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October 8, 2026 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976

Dunwoody council OKs indoor pickleball courts By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council, in a 4-2 vote Sept. 28, approved the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s request to install indoor pickleball courts after site plans were adjusted to improve sound mitigation efforts. Council Members Joe Seconder and John Heneghan voted against the request, while Council Member Tom Lambert was absent from the meeting. In a change from the original plan, the building will be constructed with four solid walls and will drop the two “garage-style” doors that would have been able to open during nicer weather. Heneghan said he appreciated the center’s site plan changes but remained

against the plan due to noise concerns from surrounding residents. He said “data coming from some residents” showed the center’s noise limits were beyond what was “allowable.” Jared Powers, the community center’s CEO, said a second layer of acoustic fencing will block sound at the south side of the facility, which stands opposite eight single-family homes. The updated plan also includes planting 59 evergreen plants that will act as both visual and auditory buffers for the neighbors on Dunwoody Glen. The height of the addition has also been reduced by 4 feet. “Up until a couple weeks ago, we didn’t know there were any complaints from anybody,” Powers said.

See COUNCIL, Page 19

State Senate, House candidates share PAGES 4-10 views, plans

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Co-founder and President of Raeden, Jason Green, shows Dunwoody residents inside the existing 88,000-square-foot data center at 40 Perimeter Center East the morning of Sept. 29 and answers questions about construction and future plans for the property.

Data center work worries residents By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — The existing data center campus at 40 Perimeter Center East is under new ownership. Jason Green, co-founder and president of the building’s buyer, Raeden, told Village Springs Place residents at a gathering Sept. 29 that the building’s footprint will not expand despite the construction activity they’ve seen on the site. Residents were

not properly notified about the construction activity, something the company and the city say they are responsible for. Raeden, a data center developer and operating company, is in a lease-to-buy agreement for the 88,000-squarefoot data center. The building had been vacant for about nine years. Raeden focuses on adaptively reusing existing buildings that could serve as data centers. The 12.76-acre data center campus was originally

Decades ofExperience ExperienceTo Work For You Put Our Put Our Experience To Work For You Circle of Excellence Recipient JAN HART | REALTOR GEORGIA RAE HART | REALTOR ®

® JAN HART | REALTOR c: 678.596.3684 o: 404.480.HOME c: 678.596.3684 o: 404.480.HOME

built by The Coca-Cola Company, which owned it until it sold it to Lincoln Rackhouse in 2017. The subsidiary of Lincoln Property Company left the building for roughly the past nine years until Raeden entered the picture. Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch said at the Sept. 28 Dunwoody City Council meeting that she tried to market the property for alternative uses.

See DATA, Page 15

GEORGIA RAE HART | REALTOR® c: 678.266.8241 o: 404.480.HOME c: 678.266.8241 o: 404.480.HOME

ANSLEYRE.COM | 404.480.HOME | 3035 PEACHTREE ROAD, SUITE 202, ATLANTA, GA 30305 Equal housing opportunity. If you have an |existing brokerage relationship, is not202, intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted. ANSLEYRE.COM | 404.480.HOME 3035 PEACHTREE ROAD, this SUITE ATLANTA, GA 30305 Equal housing opportunity. If you have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted.

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2 | October 8, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

VOTER GUIDE

770-442-3278 AppenMedia.com 319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009 HANS APPEN Publisher DICK WILLIAMS Publisher Emeritus CONTACT NEWS TIPS Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com. LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance. ADVERTISING For information about advertising in the Dunwoody Crier or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278. CIRCULATION To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278. APPEN MEDIA FILE PHOTO

The Appen Media voter guide

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By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com

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Appen Media Group proudly presents your voters guide for the Nov. 3, 2026 midterm elections. This work would not be possible without the support of our readers. If you value this resource, please consider contributing to our fall fundraiser by making a one-time contribution to the Appen Press Club. Learn more at appenmedia.com/join. About this voters guide Our goal was to complete the bulk of our elections coverage by the start of early voting on Oct. 13. We have prioritized elections coverage for this issue, which means you will see minimal news coverage and no opinion pieces. However, we will still be keeping our community informed at appenmedia.com. Appen Media Group sent Q&As to nearly 80 candidates running for state and local offices. Our

focus is on the local races that are closest to you. While there are many sources for coverage of the large statewide races – like the race for U.S. Senate and governor – there are comparatively few resources for the races in your community. That’s the value we add to the discussion. We hope this voters guide will help you as you weigh your options in the voting booth. While we made sincere and persistent efforts to get Q&A responses from every candidate before our print deadline, some candidates did not respond. We will make note of the candidates who did not respond in this voter’s guide. All our election coverage can be found at appenmedia.com/elections. If a candidate responds after this guide is published, we will update the Q&As published on our website with those responses. How to use The voters guide Q&As will be

