Cobb Paramedic Honored for Helping Fellow Firefighter's Widow

Dennis Thayer, an engineer and paramedic for Cobb Fire and Emergency Services, was recently honored with the Special Presidential Award for Outstanding Service and Dedication by the Georgia Association of Fire Chiefs. The award is given at the discretion of the president when someone has met the high standards for the honor.

Thayer was chosen for this prestigious award for his efforts to help the widow of Joey Turner, a volunteer firefighter from Homerville-Clinch County who died of a heart attack while training at the Georgia Fire Academy. Thayer worked tirelessly to raise enough money to buy her a used car, new tires, insurance for a year and make six months worth of mortgage payments on her home.

Thayer also led a group effort to ensure the State Indemnification Commission paid the widow money due from her husband's line of duty death. The commission originally recommended not paying benefits because the firefighter was in training at the time of his death.
Photo by Jim Mykytyn

FedEx to Expand Cobb County Operations

FedEx Ground plans to expand its Cobb County distribution center and add 270 well-paying jobs. This initiative will add 85,000 square feet to the state-of-the-art facility.

"This has been one of FedEx's most successful distribution centers," Michael Hughes, Cobb director of economic development, said in a statement. "FedEx enjoys access to a world-class workforce as well as great infrastructure."

The facility manager of the Cobb location credits support received from the county as a major help in making the center one of the most productive facilities. The expansion will provide additional capabilities to aid efficient handling of local, regional and country-wide service.

Acworth Park and Ride Lot Takes Off

Cobb County leaders recently cut the ribbon for the Cobb Community Transit's newly-expanded Acworth Park and Ride Lot.

About 80 percent of the $2.3 million construction cost was paid for through federal grants, according to the Cobb County Department of Transportation. Another 10 percent was paid for by state grants. The project, which expanded the lot from 274 parking spaces to 499 spaces, also included additional lighting and a covered passenger waiting area. CCT offers eight other park and ride lot locations for the convenience of patrons.

For more information, visit cobbcct.org.

Dine Out, Help Kids Stay in School

Residents can help the Marietta/Cobb chapter of Communities In Schools, a dropout prevention program, by participating in the Dining Out for Kids event Thursday, Aug. 20.

Participating restaurants will donate a percentage of sales that day to their local Community in Schools program.

For more information, visit: dineoutforkids.com/involved.php.

Free Podcasts of TV23 Shows Available on iTunes

In an effort to continue improving its access to the public, Cobb County Government has placed video podcasts of several TV23 shows for free downloading through iTunes.

Users can go to the ITunes store site and simply look up "Cobb County." Shows such as Spotlight on Cobb, Senior Focus and Focal Point will be available for a mobile and convenient way to see what is going on in the county.

During the last several months, Cobb County Government has established a presence on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

Comm. Lee Hosting Town Meeting Aug. 17

The public is invited to attend the District 3 Town Hall meeting scheduled for 7 p.m., Monday, Aug. 17, at Merchant's Walk Library.

Commissioner Tim Lee will host the meeting, where he will update residents about projects in the district and answer any question participants might have. The library is located at 1315 Johnson Ferry Road, Marietta.

For more information, call (770) 528-3318 or visit cobbcounty.org/boc.

Cobb County Keeping Citizenry Informed

Cobb County is using many social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, to keep the community actively involved.

The county also made accessing vital information even easier by creating a page on YouTube. Many videos can be found on the site, including details on becoming a emergency-911 operator, pets available for adoption and how to stay safe while using a recreational trail. Videos from the Emergency Management Agency help you protect your family by providing a wealth of information on topics ranging from sheltering in place and first aid kits to reporting suspicious activity and how to join the Community Emergency Response Team program.

To view informative county videos, visit youtube.com/cobbcountytv23.

Cobb Fire and Emergency Services also has an official YouTube page to provide fire and life safety information to the public. Videos featured include episodes of 3rd Alarm, which takes a closer look at the fire department and explores the field of fire fighting. The show is written and produced by career firefighters.

Other videos include information on how to become a firefighter and how to check your smoke detector.

