Marietta Salutes Fallen Firefighter

Lonnie Nutt is the first Marietta firefighter to die in the line of duty, Chief Jackie Gibbs said.

Should Georgia Ax the Income Tax?

Several state senators are pushing a resolution that seeks the elimination of Georgia’s income tax. Tell us how you would vote on such a proposal.

The Georgia income tax could one day become a thing of the past. Several state senators have signed on to sponsor Senate Resolution 8, a proposal that would create a constitutional amendment to phase out the state’s income tax. If the resolution is approved by the General Assembly and signed by the governor, Georgia voters would see this question on a future ballot: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to limit the authority of the General Assembly to impose an income tax and to phase out existing income taxes?” A copy of the resolution is attached to this article in PDF form. If voters approve the amendment, the state would phase out the income tax completely by the year 2027. The process would be gradual, reducing the tax …

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Marietta Teen Shot, Killed in Florida

A man faces charges of murder and attempted murder following the shooting death of 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis. Davis' funeral is set for Saturday in Marietta.

Funeral arrangements have been set for a Marietta teen who was shot and killed Friday in Jacksonville, Fla., after an argument over loud music. According to the Orlando Sentinel, 17-year-old Jordan Russell Davis and several other teenagers were sitting in an SUV in a convenience store parking lot when 45-year-old Michael David Dunn and his girlfriend pulled into the store’s lot. Dunn reportedly asked the teens to turn down the music playing in their vehicle. After he and Davis exchanged words, Dunn shot Davis eight or nine times, striking Davis twice, authorities said. The newspaper reported that Dunn was arrested at his home Saturday on charges of murder and attempted murder. According to WSB TV, Davis split time at his mother’s home in …

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Laura Michelle 'Shellie' White Dies

Memorial services are set for 5 p.m. Sunday for the bank fraud investigator

Laura Michelle “Shellie” White, 33, of Smyrna, passed away on Thursday, Aug. 23. She was born Aug. 19, 1979 in Huntsville, AL, the daughter of Mitchell D. White and the late Laura Brooksbank White. She worked as a fraud investigator for SunTrust and was a member of the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) in Marietta. In addition to her mother, Shelly was also preceded in death by her sister, Elise Florence White. Survivors include her husband, Daniel J. Head of Smyrna; father, Mitchell D. White of Ellijay; brother, Sean White of Chicago; brother-in-law, Gabriel (Jill Goyette) Head of Douglasville; mother-in-law, Deborah Head of Hiram; father-in-law, Ron Head of Acworth; niece, Natalie. A memorial service will be held Sunday, Aug. …

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Map: Voters Closer to Atlanta Supported TSPLOST

A graphic from the Atlanta Regional Commission shows that the further precincts were from the city, the less residents backed the transportation tax.

The transportation tax that would have raised sales taxes 1 percent over 10 years to fund $8.5 billion worth of transportation projects failed in the July 31 primaries in all 10 metro Atlanta counties. The final tally was 248,319 (37%) against, and 415,526 (63%) for. The closer voters were to the city of Atlanta, the more they favored the tax, according to the above map provided by the Atlanta Regional Commission. In some counties, precincts near interstates appear to have more strongly supported the tax, commonly referred to as TSPLOST. In Cherokee County, no precinct climbed above 28 percent for, the map shows. The Atlanta District was one of nine Georgia regions to reject the tax; in the other three—the Central Savannah River District, …

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America Loses a TV Icon - Andy Griffith Dead at 86

TMZ and several other publications are reporting that television icon Andy Griffith, 86, died this morning in North Carolina.

Andy Griffith, star of the "Andy Griffith Show" and "Matlock," reportedly died Tuesday morning in North Carolina. He was 86. Fox New reported that, according to TMZ, Griffith died Tuesday at about 7 a.m. He will forever be remembered for his role as the small-town sheriff in "The Andy Griffith Show." He also played the Atlanta attorney in the "Matlock" series. "The Andy Griffith Show" was kept alive through re-runs giving, everybody an opportunity to believe there really was once a Mayberry, even if only on TV.

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Late 'Gone With the Wind' Actress Maintained Georgia Connections

Ann Rutherford, who died last week at 94, had come to many Cobb events held for the book and movie, where she would stay "until the very last person had left the building."

Many Georgians are mourning the passing of 94-year-old Ann Rutherford, who played Scarlett's little sister Carreen O'Hara in the 1939 film Gone With the Wind. Last summer, for the 75th anniversary of the publication of Margaret Mitchell's book, Marietta's Gone With the Wind Museum hosted many events, including a film tribute of Rutherford. She was in attendance as she has been for many of the museum's annual events every year since 2007—except for this May due to her declining health from heart problems. "We were very saddened to hear that Ann Rutherford has passed away," said Connie Sutherland, the museum's director. "She was a great actress, a wonderful storyteller and a great friend to this museum. She will be missed." Besides Gone With…

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Fallen Cobb Soldier Returns Home

First Lt. Jonathan Walsh of Kennesaw was killed by an improvised explosive device while serving in Afghanistan.

The body of a Kennesaw soldier killed in Afghanistan by a blast from an improvised explosive device will be escorted by law enforcement today following the arrival of his remains at Dobbins Air Reserve Base. First Lt. Jonathan Walsh, a 28-year-old paratrooper, died April 22 while serving in Ghazni province. The motorcade is expected to depart Dobbins between 10 and 11 a.m., the Cobb County government says. The procession will travel north along Atlanta Road, turn right onto South Cobb Drive, head north on Cobb Parkway, turn right onto Blue Springs Road in Acworth, then right onto Old Highway 41, left onto McCollum Parkway in Kennesaw, left on Frey Road and right onto Shiloh Road. Shiloh Road, which becomes Shallowford Road and then …

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Memorial Planned for SPSU Professor

Professor Emeritus R. Glenn Allen was one of the original faculty members of the Division of Engineering and nurtured the Mechatronics Engineering Program, which now has 217 enrolled students.

Professor Emeritus R. Glenn Allen, Southern Polytechnic State University’s 2010-11 Teacher of the Year, lost a hard-fought battle with cancer on April 3. “Glenn was one of the great ones, as all of his colleagues and students can readily attest,” wrote Dr. Zvi Szafran, vice president for academic affairs, in his blog, The Weekly Blab. Family, friends and colleagues will gather on Thursday, April 12, at Wesley Chapel United Methodist Church in Marietta to pay tribute to Professor Allen. Visitation in the gym from 5-5:45 p.m. will be followed by a Celebration of Life Service at 6 p.m. in the sanctuary and then another visitation until 7:45 p.m. The church is located at 4495 Sandy Plains Rd., Marietta 30066. Professor Allen was diagnosed with…

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Coast Guard Vet Bill Cooper Dies

The family will hold visitation Sunday afternoon and a private funeral Monday.

William “Bill” Gene Cooper, age 80, of Mableton died Friday, March 2, 2012, at WellStar Cobb Hospital in Austell. He was a devoted member of Roswell Street Baptist Church in Marietta and enjoyed spending time with his church family. Mr. Cooper was born to Lunie S. Cooper and Mary Mayo Cooper on April 24, 1931, in Tampa, FL. He served in the U.S. Coast Guard and was honorably discharged Dec. 27, 1954. A graduate of Southern Technical Institute, now Southern Polytechnic State University, he worked as an engineer for IBM. His talents included carpentry, and the many practical pieces he produced included a beautiful cherry wood table. He also was an accomplished Web master and built the website for his wife’s artwork. Mr. Cooper often talked …

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