Dunwoody Crier - October 29, 2026 by Appen Media Group

Real Estate Reinvented

Local nonprofit offers continuing care for breast cancer survivors ► PAGE 8

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October 29, 2026 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976

DeKalb County sues Blackhall over controversial land swap By DYANA BAGBY newsroom@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County is suing a real estate company owned by Ryan Millsap alleging the company never followed through with promises made during a controversial land swap five years ago. County officials announced the lawsuit Thursday, Oct. 1, at a press conference at the county government center at 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in DeKalb Superior Court, alleges Blackhall Real Estate Phase

II, owned by Millsap, did not fulfill a $1.5 million agreement to improve park land in south DeKalb as part of the 2021 land swap. The county also alleges the company did not pay $100,000 promised to the county as part of the land swap agreement to use to buy additional green space. The DeKalb County Board of Commissioners voted five years ago to swap 40 acres of Intrenchment Creek Park for 53 acres of land owned by the real estate company along Constitution Road.

See LAWSUIT, Page 14

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From left, Anne, hugs her mom, Holly Covington, at a luncheon Oct. 20 fundraising for Pink Box Partners, a nonprofit that sends care packages to women undergoing breast cancer treatment.

Nonprofit packs hope for breast cancer patients By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

DYANA BAGBY/APPEN MEDIA

DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson announced Oct. 1 the county was suing over an alleged breach of contract related to a controversial 2021 land swap.

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Nearly all 220 attendees dressed in pink to match the occasion at an Oct. 20 Pink Box Partners’ luncheon and fashion show hosted at the Dunwoody Country Club. The afternoon was filled with reflection and gratitude as breast cancer patients, survivors and their loved ones gathered to support Pink Box Partners’ mission. The nonprofit, founded in 2025, packs care packages to deliver to women undergoing breast cancer treatment. This year, Pink

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Box Partners has delivered more than 300 pink boxes to patients across the country and internationally. “We’re not really just giving away a box of stuff,” said Holly Covington, president of Pink Box Partners. “We are giving away moments of joy. We’re giving hope.” Covington was inspired to start Pink Box Partners while she was undergoing breast cancer treatment. She was diagnosed in 2018 and found herself struggling emotionally.

See HOPE, Page 14

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Rapper who abused puppy during live stream pleads guilty By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com

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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Aspen Easterling, known to her fans as upand-coming rapper Aspen Kartier, on Oct. 21 pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of cruelty to animals. Easterling, a 19-year-old, was livestreaming from her apartment in Brookhaven, Ga on Jan. 29 when she repeatedly struck her three-month-old puppy named Louie and later lifted the puppy up by the skin of its back. DeKalb County Judge Alvin Wong presided over the case with prosecutor Samantha Wicker representing the state of Georgia. The video recording of the incident played on the courtroom projector. Easterling became angry after Louie peed on the floor off-screen. The dog is heard whimpering and yelping throughout the three-minute clip as Easterling yells to viewers about the dog’s behavior after the attack. “Frankly, I believe the video truly speaks for itself,” Wicker said. “I mean, she admits to hitting the dog. She says that the dog acts like it can't breathe when she does hit it.” The Brookhaven Police Department received a Compassionate Police Department Award from PETA to honor the first responders who rescued the dog. Easterling stood alongside her attorney Pat Dixon as they discussed a plea deal for the misdemeanor. Initially charged with two counts of animal cruelty, one count was dropped due to the guilty plea. Easterling’s boyfriend Cristian Denis, also known as Lil Crix, owns Louie and was also in the home during the incident. Denis said he would relinquish custody of the dog to DeKalb’s Lifeline Animal Project. Easterling will pay $3,348 to Lifeline for care and custody. According to examinations, Louis appeared in good health following Easterling’s initial arrest. Dixon stated that Easterling was raised in “undesirable conditions” in Chicago and started rapping as a way out. After her manager in Los Angeles discovered her, he arranged for her to leave the poor living situation and move to Brookhaven. After the incident, Easterling moved to Gwinnett County because her former address was released online. In 2025, Easterling signed to Signal Records, a joint venture with former Capital Records CEO and Chairman Jeff Vaughn and Columbia Records, a division of Sony Music Entertainment. Following the incident, Signal Records “shelved her,” meaning it

DeKalb County Courthouse in downtown Decatur. postponed or delayed any planned release or project. Easterling also lost all sponsorships, had all shows canceled, and has been “cyber bullied and harassed on the internet,” according to Dixon. “These 10 minutes don't define who she is,” Dixon said. Judge Wong officially sentenced Easterling to 10 days in jail, including two days already served. She was also given one year of probation, must attend 24 anger management classes, and serve 100 hours of community service. “People do stupid things without thinking about what they're doing. You wouldn't want to be treated like that and you wouldn't want to be punished like that, physically, by anybody,” Judge Wong said. In addition, Easterling must participate in an animal cruelty education and prevention program and is not allowed to own, possess, or be in the presence of a canine during probation. “I think some sort of punishment is appropriate so that you understand what it feels like to be on the other end of that,” Judge Wong said. “I was going to sentence you to 30 days in jail. I'm not going to do that, but I am going to sentence you to 10 days and give you credit for the two that you have served.” “This is a very, very symbolic punishment,” Judge Wong added. “It won't kill you, but it's not pleasant.”

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Easterling said in court she hopes to keep pursuing music as her career and is still signed with Signal Records. Her name also remains listed as a signed artist on the record label’s website. A spokesperson from Advocates for DeKalb Animals attended the trial and was pleased that the dog is on its way to a “safe and loving home.” However, the group urged investigators to investigate Easterling’s boyfriend, the dog's owner, after the verdict. Here is Advocates for DeKalb Animals’ official statement: “This case started with a threemonth-old puppy who could not speak for himself. All he could do was cry out in pain while the abuse was broadcast for the world to see. Today, he finally has a path to a safe and loving home, and that matters deeply to us. Advocates for DeKalb Animals hopes today sets a clear standard in DeKalb County: when animals are abused, there should be real accountability, meaningful protections for the animal, and responsibility for the cost of their care. And while Ms. Easterling’s case has been resolved and this dog is now safe, the broader question of accountability is not finished. AfDA continues to advocate that Brookhaven Police fully investigate the man claiming to be the dog’s owner, fellow rapper Cristian Denis, AKA Lil Crix, and pursue any charges supported by the evidence and the law.”

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Healthy Pets DeKalb event returns to offer free pet support BY JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Lifeline Animal Project’s Healthy Pets DeKalb biannual community program is returning Nov. 7 to provide DeKalb residents with free veterinary services and pet supplies. The event will be held from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Wade Walker Park, 5585 Stockbridge Rd., in Stone Mountain. Pet supplies being offered include free rabies vaccinations for dogs and cats, microchipping, spay/neuter vouchers, pet food, collars and leashes. Services are available on a first-come, firstserved basis and no registration is required, according to a Healthy Pets DeKalb news release. The most recent Healthy Pets DeKalb event took place in February at Assembly Studios in Doraville. Lifeline Animal Project also hosts a Healthy Pets Fulton event twice a year. Atlanta Technical College hosted Healthy Pets Fulton on Oct. 17. “LifeLine believes that everyone should have access to pet care resources, so we offer programs and events to help bridge the gap in communities with little-to-no access to them,” Lifeline Animal Project’s website said. “Healthy Pets events help keep pets healthy and with the people who love them. These events help prevent unnecessary surrenders due to lack of affordable veterinary care and are funded by LifeLine through generous donations.” For more information about the event, visit lifelineanimal.org/healthy-pets.

