Irene Barton, center, the 2023 East Cobb Area Council Citizen of the Year, with Cobb Chamber of Commerce leadership.
Submitted information:
The Cobb Chamber is now accepting nominations for the 2024 Citizen of the Year Awards. The Citizen of the Year Awards, created by Cobb County civic clubs and co-sponsored by the Cobb Chamber Area Councils and Cobb County business associations, have annually been presented to extraordinary individuals for the work they have done in Cobb County.
Awards are given to deserving individuals based on nine local area nominations: Acworth, Austell, Cumberland, East Cobb, Kennesaw, Mableton, Marietta, Powder Springs, Smyrna, Town Center, and West Cobb. Given to honor an individual whose impact through the years will be recognized and regarded with pride throughout the area as a role model, these outstanding citizens are chosen for their definable, exceptional deeds, with which he or she has made their community a better place to live.
Nominations are now open through Friday, August 30 at https://tinyurl.com/z5p6rr2d. Thank you Presenting Sponsor, Capital City Bank. For more information on the Citizen of the Year Awards, contact Katie Guice at 770-859-2334 or kguice@cobbchamber.org.
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We accept metal, electronics, appliances, glass, and paper shredding while you watch!! DONATION $15 per car + disposal fees. Metal items are FREE w/donation (excluding large items). A complete list of fees + more details can be found on our website: http://www.popeband.com/recycle.html
Onsite Payment can be made in cash, credit card, or check payable to PBPA.
Pick-Up services may be offered, WITH ADVANCE RESERVATION, within a 5-mile radius of Pope HS, based on truck and volunteer availability. (Sorry, for your security – NO document pick-ups)!
**RESERVATION IS REQUIRED** for pick up and payment must be made in full by cash or check (no credit cards) at time of pick up. These slots are very limited. To make a reservation for residential or business pick up, please visit our website at http://www.popeband.com/recycle.html
Business Pick-Up Fee: $100 plus any TV, monitor, laptop, large item or paint charges.
Residential Pick-Up Fee. $50 plus any TV, monitor, laptop, large item or paint charges.
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!
Get ready for an unforgettable day of fun, fellowship, and celebration at East Cobb United Methodist Church! We’re excited to announce our Fall Kickoff event on Sunday, August 11, immediately following worship at 12:30 PM. This year’s theme is the East Cobb UMC Olympics, and we have a fantastic lineup of activities planned for everyone to enjoy.
Test your skills and compete in a variety of fun and engaging games designed for all ages and abilities. Mark your calendars, register your family, and get ready for a day full of fun, fellowship, and celebration at the East Cobb UMC Fall Kickoff. We can’t wait to see you there!
East Cobb United Methodist Church, 2325 Roswell Rd, Marietta, GA 30062
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!
From the office of Cobb Commissioner Jerica Richardson:
I am pleased to invite you to Commissioner Richardson’s special Community Chat on the FY25 Budget, which is tomorrow, July 18 at 6:30pm.
The event will kick off with an in-person “Taxpayer Clinic” from 6:00 – 6:30 p.m. at Sewell Mill Library [2051 Lower Roswell Road] in the Community Room. Commissioner Richardson will offer to individually review your tax bill and answer any questions you may have about a line item. Please bring a copy of your 2024 property tax bill with you if you plan to attend the clinic.
Then, from 6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Commissioner Richardson will host a virtual Community Chat to focus on the FY25 Budget. We strongly encourage you to attend this informative event to gain a deeper understanding of the budget and share your thoughts/ideas.
Please note that the Community Chat will be held virtually via Zoom. You must register in advance to receive the Zoom meeting link.
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!
KIDS CARE and the Cobb County Police Department are excited to announce the 4th annual Backpack and School Supply Drive. The program collects new backpacks and school supplies for Cobb county students in need. Donations will be accepted through July 20.
Donation drop-off locations/times:
All 5 Cobb County police precincts and Police Headquarters, 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily through July 20.
Cobb Civic Center from 9 a.m. – 1 p.m. Saturday, July 20 at an event co-hosted by Keep Cobb Beautiful, at 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, Marietta.
Over the last three years, the organization donated 1,374 new backpacks with school supplies. Donations can also be made on the KIDS CARE website.
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The Cobb Board of Education will discuss some academic subjects on Thursday as part of a long day and night of public meetings.
According to an agenda item, the board will meet for a retreat Thursday from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. to receive presentations on literacy, dyslexia and prisms math.
The agenda also calls for a board policy process update, if time allows, but the agenda item wasn’t more specific.
That meeting takes place in the board room of the Cobb County School District’s central office (514 Glover St., Marietta).
The retreat will be followed by a work session at 2:30, an executive session and a final public hearing on the millage rate for the fiscal year 2025 budget.
