U.S. Rep. Lucy McBath’s office said Wednesday she’ll be holding a virtual town hall meeting Thursday on the status of vaccine development for COVID-19.
The event will include presentations from medical experts, including Dr. Carlos del Rio and Dr. Colleen Kelley of Emory University and the Moderna vaccine trial at Grady, as well as Dr. Michelle Au, a physician and public health expert who was recently elected to the Georgia State Senate.
The town hall begins at 7:30 p.m. and is free and open to the public. You can dial into the event by calling (877) 299-5762 at the time of the event, or stream it live by going to mcbath.house.gov/live.
The meeting also will include a Q and A session after the presentations.
On Tuesday Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said the state could get its first shipments of Pfizer and Moderna vaccines within the next 7-10 days. They are expected to be given emergency approval for distribution by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
Several hundred thousand doses will be sent to Georgia initially, with long-term care home residents and health care workers the first to receive them.
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Cobb Elections said Wednesday it is adding locations for early voting for the U.S. Senate runoffs and making some other changes as voters can cast their ballots in person as early as Monday.
The Art Place-Mountain View in East Cobb and the Smyrna Community Center are being added as early voting locations during the third week of early voting (Dec. 28-31). Another early voting location, the Ward Recreation Center in Powder Springs, will be moved to the Ron Anderson Community Center, also in Powder Springs.
County spokesman Ross Cavitt said in a statement issued Wednesday afternoon that Cobb Elections “will quickly start training poll managers to handle the additional locations.”
Cobb Elections had set up five early voting locations for the runoffs, including the East Cobb Government Service Center, after having 11 sites ahead of the Nov. 3 general election.
The changes come after voting access groups demanded that Cobb open more early voting locations, especially in African-American and Hispanic communities.
On Wednesday morning, before Cobb announced the additions, Nsé Ufot, Chief Executive Officer of The New Georgia Project, issued a statement saying that Cobb’s smaller number of early voting locations for the runoffs “is an affront to voters of color, plain and simple. It risks disenfranchising voters of color living in neighborhoods with limited to no public transit.”
“And as cases of COVID-19 rise across the state, this decision makes it more difficult for voters to cast their ballot safely.”
During the general election early voting period, Cobb also added locations after heavy turnout, going from nine to 11 sites.
Cobb Elections director Janine Eveler said in the county statement that staffing issues were the reason for fewer runoff early voting sites. Staffers have been working long hours doing recounts and some were reluctant to work over the holidays.
“Between COVID, the workload, and the holidays, we have simply run out of people,” Eveler said. “Many workers told us they spent three weeks working 14- or 15-hour days and they will not do that again. We simply don’t have time to bring in and train up more workers to staff the number of locations we had for November.”
Both of Georgia’s U.S. Senate races are on the ballot for the Jan. 5 runoffs. Republican Sen. David Perdue edged Democrat Jon Ossoff in the general election but couldn’t get a majority.
Republican Sen. Kelly Loeffler finished second in a jungle primary to Democrat Raphael Warnock in a special election to fill the remaining two years of former Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term.
Party control of the U.S. Senate also is on the line in the runoffs, which have drawn heightened national media attention and campaign contributions.
The runoffs also come after a bruising presidential recount process in Georgia. Democrat Joe Biden was recertified as the winner of the state’s 16 electoral votes, although supporters of Republican President Donald Trump continue to claim election fraud.
Perdue and Loeffler are supporting lawsuits filed by the Texas Attorney General challenging election results in several states, including Georgia, before the Electoral College is slated to meet on Monday.
Also on the Georgia ballot is a runoff for a seat on the Public Service Commission between Republican incumbent Bubba McDonald and Democrat Daniel Blackman.
The county said all 16 absentee ballot drop boxes that were used for the general election will be open for the runoffs. They include the East Cobb Government Service Center, Mountain View Regional Library, Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center and Gritters Library in East Cobb.
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Food distribution at Reflections of Trinity, Powder Springs, November 21.
Submitted information and photo:
In early October, Cobb Community Foundation (“CCF”) distributed a survey to Cobb non-profits providing food, meals or financial assistance as part of their mission. “We were anxious to hear from those with ‘boots on the ground’ what they saw as the continuing need, but also wanted to share with our community the work that these organizations are doing” explains Shari Martin, President and CEO of CCF. “The staff and dedicated volunteers are truly among the many heroes of this pandemic.”
While the survey asked questions about prepared meal delivery and financial assistance, the biggest story of the survey, Martin says, revolves around food. The 32 non-profits responding to the survey reported that over 8.3 million pounds of unprepared food had been delivered or distributed at over 110 locations since April. This number excludes summer lunch deliveries. Because the reporting process varies among organizations, it’s difficult to determine exactly how many non-duplicated families have received assistance. However, using Feeding America’s estimate that an average meal is 1.2 pounds of food, it’s fair to say that over 6.9 million meals have been provided.
Non-profit staff members and volunteers alike shared stories in the survey of the incredible level of need as well as the overwhelming gratitude expressed by those receiving the food. Luther Washington of Family Life Restoration Center reported, “Within the past six months, we have provided emergency food for families that NEVER had to rely on food banks. This pandemic has caused major strains not only on the working poor who we normally see but those that have been on furlough, lost jobs and had a reduction in hours. We had a young lady that worked for a rental car company that after work was sleeping in one the cars with her two children.”
Betsy Mathews serves as Development Director for Cobb’s YMCA’s and, like almost every YMCA staff member, has been working the food distribution lines. “Families have shared how they’ve had to decide if they pay the power bill or buy groceries, and how this has made all the difference.”
