SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — After whittling down mayoral candidates and electing all but one council member, Sandy Springs residents will decide Dec. 2 who next leads the city.
Mayor Rusty Paul, a three-term incumbent, is facing Dontaye Carter, CEO of his own media company,
in a rematch of the 2021 mayoral election.
After all votes were tallied Nov. 4, Paul secured 9,620 votes, or 43.2 percent, to Carter’s 4,703, or 21.1 percent.
Paul defeated Carter by a 70-30 margin four years ago.
The campaign has already tested just how nonpartisan local elections are in Sandy Springs.
Carter describes himself as a “pro-
Crews lay groundwork for heavy construction on Ga. 400 express lanes
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
NORTH FULTON COUNTY, Ga.
— Tree clearing in advance of the construction of the Ga. 400 Express Lanes project, widening the state route four additional lanes, has caught the attention of commuters and residents this fall.
Thousands of trees have been felled along the corridor, typically near exits that will be expanded and reconfigured as a part of the project.
In mid-November, most of the tree clearing has occurred at Mansell and Holcomb Bridge roads in Roswell, just before the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs and around Union Hill Road in Forsyth County.
See LANES, Page 4
gressive Democrat,” and Paul has a resume including time as chair of the Georgia Republican Party in the late 1990s and work with presidential administrations.
This year, Paul was challenged by two sitting members of the City Council, three-term Councilman Andy Bauman and two-term Councilwoman Jody Reichel.
See RUNOFF, Page 10
A look at two sections of Ga. 400 shows tree-clearing work south of McFarland Parkway in Forsyth County and at the Mansell Road exit in Roswell.
City will sideline self-insured plan for its employees
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The City of Sandy Springs i s sticking with a fully i nsured private health p lan for employees, with e lected officials approving a $9.73 million contract w ith Cigna Nov. 18. C
igna Healthcare’s p roposal came in more t han $1 million under the a nticipated amount for n ext year’s health plan c osts, a significant annual o perating expenditure that c ontinues to rise. C
igna has been Sandy S prings’ health insurance p rovider since 2014, and i
ts proposal for the city’s 2 026 health plan is 4.9 p ercent higher than the c urrent year. D uring this summer’s d evelopment of the 2026 b udget, City Manager E den Freeman said the c ity was studying whether s elf-funding could reduce a projected 20 percent i ncrease to its annual h ealth plan expense. T o fund a health i nsurance plan for 1,127 p eople, including 479 e mployees and their 6 48 dependents, Sandy S prings budgeted $10.8 m illion. A
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Judge recuses self in Sandy Springs public records lawsuit
By CARL APPEN carl@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kevin Farmer recused himself from a lawsuit Nov. 20 involving the City of Sandy Springs and its handling of public records.
Farmer said he stepped away from the case because he lives in Sandy Springs and regularly reads the Sandy Springs Crier, the Appen Mediapublished newspaper which brought the suit.
The decision further delays a resolution in a case that began 30 months ago.
Appen Media brought suit May 2023,
claiming the city is violating the Open Records Act by denying the newspaper access to police incident reports.
After a Fulton County judge ruled in favor of the city in December 2023, Appen appealed the decision to the higher state court. The Court of Appeals then rejected the lower court ruling, stating, “the trial court’s grant of summary judgment was premature. Genuine issues of material fact remain based on this record and thus the trial court erred by granting summary judgment to the City.”
That decision sent the case back to Fulton County Superior Court.
During the initial phase of the suit, Appen Media requested the city provide
Editor’s note: Carl Appen is a representative of Appen Media, which publishes the Sandy Springs Crier. He is also a deposed witness in the case. This article attempts to offer an unbiased update on the status of the lawsuit.
copies of complete incident reports so the court could compare them with those the city gave the newspaper.
The city did not complete that request. Its justification largely mirrored the city’s defense for not handing them over in the first place. Sandy Springs said the underlying cases involve open investigations and therefore, it claims,
are exempt from release.
Following the appellate ruling and ahead of upcoming trial proceedings, Appen filed a motion requesting the court order the city to provide those outstanding documents.
It argued the materials will help cure deficiencies identified by the appeals court.
“We cannot say as a matter of law that a narrative report is not part of the initial incident report subject to disclosure … Based upon the record before us which was simply not fully developed as to that issue,” the appellate court stated.
ARC amends major projects after cuts to federal funding
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — The Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC) agreed to amend eight projects Nov. 12 following multimillion-dollar changes in federal funding.
The projects focus on construction of express lanes along Interstate 285, one running from Northside Drive entrance in Sandy Springs to Atlanta Road in Cobb County. The Georgia Department of Transportation, which is overseeing construction, will now use bond payments to cover costs rather
than funding through the National Highway Performance Program. GDOT anticipates using $589 million in bond funding that will be refinanced through future revenue generated by the project.
Most of the ARC’s funding comes through federal and state grant awards. Two of the awards will be reduced in 2026. Combined, these cuts led the ARC to approve a budget of $102 million, down $4 million from the previous years.
Federal transportation dollars are drying up.
The American Rescue Plan Act ceased funding at the end of 2024, and
The project also includes MARTA’s Bus Rapid Transit (BRT), giving buses dedicated access points along the Ga. 400 corridor.
the Federal Infrastructure and Jobs Act, which helps address transportation needs of elders and people with disabilities, expires in 2026.
Staff predicts that revenue from the ARC’s financial institution is expected to decrease along with interest rates.
The agency will continue to support its more than 200 programs across Metro Atlanta, using $322,000 of its fund balance to ensure that revenues balance planned expenditures.
Budget initiatives planned for 2026 include creating a regional trail plan, continued focus on the agency’s housing strategy and continued implementa-
the Chattahoochee River, because those locations fall in the project areas where construction will begin soonest.”
tion of the Transportation Improvement Program.
