Friday, May 24, 2013
More county residents found jobs in April.
The unemployment rate in Cobb County dropped below 7 percent in April, a fall of three tenths of a percent. Almost 1,000 more county residents were working than in the previous month. Of the 377,630 people in the Cobb labor force, 25,896 were unemployed in April. A year ago the unemployment rate was up to 8 percent. Find a job with the help of CareerBuilder on South Cobb Patch. Just to the north, Cherokee County's jobless rate dipped closer to 6 percent, falling four tenths of a percent in a month. The 6.2 percent unemployment rate is one of the lowest in the state, especially when comparing counties with at least 25,000 people in the labor force. Cherokee County's labor force lost approximately 300 workers while another 300 found jobs to …
Thursday, May 23, 2013
More than 30 percent of Georgia high school students aren’t graduating in four years. What do you think is keeping these students from earning their diploma?
A diploma remained out of reach for more than 30 percent of Georgia students in the class of 2012. That’s according to numbers released this week by the Georgia Department of Education. It reported that across the state, 69.7 percent of students in the class of 2012 graduated within four years. Three area school districts were among those that surpassed the state average. Cobb County Schools saw an even 76 percent of its class of 2012 graduate on time. Paulding County Schools were just behind with 75.5 percent graduating, while Douglas County had 72.3 percent earning diplomas on schedule. Other districts in Georgia didn’t fare as well. Atlanta Public Schools had just over 51 percent of students graduate, according to the Atlanta Journal-…
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
In a unanimous opinion, the state's high court Monday ruled in WellStar Health System's favor and threw out a lower court’s decision in a medical malpractice lawsuit.
James Jordan, whose wife died more than three years ago from ovarian cancer, was dealt another blow Monday in a medical malpractice lawsuit filed against WellStar Health System and a physician. In a unanimous opinion, the state's high court determined that a Cobb County State Court judge "was wrong" to order WellStar’s attorneys to give Jordan's attorney the transcripts of interviews they conducted with his wife’s physicians outside the presence of Jordan’s attorney. Nearly two years after Dr. James A. Sutherland Jr. performed an elective vaginal hysterectomy on Marilyn Kay Adams Jordan due to a uterine prolapse, Marilyn Jordan was diagnosed with advanced stage ovarian cancer in June 2008. She died in January 2010, and her husband sued …
Sunday, May 19, 2013
The $856.3 million budget approved Thursday includes 5 furlough days and 182 teacher cuts through attrition.
The Cobb County Board of Education on Thursday approved a fiscal year 2014 budget that includes five furlough days for teachers and staff, a reduction of 182 teaching positions through attrition, a half-year step increase for employees and taking $41 million from reserves to reach a balance. After the board voted down three other budget proposals -- including an amended version of the tentative budget with a full-year step increase for Cobb County School District employees -- it went back to something it could pass. The $856.3 million budget, which takes effect July 1, is similar to the package that the board tentatively approved on April 29 and that closes a deficit of $86.4 million. Voting in favor the budget were board chairman Randy …
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Gov. Nathan Deal on Wednesday overturned a decision from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to remove Bibles from the cabins and lodge rooms of state parks. Tell us what you think of the decision.
If you stay in a cabin or lodge room at a Georgia state park, you can take in the native flora and fauna outside. Inside, you shouldn’t have to look hard to find a Bible—at least for now. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, the Georgia Department of Natural Resources this week had been set to remove Bibles from such rooms across the state following a citizen’s complaint. "Recently, due to a citizen concern, Georgia Department of Natural Resources management directed Parks staff to remove Bibles from cabins and lodge rooms until management can fully investigate the issue and make an informed decision," a DNR spokeswoman told the news station. On Wednesday, Gov. Nathan Deal instructed DNR officials to return the Bibles to cabins and lodge rooms. His…
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Revenue Management Consulting and RGIS Inventory will be at the Cobb-Cherokee Career Center this week.
Two local companies will be at the Cobb-Cherokee Career Center this week to recruit workers. From 10 a.m. to noon Tuesday, Revenue Management Consulting will conduct pre-screenings and interviews for an opening at the company that requires a high school diploma and at least six months of call center or customer service experience. Revenue Management is looking for someone to receive payments and prepare statements to the credit department if customers do not respond. The position pays $8.50 to $10 an hour plus commission. The next day, RGIS Inventory will interview candidates for its travel team. The company needs someone to take inventory for various clients. The successful candidate will have three to four overnight stays per week. …
The public is invited to comment on the tentative fiscal year 2014 budget.
The Cobb County Board of Education will hold a public hearing Tuesday on the proposed fiscal year 2-14 budget. The hearing takes place at 7 p.m. in the board room of the Cobb County School District central office, 514 Glover Street, Marietta. A salary hearing will precede the hearing at 6:30 p.m. A public hearing is required before the board formally votes to adopt the budget. On April 29 the board tentatively adopted a budget (see attached PDF) that includes numerous spending cuts, staff and teacher reductions, borrowing reserve funds and furloughs to eliminate an $86.4 million deficit. The school district also has prepared a page on its website with more detailed budget information, including a place for members of the Cobb public …
Officials say the head of the government office knew his agency was targeting tea party groups in May 2012. Tell us what you think of the agency’s recent admissions.
It’s bound to be no party for Internal Revenue Officials in the coming days. The Associated Press reported Monday that IRS officials revealed that acting IRS Commissioner Steven T. Miller knew back in May 2012 that the agency had targeted tea party groups by unfairly investigating them to see if they were violating their tax-exempt status. Monday’s revelation came on the heels of last week’s acknowledgment by the agency that the groups had been targeted during the 2012 election season. Organizations that faced IRS scrutiny included those that had “Tea Party” or “Patriot” in their names. According to the AP’s report, about 300 groups were singled out for additional review; while about half of those cases had been closed and no group had …
Monday, May 13, 2013
The Cobb Board of Commissioners will review County Manager David Hankerson's recommendation of a new senior services department head for the county.
Cobb County Manager David Hankerson is expected to ask the Board of Commissioners to hire Jessica Gill as the county's new senior services director at Tuesday's regular board meeting. Gill, who currently works as the area manager of business development for Sunrise Senior Living of Atlanta, has more than a decade of experience in the senior care industry, said county spokesman Robert Quigley. Gill also served as a public health advisor for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), president of the company Aging by Design and health and wellness director for the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Area Agency on Aging. Established in 1972, Cobb County's Senior Services Department operates eight facilities including three neighborhood …
Saturday, May 11, 2013
During three-day nature adventures at Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville, kids will discover live animals, go hiking, make crafts and play games.
Looking for the kids something to do this summer? Red Top Mountain State Park in Cartersville is offering three-day nature adventures for kids ages 6 to 8 and 9 to 12, according to Georgia State Parks and Historic Sites. For $45 each, "Junior Rangers will discover live animals, go hiking, make crafts, play games, and meet new friends," according to Naturalist Marcus Toft. "All of the activities are geared toward helping campers earn one of three Junior Ranger badges." Activities for the two camps will vary and be age appropriate. The first, for children 6 to 8, is set for June 4 to 6, and the second, for kids 9 to 12, is June 11 to 13. Both camps are Tuesday through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Call the park office at 770-975-0055 to …
Beverly A. Johnson-FInley
11:03 am on Friday, May 24, 2013
Parents as of today, can step back and look at this year. Asked themselves, Have they given 100% towards there own kids as it pertains to parenting, mentoring, total involvement with the schools and the administrators towards, have you challenge or push your own child in making some concrete decision on completion of high school and thinking about a career path? All of the above begins early, … more ›