Temple Kol Emeth, a Reform synagogue in East Cobb, announced Monday that Rabbi Lawrence “Larry” Sernovitz has been chosen to succeed the retiring Rabbi Steven Lebow, effective July 1.
Sernovitz comes from Cherry Hill, N.J., where he was the founding rabbi of Nafshenu, an egalitarian Jewish community catering to non-affiliated Jews. He also was a chaplain for the Cherry Hill Police Department.
“We’re thrilled to welcome Rabbi Sernovitz to lead the next chapter of Temple Kol Emeth’s rich history,” Rachel Barich, President of the Board of Trustees for the synagogue, said in a statement.
Lebow, who became Kol Emeth’s first full-time rabbi in 1986, announced his retirement last fall. In November, he presided over his final Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service, which he began as an interfaith community effort in the wake of 9/11.
“Temple Kol Emeth is an important part of the East Cobb community,” Sernovitz in a statement issued by the synagogue. “Rabbi Lebow has built an inclusive Jewish community that truly stands for something, and I’m eager to help existing members and new unaffiliated families find spirituality, connect and help to repair the world.”
Lebow’s community activities included protesting against an anti-gay resolution by the Cobb Board of Commissioners in 1993. He was honored for his community service and social change efforts by the Cobb Citizens Coalition, Creative Loafing magazine, the National Conference of Christians and Jews and the State of Georgia Holocaust Commission.
Sernovitz has been named a recipient of the Camden County MLK Freedom Medal for his efforts to bring South Jersey communities together following the fatal shootings at Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh in 2018.
Lebow will become the Rabbi Emeritus of Temple Kol Emeth, conducting occasional sermons at the synagogue. He also plans to continue service through teaching, writing and lending his rabbinic expertise to smaller regional congregations.
Kol Emeth will have a farewell celebration for Lebow in April.
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Another day, another Coronavirus update from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, who said Sunday morning that Dobbins Air Reserve Base in Cobb will be a quarantine venue for California cruise passengers as soon as Monday.
He said after late briefings Saturday night, 34 Georgians and other passengers on the Grand Princess cruise ship are headed here, and that they will be “securely transferred.”
The release didn’t indicate how many more people will be coming beyond the 34, and how long they’ll be quarantined.
The ship was not allowed to port in San Francisco and was being detained offshore after two passengers were confirmed to have Coronavirus.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce said Sunday he’s been in touch with the White House and the governor’s office about the arrival of the Grand Princess passengers and reiterated that “they are not people who have the virus.”
In a video presentation with several county health and public safety officials, Boyce said the Dobbins setup is “a contingency that has been planned for several weeks.”
Dr. Janet Memark, the Director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, said the quarantine at Dobbins is a “low-risk operation” and added that 80 percent of those who have been diagnosed are having “very mild” health issues.
She urged citizens to stay home if they’re not sick or feeling well and to take other precautionary measures such as regular hand-washing.
She also said the Georgia Department of Public Health has set up a Coronavirus hotline for anyone with questions. They can call 866-782-4584 to get more information, and the agency has provided this information and prevention tip sheet.
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After losing a big lead and some of their poise, the Wheeler Wildcats pulled off one of the biggest upsets in recent memory in the Georgia High School Association basketball tournament.
Facing the 30-1 Grayson Rams, who had beaten them earlier this season and were ranked No. 2 in a national poll, the Wildcats climbed back from a seven-point deficit in the fourth quarter Saturday night at the Macon Coliseum.
Then, with one second remaining on the game clock, they got the clinching point they needed, on a free throw by Sam Hines Jr., to earn the seventh state championship in school history with a 60-59 win in the Class 7A finals.
Hines scored 28 points in a brilliant finish to his high school career, as he made 11 of 12 shots from the field, sank 6 of 8 free throws and pulled down nine rebounds.
The biggest of those points and the biggest of those rebounds came in the waning seconds.
He had made two free throws with 26 seconds to play to give Wheeler a 59-56 lead. But Grayson’s Toneari Lane tied the game with 10 seconds left on a long 3-point basket.
The Wildcats played for the final shot, as point guard Nash Kelly drove to the basket. He missed, but Hines grabbed the ball and was fouled.
Hines made the first free throw for a 60-59 score, but missed the second after Grayson called timeout.
Grayson’s Caleb Murphy heaved a long shot at the buzzer but it wasn’t close.
Wheeler’s comeback exemplified much of its play in the post-season. The Wildcats dug out a second-round win over highly-regarded Shiloh, held off Berkmar in the quarterfinals and cruised over Milton in the semifinals.
The Wildcats led 42-31 in the third quarter when Hines scored a basket. The Rams then went on a 15-2 run that extended into the fourth quarter, as Wheeler looked sapped of energy and couldn’t get the ball to Hines.
He hit a jump shot from the free throw line to cut Grayson’s lead to 54-48, then teammate Ja’Heim Hudsom scored on a three-point play to make it a 55-51 game.
Another basket by Hines and two free throws by Prince Davies tied the score at 55-55, part of a 14-5 closing run by the Wildcats.
