Forsyth Herald - July 17, 2025 by Appen Media Group

HAIR STYLIST FINDS NICHE

County explores grants that help combat crime

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Commission discussed grants the county received that will help fund special court programs that address the root causes behind crimes.

At a July 8 work session, commissioners reviewed three state grants to fund DUI, mental health and drug courts. The grants will provide about $330,000 in state money.

Defendants may be placed in the program in exchange for the possibility of avoiding imprisonment or having charges dismissed upon completion, said Jennifer Johnston, director for Forsyth County’s accountability courts. But, this is no get-outof-jail-free card, she said.

Failure to comply with rules – regular court appearances, drug screens and maintaining employment, can result in an imposed sentence.

“Some come in thinking, ‘Oh, this is an easy way to get out of jail,’” Johnston said. “They learn real quick that this is much more intense than if they had chosen to do time in custody.”

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

From left, commissioners Todd Levent and Mendy Moore and Chairman Alfred John attend a July 8 work session at the county administration building.

Joely Simmons displays one of the tools of her trade at Salon AF in Forsyth County. Simmons has built a reputation around creating unique looks. See story page 6

See COUNTY, Page 12

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

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Cumming man arrested on multiple drug charges

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 39-year-old Cumming man was arrested after deputies allegedly found drugs in his car.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to Straight Away Run at Hidden Meadow Drive about 3 a.m. July 3 after a suspicious vehicle was reported.

Deputies arrived to find the man passed out in the driver seat of a car. Needles were in his hand.

After he was ordered out of the vehicle, the man said he had relapsed and used cocaine and fentanyl. He said he purchased the drugs in Atlanta.

Deputies arrested him after conducting a field sobriety test.

A search of the vehicle revealed marijuana, cocaine, fentanyl and five needles.

The man was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of drugs, violation of a limited driving permit, possession of cocaine and possession of a Schedule II substance.

— Jon Wilcox

Driver reports fireworks thrown from moving car

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 50-yearold Gainesville man was arrested after allegedly tossing lit fireworks out of a moving vehicle July 4.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched to Keith Bridge Road near Central Park after suspicious activity was reported.

A 29-year-old Cumming man reported his vehicle was hit by fireworks thrown from a Honda Civic in front of

him. The man provided a video showing a lit firecracker being thrown from the Civic and exploding.

Deputies stopped the Honda on Keith Bridge Road at Parks Road. The driver, from Gainesville, admitted to throwing lit firecrackers.

Deputies arrested the driver on a misdemeanor reckless conduct charge.

— Jon Wilcox

Power meter, cables damaged in burglary

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Cumming couple reported July 4 that their home’s internet cables and power meter box had been damaged in a home burglary.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said the man and his fiancée said they discovered their Grandview Point Way home was burglarized sometime after 8 p.m. July 3. The couple was in the process of moving.

They found boxes of their belongings dumped out after returning to the home about 9:45 a.m. July 4. They also noticed their power was off and internet cables were cut.

No belongings were reported missing.

Deputies observed the lock to the power meter had been cut and its edge pried with a tool.

A landlord and neighbor reviewed security camera recordings but found no video of a burglary.

The incident was classified as a felony forced burglary of a home and criminal damage to property.

— Jon Wilcox

Sandy Springs couple arrested in traffic stop

ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a couple living in Sandy Springs July 7 after a traffic stop along Holcomb Bridge Road (Ga. 140) turned up controlled substances and a firearm in their vehicle.

An officer said he noticed a black Dodge SUV with a temporary tag indicating the registered owner, a

37-year-old Sandy Springs woman, had two active warrants. He said one warrant was out of Gwinnett County for failure to appear in March for prostitution and trespassing charges, the other out of Atlanta in February for theft by taking.

The officer said he initiated a traffic stop at Warsaw Road and Sway Branch Drive after confirming a female matching the registered owner’s description was sitting in the passenger seat.

While speaking with the vehicle occupants, the officer said he noticed the odor of marijuana. He also said the 43-year-old male driver displayed physical signs of nervousness like sweating and body tremors.

While reviewing the driver’s criminal history, the officer said he had an expired driver’s license and an extradition warrant out of Ohio. Because of an extradition limit, the officer said no action was taken.

After backup units arrived, the officer said they arrested the Sandy Springs woman on the outstanding warrants.

The officer’s report omitted details about the woman’s active warrants from neighboring jurisdictions.

The officer said he spoke with the driver, who allegedly admitted there was marijuana and methamphetamine inside the vehicle. A search turned up around 7 grams of meth, less than ounce of marijuana, a Winchesterbranded shotgun registered to the driver and multiple marijuana vapes, or electronic cigarettes.

The officer said the driver was transported to police headquarters, then to Fulton County Jail. His charges include possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, possession of a Schedule II controlled substance, possession of less than an ounce of marijuana and expired license. According to records as of July 8, he remains in jail.

