Alpharetta-Roswell Herald - December 18, 2025

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Alpharetta jail reopens, ready to accept inmates

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Thousands visited the Alpha Loop in Alpharetta for a weekend Lights on the Loop festival Dec. 12 and 13.

Lighted Christmas festival draws crowd to Alpha Loop

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Crowds braved chilly weather Dec. 12 and 13 for a weekend festival celebrating Lights on the Loop along Alpharetta’s Alpha Loop.

Thousands filled a 1-mile stretch of the trail, donning jackets and cradling cups and thermoses of hot beverages.

Fire station move sparks pushback ► PAGE 4

Along the trail, colorful light displays and live musical performances pierced the gloom as families, friends and dozens of sweaterwearing dogs happily braved temperatures in the 30s.

It was the second of a series of three gatherings this year for the annual Lights on the Loop.

See LOOP, Page 16

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — After months of preparation, the jail in Alpharetta is back in action.

City officials marked the reopening Dec. 15 with a ribbon cutting in what had been the Fulton County North Annex Jail. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office withdrew its operation of the facility in September, leaving Alpharetta the opportunity to take back the keys of the detention center it once ran.

Alpharetta ceded operation of the jail to the Sheriff’s Office 20 years ago.

Faced with long transport times to Fulton County’s downtown jail, the Alpharetta City Council decided in the fall to retake management of the jail, approving $1.6 million for eight months of operation.

Following the reopening ceremony, Police Chief Trent Lindgren said he was relieved to finally see the finished product that has dominated his attention since his appointment in August.

“Well, the stress level already has gone down just by having this event,” Lindgren said.

See JAIL, Page 16

A family walks over a lighted bridge during Alpharetta’s Lights on the Loop Dec. 12.

Riverside Park plan set for $13.8 million

County eyes hike in property taxes

► PAGE 6

► PAGE 11

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Alpharetta officials gather for a ribbon-cutting in the booking room of the Alpharetta Detention Center Dec. 15.

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PUBLIC SAFETY

Man charged with racketeering, drug trafficking

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POLICE BLOTTER All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.

Holcomb Bridge gas station reports overnight burglary ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police are investigating a forced burglary Dec. 7 at the Valero gas station near Ga. 400 on Holcomb Bridge Road after employees found the front windows shattered.

An officer said he and a sergeant responded to the location around 9 a.m. and cleared the building before reviewing security footage.

The officer said footage showed two individuals, possibly teenagers, approach the building around 2:20 a.m. with their faces concealed.

A couple of minutes later, the officer said he saw one of the suspects throw a large rock through the glass on the right side of the building. For the next 15 minutes, the officer said the suspect ran back and forth between the front and rear of the building.

Just before 2:50 a.m., the officer said a suspect climbed through a hole in the glass and began taking items from behind the register. While footage was not clear, the officer said he thinks the person took lighters

and cigarette papers.

The officer said both suspects left the business on foot and ran westbound. The report did not include the dollar amount stolen.

Police said the suspects are not believed to have used a vehicle during the burglary.

The suspects remain unidentified.

— Hayden Sumlin

Homeowner report loss of $100,000 in jewelry

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Officers investigated a reported shoplifting of several pairs of Ugg boots from a mall store Nov. 21.

Alpharetta police said officers were dispatched to a North Point Mall department store around 7:40 p.m.

A loss-prevention officer told police a woman entered the business and stole seven pairs of the boots. The items had a total value of about $700.

He said the woman was wearing a blue medical mask, black pants and a black jacket with the number 84 on the front.

The woman allegedly placed the boots in bags in a shopping cart before leaving the store.

The alleged theft was captured on store security cameras.

The incident was classified as a felony theft by shoplifting of more than $500.

ROSWELL, Ga. — A 38-year-old Roswell woman reported the theft of seven pieces of jewelry from her home in central Roswell, totaling $100,000, in early December.

The woman said she thinks the theft occurred sometime over the past six months. She said she last saw the jewelry in June. She noticed they were missing Nov. 28.

Since this summer, the woman said numerous contractors and realtors have been inside her home as she undertook remodeling and marketing the home.

Police said the victim did not report any evidence of break-ins at the home.

The seven jewelry pieces, not specifically described in the police report, were allegedly taken from one jewelry box in the master bedroom.

The victim said contractors and real estate agents had a reason to be in her bedroom during the time frame.

The officer asked the woman to send images of the jewelry pieces, appraisals, documentation and receipts.

After notifying the Roswell Police Department’s Criminal Investigations Division, the officer said he provided the victim with a case card.

— Jon Wilcox

— Hayden Sumlin

Mall store reports theft of $700-worth of boots

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Narcotics Squad, the Sandy Springs Police Department, U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The GBI says the operation is the continuation of a lengthy drug investigation into a criminal drug trafficking organization.

Records show Davy was booked at Fulton County Jail Dec. 5 for drug trafficking and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was bonded out Dec. 6 for $15,000.

— Hayden Sumlin

erfi el

319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009

around 6 ounces of suspected alprazolam, or Xanax, in addition to the firearms and marijuana.

The Sandy Springs Police Department’s crime dashboard logs the arrest as occurring Dec. 4 at 7:33 p.m. at 620 Morgan Falls Road, which is the SSPD Headquarters and Municipal Court.

A police report is not publicly available.

The GBI said the Appalachian Regional Drug Enforcement Office executed the operation with help from the Atlanta Police Department’s Narcotics Unit, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office Multi-Agency

De

770-442-3278 AppenMedia.com

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation announced the arrest of a 34-year-old Sandy Springs man Dec. 10 after seizing more than 400 pounds of suspected marijuana and six firearms.

The GBI identified the Sandy Springs man as Travys Davy, charging him with racketeering, marijuana trafficking, possession of a schedule IV drug with intent to distribute and possession of firearm by a felon.

On Thursday, Dec. 4, agents and officers executed two search warrants in Atlanta and Sandy Springs, seizing

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 3

Wishing You Warmth and Joy This Holiday Season Your Alpharetta Neighbors & Real Estate Experts

Brad Poole m 678.618.0398 | o 404.668.6621 brad@atlantahomeproperty.com bradpoolegroup.com Compass is a licensed real estate broker and abides by Equal Housing Opportunity laws. All material presented herein is intended for informational purposes only. Information is compiled from sources deemed reliable but is subject to errors, omissions, changes in price, condition, sale, or withdrawal without notice. No statement is made as to the accuracy of any description. All measurements and square footages are approximate. This is not intended to solicit property already listed. Nothing herein shall be construed as legal, accounting or other professional advice outside the realm of real estate brokerage. Rules & Exclusions apply. Compass offers no guarantee or warranty of results. Subject to additional terms and conditions.

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NEWS

Residents resist moving fire station to East Roswell Park

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — A Dec. 10 public information meeting on relocating Roswell’s Fire Station No. 27 grew contentious as nearby residents stated repeatedly that East Roswell Park should be out of consideration.

Roughly two dozen residents attended the meeting at the East Roswell Park Recreation Center.

Their remarks added another layer to a problem Fire Chief Pabel Troche said worries him greatly – response times that put two-thirds of Roswell homes at greater risk.

Data collected by Roswell’s Department of Transportation and Geographic Information Systems Division showed that 69 percent of the homes in Roswell have a travel time of over four minutes from existing fire stations.

“That is 31,351 people that I am very concerned about,” Troche said.

“Understand for me, as a fire chief, this scares me. It keeps me up at night.”

The current Fire Station 27 is on Holcomb Bridge Road near the city’s eastern city limits near the Chattahoochee River. East Roswell Park is about 3.5 miles west.

Questions from residents turned into heated exchanges with City Council members Sarah Beeson and Allen Sells.

Mayor-elect Mary Robichaux was also present at the meeting.

