🌱 Paulding Arrests Former Cobb Officer + Sweetwater Creek Regulation

Morning, Dallas-Hiram! Linda Marlow here with your Monday edition of the Dallas-Hiram Patch newsletter, filled with everything you need to know about what's going on in town. Today you'll read about these stories and more...

• Former Cobb police officer arrested in Paulding, multiple counts of child molestation.
• State regulation may cover Sweetwater Creek along with other water bodies in Georgia.
• Georgia Army National Guard plans to geofence and monitor phones for recruitment.

But first, today's weather:

Today will be mostly sunny with a high of 68 and WNW winds of 10-20 mph, while tonight will be clear with a low of 46 and WNW winds of 5-10 mph.

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Here are the top stories in Dallas-Hiram today:

1. A former Cobb County police officer, Michael Yancy, has been arrested and charged with multiple counts of child molestation and enticing a child. The 66-year-old was arrested in Paulding County and then booked into the Cobb County Jail. Cobb County Police stated that Yancy retired from their department several years ago and was a K-9 handler at one point. The charges stem from incidents that occurred last May. (Fox5 Atlanta)
2. Sweetwater Creek is among the water bodies in Georgia that may fall under the purview of state regulation following a ruling by a federal district court judge in North Dakota. The judge granted a preliminary injunction that temporarily blocks a new federal rule on the definition of "waters of the United States," or WOTUS, from being enforced in 24 states, including Georgia. The new WOTUS definition includes tributaries, streams, and "adjacent wetlands," and is important because it determines which waterways are subject to federal environmental protections. Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr was one of the attorneys general who filed the lawsuit, arguing that these water bodies should fall solely under state regulation. (Albany Herald)
3. The Georgia Army National Guard plans to use location-based phone monitoring and military recruiting in schools to persuade teenagers to join the military, according to contract documents reviewed by The Intercept. The plan involves geofencing 67 public high schools across the state and targeting phones found within a one-mile range of their campuses for recruiting ads. This advertising campaign will also use various surveillance advertising technologies, including capturing the unique device ID of student phones, tracking pixels, and IP address tracking. Critics argue that the use of geolocation data is an invasive act, and the sale and use of location data are largely unregulated in the United States, creating an unscrupulous cottage industry of brokers and analytics firms. (Business News)
4. Atlanta has doubled its downtown tree canopy goal and plans to add 8,000 more trees over the next five years as part of the city’s updated “Tree Protection Ordinance”. The city hopes to help reduce energy costs, improve air and stormwater management, and increase residents' quality of life with these new changes. Mayor Andre Dickens stated that these updates will be further combined with other initiatives to improve climate resilience and ensure that the city’s code is designed to protect and grow its tree canopy. (WSB-TV)

Today in Dallas-Hiram:

• Mommy Meet Up - Dallas Public Library (10:00 AM)
• Storytime - New Georgia Public Library (10:30 AM)
• Pinochle - Paulding Senior Center (2:00 PM)
• Earth Day Crafternoon - Maude P Ragsdale Hiram Library (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Patch Real Estate News: Let Patch do the heavy lifting for you when it comes to finding the newest homes on the market in Dallas-Hiram. No more tiring searches for listings - Patch has already taken care of that for you. Check out the latest homes for sale in the area, including a 3-bed, 4-bath house in Dallas for $439,900, and a 5-bed, 3-bath home in Acworth for $534,900. Want to know more about these homes? Just click on any address on the list to access more photos and details. (Patch Real Estate News)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Johnstons Ridge: Growing local cleaning service that specializes in regular cleans, deep cleans, and move in/move out cleanings. Servicing both residential and commercial. Please call for free estimates 404-205-9798. (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Asbury Woods: Contact for lawn maintenance, etc. Available on the weekend. Will provide great service. Text 404-519-9093. (Nextdoor)
• Nextdoor Neighbor, Sweetbriar: Shower Doors By TJ 678-641-1463. Lifetime warranty, veteran owned, family operated. (Nextdoor)

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Featured events:

• The Pettit Environmental Preserve Earth Day Festival (April 22)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— Linda Marlow

About me: Linda Marlow is an experienced writer and communications professional with a diverse background in industries such as healthcare, education, publishing, and performing arts. She is a Dallas resident who is passionate about sharing the latest news and events happening in Paulding County through her writing. Linda is currently serving as a contributing writer for the Dallas-Hiram Patch newsletter, where she continues to use her storytelling skills to inform and engage the local community.

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Dallas-Hiram Patch newsletter? Contact me at Dallas-Hiram@Patch.com