Atlanta man gets life sentence for raping Cobb woman in 2020

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An Atlanta man was given a life sentence this week after a Cobb Superior Court jury found him guilty of raping a woman in her apartment in the East Cobb area.Cobb rapist gets life sentence

The Cobb District Attorney’s office said that Cam Melikoglu, 34, must serve 25 years in prison and will be on probation for the rest of his life following the sentencing by Judge Julie Adams Jacobs.

According to the DA’s office, Melikoglu was at a home on Aug. 3, 2020, for drinks and dinner with friends that included two women who are sisters.

Prosecutors said that the victim became heavily intoxicated and her sister took her to her apartment off Wylie Road.

The victim’s sister and Melikoglu messaged each other on Instagram, with Melikoglu saying he wanted to check on them “due to some tension between others at the party,” the DA’s office said.

Melikoglu arrived at the victim’s apartment and her sister let him stay there overnight because it was late, the DA’s office said.

According to his arrest warrant, the attack took place around 3 a.m.

Prosecutors said sometime during the night Melikoglu went into the victim’s bedroom and raped her while she was passed out, and when she woke up he was still in her bed.

The DA’s office said her injuries were “consistent with sexual assault” and his DNA was present. After an investigation by the Marietta Police Department, Melikoglu was charged with rape and was indicted on that felony count.

At the trial, the victim, now 30, testified, according to the DA’s office, as did her sister and others at the party. The jury returned a guilty verdict earlier this week.

“This defendant is a predator. He saw an opportunity and he took it,” Cobb assistant District Attorney Lindsey McClure-So said in a statement. “He thought because the victim was unconscious when he raped her that she wouldn’t say anything. The victim should be commended for her bravery to come forward with what happened to her and to give testimony in front of her rapist.”

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Technology played ‘huge role’ in Atlanta mass shooting arrest

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Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer speaks as Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens listens. Cobb Police Department

Shortly after his officers apprehended a man who shot five people Wednesday at an Atlanta medical complex, Cobb Police Chief Stuart VanHoozer had a lot of people to thank.

After naming names, and admitting he was probably forgetting to identify others, VanHoozer said one of the most crucial components in capturing the suspect was new technology.

Flock license plate readers identified the truck in Midtown Atlanta that Deion Patterson allegedly commandeered after his shooting spree, and Cobb DOT traffic cameras pinpointed his exact whereabouts in Cobb County as the afternoon turned into the evening.

Patterson, 24, was arrested around 8 p.m. without further harm to others, VanHoozer said at a press conference at Atlanta Police headquarters shortly after the arrest.

A 39-year-old woman at the Northside Hospital building in Midtown Atlanta was killed and four other women were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital, three of them in critical condition.

“If you rewind the hands of time four years, we probably would not be where we are right now,” VanHoozer said of the license plate readers. “Those tools are really what got us the clues that we needed.”

Cobb and Atlanta police both use Flock license plate readers that are used to track cars and license plates, but only after a crime is committed.

VanHoozer said having the people “who know how to use” the technology was just as vital in Wednesday’s frantic search, and as a fluid, fast-developing situation evolved, police and emergency dispatch crews had to sift through a flurry of 911 calls and information.

“It was a fairly chaotic scene,” he said, referring to the vicinity around Truist Park and the Cumberland/Smyrna/Vinings area.

Atlanta Police said the Patterson left the Northside Medical building on West Peachtree Street on foot shortly after the shootings around noon, and walked to a nearby Shell station where he saw an unattended pickup truck with the engine running and drove it away.

Atlanta Police notified Cobb Police around 12:30 that they had received an LPR (license plate reader alert) that the truck was in Cobb County.

Shelter-in-place orders were given in many areas around Truist Park and The Battery, and Cobb’s Real-Time Crime Center staff fielded many calls from the community.

Cobb DOT also aided in the search by providing its camera feeds, which VanHoozer also credited with giving police a precise location of the suspect.

VanHoozer didn’t specify that location, but it was the Waterford Place condominiums in the Cumberland area, not far from where police found the pickup truck they said Patterson had driven from Atlanta. He was taken into custody without incident near a swimming pool after being confronted by an undercover officer.

Atlanta Police have not thus far released a possible motive for the shootings. Patterson was scheduled to have a medical appointment at the Northside Hospital building when gunfire erupted on the 11th floor.

Atlanta Police said the suspect was in the building for roughly two minutes after the shootings.

Patterson, who served in the U.S. Coast Guard and returned to civilian life in January, has been charged with one count of murder and four counts of aggravated assault.

He is being detained at the Fulton County jail’s medical observation unit and on Thursday waived his arraignment hearing.

“Hats off to everybody who was involved in this,” VanHoozer said of the search.