That public hearing starts at 6:30, and a voting session with millage rate adoption scheduled for 7 p.m. (agenda for all public meetings here).
The board in May adopted a fiscal year 2025 budget of $1.8 billion, but must adopt a millage rate after the Cobb Tax Digest is revealed in July.
An agenda item notes that the board will be asked to “adjust” the adopted budget figure because the final tax digest was less than anticipated.
“Specifically, the total revenue is decreasing and budgeted expenditures are unchanged,” the agenda item states. “The difference will be funded from the district’s fund balance.”
That budget was based on a proposed property tax rate of 18.7 mills, the same as last year. But because the budget is an 8.73 percent increase from fiscal year 2024, that constitutes a tax increase under state law, and the board is required to hold public hearings.
Only two speakers turned out for last week’s public hearings, with one of them noting that the Republican board members are not paying school taxes. They are eligible for the senior tax exemption from Cobb school taxes.
The rollback millage rate to match FY 2024 spending would be 17.199 mills.
The work session agenda includes a review of a report by Cognia, the school district’s accrediting agency, but an agenda item didn’t disclose any details.
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There’s been another delay in Whataburger’s plans to open a restaurant in East Cobb.
The Texas-based chain asked for another continuance from the Cobb Board of Commissioners Tuesday as they iron out plans to revise a site plan on what had been O’Charley’s restaurant at Sandy Plains and Shallowford roads.
Cobb Zoning Division manager John Pederson said at the start of Tuesday’s zoning hearing that the applicant wants a delay to the Aug. 20 hearing for work on architectural landscaping, and the board approved that request 4-0.
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid was absent.
It’s the third time the request has been delayed. Whataburger wants to replace the existing structure with a new 7,000-square-foot building with drive-through space and parking.
Stipulations restricted uses for fast food and drive-through service, and an initial review of the application concluded additional parking would be needed.
Later in the hearing commissioners voted to approve a special land-use plan for St. Andrew United Methodist Church to hold a farmer’s market every Saturday on its property on Canton Road at Blackwell Circle.
The vote was 4-0 for the Blackwell Farmer Market, which is open Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. through Sept. 28. It features local vendors selling produce, meats, breads, baked goods and other artisanal food items in a portion of the parking lot at the church
The permit is for 24 months, and comes after the Cobb Planning Commission recommended approval.
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!
Reader Jada sends along a photo of a neighborhood pooch at a new Little Free Library in Kings Cove.
It’s called Bennett’s Books, and it’s located at 4530 Kings Lake Drive (see map below), and it’s accessible via Woodlawn Drive.
According to the Little Free Library mapping website, there are roughly 20 in the East Cobb area, located primarily in shopping centers, at schools, and in neighborhoods and parks.
The Little Free Library Association is a non-profit founded in 2009 that fosters community reading initiatives with its ethos: “Share A Book. Take A Book.” More from its mission statement:
“We believe all people are empowered when the opportunity to discover a personally relevant book to read is not limited by time, space, or privilege.”
It has more than 175,000 registered libraries nationwide and in more than 100 countries, and claims to have to have distributed more than 400 million books.
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The National Merit Scholarship Corporation (NMSC) announced over 800 additional winners of National Merit Scholarships financed by colleges and universities. These Merit Scholar designees join more than 2,900 other college-sponsored award recipients who were announced in June.
Officials of each sponsor college selected their scholarship winners from among the Finalists in the National Merit Scholarship Program who will attend their institution. College-sponsored awards provide between $500 and $2,000 annually for up to four years of undergraduate study at the institution financing the scholarship.
This year, 149 colleges and universities are sponsoring approximately 3,700 Merit Scholarship awards. Sponsor colleges include 77 private and 72 public institutions located in 42 states and the District of Columbia.
This final group of winners brings the number of 2024 National Merit Scholars to more than 6,900. These distinguished high school graduates will receive scholarships for undergraduate study worth a total of nearly $26 million. In addition to college-sponsored awards, two other types of National Merit Scholarships were offered—2,500 National Merit $2500 Scholarships, for which all Finalists competed, and about 770 corporate-sponsored Merit Scholarship awards for Finalists who met criteria specified by their grantor organizations.
East Cobb students include the following:
Benjamin Priest, Walton HS: National Merit Northeastern University Scholarship. Probable career field: Computer Science
Hunter J. Buchheit, Walton HS: National Merit Emory University Scholarship. Probable career field: Law
Paul W. Trotti III, Pope HS: National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship. Probable career field: Information Systems Management
Emma J. Webb, Walton HS: National Merit University of Georgia Scholarship. Probable career field: Chemistry
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What is the difference between rightsizing & downsizing? Modifying to prevent moving. Where do you begin? Why senior moves are different. What assistance is available? What role does the family play in a senior move? BRING A FAMILY MEMBER!
