According to his obituary, Chitwood was a graduate of Lassiter High School and had recently begun a company breeding Koi fish.
Chitwood’s survivors include his wife and two children.
A celebration of life service is scheduled for Saturday at Fellowship Bible Church in Roswell: “All are welcome, to honor Cody, Hawaiian attire suggested.”
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Cobb Police said Monday that a man was killed and another was injured over the weekend in a single-vehicle crash on Blackwell Road in Northeast Cobb.
Officer Aaron Wilson said that Cody Chitwood, 29, of Marietta, was driving a 2023 Subaru WRX around 2:47 a.m. Saturday, heading eastbound on Blackwell Road near Autumn Ridge Drive, when the car left the road for unknown reasons.
Wilson said the Subaru veered into a vegetated embankment and smashed through a wooden fenced before coming to a stop between two trees.
Police said Chitwood was pronounced dead on the scene and a passenger in the Subaru, Travis Goode, 29, of Willacoochee, sustained minor injuries.
Wilson said the crash remains under investigation and that anyone with information is asked to call Cobb Police at at 770-499-3987.
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!
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 National Weather Service has extended the advisory, including Cobb County, until 8 p.m. Tuesday, as “1 to 4 inch totals with isolated totals up to 5 inches have already been observed within the watch area since Saturday.
“Additional rainfall of 1 to 3 inches with isolated higher amounts up to 6 inches remain possible through Tuesday
evening.”
ORIGINAL REPORT:
Cobb County is in a flood watch through Monday night.
The Natioal Weather Service in Peachtree City issued the watch for most of Georgia this morning through 8 p.,m. on Monday, as a major thunderstorm system is moving through the Deep South.
Rainfall amounts of between 1-3 inches are expected Sunday and Monday, and higher amounts of up to 5 inches could lead to flash flooding through Monday morning.
Flooding could occur in low-lying areas, especially near rivers, streams and creeks and in areas with drainage areas.
There’s a 50 percent chance of rain today in the Cobb area, mostly until the mid-afternoon. High temperatures are expected in the mid 70s, with lows in the low 60s.
The rain will taper off Sunday night into Monday morning, the first day of school in Cobb County, with a 40 percent chance of rain, mostly after 2 p.m. Highs also will be in the mid 70s during the day, and the rain is expected to pick up Monday night into Tuesday.
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 Cobb County School District’s 2025-26 academic year begins on Monday, serving more than 105,000 students across the county.
Teachers returned to their classes for final preparations, and school buses were making their practice runs in the last week as Georgia’s second-largest school district revs back into action after a two-month summer break.
There will be more traffic on the roads in the early morning rush hour and after mid-afternoon school release times.
Cobb DOT posted a social media message this week reminding motorists about new state laws pertaining to penalties for illegally passing stopped school buses.
A law went into effect July 1 making such an offense an aggravated misdemeanor, with offenders facing a $1,000 fine, up to 12 months in jail or both.
“If the violation is recorded by cameras mounted on school buses, it results in a civil fine starting at $1,000,” according to the Cobb DOT.
School bus traffic and student pedestrian safety issues to keep in mind:
Yellow flashing lights mean the school bus is slowing down and about to stop.
Red flashing lights and the extended stop arm mean children are boarding or exiting the bus. Motorists must come to a complete stop a safe distance from the bus. They must wait until the red lights stop flashing, the stop arm is retracted, and the bus starts moving again.
Children along the road might dart into traffic without looking. Motorists are responsible for driving slowly, yielding to crossing children and coming to a complete stop to protect children on the road.
Please drive slowly in your neighborhoods as school buses conduct pick-ups and drop-offs in subdivisions too.
Remember to use your headlights if it is dark outside to ensure visibility of pedestrians.
The Cobb school district’s transportation page includes links to finding bus routes, using its bus mobile app and following bus safety tips.
The distict’s Cobb Shield page includes school safety information, including links on the alert tip line, emergency management procedures and the district’ police officers.
