Forsyth Herald - December 18, 2025 by Appen Media Group

Regional housing experts offer tips for homebuyers ► PAGE 6

D e c e m b e r 1 8 , 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 9 , N o . 5 1

Area grads competing in college playoff field By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Teams are gearing up for the College Football Playoff with the first games taking place Dec. 19, and their rosters include plenty of players from North Metro Atlanta. The Southeastern Conference is the most popular in this region of the country for top high school players to attend for college, and it also coincidentally has the most teams in the playoff. The University of Alabama has two familiar names, senior defensive lineman LT Overton, a Milton graduate, and Vito Perri, a linebacker and redshirt junior from Alpharetta. The University of Oklahoma brought in one Cambridge graduate from the transfer portal in tight end Carson Kent. Kent played for Kennesaw State for two years before becoming a Sooner.

See CFP, Page 13 SCREENSHOT

The Forsyth County Commission discusses changes to its tree ordinance during a Dec. 9 work session.

County explores tighter restrictions within tree preservation ordinance By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

CARL APPEN/APPEN MEDIA

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

ROI

matters.

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County is reworking an ordinance with an eye toward ensuring trees are protected and developers are in compliance. At a Dec. 9 work session, the Forsyth County Commission reviewed progress in overhauling the ordinance. Led by staff, the effort is a part of a series of zoning and code updates commissioners are

undertaking during a moratorium on residential zoning requests. Planning Manager Heather Ryan discussed potential changes to the ordinance that could emphasize tree survival, focus on protection of quality trees, streamline procedures and promote incentives to developers. The recommendations were created in conjunction with the county’s arborist. “Focusing on longevity, enhanced tree protection has been a

major theme,” Ryan said. “These amendments are in an effort to focus on tree (health).” County staff are looking to increase the sizes of critical root zones, planting standards and improving the standards for trees in parking lot islands. They also are examining practices for tree care, pruning and removal, maintenance schedules and long-term protection requirements.

See TREES, Page 13

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CUMMING, Ga. — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office announced the loss of Robert Muth, a beloved former employee and active volunteer, struck by a vehicle during Cumming’s Dec. 13 Christmas parade. The Sheriff’s Office said Muth was assisting with traffic control for the parade at the intersection of Castleberry Road and Buford Dam Road when he was struck by a vehicle. Immediately, other volunteers and deputies began life-saving measures, and he was transported to Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center in Roswell. The Sheriff’s Office said the driver stayed at the scene and cooperated with law enforcement. Muth died from his injuries the following morning, surrounded by family members. The Cumming Police Department was called to investigate the crash because Muth was affiliated with the Sheriff’s Office.

On Monday, Dec. 15, the Cumming Police Department announced the arrest of the driver, Ronnie Jake Kirby, 68. Kirby was charged with four misdemeanors: vehicular homicide in the second degree, improper lane change, failure to obey traffic control device and failure to use due care. Kirby was being held in the Forsyth County Jail with court date scheduled for this week. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office paid tribute to Muth on its social media page. “Rob selflessly provided countless volunteer hours in service to the Sheriff’s Office and the community he lived in,” the post said. “His dedication, professionalism and willingness to serve wherever needed exemplified the very best of our volunteer program.” Muth was a retired sergeant from the Boca Raton Police Department in Florida, serving 21 years. After his retirement, he continued his commitment to public service as a

Sheriff’s Office Bluecoat security officer assigned to the Judicial Operations Division from January 2022 to April 2024. He then became a volunteer, assisting the Citizens Helping in Policing or CHIP’s Unit, Criminal Investigations Division and by supporting agency operations through interoffice communications work. The Sheriff’s Office said deputies escorted Muth back to Cumming Dec. 15, pausing in front of the courthouse so deputies could salute their friend before heading to McDonald and Son Funeral Home. “Please keep Mr. Muth, his family, friends and our 150 plus FCSO Volunteer and C.E.R.T. (Citizens Emergency Response Team) members in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time,” the statement says. “Mr. Muth’s legacy of service and dedication to this agency and our community will not be forgotten.”