The woman was transported to the Gwinnett County Jail, where she remains as of July 8.

— Hayden Sumlin

‘A total screwup’

Forsyth County officials decry process for new administrative center

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Two Forsyth County officials involved with buying land for a new administrative building say the county overlooked more appropriate sites for the project.

The county instead chose a site outside the city limits of Cumming, the county seat, where state law requires county commissioners to take official votes.

County officials were unaware of the

requirement when they approved the purchase.

Former County Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills, who was involved with the purchase, described it as a planning failure on the part of county officials.

"What a total screwup," Mills said. "Instead of just being open and honest, (they) try to convince people it's not that big of a deal."

The new administration building is now under construction on Freedom Parkway near Ga. 400. State law will require commissioners to ratify their votes in the current County Administration Building in downtown Cumming following meetings at the Freedom Parkway facility.

See CENTER, Page 13

The site of Forsyth County’s new administrative campus is outside the Cumming city limits. Because state law requires county governments to make votes inside the county seat, county commissioners must travel back to Cumming in order to ratify their actions.

Medley contractors at work on Johns Creek’s ‘third place’

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Medley is making its mark on Johns Creek, repurposing an old corporate campus to create a destination.

Medley is a $560 million mixed-use project within a 42-acre triangle within McGinnis Ferry Road, Lakefield Drive and Johns Creek Parkway. It’s set to feature 200,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment; 110,000 square feet of Class A office space; 150 owner-occupied townhomes; a 175-key boutique hotel and 750 luxury apartments.

After groundbreaking this January, a tentative grand opening is set for Oct. 29, 2026.

Medley is part of a larger 192-acre Town Center masterplan, which is set to include City Hall, public parks and pathways on both sides of Johns Creek Parkway.

Before he branched out on his own, Mark Toro led development of North American Properties’ mixed-use destination Avalon off Ga. 400 at Windward Parkway in Alpharetta.

Now, Toro Development Company is working to bring some of its strategies to create a “third place” in Johns Creek.

Sociologists refer to a third place as a social environment where people can build community bonds, which is not in their homes (first place) or at work (second place).

While the larger Avalon will remain a regional draw for Metro Atlantans, developers say Medley is about culture, community, connection, convenience and charm for the people of Johns Creek.

Johns Creek native Allie Cyr, who toured the construction site in early July with Appen Media, said having a spot close to home for neighbors to build connections is exciting.

Brian Keaton, senior superintendent at Hoar Construction, will manage construction.

Keaton, who started his career installing door frames at the State Farm office campus on the same site in 1990, said a lot has changed in the woods between Peachtree Corners and Alpharetta.

“It is so fulfilling to return to the same site I worked on 35 years ago,” Keaton said. “There has been so much change since then — I remember standing in line in the rain for my physical paper check and testing the robotic mail cart to make sure it could fit through the doors.”

To make way for the new project, the team has demolished one of the State Farm buildings and is incorporating the other into the Medley site plan. The remaining building is being repurposed to include ground-level retail on both sides with other floors remaining office space.

“I am proud to be back at this site where it all began and play a larger role in transforming this property into a mixed-use destination that we know will serve the incredible community of Johns Creek,” Keaton said.

He knocked out one of his longstanding traditions earlier this year by tossing a coin into the first slab of concrete poured on the site for good luck.

Because of the site’s elevation changes, the main plaza is above portions of the site abutting McGinnis Ferry Road and Lakefield Drive. While most of the construction work and infrastructure is underground, the exciting stuff is beginning to sprout.

Construction

Members of Medley’s construction, development and marketing team stroll across the mixed-use project’s main entrance July 8 during a tour of the 43-acre site. Developers are repurposing one of the existing buildings at the former State Farm campus and constructing a couple others to create a mixed-use destination for existing residents and newcomers.

Building heights are capped at four stories for the office and multifamily buildings on both sides of the planned Medley Boulevard, cutting through the center of the site. It will resemble Avalon, with pedestrian friendly streetscapes, “jewel box” retailers with activated rooftops, open-air shops and restaurants with outdoor patios.

In early July, Hoar Construction made progress on the first floor and foundation of the multi-family building with hundreds of construction workers on-site. Keaton said finding labor is difficult, but it’s a nationwide problem. He said his team does a great job,

PHOTOS BY: HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Hoar

Senior Superintendent Brian Keaton and Toro Development Company Partner John Kelley stand in front of the heart of Medley, a 43-acre mixed-use destination in Johns Creek.

How can I get involved with community groups?

You may have noticed a certain tab on Appen Media’s website titled “Ask a Question.” At Appen, community engagement is essential, and we want to answer your questions. Here are a few recent inquiries we can answer for you.

