Marietta Daily Journal
‘I’m excited’
MARIETTA — Georgia State School Superintendent Richard Woods made a stop in Marietta Friday afternoon to address the Cobb County Republican Women’s Club. During the event, Woods — a Republican who is up for reelection — defended his work to improve...
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Helping hands
A charity effort is helping a Marietta widow make repairs to her house while alleviating costs for an Atlanta couple who just adopted a child. Robert and Nicole Rodden — a couple from Atlanta who adopted a daughter in January — are working with a team...
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Making the most of summer in Cobb Co.
Summer is in full swing and families and friends across Cobb County were outside Wednesday afternoon enjoying a hot, sunny day. Summer officially began on Sunday, marking the longest day of the year. Down at Paces Mill Park, in Cumberland, visitors...
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The city center
ACWORTH — Business and economic development remains strong in downtown Acworth despite a recent string of vacancies in the area, city officials say. After residents expressed concerns that some storefronts in the downtown were empty, the Journal...
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Coming together
MARIETTA — Marietta Square saw more than 50,000 people Friday, Saturday and Sunday for the Cobb NAACP’s three-day Juneteenth celebration. Juneteenth, which commemorates the ending of slavery in the U.S. in 1865, became recognized as a national holiday...
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‘It’s a resemblance of freedom’
MARIETTA — Marietta Square hosted thousands of county residents Saturday for the Cobb NAACP’s 23rd annual Cultural Festival, as part of their yearly three-day-long Juneteenth celebration. In partnership with the city of Marietta, the Cobb NAACP...
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Primary: Round 2
Cobb voters turned out to the polls Tuesday, despite scattered rain showers, to cast their votes in the statewide primary runoff election. A runoff election occurs when no candidates in a race garner more than 50% of the vote. Cobb Elections Director...
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FIFA FEVER
Thousands of attendees turned out to Marietta Square Friday evening for a FIFA World Cup watch party to see the U.S. take on Paraguay. Over 2,000 people came to watch the United States team win Friday’s match 4-1. Numbers are still coming in for...
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‘Everyone is accepted’
SMYRNA — The annual Smyrna Pride Festival brought thousands out to Smyrna Market Village on Saturday for a celebration of community, identity and belonging. The event featured food, vendors and live music. Liz McDaniel, director of communications...
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‘Stay tuned’
CUMBERLAND — What’s next for The Battery Atlanta? The biggest ongoing project near the mixed-use development surrounding the Atlanta Braves’ stadium is the Henry, a pair of 20-story towers that will include a hotel, condos and more than 500...
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Public pushback
It was standing room only at Wednesday’s City Council meeting as hundreds of protesters packed City Hall to voice their opposition to data centers in the city. A rezoning request, unanimously approved in June 2025, allows Atlanta-based MMM...
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Welcoming the world
MARIETTA — Twenty different community groups — from young soccer players to Atlanta United and National Women’s Soccer League officials — came together Thursday to paint a 4-foot soccer ball sculpture in celebration of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The...
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Feeling the fever
MARIETTA — Twenty different community groups — from young soccer players to Atlanta United and National Women’s Soccer League officials — came together Thursday to paint a 4-foot soccer ball sculpture in celebration of the upcoming FIFA World Cup. The...
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Patchwork of talent
MARIETTA — The East Cobb Quilters Guild drew hundreds of people Thursday for the first day of their biannual quilt show at the Cobb County Civic Center. The show features more than 300 handcrafted quilts. Steve Agenllo, an ECQG member and cochair of...
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Braves stars surprise Dobbins airmen with lunch, thanks for service Big league visit
MARIETTA — Inside Hangar 5 of Dobbins Air Reserve Base, hundreds of airmen were treated to a surprise visit from some hometown celebrities. Atlanta Braves third baseman Austin Riley and his wife Anna surprised the service members with a free lunch...
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‘Make it fair or take it away’
ATLANTA — Four district attorneys announced a lawsuit Wednesday challenging a new state law which makes elections for certain county offices nonpartisan in five metro counties. DeKalb County District Attorney Sherry Boston announced the lawsuit...
