Now This Is Spring

1. Sunny with a high around 75 degrees and a gentle 5-mph breeze—now that's what I call spring. Give me a clear sky and no need to run the heat or the air conditioning at home, and I'm happy this time of year. That's the kind of day the National Weather Service is promising today.

2. Speaking of the National Weather Service, will we still be able to count on the flow of information out of its Peachtree City office if the federal government shuts down this weekend? According to The Washington Post, yes, we shouldn't be left in the dark about, well, whether we'll be left in the dark by more spring storms. According to The Fiscal Times, that's not the way it worked during the last general government shutdown.

3. Budget issues closer to home are looming large on the horizon. East Cobb Commissioner Bob Ott talked about a top-heavy county government and getting firefighters out from behind desks and onto firetrucks during his town-hall meeting on the county's financial problems Wednesday night. The county commissioners are due to unveil, discuss and approve a plan Tuesday to close a projected $31 million budget deficit in the current fiscal year. Word is commission Chairman Tim Lee of East Cobb has a plan, but he's not revealing it (and whether it raises any taxes) to the public yet. Meanwhile, the county's new Citizens Oversight Committee has met twice and is quickly getting a grasp on how committees work—by forming four subcommittees and scheduling more meetings, even before several members, including Ott appointees Thea Powell and Bob Barr, even are officially on the panel. Government in action, or government inaction?

4. We do know where there will be action today: on ball fields around East Cobb as high school athletes end their spring break a bit early and return to competition. For example, Walton's baseball team is at home against at 5:30 p.m. So after you watch the Braves beat the Brewers in Milwaukee at 1:40 p.m. on Sports South (Channel 53 on Comcast), you can head over to for some live baseball and sharpen your cheering skills for the Braves' home-opening series against the Phillies this weekend.

5. We've also had plenty of school news this week, even though the Cobb County School District is on vacation. From to national scholarship recipients, the East Cobb education beat has been a happy one so far. We should have more fun later today with a photo gallery from Pope High's recent plant sale (don't forget own horticultural sale this Saturday morning), but we're also working on a less-rosy story on the regional accrediting agency's serious concerns about the school district. Stay tuned for more on East Cobb Patch.