POLICE BLOTTER

A search revealed a bag of marijuana and a box containing 41 small blue pills stamped with the letter “M,” the deputy’s report said. The man allegedly said the pills contained fentanyl. A field test also allegedly indicated the pills contained the opioid. The man was charged with misdemeanor speeding and felony trafficking of illegal drugs. — Jon Wilcox

deputies approached a parked minivan at Tidwell Park at Lake Lanier after running its plates and determining the owner was wanted for violation of probation in a methamphetamine case. Deputies said they found it suspicious that the vehicle was parked there at 11:30 p.m. Deputies found the Forsyth man and a woman inside the vehicle. While speaking with the man, deputies reported hearing a crunching sound from his pockets and asked him to empty their contents. The man allegedly removed a pack of cigarettes that contained a baggie of suspected methamphetamine. The man was arrested, and a search of his person revealed a smoking device and another baggie of suspected methamphetamine, the report stated.

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

Roswell man arrested on felony drug charge FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 21-year-old Roswell man was arrested on a drug trafficking charge Nov. 23. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said deputies stopped a car near Carolene Way and Atlanta Highway after smelling marijuana emanating from the vehicle while in the parking lot of a gas station. Deputies said the vehicle was speeding.

Man arrested at park for drug possession FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 56-year-old man was charged with possession of methamphetamine Nov. 24. The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said

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Cumming police chief completes FBI academy FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Cumming Police Chief P.J. Girvan became the first person in the department’s history to complete the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s National Academy. Girvan graduated from the academy’s 296th session Dec. 11 after completing the 11-week program. The academy offered advanced training in communication, leadership and fitness. The graduation ceremony was held in Quantico, Va. Participants, who must have a proven record within their agencies, on average have 21 years of law enforcement experience and often return to serve in executive-level positions. The 296th session included 254 graduating law enforcement officers from 47 states and the District of Columbia. It also included law enforcement officers from 24 countries, four military organizations and two federal civilian organizations. Girvan, a Forsyth County native, began his career with the Atlanta Police Department in 2011, where he served in

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the Uniform Patrol Division, then the Apex Unit, targeting violent street crimes. In 2017, he joined the Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office/ Johns Creek-Alpharetta-Forsyth CUMMING POLICE County Drug DEPARTMENT/PROVIDED Task Force. Police Chief PJ He served as Girvan is a graduate a uniform patrol of the Federal Bureau officer and suof Investigation’s pervisor, then as National Academy. a detective in the Criminal Investigations Division with the Cumming Police Department before his appointment as chief in 2023.

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Regional housing experts offer tips for homebuyers By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com METRO ATLANTA — MarketNsight’s latest peek into the housing industry Dec. 11 indicates troubled times for some areas of the country as home prices continue to outpace purchasing power. The update, delivered twice annually, is geared to help clients navigate a shifting market, discussing the relationship between declining interest rates and affordability. The business is centered around providing real-time data, expert forecasts and strategic insights to homebuilders, developers and other real estate professionals. The firm is unique in the industry for tracking pending sales and inventory trends every week across several U.S. markets. To open the program, the company paid tribute to its former CEO and cofounder John Hunt, who passed away in late July. Michelle Hunt, John’s wife, company co-founder and former chief operating officer, transitioned to CEO of MarketNsight. “Since the beginning of the MarketNsight, John noticed this trend in affordability, and he predicted the current housing affordability crisis,” she said. “He could see this coming way down the road. This is how he said it during our last MarketWatch and it’s even more true today … it’s an indisputable fact

that we have a housing shortage of epic proportions in this country.” Michelle shared some of John’s routine advice for prospective homebuyers: drive until you qualify. For homebuilders looking to create an attainable product: consider reducing square footage. In its September update to clients, MarketNsight reported that some of its metro-based markets increased their housing supply to six months, a metric indicating how long it would take to sell all homes on the market at their current listing price. Increased supply puts downward pressure on prices. “Younger buyers continue to depend on their savings, or inherit, for their down payment, while older buyers use proceeds from the sale of their previous residence,” Hunt said. “Median age is 40 for first-time homebuyers. Also, the median age for all buyers is 59 years. That changes our perspective on who the first-time home buyer is.” Economist forecasts Fed moves Rajeev Dhawan, Ph.D., director at the J. Mack Robinson College of Business at Georgia State University, provided his insights. “The forecast is for aggressive rate cuts,” Dhawan said, predicting cuts totaling 150 basis points in the first half of 2026. “They need to get done now.”

