At least one person was shot outside of a Walmart in the Town Center area Wednesday, police officials said.

A person who was shot was taken to Wellstar Kennestone Hospital, police said, and multiple people were detained.

According to Cobb County Police Department Deputy Chief Ben Cohen, officers responded Wednesday afternoon to reports of an active shooter at the Walmart in Town Center Market at 2795 Chastain Meadows Parkway.

The shooting stemmed from a conflict between two separate groups of people, Cohen said, and occurred outside the Walmart’s automotive center. The store was subsequently evacuated.

Police were still actively investigating the incident. Further details were not available by press time.

The shopping center, anchored by the Walmart, is north of Barrett Parkway and east of Interstate 575.

Christopher Patrick Golden pleaded guilty Thursday morning to the murder of two Cobb County Sheriff’s Deputies who were killed at a west Cobb subdivision in September.

The negotiated plea agreement includes charges of aggravated assault and murder in the slaying of deputies Jonathan Koleski, 42, and Marshall Ervin Jr., 38.

Under the terms of the agreement, Golden, 30, will receive two life sentences, plus an additional 55 years, without the possibility of parole. That would represent the maximum sentence short of the death penalty, according to the Cobb District Attorney's Office. 

Koleski and Ervin were killed September 8 while attempting to serve a warrant at a home in the Hampton Glen subdivision for Christopher Cook, 32. Cook was wanted for failure to appear related to a theft by deception case. While the deputies were attempting to arrest Cook in the driveway of the home, they were confronted by Golden, who was inside the home with a weapon, investigators said at the time. There followed an exchange of gunfire between the suspect and the deputies, and both deputies were killed.

Police said at the time that Golden was apprehended after a brief standoff at the home.

The killing of Koleski and Ervin prompted an outpouring of support from across Georgia, with thousands attending memorial services in the week after their deaths.

Marietta City Schools Superintendent Grant Rivera told Cobb lawmakers Wednesday the state is facing a crossroads in how it responds to pandemic learning losses.

Flush with federal cash, Rivera added, school districts are uniquely positioned to address those losses if they spend their money wisely. And for him, that starts with addressing literacy. Rivera emphasized on the importance of students reading on grade level, particularly by 3rd grade. Statistics show students that are not reading on or above grade level by third grade will typically face challenges throughout their academic career. The ripple effects of the pandemic have been evident in Marietta and its counterparts statewide.

In state metrics released last month, both Cobb and Marietta schools declined in every category since 2019 except graduation rates, with some of the largest losses in “readiness,” which includes literacy as a factor.

Rivera told the MDJ after the meeting — an annual summit between state legislators and Cobb’s largest employers and stakeholders — literacy has to remain the focus. Rivera cited as another example ensuring students in after-school programs have remedial reading instruction when needed. One such program the district’s employed is Fast Start Academy, a summer literacy program for rising second- and third-graders. Belinda Walters-Brazile, the district’s deputy superintendent, said in October students who attended the four-week course saw an average increase from 65% to 79% in their reading scores. Rivera also flagged a dyslexia screening pilot program Marietta has participated in, encouraging lawmakers to forge ahead with a statewide rollout.

On December 3, Smyrna-based Habitat for Humanity of NW Metro Atlanta and the Hughey family dedicated the final home of the year to Kuyshondra, a single mother of three who serves the community as a Cobb County school bus driver.

Cobb County resident Jim Hughey conceived the idea to build a Habitat for Humanity home in memory of his parents, Bob and Jane Hughey in late 2021 after volunteering at a Habitat build in Veterans Place in Douglasville. It is one of only three Habitat developments in the U.S. built exclusively for veterans.

Hughey was incredibly inspired by the camaraderie amongst the Habitat families and their appreciation of their homes. He shared the idea with his wife, Jackie and extended family, all whom eagerly agreed to work together to raise the funds. Bob Hughey served in the U.S. Marines and after college became a carpenter, then a high school industrial arts teacher and later, a school administrator in Ohio. Jane was a nurse and specialized in women’s health when she returned to the workforce later in life. They raised five children in a small home to which Bob was able to add modest additions as the family grew. After retiring to Lake Keowee in Seneca, South Carolina, Bob became a passionate volunteer for the Seneca Habitat affiliate. Jane volunteered at a women’s clinic and went on international medical mission trips.

In 2012 when Parkinson’s Disease took its toll on Bob, they moved to Presbyterian Village in Austell to be near Jim. Bob passed in 2015 and Jane in 2020. Jim says it is appropriate that the Habitat home being built in their memory is in Austell where their final years were spent. Kuyshondra is a single mother of three children: Markeyla, 16; D’Anthony, 13; and Richard, 11. One of her children deals with a learning disability that requires a lot of help from Kuyshondra. In seeking to have a job that allowed her to be in multiple places throughout the day or week she first worked in the cafeteria at a Cobb County school and a second job at Kroger in the deli department. To increase her income, she began driving for Uber, Lyft, doing deliveries with Instacart and earned her CDL license and became a bus driver. She has worked very hard at multiple jobs while balancing being an attentive mother, provider and working to become a Habitat homeowner. Kuyshondra gives God all the glory and praise for her home.

The Marietta Planning Commission split 3-3 over Beazer Homes’ application to annex nearly 170 acres of land in unincorporated Cobb County into the city, though the request will still go before the Marietta City Council next week.

The board heard Beazer’s request for rezoning and annexation into the city at its Tuesday night meeting. Commissioners Tee Anderson, Boozer McClure and Frasure Hunter voted to advance the proposal, while commissioners Brenda McCrae, Craig Smith and Stephen Diffley voted to deny it. Commission Chair Bob Kinney was absent from the meeting, and Diffley served as chair in his place. The Planning Commission is an advisory board appointed by the City Council which issues recommendations on zoning matters.

Beazer is looking to build a 600-home development on 175 acres between Bells Ferry Road and Interstate 575, along Laura Lake Road.

Last month, the Cobb Board of Commissioners objected to the annexation on the grounds that the proposed rezoning for a mix of single-family detached homes and townhomes, slated at 3.4 units per acre, exceeds the county’s acceptable threshold of 3 units per acre. Since the proposal was not voted down, it advances to the Marietta City Council, which meets next on Wednesday, December 14 at 205 Lawrence St.

After a short chase on Tuesday, Marietta police delivered Barbie, among other toys and goods, into the custody of Marietta school kids. 

Local elementary school students and officers of the Marietta Police Department shared a holiday shopping trip at the Walmart Supercenter off Cobb Parkway by the Big Chicken. 

Marietta City Schools selected 60 students based on need to receive $250 to spend on gifts and necessities while chaperoned by a police officer, a public safety official, or a volunteer. After buying the presents, students could have them gift-wrapped by volunteers while they visited with Santa. Lieutenant Gretchen Ingram, who leads the police department's community outreach unit, organized the event, which she said is meant to spread Christmas cheer and promote positive relationships between officers and local kids.

The event is funded entirely by donations, Ingram said. Parents also provided their children and the officers with a list.

"Shop with a Cop," as it's known, has become an annual tradition for MPD and the school system. Marietta Police Chief Marty Ferrell said the event has been running for at least 10 years. Ferrell said in past years, officers have chipped in with their own money to cover costs that exceeded the student's budget.

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