divided into sections for countylevel and state races. For the most accurate information about the races on your ballot, visit the Georgia Secretary of State’s My Voter page: mvp.sos.ga.gov/s/ Important election information The voter registration deadline for the Nov. 3 election was Oct. 5. Polling places will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Election Day. Voters must bring a valid photo ID, such as a driver’s license, passport or state-issued voter ID card. Advance voting for the election runs Oct. 13-30. To see a list of early voting locations visit (depends on the issue) DeKalb County: Dekalbvotes.com If the Nov. 3 election requires a runoff, that election is set for Dec. 1. The registration deadline for the runoff is also Oct. 5 for most contests, though voters registering solely for a federal runoff race have until Nov. 2.

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 8, 2026 | 3

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4 | October 8, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

Candidate Q&A: State Senate District 40

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DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The state Senate District 40 race features incumbent Democratic Sen. Sally Harrell and her Republican challenger, Melina Mast. Senate District 40 includes the cities of Brookhaven, Chamblee, Dunwoody and Doraville. The candidates’ responses have not been edited.

What are your campaign website and social media pages? MAST: Melinamast4ga.com HARRELL HARRELL: sallyharrell.org, @sallyharrellga Why are you running for this office? MAST: To help make changes for the children in school. HARRELL: I believe that government

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has an important role in supporting communities. State level policy really matters because it deals with public education and healthcare -- things that really make a difference in people's lives. I love the process of making good policy -- researching, listening and leading. That's why I'm running for re-election to the Georgia State Senate. What are your top priorities if you are elected? MAST: Pass bill 120 to remove all DEI and politics from the class room . Vote for conservative values. HARRELL: As a member of the minority party, it's hard to get things done in a Republican dominated legislature. I like to say that I legislate in the "cracks." I find things that we can all agree on and that's where I do my work. In the last few years, I've made progress on decreasing college cost by decreasing student fees; increased services for people living with disabilities and their caretakers; and most recently, helping to pass legislation to make on-line experiences safer for our kids. What makes you a better candidate than your opponent? MAST: I will make changes and vote with common sense.

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VOTER GUIDE

Continued from Page 4 HARRELL: Large school districts are more difficult to manage than small ones. You can see this in the turnover rates of DeKalb school superintendents. For this reason, smaller school districts are appealing to many. However, to allow for smaller school districts, there would need to be a revenue equalizing formula, just as there is at the state level. Not all communities have a strong property tax base, and for the last couple of decades, as state school funding has decreased, reliance of local property taxes to fund schools has increased. This trend will continue as the state reduces the income tax. Data centers are a contentious topic for many communities. Do you support the creation of more data centers in Georgia? Why or why not? What data center regulations should be in place, if any? MAST: Yes I do support Data centers because we need them to keep up. We can’t stop technology so we must be prepared better then other countries. HARRELL: We need a national plan that regulates how many data centers are built and where they are located. Right now local communities are being enticed by financial incentives to build data centers, rather than looking at preserving natural resources and shared energy. Massive data centers should pay for their own infrastructure needs, not residents of the communities where they reside. Data centers have been around for a long time -- what is driving the recent massive growth is AI. The Federal government needs to regulate AI. Georgia recently expanded access to its medical cannabis program, allowing new patients to receive medical cannabis cards and adding new products for patients. Do you support expanding the program further and allowing the sale of cannabis for recreational use? Why or why not? MAST: Yes I do support this because I believe it’s is better then getting opioids from doctors. HARRELL: I think the cat is already out of the bag on this one. The recent changes made by the legislature opened up loop holes big enough that we essentially already have recreation cannabis. Yes, I support regulated access to cannabis for recreational use. Georgia continues to debate how state elections are conducted and every year there is new legislation on this topic. What changes to our current election system do you

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support, if any? MAST: I support election integrity. I support paper ballots HARRELL: Many of the post-2020 election laws currently on the books need to be repealed. They were passed in response to "the big lie" that there was massive voter fraud in the 2020 election. It's time to move on. I have argued since 2019 that we should not use a QR code to count votes because voters cannot verify the QR code. I support using character recognition software instead. I honestly think voters love to vote by mail and I think we can safely implement such a program. If you are elected, what will you do to help your constituents who are struggling due to inflation and other rising costs? What can the state do to make Georgia more affordable? MAST: I will vote to keep lowering taxes and healthcare cost. HARRELL: Housing and health insurance of huge drivers of rising costs. It's time to scrap our entire profit-based health system and replace it with some kind of national healthcare system. At the state level, at least we could offer some kind of public option health insurance. As for housing, we need a larger supply of low-income housing, and we need to limit the practice of corporations buying up neighborhoods. If elected, do you promise to be ethical and transparent? If you are elected, what will you do to promote ethics and transparency in government? MAST: Yes. HARRELL: I always strive to be ethical and transparent in public service, writing a weekly newsletter every week while in session (go to my website to sign up). During the last few years, I have watched the current Republican leadership abuse the legislative process by bypassing legislative rules for how bills become law. The short 40-day session creates a perfect environment for this to happen. A longer session would lessen the power of corporate lobbyists and allow for more participation of the public in the passage of laws.