See MARKET, Page 13

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Entertainment center opens in Dunwoody By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Brandon and Ray Wooldridge, the father and son who own Big Play Entertainment Atlanta, picked a spot in Dunwoody after a tornado demolished the family’s business outside of Nashville. Like the City of Dunwoody itself, the Wooldridge family knows how to bounce back from the destruction of high-speed winds. A little more than 24 hours before its 5 p.m. grand opening Dec. 11, Brandon Wooldridge announced Big Play Entertainment cleared its last hurdle, passing a grease-trap inspection from DeKalb County Watershed Management. Brandon Wooldridge is the general manager of Big Play Entertainment, spending the past couple of weeks training his staff of around 30 employees. “We thought we were going to open this summer,” Wooldridge said. “Because of knocking down walls and dealing with older buildings, we ran into all kinds of different delays and problems.” Big Play Entertainment resembles entertainment centers like Main Event in Alpharetta, Cobb County and Suwanee. Its 44,000-square-foot space within the Mount Vernon Shopping Center has 16 bowling lanes, a 24-person laser tag arena, an ’80s themed mini-golf course and some 80 arcade games. There’s been a lot of chatter about Big Play Entertainment in the Dunwoody community and on social media. Matt Weber interviewed Valerie Inglesby, who is handling property management of the shopping center, on the What’s Up Dunwoody podcast a few days before the grand opening. Inglesby confirmed the CVS Pharmacy renewed its lease and will be staying. Wooldridge also addressed another controversy. He said a parking agreement with Crema Espresso Gourmet went through a couple of iterations but taking on liability didn’t make sense for his business. He said it’s possible the two businesses forge an agreement next year. Family business picks Dunwoody The Wooldridge family is from Sandy Springs. The library and academic center at the Marist School, a private K-12 Catholic school in Brookhaven, is named after longtime benefactor Raymond Wooldridge. The family gives discreetly to other nonprofits,

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Big Play Entertainment, opening at the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in northeast Dunwoody just before the holidays, features 16 bowling lanes next to a full-service restaurant and bar. After the city approved a rezoning of the shopping center earlier this year, Big Play purchased the site and renovated a former grocery store into an entertainment center. including the Northside Youth Organization at Chastain Park. Brandon Wooldridge, a Lovett School graduate, is back in Metro Atlanta after a couple of decades on the Gulf Coast. “I started Big Play with my dad in 2010 in Biloxi, Mississippi,” Brandon Wooldridge said. “It started just as a mini-golf course, and over the years we added on go-carts, bumper cars, arcade and eventually in 2016, built the bowling alley there with a restaurant and bar.” The Biloxi venue has grown into a popular beachside tourist destination. Wooldridge said northeast Dunwoody’s new entertainment center won’t have bumper cars but will still feature other attractions at the company’s flagship. After the tornado destroyed the Hendersonville, Tennessee, location in 2023, he said the family took a couple of months to see how the insurance situation played out. “We’ve been trying to get back here,” he said. “We had a deal during COVID to come back, then prices went through the roof, and everything got crazy.”

See PLAY, Page 9

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

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

BUSINESSPOSTS

Play: Continued from Page 8 Brandon Wooldrige said the family business purchased the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in February from Branch Properties, including all three parcels rezoned by the city in January. The previous owner spent fall 2024 working on a rezoning of three parcels, forming a triangle at Jett Ferry Road and Dunwoody Club Drive, necessary for an entertainment center. “My dad has been getting his hair cut next door [at Dunwoody Hair Co.] for 30 years and kept seeing the space was sitting here and a few things had failed,” Wooldridge said. Just 18 months ago, the shopping center was struggling with a quarter of its

commercial space vacant after a revolving door of grocery stores at 2480 Mount Vernon Road failed. Big Play Entertainment closed on the purchase of the Mount Vernon Shopping Center in February for an undisclosed amount. As of early December, DeKalb County property tax records online have not been updated to record the transaction, or the shopping center’s trading price. Brandon Wooldridge declined to say how much the family business paid but said “a sizable investment, a lot of money.” He described expensive improvements to conform the building to updated codes, on top of security cameras and improvements to the parking lot and pedestrian safety. What patrons can expect Big Play has transformed the former Lidl grocery store site into the city’s only

