Inspiring Cobb seniors include Lassiter, Walton, Wheeler students

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Tadiwa Zinyongo, inspiring Cobb senior

Tadiwa Zinyongo was the last member of Walton High School’s large graduating class to receive his diploma Wednesday during commencement exercises.

As shouts of joy rank out from this year’s seniors at the KSU Convocation Center, Zinyongo shook his head a little, smiling.

Like many of his Walton classmates, he graduated with honors. But beyond the world of academics, Zinyongo stood out in many ways during his high school career.

Tadiwa Zinyongo, Walton HS
Tadiwa Zinyongo, Walton HS

He’s among the “inspiring seniors” chosen by the Cobb County School District from a number of high schools, whose graduations concluded on Friday.

They were chosen not only for their success in the classroom and in extracurricular and community activities, but also in how they perservered and helped impact other students.

Zinyongo, who will be attending Boston University as a Posse Foundation Scholar, has been vigorously involved in campus activities at Walton.

He was a member of the Raiders track and field team, the Walton Robotics Club and was president of the Walton Debate Club.

As a junior, Zinyongo honed his debate skills by taking part in debate tournaments in the Harvard Diversity Program. When he returned, he developed a debate curriculum and led outreach to other high school debate clubs.

But in the community, he has been just as busy, co-founding a non-profit called The Fight for Freedom, which raises money and awareness for sex trafficking and advocates for increased funding and services for sex traffic survivors.

Andrea Garzon Pena, Lassiter HS
Andrea Garzon Pena, Lassiter HS

Andrea Garzon Pena moved from her Venezuela in 2017 and attended Palmer Middle School and Mabry Middle School as she and her brother lived with a family friend until their mother arrived.

After starting at Lassiter High School, some stability arrived, and she eased into a number of academic and athletic pursuits.

“She has always worked hard and challenged herself in the classroom by taking upper-level Honors and Advanced Placement courses,” Lassiter counselor Liz Clarke said.

An honors graduate, Pena played varsity volleyball and was involved in chorus, the Step Team and Project HOPE. She will be attending Wingate University on a full-ride scholarship.

While he was in the 8th grade, Amblessed Nzenwata moved with his family to the United States from Nigeria, and suffered a loss in the family due to an airplane crash.

Amblessed Nzenwata, Wheeler HS
Amblessed Nzenwata, Wheeler HS

He was motivated to become an aeronautical engineer as a result, and as a student in the AVID program at Wheeler High School (previous post here) he received the support to excel in his studies.

Nzenwata took many AP and Honors classes at Wheeler, played three varsity sports, held down a part-time job and was on the co-ed cheer team with his twin sister Blossom.

They were named Wheeler’s homecoming king and queen. More than 40 colleges have offered him acceptance.

The Cobb school district said this week, as graduations ended, that its Class of 2022 of more than 8,000 students earned more than $106 million in scholarships.

More than 78 percent of graduates will be attending college, and combined the senior class logged more than 100,000 in community service hours.

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East Cobb Traffic Alert: Piedmont Road reopened after crash

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Piedmont Road closed

UPDATED, SATURDAY, 11:30 A.M.

The crash was fatal, according to Cobb Police, who said a teenage motorcyclist was pronounced dead on the scene.

UPDATED, 2 p.m:

Cobb County government said that Piedmont Road west of Sandy Plains Road reopened at 1:50 p.m. Friday.

ORIGINAL REPORT:

Cobb County government said Friday afternoon that a portion of Piedmont Road is temporarily closed after a crash.

Lanes are closed in both directions at the intersection of Piedmont Road and Bob Bettis Road, where a serious crash occurred.

That area is between Sandy Plains Road and Canton Road.

There’s no estimated time for when traffic may reopen, but a Cobb government message said updates will be provided at its Cobb Commute traffic portal.

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East Cobb Weekend Events: Memorial Day; Music in the Park; more

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A 2018 photo of flags in front of Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church for Memorial Day. (ECN file)

Another school year is completed, and summer vacation season looms.

But the Memorial Day weekend includes a number of local events to honor those who gave their lives serving the country, and to enjoy some splendid weather outdoors.

On Friday, Food Truck Friday continues at The Auto Accident Attorneys Group (1454 Johnson Ferry Road) from 4-7 p.m., a weekly event through June.

From 6-8, another Electric Avenue concert at the Central Boulevard area of The Avenue East Cobb (4475 Roswell Road). The Atlanta acoustic trio of Lilac Wine returns to the stage. Admission is free. While guests can bring their own food and lawn chairs, coolers and outside beverages are not permitted.

Wellstar Health System is the sponsor of the continuing Music in the Park series Sunday from 4-6 p.m. at East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road). Bring food, blankets and chairs to the concert pavilion to enjoy a “Bach to Rock” event. It includes performances from young people and is meant to introduce children to musical instruments and styles.

Several Memorial Day observations will take place in Cobb County on Monday, including at the Marietta National Cemetery (500 Washington Ave.) starting at 12 p.m. The guest speaker is Cobb Veterans Memorial Foundation President Donna Rowe. The organizing committee is looking for volunteers to help Scout troops plant flags starting at 8 a.m. Saturday.

Other Memorial Day events include a ceremony at the Veterans Memorial at Patriots Point in Acworth (4425 Beach St.) from 10-11 a.m. and a ceremony in Smyrna at 9:30 a.m. at the Veterans Memorial next to City Hall, 2800 King Street.

The City of Roswell also is having a Memorial Day observation starting at 11 a.m. at City Hall (38 Hill St.). The Roswell Garden Club will dedicate the Blue Star & Gold Star Families Memorial Markers. Live music and food trucks will be available after the ceremony.

