East Cobb News

PHOTOS: New Pope gym debuts as Lady Greyhounds roll

January 6, 2018 6:56 PM by Wendy Parker

After dignitaries, architects, construction engineers and school administrators were honored for their work making the new Pope High School gymnasium possible, the varsity girls basketball team made easy work of their opponent in the facility’s first event on Saturday.

The Lady Greyhounds trounced Chattahoochee 55-13, and the Greyhounds boys team also downed Chattahoochee 70-58, adding to the celebrations that brought out the Pope community.

The multi-level gym includes a running track on the top level, and peeking room at the floor down below.

Nick Parker, the executive director of the Cobb County School District SPLOST program, which oversees school construction, said the building of the new gym and adjoining theater (next to the existing gym) was one of the smoothest he’s experienced. He said the gym, which along with the theater cost nearly $24 million and took two years to build, will eventually have a capacity of 3,000, and will add 200 or so seats on the top level.

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!

Café 33 restaurant closes after more than six years in Sprayberry area

January 6, 2018 5:46 PMJanuary 6, 2018 12:31 PM by Wendy Parker

Late Friday night the Café 33 restaurant on East Piedmont Road announced it has closed, but gave no reason for the decision. The restaurant’s website also has been taken down, and the last day of business was New Year’s Eve.

On the restaurant’s Facebook page was the following message:

Cafe 33 would like to Thank all of our loyal customers who have supported us during the last 6 1/2 years.

We are very appreciative of your friendships and your business. We are sorry to say that we must close our doors at this time.

THANK YOU again and please continue to support the small family owned businesses in your community. We cannot survive without you.

UPDATED, 5:30 p.m. Saturday: We went by Café 33 after posting this, and noticed the same message posted in the windows and on the front door (and added the photo at the top and to the right).

All of the furniture had been cleared out of the lobby and dining area.

A further message from the restaurant about its closure was added to a comment thread earlier this afternoon:

Unfortunately, the foot traffic in the area has subsided so much that we were forced to shut the doors as well as not having support from our landlord on such issues as flooding coming in the front door, etc. We hope to maybe relocate but it wouldn’t be for a while. We will keep everyone posted…but for now Thank you from all of us.

Returning to original post:

Café 33 was started by Shane Clements, a Sprayberry High School graduate, in honor of his mother, and opened for breakfast and lunch at 2595 Sandy Plains Road, right across the street from his old school.

The restaurant moved to the Sprayberry Collection Shopping Center across the intersection at 2595 East Piedmont Road and added a dinner menu and a catering service.

Café 33 is the second Northeast Cobb restaurant in recent weeks to close. On Christmas Eve, The Rib Ranch closed after nearly 35 years on Canton Road.

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

East Cobb traffic update: Interstate 75 closures in effect into next week

January 5, 2018 7:42 PM by Wendy Parker

If you’re using Interstate 75 at all this weekend and into next week, there are some closures to note, via the Cobb Department of Transportation, that may affect your commute in and out of the East Cobb area.

The I-75 southbound exit ramp to Cobb Parkway will be closed from 9 p.m. tonight to 5 a.m. Saturday. Southbound motorists will merge onto I-285 westbound, then use Exit 18 to reach Paces Ferry Road. That will be followed by a left on Paces Ferry and another left to the entrance ramp for I-285 eastbound. After that, motorists will use Exit 19 for Cobb Parkway to resume their travel.

The I-75 southbound exit ramp to the South Marietta Parkway will be closed from Sunday through Thursday. The closures start at 11 p.m. and continue to 5 a.m. each day. Motorists coming off I-75 southbound to the South Marietta Parkway will stay on I-75 and use Delk Road (Exit 261). The detour includes taking a right on Cobb Parkway.

Both closures are part of continuing construction work to complete the Northwest Corridor Project.

For more information, visit the Cobb Commute travel advisory page.