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Cobb Police capture Atlanta mass shooting suspect

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UPDATED 8:25 PM

Cobb Police say they have arrested Deion Patterson and will release more information in a joint press conference with Atlanta Police.

Follow-up story can be found by clicking here.

ORIGINAL STORY:

Cobb Police said Wednesday that they are assisting Atlanta Police and other law enforcement agencies in trying to apprehend a man whom they say shot at least five people at Midtown hospital, one fatally.Midtown Atlanta shooting suspect

In a social media message posted around 3:15 p.m., Cobb Police said they have assigned officers in the search “after reports he may have come to Cobb County. Portions of Cobb County that border Atlanta may see heavier than normal presence.”

Cobb Police said in another message a few minutes later that “reports of a recovered carjacked vehicle near Campbell Middle School are not correct. We will update with information as it becomes available.”

Another message posted around 3:45 p.m. said the search was taking place in the Vinings, Cumberland and Truist Park areas.

At 4:25 p.m., Cobb Police said that “reports of shots fired at 200 Galleria Pkwy were a false alarm. No shots fired.”

The Smyrna Police Department posted a message shortly after 2 p.m. saying it had received “credible information that a vehicle possibly connected to the midtown shooting was seen in the area of Campbell Rd and Atlanta Rd.

“Officers responded to the area to assist in the search, but the vehicle was not there. Smyrna Police Department is continuing to work with other law enforcement agencies in this matter. If you see anything suspicious please call 911.”

At 4:45 p.m. the Cobb Sheriff’s Office said it had activated its SWAT unit to support Cobb Police search efforts.

The Cobb Police postings came shortly after Atlanta Police lifted a shelter-in-place order in the area around 1110 West Peachtree St.

That’s the address of the Northside Hospital Midtown campus.

Atlanta Police identified the suspect as Deion Patterson, 24, and released the accompanying photos, saying that as of 2:46 p.m. he was still at-large but believed he was no longer in the Midtown area.

“The suspect is believed to be armed and dangerous and should not be approached,” Atlanta Police said shortly before 2 p.m.

The shelter-in-place was ordered around 12:40 p.m. after shots rang out at the medical building.

Midtown Atlanta shooting suspectPolice said four of the shooting victims were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital and the person who died was pronounced deceased at the scene.

A Grady official said at a press conference that three of the shooting victims taken to the hospital are in critical condition—two of them had been in surgery—and the other is in the emergency room.

Atlanta Police held a media briefing later Wednesday afternoon, and said a 39-year-old woman was killed, and that the other victims taken to Grady also are women, ages 25, 29, 56 and 71.

This story will be updated.

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Hand and Stone grand reopening set for The Avenue East Cobb

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Hand and Stone The Avenue East Cobb grand reopening

A number of stores are on the move at The Avenue East Cobb as redevelopment work continues.

One of those businesses affected by the construction of “jewel box” restaurants and a public plaza is Hand and Stone  Massage and Facial Spa.

It’s now located in Suite 900, between the Loft and Bath and Body Works, and on Friday will have a grand reopening celebration from 4-8 p.m.

The event is open house style and is open to the public, with refreshments, guided tours, raffle prizes and exclusive offers.

You’re asked to RSVP at this link.

A few other moves at The Avenue: The College Station store that was located in Suite 1520 near the Gap is now next to Lenscrafters in Suite 425; and Faced the Facial Studio has opened in Suite 200, between Warby Parker and the forthcoming Barnes and Noble bookstore.

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Cobb Library System’s ‘Vision to Learn’ partnership expanding

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The Vision To Learn on-site mobile clinics will return in June to Cobb County public libraries this summer to provide eye exams and glasses–free of charge–for children ages 5-18.Cobb Library Vision to Learn program

The program, which began in 2018, is expected to exceed last year’s record of almost 400 exams, with more than 250 receiving glasses.

Funding is being provided through the next four summers by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, using $264,000 of the county’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act, as well as $247,000 for Vision To Learn programs with Marietta City Schools.

Registration is required to take part, and the form for June is can be found https://bit.ly/vtlcobblibrary.

One library branch in East Cobb will be the venue for the Vision To Learn visits. The Sewell Mill Library (2051 Lower Roswell Road) will be accepting appointments from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on two Wednesdays next month, June 7 and June 14.

The Vision To Learn visits are part of the Cobb County Public Library’s collaboration with Learn4Life, Metro Atlanta Regional Education Partnership for students’ success to make the region a more equitable and prosperous community.

For information, visit Cobb County Public Library at www.cobbcat.org and Vision To Learn at www.visiontolearn.org.

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Delta Community Credit Union names new East Cobb branch manager

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Tina Nelson, Delta Credit Union East Cobb branch manager

The Delta Community Credit Union has named Tina Nelson the new branch manager at its East Cobb location on Johnson Ferry Road.