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 8, 2026 | 7

8 | October 8, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

VOTER GUIDE

Candidate Q&A: State House District 80 DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — The race for state House District 80 features incumbent Democratic Rep. Long Tran and his Republican challenger Brian Anderson. The district includes the cities of Dunwoody, Doraville and Chamblee. The candidates’ responses have not been edited. TRAN

new school districts but perhaps consolidating as well. All this must be done while creating a new funding formula that ensures every school district can provide a world class education that prepares our current and next generation students the ability to compete globally. ANDERSON: Absolutely! Many of out school districts are way to large. Smaller school districts will allow more parental involvement, smaller class sizes, and more focused budgets to better support every child’s education. Additionally, I would prioritize transparent use of funding to ensure our children receive the best quality of education possible since our system spends over $16,000 per student, which is comparable to private school rates.

What are your campaign website and social media pages? TRAN: www.longtran.com, Facebook.com/statereptran ANDERSON: briananderson4ga.com

Why are you running for this office? TRAN: I am running for reelection to continue building on my successes for the district. An example is we were able to ANDERSON allocate funds towards a new library in Doraville. There are rising challenges facing DeKalb that I want to continue to work on. Immigration, small businesses, housing, and public safety to name some. ANDERSON: Create a better future for my kids and their kids. What are your top priorities if you are elected? TRAN: If re-elected I will continue to prioritize the safety of our children. Last session I introduced a bill to update child abuse reporting protocols. It made it out of committee but failed to advance further. That is one of my top priorities. Updating our school funding formula, housing, workforce development/participation, increasing the number of small businesses, and implementing policies that protect our land remains my top priorities. ANDERSON: Affordability, education, healthcare & elderly care What makes you a better candidate than your opponent? TRAN: I have served for 4 years and I am asking to be sent back for two more years. In my time as State Representative I have brought tax dollars back to the district. I have forged working partnerships with the city and county leadership. I have worked hard to bridge the North-South DeKalb divide. My success has been recognized by many such as one of Ga Asian Times 25 most influential leaders. I’ve proven I can work across party lines, and across different communities and cities. This makes me the best choice for voters in District 80. ANDERSON: Most of the current policies governments propose actually dramatically increase the cost of everyday living for those who can least afford it. They do not take into account the people’s opinions, despite claiming to represent them, such as the installation of Flock monitoring systems. I prioritize transparency and the rights of the people which should be the defining features of our democracy.

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Gov. Brian Kemp has told government agencies to submit level budgets as they prepare for next year’s budget cycle. Kemp has also cut income taxes. Do you support continuing to reduce government spending while also cutting taxes? If so, what is your plan to provide services with less revenue? TRAN: The reduction of income taxes has left us with a projected shortfall of 1.3 billion dollars or higher for fiscal year 2027. It is hard to argue for additional tax reductions with a deficit looming. Our departments already operate on tight budgets. We need to find waste without wasting money looking for that waste. Some departments are looking at a reduction of federal funds and will need the state to make up for that shortfall. Our foster care system is a good example of this. We are facing an uncertain future of how much federal funds we will receive. This will impact our fiscal decision in 2027. Protecting the services to our most vulnerable populations must remain a priority for our state. ANDERSON: Government spending has gotten out of control. Transparent zero based budgeting for all departments should be required, so citizens can see where every budgeted dollar spent is actually going. The state needs to roll back services to the levels provided in the pre-covid era. Do you support changing the constitution to allow for the creation of new school districts? TRAN: Georgia has many challenges facing its communities within every school district. The way we fund schools through the QBE formula has largely been unchanged for 40 years. We need a comprehensive approach that both looks at how we fund our schools and how the landscape and needs of our workforce and families have changed. I strongly support a consideration of not just creating

