“Crews worked overnight to repair damage caused by a sinkhole on Sandy Plains Road at Wood Creek Drive. Some northbound lanes remain closed today as workers replace the curb and gutters for that stretch of the road.
“All lane closures will be removed before 5:00 pm.”
ORIGINAL REPORT:
This just in from Cobb County government:
“The discovery of a sinkhole during routine resurfacing work on Sandy Plains has forced crews to close a northbound lane at Wood Creek Drive to make repairs. This is on Sandy Plains between Wigley and Wesley Chapel. The closure will remain in effect through the rush hour tonight and into Wednesday.”
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Cobb Fire Station 20 has operated on Sewell Mill Road since 1984.
The Cobb Board of Commissioners on Tuesday approved spending $975,000 to purchase around 3.5 acres of land on Sewell Mill Road at East Piedmont Road for the relocation of Fire Station 20.
The measure was passed on the commission’s consent agenda.
According to an agenda item, the Cobb Fire Department eventually wants to replace the current station at 1298 Hilton Drive—on Sewell Mill Road between East Piedmont and Old Canton Road—that was built in 1984.
That’s eight-tenths of a mile to the west of the property for the potential new site that has owned by the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA.
“To meet response needs and Fire Department’s strategic goals, this station will need to be relocated,” the agenda item states. “While the station construction will not begin immediately, this parcel of land at Sewell Mill Road and East Piedmont intersection is an ideal location for the future station.”
The item also states that the funding for the property acquisition will come from the Cobb Fire Fund, and construction of the new station would commence “in a future budget cycle.”
Last year commissioners rejected a rezoning request for those parcels to become a residential senior living development.
Fire Station 20 has been mentioned in the current East Cobb Cityhood referendum campaign.
Although located in what would remain unincorporated Cobb, Station 20’s current service area includes neighborhoods that are included in the proposed City of East Cobb.
The proposed city would have two fire stations—currently Cobb 15 and 21.
Cobb Fire officials have said at county-sponsored cityhood town halls that slower response times are likely in the City of East Cobb, but a financial feasibility study didn’t provide enough details.
Last week, Cobb government launched a “World Class” web page to tout the Cobb Fire Department on its 50th anniversary.
The East Cobb cityhood group protested, sending out a letter last week alleging the county is actively campaigning against cityhood and demanding those activities stop.
The letter included a reference to an “audacious” sign posted in front of Fire Station 21, which is part of the East Cobb Government Service Center.
That’s where early voting is taking place through May 20.
“Because the Cityhood referendum is on the ballot in that very building, the sign is an illegal piece of campaign material that must be removed at once,” stated the letter to Cobb Commission Chairwoman Lisa Cupid. “It is no coincidence that the only fire station with such a sign as of May 4, 2022 is the one where early voting is occurring.”
When East Cobb News drove by Station 20 on Friday to take the above photo for this story, the same sign had been placed there.
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Republican voters turned out in strong numbers during the first week of early voting in the 2022 primary elections and cityhood referendums in Cobb County last week.
After the first six days, including last Saturday, Cobb Elections reported that 7,350 voters cast ballots in the GOP primary, and 4,646 in the Democratic primary.
A total of 176 voters chose the non-partisan ballot, which is limited to judicial candidates.
During the primaries voters must choose one of the three 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.
Voters who live in the proposed City of East Cobb will get the referendum on their ballot regardless of which one they choose.
Cobb Elections said that 1,845 Republican ballots were cast at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road), while there were 877 Democratic ballots and 58 non-partisan.
At the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road), there were 1,024 Republican ballots during the first week, along with 378 Democratic ballots and 9 non-partisan.
Early voting continues this week at those locations and several others around the county from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday and 9-5 Saturday.
The last week of early voting is May 16-20 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
The Cobb Elections office is estimating wait times at each early voting station with an interactive map that can be found here.
When you click the information icon in the upper-right corner you’ll find a color-coded legend explaining the wait times and other information.
The wait-time interactive map is periodically updated each day by the poll manager at each location.
If you wish to vote via absentee ballot, you have through Friday to request one, and you can do that by clicking here.
If you wish to drop off your ballot in person, there are drop boxes at the East Cobb Government Service Center and the Tim D. Lee Center that will be available during early voting hours only.