For more information, visit youtube.com/cobbfirevideos.

Cobb County Opening Safety Training Facility

On Friday, July 31 at 10 a.m., local dignitaries and sponsors will gather to cut the ribbon and officially open Cobb County's state-of-the-art safety training facility.

The 27,000-square-foot Cobb Safety Village was designed to offer hands-on education for all ages and is the first of its kind in the Southeast.

The public is invited to the community open house 10 a.m.-2 p.m., Saturday, Aug. 1, at 1220 Al Bishop Dr, Marietta. The open house will feature food, fun learning opportunities, safety education programs and full tours of the village.

For more information on this event, call (770) 852-3270 or visit cobbcounty.org/safetyvillage.

Gardening Programs Set for Cobb County

The Cobb County Master Gardeners will host a new series of programs in the coming months where residents can bring lunch and enjoy an hour presentation on a plant-related subject.

The lunch-and-learns will be held on the second Friday of each month at the Central Library, 266 Roswell Road, Marietta. The first one will be this Friday, July 10. Sue Burgess will teach how herbs from the historic Root House were used in the 19th century and which ones are still important today.

Other dates are Aug. 14, Sept. 11, Oct. 8 and Nov. 13. The presentations are free and participants should bring their own lunches.

For more information on Cobb Master Gardeners, visit cobbmastergardeners.com.

Merchant's Walk Library to be Relocated

Merchant's Walk Library, the third-busiest library in Cobb, will be relocated to a facility almost double its current size.

The Board of Commissioners recently approved a long-term lease of more than 16,800 square feet in the Parkaire Landing Shopping Center at the corner of Lower Roswell Road and Johnson Ferry Road. The new library will include a 2,324-square-foot children's area, 1,530-square-foot multi-purpose room and a teen area. Another feature visitors will enjoy is self checkout stations.

The current library is being sold to developers for $1.6 million and money from the sale will help fund the new library, which is scheduled to open in early 2010.

For more information on Cobb libraries, visit cobbcounty.org/library.

Cobb County Purchases Vacant Shopping Center

Cobb County has purchased a vacant shopping center on Powder Springs Street in Marietta and plans to completely renovate the facilities.

Once done, the location will house many county departments, including Community Development, Senior Services and Property Management. The county similarly renovated an old shopping center on Whitlock Avenue into the West Park Government Service Center.

"At the West Park location, we were able to take a dilapidated building and convert it into a wonderful community resource," Chairman Sam Olens said. "It was more cost-effective than constructing or leasing space and helped rejuvenate the area. We plan to have the same success with the Powder Springs Street location."

Renovations are underway and slated for completion in spring 2011.

Cobb Co. Residents Can Review Tax Assessor Info

Cobb County residents can review the schedule for tax assessor site visits for the next two months.

Georgia law requires property owners and occupants be provided reasonable notice prior to a site visit conducted by or on behalf of the Cobb County Tax Assessors.

For a list of properties and subdivisions scheduled for a site visit within the next 60 days, visit the Web site cobbassessor.org or the office at 736 Whitlock Ave., Marietta.

Cobb County, Kennesaw Development Authority Purchase Land

Cobb County and the Kennesaw Development Authority recently acquired almost 10 acres of land in downtown Kennesaw.

This wooded property includes a stream and has historical ties to Camp McDonald, a Confederate army training facility during the Civil War. The county's portion of the land, about seven and a half acres, will be used for a public park.

The Hamby property off Watts Drive was recommended by the Citizens Advisory Committee and purchased as part of the 2006 parks bond program.

Cobb County Breaks Ground on Courthouse

Cobb County dignitaries gathered recently to break ground on the new courthouse in Marietta.

The design is reminiscent of the old courthouse, complete with a clock tower. The 229,000 square foot building will have 11 courtrooms, combining all of the county’s court services on one campus and allowing Juvenile Court to move to downtown Marietta.

The new building will also provide state-of-the-art security and a larger jury assembly room. The "green" courthouse will be constructed according to Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certification standards, saving energy and operational costs.

SPLOST funds of $63 million are funding the project and the building is slated for completion in spring 2011.