In addition to the food they deliver during the week to several different senior communities, Reflections of Trinity in Powder Springs distributes food to 650 – 750 families each Saturday. One client, “David,” is typically among the first 10 cars in line every Saturday morning, as he arrives around 6:00 a.m. each week. CEO Laurie Wong shares that in addition to both having battled COVID-19, David and his wife both lost their jobs in April. “They have no other food support other than SNAP [the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly known as the Food Stamp Program] and the food they receive from us.”
Survey respondents estimated that, in addition to their existing resources and anticipated receipts, they would need an additional $675,000 to fund the necessary purchases of food through the end of the year. Many of the organizations distributing food are members of the Atlanta Community Food Bank and receive food for pennies on the pound. “Most also receive food through the Cobb Community Food Fleet which distributes the Farmers to Families food boxes,” says Howard Koepka.
Koepka is with Noonday Association of Churches which operates Storehouse Ministries, a distributor to over 25 Cobb County churches. Koepka also manages the Cobb Community Food Fleet. These food boxes, he says, have made up about 15% of the 8.3 million pounds distributed between April 1 and September 30. Koepka says that even with the volume of food accessible to the non-profits for little or no cost, non-profits are still having to purchase from commercial suppliers to meet the need.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners, who received a report from CCF of their survey results as well as results from a poll conducted by the county’s CDBG office of earlier Cobb County Food Grant recipients, awarded $560,000 In November from remaining CARES Act funds to numerous non-profits for the purchase of food or prepared meals. “This came at a critical time. The number of families requesting assistance with food almost doubled at Thanksgiving,” notes Debbie Ginocchio, whose organization, Sweetwater Mission, received $70,000 from the November Cobb County Food Grant.
The survey quantified another need: assistance for expenses associated with food distribution. “Food pantries that were open all week have had to convert to weekly food distribution drive-thru’s. That not only requires more storage space, but refrigerated storage space,” explains Koepka. Many organizations have also begun delivering food boxes to underserved communities, which requires box trucks, sometimes refrigerated. “The cost of providing food is much more than just the cost of the food.”
Survey respondents estimated costs related to 4Q food distribution at over $200,000. CCF, which has raised $370,000 for its Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund, is distributing another $70,000 in grants to assist with these expenses. “We wish we could do more, but with almost $315,000 in grants having now been distributed, our resources are running low,” says Martin. CCF has also been told that, although the program was to continue through December 31, the USDA’s funding of the Farmers to Families food boxes has also been discontinued. “We are exploring various options to purchase the food boxes through the end of the year, but we know that the need for food will not end on December 31. For many, it’s gotten worse, and our $55,000 balance just isn’t enough.”
“There has probably never been a more important time to give,” she says. For more information and to donate to the Cobb COVID-19 Community Response Fund, please visit cobbfoundation.org/coronavirus-information/.
CCF is primarily funded by the revenues generated through its charitable fund services, as well as the organization’s Corporate Community Champion program and other direct contributions. Learn more by contacting Shari Martin at [email protected], or by visiting www.cobbfoundation.org.
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Pope athletic director Josh Mathews with the Greyhounds softball team after winning the 2019 Georgia 6A state championship. (ECN file)
Information from the Cobb County School District:
The National Interscholastic Athletic Administrators Association (NIAAA) recently announced that Josh Mathews, Athletic Director and Assistant Principal at Pope High School, has been recognized as a Certified Master Athletic Administrator (CMAA).
To earn the CMAA, Josh demonstrated exemplary knowledge, contributions, and on-going professional development in the field of interscholastic athletic administration. He put in many hours of his own time to earn this certification. The process included a thorough evaluation of his educational background, experience, NIAAA Leadership Courses, and professional contributions. He also had to create and submit a final presentation project.
“This is a very big deal,” said Cobb Schools Director of Athletics Don Baker. “There are only a little over 1,000 in the country, and Josh is the only one in our county with this distinction. It is a testament to Josh’s hard work and dedication to the field of athletic administration.”
Mr. Baker also received his certification as a Certified Athletic Administrator (CAA). He hopes to complete his CMAA early next year. “Both Don and Josh are now part of an elite group of interscholastic athletic administrators nationwide to attain this level of professionalism,” said NIAAA Executive Director Mike Blackburn.
“Gaining the CMAA designation was a goal of mine as an athletic administrator, and achieving a goal is always satisfying,” said Josh. “I appreciate those who helped me walk through my years in athletic leadership. There is no substitute for learning from others who have lived the same experiences. I would encourage more of our Athletic Directors to go through these certification processes.”
When asked how this distinction would benefit the Pope sports community, Josh immediately lightened the mood. “It means that when they receive an email from me, there will be an extra initial in the signature,” he said, smiling.
“Seriously though,” he continued, “the key takeaway from obtaining this certification is the professional development and the athletic operations required to complete it. Serving at Pope is a humbling honor because of the great people in this community—from our students to our staff, to the parents, the alumni, and so many other supportive community members. Our family truly loves being a part of the Pope Family.”
“Cobb Schools is very proud to call Josh Mathews one of its own,” said Don Baker proudly. “His passion for athletics and the Pope community is unmatched, and he does a great job leading the Greyhounds each and every day. We are lucky to have him in our District.”
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Cobb Commissioner-elect Jerica Richardson has announced that she will be sworn in on Dec. 31, representing District 2 that includes part of East Cobb.
She’s one of several newly elected office-holders who will be having swearing-in ceremonies that will be live-streamed on Cobb TV and Cobb County Government’s online channels.