A 2022 gap analysis by the Center for Public Safety Management found that there was a disparity in the locations of fire stations throughout Roswell. That same analysis led to the Roswell Fire Department transitioning from a parttime to full-time force, Chief Troche said.

After the $52 million public safety bond was approved by Roswell voters in 2022, initial planning and site evaluations began for Fire Station No. 27. Design plans for the relocated fire station started in December 2024 but have yet to be approved by the City Council.

Moving Fire Station No. 27 to East Roswell Park is expected to improve response times in the area to fall within the National Fire Protection Agency’s standard response time of 240 seconds, or four minutes.

The Roswell Fire Department currently uses traffic preemption systems to help cut down travel times, Troche said, as they automatically clear traffic in the truck’s direction.

“The ultimate goal of what we’re trying to do is go to where people need our aid as quickly as possible and as safely as possible,” Troche said. “Traffic preemption and the station relocation give us all those things.”

PHOTOS BY: HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

City Councilwoman Sarah Beeson responds to residents’ concerns about relocating Fire Station No. 27 to East Roswell Park during a Dec. 10 public information meeting.

Residents push back Residents who live on Fouts Road across from the proposed site said they understand the public safety impact that relocating Fire Station No. 27 will have, but they feel left out of the conversation regarding the station’s new location.

“Those people are going to be impacted to a degree that’s unconscionable if you put it in East Roswell Park,” resident Ben Leahy said.

Residents shared concerns for pedestrians along Fouts Road, the 221 trees and 6 acres of park space the project will affect.

“Finding a site by taking away park land is the wrong way,” one resident said.

They proposed alternate locations for the station, like the closed Rite Aid Pharmacy at Old Scott Road and Holcomb Bridge Road. However, Beeson said that would take away commercial opportunities within East Roswell, which residents said they strongly supported on city surveys.

“I understand the frustration,” Beeson said. “But … it’s the way of being able to preserve commercial space as well for you guys in East Roswell.”

Beeson emphasized that there is an incoming mayor and three council members who may have different perspectives on the project. She said the current administration selected East Roswell Park as a preliminary site because it made the most fiscal and physical sense.

Roswell Fire Chief Pabel Troche discusses data that informed the decision to relocate Fire Station No. 27 to East Roswell Park during a Dec. 10 public information meeting.

Robichaux weighs in Mayor-elect Robichaux offered her perspective.

“I am not privy to all of the information that the current administration made this decision on,” Robichaux said. “What I can say is that I want to review that information also.”

Robichaux wants to know, along with residents, what other sites were considered for Fire Station No. 27 and what those economic impacts were. She committed to reviewing that information and potentially making it public.

Staff were asked to review the design plans and ensure that walking trails are protected, trees are minimally impacted, and any landscape buffers

are emphasized.

Fire Station No. 27 was constructed when Roswell had a volunteer Fire Department, which will be full-time by 2027. Now, staff must account for firefighters sleeping in stations overnight and storing equipment.

Beeson said that’s why the proposed station is larger than the current one, which is closer to Peachtree Corners than most Roswell residents.

“We’re not planning for the Roswell right now,” Beeson said. “We’re planning for Roswell 10, 15 … 20 years from now.

The design plans for Fire Station No. 27 remain under review and will come before the Roswell City Council in 2026.

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 5

Fulton County Sheriff’s Office explains cause of jail fire

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com ATLANTA — The afternoon of Friday, Dec. 12, reports surfaced about an inmatecaused fire at the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street, sending nine people to the hospital from smoke inhalation.

Sheriff Pat Labat thanked the team on duty at the jail in west Atlanta at the time of the incident and the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department for its quick response and coordination to ensure no lives were lost.

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office reported five inmates, including the one accused of starting the fire, and four staff members were taken to Grady Memorial Hospital with injuries from smoke inhalation.

Preliminary information reveals that a single, unidentified inmate who was “out for free time” started a fire around 5:15 p.m. in a bottom tier shower of a zone on the seventh floor in the north tower.

The Sheriff’s Office says the

inmate gathered plastic trash bags and Styrofoam food trays, placed them in the shower and set them on fire, causing thick smoke and flames.

Atlanta Fire Rescue Department firefighters responded quickly, located and extinguished the fire.

Investigators with the Atlanta Fire Rescue Department are conducting an investigation.

The Sheriff’s Office reported there were 16 inmates housed in the zone where the fire occurred, and all 118 inmate residents on that floor were moved to the south tower.

It is the latest problem to strike the facility under a federal consent decree that has cited unconstitutional, overcrowded living conditions and a lack of supervision.

County officials have been conducting ongoing repairs, planning for a new facility and working with the consent decree monitoring team.

The Dec. 12 fire is the second at the jail since September.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office is releasing information about an inmate-caused fire at the Rice Street jail Dec. 12 that sent nine people to the hospital from smoke inhalation. The Sherriff’s Office said firefighters and jail staff responded quickly, and no lives were lost.

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Roswell approves $13.8 million for redesign of Riverside Park

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — The Roswell City Council approved recreation and infrastructure improvements at its final meeting Dec. 8, advancing multiple projects before new leadership takes office in January.

The council approved a budget of $13.8 million to redesign Riverside Park to include an events pavilion, outdoor pavilion, new restrooms and more parking. Improvements are part of the River Parks Master Plan that voters approved in 2022 alongside bond funding for recreation improvements.

The project’s $12.5 million construction contract was awarded to MAPP and will be funded through bond proceeds.

Steven Malone, director of Parks and Recreation, said Riverside Park draws approximately 130,000 visitors each year. The redesigned park will create more parking spaces on less land, adding 12,000 square feet of recreational space and 86 additional trees.

Resident Jason Yowell asked the City Council to postpone voting on the contract until early January when the new mayor and three new council members are sworn in.

However, Malone said the contract offer would expire if not approved Dec. 8.

Resident Theo Keyserling, who previously served on Roswell’s Parks and Recreation Commission, said the public input on this project has been positive.

“This plan is not a development plan at the expense of nature, it’s a development for the future of Roswell,” Keyserling said. “[It’s] one that expands public access, restores the river corridor … and ultimately allows more of our community to enjoy the value of the river front.”

Construction on Riverside Park is expected to begin in February 2026 and near completion around July 2027.

Also at the meeting, the City Council renewed a ground lease agreement with Fulton County to continue maintaining the six properties along the Chattahoochee River, including Willeo Park, Azalea Park, River Landing, Ace Sand, Don White Memorial Park and Riverside Park. Roswell operates and maintains the land in lieu of payment.

A separate contract approved by the City Council allows Roswell to proceed with the right-of-way acquisition for phase two of the Big Creek Parkway project, which will create an eastwest connector removing an estimated

HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

Roswell resident Theo Keyserling speaks at the Dec. 8 City Council meeting to advocate for the Riverside Park construction project.

10,000-12,000 cars daily from Holcomb Bridge Road, Mayor Kurt Wilson said.

The new roadway will connect Warsaw Road to Old Alabama Road with a bridge crossing Ga. 400. Voters approved the project in 2016, but design changes by the prior City Council led to the project being postponed. The project has been reverted to the design originally approved by voters.

The cost has doubled to roughly $87 million since the original approval, Wilson said. The Georgia Department of Transportation provided Roswell with $16.5 million to build the bridge crossing Ga. 400 and returned the $15 million the prior City Council spent on redesigning the project.

Phase one, widening Warsaw Road to four lanes with sidewalks and a multiuse path, was approved in January and is expected to be completed by February 2026.

In other matters at the Dec. 8 City Council meeting, the city entered a purchase and sale agreement for property at the corner of Bowen Road and Ga. 92. The Roswell Development Authority plans to sell 6.1 acres to SJC Ventures for $5 million while retaining 2.5 acres for a new fire station. The site developer will pay for preparation and a concrete pad for the proposed fire station.

