East Cobb News

Cobb school budget, social media and public comment policies OK’d

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday adopted a fiscal year 2022 budget of $1.5 billion that includes an employee pay raise.

The vote was passed without discussion as part of the board’s consent agenda on Thursday night. The raises range from 4 percent to 8.6 percent for full-time and other non-temporary employees.

The budget proposal proposes holding the line on the school district’s property tax rate of 18.9 mills and using $51 million in reserve funding to reach a balance (budget summary here).

Unlike FY 2021, there’s no federal CARES Act funding. Also projected for FY 2022, which begins on July 1, is a 5.54 percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.

More Cobb school district budget and financial data can be found by clicking here.

During a work session Thursday afternoon, the school board adopted a new social media policy that governs public comments by district employees (you can read it here).

The policy states that “District employees must use Social Media respectfully and ethically to avoid harming the reputations and careers of themselves and colleagues, as well as the reputation of the District and the education profession as a whole.”

One provision would prohibit employees “from making statements on crisis situations or emergencies on behalf of the District without appropriate permission from the District’s Communications department or District leadership.”

Teachers and other employees also will not be allowed to make or accept online connection requests with students, message with them or post photos or videos of students on their personal social media accounts.

Employees will be allowed and encouraged to post “good news/what’s happening at your school” news, event reminders, congratulating students and colleagues and making notifications, including for emergencies.

Also Thursday, the school board voted 4-3 to require members of the public who wish to speak during public comment periods at board meetings to sign up online.

The public will be invited back to attend board meetings for the first time since February 2020, before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Cobb property owners and parents, students and other stakeholders in the Cobb school district are allowed to speak during public comment.

The new registration policy will continue a 30-minute public comment policy before each board meeting, with up to 15 speakers addressing the board for two minutes each.

Public speakers will still have to show a photo ID once they arrive for the public comment period, and those who didn’t make the cut will be placed on a standby list.

“If you’re not who you signed up as, you won’t be allowed to speak,” said said Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who said the move was done as a courtesy to the public.

The board’s three Democrats voted against the new measure, expressing concern that the policy also includes a provision for the board chairman to prioritize speakers, especially if an item is on the meeting agenda.

Tre Hutchins, one of the three Democrats, wondered what would happen to those who wanted to speak about changing the name of Wheeler High School, an issue that the board’s four-member GOP majority has declined to place on the agenda.

Ragsdale said the first 15 people allowed to speak, first-come, first-serve, regardless of topic.

New principal appointed at Simpson Middle School

June 11, 2021June 11, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Simpson Middle School principal, Dr. LaEla Mitchell — *Dr. LaEla Mitchell*

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved a number of new principal appointments for the 2021-22 school year, including for Simpson Middle School in East Cobb.

Current principal Dr. Ansley Daniel has been reassigned as principal at Lost Mountain Middle School effective July 1.

The new Simpson principal is Dr. Mari LaEla Mitchell, who has been an assistant principal at Hillgrove High School for the past four years.

Here are some other appointments approved Thursday:

Dugan, Alison, Principal, Baker Elementary School, resignation effective July 31st, 2021.
Jones, Jeffrey, Appointment to Principal, Baker Elementary School from Assistant Principal, Chalker Elementary School effective June 11th, 2021.
Mitchell, Dr. Mari LaEla, Appointment to Principal, Simpson Middle School from Assistant Principal, Hillgrove High School effective July 1st, 2021.
Nyeste, Dr. Lenora, Principal, Lost Mountain Middle School, retirement effective July 1st, 2021.
Williams, Dr. Lisa, Appointment to Director (.49), Leadership Management, Human Resources Division from Performance Management Coordinator (.49), Human Resources Division effective June 11th, 2021.

In May the school board approved the appointments of new principals at Addison and Murdock elementary schools and Hightower Trail Middle School in East Cobb.

Cobb school board bans Critical Race Theory; Democrats abstain

June 11, 2021June 10, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb school board Critical Race Theory ban

The four Republican members of the Cobb Board of Education voted Thursday to ban the teaching of Critical Race Theory in the Cobb County School District.

The three Democrats on the board—all of them African-American—abstained from the vote, accusing the all-white GOP majority of placing political interests ahead of educational concerns.

“I abstain from this nonsense,” said board member Jaha Howard, one of the Democrats.

The vote followed an explosive 45-minute discussion that included heated interruptions between Republican chairman Randy Scamihorn and Democrat Tre Hutchins.

(You can watch the work session here; the CRT resolution discussion begins at the 2:20:20 mark.)

Scamihorn presented a resolution during a board work session Thursday afternoon that prohibited the teaching of Critical Race Theory “by that name and any other name” as well as instruction in Cobb schools of the 1619 Project, which The New York Times published in 2019 as a historical critique of slavery in America.