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Cobb commissioner Jerica Richardson’s office said Monday that her scheduled town hall meeting Tuesday night at the Sewell Mill Library and Cultural Center is being postponed.
Aliye Korucu, Richardson’s administrative assistant, didn’t give a reason beyond saying it was an “unforeseen circumstance.”
According to her website Richardson was planning to go over her 2022 policy agenda, following what she calls her “Priorities Tour” of community meetings.
She said that “we will send out the new date, time, and location as soon as we have everything set.”
Richardson has been holding quarterly town hall meetings across District 2, which includes some of East Cobb as well as the Cumberland-Vinings Smyrna area.
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Stuart VanHoozer, a 32-year veteran of the Cobb Police Department who is currently one of two interim police chiefs, is being recommended as the new Cobb Police Chief.
His appointment is scheduled for a vote Tuesday by the Cobb Board of Commissioners, which is having a regular meeting starting at 9 a.m.
VanHoozer would succeed Tim Cox, who retired at the end of last year.
VanHoozer and Scott Hamilton, another Cobb Police veteran, have been serving as interim co-chiefs since then.
In his time with Cobb Police, VanHoozer has served as a patrol officer, a field training officer, a narcotics officer, an internal affairs officer, a commander of three precincts and as an executive officer to the Director of the Cobb Department of Public Safety.
Since 2018, VanHoozer has served as a deputy chief.
He earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and public services from Kennesaw State University.
A message from Cobb government Monday morning said that there will be a press conference regarding the police chief appointment after the meeting.
Also on Tuesday’s agenda (you can read it here) will be an update on Truist Park and The Battery.
Cobb commissioners also will be asked to consider spending $975,000 to purchase around 3.5 acres of land on Sewell Mill Road at East Piedmont Road for the relocation of Fire Station 20.
The Cobb Fire Department wants to replace the current station at 1298 Hilton Drive—on Sewell Mill Road between East Piedmont and Old Canton Road—that was built in 1984.
The property for the potential new site is owned by the McCleskey Family-East Cobb YMCA.
Last year commissioners rejected a rezoning request for those parcels to become a residential senior living development.
The meeting starts at 9 a.m. Tuesday in the second floor board room of the Cobb government building (100 Cherokee St., downtown Marietta).
The hearing also will be live-streamed on the county’s website, cable TV channel (Channel 24 on Comcast) and Youtube page. Visit cobbcounty.org/CobbTV for other streaming options.
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Serving up a bowl of chicken penne pasta and garlic bread from Camps Kitchen and Bar.
Food tickets sold for the Taste of East Cobb said the festivities would go on rain or shine, and despite some windy and cloudy skies, a popular community food festival made its return Saturday.
After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, several local restaurants and dozens of small businesses and community organizations met the public at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
Organized by the Walton High School Band Parents Association, proceeds benefitted the Walton band programs.
Students from the Walton and Dickerson Middle School bands performed, and there was a silent auction, raffle tickets, a kids zone, martial arts demonstrations and more.
Also on hand were the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes cityhood, as their representatives were campaigning ahead of the May 24 referendum, as well as the Cobb Democratic and Republican parties.
A face-painting station attracted all ages.
A shrimp roll from Drift Fish House and Oyster Bar didn’t last long.
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Wheeler AVID students explain their success to members of the Rotary Club of East Cobb.
The Advancement Via Individual Determination or (AVID) program was started at Wheeler High School in 2017 by the Rotary Club of East Cobb to assist students who are from groups traditionally underrepresented in higher education and/or may become the first members of their families to attend college.
The Cobb County School District announced this week that 13 Wheeler seniors in the current AVID program have been accepted to college and have received more than $5 million in scholarship offers.
In addition to rigorous coursework, AVID students also receive additional academic, social, and emotional support as they prepare for college.
“One of the AVID seniors earned millions in scholarships and another more than $350,000 in scholarships. Two other AVID graduates totaled up $40,000 and $37,000 in scholarship offers,” the district announced in press release.
“After graduating from Wheeler, the AVID students plan to major in sports medicine, political science, biology, forensic science, psychology, chemistry, international business, and more. One is set on being a pediatric surgeon, while another aims for law school.”