Multiple residents asked the City Council to table its vote to allow for more community outreach. Council members stressed the vote did not approve a site plan and that any variance requests would have to come before the new administration.

Council members also adopted the final budget adjustments for 2025 and approved expanding the North Fulton Community Improvement District by 10 parcels to increase funding for transportation and public safety enhancement projects within the district.

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 7

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HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

Mayor Kurt Wilson listens as Councilwoman Christine Hall, right, inquires about the road resurfacing list proposed for 2026 during the Dec. 9 Committees of Council meeting at Roswell City Hall.

Roswell advances roster for 2026 road resurfacing

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Commuters and residents along Old Roswell Road can expect a full helping of resurface work next year after the Roswell Committees of Council advanced a list of projects spanning 12.2 miles on Dec. 9.

The list will come before a new mayor and City Council members for approval in January. The 2026 budget includes $3.1 million for citywide road resurfacing and reconstruction projects.

Interim Director of Transportation Greg Nicolas highlighted work planned for Bulloch Avenue, Canton Street and Riverside Road. He expects the construction contract to come before the City Council for approval in February or March. The timeline for resurfacing will be determined by the contractor.

Roswell expects to receive an additional $1.1 million from the Georgia Department of Transportation to cover repair costs after the council members agreed to accept funding from the state’s Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant.

The grant requires a 30 percent local match, money already allocated in the city’s 2026 budget. A budget amendment will be made following the official acceptance of the grant funding in 2026.

Staff recommend allocating the funding to resurface Old Roswell Road from Holcomb Bridge Road to Warsaw Road and from Hembree Road to Westside Parkway.

In other matters, council members advanced two right-of-way acquisitions for a formal vote at the next council business meeting. A new mayor and four new council members will weigh in on the decisions.

The first will acquire the right of way along Etris Road between Hardscrabble

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and Crabapple roads for no more than $152,400. The project includes an 8- to 10-foot multi-use trail with pedestrian 2023 2023 lighting that will connect neighborhoods near Sweet Apple Elementary School to 2024 2024 Roswell High School and other trails in the area.

Funding for the entire project is 2025 2025 ND available from bond proceeds within the bicycle and pedestrian sidewalk project. However, council members say they hope that Fulton County Schools WE OFFER A FULL RANGE OF SERVICES INCLUDING: will donate most of the funding to CRABAPPLE Health and Wellness Care acquire the property next to Sweet Apple Elementary.

• Anxiety • Gynecology • Insomnia • Osteoporosis “[This project] will improve not • Chronic Fatigue • Heart Disease • Insulin Resistance • Weight Gain only connectivity but pedestrian safety • Depression • High Cholesterol • Metabolic Syndrome • Thyroid Disease for a very pedestrian-heavy school,” of Crabapple • Diabetes • Hypertension Councilwoman Sarah Beeson said.

Two intersections on Cox Road are A Northside Network Provider set to receive roundabouts once the right-of-way acquisition agreements are executed. A maximum of $100,000 will be used from the Transportation Special 875 Mayfield Road Dr. Samantha Benson Purpose Local Option Sales Tax 2 fund Kaavya Chivukula, MD Roja R. Sanikapally, MD Samantha B. Benson, MD Milton, GA 30004 designated to the Cox Road Intersection Johns Creek Only Johns Creek Only: Johns Creek: Tues., Thurs.

Mon., Tues., Wed., Fri. Milton: Mon., Fri. Improvements.

Construction at the intersection of P: 678-474-9633 Cox Road and King Road is expected to begin around August 2026. Another roundabout where Ebenezer/Etris Road Dr. Cheryl McGowan intersects Cox Road is expected to be under construction no later than 2027.

Hannah Cummings, FNP-C Yianna Manolakis, Heather Menees, Michelle Hall, DNP, Samantha Lewis, FNP-C Council members also advanced FNP-C FNP-C FNP-C Johns Creek: Tues., Thurs., Fri. Johns Creek: Tues., Thurs.

Milton: Mon., Fri. Milton Only Johns Creek Only Johns Creek Only Milton: Wed. a change to the fees alcohol resident wholesalers pay to operate. The fees will be based on the type of alcohol sold.

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Distilled spirits fees would be $2,000.

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8 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025

Big Play Entertainment opens in Dunwoody center

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Brandon and Ray Wooldridge, the father and son who own Big Play Entertainment Atlanta, picked a spot in Dunwoody after a tornado demolished the family’s business outside of Nashville.

Like the City of Dunwoody itself, the Wooldridge family knows how to bounce back from the destruction of highspeed winds.

A little more than 24 hours before its 5 p.m. grand opening Dec. 11, Brandon Wooldridge announced Big Play Entertainment cleared its last hurdle, passing a grease-trap inspection from DeKalb County Watershed Management.

Brandon Wooldridge is the general manager of Big Play Entertainment, spending the past couple of weeks training his staff of around 30 employees.

“We thought we were going to open this summer,” Wooldridge said.

“Because of knocking down walls and dealing with older buildings, we ran into all kinds of different delays and problems.”

Big Play Entertainment resembles entertainment centers like Main Event in Alpharetta, Cobb County and Suwanee. Its 44,000-squarefoot space within the Mount Vernon Shopping Center has 16 bowling lanes, a 24-person laser tag arena, an ’80s

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Big Play Entertainment, opening at the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in northeast Dunwoody just before the holidays, features 16 bowling lanes next to a full-service restaurant and bar. themed mini-golf course and some 80 arcade games.

There’s been a lot of chatter about Big Play Entertainment in the Dunwoody community and on social media.

Matt Weber interviewed Valerie Inglesby, who is handling property management of the shopping center, on the What’s Up Dunwoody podcast a few days before the grand opening.

Inglesby confirmed the CVS Pharmacy renewed its lease and will be staying.

Wooldridge also addressed another controversy.

He said a parking agreement with Crema Espresso Gourmet went through a couple of iterations but taking on liability didn’t make sense for his business. He said it’s possible the two businesses forge an agreement next year.

Family business picks Dunwoody The Wooldridge family is from Sandy Springs.

The library and academic center at the Marist School, a private K-12 Catholic school in Brookhaven, is named after longtime benefactor Raymond Wooldridge. The family gives

discreetly to other nonprofits, including the Northside Youth Organization at Chastain Park.

Brandon Wooldridge, a Lovett School graduate, is back in Metro Atlanta after a couple of decades on the Gulf Coast.

“I started Big Play with my dad in 2010 in Biloxi, Mississippi,” Brandon Wooldridge said. “It started just as a mini-golf course, and over the years we added on go-carts, bumper cars, arcade and eventually in 2016, built the bowling alley there with a restaurant and bar.”

The Biloxi venue has grown into a popular beachside tourist destination.

Wooldridge said northeast Dunwoody’s new entertainment center won’t have bumper cars but will still feature other attractions at the company’s flagship.

After the tornado destroyed the Hendersonville, Tennessee, location in 2023, he said the family took a couple of months to see how the insurance situation played out.

“We’ve been trying to get back here,” he said. “We had a deal during COVID to come back, then prices went through the roof, and everything got crazy.”

Brandon Wooldrige said the family business purchased the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in February from Branch Properties, including all three parcels rezoned by the city in January.

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BUSINESSPOSTS

AppenMedia.com | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 9

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

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Big Play Entertainment Atlanta, anchoring the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in northeast Dunwoody, has 16 bowling lanes, 80 arcade games, laser tag, mini golf and full-service dining. After months of renovations and some delays, Big Play Entertainment held its grand opening Dec. 11.

Play: Continued from Page 8 The previous owner spent fall 2024 working on a rezoning of three parcels, forming a triangle at Jett Ferry Road and Dunwoody Club Drive, necessary for an entertainment center.

“My dad has been getting his hair cut next door [at Dunwoody Hair Co.] for 30 years and kept seeing the space was sitting here and a few things had failed,” Wooldridge said.

