Sandy Springs Crier - June 26, 2025 by Appen Media Group

Sandy Springs Foundation sets 20th anniversary gala

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY

SPRINGS, Ga.

— The Sandy Springs Foundation invites the community to a night of celebration, connection and culture at its inaugural gala — Celebrate Sandy Springs — Oct. 9 at the Performing Arts Center.

The festive evening will mark the Foundation’s debut event and commemorate a major milestone: the 20th anniversary of the City of

Sandy Springs.

Organizers say the gala will feature dinner and entertainment, networking with neighbors, special guests and a silent auction with trips, VIP experiences, art and dining packages.

Sandy Springs Foundation (SSF) says the launch highlights its mission to enrich the cultural and recreational fabric of the city by supporting local events and enhancing the use of key public venues.

See GALA, Page 6

SANDY SPRINGS FOUNDATION/PROVIDED

The Sandy Springs Foundation is hosting a 20th anniversary celebration of the city at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center this October. The nonprofit said tickets will go on sale in August.

Sandy Springs adopts 2026 budget, advances Hammond Drive project

By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The Sandy Springs City Council approved the city’s fiscal year 2026 budget and general liability insurance at its June 17 meeting.

The city’s overall budget, including all funds and its debt on city facilities, totals $1.062 billion. Most of that is assigned to multi-year projects within the Public Facilities Authority and to transportation projects funded through a special countywide sales tax.

The Sandy Springs fiscal year begins July 1

and ends June 30.

The general fund, which pays for most of the city’s day-to-day operations, has a budget of just under $159 million. While expenditures are expected to increase by 2 percent, revenues are anticipated to jump 5 percent.

Around 48 percent, or $75 million, of the general fund pays for employees and their benefits.

While there was no discussion among elected officials, the city held three workshops in May to discuss priorities in the 2026 budget.

HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA

Sandy Springs City Manager Eden Freeman summarizes the fiscal year 2026 budget before the City Council’s final adoption June 17. The city faces large increases to employee health insurance and general liability insurance.

See BUDGET, Page 6

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Public service commission race headed to July runoff election

By ALESSANDRO MARAZZI SASSOON Atlanta Civic Circle

ATLANTA — Incumbent Public Service

Commissioner Tim Echols secured a decisive victory in Tuesday’s Republican primary for District 2. Democrats Keisha Waites and Peter Hubbard will advance to a July 15 runoff election in District 3.

Registered voters can vote in the runoff if they selected a non-partisan or Democratic ballot or did not vote at all in the June 17 primary election.

District 2 results

Echols defeated challenger Lee Muns by a large margin in the Republican primary, which drew far fewer voters than the Democratic primary. He will face Democrat Alicia Johnson — who ran unopposed in her primary — in the general election in November. Johnson secured 125,154 votes by late June 17.

Muns campaigned as a Republican alternative to incumbent commissioners — like Echols — who are viewed by some voters as being too cozy with the utility interests they regulate, like Georgia Power. He forswore taking campaign donations from regulated utilities and their business interests, and told Atlanta Civic Circle that he crisscrossed the state to connect with voters and make up for his financial disadvantage against Echols. But it wasn’t enough to pull off what would have been a longshot upset.

By late election night, Echols had 47,811 votes, or 75.8% to Muns’ 15,263 votes, or 24.2%.

Neither Muns nor Echols provided comment by press time.

District 3 results

The disqualification of Democrat Daniel Blackman may have opened the race for three remaining Democratic contenders: Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones and Keisha Waites.

Waites held an early lead in the vote total, but as votes were counted, that lead dwindled. Ultimately, she fell short of the 50% plus one vote threshold to avoid a runoff.

By late election night, Waites secured 57,771 votes, or 46.1%; Hubbard secured 41,794 votes, or 33.3% while Jones secured 25,856 votes, or 20.6%.

The winner of the July 15 runoff will face incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson, who secured 54,420 votes statewide.

Waites, who served as a state representative from 2012-2017 and later as an Atlanta City Council member from 2022-2024 pitched herself to voters as an experienced politician and capable dealmaker they could trust, despite a self-avowed lack of expertise in the technical aspects of energy policy. Voters “want a fighter on the PSC,” she said in a statement to Atlanta Civic Circle.