Grayson retook the lead 56-55 on a free throw, and Hines lost the ball out of bounds closing to the basket on Wheeler’s next possession.
The Rams missed two free throws on the other end, giving Wheeler a glimmer of hope in the final minute.
Kelly was fouled and made two free throws, and Grayson missed an easy shot underneath the basket with a chance to go ahead.
Hines was fouled on the rebound, and made two free throws.
Even after Lane’s heroics looked like the game might head to overtime, Wheeler (23-7) found a way to win its first title since 2015.
The title was the first for third-year head coach Larry Thompson, who won two Class A private school state titles at Greenforest Christian Academy in DeKalb County and succeeded Doug Lipscomb, the architect of Wheeler’s powerhouse program.
Thompson’s mantra for Wheeler in the playoffs was defense, and trying to hold opponents under 50 points. While the Wildcats couldn’t do that against Grayson, they did just enough to bring back another trophy to East Cobb.
It’s also the sixth state title thus far in the school year for East Cobb high schools, as the Wildcats join Walton volleyball, Pope softball, Walton boys cross country, Pope duals wrestling and Lassiter girls swimming.
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Calls from public health officials to wash hands and keep counter surfaces clean have prompted a run on handwipes, including this Publix in East Cobb. (ECN photo)
Gov. Brian Kemp said Saturday that three additional cases of Coronavirus have been confirmed in Georgia, including the first in Cobb County.
The governor’s office sent out a news release Saturday morning saying that the state’s confirmed cases now total five, following the first two confirmations earlier this week.
According to Saturday’s release, the Cobb County patient was diagnosed after returning from a trip to Italy, and is in isolation at home.
Another new case concerns an individual who is hospitalized, with an unclear source of exposure.
Those two individuals were tested by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control.
State officials also are awaiting further results from a possible positive test for Coronavirus, or COVID-19, in Gwinnett County. The Georgia Department of Public Health also confirmed it tested an individual diagnosed with Coronavirus in Floyd County, and that patient also is in the hospital, according to Saturday’s release.
The release (you can read it here) did not indicate how many individuals have been tested in Georgia. It did state that “the overall risk of COVID-19 to the general public remains low and there is no evidence of community spread of COVID-19 in Georgia at this time.”
Coronavirus is a highly contagious viral disease that originated in Wuhan, China and was first identified in December.
Since then, it’s spread across the globe to more than 80 countries, with more than 100,000 confirmed cases and more than 3,000 deaths.
Most of those have been in China, but South Korea, Japan, Iran and Italy also have been inundated with cases and fatalities.
As of Saturday morning, 17 deaths have occurred in the United States, including two in Florida. Those were the first deaths in the Eastern U.S.; the majority of deaths and cases has been in the Seattle area.
The Cobb and Gwinnett cases were like the first Georgia cases, following travel to Italy. Nearly 200 people have died in Italy from Coronavirus, including nearly 50 in a 24-hour period, and there are nearly 5,000 confirmed cases there.
On Friday, President Donald Trump visited the CDC headquarters in Atlanta, after initially cancelling the trip.
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Kell’s sensational freshman point guard Crystal Henderson did nearly everything she could to lift the Lady Longhorns to their first Georgia state basketball title on Friday.
Weaving up and down the court all night at the Macon Coliseum, Henderson was a handful for one of the state’s best girls basketball programs around.
When she buried a 3-point basket with nine seconds to play in the game, Kell had cut Buford’s lead to 65-63. Kell then fouled Buford’s star player, Tate Walters, who made one of two free throws.
That left the door open for Kell and Henderson, who launched a long shot at the buzzer.
This time, it didn’t go in, and what had been a dream season for the Lady Longhorns ended with their only loss of the season.
Kell was 32-0 coming into the Georgia High School Association Class 5A championship against a team that had been there many times before.
Buford had won seven previous state titles, and was aiming for a fourth in a row.
The Lady Wolves got off to a hot start and led 16-10 at the end of the first quarter.
Kell went on a big streak in the second quarter, led by Henderson, who scored 15 points in the first half.
After Mikyah Favors hit a 3, Henderson stole a pass and scored to give the Lady Longhorns at 26-18 lead.
The teams were tied 29-29 at halftime, and Buford regained momentum in the third quarter.
Henderson had been checked offensively until late in the fourth quarter, when she hit a jumper to trim Buford’s lead to 59-54.
She knocked down another 3 with 1:47 to play as Kell pulled to within 61-57.
With 29 seconds to play, Henderson was fouled shooting a 3-point shot and made all three free throws as Kell trailed 63-60.
Buford made two free throws on the other end, then Henderson connected on yet another 3 with nine seconds to play.
Those would be the final points for her and Kell, as she finished with 26 points on 8-for-16 shooting.
While Buford (31-1) celebrated yet another state title, Kell figures to have a bright future.
In addition to Henderson, the Lady Longhorns will have back most of their top players under coach Tony Ingle Jr., who in his second season lifted them from a 11-15 record to the brink of a state championship.
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The qualifying deadline for 2020 elections in Georgia has passed, and there haven’t been any major surprises from what candidates had announced in the weeks leading up to this week’s filing period.