In other business, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens was re-elected to serve a second term as chair of the Board of Directors overseeing the ARC. Dickens became the first Atlanta mayor to serve as chair when he was elected in 2022 and ran unopposed to secure a subsequent two-year term.
“I want to thank my fellow board members for their continued support,” Dickens said. “I am honored to work alongside this group of impactful and innovative leaders to move the Atlanta region forward.”
updates are posted on the project website.”
To check project updates, visit 0001757-gdot.hub.arcgis.com.
Next July, the Georgia Department of Transportation expects to begin heavy construction on 16 miles of optional, tolled express lanes between the North Springs MARTA station and McFarland Parkway in southern Forsyth County.
The project will include two express lanes in each direction up to McGinnis Ferry Road at the Fulton County border and one in each direction from there to McFarland Parkway.
Completion of the estimated $4.6 billion express lanes project is expected in 2031.
The project is designed to reduce congestion, improve travel times and expand transit options. Dynamic pricing is slated to manage toll rates in real time to keep traffic flowing, while transit vehicles and vanpools will be able to use them at no cost.
This fall, contractors began finalizing design plans, completing environmental review, securing necessary permits, utility relocations and geotechnical investigations. However, mounds of felled trees next to the state highway have the attention of residents and commuters.
GDOT P3 Project Manager Kyle Collins said all tree-clearing work will pause at the end of November, but crews will continue removing and hauling remaining debris throughout the corridor as part of normal cleanup operations.
“Trees are cleared for several reasons including creating sufficient space for the new express lanes, establishing safe work zones, relocating utilities and preparing for future drainage and grading needs,” Collins said. “Certain areas were cleared first, including
Collins said next phase of tree clearing is expected to resume in spring.
The Ga. 400 Express Lanes project is being delivered through a publicprivate partnership, or P3, with SR 400 Peach State Partners, a union of local, national and international experts.
SR 400 Peach Partners is responsible for design, building, financing and operating the express lanes for 50 years with oversight from GDOT and the State Roadway Toll Authority.
The approach is thought to reduce the amount of public funding needed, while encouraging private-sector innovation to improve the customer experience.
Collins said temporary lane closures will continue during off-peak hours to minimize traffic disruptions.
“No lane closures are planned to occur during major holidays or during designated high-traffic periods, and any necessary closures are coordinated to avoid significant disruptions,” he said. “Weekly traffic
To subscribe to traffic alerts, visit mailchi.mp/f15cdcb7bf72/riidzbzo8a.
Collins said the lanes will be predominately at-grade throughout the corridor and generally located at the interior of the existing mainline lanes.
“Some portions will be built to the outside,” Collins said. “Most elevated sections are planned to tie into the interchanges.”
The idea is to have the Ga. 400 Express Lanes project tie into the planned I-285 Top End Express Lanes, which will be elevated on the outside of the existing corridor and extend north along Ga. 400 to the North Springs MARTA station.
Sandy Springs City Manager Eden Freeman said she has been trying to schedule GDOT and its contractor to present an update to the public on the Ga. 400 Express lanes project for two months.
Freeman said she was told they could not come out and give any updates until after Jan. 1.
City Councilman John Paulson, a member of the Perimeter CIDs Board of Directors, said there was a highlevel presentation to the group in October.
Paulsons said he wants the project team to introduce itself so the city and its residents can know what the construction schedule is and stay informed about the progress.
“They’re in Sandy Springs now cutting down trees,” Paulson said. “The contractor left a little door hanger on some of the houses on the streets right alongside of 400, but there really has not been much fanfare, much notice about it … I’d rather be told ahead of time what’s happening, rather than find out from a neighbor that got a door knocker.”
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4. Wild dog of Australia. Beach feature. Trinity River locale.
5. African antelope with long straight horns. Coffee pot. Reverberate.
6. Shopper’s delight. Tropical vine. Kick out.
7. Small whirlpool. Unsophisicated. Female fox or temptress.
Marks the Spot
1 Pricing word. Popular saying. Syrup type.
2. Hindu princess. Beasts of burden. Deep blue.
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!
4. Wild dog of Australia. Beach feature. Trinity River locale
5. African antelope with long straight horns. Coffee pot Reverberate.
6. Shopper’s delight. Tropical vine. Kick out 7. Small whirlpool. Unsophisicated. Female fox or temptress.
Fulton County extends Reparations Task Force two years
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — The Fulton County Commission extended the Reparations Task Force for another two years at its Nov. 19 meeting after accepting a report from the advisory group, now in its fourth year.
The Reparations Task Force presented a summary of its nearly 650-page Harm Report, a $250,000 study commissioned in 2021.
Rodney Littles, representing Fulton County’s sixth district on the task force, said the framework of the study focuses on the county’s role, examining property taxes, courts, records, jails, voting, libraries, health and human services, parks and schools.
The 21 chapters of the report fall under six themes: profiteers of slavery; convict labor, jails and chain gangs; property taxes; social, political and economic domination; racial terror; and segregated and inferior county services.
Property taxes and slavery
When the state created ad valorem taxes in 1852, counties like Fulton were allowed to begin collecting property taxes from residents the next year, including those owning enslaved people.
Fulton County Reparations Task Force Chair Karcheik Sims-Alvarado presents the Harm Report, a 650-page document centered on the local government’s role in slavery, segregation and the unequal treatment of African Americans at the Nov. 19 County Commission meeting in Atlanta. Sims-Alvarado said the presentation was very emotional.
Using tax records from 1854-1864, Task Force Chair Karcheik Sims-Alvarado, Ph.D., found the county collected $75,000 in taxes on enslaved people.