She has nearly 24 years of banking and management experience and was previously a branch manager with the Bank of Montreal in her native Canada and the Regions Bank branch in Dallas, Ga., and was a mortgage loan officer with Security Mortgage Company prior to joining Delta Community.

Nelson moved to the U.S. in 2014 after her husband, an American military veteran, retired after serving at a local installation.

“I’m looking forward to incorporating my industry knowledge to bring a positive impact to our credit union team and our members in Marietta and Cobb County,” Nelson said.

Based in Atlanta, the Delta Community Credit Union has more than 484,000 members and nearly 30 locations in the metro area and north Georgia.

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Cobb Planning board delays Post Oak Tritt subdivision plans

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Post Oak Tritt subdivision plans delayed
For a larger view click here.

A long-delayed request to build homes on property containing an historic 19th century cabin is being held again after the Cobb Planning Commission voted for a 30-day hold on Tuesday.

The 5-0 vote came after a lengthy discussion about a number of other issues—including stormwater, dam repair and traffic access issues—that weren’t resolved after the applicant submitted a revised site plan last month.

“It’s pretty clear to me that we don’t have enough information,” said Planning Commissioner David Anderson, who represents District 2, which includes the 13.38 acres at 4701 Post Oak Tritt Road.

The five-member board, appointed by members of the Cobb Board of Commissioners, voted to hold the request last month for similar reasons.

Kenneth Clary, the property owner, wants to sell the land adjacent to the Clary Lakes subdivision for what would be an 18-home development (case file here).

His property is currently zoned R-30, the lowest-density residential category in Cobb. After initially making an R-15 request, his attorney, Parks Huff, submitted an R-20 site plan per the recommendation of the Cobb Zoning Office.

Huff told the planning board that many of the outstanding issues mentioned by opponents can be resolved during the plan review process.

“Your job is to zone property,” he said. “You cannot say that R-20 is not a proper category for that property. Let’s not overthink this. Let’s put this in the proper zoning category and move on.”

But the requested zoning category wasn’t why opponents came forward.

Another outstanding issue is historic in nature, that being the possibility of three graves on the site located near the Power-Jackson Cabin, one of the last one-room structures left in the county dating from the 1840s.

Huff said his client knows of no human remains on the property.

But Jimmy Richards of the Cobb Cemetery Preservation Commission cited a book about the early history of Cobb County (up to 1932), indicating a young mother, part of the Power family, died there nearly 140 years ago giving birth, and she is buried there with her baby twins.

He asked for the delay for the applicant to hire an archaeologist, per county code, to conduct a survey to discover if, and where, they may be resting.

The site plan submitted by Huff, according to Richards, doesn’t indicate anything about the location of the cabin or the possible graves.

Joe Ovbey, who lives in an adjacent home on Post Oak Tritt, said his family has known the Clarys for decades.

“I’ve been shown where those graves are for many years,” he said, urging that the rezoning be delayed.

Cobb Landmarks, an historic preservation non-profit, wants to have the cabin relocated to Hyde Farm, near other Powers family cabins.

The Power-Jackson Cabin includes Masonic markings on the chimney that are “why it wasn’t burned down during the Civil War,” Ovbie said.

More modern concerns also prompted the additional delay.

Richard Grome, president of the East Cobb Civic Association, said the new site plan “seems to have some of the same problems as the old one.”

One of the lots would not be accessible by the subdivision street at all, but via Post Oak Tritt Road.

other lots are included on a flood plain on the southern edge of the two Clary lakes. There also is a dam that is located on one of the lots.

When Anderson asked who would bear responsibility for repairing the dam, Huff indicated that it might not be a homeowners association but rather an individual property owner.

“We’re doing this the same way [as nearby subdivisions],” Huff said. “We’re doing it at a lower density.”

But Anderson wasn’t reassured by that response, nor some of the traffic access problems. His motion to delay included provisions for a community meeting between the applicant and nearby residents, a third-party analysis of the possible graves and further addressing dam and stormwater issues.

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LM Frame and Gallery to hold ribbon-cutting for expanded space

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LM Frame and Gallery expanding

The LM Frame and Gallery is opening expanded gallery space at its existing location at the Shops of Woodlawn (1062 Johnson Ferry Road, Suite 150) and will hold a special ribbon-cutting ceremony later this month to celebrate.

The ribbon-cutting, which is being held in association with the East Cobb Business Association, takes place on May 18 at 5:30 p.m. and the event will include a special art exhibit of local artists featuring Aboriginal works.

The custom framing store and contemporary art gallery is owned by Christophe and Caroline Choquart. Framing work includes traditional paintings, 3D objects, needlework, posters and more.