Plan on attending this free, informational meeting on ‘Downsizing, Decluttering & Home Safety’ July 23!
Our speakers will be Roxie Hernandez, a relocation specialist, and Linda Kaplan from Changing Spaces, a consultant who has been awarded the highest distinction in Senior Move Management from NASMM, the National Association of Senior and Specialty Move Managers.
Together they will give valuable advice on downsizing, particularly for those moving from a residence of 20+ years, and also on rightsizing and decluttering for those who are planning to remain in their homes.
A man crossing Woodlawn Drive Sunday afternoon was seriously injured after being hit by a vehicle, Cobb Police said.
Officer Joseph Wilson said William Cahill, 32, of Marietta, was taken to Kennestone Hospital after being struck by a maroon 2005 Rav 4 heading south near the intersection of Woodlawn Parkway around 12:54 p.m.
That’s just below Johnson Ferry Road, at an entrance to Woodlawn Square Shopping Center.
Police said Cahill was attempting to cross Woodlawn Drive from the west, outside of a designated crosswalk, when he was hit.
Wilson said the driver of the Rav 4, Vickie Morrissett, 69, of Marietta, was not injured.
Police said anyone with information about the incident is asked to call the Cobb County Police Department STEP Unit at 770-499- 3987.
The following East Cobb residential real estate sales were compiled from agency reports and Cobb County property records. They include the street address, subdivision name, high school attendance zone and sales price:
June 24
1435 Hilltop Overlook Drive, 30066 (Summit at Piedmont, Sprayberry): $963,000
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Cobb Police said this week that three people—including two men living on Powers Ferry Road—have been charged in the death of a woman last seen in the East Cobb area last fall.
Police said that Allen Kerr, 32, and Sean Deshazer, 26, have been charged with concealing the death of Maury-Ange Faith Martinez, 20, of Alpharetta. She was reported missing in Gwinnett County last summer and her skeletal remains were identified in January near Chattanooga, Tenn.
A third suspect, Jasmine Craig, 27, was arrested in Wichita, Kan., and is awaiting extradition, Cobb Police said in a release.
The release said that their arrest warrants were issued on June 27, following a request for assistance in investigating Martinez’ death.
Police said on May 31 that Martinez was last seen in the Powers Ferry Road area, but they haven’t offered more details.
According to an indictment in Cobb Superior Court, Kerr, Deshazer and Craig “did unlawfully conceal the death” of Martinez on or near Aug. 21, 2023, hindering the discovery of her body months later in another state.
According to Cobb Sheriff’s Office booking reports, Kerr and Deshazer both reside at the Rockledge Apartments on Powers Ferry Road, near Akers Mill Road.
They have been in custody in the Cobb Adult Detention Center since last November on unrelated drug and weapons charges, according to the booking reports, and they are being held without bond.
Police did not explain how they came to arrest those individuals, but said in the release this week that “our detectives are still working diligently on this case as part of an ongoing investigation.”
Anyone with information is asked to call the Cobb Police Crimes Against Persons unit at 770-499-3945 or Crime Stoppers Greater Atlanta at 770-577-TIPS (8477).
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The Georgia Symphony Orchestra was awarded a $14,400 Bridge Grant from Georgia Council for the Arts, a strategic arm of the Georgia Department of Economic Development, for fiscal year 2025. The Bridge Grant provides funding for operating support to nonprofit arts organizations, many of which were negatively affected by COVID-19. As part of this year’s Bridge awards, 204 entities in 44 counties will receive more than $2.6 million in funding.
“These grant dollars will allow arts organizations in Georgia to focus on their primary mission to bring art and cultural events to their communities by relieving the burden of certain operating expenses,”said GCA Executive Director Tina Lilly. “Georgia Council for the Arts is excited to help our arts organizations continue to foster economic and cultural vitality in their communities.”
Georgia Council for the Arts received applications from arts organizations from across the state, including performing arts centers, museums, galleries, amphitheaters, and music festivals. Bridge Grants are available to arts organizations for eligible operating expenses like rent, utilities, programming expenses and marketing.
“We are so grateful to have the support of the GCA as we begin our 74th season serving Marietta, Cobb County and the greater metro Atlanta area,” said GSO Executive Director Suzanne Tucker. “These funds will allow us to bring music into schools, senior centers and veteran’s homes, and to continue our special concerts for those on the autism spectrum or with other special needs. It means we can have a positive impact on our community beyond the concert stage.”
Funding for these grants is provided through appropriations from the National Endowment for the Arts and the American Rescue Plan (ARP).