Parents, teachers and students actively communicate via the district’s CTLS online portal about academic progress, student outcomes, assessments and learning resources.
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!
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 Marietta Girls Basketball is now accepting registrations for the upcoming 2025–2026 season. Open to girls in grades 3 through 12, this inclusive and community-driven program ensures that every girl who attends evaluations will be placed on a team—no cuts, no experience required.
The registration window is open now through October 10, 2025. Families are encouraged to sign up early to secure a spot and get details on evaluation dates.
“We are proud to offer a positive, confidence-building environment where every girl can play, learn, and grow through the game of basketball,” said a spokesperson from East Marietta Basketball. “Whether you’re new to the sport or a returning player, there’s a place for you here.”
In addition to player registration, volunteer coaches are needed to help lead teams and support the development of young athletes. Parents, guardians, and community members with a passion for mentorship and teamwork are encouraged to sign up.
East Marietta Basketball is a nonprofit youth sports organization, run 100% by volunteers,dedicated to providing a fun, inclusive, and developmental basketball experience for girls and boys across Cobb County and the surrounding area.
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The Walton High School football program will hold its annual Raiders Day football jamboree Saturday at Raider Valley.
The gates open at 8 a.m., followed by meeting with the varsity team and members of the Junior Raiders teams, along with a field goal challenge.
At 9 a.m., the 2025 teams will be introduced, with varsity vs. varsity and JV vs. 9th grade scrimmages.
At 10 a.m. is the Junior Raider Handshake followed by a variety of community activities.
Pre-season practice is just getting underway as a new school year begins. Walton
Walton’s football season once again starts off with an appearance in the Corky Kell Classic at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
On Aug. 16, the Raiders will play Cobb rival McEachern at 4 p.m. Walton’s home opener is Aug. 29 vs. Roswell.
The Walton Touchdown Club also will be having a fundraiser, the Raider Rhinestone Rodeo Bash, on Aug. 23 at Olde Towne Athletic Club.
There will be drinks, dinner, dancing raffle prizes and auction items, with proceeds to benefitting the club’s efforts to provide financial support, upgrade facilities and conduct game-day operations,
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From L-R: Pope HS principal Matthew Bradford; Cobb school superintendent Chris Ragsdale; Amanda Dillard; Cobb school board member John Cristadoro. Cobb County School District photos and video.
As teachers returned to their classrooms Monday to get ready for another academic year, three of them were in for a big surprise.
The first day back also coincides with the Cobb County School District’s announcement of grade-level 2025 Teacher of the Year honors, and one of them works at a school in East Cobb.
Amanda Dillard of Pope High School, a special education teacher, was named the district’s High School Teacher of the Year during an assembly visited by Superintendent Chris Ragsdale, who made the announcement.
“Every day when I come into work, I hope that I can make a difference in at least one student’s life,” Dillard said in a district release, describing her daily perspective. “Each day, I hope I can connect one-on-one with at least one student to make their day better. I bring a lot of positive energy and positive vibes to our environment here. I try to bring the fun!”
She said she enjoys the family atmosphere at Pope and that “I feel very supported in my work. I don’t think there’s anywhere else that supports their employees the way Cobb does.”
Dillard, who also is Pope’s e-sports coach, is among the hundreds of Cobb teachers in the Georgia’s BEST program, which provides Cobb teachers with free graduate degree programs through the State University of West Georgia.
She will be a finalist for the 2025 Cobb Teacher of the Year, which will be announced this fall. The other candidates are Caleb Garrett of Compton Elementary School and Lakeisha Grange, a math teacher at Betty Gray Middle School.
Teachers are selected by their colleagues as their individual school’s teacher of the year, before being considered for grade-level recognition.
“The Teachers of the Year are the ‘superstars,’ but it takes the entire team to make our District successful,” Ragsdale said. “It is always so great to see all the other teachers at a school gather around and support the winner. You get to really see the team approach.”
The first day of the 2025-26 school year is Monday.