Data centers are a contentious topic for many communities. Do you support the creation of more data centers in Georgia? Why or why not? What data center regulations should be in place, if any? TRAN: This is a very contentious debate. We have many parts of our state that need economic development. That includes parts of DeKalb County. Data centers need to be a win for communities. I do not support placing the burden of data centers on Georgians. Georgians should not have to bear the burden of tax subsidies, and utility costs such as electricity and water. In fact we have seen corporations such as Microsoft roll back the tax incentives for their data center. Data centers must be a win for communities by creating jobs, modernizing aging infrastructure through their own investment, and improving the communities they are in. Currently we see many communities harmed by data centers and so the concerns of Georgians are valid and must be listened to not ignored. ANDERSON: Data centers should pay for the entire cost of their operations without any taxpayer subsidies. This includes paying for any capital costs for new electric generation instead of adding burdens to Georgia communities. Also, regulations should exist to ensure the data collected is not used by the government to shut down constitutionally protected dissent and protect the privacy of all citizens. Georgia recently expanded access to its medical cannabis program, allowing new patients to receive medical cannabis cards and adding new products for patients. Do you support expanding the program further and allowing the sale of cannabis for recreational use? Why or why not? TRAN: Legalizing and expanding medical cannabis was never meant to be a stepping stone to recreational use. That said I believe medical cannabis should be expanded further but with careful and deliberate consideration. Recreational cannabis is a separate debate and one that needs a very measured and careful approach. We need to take our time to look at the data. Looking at strong evidence on the impact on public health, workplace safety, impaired driving, and our youth is needed before we can consider recreational cannabis. ANDERSON: Recreational cannabis is an excellent example of an issue that should be decided by the people in a statewide referendum. As with most issues, I support the people’s right to decide.

See EIGHTY, Page 10

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NEWS

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20-35 staff members monitoring the equipment and providing security.

Continued from Page 1 However, Deutsch said, “This is a tricky lot,” because most of it is unable to be developed. Green said the spot was ideal for them because the building comes with power and critical internet connectivity. The site already has six generators and seven chillers, which will be replaced with upgraded equipment when the time comes. The site tenant will be Alembic, a Casual AI platform and softwarebuilding company that Delta has contracted to enhance its technology processes. Alembic is in a minimum 10-year contract with Raeden for the site. Raeden is investing $500 million in capital costs for the building and $2 billion in computers. According to Green, Raeden is not taking any tax breaks, called abatements, offered on data center campuses or equipment, because, “in our mind, that’s taking away from the community.” Addressing rumored additions Residents on Village Springs Place did not mind the data center they shared a property line with until about a month ago, when crews started demolishing the crumbling parking deck on site. They were never given notice of the demolition and subsequent clearing that would take place, for which both the city of Dunwoody and Green have claimed responsibility. Resident Charles Goldberg said he and his neighbors found the lack of notice “disappointing,” and are concerned that trend could continue with future disruptions. “I was just shocked about what was going on there because it’d been quiet for 20 years,” Goldberg said. While Dunwoody was not legally obligated to notify the public about the permits it acquired, both parties promised to be more proactive in alerting residents to future noise disruptions. The loud booms and shaking led Goldberg to dig deeper and find a map of the site posted by the sellers, Lincoln Property Company, that showed potential areas where the buyer could expand the data center, the equipment yard on the northern part of the property, and the site’s existing substation. When asked about the map’s accuracy, Green said it was “100% wrong.” He confirmed that the building’s footprint cannot and will not grow, and there won’t be any additional buildings. The parking deck will also not be

HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

The data center at 40 Perimeter Center East in Dunwoody is undergoing interior renovations, and the on-site parking deck is being demolished after Raeden, a data center developer and operating company, entered a lease-to-buy agreement. replaced. Instead, the space will be saved for additional generators and chillers needed after Georgia Power completes the installation of a small substation at the existing power site. Greene said this additional service was planned before Raeden bought the building because Georgia Power needed a central location to better serve the city of Dunwoody. Mitigating the noise, water usage Green explained that this is not a hyper-scale data center, which can use hundreds of megawatts of energy. Raeden’s customers are companies that need access to inference data centers – which are smaller centers that help provide artificial intelligence services to individual users. Residents worry about the humming noise of living near a data center, but Green said this sound is specific to hyperscale data center campuses like those in northern Virginia and North Dakota. Green claims that, based on noise studies of their data center designs, the ambient noise in the area during the day will be louder than the data center. Raeden has proposed a data center in Colorado Springs, Colorado that is to be less than 42 decibels during the day and less than 34 decibels at night – which Green designed to be the quietest data center of its size in the U.S., according to reporting by KRCC, a Colorado Public Radio station. A measurement of 45 decibels is equivalent to a light rain or quiet office. Green said it is purchasing

attenuated chillers equipped with noise-reduction technology that will quiet the source of the noise by an estimated 30%. Each chiller will also be contained within a whisper-quiet enclosure designed to reduce sound intensity inside. Construction plans also call for building a wall made of noisedamping material that is 20% taller than the highest device in the data center to help prevent sound waves from carrying into surrounding neighborhoods. When residents asked about the site’s water usage, Green said the data center will operate on a closed-loop aircooled chilling system, which differs from an evaporative cooling system that uses cooling towers. A closed-loop air-cooled chilling system cycles a fixed amount of water through the chillers to the computers, where heat transfers from the equipment into the water, then is processed to expel the heat and cooled again. “We don’t need water,” Green said, outside of what is required for the