Hutchins, the newest board member who represents Post 3 in South Cobb, protested that expansive language, saying that Critical Race Theory has never been taught in Cobb schools and “is not a real thing” in district schools.

He also worried that some current aspects of the Cobb curriculum, including “No Place for Hate” and Social Emotional Learning, could fall under the CRT umbrella.

Scamihorn countered that Critical Race Theory—which developed in academia and legal circles in the 1970s to argue that racism is America is systemic and structural—has been all over the news in recent weeks, and that bodies like the Georgia Board of Education and the Cherokee school board have voted to restrict it.

“Now we can throw anything at it because we saw it on TV,” Hutchins said. “That’s dangerous. This feels like we’re furthering an indictment against the great teachers we have.”

That set off an extended, testy exchange, with the two board members raising their voices to interrupt one another for several minutes.

Scamihorn said that CRT is being taught in Cobb schools because he’s seen district teachers mention that they have on social media. At one point, he told Hutchins that “you have besmirched our teachers.”

Hutchins responded that “this is the worst thing that we could ever do,” and their harsh words escalated from there, as he and Scamihorn argued over the details of their discussions about the resolution over the last week.

Other school boards and mostly Republican governors and GOP-led legislatures in a number of states have taken aim at CRT and The 1619 Project, which The New York Times adapted into school curriculum that has been introduced in some school districts.

The lead essay by Times journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones—who won a Pulitzer Prize for commentary—argues that the American Revolution was fought to preserve slavery.

Prominent historians took issue with that claim, and when Hutchins asked Scamihorn to explain the newspaper’s project further, the latter said it’s “a revisionist history and history should be thorough.”

As for being asked to define CRT, Scamihorn referred to comments from parents heard at the May Cobb school board meeting about having “Marxist” roots and that “it pits one group against another.”

Hutchins said those were interpretations only, and that CRT “can be interpreted in a number of ways. It has nothing to do with education in the first place.”

The CRT resolution is the latest wedge issue along racial and cultural lines that has deeply divided the Cobb school board over the last two years.

The board could not agree to a consensus on an anti-racism resolution last year, and the four school board Republicans also voted to abolish a newly-approved committee in November to examine naming policies for Cobb school district schools and buildings.

Charisse Davis, a Democratic board member who represents the Walton and Wheeler clusters, said that “it’s become that politics are okay apparent in our district as long as they align with some people’s politics.”

She said CRT “has become a conservative talking point for some people who have no idea what it is, and they certainly haven’t been worried about for the last 40-plus years it’s been around.”

She told of minority parents who’ve complained about receiving threats, racist assignments, bigoted comments and “feeling as if the district does not care that they are part of the One Team.”

Davis noted that Cobb schools became fully integrated in 1970 and that previous school boards actively fought it.

“Anyone that cannot understand the impact that that would have should not be in the business of educating,” she said.

Referring to language in the resolution (which has not been made publicly available), Davis said that “to say that this board encourages a diversity of viewpoints is laughable.”

Republican board member David Chastain, who represents the Kell and Sprayberry clusters, said CRT is a cultural concept that has been debated “at the highest levels of academia.”

He said that he supports a resolution banning CRT because of the confusion over it.

“I try to think about what’s best for our children,” and said he’s concern about the effect of how something like CRT might be taught on students in the younger grades.

“Our kids typically aren’t developing abstract thinking skills until middle or high school anyway,” he said. “This is an adult issue, I don’t think it’s a kids’ issue.”

Some parents spoke on the subject during a public comment period at the start of the work session.

Anja Siedzierski, who was born in Poland and is a mother of two daughters in Cobb schools, said during her childhood in a Marxist country she was taught to “hate America” in government schools, and said CRT “is a dangerous ideology.

She asked “can we go back to teaching kids love and respect?” regardless of background. “Critical Theory is not the way to do that.”

Jennifer Susko, a counselor at Mableton Elementary School who thinks the district hasn’t done enough to address racism, said the resolution is a “maddening choice” and “a lie about history.”

“We’ll watch all white people tell black people that racism is not that big deal,” she said, referring to the board Republicans.

Budget, Critical Race Theory on Cobb school board agenda

June 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

*Randy Scamihorn, Cobb school board chairman*

The Cobb Board of Education will tackle the controversial topic of Critical Race Theory during a work session on Thursday.

Board chairman Randy Scamihorn placed the item on the agenda with the wording “for potential action” but declined to elaborate, telling East Cobb News he’s doing this “for the board to have a discussion.”

The work session begins at 1 p.m. Thursday, the first of the board’s monthly meetings for June.