By SARAH COYNE sarah@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Community engagement is an essential part of Appen Media’s newsroom strategy.

That’s why reporters for the Herald and Crier newspapers seek out all sorts of reader questions. Sometimes those inquiries don’t lead to standalone stories because of time restraints or, more simply, the answers can be short.

Here is a question Appen has received and the answers your reporter has dug up:

I want to get involved in a local grassroots organizations in Roswell. Do you know of any or where I can find something about them?

In the past six months, two local grassroots organizations have popped up. The groups are made up of ordinary citizens advocating for government transparency.

Roswell Women Rising, founded in February by Lyndsey Coates, Lia Bertelson and Anne Smith, consists of local women working to create a strong, inclusive community through civil engagement, advocacy and connection.

The group has grown to just under 450 women. The women gather monthly at a member’s house to listen to a speaker and support a charity. A weekly coffee meetup also takes place for women to connect.

Coates hopes that her work with the group can show women to pay attention to municipal politics.

Medley:

Continued from Page 4

glancing over to his son and smiling.

Dividing the townhomes from the retail hub, offices and main plaza are a set of two-story buildings, allowing patrons to use a staircase to trek between the two sections of Medley.

Empire Communities is building some 150 townhomes on the southern end of the site, while Hoar Construction has the reins of Medley’s first phase of mixed-use development.

While most trees on the site have

Have a question?

Send your story tips and ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com. Ask questions about the community at appenmedia.com/ask and we’ll do our best to find the answer.

“It’s a safe space for us to come together, build community from the inside out,” Coates said.

Another resident, Jennifer Donlon, founded Roswell Empowered. The organization has grown to over 150 members since its creation in early May.

The group aims to give representation to members of the community who need to be heard. Donlon plans to eventually transform her group into a nonprofit.

“You’re only as strong as your weakest member,” Donlon said.

In June, they hosted Roswell’s first ever pride walk, where hundreds of people showed up and over 10 local businesses showed their solidarity with the group.

Roswell Empowered and Roswell Women Rising worked together in July to help the Roswell Housing Authority obtain new AC units and fans for the residents, after a mother came to the city’s open forum night June 30. The mother told City Council that her family had been without air for weeks and that nothing had been done.

“You could just hear the desperation in her voice, just pleading for somebody to come by and look at the conditions,” Donlon said.

The group was able to donate $370 to Grove Way for the Roswell Housing Authority.

To join the grassroots groups, email roswellwomenrising@gmail.com and join the Roswell Empowered group on Facebook.

been cleared, developers plan to replant more than a thousand and have saved a pine oak near the main boulevard and a couple of others around the site.

The two entities are not partners, but the concepts support one another.

Caroline Simmel, senior vice president of sales and marketing at Empire, said Medley’s residences represent a new category in housing — upscale homes that offer owners all the benefits of an urban lifestyle, while still living in the suburbs.

To learn more and keep up with Medley’s construction, visit medleyjohnscreek.com.

Owner John Hogan & Designer Bobbie Kohm

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Appen Media publishes New Business Spotlights to highlight local businesses as they get started. Submit yours for free at appenmedia.com/newbusiness

6 | Forsyth Herald | July 17, 2025

Cumming hair stylist finds niche in alternative looks

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Joely Simmons loves when clients see themselves in the mirror.

“When you turn them around in the chair and they see it, and they’re like, ‘Oh my gosh. This is amazing,’” Simmons said. “That feels great.”

The 24-year-old Ball Ground resident has only been out of cosmetology school since February, but she has already cut a niche for herself at Salon AF, 100 Turner Road Suite C in Cumming. Her black business cards read “alternative hairstylist,” which speaks to a specialty in unique and sometimes admittedly crazy-looking haircuts and colors.

Her clients range from creatives, such as musicians, bartenders, estheticians, tattoo and other artists, to those with more conventional occupations, like nurses, accountants and Realtors.

Requests vary from a Luke Skywalker haircut with 6-inch Padawan rattail to vampire fang bangs, pixie cuts, mohawks and very long mullets. She also specializes in custom, sometimes hand painted colorings like neon shades or animal patterns like cheetah fur.

Some clients show pictures of looks they want her to capture. One person brought a picture of a moth. Another was inspired by a betta fish.

Simmons admits some of the looks she creates may seem strange, but she thinks the motivation behind them are something everyone can understand.

It’s all about having your appearance reflect how you feel inside, she said.

“As lame as it’s gonna sound, whether people admit it or not, most people care a lot about their hair,” Simmons said. “Even for nonalternative people, their expression definitely, really matters.”

As one of a handful of hair stylists at Salon AF, Simmons works in a space occupied by several other salons in a lonely building just off Ga. 400.

Clients often are surprised to find her chair tucked inside in the clean-looking, modern suite, which resembles a pastelcolored wellness spa stacked with chic hair products.