That’s due to COVID-19 restrictions that will limit ceremonies to small gatherings.
Richardson, a Democrat, will officially take office on Jan. 1, succeeding Republican Bob Ott, who is retiring after three terms.
Her swearing-in takes place on Dec. 31 at 10:30 a.m. at the Cobb Civic Center.
Richardson was the featured speaker Tuesday at a breakfast of the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce. You can watch her full remarks, which were given at the Indian Hills Country Club, in the video below.
A first-time candidate for public office, Richardson is a technology manager at Equifax. She edged Republican Fitz Johnson in the Nov. 3 general election on a platform of “Connecting Cobb.” (See campaign stories at the bottom of this post for more details.)
The East Cobb Area Council also on Tuesday honored Mitch Rhoden as its 2020 East Cobb Citizen of the Year. That presentation is at the end of the video.
Also appearing at Tuesday’s breakfast was Ott and commissioner Lisa Cupid, who recently defeated incumbent Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce.
She will be sworn in as chairwoman on Jan. 7 at 3 p.m., also at the Cobb Civic Center.
Boyce and Ott will be serving in their final meetings next Tuesday, Dec. 15, when the commission has its last business meeting and zoning hearing of 2020.
Cupid, Richardson and District 4 commissioner-elect Monique Sheffield will form a Democratic majority when the Cobb Board of Commissioners meets on Jan. 12.
Cobb Government issued the following schedule of live-streaming of swearing-in ceremonies it is showing, starting this Thursday. It’s tentative and subject to change:
3:45 p.m., Thursday, Dec. 10
Judge Jason Marbutt
Ceremonial Courtroom
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Mitch Rhoden (second from right) with his family at the Indian Hills Country Club Tuesday morning, including his father Jim Rhoden, also a previous East Cobb Citizen of the Year.
The East Cobb Area Council has selected small business owner and entrepreneur Mitch Rhoden as its 2020 East Cobb Citizen of the Year. The Citizen of the Year Awards, created by Cobb County Rotary clubs and co-sponsored by the Cobb Chamber Area Councils and Cobb County business associations, have been presented to extraordinary individuals for the work they have done in Cobb County. And through a continued partnership with Cobb County civic and business organizations and the Cobb Chamber Area Councils, the Citizen of the Year Awards continue to recognize outstanding, service-minded individuals who have exceptionally impacted one of several areas of Cobb County.
“Mitch Rhoden has been an outstanding leader for our community for more than 20 years,” said Sharon Mason, President and CEO of the Cobb Chamber. “In addition to leading a small business and chairing many key initiatives and organizations over the years, for 2020 in particular, Mitch has been a champion for helping our non-profits and small businesses stay afloat during the pandemic with spearheading the launch of Operation Meal Plan, a program that raised funds to source meals for local non-profit organizations and keep local restaurant workers employed. Also this year, he volunteered many hours of his time to lead the critical Cobb SPLOST renewal campaign, and it passed by a wide margin. He is much deserving of this recognition and is a role model for our community.”
Mitch Rhoden
Mitch Rhoden, President & CEO of Futren Hospitality, has been named East Cobb Citizen of the Year for his years of community service and stepping up to support his community during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In March, Rhoden spearheaded Operation Meal Plan, a small business and non-profit support initiative created to provide food to those in need, help local restaurants keep their workers employed, and provide a vehicle for citizens to help each other. Supported through a community-backed fund, local restaurants received orders in increments of 25 meals, which they delivered to non-profit organizations around Cobb who serve meals as part of their missions. The restaurants were paid at unit cost from Operation Meal Plan.
Since March, 21 participating restaurants provided over 11,000 meals to 23 non-profits. Through Operation Meal Plan, restaurants were able to keep their workers employed and Cobb’s local non-profits were able to provide food to those in need.
In his professional capacities, Rhoden is responsible for the management and operations of Futren Hospitality, Indian Hills Country Club, The Orchard Golf & Country Club, Woodland Hills Golf Club, the National Alliance of Private Clubs, and Highground Land and Hardscapes, as well as other corporate interests.
Since starting his professional career in 2001, Rhoden has been involved in many efforts to improve life for others. He is devoted to his family and spends a lot of time setting an example for his three young sons as a scout leader, and further gives back to that organization through board service. Rhoden has also been a leader within the Cobb Chamber, and has served in almost every possible volunteer role, including East Cobb Area Council Chairman; Membership Campaign Chairman; Marketing Chairman; Member & Community Programs Chairman; and Board of Directors Chairman in 2019.
Recently, he served as Chairman of the 2020 Cobb County SPLOST Renewal committee, working to ensure renewal of the special purpose local option sales tax that will ensure future funding for Cobb’s parks, libraries, roads and other quality of life initiatives.
In addition to his volunteer service at the Cobb Chamber, Rhoden has devoted himself to several local non-profits. He currently serves on the Board of Directors for The Atlanta Area Council for the Boy Scouts of America, is an advocate for and supporter of Shepherd’s Men; is Past President of the Rotary Club of Marietta, and has served on the Board of MUST Ministries.
If there is an initiative underway in Cobb County with a mission to better the community, increase opportunities for businesses and residents, and to make Cobb the best it can be, Rhoden is likely to be involved, generously volunteering his time and talents.
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Cobb Christmas, Inc. and CobbLinc have teamed up again this year to create the county’s most unique and memorable holiday program, Stuff-a-Bus. Think of Stuff-a-Bus as the opposite of Santa’s sleigh—Santa uses his sleigh to deliver gifts and Cobb Christmas makes a CobbLinc bus our sleigh for collecting gifts.