“Slave holders were allowed to evade paying nearly $9 million in wages,” SimsAlvarado said. “So, what is due to the enslaved? That seed money of $75,000 with a conservative interest rate of 7 percent, is now valued at nearly $675 million. For the state, it’s $1.3 billion.”
Another Task Force member Elon Butts Osby said her grandfather’s land in Forsyth County was stolen through terror in 1912. She said her family’s next home within what is now Buckhead’s Bagley Park was taken away by eminent domain or for pennies on dollar.
Osby said the land was taken for “rich white residents of the adjacent newly built subdivision of Garden Hills,” estimating the property value to be $60 million today.
officials continue to spend most of their time arguing about commissioners’ action items introduced to the meeting agenda.
Individual commissioners are allowed to sponsor their own legislation and bring it to the floor for a vote.
The current voting blocs on the County Commission, referenced repeatedly at the Nov. 19 meeting, are three Democratic commissioners against Chairman Robb Pitts (D) and commissioners Khadijah Abdur-Rahman, Bob Ellis and Bridget Thorne.
The chairman’s voting bloc has the two Republican commissioners in North Fulton and Abdur-Rahman on the west side.
County Commissioners Dana Barrett and Marvin Arrington Jr., who have both announced their 2026 campaigns for chair, are typically joined by County Commissioner Mo Ivory.
While topics like the county’s legally binding agreement with the federal government to improve conditions at the main Rice Street jail and efforts toward building a hospital in South Fulton remain unresolved, commissioners spend most meetings shouting at one another over procedural measures and competing resolutions.
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“Fulton County was responsible for the generational loss of wealth for my family and others,” she said. “It’s time for the Fulton County government to right the wrongs of its former fellow commissioners.”
Immediately after the presentation, County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts said the Reparations Task Force was presenting “just the findings, not recommendation.”
County Commissioner Marvin Arrington Jr., who sponsored the legislation creating the panel, said he wanted to apologize to speakers for Pitts’ rushing them through the presentation.
Arrington Jr. and Pitts are both Black men. Pitts’ legislation to extend the Reparations Task Force another 12 months failed.
“We do you know that our chair, on the day he voted to approve the $250,000 said to the news … that he fundamentally disagrees with reparations,” Arrington Jr. said, who filed a resolution that passed extending the task force 24 months.
As commissioners discussed the report and how to move forward, it was not clear how continued work will be funded.
Some $40,000 remains, and the Reparations Task Force plans to return to the County Commission next year when they have more information about the funding required.
Agenda protocol squabble
The Fulton County’s seven elected
After the Fulton County Ethics Board dismissed Barrett’s complaint against Thorne for her comments about members of the Registration and Elections Board in October, Thorne brought forward an ordinance requiring commissioners to talk with one another before submitting one.
The discussion of Thorne’s resolution rehashed the original ethics complaint.
The Nov. 19 resolution, which was eventually held, calls Barrett’s ethics complaint “frivolous” and “baseless,” which caused tempers to flare and repeated interruptions.
A ‘flawed process’
After her voting bloc failed to pass its preferred ordinance designating a presiding officer when the chair and vice chair are absent, said the changes to the ethics complaint process are significantly flawed.
“This legislation says that if I as an individual commissioner want to file a complaint, then I have to first talk to the person who I think may have done something wrong,” Barrett said. “Then they bring it to the chair and vice chair who are in the same voting bloc.”
Thorne said she does not think filing ethics complaints against political opponents is how a governing body should operate.
“We fall in different political lines, but we shouldn’t be so divided,” Thorne said. “We should have common sense procedures. We should be able to talk to each other. Personally, I know I need to do a better job.”
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Program helps 8th graders to reach for greater heights
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
FULTON COUNTY, Ga. — Five eighth graders from across Fulton County will receive $10,000 upon graduation from high school to help them access postsecondary education at any Georgia HOPE-eligible university.
Fulton County Schools hosted a signing ceremony Nov. 14 where the middle school students reaffirmed their commitment to education, and parents promised to support their students through the state’s Realizing Educational Achievement Can Happen (REACH) program.
The students are:
• Christyionn Matthews, Holcomb Bridge Middle School
• Damien Valencia, Bear Creek Middle School
• Dashawn Williams, Renaissance Middle School
• Eyoel Solomon, Taylor Road Middle School
• Jhoselin Carmona-Santana, Ridgeview Middle School
REACH was launched in 2012 to encourage low-income students with academic potential to continue their education. In addition to financial support, REACH scholars receive academic help and a mentor who helps them overcome
REACH scholars stand with Fulton County staff at the signing ceremony Nov. 14 hosted at the county’s South Learning Center.
challenges and lends extra support for the student and family.
Shamona Harrell, the director of college, career and student supports, said it’s the goal of the program to get these scholars across the stage at high school graduation and give them the wholistic support they need throughout their academic journey. All scholars will meet with their designated mentor twice a month to build academic skills, plans for college and potential career paths.
“We know that providing these kinds of support remove barriers so that nothing stands in the way of your success,” President of the Fulton County School Board Kristin McCabe said to the 2025 REACH scholarship recipients.
All five scholars will be first-generation college students, something the REACH scholar interview panel looks for throughout the application process.
“We understand the importance of college access for all students and the
impact that has on students and the trajectory of the entire family,” Harrell said.
Althea Byers, guardian of Holcomb Bridge Middle School REACH scholar Christyionn Matthews, described the program as a blessing. She said Matthews has so much devotion to what she does, whether it be her education or trash valet business.
“I find myself being kind of average,” Matthews said. “Of the whole eighth grade, they chose me out of a bunch of other people … I was very excited.”