New Businesses

The following businesses in East Cobb were granted licenses in April by the Cobb Community Development Agency:

  • Cindy’s Stitch Studio, 4901 Olde Towne Parkway, Suite 100 (tutoring services)
  • Drea Nicole Photography, 2000 Powers Ferry Road, Suites 1-4 (photography studio)
  • Larry’s Kitchen, 3910 Canton Road, Suite 140 (restaurant)
  • PT Solutions Physical Therapy, 4401 Shallowford Road, Suite 100 (physical therapy)
  • Scooter’s Coffee, 2943 Canton Road, Suite 1600 (coffee and tea store)

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Cobb County outdoor burn ban continues through Sept. 30

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From May 1-Sept. 30, an outdoor burn ban is in effect in Cobb County.Cobb Fire Department fireworks safety reminder

Citizens may not burn leaves, tree limbs or other yard waste and forest land and may not use air curtain destructors for land clearing.

Cobb is one of 54 counties in Georgia with the outdoor burn ban, which includes unincorporated areas as well as the cities of Acworth, Kennesaw and Powder Springs.

Certain types of recreational fires and bonfires are permitted throughout the year, and there are restrictions that apply and some permits may be required.

Exempted from the burn ordinance are fires stemming from barbecue grills or pits, and outdoor fireplaces and similar devices that burn logs and clean wood.

For more information on permitted outdoor burning in Cobb, please click here.

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East Cobb residential real estate sales, April 10-14, 2023

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The Fountain at Woodlawn, East Cobb real estate sales
The Fountain at Woodlawn

The following East Cobb residential real estate sales between April 10-14, 2023, were compiled from agency reports:

April 10

3428 Lower Roswell Road, 30068 (Oak Leaf Plantation, Walton): $730,000

4976 Concert Lane, 30066 (Tanglewood Enclave, Lassiter): $1.65 million

1745 Jody Drive, 30066 (Shallowford Oaks, Lassiter): $420,000

2971 Goldfinch Circle, 30066 (Woodrush Court, Sprayberry): $575,000

2467 Sewell Mill Road, 30062 (Hickory Grove, Walton): $1.8 million

1526 Oakmoor Place, 30062 (Allgood Farms, Sprayberry): $526,000

492 Kelly Drive, 30066 (Addison Heights, Sprayberry): $280,000

3348 Vandiver Drive, 30066 (North Forty, Sprayberry): $500,000

948 Blackwell Trail, 30066 (Blackwell Bend, Sprayberry): $432,000

4592 North Landing Drive, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): $375,000

524 Gramercy Drive, 30068 (River Park at Hampton Farms, Walton): $2.3 million

April 11

118 Yancy Drive, 30067 (Hamby Acres, Wheeler): $225,000

3882 Emerson Street, 30062 (Emerson Bridge, Walton): $274,000

2159 Spalding Drive, 30062 (Sandy Plains Estates, Sprayberry): $462,000

164 Bristol Lane, 30066 (Bristol, Sprayberry): $374,500

2689 Tritt Springs Trace, 30062 (Post Oak Springs, Pope): $557,620

5005 Gardenia Circle, 30068 (The Gardens at Parkaire, Walton): $308,000

4563 Fountain Drive, 30067 (The Fountain at Woodlawn): $862,000

April 12

2734 Suwanee Way, 30067 (Bentley Ridge, Wheeler): $278,000

2799 Hitchcock Mill Run, 30068 (Princeton Mill, Wheeler): $650,000

1210 Rockcrest Drive, 30062 (Blackjack Hills, Sprayberry): $435,000

2962 Bea Mar Drive, 30062 (Folkstone, Walton): $725,000

2565 Jewell Drive, 30066 (Sprayberry): $420,000

2971 Pauls Way, 30062 (Barbara Estates, Pope): $435,000

2920 Foothill Trail, 30066 (Caribou Hills, Sprayberry): $390,000

4016 Upland Trace, 30066 (Highland Park, Lassiter): $600,000

2311 Fox Hound Parkway, 30062 (Chimney Springs, Pope): $732,100

April 13

2121 Heritage Trace Drive, 30062 (Heritage Trace, Walton): $479,500

3099 Balearic Drive, 30067 (Valencia Hills, Wheeler): $275,000

3482 Sheridan Drive, 30066 (Oak Leaf Plantation, Sprayberry): $720,000

266 Pinehurst Lane, 30062 (Heritage Woods, Walton): $320,000

2638 Cedar Forks Drive, 30068 (Cedar Forks, Pope): $443,000

4446 Chimney Springs Court, 30062 (Chimney Springs, Pope): $750,000

1375 High Country Court, 30066 (Jamerson Forest, Kell): $339,000

270 Hampton Farms Court, 30068 (Hampton Farms, Walton): $860,000

2065 Kinsmon Drive, 30062 (Easthampton—The Estates, Walton): $909,750

April 14

1009 Birch Creek Lane, 30067 (The Oaks at Powers Ferry, Wheeler): $536,080

3321 Page Heights Court, 30062 (Hembree Heights, Pope): $1.102 million

4061 Defender Way, 30075 (Garrison Oaks, Lassiter): $935,000

2746 Morgan Road, 30066 (Olde Morgan Farm, Sprayberry): $572,000

654 Gunby Road, 30067 (Sibley Forest, Wheeler): $947,600

1241 Pebble Creek Road, 30067 (Terrell Mill Estates, Wheeler): $610,000

402 Somerset Close, 30067 (Somerset, Wheeler): $625,000

623 Lullingstone Drive, 30067 (Glens at Powers Ferry, Wheeler): $445,000

192 Kings Row, 30067 (Kings Cove, Walton): $500,000

234 Hunting Creek Drive, 30068 (Weatherstone, Wheeler): $440,000

3669 High Green Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): $1.925 million

2284 Collinworth Drive, 30062 (East Lake Ridge, Wheeler): $382,500

3169 Wicks Creek Trail, 30062 (Wicks Creek, Pope): $680,000

1726 Willie Drive, 30062 (Benson Heights, Sprayberry): $292,000

1160 Alan Lane, 30062 (Benson Heights, Sprayberry): $325,000

300 Piedmont Drive, 30066 (Bristol Mill, Sprayberry): $348,000

2501 Hidden Hills Drive, 30066 (Hidden Hills, Sprayberry): $367,500

2710 Salzburg Drive, 30062 (Alpine Forest, Pope): $630,000

4148 Westchester Crossing, 30075 (Westchester, Lassiter): $702,000

2715 Hawk Trace, 30066 (Falcon Crest, Kell): $410,000

3603 Hampstead Lane, 30075 (Hampstead, Pope): $685,000

748 Olde Towne Lane, 30068 (Hamptons of Olde Towne, Walton): $475,000

2285 Chimney Springs Drive, 30062 (Chimney Springs, Pope): $543,000

2120 Stone Hollow Court, 30062 (Chimney Springs, Pope): $690,000

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Cobb Commission Chairwoman to hold State of the County address

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Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid will deliver the annual State of the County address next Thursday, May 4, at 7 p.m. at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre (548 S. Marietta Parkway).Cobb transportation sales tax consultants

She will continue her theme of “ALL IN for Cobb,” during the address, introducing individuals “demonstrating integrity, inclusiveness, investment in others, innovation, and intelligent decision-making for the county,” according to an announcement for the event.

It will be preceded by a reception at the adjacent Cobb Civic Center from 6:15 —7 p.m.

The address is free and open to the public, you’re asked to RSVP by clicking here.

The event also will be shown via livestream on CobbTV and the county’s YouTube channel.

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Terrell Mill Tennis Center to hold free clinics in May

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Terrell Mill Tennis Center

The Terrell Mill Tennis Center, located at Terrell Mill Park (480 Terrell Mill Road), is taking part in National Tennis Month events in May.

Cobb PARKS has scheduled a number of special activities across the county, including free clinics at the Terrell Mill Tennis Center.

The first is next Saturday, May 6, and its for kids ages 5-8. Kids Tennis in the Park will be broken into two age groups: ages 4-5 from 9-10 a.m. and ages 6-8 from 10-11 a.m.

There will be court games, raffles and refreshments and no experience is necessary. Registration is required and the deadline to sign up is May 4 by calling the Terrell Mill Tennis Center at 770-644-2771.

On May 18, the Terrell Mill Tennis Center’s Serve Fest takes place from 7—8:30 p.m and is open to all adults. The staff will conduct serving contests and challenges, and participants can enjoy refreshments, music and raffles.

Advance registration is required by calling 770-644-2771 by May 15, and space is limited.

Summer tennis and pickleball lessons at Terrell Mill Tennis Center and other county facilities is continuing, and you can browse through the schedule by clicking here.

To learn more about National Tennis Month, click here.

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Man sentenced to 15 years in stalking at Indian Hills home

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A Dunwoody man has been given a 15-year sentence, with seven years to serve in prison, after pleading guilty this week to aggravated stalking and other charges stemming from an incident last May at a home in Indian Hills.Man sentenced stalking Indian Hills home

The Cobb District Attorney’s Office Friday said that Cobb Superior Court Judge Jason Marbut handed down the sentence to Anthony Merriwether, 66, after a negotiated plea on a number of felony counts.

Those included discharge of a gun near highway or street, reckless conduct, criminal damage to property in the first and second degrees, possession of cocaine, possession of firearm during commission of a felony, terroristic threats, criminal attempt to commit theft by extortion, and possession of firearm by a convicted felon.

Merriwether was to have gone on trial this week, according to Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s Office records.

Prosecutors said Merriwether was an ex-boyfriend of the victim’s deceased sister, and they had been in a dispute over the latter’s estate.

