The following East Cobb restaurant scores from Feb. 18-March 1 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing to view details of the inspection:
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!
Season Stalcup, a Wheeler science teacher, is one of four educators from the Cobb County School District to be named to the 2019 NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors program.
Stalcup, also an assistant coach for the Wheeler softball team, is among 28 in Georgia, and Cobb is one of 14 district in eight states with teachers who were selected to participate.
Here’s what CCSD is sending out about the program:
The NASA Ambassador program is a professional development opportunity for high school science teachers designed to improve science teaching and learning and increase student engagement in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM).
As ambassadors, the Cobb teachers will join fellow educators from California, Nevada, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Kentucky, Texas, and two from Columbus, Georgia for training in astrophysics, planetary science content, and pedagogy. Their training will include a week-long immersion experience at NASA’s science research aircraft facility in Palmdale, California with participation in research flights onboard NASA’s Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA).
SOFIA is a highly modified Boeing 747SP airliner fitted with a 2.5-meter (100-inch) telescope and using a suite of seven cameras and spectrographs to study celestial objects at infrared wavelengths. SOFIA operates during 10-hour overnight science missions at altitudes between 39,000 and 45,000 feet (12-14 kilometers), above more than 99 percent of the water vapor in Earth’s atmosphere that blocks infrared light from reaching ground-based observatories.
After their training, the Cobb teachers, with the help of program staff, will implement a NASA science-oriented electromagnetic spectrum and infrared astronomy curriculum module in their classrooms. The module is developed by the SETI Institute, which has managed the Ambassador program since its inception in 2011. Cobb’s teachers are part of the first NASA Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors class open to teachers outside of California.
“We are so proud of the teachers that were selected to be a part of the Airborne Astronomy Ambassadors Program,” said Christian Cali, Cobb County School District science supervisor. “Their experiences flying into the stratosphere on NASA’s SOPHIA will provide Cobb students with a chance to make real-world connections with the concepts they are learning in the classroom.”
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The East Side Broncos 12U baseball team is collecting gently worn, used and new shoes to raise money for a trip to Cooperstown, NY this summer. Clean out your closet and bring your shoes to East Cobb Park on Wednesday, February 27th from 8-10 a.m. We will have 2 SUVs open and ready to stuff with shoes!
Let’s get these boys to Cooperstown!!
There’s nothing to buy! All you have to do is clean out your closet of gently used shoes that you no longer wear.
For more information about this fundraiser and where the shoes go, visit funds2orgs.
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Commissioner Bob Ott of East Cobb is proposing a resolution at the board’s meeting on Tuesday opposing a residential design bill in the Georgia legislature that would bar local governments from imposing certain standards in zoning cases.
His resolution, which is being co-sponsored by new commissioner Keli Gambrill of North Cobb, is the latest proposal by a local government body in metro Atlanta in response to HB 302.
That bill, co-sponsored by some of the most powerful members of the House Republican majority, would restrict the ability of local governments to determine building design elements for one- and two-family homes.
Among other things, the provisions of the bill would cover exterior building color, style and materials for roofs and porches, exterior architectural ornamentation, location and styling of windows and doors, types of flooring and the interior layout of rooms.
Ott said the bill would subvert local control of zoning and design standards at the city and county level, where quality-of-life decisions relating to housing need to be made.
Local control of design standards “helps us keep Cobb the type of community most people move here for,” commissioner Bob Ott says.
“People move to different communities because they like the look and feel of the area,” he said in a statement issued by the county Friday afternoon. “They want to protect their neighborhoods and often work with their local elected officials to do so.”
Most of the bill’s sponsors, which also include two Democrats, are from rural and small-town areas of Georgia; none are from metro Atlanta.
HB 302 narrowly passed the House Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Committee last week and is listed on the House floor calendar for Monday.
On Friday, a companion bill, SB 172, was introduced in the Georgia Senate and on Monday will likely receive a committee assignment.