Another 2025 scholar, Eyoel Solomon, spoke before the crowd of parents and educators. He said he wants to become a professional soccer player on Atlanta United. Through this program, Solomon wants to enhance his knowledge to eventually create a personal brand.
“I’d like to thank my family,” Solomon said, “for pushing me beyond my limits and believing in me when I didn’t believe in myself.”
He also thanked himself for staying consistent, determined and resilient, even in his toughest times. Solomon said he feels sheer relief and joy knowing that all his hard work has finally paid off.
“You never know what your life has in store for you,” Solomon said. “So always be your best because your effort today could change your tomorrow.”
Legislator pursues online safeguards to shield children
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — State Sen. Sally Harrell (D-District 40) is forming a bipartisan coalition of elected officials and concerned citizens to address online safety for children during the Georgia General Assembly’s 2026 session.
Harrell told a crowd at the Nov. 5 “Parent Town Hall” in Dunwoody that she hosted her first single-issue community meeting in northern DeKalb and southern Gwinnett counties to generate public support.
“What we realized, the more we listened to testimony, the more we realize that we are heading toward a crisis with our kids,” Harrell said. “We need feedback from parents … What are you experiencing right now? What has happened with your kids?”
While it’s not clear what a legislative solution looks like, Harrell said she is working with Senate committee co-chair Shawn Still (R-District 48) on formal recommendations for state action.
“When we do file legislation, we’re going to hit a lot of pushback,” Harrell said. “We need to be organized at the grass-
roots level to fight that pushback.”
Some progress has already been made. Georgia’s “Distraction-Free Education Act” (HB 340), which passed this year, bans smartphones for public school students grades kindergarten through eight.
Harrell said her effort to form the
Senate Impact of Social Media and Artificial Intelligence on Children and Platform Privacy Protection Study Committee passed on her second attempt after connecting with a staffer in Lt. Gov. Burt Jones’ office.
The committee’s first three meetings examined how online platforms can be
addictive and harmful to young people, and it probed specific state policies that can result in safer online experiences.
Senators also examined the potential dangers related to the use of AI-driven chatbots in online platforms by minors.
Tragic case presented
Harrell presented a video of a Florida mother and attorney Megan Garcia, who filed a wrongful death lawsuit against an AI platform for the suicide of her son.
Garcia testified before the U.S. Senate during a subcommittee hearing Sept. 16, titled
“Examining the Harm of AI Chatbots.”
“Sewell was a bright and beautiful boy who, as a child, wanted to build rockets and invent life changing technology,” Garcia said. “But instead of preparing for high school milestones, Sewell spent his last months being manipulated and sexually groomed by chatbots designed by an AI company to seem human, to gain trust and to keep children like him endlessly engaged by supplanting the actual human relationships in his life.”
See HARRELL, Page 12
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HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
State Sen. Sally Harrell (D-District 40) discusses online safety and how lawmakers are exploring the risks and ways citizens can help at a Nov. 5 community meeting at Dunwoody City Hall.
Doctor-turned-entrepreneur advises seniors how to avoid ER
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dr. Nadia Nabavi, a former Northside Hospital and Grady Healthcare physician, said the top three reasons seniors end up in the emergency room are falls, UTIs and pneumonia.
The North Atlanta chapter of Adult Children of Aging Parents invited Nabavi to host its Nov. 11 program, “From UTIs to Falls: Understanding What Sends Seniors to the Emergency Room,” at Dunwoody United Methodist Church.
Nabavi listed the Big Three causes in order. She said a third of people over age 65 will fall at least once.
“I’m an emergency/EMS physician … that means I’m really good at identifying things that are gonna kill you,” she said. “One thing we saw over and over again was there were many calls for seniors, and it wasn’t like our seniors needed the hospital, but they also needed more than just ‘take two aspirin and call your primary care physician.’”
That realization inspired Nabavi to found Green Dot Health as an alternative to what she sees as a broken healthcare system that saddles seniors with huge hospital bills, sometimes for care they could receive at home.
Green Dot Health’s services include 24/7 access to board-certified ER doctors like Nabavi, at-home lab draws, prescription and imaging coordination, post-visit follow-ups and a straightforward billing process.
Membership to the virtual practice starts at $149 a month, a three-month minimum commitment is required.
With an emergency room visit ranging from $1,500-$3,000 and trips to an urgent care exceeding $150, Green Dot Health “fills a gap” in senior healthcare.
Incentives to join
The membership also qualifies for tax-free reimbursement from health and flexible savings accounts, which can be especially useful for Medicare enrollees to offset out-of-pocket costs.
When Nabavi asked the crowd of 30 how many had been to the emergency room in the past year, at least half of the hands went up. More than 800,000 seniors are hospitalized each year.
A urinary tract infection is far more common than pneumonia but much more dangerous for seniors. Falling is the most common, which can occur after a senior develops an infection.
Nabavi said one way caregivers can
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Dr. Nadia Nabavi explains how seniors can avoid preventable trips to the emergency room at the North Atlanta chapter of Adult Children of Aging Parents’ Nov. 11 program at Dunwoody United Methodist Church.
assess fall risk is to perform a “timed up-and-go test,” having them stand up, walk 10 feet, turn around, stroll back to the chair and sit down. If it takes someone more than 12 seconds, they may be at risk of falling.
Prevention methods include physical and occupational therapy, which can strengthen core and leg muscles while teaching people how to get up after a fall. An occupational therapist can also come into a home and strategize how things like furniture placement and lighting can be improved.
What seniors really want to avoid is falling and breaking their hip, which exacerbates existing ailments and mortality rates.
Nabavi said seniors can meet with a podiatrist to have a doctor look at their feet and suggest optimal footwear. She said checking vision and hearing is important as well.