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East Cobb Cityhood referendum precinct-by-precinct results

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East Cobb Cityhood referendum precinct results
NO precincts are in green, YES in blue. For more map details, click here. Source: Georgia Secretary of State

As we noted Wednesday in a follow-up story on the defeated East Cobb Cityhood referendum, voters in 16 of the 17 precincts overwhelmingly rejected the creation of a city.

The final but official overall tally is 16,290 NO (73.4 percent) to 5,900 YES (26.6 percent), still to be certified by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration (you can click through the results here).

A total of 22,190 Cityhood votes were cast in all: 13,043 Tuesday, with 7,686 during early voting and 1,461 absentee by mail votes.

In that lone YES precinct—Sope Creek 3, near the Atlanta Country Club and Chattahoochee Plantation where several Cityhood leaders live—that was a narrow YES, 643 to 600 votes, or 51.7 percent to 48.3 percent.

In all the others, NO votes won in a rout, ranging from 85 percent at the Murdock precinct to 65 percent at Mt. Bethel 3.

Cityhood referendums in Lost Mountain and Vinings also were defeated by narrower margins, with 58 percent and 55 percent, respectively, voting NO.

Sixteen of the 22 precincts in Lost Mountain (full results here) voted NO, with the six voting YES located in the most northwestern part of that proposed city, and none with more than 56 percent of the vote.

In Vinings (full results here), all five precincts voted NO, ranging from 51-59 percent.

A cityhood referendum will take place in Mableton in November.

We’ve compiled precinct-by-precinct breakdowns below for the East Cobb referendum. A couple of notes: the totals in the Pope and Sewell Mill 1 precincts are lower than the others because only a portion of those precincts are located in what was the proposed City of East Cobb.

YES NO
Chestnut Ridge 352 1,226
Dickerson 363 1,054
Dodgen 229 810
Eastside 1 433 1,098
Fullers Park 143 496
Hightower 368 1,455
Murdock 161 955
Mt. Bethel 1 599 1,463
Mt. Bethel 3 512 953
Mt. Bethel 4 468 983
Pope 105 402
Roswell 1 326 1,624
Roswell 2 466 1,292
Sewell Mill 1 41 138
Sope Creek 1 344 843
Sope Creek 3 642 600
Timber Ridge 348 898
TOTALS 5,900 16,290

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East Cobb Food Scores: Goldbergs Bagel; House of Ming; more

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Goldberg’s Bagel, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores for the week of May 23 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

Goldbergs Bagel Co. & Deli 
1062 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite A110
May 25, 2022 Score: 87, Grade: B

House of Ming
3101 Roswell Road, Suite 116
May 24, 2022 Score: 96, Grade: A

Indian Hills Country Club pool snack bar
4001 Clubland Drive
May 26, 2022 Score: 91, Grade: A

Laredo’s Mexican Bar & Grill
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 400
May 24, 2022 Score: 91, Grade: A

Moe’s Southwest Grill
2022 Powers Ferry Road, Suite A
May 23, 2022 Score: 90, Grade: A

Monticello
2000 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 1200
May 27, 2022 Score: 88, Grade: B

Red Elephant Thai Cuisine
3000 Windy Hill Road, Suite 152
May 23, 2022 Score: 87, Grade: B

Zaxby’s 
750 Johnson Ferry Road
May 24, 2022 Score: 100, Grade: A

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After major defeat, East Cobb Cityhood group scrubs website

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East Cobb Cityhood debate
Cindy Cooperman and Craig Chapin of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood at an April debate.

Hours after a stinging referendum defeat Tuesday, the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood took down its chief online vehicles for communicating with the public.

The cityhood’s Facebook page no longer exists, and its website includes only a link to Tuesday’s results and an MDJ story about Cobb commissioners favoring a 30-year transportation tax.

A YouTube page that the cityhood group managed featuring video interviews, including some we noted in a previous post, also is gone.

The referendum was defeated in landslide fashion Tuesday, with 73 percent of voters rejecting the creation of a City of East Cobb.

UPDATE: The website homepage has been restored, but information tabs that included Cityhood analysis of proposed services and biographies of group leaders is gone.

“Thank you for your support, we continued to be committed to East Cobb and protecting our neighborhoods,” said the homepage message, which links to the cityhood legislation and feasibility study as well as the proposed city map.

Here’s what’s been cached on the Wayback Machine.

All three Cobb referendums on the ballot failed, with voters in Lost Mountain spurning cityhood with 58 percent of the vote and Vinings voters turning it down with 55 percent of the vote.

A cityhood referendum in November will take place in Mableton.

In commenting on the referendum results, East Cobb Cityhood group spokeswoman Cindy Cooperman told East Cobb News on Wednesday that the group “has worked hard for the citizens’ right to vote for a city and as advocates for the proposed city. Although the county and opposition didn’t want citizens to vote, the community had their voices heard.

“Make no mistake; the facts have not changed. East Cobb will be under increasing growth and tax pressure from Cobb County to urbanize our community. Our polling told a different story from the results last night. Cobb’s policy direction explains why the county worked so hard to stop the cityhood effort(s).”

Cobb government officials held several town hall meetings over the last two months about the cityhood referendums and the county launched a cityhood web portal with what it said was objective information in response to requests from the public.

The Cityhood group heatedly objected, and tried to keep the focus on development and density issues.

Ppponents and Cobb leaders tried to cast doubt on a city’s ability to provide proposed police, fire and emergency 911 services.

Last week, as the campaign reached its final days, some Cobb public safety department heads took part in a Zoom call conducted by the East Cobb Alliance, the main opposition group to cityhood.

Those opposed to cityhood took note of the Cityhood group’s web disappearance.

In the East Cobbers Against High Density Development group on Facebook, commenters chimed in with glee.

“If I knew how fast they’d scrub everything I would have set up my own website to preserve this train wreck of a campaign,” wrote one.

“Hopefully they got the message that East Cobb does not need to be a city,” said another.