Like the House version, SB 172 is sponsored by small-town and rural lawmakers, including President Pro Tem Sen. Butch Miller of Gainesville.
HB 302 has been drawing support from the home-building industry, those in favor of expanding affordable-housing options as well as some realtors. The Georgia Association of Realtors is claiming that the “American Dream of Home Ownership is under attack.”
HB 302, the realtors’ group claims, “brings the American dream of homeownership within reach of more citizens, not just the ones local officials think deserve to be homeowners.”
Local governments, the group said in statement, are unnecessarily adding thousands of dollars to the cost of new homes: “What used to be the purview of a Home Owners Association are now decisions made by city or county administrators with jurisdiction-wide application.”
Ott’s resolution says that “local governments can provide more affordable housing options without sacrificing unique character or threatening economic development.”
Opposition to the bill is coming from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia and the Georgia Municipal Association.
Some local governments have already sprung into action against HB 302, including Forsyth County, which passed a resolution last week. Sandy Springs officials have expressed concern, and on Monday the Dunwoody City Council will consider a similar measure.
Ott said another concern he has over the legislation is how it might impact the ongoing development of a new master plan for the Johnson Ferry-Shallowford area.
“Commissioners consistently work with different citizens groups to ensure the quality of development in Cobb County,” he said.
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After nearly a week of rain, the sunshine will be out on Sunday, but so will some potentially damaging winds.
The National Weather Service in Atlanta has issued a wind advisory for much of north Georgia for Sunday, including Cobb County, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Temperatures will rise to the high 50s, with winds increasing to 20 mph and possibly as much as 30 mph during the day.
A cold front is coming through and by Sunday evening, temperatures will be in the mid 30s. The wind is expected to taper off to around 10-15 mph on Monday, with highs in the upper 50s and sunshine.
The winds will calm down to around 5 mph and low temperatures Monday night in the upper 30s.
Tuesday also will be sunny with highs in the low 60s. A slight chance of rain will linger into the middle of the week.
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The senior pastor at Eastside Baptist Church is upset over what he calls “very capricious leadership” by the leader of the Southern Baptist Convention after learning that the East Cobb congregation has been put on a list for possible “defellowshipping” for a 2017 sex abuse case.
Rev. John Hull, Eastside Baptist Church senior pastor
Rev. John Hull told East Cobb News Friday afternoon that he is tentatively scheduled to talk via telephone on Monday with J.D. Greear, the president of the SBC, who identified Eastside as among the churches being examined for how it handled allegations of sexual abuse by workers and volunteers.
Hull also said SBC officials will be visiting the church on Lower Roswell Road on Tuesday, not to investigate, he said, but to give Eastside leaders a chance to “express concerns” about being on the list.
In 2017, Alexander Edwards, a former youth ministry volunteer at Eastside, was convicted of two counts of sexual battery involving an 11-year-old boy and was sentenced to three years in prison.
Edwards’ arrest in 2016 came just after Hull was hired to lead the East Cobb church, which he said acted quickly and publicly to improve security, strengthen background checks and assure its members that it was protecting young people from sexual abuse.
“There are people who think this is outrageous that we’re on the list,” Hull said. “We’re not looking for a fight, but our East Cobb church has taken a body blow. We’re hurting because this came from within the family.”
That’s a reference to Greear, who earlier week this publicly identified 10 churches, including Eastside, for scrutiny following news reports in Texas that have rocked the largest Protestant denomination in the United States, which has more than 15 million members and more than 47,000 affiliated churches.
While he admires Greear for trying to address allegations of sexual abuse, Hull said he acted unilaterally to compose the list and did not notify him before the names of the churches were revealed by the news media. Hull said he learned about the list late Monday night, shortly after he had gone to bed, when he got a text message from the Eastside social media manager, who had seen news reports from Texas.