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

EAST COBB WEEKEND EVENTS: Last call for tree recycling; Pope gym opens; library activities; and more

January 5, 2018 5:25 PM by Wendy Parker

tree recycling, Bring One for the Chipper, Keep Cobb Beautiful — *Discarded Christmas trees at the Home Depot at Providence Square, 4101 Roswell Road, which will be accepting trees from 9-4 Saturday. (ECN photo)*

Saturday is the last day to drop off Christmas Trees in Keep Cobb Beautiful’s “Bring One for the Chipper” recycling program, and several East Cobb locations are participating.

The dropoff hours are from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Fullers Park (3499 Robinson Road) and Noonday Creek Park (489 Hawkins Store Road) as well as Home Depot stores at Providence Square Shopping Center (4101 Roswell Road) and Highland Plaza (3605 Sandy Plains Road).

In exchange for your tree (any with decorations will not be accepted), you’ll get free mulch.

There’s a lot going on Saturday elsewhere throughout East Cobb, as we rounded up earlier this week, including a podcasting course from 2-5 and the start of a “Murderino” movie series from 11-1 at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road). There’s also a teen light painting workshop from 2-4 at the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road).

There’s some additional information to note here about the ribbon-cutting for the new gymnasium at Pope High School (3001 Hembree Road) Saturday afternoon, before the Greyhounds’ varsity basketball teams play Chattahoochee.

Spectators who arrive before 3:15 will be admitted for free; the ribbon-cutting ceremony and other festivities begin at 3:30 p.m. It’s Alumni Night for Pope basketball, with the girls playing at 4:30 and the boys tipping off at 6.

A major high school swimming meet, the Indian Invite, takes place at 2 p.m. Saturday at the Mountain View Aquatic Center (2650 Gordy Parkway). The host is McEachern, but the other participants include swim teams from Lassiter.

At the Cobb Central Aquatic Center (520 Fairground St., Marietta), Walton is the host for a varsity swimming meet that includes Wheeler.

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!

Marietta police charge man with threatening to shoot up Northeast Cobb church

January 5, 2018 1:04 PM by Wendy Parker

A Nigerian immigrant whom Marietta Police say threatened to shoot up a Northeast Cobb church and kill people inside has been charged with making terroristic threats.

Police said Ken Ogbemudia, a member of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) Heaven’s Gate on Pickens Industrial Drive, located off Allgood Road, has been admitted to WellStar Kennestone Hospital for psychiatric evaluation.

Once he is released, police said he will be held without bond. Marietta Police issued a statement Friday morning saying that Temitosan Abimbola, the pastor of the church, told authorities about Ogbemudia’s threats.

Police said Ogbemudia allegedly texted a threatening message to church members. According to police, the pastor also spoke with a woman identified as Karen James, whom he said told him that she had purchased two AK-47 rifles and 600 rounds of ammunition.

Ogbemudia was taken into custody on Thursday, according to police, who said they have located no weapons and added that James is cooperating with the investigation.

Officials from the U.S. Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement are checking into Ogbemudia’s immigration status.

Police said he arrived in the United States from Nigeria in 2011 and has told authorities he is in the country illegally.

The church is part of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, a Pentecostal denomination based in Lagos, Nigeria, and that has branches in nearly 200 nations.

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!

Jump-start your January with the East Cobb News community events calendar

January 4, 2018 8:08 PM by Wendy Parker

We keep adding to the East Cobb News community events calendar all the time, so Monday’s post on things to do this week has a few more additions.

It’s going to be a big weekend at Pope High School on Saturday, as we noted earlier, with the community ribbon-cutting for the new gymnasium, as well as the “Bring One for the Chipper” tree recycling event and all kinds of activities at public libraries in the East Cobb area.

That’s just the start of a healthy variety of activities, events and courses for all ages, and for a lot of good causes to start the year. The following is a sample of (mostly) free events throughout the month.