Just 18 months ago, the shopping center was struggling with a quarter of its commercial space vacant after a revolving door of grocery stores at 2480 Mount Vernon Road failed.

Big Play Entertainment closed on the purchase of the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in February for an undisclosed amount.

As of early December, DeKalb County property tax records online have not been updated to record the transaction, or the shopping center’s trading price.

Brandon Wooldridge declined to say how much the family business paid but said “a sizable investment, a lot of money.” He described expensive improvements to conform the building to updated codes, on top of security cameras and improvements to the parking lot and pedestrian safety.

What patrons can expect Big Play has transformed the former Lidl grocery store site into the city’s only entertainment center, offering hours of bowling, arcade games, mini golf and laser tag.

“We’re priced competitively with the market,” Wooldridge said. “We’ve got to make money, but we do have what we call our Happy Days specials, trying to make it more accessible, especially during the week.”

There are bargains for patrons Sunday through Friday, offering half off food and beverage, a free kid’s meal, “buy one, get one free” deals or family bundles, depending on the day.

Besides offering enough games and activities to fill an afternoon, Big Play has Woody’s, a full-service restaurant, bar and private event space.

The entertainment center bills itself as a community hangout where residents can schedule a kid’s birthday party, corporate team building activity or night out with friends.

Hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday.

Wooldridge said he’s grateful for an outpouring of support from the community of the family business’s new location.

“We’re not a kiddie, kiddie place, but we are an entertainment center that is just very family friendly,” he said. “We use bowling as the anchor attraction because it’s the number one participatory sport in America.”

Wooldridge said most people just wanted to know when Big Play would open.

“I would not feel good if I was a grocery store coming into this space,” he said. “We never planned to open the week before Christmas break. It’s about to be our busiest two weeks of the year.”

To learn more, visit bigplayatl.com.

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10 | December 18, 2025 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

COMMUNITY

Madeline Hazelwood, center, visits Times Square with bandmates while in New York City the week of Thanksgiving.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Centennial High senior marches in Macy’s parade

By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — It was 3 a.m. on Thanksgiving morning when Centennial High School senior Madeline Hazelwood boarded a bus in freezing cold for a final rehearsal before performing in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Being part of the Macy’s Great American Marching Band was a surreal experience for Hazelwood. She was one of six students from Georgia and the only one from Centennial High School.

Hazelwood’s journey in color guard started her sophomore year after she was inspired by Friday morning pep rallies and halftime performances.

“Starting out, it was really challenging,” Hazelwood said, “I had no idea what I was doing, but I thought, ‘Why not go ahead and challenge myself?’”

Her hard work paid off when she was selected as captain of the high school’s color guard team in her junior year, a title she retained as a senior.

“I tried really hard to learn everything before everyone else, because I know that I can’t lead until I know what I’m doing,” she said.

That ambition led Hazelwood to

submit an audition video for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, showcasing drop spins and her marching ability. She found out in April she would be marching through Manhattan on Thanksgiving morning.

Alongside 245 fellow high school students, Hazelwood performed “Joy to the World” to an estimated 3.5 million people. She greeted onlookers throughout the performance and snuck a wave to her best friend who was there to support her.

The 2.5-mile-long parade route ended with another performance in Herald Square.

“It was amazing to see people very excited about the marching and be really loud the entire time,” Hazelwood said. She said it was nice to have the experience performing in a large band, because the program at Centennial High School is small with around 10 people participating each season.

Hazelwood made fast friends with her bandmates while singing on the ferry to see the Statue of Liberty and visiting the Empire State Building.

They also visited Times Square and saw “Six” on Broadway.

“We were all able to meet … and we were all best friends,” Hazelwood said.

“We were kind of like a family.”

As a keepsake, Hazelwood took

Madeline Hazelwood, a senior at Centennial High School, holds the flag for the Macy’s Great All American Marching Band. home a drum head signed by members of the band.

“It was really cool to take home,” she said. “It was like I was taking a piece of the family home with me.”

Color guard gave Hazelwood a family when she needed it most, whether during training camps, at Centennial High School or in New York.

“It gave me a group that taught me how to be better, Hazelwood said. “We have a similar passion as one another, and it became a little family because we all had something in common.”

Hazelwood will continue in color guard at the University of Southern Alabama while in pursuit of becoming a meteorologist.

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 11

County forecasts property tax hike for 2026 expenses Jail improvements specified as budgetary ball and chain

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com ATLANTA — Along with a looming tax increase, Fulton County is forecasting a roughly $57 million deficit in its proposed $1.05 billion operating budget for next year.

Officials are predicting a roughly 4.5 percent property tax increase to make up for the shortfall.

Fulton County operates on a calendar year budget. The County Commission approves annual operating or general fund budgets in January, then in August approves a property tax or millage rate to pay for it.

Property taxes are the primary source of revenue for Fulton County’s general fund. The general fund pays for constituent services, including senior and behavioral health, the Grady Health System, the Sheriff’s Office and all jail facilities, election management, libraries and animal services.

Next year’s proposed budget, months into its development, calls for spending $57 million of the county’s operating reserves, or about 25 percent of its rainyday fund.

Commissioners are expected to adopt the final 2026 budget at their Jan. 7 or Jan. 21 meeting.

Fulton County CFO Sharon Whitmore said her team is projecting the county to end 2026 with reserves totaling $175.6 million, which complies with the required minimum.

The county jail along Rice Street has long-standing problems requiring a lengthy and costly process with a federal consent decree monitor reviewing conditions to ensure the rights of incarcerated citizens are not violated.

“Of note on the revenue side, there is an additional $32 million of property tax, which corresponds with the $32 million in incremental spend[ing] associated with the consent decree,” she said. “To generate the appropriate property tax revenue based on those assumptions, that millage rate would be 9.26 mills.”

This August, commissioners approved a long-term plan to build a new 1,813-

ROI

matters.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

The Fulton County Commission is projecting it needs to spend at least $32 million, potentially $60 million, to comply with a federal consent decree on its jail system. In an August report, the consent decree monitoring team reported it was focused on staffing and supervision, repairing damaged appliances and alarm systems, inmate classification and mental health at the Rice Street jail in west Atlanta. bed jail facility for around $1.1 billion, specifically for people with medical, mental health and special needs. That spending also includes repairs at Rice Street.

Whitmore said her team expects more compliance recommendations from the monitoring team within the next month.

While some commissioners pushed for a nearly 12.5 percent property tax increase this past summer, they eventually approved keeping the millage rate flat at 8.87 mills.

If the County Commission approves the proposed tax hike next August, property owners will need to cover a roughly 4.5 percent increase.

The county’s property tax rate has remained flat since 2022, declining steadily from 10.5 mills in 2015. That represents a net decrease of 16 percent in a decade.

After the chief operating officer’s budget update, County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr. said consent decree

Visit appenmedia.com to read about the Dec. 17 Fulton County Board of Commissioners meeting.

compliance may require an additional $30 million in spending.

In November, the county projected a $66.7 million to $96.7 million deficit for 2026, mostly due to costs for repairs and improvements to its jail system.

Whitmore said $30 million in spending would require a property tax rate around 9.6 mills, a more than 8 percent increase.

County Commissioner Dana Barrett said the Fulton jail system is under a consent decree because the commission has failed to put enough money toward staffing and maintenance.

“I do think there’s a lot of questions about how we’re moving forward here,” Barrett said. “I understand the goal that we’re going to have to raise the

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Alpharetta | Roswell | Milton | Johns Creek Forsyth | Dunwoody | Sandy Springs Local community newspapers – Heralds & Criers – that matter.

millage rate to pay for these items that we’re going to need in order to be in compliance with the consent decree.”

County Commissioner Mo Ivory said “the scary truth” is that the county needs to raise more revenue to pay for consent decree-related costs. Ivory said she wants the budget to fund all the county’s needs.