UPDATED: The day after we spoke to Rev. Hull, the Southern Baptist Convention issued a response regarding the 10 churches on the list, and its executive committee bylaws working group concluded that no further investigation at Eastside is warranted:
“Based on the information provided by the president, we have no evidence that the church, as a body, violated any of the four provisions. We also note that, based on media reports and conversations with church leaders, it appears that after the events in question the church strengthened its existing policies to prevent abuse and properly respond to charges of abuse. We believe no further inquiry is warranted based on that information.”
Hull conducted an interview with the Houston Chronicle, which along with San Antonio Express-News published a series earlier this month called “Abuse of Faith,” which estimated that more than 700 people had been victimized.
Hull said Eastside also has the support of the Georgia Baptist Convention and the Noonday Baptist Association, a consortium of more than 100 churches in Cobb, Cherokee, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Paulding and Polk counties.
The case of Edwards is among those contained in the newspapers’ database of more than 200 workers and volunteers at Southern Baptist churches who have been charged with sexual abuse or who have been convicted or pleaded guilty since 1998. He is a registered sex offender, according to the Georgia Department of Corrections.
Alexander Edwards (Photo: Georgia Department of Corrections)
Eastside Baptist, which opened in 1961, has more than 5,000 members. In the 1980s it started a Christian school that currently enrolls more than 400 students K-8 and built an activities center that includes fitness facilities and offers classes to the wider community.
After Edwards’ conviction and sentencing, Hull said, Eastside took immediate action to rectify the lapses that led to the abuse. The Texas newspapers reported that Edwards had been allowed to volunteer at Eastside despite a 2013 arrest for using the Internet to find a child for sex.
Not long after Edwards’ arrest in 2016, a former part-time Eastside janitor was charged with misdemeanor sexual battery involving a girl. He pleaded guilty and was sentenced to a year in jail, most of that on probation.
Those security measures include stronger background checks of prospective employees and volunteers. In addition, all visitors to the church or school are are required to have their driver’s license scanned for a background check.
“You can’t get in without it,” said Hull, who added that the background scanning technology will become available soon for those using the Eastside activities center that’s open to the larger public.
That center, which also has employed a full-time security guard for the last two years, will soon be hiring another one. Hull said there are also are 50 security cameras on the sprawling Lower Roswell Road campus, which stretches to the boundary of Eastvalley Elementary School.
Hull said Eastside has spent more than $500,000 on security, technology, staff training and other measures to address sexual abuse concerns.
“We are prepared to be the model, we are prepared to be a resource [for any congregation in a similar position] and to add value around what we have learned.”
In his comments to the SBC executive committee this week, Greear said he’s not in favor of “disfellowshipping” any church at this point, but “these churches must be called upon to give assurance to the SBC that they have taken the necessary steps to correct their policies and procedures with regards to abuse and care for survivors.”
The Southern Baptist allegations come a few months after another round of revelations of priest abuse by several Roman Catholic archdioceses, including Atlanta.
Last November, Atlanta Archbishop Rev. Wilton Gregory released a list of priests, workers and volunteers accused or convicted of sex abuse going back to the creation of the archdiocese in the late 1950s.
Two of those individuals worked at the Catholic Church of St. Ann and Transfiguration Catholic Church in East Cobb, including the latter’s founding priest. Nearly 200 bishops and other church officials are in Rome this weekend at a special sex-abuse summit called by Pope Francis.
Hull said he’s still working through what his sermon message will be to his Eastside congregation Sunday morning, but he is certain that “we will defend the body of Christ on Lower Roswell Road.”
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In last week’s food score listings, there were two East Cobb restaurants that got failing scores. When that happens, the Cobb and Douglas Department of Public Health typically comes back within 10 days for another inspection.
Both of them got “A” scores in repeat visits this week.
One is Judy’s Country Kitchen (2745 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 106), a buffet restaurant which was first inspected on Feb. 14, and given a score of 58. It was cited for multiple violations, including improper food storage, dirty equipment and utensils and not storing wet cloths used for food-area cleanup in sanitizing solution (here’s the report).