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Marietta Police training facility now open
MARIETTA — The Marietta Police Department has a new $2.06 million training center after the city unveiled the facility Tuesday afternoon. The training center, on Sawyer Road near Sawyer Road Elementary School, is part of a larger campus, which also...
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What will become of Wildman’s?
Six months before he died, Dent Myers, proprietor of Wildman’s Civil War Surplus in Kennesaw, was asked who would run his shop after he was gone. “There’s nobody else (that) could handle it,” he told this reporter. “I mean, not the business. It’s...
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Get your motor running
ACWORTH — Downtown Acworth was a hodge podge of colorful metal and gleaming chrome Saturday afternoon as a fleet of vintage cars parked for the Downtown Classic Car Cruise. The event invites collectors and hobbyists to show off their vintage cars to...
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Revered and reviled
In the mid-1960s, two brothers roamed over the hills of west Cobb, armed with a heavy and primitive World War II-era mine detector. The instrument, purchased from a surplus store, was likely a SCR625. Developed by the Army and powered by batteries, it...
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‘Portnoy effect’
A surprise visit led to a bump in business for two Cobb pizzerias after Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy came to town for his viral “One Bite Pizza Review” series. Solar Slice Pizza, in Marietta, and Ruby’s Sourdough Pizza, just outside downtown...
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Head of the class
During Marietta City School’s annual employee awards luncheon Wednesday, Rachel Maddox, a fourth-grade teacher at West Side Elementary School, was named the district’s 2026-27 Teacher of the Year. In front of a crowd of hundreds of fellow educators,...
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Come on down
CUMBERLAND — Cobb’s trivia and game fanatics have a new hangout spot available at The Battery Atlanta. The venue, the Great Big Game Show, invites visitors of all ages to step behind the podium to put their knowledge, skill and luck to the test,...
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‘250 years of why’
MARIETTA — Among the rows of white headstones at Marietta National Cemetery lie more than 18,000 veterans — service members from every American conflict stretching from the Revolutionary War to the modern wars in the Middle East. This Memorial Day,...
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‘More than a symbol’
MARIETTA — Hundreds of Scouts gathered Saturday morning at Marietta National Cemetery to place around 18,000 American flags on the graves of veterans ahead of Memorial Day. The event is organized by the Foothills District, which is under Scouting...
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MILESTONE MARKED
MARIETTA — Over 500 graduates tossed their caps into the rainy sky Thursday night at Marietta High School’s commencement ceremony for the Class of 2026. In total, 570 seniors crossed the stage at Northcutt Stadium to receive their diplomas, dressed in...
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A major milestone
CUMBERLAND — The team behind the Cobb Convention Center Atlanta’s $190 million expansion celebrated a major construction milestone Thursday, “topping out” the project with the placement of the building’s final steel beam. Officials broke ground on the...
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Keli Gambrill defeats Hungerford in landslide
KENNESAW — Commissioner Keli Gambrill defeated retired banker Clark Hungerford handily to win the Republican nomination to represent District 1 seat on the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, clearing the way for reelection in a race with no Democratic...
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‘Never shall we forget’
MARIETTA — Service members, family, friends and elected officials gathered to honor fallen Georgia National Guard members and other U.S. military during a Memorial Day Ceremony at Clay National Guard Center on Tuesday. The outdoor ceremony was held...
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MARIETTA SENIORS CELEBRATE AT BACCALAUREATE SERVICE
Before Marietta High School’s commencement ceremony, the Class of 2026 celebrated faith and academic success Sunday during a baccalaureate faith service. The student-organized worship service saw about 150 Blue Devils in graduation robes fill the pews...
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In memoriam
ACWORTH — Members of the Captain John Collins Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution gathered at the Mars Hill Cemetery in Acworth on Saturday to honor a Revolutionary War hero on the eve of America’s 250th birthday. The chapter unveiled a...
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FIFA FANS UNITE
CUMBERLAND — One of the sporting world’s most coveted prizes made a stop at The Battery Atlanta Thursday. A crowd of hundreds waited in line to get an up-close look at the World Cup Trophy, which was unveiled on the main stage right outside Truist...
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Austell to hire city manager following new law
Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill this week that amends the city of Austell’s charter to create a city manager position. The bill, HB 1005, was drafted by Rep. David Wilkerson, D-Powder Springs, and cleared the Georgia House and Senate unanimously. The...