County Commissioner Bob Ellis said the county’s proposed budget increases expenditures 12 percent. Ellis said the County Commission has invested heavily in the justice system and Sheriff’s Office, a major point of contention.

He has stated that the county should maintain its current tax rate and cut other expenses.

“So, we’re not cutting,” Ellis said. “I don’t think many of our households are seeing jumps at 12 percent. There are a handful of people on this board who seem to be darned and determined to raise taxes on people regardless, and I’m not one of those folks.”

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December 18, 2025 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | 12

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COMMUNITY

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 13

Alpharetta American Legion mounts Christmas toys drive ALPHARETTA, Ga. — American Legion Post 201 will collect Christmas toys for in-need children.

The Alpharetta post, 201 Wills Road, is hosting a Toys for Tots drop-off with the last pick up scheduled for Dec. 21.

New, unwrapped toys will be accepted. Donation boxes are scattered around the post.

Those who wish to donate but don’t have time to visit a toy store can purchase a toy for $10 in the clubroom.

Created at the behest of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1991, Toys for Tots is a nonprofit that distributes toys to economically disadvantaged children on Christmas.

— Jon Wilcox

STEVE NEESE/APPEN MEDIA

From left, Tommy Youngblood, American Legion Post 201 member; U.S. Marines Lance Cpl. Richardson and Cpl. Parades; and Ralph Jordan, Post 201 member; stand with bicycles to be donated to Toys for Tots Dec. 12, 2024.

Christmas at Midway December 24th Christmas Eve

3:00 p.m. Children’s Pop-up Christmas Pageant This family-friendly service invites children to help tell the story of the very first Christmas! Wear a costume or borrow one from the church.

5:00 p.m. Modern – Sanctuary 7:00 p.m., 9:00 p.m. & 11:00 p.m. Traditional – Chapel Join us for one of these candlelight and communion services as we celebrate the birth of Christ.

5025 Atlanta Hwy. | Alpharetta, GA 30004 770.475.5230 | www.MidwayUMC.org

Puzzles

Dunwoody Crier 12/18/25 Connect-It

Connect-It

Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com

Alpharetta-Roswell Herald........................December 18, 2025 | 14 Dunwoody Crier 12/18/25 Crossword

Across

1

1 “Woe is me!”

5 Stately trees 9 Flu source 13 Supermarket section 14 Navy commando 15 Cake topper 16 Carbon compound 17 Pseudonym of H. H. Munro 18 Poet’s “below” 19 Peddle 21 Chooses 23 Bygone bird 24 Kind of welder 27 Country club figure 28 Thick spicy stew 31 Aquarium denizen 32 Engine part 35 Abysmal test score 36 Debt instrument 38 Dodge 40 Jessica of Sin City 41 Bone china name 43 Hubbubs 44 Nero’s instrument 46 Hibernia 47 Twins, e.g.

(Abbr.)

48 Cambodian coin 49 Round Table title 51 Allergic reaction 53 Bake sale org.

54 Scoundrel 55 Card game for two 58 Goes bad

2

3

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20 24

28

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21 25

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38 42

Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

1

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

2

1. Sheik’s bevy. Small songbird.

Catchall abbreviation.

2. Pickle choice. Aerospace acronym.

Wine bottle size.

3. Stock exchange abbreviation.

Daybreak. Give up.

4. Alpha’s opposite. Mishmash.

Treaty acronym.

5. UN acronym. Make believe. Know-it-all.

6. California wine valley. Director’s cry.

Weather abbreviation.

7. Smell bad. Weather acronym.

Dislike to the max.

PuzzleJunction.com

3 33

4

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39

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66

60 67

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PuzzleJunction.com

9

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PuzzleJunction.com

68

Dunwoody Crier 12/18/25 Sudoku 7 61

62

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63

Acronyms & Abbreviations How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each 1. Sheik’s bevy. Small songbird. Catchall abbr. answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues solve the Sudoku column forTothe 3 answers on the puzzle, line. But each here’srow, the catch!

Theand clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually 2. Pickle choice. Aerospace acronym. Wine bottle size. contain the numbers to line.

9. Got it? Good luck! bebox for must the second or third answer in 1that

70

3. Stock exchange abbr. Daybreak. Give up.

Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com

60 Jai ___ 64 Stood up 66 Gossip tidbit 69 Chances 71 Not quite right 72 Lyra’s brightest star 73 Big party 74 Brain wave 75 Heroic poem 76 Old World duck Down 1 Citrus drink 2 Lorgnette part 3 Cream additive 4 Window ledge 5 Double curve

6 Grassland 7 Ocean menace 8 Spinal vertebrae rupture 9 Air hero 10 Thailand, once 11 Division word 12 Turkish official 15 Boot part 20 Fall behind 22 Three (Ital.)

25 Holds up 26 Helpful 28 Contradict 29 Type of renewal 30 Stable color 32 Gulf of ___, Spain 33 Hacienda brick 34 Military meal

4. Alpha’s opposite. Mishmash. Treaty acronym.

9

35 Nukes 37 ___’easter 39 Bud holder 42 Sicilian resort 45 Fish hawk 50 “What was ___ do?”

52 Writer LeShan 55 Dry riverbed 56 Desiccated 57 Lasso 59 Aerobic bit 61 Records 62 Comic Sandler 63 Loafing 65 Hot springs 67 Conceit 68 More, in Madrid 70 Toothed tool

4

5. UN acronym. Make believe, Know-it-all.

3 7. Smell bad. Weather acronym. Dislike to the max.

7 1 8 9 9 1 4 2 3 6 1 2 6 9 5 5 3 9 8 How to Solve: Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid.

7 3 The rules are easy: A number above the diagonal line in a 8 4

6. California wine valley. Director’s cry. Weather abbr.

Copyright ©2025 PuzzleJunction.com

How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.

See puzzle solutions on Page 23

AMERICAN LEGION POST 201 EVENTS Solution

GA

7 94

Dances & Dance Instruction For all the details visit: www.club201dance.com

Vets Since 1 ing

1 • Alpharett

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2026 Oratorical Competition – Saturday, Jan. 24, 10 a.m.

1st Place earns $1,000; 2nd place - $750; 3rd place - $500.

Competition Open to High School Students in Grades 9 -12.

For More Information Contact Contest Chair Dave Cunnold.

Phone: 770-853-5130 • Email: yjdave99@gmail.com

Po s

New Year’s Eve GALA – Wednesday, Dec. 31 Enjoy an Evening of Live Music & Dancing Doors Open 7 p.m. Music 8:30 p.m. - 12:30 p.m.

The Gold Standard Band, with DJ Rich Kopels Visit www.legion201.org for Details & Ticket Purchase

Ser v

OPEN TO THE PUBLIC

201 Wills Road Alpharetta, GA 30009 770-475-9023 www.legion201.org

9 1 7 6 2 4 8 3 5

3 8 2 7 5 1 4 9 6

6 4 5 3 9 8 2 1 7

7 6 4 5 1 2 9 8 3

2 9 1 8 3 7 5 6 4

8 5 3 9 4 6 1 7 2

5 3 8 2 6 9 7 4 1

4 2 9 1 7 3 6 5 8

1 7 6 4 8 5 3 2 9

black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.

YELLOW JACKETS 49, HORNETS 28

SPORTS

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 15

Roswell Hornets fall in Final Four

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

THOMASVILLE, Ga. — Roswell’s football season ended Dec. 11 with a 49-28 loss in the semi-finals of the 5A state tournament to Thomas County Central.

Roswell finishes the season with just two losses – both playing for a title Dec. 17, Buford in 6A and TCC in 5A. The semi-final game was delayed for nearly a full week, originally planned for Dec. 5, as a result of Gainesville’s now-concluded legal battle with GHSA. GHSA officials apologized to 5A schools for their handling of “The Brawl at Brunswick.”

