issues, and referenced a community-based outreach program by former public safety director Michael Register.

“I am concerned that this past week’s wasted opportunity will cause more harm than good,” Ott said. “If this board can’t immediately agree on the language in this resolution, I fear it will take far too long to take the steps forward.”

Ott then read a letter written last week by Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, the black superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, as an ideal of what he thinks the board should follow.

“Consider how your words, actions and attitudes impact other people,” Williams wrote in remarks to cadets. “Muster the moral courage necessary to confront and solve problems with effective, honest and empathetic dialogue that seeks solutions rather than sowing seeds of division and disunity.”

Ott said that “until all members of this board are extending forgiveness and actively listening to other points of view, and are color-blind, we cannot move forward.”

The hate-crimes resolution (you can read it here) supports a bill introduced in the Georgia legislature following the death of Ahmaud Arbery, a black Brunwick man, who was shot to death while jogging in a residential area in February. Three white men have been charged with murder.

Georgia is one of the few states without a hate-crimes law. The bill has been endorsed by the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police.

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Seed, Drift restaurants dining rooms reopening on Wednesday

Seed Kitchen & Bar

East Cobb restaurateur Doug Turbush is reopening two of his three restaurants, Seed Kitchen & Bar and Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar, for dining room service starting Wednesday.

Serving hours at both restaurants will be from 5-9 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday and 5-10 Friday and Saturday.

Diners are encouraged to make reservations and when they arrive, they should not congregate at the entrances or bars. Dining parties will be limited to 10 people or less.

Delivery and curbside service remain available.

Safety measures for employees include wearing masks, temperature checks and health screening questions before each shift and frequent handwashing.

The dining rooms also will have hand sanitizer stations and increased space between tables.

“We are confident guests will appreciate our newly implemented safety standards and will feel safe while dining at our restaurants,” Turbush said in a statement. “While our guests will notice modifications to the dining room and procedures, they will quickly recognize our signature style of service and award-winning food. We are thrilled to be back!”

 

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Cobb County earns AAA financial rating for 24th year in a row

The Fitch Ratings has given Cobb County government its highest possible financial rating, AAA. That’s the 24th consecutive designation for Cobb, per a county release issued late Monday afternoon:Cobb County logo, Cobb 2017 elections

The Fitch Ratings analysts cited Cobb County’s history of conservative budgeting and proactive measures in the face of an uncertain economic future caused by the coronavirus pandemic. 

“The county is well-positioned to withstand the current period of economic weakness due to its sound reserves and superior inherent budget flexibility,” the agency said in a news release. 

“The fact that we had our AAA rating reaffirmed during the most challenging economic time in a dozen years shows the fiscal soundness of the county,” said Cobb County Commission Chairman Mike Boyce. “It is a tribute to our staff, the board, and our work with the community to make sure we continue to show diversity in our county’s economic base.” 

Fitch pointed to the county’s reaction to the last recession as one of the reasons it has confidence Cobb County can weather whatever lies ahead. 

What the AAA rating means above all is that when the county saves money on interest rates when needs to borrow—particularly the short-term loans it takes out to bridge from one fiscal year to another.

On Tuesday, the Cobb Board of Commissioners will be asked to approve in $65 million TANS—tax anticipation notes—to fund county government operations until it can collect property sales tax revenues in the fall.

Last week the county sent out delayed assessment notices, with bills due after the tax digest is established in July.

Here’s more from Fitch’s analysis. Other rating agencies are expected to follow suit and maintain Cobb’s AAA status.

Boyce has said the fiscal year 2021 budget he will propose this summer will keep the current millage rate.

 

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Updated 6.8.20: Mapping Cobb COVID-19 cases by ZIP Code

Cobb Covid Zip Code Map

Here are the latest figures in our periodical update breaking down COVID-19 cases in Cobb County, and specifically in map form by ZIP Code, per Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

The first figure after the ZIP code is the number of cases as of Sunday, and the numbers you see in parenthesis are from updates on May 7 and May 28, respectively

  • 30067: 174 (150, 93)
  • 30062: 172 (160,113)
  • 30066: 140 (126, 95)
  • 30068: 109 (98, 68)
  • 30075: 13 (14, 11)

The highest number of cases in Cobb continues to be Marietta 30060, which is reporting 400 as of Sunday. There are 301 cases in 30127, in the Powder Springs area, and 296 in Marietta 30008, southwest of the city.