On Monday, parents of students with disabilities can learn more about becoming advocates for their children at a free workshop starting at 10 a.m. at Art It Out (255 Village Parkway, Suite 580). Education Rights 101 is led by Tim Schwartz, an attorney who specializes in students’ rights. You’ll need to register by calling 770-726-9589.

There’s a free concert next Sunday, Jan. 14, at 4 p.m. at St. Catherine’s Episcopal Church (571 Holt Road) as part of their continuing community concert series. The Summit Trio is made up of three Kennesaw State music faculty members, performing on the piano, cello and violin.

Quilting devotees can meet internally regarded quilter Elizabeth Barton on Saturday, Jan. 20 from 2-4 at the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road), who will talk about what inspires her as an artist, as well as a teacher of the craft, as well as design and fabric dyeing. Call 770-509-2725 to register.

Fitness activities always abound in January, and the best-known community run to start off the year is the Polar Bear Run, which now is a qualifier for the Peachtree Road Race. The 30th annual event takes place as usual at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road), with several start times, including the 5K at 8:30 a.m. Registration fees range from $25-$35 and signup can be done online here.

There’s so much more to do by checking our full events calendar for this week, this month and beyond. Send your calendar listings to: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post them 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!

Cobb included in new wind chill advisory; East Cobb churches seeking shelter volunteers

January 4, 2018 11:16 AM by Wendy Parker

For the second time this week, the National Weather Service office in Atlanta has issued a wind chill advisory that includes Cobb County.

The advisory period is from 7 p.m. Thursday to 10 a.m. Friday for northwestern Georgia. Low temperatures are projected to dip into the teens, with wind chills possibly resulting in temperatures between five above and seven below zero.

Two East Cobb churches are also offering shelter from the cold tonight for the homeless, and need volunteers. Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church (4385 Lower Roswell Road) and Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) announced on the Opening Our Doors website that they need volunteers at both locations.

There’s a volunteer sign-up link here; and if you have issues call 678-560-7527.

The cold snap that’s lingered into the new year won’t be thawing out anytime soon. Friday’s high is forecast to be only in the mid 30s, with Friday lows once again in the teens. Saturday and Sunday highs will be the same, and there’s a chance of freezing rain on Sunday night.

Temperatures aren’t expected to get into the 40s until Monday, and next week could bring temperatures in the low 50s.

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!

State Rep. John Carson to discuss Georgia distracted driving legislation

January 3, 2018 6:08 PM by Wendy Parker

State Rep. John Carson, chairman of the House Study Committee on Distracted Driving, said Wednesday he is holding a press conference a week from now, on Jan. 10, to detail Georgia distracted driving legislation for the upcoming session of the legislature.

Carson, a Republican from Northeast Cobb, will also discuss the committee’s final report, which was issued in December and includes legislative recommendations (full report is here).

On Tuesday, the City of Smyrna became the first municipality in the state to pass a hands-free driving ordinance (report here via the Cobb County Courier), but only after Mayor Max Bacon voted to break a tie on the city council.

A poll cited by Carson’s study committee found that two-thirds of Georgians favor a hands-free driving law in Georgia (66.4 percent), with nearly 22 percent undecided.

“I’m encouraged to see that the majority of Georgia voters are supportive of a hands-free driving law in our state,” Carson said in a statement in December. “Last year alone, over 1,500 people died in automobile accidents on Georgia roads, and according to a recent poll, over 82 percent of Georgia voters believe that texting while driving is a major contributing factor to the increased number of auto accidents. Distracted diving is an extremely serious public safety concern, and it is absolutely essential that this issue is addressed in the 2018 General Assembly session to prevent further distracted driving-related car crashes and fatalities.”

The poll was conducted by in October by Landmark Communications, Inc. of Alpharetta, and surveyed 700 randomly selected active Georgia voters.

The study committee also is recommending an increase in the current $150 fine for distract driving on a staggering scale, up to $1,000 for serious, repeat offenders, and to boost the driver’s license penalty by 2 to 4 points on a staggering scale, from the current 1-point penalty for a distracted driving offense.