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6 | October 29, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

BUSINESS

Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore closing doors after 39 years By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore announced its upcoming closure after operating for 39 years in Sandy Springs. “We would like to thank our community for the many years of love, connection, and support we have received,” the business wrote in a message posted online. “We are thankful to have been able to foster such a beautiful community full of diversity and joy for the past 39 years.” According to the business, the closure will not be immediate. The bookstore will be open during normal business hours through Nov. 1. In November, the business will shift to reduced hours. Visit phoenixanddragonbookstore.com for updates. Phoenix & Dragon did not respond to Appen Media’s request for comment. October events, including the Harvest Soiree, will proceed as scheduled. Some November events will remain scheduled, with more information available in the coming days. Candace Apple originally opened Phoenix & Dragon Bookstore on Hammond Drive in 1987. The business relocated in 1995 to 5531 Roswell Road NE and features a meditation garden and rooms for psychic readings and other healing sessions.

COURTESY OF PHOENIX & DRAGON BOOKSTORE

Phoenix & Dragon bookstore in Sandy Springs is closing after operating in the community for 39 years.

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 29, 2026 | 7

COMMUNITY

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November Highlights

DELIGHTFUL D A Z Z L I N G DISTINCTLY DUNWOODY DELIGHTFUL D A Z Z L I N G DISTINCTLY DUNWOODY DELIGHTFUL D A Z Z L I N G DISTINCTLY DUNWOODY DELIGHTFUL PLAY, D ASHOP ZSTAY, L I N G &ZCELEBRATE DISTINCTLY DUNWOODY DELIGHTFUL D A Z Z L I N G te D I S Your T I ultima NC TLY event guide Scan D U D Uforut updates Lseason I N G the througho DISTINCTLY DUNWOODY

1 Goat Pumpkin Eating Contest 15 Light Up Dunwoody 16 Audit Committee Meeting 3 Art Commission Meeting City Council Meeting 5 Zoning Board of Appeals License Renewal 6 Alcohol License Renewal Open House 18 Alcohol Open House 7 Diwali in Dunwoody Development Authority Meeting 19 10 Planning Commission Meeting Holiday Celebration 22 Village & Lantern Parade Veterans Day Ceremony 11 Hall closed 26-27 City Sustainability Comm. Mtg. City Council Meeting 12 30 Connect with Council 13 All invited

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Brook Run Park | 2 - 3 p.m.

Donaldson-Bannister Farm | 2 - 6 p.m.

City Hall | 7:30 a.m.

City Hall | 3:30 p.m.

City Hall | 6 p.m.

City Hall | 4:30 - 6 p.m.

City Hall | 7:30 - 9 a.m.

Dunwoody Nature Cener | 5:30 p.m.

City Hall | 5 p.m.

City Hall | 6 p.m.

Brook Run Veterans Memorial | 10 a.m. City Hall closed

Dunwoody VIllage | 3 - 7 p.m.

City Hall | 8 a.m.

City Hall | 6 p.m.

Chat with Councilors Catherine Lautenbacher and Stacey Harris Los Hermanos | 5 - 6:30 p.m.

14 #GreatDunwoody Cleanup

DUNWOODY’S

Veterans Day Ceremony Nov 11

Community-wide event | Dawn to Dusk

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From left, Michel Lee, Liz Loreti, executive director of Iris Breast Cancer Rehabilitation, and Abbi Greer Campagno smile at the nonprofit organization’s headquarters at 7820 Roswell Road.

Continuing care throughout breast cancer survivorship By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — There are more than 4 million breast cancer survivors in the U.S., according to the American Cancer Society. “Every day of survivorship is harder than any day of active treatment,” breast cancer survivor Abbi Greer Campagno said. “And there’s no manual.” To Liz Loreti, executive director of Iris Breast Cancer Rehabilitation, there are “… survivors that don’t have support.” That’s where Iris Breast Cancer Rehabilitation comes in – a nonprofit organization that provides physical rehabilitation for breast cancer survivors. The organization’s team of 20 physical therapists, oncology massage therapists, clinical support staff and social workers administered 6,500 appointments in 2025. Jill Binkley, a physical therapist and breast cancer survivor, founded the nonprofit in 2003. It was previously known as TurningPoint Breast Cancer Rehabilitation before it rebranded. Survivors are often still fighting battles after they ring the bell and leave the hospital, the organization said. They get into a car that they can’t drive. At home, they can’t walk their dog or pick up their kids. Iris offers a range of services to help survivors regain strength after treatment. “People don’t want the hard part,” Loreti said. “But those are the things that aren’t glamorized, and those are the daily realities of our survivors.” When patients walk in for physical

therapy or lymphatic massage therapy, Loreti said, some “look broken.” “They’re hunched over, they’re in pain, and literally 55 minutes later, they come out a completely different person,” she said. Campagno said Iris provides a “very dignified” environment for an activity that is so personal. She has been taking exercise classes at Iris since exiting active treatment. But after another surgery in November, Campagno may need to seek physical therapy sessions. Michel Lee started visiting Iris six years after her active treatment ended in 2021. She started to experience fibrosis from radiation and has been working with a physical therapist to relieve tightness in her left pectoral area and upper left back. Lee said it’s easy to feel “part of the cattle herd” in other doctors’ offices, but that has never been the case at Iris. “You are recognized as a person who has an individual situation,” Lee said. “You never leave here with a depressed mindset. You leave with hope.” Campagno said doctors don’t often share physical rehabilitation as an option following cancer treatment. “I really had to push to get the referral,” Campagno said. According to breastcancer.org, exercise after cancer treatment can help mitigate side effects from treatment and even reduce the risk of cancer returning. Even when she did get a referral for physical therapy, her doctor questioned why she wanted it.

See CARE, Page 9

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Care: Continued from Page 8 Campagno wondered why rehabilitation was not an automatic part of her treatment plan after chemotherapy. Physical therapy appointments are individualized and private. Patients are often covered only by a thin paper sheet while therapists manipulate their bodies to relieve tension in their pectoral muscles. Campagno said it’s “as invasive as mental health therapy.” But “this is the first touch that’s welcome and warm, not painful or uncomfortable,” Campagno said. Coming out of trauma with a purpose Patients keep returning to Iris for the community it offers. Lee said the camaraderie and friendships she has found there are “priceless.” “That’s the beauty of this place,” Lee said. “You get access to other people.” In 2025, Iris nearly closed because of a lack of funding. The nonprofit had to stop offering free exercise classes, and Lee said learning about its financial trouble was an absolute shock. Loreti said her staff made it a priority not to let the strain affect their work. “Cancer treatment is scary enough, and you have enough uncertainties; the

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last thing you need is the probability that this place is going to close,” Loreti said. “… This one place that’s your safe space, where you can just be yourself.” Donations help cover the cost of care, even for insured patients, Loreti said. Average insurance reimbursements cover only 33.7% of the cost of care, and patients pay a $25 co-pay at each appointment. Philanthropy is supposed to cover the remaining cost. “If we don’t raise the money, it’s a loss on our bottom line,” Loreti said. In 2025, Iris administered 5,600 physical therapy appointments. If everyone self-paid, the rehabilitation center would have made $665,000. Instead, patient payments totaled $78,000, and insurance reimbursements totaled $347,000, leaving Iris to fundraise $240,000 to offset the cost of care. Iris also provides financial aid for patients without insurance and covers the cost of care and any transportation assistance. Loreti said smaller nonprofits are feeling the squeeze from federal grant cuts. Private philanthropy has covered some funding gaps, but leaves little for small nonprofits that rely on annual grants. “We saw a pretty significant decline in grants that we had gotten every year,” Loreti said. “All of these nonprofits are starting to feel the squeeze, and that’s where individuals have to step in.”

