Dry conditions sap firefighters, drain gardeners
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Even with rain predicted for this week, extreme drought conditions persist across Georgia.
Upwards of 920,000 Fulton County residents are experiencing dry heat and low water flows after almost one month of no rainfall.
“We’re undoubtedly seeing a drought right now,” Milton Fire Department Deputy Chief Alex Fortner said.
In his 18 years as a firefighter, Fortner said he has seldom seen conditions like this. Milton firefighters have responded to brush fires almost daily.
With dry conditions, fires can start quickly – one stray spark from a campfire or controlled burn can spread out of control, Fortner said.
He also noted the strain that small, frequent fires have on firefighters’ resources. Neighboring North Fulton
See DROUGHT, Page 26 GEORGIA FORESTRY COMMISSION/COURTESY The Georgia Forestry Commission on the scene of the Pineland Road Fire in Clinch County. Milton fire officials say fires like the ones raging in south Georgia are unlikely here.
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Fulton County officially opened its $25 million Health & Human Services – North facility April 16 at 4700 North Point Parkway in Alpharetta.
Officials say the facility will improve access to area residents who need health and human services care, support and resources.
Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said the project demonstrates the county’s commitment to residents in the northern cities.
“This is a major investment in quality, access and community well-being, reflecting our dedication to delivering high-impact services across the county,” Pitts said. “By consolidating these services into one modern, accessible space, we’re improving convenience, supporting coordinated care and building a stronger foundation for long-term community health."
NEWS TIPS
770-442-3278
AppenMedia.com
319 N. Main Street Alpharetta, GA 30009
HANS APPEN Publisher RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus CONTACT
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 Milton Herald 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.
GDOT delays closure of Freemanville bridge
MILTON, Ga. — At the city’s request, the Georgia Department of Transportation is delaying the closure of a bridge on Freemanville Road until May 26. Pushing the closure three weeks means detours won’t start until after the school year ends.
Officers investigate report of alleged sexual assault
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Officers investigated a reported sexual assault March 25.
Alpharetta police said a female reported she was assaulted March 24. The alleged victim’s age and city of residence were withheld to protect her identity.
She reported a man she knew sexually assaulted her at a pool about 1 a.m.
The man continued the assault despite her telling him to stop, police said.
Officers suggested she visit the hospital for a sexual assault examination.
It’s unclear whether the man, whose name also was withheld, was charged with a crime
— Jon Wilcox
Pills, marijuana seized following traffic stop
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell police confiscated a variety of illicit drugs after initiating a traffic stop the evening of April 12 at Riverside Road and Indian Springs Drive.
•
•
•
•
An officer pulled over the black Chevrolet for driving more than 30 mph over the speed limit. Upon approaching the vehicle, the officer reported smelling marijuana and saw remnants of smoking materials on the center console.
After an additional patrol unit arrived, police conducted a probable cause search of the driver and the vehicle.
In the search, police found approximately 11 grams of marijuana, two green circular pills that were identified as Oxycodone, and two capsules of Gabapentin.
& Specialty Mounts
• Frame Repairs & Touch-Ups
Crews have been working around the site of the Freemanville bridge for several months. An inspection by GDOT determined the bridge spanning Cooper Sandy Creek south of Providence Road needs to be replaced.
POLICE BLOTTER
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.
The driver was arrested on multiple counts of possession, reckless driving and having a suspended registration
— Hannah Yahne
Several Roswell restaurants report counterfeit money
ROSWELL, Ga. — Two reports of counterfeit money were filed with the Roswell Police Department April 10 after a man requested change for a $100 bill at the Loyal Tavern and Crabapple Tavern.
There have been reports of similar incidents recently at Lola’s Burger and Tequila Bar and Chaplin’s Bar and Grill as well.
The incident at the Loyal Tavern took place around 9:30 p.m. on April 9 and was reported to police the next day.
A bartender on staff reported being handed a $100 bill by a Black male with short dreadlocks who appeared between the age of 16 and 24. After examining the counterfeit bill, the bartender said she couldn’t accept the money, and the male left the Canton Street restaurant.
On April 10, a similar incident occurred at the Crabapple Tavern.
A Black male believed to be in his early 20s entered the business with
THE PICTURE FRAMER HAS
The closure and related detour will be in effect into the fall as school starts again. Milton is hosting an open-house style event to share information on the bridge Wednesday, April 29 from 5:30-7 p.m. in City Hall.
a $100 bill and asked the hostess for change in $20 bills. After the hostess collected the money, staff determined it was fake.
The general manager tried to find the male, but he had already left the business on Arnold Mill Road.
The report is similar to an incident documented five months ago at Lola’s Burger and Tequila Bar on Canton Street.
Employees said a black male in a dark hoodie ordered a soda at the bar and offered to pay with a $100 bill. The bartender gave him the drink for free and was asked if they could make change for the bill.
The man was given $100 in smaller bills and left the restaurant.
A responding Roswell officer spoke with an employe from Rock N Taco who alleged the same male ordered a soda and paid with a $100 bill. He was given $97 in change before leaving the restaurant.
After realizing the bill was fake, the bartender confronted the male in another restaurant. He said the suspect ran and started driving away in a grey Nissan Sentra with the door open and his leg sticking out. The bartender followed in his own vehicle and took a picture of the Nissan’s license plate, which is registered in Decatur without a phone number listed.
Another Roswell officer was dispatched to CBD Store & More on Canton Street in reference to a fake $100 bill that same day. He alleged it was the same male and prop money used.
— Hannah Yahne
Fulton Schools, Kennesaw State forge path for teaching careers
NORTH FULTON, Ga. — Fulton County Schools and Kennesaw State University have partnered to create new opportunities for high school students looking to accelerate their college education and pursue careers in teaching.
Leaders from the academic institutions signed the agreement during a ceremony April 14 at Kennesaw State University (KSU).
Through the dual enrollment initiative, Fulton County students can earn college credit while in high school, gain early classroom experience and have a streamlined admissions process into Kennesaw State’s Clarice C. and Leland H. Bagwell College of Education.
“By partnering with Fulton County Schools, Kennesaw State University is creating a direct, supportive pathway from high school to a bachelor’s degree and into the teaching profession,” said Jacqueline Quiroga, KSU’s assistant vice president for Enrollment Services. “This collaboration reflects our commitment to prepare future educators while making college more accessible and affordable for students.”
The structured academic pathway allows Fulton County high school students to take approved Kennesaw State courses through Georgia’s
MATT YUNG/PROVIDED
Fulton County Schools team members stand with “Scrappy,” the Kennesaw State University mascot, April 14 to mark a new partnership that will allow high school students aspiring to be teachers to earn college credit.
Career, Technical and Agricultural (CTAE) program. Students can earn 30 or more college credits before high school graduation, saving time and significantly reducing the cost of earning a degree.
Kennesaw State will provide dual enrollment courses aligned with its teacher preparation programs, along
with academic advising and degree planning, to students pursuing the CTAE’s Teaching as a Profession career pathway. The partnership also enables participating Fulton County students to apply to KSU at no cost and receive priority orientation and registration.
Together, Fulton County Schools and Kennesaw State will provide coordinated
advising, shared resources and ongoing support to help students succeed at every stage – from high school through college and into the workforce.
“Through our partnership with Kennesaw State University, we are not only expanding dual enrollment opportunities but intentionally building a strong pipeline of future educators empowering Fulton students to pursue teaching, return to their community, and shape the next generation right here at home,” said Gonzalo La Cava, Fulton County Schools chief Human Resources officer.
The school district will play a key role in preparing and supporting students, promoting the program across its high schools and connecting students with hands-on experiences in the classroom. Students will have access to job shadowing, field experiences, mentoring, student teaching opportunities within Fulton County Schools and professional development support.
The school district also plans to offer priority hiring consideration to program graduates who meet employment requirements, helping create a direct pipeline from high school to college to career.
— Hannah Yahne
State and federal officials break ground at a ceremony for the Georgia State Route 400 Express Lanes project on the top floor of an Avalon parking deck April 22.
Area dignitaries mark start of Ga. 400 widening work
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Local, state and federal officials gathered atop a parking garage overlooking Ga. 400 to herald the start of an ambitious project to expand the highway.
The officials and a crowd of about 200 gathered atop of the Avalon parking deck in Alpharetta to mark the groundbreaking for the multibillion-dollar Georgia State Route 400 Express Lanes project April 22.
The project will add express lanes in both directions along a 16-mile stretch of Ga. 400 from the North Springs MARTA Station in Fulton County north to just past McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County. The lanes, which will use variable-priced tolls and Peach Pass transponders, are expected to be open in 2031.
The project is the result of a privatepublic partnership with private partner SR 400 Peach Partners, which will design, build, finance, operate and maintain the express lanes for 50 years under state oversight.
Funding is provided by a $3.9 billion U.S. Department of Transportation loan, $3.4 billion in private activity bonds, $3.4 billion of developer equity and $120 million in state money.
The project’s scale makes it one of the most ambitious in the nation and
Sean McMaster, administrator of the Federal Highway Administration, speaks atop the Avalon parking deck during a ceremony for the Georgia State Route 400 Express Lanes project April 22.
the largest infrastructure project in Georgia history.
It is the recipient of the largest Transportation Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act loan in U.S. history, said Steven Bradbury, deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation. It also represents part of a major national effort to address traffic congestion.