AppenMedia.com/Forsyth | Forsyth Herald | December 18, 2025 | 9

entertainment center, offering hours of bowling, arcade games, mini golf and laser tag. “We’re priced competitively with the market,” Wooldridge said. “We’ve got to make money, but we do have what we call our Happy Days specials, trying to make it more accessible, especially during the week.” There are bargains for patrons Sunday through Friday, offering half off food and beverage, a free kid’s meal, “buy one, get one free” deals or family bundles, depending on the day. Besides offering enough games and activities to fill an afternoon, Big Play has Woody’s, a full-service restaurant, bar and private event space. The entertainment center bills itself as a community hangout where residents can schedule a kid’s birthday party, corporate team building activity or night out with

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friends. Hours are from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and from 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Wooldridge said he’s grateful for an outpouring of support from the community of the family business’s new location. “We’re not a kiddie, kiddie place, but we are an entertainment center that is just very family friendly,” he said. “We use bowling as the anchor attraction because it’s the number one participatory sport in America.” Wooldridge said most people just wanted to know when Big Play would open. “I would not feel good if I was a grocery store coming into this space,” he said. “We never planned to open the week before Christmas break. It’s about to be our busiest two weeks of the year.” To learn more, visit bigplayatl.com.

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Puzzles

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Connect-It

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

Forsyth Herald ........................................December 18, 2025 | 11

ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS

1. Sheik’s bevy. Small songbird. Catchall abbreviation. 2. Pickle choice. Aerospace acronym. Wine bottle size. 3. Stock exchange abbreviation. Daybreak. Give up. 4. Alpha’s opposite. Mishmash. Treaty acronym. 5. UN acronym. Make believe. Know-it-all. 6. California wine valley. Director’s cry. Weather abbreviation. 7. Smell bad. Weather acronym. Dislike to the max. PuzzleJunction.com

3 4 5 6

2/18/25 Sudoku 7

Dunwoody Crier 12/18/25 Crossword

Acronyms & Abbreviations How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each 1. Sheik’s bevy. Small songbird. Catchall abbr. answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues solve the Sudoku column forTothe 3 answers on the puzzle, line. But each here’srow, the catch! Theand clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually 2. Pickle choice. Aerospace acronym. Wine bottle size. contain the numbers to line. 9. Got it? Good luck! bebox for must the second or third answer in 1that 3. Stock exchange abbr. Daybreak. Give up. 4. Alpha’s opposite. Mishmash. Treaty acronym.

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

3 7. Smell bad. Weather acronym. Dislike to the max. 7 1 8 9 9 1 4 2 3 6 1 2 6 9 5 5 3 9 8 How to Solve: Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. 7 3 The rules are easy: A number above the diagonal line in a 8 4

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

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

Solution 9 1 7 6 2 4 8 3 5

3 8 2 7 5 1 4 9 6

6 4 5 3 9 8 2 1 7

7 6 4 5 1 2 9 8 3

2 9 1 8 3 7 5 6 4

8 5 3 9 4 6 1 7 2

5 3 8 2 6 9 7 4 1

4 2 9 1 7 3 6 5 8

1 7 6 4 8 5 3 2 9

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

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Across

1 “Woe is me!” 5 Stately trees 9 Flu source 13 Supermarket section 14 Navy commando 15 Cake topper 16 Carbon compound 17 Pseudonym of H. H. Munro 18 Poet’s “below” 19 Peddle 21 Chooses 23 Bygone bird 24 Kind of welder 27 Country club ﬁgure 28 Thick spicy stew 31 Aquarium denizen 32 Engine part 35 Abysmal test score 36 Debt instrument 38 Dodge 40 Jessica of Sin City 41 Bone china name 43 Hubbubs 44 Nero’s instrument 46 Hibernia 47 Twins, e.g. (Abbr.) 48 Cambodian coin 49 Round Table title 51 Allergic reaction 53 Bake sale org. 54 Scoundrel 55 Card game for two 58 Goes bad

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21 25

40 45

58 65

53 56

20 24

59 66

60 67

61 69

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

6 Grassland 7 Ocean menace 8 Spinal vertebrae rupture 9 Air hero 10 Thailand, once 11 Division word 12 Turkish ofﬁcial 15 Boot part 20 Fall behind 22 Three (Ital.) 25 Holds up 26 Helpful 28 Contradict 29 Type of renewal 30 Stable color 32 Gulf of ___, Spain 33 Hacienda brick 34 Military meal