That’s in part why Simmons decided to meet her clients on their own terms.

“I knew right off the bat that no one was just gonna walk in and be like, ‘I want a green mullet,’” she said. “That just was not going to happen.”

To get the word out, she began regularly posting advertisements on social media platforms from Facebook to Instagram to Reddit.

She also uses herself as a walking billboard, attending events that are sure to draw alternative crowds like emo, punk and metal concerts and frequenting gay bars.

Simmons said she has long loved showing off an alternative look, and whenever she goes out, she is sure her appearance is on point. On a Thursday at work in the salon, her copper-colored hair was accented with blond highlights and featured a raccoon print on one section. Dressed in black from head to toe, she admitted that day’s look was more on the professional side.

“I’ll get tons of compliments when I go out,” she said. “When someone comes up to me and says, ‘Oh, my God, I love your hair,’” I say, ‘Yeah, thanks. Here’s my card.’”

That bold marketing strategy has paid off immensely, and Simmons said she now serves several hundred regular clients. Some drive hours just to see her.

April Richards, owner of Salon AF and Simmons’ boss, said that motivation has deeply impressed her, as has the young hair stylist’s skills.

All too often, stylists spend more time scrolling than they do advertising on social media, she said, chuckling.

“She’s killing it,” Richards said. “She’s

See SALON, Page 7

Neon colors and specialty patterns are some of Joely Simmons specialties. Custom color jobs can take as long as 10 hours, Simmons said.

Salon:

Continued from Page 6

on all the social media. She’s promoting herself. She’s doing all the things that she’s supposed to be doing to gain clientele, which is amazing.”

Achieving success through hard work is nothing unusual for Simmons. Before she went to cosmetology school, she ran her own pet grooming business beginning at age 18. Now, she also finds time to periodically work as a special effects artist.

Her calling as an alternative hair stylist is something that feels natural, Simmons said.

Since she was a youth, she has always had a penchant and passion for hair.

She also has long had a desire to look different.

“I’ve had every rainbow color you could possibly imagine, like since as young as I was 10,” Simmons said. “I always did my hair, my friends’ hair.”

She hopes to continue with that passion but is not sure where it might lead her.

Richards said one thing is for certain. She will go far and perhaps one day run her own salon.

For now, Simmons said she loves where she’s at, doing what she does.

At the end of the day, it’s all about giving someone a look that means something special to them.

“Sometimes haircuts are literally life changing for people,” she said.

Each week Appen Media asks a staff reporter to profile a business, nonprofit or commerce group they find interesting. The selection can be from anywhere in the Metro Atlanta area. The decision is up to the reporter and is made entirely independent of the sales department. Find other pieces at appenmedia.com/business.

Do you have an idea for a future profile? Send tips and story leads to newsroom@appenmedia.com.

PHOTOS BY: JOELY SIMMONS/PROVIDED

A customer sports a vampire bang cut by Joely Simmons.

Mullets are one of Joely Simmons’ most requested hair styles.

Once confusing Southern sayings make perfect sense

MIKE TASOS Columnist

As we slog these humid days that serve to turn sitting on the deck as close to a steam bath you’re ever going to get while fully-clothed, my mind started wandering about some sayings.

Here in the South, we have plenty of little pearls that if “you ain’t from around here” will make little or no sense. It took me awhile to become adept at making sense of some phrase that, until I became an enlightened Southerner, would have given me a headache.

Now, after happily embracing where the Good Lord has placed me for more than half of my 70 years, I find myself using some of these amusing, often nonsensical ditties. I should have known this was my pre-ordained fate.

After all, I was raised on country music, sold sausage to Merle Haggard and taught Buck Owens to play racquetball.

GET OUTSIDE, GEORGIA!

Here are some of my favorite phrases that…

“Tickle me pink.” I have no idea what this means, and I certainly am not a fan of being tickled. And I see no benefit of losing any type of tan that results from being on a motorcycle ride and turning pink.

“He ain’t got the sense that God gave a goose.” Okay, I double dog dare you to make any sense of that one. First, I would hope God has more things to worry about than whether his geese creatures are making sound decisions. Second, I’ve ran into geese on the golf course back in the day.

I’ve only seen them hiss at me, try to attack (incidentally, a 3-iron is a good deterrent for goose aggression; I could never hit a golf ball with that club, but it saved me on a few occasions from getting goose-nipped), and poop on the greens.

“That’s a tough row to hoe.” Huh? Okay Leroy, why don’t you go to Home Depot and arm yourself with a better tool. Better yet, go out to the shed and pick out one that will tame that row and double as a goosesmacker too.

Speaking of sheds, when someone said: “I’m going to take you out behind the woodshed,” there’s no way I’m going anywhere near that woodshed. There might be spiders. See if you can entice the belligerent goose to go instead.

