🌱 Cobb County Fifth Grader Publishes First Book + Fatal Car Crash

Hello again, friends! I'm back with your fresh edition of the Smyrna-Vinings Patch newsletter. Follow along to find out the most important things going on in town these days.

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But first, today's weather:

Periods of sun. High: 69 Low: 54.

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Interested in reaching our local readers with targeted messaging that drives traffic to your business? I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

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Here are the top three stories today in Smyrna-Vinings:

1. Ta'Kari Tatum, an 11-year-old fifth-grader at Varner Elementary School in Cobb County, is a newly published author. Tatum wrote a children's book called "Snap It" to share a deeper message about mental health and be part of the solution. The book is about how mental health matters and how important it is to talk openly about it. (11 Alive News)
2. A 12-year-old child died and another was injured after the driver, Gregory Sagnan, lost control of his car and crashed into several trees in Cobb County. Sagnan reported he ran off the road while going around a curve near Brown Leaf Trail causing the one-vehicle crash. (WSB TV News)
3. A Cobb County elementary school has set a new fundraising record. Emily Adams, a PE specialist at Kennesaw Elementary School in Cobb County, has been helping students raise money for The American Heart Association for almost 30 years. This year, her school district raised a record-breaking $750,000 through AHA's Kids Heart Challenge, promoting elementary students' physical and emotional well-being and the importance of volunteerism, while also raising awareness about heart disease and stroke. (AHA)

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Today in Smyrna-Vinings:

• Infant And Toddler Storytime At Smyrna Public Library (10:30 AM)
• Karaoke At Juicy Crabb (7:00 PM)

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From my notebook:

• Chairwoman Lisa Cupid is hosting the 2023 Cobb County State of the County event on May 4 at the Jennie T. Anderson Theatre. Cupid will acknowledge individuals, businesses, and organizations that exhibit Integrity, Inclusiveness, Investment in others, Innovation, and Intelligent decision-making for Cobb County. Nominations can be submitted for consideration. (Cobb County Government via Facebook)
• The Spring Jonquil Festival will take place on Apr. 29 from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. around City Hall and will offer more than 150 Arts and Crafts booths, food booths, children's activities, and an entertainment stage. Admission will be free. (City of Smyrna, GA Government via Facebook)
• Starting May 1, a new sanitation and recycling collection schedule will be implemented to increase efficiency and simplify holiday adjustments. The new schedule involves all curbside trash and recycling collections occurring from Tuesday to Friday and all yard waste collections on Mondays, resulting in fewer changes due to holidays. (City of Smyrna, GA Government via Facebook)

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Featured events:

• Smyrna Author Andrew Diaz Winkelmann Book Signing (April 29)
• Clinton Nature Preserve Exploration Challenge Group Hike (May 13)
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You're officially in the loop for today. See you all tomorrow for another update!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O'Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.