How residents are feeling Still, residents are concerned with the current and planned construction’s impact on the nature surrounding their homes. They say the tree buffer has been damaged, leading deer families to wander into their yards and neighborhood streets. They’re concerned construction debris could be polluting Nancy Creek, which runs behind the property. They also want an independent, third-party sound study or peer review of the study completed by an acoustical engineer that Raeden hired. Green said all documents they have to submit to the city of Dunwoody will be published on its website under a tab specific to the 40 Perimeter Center East property. Green mentioned conversations with Dunwoody staffers about installing a walking trail around the property, but residents at the Sept. 29 gathering opposed that suggestion, saying they would rather have more trees lining their property to help absorb noise. However, Gijs Korremans, who lives on Village Springs Run, has recently advocated for the pedestrian shortcut that will link Orleans Way – a road behind the data center – to Two Bridges Park, which is identified in Dunwoody’s Trail Master Plan. “Currently, Orleans Way dead-ends near the vacant data center property separating our streets from Perimeter Center East Extension,” Korremans wrote in an email to Appen Media. “Completing this small spur of Segment W3 would dramatically improve safe, non-vehicular access to Two Bridges Park for dozens of local families.” Goldberg is also concerned about restrictions on the development because DeKalb County’s current data center moratorium applies only to unincorporated areas, which does not include Dunwoody. Even if it benefits the city, Goldberg and his neighbors wonder what the project means for those who live next to it. “The city of Dunwoody is the only one standing between the community and the data center right now,” Goldberg said.

PUBLIC NOTICE The 2026 Atlanta Miles for Melanoma 5K allows participants to support and raise funds for the Melanoma Research Foundation by coming together in their community alongside fellow melanoma patients, survivors, caregivers and supporters. The event will take place at Brook Run Park on Sunday, November 8th, 2026 from 7:30am ET to 11:00am ET. There will be minimal interruption. For more information or any questions, visit: https://runsignup.com/Race/GA/Dunwoody/MRFAtlantaMilesForMelanoma5K

16 | October 8, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

COMMUNITY

Dunwoody amnesty program aims to clear old warrants, fines DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody Municipal Court will offer an amnesty program in October and November for individuals with past-due traffic citations and active bench warrants related to failure-to-appear cases. The program is intended to provide an opportunity for individuals to return to court, resolve outstanding violations and reduce the risk of arrest. “Participating in our court amnesty program gives individuals a safe and responsible way to clear outstanding warrants and failure-to-appear violations without fear of arrest,” Dunwoody Municipal Court Clerk Norlaundra Jackson said. “It also allows people to address suspended driver’s licenses and resolve court matters that may be holding them back in their daily lives. Our goal is to encourage people to come

forward and move forward without the burden of unresolved court issues.” If all court fines are paid in full, the associated contempt fees will be waived. If a mandatory court appearance is required, court staff members will schedule a future court date. Outstanding warrants and warrant fees will be cleared at that time. Individuals interested in the amnesty program can visit the court at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Mondays, Tuesdays or Fridays. The court accepts cash, money orders, cashier’s checks and credit cards. Personal checks will not be accepted. For more information, call the court at 678-382-6973. — Hannah Yahne

CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED

A gavel sits on the Dunwoody Municipal Court Bench at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road.

ATL Kosher BBQ Fest returns to new Dunwoody location

ATLANTA JEWISH LIFE FOUNDATION/PROVIDED

ROI

matters.

