Summer break Vision To Learn on-site mobile clinics will return in June to Cobb County public libraries to provide eye exams and glasses – free of charge – for children ages 5-18. Since 2018, Vision To Learn has visited Cobb libraries during summer breaks to serve kids in need of vision care and glasses for school and life.
Vision To Learn is a popular program with registration required and space is limited. Slots are expected to fill quickly.
The Board of Commissioners invites you to give input on Cobb’s draft strategic plan. The board will hold public hearings during its meetings May 9 and May 23 at the county government building, 100 Cherokee Street, Marietta. After the board considers the additional input, it will vote on the plan's potential adoption in June. A copy of the plan is available to read at cobbcounty.org/StrategicPlan.
The county and its partners developed the plan using input from 24 leadership interviews, five district listening sessions, two community workshops, Cobb Data Dashboard and Trends Analysis, a county-wide survey with more than 3,200 responses, finalized Insights Report, developed visioning documents and the preparation of a strategic plan draft.
District attorney's office invites public to meet
Cobb District Attorney Flynn D. Broady, Jr. will host a town hall meeting 6:30 - 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at the South Cobb Regional Library. The event will provide an update on the Cobb Family Advocacy Center and other information from the Cobb Judicial Circuit. The library is located at 805 Clay Road in Mableton.
Since 1949, May has been designated Mental Health Awareness Month in the US. This is a time to spotlight the importance of mental health for all people and help to destigmatize mental health issues.
Did you know that...
1 in 5 U.S. adults experiences mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experiences serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder yearly
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% by age 24
These statistics reiterate the need for destigmatizing mental health and providing information and resources to promote better outcomes. While there are many resources in our community, navigating them can be confusing. Cobb Collaborative provides mental health information and resources through their Mind Your Mind mental health initiative. Visit the Collaborative’s Mind Your Mind web page to learn more.
Everyone is impacted by their mental health—regardless of culture, race, ethnicity, age, gender, or sexual orientation. Every person needs to care for their mental health. Some quick and easy ways to take a mental health break in your day include:
Spend time outdoors.
Listen to music.
Drink plenty of water.
Practice meditation.
How to put a library in your pocket
Start experiencing books and more on your devices by learning how to download eBooks and audiobooks 5 - 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, May 10, at the Vinings Library.
Find out how to search for books, place holds, and transfer materials to your portable devices — Apple, Android, and Kindle devices. The library is located at 4290 Paces Ferry Road, Atlanta. Registration is required.
Please have the device you'd like to use for ebooks and audiobooks, your App Store or Amazon account login information, and your library card number, pin with you. If you don't have a library account, you can sign up.
Free concert series starts Wednesday
Get into the summer groove at a new free Summer concert series, Wine Down Wednesdays, at the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre. There will be one each month — May 10, June 14, July 12, Aug. 9, Sept. 13 and Oct. 11 — all at 8 p.m. Come and enjoy the vibes of the season with local talent. The Wine Down on May 10 features music by Forever Young.
General admission is free and VIP tables are available for purchase. You can purchase food and drinks or bring your own.
Cobb County Department of Transportation is conducting a scoping study for the area of Cobb Parkway at McCollum Parkway/Kennesaw Due West Road and Old 41 Highway. The county is seeking input on existing conditions in the corridor.
The first public meeting is an open house, 6 - 8 p.m. Thursday, May 11, at the Kennesaw Community Center located at 2753 Watts Drive, Kennesaw. Drop by at any point to learn more about the project and to ask questions of project team staff.
Through the study, the county and its consultants will work to better understand the traffic patterns and the issues and needs of users of the corridor to develop solutions to improve mobility. The process will result in a selected alternative for further study.
Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre continues to bring the music to Cobb with An Evening of Jazz 7 p.m. Saturday, May 13. Doors open at 6 p.m. for performances by Will Downing, Gerald Albright, Alex Bugnon and Cindy Bradley. This is a rain or shine event. Call 770-819-7765 for questions.
Senior Expo and Marketplace to showcase options for better living
Explore services, products and more at the Cobb Senior Services Expo and Marketplace 10 a.m. - 2 p.m., Wednesday, May 17, at the Cobb Civic Center, 548 South Marietta Parkway SE, Marietta. There will be more than 100 vendors at the event covering such topics as senior living, travel, hearing, safety, Medicare and more.
Northside Hospital will provide health screenings on site. Seminars will include topics such as scam prevention and dementia. For the seminar schedule and list of health screenings planned, go to www.CobbSeniors.org.
Admission and parking are free.
Become part of Cobb's International Festival
Cobb County PARKS is seeking food, arts, and culture vendors for the 2023 International Festival! The Cobb County International Festival is a celebration of the best traditional food, music and art from around the world in our community. This year’s festival will be held 10 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 26, at Jim R Miller Park Event Center. Vendor applications are due by July 14.
Accreditation agency open for comments on public safety
The Cobb County Department of Emergency Communications, Cobb County Police Department, and Cobb County Public Safety Police Academy are independently accredited through CALEA (Commission on Accreditation for Law Enforcement Agencies.) The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office is currently seeking CALEA accreditation.
Anyone wishing to provide comments regarding these agencies’ compliance with CALEA standards, engagement in the service community, delivery of public safety services and overall candidacy for accredited status may provide comments to CALEA through one of the following public comment portals.
These comments can be in the form of commendations or concerns. The overall intent of the accreditation process is to provide our agencies with information to support continuous improvement and foster the pursuit of professional excellence.
Discover canning and more through food preservation classes starting this month. Learn about preserving jams, jellies, pickling, butter and more. The first class will cover strawberry jam 5:30 -8 p.m. Wednesday, May 24, at the Cobb Extension Office, 678 South Cobb Drive, Suite 200, Marietta. Each class is $25 and registration is limited to 15 people.
The Atlanta Regional Commission has launched an online survey to gather input for a major update to the Metropolitan Transportation Plan, the region’s long-term blueprint that guides transportation investments and envisions a better future.
The survey asks respondents their views on a range of topics that are key to long-range planning, including transportation, housing, technology, and the environment. Questions include:
How should we prioritize transportation investments?
What are the biggest issues facing metro Atlanta today?
What are the best long-term solutions to our traffic challenges?
How can local governments provide more affordable housing?
For more information about the Metropolitan Transportation Plan and take the survey, visit atlantaregional.org/mtpupdate.
This week on CobbTV
Subscribe to CobbTV's YouTube channel for the latest county meetings, informational videos, and live events.
Chairwoman Lisa Cupid presented her annual State of the County community address before a crowd at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre. The speech was streamed live on CobbTV.
Get a sneak peak of this year's Cobb County Master Gardeners Garden Tour! Host Joe Washington takes us on a brief tour and gives us an idea what to expect.
Upcoming public meetings