As we noted in previous mapping posts (here and here), none of those figures, which come from the Georgia Department of Public Health, State Electronic Notifiable Disease Surveillance System (SENDSS), include the number of deaths by ZIP Code.

You can hover over that map, which is regularly updated, by clicking here.

As of 3 p.m. Monday, there were 3,298 confirmed COVID-19 cases in Cobb County, with 196 deaths and 718 hospitalizations.

The case total is fourth-highest in the state and the death total trails only the 256 deaths that have been reported in Fulton County.

Across Georgia there have been 52,497 confirmed cases, 2,208 deaths and 8,746 hospitalizations.

The Georgia Department of Public Health updates those figures once a day at 3 p.m.

A total of 544,372 viral tests have been conducted in the state, and another 105,013 antibody tests. DPH had come under scrutiny for combining both of those figures but in recent weeks has begun reporting them in separate columns.

The number of positive viral tests is 47,493, or 8.7 percent of those tested.

The state data also breaks down cases and deaths by race, sex and ethnicity.

For more data from Cobb and Douglas Public Health, click here.

Cobb government has a COVID-19 dashboard using data from the Johns Hopkins University Center for Systems Science and Engineering.

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McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA day camp registration underway

Submitted info:East Cobb YMCA

The YMCA of Metro Atlanta today announced registration for all sessions of summer day camp is open to the public on the organization’s website.

In adherence with the governors’ executive order, camps will have a reduced camper to staff ratio, enhanced drop-off procedures, including in-car temperature wellness checks for campers, temperature checks and face masks for staff, social distancing for campers and increased cleaning protocols.

Capacity numbers for camps have also been significantly reduced to maintain social distancing and to monitor campers’ wellness. Due to these new requirements, the Y will not offer specialty sports camps this year; instead, each branch will operate traditional day camps, which include arts and crafts, outdoor exploration, group games, indoor learning experiences and more.

“The safety of our campers, staff and community is our highest priority,” said Lauren Koontz, president and CEO of YMCA of Metro Atlanta. “Despite new protocols in place, one thing won’t change. Our camps will offer a fun environment for children to learn, explore and grow over the summer.”

To better accommodate families’ unique needs, individuals may register for a full week of summer camp or on a daily basis. Registration must be completed online at spirtionline.ymcaatlanta.org.

Those locations include:

  • McCleskey–East Cobb Family YMCA, 1055 East Piedmont Road, (770) 977-5991

Those interested in more information, can visit ymcaatlanta.org or contact their local Y branch.  

 

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Cobb DA distributes ‘Kid Kits’ during Crime Victims’ Rights Week

Kid Kits Crime Victims Week
Director Kimberly McCoy (front) and Victim Advocate Adriene Grey assembling the kid kits.

Submitted information and photos:

Cobb District Attorney Joyette M. Holmes announces that her office is distributing 250 “kid kits” in a further effort to raise awareness of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. The event is usually marked each April but has been extended this year due to health concerns.

Earlier this year, the Cobb DA’s Office received $5,000 in funding from the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) through a grant from the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), within the Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, to promote community awareness of crime victims’ rights and services during the 2020 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week.

Some of those funds were used to purchase items for the kid kits, which include a pencil pouch, coloring book, crayons, and hand sanitizer. The kits include contact information for the Victim Witness Unit of the Cobb DA’s Office.

The kid kits are being distributed through Cobb and Marietta City School districts, and at Cobb Fire Stations.

First designated by President Ronald Reagan in 1981, National Crime Victims’ Rights Week increases general public awareness of and knowledge about the wide range of rights and services available to people who have been victimized by crime. The 2020 theme is “Seek Justice, Ensure Victims’ Rights, and Inspire Hope.”  

Since 2004, the NCVRW Community Awareness Project has provided financial and technical assistance to more than 977 community projects that promote victim and public awareness activities, and innovative approaches to victim outreach and public education about victims’ rights and services during National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Cobb’s was one of the 109 recommended by NAVAA and selected for funding by OVC for 2020 from the 262 applications that were submitted nationwide.  

For additional information about 2020 National Crime Victims’ Rights Week activities or about victims’ rights and services in Cobb County, please contact the Victim Witness Unit in the DA’s Office at 770-528-3047 or visit our website at www.cobbda.com.

Kid Kits Crime Victims Week

 

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Cobb Community Food Fleet rolls out to feed those in need

Cobb Community Food Fleet
Volunteers load up cars for food distribution at the Reflections of Trinity pantry in Powder Springs.