On Wednesday, Judy’s got an “A” score of 93, but two new violations were noted: storing powder cleaner in dry storage without a label, and storing sanitizing solution near salt and sugar. The new report indicated both violations were corrected on-site.
On Feb. 12, Montana’s Bar and Grill (2995 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 330) got a score of 68 for a number of violations, including what inspectors said was “a large rodent infestation” and “the facility has a lack of managerial control.” (Report here)
This Tuesday, the restaurant got another inspection, and received a score of 100 (report here). Inspectors noted that the facility was “treated by Ecolab for pests, lights installed in dry storage areas, dishwasher repaired, facility thoroughly cleaned. No need for additional follow up at this time.”
A second bad inspection could force a restaurant to be closed until corrective action is taken.
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One of the first “blow dry bar” locations has opened in the East Cobb area. It’s called the Blo Blow Dry Bar, and it started up on Feb. 9 at Merchant’s Walk (1311 Johnson Ferry Road), next to the Lizard Thicket store.
What’s a blow dry bar? It’s a place to get a shampoo, a blow dry and hair styling, but no haircuts or coloring treatment.
Blo Blow Dry Bar is a national chain that’s been moving into the Atlanta area recently, and has more than 130 franchises in all. The motto is “You’re not cheating on your hairdresser,” and the concept is moving into a competitive market for hair care.
Prices for “blowout” treatments start at $45 and the East Cobb franchise partner is Grace Massih. The store will have a grand opening VIP event in early March.
Blo Blow Dry Bar is open seven days a week, and has 10 stations for blowouts, makeup and hair styling on location, as well as hair and skin care products available for sale.
The hours are from 9-7 Monday-Saturday and 11-6 on Sunday, with earlier and later availability by appointment.
Phone is 678-310-0755 and walk-ins are welcome.
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Here’s some winter break news about a noteworthy accomplishment by students and teachers, and staff at Tritt Elementary School, which is the first school in the country to be certified as a Library Learning Commons.
The concept has evolved over the last decade or so nationwide, and thus far Tritt is the only school in Cobb to go through the district’s certification process (explanation here).
The information (along with photo) submitted by the Cobb County School District explains in detail the Library Learning Commons approach, which at Tritt has incorporated space for experimenting, playing, making, doing, thinking, collaborating, and growing:
The engaging space with flexible seating includes the traditional books but so much more. Digital tools and technology help the students collaborate. The library media specialists not only guide students as they select which book will take them on their next literary adventure, but they also conduct lessons focused on the curriculum the students are learning inside their classroom.
“In our Library Learning Commons, students can stretch their thinking, ask questions, build research skills, design new concepts in makerspaces, and collaborate with their peers,” said Holly Frilot, Cobb Schools supervisor of Library Media Education. “The library media specialist cultivates lessons to spark curiosity, teaches how to research effectively, and guides students to present their new knowledge with digital tools.”
Many Cobb students are tech-savvy and able to quickly navigate apps and social media. The media specialists inside the Library Learning Commons help the students become tech-literate so they can understand the digital world around them and navigate it safely and successfully.
“One of our newer spaces is the MakerSpace where students can come to work on small or group projects, including green screen productions. Students and staff feel welcome to use the spaces and resources as needed in a truly flexible learning environment,” explained Tritt Principal Karen Carstens.
Frilot and Principal Carstens both credit media specialist Joanne Bates for her work with teachers and staff over the past five years to transition Tritt’s media center into a Library Learning Commons.
“The traditional library has gone through a transformation as old and outdated print materials have been replaced with more high-interest print materials and up-to-date digital resources,” added Principal Carstens. “The digital resources extend the walls of our library into the classrooms and even beyond our school as students and teachers can access the resources at home.”
“In support of Cobb’s commitment to innovation, the Library Learning Commons certification highlights the transformation schools undertake to create engaging, inspiring spaces for students,” Frilot explained. “In our Library Learning Commons, students go on virtual reality field trips, engage in the engineering design process in makerspaces, and use digital tools like 3D printers.”