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 29, 2026 | 9

The individuals helping Iris are mainly patients, she said. “They want to see us succeed, so they are willing to reach out to their networks to ensure that we can continue to operate,” Loreti said. Some patients offered to pay for exercise classes. Patients can now purchase a pack of five classes for $60 or 10 classes for $90 – well below the market rate for surrounding exercise studios, Loreti said. This year, Iris has already seen more than 800 patients across 4,500 appointments. They need to raise at least another $500,000 by year’s end to meet their budget. “It will be a stretch, but I have faith we can do it,” Loreti said. Campagno is one of the patients who has stepped in to help Iris. She is hosting Mahj in Full Bloom on Oct. 27 and has raised more than $7,000 for Iris through the event. Mahj in Full Bloom will be hosted at Iris, 7820 Roswell Road. There will be raffles, snacks and mahjong starting at 6 p.m. Click here to register or donate. Campagno said she constantly works to honor her friends who have died from breast cancer. “You can come out of trauma with a purpose,” Campagno said. “And I feel like that’s what’s changed in me.” To learn more about Iris Breast Cancer Rehabilitation, visit irisbcr.org.

COURTESY LIZ LORETI

Founder Jill Binkley stands outside of the new clinic located at 7820 Roswell Rd., Atlanta, GA 30350.

10 | October 29, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

NEWS

DeKalb County law department undergoes ‘restructuring’ By DYANA BAGBY newsroom@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — More than half of DeKalb County’s attorneys were laid off Friday, Oct. 9, as part of a “restructuring” of the law department that will rely more heavily on private law firms. The shakeup comes about a month after DeKalb CEO Lorraine CochranJohnson appointed Terry Phillips as County Attorney and days after she announced the county was suing a real estate company owned by Ryan Millsap for not following through with promises made during a controversial land swap five years ago. Chief Operating Officer Zach Williams and Phillips announced the layoffs during a staff meeting called Friday morning, said Becky Dobras, one of the senior assistant county attorneys who was laid off. She said she had worked for the county for six years. Dobras said about 10 of the county’s 18 attorneys were laid off, plus three administrative staff members. She said seven open positions in the law department also would not be filled. “They said we are eliminating your positions and everything is going to outside counsel,” Dobras said. She said everyone was told they have two weeks to wrap up their litigation work and they would also receive two months’ severance. Dobras made $160,000 a year. Dobras said she was concerned that the county would end up paying more by using more attorneys from private law firms. “It seemed very unreasonable and very not financially practical …,” Dobras said. “They're going to be sending everything to outside counsel, which is going to be a huge expense for the county.” DeKalb County Chief Communications Officer Dionna Smith confirmed in an email that the county laid off staff in the law department Friday as part of “a restructuring of the department.” “The Law Department is not being eliminated. The county will maintain an in-house legal team, including department leadership and attorneys,” Smith said. “Under the new structure, the county’s in-house legal team will work alongside outside counsel to manage the county’s legal matters and provide additional capacity and specialized support when needed.” The restructuring is intended to improve the efficiency, effectiveness and responsiveness of legal services

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DeKalb County Attorney Terry Phillips answers questions at an Oct. 1 press conference announcing the county was suing Blackhall Real Estate. provided to county departments, she said. Affected attorneys will help ensure an orderly transition of cases and other legal matters to maintain continuity of legal services, she added. She declined to say who or how many of the law department’s staff were affected. “The county is not providing ad-

ditional staffing details, including the number or identities of employees affected by the restructuring or the names of those who will remain,” she said. Smith said the county regularly uses outside legal firms for specific needs and expertise. “Under the restructured model, the county is implementing a planned ap-

proach that will assign legal matters based on those same considerations,” she said. “Information regarding outside counsel will be shared as appropriate and in accordance with the county’s standard disclosure practices.” The county is also facing a lawsuit by Shadowbox Studios over its data center moratorium.

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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 29, 2026 | 11

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DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson, center, cuts the ribbon at the grand opening of Intrenchment Creek at Michelle Obama Park, 1600 Constitution Road SE in unincorporated DeKalb County on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026. Next to Cochran-Johnson are Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry and District 3 Commissioner Nicole Massiah. They were joined by DeKalb County Department of Recreation, Parks and Cultural Affairs staff, members of Friends of Michelle Obama Park, Friends of Intrenchment Creek Park, Park Pride and others.

DeKalb celebrates grand reopening of Michelle Obama Park By DYANA BAGBY and DEAN HESSE newsroom@appenmedia.com dean@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Residents and elected officials gathered Saturday, Sept. 26, to celebrate the reopening of what is now called Michelle Obama Park at Intrenchment Creek with a ribbon cutting. County crews recently finished the $1.8 million first phase of Michelle Obama Park in south DeKalb. Called a “reimagining and revitalization” of Intrenchment Creek Park, the first phase includes paving a trailhead as part of a half-mile trail that connects to Gresham Park and expands access along the 10-mile South River Trail. The park is also home to DeKalb County’s only remote-controlled airplane field. The new park is close to land that was part of the controversial land swap with real estate developer Ryan Millsap in 2021. The site is also near the city of Atlanta’s Public Safety Training Center near the South River Forest and where dozens of protests against the development known as “Cop City” were held. One protester, Manuel Esteban Paez Terán, known as Tortuguita, was shot and killed here. The land has been closed to the public for about four years. “Reopening Michelle Obama Park represents our commitment to investing

in the quality of life our residents deserve while protecting the natural resources that make DeKalb County special,” said DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson during remarks. “This park is about much more than recreation. It is about creating connections and building community, while advancing environmental stewardship, alternative transportation and economic opportunity,” she said. Cochran-Johnson also announced the county has recently completed decade-long negotiations to acquire the Donzi Trail, a “critical connection” that will ultimately help link DeKalb County’s trail network to the Atlanta Beltline, she said. Long-term plans are to build a continuous trail network extending from the Donzi Trailhead through the county and ultimately to the Monastery of the Holy Spirit in Rockdale County. DeKalb District 3 Commissioner Nicole Massiah praised the county’s preservation of the greenspace as plans for new development surround it. “We can create economic opportunity while preserving community assets. We can build tomorrow without erasing what has made this community worth investing in today,” she said. Super District 6 Commissioner Ted Terry said this plan has “been on the books for many years.”

“Of course, the whole land swap thing took place before most of us even got into office, so we just kind of inherited what really kind of was like a time bubble,” he said. “And so, what we have here today is really this first big step into a lot of amazing future steps because this connection over to the South River Trail connection … and then, of course, the new Michelle Obama Park will be connected. “So now we're talking about this amazing connection of trails and parks and soft trails and forests, all within walking distance of literally 30,000 to 40,000 people.” Pat Culp, president of the Cedar Grove Neighborhood Association, said it was exciting to be in a park named for the former first lady. “We are very excited about this day because it’s carrying our former first lady’s name, the Michelle Obama Park,” Culp said. “Were excited about Intrenchment Park and we’re excited about this gathering. We’re all going to come together as neighbors and be a part of this great, great park and great, great trail. This has been a long time coming.” Amy Fields, chair of the Friends of Intrenchment Creek Park, said she encourages people to “come back” to the South River Forest. “We have a lot of really cool things in this forest, and a lot of history, both

distant and recent,” she said. Some of the history includes preserving the spot where Tortuguita was killed, which she said she worked with fellow Friends of Intrenchment Creek Park member Joe Peery to make happen. “We were able to preserve Tortugita’s resting place, and Joe Peery and I were involved with the trail development,” she said. “We rerouted the trail to not go over Tortugita anymore because it was going to go right over him. “We were able to pull the trail up to the higher elevations so not to be in the river land. We were able to keep it away from Tortugita and from Grandmother Tree, an over 300-year-old cherrybark oak. She was named the Grandmother Tree by the Weelaunee people. She’s quite an amazing thing, she's massive.” The county has set the goal of completing the second phase of the project that includes the northern portion of Michelle Obama Park in approximately one year. The second phase includes construction of an inclusive playground, a community pavilion for gatherings and events, and an interactive splash pad. Athletic facilities will be added, too, including basketball, tennis and pickleball courts. The county will add sidewalks along Bouldercrest Road during the second phase. Murals are also planned for the basketball courts and pavilions.