Submitted information and photos:

Cobb Community Foundation (CCF) is pleased to announce the Cobb Community Food Fleet, an initiative where they have brought together Noonday Association, Athena Farms, the Atlanta Braves, Ryder Trucks, S.A. White Oil Company, Mobilized Fuels, and numerous Cobb County non-profits to ensure that lack of storage space does not hinder Cobb non-profits’ food distribution efforts to those in need.

This initiative began, unnamed, in mid-March when CCF reached out to United Way of Metro Atlanta – NW Region and Cobb Collaborative to assist in pulling together a group of non-profit, school district and county government leaders to share the challenges each group and their constituencies were facing, make known the resources each group had available, and determine the best path forward to meet needs in Cobb County. The original group, labeled the Cobb Crisis Response Team, began with daily 7:55 a.m. calls on March 23rd which have been slowly whittled down to one call a week. One of the many outcomes resulting from this group’s efforts is that in an environment where over 100,000 Cobb Countians have lost their jobs, more than half of them being in the lowest paying industries, Cobb’s non-profits are providing boxes of food to over 5,000 families each week.

Howard Koepka of Noonday coordinates the communications among twenty-plus separate organizations distributing food in Cobb County, ranging from MUST Ministries to the two school systems to Cobb Senior Services to smaller organizations such as H.O.P.E. Family Resource Center in Mableton. “Many of these organizations did not know that each other existed,” Koepka says. “Now, they not only are aware of each other, they are eliminating duplications of services, identifying and serving areas unserved, and literally sharing food, box trucks and other resources to make sure that everyone in Cobb County has access to food, regardless of whether or not they can pay for it.” 

One of the greatest challenges facing these organizations is limited access to large quantities of food as a result of the disruption to the supply chain during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the USDA’s new Farmers to Families Food Box Program has created an abundance of certain foods, primarily produce, which Cobb’s food providers want to take full advantage of. The issue, according to Koepka, is storage. “Produce needs to be refrigerated, and no single organization has enough space to accommodate the two and soon three thousand boxes that are now coming in each week from Athena Farms.”

Athena Farms, located in Forest Park, is one of over 40 contractors in the South East Region that was awarded funds from the USDA to distribute food boxes. Jessica Brantley, Director of Purchasing for Athena Farms, explains why they reached out to Cobb Community Foundation. “We really liked that they are working to help resource non-profit food providers serving Cobb, so working through them is helping to feed much more than just the clients of a single organization.” Last week, Athena delivered 2,000 boxes of produce, and even larger shipments will be coming at least through the end of June. As is the case for many farms, Athena’s primary customer base is restaurants. “The Farmers to Families Food Box Program has put all of our employees back to work,” says Brantley. 

“While at least some of the immediate food shortage challenges have been resolved, we had to resolve the storage issue if food was going to make its way to those who need it,” says Shari Martin, President and CEO of Cobb Community Foundation. “Our mission statement includes the phrase, connecting donors who care with causes that matter.” She continues, “The Atlanta Braves stepped up to provide the refrigeration space that avails all of Cobb’s non-profit food providers of the produce coming in, at a time when members of our community need it most.”

The one remaining need, however, was to be able to accommodate the scarcest item of all right now: meat. Poultry, pork, beef and fish all require a freezer, and the Atlanta Braves’ storage space was already full. What was not full, however, was their loading dock.  Enter Kim Gresh, owner of S.A. White Oil Company and Cobb Community Foundation board member. “So many of our customers want to help right now, so we reached out to one that we knew would want to be involved.” Enter Huddle House and one of their vendors, Ryder Trucks. Ryder has made available a 53’ freezer container and trailer which Huddle House transported to the stadium. Alongside was Mobilized Fuels, S.A. White’s sister company, that will provide the diesel fuel needed to keep the freezer running between now and the end of August.

Over these next two months, Noonday will be coordinating the logistics of food delivery by Athena Farms and other providers and the subsequent pick-up by five of the larger food non-profits: 

MUST Ministries, Storehouse Ministries, Reflections of Trinity, Sweetwater Mission, and Family Life Restoration Center. These organizations will be picking up food not for their clients, but also for other smaller non-profit food providers. The involvement of the for-profit community, the non-profit community, and even the local and Federal governments to provide, store and deliver food throughout Cobb made Cobb Community Food Fleet the ideal name for the initiative.