Readers on the East Cobb Alliance Facebook page expressed similar sentiments, and thanked the group’s organizers.

The only precinct in which YES votes prevailed—Sope Creek 3—includes the Atlanta Country Club where some Cityhood group leaders live.

“I predict they drill it down to just Atlanta Country Club and Paper Mill Rd—THAT will be their East Cobb,” quipped one commenter.

“They can have it,” responded another.

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East Cobb Republican incumbents roll to big primary victories

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Commissioner Birrell recognized
Commissioner JoAnn Birrell

Three Republican elected officials serving East Cobb at the county and state level had primary challenges on Tuesday, but all three won handily.

District 3 Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell cruised into the November general election by defeating first-time candidate Judy Sarden with 77 percent of the vote.

With all 52 precincts reporting, Birrell received 25,329 votes to 7,538 votes for Sarden, who during the campaign had been critical of Birrell’s votes on key zoning issues.

Birrell, who is seeking her fourth term, won all but the Chalker precinct. You can search the results by clicking here; they are unofficial until certified by the Cobb Board of Registration and Elections.

The new District 3, redistricted by the Georgia legislature, will include most of East Cobb.

In November, Birrell will face Democrat Christine Triebsch, a former candidate for the Georgia Senate.

Ga. State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick
State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick

Triebsch twice faced but lost to Republican Kay Kirkpatrick, who trounced Andy Soha in Senate District 32, which includes northeast Cobb and parts of Cherokee County.

Kirkpatrick, who is seeking her third full term, got 22,473 votes, or 85 percent, to 3,923 votes for Soha, a conservative political activist in Cherokee and Donald Trump campaign volunteer.

The results can be found by clicking here.

In November, Kirkpatrick will face Democrat Sylvia Bennett.

Another legislative leader from East Cobb targeted in the GOP primary is headed to the general election with a big victory.

State Rep. Sharon Cooper, the chairwoman of the House Health and Human Services Committee, trounced Cobb GOP activist Carminthia Moore in District 45.

Cooper received 10,713 votes, or 78 percent, to 2,954 votes for Moore (view results).

Cooper has represented District 43 since 1997, but during reapportionment she and former State Rep. Matt Dollar were redrawn into District 45.

State Rep. Sharon Cooper
State Rep. Sharon Cooper

Dollar announced last fall he would not seek re-election; both were the leading sponsors of the now-defeated East Cobb Cityhood referendum.

But Cooper said little about her support during the legislative session and did not speak to the bill on the House floor.

Her Democratic opponent in November, Dustin McCormick, made his opposition to East Cobb Cityhood a central issue in his special election campaign for District 45 this spring.

McCormick was defeated in a runoff on May 3 by Mitchell Kaye, who is filling out the rest of Dollar’s term this year.

In the new District 43, restaurant owner Solomon Adesanya defeated attorney Benjamin Stahl to win the Democratic primary.

Adesanya got 1,712 votes, or 56 percent, to 1,318 votes for Stahl to advance to the November general election against Republican Anna Tillman.

Primary winners in another open East Cobb legislative seat were determined handily on Tuesday.

In State Senate District 6, Fred Glass routed Angelic Moore with more than 67 percent in the Republican primary.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
Gov. Brian Kemp

He will be challenged by Democrat Jason Esteves, the former chairman of the Atlanta Board of Education. Esteves got more than 55 percent of the vote against Luisa Wakeman, who twice came close to unseating Cooper in the last two elections.

Republican incumbents at the statewide level also had easy times in their primaries, including two of the most heavily watched races.

Gov. Brian Kemp cruised over former Sen. David Perdue, getting 73 percent of the vote. Perdue, who got less than 22 percent, conceded before 9 p.m.

In November, Kemp faces a rematch of the bitter 2018 gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Stacey Abrams.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who was targeted by former President Donald Trump after the 2020 elections, staved off a challenge from pro-Trump Congressman Jody Hice and won the primary without a runoff.

Georgia recount presidential race, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger

Raffensperger received 53 percent of the GOP vote and will face either State Rep. Bee Nguyen or Dee Dawkins-Haigler, who will be in a Democratic runoff next month.

Former UGA football star Herschel Walker was the easy winner of the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, setting up a November general election against Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock.

There will be a runoff in one of the primary races in the East Cobb area.

In the U.S. House District 6 GOP primary, Rich McCormick and Jake Evans will square off on June 21 to determine that party’s standard-bearer in November.

McCormick got 43 percent of the vote and Evans collected 23 percent in a field with nine candidates.

In the general election, the runoff winner will face Bob Christian, who won the Democratic primary Tuesday over Wayne White with 55 percent of the vote.

For more election results, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s site with real-time updates, precinct breakdowns, and more.

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Cobb schools announce 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians

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Cobb Vals and Sals 2022
From L-R valedictorians Kunling Tong (Walton), Mark Wellman (Lassiter) and Keegan Ryan (Sprayberry)

The Cobb County School District on Tuesday announced the Class of 2022 valedictorians and salutatorians, and students from East Cobb schools had some of the highest grade-point averages in the county.

Overall, the valedictorians in the Cobb school district combined for an average GPA of about 4.7, with salutatorians just short of that threshold.

Six seniors in Cobb schools had grade-point averages above 4.8. Two of them are from Walton, valedictorian Kunling Tong (her 4.883 is tops in the county) and salutatorian Daniel Liu (4.867).

Wheeler valedictorian Maxwell Jiang has a GPA of 4.803, and the other three are from Campbell High School.

What follows are the vals and sals from the six East Cobb high schools, their grade-point averages, college choices and intended majors.

Seven of the vals and sals from East Cobb are headed to Georgia Tech, with two bound for Princeton and one each headed to UGA, Duke and Cal Tech.