PHOTOS BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Tune-Up Projects
Kitchen Tune-Up
Paint Cabinets
New Countertops, Sink & Faucet
New Backsplash
Cut Down 2-level
Island
Bathroom Tune-Up
New Countertops, Sink & Faucet
Enlarge Shower
Shower Glass
Shower Safety Full Remodel
Kitchen Remodel
Total Cabinet Replacement
Large Island
Optimize Cabinet / Appliance Locations
Open Concept –Move Walls
9-5 Mon-Fri • 10-4 Sat Showroom – Design Center 10591 Old Alabama
Projects
Bathroom Remodel
New Larger Shower
Vanity Replacement –Cabs, Counter, Sink
Free Standing Tub
Floor Tile, Wall Tile
Plumbing Fixtures
Ex-Milton ‘Mayor for a Day’ announces bid for House seat
MILTON, Ga. — Brian Cochran, a robotics engineer from Milton, says running for the Georgia House as an AI expert and pro-life champion was the natural thing for him to do.
Cochran announced his bid for the open seat in House District 47 in March.
A graduate of King’s Ridge Christian School and Georgia Tech, Cochran now works for Greenzie, a startup company building self-driving outdoor vehicles.
“My convictions about the sanctity of life and my knowledge of the tech world make me uniquely qualified,” Cochran said. “Reducing the cost of living is at the top of my list, but I am the only candidate also qualified to regulate AI to protect our privacy and to protect life at conception”
Cochran first appeared on the front page of the Milton Herald in 2010 as “Mayor for a Day” with then-Mayor Joe Lockwood. He won an “If I were Mayor” essay contest put on by the Georgia Municipal Association.
He outlined ideas to build tourism with a sculpture garden, planetarium and bird sanctuary.
“As a sixth grader, I thought those were cool ideas,” Cochran said. “As an adult, I know my community needs more than cool ideas. It needs proven leadership and an engineer mindset.”
Cochran proved the strength of his convictions about free speech while a student at Georgia Tech. While hosting prolife events on campus, the university used unconstitutional rules to stop his conservative speech. With help from the Alliance Defending Freedom, Cochran won his First Amendment lawsuit (Brian Cochran et al vs. Regents of the University System of Georgia et al) and he continues to be a champion for free speech.
“I’m a robotics engineer, not a politician. Milton is my home and I want to give back to the community that raised me,” Cochran said. “I have a skill set that is urgently needed at the Capitol. I plan to contribute and serve there.”
For more information on Cochran’s campaign for House District 47,visit www.cochranforgeorgia. com or follow @cochranforgeorgia on social media.
— Hannah Yahne
BRIAN COCHRAN/PROVIDED
Brian Cochran announces his campaign for District 47 in the Georgia House.
7 Brew Coffee marks debut with Ruff Dog Rescue drive
MILTON, Ga. — Drive-thru beverage franchise 7 Brew Milton kicked off its opening celebrations early this month with a donation weekend that raised more than $3,000 for Ruff Dog Rescue.
The new location in the Walmart Plaza at 12875 Ga. 9 hosted Caffeine for a Cause, a two-day affair where customers could try a limited menu and pay what they want as a donation to the foster-based, nonprofit dog rescue.
Members of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce and Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison attended the ribbon-cutting in early April.
“We’re thrilled to welcome the community to our newest 7 Brew stand in
Georgia, our first in the city of Milton, and even more excited to support Ruff Dog Rescue as a way of giving back to our new home,” said Max Pontrelli, chief operations officer of 7 Brew franchise group Rocket Brew.
The 7 Brew beverage brand has expanded to more than 600 locations across the country since 2017. The drive-thru drink spot has expanded from its original 7 coffees to more than 20,000 drink combinations.
The Milton franchise adds 70 jobs to the area and is 7 Brew’s fourth location in Georgia with more planned in Johns Creek, Cumming and beyond.
— Hannah Yahne
Representatives of Ruff Dog Rescue, a foster-based nonprofit, accept a $3,000 donation from 7 Brew, a drive-thru beverage franchise in Milton, thanks to the Caffeine for a Cause fundraiser.
PHOTOS BY:
Mayor Peyton Jamison, center, celebrates the early April ribbon-cutting
7 Brew, a drive-thru coffee company at 12875 Ga. 9 in Milton, alongside franchise employees and members of the North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.
Childhood learning center to open location in Roswell
ROSWELL, Ga. — Ivy Kids Early Learning Center has announced plans to open a new location in Roswell this summer.
The Roswell West location will mark the second Metro Atlanta early learning center for owners Karim Badani and his wife, Shraddha Naik, joining the Johns Creek location. The couple plans to continue expanding their footprint across North Fulton, with a location slated to open in Alpharetta in the fall.
“Opening our second location in Metro Atlanta is incredibly meaningful for our family,” Badani said. “Education has always been a driving force in my life, and we’re passionate about creating an environment where every child is supported, challenged and inspired.”
Located at 10650 Houze Road, Ivy Kids Roswell West will offer educational programs for children ages 6 weeks through pre-K, as well as after-school care for children ages 5–12. The 11,940-square-foot facility will feature 10 classrooms and maintain a low teacher-to-student ratio that exceeds state requirements.
The school offers an exclusive, research-based MultiPrep Curriculum, which promotes academic excellence through active, individualized learning.
In addition, Ivy Kids Learning Center’s World Changers Character Development Program helps instill strong character values through storytelling, play and guided classroom discus -
sions. Students also participate in the BrainBites Nutrition Program, which emphasizes healthy foods.
After immigrating to the United States at age 12 in pursuit of greater educational opportunities, Badani developed a passion for supporting student growth, regularly volunteering in schools and learning centers before transitioning from a career in banking. Naik, a healthcare professional at a local hospital, shares that passion and plays an active role in operations management.
“At Ivy Kids, we’re not just providing care, we’re building a strong educational foundation that helps children grow in confidence, curiosity and character from an early age,” Badani said.
Families interested in learning more about Ivy Kids Roswell West or pre-registration can call (678) 9295993 or visit IvyKidsRoswellWest. com. For additional information about Ivy Kids Learning Center, visit www. ivykids.com.
Just opened?
IVY KIDS/PROVIDED
From left, Karim Badani and his wife, Shraddha Naik, are opening a second location of their early childhood learning education and care center, Ivy Kids, at 10650 Houze Road in Roswell.
Amasa Mexican Kitchen plans Alpharetta opening
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Starting this summer, Amasa Mexican Kitchen will offer a seafood-forward menu of vibrant Mexican dishes at City Center in Alpharetta, 15 Academy Street, Suite 1E.
The venture is a new sister restaurant to Chichería Mexican Kitchen owned by Juan Calle.
“Bringing Amasa to Alpharetta is incredibly exciting for us,” Calle said. “We’re building on what guests already love about Chichería while introducing new experiences, from our seafood-forward menu to our tequila program and live entertainment. We can’t wait to welcome the community.”
Amasa hopes to deliver a unique dining experience with a gluten-free menu focused on bold flavors and high-quality ingredients.
The restaurant will feature a dynamic and social atmosphere, with communal tables upstairs and two private dining rooms downstairs for more intimate gatherings.
In addition to its daily offerings, Amasa will introduce its Sunday cazuela brunch buffet, inspired by the flavors of Mexico City. Evening programming will include live jazz, saxophone performances and Spanish singer-songwriters.
Amasa will be family-friendly, offering thoughtful menu options for children, and will host a variety of culinary events such as multi-
course tastings, tequila classes and dancing lessons. A dedicated tequila room and premium margarita flights will further enhance the guest experience.
— Hannah Yahne
BRANDON AMATO/PROVIDED Juan Calle, owner of Amasa Mexican Kitchen, is planning a variety of vibrant dishes and entertainment at his City Center location.
Roswell’s Green Street deck to allow limited free parking
ROSWELL, Ga. — The new Green Street parking deck in Roswell will offer free parking when it opens May 4, a temporary measure while construction closes Green Street for a transportation project.
The city announced the change nearly one month after the City Council voted to implement a pay-to-park pilot program downtown.
A pre-construction field assessment determined that Green Street must close entirely May 4, the same day the deck opens. The closure includes the gravel lot at 1056 Green Street, which will be used for construction staging.
Free parking at the deck on the corner of Ga. 9 and Green Street will help maintain parking for downtown employees during construction.
“We understand how important convenient parking is for our downtown businesses, employees, and visitors,” Mayor Mary Robichaux said. “Based on our field assessment, we’re making this adjustment to maintain access and support our downtown while construction is underway.”
The project will convert Green Street to a one-way road with a brick-paved multi-use trail that’s expected to open in the fall.
In March, the City Council approved a pilot program to gather data on downtown parking demand. This will include the 395 spaces in the new parking deck and onstreet paid parking in the downtown area.
Eventually, the gravel lot on Green Street will be included as a designated parking option for downtown employees.
Hannah Yahne
Visitors to Roswell’s downtown can view a map on the city website showing available parking areas. The city announced parking at the Green Street deck will be temporarily free when it opens in early May. The map shows four locations under consideration for future parking.
CITY OF ROSWELL/PROVIDED
Hospital expansion to provide healthcare, economic opportunities
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Northside Hospital Forsyth marked the start of a major expansion April 16 with the groundbreaking of a six-story patient tower and emergency department improvement.
The project is part of an effort to meet the growing healthcare demands in Forsyth County and surrounding communities, Northside Hospital said.
The expansion follows significant regional growth. In 2025, the hospital recorded more than 851,000 patient encounters, including more than 67,000 emergency department visits.
The project includes a six-story tower with 96 patient rooms, more than 260,000 square feet of new construction and 57,000 square feet of renovated space. Plans also call for expanded clinical and support services, a larger emergency department, a new lab and pharmacy and a parking deck with about 500 spaces.
The project is expected to be completed by the end of 2028.