In the meantime, Cobb Community Foundation continues to identify resources, financial and otherwise, to help feed Cobb. “Thanks to the Cobb Board of Commissioners grant of $1 million for food last month,” notes Martin, “these organizations will be able to purchase additional food needed in bulk.” Martin says this will allow the non-profits greater access and preferred pricing. “And thanks to these great partners, we’ll have a place to store it.”

Frozen meat and canned and dry goods remain in demand, and Martin and her team are on the hunt. “This is just another opportunity to connect donors who care with causes that matter.”

Learn more by contacting Shari Martin at shari@cobbfoundation.org, or by visiting www.cobbfoundation.org.

Cobb Community Food Fleet
Tyler Holley of the Atlanta Braves Foundation moves food boxes to refrigeration.

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PHOTOS: Black Lives Matter rally near Lassiter High School

Lassiter Black Lives Matter rally

Thanks to Matthew Poer for sending along photos from Saturday’s Black Lives Matter rally near Lassiter High School in East Cobb.

He estimated around 400 people lined up along Shallowford Road to bring attention to racism and police brutality in the wake of the death last week of George Floyd, a black man, in police custody in Minneapolis.

“I’ve been a law abiding and taxpaying resident of Cobb County and Marietta for eight years,” Matthew told us. “I’m a white man and I am sick of my friends, neighbors, coworkers and fellow Americans living in fear of systemic and individual discrimination.”

Saturday’s event at Lassiter was one of several rallies and protests to take place in East Cobb and around the county this week, as local elected officials and law enforcement agencies also responded to the issue.

All of the demonstrations thus far in Cobb County have been peaceful.

Lassiter Black Lives Matter rally

On Friday Cobb police officers retook their oaths promising to fight brutality and racism.

On Tuesday, Cobb commissioners will consider an anti-racism revolution similar to what passed in Smyrna and Acworth.

Lassiter Black Lives Matter rally

Many of the protests around the country also have been held in honor of Ahmaud Arbery, a black man shot to death while jogging near Brunswick, Ga., in February. Three white men have been charged with murder, and Cobb District Attorney Joyette Holmes has been appointed to prosecute the case.

Lassiter Black Lives Matter rally

Poer told us he also showed up Saturday in honor of Breonna Taylor, a black woman in Louisville, Ky., who was killed in March after police crashed into her apartment with a no-knock warrant related to a narcotics investigation.

Her boyfriend opened fire on officers, and Taylor was shot eight times during the exchange. Police did not find any drugs and no charges have been filed, but her family has filed a wrongful death lawsuit.

Lassiter Black Lives Matter rally

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Cobb 2020 primary election guide: when, where, how to vote

Georgia runoff elections

Please follow East Cobb News coverage of the 2020 primaries by clicking this link.

On Tuesday Georgia’s delayed primary elections take place, after weeks of absentee balloting and early voting.

Voters who turn out at the polls at their designated precinct will be asked to choose one of three ballots: Democratic, Republican and non-partisan.

In East Cobb, voters will be choosing party nominees in a variety of federal, state and local offices, and judges in non-partisan races for state and local court positions.

Precincts will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at all locations.

Because of social distancing guidelines and shortages of precinct workers due to COVID-19, lines are expected to be longer than usual.

Voters are encouraged to factor in longer times when they arrive at their precincts.

What’s on the ballot?

East Cobb voters have several contested primaries in partisan races, including Republican primaries for Cobb Commission Chairman and Cobb Commission District 2, as well as Democratic and Republican primaries for Cobb school board Post 5.

There’s also a Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District race and a Democratic primary for State House District 46.

In countywide races, contested primaries include Democrats in the Cobb Sheriff’s race and Democrats and Republicans for Superior Court Clerk. Non-partisan races are taking place for three seats on Cobb Superior Court and one on Cobb State Court.

There’s a large field of Democrats pursuing their party’s nomination to face Republican incumbent U.S. Sen. David Perdue in November.

U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to succeed the retired Johnny Isakson, won’t be on the primary ballot. The election to determine who fills the final two years of Isakson’s term will be decided in a jungle primary in November, with candidates of both parties. She’s one of them, along with Republican U.S. Rep. Doug Collins.

The Democratic presidential primary also is scheduled Tuesday, and like the local and state primaries has been delayed by COVID-19 closures. Former vice president Joe Biden wrapped up the party nomination earlier this week in terms of needed delegates.

He’ll be listed as one of a dozen candidates on the Democratic ballot, most of whom dropped out not long after the primaries began in February.

Candidate profiles and related information for local races can be found at the East Cobb News 2020 Elections Guide resource page.

