Update 10:05 p.m.: Smyrna’s city council will have four new members sworn in next month as engineer Charles “Corkey’’ Welch defeated Ward 4 Councilman Mike McNabb in Tuesday’s runoff election. Three of the Jonquil City’s four new council members were determined on the overcast and drizzly Tuesday that produced light voter turnout. In Ward 5, Susan Wilkinson defeated Jason Saliba, a Cobb deputy assistant district attorney; and in Ward 7, former state representative Ron Fennel was victorious over Garry Osborne. The result are unofficial as the Cobb County Board of Elections still has to certify…

Ron Fennel and Garry Osborne are in the Smyrna Ward 7 election runoff that will take place on Dec. 6. Check back shortly before 7 p.m. for our live coverage of the event. 7:09 OK, we're running a little slow here at the forum. Folks are getting settled in. More coming ... 7:15 And the candidates are beginning to settle in here at the clubhouse. Seems some folks thought it was starting at 7:30. About to start now.   7:16 Ziad Salameh, a Ward 7 candidate in the general election, is moderating the event.   7:18 Garry Osborne now introducing himself. Raised his kids here in Smyrna. "We did all …

Smyrna’s Dec. 6 runoff election for Wards 4, 5 and 7 is less than a week away, but advanced voting continues through Friday at the Smyrna Community Center. Advance voting hours are from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Those who did not vote in the Nov. 8 general election can still vote in the runoff.  On a raw and wet Tuesday, turnout was very light at community center. Then again, on a picture-perfect Election Day four weeks ago, less than 22 percent of the city’s registered voters (5,638 of 26,223) bothered to head to the polls. “I do share the disappointment of others that we couldn’t get more people out…

Two weeks from today, Dec. 6, is the runoff election date for Smyrna Wards 4, 5 and 7. All six candidates - Councilman Mike McNabb and Corkey Welch from Ward 4; Jason Saliba and Susan Wilkinson from Ward 5; and Ron Fennel and Garry Osborne from Ward 7 - took to the microphone to speak of their candidacy during Monday night’s city council meeting. And the latter two will have at least one more opportunity to introduce themselves to voters next during a public forum next hosted by the King Valley at Vinings neighborhood. The forum will be on Thursday, Dec. 1 at 7 p.m. at the King Valley …

The final Smyrna City Council meeting of the month is tonight and on the agenda will be the approval of the recording of the official general election results from Nov. 8. The 7:30 p.m. meeting will also be televised live on Charter Communications Public Access Channel 19 and the full agenda can be viewed here. The Cobb Board of Elections verified Friday that Ward 1 Councilwoman Melleny Pritchett defeated challenger John Miller to retain her council seat. Council members Teri Anulewicz and Wade Lnenicka from Wards 3 and 6 respectively, ran unopposed and again will be sworn in in January. …

After a week of speculation as to the outcome of the Smyrna city council races for Wards 1 and 7, Cobb Board of Elections issued a statement this morning that Monday’s original certified results will stand. Both John Miller, Ward 1 city council candidate, and Vic Yankouski, Ward 7 city council candidate, exercised their right to a recount because the difference between the number of votes earned by their competitors was less than one percent. After conducting the recount Friday morning Cobb Board of Elections verified that John Miller earned 204 votes to his opponent Melleny Pritchett’s 207. …

UPDATE NOV. 15: City council candidate Vic Yankouski has requested a recount of the Cobb Board of Elections official and complete results for Smyrna's Ward 7. He is requesting the recount because the difference between the number of votes received by a Garry Osborne, a candidate declared elligible for a runoff, and the number of votes received by Yankouski was less than one percent of the total votes cast.The runoff will take place Friday, Nov. 18 at 9 a.m. by the Cobb Board of Elections who will return the recertified results at a special meeting at a 11:30 a.m.ORIGINAL STORY NOV.14: The …

It was an easy victory Tuesday night for Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon and for Jonquil City voters who want the opportunity to buy packaged alcohol in stores on Sundays. On a Tuesday featuring gorgeous weather, 5,501 of the city’s 26,223 registered voters (21 percent) went to the polls to vote for mayor and all seven council seats. Smyrna-Vinings Patch provided daylong coverage of Election Day which you can see here. Voters were in favor by a 76-24 percent margin, to allow Sunday alcohol sales beginning Jan. 1, 2012. Bacon, too, rolled as he had 75 percent of the votes to easily turn back …

Election Day has arrived and here in Smyrna it’s your opportunity to vote for mayor, your ward’s council seat and whether you can have the opportunity to buy alcohol in stores on Sundays come January. Patch will be providing extensive Election Day coverage including up-to-the-minute results on Tuesday. Some people have already expressed their freedom to vote as 710 of the 26,081 registered voters in Smyrna participated in early voting. The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voting will take place at the following polling places: SMYRNA 1A   Argyle Elementary School, 2420 …

It's the final city council meeting before Tuesday's Election Day and we're live at City Hall. The meeting will also be televised live on Charter Communications Public Access Channel 19. Make plans to follow along with Smyrna-Vinings Patch and you’ll have the opportunity to interject your thoughts and comments, too. No doubt many of Smyrna’s record 19 candidates will take time during citizen input portion to make a final case to Jonquil City voters as to why they are the best person for the job. A number of contested elections will be held in Smyrna on Tuesday, including for mayor, as well as…