“I look forward to continuing to work for all the people of Georgia making the case that I am the best choice to serve them on the PSC,” Waites said.” We will continue to watch the race tonight to make sure all votes are counted and continue with the campaign tomorrow,” she added.

Hubbard, an energy policy expert and clean energy advocate, in a statement said “I am grateful to be in the runoff election for Public Service Commission to fight for a Georgia powered by clean, low-cost renewable energy.”

“I have a detailed plan to create that future and to lower power bills,” he said, asking voters to support his campaign.

Hubbard also thanked Jones and Blackman “for their public service, dedication, and work to improve the lives of all Georgians.”

“Mr. Blackman’s record of service with the EPA and Mr. Jones’s regulatory service in California speak to their character. It was an honor to speak alongside them on the campaign trail.”

Jones in a statement congratulated his opponents and thanked his team. A first time candidate, he said “the opportunity to meet and engage with so many informed voters on the important issues of getting electricity bills under control, transitioning to clean energy, and delivering full transparency with ethical fund raising, has personally been truly rewarding and enriching.”

“As this election now shifts to November it is my intent to offer my full support to the eventual Democratic nominee for this critically important state office.”

The June 17 primary election results reported are unofficial until counties certify the results by June 23. Early voting for the July 15 primary runoff is set to begin no later than July 7.

This article was originally published on atlantaciviccircle.org. The nonprofit newsroom covers housing, democracy and labor in Metro Atlanta.

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New North Point restaurant adds quality, authenticity

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — There’s sushi, and then there’s the kind of sushi that makes diners realize they have never actually had it.

That reaction is one Minami Powell often hears at Edo Japanese Cuisine, which opened in Alpharetta in May.

“They say I’ve never had sushi like this before,” Powell said. “I didn’t even know what sushi was.”

With a focus on authenticity, Edo already has made waves in the city’s dining scene, attracting both purists seeking traditional Japanese fare and newcomers curious to taste a cuisine with 5,000 years of history.

Powell’s family owns about 80 restaurants in Brazil, China and Japan. Edo, 2500 North Point Court, marks their first in the United States

The Alpharetta restaurant prides itself in serving sushi made from imported Japanese fish and certified A5 wagyu beef from Japanese Black cattle, also from Japan. It aims to deliver a painstakingly authentic cuisine with an almost religious emphasis on the sourcing of ingredients.

The result is an experience that is exceptional, said Powell, who has worked at her family’s restaurants for more than 40 years.

“I am very high on quality. I want to make sure that the quality is amazing, not good. It needs to be amazing,” she said. “The expectation of being here

versus what they know is completely different. It is mind blowing.”

That experience begins at the parking lot when visitors are greeted by the restaurant’s striking facade. The building’s sloped roofs and extended eaves pay homage to Japan’s Edo period, which began in 1600 and is considered one of the culture’s golden eras.

To learn more about Edo Japanese Cuisine, visit edo-us.com or call 770-558-2060.

Unlike Westernized rolls, which mix flavors and often feature nontraditional ingredients like mayonnaise or cream cheese, Edo’s sushi seeks to celebrate the uniqueness of every fish.

Powell said Edo’s chef, a man who has worked for her family for decades since he was a teenager, is another big part of ensuring the quality of those dishes.

“The essence of Japanese food is that we try to enhance the flavor of each ingredient,” she said. “It’s very important in Japanese households to eat like 18 to 19 different types of ingredients in every single meal … Every little thing counts.”

Whether it be bluefin tuna, sea bream, sea urchin, yellowtail, salmon or scallop, each has its own delicious identity.

And each shares one thing in common. They are exquisitely fresh, harvested from the cold waters off Japan before being shipped to Alpharetta.

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Inside, the restaurant opens to a two-story atrium girded by tables recessed into walls with a long sushi bar at its center. Warm-toned stained wood abounds, and accent lighting lends the space an inviting but exciting vibe.

Tucked into corners are historical relics like samurai armor and real Edoperiod coinage.

Powell said she aimed to create a dining area that directly spoke to the period and evoked a feeling of mystery while radiating ambience.

“It took a lot of money and a lot of time, but here we are,” she said, smiling.