“If there’s something else going on … the fall is actually a symptom of a bigger problem,” Nadavi said. “And that’s sort of our segue into infections.”
Tracking another threat
Urinary tract infections, or UTIs, are more common in women than men due to a variety of anatomical and hormonal factors. Men can get them too.
“If a bladder infection doesn’t get treated, then that infection can then move up to your kidney,” she said.
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“Usually the trigger is ‘mom is getting up a lot to the restroom, and she doesn’t normally do that,’ and that may culminate in a fall.”
A few program attendees were in the process of caring for their own aging parent suffering from an infection.
Kelly, a Brookhaven woman, said her 88-year-old mother had been refusing to undergo a procedure to take images of her bladder to diagnose what doctors told her may be a UTI.
ACAP, Page 12
Sandy Springs woman arrested in daughter’s death
SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — Police arrested a Sandy Springs woman in connection with the death of her 11-year-old daughter after officers conducted a welfare check at her home Nov. 15.
The Sandy Springs Police Department said its officers were dispatched to the Laurel Grove condominiums on Saturday morning at 346 Carpenter Drive, just north of I-285 off Roswell Road, for a welfare check requested by a concerned family member.
Plan:
Continued from Page 1
s healthcare costs continue to r ise for all Americans, some local g overnments are considering self-funded plans, where an employer sets a side a pool of money each month for i ts employees’ bills, which then pays o ut their claims. R
egardless of the model, all e mployers are looking for ways to i ncentivize employees with health plan b enefits. S
andy Springs Human Resources D irector Elizabeth Awbrey said the r ate is highly competitive despite t he city’s consistently high claims e xperience and broader market trends. “
Importantly, we are not r ecommending an increase to employee p remiums for the seventh consecutive y ear, preserving our competitiveness a
Runoff:
Continued from Page 1
Both leveled heavy criticism at Paul’s leadership during public forums.
Bauman missed the runoff by fewer than 400 votes.
“After speaking with both Mayor Paul and Dontaye Carter, I will be voting for Mayor Paul in the runoff,” he wrote Nov. 20 on Facebook. “We haven’t agreed on every issue, but his experience and steadiness will serve our city well as we welcome three new members to the City Council.”
More than 22,000 Sandy Springs residents voted, the highest turnout in a municipal election during the city’s 20-year history.
Upon arrival, officers said they found
nd attracting and retaining top t alent,” Awbrey said. “This year, staff c onducted a self-insurance feasibility r eview. One study through our broker r eturned mutual results, while an i ndependent study concluded … we w ere better off fully insured for 2026.” T
he analyses found the city would h ave to set aside between $10.5 m illion and $12.6 million to transition t o a self-funded plan. T
he city’s dental plan for its full-time employees will shift to a self-insured model Jan. 1, allowing staff to t est out a new cost-effective approach w ith minimal financial exposure. O ne incentive of a self-funded p lan is that the city could recoup its u ntouched money at the end of the p lan term, but it would be paying out e mployees’ claims. That’s a risk some g overnments are unwilling to take. “
Despite that, we believe s elf-insurance remains a long-term opportunity for improved, c
Bauman, a moderate Democrat, endorsed Paul after state Rep. Esther Panitch (D-Sandy Springs) announced she was breaking with her party to endorse him.
Panitch wrote that Paul has consistently stood with the Jewish community. Both Bauman and Panitch are Jewish and shared each other’s endorsements.
Carter also has his endorsements from the environmental group Georgia Conservation Voters; state Rep. Gabriel Sanchez, the General Assembly’s only democratic socialist; the Southern Poverty Law Center Action Fund; and the southern regional director of the Young Democrats of America’s Jewish caucus.
The cross-party endorsements have generated controversy on
Shannon Grimes in her residence with her deceased 11-year-old daughter.
Sandy Springs Police detectives were notified and took over the investigation.
The department says Grimes was taken into custody and criminal charges are pending.
ontrolled costs,” Awbrey said. “Staff r ecommends reevaluating this option n ext year.” S
everal major insurers declined t o provide quotes, including Aetna, A nthem, Captive Resources and Kaiser P ermanente. O
ther quotes, including unique m odels from HealthEZ and Benecon G roup, were 19 percent to 29 percent i ncreases over the city’s 2025 costs. U nited Healthcare’s quote was 17.7 p ercent higher. C
ity Councilman John Paulson p raised the city for looking at a lternative ways to lower costs amid a r apidly changing insurance industry. “ We’re spending a lot of money h ere,” Paulson said. “If there’s a way to s ave money, still cover employees and n ot make the insurance companies as r ich as they currently are, I’m in favor o f it.” C
ouncilman Tibby DeJulio c onfirmed with the human resources d
The department provided no cause of death or additional details. The arrest and incident reports are not publicly available.
The investigation remains active as of Nov. 18.
— Hayden Sumlin
irector that the city is currently p roviding a high-deductible health p lan that is paired with a tax-advantaged health savings account. A
wbrey said the city’s new high d eductible health plan will actually m ake Sandy Springs a little more c ompetitive in the marketplace, b ecause there are several other m unicipalities who offer the option. “
Obviously the deductible is higher … but that will bring us more into the m arketplace,” Awbrey said. F or an employee, excluding c overage of their spouse or children, t he monthly cost is covered by the city. “ That is where the employee will n ot have to contribute a premium a mount every paycheck, which will m ake us even more competitive,” A wbrey said. “It also has significant t ax benefits to the employee too o ver the long term, where they can e ventually withdraw all that money out o f there tax free.”
the mayoral race in Sandy Springs is anything but nonpartisan.
Carter denied failing to call out antisemitism and said Panitch was finding an excuse to endorse a Republican.