The board also will hold a public budget forum at 6:30 p.m., preceding a 7 p.m. business meeting at which it is expected to adopt a fiscal year 2022 operating budget.

You can view the agendas for all the meetings by clicking here.

The meetings will be livestreamed on the district’s BoxCast channel and on CobbEdTV, Comcast Channel 24.

After the work session there is a scheduled executive session.

But it’s at the afternoon meeting that figures to draw the most attention, especially the Critical Race Theory item.

Last month, Cobb superintendent Chris Ragsdale announced that he has no intention of introducing the subject into the Cobb County School District curriculum.

At the same time, the Cherokee County Board of Education voted to ban the teaching of CRT during a packed meeting.

The Georgia Board of Education, at the behest of Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr, voted last week to do the same.

Some Cobb parents have been using the public comment period at board meetings to denounce CRT, with one telling the school board last month that “we need an honest conversation about race, this isn’t it. This is indoctrination.”

Critical Race Theory has come up recently in Georgia and other states, but the concept was developed in the 1970s by academics and legal scholars who argued that racism in America is systemic and structural.

Several books have been published on the topic advancing CRT, but the current wave of political action is being taken up by Republican elected officials.

The Cobb school board has a 4-3 Republican majority and has clashed on a number of topics over the last two years, including an anti-racism resolution last summer.

The four school board Republicans also voted to abolish a newly-approved committee in November to examine naming policies for Cobb school district schools and buildings.

Among those facilities targeted for a name change is Wheeler High School, named after a Confederate Civil War general.

After the Cobb CRT comments last month, Charisse Davis, one of the three black Democratic board members, noted that “the Critical Race Theory (CRT) debate has been bizarre…mainly how it became a scripted conservative talking point 40+ years after its inception.”

A group calling itself Concerned in Cobb County School District is gathering outside the district office before the Thursday school board meetings “to to challenge the Superintendent’s harmful position on Critical Race Theory and talking about race/racism at all. We also aim to demonstrate support for the three board members who are attempting to ensure an equitable education for ALL students.”

The school board will consider a proposed FY 2022 budget of $1.5 billion that includes an employee pay raise.

The budget proposal proposes holding the line on the school district’s property tax rate of 18.9 mills and using $51 million in reserve funding to reach a balance (budget summary here).

Also projected for FY 2022, which begins on July 1, is a 5.54 percent growth in the Cobb tax digest.

More Cobb school district budget and financial data can be found by clicking here.

Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition announces winners

June 9, 2021June 9, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition

Back in March we posted about some East Cobb students who had created a virtual contest for Cobb students in the scientific endeavor of crystal growing.

The group is called STARS (for Structural Nucleic Acid Anticancer Research Society), which formed in 2019 in conjunction with students at Timber Ridge Elementary School.

STARS parent Susanna Huang got in touch to announce the winners of the 2021 Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition that the groups hosted together.

The group created introductory videos to share various effective crystal growing methods with students as well as to teach the principles of crystallography. Toward the end of the crystal growing competition season, the STARS Team created another series of videos that explained the crystal submission steps, further facilitating the submission process for students.

The winners are:

Brooke Bloxom for the title of Most Exciting Experiment
Most Elaborate Experiment
Elliott Neveln for the title of Clearest Crystal
Jahnavi Bhargava for the titles of Most Natural-Looking crystal and the Best Quality Crystal
Johnny Dickerson for the title of Best Crystal Shape
Ms. Judy Osborne for the title of Most Inspiring Crystal
Michael Duke for the title of the Most Innovative Crystal
Steven Huang for the title of Most Impressive Notebook Entries
Ryoma Takagi for the titles of Most Detailed Lab Notebook and Largest Creative Crystals

Medals of Scientific Excellence:

Elliott Neveln for winning the Best Salt Crystal Award for the K-2nd grade division because his salt crystal alone had the highest clarity and his salt crystal alone had an almost perfect cubical shape.
Steven Huang for winning the Best Salt Crystal Award for the K-2nd grade division because his hand-written lab notebook was the most detailed and reflected much thoughtfulness and intuition.

Some other award winners:

Best Creative Crystal Award for the K-2nd division because his creative crystal looked like a real, natural crystal, with colors of blues and glints of shiny specks.

Michael Duke for winning the Best Creative Crystal Award for the 3rd-5th grade division because his creative crystal was the largest in his grade division and because his lab report was very thorough with detailed observations and conclusions.Ms. Judy Osborne for winning the Best Creative Crystal Award for the teacher division because her crystal was beautifully cultivated, and the quality of this crystal was very evident.