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A Cobb grand jury has indicted Cobb Superior Court Clerk Connie Taylor following an investigation into her alleged conduct over the handling of passport fees processed by her office.
Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said in a release Thursday that Taylor has been charged with two counts of destroying government records and two counts of violating her oath of office—all felony counts.
The indictment by a Cobb grand jury comes after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation conducted a probe into the matter following allegations that Taylor tried to direct an employee to delete government e-mails and financial records in response to an open records request in late 2022.
Taylor had come under fire for personally pocketing $425,000 in passport fees, on top of her $170,000 annual salary.
Under state law, court clerks are allowed to personally keep such funds. But Rebecca Keaton, Taylor’s predecessor, forwarded some of those monies to the county’s general fund.
The Cobb Superior Court Clerk is an elected constitutional officer, one of four in the county.
Maya Curry, who worked in the clerk’s office, said Taylor ordered her to destroy records about the passport application fees when The Atlanta Journal-Constitution filed an open records request seeking that information.
Curry’s allegations (you can read her attorney’s letter here) include a comment by Taylor that “we’re just going to Donald Trump this thing,” a reference to deleting any files or records that would be germane to an open records request.
Carr’s office went to a Cobb grand jury with the GBI’s findings after the Cobb District Attorney’s Office recused itself. Cobb judges also recused themselves, and a retired Douglas County judge presided over the grand jury’s presentment in Cobb Superior Court.
“Georgians deserve honesty and transparency from their elected officials, and anything less undermines public trust,” Carr said in a statement. “Any attempts to conceal or destroy government records are serious allegations that cannot be ignored, and those responsible will be held accountable.”
Taylor has hired former Gov. Roy Barnes to represent her, and he has declined comment.
Taylor is a Democrat who was first elected in 2020, ousting Keaton from office. Even after the passport issue became public, and a judicial emergency was declared over her implementation of a new court online filing system, Taylor easily won re-election in 2024.
She beat a crowded field in the Democratic primary and then prevailed over Republican Deborah Dance, a former Cobb County Attorney, in the general election.
After Taylor’s indictment Thursday, Cobb District Attorney Sonya Allen issued a statement, saying that “we recognize the significance and understand the public’s concern, however we are not involved in this prosecution. Our office remains focused on fulfilling our responsibilities and serving the people of Cobb County with integrity and impartiality.”
She referred further inquiries to the Attorney General’s Office.
Cobb government issued the following statement:
“We respect the judicial process and will allow it to run its course. Regardless of the outcome, Cobb County is committed to ensuring residents continue to receive efficient and effective services through the Clerk of Superior Court’s office.”
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If you haven’t checked out our revamped calendar listings, please check them out now! We’d love to share your events with the community too—see the instructions at the bottom of this post.
This weekend the key activities include Sprayberr High School’s Black vs. Gold football scrimmage, the first three of six presentations of “Black Comedy” by CenterStage North at The Art Place, and the 11th running of the Lutzie 43 Road Race.
That takes place Saturday morning at Lassiter High School (2601 Shallowford Road), and is run in the memory of former Trojan and Auburn University football standout Philip Lutzenkirchen.
After he was killed in a car crash in 2014, his family set up a foundation to inspire people to make better decisions as drivers and friends, using Philip’s life and legacy to inspire change.”
The Lutzie 43 Foundation exists to reduce the number of distracted, impaired and unsafe driving incidents, ultimately diminishing the number of deaths caused by poor decisions behind the wheel.
The event, which features a 5K race around the school grounds, steps off from Frank Fillman Stadium with a short kids’ run.
The cost is $30-$43 and you can register onsite or at this link. All proceeds benefit the Lutzie 43 Foundation.
Send us your event news!
If your organization or entity is holding an event that’s open to the public, please send East Cobb News your information and we’ll be glad to post it!
This can include festivals, pumpkin patches, Thanksgiving activities, holiday concerts, Christmas tree and Menorah lightings, New Year’s celebrations and fundraisers.