In a news release Friday, the DA’s office said that Cobb Police were called to the scene of a home on May 6, 2022, by a woman who reported an armed man in her front yard.

Prosecutors said that a window and interior walls of the home had been shattered by bullets, and that a man was shown on a Ring video camera driving to the home, stepping out of the car and making verbal threats for money.

According to an arrest warrant, the camera footage showed Merriwether pulling up in the driveway in a Porsche and he was in possession of two guns at the home on Indian Hills Parkway.

The victim was home at the time of the incident, the warrant said.

Merriwether had been given a portion of his former girlfriend’s estate, according to prosecutors, who said he believed he was entitled to the entire estate.

According to the release, Merriwether was arrested at a traffic stop on Johnson Ferry Road near Columns Drive shortly after the incident and was was found with two firearms and cocaine in his vehicle.

After his release, however, according to the DA’s office, Merriwether continued to contact the victim, despite a “no-contact” provision of his bond.

Another warrant taken out on Nov. 14 states that Merriwether used his deceased girlfriend’s e-mail address between Oct. 24 and Oct. 26 to send several messages “which contained threats of death, violence and intimidating statements” toward the same victim.

On Nov. 17, Merriwether was arrested on the aggravated stalking charge for violating bond conditions, and he has been detained ever since at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center, according to Cobb Sheriff’s Office records.

He was denied bond in December after a probable cause hearing, according to Cobb Superior Court Clerk’s office records.

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East Cobb Weekend Events: Recycling; Taste of Marietta; Music in the Park

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Loose Shoes Band, East Cobb Weekend Events
The Loose Shoes Band returns to East Cobb Park Sunday, but rain is in the forecast.

From our calendar listings are some weekend events that will bring the month of April (and some predicted last-dash showers) to a close:

Saturday is expected to be warm and sunny all day, perfect for disposing of unwanted items at the Pope Band Recycling Day. Come by the Northeast Cobb YMCA (3010 Johnson Ferry Road) between 9-2 with your items (list of what’s accepted and not); cost is $10 per vehicle and extra disposal fees may apply for some items.

More plant sales are continuing, this Saturday near the Marietta Square. The Root House Plant Sale offers vintage and native Georgia plants for sale from 9-1 at the William Root House Museum and Garden (80 N. Marietta Parkway).

Bring your appetites and wear some good walking shoes all day Sunday at the Marietta Square, the venue once again for the 28th Taste of Marietta. It bills itself as the largest food festival in metro Atlanta, and from 11-7 you can nosh and enjoy live music, entertainment, kids’ fun and more.

The East Cobb restaurants on hand will be Alumni Cookie Dough, Jacobs Java Cafe, Smokehouse Q and The Freakin’ Incan. (Some of them will also be at The Taste of East Cobb next Saturday, and which East Cobb News is thrilled be involved in as a gold sponsor.)

There’s rain in the forecast on Sunday, when Music in the Park returns to East Cobb Park (3322 Roswell Road) from 4-6 p.m. If the weather cooperates, you’ll hear the cover tunes of the Loose Shoes Band, with a playlist ranging from classic rock, blues, pop and Motown to country music. Bring some food and blankets/chairs to the concert stage and dance away the rain.

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East Cobb bookstores taking part in Independent Bookstore Day

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Bookmiser

When we posted earlier this year about a Barnes and Noble store coming to The Avenue East Cobb, quite a few readers mentioned that the community has a number of smaller, mostly independent bookstores.

For the last 10 years, there’s been an Independent Bookstore Day across the country on the last Saturday in April, and this Saturday three East Cobb stores will be taking part.

It’s the culmination of Independent Bookstore Week, as stores offer special discounts, prizes and other incentives, designed to help the moms and pops of the book retailing world to counter the dominance of Amazon and national chains.

Bookmiser (3822 Roswell Road), the Book Exchange (3932 Canton Road, Suite 230) have and All Things Inspirational (2745 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 156) are among the 20+ stores participating in the Georgia Indie Bookshop Hop, which also has store prizes and a grand prize.

Participants can purchase items from as many bookstores as they choose and submit their receipts to be entered into prize drawings.

Bookmiser (marking its 25th anniversary this year) and the Book Exchange have been in the community for a while. All Things Inspiration is a newcomer, expanding from its original Mableton location to The Corners Shopping Center last fall, and specializes in Christian-oriented books, Bibles, study materials, greeting cards and gifts.

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Sprayberry HS soccer standout to attend U.S. Naval Academy

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Sprayberry senior Kenneth Namango, U.S. Naval Academy

A reader saw our post last week about Lassiter High School senior Luke O’Malley being accepted to the U.S. Naval Academy and alerted us to another East Cobb student who’s going to the same institution.

He’s Kenneth Namango of Sprayberry High School, where he played varsity soccer, served as team captain and was named the Georgia High School Association’s Region 7-6A player of the year.