Here are the sample ballots from Cobb Elections:

These ballots are countywide composites and contain candidates who may not appear on your actual ballot. You can download a precise sample ballot at the My Voter Page from the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.

If you choose a ballot from one of the major parties, you’ll also be asked questions that respective party leaders, either local or state, have formulated to gauge where their constituency stands on certain issues.

The respective party sample ballots include the questions that will appear on the ballot you’ll get at the polls.

Early voting concluded on Friday, including all this past week at the East Cobb Government Center. According to Cobb Elections, 1,699 people voted at the East Cobb venue, with 1,045 asking for Democratic ballots, 640 Republican and 14 non-partisan.

Across the county, 11,527 voters cast early in-person ballots: 8,122 Democratic, 3,317 Republican and 88 non-partisan.

Cobb Elections also issued 143,061 absentee ballots, and 80,164 have been returned: 41,702 Democratic, 36,139 Republican and 2,323 non-partisan.

More early voting figures can be found here.

Runoff elections would take place Aug. 11. That date also was delayed from its originally scheduled date of July 21.

Where and how to vote

Your voter registration card has the location of your voting precinct. If you are unsure of your precinct, Cobb Elections has them listed by precinct name and by venue name.

Earlier this year several precinct venues were changed, three of them in East Cobb: Dickerson, Dodgen and Marietta 6A.

Right before the primary, Cobb Elections announced that the venue for the Roswell 02 precinct was being switched from Mt. Zion United Methodist Church to the Episcopal Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, across the street at 1795 Johnson Ferry Road.

When you arrive at your polling station, you will be asked to fill out a form and show a government-approved photo ID.

Absentee ballots

If you received an absentee ballot and haven’t filled it out, you can do so on election day, as long as you deposit it at one of several designated drop boxes in the county, including the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road), by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

For more local voting-related information, please visit the Cobb Elections page.

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Cobb schools targeting late July for graduation ceremonies

East Cobb seniors caps gowns

Following up an announcement earlier this week from Cobb schools about what had been student-only graduation ceremonies comes this update, with a substantial change reflecting the district’s desire for parents to attend:

As of today, Friday, June 5th, strict guidance from state and local public health officials, which is specific to Cobb County, allows for a ceremony with graduates only in attendance.

Current examples of public health recommendations for Cobb County graduation ceremonies include:

  • Only allowing graduates to be in attendance
  • Observing strict social distancing guidelines as defined in the Governor’s most recent Executive Order
  • Performing temperature checks and symptom screenings of all attendees
  • Recommending all attendees wear face masks
  • Providing multiple hand hygiene stations

 

The District continues to work with state and local public health officials to pursue every option to allow parents and graduates to celebrate together. We are targeting late July for the graduation ceremonies. This will hopefully allow more flexible guidance to be provided by state and local public health officials.

Graduates and parents should monitor communications from their respective high schools and check this page often for updates.

Once confirmed, graduation information for both graduates and parents will be provided which includes:

  • Schedules
  • Directions to venues
  • Graduate arrival, parking, and entry instructions
  • Video players for the live stream

For the most up-to-date information from the District related to COVID-19, please visit www.cobbk12.org/covid

 

When the student-only announcement was made earlier this week, that decision was roundly panned on a Facebook page devoted to Cobb schools topics.

If a late July window is enacted for graduation ceremonies, that would run close to the start of a new school year, scheduled to start on Aug. 3.

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Cobb police officers take stand against racism, brutality

Cobb police pledge racism brutality

The Cobb Police Department has released a video with officers and Chief Tim Cox reiterating previous statements the department has made condemning racism and police brutality.

Standing on the front steps of department headquarters in Marietta, a number officers also retook their oath of office.

Newly appointed Cobb Public Safety Director Randy Crider also spoke in the video, which is a little more than six minutes long.

Crider said the statements were not forced on the officers by any of their superiors, and Cox said the oath ceremony was even the idea of officers “to show the community the symbolism of how serious they are.”

In prepared remarks, Cox said he recently had a conversation with a pastor who told him that if one part of the body is hurting, then all the body is hurting.

“I think that’s what we’re experiencing in society,” Cox said. “All of society is hurting because one part is hurting.

“Our department will not stand for it, we will not tolerate it in any form,” Cox said, referring to racism and police brutality, “and we will not have it in the ranks of our department.”

On Tuesday, Cobb commissioners will consider a resolution to condemn racism in the county.