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The flood warning at Noonday Creek has been called off, with the flood stage at Woodstock now around 5 feet and 4 feet at Blackwells.
UPDATED, 2 P.M.:
We have not heard of any road closings in Cobb County, but you’re advised to avoid travel around Noonday Creek if you can. That’s because a flood-stage warning was issued this morning.
According to gaugings at Noonday Creek near the Cherokee County line, the creek is just now falling a little below its 10 foot flood stage.
Not too far downsteam, Noonday Creek at Blackwells has dropped to eight feet, below its flood stage of 11 feet, after rising to as high as 9.4 feet.
Sope Creek also came close to flood stage near Lower Roswell Road, going as high as 10.08 feet (flood stage is 12 feet), and it’s fallen to four feet as of 1 p.m.
Sewell Mill Creek near Roswell Road, with a flood stage of 11 feet, got as high as 7.23 feet overnight, according to the U.S. Geological Survey measurements, and is currently around three feet.
Willeo Creek near Roswell Road, with a flood stage of 12 feet, got as high as nine feet, and is now under 6 feet.
The rain is expected to increase again late this afternoon, to nearly a 90 percent chance of rain.
A flash flood watch extended to Cobb is expected to expire at 5 p.m. today, but could be further extended or a new watch issued.
Another strong thunderstorm system was crossing through into Alabama early this afternoon.
Another possible weather-related incident involved house fire on Oak Village Lane, off of Post Tritt Road.
Lt. Denell Boyd of the Cobb Fire Department said a call came in at 10:20 Wednesday night.
She said firefighters saw smoke on arrival and put the fire out at 10:48. There were no injuries, and indicated that the cause is a possible lighting strike.
ORIGINAL STORY, 9:48 A.M.:
Cobb government said shortly after 9 this morning that Sope Creek and Allatoona Creek also are near flood stage.
This post will be updated.
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It’s in the same location at Paper Mill Village (255 Village Parkway Suite 330), with the same hours and same menu, but a new name. From the Moxie Restaurant Group today comes this news:
“In honor of our loyal and supportive East Cobb customers who have called it “moxie taco” from its development, we have decided to officially rename La Novia Taqueria! Come by for some hot cheese dip and a cold margarita to brighten up this dreary weather week.”
When La Novia Taqueria opened in 2017 the building that formerly housed Valenit’s restaurant and Caffe Fortunato and had been painted yellow. It’s now a gray shade.
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At around noon the National Weather Service in Atlanta expanded its flash flood watch to include Cobb County and other parts of the metro area until 7 p.m. Thursday.
Wednesday morning provided a bit of a respite from the rain, if not weather-related traffic issues, but more rain is expected tonight and Thursday.
The NWS said the areas with the most saturation from yesterday’s rain are above the I-20 and along the I-85 corridors.
The road has reopened, but there may be occasional lane closures to clear debris.
Original report, 8:15 AM:
This just in from Cobb government:
Paper Mill Road is closed between Woodlawn Drive and the Atlanta Country Club due to a downed tree.
Crews are on the scene for removal.
It’s among several downed trees affecting the morning commute around the county.
There were also reports that Willeo Road was closed at the Lower Roswell Road roundabout due to debris on road just over the Chattahoochee River in Roswell., but that area has also reopened to traffic.
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Late Tuesday afternoon the National Weather Service in Atlanta extended its flood watch as heavy rains moved into the state.
Cobb isn’t in the watch area for now, although it does include Paulding and Cherokee counties for now.
But thunderstorms began moving into the county this afternoon and could deliver 2-3 inches or even more by the end of the week.
The NWS issued a flood warning for parts of Gwinnett, DeKalb and Fulton counties but Cobb was not included.
There’s a 90 percent chance of rain in Cobb tonight and a 70 percent chance during the day on Wednesday, increasing to 100 percent Wednesday night.
That’s when the NWS projects the heaviest rain of the watch period, which has been extended to Saturday.
