News Rewind: Gingrey on Economy, Gay Marriage

The representative of Georgia’s 11th district discussed the economy, gay marriage, Obamacare and this year’s presidential race Monday night.

Cobb Moves Forward with Teach for America

The Cobb Board of Education voted 4-3 to allow CCSD Superintendent Michael Hinojosa to begin fundraising efforts for Teach for America for the 2013-2014 school year.

In a 4-3 vote at Thursday night's nearly four-hour meeting, the Cobb Board of Education authorized Hinojosa's fundraising efforts for up to 25 TFA teachers, who will likely work in South Cobb during the 2013-2014 school year. Board members Kathleen Angelucci, Alison Bartlett and Tim Stultz voted against the measure. In order for the TFA teachers to be hired, the board established four stipulations at its May 9 worksession: Possible Fee Increase for TFA Training The fee required for each TFA teacher pays for the teacher's five-week training prior to entering the classroom and the ongoing training each teacher receives regularly throughout her two-year commitment. Hinojosa said the training fee for each TFA teacher has increased from $2,000 …

• Photos (2)

Pawn Shop Rezoning Request Denied by Council

Property owner Tino Venturi lost his bid to keep the pawn shop open at the Mack Dobbs shopping center.

With a vote of 5-0 on Wednesday, the Kennesaw City Council took care of a mistake made last fall when a local pawn shop was allowed to open its doors in a shopping center despite a 2004 agreement prohibiting such businesses from the property. Cruchelow Jewelry & Loan, located at 2958 Cobb Parkway in the Mack Dobbs Point strip mall, will have to close its doors after losing a long battle with neighbors from two nearby subdivisions—Summer Brooke and Summer Stream. The city's planning commission had voted 3-0 against the rezoning request earlier this month. "Please show all of us that laws are meant to be followed," said Summer Stream resident Lisa Stabler during the public hearing portion of the meeting. After the vote, Stabler and many …

•  3 Comments
• Photos (5)

Gingrey: I'll 'Stand Strong for Christian, Conservative, Moral Values'

The representative of Georgia’s 11th district discussed the economy, gay marriage, Obamacare and this year’s presidential race Monday night.

On the heels of President Barack Obama's stated support of gay marriage, Congressman Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta, addressed the issue during a town-hall meeting Monday night at Mount Paran Christian School in Kennesaw. “I don’t like the secularism that’s occurring in this country one bit and I think it is incumbent upon those of us [that] stand strong, to stand very strong, in regard to that and say ‘look, Billy and I believe that marriage is a sacrament,’” Gingrey said. “I’m not ashamed to say that, and I won’t be ashamed to say that, and I hope our nominee on my side of the aisle will not back away from saying that and stand strongly.”  Gingrey, who is up for reelection this fall, said he will continue to “stand strong for Christian, …

• Photos (6)
• Videos (3)

Gingrey Town-Hall Tonight

The meeting will take place at 7 p.m. at the Murray Arts Center in Kennesaw.

Congressman Phil Gingrey, R-Marietta, will host a town-hall meeting in Kennesaw tonight at Mount Paran Christian School. The meeting will take place from 7 to 8:30 p.m. at the school's Murray Arts Center, located at 1275 Stanley Rd. in Kennesaw. During previous meetings, Gingrey answered questions on topics ranging from illegal immigration, Social Security, health care and the environment to his top three priorities—jobs, jobs and jobs. Constituents are also invited to call Gingrey's Marietta District Office at 770-429-1776 with any questions.

• Photos (1)

Letter to the Editor: Underage Alcohol Sales

In this letter to the editor, Cathy Fink of the Cobb Alcohol Taskforce responds to Kroger's 60-day suspension.

The recently reported illegal sale of alcohol to minors is a recurring issue at some Cobb County Kroger locations. It is important for Cobb Commissioners to take these illegal sales seriously and issue sanctions that are effective at deterring future violations. It remains to be seen whether a 60-day suspension of Kroger's alcohol license at its Powder Springs Road store will result in sustained compliance. Government and business practices proven to help prevent underage alcohol sales do exist and need to be utilized. Law enforcement use of compliance checks and government use of effective administrative sanctions have proven helpful. Business use of effective alcohol policies, hiring, training and management practices can also help. …

• Photos (1)

Track the TSPLOST-Touting Road Trip

Supporters of the 10-year, 10-county, transportation sales tax are raising money to educate voters.

Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle and Metro Atlanta Chamber President Sam Williams were among supporters of the regional transportation sales tax referendum who lobbied for its passage in Alpharetta. The Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce held a fundraiser to answer questions about the TSPLOST referendum, which will go before voters on July 31. They also were ready to collect checks on behalf of Citizens for Transportation Mobility to continue what they call an education process. Thus far, the proposed 10-county, 10-year, 1 percent sales tax for transportation projects has not proved popular in Cobb. Andy Macke, who heads the North Fulton Chamber's push to get the 1 percent regional sales tax passed, touted a predicted 4-to-1 return on investment…

•  1 Comment
• Photos (5)
• Videos (1)
• Documents (1)

Cobb Plaintiffs: Trim Birrell's District

The lawyer who brought the redistricting suit wants to lop off a piece of East Cobb, while the county commissioners ask to slice off part of the Kennesaw area.

All of the plaintiffs in the Cobb County redistricting case “are satisfied with virtually all aspects of the court’s initial redistricting plan with one exception.” It’s just not the same exception. The five county commissioners, in a joint filing Tuesday, asked U.S. District Judge Steve Jones to tweak the border between Helen Goreham’s District 1 and JoAnn Birrell’s District 3. As discussed during Monday’s hearing in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, they want Jones to move his proposed dividing line east so it runs northwest along Interstate 75 until Chastain Road. The border would run west along Chastain Road and McCollum Parkway to Cobb Parkway, then would follow Jones’ existing line north to the Cherokee County border. That change would…

• Photos (1)
• Documents (2)

Colotl Allowed to Stay Another Year

The Kennesaw State University graduate has been granted a third one-year deferment.

Kennesaw State University graduate and illegal immigrant Jessica Colotl will remain in the country for another year, reported the Atlanta-Journal Constitution Monday. Colotl, whose 2010 arrest brought national attention to the issue of illegal immigrants in public colleges and who now faces a standing deportation order, was granted a third one-year deferment this month allowing her to stay in the country. She will apply for another reprieve next year, immigration attorney Charles Kuck told the AJC. Due to the deportation order, Colotl cannot apply for legal permanent residency unless there is federal immigration reform, or she returns to Mexico for 10 years and applies for a visa, Kuck told the AJC. Colotl was arrested in spring of 2010 …

• Photos (1)