Walmart 'Missing Child' a Hoax

Authorities locked the store down for more than an hour after a woman called to say she left her child there, but no unaccompanied child was found, and the "mother" never showed up.

A search for a missing 7-year-old at the Walmart Supercenter was called off this afternoon after the Bartow County Sheriff's Office determined there was never a missing child. According to Sgt. Jonathan Rogers of the Criminal Investigations Division, Walmart alerted Bartow County 911 of an apparent missing child situation between 2:50 and 2:55 p.m. today. The store was immediately sent into lockdown. According to the Facebook page of The Daily News Tribune, the woman who made the call to Walmart said she had accidentally left her child at the store and was on her way back. Rogers said authorities became skeptical after finding no child without a parent on the premises and after the “mother” failed to return to the store. “It had been over …

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Clash Soccer Registering for Fall, Challenger Camp

The Cartersville-Bartow Youth Soccer Association is a volunteer-based, nonprofit organization dedicated to the promotion and development of youth soccer in Bartow County since 1997.

If your kids are into one of the fasting growing sports in the nation, you may be interested to know the Cartersville-Bartow Youth Soccer Association is registering players for the coming season. Clash Soccer’s Recreational, Academy and Select programs are open to children ages 3 to 18. Programs focus on fun and children learn basic soccer skills.  The Academy and Select programs now are forming teams for the 2011 fall season and final assessments will be held July 12 at 6 p.m. at the Cartersville Soccer Complex. Preregister by emailing Monica at mlaldin@clashsoccer.org or register that day at the fields. Clash is also offering soccer camp for children of all ages and experience levels. The association's Challenger Camp is set for July 18 …

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A Place for Kids to Let Loose

Escape the heat and treat the kids to a day of fun at Bounce-N-Beans!

Bounce-N-Beans Party and Play Center, located at 402 E. Church St., is a great place for kids to run loose and have fun. In Cartersville for almost 3 years, the facility houses giant indoor inflatables, on which kids ages 12 and under can jump, bounce, slide and climb with reckless abandon. The most popular feature at Bounce-N-Beans is the daily Open Jump during which time, for a small fee, children can play on the inflatables for as long as they want. Adults also love Open Jump because, according to manager Ashlee Clark, it provides an opportunity for parents and caregivers to tend to some of their own needs.  “Adults can sit back and relax,” Clark said. “We have magazines, snacks, Wi-Fi and coffee available. Many adults bring books or do…

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Spring Break Cabin Fever Already?

A guide for keeping your kids entertained this week.

It’s Spring Break and your kids are looking for things to do. Here are some fun ideas that require little planning. BEST BETS FOR SPRING BREAK • ESCALADE ROCK CLIMBING GYM Where/When: 3694 Kennesaw South Industrial Drive, Kennesaw, GA 30144. Hours are Monday – Friday, 2pm - 10pm; Saturday, 11am - 10pm; and Sunday, 12pm - 6pm. Why Go: Visit the Escalade Rock Climbing Gym in Kennesaw where your kids can burn off extra energy while making lasting memories. The gym boasts a kid-friendly bouldering Island Cage with a slide and a “cosmic monkey bar tunnel” along with climbing walls, rope anchors, lead walls, campus board and training area. Pricing: $15 weekday pass without a guide, $20 weekday pass with a guide and $20 weekend pass. • RED TOP …

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A Club for Moms by Moms

Mothers come together for activities and companionship.

Despite all the wonderful experiences that come with being a stay-at-home or work-at-home mom, at times it can be isolating. There is only so much baby talk a woman can make before she starts craving adult conversation, even if the bulk of said conversation inevitably revolves around babies. In Cartersville, there is a chapter of an international, nonprofit and nondenominational organization called MOMS (Moms Offering Moms Support) Club, whose purpose is to provide support, activities, fellowship and fun for moms and their children. All moms living in Bartow County who are at home during the majority of the work week are invited to join the MOMS Club. Most members have kids that are preschool-age or younger. There are currently about 25 …

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Summer Camps Lots of Fun

Get a head start on summer with these great local summer camps for your kids. Check with each camp for registration.

Patch runs a weekly feature every Thursday called Patch Picks, highlighting editor and reader picks of great local businesses, destinations, services, organizations, ways to spend a day off and more. You’ll find useful lists to help you, your family, friends, and significant others find the best places for everything from Sunday brunch to New Year’s Eve celebrations, pumpkin patches, date night destinations, florists, girlfriend nights out, kids party places, parks and more. Want to suggest a list? Submit your idea in the comment box. Summer Camps

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We Want to Know Your Whiz Kids

The new Cartersville Patch feature will honor local children and their accomplishments.

Know a great kid who made Eagle Scout or a soccer team that took the championship? They may be our next Patch Whiz Kids honoree. Each week, Cartersville Patch will seek suggestions from readers for individual kids, youth groups, teens and even sports teams that wow us with their accomplishments. We want to hear about these amazing children and teens and select one each week as the Patch Whiz Kid. Submit your nomination in our comment box below or e-mail the information to brande.poulnot@patch.com. Be sure to include all of the following information ●      Nominator's Name ●      Nominator's E-Mail ●      Whiz Kid's Name ●      Whiz Kid's Age ●      Whiz Kid's School ●      Whiz Kid's Accomplishment ●      Whiz Kid's Key to Awesomeness (…

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Things You Need to Know Today

Is It Spring Yet?

What do you need to know today? A lot happens in our not-so-little city, but we'll keep you informed.

1. Yet another springlike day is on tap with a high of 66, but the mercury is not expected to drop as low as it did Tuesday—expect a low of 46, according to the National Weather Service. Today should be sunny with a partly cloudy evening. Winds will likely be 5 to 10 mph. 2. So is it spring yet? According to the Weather Channel, the temperatures will likely stay in the 60s through the first of March. The rest of next month averages around 60, so maybe springtime is here. 3. Reports of additional fires Tuesday reinforce the danger of current conditions. See a local fire official explain the probable cause of all the recent fires. And sign up for our newsletters and breaking-news alerts (click on "Get the Patch newsletter" on the top right …

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Moms Talk Q&A

Yes or No to the 'Kid Cave?'

Should children be allowed to have TVs and the accompanying electronics in their bedrooms?

Moms Talk is a new feature on Cartersville Patch that is part of an effort to reach out to moms and families. Cartersville Patch invites you and your circle of friends to help build a community of support for mothers and their families right here in Cartersville. Each week in Moms Talk, our Moms Council of experts and smart moms take your questions, give advice and share solutions. Moms, dads, grandparents and the diverse families who make up our community will have a new resource for questions about local neighborhood schools, the best pediatricians, 24-hour pharmacies and the thousands of other issues that arise while raising children. Moms Talk will also be the place to drop in for a talk about the latest parenting hot topic. Do you …

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Bartow Sting Nets Covington Man

Bartow County Sheriff's Office investigators conducted an online operation and arrested a man alleged to have arranged a sexual encounter with a girl he thought was 14 years old.

Bartow County Sheriff’s Office investigators arrested a Covington man accused of arranging to meet a 14-year-old girl for sex in Bartow County. According to Sheriff Clark Millsap, investigators, working in conjunction with the Georgia Bureau of Investigations Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, wrapped up the month-long investigation on Jan. 25 with arrest warrants for Weldon Vincent Jackson, 25, of Covington. The investigation began Dec. 10, when Jackson allegedly contacted what he thought was a 14-year-old female — actually an investigator with the Bartow County Sheriff’s Office — online and began chatting. Jackson arranged to meet with two 14-year-old girls for a sexual encounter in December. He was arrested in January by the …

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