Local News

Mayor Derek Easterling accepts the Hometown Grant check from T-Mobile Senior Manager of Regional Marketing Oliver Jones.

Kennesaw Receives Hometown Grant

T-Mobile recently chose the city of Kennesaw as one of its Hometown Grant recipients. The city plans to use the funds to add a wheelchair-accessible swing to the inclusive playground at SwiftCantrell Park, to provide a play area for kids of all abilities. Learn more at https://t-mo.co/327fJHj.

COVID Emergency Declared for Cobb

Chairwoman Lisa Cupid, of the Cobb County Board of Commissioners, signed a new Declaration of Emergency on Dec. 22, after consulting with public health officials about the spread of the COVID-19 virus in Cobb County. The declaration will enable the county to implement its Emergency Operations Plan, hold all or portions of public meetings virtually, and encourage residents to take precautions to avoid further spread of the Omicron variant of the virus.

In addition, County Manager Jackie McMorris has reinstituted the mask requirement and social distancing guidelines for people inside county government facilities, including libraries, indoor parks facilities and senior centers. This does not affect privately run businesses, schools, or the Cobb County court complex, which is under its own mask mandate. For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3z3BhB8.

New ID Tags Help Find Lost Pets

Cobb County Animal Services has teamed up with PetHub.com to help residents track their pets. PetHub’s system links the ID tag to an animal’s online profile that can be accessed through an encrypted connection by anyone with a mobile device.

Owners can update their pet’s profile at no charge at PetHub and list emergency contact information and more. Other upgrades include “found pet” alerts, GPS notifications and a way to broadcast a missing pet’s profile to local shelters.

For more information, and to get a tag for your pet, visit https://bit.ly/3p6oNVU.

Cobb Police Chief Tim Cox Retires

Cobb County Police Chief Tim Cox stepped down at the end of the year, after 37 years in the department and two as chief of police.

Cox has been a Cobb County resident for more than 50 years and graduated from Marietta Christian High School in 1981. He attended Kennesaw College and began his career with the Cobb County Police Department in 1985.

Cox is looking forward to his retirement; he plans to hunt, fish, travel and spend more time with his family.

A Georgia River Network trip participant paddling a shoot on the Upper Flint River.

The Okefenokee Swamp is under threat by a proposed mine.

River Adventures to Expand in New Year

Georgia River Network, Georgia’s only statewide advocacy organization dedicated solely to protecting Georgia’s water, aims to introduce more than 600 people to Georgia’s waterways during 2022, through a series of paddle trips and boater safety training sessions.

The creator of Paddle Georgia, a canoe/kayak camping adventure that attracts more than 300 people, Georgia River Network again is adjusting to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic by offering a series of small-group adventures, beginning this month and running through November.

The organization has two-day weekend canoe/kayak camping trips planned for the Alapaha River in March, Ohoopee River in April and Etowah River in May. More than a dozen additional trips will follow. Registration is open, but spaces are limited on each trip to approximately 30 participants.

For more information, visit www.garivers.org.

Behavioral Health Agencies Consolidate

Highland Rivers Health, one of Georgia’s largest behavioral health agencies, has announced its integration with Haralson Behavioral Health Services and Cobb County Community Services Board (CCCSB).

The combined agency will have the legal name Highland Rivers Community Service Board, but will do business as Highland Rivers Behavioral Health, with a new logo and the new tagline, “One community fostering hope, empowerment and purpose.” A new website will be unveiled early this year as part of the ongoing rebranding and service integration that is expected to take several months.

Following the consolidation, Highland Rivers will be the largest behavioral health provider in Georgia, with a 13-county service territory that is home to more than 1.7 million people — nearly 17% of the state’s population — across a 4,700-squaremile area of northwest Georgia. With a combined workforce of nearly 1,000 professionals, the agency will have an annual budget of approximately $75 million.

The new, integrated organization will improve access to a broader array of behavioral health services for Georgians in metro Atlanta and northwest Georgia, said Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities.

“Consistent access to quality behavioral health services should be a part of all Georgians’ overall health care plans,” Fitzgerald said. “Highland Rivers has been a great partner to the state in providing high quality services to those who are uninsured or underinsured, and their expansion is a hopeful sign that more Georgians can have consistent access to services that support their overall well-being.”

Plans for the potential consolidation of CCCSB into Highland Rivers Health began in late 2019, as CCCSB was unable to meet demand for services in the community adequately. Toward that end, Highland Rivers CEO Melanie Dallas was contracted to serve as interim CEO of the Cobb agency in July 2020, following the retirement of CEO Foster Norman.

During the ensuing period, staff members from Highland Rivers worked closely with their counterparts at CCCSB to determine processes for integrating the operational and financial workings of the two agencies. Following months of intensive preparation and planning, the governing boards of both entities voted this summer to proceed with consolidation. The CCCSB facility will become a Highland Rivers facility and staff will become employees of Highland Rivers Behavioral Health.

Dallas will continue as CEO of the new entity, and all existing members of Highland Rivers’ executive team likewise will remain in their current positions.

“Highland Rivers has always been very intentional about partnerships in the community, and by integrating the Cobb and Haralson organizations, we will all be able to work more effectively to strengthen the behavioral health safety net in Georgia,” Dallas said. “What’s most important is that individuals with behavioral health needs are receiving the services they need, and this consolidation will allow us to serve more people with better services in Cobb County and all the communities we serve.”