The most competitive primary races for East Cobb voters will be in the Republican primaries for Cobb Commission Chairman and Cobb Commission District 2, as well as Democratic and Republican primaries for Post 5 on the Cobb Board of Education.
There also will be a multi-candidate field in the Republican primary for the 6th Congressional District, including former Congresswoman Karen Handel and four others.
The primaries are May 19, and Cobb voters also will be choosing party nominees for countywide offices including sheriff and district attorney, all legislative seats and one of two U.S. Senate seats.
Non-partisan primaries for judge positions on Cobb State Court and Cobb Superior Court also will be on the primary ballot.
Two legislative elections in East Cobb will feature rematches in November. In State Senate 32, Republican incumbent Kay Kirkpatrick is being opposed once again by Democrat Christine Triebsch.
In State House 43, Republican State Rep. Sharon Cooper will face Democrat Luisa Wakeman, who made a close race in what has been a what has been a safe seat for Cooper, the House Health and Human Services Committee chairwoman.
Cobb Commission Chairman
Republican incumbent Mike Boyce of East Cobb is seeking a second term, and will be facing a familiar primary opponent and another newcomer.
Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce
Another East Cobb resident, Larry Savage, is making his third attempt in the GOP primary, having run in 2012 and 2016. Ricci Mason of Acworth, a retired Cobb Police officer, will be making his political debut.
The only Democrat to qualify is Lisa Cupid, who is completing her second term as District 4 commissioner in South Cobb.
Cobb Commission District 2
The retirement of Bob Ott has prompted several Republican candidates to qualify for the district, which includes some of East Cobb as well as the Smyrna-Vinings-Cumberland area.
The GOP qualifiers are East Cobb residents Andy Smith, Ott’s appointee to the Cobb Planning Commission, Kevin Nicholas, a Boyce appointee to the Development Authority of Cobb County, and business executive and entrepreneur Fitz Johnson of Vinings.
Nicholas ran for Post 6 on the Cobb school board (Walton, Wheeler clusters) in 2012 and Fitz Johnson is a former candidate for Georgia School Superintendent.
Jerica Richardson, who’s worked on several Democratic campaigns, including that of current Cobb school board member Jaha Howard, is the only Democrat to qualify.
Richardson and Smith are first-time candidates for public office.
Cobb School Board Post 5
Cobb school board member David Banks
Three-term Republican incumbent David Banks had little opposition in his last two re-election bids but has plenty this year from several first-time candidates for the seat that includes the Pope and Lassiter attendance zones.
Other GOP candidates he’ll be facing in the primary are Delta Air Lines pilot Shelley O’Malley and IT consultant Matt Harper.
Another announced Republican candidate, attorney Rob Madayag, said this week he wouldn’t be running due to legal action he’s threatening against the Cobb County School District over bullying reporting issues.
Two Democratic candidates have qualified, current Lassiter PTSA co-president Tammy Andress and physical therapist Julia Hurtado.
The Pope High School Council is holding a forum for the Post 5 candidates next Sunday, March 15, at 3 p.m. in the school’s performing arts center.
6th District Congress
Handel, who won the seat in a 2017 special election but lost to Democrat Lucy McBath in 2018, got the support of the Republican establishment as she began her bid to regain her seat.
Former U.S. Rep. Karen Handel
In the GOP primary, she will be on the ballot along with operations manager Mykel Lynn Barthelmy, Alpharetta businessman Blake Harbin, retired business owner Paulette Smith and former Altanta Falcons running back Joe Profit.
McBath is the only Democrat to qualify in the 6th District, which includes East Cobb, North Fulton and North DeKalb.
Cobb Sheriff
Longtime incumbent Neil Warren is the only Republican to qualify, but there’s a three-way race for the Democratic nomination, involving former sheriff’s deputy Jimmy Herndon of East Cobb, Gregory Gilstrap and Craig Owens.
Legislative races
State Rep. candidate Caroline Holko
The only East Cobb seat in the Georgia General Assembly with a contested primary is in District 46. Caroline Holko, who ran for Cobb Commission District 3 in 2018, is facing nurse Shirley Ritchie. Incumbent State Rep. John Carson is the only Republican who qualified.
In District 33, Republican incumbent Don Parsons will face Democratic consultant Connie DiCicco in November. In District 45, Republican State Rep. Matt Dollar is being challenged by Sarah Tindall Ghazal, a former voter access specialist for the Georgia Democratic Party.
Cobb Judgeships
Five incumbent Superior Court judges will not face re-election opposition: Kimberly Childs, Mary Staley, Gregory Poole, Tain Kell and Chief Judge Reuben Green did not draw any challengers.
JasonMarbutt, Cobb Superior Court Judge candidate
Two retirements have prompted primary contests: Attorneys John Robert Greco, Jason Marbutt of East Cobb and Greg Shenton are vying for the post being vacated by Stephen Schuster.
Judge Lark Ingram also is retiring, and her post drew candidates Kellie Hill, currently a Cobb magistrate judge, and attorney Daniele Johnson.