The slick road conditions already have contributed to a serious accident in Cobb. Earlier today a male passenger and the driver of a car suffered serious injuries when their car hydroplaned and lost control. It spun into a tree near Barrett Parkway and Burnt Hickory Road, closing that intersection for several hours.
The victims were transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital, according to Marietta Police.
Temperatures will get a little warmer Wednesday, into the low 50s during the day and into the high 40s tomorrow night, before warming up into the 60s later in the week.
The NWS said some areas of northwest Georgia could get up to six inches of rain, and there’s a chance of localized flooding in low-lying areas in the hazardous weather outlook area that includes Cobb.
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The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday unanimously approved a revised zoning request for a single-family senior residential subdivision on Holly Springs Road.
The 5-0 vote came after Commissioner JoAnn Birrell last month asked the developer, Loyd Development Services, to revise the application after some nearby residents objected on density grounds.
Loyd’s attorney, Garvis Sams, submitted a revised application on Jan. 22 and outlined it at Tuesday’s zoning hearing. Instead of 16 homes zoned RSL (Residential Senior Living), the 4.3 acres on Holly Springs, southeast of the Davis Road roundabout, will have 10 homes, making it 2.32 units an acre.
That’s the same density as the adjacent Ashmore subdivision.
The land is zoned R-20 (residential) with two existing homes, and is part of the Margaret A. Keheley Living Trust.
Sams also said the unit size per home of the new division will increase, from around 2,300 square feet to 3,300 square feet. The original homes had been slated for prices ranging from $550,000 to $600,000, and he said those “price points” likely will go up as well.
Earlier this month the Cobb Planning Commission recommended the Keheley land stay at R-20, but the county commissioners deleted that and approved R-15 zoning.
“I think we have a good plan for R-15,” Birrell said. “It’s very appropriate here.”
The only objection on Tuesday came from Charles Sprayberry of the Cobb County School District, which occasionally speaks in opposition to senior-specific zoning since the schools have a senior property tax exemption.
The Cobb Zoning Department staff is continuing another land use issue in that area of East Cobb for the second time.
A proposal by Mt. Bethel Christian Academy to amend an existing land use permit to allow a sports stadium on its high school campus on Post Oak Tritt Road, near Holly Springs, has been slated for the March 19 commissioners’ zoning hearing.
That request, for six homes on Paper Mill at Gateside Place, will be taken up again by the planning board on March 5.
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From the Cobb Fire & Emergency Services Department comes word that staffers at the Cobb Fire Station 15 (3892 Oak Lane) were recently recognized by Gov. Brian Kemp for coming to the scene of a cardiac arrest situation at the Northeast Cobb YMCA, along with the MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service.
Lt. Stephen French, Engineer Darrell Freeman and Firefighter Mele Miller were joined by two bystanders in rendering assistance on the scene.
Here’s what the department is sharing with the public about the recent incident:
William Vincent, 63, was running on a treadmill at the YMCA in East Cobb when he suffered a sudden cardiac arrest. YMCA employee Kevin Lee heard Mr. Vincent collapse and he immediately started CPR.
Another bystander, Dixie McCombs, called 911 and brought the Automatic External Defibrillator (AED) to Kevin who then shocked the patient.
Engine-15’s crew arrived on the scene along with EMT Logan Harris with MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service.
Cobb Fire is so proud of our crew, so thankful for our friends at MetroAtlanta Ambulance Service & in awe of Kevin & Dixie’s courage that day in saving a truly wonderful man’s life.
Thank you to Georgia House Rep. Matt Dollar & Michael Charles of Better Outcomes for bringing attention to this great story.
Please use this as a reminder to recognize & help a fellow person in need.
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The upcoming town hall meeting for Cobb commissioner Bob Ott comes with East Cobb cityhood efforts underway and as a new county budget season on the horizon.
Ott’s office announced Friday his town hall will be March 28 at 7 p.m. at the Catholic Church of St. Ann (4905 Roswell Road).