“He’s full of prunes.” You don’t have to be a genius to know that you’re not talking honest-to-goodness wrinkled prunes. The subject of this derision is probably full of what that is full of before dumping the load on a putting surface.

I’ve never eaten a goose, but all this goose talk has made me hungry. How hungry, you ask? “I could eat the south end of a northbound horse.” Or you can substitute “wooden hobby horse” for “northbound horse.” Either way, no way I’ll be eating a horse of any ilk, wooden or otherwise.

I get tickled pink when I hear “I’ll stomp a mudhole in your butt.” Now wait a minute! I watched plenty of rasslin’ in my day and the only way I see anyone accomplishing this feat is to use the old “loaded boot” tactic.

No stomping necessary. In fact, I’d hope we could be a bit more civil. Better yet, let’s

go have a few drinks. My treat. With any luck, you might be “drunker than Cooter Brown.” Hold it! Just who is Cooter Brown and with him being so popular despite liking to imbibe more than Otis Campbell, I say we show some compassion and get ol’ Cooter into some type of 12-step program. Finally, we have perfected being sensitive and kind here. When someone describes a particularly less-than attractive baby by saying: “Isn’t she precious?” instead of being truthful, Southern diplomacy and kindness usually shines through, lest the daddy threatens to “beat you like a red-headed stepchild.”

Anyone threatens me like that, I’m going to find them a cantankerous goose. Or maybe I’ll just leave before someone says: Don’t let the door hit you where the Good Lord split you.”

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.

Braving July heat, stream provides welcome relief

The other day, and despite the heat, I decide to get outside for a while after lunch.

I know, I know. This time of year, doing anything at all outdoors means dealing with sweltering summertime heat. It’s humid and sweltering. It makes you uncomfortable. It makes it hard merely to breathe.

Yeah. The fact is that this time of year, it’s just too darned hot.

Still, I feel the need to break free of the keyboard. But to where? Maybe Stamp Creek? Over off Highway 20, it flows sedately through the Allatoona Wildlife Management Area on its way to Allatoona Lake. The creek should be cool – at least enough to knock the edge off the heat.

Wading in a creek on a sweltering July day is a pleasant prospect, all things considered. But over even that, there hangs a question: Will the creek hold any fish?

You know about me and fishing. You know I’ll just have to find out.

On my way out I retrieve one of the fly rods. I also pick up an Altoids box full of flies. Dad used to carry flies in little metal Kodak film cans, though these days those metal cans are darned near impossible to find. Plastic ones show up now and then, but plastic’s not quite the same. So I’ve gravitated to Altoids boxes. They do fine too. Is that everything? I think so. I open the garage door, and a wave of heat rolls in and

swallows me up. And when I open the car door a minute later, an even more determined blast of superheated air hits me full in the face. Am I having fun yet? I will be, in a minute, once the car’s AC works its magic.

I start the engine and turn the “cold” knob all the way to 10. Unseen machinery whirrs into motion, fighting against the sweltering air, and slowly prevails.

Only then, secure in my bubble of cool air, do I set out for Stamp Creek.

The piece of Stamp Creek I’ll visit on this searing July day is accessed from parking areas near the Ga. 20 bridge. There are small parking areas on the south side of the highway on both sides of the creek. I pick the one to the west and pull off the pavement. I grab the rod, too, and then make my way downhill toward water. In an instant I’m sweating. It’s just hot.

But then I’m at the edge of the stream. Left or right? I toss a mental coin and turn left, downstream, toward the expansive waters of the lake.

The creek is cool and soothing, a perfect respite from the heat. I work my way along, in no hurry, casting now and then. Small sunfish are responsive. The day is good, for I am catching fish and (thanks to the creek) I am cool.

Soon it’s time to begin the walk back. Leaving the cool water, heat again trumps all. Sweat returns, and by the time I reach the car, I feel like leading man in a one-act play set in a planet-sized double-boiler. But again, the car’s AC provides relief. Soon comfort and joy return.

On the way home, I stop by the grocery

store to pick up the makings of supper. And then, just because its close, I decide to make a quick stop at the thrift store.

I’ve come to love thrift stores. I have this hope that someday I’ll walk in and there’ll be a pile of handmade bamboo flyrods with a sign that says “Fishing Poles – $2 each.”

It hasn’t happened yet. But it could. And if it does, I have a fiver in my pocket. That would cover two rods and tax too. Maybe I’d even let them round it up and give them the whole thing.

I park in the shade of a big tree. Just the other side of the tree is what appears to be a homeless guy fanning himself with a floppy piece of cardboard. He appears to be…wilted. But it’s no big deal. We see that kind of thing all the time here in the promised land.

As I get out of the car, he calls out.

“Brother,” he says, “could you spare a dollar?”

Well. I could, but I don’t. Instead, I walk toward the store, moving away until the voice by the tree is lost in the general noise.