In State Court, a retirement there also has led to a contested primary in Division 1, Post 6, where Toby Prodgers is stepping aside. The candidates are attorneys Joseph Atkins, Trina Griffiths, Scott Halperin, Mazi Mazloom, Diana Simmons and David Willingham.
Seven other incumbents are unopposed, as are the incumbent Chief Magistrate Judge, Brendan Murphy, and Probate Court Judge Kelli Wolk.
Seven Democrats have qualified for the nomination to oppose Republican incumbent David Perdue, who has no primary opposition.
U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler
The hopefuls include Jon Ossoff, who lost to Handel in a special Congressional election in 2017, former Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson, former lieutenant governor candidate Sarah Riggs Amico, retired military veteran James Knox, journalist Tricia Carpenter McCracken, health care professional Marckeith DeJesus and civil rights lawyer Maya Dillard Smith.
A “jungle primary” to determine who’ll finish the final two years of former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term will take place in November.
Republican businesswoman Kelly Loeffler, appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp until then, has primary opposition from Congressman Doug Collins, engineer Derrick Grayson, business executive Wayne Johnson and educator Kandiss Taylor.
Democratic candidates include Matt Lieberman, the son of former U.S. Senator and Democratic vice presidental nominee Joe Lieberman, Tamara Johnson-Shealey, physician Joy-Felicia Slade, attorney Ed Tarver and Richard Dien Winfield, a philosophy professor at the University of Georgia.
Unless there is an outright winner (50 percent plus-1 of the vote), the top two finishers, regardless of party, would go into a runoff.
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The Cobb Schools Foundation, which provides financial and other support to the Cobb County School District, honored the volunteers of the year from each of the district’s schools at a luncheon Thursday.
The volunteers were individually greeted by Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale. Walton High School graduate Kit Cummings, founder of the Power of Peace Project, which fosters the creation of community role models, also spoke at the function at the Hilton Marietta Hotel and Conference Center.
The following volunteers from East Cobb schools were honored:
Elementary Schools
Addison: Kim Campbell
Bells Ferry: Stacy Zellner
Blackwell: Jackie Southern
Brumby: Al Zwettler and Bill Campbell
Davis: Kathryn Marek
East Side: Kelly Wilkinson
Eastvalley: Ellen Sauve
Garrison Mill: Lori Morrisey
Keheley: Laura Kubica
Kincaid: Amanda Musson
Mountain View: Stacey Albracht
Mt. Bethel: Dara Onori
Murdock: Kathy Dalen
Nicholson: Samer Dilbeck
Powers Ferry: Donye Demitri
Rocky Mount: Jerry Shepler
Sedalia Park: Susan Monk
Shallowford Falls: Anna Baker
Sope Creek: Darrell Young
Tritt: Lynn Gilbert
Middle Schools
Daniell: Linda Dafoe
Dickerson: Kelly Gunter
Dodgen: Stacy Gillen
East Cobb: Lisa Spessard
Hightower Trail: Sarah Chaloupek
Mabry: Barbara Adamson
McCleskey: Dawn Cooper
Simpson: Leslie Graham
High Schools
Kell: Kara Huey
Lassiter: Lori Bartik
Pope: Laura Borel
Sprayberry: Sharona Sandberg
Walton: Sallie Winokur
Wheeler: Linda Yu
For more on the Cobb Schools Foundation, click here.
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The Georgia Science Teachers Association has named Annette Simpson of McCleskey Middle School in East Cobb as its middle school teacher of the year for 2020.
It’s not the first time she’s been honored by that organization for her work in the classroom.
In 2015, she was the GSTA’s elementary school teacher of the year when she was at Keheley Elementary School. Per a Cobb County School District release, Simpson also has earned the Cobb STEM Distinguished Educator Award and the Shell Teacher Award, which honors classroom K-12 science teachers.
Here’s what McCleskey principal Dr. Andrea Jenkins-Mann had to say about Simpson:
“Mrs. Simpson is a consummate, caring professional who works tirelessly with all our school’s populations of students.
“Annette works tirelessly outside of the classroom to extend learning for our students,” her principal praised. “She is a winning Science Olympiad Coach and is an assistant Math Team Coach. She revived our Environmental Club; and leads the 7th Grade campus cleanup with Rivers Alive! I fully support her efforts to implement new curriculum and bring new professional ideas to our staff. Annette leads our staff with assisting students in taking ownership of their learning, thinking more deeply, delving into the curriculum to relate it to real-world experiences, and engaging in meaningful tasks.”
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A waterlogged intersection in Northeast Cobb that was closed last month after heavy rains is shut down again.
Cobb County’s communications office sent a message Thursday afternoon that Keheley Road is closed at Eula Drive for the time being, as another bout of rainy weather is slated to move out of the area.
The water from the rains is running over from a privately-owned late into the intersection.
It’s near Keheley Elementary School, but the closure isn’t affecting related traffic. However, the county’s message said the solution involves negotiating with the lake owner.
The message said the county will monitor water levels before reopening the intersection. Residents aren’t being cut off but some may have to use a detour.