Ryoma Takagi for winning the Championship of the entire 2021 Timber Ridge Crystal Growing Competition for his solid mastery of growing aluminum potassium sulfate, exceptional observation and note-taking skills, and immense diligence, creating a 15 paged lab notebook with 176 data points, tracking the growth of 10 massive alum crystals before putting the data points into Excel graphs and charts to make the crystal growth trends even the more so evident.

The STARS team wrote in to say that over the summer they’re having a free, virtual summer camp to provide students with hands-on experiments and to teach students important note-taking and observational skills to further prepare them for the fall crystal growing competition.

Check their website for further details by clicking here.

COVID-19 vaccinations to end at Jim Miller Park on June 19

June 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Jim Miller Park COVID vaccine appointments — *Cobb and Douglas Health has been administering COVID-19 vaccines at Jim Miller Park since January.*

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is winding down its free COVID-19 vaccination site at Jim Miller Park soon, but will continue providing innoculations to the public at various locations indefinitely.

Assistant director Lisa Crossman told the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday that the last day for vaccinations at Jim Miller Park (2245 Callaway Road, Marietta) will be June 19.

Vaccinations are provided there six days a week and members of the public can make an appointment or walk up.

“That doesn’t mean we’re done vaccinating,” she said.

Information on getting vaccination at Jim Miller Park and satellite locations can be found here, along with other details getting a COVID-19 vaccine through Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

A number of “pop up” vaccine locations that have also been in use will continue for the time being.

“We’ll do it until we don’t see a need,” Crossman said.

There’s not a specific location in East Cobb scheduled for this week; the closest spot it the Dwell@750 apartments (750 Franklin Gateway), from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Friday.

We noted over the weekend that Cobb’s transmission rate of the virus had fallen below what’s called “high community spread”—a 14-day average under 100 cases per 100,000 people.

She also said the COVID-19 test positivity rate is at its lowest in many months, 1.9 percent. Public health officials say anything less than 5 percent is good, and while the numbers across the board in Cobb “are headed in the right direction” she urged the public not to let its guard down.

Cobb’s rate of “fully vaccinated people”—those having received both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine—is 37 percent, and more than 43 percent have had one dose.

Those numbers are slightly higher than Georgia’s overall figures, but are below the national average.

President Joe Biden has set a 70 percent vaccination goal for the country by July 4. Crossman said while it’s doubtful Cobb will reach that target, “we’re going to give it our best shot.”

She said the vaccinations are available to anyone 12 years of age or older, and encouraged parents sending their children to summer camps to get vaccinated.

Crossman also said businesses with 25 or more employees can have Cobb and Douglas Public Health come to their workplaces and provide vaccinations and said the scheduling is flexible, and can be done in the early evenings and on the weekends

Cobb Drug Treatment Court graduates five individuals

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The judges and staff of the Superior Court of Cobb County congratulate the five people who completed the Drug Treatment Court program on Monday.

The intensive program, suited for offenders who are generally non-violent, lasts a minimum of two years and aims to treat an individual’s underlying addictions and return him or her to a productive member of society while reducing incarceration costs.

“My decision to participate in the drug court program saved my life,” said Timothy, 35, who was previously charged with methamphetamines possession and was among Monday’s graduates. “This program works if you work at it.”

Graduate Wilmer, 52, entered the program in 2019 after an arrest for possession of methamphetamines and cocaine.

“The Cobb County Drug Court program is one of the best ideas the judicial system has ever come up with. It gives people with addiction problems another chance at life. So much of the life I have now, I would never have had without this program,” Wilmer said. “It’s a hard program, and they will hold you accountable. But if you stick with it and do what they ask you to do, it’s well worth it.”

Robert, 56, was also charged with possession of methamphetamines and dangerous drugs before seeking admittance into Drug Treatment Court. “I am a member of the Drug Court program and now a productive member of society. It works,” he said.

Judge Mary Staley Clark now presides over Drug Court, succeeding Senior Judge George Kreeger. A team that includes prosecutors, treatment counselors, probation officers, administrators and the presiding judge, reviews each request for participation in Drug Treatment Court, and monitors admitted participants throughout. Punishment for violations can range from a night in jail to expulsion from the program.

Various county and state offices collaborate with the judges in operating individual Accountability Courts. For more information, visit cobbcounty.org/SuperiorAC

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

Cobb County issues COVID scam alert for federal relief funds

June 8, 2021June 8, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

Scam artists are always looking to take advantage of a situation to steal from you. They’ve been using the COVID-19 pandemic and federal relief monies as tools to gain personal information from unsuspecting victims.

If you receive an email about pandemic relief, no matter how “official-looking,” REMEMBER:

Cobb County will not reach out to you directly about receiving federal assistance money.

Do NOT give out personal ID information to any of these sites.