The committee recommended against a total ban on use of mobile devices in vehicles, saying it’s not realistic. No other state has such a law.

Carson’s study committee found that 13 of the 15 states with hands-free laws have seen an average decrease of 17.5 percent in traffic fatalities two years after passing and enforcing those laws.

The panel also noted that Georgia’s anti-texting law, which went into effect in 2010, has been difficult to enforce because law enforcement officers are unable to determine whether motorists are using their phones to text or for other purposes.

The 2018 legislative session begins on Monday. Carson’s press conference is Wednesday, Jan. 10, at 2 p.m on the second floor of the rotunda of the Georgia State Capitol, 206 Washington St. SW, Atlanta.

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 Art Place-Mountain View art classes for winter open for registration

January 3, 2018 12:48 PM by Wendy Parker

The Art Place-Mountain View (3330 Sandy Plains Road) has reopened after the Christmas and New Year’s holiday break, and today opened registration for winter art classes that begin later this month.

Classes are divided in to youth (ages 5-18) and adult divisions, with classes beginning as early as Jan. 16.

Classes include pottery, sculpture, raku, drawing, illustration, digital photography, metals and jewelry, mosaics, knitting, painting, felting, drama and more.

There’s a new registration system that’s also kicked into effect starting today, called CivicRec (more info about that here). Participants who’ve been in the previous system for the last two years have had their accounts automatically transferred.

The Cobb PARKS site has general information about programs, but for more information about The Art Place registration, and to sign up online, click 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!

Former Sprayberry football star Rodrigo Blankenship helps Georgia Bulldogs reach national championship game

January 2, 2018 3:32 PM by Wendy Parker

When former Sprayberry football star Rodrigo Blankenship kicked a 55-yard field goal for the Georgia Bulldogs near the end of the first half on New Year’s Day against Oklahoma, it did more than set a Rose Bowl record.

Those points helped the Bulldogs recover from a 17-point deficit as they defeated the Sooners 54-48 in double overtime in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff.

It was a game, as one sportswriter covering the came called it, “flat-out bonkers,” and Blankenship played a vital role.

In the national championship game next Monday against Alabama, Blankenship and UGA will be playing very close to home, at the new Mercedes Benz Stadium in downtown Atlanta.

Blankenship, who also starred for the Yellow Jackets in soccer during his days at Sprayberry, was an all-county and all-state placekicker and punter under former coach Billy Shackelford.

But he initially was a walk-on at Georgia, and finally was awarded a full athletic scholarship earlier this season, after he kicked the decisive field goal for the Bulldogs in a 20-19 win over Notre Dame.

A sophomore, Blankenship’s previous longest field goal was from 49 yards out this season against Mississippi State. His longest field goal in high school was a 56-yarder.

He’s also become something of a cult figure on social media, notable for the thick, nerdy-looking glasses he wears under his helmet while playing.

The Twitter account for Men in Blazers, a national soccer TV program hosted by two sardonic British expatriates, posted several times during the game and included photos of Blankenship playing soccer for Sprayberry (also while wearing glasses):

RODRIGO BLANKESHIP World Cup 2022 🇺🇸👊 pic.twitter.com/2MP1zJuBhM

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) January 1, 2018

YOU CAN’T SPELL CHAMPIONSHIP WITHOUT “BLANKENSHIP” pic.twitter.com/7kWGWiNsGG

— Men in Blazers (@MenInBlazers) January 2, 2018

On his personal website, Blankenship has included soccer information while he was at Sprayberry. He graduated in 2015 and enrolled at UGA, redshirting that year, and was an all-freshman SEC team selection last year.

This season, he has made 16 of 19 field goal attempts, including the Rose Bowl, and was voted one of the most improved UGA players on special teams.

