🌱 MPD Welcomes 2 New K-9 Units + 'Art At The Avenue 2023' Opens

Hi there, Marietta! I'm here in your inbox per usual to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

But first, your local weather:

• Monday: Partly sunny and warm. High: 91 Low: 68.
• Tuesday: Mostly sunny and warm. High: 92 Low: 69.

Here are the top three stories in Marietta today:

1. Cobb County school board member David Chastain has been found in violation of campaign finance law for accepting excessive donations during his reelection campaign last year, according to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission. Chastain will be required to pay a fine to the state and refund $2,500 in contributions, including funds from State Rep. Ginny Ehrhart's campaign and a lawyer involved in the district's controversial redistricting process. Although Chastain admitted to the error and has already paid the civil penalty, he has described the complaint as "baseless and politics at its worst." (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
2. On Friday, the Marietta Police Department announced the addition of two new K-9 units. K-9 Fedor, a 1-year-old Dutch Shepherd, has been paired with Officer Powell; Mozes, a 2-year-old Belgian Malinois, is now working with Officer Simmons. Both teams underwent months of rigorous training in various areas, including narcotics detection and criminal apprehension, to join the department's existing K-9 team. (11 Alive)
3. The South Cobb Arts Alliance (SCAA)'s "Art at the Avenue 2023" event opened this past Saturday, Jul. 15 at The Avenue West Cobb in Marietta. The public art event — which features the SCAA's National Juried Exhibit, Middle and High School Juried Exhibit, and Blending of the Performing and Craft Arts — also includes an artisan market and various community events during its run. "Art at the Avenue" is open to the public Fridays-Sundays through Saturday, Aug. 5; no entry fee is required to enter. (Patch)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Marietta:

Monday, July 17

• Kids Yoga Camp With Dani At gruvnYOGA (2:00 PM)

Tuesday, July 18

• Basics Workshop: Explore Through Movement And Play At North Cobb Library, Kennesaw (10:00 AM)
• Geeks Who Drink Trivia Night At Dave And Buster's - Marietta (7:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Heads up, local house hunters! Here are five of the latest homes to hit the Marietta real estate market. (Patch)
• The Rotary Club of East Cobb is seeking sponsorships for the 18th annual Dog Days Run on Aug. 5. Those interested in sponsoring this fundraiser can learn more here. (East Cobb News)
• Down the road from Marietta, the Mableton Improvement Coalition and the Trust for Public Land participated in a cleanup at the Chattahoochee RiverLands Mableton trailhead over the weekend. The cleared area will be the spot for this year's Welcome to South Cobb festival, scheduled for Sep. 2. (Cobb County Courier)

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Featured events:

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Monday. I'll see you soon!

— Nicole Fallon-Peek

About me: Nicole Fallon-Peek is a journalist and copywriter with a degree in Media, Culture and Communication from New York University. She has served as a freelance reporter, managing editor, copy editor, and editorial director for a variety of B2B news outlets. She currently co-owns and operates content creation agency Lightning Media Partners.