All official assistance information can be found at www.cobbcounty.org/ERA

Any questions or concerns? Call us at 770-528-1000 or email us at [email protected]

FOR MORE on these “phishing” emails, check out these sites:

https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus

https://sos.ga.gov/index.php/Securities/coronavirus_scams

https://consumer.georgia.gov/consumer-topics/phishing

https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/…/want-get-your…

More COVID-related information from Cobb County government can be found by clicking here.

Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar opens at Sandy Plains Marketplace

June 7, 2021June 7, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Bad Daddy's Burger Bar East Cobb opening

As we noted at the end of April, the East Cobb location of Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar was awaiting on approval of an alcohol license from the county as it prepared to open.

The new Sandy Plains Marketplace restaurant (3460 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 100) opened its doors on Monday next to the Hollywood Feed store, and there’s a ribbon-cutting on Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Opening hours are from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday and from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. Phone: 470-632-7500.

The menu includes a variety of burgers (including make-your-own) and some non-beef entrees and salads, ranging mostly from $10-$15, cocktails, beer and wine, starters, shakes and desserts and a kids menu.

College Station Sports Store opens at The Avenue East Cobb

June 7, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

“Fans may remember College Station had a location here at The Avenue from 2014-2017 and we are happy to welcome them back.

“College Station was founded in 2000 by Roger Bush and started as a kiosk in the Town Center at Cobb mall. He sold one of the biggest selections of college apparel at the time. He then expanded his business to a full store front inside Town Center. Later he would expand his business to the Mall of Georgia, which recently closed. College Station has always been about college teams but has always been more than just that. College Station carries over 100 teams in the biggest names in NCAA, NFL, MLB, MLS, and NBA! The focus at College Station is to be the premier provider of anything memorabilia athletic-wise from t shirts to shot glasses they have it all!

“College Station Sports Store will be located between Sephora and Simply Mac. https://www.avenueeastcobb.com/College-Station-Sports-Store/”

Northeast Cobb Business Association to hold 5K-9 event

June 7, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The North Cobb Business Association is proud to present the 6th annual 5K-9 Race and introduce The Barking Lot street market! This great fundraiser is a pet friendly, socially distanced event which raises money to purchase a service animal for Cobb County Students and Residents. The event will take place at Piedmont Church, 570 Piedmont Church, Marietta.

The race was founded when the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office lost one of its beloved canines. NCBA wanted to start a fundraiser to aid the purchase of a service dog for the Sheriff’s Office. Thus, the 5K-9 Race was born. Since its founding, the 5K-9 event has raised money to provide service and support dogs for the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office, the Cobb County Police Department, US Military Veteran, a student with autism, and most recently, the Cobb County District Attorney’s Office.

This year, for the first time in the event’s history, TWO service dogs will be placed with residents. The first recipient is a Cobb County student who struggles with autism. The second is a young woman living in Cobb County who has suffered multiple car accidents leaving her with partial paralysis.

Join us in supporting this very worthwhile fundraising event on June 12. For Race Sponsorship, click here. For Runner Registration, click here. For Barking Lot Registration, click here.

For more information, visit northeastcobbba.com/events.

NCBA K5-9

Cobb non-profits team up to provide COVID-19 prevention kits

June 6, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb non-profits COVID prevention kits

Submitted information and photo:

Tommy Nobis Center, a Marietta-based nonprofit that helps individuals with disabilities enter or return to employment, produced 10,000 COVID prevention kits over the course of the last nine months. Kits containing masks, gloves, hand sanitizer, and COVID education materials were provided to neighboring partner nonprofits to distribute to individuals they serve who were significantly impacted by the pandemic. This included senior citizens, homeless persons, families in poverty, adults with disabilities, women and children experiencing abuse and/or neglect, and individuals in recovery from substance abuse.

Nonprofit organizations that received the kits included liveSAFE Resources, Sweetwater Mission, Special Needs Cobb, Ser Familia, Walton Communities, The Center for Family Resources, The Zone, Freedom Church, and Next Step Ministries.

The initiative which was made possible by the generous support from the Cobb County Community Development Block Grant created employment opportunities for people with disabilities that Tommy Nobis Center serves.

“We are thankful for Cobb County CDBG’s investment in our local community,” says Dave Ward, President and CEO of Tommy Nobis Center. “This project put people to work while helping Cobb County’s most vulnerable stay safe.”

Town Center at Cobb to hold American Red Cross blood drive

June 6, 2021June 6, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: East Cobb orthdontist blood drive

Supporting the highest blood donor shortage since COVID-19 hit, Town Center at Cobb will hold an American Red Cross blood drive from Weds, June 9-Thurs, June 10 from 12-5 p.m.