During this event, a specially-wrapped CobbLinc bus travels to designated host sites to collect donations of new unwrapped toys for Cobb Christmas’ annual distribution. These donations go directly to help Cobb families in need. This year, we are hitting the road Wednesday-Thursday, Dec. 9-10. Please donate new unwrapped toys at any of the Stuff-a-Bus host sites listed on cobbcounty.org.
Toys needed for ages 2-13 (the biggest need is ages 9-13) include:
Educational toys
Legos
Ethnic baby/Barbie dolls
Sports equipment
Play kitchens
Kid puzzle
Remote control toys
The full pickup schedule can be found here, with both East Cobb stops taking place on Thursday, Dec. 10:
8-8:30 a.m.: Wellstar East Cobb Health Park (3747 Roswell Road)
12:30-1:30 p.m.: Three13 Salon Spa & Boutique (2663 Canton Road)
Donations of new unwrapped toys also can be dropped off at the Cobb Christmas distribution site (IAM Lodge 709, 1032 South Marietta Parkway) on December 8-10 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cobb Christmas Inc. is a non-profit, non-denominational all-volunteer organization that assists low-income and working-poor families during the holidays.
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An Acworth woman whom Cobb Police said caused a fatal crash on Shallowford Road the day before Thanksgiving has been charged with vehicular homicide.
Danielle Erickson, 24, was booked into the Cobb County Adult Detention Center Thursday afternoon on three misdemeanor charges of second-degree vehicular homicide, driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.
She was released a short time after her booking on a $5,720 property bond, those records show.
Police said last week that Erickson was behind the wheel of a white 2014 Chevrolet Cruze in a westbound lane of Shallowford on Nov. 235 at 11:48 a.m. when the car veered into an eastbound lane at the intersection of Lassiter Road.
The Chevrolet struck a beige 2008 Kia Optima, which was headed east on Shallowford. The Kia then collided with a black 2017 GMC Yukon that also was also traveling eastbound, according to police.
Police said the driver of the Kia, Andrew Halloran, 47, of Roswell, was pronounced dead at the scene.
According to her arrest warrant, Erickson was driving between 47 and 60 mph in a zone with a speed limit of 45 mph. The warrant said the speeds were confirmed by information retrieved from her car’s event data recorder after police got a search warrant.
The warrant stated that Erickson caused another person’s death “without an intention to do so.”
Police said that Erickson and Jennifer Mire, 45, of Marietta, driver of the Yukon, did not require medical attention at the scene.
An online fundraiser for Halloran’s family has raised more than $47,000. He was active with the Lassiter High School Band booster club.
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The latest lawsuit filed in Georgia over disputed presidential election results has been dismissed by a federal judge.
On Monday Judge Timothy Batten of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia in Atlanta ruled that the case lacked standing, among other issues.
His ruling came during a Monday morning hearing. The so-called “Kraken” lawsuit, filed by Sidney Powell, a lawyer formerly associated with President Donald Trump’s re-election campaign, claimed election fraud and sought to overturn the presidential results.
Batten ruled that the matter should be for the state courts and said that “the plaintiffs essentially asked the court for perhaps the most extraordinary relief ever sought in any federal court in connection with an election.”
“Today is an important day for election integrity in Georgia and across the country,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “The claims in the Kraken lawsuit prove to be as mythological as the creature for which they’re named. Georgians can now move forward knowing that their votes, and only their legal votes, were counted accurately, fairly, and reliably.”
It’s the third time nearly 5 million Georgia votes for president have been counted. The initial certified results showed Biden won by around 12,000 votes statewide, and a hand recount ordered by Raffensperger slimmed that lead to around 10,000.
Officially Biden’s winning margin statewide was 11,779 votes, following the machine recount. Biden had 2,473,633 votes and Trump received 2,461,854 votes. Jo Jorgenson, the Libertarian Party nominee, got 62,229 votes.
The Trump campaign requested a recount that was allowed since the margin was 0.5 percent or less, but the official recount didn’t differ all that much from the original results.
Powell, the Trump campaign and Lin Wood, an Atlanta libel attorney best known for representing former Atlanta Olympic bombing suspect Richard Jewell, have claimed widespread fraud in the presidential election.
But those claims have all been rejected in court, for failure to provide evidence. The Trump campaign also has wanted Georgia’s 16 Democratic electors to be dismissed and has demanded Gov. Brian Kemp call a special legislative session to replace them with Republicans.
The Electoral College will meet on Dec. 14; Kemp declined to intervene, saying it violates state law for the General Assembly to name electors. That, he said, is the duty of the governor once the results are certified by the Secretary of State.
Raffensperger has come under fire from Trump and Republican U.S. Senators Kelly Loeffler and David Perdue, who demanded he resign. They’re both in Jan. 5 runoffs that could determine party control of the Senate.
While Trump campaigned with Loeffler and Perdue in Valdosta over the weekend, Kemp did not appear with them. Trump, who has refused to concede, said he was embarrassed to have endorsed Kemp in his 2018 race for governor.
As the official recount wound down last week, Gabriel Sterling, a Georgia elections official, slammed Trump for not denouncing death threats made against Raffensperger and his wife and a 20-year-old elections contractor in Gwinnett County.
Sterling reiterated his concerns on “Meet the Press” on Sunday, saying Trump’s comments amount to disinformation: “They are stoking anger and fear among his supporters and, hell, I voted for him.”