The students recently met with Rotary Club members, who have donated more than $60,000 since the program started.
“We all migrated from Nigeria to the U.S. to chase the American dream, student Amblessed said. “It’s a lot of pressure because we traveled all this way, but we have to succeed. I was under a lot of stress.”
AVID teacher Rachel Lewis told the Rotarians that “you are singlehandedly providing them with an opportunity they would not have otherwise had, and I thank you for that.”
AVID began with two students, and reached 90 this year. The district said 67 rising freshmen have already applied to be part of the program in the fall.
“I’m really grateful for every single person and the [Wheeler] program and teaching staff, everyone and all the people that have supported us,” Wheeler senior Ayomide said. “It’s been some of the greatest years of my life.”
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Kell High School senior Kaelynn Kelly, left, meets singer-songwriter Clairo after an Atlanta concert.
Kaelynn Kelly, a senior at Kell High School, has been awarded a $30,000 college scholarship from the singer-songwriter Clairo.
The base of the “For Atlanta” scholarship was $20,000, and the entertainer added an additional $10,000 with proceeds from merchandise sales at some of her Atlanta performances.
The scholarship was launched with bold.org, which works to reduce student debt, and is open to high school and undergraduate college students from the Atlanta area.
Scholarship applicants were to explain how they’ve overcome obstacles and how Clairo’s music inspired them.
Kelly, who has a twin sister and was was born with cerebral palsy, wrote an essay about her childhood and the physical therapy she still receives, as well as the ankle foot orthosis that she wore for several years:
“Clairo’s song Alewife reminds me and my sister’s relationship. Arelynn was and still is my anchor. In the lyrics, ‘I met you by surprise. You were hangin’ out all the time. But you know you saved me from doin’ something to myself that night.’ It makes me ponder the thought that Arelynn and I were not supposed to be twins and it was a surprise.”
Kelly also was treated to a Clairo concert in Atlanta and back stage visit (photo above).
After graduating from Kell, Kelly is planning to attend Kennesaw State University and study cyber security.
She concluded her essay by saying that physical therapy “is something I will have to do for the rest of my life, and I am okay with that. My cerebral palsy is extremely meaningful to me because it is a part of who I am. My parents helped me understand my potential and assisted me in finding the strength to prove to myself that I am more than just my disorder.”
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Nearly three decades after starting a community magazine that expanded to a community parade and festival, EAST COBBER publisher Cynthia Rozzo announced this week that she is retiring.
In a publisher’s note in the May/June issue of the EAST COBBER—the 310th—Rozzo said her last day in the post will be June 29, her 60th birthday.
She also said she the EAST COBBER parade and community festival, which has not been held the last two years due to COVID, is not being staged this year as well.
“It was always my intention to provide useful and relevant information that East Cobb residents could not find anywhere else and that focused exclusively on East Cobb,” Rozzo wrote.
“After so many years of meeting readers and business owners, I am reminded every day of how many really nice people there are in this community. East Cobb has so many residents who take the initiative to help out, to share their opinions and/or talents, in order to make East Cobb County a better place to live.”
In a post script, she asked that “if there is anyone out there that wants to carry on the mission of the magazine/and or the annual parade and festival” to contact her.
Rozzo told East Cobb News that she’s working with a potential buyer in the community to continue publication.
“There are a lot of personal reasons,” she said, “but it’s just time.”
She said she wants to be available for her family—her mother and sister live in her native area of Cleveland, Ohio—and she said her husband is interested in eventually moving to Florida.
Rozzo said when she sat down two weeks ago to write the publisher’s note—typically the last task before the magazine goes to press—she said to herself that “I think this may be the time to say something. I didn’t know how to let it go.”
Rozzo started the EAST COBBER in 1993, publishing 11 times a year. The parade started in 1995, staged along Johnson Ferry Road on a Saturday morning in September.
A community festival after the parade had been held at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church.
She has been active in many East Cobb community activities, including the East Cobb Business Association. Most recently, she moderated a Cityhood debate sponsored by the ECBA.
Rozzo also was named the East Cobb Citizen of the Year by the East Cobb Area Council of the Cobb Chamber of Commerce.
Rozzo also ran for the Georgia legislature in 2012, losing in the Republican primary to then-State Rep. Matt Dollar.