35 Nukes 37 ___’easter 39 Bud holder 42 Sicilian resort 45 Fish hawk 50 “What was ___ do?” 52 Writer LeShan 55 Dry riverbed 56 Desiccated 57 Lasso 59 Aerobic bit 61 Records 62 Comic Sandler 63 Loaﬁng 65 Hot springs 67 Conceit 68 More, in Madrid 70 Toothed tool

See puzzle solutions on Page 15

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12 | December 18, 2025 | Forsyth Herald | AppenMedia.com/Forsyth

OPINION

The overwhelming sound of a silent press In another life I worked at the Miami Herald, which was owned by KnightRidder. I was there for about seven years in the 1980s. At that time, newspapers were still hugely profitable – rolling in money. RAY APPEN Corporate KnightPublisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com Ridder was in the Miami Herald building where I worked – on the 6th floor overlooking Biscayne Bay. Knight-Ridder had been formed by the merger of the Ridder and Knight newspaper chains in 1974 and combined, created a company that operated 35 daily newspapers with a combined circulation of just under 4 million – the largest circulation in the country at the time. This was probably in the early 1980s. Alvah Chapman, Knight-Ridder’s CEO, was driven into work daily. One day, he noticed a homeless person in downtown Miami at an intersection with a cardboard sign asking to work for food. After he got to his office, Mr. Chapman called someone at the Herald and instructed him to go find

the homeless man; pick him up and find a place for him to stay and feed him. I have never forgotten the story. I remembered that story as I was reading my Sunday AJC this week – reading stories about the history of the paper – past reporters, editors and events through the years – as the slow countdown continues, the last few weeks before the final print edition of the Atlanta Journal Constitution rolls off the press in December 2025 after 157 years. What happens when the newspaper is gone? I thought. What happens when the guy being chauffeured into work is no longer there to help the homeless guy – figuratively? Stay with me. The answer, I’m afraid, is that a great big black hole is created – a void with no one left/nothing left to fill it. It’s not that newspapers were not businesses and motivated by making a profit; they were. It’s not that they didn’t have agendas at times ; they did. The difference however, between those newspapers and other businesses, was the “why”– the mission. You see, no matter how negatively you might view today’s media – including the “mainstream media” – the local newspaper

in the small town or in the big city has always been part of the heartbeat, part of the soul, part of the security and belief that when all else fails, the local newspaper was always there to help right a wrong, celebrate a victory, rally the troops to save a park, a theater, or create a shelter, help raise funds for a museum or a school team, and hold crooked politicians or business people to account. The local newspaper was part and parcel to our humanity, our security, our sense of “its going to be OK.” The AJC has been that heartbeat for Atlanta since 1868. During that time, others also contributed – The Coca-Cola company, Home Depot, Georgia Power to name a few. But their mission was not the same as the AJC. One of the last publishers of The Miami Herald under Knight-Ridder was Dick Capen. His primarily responsibility I think was to be the head cheerleader – the talking head, the public face – for the Herald. I heard him speak many times, and I don’t think I ever listened to him that he didn’t invoke the core “idea” of the Herald – its “sacred trust.” That is, its obligation to report what was true to its readers. “Truth” was that “sacred trust” he referred to time

and time again. Said very simply, when the last print issue of the AJC rolls off the press, we all are going to lose something “sacred” – our local advocate for what is “good and true” and our local defender against what is “bad and corrupt.” Yes, there will still be a digital effort to continue that mission, but it will not be the same. Converting to digital from analog will not be unlike fighting a war via proxy* – with drones and missiles – instead of with boots on the ground – presses, press operators, circulation / delivery people, reporters reporting without using Ai, local defenders of community, working in-person face to face – on site - whose marching orders are simply to get it right, find what is true, and report it – locally. We'll never get that from Zuckerberg, Google, Musk or their digital ilk. Never. When that last print issue rolls off the press and the press becomes silent forever, the sound will be deafening. I can hear it already.

*The current publisher of the AJC – Andrew Morse – doesn’t even live in Georgia. That is how far Cox has fallen from its core mission.