Sterling, like Raffensperger, is a Republican who has supported Trump. In a piece for The Wall Street Journal on Sunday, Raffensperger said that Trump was using the “same playbook” as Stacey Abrams, a Democrat who lost to Kemp in 2018 but never conceded:
“Many media outlets have rightly highlighted that the Trump campaign has provided precious little proof of its voter-fraud allegations,” Raffensperger wrote. “Yet for two years, few asked the same of Stacey Abrams. Through all this, confidence in the integrity of American elections suffered.”
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While the construction continues, Overture at Powers Ferry is beginning the leasing process, via in-person and online appointments only for now.
They’re spreading the word by advertising in East Cobb News, which is reaching more than 75,000 unique visitors a month.
We appreciate their sponsorship, and we invite you to learn more about what Overture at Powers Ferry is offering by clicking here. Here’s a brief introduction:
“A welcoming active adult community filled with intriguing people and countless ways to get to spend your time. A gorgeous apartment home, with resort-inspired amenities and services focused on you. A location with easy access to Interstate 75 and just mintues from shopping at Cumberland Mall. And maintenance-free living that keeps your focus where it belongs: on enjoying life your way.”
Overture at Powers Ferry is a development of Greystar, an apartment developer.
The community is for active adults, ages 55 and over, with one- and two-bedroom apartment units. The community also has wellness and active lifestyle programs, amenities that include a resident lounge, coffee bar and bistro, an outside terrace and community garden, a fitness center and yoga studio, as well as a swimming pool and sun deck.
A number of regular activities include continental breakfast, social hours, and there are additional paid services. The community is also pet-friendly,
Those who schedule a tour and move in will get a month free, a waived community fee and $1,000 toward moving expenses.
You can sign up for a tour at the link above or by calling 407-419-2556.
The welcome center at Overture at Powers Ferry is located at 2022 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 220. The hours are Monday-Tuesday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Wednesday 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Thursday-Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m; Saturday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m; closed Sunday.
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Friday, Dec. 11, is the deadline for Cobb County homeowners who have been affected by COVID-19 to apply for up to $4,800 in mortgage payment assistance. Cobb homeowners who have fallen behind in their mortgage payments due to a COVID-19 related involuntary financial hardship, medical hardship, death of a spouse/co-borrower, can still apply for up $4,800 of mortgage payment assistance, as well as optional homeownership counseling. Applications will be accepted through Dec.11 at www.CobbHomeSaver.org.
The funding will come out of the $132 million allocated to the county in the federal Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. The “Cobb HomeSaver Program” provides mortgage payment assistance and/or homeowner counseling to Cobb County homeowners that have been adversely affected by COVID-19.
Cobb County Homeowners should visit CobbHomeSaver.org for a complete list of the eligibility criteria and to apply. Grant applications will be accepted on a “first-come, first-served” basis. The grant amount awarded to homeowners may vary.
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The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team of Keller Williams hosted their fourth annual Sweets with Santa event on Saturday, December 5th from 11:00 am – 3:00 pm.
Guests were able to enjoy a complimentary visit with Santa and were given holiday treats to take home while maintaining social distancing and following CDC protocol. Professional printed pictures with Santa were available for visitors to take home and have emailed. There was a train for the kids to take a ride around the building- unlimited free rides!
There was even an opportunity for visitors to bring their furry friends for a visit with Santa Paws. Dogs and cats were given treats to take home with them.
Sponsors for the event included: First American Home Warranty, Chick-fil-A East Lake, Perrie and Associates and 2-10 Home Warranty who sponsored the treats for two and four legged visitors.
The Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team office is located at 2249 Roswell Road in Marietta. For more information visit the events tab on www.JaniceOverbeck.com.
Children and nephews of Janice Overbeck and their dogs with Santa
Two girls tell Santa what they want for Christmas
Send Us Your Holiday News!
Let East Cobb News know what your family, neighborhood or organization is doing during the holidays.
We know it’s a different atmosphere this season, but we want to make it easy to share good cheer with your friends and neighbors.
Pass along your photos and information of past events to: [email protected]; if you have upcoming holiday events that are open to the public, please let us know and we’ll post those details promptly.
Please include information related to any health and safety protocols you may be observing as well.
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Earlier this week we noted that The Avenue East Cobb’s Christmas tree lighting has been scheduled for Friday was postponed due to rain.
That’s now set to take place next Friday, Dec. 11, from 5-8 p.m. That’s also the first of two days of carriage sleigh rides, along with Friday, Dec. 18. Both of those events will take place from 4-7 p.m.
The Avenue East Cobb also got in touch later in the week to let us know that next Thursday, Dec. 10, there’s going to be a Menorah lighting event at 5 p.m.
Cantor Kassel from Temple Beth Tikvah will lead in Hanukkah Blessings, songs and music, and there will be blue glow bracelets for the kids.
This is a free event that will take place at the Silver Menorah at the fountain between Bravura Fashion and Michael’s.
As we noted earlier, all these events will take place with health and safety protocols.
The Christmas tree lighting on Friday includes a holiday music show, gift card giveaway, a hot chocolate bar and more. The event is sponsored by East Cobb Church and will take place weather permitting.
There are no reservations required; guests must adhere to CDC guidelines during the event and maintain a six-feet distance and wear a mask. Guests will sanitize their hands before entering the event area. Folding chairs are permitted.
ICYMI—on Sunday the Friends for the East Cobb Park will have a “virtual” Holiday Lights celebration starting at 6 p.m. that’s streaming on the organization’s Facebook page. There will be caroling, a special message from Santa Claus and the tree lighting at the park.
And don’t forget to let us know if you have lights displays this holiday season you’d like others to come see.
East Cobb Newsis putting together a map that will let the public know what’s close by for them to view.