12 | October 29, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

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14 | October 29, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Hope:

COMMUNITY

Continued from Page 1 Covington said her daughter noticed that her mom needed some cheering up. So she started leaving notes on Covington’s bathroom mirror. ‘“Some of them were encouraging,” Covington said. “Sometimes they were funny and silly. But … those little notes, they were such a difference to me. They got me up … and got me going.” Hayley Brammer was recovering from her double mastectomy and preparing for chemotherapy when she received her pink box in October last year. She said opening the box filled with a candle, blanket, fuzzy socks, self-care products and a journal reminded her that she is not alone. “Because of the generosity of someone else, I felt seen, encouraged, comforted and loved,” Brammer said. Katrina Abbate, manager of clinical operations at Emory Winship Cancer Institute, said she has “the honor” to hand out pink boxes to patients. Delivering a pink box is often the best part of Abbate’s day. “They’re reminded that somebody out there is thinking about them, somebody cares, and somebody understands,” Abbate said. “Somebody who has walked in their shoes wants them to know that they’re not walking alone. And that, ladies, is what you do.” HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

To learn more about Pink Box Partners and its mission, visit pinkboxpartners.com.

Hayley Brammer speaks about her experience receiving a pink box from Pink Box Partners at the nonprofit’s luncheon Oct. 20 at the Dunwoody Country Club.

Lawsuit: Continued from Page 1 At the time, the land swap was described as being between Millsap’s Blackhall Studios and the county. Millsap sold Blackhall Studios a few months after the land swap was finalized. Blackhall Studios was later rebranded as Shadowbox Studios. Shadowbox is currently suing the county over its temporary pause on data center development. Shadowbox officials have said they have nothing to do with the land swap and have no connection to Millsap. Many DeKalb residents opposed the land swap, which would have handed over 40 acres of public land in the South River Forest for commercial use. The South River Watershed Alliance and the South River Forest Coalition sued to try to have it stopped. However, the land swap was upheld by an appeals court earlier this year, according to county officials. Last year, while battling the environmental groups, Blackhall filed a quiet title action to declare ownership of the property. That action is still ongoing, according to County Attorney Terry Phillips. DeKalb CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson said the county sued only after several attempts to have the real estate company fulfill its promises. She said that on May 16, 2025, Blackhall’s legal team finally told the county it would only fulfill its obligations after the separate quiet title action lawsuit was resolved. “However, public commitments cannot remain unresolved indefinitely, particularly when they involve county property and benefits that have been promised to our residents,” Cochran-Johnson said at the press conference. “When DeKalb County enters into an agreement on behalf of our residents, we have a responsibility to protect the county’s interests, safeguard public

DEKALB COUNTY/PROVIDED

DeKalb County officials provided this map to explain what land was included in the 2021 land swap with Blackhall Real Estate Phase II. The pink shaded areas are what was included in the land swap. interest, public assets and pursue accountability when commitments remain unresolved,” she said. “This is a very important day in DeKalb County history,” the CEO said. Blackhall has not immediately responded to a request for comment. County Attorney Phillips said the county remains open to a lawful and amicable resolution. “But as of this morning, the lawsuit says that we are asking a court to make the county whole by providing the appropriate payment for the breach of contract,” he said. “The exact amount will be determined through the litigation.”

Chakira Johnson, presiding officer for the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners, said the board backed the decision to sue because oversight does not end when an agreement is signed. “When property or resources belonging to the people of DeKalb County are involved, promised benefits cannot be treated as optional or allowed to remain unresolved indefinitely,” she said. “We must continue to monitor performance, ask questions and take appropriate action when county interests may be at risk.” The lawsuit was announced days after DeKalb County reopened what was Intrenchment Creek Park, now named, according to signage, Intrenchment Creek at Michelle Obama Park. The entrance is at 1600 Constitution Road. As part of the reopening, the county showed off what is said is $1.8 million in improvements that include a small parking lot, a new trailhead, and the paving of just over a half-mile of trail also named for the former first lady. In 2022, the original trailhead for Intrenchment Creek Park on West Side Place and part of the land swap was demolished. The site also hosted numerous protests against the nearby Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. In 2023, environmental activist Manuel Esteban Paez Teran, known as Tortuguita, was killed as police cleared the site of protesters. Teran’s ashes were later spread out along the area where the shooting took place. A memorial for Teran is along a trail in Michelle Obama Park. Officials clarified Thursday that the improvements made to what is now Michelle Obama Park were not made on land included in the land swap. “There was a land swap agreement in 2021, and 40 acres were given up by the county. That 40 acres is not currently owned by DeKalb County and is not a part of a DeKalb County park,” Phillips added.

PRESERVING THE PAST

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 29, 2026 | 15

A story of three brothers — growing up on a north Fulton farm Brothers Phil, John and Tim Worley grew up on a farm in north Fulton. Although their parents owned only about one acre, they rented and farmed land at various locations. BOB MEYERS They rented Columnist about 25 acres on Hembree Road in Roswell owned by Eula Hembree Maffett (1895-1987). The property was later owned by well-known farmer Earl Mansell and included a barn, corncribs and several sheds used for hay storage and an old chicken house. They also rented 15 to 20 acres on Elkins Road from a Roswell businessman they knew as Mr. Troutman and an additional 20 acres where the Alpharetta city-owned Old Rucker Farm Park is today on Rucker Road. The boys’ grandfather Fred C. Worley (1892-1971) grew corn and raised chickens north of Canton on the Etowah River. He had been a sharecropper but was able to purchase a small farm. His wife, Annie Lou Cline (1894-1991), was from Waleska near Reinhardt College. The boys’ parents were Charles Wesley Worley (1928-2011) and Mary Alice Wright Worley (1928-2014). Each of them had day jobs and came home every evening to work on the farm. Charles worked for the Mullen Box Company in Roswell, maker of corrugated packaging. Mary worked for the Seating Company in Roswell for 50 years. The company made furniture for churches. Son Tim also worked there for eight years as a young man. “In those days we could drive tractors from our house on Hembree Road to Crabapple and see only one or two cars on the road,” Tim says. The three brothers attended Milton High School. Phil and John served as presidents of Milton High School’s Future Farmers of America chapter in the late 1960s. Tim, the youngest of the three, looked forward to joining the FFA; however, the school closed the program in 1970-71 just before Tim started school. “I was very disappointed,” he says. However, Tim was a member of the 4-H Club from fourth through ninth grade. Each member specialized in a subject. Tim’s specialty was entomology. Members competed by making presentations to a panel of county agents and other county officials. Their parents always supported the boys’ farm projects. Tim says, “My brothers grew the

From left, brothers John, Phil and Tim Worley and their father, Charles, in 1965 on their annual vacation, this time to Ruby Falls and Rock City in Tennessee.

IMAGES PROVIDED TO APPEN MEDIA

Phil Worley at the Southeastern Fair at the Lakewood Fairgrounds in 1963, where his pig won the Grand Champion Boar award, the highest honor given to a boar at agricultural competitions. The Southeastern Fair was a major annual event in the lives of the Worley boys. farming business and I worked into it. It was a team effort. Our parents were not wealthy, and they sacrificed everything for their boys.” When John and Phil were about 12 or 13, they began working to earn money. John recalls, “Our first job was yard work at 75 cents an hour which we had to divide. We were so small that the property owner said, ‘You look like one person.’” Tim says, “My brothers raised their first crop of corn with a mule which they used to plow, plant and harvest the corn. They borrowed the field, the mule and plow from Clarence Thompson, owner of a small grocery store on Main Street in Alpharetta. The experience was enough for them to know that was not what they wanted to do.” When Phil turned 15, he bought a 1949 John Deere Model M tractor, allowing the boys to raise a large corn crop to make hog feed.