He was recently named a Senior Elite at Sprayberry (video here), and was involved in many academic and extracurricular activities, including the Computer Science Club, Shop With a Yellow Jacket, PTSA Craft Show and the Black Student Union.

Namango also was selected as Prom King and with having the Best Smile and being part of the Best Couple in the senior class.

His soccer awards also include being named to the Region 7-6A Academic All-Region team. Kenny sent us the above photo and the information below about how he came to be offered a chance to continue his educational and athletic careers at the U.S. Naval Academy:

I had been recruited by the Naval Academy’s Men’s Soccer staff at an ECNL Orlando showcase just before my high school season. They became interested in my leadership and soccer skills that I was able to show as I am the Captain of NASA TopHat’s Boys 2005/2004 ECNL team. The staff and I were able to get in contact and they expressed their interest in me and invited me on a visit. I went to the campus in Annapolis and absolutely loved it. I got to wake up early, go to classes and watch soccer practice almost as if I was a student athlete there. They also gave me a tour around campus and a little walk through Annapolis.

The Naval Academy likes people who can balance being a leader, being involved in their community, and having good academics. At Sprayberry I became captain of the Varsity team since my freshman year, did over 100+ hours of community service within the last two years, worked at Mcdonald’s on Barrett Parkway and Wing City on Windy Hill, and was able to maintain a 4.3 GPA taking all honors and AP classes.

With the combination of my recruitment by the Naval Academy’s Men’s soccer staff and my resume, I received an appointment to the United States Naval Academy. Along with being on the soccer team I seek to study computer science and am interested in choosing to be a Cyber Warfare Engineer as my career following my studies at the academy.

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Let us know what your organization is doing, or share news about what people are doing in the community—accomplishments, recognitions, milestones, etc.

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East Cobb PTA names 2023 Margie Hatfield scholarship winners

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East Cobb PTA 2023 Margie Hatfield scholarship winners
From L-R: Dhanya Naik, Wheeler High School PTSA; Steven Brown, Walton PTSA; Mrs. Margie Hatfield; Kinsley Brennen, Pope High School PTSA; Shraya Patel, Lassiter High School PTSA; Amanda Tubbs, Kell High School PTSA. Not pictured: Sebastian Jean Francois, Sprayberry High School PTSA. (East Cobb Council PTA)

The East Cobb Council PTA named its 2023 recipients of the Margie Hatfield Scholarship on Thursday at its general meeting at Walton High School.

Hatfield is a former ECC PTA president, and nearly 200 such scholarships have been awarded in the organization’s signature awards program bearing her name.

A $1,000 scholarship is awarded to one student at each of the six high schools in the East Cobb area that “honors the dedication and years of service given by Mrs. Hatfield to the youth of our council. In recognition of her volunteer involvement, the ECCC PTA Margie Hatfield Scholarship Fund awards deserving seniors who have made significant contributions to the community.”

The scholarship requires not only academic success, but asks that students “take on leadership roles within the community and service-based programs during their high school years.”

The 2023 recipients were selected from 25 applicants:

  • Amanda Tubbs, Kell High School, who is bound for the University of Georgia with plans to major in interior design;
  • Shraya Patel, Lassiter High School, who plans to attend Georgia Tech, studying management information systems;
  • Kinsley Brennen, Pope High School, who’s been accepted to Mississippi State University to study elementary education;
  • Sebastian Jean Francois, Sprayberry High School, who will be pursuing a degree in computer science at Cornell University;
  • Steven Brown, Walton High School, who will enroll at the University of Alabama with an intended major in business;
  • Dhanya Naik, Wheeler High School, who will be going to Georgia Tech to study biomedical engineering.

The East Cobb Council PTA is a non-profit made up of 35 PTA organizations to enrich the education of students. The ECC PTA also conducts a Reflections Art Contest, organizes community activities and raises funds for academic programs at its member schools.

Its business partners include MissQuito, Cyclebar East Cobb, My Ideal College, School of Rock East Cobb, Peace Love & Pizza; Mathnasium, Cactus Car Wash and East Cobb Tutoring Center.

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NE Cobb zoning cases spark historic preservation efforts

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NE Cobb rezoning historic preservation efforts
The McAfee House, which was a Union general’s headquarters during the Civil War, would give way to a car wash at the intersection of Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway. (Cobb Landmarks)

Two homes built in the 1840s—a decade after the creation of Cobb County—have stood the test of time.

The Power-Jackson Cabin on Post Oak Tritt Road and the McAfee House at Bells Ferry Road and Barrett Parkway have been the subject of considerable attention by historic preservation interests for a number of years.

But they stand on property being eyed by developers in areas of Northeast Cobb where there’s little undeveloped land remaining.