Sprayberry valedictorian Keegan Ryan will be enrolling in Columbia University in a dual bachelor’s degree program with Trinity College of Dublin, Ireland. She will be studying classics, ancient history and archeology.

Kell High School
Valedictorian —Emmanuela Omole, 4.734, Princeton University, economics and international affairs.
Salutatorian—Cooper Gates, 4.656, Georgia Tech, neuroscience

Lassiter High School
Valedictorian—Mark Wellman, 4.76, Georgia Tech, computer science
Salutatorian—Anna Patel, 4.754, Georgia Tech, neuroscience

Pope High School
Valedictorian—Harshita Khazanchi, 4.778, Georgia Tech, computer science
Salutatorian—Keira Cullinan, 4.768, University of Georgia, bioengineering and business

Sprayberry High School
Valedictorian—Keegan Ryan, 4.75, Columbia University and Trinity College Dublin, classics and ancient history and archeology
Salutatorian—Jeremy Thomas, 4.708, Georgia Tech, biomedical engineering

Walton High School
Valedictorian—Kunling Tong, 4.883, Duke University, pre-med
Salutatorian—Daniel Liu, 4.867, Princeton University, economics

Wheeler High School
Valedictorian—Maxwell Jiang, 4.803, Georgia Tech, undecided
Salutatorian—Sujit Iyer, 4.791, Cal Tech, undecided

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East Cobb Election results: Cityhood referendum defeated in landslide

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East Cobb 2022 Primary Election Cityhood referendum results
A pro-Cityhood electric sign parked at the former Tokyo Valentino adult store at left; an anti-Cityhood sign in Indian Hills.

UPDATED 2 A.M. WEDNESDAY

With all 17 precincts reporting, the East Cobb Cityhood referendum has been defeated by a 73.4-26.6 percent margin.

The unofficial totals are 16,289 voting NO and 5,900 voting YES.

More details and reaction Wednesday.

UPDATED, 12 A.M. WEDNESDAY

The East Cobb Cityhood referendum is going down in a crushing defeat.

With 70 percent of precincts reporting, NO votes are 13,706, or 72 percent, to 5,218 YES votes, or 27 percent.

That’s been the most lopsided of the three Cobb cityhood referendums on Tuesday’s ballots.

Cityhood votes are trailing with 58 percent of the vote in Lost Mountain having voted NO, (59 percent of precincts reporting); and with 55 percent voting NO in Vinings, (60 percent of precincts reporting).

Real-Time Election Updates:

In the results thus far, all but one of the 17 precincts have voted overwhelmingly against Cityhood, with only Sope Creek 3 (with 52 percent of the vote) favoring incorporation.

Early voting totals were 5,841 votes NO, and 1,844 votes YES.

UPDATED, 11:30 P.M.

With 54 percent of the precincts reporting, NO votes are 8,659, and YES votes are 3,467 in the East Cobb Cityhood referendum. That’s 71.4 percent to 28.6 percent.

The Lost Mountain Cityhood referendum votes have NO leading YES 56-44 percent with 45 percent of precincts reporting, and the Vinings vote is trailing 55-44 with 20 percent of precincts reporting.

UPDATED, 10:30 P.M.

With 23 percent of precincts reporting, NO votes are 3,119, and YES votes are 1,016 in the East Cobb Cityhood referendum.

That’s 75-25 percent.

Only one of 17 precincts is close. In Sope Creek 3, NO votes are at 52 percent; in many others, the NO votes are at 80+ and even 90+ percent.

The results coming in from Cobb Elections in a number of races are painfully slow tonight, and we may not get final decisions until the morning.

UPDATED, 8:55 P.M.

In the East Cobb Cityhood referendum, NO votes are 497, YES votes are 128, roughly 79.5 percent to 20.5 percent, still early voting totals only.

UPDATED, 8:20 P.M.

The first results are trickling in, and “no” votes for the East Cobb Cityhood referendum lead “yes” votes 87-13 percent.

Those are just a few dozen early votes: 99 no, and 15 yes, with more to come before today’s in-person tallies come in.

Cobb Commissioner JoAnn Birrell leads Judy Sarden 75-25 percent in the Republican primary for District 3, also with only a few hundred early votes cast.

Birrell has 481 votes to 156 for Sarden.

In the Lost Mountain cityhood referendum, “no” votes have 851 votes, or 64 percent, to 472 yes votes, or 36 percent.

No results have been reported yet from the Vinings cityhood referendum.

State Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and State Rep. Sharon Cooper, both Republican incumbents, were easily leading in their primaries.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has been declared the the winner of the Republican primary as he seeks re-election. Former Sen. David Perdue conceded after early results showed Kemp with 73 percent of the vote.

In November, Kemp faces a rematch of the bitter 2018 gubernatorial campaign against Democrat Stacey Abrams.

Former UGA football star Herschel Walker was projected the winner of the Republican primary for U.S. Senate, setting up a November general election against Democratic incumbent Raphael Warnock.

ORIGINAL POST, 7 P.M.

The polls have closed in Georgia, and the counting has begun for the 2022 primary elections and the East Cobb Cityhood referendum.

Voters who were in line by 7 p.m. Tuesday will be able to vote.

East Cobb News will continuously update this post all evening with results.

(Here’s our set-up election day post.)

Three-term Cobb commissioner JoAnn Birrell is facing a challenge from first-time candidate Judy Sarden in the Republican primary in District 3, which includes most of East Cobb.

East Cobb legislative incumbents Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick (District 32) and Rep. Sharon Cooper (District 4) have GOP primary challengers in substantially redrawn seats.

There’s a nine-candidate field in the GOP primary for U.S. House District 6, and new representatives will be chosen in State Senate 6 and State House 43.

Two contested non-partisan primaries are taking place for seats on Cobb Superior Court, including one held by incumbent Chief Judge Robert Leonard. The other race includes candidates vying to succeed retiring Judge Robert Flournoy.