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Goldbergs Bagel Co. & Deli got a failing score from Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health inspectors on Thursday after they cited the eatery at 1062 Johnson Ferry Road for several health code violations.
Goldbergs received a score of 65, which is unsatisfactory, and a notation of “U” is indicated in the full inspection report (you can read it here).
The violations included improper holding temperatures for food.
Specifically, partially-cooked chicken tenders were being held well above the holding temperature limit of 41 degrees fahrenheit.
What are called “TCS” foods—such as meats, produce and dairy products—also have temperature guidelines. Goldbergs was found to have held chicken and matzo soup below the 135-degree minimum for hot soups.
The eatery also did not properly label the discard dates for ready-to-eat TCS foods, including cream cheese in a walk-in cooler, open packages of deli meat and containers of rice, a repeat violation.
An employee handling trash also was found to have not washed hands before returning to the dish area.
Inspectors noted that all the above violations were corrected on-site.
Another repeat violation indicated in the report was the lack of a test kit for a high-temperature sanitizing machine for ware washing equipment.
When Cobb restaurants get failing scores, inspectors typically return to perform another inspection within a couple weeks.
Goldbergs got an “A” score of 93 on its last inspection last September. In June and July of 2019, Golbergs got “C” scores of 70 and 76.
Another well-known East Cobb restaurant that got a low health score recently was reinspected this week.
Ted’s Montana Grill got a “C” score on Feb. 4, with violations that included no paper towels in the dish washing area and no proof of procedures for employees on how to respond to vomiting or diarrheal events.
When inspectors returned to Ted’s on Wednesday, they gave the restaurant an “A” score of 91 and found only a TCS food storing temperature violation for ribs, horseradish cream sauce, butter and sour cream.
The report noted the violation was corrected on-site, the ribs and sour cream were discarded and the horseradish cream sauce was placed on ice.
Ted’s three previous inspections, dating back to 2017, all had “A” scores.
“Ted’s held a mandatory retraining course for the entire team to ensure this does not happen again,” said Eddie Hensley, the director of operations for Ted’s at East Cobb, in a statement issued through a Ted’s spokeswoman.
“Food safety and training are of the utmost importance to the team at Ted’s Montana Grill, and our guests will always be our number one priority. We assure you that incidents such as this are no indicator of the high level of standards and proper training we have established.”
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UPDATE to the fatal crash involving a motorcyclist on Feb. 22 on Alabama Road in Northeast Cobb: The driver of the car who hit the bike turned herself in Wednesday after being charged with vehicular homicide.
Cobb Police Sgt. Wayne Delk said Thursday that Genesis Lugo, 21, of Woodstock, also has been charged with a failure to yield.
They’re both second-degree misdemeanor charges, and Lugo was released from the Cobb County Adult Detention Center after paying a $2,970 bail, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.
According to those records, Lugo was booked shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday and was released around 11:30 p.m.
Police said that at 4:25 p.m. on Saturday, Feb. 22, 18-year-old Cameron S. Clason, of Woodstock was heading west on Alabama Road when his black 2009 Suzuki SV650 motorcycle collided with a gray 2001 Nissan Altima making a left turn from eastbound Alabama Road to Old Mountain Park Road, according to police.
Clason was later pronounced dead at North Fulton Hospital. Lugo, the driver of the Nissan, not did not require medical attention at the scene.
The crash was the second of three in as many days that took the lives of motorists in East Cobb, following a Feb. 21 incident at Johnson Ferry Road and Powers Drive that killed a nearby resident.
On Feb. 23, a 91-year-old man died after he was trying to turn left on Davis Road from Sandy Plains Road southbound.
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After a brief respite from the rain on Tuesday, wet weather has returned to most of Georgia, and the National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch that includes Cobb County.
The watch began Wednesday morning and continues until 1 p.m. Thursday. A watch means that conditions are favorable for flash flooding to occur, especially around rivers, streams and creeks.
The watch zone is generally below Interstate 20 but also includes metro Atlanta.
The NWS office in Atlanta reported that between 1-2 inches had fallen in central Georgia Wednesday morning, and that another 1.5 to 3 inches could fall in the watch area by Thursday afternoon.
The chance of rain in Cobb is 90 percent for the rest of Wednesday and Thursday morning, reducing to 20 percent by Thursday night.
Highs Wednesday will be near 60, with lows Wednesday night dropping to the high 40s. Thursday’s highs will be in the low 50s and Thursday night’s low around 40.
Friday will be sunny and clear with a high in the low 50s, and the weekend will be the same, with Sunday’s high in the low 60s.
Low temperatures Friday and Saturday will be around freezing.
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A couple more restaurants are opening their doors, or are about to, along with the Jim ‘N Nick’s Bar-B-Q that christened the Sandy Plains Marketplace.
On Monday, MOD Pizza began serving with a fast-casual menu (peruse it here) and had a grand opening. The 12-year-old Seattle-based chain, with 400 restaurants in the U.S. and United Kingdowm, now has seven locations in Georgia and its first in the East Cobb area.