Two current rezoning cases will likely determine the fate of those historic buildings.

On Tuesday, the Cobb Planning Commission will hear for a second time a proposal to develop a subdivision on the Post Oak Tritt property after voting to hold it at their April hearing (case filings here).

In addition to community opposition for density and stormwater issues, the subject of the Power-Jackson Cabin is also a consideration.

It’s regarded as one of the last one-room cabins left in Cobb from that era, and is literally falling apart.

At the April Planning Commission hearing, an attorney for the applicant said the building is “uninhabitable” and urged for its relocation.

In a stipulation letter to the Cobb Zoning Office dated Monday (you can read it here), attorney Parks Huff said his client would provide Cobb Landmarks, a local historic preservation non-profit, access to the cabin “for research purposes” and to make it available for relocation or for preserving parts of the building.

In response to a message from East Cobb News, Cobb Landmarks executive director Trevor Beemon said his organization would like to relocate the Power-Jackson Cabin to Hyde Farm off Lower Roswell Road.

That’s where another 1840s-era cabin, the Power Cabin, has been preserved, and where another cabin in the Power family also sits.

A rezoning case on land where the McAfee House is located was to have been on Tuesday’s Planning Commission agenda.

It was the homestead of farmers Eliza and Robert McAfee, and was used as a Union Army general’s headquarters after the seizure of the Big Shanty during the Civil War. It also served as a field hospital after an 1864 engagement near what was called McAfee’s Crossroads.

Huff, also the attorney for that applicant, has asked for a delay to June (see case filings here).

His client is Tommy’s Express by Northgate, which wants to build a car wash on the two-acre site that’s across from Bells Ferry Elementary School and near a retail center with a Publix and a Barnes & Noble.

The Medford Family Limited Partnership, which owns the land, has wanted to sell for several years. Cobb Landmarks has been in talks since 2019 to find a way to relocate and preserve the land, but acknowledged that despite the designation of an historical marker (there’s also one at the Power-Jackson Cabin) “the house and land are not protected through local zoning or historic designation.”

Those discussions, with the landowner and potential developers, have not been successful, but Beemon said Thursday that efforts would continue “with the developer and a private individual to relocate the home to Marietta for restoration and use as a residence.”

Another East Cobb case that’s been delayed and that also won’t be heard Tuesday is a request to build a new standalone Starbucks at Paper Mill Village.

Garvis Sams, the applicant’s attorney, asked this week for another continuance, to July.

The Cobb Planning Commission hearing begins at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta), you can view the full agenda and individual case files by clicking here.

You also can watch on the county’s website and YouTube channels and on Cobb TV 23 on Comcast Cable.

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East Cobb Food Scores: China House; Shish Kabob Grill; more

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China House, East Cobb food scores

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

China Great Wall
1860 Sandy Plains Road, Suite 302
April 21, 2023 Score: 87, Grade: B

China House 
1050 E. Piedmont Road, Suite 142
April 21, 2023 Score: 94, Grade: A

Bells Ferry Elementary School
2600 Bells Ferry Road
April 26, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

J.J. Daniell Middle School
2950 Scott Drive
April 26, 2023 Score: 99, Grade: A

Rocky Mount Elementary School
2400 Rocky Mountain Road
April 26, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

Shish Kabob Mediterranean Grill
2060 Lower Roswell Road, Suite 280
April 25, 2023 Score: 80, Grade: B

Timber Ridge Elementary School
5000 Timber Ridge Road
April 26, 2023 Score: 100, Grade: A

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Walton, Wheeler students named National Merit Scholarship winners

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Tianyue Xu of Walton High School and Angie Zhu of Wheeler High School are among the initial group of National Merit Scholarship recipients for the Class of 2023.East Cobb National Merit Scholarship Program

The National Merit Scholarship Corporation made the announcements Wednesday in the category of corporate-sponsored scholarships.

Those scholarships went to more than 800 seniors across the nation and are funded by corporations, many of them employing the parents of the students.

The specific scholarship amounts were not revealed, but they typically range between $1,000 and $10,000.

Xu, whose listed probable career field is law, is the recipient of a State Farm Companies Foundation scholarship.

Zhu, who has listed finance as a probable career field, received a National Merit Norfolk Southern Scholarship.

Several more scholarship winners will be announced through the rest of the spring. Here is the criteria, as per the National Merit Scholarship program:

To be considered for a National Merit Scholarship, Semifinalists had to fulfill requirements to advance to Finalist standing. Each Semifinalist was asked to complete a detailed scholarship application, which included writing an essay and providing information about extracurricular activities, awards, and leadership positions. Semifinalists also had to have an outstanding academic record, be endorsed and recommended by a high school official, and earn SAT® or ACT® scores that confirmed their qualifying test performance. From the Semifinalist group, over 15,000 met Finalist requirements.

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