After the Rose Bowl, Blankenship talked about his record-setting kick and Georgia’s memorable win:

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

East Cobb This Week: Library events; new Pope gym opens; tree recycling

January 2, 2018 2:18 PM by Wendy Parker

It’s the first business day of 2018, and while Cobb schools don’t get back into session until Thursday, there’s plenty to do in East Cobb during the first full week of the new year.

Many of those activities will be at public libraries, including the new Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road), which is having an orientation session from 7-8 tonight that includes a chance to sign up for classes, as well as film screenings and other special events later in the week.

On Thursday “The Adventures of Robin Hood” classic film screening takes place from 2-4 at Sewell Mill.

Also on Thursday, at the East Cobb Library (4880 Lower Roswell Road), there will be a screening of “The Return of the Pink Panther” from 1-3, that’s part of the Movie Matinee Club. The East Cobb branch also will be having a senior Tai Chi Wellness Class from 11:30-12:30 that requires registration.

On Saturday is the first of the “Murderino” murder-mystery film screenings at Sewell Mill. “The Night of the Hunter” will be shown from 11-1.

Also on Saturday, Sewell Mill will be holding an Introduction to Podcasting session from 2-5, with speakers from the Podcast Atlanta collaborative. The event also includes a podcast-ready microphone that will be raffled off.

A new regular event begins Thursday at the Mountain View Regional Library (3320 Sandy Plains Road), and it’s for knitting, crocheting and related crafting devotees. “I’d Rather Be Stitching” is a weekly drop-in session from 1-3.

Also at Mountain View on Saturday is an art event for middle and high school students. “#TeenSpace Light Painting” goes from 2-4 and you’ll need to register for this one-time workshop.

Saturday is the day to get your Christmas tree recycled through Keep Cobb Beautiful’s “Bring One for the Chipper” event. Drop off your trees at Fullers Park or Noonday Creek Park or two Home Depot locations between 9-4 and get free mulch in exchange.

Also on Saturday, Pope High School (3001 Hembree Road) will christen its new gymnasium with a community ribbon-cuttting ceremony at 3:15 p.m., followed by varsity basketball games starting at 4 p.m. between the Greyhounds girls and Chattahoochee High School, and the boys tipping off at 6 p.m.

Check out our full events calendar for this week and beyond. Send your calendar listings to: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we’ll post them 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!

Cobb Board of Education elects officers, sets meeting schedule for 2018

January 2, 2018 1:37 PMJanuary 2, 2018 12:47 PM by Wendy Parker

The Cobb County Board of Education met this morning in a special called organizational meeting to choose officers for 2018.

The new chairman is Brad Wheeler of Post 7 (Harrison, Hillgrove, McEachern). He is a former teacher, coach and administrator in Cobb schools, and has been on the school board since 2013.

Last year’s chairman, David Chastain of Post 4 in Northeast Cobb (Kell and Sprayberry), remains an officer and will serve as vice chairman for this year.

Chastain, a board member since 2015, attended Brumby Elementary School and East Cobb Middle School and is a graduate of Wheeler High School.

The seven-member Cobb school board annually elects officers for calendar year period. Wheeler and Chastain are among the six Republicans on the board, and they were elected with unanimous votes.

The Cobb school board also set its 2018 meeting schedule Tuesday, and has made some changes. Previously the board held work sessions on the second Wednesday and regular meetings on the third Thursday.

In 2018 the board be holding its monthly work session and regular meeting on the same day, either the second or third Thursday (see schedule below). From January through October, the work sessions start at 1 p.m., with regular meetings starting at 7 p.m. Both meetings will include public comment periods. Executive sessions will be held at 5:30 p.m.

In November and December, the work sessions begin at 9 a.m., followed by an executive session and regular meeting.

The meeting dates are as follows:

Jan. 18;
Feb. 15,
March 15;
April 19;
May 17;
June 21;
July 26;
Aug. 16;
Sept. 13;
Oct. 18;
Nov. 15;
Dec. 13.

All public meetings are held in the board meeting room of the Cobb County School District central office, 514 Glover St., Marietta.

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!