Hours are Sunday-Thursday from 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday-Saturday 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
A few doors down, the First Watch breakfast-lunch-brunch eatery (here’s the menu) announced it’s opening Monday, March 16.
Based in Florida, First Watch has more than 200 restaurants in 26 states, including 12 in Georgia (one is in Kennesaw).
On Saturday, the Hollywood Feed organic pet supplies store at Sandy Plains Marketplace is opening with 20 percent discounts. The hours are 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Saturday, and from 11:30 a.m. to 6:30 p.m. Sunday.
While a fueling center run by Kroger across the Street at Sandy Plains Village is under construction, work will begin soon on another Kroger gas station in East Cobb.
Reader Kevin passed along the photo below of a portion of the Pavilions at East Lake at Roswell Road that’s being torn down for the gas station.
It’s where a Panera Bread restaurant once was located, and another restaurant had to move to make room.
The Ege Sushi restaurant is now located on the other end of the Pavilions, near J. Christopher’s and Kayhill’s Sports Bar and Grill.
An existing Kroger gas station is at the Shallowford Falls Shopping Center at Johnson Ferry Road.
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TOMMY NOBIS CENTER (a Marietta-based nonprofit) has been awarded a Top Workplaces honor by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution for the second consecutive year. The list is based solely on employee feedback gathered through a third-party survey administered by Energage, LLC. The anonymous survey measures several aspects of workplace culture.
Tommy Nobis Center has been a staple of the Marietta community for more than 42 years. They are being recognized for their strong culture and for being a great place to work.
President & CEO, Dave Ward said, “We set and achieve audacious goals every year while also investing heavily in a robust culture with a focus on fun and innovation.”
About Tommy Nobis Center Since 1977, Tommy Nobis Center has helped more than 25,000 individuals find independence and workplace success by empowering people through employment. It envisions supportive communities where people with disabilities are afforded the opportunity to work. For more information, please visit http://www.tommynobiscenter.org, or follow Tommy Nobis Center on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube and LinkedIn.
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They’re a father and son, and one of them had traveled back recently from Milan, Italy, which is experiencing an outbreak of the virus.
During the press conference, state health officials said the two individuals were in home quarantine and in communication with their doctor.
More than 90,000 people have contracted coronavirus, a highly contagious illness, in nearly 80 countries around the world. More than 3,000 deaths have been reported, mostly in China.
The only deaths thus far in the U.S. have been in Washington State, where on Tuesday a ninth fatality was confirmed.
The Cobb/Douglas statement contains a basic explanation of the virus, along with preventative measures, such as thorough hand-washing, and that all testing is being done by the state at this time.
The statement said coronavirus spreads through the air when an infected person coughs or sneezes, and that symptoms appear between two and 14 days after exposure. They include:
runny nose
headache
cough
shortness of breath
fever
a general feeling of being unwell.
Here’s more about the local response, as the number of cases is expected to grow:
Cobb & Douglas Public Health (CDPH) is preparing internally, as well as with the state and the CDC to slow or prevent community spread. We are working with our partners, including the local governments, healthcare organizations, businesses, first responders, and local school districts to ensure our community is prepared for a potential COVID-19 outbreak.
We are reaching out to our county Boards of Health, emergency management agencies, chambers of commerce, and other partners who may need our guidance and are sending them guidance on how to prepare their organizations.
CDPH staff receive frequent updates from the CDC and the Georgia Department of Public Health. These updates include information on the current situation abroad and in the U.S., testing, surveillance, quarantine, and more. This helps shape our local response.
CDPH has a previously-developed pandemic influenza plan that can serve as a template for responding to other outbreaks of severe respiratory disease, like COVID-19. We are reviewing our plan and are also prepared to implement specific COVID-19 guidance from the Georgia Department of Public Health and the CDC as the situation evolves.
The Cobb County School District last week sent out a notice about the coronavirus, including a statement from the Georgia Department of Public Health, as well as an updated FAQ Tuesday following the confirmation of the Georgia cases:
The District will continue to stay in constant communication with Georgia Department of Health officials and will follow their guidance every step of the way in order to keep our students and staff safe. Our schools continue to remind students and staff on how to prevent the spread of illness including hand washing, covering mouths when they cough, and keeping their hands away from their face. Parents are urged to keep students at home if they have any symptoms of sickness.
Should a staff member or student become ill, Cobb Schools already has a reporting protocol in place regarding infectious diseases, which is part of the District’s Infectious Disease Response Plan. The District will use guidance from public health officials to update and apply the plan to respond to COVID-19.
The federal Centers for Disease Control has issued its highest alerts for China and Iran, recommending against non-essential travel there, and that entry by foreign nationals from those countries has been suspended.
U.S. travelers are being advised against non-essential trips to South Korea and Italy, and older adults or those with chronic medical conditions not visit Japan.
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A candidate for the Cobb Board of Education says he’s withdrawing after he announced that he may file a lawsuit against the Cobb County School District.
Rob Madayag, an attorney, said late Monday that he wouldn’t be qualifying for the Post 5 seat currently held by two-term incumbent David Banks.