She and her husband, George Haralabidis, who have three children who graduated from Walton High School, will be visiting his native Greece for the next few weeks while she finalizes what she hopes will be a successful transfer of a magazine she built from scratch, and that developed into an influential community enterprise.
In her note, Rozzo thanked readers for “connecting with me and your neighbors. It will take a long time for me to process the rareness of this connection, and the feeling that it’s over. But it’s not over. The changes people create in one another do not go away. You made EAST COBBER with me, and its spirit will live on in whatever comes next for us all.”
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Nearly a year after a contentious dispute began between Mt. Bethel Church in East Cobb and the North Georgia Conference of the United Methodist Church, the two sides are close to reaching a legal settlement.
A tentative agreement has been reached following lawsuits filed in Cobb Superior Court last fall.
A joint statement issued late Thursday from the North Georgia Conference—which oversees nearly 800 churches, including Mt. Bethel—and the church reads as follows:
“The Trustees of the North Georgia Conference of The United Methodist Church and Mt. Bethel United Methodist Church have jointly agreed to the general terms and framework of a full resolution of their pending dispute. All parties now look forward to the resolution of the civil litigation. We ask members of our faith communities for their prayers and patience during this time as we prepare formal documents to bring this dispute to a close.”
Tom Cauthorn, the lead attorney for Mt. Bethel, released an additional statement Friday:
“The parties are pleased to have reached a full settlement in principal that should allow them to return their focus to their true missions. It is also important to recognize the efforts of Cobb Superior Court Judge Mary Staley for her willingness to spend several days meeting with the parties and attorneys in mediation, leading to this resolution.”
The details of the terms were not disclosed.
Jonathan Lawson, an associate pastor at Mt. Bethel, told East Cobb News that “beyond those two statements, we are unable to comment at this time, but will be happy to speak further with you at a future time as we progress.”
Mt. Bethel members were told Thursday night during an administrative council meeting about the proposed settlement.
The North Georgia Conference sued Mt. Bethel last September after months of conflict over reassigning its top clergy and a failed attempt at mediation. The regional denominational leadership has claimed it is the rightful owner of Mt. Bethel properties and assets it values at $35 million.
Mt. Bethel, the largest congregation in the North Georgia Conference with more than 10,000 members, is a founding member of the Wesleyan Covenant Association, a consortium of conservative Methodist churches that has been preparing for the creation of a new denomination, the Global Methodist Church.
Delegates to the United Methodist Church were to have voted on a set of protocols to allow more conservative congregations to leave in 2020, but its conference has been delayed several times due to COVID concerns and has been rescheduled for 2024.
The GMC moved up its activation date from September to May 1.
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Bob Lax of the anti-Cityhood East Cobb Alliance speaks as Committee for East Cobb Cityhood member Scott Sweeney and moderator Donna Lowry listen.
Issues over finances and development within a proposed City of East Cobb dominated a second debate on Wednessday, just as they did in a previous forum last month.
With less than three weeks before a Cityhood referendum on May 24, representatives of the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes cityhood, made familiar points—and accusations—that have marked their respective campaigns.
Sponsored by the Rotary Club of East Cobb, the event at Pope High School was the final time the groups will be appearing together. (You can watch a replay of the town hall, which lasts nearly an hour and a half, by clicking here.)
Like the previous debate, the East Cobb Alliance questioned the figures in a financial feasibility study, saying many startup costs are not included.
“Estimates, estimates, estimates,” Alliance president Mindy Seger said in response to the Cityhood group’s explanation that a study is not a budget, and that some numbers are estimates.
“Feasibility does not mean sustainability.”
Cityhood committee spokeswoman Cindy Cooperman said that some financials would be worked out during negotiations with Cobb County through intergovernmental agreements.
Bob Lax of the Alliance pointed to the proposed East Cobb millage rate of 2.86 mills—the current levy for the county fire fund—as the major source of revenues.
A comparable city of Smyrna, with a population of 60,000, has a property tax rate of 8.99 mills.
Pro-Cityhood forces stressed the need for local control with leadership on the Cobb Board of Commissioners—specifically Chairwoman Lisa Cupid—advocating “affordable housing near you” that they claim would all but guarantee higher density.