Pass along your details to: [email protected], and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.
Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.
We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file. Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.
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A sign at a “No Kings” rally in East Cobb is raised for motorists along Roswell Road in June. ECN file photo.
Progressive groups who have been involved in two previous public rallies in East Cobb against the policies of the Trump Administration have scheduled another one for Saturday.
What’s being called a “Rage Against the Regime” protest will take place at the intersection of Roswell and Johnson Ferry roads—the same venue as the previous events—from 12-1:30 p.m. Saturday.
The protest is being organized by Indivisible Cobb, a liberal advocacy group, in conjunction with the 50501 Movement, in a nationwide effort across more than 300 communities.
In a press release, 50501 calls Saturday’s event as “a mass mobilization to channel our collective rage against the Trump administration for its weaponization of ICE against our communities, construction of concentration camps, covering up the Epstein files, attacks on transgender rights, and its dismantling of Medicaid, SNAP, USAID, the Department of Education, NOAA, and the National Weather Service into collective action.”
Indivisible Cobb leader Stacey Parlotto said that “If you are not outraged by Trump’s reign of terror, you are not paying attention to the alarming erosion of democratic norms, attacks on truth, and the marginalization of vulnerable communities. Trump’s actions have normalized extremism, incited violence, and undermined institutions meant to protect civil rights and social justice. Now, how about releasing those Epstein files?”
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Tom Cousins, the influential Atlanta real estate mogul and philanthropist who developed the Indian Hills subdivision in East Cobb, has died.
Cousins died Tuesday at the age of 93, and left a major imprint on residential and commercial development in the Atlanta area.
Indian Hills, which opened in the early 1970s as a planned, staged development with golf courses and a country club, is considered the key development in the transformation of East Cobb.
Cousins also helped bring professional sports to Atlanta in the late 1960s as the ower of the Atlanta Hawks basketball team and the Atlanta Flames, a hockey franchise.
Along with architect John Portman, Cousins during his career included developing many of the landmark buildings of the Atlanta skyline, including CNN Center and the Omni sports arena, as well as the 191 Peachtree Tower.
In addition to redeveloping the famed East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Cousins turned his eyes in the late 1960s to a new kind of development in the Atlanta suburbs.
Until then, most of Cousins’ residential development had been in the Augusta area, where he built prefabricated homes, and was the largest homebuilder in the state of Georgia according to a history of Indian Hills.
He came to Atlanta seeking more opportunities, initially building apartment complexes.
Cousins set his sights on building out roughly 1,000 acres of farmland several miles east of the city of Marietta between Lower Roswell Road and what was then called Upper Roswell Road (now just Roswell Road).
Linking those two roads was Gray Road, which traversed hills that dropped down to Bishop Creek. That became the heart of a planned community with homes and golf courses, the first such development of its kind that far out from the city of Atlanta.
As the development progressed, other changes came about. Gray Road was renamed Indian Hills Parkway. Lots were laid out and sold for as little as $7,000 (in late 1960s money).
But an economic downturn cast doubt on the Indian Hills project, and Cousins had to be talked into finishing the work, according to the Indian Hills history (you can read it at this link).
Lot sizes were reduced and size of the golf clubhouse was also cut down to raise the funding to build out Indian Hills, which was regarded as a very experimental project.
Hal Adams, who worked with Cousins and bought a home in Indian Hills, said in the Indian Hills history that sales were slow at first, but school busing plans in the city of Atlanta resulted in many residents moving to Cobb County.
(Cobb schools began desegregation in the late 1960s, but without a busing program.)
Cousins also had to build a temporary sewage treatment facility at Indian Hills to accommodate the development until Cobb could construct its sewer lines to the East Cobb area.
For the final phase of Indian Hills in the early 1970s, Cousins purchased 3oo more acres of land, built out 350 residential units—including condominiums—as well as a third nine-hole golf course.
By the mid 1970s, growth in East Cobb was exploding, with the opening of Walton High School and other schools in the Johnson Ferry corridor.