The boys did a lot of work for Earl Mansell when they were in high school, hauling hay and tossing it into a hayloft. They worked for Mansell and others for about 10 years. The brothers grew feed crops and had them milled at Shaws Feed Mill across the street from the Green Lawn Cemetery in Roswell. Around 1962, they started a cattle business. Jake Hughes (1898-1987), a prominent farmer, entrepreneur, transportation pioneer and landowner in Crabapple and Alpharetta, let the boys use some of his extensive land holdings to start their hay business where the entrance to the North Farm community in Crabapple is today. (I wrote a column about Jake Hughes in 2023.) “We grew good-quality Coastal Bermuda hay which was sought after by the area’s growing horse industry. They preferred Bermuda for its high protein content. Fescue was the most common

then for cattle,” Tim says. The boys’ great-uncle Jim Watkins owned a dairy between Ball Ground and Canton on old Highway 5. He sold two calves to John and Phil. Tim says, “Dad offered his car to pick them up. He had to remove the last seat in his Chevy Impala to carry the baby calves. It was pretty messy by the time they got home.” John, who retired in 2018, was a professor of agricultural engineering at the University of Georgia Extension Service for 25 years. County agents depended on him if there were engineering issues involving farm operations. Phil, also retired, was superintendent of the University of Georgia Experiment Station at Calhoun for about 25 years and eventually became superintendent of three farms that were part of the experimental stations in northwest Georgia. Phil administered the 4-H program when he was an assistant county agent in Gwinnett County. He recalls, “I lived in a sheep barn at UGA for three years. I shared the barn with one other student and 100 sheep. We didn’t have far to go when the ewes were lambing.” Tim is retired and a serious student of local history. He attended technical schools and worked for Reynolds and Reynolds, an automotive computer company, for 29 years. The boys are still close. Their stories of life on the farm are total history, because rural life is very different today.

16 | October 29, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

AIKENOMICS

OPINION

Mortgage rates didn’t kill housing market Buyers are sitting on the sidelines. Maybe it’s time we changed the conversation. Thirty-year mortgage rates recently crossed the 7.50% threshold, grabbing headlines D.C. AIKEN across the country Guest Columnist dcaiken.com and once again dominating the housing conversation. Unfortunately, something very predictable happened: Buyers hit the brakes. Some paused their home searches. Others decided they would simply “wait until rates come back down.” And many who were already sitting on the sidelines found another reason to stay there. I understand it. What bothers me, however, is that many buyers are making that decision because they don’t know what we know. They see 7.50% and assume the conversation is over. I think that’s exactly where the conversation should begin.

Stop selling the rate. Start solving the payment. For decades, real estate has revolved around one primary question: “What’s the sales price?” Maybe we’re asking the wrong question. In this market, the better question may be: “What monthly payment gets this buyer comfortable enough to buy the home?” Because once we start there, the entire negotiation can change. Consider a seller whose home has been sitting for 60 or 90 days. They’re considering a $10,000, $15,000 or even $20,000 price reduction because that’s what sellers have traditionally done when a house doesn’t sell. Cut the price. But does a $15,000 price reduction really change the buyer’s monthly payment enough to get them off the sidelines? Maybe, but probably not. What if some of those same dollars were instead strategically used toward a temporary interest rate buydown, closing costs or another financing structure designed to attack the buyer’s real problem: the

IMAGE PROVIDED TO APPEN MEDIA

monthly payment? Suddenly, we’re no longer just negotiating a sales price. We’re engineering affordability. This is where team matters. Higher rates don’t have to be just a buyer problem. When buyers stop buying, they quickly become a seller problem, too. That’s exactly why

today’s market requires the listing agent, buyer’s agent and mortgage professional to work together. The seller wants to sell. The buyer wants to buy. Our job is to figure out how to bridge the gap between the two. Waiting for mortgage rates to magically return to 5% isn’t a strategy. Creating a payment that works today is. There are still buyers who need homes. There are still sellers who need to sell. And there are still plenty of transactions waiting to happen. We just have to put the pieces together differently. Because a 7.50% mortgage rate doesn’t necessarily mean “No.” Sometimes it simply means: “Let’s find a better way to get to Yes.” 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.

OPINION

GARDEN BUZZ

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 29, 2026 | 17

Good gardening starts with good information Every few weeks, a Master Gardener sits down to answer a question someone in metro Atlanta is asking in their own backyard. Why are these old hollies so hard to keep up? What is boring tiny LEE TANENBAUM holes in my trees? Guest Columnist Is there anything I can actually do about mosquitoes? On Jan. 19, 2023, I wrote the first Garden Buzz column, introducing Appen Media readers to the new series and to the North Fulton Master Gardeners. Since then, the series has grown to 118 columns of practical, research-based gardening advice, delivered in print and with an additional 2 million views in online newsletters. Appen Media is the reason those answers reach you. North Fulton Master Gardeners is a group whose purpose is "to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment." We work alongside the University of Georgia Extension Fulton County, and every one of us is trained and certified by the UGA Cooperative Extension. The key word is "educate." We are not selling a product or chasing a trend. We pass along what UGA's research shows actually works in Georgia clay and Georgia summers, and we give it away. Much of that happens in person: at Garden Faire, community classes, garden tours and our project gardens. But a class reaches a room. A column reaches a region. Look at what Garden Buzz readers have learned: how to replace tired foundation plantings; why ambrosia beetles, tiny as they are, can attack more than 100 species of trees and shrubs; how a rain barrel saves money and water; why the luna moth, with its pale green wings, is worth protecting; how phenology, the study of seasonal change in living things, can tell you when to plant; and how to fill a garden with fragrance in every season of the year. Each column is a small piece of practical knowledge, written by a UGA-certified volunteer or Extension expert, and handed to readers at no cost. But "no cost" to you does not mean no cost to produce. Appen Media provides the editors who shape the drafts, the photos and

Pansies are a fall favorite. layout that make them readable, and a trusted platform readers return to week after week. It gives local voices like these a place to be heard. Without that partnership, the North Fulton Master Gardeners could not reach as many neighbors as they do. Appen Media has been essential to that mission. Without a local newsroom, information like this does not

KAREN BURPO/PROVIDED

disappear. It just gets harder to find. It gets buried under ads, algorithms and gardening advice written for someone three climate zones away who has never fought fire ants or a July drought. Gardeners understand investment better than most. Nothing grows on its own. You amend the soil before you plant. You water through the dry spells. You do not expect a harvest

from ground you never tended. Local journalism works the same way. Right now, Appen Media is in the middle of its fall fundraiser, with a goal of $30,000. That money goes directly to the newsroom—the people who cover your city council, your schools, your local businesses, and, yes, your garden. So here is my ask. If a Garden Buzz column ever helped you choose the right plant, save a struggling shrub, identify a visitor in your yard, or simply look at your garden with new eyes, please consider making a gift to Appen Media this fall. Any amount helps. A contribution the size of a flat of annuals or a bag of good compost makes a real difference when enough readers give. North Fulton Master Gardeners will keep showing up with answers to your questions. Let's make sure there's still a place to print them. Think of it as tending the soil, so that next season, and the one after that, something good keeps growing here. Learn more at appenmedia.com/ join. Happy Gardening! North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by the University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https://www.appenmedia.com/ opinion/columnists/garden_buzz/. The opinions expressed in this article are those of the North Fulton Master Gardeners Inc. University of Georgia Extension Fulton County does not endorse specific businesses, organizations, products, services, fundraising efforts or charitable giving opportunities. Come visit us at the Alpharetta Farmers Market and the Sandy Springs Farmers Market.