A painful end to season for Notre Dame football I’ve sat quietly for a total of two painful days. I’ve watched folks celebrate their new-found fortune of being part of the 12 team College Football Playoff field. I guess what has me steamed like a MIKE TASOS New England clam Columnist is that two of those teams are outsiders and going to get crushed. Before you get all up in arms and make threats, is there anyone out there who has the diminished mental capacity to think James Madison University or Tulane University has a smidgen of a chance to beat Oregon and Ole Miss, respectively? Now, don’t get me wrong. Those two schools were fabulous on the field this year. However (and here’s where

ROI

matters.

it gets dicey to make an argument for those two teams), with all the talk about head-to-head competition really mattering during the season (notice there’s no mention of Notre Dame losing to Miami thus far) Did the nimrods on that high and mighty committee pay any attention that Ole Miss slaughtered Tulane by 35 points (that’s FIVE touchdowns!!!) earlier in a year when head-to-head supposedly matters. To me, if we’re talking about any heads, it will be Tulane’s noggin on a platter. And please forgive me, but Oregon in Eugene at Autzen Stadium is no place for the faint of heart. I think James Madison has had a heckuva season and if there’s any opportunity for a surprise, JMU fits the bill, but I just say “Shame On” the ninnies who created these matchups. Ah, I’ll get to the mysterious committee decisions in a bit, but not before

recognizing Texas, Vanderbilt and even BYU can stand line behind the Irish and cry their alligator tears. Simply put, Notre Dame should have and could have won one of its first two games, and there would be no argument. But the committee showed a magnificent bonehead streak by ranking Miam behind the Irish until the final rankings, a day after neither team played. I’m glad I wasn’t alone in my anger, but I accepted the ignoramuses on the committee’s decision. I’m betting next year will be vastly different. Maybe a 16team field? Maybe no rankings until the end of the year? Getting back to a California native who used to bore teachers and fellow students with my tales of Archie, Roll Tide, Sic ‘em Dawgs that I picked up from the now-defunct Sport Magazine and my weekly subscription to Sports Illustrated, I feel vindicated that five

Southeastern Conference teams were chosen among what is really the elite 10 and not 12. Am I sad that a phenomenal Notre Dame team has decided to stay home and sit this bowl season out? I swear on the saints that I’ll watch the games and pull for Georgia, Bama, Ole Miss and the Aggies. As for the Sooners, they’re on their own. No, if I wish some pain on pestilence, it’s the committee, who once again made a smelly mess of the process and outcome. I’m praying they convene in New Orleans to take in the Sugar Bowl. And please, oh please, someone serve the whole lot of them some rancid gumbo. Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.

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Trees: Continued from Page 1 Commissioners asked staff to consider penalties and compliance tools to ensure the ordinance is enforced. Commissioner Mendy Moore said she has heard concerns the current ordinance lacks sufficient penalties

CFP: Continued from Page 1 Ole Miss has a pair of high school rivals that have figured out working together after playing against each other just two seasons ago in a 70-year rivalry: Sophomores Mark Trigg Jr., a linebacker from Roswell, and Wyatt Smalley, a tight end from Milton. The Georgia Bulldogs tally up with the most players from Appen Media’s coverage area, with three graduates each from Westminster and West Forsyth High School. Kirby Smart grabbed two players from

Market: Continued from Page 6 The day before, the Federal Reserve cut its benchmark interest rate by a quarter-point or 25 basis points to 3.50 percent to 3.75 percent, marking a third consecutive cut to combat a weakening job market. Dhawan said he expected the move while other economists expected a more hawkish decision to tighten monetary policy and control inflation, which is hovering around 3 percent. “The economy is much weaker than what you think in terms of spending power,” Dhawan said. “The first six to nine months of next year will be very crucial in how the Fed moves. My forecast is they will be aggressive because they are going to get … a dump of data between now and the end of the year.” Dhawan titled his MarketWatch presentation, “Outlook in an Era of Shutdown-Induced Lack of Official Data.” Because the federal government’s record 43-day shutdown in the fall, Dhawan said he is using “soft data,” like state tax collections. He also mentioned several news headlines over the past few months, announcing thousands of corporate layoffs. Because of the white-collar layoffs and tightening job market, there are fewer potential homebuyers out there. Dhawan said the data shows Social Security collections have grown weaker since the start of 2025.