Hospital CEO Lynn Jackson said the project will provide additional jobs and better healthcare.
“This investment reflects a belief that our community deserves healthcare that is not only advanced, but compassionate; not only responsive, but visionary; not only prepared for today, but ready for tomorrow,” Jackson said.
The work is part of a broader, multiyear master plan that will expand Northside Hospital Forsyth into a 500bed facility.
The campus also is undergoing additional development, including a new four-story, 120,000-square-foot medical office building and two parking decks, both expected to be completed by fall 2026.
Alex Warner, president and CEO of the Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce, said the expansions at the
hospital will provide benefits throughout the Forsyth County business community.
The projects will generate both immediate construction jobs and long-
term employment opportunities, he said.
“From an economic development perspective, this is a significant milestone,” he said. “Access to high-qual -
healthcare is critical for attracting and retaining businesses and talent. Projects like this strengthen Forsyth County’s competitiveness.”
— Jon Wilcox
COMMUNITY
Forsyth Symphony concert unites new, traditional fans
By STANLEY LEARY newsroom@appenmedia.com
CUMMING, Ga. — The Forsyth Symphony Orchestra presented its “Timeless Classics” concert April 19.
The program is designed to connect seasoned classical listeners with audiences more familiar with orchestral music through film and television.
Under the direction of Mark Wood, the ensemble guided the audience through a curated selection of wellknown works spanning the classical canon. Wood framed the performance with commentary, noting that while dedicated classical fans would recognize many of the pieces immediately, others might connect with them through their cultural presence in popular media.
He also provided historical context and storytelling between selections, helping listeners better understand each composition’s origins and impact.
The concert opened with “Eine Kleine Nachtmusik” by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, followed by “Finlandia” by Jean Sibelius and “Bacchanale” from “Samson and Delilah” by Camille Saint-Saëns. The first half concluded with “The Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss II and the fourth movement of Symphony No. 9, “From the New World,” by Antonín Dvořák.
After intermission, the orchestra continued with one of the most recognizable motifs in classical music, Symphony No. 5 by Ludwig van Beethoven. Additional selections included the “Romeo and Juliet Overture” by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky, the fourth movement of Symphony No. 1 by
Johannes Brahms, and the finale of the “William Tell Overture” by Gioachino Rossini.
The Forsyth Symphony Orchestra, a volunteer-based community ensemble, is dedicated to making orchestral music accessible to residents of Forsyth County and the surrounding area. According to its website, the organization brings together musicians of varying backgrounds and experience levels, united by a shared commitment to performance and community engagement. Concerts are designed to be
both educational and entertaining, often incorporating narration or thematic programming to help audiences connect more deeply with the music.
Sunday’s performance reflected that mission, blending familiar melodies with
storytelling to bridge the gap between classical tradition and contemporary listening experiences. By pairing iconic works with accessible explanations, the orchestra created an inviting atmosphere for longtime patrons and first-time attendees alike.
Musicians
PHOTOS BY: STANLEY LEARY/APPEN MEDIA
Mark Wood conducts the Forsyth Symphony Orchestra during a spring concert performance, showcasing the ensemble of local volunteer musicians dedicated to sharing orchestral music with the community.
LONGHORNS 15, TITANS 11
Lambert girls lacrosse ends regular season at 15-2
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Lambert girls lacrosse closed out the winningest regular season in program history by defeating Blessed Trinity 15-11 April 21, boosting their record to 15-2 this year.
It was a top-10 matchup. Depending on the outlet, the rankings fluctuate but Lambert is the consensus No. 4 team in the state. BT is No. 10 on Lax Numbers and Georgia Lacrosse Insider, No. 7 according to MaxPreps.
After Blessed Trinity tied the score at one goal apiece, the Longhorns stormed ahead to close the first quarter 6-1. Lambert continued their seven-goal streak into the second quarter.
From there, the Daley sisters took over to put the Titans on a 6-1 swing. One of the six goals came on a spin move by senior Maggie Sullivan.
The Titans are led by senior midfielder Hannah Daley, who posted six goals and seven draw controls to lead the team. Two or three Longhorn defenders weren’t enough to stop Daley from bulldozing her way to the back of the net.
Hannah’s younger sister Morgan was the Titans’ second leading scorer with two goals.
The Longhorns were in need of a serious push, and they found it from senior Hailey McDonald.
The attacker changed the narrative with four straight goals in the third quarter to extend the Longhorn’s lead from two to six. The last two came in the final 35 seconds of the period.
Close range, free position shot or low bouncer, McDonald was good from anywhere.
McDonald also contributed one assist. The Longhorns assisted on half their goals, and McDonald highlighted their capacity to share the ball and set up each other.
“We are a very assist-heavy team,” she said. “Everyone’s always looking up, working with each other, and they just emphasize how well we work all together when we’re not trying to focus on ourselves, and that’s very helpful when it comes to games like this when the competition is a very strong team.”
McDonald said the senior class of 15 players is prepared to give their all in their last postseason, and that they are focused on what kind of legacy they can leave.
Lambert head coach Travis Church is looking forward to improving their record once the playoffs begin. He said playing against a storied program like BT has strengthened his team looking toward the Division 3 bracket.
“Our girls showed a lot of fight to take a punch and then throw one back,” he said. “When we scheduled this game, that was kind of the game we were hoping for, a nice tune-up for the playoffs.”
PHOTOS BY: KEY ENTERTAINMENT/PROVIDED
The Lambert Longhorns and Blessed Trinity Titans shake hands after their matchup at Blessed Trinity High School April 21. The Longhorns quieted several Titan scoring runs to defeat one of the top 10 teams in the state in Blessed Trinity, 15-11 final.
Lambert senior Hailey McDonald listens in for coaching at halftime at Blessed Trinity High School April 21. McDonald’s four straight goals in the third quarter gave the Longhorns enough of a lead that the Titans could not complete the comeback.
U.S. Naval Academy commit Hannah Daley prepares to start the play after the referee blew the whistle at Blessed Trinity High School April 21. Daley led the Titans with a game-high six goals and was a major momentum-shifter on the circle.
SPORTS
GIRLS LACROSSE: BEARS 16, GLADIATORS 11; BOYS LACROSSE: GLADIATORS 16, BULLDOGS 4
Johns Creek boys, girls lacrosse split at home
By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek High hosted a lacrosse double header April 17 where the girls fell to Cambridge 16-11, but the boys dominated Chamblee for their senior night 16-4.
The girls played first in a ranked matchup between the Bears at consensus No. 3 and the Gladiators sitting in the top 10 but fluctuating depending on the outlet doing the rankings. The teams now have equivalent records at 13-4.
Bears head coach Maria Hansen took over this year after former coach Pam Masinko stepped down. The team is full steam ahead with their next goal of three straight titles.
“We played aggressive today,” Hansen said. “We played well together as a team.”
Cambridge led the game wire-towire. Senior Gabi Johnson played against a familiar rival for the last time and went out with a bang. Finishing on six of eight shots and collecting four assists, nine draw controls and six loose ball controls, she led the team in all statistical categories.
Another midfielder, sophomore Linden Donner was right behind Johnson with four goals, an assist, eight draw controls and two loose ball controls. Donner has been a consistent stronghold on the circle for the Bears the past two seasons.
Gabi’s younger sister Abby, a defender, has been another major contributor, typically taking the most difficult defensive assignment. She was guarding Johns Creek standout Sydnee Cane for the second straight year.
Abby has played on the same club lacrosse team as Cane for numerous years.
Gabi said team chemistry is at an all-time high after playing together for so many years. Hansen said Gabi is one of her most dependable players.
“Abby’s always going to come out and takes pride in the fact of not getting beat. If she gets beat, she’s not going to get beat the same way again,” Gabi said. “The chemistry, especially the senior group that was mentioned, I know what I’m getting out of them, and out of my sister, so that chemistry just sets us apart.”
Johns Creek kept the deficit at three goals or less for most of the first half until the Bears went on a fourgoal spree going into the break.
When Gladiators junior Hayden Huston fired back early in the third to spring her team to life, Gabi connected on her second set of back-to-back free
position goals to extend the Bears’ lead.
The Gladiators then responded with a 4-1 streak in the fourth but couldn’t complete the comeback.
Senior attacker Sydnee Cane again proved her utility both on the circle and on the attack line.
Cane was Georgia Lacrosse Insider’s Player of the Week and was named to the outlet’s Offensive Player of the Year Watchlist alongside 17 other players.
Cane led the team with five goals against Cambridge. Junior Avery Mathewson was right behind with four. The high-scoring pair posted one assist each.
In the boys game, the Gladiators led the entire game. Johns Creek put five goals on the scoreboard before Chamblee found the back of the net.
The Gladiators later went on a two-goal, three-goal and four-goal streaks to further extend the lead.
Last year when these teams matched up, the result was similar with a 15-2 final score.
Head coach CJ Mucker said the win meant a lot to his team for senior night.
“Just seeing everybody having high emotions and [I’m] just happy for our seniors,” he said. “They’re moving on for the next stage in life. The
intensity was high, just like it was last year, and that’s all we can ask.”
Senior Tyler Hampson led the team with five goals and two assists for his senior night and penultimate regular season home game.
“We just had to settle in and start playing as a team,” he said. “We found
our stride and started scoring.”
Defender David Scruggs celebrated a hat trick for senior night and showed off a new skill he picked up over spring break. Scruggs provided a new boost of energy by backflipping after each of his three goals. Will it start to catch on with other players?