Her proposed 30-year transit tax was put on hold, Cityhood committee member Scott Sweeney said, due in large part to the mayors of Cobb’s six cities.
Cityhood chairman Craig Chapin noted the lack of greenspace in the proposed City of East Cobb—covering around 25 square miles centered along the Johnson Ferry Road corridor, and said how redevelopment is handled will be critical.
“Who are the right persons to make those decisions?” he said.
The East Cobb Alliance has questioned members of the Cityhood committee with real estate interests and said high-density zoning would be necessary to fund what they claim will be higher expenses than stated in the feasibility study.
“You keep hearing developers, developers, developers,” Sweeney said. “I know that my colleagues and everyone else on the committee favors low density. “But it’s up to the elected officials to make those determinations, the people that you elect.
“The anti-cityhood people are suggesting that that the people you elect are already corrupt. Think about that for a moment. Your choice is to elect people who do not favor high density.”
Lax said the legislation calling for the East Cobb referendum could have included a charter specifically limiting development density, “but you didn’t do that.”
The East Cobb Alliance also continued questioning the need for East Cobb to provide police, fire and 911 services, the only of the proposed four Cobb cities to include public safety.
“How do you improve something that is the best it can be?” Seger said, referring in particular to Cobb’s highly-rated fire and 911 agencies.
Questions also covered public safety response times, parks and recreation services and how a new City of East Cobb would be in a two-year transition period before going fully operational.
“Cityhood is a big step,” Lax said, urging citizens to ask pointed questions before voting in the referendum. “It affects all of us. We can’t undo this.”
Chapin referenced Alliance members who’ve “done a brilliant job on social media . . . with negative messages” about what would happen if a city is created.
“If your vision for East Cobb is not urbanization, then you better vote yes,” Chapin said.
The Committee for East Cobb Cityhood is having a town hall at Olde Town Athletic Club (4950 Olde Towne Parkway) on Monday, from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Attendance is limited to citizens living within the proposed City of East Cobb with a capacity of 300 people. The event will be recorded for replay viewing.
Registration is required and can be done by clicking here. You will have to provide a home address to confirm that you live in the proposed boundaries.
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More springtime events are back after a two-year hiatus, notably the Taste of East Cobb Festival, which is setting up again in the parking lot near the athletic fields at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church (955 Johnson Ferry Road) from 11–5 Saturday.
The fundraiser for the Walton High School bands program includes food from local restaurants and eateries, music by Walton band students booths from more than 40 vendors and businesses, a kids zone, sand art, face painting and more.
Admission is free; you can purchase food tickets throughout the festival. Here are some of the restaurants that will be on hand:
East Cobb Church is teaming up with The Avenue East Cobb for a special Mother’s Day event from 12:30—2:30 p.m. at the retail center (4475 Roswell Road) with live music, a complimentary floral bouquet bar and photo station. Local restaurants will be offering specials to enjoy, and tables and chairs will be set up at Central Avenue to enjoy food and honor moms.
Later Sunday afternoon, the Friends for the East Cobb Park will sponsor another free Music in the Park concert. Local band favorite Loose Shoes will be playing under the concert shell from 4—6 p.m., and you’re welcome to bring a blanket, chairs and food to enjoy (3322 Roswell Road).
We’re back to compiling calendar listings in one handy place on our site. If you have events to share with the public, please e-mail: calendar@eastcobbnews.com and we will post them here.
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Photos and information submitted by the Cobb County School District:
The food and cultural traditions of nearly 20 countries were on display recently at McCleskey Middle School, which held an International Night.
Attendees sampled the cuisines from Germany, Slovenia, Brazil, Venezuela, Jamaica, Trinidad & Tobago, Dominican Republic, the Philippines, Panama, Denmark, England, Jordan, Iran, and other nations.
Music, dance and other cultural traditions were highlighted during the festivities.
McCleskey paraprofessional Doug Hale said that “obviously, it shows everybody here that you are welcome here, that you mean something, that you matter. You might be the only Ecuadorian here, but it matters to us.”
English and Language Arts teacher April Staropoli said that “I also think it builds community. People come together, and it builds community.”