The architecture may turn heads, but the restaurant’s real focus is the food.

Japanese cuisine embodies a duality that balances flavors while celebrating the uniqueness of each ingredient, said Powell, who grew up with the food during a youth that began in Tokyo and extended to Rio De Janeiro.

To ensure their flavor is at its maximum, Edo’s sushi is never prepared or cut in advance. Instead, the sushi chefs slice each fish as orders are received. That is because a fish’s flavors are released as soon as a knife touches it.

“It’s an explosion of flavors,” Powell said.

Edo pays an equal amount of attention to its beef, aiming to source the best and prepare in a way to highlight its special character.

Certificates prove the meat’s pedigree, listing each cow’s birthplace in Japan, birth date, breed, packing date, sex, butchering location and identification number.

The restaurant serves A5-grade beef harvested from Japanese Black cattle, which was selectively bred for centuries to create highly dense marbling and an extremely savory flavor.

The cows are massaged by caretakers and fed beer to make their meat especially tender.

See EDO, Page 9

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

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Minami Powell, whose family owns Edo and about 80 others around the globe, sits at the sushi bar at her restaurant June 18.

are 5, 5 and 4 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, with each number containing 3 clues for the 3 answers on the line. But here’s the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually be for the second or third answer in that line. Got it? Good luck!

FISH FOR DINNER

1. Paradise lost. Shrimp kin. Moxie.

2. Lean flesh of any of several flatfish. Get away. Tree growth.

3. Golf course hazard. Shipshape. Bears’ favorite fish.

4. Brandy flavor. Bony food fish. Cousin of a zither.

5. Hospital area. Sandwich fish. Hate.

6. Yellowstone creature. Low water mark. Shellfish.

7. The King. Edible ocean menace, thresher __. Fuzzy brown eggshaped fruit.

1 Paradise lost. Shrimp kin. Moxie.

2. Lean flesh of any of several flatfish. Get away. Tree growth.

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. Golf course hazard. Shipshape. Bears’ favorite fish

4. Brandy flavor. Bony food fish. Cousin of a zither.

5. Hospital area. Sandwich fish. Hate

A preliminary concept of the Hammond Drive widening project shows plans to add two lanes, roundabouts and pedestrian connections from Boylston to Glenridge drives to the north of the existing corridor. The Sandy Springs City Council approved a $270,000 purchase of right of way needed for the project, which has not yet finalized design.

Budget:

Continued from Page 1

One of the largest changes within the general fund’s budget is for the city’s general liability insurance, which covers claims against the city for bodily injury and property damage caused by operations. Employee health insurance is also expected to cost $10.8 million, a 20 percent increase.

Later, council members approved a renewal of the city’s general liability insurance for the upcoming fiscal year, representing a 27 percent yearover-year increase. During budget workshops, the city estimated an 18 percent increase.

Sandy Springs Human Resources Director Elizabeth Awbrey introduced the city’s insurance consultant, Partners Risk Services, to discuss the trends within the municipal insurance market.

Mike Royal, a senior partner with the consultant, said it’s been another year of a “very hard insurance market” for local governments.

“We did large deductible calculations [and looked at potential self-insured

Gala:

Continued from Page 1

The Foundation is working to expand the reach and impact of events like the Blue Stone Arts & Music Festival, City Green Live concerts, Juneteenth, Lantern Parade and Sparkle Sandy Springs through

items] for you this year and presented those to staff,” he said. “There just really wasn’t much savings in doing so for the exposure it brought.”

Royal said the problem in the market is widespread, and Sandy Springs has fared better than other cities, which have been forced into self-insured status because of their claim history.

Road widening moves forward

In other business, council members approved a $270,000 purchase of right of way for the Hammond Drive widening project.

The scope of the widening project extends from Boylston to Glenridge drives with preliminary design plans calling for two roundabouts along the proposed separated four-lane roadway.

The city is currently acquiring right of way and will eventually move onto final design in the next 12 months.

The project, expected to cost between $59.6 million and $64.6 million is funded through Fulton County Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) collections.

More parking space

In their roles on the Public Facilities

fundraising and collaboration with local businesses and civic groups.

The Sandy Springs Foundation is a city-created nonprofit. The Board of Directors is led by Chairperson Christine Propst and includes Mayor Rusty Paul and City Manager Eden Freeman.