WellStar Health System provided $648M in charity care in 2017

January 1, 2018 7:43 PM by Wendy Parker

Press release:

WellStar Health System, the largest not-for-profit health system in Georgia, provided more than $648 million in charity and unreimbursed care, as well as community programs during the 2017 fiscal year.

As a community-based health system, WellStar’s physicians, nurses, advanced practice professionals and team members are committed to helping patients and communities live healthier lives. Currently, 10 percent of WellStar’s patients do not have insurance. As part of its mission,WellStar cares for these patients, regardless of their ability to pay.

Through 11 hospitals and 250 medical office locations, WellStar provided more than $250 million in charity care and more than $117 million in care for those who were unable to pay for services but did not apply for charity care. Additionally, community and outreach programs are important tools to help patients and families meet their health goals and understand their options, and WellStar funded $10 million in community programs during fiscal year 2017.

The amount of charity and unreimbursed care dramatically increased in 2017 due to WellStar’s recent expansion. In 2016, WellStar grew to an 11-hopsital system when WellStar Atlanta Medical Center, WellStar Atlanta Medical Center South, WellStar North Fulton Hospital, WellStarSpalding Regional Hospital, WellStar Sylvan Grove Hospital and WellStar West Georgia Medical Center joined the health system.

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

East Cobb youth baseball registration underway through January

January 1, 2018 4:04 PM by Wendy Parker

It’s bitterly cold as 2018 begins, so it doesn’t feel much like baseball season, but time is running out for East Cobb youth baseball registration.

Registration continues through Jan. 28 for the East Marietta National Little League, which will have player evaluations Feb. 3, followed by the start of practices Feb. 10 and the Opening Day celebration at Sewell Park on March 10.

Full registration information, including costs and season dates, can be found here.

At East Side Baseball, the online registration deadline is this coming Sunday, Jan. 7, with a late fee applying after that. Evaluations start during the month, on Jan. 20, with the season starting on March 3 and the rookie season following on March 17.

More registration information is listed here.

Registration for the recreational season at the Sandy Plains Baseball Association concludes on Jan. 25 at 9 p.m., with late fees applying after that. More details here about fees and age groups. Evaluations start on March 3.

East Cobb Baseball‘s spring season starts in late February with various Triple Crown tournament events for ages 8-14. For more information and a full schedule of events, click 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!

Wind chill advisory ushers in cold first week of 2018 for Cobb, metro Atlanta

January 1, 2018 12:49 PM by Wendy Parker

If you think the end of 2017 was cold, the first week of the New Year is going to be the coldest weather sequence of the winter.

The National Weather Service has issued a wind chill advisory from 7 p.m. tonight until 10 a.m. Tuesday for most of northwest Georgia, including Cobb County.

Not long after 2018 rang in, the temperatures dropped dramatically. At around noon today the temperature in East Cobb hovered around 20 degrees, and the high isn’t expected to get beyond the mid 20s.

But it feels a lot colder than that, and it will for the rest of New Year’s Day and into Tuesday.

The wind chill is the real issue. At around 8 a.m. the NWS estimated the wind chill in the Marietta area was 3 degrees above zero.

There was a chance of light snow flurries this morning as well, although nothing has been reported to have fallen in the Cobb area.

It’s after the sun goes down tonight that even colder weather, aided by the wind, could drop into the mid teens. The projected wind chill in the advisory area—a line running roughly north from Carrollton to Canton to Cleveland—could be between 5 degrees above zero and zero.

The wind chill means that it’s precarious to go outside with skin exposed. Frostbite and hypothermia can occur quickly, so individuals are advised to wear heavy coats, hats and gloves and to bring outdoor pets inside.

Tuesday will be sunny with a high just above freezing, with lows in the high teens.

Wednesday and Thursday won’t be much warmer, with highs also around freezing. By the weekend, there may be something of a thaw, with highs in the low 40s for Sunday.