DUNWOODY, Ga. — This year’s Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival is moving to a new location at 66 Perimeter Center East in Dunwoody and will be held Sunday, Oct. 18, from noon to 4 p.m. At the heart of the festival is a Kosher BBQ Competition featuring pitmaster teams vying for top honors in four competitive categories: brisket, beef ribs, chicken and chili. The contest is strictly supervised by the Atlanta Kashruth Commission, ensuring full compliance with kosher foodhandling requirements and allowing all segments of the Jewish community and broader Atlanta residents to gather and enjoy authentic Southern BBQ together. “The Atlanta Kosher BBQ Festival is about bringing people together across all backgrounds through a shared love of great food and community,” the festival’s Executive Director Jacqueline Morris said. “Our new Dunwoody venue gives us

even more space to welcome families, foodies and competition teams for an unforgettable autumn Sunday.” In addition to the competition, festivalgoers can purchase public tasting tickets for $1.25 each, allowing them to try the competition's creations. There will be a vendor village with local artisans, community organizations and live music performances throughout the day. Kids of all ages can enjoy the interactive entertainment and activities. There will also be a silent auction that will include items like sporting event tickets, concert passes, luxury stays and other travel opportunities. The family-friendly event hosted by the Atlanta Jewish Life Foundation will take place rain or shine and offer free admission to the public. Last year, more than 4,000 BBQ enthusiasts and community supporters attended the festival. — Hannah Yahne

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OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 8, 2026 | 17

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER

1317 Mill Gate will be featured on the Dunwoody Woman’s Club Home Tour.

PHOTOS PROVIDED

Dunwoody Woman’s Club thanks homeowners On behalf of the members of the Dunwoody Woman’s Club (DWC), we offer our heartfelt thanks to the homeowners who graciously opened their remarkable residences for our 53rd annual Home Tour on Oct. 2. Their generosity and hospitality played a crucial role in the success of this major fundraiser. As a token of our appreciation, each homeowner was gifted a beautiful painting of their home, created by the talented local artist, Pat Fiorello. We are deeply grateful to our sponsors and donors for their longtime support of this event. We appreciate the Spruill Center for the Arts for their assistance as well as the efforts of Mount Vernon Printing, the Dunwoody Crier, Atlanta Cart Rental and Custom Signs Today. We thank our raffle donors, Lauderhills Fine Jewelry, Face Haven and Pat Fiorello for their generous contributions. A special thank you goes to Art in the Garden by the Dunwoody Fine Art Association, which provided plein-air painters in the gardens. Their boutique was filled with beautiful original art, which enhanced the tour. DWC is grateful to all of our guests who purchased tickets. We hope

you enjoyed the new day for the tour and visiting our three extraordinary homes. DWC is a service organization of women joining together to expand their skills and apply their abilities. Our members are community leaders who make financial and service contributions benefiting Dunwoody and surrounding areas. DWC members have helped to forge the strong sense of community enjoyed by all who live in this thriving Atlanta area. We invite other women to join us in the day group or the new night division at www.dunwoodywomansclub. com. Check out our website to learn more about DWC. The funds raised from the Home Tour directly support our local and national charitable programs, allowing us to continue our commitment to service in the community. Thank you all for your continued support and dedication! DWC is proud to have been a driving force behind the formation of Stage Door Theatre, Spruill Center for the Arts, the Dunwoody Library and the Dunwoody Nature Center.

Linda Mote

Dunwoody Woman’s Club, Home Tour Chair

TALK BACK TO THE CRIER: Appen Media Group is committed to publishing a wide variety of viewpoints and welcomes letters to the editor. Email letters to newsroom@ appenmedia.com, and please keep them to about 300 words. Submitting a letter does not guarantee it will be published. Letters will be published with the writer’s name in print and online. Please include your full name, phone number and home address. We use your phone number and address only to confirm you wrote the letter, and we don’t publish them. Letters must follow libel laws. You’re welcome to criticize public officials’ positions, policies and decisions, but we won’t publish personal attacks or insults. We reserve the right to edit letters for length and clarity.

In Memoriam

OPINION

18 | October 8, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody

John Briggs

August 3, 1945 – September 22, 2026

John Oliver Finklea “Johnny” Briggs, 81, died on September 22, 2026, in Dunwoody, Georgia. Born on August 3, 1945, in Brewton, Alabama, he lived a life marked by dedication to his work, devotion to his family, and a deep enjoyment of the interests and friendships that shaped his days. Johnny graduated from Georgia Military Academy before continuing his education at Georgia Tech, where he earned a degree in civil engineering in 1967. In the years that followed, he worked for a time in civil engineering and also co-owned a liquor store in Sandy Springs. In 1980, he graduated from Georgia State with a master’s degree in accounting and passed all four parts of the CPA exam at one time. That accomplishment marked the beginning of the next chapter of his professional life. In the early 1980s, Johnny became a CPA and established his own accounting firm in the Dunwoody area. The business was successful and became not only a significant part of his life’s work, but also a family connection, employing his daughter Jennifer. Johnny with his brother Cliff owned a substantial amount of land in Alabama. Together they ran Briggs Timberlands LLC. He is survived by his wife, Trudi Briggs; his daughter, Jennifer Morris; his son, Mike Briggs; his grandson, Damon; his granddaughters, Eliza and Hazel; his brother Murray Clifton Briggs, jr.; and his nephews Tripper and Luke Briggs. He was preceded in death by his father, Murray Clifton Briggs, who died in 1991; his mother Marion Lee Finklea, who died in 1952; his grandson, Dean Sutton