Thus far, several peaceful protests have taken place in Cobb to decry the death of George Floyd, a black man who was in Minneapolis police custody.

That incident sparked protests around the country that in many cases turned violent, including the city of Atlanta, which has had a curfew for nearly a week.

On Friday, an interfaith coalition of Atlanta clergy urged Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms to “demilitarize” the law enforcement presence in the city, including removing Georgia National Guard troops ordered by Gov. Brian Kemp.

More protests are taking place over the weekend in Cobb County.

On Saturday, several Marietta churches are holding a “Prayer & Peaceful Protest Rally” at 10 a.m at Zion Baptist Church, 165 Lemon Street, near downtown Marietta.

A group called Cobb County BLM Resources said there will be a rally at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lassiter High School, near the Smoothie King.

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SelectCobb to hold small business relief grant webinar

Submitted information:

The Cobb Board of Commissioners, with a 5-0 vote, approved funding for a $50 million Small Business Grant Program designed to help struggling businesses recover from the economic damage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Funding will come out of the $132 million allocated to Cobb in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act.

The agenda item provides $500,000 to the “Select Cobb” division of the Cobb Chamber to administer the grant program. That group will educate, advertise and administer the program with a board comprised of a diverse group of business interests. Only companies with fewer than 101 employees will be able to apply.

The applications will be reviewed by commission district so all areas of the county are equally represented in the number of companies approved for grants. The amount of funding awarded to an individual small business will vary based on business size:

  • One to ten employees – up to $20,000
  • 11 to 50 employees – up to $30,000
  • 51 to 100 employees – up to $40,000

A Cobb Chamber survey recently found that 32% of Cobb businesses worry the COVID-19 situation will put them out of business and 60 percent say they will need some sort of financial assistance to continue.

The process for the application is as follows:

  • The application will be uploaded at 10:00 a.m. on June 8
  • The application portal will be open until June 26 at 5:00 p.m.
  • All grants submitted in that time frame will be evaluated. This is not first come first served.

On Wednesday, June 10 from 10 a.m.-11:30 a.m., join Select Cobb to have your questions answered and to discuss the application and review process for the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants. Speakers for the webinar will include:

  • John Loud, President, LOUD Security & 2020 Cobb Chamber Chairman
  • Commissioner Bob Ott, District 2 Commissioner, Cobb County
  • Kevin Greiner, President & CEO, Gas South & SelectCobb Chairman
  • Jason Gaines, Planning and Economic Development Division Manager, Cobb County Community Development Agency
  • Dana Johnson, COO, Cobb Chamber & Executive Director, SelectCobb
  • Sharon Mason, President & CEO, Cobb Chamber

Please note that you do not have to be a member of the Cobb Chamber to apply or receive funding as part of the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grant Program. No preferential consideration will be given for Cobb Chamber members. For more information on the SelectCobb Small Business Relief Grants, visit selectcobb.com/grants.

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Cobb commissioners to consider resolution condemning racism

Cobb commissioners will be asked Tuesday to consider a resolution to condemn racism.

Lisa Cupid, Cobb Board of Commissioners

Commissioner Lisa Cupid, of South Cobb, and the only black member of the five-member board, admitted on Thursday when she posted the proposed resolution on her Facebook page (see below) that “I have been informed that some think this language is too strong, indicates something of the past, and is not reflective of how people feel today or in all districts of the county.”

“It is imperative that we have our citizens weigh in on this else I fear it could not pass or be worded in such a way that loses its intent and purpose.”

She urged citizens to contact their commissioner and let them know their thoughts.

Cupid said an online meeting she organized on Tuesday, entitled “Cobb Forum: Recent Deaths, Race and Response,” attracted more than 600 people, and she invited a number of elected and law enforcement officials and community leaders to participate.

(You can watch here and listen here.)

The Smyrna and Acworth city councils this week approved similar anti-racism resolutions.

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Cupid, a Democrat who’s running for Cobb Commission Chairman, issued a follow-up message via her campaign e-mail Wednesday night highlighting the discussion, and suggested the following actions:

  • Be compassionate and mindful of others
  • Recognize the challenges some African Americans may have in just showing up, at work and in your organizations
  • Don’t back down from conversations about race and do not ostracize African Americans and others for discussing race and relating race to policy, practices, and outcomes
  • Have a conversation or lunch with someone who does not look like you
  • Reach out to local and state leaders to pass a resolution to support the Hate Crimes Bill
  • Reach out to leaders to pass a resolution denouncing racism or discrimination in your organizations, city and county
  • Support local nonprofit organizations and organizations that address issues of equity and race like the Cobb NAACP, Cobb SCLC, and the Georgia Community Coalition
  • Send an email or letter to school board members letting them know you support them addressing racial disparities in educational outcomes, teaching staff, and school resources
  • Support your African American leaders who are minorities in majority elected bodies

“I think we can only go up from here as I have heard from you and others that this was just a start,” Cupid said.