“The Sandy Springs Foundation is about more than events — it’s about people,” Propst said. “We’re here

Authority, elected officials approved a tax abatement proposal, valued at $4.87 million, with the developer of Hillcrest at 6150 Sandy Springs Circle for 111 city parking spots.

Sandy Springs United Methodist Church is selling a few of its parcels nearby City Springs at Mount Vernon Highway and Sandy Springs Circle to Dallas-based Trammell Crow, which plans to construct 362 apartments, 30 for-rent townhomes and around 18,000 square feet of retail space with a central plaza and greenspace.

Economic Development Director

Chris Burnett said the Public Facilities Authority approval of the proposal sets up the execution of bond documents in July.

The residential mixed-use development is expected to be completed in 2027 at the corner of Mount Vernon Highway and Sandy Springs Circle. The city’s Development Authority approved the proposal June 5.

Stemming tide of apartments

During its work session, the City Council also received an update from Burnett, touting marketing initiatives

to inspire joy, spark creativity and support events where every resident feels a sense of belonging.”

The nonprofit says proceeds from the gala will directly support its mission and help unlock the full potential of community venues like the Performing Arts Center, City Green, Heritage Amphitheater and other parks and green spaces across Sandy Springs.

and corporate outreach while detailing progress toward more than 2,000 multifamily housing units across the city.

Burnett said the mid-year update comes after elected officials requested more information about housing developments in the pipeline around the city.

With new multifamily development in Sandy Springs trending close to 2,000 units wrapping up construction in the next three years, some city officials expressed concerns.

City Councilwoman Jody Reichel said asked at what point does the city try to slow it and focus on owneroccupied homes with the pace of multifamily development increasing.

Mayor Rusty Paul asked City Attorney Dan Lee what leeway the city has for rolling back zonings to slow the pace of apartments.

“You have the power to rezone, but at the end of the day if there is an entitled property that exists today, it’d be almost impossible to remove that entitlement,” Lee said. “Future planning is the way to get the inroad to that … at the end of the day, when a property is entitled and you take that away, it gets very close to a taking.”

Tickets for Celebrate Sandy Springs go on sale in August.

Bidding for the silent auction opens Oct. 1 and the public is invited to participate online. Limited event sponsorships are also available. For more information, visit sandyspringsfoundation.org and click on the Celebrate Sandy Springs event link.

— Hayden Sumlin

CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

ICE picks up Hispanic reporter arrested at DeKalb County protest

By CHAMIAN CRUZ WABE

ATLANTA — A Spanish-language journalist who livestreamed his own arrest at a weekend protest outside Atlanta was transferred from the DeKalb County Jail to Immigration and Customs Enforcement just before 3:30 a.m. June 18 and now faces possible deportation to El Salvador, according to his attorneys.

As previously reported by WABE, Mario Guevara was booked into the DeKalb County Jail on Saturday, June 14, after his attorneys say he was approached on the sidewalk by three police officers in riot gear while covering one of the many protests that day against President Donald Trump’s administration and its immigration policies.

Who is Mario Guevara?

Guevara, who fled El Salvador with his family two decades ago and built a following as an independent journalist covering immigration raids, was charged with obstructing police, unlawful assembly and improperly entering a roadway. A judge granted Guevara bond June 16, but he was kept in jail after ICE placed an extra 48-hour hold on him.

At a press conference after the arrest, Diaz said he expected the hold to expire the afternoon of June 18, and that DeKalb County would be required to release him. If not, a legal team would begin the process of filing a habeas corpus petition in federal court.

“His record is impeccable in this country, so this arrest is concerning,” Diaz said. “Although there’s been a

“Mario’s case is one that has a high probability of success,” Diaz said. “Unfortunately, under this administration, we’ve seen some very interesting tactics being implemented during litigation… but we’re still getting the bonds, we’re still getting these cases granted, and we feel confident that if Mario does end in the hands of immigration, that we’ll be successful.”

Diaz said that if Guevara was taken into ICE custody, he would likely spend some time at the agency’s downtown field office before being transferred to either the Stewart Detention Center or the Folkston ICE Processing Center, which he described as being “overwhelmed.”

surge since the Black Lives Matter movement with detaining journalists, it’s still a relatively rare occurrence here in the United States.”