In statewide races, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock were facing primary challenges. In the former contest, former U.S. Sen. David Perdue was trailing Kemp among Republican voters. The primary winner will face Democrat Stacey Abrams in November.

In the latter race, the Republican field is led by former UGA football star Herschel Walker. Warnock, elected in 2020 to fill the term of Johnny Isakson, has nominal opposition:

There also are contested Democratic and Republican primaries for lieutenant governor, secretary of state and attorney general.

Typically early voting and absentee figures are tallied first, followed by same-day voting results and more recent absentee votes.

Earlier absentee ballots are expected to be counted rather quickly, as they have been processed to prepare for tabulation when the polls close.

While we await full results, we’ll post early voting and absentee figures as they are revealed.

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Motorcyclist killed in East Cobb crash on Alabama Road

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Motorcyclist killed Old Alabama Road crash

A Woodstock man was killed Saturday when his motorcycle crashed with another vehicle at an intersection in Northeast Cobb.

Cobb Police Sgt. Wayne Delk identified the victim as Jason Williams, 51.

Delk said that a white and red 2004 Sprinter 2500 van driven by Steve Folds, 75, of Woodstock, was in an eastbound lane of Alabama Road (Highway 92) around 5:30 p.m. Saturday, ready to turn left at the intersection of Old Mountain Park Road.

As the van made the left turn, it was hit on the right side by a blue 2016 Yamaha FJR motorcycle driven by Williams, according to police.

Delk said Williams was ejected from the bike and was pronounced dead on the scene, and his next of kin was notified.

(A reader who passed by the scene took the above and other photos as police arrived.)

Folds was not injured, according to police, who said the crash investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information is asked to call Cobb Police at 770-499-3987.

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East Cobb 2022 Primary Election Day: Cityhood referendum, more

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UPDATED:

For primary election and East Cobb cityhood referendum results, click here.

ORIGINAL POST:

After record-breaking early voting turnout across Georgia, voters are finishing up the 2022 primary elections Tuesday at their home precincts.cobb advance voting, Cobb voter registration deadline, Walton and Dickerson PTSA candidates forum

The polls are open from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Click our election day voters guide for more details about on what’s on the ballot, and how to cast it.

East Cobb News will provide real-time coverage and results on a separate post to be published after the polls close.

In addition to a number of local, state and federal races, voters in a portion of East Cobb will be deciding whether to incorporate a City of East Cobb.

It’s one of three cityhood referendums in Cobb County, along with Lost Mountain and Vinings.

During the final days of the campaign, the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood has sent messages urging voters to “preserve the suburbs in East Cobb” and stop high-density development.

The group’s bogeywoman during the campaign has been Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid.

“The county is changing, like it or not,” according to a Cityhood group e-mail that was sent Sunday.

“Chairwoman Cupid is already working hard to put her plan for Cobb County in place . . . one that promotes higher taxes, more spending, density, and mass transit. Cityhood is a real and effective strategy to put the decision-making for East Cobb in the hands of the people who live here.”

Although it’s pledged to be non-partisan, the Cityhood group blamed federal government policies for the high-density push.

“Closing the housing gap, and manipulating the housing market, is a top priority of the Biden White House,” the e-mail states. “Predictably, President Biden falsely blames state and local zoning laws (i.e., the same ones that preserve and maintain the character of a community) for creating a land shortage that drives lot and property prices to higher levels. Thus, the Democrats’ plan is to incentivize states and localities to buck market forces to increase housing density.”

They’ve also accused the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes cityhood, of being run by Democrats.

In response, the Alliance said it’s “co-led by an even mix of Republicans and Democrats, as a lot of people of all political persuasions are against cityhood for East Cobb.”

The Alliance has used allegations of voter fraud against former State Rep. Matt Dollar in the final days to solicit donations and to urge citizens to vote against the referendum.

Cobb Democratic Party Chairwoman Jackie Bettadapur said Dollar, who resigned his seat in February, illegally voted in the cityhood referendum.

He sold a condo near Parkaire Landing Shopping Center in late February and moved into a home outside the proposed city limits.

But the complaint said the voter affadavit he signed when he voted early—and obtained by the Alliance via an open records request—shows that he listed his Parkaire Landing residence.

The Cobb Elections office has forwarded the complaint to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office to be investigated.

The Alliance also has complained that the pro-Cityhood group hasn’t filed a financial disclosure report. The Cityhood committee says it’s not obligated to do so, but pro-cityhood groups in Lost Mountain, Vinings and Mableton have filed those reports.

Visit our Cityhood tab for more information about the referendum, which will be the last item on the ballot of voters eligible to cast a vote regarding cityhood.

A Republican primary for District 3 on the Cobb Board of Commissioners pits three-term incumbent JoAnn Birrell against political newcomer Judy Sarden. After redistricting, that district includes most of East Cobb.

Several East Cobb-area GOP legislative incumbents also are facing primary challenges: District 32 Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick and State Rep. Sharon Cooper, who has switched from District 43 to District 45.

Gov. Brian Kemp and U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock also are facing challenges in the Republican and Democratic primaries, respectively.

A number of non-partisan judicial elections also are on the ballot; see our previous story on all who’ve qualified.

Voters will have to choose from three separate ballots, samples of which are linked to here:

Absentee ballots must be delivered to designated drop boxes or received by mail at the Cobb Elections office by 7 p.m. Tuesday.

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Pope, Walton students volunteer in first Cobb Habitat home of 2022

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Pope Walton students Habitat volunteers

Several Cobb County high school students, include some who attend Pope and Walton in East Cobb, recently volunteered with the Cobb County High School Coalition on a recent home project in Mableton, along with the Lutheran Coalition for Habitat.

The groups co-sponsored the project with Smyrna-based Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta and dedicated the first house of the year to single mother Kimberly Sylvester and her three children.