His town halls usually don’t have a preset agenda, but Ott has indicated recently he wants to provide the public with more information about a proposed City of East Cobb initiative that was revealed in recent months (see our East Cobb Cityhood Resource Page for more).
The map drawn up by cityhood proponents would include unincorporated parts of Ott’s District 2 east of I-75, excluding the Cumblerand Community Improvement District.
Ott said he’s not part of this drive, which was launched by Atlanta Country Club resident Joe Gavalis, his appointee to the Cobb Neighborhood Safety Commission.
Ott has said he’s sympathetic with constituents who’ve complained that District 2, which includes some of East Cobb and the Cumberland-Smyrna-Vinings area, provides 40 percent of county tax revenue but doesn’t get that percentage back in services.
That’s one of the factors cited by the Committee for the City of East Cobb, Inc., for pursuing possible cityhood, along with public safety staffing and greater local control of services, including zoning and development.
The group, which formed last September, lists commercial real estate developer G. Owen Brown as its treasurer, but others who are part of the group and who helped fund a municipal feasibility study have not been identified.
The group has hired Republican political consultant and TV pundit Phil Kent to handle public relations and John Garst, another GOP political consultant, to lobby in the legislature.
No local legislation has yet been introduced in the current session of the Georgia General Assembly to call for a referendum that would be required for an East Cobb city to be created. The earliest that vote could take place is 2020.
Some citizens groups of their own have formed Facebook groups relating to the East Cobb Cityhood issue.
One is the City of East Cobb Citizens Group, which sprang up out of a thread on the Nextdoor social platform, saying it is non-partisan and has not taken a position on the issue.
Also coming up in early March are budget and transit town hall meetings by Cobb Commission Chairman Mike Boyce. The first of those sessions take place March 5 at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center and March 6 at the East Cobb Senior Center.
After pushing for a property tax hike last year, Boyce has said he will not ask for another one for the fiscal year 2020 budget. Both Ott and Commissioner JoAnn Birrell of Northeast Cobb voted against that increase.
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Some Cobb school buses are equipped with cameras to photograph license plates of stop-arm violators.
When your kids return to school next week, a revision to a Georgia law regarding bus stop-arm requirements for motorists will have been put into place.
As Cobb students were letting out for their winter break this week, Gov. Brian Kemp on Friday signed SB 25, which clarifies language for when drivers must stop for buses on divided roadways.
The law passed by the General Assembly last year contained vague language about when motorists traveling in the opposite direction from a bus with the stop-arm extended had to stop.
The revision mandates that those vehicles must now stop on divided roads or highways unless there is a physical barrier between the two directions of traffic.
Along a road that is divided by a center turn lane or double yellow lane stripes, vehicles heading in the other direction must stop. The law passed in 2018 made that unclear.
However, if a road is divided by a grass or unpaved median or a raised barrier, vehicles traveling in the opposite direction do not have to stop.
All traffic on two-lane roads must stop for stopped buses, as has been the case since before last year’s legislation.
School Transportation News said two students in Georgia have been hit since the law was passed last year, one of them fatally, by vehicles that ran bus stop-arm signs.
SB 25 passed unanimously last week, 171-0 by the House and 55-0 by the Senate. It was the first bill signed into law by Kemp since he became governor in January, and it went into effect immediately.
State public safety agencies, including the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, released the following graphic to illustrate changes in the law.
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The good news for students in Cobb County schools is this is winter break week. The bad news is they may not get to enjoy much of that time out of doors.
That’s because several days’ worth of wet weather is in store for Cobb, metro Atlanta and much of Georgia.
The rain we got last month caused some flooding that closed down Columns Drive for a few days, mostly due to standing water caused by clogged drains.
The National Weather Service is forecasting heavier rains than that through most of the week, starting Monday night.
Some areas could get between 2 to 8 inches of rain, according to a hazardous weather outlook that includes Cobb. The chance of flooding in low-lying areas also is high, and conditions could be likely for flash-flooding as well.