DEATH NOTICES Martha Dorman, age 82, of Roswell, GA passed away on October 15, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Howard Smith, age 86, of Milton, GA passed away on October 13, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Jimmy Trobaugh, age 90, of Roswell, GA passed away on October 15, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Puzzles

Dunwoody Crier 4/3/25 Connect-it

Connect-It

Dunwoody Crier................................October 29, 2026 | 18

Dunwoody Crier 5/22/25 Crossword Across

1 Twinge 5 Soda fountain treats 10 Curly cabbage 14 Brainchild 15 Alaskan native 16 Pelvic bones 17 Computer virus isolation 19 At hand 20 Final (Abbr.) 21 Sign before Virgo 22 Thin ice, e.g. 24 Spirit of a people 26 Ticked off 27 City near LA 30 Russian favorite 34 Emcee 37 Dot follower 38 Pavement 39 Tokyo, once 40 Samurai, e.g. 42 Jeans brand 43 Deodorant type 45 Commotion 46 Secluded valley 47 Clean-up tool 48 Paradise 50 Discontinue 52 Polled 56 Rio ___ 58 Prescription checker (Abbr.) 60 Gardner of film 61 Joint problem 62 Stargazer 65 Ashtabula’s lake 66 Piece of cave art 67 Out of shape 68 Give temporarily 69 Gumption 70 Adherents (Suffix)

PuzzleJunction.com 2

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COMPUTERS 1. Oration station. It hosts other computers. Stick together. 2. Arm or leg. It gets you around the monitor. Art supporter. 3. Command to Fido. Stand-offish. They hold data. 4. It’s a computer bane. Like a tortoise. Fishing spot. 5. Boredom. They are clickable. Citrus fruit. 6. In-box contents. It’s active in Sicily. Pigeon’s perch. 7. Wine label designation. One of it’s jobs is data storage. Chowder morsel. PuzzleJunction.com

38 41

4 5 6

47 50

1 2

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 4, 4 and 6 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!

25 27

PuzzleJunction.com

7 52 53 Crier 54 555/15/25 Sudoku Dunwoody

Computers 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. Oration station. It hosts other computers. Stick together. 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 for 3 answers onIt the line. Butaround here’srow, thethe catch! Theand clues not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually To the solve theleg. Sudoku puzzle, each column 2. Arm or gets you monitor. Artare supporter. be the second or the thirdnumbers answer in1that line. Got it? Good luck! boxformust contain to 9. 3. Command to Fido. Stand-offish. They hold data.

4. It’s a computer bane. Like a tortoise. Fishing spot.

Down 1 Provoke 2 Grownup 3 Poet’s “below” 4 Needlefish 5 Lion’s pride 6 Singing voice 7 Muumuu accessory 8 Siberian feature 9 Hearty entree 10 Realm 11 Downwind 12 Make-up artist? 13 Corn serving 18 Likewise 23 At no time

25 Select 26 Thankless wretch 28 Gripe 29 Hockey great Bobby 31 Wooded hollow 32 Patella’s place 33 Egypt. solar deity 34 Basil, e.g. 35 Bouquet 36 Alone 38 Henhouse 40 Restroom sign 41 Chapel vow 44 Found 46 Fed. watchdogs (Abbr.)

48 Exhausts 49 Nobelist Pavlov 51 Monroe’s successor 53 Domesticates 54 Boxing card's main ___ 55 Pub game 56 Horror film staple 57 Destroy 58 Kukla, ___ and Ollie 59 Handout 61 Hair goop 63 Prefix with angle 64 Japanese sash

8 6 6. In-box contents. It’s active in Sicily. Pigeon’s perch. 2 7 5 7. Wine label designation. One of its jobs is data storage. Chowder morsel. 1 2 3 8 7 1 4 6 3 7 5 8 5 4 2 How to Solve: Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. 7 9 6 The rules are easy: A number above the diagonal line in a 5. Boredom. They are clickable. Citrus fruit.

See puzzle solutions on Page 20

Solution on next page

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

Is Your Company Hiring? Solution

4 6 7 5 1 2 8 9 3

2 3 9 8 4 6 5 1 7

5 8 1 3 7 9 6 4 2

1 7 2 6 8 3 4 5 9

8 5 4 2 9 7 3 6 1

3 9 6 4 5 1 7 2 8

7 2 3 1 6 5 9 8 4

6 1 8 9 3 4 2 7 5

9 4 5 7 2 8 1 3 6

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In Memoriam

Thomas Jon Clark

February 11, 1935 – October 6, 2026

Thomas Jon Clark passed away peacefully at the age of 91 on October 6, 2026. Born to Mary Elizabeth and Alfred E. Clark, Tom was raised in Detroit, Michigan. After high school, Tom joined the U.S. Navy and served for three years as a meteorologist aboard an aircraft carrier. His service took him to the Philippines, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Hawaii, and Japan and gave him the opportunity for many adventures, including climbing to the summit of Mt. Fujiyama. In 1958, Tom married Sharon, his wife and best friend for life. Together they built a life filled with family, travel, adventure, and many shared interests. Tom earned a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Wayne State University and later an MBA from the University of Buffalo. He enjoyed a long and varied career in engineering, sales, marketing, and management. His career began with Allis-Chalmers and later included positions with Simplicity Manufacturing Company and Professional Services Group before he joined Armstrong International, where he spent 18 years as Manager of Sales and Marketing. His work took him throughout the Americas before he retired in 2000—and, as Tom liked to put it, never looked back. Tom was an avid sailor and pilot who owned several sailboats and powerboats and was part owner of a single-engine airplane. He and Sharon

shared many memorable trips by air, on the water, and to destinations around the world. For 40 years, their cabin on Lake Lanier was the home base for many of these adventures. Tom was also an enthusiastic racquetball player for many years. Tom believed in giving his time to his community. For 10 years, he served as a counselor with SCORE, sharing his business experience with aspiring entrepreneurs. He and Sharon also volunteered for many years as ushers at the Alliance Theatre, Atlanta Symphony, Georgia Ensemble Theatre, and Fox Theatre. He was an active supporter of Stage Door Theatre, participated in the North Atlanta Men’s Club, and was a member of Saint Luke’s Presbyterian Church in Dunwoody. Above all, Tom was devoted to his family. He is survived by his wife, Sharon; his daughters, Karen Clark of Sandy Springs, Susan Clark of Simpsonville, South Carolina, Nancy Clark of Gainesville, Florida, and his grandson, Lucas Kuenstle of Dallas, Texas. He will be remembered for his adventurous spirit, his curiosity, his generosity, and the full life he shared with Sharon, his family, and his many friends. Memorial gifts may be made to Saint Luke’s Presbyterian Church, 1978 Mt. Vernon Pl, Dunwoody GA 30338.