After taking a region loss to Roswell, the Red Elephants have been on a tear, averaging 41.8 points in the playoffs while taking down three No. 1 seeds.

They will take on the Yellow Jackets at Mercedes-Benz Stadium Dec. 17 to decide the state title.

Now that all but four suspended Red Elephants were reinstated, normal playoff play could resume after a twoweek standoff between Gainesville’s administration and GHSA. Before the governing body decided to give way, there was talk of the championship game not taking place at the Falcons’ arena.

The delay gave Roswell an extra week

to practice and prepare for one of the best teams in 5A. Head coach Jonathan Thompson told Appen Media at signing day that all the drama and delays were causing no problems for his team, that they were and have been ready.

The Hornets slowed a lightningfast offense to 10 points less than their playoff average of 59. This isn’t the first time Roswell’s defense has stood firm, as Gainesville scored 7 points less than their regular season average in the Oct. 24 meeting.

Roswell punched first, with two answered touchdowns to tie the score at 14 points after the first quarter.

Defenses exchanged stops, then each offense reached the end zone once more to knot the score at 21 going into the break.

Receiver Wills Campbell fought a war against defensive backs in the first half, leaving the field covered in dirt and grass stains. He racked up several extraordinary catches for 200 yards and one touchdown against TCC. Campbell ends the season with 1,536 receiving yards, the 200 against TCC boosting him to No. 3 in the state and jumped 60 spots into the top 50 in the country.

The Yellow Jackets got the ball to start the third quarter and brought it to

WMSPORTOGRAPHY/PROVIDED

Roswell wide receiver Wills Campbell gets set at the line in the first quarter of the 5A semifinal game at Thomas County Central High School Dec. 11.

the house three times before the Hornets were able to accomplish the same feat.

Quarterback Trey Smith refused to go down easy, logging the only Hornet touchdown in the second half with a short yardage rush. It was his third rushing touchdown of the night.

Smith has made a habit of showing up big when the lights are bright.

His 345 passing yards, a career high, boosted his season total above 3,000, and he is now No. 3 in the state.

Statistically the best dual-threat quarterback in the state, the Furman commit leads Georgia by more than 300 yards with 4,294 total yards.

Smith, Campbell and more than 20 other seniors conclude their Hornet careers. Major returners include tight end Sean Smith, athlete Dre Cousey and defensive backs Nick Daniel, Ian Foust, Christian English and Tyler Presnall.

Presnall also serves as the team’s punter and recorded a first down against TCC with a fake punt after a high snap in the second half. The play was one of several times that the Hornets offense was unable to capitalize on a potentially momentum-changing push by the defense.

Head coach Jonathan Thompson said no one wanted to leave the fieldhouse, and players stuck around to soak up their last moments with their brothers.

“We came in and had a good plan early, and the kids executed,” he said.

“Our defense kept finding ways to show up, and we didn’t let the moment or the environment get to us.”

Roswell moves up to 6A next year with the new shakeup in regions and classifications. They will be competing with Milton, Gainesville, Alpharetta, Riverwood, Johns Creek, and Lanier in region 7.

GIRLS: DANES 59, RAIDERS 26; BOYS: RAIDERS 56, DANES 47

Alpharetta teams split against Denmark High

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta basketball hosted the boys and girls Denmark teams Dec. 5 for a double header.

The Lady Raiders lost to the Danes, but the boys came out on top.

The girls fought an uphill battle against Denmark. Both the girls and boys basketball teams had enjoyed an extended break in play since Thanksgiving.

The Danes, however, resumed play a few days earlier against West Forsyth Dec. 5. Both girls teams came into the matchup seeking their first win of the season.

Denmark point guard Jadyn Shepard led the team with 18 points and three 3-pointers. The sophomore was described by head coach Erik Siuta as a gym rat and a leader on the team.

“We’re a really young team, so we

struggled to start out, but we’re playing with great energy and great effort,” he said. “My two seniors have really stepped up. They’ve been leading this young group all year long, and they’ve done it the right way, great energy and keeping a positive atmosphere.”

The Danes secured their first win of the season with the 59-26 victory.

Alpharetta’s boys basketball team is now 6-1 after posting a 56-47 win over Denmark. Less than one month into the season, the Raiders have reached their win total from last year when they finished 6-20.

The Raiders only loss so far came in a close game, 48-42, to Marietta High Nov. 22. Statement wins over Cambridge, Chattahoochee and Blessed Trinity have cemented Alpharetta turning around the program after a down year.

Coaches and players have credited the improvement to the maturity the team has undergone since last year.

Sophomore Miles Cromwell led the

ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA

Raiders guard Christian Rivera, No. 1, takes a free throw at Alpharetta High School Dec. 5.

charge against the Danes, posting a monster double-double with 17 points and 15 rebounds. The forward was a force defensively in the paint, sending a Denmark lay-up nearly out of the gym.

“This year, we’re showing up even though we’re young, and we’re still getting wins,” he said. “We’ve been playing really good defense at the end of games.”

Junior Colin Hennessy was another

dominant presence in the restricted area, posting two blocks alongside his 6 points, five rebounds and two steals.

Alpharetta’s starting backcourt didn’t reach double digits scoring, but Christian Rivera and Adam Bahhur showed consistent playmaking with a combined 13 assists. The pair also logged six rebounds.

Head coach Clay Crump said the team has been building on its growth from last year.

“We did a good job at attacking inside and getting their primary bis defenders out,” he said. “Late in the game, that opened up the rim for us. We talk about being tougher together all the time, so we saw some defensive toughness tonight and some togetherness with sharing the ball for some big 3 [pointers] late.”

Alpharetta has several region games and tougher opponents on the schedule before their first tournament at Sequoyah High School Dec. 29-30.

16 | December 18, 2025 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

NEWS

Area graduates competing in the CFP

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Teams are gearing up for the College Football Playoff with the first games taking place Dec. 19, and their rosters include plenty of players from North Metro Atlanta.

The Southeastern Conference is the most popular in this region of the country for top high school players to attend for college, and it also coincidentally has the most teams in the playoff.

The University of Alabama has two familiar names, senior defensive lineman LT Overton, a Milton graduate, and Vito Perri, a linebacker and redshirt junior from Alpharetta.

The University of Oklahoma brought in one Cambridge graduate from the transfer portal in tight end Carson Kent. Kent played for Kennesaw State for two years before becoming a Sooner.

Ole Miss has a pair of high school rivals that have figured out working together after playing against each other just two seasons ago in a 70-year rivalry: Sophomores Mark Trigg Jr., a linebacker from Roswell, and Wyatt Smalley, a tight end from Milton.

The Georgia Bulldogs tally up with the most players from Appen Media’s coverage area, with three graduates each from Westminster and West Forsyth High School.

Kirby Smart grabbed two players from Milton’s

Loop: Continued from Page 1 Another pet-friendly weekend is planned for Dec. 19 and 20.

John Goss, president of the Alpha Loop Foundation, said the turnout, which saw 1,000 registered to attend Friday evening and 1,500 Saturday, was impressive and a reflection of Alpharetta’s desire for community connection.

The Alpha Loop Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to educating and promoting the trail, hosted the festival.

“It’s a super great thing for our community, and when we think of just Alpharetta as a representative of

Jail: Continued from Page 1 “Honestly, at the end of the day, I feel grateful, not only for the support of the mayor and the council and the city administration, but for our staff, for the people who just put so many hours into this.”

A city-run jail in Alpharetta is a benefit to the community’s overall safety, Lindgren said. Previously, many arrested on misdemeanor charges, such as

CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

Teams gearing up for the College Football Playoff include plenty of players from North Metro Atlanta.

class of 2025 – tight end Ethan Barbour, who suffered an injury early this season but is now back in action, and wide receiver CJ Wiley.