PHOTOS BY: ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
From left, Johns Creek junior Will Dell’Orto faces off against Chamblee junior Cam Wyatt at Johns Creek High School April 17. Dell’Orto secured possessions for his team at the dot, giving them a boost to defeat Chamblee 16-4 for senior night.
Johns Creek junior Sydnee Cane cranks out a free position shot at Johns Creek High School April 17. Cane led her team with four goals and one assist against Cambridge, who is the consensus No. 3 team in the state according to multiple outlets’ rankings.
Alive in Roswell kickoff draws thousands to Canton Street
By DEAN HESSE decaturish@appenmedia.com
ROSWELL, Ga. — Thousands packed historic Canton Street on Thursday, April 16 for the first Alive in Roswell festival of the season, kicking off what promises to be another summer of fun with live music, food and community.
The April 16 event drew crowds on a picture-perfect spring evening, with
families and friends gathering to dance to live music, graze the food trucks and browse local vendors along Canton Street and the Roswell Antique and Interiors lot.
The free community festival is hosted by the city of Roswell and runs on the third Thursday of each month from April through October, from 5–9 p.m.
— Photos by Dean Hesse
From left, Coach Mackenzie, Spencer, Liam, Rebekah, Meghan and Griffin pose for a photo during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Justin fans Francisco Zuniga and Claudia Menchaca pose for a photo in front of the band during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Glow sticks come out as the sun goes down and people dance to party band Justin during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Sorority sisters and friends Kylie, Chloe, Vanessa, Anna, Brenna, Mia and Kyleigh pose for a photo on Canton Street during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Leticia and her dog Zion find a spot away from the crowd during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Sharon Riehl celebrates her birthday dancing to her favorite band Justin during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Avery Reynolds and his dog Dutton enjoy Alive in Roswell April 16.
Street performer Caleb Hensinger, known as “The Human DJ,” and drummer Alex entertain the crowd during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Kaylee Erneston, left, and Emily Cope browse prints by Madison O’Brien Art during Alive in Roswell April 16.
Crawfish Boil fuses music, community for purpose
By STANLEY LEARY newsroom@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — What might look like a classic Southern crawfish boil on the surface is, at its heart, something much deeper—a community gathering with a shared purpose.
The annual Crawfish Boil benefiting the Brady Corbett Fund brought together supporters April 18 for live music, food and fellowship, all aimed at helping children with hearing loss receive critical care and hearing devices.
The event, now a tradition, began as a way to honor the life of Brady Corbett, a young boy whose legacy continues to shape the mission of the fund. Since its founding, the organization has focused on providing what supporters often describe as the “gift of sound,” assisting families who might otherwise be unable to afford essential hearing services.
Funds raised through the event directly support the audiology program at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, helping expand access to care and resources for children across the region.
Organizers say the impact is tangible. In previous years, proceeds from the Crawfish Boil have funded critical needs
within the program, including newborn hearing screening test kits and the addition of a second audiology extern— investments that continue to benefit families long after the event ends.
For parents like Sprice Packham, whose son Charles received care through the program, the support has been lifechanging.
“They helped him to broaden his world,” Packham said. “He couldn’t do that on his own.”
As guests gathered, shared meals and listened to live performances, the evening reflected more than generosity—it highlighted the power of community. Each conversation, donation and connection contributed to a larger story of impact.
With tens of thousands of dollars raised in previous years, organizers entered this year’s event with a clear goal: build on that momentum and continue expanding access to hearing care for children in need.
By the end of the evening, the success of the event would not simply be measured in dollars raised, but in the lives changed—proof that when a community shows up, the impact extends far beyond a single night.
PHOTOS BY: STANLEY LEARY/APPEN MEDIA
Paul Beier pours a fresh batch of cooked crawfish onto the table as guests gather to enjoy the meal during the Crawfish Boil benefiting the Brady Corbett Fund.
Clark Spaulding holds up his crawfish during the children’s race at the Crawfish Boil benefiting the Brady Corbett Fund.
PHOTOS BY: STANLEY LEARY/APPEN MEDIA
Chauncey Hill and P.J. Lynch enjoy crawfish straight from the table during the Crawfish Boil benefiting the Brady Corbett Fund, embracing the relaxed, hands-on Southern tradition of the evening.
Children line up with their chosen crawfish, cheering and racing them across the ground during a lively kids’ competition at the Crawfish Boil benefiting the Brady Corbett Fund.
Appen Media Group publishes 7 award winning publications, home-delivered, with a combined circulation of 114,000 every week* and is the #1 source for hyper-local news in the areas we serve.
Are you a business owner/manager looking to increase sales & gain new customers/clients?
Learn how to reach this attentive and affluent audience with a customized marketing plan just for you!
Call 770-442-3278 or email: advertising@appenmedia.com to get started!
An old deck reveals the resilience of pine
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
The boardwalk in front of our Dog Island house is 26 years old now. It leads down from the house to a deck about 50 feet away. After the end of the deck, there is about 30 yards of sand—bleached white beach sand— then the ocean. So, it's about the worst environment for any deck—the beach, with the salt air, inclement weather, hurricanes, blazing hot sun in summer.
I never cease to be amazed at the resilience of pine. At first, I would treat the boardwalk every few years and the deck it leads to, the benches, and the railings with a high-particle-content oilbased wood preservative. It came in a green five-gallon can. I think the reason I stopped treating the boardwalk is that they stopped selling the high-particlecontent wood preservative. Can you say carcinogenic? I don't want to even think about how bad that wood preservative was—to use, to apply, to expose oneself to. And the irony of it all is that the wood—this pine boardwalk—that is baked and baked daily by the ocean sun has held up well anyway.
Boards are splitting, popping up, cracking, splintering, yet still, still work, still function. Maybe I have another 10 years for these pine boards, this boardwalk and deck. Who knows. It has already lasted years longer than I expected.
That boardwalk reminds me of my 71-year-old self. Parts of me are fine, while other parts are not. My gait now favors one side of my body. At times, my knees try to buckle. My feet hurt at night. So do my hands; in fact, it is usually the pain in my hands that wakes me up in the mornings! It's just like my boardwalk at the beach; everything is old and in varying stages of failing.
I still think I have another Appalachian Trail (AT) thru-hike in me, though.
I built the deck using framing hammers and nails—not nail guns. Ok, actually, I was the grunt labor for someone who actually knew what he was doing, but together, we built the boardwalk and the deck.
that haven't disintegrated from saltinduced rust. Each individual board is shifting its own way—some up, some to the side, some just helter-skelter. Many move when I walk on them because little to nothing is holding them down now. They need to be re-nailed or screwed. One of the main supports has disintegrated—a 4-by-12 plank I had salvaged from the house next door when it fell back into the sea—so I dug a hole in the beach sand and inserted a new 8-by-8-by-10-foot post, which now replaces the old support. Of course, the other three corners will now sag more and require shoring up soon, I am sure.
The dune in front of the end of the boardwalk is now about 4 feet tall. That is what happens when we go for three or four years without a hurricane: the dunes come back, they grow, the vegetation returns. It wasn't that long ago that at the end of the boardwalk, I had a set of stairs leading down to the beach; the dunes were that high. Later, though, the beach was flattened, all vegetation removed by a storm, a named hurricane. It looked like a bomb had gone off; it always does.
The day after—the minute after—the hurricane exits, everything starts healing: the beach, the sea oats, the grasses, the dunes start reclaiming their space, growing back with no hesitation, no remorse.
This is my constant reminder of the circle of life and the optimism that it always fosters in me.
That beach, the boardwalk, and the deck are all my happy place. Most of my friends there are now in their mid-tolate 80s. Heck, one of my boats there is now 50 years old, and the other one is over 30—but both have new power, which I wish I could say for myself! Everyone is aging. Everyone is fighting aging. It's all happening in real time, right before my eyes. I guess that is one of the more galling aspects of it all; I am actually watching it like I am sitting in the stands at a basketball game or a card table playing rummy.
*Decaturish Ink currently publishes on the 2nd & 4th Thursdays of every month. All other publications publish every Thursday.
It's been through multiple hurricanes. Multiple tidal surges. The supports beneath the boardwalk and deck have begun to fail. It is shifting, so the decking is now starting to pop up. Nail heads are popping up—at least those
A friend sent me a funny meme recently. It showed a solitary, bearded, kinda hippie-looking guy sitting on a park bench, holding his cup of coffee and enjoying the morning sunshine. The caption under the picture read: "I was just minding my own business, and the next thing I know I was the same age as old people."
I'll roll with that, I think. I'm not made of resilient pine. I can't really "repower" like my boats. And everything is wearing out—slowly, mind you. Sure glad I'm not old.
OPINION
Master Gardeners to join annual Carter Work Project
Since 2009, Fulton County Master Gardener Extension Volunteers, led by the Central Fulton Master Gardeners (CFMG), have been involved in all homes built by Habitat for Humanity in Fulton County, reaching the milestone of 600 homes in 2025.
The extensive training received in the UGA program prepared the Master Gardeners to:
• Select plants for individual homes
• Supervise the installation of trees, rain gardens, shrubs and sod
• Teach volunteers and homeowners how to install and maintain their landscapes
In the first week of May this year, the CFMGs are very excited to be involved in the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project, the annual international, multihome build that brings volunteers from around the world to finish homes in one week. Only one city is chosen each year, and Atlanta was selected in recognition of the 50th anniversary of Habitat for Humanity International and to honor Georgia’s own Carter family.
The couple first became involved with the organization in 1984 when the former president was out on a run and noticed a team of volunteers working at a site in New York. The Carters spent the next 35 years as volunteers with Habitat.