Cherie Poss Chandler, who grew up on a farm on Lower Roswell Road at Woodlawn Drive, said the opening of Indian Hills changed everything about the community.
“That’s when it went from being Mt. Bethel to East Cobb,” Chandler said a 2018 interview with East Cobb News.
She said that while she and her siblings still had farm chores to do before going to school—their cows sometimes wandered onto the Indian Hills golf course—their new schoolmates had very different backgrounds.
To promote Indian Hills, Cousins and his team also built tennis courts and swimming pools. The golf course was showcased as the venue for a stop on the Ladies Professional Golf Association Tour.
The development was sold in 1978 to Futren Hospitality, a private club management that continues to operate Indian Hills today.
Today Indian Hills has more than 1,680 homes on around 2,000 acres. Many of the small, single-story ranch homes that Cousins built are being torn down for mega-mansions selling for well above $1 million.
You can read more about how Indian Hills came to be at this link. The information was compiled by a special committee created in 2008 to collect documents and conduct interviews with residents and key players in the creation of Indian Hills.
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!
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!
A rendering of the new Bells Ferry Elementary School campus.
After approving nearly $10 million in preliminary costs in March for the reconstruction of Bells Ferry Elementary School, the Cobb Board of Education last week signed off on the rest of the project.
The school board voted on its consent agenda last Thursday for a guaranteed maximum price of $29.9 million for Winter Construction Co. of Atlanta, which has been doing first-phase work that includes sitework and utility relocation.
The funding comes from the current Cobb Education SPLOST VI sales tax, and the project is expected to be completed by July 2027.
The current Bells Ferry facility at Bells Ferry Road and Piedmont Road was built in 1973, and currently enrolls 750 students.
The oldest portion of the main building will be rebuilt, and the school will get upgraded technology and communications equipment, including new computing and interactive devices for classrooms, telephone systems and replacing two playground areas.
The project will also prompt portable classrooms on the campus, and second- and third-grade classes will be relocated to nearby Chalker Elementary School when the 2025-26 academic year begins on Monday.
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Temperatures reached 100 degrees in the Atlanta area on Tuesday, and while there will be some cooling off into the weekend, the weather will remain uncomfortably hot.
The National Weather Service has extended a heat advisory until 8 p.m. Wednesday for most of north and central Georgia, including Cobb County.
A heat advisory issued when high temperatures and high humidity combine to form dangerous conditions for some individuals, including heat-related illnesses.
Heat indexes have surpassed 100 degrees in the area on Monday and Tuesday, and are expected to reach triple-digits again on Wednesday as some storms move in.
Showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for Wednesday, with patchy fog expected in the early daylight hours.
The highs Wednesday will be around 90 with a heat index of 99 expected. The chance of rain is 80 percent, in particular after 5 p.m., with lows in the mid 70s.
On Thursday, more rain and storms are in the forecast, with more patchy fog again in around 8 a.m., and more stormy weather again after 2 p.m. Chance of rain also is 80 percent.
The highs Thursday will be around 90, with a heat index of around 99.
Friday’s forecast calls for rain in the morning and in the evening—a 70 percent chance—with highs in the low 90s.
The temperatures will cool on Saturday to highs in the low 80s and an 80 percent chance of rain. On Sunday, the highs will be around 80, also with rain, a 60 percent chance.
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!
In a powerful display of unity and service, five Cobb County judges—Kellie S. Hill, Angela Z. Brown, Sonja N. Brown, Ashley Palmer, and Mellori Lumpkin-Dawson came together to support Channel 2 Action News’ annual Stuff the Bus campaign, now in its 22nd year. The campaign, in partnership with the Children’s Restoration Network, collects backpacks and school supplies for children living in foster care, group homes, or facing homelessness throughout metro Atlanta.
Channel 2 Action News received its first 1,000 backpacks this week at its Midtown Atlanta studio, thanks to generous community partners and supporters like the judges representing part of the nine historically Black Greek-letter organizations and multiple classes of courts in Cobb County.