E-mail us your information,photos, etc. at [email protected] ideally within the next week; we’re aiming to post this by mid-December.
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!
Over the last two weeks there have been 241 new confirmed COVID-19 cases reported in the Cobb County School District.
Last week the district didn’t provide its usual weekly update due to the Thanksgiving holiday, but on Friday provided new numbers that show nearly 1,000 cases that have been reported overall.
There have been 962 cases confirmed by Cobb and Douglas Public Health since July 1 in the Cobb school district.
A total of 675 of those cases among students and staff have been reported since students began returning to campuses in early October.
The most recent report includes confirmed COVID cases at 67 schools in the 113-school Cobb district. They are being reported at 37 elementary schools, 16 middle schools and in 14 of the district’s 17 high schools.
All of them are reporting 10 or fewer cases, as has been the case since the district began providing the weekly updates.
Also on Friday, the Cobb school district updated health and safety resource information, including quarantine guidance, that you can find here.
In East Cobb the following schools have confirmed new COVID cases over the last two weeks:
Elementary: Addison, Brumby, Davis, East Side, Eastvalley, Garrison Mill, Keheley, Mt. Bethel, Mountain View, Murdock, Nicholson, Rocky Mount, Sedalia Park, Shallowford Falls, Timber Ridge, Tritt;
Middle: Daniell, Dickerson, Dodgen, East Cobb, McCleskey;
High: Kell, Lassiter, Pope, Sprayberry, Wheeler.
The newest figures for the Cobb school district come as community spread of COVID-19 continues to increase in the county and Georgia.
That figure dropped to around 100 early in the fall, but has been steadily going up.
On Friday, Dr. Janet Memark, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, issued a “surge alert” expressing concern about “an alarming number of cases being reported to public health this week. The timing is right for the beginnings of the results of any activities over the Thanksgiving break.”
More than 27,000 COVID cases have been reported in the county since March, and another 346 cases were reported on Thursday.
No schools or classes in the Cobb school district have been closed for COVID reasons since the return of face-to-face learning. During a Cobb Board of Education meeting in November, Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said he would determine possible action along those lines on a case-by-case basis, and does not anticipate returning to all-virtual learning.
The fall semester ends on Dec. 18 and the spring semester starts on Jan. 6.
Parents of Cobb school district students had until last Friday to choose between in-person and remote learning options for their children for the spring semester.
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!
The following East Cobb food scores from Nov. 23-Dec. 4have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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!
To view ZIP Code map details, click here. Source: Cobb and Douglas Public Health
While the rate of confirmed COVID-19 cases in Georgia mounts, the number of deaths due to the virus in Cobb County has surpassed 500.
That’s according to the latest figures from Cobb and Douglas Public Health, which on Wednesday reported that there have been 501 deaths and 26,973 cases in Cobb County since March.
Of those, 110 deaths have come in East Cobb, which has 6,331 cumulative cases to date.
UPDATED: On Friday, Dr. Janet Memark, the director of Cobb and Douglas Public Health, issued a “surge alert” expressing concern about “an alarming number of cases being reported to public health this week. The timing is right for the beginnings of the results of any activities over the Thanksgiving break.”
She said that emergency room visits and hospitalizations are on the rise, and “critical care beds for the district remain critically low” and there is “a continuing rise in patients with COVID-19 requiring hospitalization.” She did not provide any figures.
A link to a hover map of the above ZIP code map can be found here; the data is updated through Wednesday.
The heaviest areas for cases and deaths in Cobb is in South Cobb and the Marietta ZIP Code of 30060, which has 1,941 cases and 55 deaths. In Powder Springs 30127, there have been 2,144 cases and 48 deaths.
Here’s how cases and deaths break down in East Cobb ZIP Codes:
30062: 1,875 cases; 28 deaths
30066: 1,706 cases; 27 deaths
30067: 1,611 cases; 20 deaths
30068: 931 cases; 33 deaths
30075: 208 cases; 2 deaths
Of the 110 deaths in East Cobb, 36 have been reported at long-term care facilities, according to the latest figures from the Georgia Department of Community Health.
Six of those new fatalities have been reported at the A.G. Rhodes home on Wylie Road and two at Manor Care on Johnson Ferry Place.
The ZIP Code data does not include age breakdowns. But as of Wednesday, as reflected in the pie chart above, Cobb and Douglas Public Health figures show that 72.4 percent of all Cobb COVID deaths are those age 70 and over; 87 percent are age 60 and older.
Nearly 42 percent of the deaths are among those who were age 80 or older.
By contrast, younger age groups make up the largest portion of confirmed COVID cases in Cobb County. Those ages 19-50 account for 58.8 percent of all cases, and the 18-60 age groups make up 72.9 percent of the cases.
According to the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Daily COVID Status Report, 2,459 cases have been reported in Cobb County over the last two weeks.
More importantly, the level of community spread continues to rise, and for the first time this summer exceeds a 14-day average of 300 cases per 100,000 people. As of Thursday, that number is 311 (100 cases per 100,000 is considered “high” community spread).
That’s a metric that has been steadily going up over the fall, after dropping to just under 100 briefly after the start of the school year.
Georgia DPH breaks down several statistical categories by the date numbers are reported, and the date which a case or death was confirmed.
In Cobb, 322 cases were reported on Thursday. According to the “date of onset,” or the date a case is confirmed, Cobb has been reporting daily cases in excess of 200 in recent weeks.
On Nov. 30, for example, there were 2,939 cases confirmed on that date, close to the 2,988 figure reported on Nov. 16. The latter is the highest single-day date of onset case total in Cobb since August.