Despite two public forums and at least one other attempt to conduct a third such meeting, the three candidates running for the office of mayor in Smyrna never got together to discuss the issues this campaign season. Election Day is Tuesday and Smyrna voters will head to the polls to choose who will be their mayor for the next four years. Mayor Max Bacon, who was first elected as mayor in 1985, is facing challengers Alex Backry and Donna Short Woodham. Three weeks ago there were two failed efforts to get the three candidates together. At an Oct. 18 public forum sponsored by the Smyrna Business…

T-minus one. As in one more day until Election Day when Smyrna citizens will go to the polls to vote for mayor, all seven city council seats and whether they want the right to be able to purchase packaged alcohol in stores on Sundays. And this final campaigning day should bring some excitement as the Smyrna City Council is set to meet tonight at 7:30 at City Hall. The meeting will be televised live on Charter Communications Public Access Channel 19. And make plans to follow along with Smyrna-Vinings Patch as we will be covering the meeting live and you’ll have the opportunity to interject …

Are you ready to rock? Are you ready to vote? You can do the former but not the latter this Saturday as early voting for Tuesday’s general election in Smyna has closed. Did you take advantage of early voting? Are you prepared to cast your ballot in three days? Tuesday’s Election Day is the next opportunity to vote for mayor, your ward’s council seat and whether you can have the opportunity to buy alcohol in stores on Sundays come January. The polls will be open Tuesday from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. and voting will take place at the following polling places: SMYRNA 1A   Argyle Elementary School, 2420 …

Georgia Secretary of State Brian Kemp told the Buckhead Businesss Association Thursday that anyone seeing incidents of voter fraud in the Nov. 8 election can notify his department's Stop Voter Fraud web site. Early voting at the Smyrna Community Center is set to close at 5 p.m. Friday.  One of Kemp's office’s primary duties is to "make sure Georgia continues to have safe, secure and honest elections," he said. Kemp said that a person who sees someone try to buy a vote, intimidate a voter or campaign too close to a poll can email or call his department, and an investigator would respond in as …

Editor's note: Smyrna’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8 is just five days away. Early voting is ongoing at the Smyrna Community Center through Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. In the 2007 election, less than 3,000 of 29,000 registered Smyrna voters bothered to go to the polls. For the past two elections combined, less than 7,000 casted their ballot for mayor in Smyrna. Will the presence of a record 19 candidates on the ballot help send more to the polls this year? Most observers say yes, as it has been a very spirited and at times nasty election season in the Jonquil City. Oh, and …

Editor's note: Smyrna’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8 is just five days away. Early voting is ongoing at the Smyrna Community Center through Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. In the 2007 election, less than 3,000 of 29,000 registered Smyrna voters bothered to go to the polls. For the past two elections combined, less than 7,000 casted their ballot for mayor in Smyrna. Will the presence of a record 19 candidates on the ballot help send more to the polls this year? Most observers say yes, as it has been a very spirited and at times nasty election season in the Jonquil City. Oh, and …

Editor's note: Smyrna’s general election on Tuesday, Nov. 8 is less than a week away. Early voting is ongoing at the Smyrna Community Center through Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. In the 2007 election, less than 3,000 of 29,000 registered Smyrna voters bothered to go to the polls. For the past two elections combined, less than 7,000 casted their ballot for mayor in Smyrna. Will the presence of a record 19 candidates on the ballot help send more to the polls this year? Most observers say yes, as it has been a very spirited and at times nasty election season in the Jonquil City. Oh, and …

Smyrna’s general election will be held one week from today on Tuesday, Nov. 8. Early voting in ongoing at the Smyrna Community Center through Friday, Nov. 4 from 8 a.m. - 5 p.m. In the 2007 election, less than 3,000 of 29,000 registered Smyrna voters bothered to go to the polls. For the past two elections combined, less than 7,000 casted their ballot for mayor in Smyrna. Will the presence of a record 19 candidates on the ballot help send more to the polls this year? Most observers say yes, as it has been a very spirited and at times nasty election season in the Jonquil City. Oh, and residents…

Smyrna’s general election will be held Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2011 and a record 19 candidates are on the ballot. In their words, candidates have been introducing themselves here at Patch. Today, we have Smyrna Mayor Max Bacon, who is running against Alex Backry and Donna Short Woodham. The following comes with permission from Mayor Bacon’s website.   “I have worked for the citizens of Smyrna for more than 30 years. My heart and soul is here in Smyrna where I was born and have lived all my life. It has been an honor and privilege to serve you. I hope you will give me the opportunity to continue …

Smyrna City Council candidate Vic Yankouski provided Patch with a description of the man who assaulted his wife Monday night when she encountered him removing one of her husband’s campaign signs. “He was a white male, late 20s to early 30s, 5-feet-10 to 6-feet tall and 185-to-190 pounds,’’ Yankouski said of the alleged attacker who twice punched his wife Pat to the left side of her face. The incident was just the latest in series of ugly incidents involving his campaign signs. Last Wednesday, Yankouski, one of four candidates vying for the Ward 7 council seat being vacated by Charles Pete …