🌱 Ex-Amazon Employees Guilty Of Fraud + Cobb Co. Ballots Investigated

Morning, neighbors! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Marietta Daily — back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in the community.

But first, today's weather:

Warmer with rain tapering off. High: 62 Low: 58.

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Here are the top three stories in Marietta today:

1. Two former Amazon employees at the Amazon warehouse in Smyrna pleaded guilty to defrauding the company of $10 million. The two ex-employees used the funds made from creating fake vendors and submitting fake invoices to buy high-end real estate and luxury cars. The men, Kayricka Wortham, 31 of Atlanta, and Demetrius Hines, 35 of Smyrna, are expected to be sentenced in March 2023. (WSB Atlanta)
2. The Georgia State Election Board launched a second investigation into Cobb County's handling of absentee ballots for the U.S. Senate runoff. The state board claims that the county's elections office didn't mail approximately 3,400 absentee ballots. (Marietta Patch)
3. A 47-year-old Kroger store in nearby Buckhead will close for good on Friday. The company said that the shutdown is due to the building lease which will expire next year. Store employees are being reassigned to other locations, according to officials. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

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Today in Marietta:

• Cobb County Public Meeting At Switzer Library (6:30 PM)
• Cocktail Class At Red Hare Brewing The Still On The Square (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Santa is in town! The Girls Inc. of Greater Atlanta will be hosting their annual Brunch with Santa on Dec. 10 from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. The free event, which includes holiday-themed games and crafts plus a full brunch, will be hosted at the Marietta Center. (Subscription: MDJOnline.com)
• The world is lighting up for the holidays! The annual tree lighting at East Cobb Park on Sunday night was followed up by Santa and Mrs. Claus greeting children. If you missed this tradition, there will be a Menorah Lighting on Dec. 18 at 5:30 p.m. to kick off the eight days of Hanukkah. (East Cobb News)
• Looking for a new job for the holidays and into 2023? Check out this week's list of job openings ranging from customer service jobs to truck driving and sales. (Marietta Patch)

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You're all caught up for today! I'll see you around.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a senior writer 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.