On Thursday, three more deaths were reported in Cobb; there are no deaths in the date of death figures, but that’s a preliminary figure that is likely to be updated.
As of Thursday, the 7-day moving average of deaths according to date of death in Cobb is 4.6, but that also is likely to be revised. As of Nov. 19, the last day before the current 14-day window, Cobb reported 21 deaths for a 7-day moving average of 20.4.
A total of 433,353 COVID cases have been confirmed in Georgia since March, along with 8,879 deaths.
On Thursday 4,419 new cases were reported, the highest single-day figure since July. Another 53 deaths were also reported, along with 245 new hospitalizations.
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!
Here’s a productive way to start the New Year, by getting rid of recyclable materials you don’t need and helping out the Pope Band. Submitted by the Pope Band Parents Association:
Recycling Fundraiser: Saturday, January 16, 9 am-2pm at the Northeast Cobb YMCA located at 3010 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta, GA 30062 to support the Pope Band.
Bring your metal, electronics, appliances, paint and paper documents for shredding. Cost is $10 per car PLUS additional disposal fees of $40/TV, $30/monitor, $20/large item, $2-$25/paint container depending on size, and $20 for 1-8 standard boxes of paper for shredding. Pick-up of large items available within a 5-mile radius of Pope during the week prior with advance reservation. See www.popeband.com/recycle for complete details. For questions and pickup reservations, email [email protected]. Please wear a mask to help protect the volunteers.
Thank you for supporting the Pope Band and the environment.
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!
Since 1979, the Giannes family has been serving up Greek and Mediterranean specialties at their restaurant in the Terrell Mill-Powers Ferry area.
What’s been Kouzina Christos since 2012 at the revitalized Terrell Mill Village Shopping Center first opened next door, at Terrell Mill Junction, at a time when that East Cobb community was undergoing a transition.
Christos Restaurant, as it was first called, later moved up the road a bit, at the Delk Spectrum Shopping Center at the corner of Powers Ferry, and continued to persist and thrive.
As other independent, mom-and-pop and chain restaurants came and left the area, Christos became a fixture. It seemed able to adapt to changing demographics and tastes in a busy commercial area with more competition from the national casual restaurant brands.
In three different locations, the Christos menu, and the familiar faces, have stayed essentially the same. In my many visits there, I thought of it as comfort food with a little extra spice.
But on Saturday, the long-standing eatery will be serving its final gyros, salads, sandwiches, pizzas and spanakopitas.
Owner Christos Giannes announced the restaurant’s closing on Monday, as first reported by ToNeTo.
The calamitous impact of COVID-19 closures was just too much, and Giannes said in a social media message he’s no longer working with his landlord “over options to remain operational.”
As far as restaurants go, anything over even 10 years can seem like an eternity, even in the pre-COVID-19 world.
But more than four decades? It’s stunning, really, a testament to a determined Greek immigrant family that loved serving up affordable, family-style meals to a loyal East Cobb community of customers.
Among them was my mother, who came to the original Christos in the early 1980s for lunch with co-workers from a nearby office park.
I was in college during those years, and after I returned she and I would go there often. I don’t remember what she liked in particular, but I know what I did: A very generous and tasty Italian grinder.
Over the years, I have gone there on occasion, typically for that Italian grinder at lunch.
On Wednesday, I did so again, for the last time, and the familiar flavors of Genoa salami, pepperoni, capicola, tomatoes, lettuce and Duke’s mayonnaise on toasted bread brought back fond memories.
It was a bittersweet dining experience all the same, as I looked around and saw the beginnings of a packing-up.
Christos Giannes wasn’t there when I stopped in, but he’s been frank about the fate not only of his own restaurant but others like his during the long months of closures, partial reopening and government action over COVID-19.
He said on the restaurant’s Facebook page that Kouzina Christos was doing well before March, after some years of experimenting with an expanded menu to include Greek dinner delicacies, as well as the addition of an outdoor patio.
A proud champion of independent restaurants, he was critical of what he said is a “flaccid and shortsighted response from local, state and national sources for support to buttress businesses who’s loss will negatively affect business viability, employees, their families, the community, the schools is laughable. The losses to the foundation, the fabric that buttress our communities will be felt for many years.”
This is one of the greatest fears of business closures due to COVID-19, especially in the restaurant and retail sectors, and the horrible reality is unfolding before us everywhere.
Within eyeshot of Kouzina Christos is a brand new Panera Bread in the MarketPlace Terrell Mill development underway, and around the corner on Powers Ferry is a Jimmy John’s.
They’re known for their sandwiches, but they don’t have anything like my Italian grinder, much less the gyros and falafels of Christos.
I’m not knocking the chains; they’ve been oh-so-convenient with drive-through service and I’m as guilty as anyone of pulling in when the sit-down places were closed.
And that’s been just the problem.
“Chains are happy to see the mass failure of independents, expanding the labor pool, increasing competition and increasing downward pressure on hourly wages,” Christos Giannes wrote. “Corporate greed and avarice…supporting the Chinese economy.”
He shares company with so many venerable dining and watering hole institutions, including Atlanta’s Manuel’s Tavern, where I had many a meal and adult beverage during my years at the AJC. Owner Brian Maloof, son of the famous barkeep and politico Manuel Maloof, doesn’t see how he can keep his doors open in Poncey-Highland beyond the end of the year.
That would end a 64-year run on land that is now owned by corporate real estate interests and is surrounded by pricey regentrification. Maloof has spurned acquisitions in the past from the likes of Hooter’s, and completely overhauled his freestanding building a few years ago.