Their participation adds a powerful symbol of leadership and civic responsibility to this beloved campaign. These judges not only don the black robes of justice but also serve through the colors of their historic Black Greek-letter organizations—pink and green, red and white, and beyond—representing decades of community engagement and public service.
In addition to their professional responsibilities, these judges remain active in their churches, their sororities, and local outreach programs, continually investing in the communities they serve both inside and outside the courtroom.
The Stuff the Bus drive, benefiting the Children’s Restoration Network, helps provide school supplies to thousands of children across metro Atlanta. Volunteers describe the joy of giving as “Christmas in July,” with students excitedly unzipping brand-new backpacks filled with pencils, pens, paper, and hope.
“Stuff the Bus” is a long-standing community initiative spearheaded by Channel 2 Action News in partnership with the Children’s Restoration Network. The campaign works to provide school supplies to children experiencing homelessness or living in foster care, ensuring they have what they need to start the school year strong. The Children’s Restoration Network serves homeless children and mothers throughout metro Atlanta, offering programs that focus on education, enrichment, and empowerment.
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 Sheriff Craig Owens (3rd from right) stands with Robert Haley, the founder & executive director of the Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation, receiving an $8,500 donation from Walmart during the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office Back to School event on Saturday, July 26. CCSO photos.
Submitted information and photos:
On Saturday, July 26, 2025, the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office hosted its annual Back to School event at Jim R. Miller Park in Marietta. Families from across the county gathered for a day of giveaways, learning, and community connection.
This free, family-focused event provided children with essential school supplies and educational resources to help them start the school year with confidence. Vendors included local organizations and businesses such as Artportunity Knocks, a Georgia-based nonprofit, and Walmart, along with volunteers across the county.
Walmart presented an $8,500 donation to the Cobb Sheriff’s Foundation. Sheriff Craig Owens and Foundation Executive Director and Founder Robert Haley thanked Walmart for their generosity, which will support future community and youth engagement efforts.
The Back to School event continues to grow as a cornerstone initiative of the Sheriff’s Office, promoting education, preparedness, and partnership with the Cobb County community.
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Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.
We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.
It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!
Pass along your details/photos/videos/information to: [email protected], and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.
Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.
We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file, but d0 send them as attachments to your email.
Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.
Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you!
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The Junior League of Cobb-Marietta (JLCM) has announced the results of its 2024–2025 League year, including $9,500 awarded in community grants, 360 hours of volunteer service, and a strategic shift in focus toward supporting families and children in Cobb County.
Building on over 90 years of community leadership, JLCM reintroduced a formal grantmaking process this year, distributing funds to five nonprofit partners: Cobb Collaborative, Waymark, Kidz2Leaders, LiveSafe Resources, and Heartbeats and Hands 540. Each organization received up to $2,000 to support critical local programs, with impact reporting scheduled for next year.
“The generous support of the Junior League of Cobb Marietta will have a direct and lasting impact on the lives of the children we serve”, stated Megan Cannady, Director of Development of LiveSafe Resources. “We are so grateful for their partnership and commitment to our community.”
JLCM members also gave their time and energy directly to the community, assembling hygiene kits, collecting over 100 pounds of food for local resource centers, and volunteering more than 360 hours. In addition, JLCM returned to the Georgia State Capitol for State Public Affairs Committee (SPAC) Day, advocating for community needs in direct conversation with legislators.
“The Junior League of Cobb-Marietta is a powerful force for good — a collective of women committed to identifying community needs and creating sustainable solutions that uplift lives,” stated JLCM President Ashley Farris. “Our impact is seen not just in the programs we support, but in the partnerships we build and the lives we touch. By bringing together women of purposeand passion, we create meaningful change that strengthens the very fabric of Cobb County.
Together, we lead with heart, serve with intention, and work toward a future where every member of our community can thrive.”