Madayag had been one of four GOP hopefuls to announce for the seat, including Banks, as qualifying began Monday.
Post 5 includes the Pope and Lassiter clusters.
In a post to a Cobb schools-related Facebook page, Madayag said that “based on several factors, I do not think I am the best candidate at this time.”
Madayag filed notice last week that he may take the CCSD to court, saying it doesn’t properly report bullying incidents under the state’s school anti-bullying law.
“I intend to win the lawsuit and will not be able to dedicate the amount of time to campaign and win that i think necessary,” Madayag said in his statement on Monday. “I do not plan on losing, and with the number of depositions and document requests in the litigation I have mapped out, I expect to have most of my free time taken up.”
In a letter sent to school board members and Superintendent Chris Ragsdale on Feb. 25 (you can read it here), Madayag said he was skeptical of huge reductions in reported instances of bullying in Cobb schools under Ragsdale—to be specific, 86 percent between 2014 and 2018.
Madayag, who said his daughter has been bullied in Cobb schools, wrote that it’s “a rate that defies all logic and reason and is a significant outlier with respect to all the other school districts in the metro-Atlanta area, and quite possibly the entire United States.”
In addition to Banks, the other Republican candidates for the Post 5 season are Shelley O’Malley, a Delta Air Lines pilot, and IT consultant Matt Harper.
Two Democrats also have announced, current Lassiter PTSA co-president Tammy Andress, and physical therapist Julia Hurtado.
Qualifying for the May 19 general primary ends at noon Friday.
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Replacing the aging Fire Station No. 12 near Shaw Park is included in the Cobb 2022 SPLOST draft list.
Public safety infrastructure in Cobb County would get a substantial overhaul if the Cobb Special-Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for county government (SPLOST) is renewed by voters later this year.
A draft project list for the six-year, $810 million 2022 SPLOST collection and other information has been released by the county as a schedule of 20 open houses gets underway Tuesday at the Piedmont Church in Northeast Cobb.
The open house takes place from 6-8 p.m. The church is located at 570 Piedmont Road. Citizens can view the proposed projects, offer feedback on them and ask county staff about them as well.
The SPLOST, if renewed, would succeed the current 2016 SPLOST, which expires on Dec. 31, 2021. The one-percent sales tax pays for a wide variety of government projects, including transportation, public safety, parks, libraries, information services, property management, community centers and senior services.
Each of Cobb’s six cities would also collect sales-tax funds for projects in their municipalities. The 2022 SPLOST would be collected through Dec. 31, 2027.
The draft list (you can read through it here and see an overview here) includes $18 million for renovating the former Lockheed Georgia Employees Credit Union building on Fairground Street in Marietta for a new Cobb Police headquarters, and for a new police training center and firing range.
That’s part of a $82 million tab to be spent on public safety under the 2022 SPLOST.
Another $24 million would be spent for renovating fire training facilities, and to build a new Fire Station No. 12 to replace the existing building on Brackett Road in Northeast Cobb, near Shaw Park.
Replacing radio public safety equipment would cost $16 million, and a new Cobb animal shelter is pegged at $15 million.
Replacing police vehicles and building a new E-911 center would come in at $10 million each.
The biggest chunk of SPLOST spending, nearly $361 million, would be for Cobb DOT projects, with $227 million for repavings alone, along with bridge repairs, traffic management, and sidewalk improvements countywide.
The principal traffic projects in East Cobb would be $3.9 million to improve the intersection of Holly Springs Road and Post Oak Tritt Road, $2.4 million for Canton Road corridor improvements, and $701,500 to improve the Shallowford Road-Gordy Parkway intersection.
The tree-shrouded home of Wylene Tritt next to East Cobb Park is located on nearly 30 acres the county has purchased for current greenspace. (ECN file)
In the category of what’s called “community impact projects” is a line item for the purchase of additional Tritt property next to East Cobb Park.
She owns 54 acres that she had tentatively agreed to sell for a senior-living project that was denied by commissioners following community opposition.
Tritt and Isakson Living had agreed on a $20 million purchase price, and both later sued the county.
The SPLOST draft list line item indicates only “TBD” in a purchase price column next to “Acquire Tritt Property.”
Another $5 million would be dedicated to repurposing Shaw Park, and $3 million would go to construction of the new Ebenezer Downs Park in Northeast Cobb.
Another $24 million would be earmarked for Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs, including a variety of renovations and upgrades at Sewell Park, Fullers Park, Terrell Mill Park, Hyde Farm, the Mountain View Aquatic Center, Noonday Creek Park and The Art Place.
Paving work would be included for East Cobb Park, Fullers Park and Terrell Mill Park and video surveillance cameras would be installed at several Cobb library branches, including the Mountain View Regional Library.
In East Cobb, those events will be on April 1 at the East Cobb Library, April 14 at the Tim D. Lee Senior Center and May 5 at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center.
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Alex Guthrie performing at the 2018 Noshfest (ECN file).
The dead of winter is the time when spring, summer and fall festival news is announced. Following a recent post about the 2020 date in May for the Taste of East Cobb comes word about some changes with the Noshfest at Temple Kol Emeth.