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The following Cobb food scores for the week of May 2 have been compiled by the Cobb & Douglas Department of Public Health. Click the link under each listing for inspection details:
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A driver who slammed into another vehicle near Mountain View Elementary School more than two years ago, killing an elderly man, was sentenced to five years in prison this week.
John James Hamm, now 45, also will serve 10 years on probation when he is released, according to filings in Cobb Superior Court.
He pleaded guilty on Monday to one charge vehicular homicide, after three other similar charges were merged into one. The sentence was handed down by Judge Lark Ingram.
According to his indictment, Hamm was driving an Infiniti on Sandy Plains Road near Davis Road on Feb. 23, 2020, when it struck a Mazda truck driven by John Spadafora, 91.
Cobb Police said at the time that Spadafora died after being taken to WellStar Kennestone Hospital.
The indictment stated that as Spadafora was heading south on Sandy Plains, attempting to make a left turn onto Davis Road, he was hit by Hamm’s vehicle, heading north, that was weaving and traveling 20 miles over the posted speed limit of 45 mph,
Hamm also did not apply the brakes before the crash, according to the indictment, also states that Hamm was well over the legal alcohol limit. He was taken to Kennestone but had no life-threatening injuries.
Cobb Sheriff’s Office records indicate that Hamm was taken into custody Monday at the Cobb County Adult Detention Center.
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The addresses include ZIP Codes and the subdivision names and high school districts are in parenthesis:
April 18
4658 Township Court, 30066 (Jefferson Township, Lassiter): RH & 1 Properties LLC to Meghaan Thome and David Albert; $715,000
4802 Trickum Road, 30066 (Lassiter): Ron Brown to Josh Brown; $325,000
1880 Blackwater Court, 30066 (Country Meadows, Kell): Charles and Kelley Gardner to Jonathan Beam and Wrobelewski; $479,000
4784 N. Inlet Drive, 30066 (North Landing, Kell): William D. James IV, administrator of estate of Jamie Beth Dixon, to Bonnie Phillips and Martin Detz; $350,000
4338 Keheley Lakes Court, 30066 (Lakewood Colony, Kell): Thomas Ackerson to Katherine Perkins; $390,000
4154 Hubert Drive, 30066 (Longford, Kell): Dennystine Stewart to Matthew Dawson; $350,000
4052 Thornbrook Lane, 30066 (Thornbrook, Sprayberry): Maykol Vargas Hidalgo and Diana Vargas to Shadi Al Hindi; $430,000
2087 Abode Way, 30066 (Courtyards at Ebenezer, Sprayberry): Traton LLC to Randall Lariscy and Mary Baker; $600,000
1438 Logan Circle, 30062 (Independence Square, Walton): Robert and Ann Gardner to Ge Wei & Zhu Hui; $625,000
841 Chelsea Park Drive, 30068 (Chelsea Park, Walton): Alicia Reteneller, executor of estate of Philip Gertler to Kumar Ravi Ranjan & Nath Shilpi; $800,000
April 19
3500 Ulster Lane, 30066 (Callanwolde, Lassiter): Patrick Hardin to Maykol Vargas Hidalgo and Diana Vargas; $430,000
3397 Saxony Glen, 30066 (Northampton, Lassiter): Donald Cook to Christopher Cook; $750,000
3218 Rimrock Drive, 30068 (Mulberry Street, Sprayberry): Francyne Silva to Alexander Diaz; $425,000
2059 Mozelle Drive, 30066 (Sprayberry): Mesa Verde Assets, LLC to Nasrin Mehri and S.M. Hossein Saneeymehri; $320,000
1505 Monarch Drive, 30062 (Glen Crest,Sprayberry): Leonard Wells and Rhonda Williams to Richard Craft; $600,000
3840 Creekview Drive, 30068 (Indian Hills, Walton): Bengt Hogberg to Dorri Investment LLC; $480,000
2595 Club Valley Drive, 30068 (Club Valley Estates, Wheeler): Eana Consulting LLC to Patrick Sullivan; $425,000
April 20
80 Cedar Valley Drive, 30066 (Maggie Valley, Sprayberry): Portico Properties Inc. to Adam Lee; $483,000
2961 Prince Howard Drive, 30062 (Corinth, Pope): Frank Kavulia, administrator of estate of John Kavulia to The Wheeler Group LLC; $350,000
2284 Collinworth Drive, 30062 (East Lake Ridge, Wheeler): LeRoy Noto to Robert and Molly Lawrence; $280,000
736 Robinson Farms Drive, 30068 (Robinson Farms, Walton): Ravi and Kristin Sharma to Montgomery Jason & Sansonnetti Giulia; $570,000
737 Princeton Mill Run, 30068 (Princeton Mill, Wheeler): Better Gustafson to Joseph Lorence and Jordan Sparks; $631,500
4535 Kings Lake Drive, 30067 (Kings Cove, Walton): Edward Poe to Jaideep Malik and Devika Goel; $877,500
April 21
2901 Marbrook Drive, 30062 (Channon, Sprayberry): U.S. Bank Trust National Association to Phillip Truong and Chi Luu; $209,500
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Mitch Kaye is returning to the Georgia General Assembly, although not for a legislative session.