Another player from Milton, sophomore wide receiver Will Taylor, was a 2024 Cambridge graduate.

Next year, he will be joined by another standout Cambridge receiver, AJC Super 11 Craig Dandridge.

From Johns Creek, junior tight end Patrick Hester is a graduate of Northview High, and junior running back Gannon Hearst went to Greater Atlanta Christian before playing for the Bulldogs.

University of Miami boasts a pair of brothers who graduated from Milton High School, Jack and Luke Nickel. Luke won Mr. Georgia last year after leading the Eagles to their second straight state title. Luke, a quarterback, graduated early from Milton to join his brother Jack, a tight end, in south Florida.

Tulane University sophomore Jack Tchienchou, a 2023 St. Pius X graduate, won the Mike Aresco Most Outstanding Player for his remarkable performance Dec. 6. The safety posted an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery and a team-high nine tackles against North Texas to boost his team to the conference title.

Defensive back Isaiah Wadsworth is a graduate of St. Francis in Milton and transferred to the Green Wave after four years with Wofford College.

James Madison University has two Roswell graduates on the roster, freshman tight end Ethan Gurela and sophomore wide receiver Dylan Williams.

The Associated Press’s No. 1 team in the country, Indiana University, has two veteran players from North Fulton.

Holden Staes, a senior tight end, is a Westminster graduate and previously played for Notre Dame and Tennessee. Running back Solomon Vanhorse is a Milton graduate and transferred to the Hoosiers after five seasons with James Madison.

Ohio State is the current betting favorite to win a national title, though they just lost the Big 10 championship to the Hoosiers.

Georgia, it’s super great for people that visit,” he said. “The real benefit is for folks to interact with each other.”

Parking was available at a lot at 2500 North Winds Parkway. In the lot, visitors acclimated to the cold and perused wares sold by artisan vendors. A disc jockey spun dance beats, and a food truck sold coffee and hot cocoa.

Hannah Green, a Denver resident who is considering moving to Alpharetta, said she was impressed with Lights on the Loop. For Green, who is used to outdoor recreation amenities, the Alpha Loop is a powerful draw to the city.

She said she also was pleased to see the community so engaged.

“Colorado is a very outdoorsy place, and we are outdoorsy people, so this is fun for us,” she said. “We like trails.”

Walkers pass through a tunnel on the Alpha Loop Dec. 12 during Lights on the Loop in Alpharetta.

driving while intoxicated or theft, were released with tickets, he said. A cityrun jail also allows local courts to better impose probation terms, city staff said.

“When you don’t have a facility, especially for local charges or for state misdemeanors, these people are just getting released right back out into the community,” Lindgren said. “And so, there’s no consequences for bad actions.”

The Alpharetta Detention Center includes 72 beds, holding areas for men and women, a kitchen, offices, sally port and other features. After the sheriff’s office vacated the building, city officials

repainted and refurbished the jail.

Running the jail, a task the city had not engaged in since the 1990s, also required hiring 15 staffers and developing standards for safe operation.

Those tasks presented a considerable challenge to city staff, the police chief said.

“When we decided to take this on, we knew it was going to be a big deal,” Lindgren said. “We didn’t know it was going to be 100 decisions a day for months on end, trying to figure out how to solve all these problems.”

The Police Department is now

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

looking forward to further training jail staff, settling into daily operations and housing its first inmates.

Alpharetta officials also are seeking to formalize agreements with nearby cities, charging a fee to house their inmates.

Alpharetta City Administrator Chris Lagerbloom said the city is engaging in discussions with Johns Creek, Milton and Roswell to set up inmate detainment arrangements. He said the Alpharetta City Council could review agreements with those cities in February.

“Our council is ready to talk,” he said.

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 17

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18 | December 18, 2025 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

AIKENOMICS

OPINION

Mortgage rates defy usual script following Fed action

The Federal Reserve delivered the move markets had fully priced in: a 0.25% cut to its benchmark lending rate.

Normally, the mortgage market reacts D.C. AIKEN counterintuitively Guest Columnist to Fed cuts — rates often tick higher, not lower, as investors reposition for future policy moves and reassess inflation risks. Yet this latest cut broke that pattern. Instead of another leg up in mortgage costs, the 30-year fixed rate actually eased slightly after touching its highest level since late September.

What changed?

The key was not the rate cut itself, but Chairman Jerome Powell’s post-meeting comments.

Powell signaled that the Fed would temporarily resume purchases of U.S. Treasuries, a shift that immediately influenced the bond

market’s pricing dynamics. As Aikenomics readers know, the 10-year Treasury functions as the benchmark for mortgage rates.

When the Fed steps in as a buyer, Treasury prices rise, pushing yields lower, and mortgage rates generally follow. This modest improvement helped stabilize a market that had been drifting upward for two consecutive weeks.

Still, beneath the headline cut lies a deeper concern. The Fed continues to anchor its policy on lagging indicators, particularly backward-looking inflation components and historical consumer spending trends. Policymaking by the rearview mirror is risky in a rapidly evolving credit environment.

The Fed repeatedly highlights the “strength” in U.S. consumer spending. But the composition of that spending raises red flags.

Household debt is expanding at a pace that is anything but healthy, and mortgage application data underscores the trend: 58 percent of all new applications are refinances,

In Memoriam

Lois Sacher

June 24, 1935 – November 28, 2025

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the loss of Lois R. Sacher, who passed away in Roswell, Georgia on November 28, 2025.

Born in Green Bay, Wisconsin on June 24, 1935, she attended Green Bay East High School and was a cheerleader for the Green Bay Packers in 1952.

She attended nursing school in Oshkosh and practiced on and off until her recent retirement. On October 13, 1956, she married Michael Sacher, of Pennsylvania and St. Norbert’s College. They spent 4 years in the Navy in San Diego and 18 months in Michigan, then settled in Neenah, Wisconsin in 1962. In 1980, they moved to Roswell, Georgia. Lois raised 3 children, was active with The United Way and The League of Woman Voters, and broke gender barriers when elected as a Winnebago County Board Supervisor from 1978-1980. She earned her bachelor’s degree in health care administration at age 53. She served as national health policy director for

the Job Corp, traveling every other week to centers nationwide for decades, retiring at age 85. She served as President of Willow Springs Country Club. Lois was passionate about bridge, travel, and life, spreading laughter and joy wherever she went. She was preceded in death by her husband, Michael; her parents, Rollin and Edith Jacques; and her sister, Sandra Jacques. She is survived by her children: son, Kevin (Gayle); daughter, Lisa Davis; and son, Mark; her nine grandchildren: Ashley (Edgar) Moreno, Samantha, AJ, Jackson, Conrad, Noelle, Bryson, Presley, and Campbell; four great-grandchildren: Jaylynn, Isabella, Kyle, and Romeo Moreno; and her brothers: Rollin, Jr. and Thomas ( Judy) Jacques. Lois has requested a small service for immediate family and close friends. In lieu of flowers, the family requests a donation to the United Way. To offer your condolences and share cherished memories, please visit www. roswellfuneralhome.com.

the majority of them cash-outs.

Homeowners are voluntarily giving up sub-4 percent mortgages in exchange for rates in the mid-6 percent range. Why? Because the burden of carrying 20+ percent credit-card debt has become untenable.

On paper, consolidating highinterest consumer balances into a lower -rate mortgage improves monthly cash flow. The danger is what happens next.

Historically, many borrowers, fresh off the relief of a refinance, resume the same spending patterns that created the pressure in the first place. The cycle restarts, only now with a higher mortgage rate and a thinner financial cushion.

This is the structural issue hiding beneath the Fed’s optimism.

Credit availability has expanded dramatically in a generation. A $10,000 credit card limit once signified exceptional credit. Today it is routine, with many consumers holding limits north of $30,000.