Blood donations provide patients with necessary, life-saving treatment. According to the American Red Cross:

Someone needs blood every two seconds in the U.S.

One in seven hospital patients need blood

Just one pint of blood can save up to three lives

Approximately 36,000 units of red blood cells are needed in the U.S. every day

Approximately 38% of red blood cells are needed in the U.S. every day

The American Red Cross supplies approximately 40% of the nation’s blood supply

WHERE: Town Center at Cobb – Upper Level JCPenney Wing
400 Ernest Barrett Pkwy
Kennesaw, GA 30144

WHEN: Weds, June 9-Thurs, June 10
12-5 p.m.

HOW: Visit redcrossblood.org using sponsor code ‘tcac’ to schedule an appointment in advance. Donors receive a free gift while supplies last. Appointments are recommended but are not required.

The Red Cross is following FBA blood donation eligibility guidance for potential donors who have received a COVID-19 vaccination. To determine eligibility, donors that have received a vaccine should know the name of the manufacturer. To learn more, please visit redcrossblood.org.

For more information on these events, visit bit.ly/tcc-blood-drive.

Cobb COVID cases continue fall below ‘high community spread’

June 5, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cobb COVID community spread — *Source: Cobb GIS. For more Cobb COVID graphics and data, **click here**.*

In recent weeks the community spread of COVID-19 in Cobb County has dropped well below a key barometer.

What public health officials call “high community spread” is a 14-day average of 100 confirmed cases per 100,000 people.

Cobb figures haven’t been below that threshold since late last summer, but as case rates plummet that line was crossed in mid-May (as indicated in dotted yellow line above). The Cobb GIS office compiled that data, and you can see more by clicking here.

At the end of last month, that number was 52. As of Friday, the 14-day average in Cobb was 39, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health, which posts a daily status report.

Similar trends are taking place across Georgia and the United States, as mask mandates and other restrictions are being lifted.

The drop in case rates from the start of the year was just as precipitous as its climb at the start of winter. The 14-day high of 980 was on Jan. 3, right as vaccines were being rolled out.

By the start of February, the 14-day average had dropped nearly in half, and by a similar rate by the end of the month, when that metric was 264.

Earlier this week, the Cobb County School District announced that masks will be optional for students and staff for summer school and the 2021-22 school year.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, there have been more than 61,000 confirmed cases in Cobb County, and 994 confirmed deaths, according to Cobb and Douglas Public Health.

In Georgia, there have been 897,240 cases during that time, and 18,144 deaths. Cobb’s death total is the third-highest in the state, behind Fulton (1,324) and Gwinnett (1,108).

The Cobb GIS update includes COVID-related hospitalization figures that also have fallen dramatically in recent months, from 1,139 in December to under 200 each in the months of March, April and May.

Vaccination rates in Cobb and Georgia continue to lag other states, but have been climbing steadily.

According to the Georgia DPH vaccination dashboard, 37 percent of Cobb citizens (275,884) are “fully vaccinated,” or have been given both doses of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines or the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Another 326,617 Cobb residents have received the first dose of the Pfizer or Moderna vaccines, representing 43 percent of the county population.

Across the state 41 percent of Georgians have received at least one dose and 34 percent are considered fully vaccinated.

Dr. Janet Memark, director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, is scheduled to provide her latest COVID-19 briefing to the Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday.

Gritters Library to hold free vision screenings for children

June 5, 2021June 5, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

The Vision To Learn mobile clinic will visit Gritters Library, 880 Shaw Park Road, on June 14, June 15, and June 16. Clinic hours are 9:30 am – 3:30 pm.

Vision To Learn is a national nonprofit that provides free vision screenings, eye exams and free glasses for children in need. The 2021 summer break clinic visits will operate under health and safety protocols of Vision To Learn and Cobb County. Registration is required and space is limited.

For the VTL at Gritters registration forms, visit www.cobbcounty.org/library/news/vision-learn-back-register-now-free-eye-exams-and-glasses-space-limited.

The generosity of Vision To Learn and VTL supporters has resulted in more than 900 eye exams in Cobb County with over 600 children receiving free glasses. Vision To Learn has provided mobile clinic visits at Cobb libraries since mid-2018.

The VTL events at Cobb Libraries’ are part of collaboration with Learn4Life, Metro Atlanta Regional Education Partnership to make our region a more equitable and prosperous community.

For information on Gritters Library programs, visit cobbcounty.org/library or call 770-528-2524.

Cobb schools to continue summer meal kit distribution service

June 5, 2021June 5, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information:

School may be out for the summer, but Cobb Schools will continue to dish out food for students through July 21. Just as they did during the school year, Cobb’s Food & Nutrition Services (FNS) team will provide meal kits for students at no charge, thanks to waivers from the USDA.