According to Diaz, Guevara has an application pending for a green card and is the primary caretaker of his adult son, who is a U.S. citizen and recently underwent surgery for a brain tumor. It’s not clear to which ICE facility Guevara was transferred.

“He’s in ICE custody and we’re working on preparing his bond motion,” Diaz told WABE.

What’s next?

The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office did not provide any more information about Guevara’s release from the

county jail or how many other people were picked up by ICE overnight when reached out for comment.

But during the June 17 press conference, Guevara’s attorneys said they were confident they could help get him released.

“People are sleeping on the floor,” Diaz said. “Some detention centers don’t have enough food. … My job is to try to get people out of those hell holes. So, it’s not fun. If anybody I know can handle it and be in good spirits, it’s Mario … I think somebody like him, who’s faith-driven and mission-driven, is somebody who’s prepared to handle whatever those conditions may be.”

This story was provided by Appen Media media partner WABE.

DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA

An estimated 5,000 people rally against the policies of the Donald Trump administration during the “No Kings” protest in Tucker hosted by Pocketbook Brigade June 14.

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As skin matures, it undergoes various changes that necessitate regular skin checks to ensure overall skin health. Differentiating between age spots, healthy moles and potential skin cancers is crucial. Age spots, often appearing as flat, brown, or black spots on sun-exposed areas, are generally harmless but can be mistaken for more serious conditions. Early detection of skin cancer, including melanoma, basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, significantly increases the chances of successful treatment. Therefore, routine skin examinations are essential for mature skin to maintain health and catch any issues early.

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Georgia Power expecting escalation in energy demand

By EMILY JONES WABE

ATLANTA — Georgia’s largest electric utility is preparing to meet what it says is a huge spike in new electricity demand. Georgia Power says it expects it will need to provide 8,200 more megawatts by 2031 – about four times the energy made by its new nuclear reactors at Plant Vogtle.

A key factor driving Georgia Power’s plans is the enormous growth in need the company says it expects over the next few years from large industrial customers — especially data centers.

But some critics argue Georgia Power’s predictions are too high. Energy experts testifying before the Georgia Public Service Commission this week cast doubt on Georgia Power’s prediction of a massive, rapid increase in energy demand — known as load.

“We conclude that the forecast produced by Georgia Power is likely skewed to show load realization sooner and in greater quantity than is likely to materialize,” said Robert Trokey, who leads the electric unit of the Public Service Commission’s staff.

Getting that forecast wrong could have major implications for customer bills and for climate change.

The commission last year approved new natural gas turbines and battery storage that Georgia Power asked for in an emergency request driven largely by expected data center demand.

Now, the commissioners are considering the utility’s new long-term energy plan as part of a regularlyscheduled regulatory proceeding.

The plan calls for keeping coal plants open longer, upgrading nuclear and hydroelectric power plants, adding solar and improving power lines.

Georgia Power made its case to the commission over several days of hearings

Edo:

Continued from Page 4

in March. Last week, the commission’s public interest advocacy staff and the intervenors — environmental and consumer advocacy groups, municipal governments, industry groups and large power buyers like MARTA and Walmart — responded with their own expert testimony.

Several of them simply did not buy Georgia Power’s predictions.

“The way the company has treated its load forecast is deeply flawed,” said energy planning consultant Derek Stenclik, who testified on behalf of the Sierra Club, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy and Natural Resources Defense Council. “I would even call it utility planning malpractice.”

He and other analysts said the currently booming data center industry is too new to make confident predictions. They argued that Georgia Power isn’t properly accounting for the chance that data center projects could fall through.

To make forecasts for big customers like data centers and factories, Georgia Power experts run projects in various stages of development through mathematical models that predict how likely the projects are to actually open and how much power they’ll need.

But the company uses different calculations for data centers, predicting they’re more likely to come to fruition than other potential customers like factories and warehouses.

The company doesn’t have data to back up that different math, Trokey argued. Others questioned whether Georgia Power’s modeling adequately accounts for canceled projects.

