Avoid the rush and cast your ballot early. Advance voting for the November General Election will start 7 a.m. - 7 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, and run the same times Monday through Saturday until Nov. 1. Sunday hours will be noon - 5 p.m. A dozen locations will be open across Cobb County for early voting. On Election Day, Nov. 5, voters must go to their assigned polling places. There will be no voting Nov. 2 - 4.

Click here for advance voting details.

If you need to cast an absentee ballot, you have until Oct. 25 to apply. Click here to get an absentee ballot application.

Check your registration status and information here. 

The Cobb Chamber honored county firefighters and police officers during its annual Public Safety Appreciation luncheon Monday, Oct. 7. Former Cobb Police Officer Thomas Weldon (pictured center) won the Medal of Valor for confronting an armed robber inside a gas station in Sept. 2023. Entering the store alone to protect those inside, Weldon arrested the criminal without a firefight.

Cobb County Fire and Emergency Services Company 7, B shift, earned the Award of Merit for entering a burning home in July 2023 and rescuing three people who were inside. Despite the intensity of the fire and the fact the victims were all in different parts of the home, the crew was able to save everyone and extinguish the blaze.

Cobb Police Sgt. William Nerio won the Distinguished Achievement Award for improving department and Hispanic community relations. Nerio, who moved to the United States from El Salvador in his 20s, became the Hispanic liaison for the Community Affairs Unit and helped create a summit between the police chief and representatives from several Spanish-speaking countries.

Click here to read about other winners and nominees.

Cobb County recently adopted a new district map and some of the district boundaries changed significantly. This means you may be getting a newsletter from a commissioner who is not your commissioner any longer.

Get the news you need by subscribing to your district enewsletter.
1. Go to Find Your Commissioner to determine what district you live or work in. 
2. Go to the county's subscribe page and subscribe to the newsletter that suits you best. 
 
View the Cobb County Commission District Map.

Interested in becoming a vendor with Cobb County? If so, you don't want to miss the upcoming free seminar, How to do Business with Cobb County Government and Cobb County Schools, 5:30 - 7:30 p.m., Thursday, Oct. 17, at the Senior Wellness Center, 1150 Powder Springs Street, Marietta. Registration is required as seats are limited.

To register, email kimberly.jorgensen@cobbcounty.org or call 770-528-3317.

Learn more about the current dangers on the internet and how to protect yourself and your business from online scammers 9:30 a.m. - 3:30 p.m. Friday, Oct. 25, at Cobb's cybersecurity education event, 1150 Powder Springs Street, Marietta.

The event is presented by the Cobb Information Technology Services Department in observance of National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and the District 2 office.

Click here to register.

During its regular meeting last week, the Board of Commissioners recognized October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month and specifically noted Friday, Oct. 18, as Pink Out Day in Cobb County. Employees will help promote public awareness and early detection of this deadly condition by wearing pink on that date.

National Breast Cancer Awareness Month helps educate women about the importance of early detection for breast cancer and promotes mammography as the most effective tool for this. Early detection and treatment have increased the five-year relative survival rate for women diagnosed with breast cancer to 90 percent.

Cobb and Douglas Public Health is committed to ensuring low-income women, who are uninsured or under-insured, receive access to breast and cervical cancer screening. Last year, the agency diagnosed 34 women with breast cancer through their program services.

Click here for more information.

🎃 Pumpkin Palooza – 6 - 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 19. Family event at Ward Recreation Center. Register here (#41956).
👻 Haunted House – 5 - 9 p.m. Oct. 23 - 26 at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. Free admission.
🎃 Trunk or Treat – noon - 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 26, at Cobb Police Headquarters in Marietta.
👻 Fall Festival of Fun – 5 - 9 p.m. Oct. 26 at Jim Miller Park in Marietta. Free admission.
🎃 Howl-O-Ween Trunk or Treat at Cobb Animal Services – 3 - 7 p.m., Monday, Oct. 28.

Find more festivals, programs, and classes on the Cobb event highlights page here.

Find Cobb County event listings here.
Find PARKS and senior center events listed here.

► Paint Recycling
Just paint. That's what you can recycle at the Cobb County Paint Recycling/Amnesty Collection event, 9 a.m. - noon, Saturday, Oct. 19 at Jim Miller Park, 2245 Callaway Road SW, Marietta. Limit 10 gallons of paint per vehicle. Registration is required. More information and registration here.

► Medication Take Back  
Dispose of medications safely at KCB's Medication Take Back event, Saturday, Oct. 26 at three locations:
• Police Precinct 1, 2380 Cobb Parkway, NW, Kennesaw
• Tim Lee Senior Center, 3332 Sandy Plains Road, Marietta
• Freeman Poole Senior Center, 4024 South Hurt Road, Smyrna

Are you a caregiver in need of relief? Cobb County Senior Services can help. The respite care program provides temporary relief to caregivers caring for loved ones diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease or other neurological conditions, physical or intellectual disabilities, or who need assistance with at least three activities of daily living. Click here to discover how you can qualify or call 770-528-5364.

Ready for a spooky wildlife adventure? Join UGA Cobb County Extension’s Creepy Critters Fall Wildlife Series starting in October, Wednesdays at 7 p.m. via Zoom. Click the links below to register and claim your spot.

Oct. 16. Spiders
Oct. 23. Bats

Veterans, active duty personnel, National Guard members, Reserve service members, caregivers, families, and survivors are all invited to Georgia's largest veteran resource fair. The annual We CARE Vet Fair, presented by United Military Care, will take place Nov. 1 - 2 at the Cobb County Civic Center in Marietta.

Admission and parking are free. Enjoy a complimentary lunch while supplies last. Hours are 9 a.m. - 5 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 1, and 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 2. Officials with Veterans Affairs and the state Department of Veteran Services will be present both days. Vendors, organizations and other agencies will only be on site Friday. 

Click here for more information.

The Center for Family Resources is hosting its 38th annual Thanks for Giving food drive. The goal is to provide 1,000 Cobb families with food for the Thanksgiving school break. 

The CFR is a nonprofit dedicated to assisting Cobb families facing homelessness and equipping them with resources to achieve self-sufficiency.

For donations of food, drop off your non-perishable food items through Nov. 15 at the Cobb Family Advocacy Center, 277 SE Fairground Street, Marietta.

Donated items will be distributed to families the week before Thanksgiving. Click here to contribute.

Next month, Cobb voters will have an opportunity to vote for a local referendum to expand transit in our community. Learn more about what the Mobility Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax is offering residents.

Click here to view aspects of the MSPLOST.

Click here for the fact overview page.

Cobb County has partnered with FindHelp to create a new online resource that connects residents with local, vetted assistance programs. On the site, you can search for free or reduced-cost services like medical care, food, job training, and more. Residents can access this new portal by visiting findhelp.cobbcounty.gov. The initiative is funded through an allocation of the American Rescue Plan Act.