It’s the 25th Habitat home built by the students of the Habitat clubs of the Cobb County High School Coalition, and the 33rd Habitat home built in the region by the Lutheran Coalition for Habitat.

Other students attend Campbell and Hillgrove high schools.

The Lutheran Coalition for Habitat is a group of Lutherans in the metro Atlanta area who have agreed to partner with Habitat affiliates to eliminate substandard housing. Since 1994, the coalition has helped build 32 homes for families across northern Georgia, and for the last 15 years held an annual fundraiser to make this possible, called Taste of Habitat.

Kimberly Sylvester, 39, is a paraprofessional with the Cobb County School District and has children who are 18, 11 and three months old.

She was born in St. Lucia and raised in the U.S. Virgin Islands and moved to Cobb County seven years ago, renting an apartment.

Sylvester is the first in her family to own a home. The Lutheran Coalition and student volunteers built the home over nine Saturdays beginning in February.

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Sewell Mill Library to take part in Cobb summer reading kickoff

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The Cobb County Public Library System has themed its 2022 summer reading program “Oceans of Possibilities.”Cobb library summer reading challenge

Kickoff events take place at four venues on Saturday, June 4, from 4-6 p.m.

They include the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center (2051 Lower Roswell Road), and the free, all-age event includes activities, crafts and more to promote social connections and reading.

The challenge officially takes place from June 1—July 31 and is designed to encourage patrons of all ages participate in shared learning experiences and community engagement, and to track their reading times to win prizes.

Summer reading resources are available for Cobb County students at www.cobbsummerreading.com.

For more on all Summer reading programs, resources and activities in Cobb, visit www.cobbcat.org/summer.  ​​​​​

 

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Kendra Scott to open pop-up store at The Avenue East Cobb

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The nationwide fashion accessory retailer Kendra Scott is having a grand opening for its new pop-up store at The Avenue East Cobb on June 3.Kendra Scott opening The Avenue East Cobb

Located at Suite 940 (next to the East Cobb mural), the store will be the sixth in Georgia for Kendra Scott. The company includes more than 100 stores across the country.

The store will include current fashion collections and the Kendra Scott color bar, providing an interactive experience to create customized jewelry.

During its opening week the Kendra Scott store will host local non-profits and donate a percentage of sales—details here.

Kendra Scott also will take part in the Ladies Night Out event at Avenue East Cobb on Thursday, May 19 from 5-7 p.m. Guests can stop by the pop-up concierge station in Central Boulevard (located between Kale Me Crazy and Banana Republic) to shop the Kendra Scott trunk show and enjoy a 15 percent discount.

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East Cobb 2022 primary election, cityhood referendum voting info

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East Cobb 2020 primary election, cityhood voting info

UPDATED:

For primary election and East Cobb cityhood referendum results, click here.

ORIGINAL POST:

On Tuesday voters will be going to the polls in the 2022 primary election on a ballot that also includes a cityhood referendum for part of East Cobb.

This post rounds up everything we’ve put together before you head to your precinct—if you haven’t already voted. The polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday at all precincts.

If you have an absentee ballot, that must be dropped off at a designated drop box location by 7 p.m. Tuesday. It’s too late to put it in the mail, because all ballots have to be received by Cobb Elections by 7 p.m. in order to be counted.

For voters in East Cobb, there’s a full slate of competitive races at every level—local, state and federal, as well as the cityhood referendum.

Voters in the proposed city of East Cobb (you must live within the boundaries of this map) will vote either for or against incorporating a new municipality of around 60,000 people. Visit our Cityhood tab for more information about the referendum.

It’s one of three Cobb cityhood referendums to be decided on Tuesday, along with Lost Mountain and Vinings.

Voters in East Cobb will have contested primaries in several key races, including District 3 Cobb Commission (Republican), Georgia Senate 6 (Democrat and Republican), Georgia Senate 32 (Republican), Georgia House 43 (Democrat) and Georgia House 45 (Republican.)

A big Republican field also is on the ballot in the 6th Congressional District, and several sitting statewide office holders are being challenged. They include Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and Democratic U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock.

A number of non-partisan judicial elections also are on the ballot; see our previous story on all who’ve qualified.

Voters will have to choose from three separate ballots, samples of which are linked to here:

Non-partisan candidates will be included on the party ballots, but no party-specific candidates will be included on non-partisan ballots.

Democratic and Republican voters are being asked non-binding questions on their individual ballots.

The sample ballots above are countywide; to get a sample ballot customized for you, and to check which races you will be able to vote in, click here.

Cobb Elections said 23,990 Democratic ballots, 30,938 Republican ballots and 564 non-partisan ballots were cast in-person during three weeks of advanced voting.

More than 10,000 of those ballots were cast at the East Cobb Government Service Center and nearly 6,500 at the Tim D. Lee Senior Center.

A total of 5,153 absentee ballots have been accepted out of 6,293 returned, and 9,457 issues.

The Cobb Board of Elections and Registration has changed several polling stations Tuesday, including one in the East Cobb area.

The Bells Ferry 3 precinct, which has been located at Noonday Baptist Church, will be moved to Transfiguration Catholic Church (1815 Blackwell Road).

That change is for the primary only; you can check your registration status and precinct location by clicking here.

Voters must present a valid photo identification or a special voter ID card with them to the polls.

Primary runoffs are scheduled for June 21.

For more local information, including absentee voting, voter registration, maps and an elections calendar, visit the Cobb Elections website.

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As East Cobb cityhood referendum nears, recent votes have sputtered

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Recent Ga. cityhood referendums

After the Georgia legislature passed a law in the early 2000s making it easier to create new cities, referendums passed with relative ease.

Sandy Springs voters started off in 2005 by approving a cityhood referendum with nearly 94 percent of the vote.

