🌱 Cobb Co. Bus Driver Arrested + CCSD Disability Services Complaint

Hello, everybody! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: Cloudy with a passing shower. High: 64 Low: 54.
• Sunday: Mostly cloudy and warmer. High: 68 Low: 57.

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

1. On Feb. 22, Gogineni Rayudu, a Cobb County school bus driver, was arrested for allegedly barging into a family’s home to ask for a 10-year-old girl on his bus route. Cassioppia Cea said her daughter's bus driver has been outside of her home three times in the past two months. According to Cea, when Rayudu entered her home, she thought, "Why does he have gloves on? Why did he walk into my house?" And she "just started grilling him with questions. As soon as I did, he took off." According to jail records, he was released on Feb. 23, but officials say he will not drive a Cobb County school bus pending an investigation. (WSB-TV)
2. In December, Brenda Rodriguez, mother to a nonverbal 5-year-old son who has Down Syndrome and feeding issues, filed a complaint with the Georgia Department of Education (GaDOE) after the Cobb County School District (CCSD) allegedly denied disability services. Rodriguez said she was forced to choose between treatment or educational services when the school district denied her request for hospital homebound (HHB) services. The GaDOE found that CCSD was out of compliance with the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The district must meet with the Rodriguez family to plan the 50 hours of compensatory services by Mar. 3 as well as revise its policies and provide training for teachers and administrators. (Cobb County Courier)
3. The City of Smyrna is hosting a Breakfast Speaker Series on Mar. 7 as part of the Racial Trust Building Initiatives. The free event will feature guest speaker Dr. David Anderson Hooker, who will discuss "transforming historical harms." (City of Smyrna, GA Government via Facebook)

Today and tomorrow in Smyrna-Vinings:

Saturday, February 25

• The 2023 LEG (League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) Conference At Teasley Community Center (11:00 AM)
• Daquiri Daze Day Party At Pizookah (2:00 PM)

Sunday, February 26

• A Musical Journey Through Black History; Hosted By The Before Slavery Museum + The PG Network At Taylor-Brawner Banquet Hall (2:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Cobb County Department of Transportation (DOT) installed two new traffic signs after 10-year-old Reagan Johnson wrote to them requesting new signage warning about deer crossing. (WSB Radio)
• Use Smyrna 311 to report non-emergency issues and service requests, including potholes, streetlight outages, or requests for code enforcement. Residents can download the app on Apple or Android devices in the App Store. (City of Smyrna, GA Government via Facebook)
• Apex Endodontic is hiring a Front Desk Receptionist in Smyrna! Email resumes to ashortrdh@gmail.com or dr.short@yahoo.com. Resumes can also be faxed to 678-503-0792. (Dr. Rico Short via Twitter)

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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you soon.

— 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.