This year, more than 700 volunteers will join the Atlanta Habitat base to complete 24 single-family homes and town homes (a first) in the new Langston Park development in Sylvan Hills, established in 1920. During standard builds, the Master Gardeners have a budget of $300-350 per house to purchase all landscaping plants, and two to three CFMGs oversee volunteers during installation. For the International build, the budget is $550 per home which allows room to better integrate the neighborhood appearance while offering some individuality and upgraded plant selection. Because there will be more volunteers than usual, only one CFMG will be in charge of each home with a few floating helpers. Experience with Habitat and the extensive training from UGA has prepared the Master Gardener team for success in creating beautiful homes for these families.
Habitat for Humanity was launched in 1976 as an effort recognizing that affordable homeownership is foundational for stable families to build wealth, join the surrounding community and live with dignity.
Because it takes more than volunteers to offer a new home, many organizations, businesses and communities around the world unite to bring families the homeownership they deserve.
The City of Atlanta embraced Habitat in 1983 and has helped over 6,000 individuals and families by building over 1,700 homes here in Georgia, but their support goes beyond a safe haven. After being accepted following the application process, families receive a 30-year, no-interest mortgage. They are required to contribute 250 hours building their own home and attend 17 courses in financial education and home maintenance. Over the years, Atlanta Habitat has seen 361 mortgages paid in full and estimates that the average equity return for the home is $212,000. In 2025 alone, Atlanta Habitat awarded $9,000 to three
Clockwise from top left: Ready for landscaping; After landscaping installation; Master Gardener instructing volunteers on installing landscaping
new associated businesses and over $28,000 in educational scholarships to their families. Upon completion, the families receive detailed information on how to care for their home and landscape and can reach out for more support.
On the exciting last day of each build, when the CFMGs oversee the installation of the landscape, the homeowners are given a booklet describing what plants they now own and how to care for them, including watering schedules and lawn care. The grounds are then tidied up so the families, volunteers and Habitat staff can gather in front of the home for a dedication and celebratory lunch, enjoying the relationships developed after hours of side-by-side work toward a common goal.
While the volunteer slate for the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is full, Atlantans that are interested in supporting Habitat for Humanity can donate their time on a build, money to support projects or shop/volunteer with Habitat’s furniture store, ReStore.
Fulton County Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers
are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at: https://appenmedia.com/opinion/columists/garden buzz/.
Catch North Fulton Master Gardeners at these scheduled events throughout the season:
• Alpharetta Farmers’ Market (starting April 18)
• Sandy Spring Farmers’ Market: Diggin’ in the Dirt kid’s activities
• Crabapple Festival in Milton this fall
About the author
This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Kelly Spetalnick, an UGA Master Gardener Extension volunteer and president of the Central Fulton Master Gardner organization. Kelly is a retired optometrist with a lifelong love of the outdoors that led to the UGA Master Gardener Volunteer Program in 2018. When not visiting her kids and granddaughter in Austin and Seattle, you’ll find her digging in her yard or hanging out with her husband at the family lake house.
KELLY SPETALNICK Guest Columnist
PHOTOS PROVIDED
Planted flower bed
OPINION
Fences reflect story of America’s growth
One might think that the history of fences would be a dry, dull topic. That is not the case. Fences have played important roles in the history of Georgia and elsewhere. The enthusiasm for the subject on the part of retired Milton attorney and historian Jim Farris, encouraged me to write this column.
The idea of fencing property goes back to prehistoric peoples who used stones and vegetation to delineate boundaries. Primitive gates were installed to protect food, dwellings and as protection against wild animals. Ancient Egyptians erected tall mud brick walls around towns and temples. Even their stone pyramids protected royal tombs and can be considered precursors of some modern fences. The Greeks and Romans used fences as boundaries and to control livestock.
The Middle Ages, 500 to 1500 AD, was a time of many wars in Europe. Wealthy landowners installed stone enclosures with towers and battlements around their castles. Stone walls protected villages from marauders. The aristocracy installed elaborate iron fences across the front of their estates. Wooden fences became a primary fencing material.
Early settlers in Georgia sometimes built split-rail or worm fences which did not require nails or fenceposts. They were well suited to Georgia’s early wooded and root-dense soils. In the 1800s, barbed wire revolutionized the fencing industry. Out West, it facilitated the growth of ranching.
The picket fence, popular in the United States since the 1800s, is often thought as originating in the U.S. because the white picket fence symbolizes ideal middle class America. In fact, it was used in the Middle Ages as evidenced by a painting by Sandro Botticelli which features a picket fence. His painting “Agony in the Garden,” painted circa 1500, shows Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives in the eve of his crucifixion.
Jim Ferris believes that “in proportion to its size, Milton likely has far more linear feet of fencing than any other city in Georgia.”
That makes sense, even though there is no specific data that directly measures that. Milton stands out because of its large rural properties, its many equestrian operations and large affluent homes with long driveways. One estimate says
that a typical Milton 1.5-to-3-acre lot has 500 to 1,200 linear feet of perimeter which is three to six times larger than the average Georgia parcel.
Fencing has come a long way in recent times. The 20th century encouraged further innovation with the introduction of new styles and materials such as vinyl and composite materials. Today’s fences can provide safe spaces, privacy, noise reduction, protection for children and pets and personalization on the part of owners.
The fence business is huge in Georgia. Estimates of the number of fence installation firms vary widely, but 500 or more companies is a good estimate. The highest concentration is in the Atlanta metro area. They range from large companies with many employees to small family-owned operations with just a handful of permanent employees. Such firms engage temporary workers depending on the job.
In North Fulton and Forsyth County, you can find fences made of wood, metal, vinyl, chain-link and composite materials. Most popular woods are cedar, redwood, southern pine and cypris.
Modern technology has added new features including electric fences and smart fences equipped with sensors such as video cameras, motion and infrared detectors.
Byron Foster is a typical fence customer. He is a fourth-generation owner of a cattle farm in Milton. The land was first owned by a winner of the 1832 Land Lottery of Cherokee land and has been farmland since. When Byron’s father owned the land in the 1940s, he had sharecroppers living on the land. Today Byron raises Black Angus and Black Baldy cattle (Black Baldy cattle is a cross between Black Angus and Hereford).
Byron and his wife Laura are proud of the 30 acres, most of it enclosed with four-rail wood fencing they had installed by local company Andy Bates Fencing.
“The old fence had a lot of turns and angles,” Byron said. “I said I want the new fence to be smooth with nice, gentle, beautiful curves. I told Andy to think of his new bride when working on it.”
The result is a beautiful fence with no sharp angles.
Andy Bates Fencing is headquartered
in Canton. It is typical of smaller familyowned fence companies. It is owned by Andy and his brother Justin and was founded by their father Lonny in 1987.
“We try to stay small to maintain quality,” Andy said.
The most affordable type of fencing is barbed wire with metal posts, mostly used by cattle farmers. The most popular in this area due to horses is four rails for appearance and safety reasons. Andy says that in the 1940s and 1950s many farmers used black locust trees and split them.
The trees are less common today, perhaps because they are poisonous, but those that were used for fences are still strong and not rotted.
One of Bates Fencing’s proudest projects was a multi-acre four-rail fence on the property in Alpharetta once owned by Atlanta Braves hero Chipper Jones. The fence was built for the original owner by Andy’s father circa 2012.
Bob is a member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission, director emeritus of the Milton Historical Society and member of the Alpharetta and Old Milton County Historical Society. You can email him at bobmey@ bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.
BOB MEYERS
Columnist
BOB MEYERS/APPEN MEDIA
The cattle farm of Byron and Laura Foster in Milton boasts a beautiful four-rail fence on most of its 30 acres.
Sando Botticelli’s painting Agony in the Garden, painted circa 1500, shows a picket fence, often erroneously thought to have been invented in the United States because of its great popularity. The painting depicts Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives on the eve of his crucifixion.
OPINION
Tents represent fabric of our life experiences
Okay, language fans. Today’s lesson has to do with metaphors.
What’s a metaphor?” I asked the interweb, and it reminded me that a metaphor is “a figure of speech that directly compares two unrelated things by stating that one is the other, enhancing description without using the words ‘like’ or ‘as.’”
That’s pretty much it.
And so, with that neat little definition in mind, I’m going to go out on a limb and make a pronouncement. I am going to pronounce (maybe even declare) that tents are life.
See? I’ve connected the notions of “tent” and “life” – two very different things – without using a single “like” or even the merest hint of an “as.” Isn’t that a metaphor? Darn tootin’ it is.
Metaphors, especially those involving the out-of-doors, really are a great way to make sense of things. If you’re into fishing, for example, “catch-and-release” can be a metaphor for dealing with loss. If you like hiking, then maybe “using your peripheral vision” becomes a metaphor for finding the way when direct understanding isn’t giving you squat.
There’s no doubt about it. Metaphorical musings, especially those involving some aspect of the out-of-doors, can help you draw connections and connect dots. If you let them, they can highlight the important with delightful, exquisite clarity too.
This may nowhere be truer than in the area of tents.
Yeah…
It’s yesterday, about 5 in the afternoon, and we have just arrived at our campsite. When we are camping, her job is to fix up the campsite. She says she is a nest builder, and what is an empty campsite but a nestbuilding blank canvas like none other?
But first, of course, the tent must go up.
That is my job.
In the old days, tents were made of military-grade canvas and stout wooden poles and weighed roughly the same as my buddy’s extended-cab pick-up truck. But the modern tent is a marvel of textile engineering, light in weight and (sometimes) easy to put up too.