The store’s entryway is one of those airlock-style double doors designed to keep outside stuff outside. As I approach, the outer doors open, letting me in. Immediately the air is cooler. Then the inner doors open too. I step through them into blessed coolness, surrounded by the castoffs of others, searching for fire-sale pricing on things I don’t even need.

I make a quick run through the store. Nothing catches my eye. So I turn to go, back through the airlock that isolates the comfort inside from the inferno beyond.

Yeah, it’s hot. But don’t they say that heat refines?

I reach the car and can’t help but look toward the tree. The homeless guy is still there. He sees me, and he says again, “Brother, could you spare a dollar?”

And I stop.

I know what you are thinking: Don’t feed the need. Don’t be an enabler. Don’t fall for it. Don’t. He will just take the money and fritter it away.

No one will condemn me, I say to myself, if I just get in the car and go. I’ve got the power – the power to do what I want with my five-dollar bill.

I open the car door and settle into the seat. I crank the engine. Cold air pours from the vents.

So heat refines?

I sigh, and I open the car door again. I climb out, back into the miserable July afternoon. I reach into my pocket and pull out the fiver and walk 7 yards and give it away.

“Thanks, brother,” he says.

Did I throw away five dollars?

“You’ve been had,” you are thinking. “He played you.”

Maybe. Maybe not.

As I get back into my air-conditioned kingdom, with my groceries on the seat beside me, on the way home to my comfortable house and my cozy life and my prospects for tomorrow, I think again of the guy under the tree.

Sure, I gave him five dollars.

Maybe I did it for him. But maybe I did it for me.

STEVE HUDSON Columnist

Does my child’s bedtime matter during the summer?

Brought to you by –

Sarah Mixson, M.S.W.,

at Summit Counseling Center

When school is out and summer begins, it’s natural for routines to shift. Bedtimes are often stretched later, screens stay on longer and sleep habits can fall by the wayside. While summer brings more freedom and fun, consistent sleep is still crucial for your child’s mental and emotional well-being. Going to bed late and waking up late can disrupt their internal clock which can lead to increased irritability, trouble focusing, mood swings and even anxiety. Children and teens thrive on routine. Without it, their sleep patterns can become erratic which can affect their behavior, energy levels, and ability to regulate emotions.

Here are a few helpful tips to keep sleep habits on track during the summer:

1. Set a “summer bedtime range” this gives flexibility while keeping things predictable

2. Create a wind down routine that remains the same each night, even if it starts later than usual

3. Limit screens at least an hour before bed

4. Start adjusting bedtime slowly a few weeks before school starts again to avoid a stressful transition

Remember sleep isn’t just rest, it’s repair and regulation. Keeping sleep habits in check is one of the most important ways to support your child’s mental health all year long.

Touchmark National Bank introduces to the community, Graham Hirst

Graham Hirst brings over 20 years of banking experience to North Fulton, Forsyth, Gwinnett, and the surrounding counties. Throughout his career, Graham has built trusted relationships with companies both small and large, helping business owners and leadership teams access smart lending solutions and financial resources to fuel growth.

With a strong focus on commercial lending and relationship development, Graham works closely with clients to understand their unique goals and deliver tailored financial strategies. His deep knowledge of the local market and commitment to community involvement make him a valued partner to businesses across a range of industries.

Dedicated to supporting the eco-

nomic vitality of the region, Graham continues to foster meaningful connections and provide financial guidance that helps businesses grow and thrive. You can reach Graham at 770407-6700, or email at graham.hirst@ touchmarknb.com

SARAH MIXON

Brought to you by – Touchmark National Bank

GRAHAM HIRST

PRESERVING THE PAST

Haynes Bridge Road, a vital artery not well known

BOB MEYERS Columnist

Many roads in Georgia are named after early pioneers. Dirt roads connected farms with small communities. Sometimes we know a lot about the roads, especially when they are long and important. The histories of less significant roads are not often told.

Haynes Bridge Road is just 5 miles long, too short to generate much historic interest. The starting point is Academy Street in downtown Alpharetta. It runs behind the Alpharetta City Hall and library, crosses Old Milton Parkway and terminates at Old Alabama Road in Johns Creek. While it is a vital connector road today, its story is not well known. Today’s column will put a little meat on the bare bone.

Richard London Haynes (1773-1844) and Abigail Ragan Haynes (1781-1853) were early pioneer settlers who moved from Virginia to Cobb County in the early 1800s and later moved to what is Alpharetta today. Both are buried in Old Big Creek Cemetery in Alpharetta. Their son Richard Luther Haynes, Jr. (1818-1894), the youngest of 11 children, was born in Oglethorpe County, Georgia. He married twice, first to Martha Mayfield Tate (1816-1862) in 1838. That marriage started a long relationship between the Haynes and Mayfield families. Richard Luther’s second wife was Sara Hooks (18141892). Both wives are buried in the Haynes family cemetery in Alpharetta, while Richard Luther is buried in Old Big Creek Cemetery with his parents.