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 29, 2026 | 19

NOTICE OF LOCATION AND DESIGN APPROVAL P. I. 0019791 DEKALB & GWINNETT COUNTIES Notice is hereby given in compliance with Georgia Code 22-2-109 and 32-3-5 that the Georgia Department of Transportation has approved the Location and Design of this project. The date of location and design approval is: October 15, 2026 The proposed local let project will construct a 12-ft wide shared use path along the west side of Winters Chapel Road between Peeler Road and Charmant Place; the shared use path will have reduced sections of 10-ft wide per plan locations. The project is located in the cities of Dunwoody and Peachtree Corners in land lots 280 and 307. The project will also install 6-ft sidewalk and curb and gutter on the east side of Winters Chapel Road from the Jones Mill Road intersection to approximately 1350-ft north and will tie to existing sidewalk. This project will connect to Phase I of the path to the north, which has already been constructed, and to a shared-use path to the south on Peeler Road, which is currently in the design phase with construction funded. The project has a total approximate project length of 0.7 miles. The City of Dunwoody would be responsible for acquiring property rights for this project. Drawings or maps or plats of the proposed project, as approved, are on file and are available for public inspection at: Tiffany Siegel, PE, Capital Projects Manager City of Dunwoody tiffany.siegel@dunwoodyga.gov 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road Dunwoody, GA 30338 (678) 382-6869 Any interested party may obtain a copy of the drawings or maps or plats or portions thereof by paying a nominal fee and requesting in writing to: Kimberly Nesbitt Office of Program Delivery Attn: Felecia Basolo Fbasolo@dot.ga.gov 600 West Peachtree St NW Atlanta, GA 30308 (770) 263-5945 Any written request or communication in reference to this project or notice SHOULD include the Project and P. I. Numbers as noted at the top of this notice.

6 8 2 5 7 Solution SOLUTIONS 3 1 2

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4 6 7 5 1 2 8 9 3

2 3 9 8 4 6 5 1 7

5 8 1 3 7 9 6 4 2

1 7 2 6 8 3 4 5 9

8 5 4 2 9 7 3 6 1

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7 2 3 1 6 5 9 8 4

6 1 8 9 3 4 2 7 5

9 4 5 7 2 8 1 3 6

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MEMBER (CONT.) Barbara Hurt-Simmons Susan Huss Paul Huth Jeffrey Hyde J. Craig Inman Sandra Jacobs Susan Jacques Lynn Johnson Tyler Jones Zach Jones Patricia Kachur Amy Kanderis Arthur Kebanli Laura Keck Mark Kelly Randall Kent Carol Kerr Sally Klaskala Allison Kloster Dyna Kohler Brett Koutnik Larry Krueger Jess & Chris Kysar Malinda Lackey Sarah Lamm Daniel Lashinsky Richard Lapin Christine Law Brandon Leach Dennis Lee Ken Leffingwell Carol Lehan

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Jay O’ Meara Celia Mendez Jennifer Mendoza Dan Merkel Al Merrill Chris Miller Christine Miller Patricia Miller Milton Animal Hospital George Mobley Joe Modica Fred Moeller Sarah Moen Catherine Moore Ralph Moore Carol Morgan Kathy Morgan Stu Moring Karen Mowery Leslie Mullis Donna Murphy Jack Murphy Aileen Nakamura George Nathan Caroline Naughton Richard Nichols Cindy Nolan North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. Carol & Carl Obenland Tricia Novarro Bob O’Brien Martha O’Brien

THE FUTURE OF LOCAL NEWS

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Continued innovation in digital media has changed the ways in which people buy, sell and interact with products and services. It has caused businesses to reassess the ways in which it communicates with potential customers and advertises its products. It has been well documented that these changes have had a destructive impact on local newspapers, which continues to be a primary source for local news, but is no longer a primary source for local advertising dollars – historically the lifeblood for reporters and their coverage. At Appen Media Group we want to address this conflict head on, and build new and innovative approaches to monetizing local news and creating a sustainable future for local journalism in metro Atlanta.

Matt Rohs Kim Romaner Rita Rosenthal Claudia Ross Courtney Rozear Fran Russell Janet Sandberg Carolina Santos Kelly Sarmiento Fran Schefer Derek Scheidt Dorothy Scherr Stephanie Schniederjan The Schoenblum Family Robert Scholz Robert Schreiner Stephanie Schuette Susan Searles Frances Segars Tracy Shealy Tina Shelton Lisa Shippel Steve Short Tom Simon Cindy Simpson Robert Singleton Faye Sklar Mitchel Skyer Judith Slaughter Andy Smith Lee Smith Tia Solh

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July 10, 2025 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | 50¢ | Volume 43, No. 28

Wills Park brims with area visitors on Fourth of July By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

A girl waves an American flag as she dances to music by Davis and the Love at Roswell Area Park July 4.

PHOTOS BY: SARAH COYNE/APPEN MEDIA

Kendall, from left, John, Brooks and Reid Hill sit on a picnic blanket at Roswell Area Park to celebrate the Fourth of July.

Roswell crowd celebrates America’s 249th birthday By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Food trucks, live music and fireworks were on the menu for America’s birthday in Roswell. A crowd of over 1,000 piled into Roswell Area Park July 4 to celebrate America’s 249th birthday.

Kendall and John Hill travelled from East Cobb to bring their two little ones to the show. “The kids love it,” John Hill said. Baseball fields and multi-use fields were filled with families and friends awaiting the firework show at dusk.

OPINION

Pitts: Raising millage rate would be mistake

See FIREWORKS, Page 24

DR. INGRID REYES

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County delays closing Alpharetta jail site

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

From left, Traci Foreman, Chris Foreman and John Hanley watch fireworks in Wills Park July 4.

► PAGE 8

DR. NADA MEGALLY

EMILY DIXON, CNM

DR. MIRANDA LONG

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By JON WILCOX | jon@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — The heart of the holiday was shining through the music, food and fun of Creek’s Juneteenth celebration. As the sun set on a warm Saturday evening, Midway grandmother Matilda Riles sat in a lawnchair, watching her grandchildren play on the park lawn amid the sound of booming live music and mouthwatering aroma of food trucks. Before the fun started, Riles, who attended with three generations of family, educated the kids about the reason for Juneteenth. “It's a point in time when enslaved people no longer had to be enslaved, and certain places did not relay the message at the time that it should have been relayed,” Riles said. “And, therefore this is a celebration as to when the final group of people were told you no longer had to be enslaved.” Several thousand visitors descended on the city’s annual celebration at Newtown Park, 3150 Old Alabama Road, doubling last year’s attendance. The celebration resembled a giant block party with live music performances, chatting neighbors, plenty of food and rows of arts and craft vendors.

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The perfect biscuit is like a warm hug, said Brandy White, owner of Sawnee Mountain Biscuit Company. “It kind of warms your soul,” White said. “It feels like home to me.” Since 2001, the Sawnee Mountain Biscuit has operated out of a renovated mobile home at 104 13th St., serving perfect pillowy biscuits wrapped around eggs, cheese, bacon and other breakfast staples. With dozens of items on the menu, the restaurant features other tasty offerings from French toast to a house-made pimento cheese. Tucked into a sleepy neighborhood on the edge of Cumming, Sawnee Mountain Biscuit might easily be taken as another house, but locals say the squat, blue-clapboard building is one of the town’s best breakfast spots. Over the decades, the restaurant has earned a cult following in Cumming and the north Atlanta area, serving as many as 400 orders some mornings.

“We focus on personal, compassionate care”

EMILY CHUNG, FNP

PAIGE MAROLF, WHNP

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ERICA RICHMOND, CNM

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FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office is working to complete converting an old elementary school into a law enforcement training center. Since October, the training center has hosted a public safety academy as part of a partnership between the sheriff’s office and University of North Georgia. The academy, funded by the

ROI

matters.