Our tent, a gift which she gave
to me, is of the “instant” variety. That means that (at least according to YouTube) it can go from folded to functional in just a matter of minutes. This is accomplished through a combination of insightful mechanical design (which an engineer friend once described as “tension-based fabric structurization,” whatever that is) and magic. Sacrificing of chickens may be involved. Maybe that’s why I often stop by KFC on the way to the campsite to savor a couple of original-recipe thighs. If you ask, I’ll tell you it’s just lunch. But deep down I know better. Ritual must be followed, you know.
And so, we unload the car. We carry things to the site. After a moment the tent is accessible (yeah, I am still learning the nuances of sequenced packing for camping trips, but that’s another story) and it is my turn to do the heavy lifting, which I do by toting the bundled-up tent down to the campsite where, with great ceremony, I begin to set it up. Yep, all by myself. Because that’s what the package said is possible. And because that’s what Men of the Wilderness like me do. We do it on our own.
You see where this is going?
First, I unfold it. I spread it out on the ground tarps. Then I grasp here and there, as illustrated on the instruction sheet, and lift.
In theory, that’s when the tensionbased fabrication thing is supposed to make itself known. In practice, that’s when I get part of it up but then go to the next part and get part of it up too, only to watch in dismay as the aforementioned first part collapses.
Maybe I just didn’t do it right, I say to myself. I try again. The same thing happens again.
I sense that I am being watched and look surreptitiously over my shoulder. Sure enough, she’s watching me, a faint smile on her face. I try a third time. Three is not the charm.
“I need help,” I say.
She comes to lend a hand, and in less than a minute our textile townhouse is set up and ready to go.
“There!” I say. “Nothing to it!”
See the metaphor? Here it is: Setting up tents and living life are pretty much the same thing. In both cases two are better than one.
You can take that one further if you wish, maybe all the way to the idea that a whole world is better than one.
Just one step further…and that’s worth thinking about.
STEVE HUDSON Columnist
County:
Continued from Page 1
Fulton County Chief Operating Officer Dr. Pamela Roshell said the facility represents years of “foresight, planning and determination.”
In 2019, Fulton County purchased the 24-acre site and building, which hosted a Comcast call center. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it served as a testing and vaccination site.
The county began renovations in 2024 to repurpose it as a facility that consolidates a variety of essential services into one location.
The county said the site will improve access for a variety of services, including preventative care, immunizations, family planning, senior services, behavioral health stabilization, tuberculosis treatment, chronic disease management and health education. The expansion of vital records services also will give easier access to birth and death certificates.
Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne said the facility will benefit the community by bringing numerous services under one roof.
“We’re delivering real results for North Fulton by expanding access, strengthening services and bringing critical care closer to our residents,” she said.
— Jon Wilcox
North Point Parkway April 16.
FULTON COUNTY/PROVIDED
Alpharetta and Fulton County officials prepare to cut the ribbon for a $25 million health and human services building at 4700
Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 4, 6 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!
FISH FRY
1. Bear’s favorite fish. Florida _____. Greek goddess of victory.
2. Worry. Speckled freshwater fish. Hearty drink.
3. Sign of something bad about to happen. No-no. Small cold water silverly fish.
4. Do watercolors. Sandwich fish. Man of morals.
5. Ballroom dance. 50s-60s popular eatery. Herring-like food fish.
6. Cheese type. Extinct bird. Young haddock.
7. Goatfish. Castle part. War machine.
1 Bear’s favorite fish. Florida ___. Greek goddess of victory.
2. Worry. Speckled freshwater fish. Hearty drink.
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. Sign of something bad about to happen. No-no. Small cold water silverly fish
4. Do watercolors. Sandwich fish. Man of morals.
5. Ballroom dance. 50s-60s popular eatery. Herring-like food fish
6. Cheese type. Extinct bird. Young haddock 7. Goatfish. Castle part. War machine.
How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9.
number above the diagonal line in a 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.
Drought:
cities like Johns Creek and Roswell have mutual aid agreements to share equipment when needed.
“When you start having 12 little spot fires in a row because somebody was dragging chain down the road, we end up having to dispatch other fire engines to those other locations to get those extinguished before they reach a bigger section of woods or a house,” Fortner said.
The Roswell Fire Department has a utility terrain vehicle it can deploy to brush fires in wooded areas. Chad Miller, the department’s public information officer, said crews constantly monitor fire weather forecasts and the Keetch-Byram Drought Index to prepare for the possibility of more brush fires.
The drought index, monitored by the U.S. Forest Service, assesses fire risk based on soil dryness and other environmental factors.
State of emergency
In South Georgia, major wildfires have burned a combined 35,000 acres across two counties. Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency for 91 Georgia counties as the state experiences its worst drought since 2011.
When considering the risk of similar
fires in North Georgia, Fortner said higher temperatures means drier grass, which serves as fuel for fires. However, the region’s landscape differs from South Georgia.
“Our landscape is just different up here versus down there,” Fortner said. “We don’t have a lot of wooded area up here; this is a more populated area. So, there’s less likelihood that a fire could really get out of hand to that degree.”
Still, Fortner and Miller stressed that fires could occur in any community. They urged residents to abide by burn bans and reduce risks around their home through proper disposal of cigarettes and careful handling of grills, landscaping tools and fire pits near dry vegetation. Most wildfires start from human activity, Miller said.
The statewide burn ban goes into effect May 1, and Milton has a local ordinance that prohibits open burning on non-agriculturally zoned parcels.
Even with rain projected in the forecast, one good rain won’t reset things. Miller said it takes weeks of soaking rain to change conditions.
Farmers’ thoughts
Cameron Stribling, farm manager for Martin’s Garden at Coleman Farms in Roswell, said the most notable difference this year is the lack of humidity combined with the hot temperatures.
“It’s been a lot of extra, added stress trying to schedule around the nonexistent rain,” Stribling said.
Staff must work more often to turn on the farm’s water which Stribling described as a laborious task. Coleman Farms has access to a well, enabling it to avoid crop failure by watering plants at a lower cost than farms using Fulton County water.
The heat is having an unexpected effect on plant growth this early in the season. In the springtime, Stribling focuses on growing leafy greens, such as lettuce and bok choy, and their development has accelerated with the heat.
“The way that it’s been hotter than usual has made these things grow as if they were planted in the summer,” Stribling said.
If the heat persists, it could force her to plant tomatoes and other summer crops sooner than expected.
“Farmers are facing the brunt of [cli-
mate change],” Stribling said, “Because we can’t predict the future, so we’re adapting in real time and it’s a lot.”
Martin’s Garden operates the farm on 1 acre out of the 7-acre property on Coleman Road. Annual operating costs exceed $40,000 with 4 percent allocated toward utilities. Stribling estimates that cost will increase by at least 1 percent this year due to heat, lack of water and rising material costs. It’s a trickle-down effect, she said, because a lot of money is invested up front, but farmers don’t see a return until after their annual harvest.
“…If the resources don’t pan out, we don’t see that until the season ends,” Stribling said.
Floyd Keisler with Moss Hill Farm in Milton said the weather has not impacted their production. With access to a pond and overhead sprinkles, he doesn’t think the drought will affect the farm unless the pond runs dry or the irrigation system fails.
“So far, we have not been impacted, but we are a very rare thing for small farmers,” Keisler said. “We do not have to depend on county water, which that alone would have been very costly.”
Keisler said he’s had to water more frequently than in past years. He’s been farming in Alpharetta since 1996.
The field has been watered six times already this year – only one month into the growing season. In previous years, Keisler said they would only water a couple times over the seven-month season.
Even with the water, crops are stressed, Keisler said. They use compost and mulch from horse manure to hold moisture in the ground, forcing plants to grow deeper to find water.
If dry conditions persist, Keisler predicts less crop production, making it harder to supplement Social Security payments with annual earnings.
“This is a very crucial time for most of us small farmers who do not have green houses and grow in the open,” Keisler said. “We only have a seven-month window to produce food that will grow here in our growing zone.” Continued from Page 1
PHOTOS BY: MARTIN’S GARDEN/PROVIDED Farm manager Cameron Stribling leads production for Martin’s Garden at Coleman Farms in Roswell. Stribling has more than 10 years of experience in agriculture.
Martin’s Garden starts the growing season in April by planting leafy greens, like lettuce and bok choy. With the dry conditions in recent weeks, Martin’s Garden farm manager Cameron Stribling said crop development has accelerated to mirror growth during summer months.
Project:
Continued from Page 4
“It’s so critical for the economy of our country, for the quality of life, for the happiness of Americans that we address those congestion issues,” Bradbury said.
U.S. Treasurer and former state Sen. Brandon Beach said he envisions the project as transformational for a region that has seen unprecedented growth in recent years. Like the original Ga. 400 project, the express lanes will facilitate significant economic growth in the area, he said.
“There’s a direct correlation between infrastructure investment and economic development and jobs, and I think Ga. 400 is a classic example,” he said.
Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne said she expects the express lanes to give residents something less tangible but no less important — time.
“You can never get back your time, and with how many hours of time people spend on Ga. 400 sitting in traffic, my hope in the future is that people get their time back,” she said.
Johns Creek City Councilman Larry DiBiase said that although Ga. 400 is not within his city limits, residents will see benefits.
Traffic congestion remains a major issue for many residents, he said.
As the express lanes become operational, he expects them to attract vehicles that would otherwise pass through Johns Creek.
“Any way we can expand the arteries coming in and out of the particular area, not just Johns Creek, it will help the residents,” he said. “It is a pressure relief.”
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING
The City of Milton City Council will hold a public hearing for the applications for alcohol licenses listed below on Monday, May 4, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the First Floor of City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, Georgia 30004. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing.
