Sip Wine, Protect Animals

1. The heat today is no laughing matter. The high will be in the mid-90s, the National Weather Service says, and the humidity will make it feel like it’s about 100. There’s a 40 percent chance of afternoon thunderstorms providing some relief, as well as a 30 percent chance of showers at night. The overnight low will be about 74. We’re under a heat advisory and a Code Orange smog advisory.

2. The hot weather is no reason to miss an opportunity to fight the pet overpopulation problem, especially if it involves wine. Sure enough, the Wine to Win benefit for the Spay/Neuter Coalition is today from 5 to 7 p.m. at the , 18 Powder Springs St. For $15, you get a wine tasting with light hors d’oeuvres and help limit the number of unwanted cats and dogs. Email spayneutercoalition@gmail.com for more information.

3. Northeast Cobb Patch saw a changing of the guard Tuesday when Susan Becker took over the Single in Cobb column from Sharon Spivey, who’s now in a relationship. If you missed it, check out Susan’s just waiting for you to jump into the scene.

4. is diversifying its language courses for the school year that starts Aug. 15. In addition to Spanish, French and German, students will be able to take two Latin, two Chinese and two Portuguese classes. Students interested in the new language courses should email Jeanne Walker with their requests and the electives they want to drop.

5. A notice on the Cobb County website announces what once would have been shocking news: “The Cobb County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted a millage rate which will require an increase in property taxes.” (Click on “Notice of Tax Increase.”) It’s actually three increases, in the general, fire and debt-service funds, raising the overall property tax rate from 9.6 to 11.21 mills. But the announcement is a bit confusing because it addresses the increases from the maximum rates now allowed, not the actual rates. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and Marietta Daily Journal have reported that the proposed increase would add about $111 to the tax bill of a house with a fair-market value of $200,000, but our math points to the total being about $120, which probably says something about journalists and math. We’ll all get the complete story next Tuesday when the board holds public hearings on the proposal at 8 a.m. and 6 p.m. at 100 Cherokee St. The commissioners will adopt the millage rate July 26 at 7 p.m.