Developer Merritt Lancaster, a co-founder of Bridger Properties, participated in a panel on the economic health of Marietta Square. Lancaster focused on why his company viewed the square as a profitable investment and what residents wanted. According to an online survey, residents wanted more food and beverage businesses in the area. Lancaster said attracting new restaurants and bars would keep dollars in the Square. However, a resident warned that Marietta is not the same as Roswell or Woodstock, and its local restaurants and shops are what make it special. Lancaster's firm has faced controversy since September when it hiked rents or declined to renew leases for storefronts on Church Street.
The city of Acworth announced the permanent closure of the School Street railroad crossing downtown due to frequent collisions between vehicles and trains since 2018. The city has been unsuccessful in identifying alternate crossing locations to supplement the closure. The incidents have cost the police and public works departments money and resources, and the recent collision rendered the south cross arm inoperable. The city attributed the frequent issues to the railroad's track raising, leading to trucks and trailers getting stuck. The closure aims to prevent a potential public health event from train derailments carrying hazardous materials through the community.
Virgil Woods, a crossing guard for Cobb Schools in Georgia, has been recognized as the 2022 Outstanding Crossing Guard of the Year for the West GA Safe Routes to School region. Woods has been serving as a crossing guard since 2018 and was praised for his dedication to students and their safety, often being the first person students see in the morning and the last one they see in the afternoon. Woods was awarded the title after being nominated by several students, parents, and staff who praised his warm demeanor and dedication to ensuring the safety of the students he serves. This is the fourth time a Cobb Schools Crossing Guard has won the award since 2019.
The Development Authority of Cobb County has passed a bond inducement resolution to provide tax incentives to a public charter school, Northwest Classical Academy, located in Kennesaw, Georgia. The state-commissioned charter school has requested $30 million in tax-exempt bonds, most of which will be used to purchase the 35-acre property it currently leases and pursue renovations and expansion. The school is open to all Georgia students, but a majority of its students come from Cobb County. The Hillsdale College’s Barney Charter School Initiative-affiliated school has about 640 students in grades K-8, with plans to expand to 950 students across grades K-12.
A Wheeler high school grad had a big performance to put the Celtics up 3-1 in their playoff series with the Atlanta Hawks. Here
Allatoona got a pair of superior pitching performances from Drew Fields and Ethan Sutton to shut down the Raiders 3-0 and 10-2 in the opening round of the Class AAAAAA state playoffs.
In Game 1, Fields needed only 75 pitches to throw a complete game, three-hit shutout while striking out five.
Allatoona scored two runs in the first and one in the second, but were held to only four hits in the game. Sam Tomczak had a hit and the only RBI. In Game 2, Sutton pitched 5⅔ innings, allowed four hits and struck out seven.
Ethan Crawley was 2-for-4 with a home run and drove in four. Paul Cruz went 4-for-5 with a triple and drove in three. Greyson Coker finished 2-for-2 with a double and an RBI, Tomczak had two hits and an RBI and Anthony Planeta added two hits. Allatoona will travel to Blessed Trinity for a second round series, beginning with a doubleheader on Saturday.
About 99% of educators in Cobb County schools plan to return for the upcoming school year, an increase from last year's 98%. This high retention rate is attributed to Cobb's reputation as one of the top places to work in Georgia and the nation. Nearly 1,500 professionals attended Cobb's recent job fair at Truist Park, coming from as far away as California. Cobb Schools has also partnered with the University of West Georgia to offer advanced degrees to educators at no cost through Georgia's BEST, with about 4,000 expressing interest. Cobb Schools is hosting another job fair on June 8, primarily focused on filling classified support positions but with teaching positions also available.
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