She is not the sponsor of the proposed resolution, which is listed on the agenda as being an item to be brought by board chairman Mike Boyce and is being presented for consideration by County Manager Jackie McMorris.

Tuesday’s commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. and will be available online only, but citizens are invited to participate in a public comment session via phone at the start of the meeting. You can sign up at this link.

The rest of Tuesday’s meeting agenda can be found here.

Cupid Anti-Racism Resolution

 

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EAST COBBER parade and festival cancelled due to COVID-19

East Cobber parade
Unicyclists from Mt. Bethel Elementary School are a regular participant in the EAST COBBER parade. (ECN file)

The 25th annual EAST COBBER magazine parade and accompanying festival won’t take place in September due to COVID-19, publisher Cynthia Rozzo said in her June-July issue.

She said after weighing various planning and preparation scenarios, and because of continuing public health restrictions stemming from the virus, calling everything off is “the right thing to do. I hated to do it, it was a very hard choice to make.”

Hundreds of community organizations and businesses march down Johnson Ferry Road before thousands of spectators in mid-September, and after the parade a festival is held at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.

Large public gatherings and community events in Georgia are still prohibited, even as other restrictions on business and social activity are beginning to be lifted.

“We’re in a situation that nobody has been in before,” Rozzo wrote, “and there’s just too many facets of the parade and festival that have to happen that could not be finalized because of the coronavirus situation.”

Rozzo, who founded the magazine in 1993, also has been affected by the loss of advertising due to business closures as a result of COVID-19. For the first time in her magazine’s history, she suspended an issue in May.

The June-July EAST COBBER issue, which was published Thursday, is 24 pages. Most issues range between 44-52 pages.

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At East Cobb rally, ‘honking’ support for Black Lives Matter

East Cobb Black Lives Matter rally
East Cobb resident Alice, at left, joins in asking motorists to honk their horns in support of Black Lives Matter. (ECN photos and videos)

At one of East Cobb’s busiest intersections, Alice I. found herself in an unusual situation. A local resident who’s a yoga instructor, she said she’s never gotten involved in politics or any kind of demonstration of any kind.

Until now.

She took part in a mostly-white rally of around 30 to 40 people Wednesday in front of Trader Joe’s.

A few dozen others were positioned at all quadrants of the intersection of Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road, asking motorists to honk their horns in support of Black Lives Matter.

A good number of them did.

“I’m doing this because I stand with black people,” said Alice, who declined to give her last name.

Black Lives Matter is the activist group that has staged protests around the country after the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, at the hands of Minneapolis police last week.

BLM started several years ago and grew around similar deaths, but the Floyd case has caused sustained shock waves around the country.

The officer seen kneeling on Floyd’s neck for nine minutes has been charged with murder, and three other officers on the scene also have been charged. They were immediately terminated.

But peaceful protests designed to draw attention to police brutality quickly turned violent in Minneapolis, Atlanta and other cities. Many of those incidents are being blamed on outside groups having nothing to do with the initial protestors.

Alice said she abhorred the video she saw of Floyd, who was face-down on the ground and handcuffed in the moments before his death.

“This is about white people no longer being silent,” Alice said. “We have to stand up and say, ‘Enough is enough,’ that we’re coming from a place of love.”

East Cobb Black Lives Matter Rally 2

There have been several protests in Cobb County over the weekend and into the week and expanding into East Cobb.

Alice said she heard from neighbors about Wednesday’s rally and decided to attend. She was also upset that some have confused peaceful protests with looting, burning and property destruction that have prompted arrests and curfews in a number of cities, including Atlanta.

“Everyone’s here wearing a smile, just showing support” for black citizens,” she said, and was hopeful that “African-Americans [will] see how much white people are supporting them.”

Some of the participants Wednesday shouted chants that have been heard frequently at other protests.

“Say his name!” they shouted.

“George Floyd!”

Rallies are scheduled for the same intersection the rest of this week from 5-7 p.m.