Wednesday Fair to Provide Info for Senior Citizens

Cobb County Senior Services will host Information Fair 2009 on Wednesday, May 13, at the Cobb County Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway, Marietta.

The free event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and is designed for seniors 55 and older, caregivers and adult children to learn about a host of issues, including legal, housing, financial and health.

Free seminars will be held throughout the day on topics such as estate planning, elder law, assisted living, home adaptations, ID theft, social security, advocacy, volunteerism, social clubs, insurance, recreation, exercise, Medicare and prescriptions. Door prizes will also be available.

For more information, call (770) 528-5355.

Company to Add 600 Jobs to Cobb Co. Locale

Chairman Sam Olens and Gov. Sonny Perdue announced today that communications and IT provider Cbeyond will add more than 600 jobs over the next three years. The company will also build a new call center and training facility at its Cobb headquarters, further fueling local economic development.

“Cbeyond is the exact type of business we are seeking to grow in Cobb County,” Olens said. “They have a great vision, a proven record in the technology industry and will provide excellent employment opportunities for our community. It has been great working alongside the state of Georgia to help bring these new technology jobs to Cobb County.”

Cbeyond will add jobs in sales, customer care, information technology, operations and marketing. The company was formed in 2000 with only 15 employees and has grown to more than 700 local employees and more than 1,600 nationwide. Forbes magazine recently named Cbeyond the sixth-fastest growing technology company in the country.

Applicants interested in applying for a position should visit cbeyond.net/careers for more information.

Cobb County Teen Charged for Alleged Indecent Act

Cobb County authorities have charged a McEachern High School teenager with felony child molestation after he allegedly performed an indecent act in front of a 14-year-old girl on school grounds.

According to police who relied on surveillance cameras on school grounds, Christopher Anthony Wynn, 19, performed the act in front of the student and asked her to fondle him Tuesday.

He was placed in Cobb County jail following the reported incident.

Tours of Public Gardens Set for May 9

The Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County will open five personal gardens for public tours 10 a.m.-5 p.m., Saturday, May 9, rain or shine.

The gardens offer a variety of styles and design and Master Gardeners will provide educational opportunities for tour guests. Plant lists and printed materials will also be available. Advance tickets are $10 per person or $12 day of tours. Children 12 and under are free.

The annual plant sale will be held at Jeanette Cobb's garden, 2535 Appaloosa Trail, Marietta. The sale is open to the public and will feature hundreds of plants grown by Master Gardeners and well-suited for planting in this area. All proceeds support Master Gardener projects in Cobb.

For ticket information or a brochure, visit cobbmastergardens.com, cobbextension.com or call (770) 528-4070.

Safely Dispose of Electronics at Recycling Event

Keep Cobb Beautiful will host Electronics Recycling Day 9 a.m.-1 p.m., Saturday, May 2, at Tommy Nobis Center, 1480 Bells Ferry Road, Marietta.

Many items will be accepted at no charge, including computers, microwaves, printers, VCRs, CD players and cell phones. Televisions will be accepted for a processing fee. Some items will not be accepted, including refrigerators, washers and dryers, ovens, freezers, tires and non-electronic equipment. Tax deduction slips will be provided for donated items.

The Tommy Nobis Center is located 1/4 mile from the intersection of Highway 41 and Bells Ferry Road.

For more information on accepted items, visit cobbcounty.org/KCB or call (770) 427-9000, ext. 5148.

Cobb County Outdoor Burning Ban Begins May 1

The annual outdoor burning ban goes into effect for Cobb County and much of north Georgia Friday, May 1.

The Georgia Department of Natural Resources issues a ban on open burning through Sept. 30 of each year. Limiting open burning during the hot and sunny months of smog season helps decrease ozone and particle pollutants and improve the air quality and health in Cobb.

During the ban, no one may burn leaves, tree limbs or other yard waste, forest land or use air curtain destructors for commercial burning. Recreational fires and bonfires are allowed under certain circumstances and restrictions.

For more information, visit cobbcounty.org/Fire or call (770) 528-8310.