Mostly cloudy conditions will be moving in after dark tonight, and it’s going to get cold, too, dipping in the high 30s.
Tuesday will be cold and wet, with highs only in the mid 40s. Wednesday will be a little warmer, but just as wet, with a 70 percent chance of rain in the Cobb area, with lows also in the high 30s.
Warmer temperatures will move in later in the week, with highs in the 60s on Thursday and Friday, but a 70 percent or so chance of rain.
The rain will taper off to around 50 percent by Saturday and Sunday, with highs also in the 60s.
So today may be the last we’ll see of sunshine for about a week.
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Three individual wrestlers from East Cobb schools are returning home as state champions this weekend, following completion of the Georgia High School Association traditional meet in Macon.
Two of them are from Lassiter High School, and even better news for the Trojans is they’re underclassmen.
Freshman David Panone won the Class 7A 120 weight class finals on Saturday, defeating Tyler Crew of eventual state champion Camden County by a 2-1 score.
Panone finished his very first season of varsity wrestling with a record of 51-3. His teammate, sophomore R.J. Weston, took home the 7A title at 138, defeating Ethan Willis of Hillgrove 4-0. For the season, Weston was 53-2.
The Trojans finished 11th in the 7A team standings with 59.5 points, and Walton was 12th with 53.5 points.
Thee Raiders wrestlers placed in Macon, including runners-up Cole Hixon at 195 and Jonathan Chesser at 220 and Caden Canzano, who finished 6th at 106.
Walton also had a wrestler place in the very-first girls GHSA competition. Sophomore Kiley Webb was 4th at 95 pounds. The girls events were individual-only.
For the Kell Longhorns, the state meet was bittersweet. Longtime head coach Steve Lattizori, who has been at the Northeast Cobb school since it opened, is retiring.
But he saw one last athlete win a state championship. Senior Andrew Parlato prevailed in the Class 6A 220 class, as he defeated Dimaggio Evan of Buford 7-3 in the finals.
Also for Kell, Joseph Fredeman was 5th at 132 and Jake Boyd was 4th at 138.
The Longhorns were 11th in the team standings. Their region rival Woodland of Cartersville won the state championship.
The Pope wrestling team was looking for its first state championship since 2014 and sent 11 wrestlers to Macon with a good chance.
The Greyhounds couldn’t catch up to Class 6A champion Valdosta, however, and finished second, with 141.5 points to 177.5 for Valdosta.
No Pope wrestlers won individual titles, but seven of them placed, finishing in the Top 6:
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Three East Cobb boys teams—from Kell, Wheeler and The Walker School—will get to play on in the Georgia High School Association basketball tournament.
They all won their first-round games at home on Friday night.
For Kell, its 84-73 win over Lithia Springs was the first-ever for the Longhorns in state playoff games. As the No. 1 seed from their region, they get to stay at home next week for a second-round Class 5A game against Columbia or Cedar Shoals.
Wheeler pulled away from Hillgrove in the second half to crush their cross-Cobb rivals by an 85-55 score. The Wildcats would have been able to play host to an East Cobb showdown in the second round, but Walton fell 49-35 at Tift County, which will be the hosts as a higher seed next week in the Class 7A bracket.
The Walker School boys, playing in the Private Class A tourney, held off Aquinas 45-36. The Wolverines also have to hit the road next week in the second round, visiting Riverside Military Academy.
In the Class 6A boys playoffs, the season ended for both East Cobb teams. Sprayberry was playing at home but lost to Chattahoochee 78-65. Pope lost at South Cobb 82-71.
Both girls teams from East Cobb that made the state playoffs have been eliminated. Pope lost to Creekview 50-43 in Class 6A, and The Walker School was defeated by Paideia 42-33.
Game times and dates haven’t been announced yet for the Kell, Wheeler and Walker games, nor for the Mt. Bethel Christian Academy boys’ game against Holy Innocents’ in the second round of the Private Class A tourney.
Admission is $7 and season passes are not accepted in the playoffs.
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!
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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!