PH-26-AB-05 – ATL SIM Golf LLC dba Back Nine Alpharetta has submitted an application for a Bring Your Own Beverage (BYOB) license at its place of business located at 691 North Main Street, Suite 200, Milton, Georgia 30009.
Invitation to Bid
Generator and ATS Replacement - Fire Station 43 HMGP Project #4738-0035
ITB NUMBER 26-FD02
Proposal Due Date: May 18, 2026, by 2:00PM Local Time
Electronic submission via: https://www.miltonga.gov/government/finance/bidsrfps
Names for submissions received will be publicly announced via a virtual bid opening at approximately 2:30 PM at the City of Milton City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, GA 30004. The City reserves the right to reject any and all proposals. If the contract is awarded, it will be awarded to the highest scoring Offeror whose proposal meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the request for proposals.
The City of Milton was awarded funding from the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP), a funding opportunity from the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The City is requesting bids from qualified parties for the removal of the existing generator and automatic transfer switch (AFS) and the installation of a new fixed industrial generator system for Milton Fire Station 43 located at 750 Hickory Flat Rd, Milton GA 30004. All qualified proposals will receive consideration without regard to age, handicap, religion, creed or belief, political affiliation, race, color, sex, or national origin.
The request for electronic proposals for ITB 26-FD02, Generator and ATS Replacement - Fire Station 43 will be posted on the following websites the week of April 16, 2026: https://www.miltonga.gov/government/finance/bids-rfps and https://ssl.doas.state.ga.us/gpr/
JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Ga. 400 is visible in the distance from the rooftop of an Avalon parking deck April 22 where a groundbreaking was held for the Georgia State Route 400 Express Lanes project.
Join today for $16/month
DC Aiken
Big Sky Franchise Team
David & Michelle Bertany
Amour & Duane
Carthy
Scott Childress
Support the work appenmedia.com/join
Barbara Anderson
Kerry Arias
Scott Baynton
Joseph Bell
Rita Brown
SM Buscher
Mark Casas
Carl Abernathy
Bruce Ackley
Salpi Adrouny
Alpharetta Lions Club
Omar Altalib
Dave Altman
Ron Altman
Joel Alvis
American Legion Post 201
Ken Amos
Alice & Dr. Richard Appen
Stewart Applbaum
Gaye Armstrong
Mary Asbury
Amy Auffant
Bonnie Avera
Carolyn Axt
Bangkok Boxing LLC
Sandra Balmer
Shannon Banna
Beth Barnes
Michael Baron
Janet Bass
Caitlin Bates
Jannet Bauer
Barbara Bauschka
Support Local News Join Appen Press Club
CHARTER MEMBER
Adam Corder
Patrick Cressaty
Robert Flint
Robin Fricton
Zachary Hahn
David Conti
Theodore Davis III
Maureen Drumm
Charlcie Forehand
Lisa Frantz
Aileen Horton
Deborah Jackson
Caroline Blackmon
Tochie Blan
Ron Boddicker
Jodi Bogen
Sherri Bolles-Rogers
Katherine Bolt
Helen Borland
Debra Bowen
Joe Bowen
Kenneth Bowman
David Boy
Ryan Brainard
Mark Brandus
Mel Brannen
Amy Bratten
Carol Bright
Linda Brill
Dorothy Brouhard
Mary Anne Brown
Erendira Brumley
Zack Buchanan
Bernhard Burgener
Alvin Burrell
Mike & Theresa Buscher
Mary Busman
Clea Calloway
Miriam Beattie
Kathy Beck
Laura Bentley
William Bentley
Leslie Berry
Tom Billings
Kirk Canaday
James Carr
Bridgette Carter
William Carter
William Cartwright
Linda & Frank Catroppa
Allison January
Michael Kenig
Roderick Liptrot
Bob Meyers
Claude Nardy
MEMBER+
David Johnson
Ali Mahbod
Richard Matherly
Evan McElroy
Vickie McElroy
Patricia Miller
Anne Peer
MEMBER
Pat Check
Virginia Christman
Adam Cleveland
Ann Coaloa
Kim Coggins
Michael Cohen
Evelyn Collazo
Michael Mackenzie
Communications
Joan Compton
Kathleen Cook
Carol Cookerly
Terri Coons
Sarah Cox
Rhonda Cude
Connie Cunningham
Christopher Cupit
Bart Dean
David Dean
Duane DeBruler
Marilyn DeCusati
Kathleen DeMartino
Nancy Diamond
Sarah Donehoo
Rebecca Donlan
James Dorsey
Tom Driscoll
Michael Dudgeon
Jeanette Dummer
DutchCrafters Amish Furniture
Thomas Edmonds
William Edmundson
Cliff Oxford
Bruce Paulk
Ross & Lori Ramsey
Sarah Reiter
Mark Rundle
Matthew Sayle
Lynn Thomas
Kim Truett
Roger Wise Jr.
Colt Whittall
Helen Perry
Jennifer Phillippi
Robert Popp
Dave Rhinehart
Sergey Savin
Heather Sawyer
Kate Seng
Denise Eicher
Mim Eisenberg
Danny Elkins
Su Ellis
Grady Evans
Leslie Ann Everett
Steve Fabian
Carol Fain
Martha Fasse
Nell & Doug Fernandez
Renai Fitzpatrick
Daniel Fleck
Lee Fleck
Laura Floyd
Andrew Flynn
Cathy Flynn
Paul Folger
Adrienne Fontaine
Mary Ford
Nanci Foster
Amy Frederick
Kelly Frommer
Carol Fry
Tim Fulton
Andrew Garner
Tracey Ganesh
Steve Garrett
Daniel Gay
Matthew Geller
John Gibbs
John Gilberto
Leslie Gilliam
To join go to appenmedia.com/join and follow the prompts to select your membership level and select your t-shirt size! Questions? Email Hans Appen at hans@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.
Karen Shih
Bob Stevens
Kimberly Verska
Carol Williams
Bailey & Ryan Gladysz
Michelle Glotzbach
Harvey Goldberg
Christopher Goodrich
Jim Gray
Ralph Griffin
Rihard Griffiths
Elaine Gwynn
Carolyn Hall
Marilee Hamilton
Susan Hanna
Marion Hannah
Roxanne Hazen
Joe Hirsch
Penn Hodge
Dianne & Steffan Holmquist
Joan Hostetter
Julie Hostetter
Krista Howland
Austin Hughes
Jason Hunyar
Jacqueline Hursh
Susan Huss
Paul Huth
Jeffrey Hyde
J. Craig Inman
Sandra Jacobs
Sue Jacques
Lynn Johnson
Tyler Jones
Zach Jones
Patricia Kachur
Scan QR code to join the Appen Press Club
Amy Kanderis
Arthur Kebanli
Laura Keck
Mark Kelly
Nancy Kennell
Randall Kent
Carol Kerr
Sally Klaskala
Allison Kloster
Dyna Kohler
Brett Koutnik
Larry Krueger
Jess & Chris Kysar
Malinda Lackey
Sarah Lamm
Daniel Lashinsky
Richard Lapin
Christine Law
Brandon Leach
Dennis Lee
Ken Leffingwell
Carol Lehan
Melissa Libby
Bonnie Lind
Francia Lindon
Karen Lippert
Harlan Little
Jarrett Long
Ross Long
Kyser Lough
Rita Loventhal
Jerry Lucas
Brenda Lundy
Harry Lutz
Rita Loventhal
Karen Magill
Freda Manning-Rumph
Kyile Marshall
Support Local News Join Appen Press Club
MEMBER (CONT.)
Julie Martin
Carla Masecar
Valerie Matthews
Theresea Mattioli
William Maxwell
Nicole Mayer
Rachel McCord
Austin McCully
Diane McDonald
Evan McElroy
Karen McEnerny
Jack McGinnis
Lynn McIntyre
Mike McLoughlin
Margaret McManus
Jennifer Mendoza
Al Merrill
Chris Miller
Christine Miller
Patricia Miller
Milton Animal Hospital
George Mobley
Joe Modica
Fred Moeller
Sarah Moen
Catherine Moore
Ralph Moore
Carol Morgan
Kathy Morgan
Stu Moring
Leslie Mullis
Donna Murphy
Jack Murphy
Aileen Nakamura
George Nathan
Caroline Naughton
Richard Nichols
Cindy Nolan
THE FUTURE OF LOCAL NEWS
North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc.
Tricia Novarro
Bob O’Brien
Diana O’Sullivan
Anne Pappas
Lynn Pennington
Jonathan Peters
Kurt & Leslie Phillips
Mary & Jan Phillips
James Potts
Debra Powell
Seth Price
Joyce Provissiero
Chuck Pugh
Robert Radloff
Raj Rajagopalan
Pankaj Rajankar
Ashwin Ramaswami
Cheryl Rand
Manu Rao
James Rasmussen
Paula Rattray
Lori Rausch
Jean Rearick
Joseph Reed
Scarlett Reynolds
Righteous PR
Angie Rigney
Sean Riley
Neil Robertson
Kimberly Robinson
Matt Rohs
Kim Romaner
Courtney Rozear
Fran Russell
Janet Sandberg
Kelly Sarmiento
Continued innovation in digital media has changed the ways in which people buy, sell and interact with products and services. It has caused businesses to reassess the ways in which it communicates with potential customers and advertises its products. It has been well documented that these changes have had a destructive impact on local newspapers, which continues to be a primary source for local news, but is no longer a primary source for local advertising dollars – historically the lifeblood for reporters and their coverage. At Appen Media Group we want to address this conflict head on, and build new and innovative approaches to monetizing local news and creating a sustainable future for local journalism in metro Atlanta.
