'Blind Side,' Open Electoral Eyes

1. Summer is not gone yet, as today’s Code Orange smog alert reminds us. It will be sunny but hazy today with a high of about 85, the National Weather Service says. There’s a chance of pop-up thunderstorms between 2 and 10 p.m., and the overnight low will be around 58.

2. Election Day is eight days away in the 43rd District, where voters will replace the in . The are all Republicans, and the Republican Party of Cobb County is holding a , followed by a meet-and-greet session, at , 4495 Sandy Plains Rd., at 7 p.m. And if that isn’t enough for you in one day, the Cobb County Board of Elections and Registration is meeting at 4 p.m. at Northeast Cobb Patch will have coverage of the forum Tuesday, then will run profiles on each candidate the rest of the week.

3. In other government action, the meet at 9 a.m. in an agenda work session at 100 Cherokee St. in preparation for Tuesday’s 9 a.m. regular meeting, which we’ll preview later today. And the Board of Zoning Appeals also has a work session at 1:30 p.m. at 1150 Powder Springs Rd.

4. varsity softball team heads to Lawrenceville today to in what’s a quiet high school sports day. For college football fans, the deadline to get a $10 (20 percent) discount on tickets for Georgia Tech’s home game against Maryland on Oct. 8 has been extended to Friday. That game is Cobb Schools Day at Bobby Dodd Stadium.

5. You can get into the college football spirit, or perhaps drown out memories of Georgia’s 0-2 start, today at 1 p.m. at the , which is showing Sandra Bullock’s Oscar-winning role in The Blind Side at 1 p.m. The $3 admission ($4 for non-Cobb residents) includes popcorn and ice cream.