Like most pioneer settlers, both Haynes’ generations were farmers. Richard Luther owned a farm of 240 acres probably inherited from his father. The Haynes home place was where North Point Mall in Alpharetta is today.

In 1894 Richard Luther Haynes, Jr. died, and his land was divided and sold. The 30 acres that Haynes Bridge Middle School occupies today was a part of Haynes’ farm. Haynes Bridge Middle School was opened in 1983 for six through eighth grade students. In 2000, a chimney from Richard and Abigale’s farm dating back to the late 1700s or early 1800s was relocated and installed near the garden area of the Haynes Bridge Middle School. The move, restoration and relocation of that historic marker were made possible by a $10,000 grant from the

Teacher Grant Award to Christie Pratt, a teacher at the school.

In December 2012, the relocation of a section of Haynes Bridge Road in downtown Alpharetta between Old Milton Parkway and Academy Street was completed to make room for the new city hall and library as part of the City Center project. A new library was built on a 3-acre site donated by the city adjacent to the new city hall which was completed in September 2014. The new library broke ground in March 2014 and opened July 30, 2015. The relocation of Haynes Bridge Road made it possible to create a unified city center rather than a collection of isolated structures.

Unlike some other local bridges that began near ferry boat operations, the original Haynes Bridge was a rather modest affair, possibly made of wood and primarily built to serve the Haynes farm and other nearby farms. It crossed Big Creek or a tributary and was built in the second half of the 1800s.

Elsie Knight, a longtime Alpharetta resident, grew up on Haynes Bridge Road, which was a dirt road until circa the 1950s, according to Elsie. She

recalls hearing that “Mr. Haynes had three boys who one night rode their horses into the local church during a service. They got into a lot of trouble,” she says. “My sister Edna and her husband Leroy Strickland built a house across the street from Mr. Haynes. I was born in an old farmhouse on the same hill.” She notes that the county rebuilt the original bridge prior to World War ll when she was a little girl.

Elsie’s parents were Talmage and Lunette Burgess. Talmage owned a sawmill and cotton gin. He worked for many years in the gin which was located across the street from Resthaven Cemetery in downtown Alpharetta. In the mid-1900s he owned the Talmage Burgess Grocery at 1 South Main St. Prior to that, the building housed the Jones Grocery, Lively Grocery and the John A. Oliver Store. John was Elsie’s great grandfather. Lunette taught school at the Newtown School which no longer exists. She had to quit teaching when she married Talmage because married women were not allowed to teach at that time.

Elsie remembers some of her neighbors from the early days. “Daisy

and Nick Bailey lived beside us on Haynes Bridge Road. Daisy cooked for Alpharetta schools and was the best cook ever. Bob and Elsie Shaw lived three houses up the hill. Bob was my uncle and was overseas in World War ll. After the war Bob and Elsie delivered morning newspapers for the rest of their lives. Cliff and Florence Thomas lived four houses up the road. They had a huge flower garden. Uncle Bud Isiac Shaw lived across the street. He kept foxes in his barn and turned one loose every Sunday and set his dogs after them. The dogs would tree the fox but never killed it. Uncle Bud thought that was fun.”

Thanks to Connie Mashburn; Donna Alexander, assistant principal, Haynes Bridge Middle School for their help with this column and the unknown reader who suggested this week’s topic.

Bob is director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.

Atlanta Journal-Constitution’s Honor

BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA

Big Creek, an important historic waterway, taken from a bridge on Haynes Bridge Road. Settlers built bridges across Big Creek in the early 1800s. None of the original bridges still exist.

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!

GROUPS

1. Royal flush card. Burglar. Group of birds.

2. Group of cattle. Passe. Dining room cabinet.

3. Texas shrine. Work group. Wax-covered cheese.

4. Sporting group. Kick out. Evening wear.

5. Stringed instrument. Education group. Football play.

6. Musical group. Big cat. Break in friendly relations.

7. Gung-ho. Western group. Envelope part.

1 Royal flush card. Burglar. Group of birds

2. Group of cattle. Passe. Dining room cabinet.

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 answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which each number containing 3 clues for 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!

3. Texas shrine. Work group. Wax-covered cheese

4. Sporting group. Kick out. Evening wear

5. Stringed instrument. Education group. Football play

6. Musical group. Big cat. Break in friendly relations 7. Gung-ho. Western group. Envelope part.

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In Forsyth County, the courts recorded graduation rates ranging from 64 to 85 percent in 2024. Research from the Georgia Council of Accountability Court Judges has shown participants are less likely to be arrested again.

The programs provide opportunities for drug addiction, mental health and alcohol abuse education and treatment.