GCA uses Peer Review Panels to judge and review applications following standard practices set by the National Endowment for the Arts. Panelists are GCA Council members and fellow professionals who are experienced in the arts discipline or type of grant being reviewed, or are citizens with a record of arts activities, experience and knowledge.
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Judges, elected officials, community members, court staff, attorneys, family members, and friends packed the Cobb Superior Court Jury Assembly Room to congratulate the two newest Cobb County Drug Treatment Court graduates. The graduates, staff, family, and friends shared moments of tears and laughter as they detailed their journey. The overriding theme was a sense of accomplishment, hope, and excitement for the next chapter of their lives.
The Drug Treatment Court is an alternative to incarceration for individuals involved in the justice system with a substance use disorder. The 18–24-month program uses a combination of close supervision, individualized, evidence-based treatment, and recovery support to hold offenders accountable for their actions and teach them to be productive members of the community.
One of the graduates shared, “Drug Treatment Court has changed my way of thinking to allow me to make better choices, stay sober, and move forward with my life to be a productive member of society.”
Superior Court Judge Kimberly A. Childs presides over the Drug Treatment Court and the multi-disciplinary team administering the program. After the graduation ceremony, she reflected that “these graduates exemplify the need for and importance of an evidence-based recovery and treatment program in our criminal justice system. Our community should be proud of the commitment Cobb County has to helping those with substance use disorder transform their lives. Through our dedicated team’s efforts and our stakeholders’ continued efforts, these six graduates are now sober, independent, and productive members of our society.”
For more information about Cobb County Drug Treatment Court, including how to become involved or support the program, please contact Porsha Middlebrook, DTC Coordinator, at 770.528.1933, Porsha.middlebrook@cobbcounty.org.
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While a number of American cities and colleges campuses have had pro-Palestinian protests in recent months, we haven’t seen any of that in East Cobb.
But while waiting at the Roswell-Johnson Ferry Road intersection Friday afternoon, we spotted a man waving a joint Palestinian-Black Lives Matter flag as traffic rolled by.
That’s just across the street from where pro-BLM rallies took place this time four years ago, not long after the George Floyd death that sparked protests around the country.
The East Cobb rallies then consisted of holding up signs asking for those supporting BLM to honk their horns. Many did, and there were other pro-BLM rallies at Lassiter High School and elsewhere in East Cobb that followed.
On Friday, however, the one-man protester repeatedly waved his two-in-one flag without much fanfare.
East Cobb is the home of three synagogues, including Chabad at Cobb, which in May held a “Great Jewish Parade” and community fair in wake of the violence in Israel and Gaza that broke out last October.
Pardon the audio on the video below; we forgot to turn down the radio!
Send Us Your News/Photos!
Let East Cobb News know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, interesting photos, etc.
Pass along your details to: editor@eastcobbnews.com, 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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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!
From the office of Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell:
As part of the County’s 2022 SPLOST resurfacing program, contractors are scheduled to begin roadway resurfacing of East Piedmont Road on Monday, July 15. Nightly resurfacing will take place between 7 p.m. – 6 a.m. from Piedmont Forest Court to Sandy Plains Road and is expected to last through the end of July, weather permitting.
The work will be completed in two phases. The initial phase will consist of milling and patching of the existing pavement of the road. The second phase will be installing new roadway surface and will commence shortly after phase one is completed.
Please expect minor traffic delays during construction. Traffic control measures will be in place along the corridor. Please obey all posted signage and be careful if driving in the area.
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The Rotary Club of East Cobb is the sponsor of the Dog Days Run, which starts and finishes at the MeCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA (1055 East Piedmont Road).
The Lutzie 43 Road Race, organized by the Lutzie 43 Foundation, takes place at Lassiter High School (2601 Shallowford Road).
Both are major fundraisers for their sponsoring organizations. For the first time last year, the Rotary Club of East Cobb raised more than $100,000 from the run to benefit more than 20 community organizations.
Rotary Club past president Butch Carter said they’re still asking for sponsors, and Monday is the deadline for sponsors to get on the printed materials, including race shirts and programs.
The Lutzie 43 Foundation is named after Philip Lutzenkirchen, a former Lassiter and Auburn football star who was killed in a 2014 car crash. The organization works to educate young people about better decisions as drivers and as people.
Both are 5K races with numerous age- and sex-based categories that include post-race honors and recognitions.
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A Cobb PARKS fishing rodeos for children 16 and under that was scheduled for next Saturday, July 20, at Ebenezer Downs Park in Northeast Cobb has been postponed.
The county said that the postponement was due to low water levels at the park. Another rodeo scheduled for the Furr Family Park in Powder Springs on July 27 was postponed for the same reason.
A rodeo Saturday at Lost Mountain Park is still on, with a cost of $5 per child.
The event lasts from 9-11 a.m. and you must bring your own gear, bait, water, snacks, etc.
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