“You can cross the aisle without lying,” Carter wrote. “Too many Democrats are so busy crossing the aisle to chase Republican votes that they forget how to walk across the community to earn Democratic ones. That’s how we ended up with Trump in the White House — twice.”
With former gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams set to campaign with Carter on Nov. 21,
The race for the District 4 City Council seat in Sandy Springs is down to a runoff between retired police sergeant Frank Roberts and Michelle Sullivan, who ran for the seat in 2021.
Voters can cast their ballots early from Saturday, Nov. 22 to Wednesday, Nov. 26 at any of the 14 polling locations for advance voting throughout Fulton County. Polls close at 5 p.m. on weekends and 6 p.m. on weekdays.
While Sunday voting begins at noon, polls open at 9 a.m. other days.
The two locations in Sandy Springs are the North Fulton Service Center at 7741 Roswell Road and the Sandy Springs Library at 395 Mount Vernon Highway.
Facebook.
OPINION
Foiled in pursuit of a new political conspiracy
PAT FOX Managing Editor pat@appenmedia.com
There is more ink devoted to conspiracies today than ever.
As an alien comet tours our solar system and governments conceal “the truth” behind UFOs, news organizations speculate on hidden political agendas.
Conspiracies, with evidence as thin as gossamer, are vortexes that draw us into a blurry reality.
Yet, despite my practice of weighing all facts before leaping into conjecture, I recently descended into the abyss.
The reptilian part of my brain took over last week when I received emails and calls about Rep. Chuck Martin and his highoctane advocacy for failed Alpharetta City Council candidate Donna Murphy.
I spoke with people I’ve grown to trust over the years, people I respect.
A vague tapestry formed in my head, as they murmured theories of a year-long ploy to manipulate conditions in favor of specific candidates.
Here are the facts
Three days after losing the race to Katie Reeves for Alpharetta City Council Post 2, Donna Murphy appeared before the Fulton County Board of Elections to ask whether newly enacted legislation would make her eligible for a runoff with Reeves.
Under a new format passed by the City Council this year, Alpharetta, for the first time in its history, now decides winners of
municipal races by a majority of votes cast – 50 percent plus one vote. Before this year, whoever received the most votes won.
The official count was Reeves, 5,189 or 50.1 percent; Murphy, 3,647 or 35.3 percent, Bart Dean with 1,519 votes or 14.7 percent.
A lot was made of that razor thin 50.1 percent Reeves garnered. That .1 percent constitutes about a dozen votes.
But the total count did not factor in write-in votes. If it had, Reeves might have fallen short of the threshold required to avoid a runoff with Murphy.
Now, here’s the conspiracy
Rep. Martin co-sponsored the legislation allowing Alpharetta to change its election system. Look it up, HB640.
He was asked to do this following a 6-1 vote at a December 2024 City Council meeting. Official records show the item was sponsored on the agenda by council members John Hipes and Dan Merkel. Both had supported Murphy’s failed City Council bid in 2021 against incumbent Councilman Donald Mitchell.
Mitchell lodged the lone dissenting vote on the proposal.
Rep. Martin has publicly stated he prefers a council’s unanimous consent before pursuing legislation focused on that city. Yet, Donald Mitchell, the person he’d tried to unseat three years earlier on behalf of Murphy, had voted no.
Add to that, shortly following the Nov. 4 election, Rep. Martin visited the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office himself for a ruling on whether the new legislation he
co-sponsored should include write-in votes.
The state said “no.”
Fulton County said “no.”
The city explains that write-in candidates must qualify, just like those printed on the ballot. If they do not file papers to qualify, the written name means nothing in the count.
Clearing the fog
After scanning public records, making phone calls and other rabbit-hole activity, part of me wanted this to be a conspiracy. I wasn’t out to get Chuck Martin, just a good story.
But unless Martin is some sort of political Edgar Cayce, it doesn’t add up.
First, the legislation allowing Alpharetta’s new election format was cosponsored by three other local legislators.
One was Rep. Todd Jones. Another was Rep. Jan Jones. Both endorsed Katie Reeves.
The fourth co-sponsor, Rep. Michelle Au, has no record of endorsing any of the candidates.
Second, candidates Reeves, Murphy and Dean were running for a seat they couldn’t have known would be open when the election format proposal was made last December. The Post 2 seat became vacant in June when Councilman Brian Will resigned for run for the State Senate.
Of course, there were two other council seats on the ballot in this cycle, and one was going to be open for sure, because Mitchell was prohibited by term limits.
So, there’s that.
Finally, although he voted against changing the local election format, Mitchell signed the official City Council document advocating for the legislative action. Mitchell says he signed mostly as a formality to move the election forward. He says he remains opposed to a system forcing a runoff that could cost the city an extra $150,000, a system that favors the candidate with the most money.
Martin says he read the official, signed document as full council consent.
Rep. Martin makes no apologies for being an enthusiastic campaigner for his friend. I know he riled some people in Windward, a northern part of the city outside his legislative district. He says he was correcting misinformation.
He also says he disclosed to the Secretary of State’s Office, from the outset, that he had a personal interest when he asked for a ruling on the write-ins.
In the aftermath, Martin says he believes write-in votes should be included to calculate candidate percentages. He argues that if a person writes in a name on the space provided on the ballot, that person believes they have just voted. Martin says he wants ballot clarity.
Good enough.
One final word on this exercise: I am not tired.
Even after a week chasing a ghost, this newspaper remains committed to listening to readers, using our resources to seek truth. There are things going on behind closed doors people should know about. Sometimes, though, there’s just nothing there.
Why some companies and some people fail
RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
In one of Malcolm Gladwell’s books, “Outliers,” the premise is that ultimately, everything and everyone regresses to the mean.