Similar votes in North Fulton also passed easily, including Johns Creek (88 percent in 2006) and Milton (85 percent, also in 2006).

Those two cities have been referred to often by proponents of East Cobb Cityhood during the campaign that culminates with a referendum on Tuesday.

Dunwoody, Brookhaven and Peachtree Corners also came into being as cities between 2008-2012.

But in recent years, cityhood votes have been faltering.

The three Cobb cityhood referendums on Tuesday’s ballots—including Lost Mountain and Vinings—are the first such votes in Georgia since 2019.

That year, voters in Skidaway Island, near Savannah, rejected cityhood by roughly a 62-38 margin.

Failed referendums in 2018 took place in Eagles Landing (Henry County) and Sharon Springs, which would have created only the second city in Forsyth County.

The latter referendum did get a majority of voters in support, with 54 percent voting yes. But the Sharon Springs charter stipulated that the referendum had to pass with 57 percent of the vote.

Dating back to 2015, in fact, only three cityhood referendums have passed, in Tucker and Stonecrest in DeKalb County and the City of South Fulton, where an initial referendum in 2007 was handily defeated.

The Skidaway referendum is the only cityhood vote to take place outside of metro Atlanta since 2005.

That was in March 2019, as the initial East Cobb cityhood legislation was being introduced, and as that first cityhood group was finally meeting the public.

Before town hall meetings began in East Cobb, Charlie Harper, a Cobb-based political consultant, wondered if the cityhood movement was losing its steam, and specifically its message of promising better government with local control instead of less government.

Those have been the conflicting messages of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the anti-Cityhood East Cobb Alliance, respectively, in what’s become an increasingly bitter campaign.

Harper also thought it was a good time to “re-evaluate the rush to cityhood in many cases. We need to set a higher bar before pitting neighbor against neighbor. There needs to be a clear and consistent reason why we should.”

The cityhood movement picked up in Cobb after Democrats gained control of the Cobb Board of Commissioners and Republican elected officials expressed concern over high-density development in more suburban areas.

The GOP-dominated legislature easily passed the three cityhood bills calling for Tuesday’s referendums, as well as another to take place in November in Mableton.

There has not been a new city in Cobb County for more than 100 years.

Milton City Hall
Milton City Hall opened in 2016, 10 years after a cityhood referendum passed. (ECN file)

While the East Cobb Cityhood group said it was not doing any formal polling, State Sen. John Albers, a North Fulton Republican who carried the East Cobb Cityhood bill in the Senate, said he thinks the vote could go either way.

He has been involved in some of those cityhood referendums in North Fulton, and said those new cities have largely been governed smoothly. (Like East Cobb, Johns Creek and Milton are affluent communities that are providing police and fire services.)

There were initial problems on the Milton City Council due to some personality conflicts that required the help of an industrial psychologist.

But of the last five cityhood votes that were approved, three passed with less than 60 percent of the vote. The exception was Tucker, with 74 percent of the vote.

The following is a summary of the 15 cityhood votes that have taken place since 2005. State Rep. Mitchell Kaye said he requested the information from the House Budget and Research Office.

He was sworn in earlier this week to fill out the rest of the term of Matt Dollar, the chief East Cobb Cityhood bill sponsor.

Kaye said he was initially undecided about cityhood but now is opposed, saying he doesn’t think a City of East Cobb could improve upon current county public safety services.

He said while he was initially pleased at the level of community engagement when the referendum campaign began, he’s troubled by more recent dialogue that has “taken on a more personal tone.

“I hope our community can come together however the vote turns out,” Kaye said.

County Year Vote
Sandy Springs Fulton 2005 Yes, 93%
Johns Creek Fulton 2006 Yes, 88%
Milton Fulton 2006 Yes, 85%
South Fulton Fulton 2007 No, 84%
Chattahoochee Hills Fulton 2007 Yes, 83%
Dunwoody DeKalb 2008 Yes, 81%
Peachtree Corners Gwinnett 2012 Yes, 57%
Brookhaven DeKalb 2012 Yes, 54%
Tucker DeKalb 2015 Yes, 74%
LaVista Hills DeKalb 2015 No, 50.5%
Stonecrest DeKalb 2016 Yes, 56%
South Fulton Fulton 2016 Yes, 59%
Sharon Springs Forsyth 2018 No*
Eagles Landing Henry 2018 No, 56%
Skidaway Island Chatham 2019 No, 62%

(* 54 percent of Sharon Springs voters approved the cityhood referendum, but it failed because “yes” votes needed to cross a 57 percent threshold)

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2022 graduation dates, times and more for East Cobb high schools

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Lassiter graduation, Cobb schools 2020 graduation schedule

A week-long schedule of commencement exercises for the Cobb County School District gets underway on Monday, with most schools once again holding their graduations at the Kennesaw State University Convocation Center.

All six high schools in the East Cobb area will be having graduation ceremonies there, as most schools did before the COVID-19 pandemic.

For the last two years, graduation took place outdoors at McEachern High School.

But with the return to KSU, the Cobb school district also is reverting back to some of its previous features.

Those include live-streaming of all graduation ceremonies at this link. DVDs of graduation events also can be ordered and purchased at this link; the cost is $30 for the DVD and for shpping.

The Cobb Horizon School will the first graduation ceremony, with Kell High School the first traditional high school to graduate its Class of 2022:

  • Monday, May 23: Kell High School, 7:30 p.m., KSU
  • Wednesday, May 25: Lassiter High School, 3:30 p.m., KSU
  • Wednesday, May 25: Wheeler High School, 7:30 p.m., KSU
  • Thursday, May 26: Walton High School, 10 a.m., KSU
  • Thursday, May 26: Sprayberry High School, 7 p.m., KSU
  • Friday, May 27: Pope High School, 2:30 p.m., KSU

The Cobb County School District and KSU also have issued the following information about security and parking for graduation events.