S e p t e m b e r 2 5 , 2 0 2 5 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 2 0 , N o . 3 9

County restores original funding to cultural arts

Children play in the lawn at Newtown Park during a Juneteenth celebration in Johns Creek June 21. JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

By JON WILCOX | jon@appenmedia.com

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Brandy White holds her 1-year-old daughter, Lennon, at the entrance to her Sawnee Mountain Biscuit Company on 13th Street just outside Cumming.

sheriff’s office, provides training for law enforcement officers in Forsyth County and surrounding jurisdictions, Capt. Rob Heagerty said. At an April 22 work session, the County Board of Commissioners discussed a proposal to allocate $47,993 for design services with ar chitectural firm Wiley Wilson to create plans, conduct inspections and

make changes to water heaters. The sheriff’s office wants to install showers and locker rooms at the building at 4805 Atlanta Highway, Heagerty said. The improvements are important because exercise and physical conditioning are essential in maintaining capable deputies, he said. The building already houses classrooms, meeting rooms, a cafeteria,

gym, simulator room and an empty wing where deputies can conduct building-clearing and other training exercises. The work is part of a second phase to transform former Midway Elementary School into a law enforcement training center.

See SHERIFF, Page 12

ATLANTA — The Fulton County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to restore funding for a program within the Arts & Culture Department to $3 million a year Sept. 17. While the unanimous vote reflects unity and bipartisanship, some commissioners criticized colleagues for the delay. The item, sponsored by Democratic commissioners Khadijah AbdurRahman and Marvin Arrington Jr. and Republican commissioners Bob Ellis and Bridget Thorne, includes an increase of $1.7 million for a previously requested program and its full $3 million in funding set aside in the 2026 budget.

See JUNETEENTH, Page 10

See FULTON, Page 20

Fulton jail staff faces civil rights indictments By DAVE WILLIAMS Capitol Beat

sions last January and writing false reports about each of the incidents.

“The (Justice Department’s) Civil Rights Division has zero tolerance for law ATLANTA — Fulton County Jail employee has been indicted in federal court for alleg- enforcement officers who abuse public edly using excessive force against prisoners. trust through excessive force and concealThe 47-year-old sergeant is accused of ing their misconduct,” said Assistant U.S. repeatedly using tasers on compliant, non- Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “We resisting pre-trial detainees on three occawill vigorously safeguard the constitutional

Partner with Appen Local Media:

rights of all individuals, including those in custody.” “Abuses of power of this kind are unconstitutional, erode our community’s trust, and will be prosecuted,” added Theodore S. Hertzberg, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. Solomon faces up to 10 years in prison for each federal civil rights violation and 20

years behind bars for each false report. The FBI’s Atlanta Field Office is investigating the case based on a referral from the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office. This story is available through a news partnership with Capitol Beat News Service, a project of the Georgia Press Educational Foundation.

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2025

Pets enjoy cool, pool party at Last Splash Puppy Bash

Your Trusted Real Estate Expert

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RACHEL PROVOW

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Ross: City should have residents pick fiscal fate ► PAGE 5

Life Time Perimeter revives health club site

Spring Plant Sale!

► PAGE 4

Summer Veggies Annuals Pollinator Plants and So Much More!

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April 10, 2025 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976

Dunwoody opens doors to refine future land-use By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

PHOTOS BY: HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Front center, Ann Hanlon, executive director of the Perimeter Community Improvement Districts, holds the ribbon for phase one of the Ashford Dunwoody Road path April 3 while City Councilman Tom Lambert, front right, gets ready to cut it. The Perimeter CIDs and Dunwoody split the project’s $1.5 million construction cost.

Commercial partners and city celebrate new path By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

A look down the completed phase one of the Ashford Dunwoody Road path April 3 shows the two-way cycle track parallel to the revamped sidewalk.

DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody elected officials, city staff and Perimeter Community Improvement Districts Executive Director Ann Hanlon cut the ribbon April 3 on phase one of the Ashford Dunwoody Road path. “We’re super proud to partner with the city of Dunwoody on building this trail project,” Hanlon

said. “And we’ll look forward to many more phases to come.” A little over two years ago, the group gathered at the same spot near the corner of Ashford Dunwoody Road and Hammond Drive for phase one’s groundbreaking. Phase one of the corridor’s path includes a two-way raised cycle track separated from traffic by a wide landscape buffer

See PATH, Page 17

DUNWOODY, Ga. — The City of Dunwoody is streamlining development rules and updating its vision for the city’s future as part of a state-mandated overhaul. City officials and representatives from consulting firm TSW Design, which was tasked with creating a plan, gave a two-hour presentation about the changes April 1 during a special meeting at Vintage Pizzeria on Chamblee Dunwoody Road. Residents received and discussed the creation of a unified development ordinance and changes to the city’s comprehensive plan. Dunwoody is updating its comprehensive plan as part of a state mandate that requires an overhaul every five years, said Allison Stewart-Harris, an associate principal and planner at TSW. Stewart-Harris presented the changes to about 30 residents who attended the meeting.

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs announced that the Billboard Music Award-winning band Lit is headlining Friday night Sept. 26 at the third annual Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival. The festival will take place in the heart of Sandy Springs Friday, Sept. 26, from 4-10 p.m., and Saturday, Sept. 27, from 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Lit is an American rock band from Orange County,

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Motorists line up at the Boylston Drive signal to turn left onto Hammond Drive Aug. 14. Sandy Springs will begin work in September to realign Boylston to the east and eliminate a nearby traffic light.

Realignment construction begins on Hammond-Boylston intersection

CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

Sandy Springs said Billboard Music Award-winning band, Lit, is headlining this year’s festival Sept. 26-27 at City Springs.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Sandy Springs contractors are set to begin work in September on realigning the intersection of Boylston and Hammond drives and removing a redundant traffic light. The city says work will last around 15 months, and the intersection will remain open during construction, but there will be occasional lane closures so crews can get the work done safely. Initially, city officials expected the project

to begin in mid-August. No explanation was given. Currently, there are two separate sets of traffic lights less than 100 feet away from one another, one at the Hammond Glen Retirement Community’s driveway and another at the office building next door. The new configuration will shift Boylston Drive to the east, aligning it with the Hammond Glen driveway and eliminating the traffic light at the driveway to the office building at 325 Hammond Drive.

Indicted superintendent resigns

Residents trying to pump brakes on I-285 express lane

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Wild Nest Bird Rehab finds roost at Legacy Park

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See BOYLSTON, Page 8

Atlanta Perimeter Office | 4848 Ashford Dunwoody Road | Atlanta, GA 30338

Hundreds attend Intown Ace Hardware’s annual Ladies Night

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California, formed in 1988. They are best known for their platinum-selling 1999 power-pop punk album “A Place in the Sun” and its massive hit single “My Own Worst Enemy.” The band is set to headline the main stage Friday night at 8 p.m. In addition to Lit, the family-friendly festival features music all day long across multiple stages, an artist market with more than 80 vendors and a Kids Zone.

See LIT, Page 9

October 23, 2025 | Decaturish.com | Locally Sourced News | An Appen Media Group Publication | Volume 1, No. 13

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Billboard Music Award winner to headline Sandy Springs fest

See REFINE, Page 17

About 30 residents fill a dining room at Vintage Pizzeria on Chamblee Dunwoody Road April 1 to hear a presentation by TSW Design planner Allison Stewart-Harris, who spoke on the city’s future land-use strategy.

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Miniature goldendoodle Lexi cools off at the Milton city pool on Sept. 13. Canine companions gathered there to celebrate summer’s end. See the story and more photos from Sarah Donehoo on page 18.

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Business owner crafts calm in the chaos

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Biscuit eatery rises to meet high demand

County considers funding for sheriff’s training facility

See FOURTH, Page 23

Two-year-old Cameron holds a beach ball at the City of Roswell Fourth of July celebration at Roswell Area Park.

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ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Thousands filled Wills Park to celebrate July 4 with a bang. Hours before darkness fell, friends and families filled the park’s lawns, Equestrian Center, trails and athletic fields. Everywhere, children played, cartwheeling, running, tossing balls and waving glow sticks. Alpharettan Lindsey Landis, her husband, two children and two dogs were part the crowd, passing the golden hour on a blanket laid out on the grass.

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