Other rallies are taking place from 2-4 p.m. at the intersection of Canton Road and Jamerson Road, and from 7-9 p.m. at the intersection of Sandy Plains Road and East Piedmont Road.

On Saturday morning, several Marietta churches are holding a “Prayer & Peaceful Protest Rally” at 10 a.m at Zion Baptist Church, 165 Lemon Street, near downtown Marietta.

A group called Cobb County BLM Resources said there will be a rally at 2 p.m. Saturday at Lassiter High School, near the Smoothie King.

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Candidate spotlight: David Banks, Cobb school board Post 5

Near the end of his third term on the Cobb school board, David Banks said he’s seeking another four years because “I just feel like there’s more to be done.”David Banks, Cobb school board candidate

A retired computer and technology consultant and business owner, Banks has lived in East Cobb for 50 years and has represented Post 5, which represents the Pope and Lassiter clusters, since 2009.

He said that kind of experience is vital during a time in which the Cobb County School District, the second-largest in Georgia with 112,000 students, is undergoing rapid change.

“It takes a few years to get acclimated to how the system works,” said Banks, who’s serving as the school board’s vice chairman this year.

(Banks does not have a campaign website; here’s his school board biography page.)

He ran unopposed four years ago, but Banks has drawn a crowd of opposition in both parties, including Matt Harper and Shelley O’Malley, whom he’ll be facing in next Tuesday’s Republican primary.

O’Malley has been openly critical of Banks (as have Democrats Tammy Andress and Julia Hurtado), saying that “I hope voters recognize that when an incumbent is being challenged by other people there ought to be a reason for that.”

Other Post 5 candidate profiles

To which Banks asks of the others on the ballot: “Why are you running?” He said from what he’s read and learned about his opponents, “it tells me nothing about what they want to do.”

In addition to some of his most impassioned topics—advancing STEM and virtual reality instruction in schools—Banks said he hasn’t heard those trying to unseat him discuss such items as the education SPLOST, which funds construction and maintenance projects.

Nor does he think they’ve said much about how they would address what could be an $80 million Cobb schools budget shortfall due to heavily reduced state funding from COVID-19.

(The board hasn’t yet adopted a fiscal year 2021 budget because the legislative session was disrupted before it finalized education funding.)

“Where’s the meat?” Banks asked about his opponents’ campaign platforms. “What have they proposed that I’m not already doing?”

As for what he would do with a fourth term, Banks said more of the same: Advance more technological learning opportunities for students at every possible level, and broaden Capstone and AP curriculum.

He said he’s proud that more Cobb elementary schools are becoming STEM-certified. He wants to see more virtual reality and robotics options for students at the younger grade levels as well.

Emerging virtual reality fields “can open up a lot of doors for young people,” Banks said. “We’re just getting started with this.”

Among his initiatives would be to set up a test and demonstrate a proof of concept that could be expanded across the district.

Andress and Hurtado have advocated that the Cobb school district hire a chief equity officer to address inequities including race and ethnicity and special needs, but Banks said he is opposed to that (as are Harper and O’Malley).

“We have one of the best special ed programs in the state,” said Banks, who thinks the notion of an equity officer is “a buzzword, something the Democrat party uses a lot. But it doesn’t work.

“What’s it going to accomplish that we’re not doing already?”

He’s also against changing or even revisiting the Cobb schools senior property tax exemption (which he takes), an issue that also has come down along partisan lines.

Democrats, he said, “actually want to get rid of it,” which would require a change in state legislation. “Which representative or senator [in the Cobb delegation] is going to commit political suicide?”

A legislative idea he’s pushed before, and is advocating again in times of economic distress, is a 10-year local education sales tax (LEST), which would be one penny on the dollar to help fund Cobb schools operations.

Banks floated a measure during the recession, and it went nowhere. He says now, as he did several years ago, it would raise more than enough money ($150 million by his count) to overcome budget deficits, and return 30 percent of that funding to taxpayers in the form of a millage rate reduction.

“We need another source of income,” Banks said, admitting “it’s not easy to change a constitutional amendment. But if you can it frame right, and it shows the public benefit of having it, it’s a win-win.”

Should Cobb schools have to make dramatic cuts in teaching positions due to a reduced budget, Banks advocates laying off high school and middle school teachers in elective subjects, then rehiring them as paraprofessionals and have them teach students at multiple schools via teleconferencing.

“I might be an older person,” Banks said, referring to an opponent’s mention of his age, “but I try to find what’s coming and visualize what’s not even there now.”

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