Derek Scheidt
Stephanie Schniederjan
The Schoenblum Family
Robert Scholz
Robert Schreiner
Stephanie Schuette
Susan Searles
Frances Segars
Tracy Shealy
Tina Shelton
Lisa Shippel
Steve Short
Tom Simon
Cindy Simpson
Robert Singleton
Faye Sklar
Mitchel Skyer
Judith Slaughter
Andy Smith
Lee Smith
Tia Solh
Morris Soriano
Heidi Sowder
Gena Spears
Donald Spencer
Melissa Spencer
Jan Stephens
Wesley Stewart
Cathryn Stovall
Celeste Strohl
Diana Sullivan
Andy Sumlin
Kathy Swahn
Carol Tall
Mike Tasos
Candice Teichert
The Small Business Advisor
Suzanne & Bob Thomas
William Tietjen
Lisa Tilt
Michael Townes
Trunnion LLC
Matthew Tyser
Edward Votta
Linda Wabler
Ollie Wagner
Lewis Walker
Elizabeth Waller
Valerie Walters-Gold
Ann Marie Warning
Terry Warnke
Jonathan Washburn
Michael Watson
Deborah Weiss
Michael Weiss
Herbert Wells
Benjamin Wemberly
Beverly Whisenant
Sally White
Thom White
Umpika White
Mae Whiteside
Ashley Whitt
Jennifer Wieland
Christine Williams
Jamie Wimberly
Jonathan Winkie
Nancy & Dave Wistrand
Kalle Wood
Theresa Woolridge
Laura Wysong
Jonathan Young
THE APPEN PRESS CLUB
One solution is the creation of a membership driven organization called the Appen Press Club that is dedicated to recruiting people and companies to join as members. Members pay recurring monthly or annual dues that are 100% dedicated to sustainable journalism. By providing predictable revenue, Appen Press Club members and partners help fund the salaries and expenses of local reporters who will no longer be subject to the whims of marketing budgets and an ever changing advertising world. In turn, those reporters will provide the readers they serve with highly researched and qualified journalism focused on subjects that directly affect their quality of life.
To join go to appenmedia.com/join and follow the prompts to select your membership level and select your t-shirt size! Questions? Email Hans Appen at hans@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.
Scan QR code to join the Appen Press Club
Sawnee EMC is seeking qualified candidates for the position of Marketing Representative. Requires: a bachelor’s degree in marketing, business, communication, or a related field, and a minimum of two (2) years related experience in a marketing, business, or electric utility environment. Responsible for developing and implementing programs, creating print and digital publications, assisting members with energy usage, natural gas, rebates, incentives, and promoting the Cooperative in the community. Seeking individual with excellent organizational, written and creative skills.
Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, May 1, 2026. Apply online: www.sawnee. coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-8872363 extension 7568.
Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer including Individuals with a disability and protected veterans. Reasonable accommodation(s) may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor and Drug Free Workplace.
IT Professionals:
Entry Lvl to Sr. Lvl (Multiple Positions) of Business Intelligence Analysts, DBAs, DevOps Engineers, SAP Technical Consultants, Software Developers, are needed for our Alpharetta, GA office. Must be willing to travel to set up systms for various clients at unanticipated locs across the nation. Send resume, cover letter & salary reqmt to ADPMN Inc., 1740 Grassland Pkwy, Unit 305, Alpharetta, GA 30004.
NGS MOLECULAR TECHNOLOGIST (Alpharetta, GA): Conduct high-complexity molecular testing; extract DNA/RNA; run qPCR/NGS; analyze, QC, report results; prepare/QC reagents; complete proficiency testing; maintain records/multibench competency; support new methods, troubleshooting, workflows, metrics, CAP/ CLIA compliance quality, safety, regulatory standards. Masters (or foreign equiv. deg.) in Molecular Biology, Microbiology, Biochemistry, or rel. + knowledge in NGS workflow; sample normalization, hybridization, pooling, sequencing; assay validation; DNA extraction through sequencing. Send resume: Phytest LLC, 5909 Peachtree Dunwoody Rd., Ste 900, Atlanta GA 30328.
Senior System Engineering needed by AT&T Services, Inc.in Alpharetta, GA to ensure stability, performance, and continuous improvement of web applications and services. Apply at http://att.jobs/, select JOB SEARCH and APPLY and select Search by Requisition Number at the left bottom of the page and enter Job Number: R-107132.
Senior QA Automation Engineer-Design, develop, test & implement using VB Script, Framework, Postman, Jenkins, JIRA, Agile & Test Automation scripts. Must be willing to travel & relocate to unanticipated client locations throughout the US. Reqs BS in Comp Sci, Sci, Eng (Any) or rel w/5 yrs of exp. Salary-$ 112362. Mail resumes to TeamSuccess LLC DBA HiEd Success, 5445 McGinnis Village Pls, Ste 106, Alpharetta, GA 30005 or email: hr@hiedsuccess.com
Part-Time Bi-lingual (Spanish/English) Thrift Shop Associate
NFCC is looking for a part-time Bi-lingual (Spanish/ English) Thrift Shop Associate to join our team. In this role, you’ll deliver exceptional customer service while handling cash register transactions, managing our client clothing program, and keeping merchandise neat, clean, and organized. Above all, we’re looking for someone with a warm, welcoming presence who treats every shopper with dignity and compassion.
The schedule is Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays 9:30am–5:30pm, Tuesdays 4:30pm–8:30pm, and one Saturday 9:30am-5:30pm per month.
If you’re passionate about serving your community and connecting with people in both English and Spanish, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org.
Part-time
Sawnee EMC is seeking a General Clerk 1L (Building and Grounds/Custodial/ Maintenance) (part-time position) to perform facility maintenance and grounds keeping duties. Requires some heavy lifting, high school diploma or equivalency and a valid GA driver’s license. Related experience with outdoor maintenance equipment and a valid CDL are preferred. Hours: Availability for alternate shift assignments and irregular work hours.
Applicants must complete an application prior to 5 PM, May 1, 2026. Apply online: www.sawnee. coop/careers. If you require a paper application or an alternate format, please contact us at 770-8872363 extension 7568.
Sawnee Electric Membership Corporation is an Equal Opportunity Employer including individuals with a disability and protected veterans. Sawnee EMC is VEVRAA Federal Contractor. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. Drug Free Workplace.
DIRECTOR (Part-Time) Alpharetta Presbyterian Church — Alpharetta,
APC seeks a vibrant, relational leader to serve as Youth Director for middle and high school students. 20–25 hrs/week | Up to $25/hr. Ideal candidates have a passion for youth mentorship and a background in education, coaching, or youth leadership. Retired teachers and ministryminded professionals encouraged to apply. Strong volunteer team and pastoral support in place.
To apply: Submit a brief introduction and resume to jobs@alpharettapres.com.
& Sundays
6:30 am. General cleaning of building, pick up and discard trash on grounds. Supervise community service workers when available. Must be able to lift 50 lbs., and move around safely and efficiently without aid of mechanical support, accept and sign for deliveries. Approx. 5-7 hours a day.
Part Time Bartender – Flexible schedule afternoon and evening hours, approximately 15-20 hours per week. Previous experience preferred but not necessary. Must be able to qualify for City of Alpharetta Pouring Permit.
If interested in either position please contact DiAna Casale (770) 475-9023 Mon-Thurs 10 am – 2 pm or americanlegionalpharetta@gmail.com. Detail job description for both available upon request.
Health & Fitness
Have zip code of property ready when calling!
Water damage cleanup: A small amount of water can cause major damage to your home. Our trusted professionals dry out wet areas & repair to protect your family & your home value! Call 24/7: 1-888-872-2809.
NATIONAL ADVERTISING
No more cleaning gutters. Guaranteed! LeafFilter backed by no-clog guarantee & lifetime warranty. Call 1-833-610-1936 to schedule FREE inspection/ estimate. Get 15% off your entire order. Military & Seniors get additional 10% off. Limited time. Restrictions apply, see rep for details.
Bath & shower updates in as little as 1 day! Affordable prices - No payments for 18 months! Lifetime warranty & professional installs. Senior & military discounts available. 1-877-543-9189
Wesley Financial Group, LLC timeshare cancellation experts over $50 million timeshare debt/fees cancelled in 2019. Free info package. Free consultations. Over 450 positive reviews. 833-308-1971
DIRECTV Stream - Carries the most local MLB Games! Choice Package $89.99/mo for 12 mos Stream on 20 devices at once. HBO Max included for 3 mos (w/Choice Package or higher.) No contract or hidden fees! Some restrictions apply. Call IVS 1-866-859-0405
Jacuzzi Bath Remodel can install a new, custom bath or shower in as little as 1-day. Limited time, waving all installation costs! Additional terms apply. Subject to change & vary by dealer. Ends soon. 844-501-3208
Don’t let the stairs limit your mobility! Discover the ideal solution for anyone who struggles on the stairs, is concerned about a fall or wants to regain access to their entire home. Call AmeriGlide today! 1-833-399-3595
It’s a power move.
Become a published author. We want to read your book! Dorrance Publishing trusted since 1920. Consultation, production, promotion & distribution. Call for free author’s guide 1-877-729-4998 or visit dorranceinfo.com/ads
Replace your roof w/the best looking & longest lasting material steel from Erie Metal Roofs! 3 styles & multiple colors available. Guaranteed to last a lifetime! Limited Time Offer up to 50% off install + Additional 10% off install (military, health & 1st responders.) 1-833-370-1234
Home break-ins take less than 60 seconds. Don’t wait! Protect your family, your home, your assets now for as little as 70¢/ day! 833-890-1262
