🌱 The Storms Spared Cherokee, Mostly + Gas Station Burglarized By Two

Good morning, neighbors. It's Friday in Woodstock-Towne Lake and I'm back in your inbox with everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town. In today's Daily, we'll cover these stories and more:

• Cherokee County escaped major damage in the storms.
• The sheriff is asking for help in identifying two men.
• The Office of Elections and Voter Registration won an award.

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Now, today's weather:

Mainly cloudy; breezy, cooler. High: 44 Low: 32.

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Here are the top four stories in Woodstock-Towne Lake today:

1. Yesterday's storms brought destruction through Georgia, with heavy damage reported as close as Cobb and Fulton. As of yesterday evening, the roads and debris in Cobb had been cleared, with utilities working to restore any lost power. Damage was reported to several businesses and 18 homes and 14 families were displaced around the area of Ivy Drive in Austell. In nearby counties, there were downed trees, hail at times, heavy winds and both suspected and confirmed tornados. Cherokee saw little damage, but we did get very heavy storms with substantial winds. Jack Page Lane and Ball Ground Road were both closed due to road obstruction, to include a tree and power pole, but they were opened back up within the hour. The rain in Cherokee had slowed a bit by around 5 p.m., and the tornado watch was lifted at 7 p.m. (Atlanta News First and Cherokee Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
2. The Cherokee Sheriff's Office is asking for help in identifying two people captured on surveillance during a burglary. The burglary took place at the 19th Hole Gas Station at 10490 Bells Ferry Road in Canton on Wednesday, you can click the link to see the pictures. The Sheriff's Office is asking that anyone with information about the suspects or incident contact them at 770-928-0239 or 9-1-1. (Cherokee Sheriff's Office via Facebook)
3. The Cherokee County Office of Elections and Voter Registration received the 2023 Foundation Builders Award this month. The award is in its inaugural year and recognizes counties that exhibit transparency and dedication during election years. The Georgia Secretary of State honored the Office of Elections on January 4, during the Georgia Registered Voter Information System (GARVIS) conference in Athens. (Cherokee County Communications Division)
4. A woman in California fell victim to a scammer using a Woodstock address. Jocelyn Cronin was watching TikTok videos when she saw one about a woman spreading her loved one's ashes. The video resonated, as Cronin had lost her firefighter husband in 2019. Cronin made a comment on the video, and the woman in the video responded, saying she would like to honor Cronin's loss by creating a memorial painting using her husband's ashes. Cronin shipped all of the ashes, as she had been instructed, to an address in Woodstock. A few days later, Cronin received the first of many ransom demands. Soon, text messages started coming in, threatening to destroy the remains if she doesn't send money. A woman on social media told Cronin that she fell for the same scam and sent ashes to the same address, however, the investigation is ongoing. (Fox 5 Atlanta)

Today in Woodstock-Towne Lake:

• Free Coffee Fridays: drop by the Rose Creek Library for a free cup of coffee. You may use your own cup or one from the library, there is a limit of one cup per person. The library is located at 4476 Towne Lake Parkway. (10:30 a.m. - 5:45 p.m.)
• Homeschool Skate: admission includes either the playground or skating at Hot Wheels Skate Center, 228 Farm Ridge Road NE. (noon - 4 p.m.)
• Parent's Night Off: drop off the kids for some swimming, food, crafts, games and a movie at the Aquatic Center, 1200 WellStar Way, Canton. Registration closes at 1 p.m. today. (5:30 - 10 p.m.)
• "Every Brilliant Thing": performed at the Woodstock Arts Theatre, 8534 Main Street. (7:30 p.m.)
• Rock Band Night: admission includes unlimited gaming all night, sign up to play Rock Band at the front counter. Play alone or with your own crew every other Friday at The Blue Ghost Arcade, 164 Towne Lake Parkway. (8 - 11:55 p.m.)
• Karaoke Night: tonight at Reformation Brewery, 105 Elm Street. (8 - 10 p.m.)
• DJ Karaoke: every Friday at Guston's Grille, 12195 Highway 92, Suite 156. (9:30 p.m. - 1:30 a.m.)
• MadLife Grill Patio Stage (free shows, no ticket needed):
  • Garrett Collins Trio (5 - 8 p.m.)
  • Steven Brooks Band (8 - 11 p.m.)
• MadLife Stage & Studios:
  • Band on the Run - A Tribute to Paul McCartney (7 p.m.)
  • Shyanne - A Tribute to 80's Arena Rock (10 p.m.)

From my notebook:

• Have you seen the new deliciously retro Base Camp art over at the Woodstock Visitors Center? The Visitors Center is a great place to purchase a unique gift. They have some great sweatshirts, shirts, mugs, water bottles, coffee, stickers and much more, take a look while you're on Main Street. They are open from 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Monday through Saturday, and they're closed on Sundays. (Woodstock Visitors Center via Facebook)
• Take a look at these new pets available for adoption in the Woodstock-Towne Lake area. Adorable! (Woodstock-Towne Lake Patch)
• Reminder: Community Yoga class will be taking place at The WREC, located at 7545 Main Street, every Monday from January 16 - May 29. The 10 a.m., hour-long sessions are free and for all skill and fitness levels, please bring your own mat. (Cherokee Recreation & Parks)
• Cherokee County Animal Shelter: "We explain this all the time, YES Fridays at 5:30pm is when you can see the MOST available new pet photos due to our normally scheduled surgery day. HOWEVER, we do adoptions every day. There are times that animals come in already spayed or neutered and they can be made available right away." (Cherokee County Animal Shelter via Instagram)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

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• Add your business here

Events:

• Collectibles For The Entire Family - Tools, Electronics, Stamps, Coins, Nascar and More! (January 14)
• Grand Opening - Artistically Modern (January 15)
• Breast Ultrasound Screening Coming Direct to You! (January 16)
• Pre-K Open House (January 18)
• OOH-RAH HA HA Comedy Night with Derrick Tennant! (January 28)
• Add your event

Alrighty, you're all good for today. See you all tomorrow morning for another update!

— Nina Lightcap

Have a news tip or suggestion for an upcoming Woodstock-Towne Lake Daily? Contact me at Woodstock@Patch.com