=====  MDJ Script/ Top Stories for December 26th 

Publish Date:  December 26th 

Commercial:  

From the BG AD Group Studio, Welcome to the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast.  

Today is Friday, December 26th and Happy Birthday to Lars Ulrich 

I’m Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cobb is talking about, presented by Times Journal 

1. Piastra closing, reopening as café and grocery in January
2. Salleigh Grubbs appointed to State Election Board
3. Bittersweet: Candymakers navigate tariff, supply chain challenges during holiday season

Plus, Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on holiday foods  

All of this and more is coming up on the Marietta Daily Journal Podcast, and if you are looking for community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!  

BREAK: INGLES 10 

STORY 1:  Piastra closing, reopening as café and grocery in January 

 Big changes are coming to Piastra, the Italian spot that’s been a Marietta Square favorite since 2015. After New Year’s Eve, the restaurant will close its doors—but not for good. In January, it’ll reopen as Asher and Rose Modern Grocers, a café and market dreamed up by co-owners Greg Lipman and his mom, Betty Bahl. 

Why the shift? “We’ve been listening,” Lipman said. Locals have been asking for a specialty grocery store on the Square for years, and now they’re getting one—complete with fresh bread, local produce, prepared meals, and an all-day breakfast café. 

“We love this community,” Lipman added. 

STORY 2:  Salleigh Grubbs appointed to State Election Board 

Salleigh Grubbs, former Cobb GOP Chair, is stepping into a new role on the State Election Board. The Georgia Republican Party announced Monday that Lt. Gov. Burt Jones appointed her to fill the seat left vacant by Rick Jeffares. It’s a “recess appointment,” Grubbs explained, and she’s diving in immediately. 

“I’m honored, humbled, all of it,” she said. “Fair elections are something I’ve been passionate about for years, and I’m ready to get to work.” 

A Marietta native, Grubbs led the Cobb GOP until earlier this year and now serves as the Georgia GOP’s first vice chair. “This is about transparency,” she added. 

STORY 3: Bittersweet: Candymakers navigate tariff, supply chain challenges during holiday season 

  For Jocelyn Dubuke, owner of Jardi Chocolates, 2025 has been a rollercoaster. Tariffs, supply chain chaos, rising costs—it’s enough to make anyone panic. And yet, back in January, she made a bold move: she spent every penny of last year’s revenue stockpiling chocolate. 

“I told my distributors, ‘Whatever you’ve got in the States, I’ll take it,’” she said. “I wasn’t about to tell my customers halfway through the year, ‘Oh, by the way, your chocolate’s double the price now.’” 

Chocolate’s tricky—rules you can’t break, ingredients you can’t grow here. But for Dubuke, it’s personal.  

We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.799.6810 for more info.  

We’ll be right back. 

Break: INGLES 10 

STORY 4: Georgia DOT suspends lane closures for the holidays 

 With the holidays happening,  the Georgia Department of Transportation is hitting pause on lane closures—at least on interstates, major routes, and roads near shopping hubs. 

From Dec. 23 at 6 a.m. to Dec. 28 at 10 p.m., and again from Dec. 31 at 5 a.m. to Jan. 2 at 5 a.m., you’ll get a break from the usual construction chaos. But don’t get too comfortable—crews might still be working nearby, and emergency closures? Yeah, those can still happen. 

Stay sharp, watch for signs, and if you’re curious about road updates, check out GDOT’s website or the 511GA app. 

STORY 5: Walton claims first county title in nearly two decades 

Walton’s boys wrestling team finally broke through, snagging their first Cobb County title in nearly 20 years Saturday at Harrison High. And they did it in style—five wrestlers in the finals, five gold medals. 

Coach Dylan Turner couldn’t stop smiling. “We’ve got everyone back from last year, and it took every single one of them to pull this off,” he said. “They’re just gamers.” 

The standout? Brandon Whiteford. An eighth seed at 165 pounds, he shocked the top seed with a pin in his opener, then clinched the title with a gritty 6-3 win in the final. “I love the pressure,” he said. 

FALCONS: Bijan Robinson was electric, C.J. Henderson clutch, and the Falcons? They held on—barely. Atlanta edged Arizona 26-19 on Sunday, thanks to Henderson’s diving interception with 90 seconds left, slamming the door on the Cardinals’ final drive. 

Robinson? Unreal. 171 total yards, a touchdown grab, and a spot in Falcons history—just the third player to hit 2,000 scrimmage yards in a season. Not bad company: Jamal Anderson, William Andrews. 

Arizona? Another heartbreak. Seven straight losses, 12 of their last 13. Brissett’s 203 yards weren’t enough, and a wild Michael Wilson TD catch wasn’t either. 

Atlanta’s still alive. Barely. 

I'm Keith Ippolito and that’s your MDJ Sports Minute. 

And now here is Leah McGrath from Ingles Markets on holiday foods  

We’ll have closing comments after this. 

Break: INGLES 10 

Signoff-   

Thanks again for hanging out with us on today’s Marietta Daily Journal Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at mdjonline.com 

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