🌱 Child Abuse Prevention Proclamation + New Trash Schedule

Morning, everybody. It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Smyrna-Vinings Patch newsletter — here to tell you all the most important things happening in our community.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 84 Low: 57.

📢 I'm looking for business owners and marketers in Smyrna-Vinings who want to build awareness, connect with customers and increase sales.

I have a limited number of sponsorships available to introduce our readers to local businesses they need to know. If that's you, then I invite you to learn more and secure your spot now.

Here are the top three stories in and around Smyrna-Vinings today:

1. During the Mayoral Report at the Smyrna Council meeting, a proclamation was presented in recognition of National Child Abuse Prevention Month – National Crime Victims’ Rights Week. Council members and board members signed a proclamation that designated Smyrna as a city that recognizes April as the month for Child Abuse Prevention Month and urges all citizens to also recognize it. Each member who signed the proclamation was given a blue pinwheel; blue is the color of the awareness campaign, and pinwheels remind us that children should only worry about fun and whimsy rather than dealing with abuse. (City of Smyrna, GA Government)
2. The City of Smyrna will be getting rid of the old trash pickup schedule beginning May 1. The city believes that they will be able to increase efficiency and make holiday adjustments easier with the new schedule that includes all Mondays as designated yard waste collection days. If your old trash collection day was Monday, it moves to Tuesday; if you were on Tuesday, you move to Wednesday; all Thursday and Friday pickups remain the same. (City of Smyrna, GA Government)
3. Michael Owens has won the mayoral election and is the first mayor of nearby Mableton. After a close race, Owens secured his spot with 55.68 percent of the votes, according to the Cobb County election office. Owen's platform stated that he would like to preserve home values and fight for affordable home ownership, among other things in Mableton. There was also an election for the first city council where voters chose Dami Oladapo, Keisha Jeffcoat, Patricia J. Auch, and TJ Ferguson to fill those seats. (WSB Radio)

Today in Smyrna-Vinings:

• Walking In Smyrna, FullScope Sports (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Despite a nationwide decrease in housing starts and permits, the number of residential construction permits issued in Georgia increased. Residential construction increased by 14 percent between 2021-2022. Visit the link for more insights on year-over-year changes in residential construction in Georgia and across the country. (Point2)
• Metro Atlanta has been issued an orange air quality warning. The national weather service has issued an orange code for Cobb County and other metro areas, deeming the air to be unsafe for sensitive groups of people. The alert mentions conditions are most severe during the afternoon and evening when the ozone concentrations are at their highest. (Cobb County Courier)
• The Smyrna Fire Department joined the Smyrna Public Safety Foundation in climbing 51 flights of stairs for the Fight for Air Climb. The Fight for Air Climb supports people with Lung Cancer. The firefighters climbed the stairs in full gear weighing 55 pounds. (Smyrna Public Safety Foundation via Facebook)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Clinton Nature Preserve Exploration Challenge Group Hike (May 13)
• Add your event

That's it for today! I'll see you around.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager 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.