There will be metal detector screenings for all persons entering the Convocation Center, and all bags must be clear totes or small clutch bags.

Graduates will report to the Siegel Recreation Center for line-ups, which will take place on the basketball courts.

That’s a change from previous commencements at KSU, but there no changes for parking locations.

You can find more graduation information by clicking here.

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East Cobb Food Scores: Zeus Greek Street Food; more

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Zeus Greek Street Food, East Cobb food scores

The following East Cobb food scores for the week of May 16 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:

C & S Seafood & Oyster Bar
3300 Cobb Parkway South, Suite 3240
May 17, 2022 Score: 96, Grade: A

Chick-Fil-A
1440 Terrell Mill Road
May 16, 2022 Score: 92, Grade: A

Infusion Crab ATL
2044 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 300
May 18, 2022 Score: 91, Grade: A

Mango’s Carribean Restaurant
585 Franklin Gateway, Suite 290A
May 17, 2022 Score: 81, Grade: B

Zeus Greek Street Food
2022 Powers Ferry Road, Suite 130
May 18, 2022 Score: 82, Grade: B

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Eastvalley, Powers Ferry, Rocky Mount ES get new principals

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Three more elementary schools in East Cobb will have new principals for the 2022-23 school year.Elayna Wilson, Powers Ferry Elementary School

The Cobb Board of Education on Thursday approved the appointment of new principals for Eastvalley, Powers Ferry and Rocky Mount schools, among numerous personnel changes.

The new Eastvalley principal will be Dr. Whitney Spooner, who has been an assistant principal at Sope Creek Elementary School. She is replacing Kendall Foster, who has been named principal at Norton Park Elementary School.

Lindley Middle School principal Elayna Wilson has been named the new principal at Powers Ferry Elementary School, succeeding Patrice Jones.

Rocky Mount Elementary School principal Peggy Fleming is retiring, and the district has named Dr. Cheri Vaniman, an assistant principal at Nicholson Elementary School, to succeed her.

All three of those appointments will take effect July 1, when the Cobb County School District’s academic and fiscal year begins.

The retirement of longtime Brumby Elementary School Dr. Amanda Richie was made in April, but her successor has not been appointed.

The Cobb school board also made other personnel announcements, including the following at schools in East Cobb:

  • Stephen Joel Atchison, assistant principal, Murdock Elementary School, resignation;
  • Bradley Cohen, assistant principal at Bells Ferry Elementary School, reassigned to assistant principal, Addison Elementary School;
  • Jamie Davies, assistant principal, Mt. Bethel Elementary School, resignation;
  • Ashley Ford, assistant principal at Smyrna Elementary School, reassigned to assistant principal, Mt. Bethel Elementary School;
  • Courtney Kelly, assistant principal, Big Shanty Elementary School, reassigned to assistant principal, Nicholson Elementary School;
  • Elizabeth Marsili, assistant principal, Bells Ferry Elementary School, reassigned to assistant principal, Kennesaw Elementary School;
  • Tresa Snow, Coordinator, South Cobb Early Learning Center, reassigned to assistant principal, Sope Creek Elementary School;
  • Carrie Lowery, Technology Training Integration Specialist, Chief Technology Division, appointed to assistant principal, Dodgen Middle School;
  • Dr. Kacie Phipps, assistant principal, Griffin Middle School, reassigned to assistant principal, East Cobb Middle School;
  • Bradley Adkins, teacher, Sprayberry High School, appointed to assistant principal, McEachern High School;
  • Jeffrey Burch, Athletic Director/Administrative Assistant, Centennial High School, Roswell, to become assistant principal, Kell High School.

The board also voted to approve additional one-year contracts to the members of Superintendent Chris Ragsdale’s cabinet. They’re the various department heads, and after a motion was made to accept them all together, board member Jaha Howard made a substituted motion.

He wanted the contract of John Floresta, chief strategy and accountability officer, to be considered separately.

That office is responsible for accountability, research and grants, communications and events and venue management.

Howard did not say why he was making his motion, and it failed.

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Cobb school board approves FY 23 budget, Wheeler renovations

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The Cobb Board of Education unanimously adopted a fiscal year 2023 budget on Thursday that will provide what Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said is the biggest salary increase in the history of the Cobb County School District.Cobb County School District, Cobb schools dual enrollment summit

The record $1.4 billion budget, which takes effect July 1, includes pay hikes between 8.5 and 13.10 percent for non-temporary employees.

The raises were included as the Cobb tax digest is expected to grow by more than 10 percent in 2022, and follows $2,000 bonuses for teachers that were approved by the Georgia legislature.

“This is something every team member does not take lightly,” Ragsdale told board members after the vote, expressing his appreciation on behalf of the district’s more than 18,000 employees.

The district will use $29.5 million in budget contingency to fund the budget, roughly half of which is funded by the state through the Quality Basic Education Act.

More budget information can be found by clicking here.

The board also passed, by a 7-0 vote, a measure for the district to hire an architect for classroom renovations at Wheeler High School.

The district will spend $309,111 for Gardner Spencer Smith Tench & Jarbeau of Atlanta to conduct architectural design to upgrade STEM and CTAE classrooms and make other modifications, including upgrading elevated walkways between buildings and converting tennis courts.

Board member Jaha Howard asked Marc Smith, the district’s chief technology and operations officer, if the scope of the work included changing the name of Wheeler—”a Confederate general.”

Board chairman David Chastain said “that’s not part of the agenda item.”

Howard is one of three Democrats on the board who has tried to press for consideration of the Wheeler name change, but they haven’t had the votes to get the matter placed on a board agenda.

A first-term member from Post 2 in Smyrna, Howard is not seeking re-election this year. He is among the Democratic candidates for Georgia School Superintendent who will be on the primary ballot next Tuesday.

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