“Our goal is that they're in the community, having a job, volunteering, and in the meantime, they're also getting treatment to assist them with the problems that got them involved with the judicial system,” Johnston said.

Since 2003, the county has offered a drug court. The program runs 24 months, requiring regular check-ins with a judge and other forms of accountability.

Chief Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Bagley said the drug court serves to help participants break from the cycle of addiction. Bagley presides over the drug court.

The accountability required by the court can make the treatment more effective than traditional rehab, he said. Without treatment, offenders are all too likely to return to their addictions after leaving jail or prison.

“Over the years, we have proven that holding these people accountable is not being soft on crime,” he said. “It’s benefiting the community. We are keeping them out of the revolving prison door.”

The result is a safer community and residents who are able to take care of their children, hold down jobs and contribute to society.

The county’s DUI court, which began 2006, aims to prevent participants from again engaging in intoxicated driving. The 18-month program is open to offenders accused of multiple intoxicated driving crimes.

“The goal is to teach them to do things differently, think about what they're doing and make better choices when they're out in the world,” Johnston said.

The mental health court, or CARE Program, accepts those who have severe and persistent mental illness and are involved in the criminal justice system.

CARE stands for change, assistance, restoration and enlightenment. It was established in 2014.

Participants, many with substance abuse issues as well, may have any number of mental health issues from schizoaffective disorder to major depression. A misdemeanor track runs 18 months. A felony track is 24 months.

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Medication management is a big part of the court plan.

“Once they are medicated appropriately and maintain a good medication regimen, they are successful in the community,” Johnston said.

Center:

Continued from Page 3

County Manager David McKee said officials learned of the law sometime after the $5.4 million purchase of the property in 2021 and approval of construction contracts in 2024.

He said the commission’s ability to vote in the new building is insignificant when considering its purpose.

“This is an administration building. It's not a Board of Commissioners building,” McKee said, adding, “It’s such a small portion of this building.”

Its purpose is primarily to serve as a unified center for the county’s administration and departments as they continue to grow to meet residents’ demand for services.

Before purchasing the land on Freedom Parkway, a selection process reviewed a half dozen semifinalist contenders before narrowing those down to several. County officials were looking for property with ample size and proximity to Georgia 400 for ease of access, among other criteria, McKee said.

Commissioner Todd Levent and Mills said they recommended sites within the City of Cumming.

Levent said he suggested a roughly 30-acre property already owned by the county.

Mills said she also brought forward suitable locations within the city that would have promoted walkability. In total, she said the county considered at least five tracts within Cumming.

She also said the county could have negotiated use of Cumming City Hall right across the street from the current administration building.

“I had brought all these different properties, and they had all been shot down,” Mills said. “They were never seriously looked at.”

In April 2021, the County Commission, which then included Mills and Levent, unanimously approved purchase of the Freedom Parkway land.

“I didn't understand when we were buying that that was an issue,” Levent said. “And I already knew they had their votes, that they were going to buy it no matter what.”

At a January 2024 meeting, commissioners said they recently learned of the law forbidding official action at the site.

DEATH NOTICES

I think of what I do as a business… We’re building our corporation a new corporate headquarters.”

DAVID MCKEE County Manager

“I don’t know why we are taking votes on a building to spend $114 million, and we have already bought the property at another astronomical price,” Mills said at the January 2024 meeting. “We never had permission to move and take votes on that property.”

At the same meeting, Levent pointed out the county had passed on a 33-acre tract within city limits.

“We still own that land,” he said. “It’s still sitting there if we want to put it there and not worry about what the

state law does or does not do.”

In December 2024, Cumming officials approved a resolution opposing the county’s attempts to change state law so commissioners could operate and vote at the Freedom Parkway site. Since then, attempts to change state law have stalled.

“Our local legislators have made it pretty clear that they need some agreement between the city and county before they'll consider local legislation that affects both,” McKee said.

Forsyth County is currently in discussions with the City of Cumming to find a solution, he said.

In the meantime, McKee said he thinks the building will offer enormous benefits to county operations, providing opportunities for interdepartmental collaboration and efficiency.

It also will feature advanced meeting rooms and a state-of-the-art energy management system that could reduce costs.

He touted the funding of the project, accomplished without borrowing money, as an enormous success.

“I think of what I do as a business… We're building our corporation a new corporate headquarters,” he said. “We're not charging another dollar for our widget. We're not borrowing. We're not indebting our company, and we've delivered a new corporate headquarters to sustain us for the next 50 to 75 years.”

Jacqueline Boling, 94, of Roswell, passed away on July 6, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Lester Dorsey, 85, of Roswell, passed away on June 30, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Michael Miralles, 69, of Alpharetta, passed away on July 1, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Peter Oswald, 80, of Alpharetta, passed away on July 5, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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