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 looking at you, East Cobb: Community events, people and happenings in 2017

December 31, 2017 7:04 AM by Wendy Parker

solar eclipse, East Cobb Park — *East Cobbers take in the solar eclipse in August at East Cobb Park. (East Cobb News photos and slideshow by Wendy Parker)*

Previously we posted about the notable news stories in East Cobb during the past year. What follows is a photo gallery of other East Cobb community events since East Cobb News launched in July.

Related coverage

Top East Cobb headlines for 2017

Click on the photo for a related story and photo link, and scroll all the way down for a gallery of even more photos from our first six months of publication.

Enjoy, and Happy New Year!

Skip Wells Memorial Ride

Braves dedicate Sandy Plains Baseball field

East Cobber Parade marches down Johnson Ferry

East Cobb Garden Tour debuts

Mt. Zion UMC celebrates 125th anniversary

East Cobb Rotary Club’s Dog Day Run

Labor Day BBQ and Classic Cars at Holy Smoke Festival

A new community piano for East Cobb Park

13th annual Ecumenical Thanksgiving Service

But wait, there’s more!

This slideshow requires JavaScript.

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 last East Cobb News Digest for 2017 is out! Subscribing is a snap!

December 30, 2017 1:24 PM by Wendy Parker

If you’re a newsletter subscriber, you received a special year-end edition of the East Cobb News Digest on Friday, ahead of the New Year’s holiday.

The newsletter usually comes out on Sunday, and will return on its usual date next Sunday, Jan. 7.

If you haven’t subscribed, it’s free and easy to do so. Follow this link, type in your e-mail address and you’re all set! Catch up with the top headlines in East Cobb, find out what’s coming up and find convenient community information all in one place!

East Cobb News doesn’t offer or sell its newsletter list to anyone, but in the future subscribers may receive occasional messages from advertisers.

We launched in the middle of the year and I’m looking forward to expanding our coverage of East Cobb in our first full year, and provide readers and local business owners more opportunities to make community connections.

I want to end 2017 with a special thanks to all of you who have subscribed recently, and who continue to read East Cobb News:

Greg Talsky, Lisa Hanson, Elizabeth Brown, Frankie Bidwell, Robert Love, Cecilia Griesenauer, Robert Tchou, Steve Worrall, Jana Hill, Bobbie Whitaker, J. Stewart, Megan Lee, Katie Williams, Teresa Glamp, Christina Engberg, Cornelius O’Connor, Bill Zingalie, Katie Hinson, Lonnie Hignite, M. Brown, Gordon Hopper.

Doris Wilson, Patricia Young, Caroline McGrath, Nate Bennett, Alexis Williams, Robert Thompson, Iris Thorn, Laura Springer, Barbara DeLaRonde, Jacky Rojas, Ruth Powell, Amanda Myers, Makiko Onodera, Gail Harris, Bob Zartarian, Johnnie Hunsucker, Ellen Williams, Charles Muckey, Miles Seymour, Douglas Martin, Dipti Khilnani.

Jennifer Gleaton, Roger Wilby, Janice Ciejek, Charlotte McDowell Montgomery, Mary Scruggs, Steve Ridenour, Ed Speirs, Stacy Gibbs, L. Stokes, Meredith Pierce, Jessie Lovett, Dorie Gallagher, Catherine Raymond, Jessica Karp, Mike Politinsky, Mikki Hester, Jennifer Burke, Heather Johnson, Scott Felcher, Angela Herritt, Barry Riesenberg.

Please feel free to get in touch, send tips and news items, and let us know how we’re doing: wendy@eastcobbnews.com; phone/text 404-219-4278.

Have a great New Year’s celebration, and a great start to 2018!

Selected New Year’s Eve events near East Cobb

December 30, 2017 12:20 PM by Wendy Parker

While a number of East Cobb restaurants are having special dinners Sunday night, there are quite a few places to ring in 2018 in public settings that aren’t far from home.