Officials with the utility maintain their modeling is based on real projects, factoring in how far along the data centers are in the development pipeline and whether data center developers have signed a contract to buy energy from Georgia Power. In the earlier hearings in

It is sliced thin and prepared with seasonal vegetables for sukiyaki and shabushabu and seared for tataki. It also is featured as a sushi.

“Oh my gosh, it just melts in your mouth,” Powell said.

Edo offers a host of other traditional menu items from noodles like soba, udon and ramen to yakitori to a variety of tempuras that include fried and battered abalone, lobster tail and soft shell crab.

“What really makes a difference in Japanese food is that you learn from a really young age that every food has a function,” she said.

The restaurant also boasts a full bar with cocktails like a popular lychee martini or top-shelf spirits such

March, company officials said that any cancelled data center projects had so far been quickly replaced by new ones.

During last week’s hearings, commissioners expressed little patience for skepticism from experts and advocates about the company’s forecast for data center-driven demand.

“Obviously the company believes it’s real because they’re putting them under contract,” said Commissioner Tricia Pridemore. “The state of Georgia believes it’s real. Georgia Department of Economic Development has been involved. The governor’s been involved. Commissioners have been involved. We’ve worked on these projects, in some cases for years.”

Georgia Power’s forecast is critical because it shapes how the utility plans to be able to meet future, predicted demand.

If the company overestimates, Stenclik and others argued, it risks spending too much on the infrastructure to make and deliver extra energy, and regular customers could end up paying for it. If it underestimates, the company contends, energy reliability could be at risk.

Much of the company’s plan to meet its forecast in the near term relies on fossil fuels, which many public commenters opposed because they contribute to climate change. They urged the commission to consider the impacts of climate change before approving any new or extended use of coal or natural gas.

Considering rates later

The power rates that customers pay, though based on the need to pay for construction and other expenses approved in the energy plan under consideration, are not a part of the current hearings before the commission.

Instead, rates are typically decided during a subsequent proceeding called a rate case. But rates are top of mind for

as a $200 sake.

In the month since its opening, Edo has attracted a following of diners craving authentic and purposefully made sushi, wagyu and other Japanese dishes. To that crowd, Powell said the restaurant has prided itself in delivering the real deal.

But Powell also said she loves serving customers who are uninitiated. She hopes those diners come in hungry and ready to receive an education in what makes Japanese food great.

Often during dinner service, she walks table to table, getting great joy from teaching diners about her culinary heritage.

“Some people don't want to talk, and I'm OK with that,” she said. “But if somebody is like, ‘So, tell me why this is this or that,’ and they just keep on asking me questions, I love that. I love that because I can teach them a little bit of a culture that is so old and ancient.”

many Georgia Power customers because their bills have increased six times in the past three years: three rate hikes approved in the last rate case in 2022, two to pay for new reactors at Plant Vogtle and a separate bill increase to cover high natural gas costs.

This year, the utility and commission staff have proposed an agreement that would freeze rates for now, bypassing the regular rate case. That’s possible largely thanks to the increased revenue Georgia Power is expecting from new, large customers — like data centers.

The commission has also taken steps to help ensure data center companies and other large customers pay for their own infrastructure. But witnesses in last week’s hearings questioned whether those measures are sufficient to protect residents and small businesses from extra costs.

Energy analysts for the commission’s staff also said they’re concerned about rates increasing for other reasons, like cleaning up storm damage and complying with environmental regulations. The deal to freeze rates already includes a plan to address the costs of Hurricane Helene next year.

Upcoming elections

Two of the five commissioners who will vote later this year on both Georgia Power’s long-term plan and the proposed rate freeze are up for election in November. Early voting in the primary has already begun.

In late May, one candidate in that primary was disqualified for failing to fulfill residency requirements. The ruling was paused by a Fulton County Superior Court judge, and the candidate, Daniel Blackman, was scheduled for an appeal hearing to consider his case June 10.

This story was provided by Appen Media media partner WABE.

JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

A sashimi platter offers a half dozen kinds of fish sourced from the cold waters off Japan and cut to order.

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Sifting fact from fiction in today’s world of AI

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

My son Hans texted me a link. So of course, I opened it because he never sends me something that is not interesting, new, or worthwhile.