In sports, long jumper Bob Beamon is a good example. In the 1968 Olympics he destroyed the existing world record by jumping 29 feet 2 ½” – almost 2 feet more than the existing world record. Beamon’s second longest jump in his career was 27 feet, 4 inches – roughly his mean.
Yes, there are exceptions to the “regress to the mean” rule, but they are few. It is almost like gravity is at work, and no matter how hard someone or something tries to defy it, it never works – because it always works, ultimately.
Business is like that too. Think Intel,
GE, Polaroid – or if we want to go way back, The British East India Company. It was founded in 1600 by Queen Elizabeth to expand trade for the crown. It ultimately built its own private army and by the mid-18th century acted effectively as a sovereign power – collecting taxes, administering justice and waging war.
However, in 1874, the company was dissolved by the British government because it had become too powerful, too much of a threat and too corrupt. It had its day in the sun but ultimately, it didn’t last. It regressed even past the mean.
Southwest Airlines is a good – but to me, sad – case in point today.
I have been a huge, loyal fan of Southwest Airlines for many years. I recall the day that Gary Kelly (CEO from 2004–2022) announced, at a gathering I attended, the new hub in Atlanta.
“We’ll bring competition; bring down prices; and we’ll introduce you to the Southwest way of flying” – or something along those lines.
Excitement in the air
I think everyone was excited, and many of us welcomed the new upstart airline because we hoped it would give the old guard – Delta – a reason to try a little harder; be a little more customer friendly; and in general, shape up. It did force Delta to work harder on their rates I think, but that’s all it did – but that is another story.
Southwest was different. Bags were free. Check-in was totally different; it worked more like a roundabout than a four-way stop, which was the industry standard at the time – and still is. That is, the Southwest “way” relied on people to do the right thing in terms of check in and seating themselves on their own accord instead of being herded like cattle into paddocks. It gave people standing and respect in a sense. At least that was the way it seemed to me. And I liked that.
More than anything else though, flying Southwest was fun. From the
pilots to the flight attendants, everyone just seemed nice, upbeat, and full of positive energy. When you stepped into that Southwest plane, life lifted a little for everyone, and you were in for a welcome break from the rat race.
So, for the next 20-plus years, I never considered flying on any other airline than Southwest. Then – I want to say around 2022 when Gary Kelly retired – something happened. Granted, a pandemic hit, and granted, Southwest encountered operational failures in their back-end system and near catastrophic plane issues. Nevertheless, Southwest changed; it digressed back toward the mean. They introduced baggage fees. They ended the open seating – the roundabout idea – and started offering premium seating options – basically stratifying the pricing structure and how customers were treated – some better than others. See FAIL, Page 15
Harrell:
Continued from Page 8
The tragic story of Sewell Setzer III and AI company Character Technologies is the latest example of a decades-long trend of emerging technologies, like the internet, smart phones, social media and algorithms, negatively affecting children.
Harrell said she became interested in the subject more than a decade ago as a mother.
“These companies have designed the products to be engaging,” Harrell said. “The more addicted they are to their phones, the more profits the company makes.”
Adults are also addicted to their smartphones and the internet, which Harrell says makes the issue a matter of family and community.
When her children were beginning to use social media and the internet in the early 2010s, Harrell said she saw their behavior changed.
A decade later and the data is clear, mental illness and suicides among teens and young adults skyrocketed after smartphones and social media became ubiquitous.
“It’s not the parents’ fault,” Harrell said. “It is the product, and it’s designed that way on purpose … I’ve been waiting for the millennial generation to come along, to have kids, to get scared, to get motivated, to join the force, to stand up to these big companies.”
Community engagement
Some elected officials attended the town hall, including Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch, Doraville Mayor Joseph Geierman and DeKalb County District 1 School Board member Andrew Ziffer.
ACAP:
Continued from Page 9
So far, medicine hasn’t helped.
Growing impatient, Kelly said the program inspired her to keep pushing for answer to her mother’s discomfort, which may involve convincing her to have the procedure.
Preventing pneumonia, or an infection of the lungs, is straightforward. The best was to protect against it is to have seniors routinely vaccinated against the most prolific strain and wear a mask in crowded spaces.
Despite the politicization of vaccines, seniors in the room said they get them after conducting their own cost-benefit analysis.
The North Atlanta chapter of Adult
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
A panel of mothers led by state Sen. Sally Harrell (D-District 40) discusses the risks posed to children from the internet, social media and artificial intelligence during a Nov. 5 “Parent Town Hall” in Dunwoody. The panel explained that addressing declines in youth mental health begins with pushing back against large technology companies.
Harrell thanked Deustch for taking an interest in children’s online safety and securing a space for the talk at Dunwoody City Hall.
A “panel of moms” convened at the dais to discuss some of the ways they are handling technology and the internet with their teenage children.
Casey Stefanski, executive director of the Digital Childhood Alliance, said a lot of parental controls and other tools to control what a child can see and do online are not sufficient.
Stefanski said large technology companies consider 13-year-olds as adults online, and one solution is to raise the age to 16.
Laura Ladefian shared her experiences working as a mental health specialist with teens and young adults at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, saying that technology is a huge topic in her office. Ladefian said it breaks her heart when she hears a middle schooler say they wish younger kids never get a phone because “it’s too
Children of Aging Parents held its Nov. 11 meeting in the Asbury Room at Dunwoody United Methodist.
The nonprofit ACAP has grown from a small program founded in Hickory, North Carolina in 2012 to more than nine locations across the eastern United States.
The state of Georgia has four chapters, one in Cobb and Cherokee counties, another in Forsyth County, a Hall County group and the North Atlanta chapter, which meets on the second Tuesday of each month.