This first one is for kids only, and it’s in East Cobb: a quick Zumba celebration from 11:15 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. Sunday at the Northeast Cobb YMCA TRX Studio (3010 Johnson Ferry Road). There will be dancing, singing and a special countdown right around the noon hour.

This event is for kids ages 5-12, and there’s no registration or cost.

Making its New Year’s Eve debut is The Battery Atlanta (800 Battery Ave.), with two events with free admission.

The children’s/family party is from 5:30 to 8 p.m., D.J. Rekka on the Fox Stage, as well as stage show performances and other entertainment. The ice skating rink will be open until 7 p.m.

The adult party goes from 9 p.m. to 12:30 a.m., also with D.J. Rekka, aerialists and acrobats and fireworks. The featured music is by Charles Esten of the CMT “Nashville” program at the Georgia Power Pavilion.

All parking decks are open for both events.

The Marietta Square Winter Wonderland is back for another holiday season, and the ice skating hours are generous: from 10 a.m. to “late” on New Year’s Eve, and from 2-9 p.m. on New Year’s Day.

On New Year’s Eve, food trucks and kid’s events get underway at 5 p.m., the Chick-fil-A cow drop starts at 7 and live music fills the air from 7:30 to 11 p.m. The evening is topped off by the countdown to midnight at 11:59 p.m. and the chicken drop to follow.

In downtown Atlanta, the Peach Drop, presented by the City of Atlanta, has an evening of free events starting at Woodruff Park from 5:30 p.m. until well after midnight. Performers include rappers Jeezy, TLC and Tyrese.

The location is new this year, at the Flatiron Building, and is accessible via the Peachtree Center and Five Points MARTA stations.

Wherever you go and whatever do, bundle up! Temperatures could dip into the low 20s and even lower to start 2018, and may not get above freezing on New Year’s Day and into the first week of the new year.

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!

Start of horror flick series closes 2017 events at East Cobb-area libraries

December 29, 2017 3:09 PM by Wendy Parker

The last day that East Cobb-area libraries will be open for 2017 is Saturday, and the newest branch will be kicking off a new film series in the final event of the year.

The new Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road) keeps adding to its film screenings with the showing of “Videodrome,” a 1983 Canadian science fiction film starring James Woods and Deborah Harry (of “Blondie” fame).

Woods plays a television executive who chases down the source of a broadcast signal that shows violence, and who loses touch with reality in what’s dubbed a “techno-surrealist” film.

It’s the first of a “Horror Movie Saturday” series that continues every other week through Feb. 24. Saturday’s flick, and all the others in this series, run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and you’re free to bring your own food and drink.

Please keep in mind that this series is for adults only (and “Videodrome” certainly is loaded with adult material), and some films are rated R.

All Cobb library branches will be closed Sunday and Monday, and will reopen Tuesday, Jan. 2 at regular hours and with several events scheduled. Among them is an orientation of the new programs and services offered at Sewell Mill from 7-8 p.m., including the chance to register for classes and programs.

The library opened on Dec. 4, with a formal ribbon-cutting taking place Jan. 9.

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

Cobb Police release photos of Powers Ferry-Terrell Mill bank robbery suspect

December 29, 2017 1:34 PM by Wendy Parker

The suspect wanted for the recent robbery of a SunTrust bank at Powers Ferry and Terrell Mill roads has been identified via surveillance camera.

Cobb Police have released photographs of the man they believe held up the SunTrust branch at 1380 Powers Ferry Road on Dec. 20 (previous East Cobb News post here) as he approached a teller demanding cash.

The suspect left with the money but there has not been a description of the vehicle.

Police describe the suspect as a black male, 20-25 years old, 175-180 pounds, and was last seen wearing a black baseball hat, camouflaged hoodie, black jacket and blue jeans. Police also have said the same suspect may have robbed a South Cobb motel earlier this month.

Anyone with information about the robbery is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3945 or provide an anonymous tip at Greater Atlanta Crime Stoppers at 404-577-TIPS (8477).

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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