Families will be able to pick up the meal kits for children ages 0-18 on Wednesdays from 9-11 a.m. at one of six school locations. Check here on pick-up day to verify the location and time and make sure your location is still available.

Cobb Schools Summer Meal Kit Pick Up Locations, which are subject to change:

Clarkdale Elementary School

Clay Harmony Leland Elementary School

Daniell Middle School

King Springs Elementary School

North Cobb High School

Smitha Middle School

Meal kits will include food for breakfast and lunch to help fuel student success on the go. When families arrive at one of the six designated school locations, they will tell the Cobb Schools FNS team member how many meal kits are needed, and the team member will place the meal kits in the trunk or backseat of the car. The FNS team is proud to offer meal kits with items that can be reheated at home. Reheating instructions and a menu will be provided in meal kits for appropriate consumption of meals.

Summer Meal Kit Reminders:

Meal Kits are available at no charge to all children ages 0-18.

Children do not need to be enrolled in the Cobb County School District, Summer School, or Summer Learning Quest to receive Meal Kits at no charge.

Check back here on pickup day to ensure your location is still available as a pickup location.

The last day of the Cobb Schools Summer Meal Kits pickups will be July 21st.

Families may pick up meal kits for children at one location.

Children do not need to be present in the car.

For students that are enrolled in Summer School:

Meals will be provided on-site at no charge.

Additional drink and snack items will be available for purchase in school cafés.

Families with additional questions can email [email protected] or call the Cobb Schools FNS team at 770-426-3380.

East Cobb food scores: Cazadores; Laredo’s; Menchies; more

June 4, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Cazadores, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores for the week of May 31 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Arby’s
4367 Roswell Road
June 1, 2021 Score: 91, Grade: A

Cazadores Mexican Restaurant
3165 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite D-2
June 3, 2021 Score: 81, Grade: B

Laredo’s Mexican Bar & Grill
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 400
June 2, 2021 Score: 97, Grade: A

Menchie’s Frozen Yogurt
4475 Roswell Road, Suite 205
June 2, 2021 Score: 100, Grade: A

Wellstar Kennestone Hospital verified as Level II trauma center

June 4, 2021June 4, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Wellstar Kennestone Emergency Department

Submitted information:

Wellstar Health System, one of the largest and most integrated healthcare systems in Georgia with the largest trauma network in the state, announced that Wellstar Kennestone Hospital Trauma Center has been verified as one of only four Georgia Level II Trauma Centers by the American College of Surgeons (ACS). This achievement recognizes the Trauma Center’s dedication to providing optimal care for injured patients. Building on Wellstar’s commitment to healthcare excellence, the System was named a top-five finalist for the American Hospital Association’s 2021 Quest for Quality Prize and had 130 physicians – representing almost 26% of the total list – named as Georgia Trend “Top Doctors.”

Wellstar operates the largest trauma network in Georgia, with Wellstar Kennestone’s new state-of-the-art Emergency Department, which opened in July 2020, being one of the largest and busiest in the nation. Wellstar Kennestone provides comprehensive trauma care, with 24/7 access to on-site trauma, critical care trained surgeons, and a wide range of surgical subspecialties to consistently meet the needs of the most seriously injured patients following the highest care, quality and safety standards.

Established by the ACS in 1987, the Committee on Trauma’s (COT) Consultation/Verification Program for Hospitals promotes the development of trauma centers. Participants provide the hospital resources and level of care necessary to address the needs of all injured patients across the entire trauma continuum of care. Trauma center verification provides a structure for trauma care that can raise the overall level of performance throughout a hospital. This prestigious verification recognizes the Wellstar Kennestone Trauma Center’s commitment to providing the highest quality of care for injured patients, spanning community outreach and injury prevention efforts, emergency trauma, operative care, critical care, and rehabilitation.

“Receiving this verification further validates the exceptional life-saving care we provide at Wellstar Kennestone for patients who have suffered from all ranges of traumatic injury,” said Mary Chatman, Wellstar Health System executive vice president and president of Wellstar Kennestone and Windy Hill Hospitals. “We are so proud of the Trauma Center team’s commitment to ensuring that all patients get the appropriate care in a timely and coordinated manner because our communities rely on Wellstar to provide the very best care for every person, every time.”

Trauma is the leading cause of death and disability between ages 0-44, and the fourth leading cause of death overall. According to the Georgia Trauma Foundation, nine main causes account for 92.1% of trauma in Georgia. The leading causes of major trauma are motor vehicle crashes (37.7%); falls (22.2%); gunshot wounds (8.0%); motorcycle crashes (5.4%); pedestrian incidents (5.2%); assaults (4.3%); accidents (4.0%); stab wounds (2.9%) and all-terrain vehicle crashes (2.4%).

Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!

East Cobb author’s latest detective mystery novel publishes

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information: Lance Lo Russo

“Hijacking Justice,” the latest in Lance J. LoRusso’s Blue Mystery series featuring Detective Johnny Till is being released on Friday, June 3, 2021, to subscribers of the Lance LoRusso Books Newsletter. Each week, a new chapter of this police thriller will be released. With a plot similar to today’s headlines, LoRusso draws upon his extensive experience representing over 100 law enforcement officers involved in shootings, in this serial novel portraying a fictionalized world where the fair treatment of our front-line heroes is often sacrificed to feed power hungry politicians and a criminal machine. In this eight-episode story, Detective Johnny Till finds himself thrown in jail and charged with triple murder after being ambushed while visiting Ingram County on the Georgia Coast to help put away a serial rapist. Fans and readers of police mysteries can go to lancelorussobooks.com to sign up for the LoRusso Books Newsletter and read the thrilling chapters of Hijacking Justice as they are released weekly. Regardless of when a person signs up, they will get all the chapters in the order in which they were released. Hijacking Justice is a great easy read for the summer. Readers can also make a donation to the Cobb County Public Safety Foundation that directly benefits and supports our first responders on the frontlines.

“I am very excited and proud to release Hijacking Justice and continue the story of Johnny Till” said author Lance J. LoRusso. “For fans of Hunting of Men, they will love the continuing saga of Johnny and for new readers it will be a captivating read and introduction to the world of the Blue Mystery series. But more importantly, it shows what our brave men and women in blue confront in today’s polarized world.”

In Hunting of Men the first book featuring Johnny Till, LoRusso draws upon his diverse law enforcement background that saw him work the street, serve as a trainer, hostage negotiator, and an investigator. The book launches the career of central character, Johnny Till who will be the key character in all the Blue Mystery books. The book’s title, Hunting of Men, is drawn from Ernest Hemingway’s quote, “There is no hunting like the hunting of man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter.” The mystery in Hunting of Men focuses upon a cold case murder.

Johnny Till is a force to be reckoned with as a new homicide detective for the Lawler County Police Department. As tradition demands, on his first day on the job, Till pulls a cold case file to investigate. The file in question is one that has haunted the department and community for years: the cold-blooded murder of Officer Michael Dunlap, gunned down in the black of night some twenty years earlier.

Now, in order to solve the murder and heal the victims left behind, Till must reopen old wounds and retrace the final days of Dunlap’s life. The journey will lead him down a rabbit hole to a darker, more sinister conspiracy, one that threatens to steal the lives of children around the world. In order to close this cold case, Till must not only come into his new role as a homicide detective, but face his own fears to truly become a hunter of men.

LoRusso is a lawyer and former police officer who serves as the general counsel to the Georgia Fraternal Order of Police and Cobb County’s Lodge 13 of FOP. He also the founder of the Cobb Public Safety Foundation, which advocates on behalf of the county’s law enforcement and first responder personnel and their families.

Golden K Kiwanis honors 2021 Silver Pen Award winners

June 3, 2021June 3, 2021 by Wendy Parker

Submitted information and photo:

May of 2021 was the month to honor fourth graders from three elementary schools in Cobb County. Talented fourth grade students from Rocky Mount, Acworth, and Tritt Elementary Schools received the now prestigious Silver Pen Award.

The Silver Pen Awards, now statewide programs, were presented by Jim Perry, past president of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K and Co-Chair of the Silver Pen program as the officers of the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K were in attendance for the presentations.

As explained by Jim Perry, “Over 25 years ago, Jack Boone started what was called ‘The Silver Pen Award for fourth graders and all the elementary schools could participate. We gave the kids either a story or an essay question to write about. Each classroom had a winner, and the winning entries were sent to the administration. The administration would then forward them to the Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K, where a panel of judges, including educators, made the final selection for the school-wide winner.” Each Silver Pen Award winner received a bag containing: a Silver Pen, a roll of 25 one dollar golden coins, and a special engraved plaque that reads: Silver Pen Writing Award presented by The Kiwanis Club of Marietta Golden K.

This year’s Silver Pen writing winners are: Aubrey Smothers from Acworth Elementary School, Anna Raciborski from Rocky Mount Elementary School, and Adriana Fernandez from Tritt Elementary School.

Each school as well as parents are very proud of this year’s Silver Pen Award winners, since many exceptional entries were submitted and competition was tough!

Congratulations to all the winners and everyone sincerely hopes that the winning students will continue on with their writing skills.

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