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Class of 2039
MARIETTA — High schoolers aren’t the only ones receiving diplomas in the Marietta school system this month. In a graduation ceremony Wednesday, over 100 prekindergarten students at the Emily Lembeck Early Learning Center donned gowns and were awarded...
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Proda Technology named Small Business of the Year
The Cobb Chamber has named Proda Technology the 2026 Small Business of the Year. Proda Technology is a nationally recognized, cybersecurity-focused managed IT firm — serving organizations across the U.S. They’ve grown from a small founding team to...
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Police: Kell HS coach catches a DUI charge
Todd Harris, head coach of the Kell High School varsity baseball team, was arrested Wednesday on DUI charges in Cherokee County, court documents show, the same day his team won a two-game playoff series to advance to the state semifinals. Harris’...
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Green thumbs
EAST COBB — East Cobb was in full bloom Saturday as several residents opened their gardens for visitors as part of the annual Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County Garden Tour. Now in its 23rd year, the tours show off Master Gardeners’ own hard...
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A day for Mom
Mother’s Day is Sunday and Cobb’s florists and even Good Morning America are well underway with the celebrations. The national morning news show paid a visit to Smyrna Friday morning for a special visit to the city for its annual “Mother’s Day...
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A true classic
MARIETTA — Several local and state leaders took a sip of nostalgic Americana Wednesday during a tour of CocaCola’s Marietta bottling facility. The tour was held to unveil a specialty “America 250” label that will be plastered on Coke bottles across...
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‘Mouth of the South’
NEW YORK — Ted Turner could never be defined by just one role. He was a media mogul, philanthropist and conservationist. A yachtsman who won boating’s most famous race and owner of a baseball team that captured the World Series trophy. The brash...
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COBB DEMOCRATS CELEBRATE SERVICE, UNITY AT GALA
The Cobb County Democratic Committee hosted its biannual fundraising gala Friday evening, themed “We the People: Our Future, Our Responsibility” at the Cobb Convention Center. The evening is a major fundraiser to help “get out the vote” efforts for...
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‘Something more’
MARIETTA — Larry Ceminsky Park has a brand new look after officials and community members gathered to celebrate the park’s upgrades on Monday. The park, formerly West Dixie Park, was renamed after Larry Ceminsky, a community advocate and businessman...
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Sheriff’s office welcomes first graduating class of program
MARIETTA — The Cobb County Sheriff’s office celebrated Friday the first graduating class of a new industrial maintenance program meant to give inmates job opportunities. The program, hosted by Chattahoochee Technical College facilitated by the...
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Open for fun
SMYRNA — With summer vacation around the corner, city officials celebrated the grand opening of their highly-anticipated $2.8 million splash pad Friday. During the grand opening, Smyrna Mayor Derek Norton and City Council members turned the sprinklers...
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‘They represented the best’
MARIETTA — The late Georgia Supreme Court Justices Harris Hines and Conley Ingram are now forever memorialized at their old stomping grounds in paint and plaques. Both men, who also served on the Cobb Superior Court, were honored for their judicial...
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‘A moment of fun’
MARIETTA — Marietta High School seniors gathered Saturday evening for their annual pre-prom photo — a time-honored tradition generations of students have taken part in. This year’s photo looked a little different as it was taken among the scenic...
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Ready, set, grow
MARIETTA — The annual Cobb Master Gardener Plant Sale encourages local residents to get outside and in touch with nature. The plant sale, in its 26th year, was at Jim R. Miller Park on Friday and Saturday, and typically runs the weekend before Earth...
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As Big as ever
KENNESAW — Despite strong winds overnight Saturday, downtown Kennesaw came alive over the weekend with music, food, vendors and more for the annual Big Shanty Festival. The festival, which celebrated its 50th anniversary this year, evolved from a...
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‘Elevated’ space
MARIETTA — A new sports bar from the creators of Taqueria Tsunami Latin Asian Kitchen and Silla Del Toro is set to open on Marietta Square Monday. Described as an “elevated sports bar” by co-owner Alexis Kinsey, West Park Sports Club aims to blend the...