Morris, who died in 2014; his nephew, John Durilla Briggs, who died in 2021; and his sister in law Suzan Durilla Briggs, who died in 2024. Beyond his professional accomplishments, Johnny found lasting enjoyment in the pursuits that reflected his curiosity and skill. He loved to play golf and he loved to travel, especially when it gave him the chance to see unusual things. One such experience was attending the Iditarod finish in Nome, Alaska, in 2024. He was an avid reader of science magazines and World War II history books, interests that spoke to a lively and engaged mind. He was a very accomplished woodworker who created beautiful furniture pieces for various family members, leaving behind not only memories but tangible expressions of his care and craftsmanship. Johnny also had a great love for his Georgia Tech fraternity Phi Gamma Delta to which he dedicated countless hours as a treasurer, accountant, and fundraiser over the years. Johnny will be remembered as a generous, witty, and loyal man, and as a wonderful husband, father, and grandfather. He will be missed by his many friends, especially the group he met with every day for the last ten or so years at the BP, affectionately known as “the Dunwoody Think Tank.” Those daily meetings were an important part of his routine and a valued way for him to begin each day. John Oliver Finklea “Johnny” Briggs will be deeply missed by his family, his friends, his clients, and all who knew him.

AIKENOMICS

Why ‘no butts in seats without a pre-approval’ is still one of the best rules for realtors We all know my friend Joe Lunch Pale. Joe wants to spend the next three weekends looking at houses. Maybe write a low offer here and there just to see what happens. And according to Joe, D.C. AIKEN financing won’t be a Guest Columnist dcaiken.com problem. According to Joe, he has a 950 credit score, makes great money, has almost no debt, and has more cash in the bank than Scrooge McDuck. Don’t worry about Joe… Joe is ready to go.Or is he? There is one basic rule every real estate agent should live by: No butts in car seats until you see a pre-approval. No ifs. No ands. And definitely no butts in seats. Because when it comes to mortgages, I have another rule: Show me. Don’t tell me. That fictional 950 credit score? Turns out it’s 620. Joe also forgot to mention that he generously co-signed on a couple of car loans for his nieces and nephews. Unfortunately, the mortgage underwriter doesn’t care who is actually making those payments unless we can properly document it. And that shiny new truck Joe just bought? The new payment changed his debt-to-income ratio, while all those credit inquiries and the new account didn’t exactly help his credit profile… hence why Joe’s score is now 620. Then we discover Joe recently left his salaried job and went hourly. “But I’m making more money!” Maybe. The problem isn’t necessarily Joe’s hourly rate. It’s establishing how many hours he can reasonably be expected to work. Is it consistently 40 hours? Or 36? Or 32? And what about overtime? We may need a documented history before we can use it as qualifying income. Welcome to Hourly Jail, Joe. Then Joe tells me not to worry about the down payment because he has $100,000 in his 401(k). Great! Except having $100,000 in a retirement account doesn’t necessarily mean Joe has $100,000 available for a home purchase. His plan may restrict loans or withdrawals, and we need to know

IMAGE PROVIDED TO APPEN MEDIA

exactly how much he can access. Suddenly, Joe’s “slam-dunk” mortgage isn’t quite the slam dunk everyone thought it was. And that’s the real problem. Maybe Joe qualifies for $650,000. Maybe he qualifies for $400,000. Maybe Joe doesn’t qualify for anything right now. But wouldn’t you rather know that before spending four weekends driving him around Atlanta? Worse yet, imagine showing Joe $650,000 homes for a month only to discover that his actual purchasing power is $400,000. Good luck getting Joe excited about the $400,000 house after he’s fallen in love with the $650,000 one. That’s why getting pre-approved isn’t simply about the mortgage. It’s about setting expectations before emotions get involved. It protects the buyer. It protects the agent’s time. It establishes a realistic price range. And when the right house comes along, everyone is prepared to move. No butts in seats until you have a preapproval in your hand. No ifs. No ands. And absolutely, no butts. 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.

NEWS

AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | October 8, 2026 | 19

HANNAH YAHNE/APPEN MEDIA

The Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta’s outdoor pickleball courts sit behind a chain-link fence and a line of trees in this view from a Dunwoody Glen resident’s backyard. The Dunwoody City Council approved the center’s plan Sept. 28 to add enclosed indoor courts, while neighbors continue to raise concerns about noise from the 12 existing outdoor courts.