I clicked on it, and it took me to an in-depth broadcast news show that was fascinating. Think a cross between “60 Minutes” and possibly a national news broadcast at 7 p.m. on NBC or CBS.

The show was anchored by an articulate, polished, attractive, very professional female journalist dressed in a dark blue suite who did a flawless job. She showed clips of events and seamlessly wove them into and out of her stories. There were live feeds. There were interviews with on-the-scene witnesses. She switched from story to story and never missed a beat.

She even cracked a few jokes and made a few sage observations.

The content was compelling. The execution was perfect. And, as I said, the anchor was a real pro.

The only problem with the show was that it was 100 percent AI-generated. The people on the show, the clips, the dialogue, the interviews, the on-thescene events, the countryside, the city backgrounds, the witnesses, the cops – everything – not real. It was created by artificial intelligence software. The anchor was an avatar – an online constructed image. Think “animation” but refined to a degree that one cannot tell if the animation is an actual human being or only something that mimics one.

Without someone letting you in on the back story, there was absolutely no way – none – to have known that every word, every story, every video image was made up – fake, artificial – that it was all pretend and staged like a Broadway show or a Netflix docudrama.

And I guess I owe Kelly Ann Conway an apology; yes, there are alternative truths out there because, as Hans mentioned at the end of his text to me, “it’s here.”

That was a couple of days ago. I have

stewed about what I saw. It bothered me. It didn’t actually surprise me, although it did. So, what keeps rolling through my tiny brain, is “what’s next? Where do we go from here?” That is, how are we going to deal successfully with this? Can we successfully deal with it?

It is hard to imagine that we will be able to digest this aspect of AI and how and why we will process information going forward. How will we know what is real and what is not – what is true and what is not – who we can trust and who (what) we cannot? How are we supposed to figure out what is geared to influence/ manipulate us instead of objectively and factually inform us? And will we need to redefine what we consider the word “real” means.

And what will be the impact of this ambiguity to us as a society or as a country? We already saw the impact – the utter chaos caused by this information veracity deficit last election. Our election process was flooded – overwhelmed – by a tidal wave of false and misleading information originating in other countries and other governments, as well as from domestic political parties, individuals, and operatives via social media and other digital information conduits. Safe, fair and reliable elections are the foundation of our democracy – that and “rule of law.” How is that working for us today –tomorrow?

What are the answers? Are there answers? Obviously more regulation of the internet and the information it carries has to be part of the solution, but will the amount of regulation required to actually address the “problem” be so great that it destroys the positive contributions of the free flow of information on the net? That is, would the cure be worse than the illness? Probably.

Perhaps the most disturbing is even the very idea of the government increasing control of what we know –of what information we have access to – and of the means to transmit that information. Surely, today we are in the most consequential Pandora’s box in history.

Maybe we should ask ChatGPT what it thinks?

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Ashley Durden, 39, of Milton, passed away on June 4, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Adam Reboul, 47, of Roswell, passed away on June 3, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Christopher Younge, 49, of Alpharetta, passed away on June 1, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

In Memoriam

Mark Rabin, D.D.S.

February 8, 1943 – June 9, 2025

Mark passed away peacefully at home, surrounded by family, on June 9, 2025, just four days after celebrating his 59th wedding anniversary with his beloved wife, Noreen. He was 82 years old.

Mark was born on February 8, 1943, to Helen Robowski and Joseph Rabin in Brooklyn, New York, and grew up in Miami, Florida. He graduated from Southwest Miami High School in 1960, attended the University of Miami for three years, and went on to earn his Doctor of Dental Surgery degree from the University of Maryland School of Dentistry in 1967.

Following graduation, Mark proudly served as a Captain in the United States Army Dental Corps, stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia, before receiving an honorable discharge in August 1969. Shortly after, Mark and Noreen settled in Atlanta, where he built a dental practice and cared for the community with dedication for nearly 50 years. Mark was known as a gentle dentist whose warmth and kindness put people at ease. His playful reminders to floss never failed to make others smile.

Beyond his professional life, Mark was an engaged and generous member of his community. He was active in the Exchange Club of North DeKalb, the Rotary Clubs of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody, the Sandy Springs chapter of the American Cancer Society, the High Museum of Art, and recently celebrated 50 years with the Hinman Dental Society.