Rising spending, therefore, does not

CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The following item will be considered by the Design Review Board on Friday, January 16, 2026 with a workshop commencing at 8:30 a.m. and regular meeting commencing at 9:00 a.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

1. DRB250042 SEED 272 and 276 Thompson St Consideration of new residential construction. The property is located at 272 and 276 Thompson St and is legally described as being in Land Lot 0749 & 0802, 1 st District, 2 nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

necessarily signal rising prosperity.

If wages fail to keep pace — and they increasingly do — greater spending simply means deeper leverage.

There is, indeed, a light at the end of the tunnel. But, unless consumer behavior and wage growth realign, that light may be the headlamp of a train rather than the dawn of a soft landing.

For now, the short-term news is welcome: mortgage rates have stabilized and even improved slightly after their two-week climb. But the underlying economic story is far from settled, and the months ahead will test whether this Fed cut marks a turning point or merely a pause in a larger, more complex adjustment.

DC Aiken is Senior Vice President of Lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, NMLS # 658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com.

The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates.

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NOTICE OF INTENT TO VOLUNTARILY DISSOLVE A CORPORATION Notice is given that a Notice of Intent to Dissolve PETE WINKEL PHOTOGRAPHY, LTD., a Georgia corporation with its registered office at 185 Andover Dr, Alpharetta, GA, 30009, has been delivered to the Secretary of State for filing in accordance with the Georgia Business Corporation Code.

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info@northsidechapel.com www.northsidechapel.com During these turbulent times, we would like to highlight the continued courage and commitment of everyone who works in the health care, law enforcement, childcare, food service and utility sectors. We are extremely grateful.

Notice of Application to Establish a Branch of a National Bank

12050 Crabapple Road • Roswell, GA 30075

Notice is given that Fifth Third Bank, National Association, a federally chartered depository institution with its main office located at 38 Fountain Square Plaza, Cincinnati, Ohio 45263, has filed an application with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency on or about December 18, 2025 as specified in 12 CFR Part 5, for permission to establish a staffed branch located at 4304 State Bridge Road, Alpharetta, Georgia 30022 (“Old Milton Parkway BC”).

Any person wishing to comment on this application may file comments in writing with the Director for Large Bank Licensing, Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, 7 Times Square, 10th Floor Mailroom, New York, New York 10036 or by email to licensingpubliccomments@occ. treas.gov, within 30 days of the date of this publication. Written requests for a copy of the public portion of the application should be sent to the Director for Large Bank Licensing at licensingpubliccomments@occ. treas.gov. The public may find additional information regarding this application in the OCC’s Weekly Bulletin at www.occ.gov.

ADVERTISEMENT FOR REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS CITY OF ALPHARETTA, GEORGIA FOR NORTH PARK LIGHTING PROJECT RFP 26-109 The City of Alpharetta (City) is requesting proposals for the NORTH PARK LIGHTING PROJECT from qualified contractors. The project includes, but is not limited to, replacing existing wooden light poles (North Park Softball Fields 1 – 4) with concrete poles and to upgrade existing lighting fixtures at North Park Softball Fields 1 – 4, North Park Turf Field 1, North Park Miracle League Adaptive Field, and North Park Tennis/Pickleball Courts to LED. The location of the work is our City’s North Park, located at 13450 Cogburn Road, Alpharetta, GA.

Dated: December 18, 2025 Fifth Third Bank, National Association Cincinnati, Ohio

The RFP will be available online Thursday, December 11, 2025, at our bid posting website, https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/. Interested parties are required to log in to review the RFP documents.

This procurement is issued under the authority of the City’s Procurement Policy and applicable law. The City has the authority to reject all bids or any bid that is non-responsive or not responsible, and to waive technicalities and inconsequential discrepancies to award a contract that is in the best interest of the City.

This project is funded (in part) with Land & Water Conservation Fund (LWCF) grant funds; requiring the awarded Proposer to adhere to all qualifying requirements through the project duration (see available RFP documents for more information).

Proposers must comply with all requirements for bonding, insurance, licensing, etc. All Proposers are required to submit a bid bond, equal to 5% of the proposal grand total, with each proposal prior to the stated due date and time. Payment and Performance bonds in the amount of 100% of the awarded proposal will be required from the successful proposer upon contract award. Retainage equal to 5% will be held from each approved payment application.

Proposals will be due on Thursday, January 15, 2026, at 10:00 AM. All responses must be received before closing at https://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/ webpage for this project. Responses submitted by hard copy, mail, facsimile, or e-mail will not be accepted. Responses received after closing time will not be considered.

All RFP Documents, subsequent communication, including Addenda, etc. are available to all interested Proposers through the Bonfire e-procurement portal, http://cityofalpharetta.bonfirehub.com/ . For all other inquiries, please contact Debora Westbrook at the City of Alpharetta Department of Finance at purchasing@alpharetta.ga.us or (678) 297-6052.

AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | December 18, 2025 | 21

CITY OF ALPHARETTA NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The following items will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, January 8, 2026 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, January 26, 2026 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. a. Z-25-10/V-25-22 Levitan/75 & 91 Roswell Street Consideration of a rezoning and variance to allow for the construction of 9 ‘For-Sale’ single-family dwelling units, including 5 detached homes and 4 semi-detached homes, on 1.12 acres in the Downtown. A rezoning is requested from C-2 (General Commercial) to DT-C (Downtown Core) and a variance is requested to Unified Development Code (UDC) Appendix A: Alpharetta Downtown Code Subsection 2.3.3 to modify streetscape requirements along Roswell Street, Marietta Street and Cotton Alley. The property is located at 75 & 91 Roswell Street and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1269, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia. b. Z-25-15/V-25-34 Madewell/Milton Avenue Consideration of a rezoning and variance to allow for the construction of 1 ‘For-Sale’ single-family detached home on a 1.34-acre property in the Downtown. A rezoning is requested from SU (Special Use) to R-15 (Dwelling, ‘For-Sale’, Residential) and variances are requested to Unified Development Code (UDC) Subsection 3.3.2(D) (1)(b) to reduce a perennial stream buffer from 150’ to 75’ and UDC Subsection 2.2.5(D) to reduce the front setback from 65’ to 24’. The property is located at 0 Milton Avenue and is legally described as being located in Land Lots 1251 & 1270, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

The following item will be heard at a public hearing held by the Planning Commission on Thursday, January 8, 2026 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

Items forwarded by the Planning Commission will be considered by the City Council on Monday, February 2, 2026 commencing at 6:30 p.m. in the Alpharetta City Hall Council Chambers, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia. c. CLUP-25-05/Z-25-18/V-25-32 McKinley Homes/Morris Road Consideration of a comprehensive land use plan amendment, rezoning and variances to allow for the construction of 110 ‘Dwelling, ‘For-Sale’ Attached’ condominiums on a 15-acre property, which includes 2 existing office buildings that will remain. A comprehensive land use plan amendment is requested from ‘Corporate Office’ to ‘Mixed Use’ and a rezoning is requested from O-I (Office-Institutional) to MU (Mixed Use). A variance is requested to Unified Development Code (UDC) Subsection 2.2.20(B) to reduce the minimum lot size and reduce the minimum amount of commercial use in the MU zoning district. The property is located at 12725 & 12735 Morris Road and is legally described as being located in Land Lot 1118, 2nd District, 2nd Section, Fulton County, Georgia.

Note: Georgia law requires that all parties who have made campaign contributions to the Mayor or to a Council Member in excess of two hundred fifty dollars ($250) within the past two (2) years must complete a campaign contribution report with the Community Development Department. The complete text of the Georgia law and a disclosure form are available in the office of the City Clerk, 2 Park Plaza, Alpharetta, Georgia.

22 | December 18, 2025 | Alpharetta-Roswell Herald | AppenMedia.com/Alpharetta_Roswell

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