A Republican who represented part of East Cobb from 1993-2002, Kaye won a special election runoff Tuesday to fill out the remainder of the term of former State Rep. Matt Dollar.
Kaye will serve out the rest of the year representing the current District 45 after defeating Democratic newcomer Dustin McCormick.
With all 12 precincts fully reporting, Kaye received 2,762 votes, or 56.7 percent, to 2,108 votes for McCormick, or 43.3 percent, according to the Georgia Secretary of State’s office.
While McCormick received more votes during early voting than Kaye (692-520), Kaye benefitted from strong runoff day turnout.
Kaye won all 12 precincts, earning 55 percent or more of the vote in eight precincts. Turnout was 11 percent in a district with nearly 37,000 registered voters.
You can read through details of the voting by clicking here; the results are unofficial until they are certified by the Cobb Board of Elections and Registration.
“The win was a team effort with a lot of hard work from the Cobb GOP to the state GOP along with many old and new friends,” Kaye said.
Kaye and McCormick were the top two finishers in a four-candidate field in the April 5 special election, but neither earned a majority of the votes.
Both opposed East Cobb Cityhood, and made that a focal point of their campaigns.
Kaye, a financial and valuation analyst who has lived in East Cobb for more than 30 years, was the first Jewish Republican elected to the Georgia legislature. He and his wife are members of the Chabad of Cobb synagogue.
During his first stint in the legislature, Kaye was a deputy minority whip when Republicans were in the minority.
He received a legislator of the year award from the Eagle Forum for supporting parental rights in education.
Kaye’s election comes three weeks before primary elections will be decided with new legislative lines. He did not qualify to run in the new District 45 and will step down when his successor is sworn into office in January.
Kaye said that “although there may not be a legislative session, proper representation isn’t just during the 40-day legislative session.
“There is ongoing important work in providing constituent service as well as policy issues to address problems and opportunities our community and state faces.”
A special election was called Feb. 4 when Dollar, who had represented District 45 for two decades, abruptly resigned to take a job with the state’s technical college system.
He made his announcement from the well of the House floor moments after the East Cobb Cityhood bill he sponsored passed in the lower chamber.
McCormick is the only Democrat to qualify for the newly redrawn seat. In November, he will face either State Rep. Sharon Cooper, currently of District 43, or Cobb Republican Party activist Carminthia Moore.
They are vying in the Republican primary that will be decided May 24. Early voting in the primaries and three cityhood referendums, including East Cobb, began Monday and will continue through May 20.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
A 2015 Pierce Arrow XT engine at Cobb Fire Station 21, one of two stations in the proposed City of East Cobb.
As voters in the proposed City of East Cobb vote on a referendum that would create a city with public safety services, Cobb County Government is tooting its own horn about its fire department.
The county has launched a special portal called “World Class Cobb Fire,” which explains how the Cobb Fire and Emergency Services Department is organized, including details of each major piece of equipment, a map of all stations and testimonials from personnel.
The portal’s homepage includes videos of firefighters and emergency staffers on the job, including a “day in the life” profile of a recruit coming off his first shift.
The reason for the splash page: the Cobb Fire Department is observing its 50th anniversary this year, and recently was reaccredited through 2027 by Commission on Fire Accreditation International.
