🌱 Smyrna Raises Inmate Housing Costs + 'Divisive Concepts' Pushback

Hi all. It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Patch newsletter. Here's all the local news you need to know right now.

But first, your local weather:

• Saturday: A stray morning thunderstorm. High: 84 Low: 66.
• Sunday: Mostly sunny and nice. High: 88 Low: 64.

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

1. The City of Smyrna has entered a revised contract with four other cities — Acworth, Powder Springs, Sandy Springs, and Marietta — to house jail inmates at $75 per day. The intergovernmental agreement, which marks a 50 percent increase in cost, aims to streamline booking and bonding procedures across the cities. Other cities within Cobb are still using the Cobb County Jail to hold inmates. (Subscription: MDJOnline.com)
2. A group of community members recently spoke out against the "divisive concepts" law as Cobb teacher Katie Rinderle faces termination for reading a book that explores "gender beyond binary." During the board meeting, parents and teachers emphasized the importance of fostering inclusivity and making all students feel safe and welcome. They also addressed the school board on teaching inclusivity, with some calling for the reinstatement of the No Place For Hate program, and others sharing personal experiences on the importance of representation in classroom literature. (Cobb County Courier)
3. For the third consecutive month, the median sale price for Atlanta metro homes has fallen. In June, the median price reached $428,000 — down 0.9 percent year over year — as per the Atlanta REALTORS® Association, which covers 11 counties across the metro. Home sales also saw a significant drop of 23.3 percent year over year, while housing inventory fell by 11.5 percent. New listings experienced a slight uptick of 5.3 percent from May, though still showed a 26.4 percent decline year over year. (Atlanta Agent magazine)

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Today and tomorrow in and around Smyrna-Vinings:

Saturday, July 22

• ReWired Presents: On Saturdays We Sweat At Taylor-Brawner Park (8:00 AM)
• ATL Whiskey And Cigar Experience At 3150 Highlands Pkwy SE, Ste. 107 (7:00 PM)

Sunday, July 23

• An Evening With Eric Roberson And Chante Moore At Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre, Mableton (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Severe storms across North Georgia left tens of thousands of customers without power as of yesterday morning. No injuries have been reported as of the time of publication. (WSB Atlanta)
• Down the road in Mableton, the South Cobb Regional Library will be hosting a hygiene item donation drive from Aug. 1-30. A list of accepted items can be found here. (Cobb County Courier)
• Georgia State Patrol is currently in the top three for the "2023 Best Looking Cruiser Contest." Those who wish to vote can do so here. (WSB Atlanta)

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Featured events:

• Holocaust Education Symposium (July 25)
• Alienation of grandparents (July 25)
• Southern-Fried Gaming Expo (July 28)
• Schoolhouse Brewing Adult Back to School Party (July 29)
• Steven Quartly Artist Show (July 30)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. 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.