Mark also had a lifelong love of sports and fitness. He could often be found on the tennis court, Rivermont golf course, ski slopes, at the gym, or walking through his

neighborhood. Music was another passion; he enjoyed playing the cornet along with his favorite recordings by Frank Sinatra, The Four Freshmen, and many other big band greats.

Mark was a devoted father to his daughter, Laura, and his son, Keith. He loved planning family vacations and sharing new experiences and destinations with his children. In retirement, he and Noreen traveled extensively and spent treasured time with their five grandchildren, whom he loved dearly. He never missed a birthday, performance, game, or graduation.

Mark was preceded in death by his parents and his brother, Leonard. He is survived by his wife, Noreen; his daughter, Laura Moss, and her husband, Jeff, of Dunwoody, Georgia; his son, Keith Rabin, and his wife, Allison, of Newport Beach, California; grandsons Matthew and Bradley Moss and Sawyer and Andrew Rabin; and granddaughter Kaitlyn Moss.

A celebration of Mark’s life will be held on Saturday, September 6, 2025, at 2:00 p.m. at Rivermont Country Club, 3130 Rivermont Parkway, Johns Creek, Georgia.

Mark will be remembered for his kindness, humor, boundless energy, and deep love for family and friends. He will be greatly missed by everyone in his life.

In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation online to the Center for Movement Challenges at www. centerformovementchallenges.org This is a wonderful facility for people with parkinsonism and movement challenges, and Mark always enjoyed the activities and games that kept him moving.

Dunwoody North dates back to Tom Cousins development

VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF Columnist

Homes in Dunwoody North subdivision along North Peachtree Road and Tilly Mill Road were first advertised in 1963. The early advertisement reads, “See the homes that have charmed Atlanta, $26,000 to $40,000.” (Atlanta Journal, Nov. 24, 1963)

The neighborhood is described as located on, “select land with an abundance of gracious trees” and the houses as, “superlatively designed and meticulously constructed.” Six model homes were ready for viewing, with furniture provided by Davison’s department store.

Tom Cousins began development of the neighborhood in 1963. By January 1965, 76 homes were sold. Ranch, splitlevel and two-story homes were built in Dunwoody North. Home styles included Georgian, French Provincial, Dutch Colonial, Rustic Ranch, Contemporary and Spanish Contemporary. (Atlanta Journal and Constitution, Nov. 20, 1966)

The Nov. 13, 1966, Atlanta Journal featured a photograph of a Spanish contemporary home built by Hoke Barrron and available for $33,950. Sixteen homebuilders were working in the neighborhood in 1966. Owens Construction Company, Arthur M. Morris, Thompson Construction Company, E. L. Jones Construction Company, Guy F. Griffith and William F. Horton are some of the builders of Dunwoody North.

Schools would open within walking distance a few years later. Peachtree High School opened in 1968, and Chesnut Elementary School opened in 1969. DeKalb County did not have middle

schools at that time.

My husband and I purchased a Dunwoody North home in 1986. It was a 1969 ranch with a basement. The property had beautiful mature trees, and there was a planned flower garden in the back yard, installed by the previous owner. It was a great house for our family for the next 12 years.

Jan Hart, realtor with Ansley Real Estate/Christie’s International Real Estate, noticed the great attention to landscape and trees when she bought her first Dunwoody North home on Haverstraw Drive in 1992.

She moved away about three years later, but when she returned after one and a half years, it was to another Dunwoody North home. The home was located at 2563 Riverglenn Circle. A pilot and his wife had chosen the custom Southern Living floorplan in 1969.

Hart added a circular driveway to the home. She remained there for 31 years and then sold the house to her daughter and real estate partner Georgia Rae Hart.

The swim and tennis club of Dunwoody North, known as Dunwoody North Driving Club, was developed early along with the first houses. Renovations to the pool and the addition of amenities have kept the club popular with neighbors through the years. All of Jan Hart’s children played tennis and were on the swim team of Dunwoody North Driving Club.

If you have memories to share of the early Dunwoody North neighborhood, write to Valerie at pasttensega@gmail. com.

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

LANCE BRYANT/PROVIDED

Jan Hart purchased 2563 Riverglenn Circle when she returned to Dunwoody North, living there 31 years.

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