Cobb also has has a top rating of 1 from the Insurance Services Office.
The ISO-1 designation is a rare one, and has been the subject of discussion in the run-up to the East Cobb Cityhood referendum on May 24.
East Cobb is the only of four proposed cities that would be providing police, fire and 911 services. Leaders of the cityhood effort said that although they weren’t proposed in legislation introduced last year, public safety services “continued to come up in various ways” when they began meeting with the public.
Cityhood opponents have claimed insurance rates would rise, saying a new city fire department would be unlikely to get an ISO-1 rating.
And county fire officials have said in town hall meetings that response times would likely increase inside a proposed City of East Cobb, which would be covered by current Cobb stations 21 (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and 15 (3892 Oak Lane).
While Cobb officials have said fire services in the proposed City of East Cobb would cost $12 million a year, a financial feasibility study conducted for the Commitee for East Cobb Cityhood estimates the annual expenses would come to $5.7 million.
Cobb has ignored those calls, saying its Cityhood Resource Center is an objective response to public questions about the referendums.
The East Cobb Cityhood group has responded to some the Cobb Fire claims, saying residents of the proposed city are charged two to three times more for fire services than elsewhere in the county.
The cityhood supporters also said that in looking through Cobb Fire’s Strategic Plan, no capital improvements are included for stations 15 and 21. “Under funded and overcharged,” the cityhood group said. “Time for things to change.”
The World Class Cobb Fire portal indicates that Station 21 has a 2015 Pierce Arrow XT engine, a 2016 Pierce ladder truck, and a 2020 Ford F-450 Freedom Fire rescue truck.
Station 15 is equipped with a 2020 Pierce Enforcer engine.
In a flyer aimed at senior citizens, the cityhood group also says that “the city will have the ability to make targeted fire station improvements, which as of now Cobb County has no plans to improve. These benefits are extremely important for the safety and well-being of our seniors.”
The flyer also says a City of East Cobb would provide “improved ambulance transport times,” but doesn’t elaborate.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
As was done in the 2020 elections, the Cobb Geographic Information Systems Office and Cobb Elections are teaming up to provide estimated wait times at early voting locations.
The link to the map can be found here; if you click the information icon in the upper-right corner you’ll find a color-coded legend explaining the wait times and other information.
The wait-time interactive map is periodically updated each day by the poll manager at each location.
As noted in our early voting guide, early voting takes place through May 20 at the East Cobb Government Service Center (4400 Lower Roswell Road) and the Tim D. Lee Senior Center (3332 Sandy Plains Road).
The early voting hours are 7-7 Monday-Friday and 9-5 Saturday May 7 and 14.
You can vote early at any early voting location in the county.
Cobb Elections said there was a glitch with some ballots not correctly showing all the races and the various cityhood referendums, including East Cobb, on Monday.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s office didn’t provide Cobb’s latest database to a vendor for polling check-in devices, according to Cobb Elections Director Janine Eveler.
The problem was to have been resolved later Monday, but if you think you have an incorrect ballot, report it to a poll worker.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
The Committee for East Cobb Cityhood also held a town hall at Olde Towne in early April. For coverage, click here.
As early voting has begun for the primaries and the East Cobb Cityhood referendum, the Committee for East Cobb Cityhood said it is holding another in-person town hall next week.
The group said it will return to the Olde Town Athletic Club (4950 Olde Towne Parkway) on Monday, May 9 from 6:30 p.m.-8 p.m.
Attendance is limited to citizens living within the proposed City of East Cobb with a capacity of 300 people. The event will be recorded for replay viewing.
Registration is required and can be made by clicking here. You will have to provide a home address to confirm that you live in the proposed boundaries. You can check that by viewing an interactive map.
Only voters who live inside the boundaries will be able to vote in the referendum, which culminates on May 24.
Voters can check their cityhood voting eligibility when they check in to vote.
The last of two scheduled debates between the Cityhood committee and the East Cobb Alliance, which opposes Cityhood, takes place Wednesday at Pope High School. It’s sold out for in-person attendance but will be livestreamed at the Rotary Club of East Cobb’s Facebook page.
Every Sunday we round up the week’s top headlines and preview the upcoming week in the East Cobb News Digest. Click here to sign up, and you’re good to go!
