🌱 FoCo's 4-Minute City Initiative + FCS Virtual Educator Job Fair

Hello again, friends! I'm back in your inbox this morning with your fresh edition of the Cumming Patch newsletter. Here are all the most important things to know about what's happening in the community today. In today's issue, we'll cover these stories and more...

• Forsyth County's new "4 Minute City" initiative to save more lives.
• An upcoming virtual educator job fair for FoCo teachers.
• FCS to pay $107,500 in attorney fees to Mama Bears of Forsyth County.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler; a few morning showers. High: 56 Low: 27.

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Here are the top five stories in Cumming today:

1. Forsyth County has become one of the first communities in the world to implement a new initiative called The 4 Minute City. The County has partnered with the City of Cumming, several local law enforcement and emergency service departments, Avive Solutions, Northside Hospital, and others to place intelligent AEDs throughout Forsyth to offer cardiac arrest victims access to help within four minutes of placing a 911 call, thus increasing survival rates of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests. The official "life-saving launch" will take place at 11:00 a.m. on Feb. 23 at Astro Celebrations in Cumming. (Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce)
2. Also happening on Feb. 23 is a virtual job fair geared toward educators who want to work in the Forsyth County School (FCS) system. The event, which takes place from 2:00 to 5:00 p.m., is hosted by the FCS Human Resources Department and will offer prospective candidates a look at open employment opportunities in one of the district's 43 schools. Interested parties can register at the link. (Forsyth County Schools)
3. The House Ways and Means Committee in Georgia voted on Thursday to approve two bills under Gov. Brian Kemp’s tax cut agenda. The bills promise $1 billion in tax refunds to income tax filers and waive tax collection on gasoline and diesel fuel for months. For a second year in a row, income tax refunds ranging from $250 to $500 will automatically be issued to single filers, single adults who head households with dependents, and married couples filing jointly who filed tax returns for both the 2021 and 2022 tax years. Rebates or credits will be issued in Spring 2023 if the bill passes. “The governor is committed to the citizens of Georgia, and this is one way he’s going to give their money back to them,” said Republican Rep. Lauren McDonald of Cumming. (WABE 90.1 FM)
4. The Forsyth County School District will pay $107,500 in attorney fees to Mama Bears of Forsyth County after the group successfully sued the district for violating their constitutional rights. The lawsuit stemmed from a BOE meeting in March 2022 when members of Mama Bears read explicit content from library books to protest their availability in schools. After being stopped, one participant was banned from future BOE meetings until signing a guarantee to obey the board chair's directives. The settlement includes updating the public participation policy, awarding damages to two Mama Bears members, and paying attorney fees. The Board of Education will vote on a newly proposed public participation policy on Feb. 21. (Newsbreak Original)
5. Planning ahead for St. Patrick's Day? The Well at Homestead is hosting a free rock concert from 4:30 to 9:00 p.m. on Mar. 17 at the Lou Sobh Amphitheater in Cumming City Center. The concert will feature live music by Double Take and Back in Black: AC/DC Tribute, as well as green beer and other drinks from The Well. Food from various food trucks will also be available for purchase. (City of Cumming)

Today in Cumming:

• Explorer Tots At Cumming Library (11:00 AM)
• Food Truck: Draztic Aztec At NoFo Brew Co (4:00 PM)
• Celebrating The Music Of Billy Joel At Rosati's Pizza Sports Pub (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Cumming area at the link! (Cumming Patch)
• The Cumming Bed Bath and Beyond location on Market Place Boulevard appears to be the next in a large string of closures by the retail corporation, according to "Store Closing Sale" signage on the front doors. (Forsyth County News)
• The Cumming Country Fair & Festival and the Cumming Recreation Department's Gymsations Program was named "Best of Forsyth" in the Forsyth County News' annual community contest. (City of Cumming, GA - City Hall via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Rae and the Ragdolls (February 18)
• Pretty in Pink Noche Caliente Latin Night Atlanta @ Tonys Johns Creek Sat Feb 18, 2023 (February 18)
• T-Mobile Tuesdays: Get Delighted Every Week (February 21)
• BJ's Wholesale Club Pre-opening Limited-time Offer (February 23)
• Add your event

That's it for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with another update.

— Sean Peek

About me: Sean Peek is a writer and entrepreneur with a degree in English Literature from Weber State University. Over the years, he has worked as a copywriter, editor, SEO specialist, and marketing director for various digital media companies. He currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.