It’s also being streamlined into a one-day festival, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 22. The previous day, Saturday, Aug. 22, will have a “Nosh at Night” musical concert featuring East Cobb artist Alex Guthrie, who’s opening for the Zack Brown Band, and others, along with refreshments.
More details are to follow, including ticketing for Nosh at Night.
The dates for the 2020 Marietta Greek Festival also have been announced, and for the 30th anniversary of the event, it’s keeping to its usual spring time slot, May 15-17 at the Holy Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church on Trickum Road.
The Greek Festival hours are Friday, May 15 from 3-11 p.m. (with free admission from 3-5 p.m.); Saturday, May 16 from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m; and Sunday, May 17, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
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There’s just one East Cobb application coming before the Cobb Planning Commission on Tuesday, and it’s held over from last month.
A request to relocate the Legacy Christian Preschool from the Woodstock Church Shallowford to Bethany Presbyterian Church at 4644 Sandy Plains Road requires a special land-use permit.
Legacy Christian wants to occupy what had been preschool space at Bethany, but the special land-use permit is needed to add kindergarten.
According to the stipulation letter, Legacy would lease the preschool from Bethany and operate from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. Monday-Friday, with an after-school period lasting until nearly 2 p.m.
Garvis Sams, an attorney for Legacy, said his client has met with residents in the adjacent Jefferson Park neighborhood to discuss the school’s plans, which do not call for any additions or renovations to the current school building.
The school plans to enroll around 65 students between the ages of 2 and 6, with a maximum anticipated for the 2021-22 school year. If enrollment goes above that, Legacy would have to seek permission from the commissioners.
The school would put up a privacy fence between the church and school and residents of Springwood Place in time for the 2020-21 school year. No playground activity will be allowed on the site after 2 p.m.
The Planning Commission meeting begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second-floor board room of the Cobb government building, 100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta.
County commissioners will take up final action on March 17.
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The Wildcats will attempt to add to the school’s banner collection when they play for the Class 7A GHSA state championship next Saturday. ECN photo
A two-point loss early in the season to Milton was on the minds of Wheeler players as they took the floor in Buford Saturday for a rematch.
But there was much more riding on this one, in the Class 7A Georgia High School Association boys semifinals.
The Wildcats led from wire-to-wire, and by double digits for most of the way, in exacting revenge on Milton in a 59-47 win.
In doing so, they now have a chance to win the seventh state title in school history.
Next Saturday, Wheeler will play either Grayson or McEachern in Macon.
Later Saturday afternoon at Fort Valley State, the Kell girls remained undefeated and reached the state finals for the first time ever with a 60-55 victory over Eagle’s Landing.
Sam Hines Jr. scored 19 points for the Wildcats, who once again played stifling defense in holding their opponent to under 50 points for the second game in a row.
Bruce Thornton had a game-high 28 points for Milton, but Wheeler had more contributors on offense.
Wheeler pulled away in the second quarter. Hines scored on a dunk to make the score 22-14, then A.J. Burke and Prince Davies made 3-point shots for a 28-16 score.
Later in the quarter, Hines cut to the baseline, took a pass and threw down another dunk to give Wheeler a 32-20 advantage.
He had 12 points at halftime, and scored only two points in the third quarter, but the Wildcats got a 3-point basket from Maxwell Harris to lead 43-26.
Milton trailed by 11 points at the start of the fourth quarter, but never put together enough of a run to threaten Wheeler from there.
The Kell girls were 31-0 on the season coming in to Saturday’s game, led from the opening moments, built a double-digit lead in the second half but had to hang on in the closing seconds.
Kell’s freshman star, Crystal Henderson, tossed in a desperation shot at the halftime buzzer to give the Lady Longhorns a 27-24 lead.
Eagle’s Landing hung around for much of the third quarter, but Henderson provided a spark when she headed down the court on the break, dribbled between her legs and passed to Amaya Moss for an easy basket.
Kell’s lead was 37-32 at that point, and Henderson drained a 3-point shot, followed by Makyah Favors with another 3, and the score was 42-34.
After Kell missed a free throw, Henderson got the rebound, put the ball back up and in the basket for two more points for a 47-34 lead.
Eagle’s Landing called timeout after that, and climbed back in the fourth quarter.
Kell nearly squandered its lead as Eagle’s Landing fought back to trail 57-55 with 40 seconds left.
Then Henderson was fouled, and she made one of two free throws. The Eagles nearly tied it up the other way, but the shot rimmed out and Kell got possession.
Henderson made two free throws with a second left, for a game-high 25 points, to clinch the win for the Lady Longhorns.
Next Friday, Kell will play Buford for the state title, also in Macon.
In the Class 5A boys semifinals on Saturday, Kell was playing in its first state semifinal game, against Dutchtown, also in Fort Valley.
The Longhorns couldn’t hold on to an eight-point lead in the fourth quarter and were forced into overtime. Then Dutchtown got the upper hand early in the extra period and held on for a 62-56 win.
Kell’s best-ever season ended with a 26-6 record.
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