To support funding the League’s grant program, JLCM introduced two new fundraisers during the 2024-2025 League year: a bingo night held in October 2024, and the Serve Up Some Good pickleball tournament in March 2025, hosted at the Old Towne Athletic Club. Together, these events raised over $16,800 to help fund grants awarded to this year’s community partners.
The League welcomed 11 new members and 10 transfers in the 2024-2025 League year, while prioritizing member engagement through 48 community-building events. JLCM’s signature blend of service, advocacy, and leadership development continues to attract women seeking meaningful impact through collective action.
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 Community Foundation (CCF) is reminding local nonprofits that the deadline to apply for the 2025 Match Magic: Cobb’s Holiday Giveathon is this Wednesday, July 30 at 5:00 p.m. The program offers an opportunity for Cobb-based charitable organizations to supercharge their year-end fundraising efforts and receive matching funds based on what they raise.
Match Magic is more than just a fundraising campaign—it’s a visibility boost, a donor acquisition strategy, and a platform to amplify impact. Participating nonprofits receive a customized online donation portal, a feature in a printed and digital gift guide distributed to thousands of Cobb residents courtesy of the Marietta Daily Journal, and access to a multi-channel marketing campaign managed by a strategic communications firm. Last year, one nonprofit raised over $95,000 and received an additional $10,800 in matching funds through the program.
Feedback from 2024 participants was overwhelmingly positive:
76% reported receiving larger gifts from existing donors.
64% gained new donors.
68% reached new audiences.
100% said the effort was worth it.
“This isn’t just about the match,” said Shari Martin, President and CEO of Cobb Community Foundation. “It’s about helping nonprofits expand their donor base, increase visibility, and end the year with meaningful momentum.”
“We don’t want any eligible nonprofit to miss this opportunity,” Martin added. “If you support a nonprofit serving Cobb County, please reach out to them to make sure they’ve either applied or are working on their applications!”
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This summer, a group of local kids came together and made over 2,000 sandwiches in just six weeks, donating them to The Sandwich Project of Atlanta, a nonprofit dedicated to feeding food-insecure individuals and families across the city.
The effort was spearheaded by two teenage brothers (Zanye and Kenric Nair) from Wheeler High School, who have been volunteering with The Sandwich Project for the past three years. Wanting to make a larger impact during their summer break, they set an ambitious goal: 250 sandwiches per week. They rallied friends, peers, and community members to join them—using social media to organize donations, coordinate volunteers, and plan weekly sandwich-making events.
Despite obstacles like holiday schedules and limited volunteer availability, they stayed committed, adjusted plans as needed, and met their goal. The teens led the initiative end to end: planning logistics, managing sanitation protocols (including gloves and clean workspaces), and ensuring each sandwich followed specific measurements—critical, since for some recipients, it might be their only source of protein that day.
They also went the extra mile to reduce waste by donating bread ends (“bread butts”) to another local organization.
This was not a school requirement or a summer program—it was simply young people giving their time, energy, and heart to serve the community.
You can follow the Nair brothers and The Sandwich Project on Instagram: @2025.sandwiches.
Send Us Your News!
Let East Cobb News know what’s going on with your organization, or about any recognitions, to share with the community. We love to get photos and stories like the above, as well as calendar event listings and more.
We want to be the go-to source for all the many ways people in East Cobb are involved in the community.
It’s what we call The Power of Local, and we’d love for you to take part!
Pass along your details/photos/videos/information to: [email protected], and please observe the following guidelines to ensure we get everything properly and can post it promptly.
Send the body of your announcement, calendar item or news release IN TEXT FORM ONLY in the text field of your e-mail template. Reformatting text from PDF, JPG and doc files takes us longer to prepare your message for publication.
We accept PDFs as an accompaniment to your item. Images are fine too, but we prefer those to be JPG files (more than jpeg and png). PLEASE DO NOT send photos inside a PDF or text or any other kind of file, but d0 send them as attachments to your email.
Of course, send us links that are relevant to your message so we can direct people to your website.
Thanks for your cooperation and we look forward to hearing from you!
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!
