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Community rallies for cats By SYDNEY DANGREMOND sydney@appenmedia.com JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Up a gravel drive just off Medlock Bridge Road is a cat rescue, currently with 40 feline tenants. The entire endeavor is run by local cat lover Sara Smith with the help of a few volunteers. Smith has been caring for animals her entire life, but in 2018, she made her passion official by starting her own nonprofit shelter “By The Light Of The Moon,” named after her late pet, Moonriver. At first, Smith said she was mainly focused on helping black cats, but then she expanded because she couldn’t say no to caring for any felines who came to her door. “The cats just appeared,” Smith said. “Then I started having moms, feral moms with kittens and it just kept growing because I couldn’t leave the babies outside, and if they’re sick or injured, I’d bring them here even if they’re feral.” Of the 40 cats sharing Smith’s residence, she calls 17 her own. Of the remaining animals, several are feral while others are waiting to be adopted, including a new litter of five 2-week old kittens. “The ones that are adoptable, I’m always looking for homes,” Smith said. “Basically, it’s turned into being kind of like a sanctuary… They get homemade meals every day and if they’re sick, I rehabilitate them.” Caring for her cats has become a fulltime job for Smith, who also works as a
Council approves list of TSPLOST projects
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Legislative session ends with passage of school directives Lawmakers address issues of race, recess, girls’ sports By CANDY WAYLOCK candy@appenmedia.com
SYDNEY DANGREMOND/APPEN MEDIA
Sara Smith pets one of the residents of her cat rescue By The Light Of The Moon. local pet-sitter. Mid-March, the caretaking was becoming too much, Smith said. She had too many cats to take care of on her own, so she made a post on the social media site Nextdoor asking for volun-
teers and donations. The response was “overwhelming.” “I was like, ‘let’s just see if I can get a few donations,’ and it just went crazy,”
International Festival to take place April 30
Arts center hosts event honoring recent exhibit
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See CATS, Page 11
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ATLANTA — Rebranding “critical race theory” to “divisive concepts” proved more palatable to state lawmakers who passed an all-encompassing bill outlining what is acceptable to teach in Georgia classrooms about race-related issues. The session began in January with several bills touching on the subject of discriminating “on the basis of race,” according to their sponsors. It ended in early April with one bill, House Bill 1084, known as the “Protect Students First Act,” which ultimately passed both chambers and was sent on to Gov. Brian Kemp’s desk for final approval. House Bill 1084 outlines nine concepts prohibited to be discussed or taught in the classroom. School systems that veer into these danger zones could potentially lose funding and instructional flexibility in other areas. Officials with the Professional Association of Georgia Educators, which represents the vast majority of public
See LEGISLATURE, Page 8