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Two in two months
Less than two months after a fire left three dead, a second fire broke out Thursday in the same Smyrna apartment complex, according to Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services. No injuries were reported; however, a total 12 units at the Concord Crossing...
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TUMLIN BOOSTS WOMEN’S SOCCER AT MHS SENIOR DAY
Marietta Mayor Steve “Thunder” Tumlin paid a visit to the Marietta High School girls soccer team’s Senior Day match Tuesday to cheer on the team and promote Arthur Blank’s incoming professional women’s soccer club. Tumlin gifted each player scarves...
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Sliding into Cobb
A new cheeseburger slider restaurant is open for business in Cobb County. Smalls Sliders, located at 2355 Windy Hill Road in the Windy Hill Village Shopping Center, cut the ribbon on its 50th location on Tuesday. Smalls Sliders, known for...
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Fore a good cause
ACWORTH — Over 100 golfers hit the greens at Cobblestone Golf Course Monday for the Acworth Police Department’s second annual community golf tournament, a fundraiser supporting the department’s nonprofit foundation. Community members were invited to...
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‘Georgia first’
MARIETTA — To Republican gubernatorial candidate Rick Jackson, putting Georgians first is critical. Jackson, a billionaire healthcare businessman and CEO, spoke to the Cobb GOP at Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 2681 during the party’s monthly breakfast...
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SATURDAY/SUNDAY, APRIL 11/12, 2026 Soccer club will return to Marietta City Council
Arthur Blank’s professional women’s soccer club has submitted site plans for its planned headquarters to the city of Marietta, and the City Council is set to vote on a rezoning next week. The plans call for a 38,000-square-foot training headquarters,...
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Jobless rate ticks up across Cobb, metro
Unemployment rose in January in Cobb County and across Georgia’s 12 regional commissions, the Georgia Department of Labor (GDOL) announced Thursday. In Cobb, the unemployment rate for January was 3.3%, lower than Georgia’s statewide unemployment rate...
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Star treatment
EAST COBB — It was an afternoon of games, cheeseburgers and fun at the McCleskey-East Cobb YMCA Wednesday when Atlanta Falcons tight end Kyle Pitts made a surprise appearance for over 60 kids enjoying spring break camp. Pitts, 25, was drafted by the...
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Our pale blue dot
HOUSTON — The Artemis II astronauts are now forever intertwined with Apollo 8. A day after the historic lunar flyaround, NASA on Tuesday released striking new photos taken by the U.S.-Canadian crew.
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THE MASTERS ARE UPON US
Dustin Johnson, the 2020 Masters champion, presents Marietta’s Finley Nelson with his medal for winning the chipping portion of the Drive, Chip and Putt National Finals in the 7-9 age group at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday. For more, see
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An egg-cellent event
NORTHEAST COBB — Easter eggs rained from the sky as kids of all ages worked to hunt over 90,000 eggs during the 17th annual Northeast Cobb Community Egg Drop on Saturday at Sprayberry High School. During the event, a helicopter flew over twice,...
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Our blue home
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — The Artemis II astronauts have captured our blue planet’s brilliant beauty as they zoom ever closer to the moon. NASA released the crew’s first downlinked images Friday, 1 ½ days into the first astronaut moonshot in more than...
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‘Age of technology’
EAST COBB — The Cobb County Police Department is preparing for the global spotlight — and potential security challenges — that will come with the 2026 FIFA World Cup. Cobb Police Chief James “Dan” Ferrell spoke to the East Cobb Area Council Thursday...
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Back to the moon
CAPE CANAVERAL, Fla. — Four astronauts embarked on a high-stakes flight around the moon Wednesday, humanity’s first lunar voyage in more than half a century and the thrilling leadoff in NASA’s push toward a landing in two years. Carrying three...
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‘It’s a journey’
MABLETON — A sixpanel mural exploring mental health across every stage of life is set to go on display, following its unveiling by Cobb Collaborative and Paint Love on Tuesday. The mural supports “Mind Your Mind,” an initiative through Cobb...
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‘No Kings’ protests sweep across Cobb, country
MARIETTA — Chants, car horns and calls for impeachment echoed across Cobb County on Saturday as hundreds of demonstrators gathered at four separate protests during the third wave of the national “No Kings” movement. From Marietta Square to busy...
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