AppenMedia.com/Forsyth | Forsyth Herald | December 18, 2025 | 13

for improper tree removal. “One thing I had heard from some folks in the community was that oftentimes extra trees are being taken out, and it's easier to just pay the penalty,” she said. Commissioner Laura Semanson said she would like to explore tying tree ordinance compliance to a development’s certificate of occupancy, a requirement that must be met before a

property can open to the public. “Ideally, we're not looking to extract penalties from people. We're looking to achieve the overarching goal of having a better tree canopy,” she said. Commissioners asked to review changes at another work session before considering it for a formal vote. As they work through the changes, Chairman Alfred John said he and other commis-

sioners would like to balance the desires of those who wish to protect trees with the needs of developers. “It puts us in a little bit of a difficult position because you get one group of residents who say, ‘Hey, protect the trees,’” he said. “And then you get as soon as you respond to that, you get another group that says you're being too onerous with your requirements or your enforcement.”

Milton’s class of 2025 – tight end Ethan Barbour, who suffered an injury early this season but is now back in action, and wide receiver CJ Wiley. Another player from Milton, sophomore wide receiver Will Taylor, was a 2024 Cambridge graduate. Next year, he will be joined by another standout Cambridge receiver, AJC Super 11 Craig Dandridge. From Johns Creek, junior tight end Patrick Hester is a graduate of Northview High, and junior running back Gannon Hearst went to Greater Atlanta Christian before playing for the Bulldogs. University of Miami boasts a pair of brothers who graduated from Milton High School, Jack and Luke Nickel. Luke won

Mr. Georgia last year after leading the Eagles to their second straight state title. Luke, a quarterback, graduated early from Milton to join his brother Jack, a tight end, in south Florida. Tulane University sophomore Jack Tchienchou, a 2023 St. Pius X graduate, won the Mike Aresco Most Outstanding Player for his remarkable performance Dec. 6. The safety posted an interception, forced fumble and fumble recovery and a team-high nine tackles against North Texas to boost his team to the conference title. Defensive back Isaiah Wadsworth is a graduate of St. Francis in Milton and transferred to the Green Wave after four years with Wofford College.

James Madison University has two Roswell graduates on the roster, freshman tight end Ethan Gurela and sophomore wide receiver Dylan Williams. The Associated Press’s No. 1 team in the country, Indiana University, has two veteran players from North Fulton. Holden Staes, a senior tight end, is a Westminster graduate and previously played for Notre Dame and Tennessee. Running back Solomon Vanhorse is a Milton graduate and transferred to the Hoosiers after five seasons with James Madison. Ohio State is the current betting favorite to win a national title, though they just lost the Big 10 championship to the Hoosiers.

“In the third quarter, the collections were negative,” he said. “So even though the jobs data will be delayed, this thing was clearly telling me, just like 20 years ago, that the economy is much weaker than what the official numbers imply.” The Fed’s recent rate cut, Dhawan said, will do little to improve housing affordability for the middle class, later offering a way to help. “Can the housing market be helped?” he said. “Cutting the interest rates will not bring down the mortgage rates forever. They will start going back up. At 6 percent, very few people can re-finance.”

December when it averaged 6.19 percent. A year ago, the 30-year rate averaged 6.60 percent. “So, what can help them?” Dhawan said. “[Mortgage rates were super high last year and are beginning to come down, but it’s not as low as the boom we saw after COVID, when the Federal Reserve was buying the mortgage-backed securities with both hands.” When first-time homebuyers are looking to purchase a family home, they often don’t have enough cash and borrow money from a bank, called a mortgage. If there aren’t enough people buying homes, the Federal Reserve can purchase mortgage-backed securities from banks to give the financial institutions more cash to lend homebuyers. That eventually lowers mortgage rates. “[The Fed] should buy mortgagebacked securities,” Dhawan said. “That will bring that mortgage premium number

that is running about 200 basis point down to 50, and there you have your mortgage rates below 5.5 or 5 percent, easily.”

A path to affordability Freddie Mac, which issues and guarantees mortgage-backed securities in support of the U.S. housing market, reported the 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rate averaged 6.22 percent Dec. 11. That’s up from the first week of

14 | December 18, 2025 | Forsyth Herald | AppenMedia.com/Forsyth

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