Christos Giannes was becoming gradually pessimistic in the weeks and months over summer when he began discussing reduced rents for Kouzina Christos with his landlord.
In late August, he said “it’s quite probable this will be the final year of business in our present location. The continuing pandemic has made it almost impossible to maintain profitability.”
Another crippling factor is the surrounding office market, where many employees who can work from home have been doing so. That’s gutted the lunch business of places like Kouzina Christos that have always depended on it.
With the Terrell-Mill Powers Ferry area going through another transformation—with several mixed-use developments in the works yielding many new residential dwellings—the timing of Kouzina Christos’ closure is even more unfortunate.
For those of us who ate there somewhat regularly, it seemed like we’d be able to eat there forever.
The old-world feel of Kouzina Christos held up well over four decades, and it took something as devastating as a pandemic to close the doors.
I get many messages from readers asking about new restaurants that are opening—especially the new chain casual spots that are dotting East Cobb like never before.
What I’d like to ask my readers is to think of their favorite truly local restaurants these days and patronize them like never before. These are community gems that are teetering on the edge of extinction.
At the very least, many are trying to stave off a gradual death like Kouzina Christos, barely holding on amid continuing uncertainty and with no end in sight to health restrictions.
Kouzina Christos (1453 Terrell Mill Road) will be open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. through Saturday.
After that, Christos Giannes said “we will all take a long rest and start looking at other possible locations to build on our 40 years of history” including “options to re-imagine the next chapter of Kouzina Christos.”
I hope that chapter comes soon, and that the Italian grinder is on the menu.
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!
Gabriel Sterling, a Georgia elections official, lashed out over death threats and other forms of intimidation he said are being aimed at elections workers during the state’s recount.
Cobb County Government has sent out word that the Cobb Board of Elections is meeting Thursday at 4 p.m. “in anticipation they will have to recertify the results of the November 3rd election.”
That work has been taking place at Jim Miller Park, site of a previous hand recount ordered by Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
Raffensperger gave county elections offices until Wednesday to complete the machine recount.
That process—which is being done on eight scanners in Cobb County—comes at the request of the campaign of President Donald Trump.
He finished 0.2 percent and less than 13,000 votes behind Joe Biden in Georgia after election-night and absentee voting was complete, and after the hand recount.
In Georgia recounts are allowed if a losing candidate comes within 0.5 percent or less.
Nearly 5 million votes for president were cast in Georgia and around 400,000 in Cobb, where Biden won with 56 percent of the vote. Most East Cobb precincts favored Trump.
The recount is finishing up amid what a top Georgia elections official said is intimidation and continuing threats of violence against elections workers from the pro-Trump camp.
Gabriel Sterling, the voting systems implementation manager for the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, said Tuesday he’s among those who’ve received threats, as has Raffensperger and his wife, who’s gotten “sexualized texts” with threatening messages.
“It has all gone too far,” said Sterling, who like Raffensperger is a Republican. “Someone’s going to get hurt, someone’s going to get shot, someone’s going to get killed.”
In a press conference at the Georgia Capitol, Sterling was enraged describing a threatening Twitter thread aimed at a 20-year-old elections contractor in Gwinnett County that includes “a noose put out saying he should be hung for treason because he was transferring a report on batches.”
The contractor, Sterling said, “was just trying to do his job” and now there’s a “noose with a name on it . . . This kid just took a job, and it’s just wrong. . . . I cannot begin to explain the level of anger I have.”
Cobb County spokesman Ross Cavitt said he doesn’t know of any threats directed at Cobb Elections, but said the county “did increase police presence at the start of the recounts because of concerns expressed by some elections workers.”
Sterling directed further comments at Trump, who has not conceded to Biden, but who Tweeted derogatory comments over the weekend about Raffensperger and Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp, whom the president said he was “ashamed” to have endorsed.
“It has to stop. Mr. President, you have not condemned these actions or this language. Senators, you have not condemned this language or these actions. This has to stop. We need you to step up. And if you take a position of leadership, show some.”
Both of Georgia’s Republican U.S. Senators, David Perdue and Kelly Loeffler, have called on Raffensperger to resign as they face Jan. 5 runoffs that could determine party control of the Senate.
Among those most vocal in claiming election fraud against Trump in Georgia is Atlanta attorney Lin Wood.
On Wednesday, Wood was appearing at a “Stop the Steal” rally in Alpharetta.
Sterling said while it’s one thing to demand a fair counting of the ballots, the threats have gone too far. Again directing his comments at Trump, he said “stop inspiring people to commit potential acts of violence
“It’s time to look forward,” Sterling said. “There’s not a path. Be the better man here.”
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!
Submitted information and photo from the Cobb County School District:
Broadcom Foundation and Society for Science & the Public has proudly recognized Dodgen 8th Grader, Abhijeet Ghosh, as one of the 30 national finalists of the 2020 virtual Broadcom MASTERS science & engineering competition. Abhijeet was selected as a finalist in this national competition after completing an entry based on his Dodgen science fair project completed last spring. His project went on to win at the county level and beyond. Abhijeet recently participated in finals week of the competition. During the competition, Abhijeet presented his research to judges and the public and competed in team STEM challenges.
In recognition of Dodgen supporting Abhijeet as a Broadcom MASTERS finalist, the Broadcom Foundation and the Society for Science & the Public are proud to awardDodgen Middle School with $1,000 for each finalist named in the Broadcom MASTERS. The award will be used to support the development of excellence in science, math, or engineering education at Dodgen.
More on the Broadcom Foundation and the Society for Science and the Public can be found here.
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!