Council: Continued from Page 1 “For two years, we didn’t receive a complaint.” Powers said the changes will cost more than six figures. Council Member Rob Price said, now that the building is fully enclosed, the discussion turns to how to mitigate existing noise from the 12 outdoor pickleball courts. “There are some measures here,” Price said. “If this isn’t adequate, what are the next steps after that?” Mayor Lynn Deutsch instructed the city’s community development staff to work with the community center and its neighbors to address noise related to those courts. Dunwoody Glen resident Ann Ahern spoke against the additional courts at the beginning of the Sept. 28 council meeting, saying the community center had violated three of the five conditions council members imposed when approving the outdoor courts. She said she wants to know if the community center can shorten their hours of play to mitigate her noise

concerns. She wants to ensure they abide by the city’s noise ordinance. “I think the city council and the mayor did a great job of trying to at least address our concerns at least within the time constraints of the city council meeting,” Ahern said. “I think it’s just going to be ongoing work.”

attend DeKalb County Schools. If needed, a bus stop will be added at the intersection of Spalding Drive and Pitts Road. The Providence Group, the developer of the project, hopes to have water services through the city of Atlanta and sewer services through Fulton County.

Subdivision to move forward During the Sept. 28 meeting, council members also approved altering the residential zoning districts for three land parcels on Spalding and Roberts drives from R-100 to R-60. The difference between the zoning districts comes down to lot size, frontage and setbacks. The approval makes way for the property owner to develop a 24-lot subdivision fronting Spalding Drive that will straddle the Sandy Springs city limit. Three of the homes will be within Dunwoody’s city limits, with a pedestrian-only path extending from the private drive at 5676 Roberts Drive. Council members wanted to know who would provide public services to those three homes. DeKalb County will provide fire and emergency medical services and sanitation. Dunwoody will provide police services. Students from those homes will

Ashford Dunwoody Road site rezoned for townhomes Council members also approved, in a 5-1 vote, moving 4891 Ashford Dunwoody Road from office-institutional to Perimeter Center zoning, which will allow for residential uses. The medical office building on the site will be demolished and redeveloped into 33 forsale townhomes that will be four stories tall with a maximum height of 50 feet. Some items have been modified since the request first came to the council. The interior streets will now be privately maintained, and the maintenance of the subdivision’s stormwater ponds and other infrastructure will be the responsibility of a homeowners association. After receiving requests for units with accommodations for older adults, a representative of the applicant said he anticipated every unit “will actually

be elevator-ready,” with stacked closets designed for installation. SmartMED to offer in-office, drivethru services in Dunwoody Urgent care provider SmartMED will soon open a Dunwoody location at 125 Perimeter Center West, and council members approved a special-use permit that will allow them to see patients through drive-thru visits. The location will also offer in-office care to patients. The applicant said drive-thru care is beneficial for patients who may not be able to easily exit their vehicles. The building on the site formerly housed a bank with drive-thru service. No changes have been proposed to the site other than new doors and cosmetic repairs. There will be two drive-thru lanes, and officials plan to see six cars an hour. SmartMED has operated a Roswell location for four years. The Dunwoody location will be their second. A public speaker at a Sept. 14 council meeting said Dunwoody would be “incredibly lucky” to have the healthcare provider operating in the city.

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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.

See FOURTH, Page 23

OPINION

See FIREWORKS, Page 24

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

► PAGE 8

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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.

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.

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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

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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

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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

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

sions last January and writing false reports about each of the incidents. “The (Justice Department’s) Civil Rights Division has zero tolerance for law enforcement officers who abuse public trust through excessive force and concealing their misconduct,” said Assistant U.S. Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon. “We will vigorously safeguard the constitutional

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

See FULTON, Page 20

Fulton jail staff faces civil rights indictments By DAVE WILLIAMS Capitol Beat ATLANTA — Fulton County Jail employee has been indicted in federal court for allegedly using excessive force against prisoners. The 47-year-old sergeant is accused of repeatedly using tasers on compliant, nonresisting pre-trial detainees on three occa-

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

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

By JON WILCOX | jon@appenmedia.com

County considers funding for sheriff’s training facility Two-year-old Cameron holds a beach ball at the City of Roswell Fourth of July celebration at Roswell Area Park.

► PAGE 5

2024 DR. JOHN REYES

Residents celebrate, remember meaning behind Juneteenth

See BISCUIT, Page 6

County delays closing Alpharetta jail site

Pitts: Raising millage rate would be mistake

► PAGE 4

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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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

► PAGE 4

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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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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.

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

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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,

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

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.

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By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

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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