All in-person programming is free.
More informational meetings
ACAP North Atlanta Chapter Coordinator Mary Remmes, a life coach for the adult children of aging parents, said there will not be a meeting in December but programming through March 2026 is ready to go.
late” for them.
AI technologist Katie Fullerton shared potential ways to adjust the algorithms behind AI chatbots and social media while also sharing her daughter’s experience.
The Digital Childhood Alliance wants people to know they don’t need to be a tech expert, just an engaged parent.
The nonprofit encourages parents to talk to their children about artificial intelligence and internet usage “early and often,” set and revisit boundaries, prioritize human connections and watch for signs that AI use may be harming their child.
Red flags for kids include panic or distress when AI access is removed, sudden academic improvement or secretive screen use, referencing a chat bot as “a friend or someone who understands them” and declining motivation or isolation.
For more information, visit digitalchildhoodalliance.org.
Another member of the leadership team, Holly Mitchell, discussed her entrepreneurial venture ChangingSpaces with co-founder Linda Kaplan that helps manage moves for seniors.
“My company can help people do all of these tasks,” Mitchell said. “ChangingSpaces was born to help people move and rightsize and figure out how they’re going to help themselves live easier and simpler and stress-free.”
For more information about the North Atlanta chapter of Adult Children of Aging Parents, visit acapcommunity. org.
For more information about Dr. Nabavi’s business, visit greendothealth. com.
For more information about Mitchel and Kaplan’s business, visit changingspacesatlanta.com.
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Fail:
Continued from Page 11
Not that there’s anything wrong with that, because that is how the rest of the world works, but it wasn’t how Southwest became the airline that so many of us loved and patronized.
Fast forward. Southwest now, like all the other airlines, nickels and dimes you to death. It’s all about up charges, making that incremental buck – charges for this, upgrades that. Flight attendants move about their jobs robotically, sullen and drained of any energy or that old Southwest vibe. Seeing a smile on a Southwest employee’s face now seems as rare as a white tiger – and laughter, nowhere to be heard.
It’s not like Southwest does a bad job today; they do OK. However, in relative terms, compared to the airline it was before, the one today is simply a pallid imitation – one going through the motions and not really caring all that much – back to the mean.
I still fly Southwest I will admit. Loyalty to something or some idea often endures and doesn’t fade quickly with a few bumps or occasional turbulence. I still want to smile when I board a Southwest flight. I want Southwest attendants and pilots to still at least act like they are glad to see you and that they find some sort of pride and excitement about their jobs. That is, I want to give them the benefit of the doubt – a pass - with the hopes that something will happen and they will change – change back.
Adams – had since been transferred to family court. When the Appeals Court overturned Adams’ verdict and ordered the case back to Fulton County, Farmer became the newly assigned judge.
Holding out hope
There are still some companies out there, however, that have maintained that “Southwest vibe” – companies where the employees treat customers like they do care about them, companies with employees that seem like they enjoy coming to work and take pride in who they are and what they do. Costco.
I am reminded about one company in particular. A new CEO recently was named for the company, but the founder remained at the helm as chairman of the board I believe. One of the first moves the new CEO made was to increase the prices in this company’s trademark food court – their pizza, hotdogs, ice-cream. One giant hot quarter-pound all-beef hotdog and a 20-ounce (free refills) soda, $1.50.
before finalizing his ruling.
Appen Media now awaits a new judge assignment as the case rambles on.
Background on the case
Citing that ruling, Appen’s motion argued the newspaper, “is entitled to these reports to fully develop the record as to whether these reports should have been initially produced as Appen alleges in its Complaint.”
Thursday’s hearing was meant to adjudicate the request, deciding whether the city must provide the requested reports before the court.
It was also the first time Farmer weighed in on the case.
The Fulton County Superior Court judge who first oversaw the suit, and who ruled in the city’s favor – Kimberly
Part-time
It was a short-lived assignment.
Judge Farmer opened the downtown hearing by asking the courtroom to guess where he lived.
Sandy Springs was the correct answer.
Attorneys for the city and the newspaper, representatives from Appen Media including this author, and two Sandy Springs Police officers were in attendance.
The judge remarked how it would be the Sandy Springs Police who may respond to a safety incident near his home, and how he was familiar with the case based on reading regular coverage in the newspaper delivered there.
As a result, he said he would recuse himself from the case.
State law mandates public records be open to public inspection but allows certain exceptions. Agencies may withhold police records that involve ongoing investigations.
However, the initial incident and crime reports must always be released even if the case is open.
At the center of the Appen lawsuit is the question of what constitutes an “initial incident report.”
“We’re losing money on that food,” said the new CEO.
“You’ll increase the prices on our food over my dead body,” replied the founder.
Some things are far more important than money – like values. Most companies that allow money to become the lowest common dominator – instead of a set of values commonly held, ultimately fail. There is always someone out there willing to sell the product or service cheaper or at a discount.
The same concept holds for countries. Not everything in life is a transaction. When the values fade or disappear, when the “why’s” are forgotten, it is just a matter of time until the arrival back to the mean – or lower.
Some things never change.
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and whether any suspects have been identified.
Sandy Springs admits that officers generally write more detailed reports in a second document, often written the same day. The city claims in its legal defense that this second report is not part of the initial incident report, and therefore can be withheld.
Appen noted in its complaint guidance from the state Attorney General’s Office that, “A common-sense interpretation of ‘initial incident report’ is that anything written at the same time as the first part of the report is part of the initial incident report.” Continued from Page 3
Front Desk Intake Specialist (Bilingual-Spanish)
NFCC is seeking a qualified candidate to fill the part-time Front Desk Intake Specialist position. The Front Desk Intake Specialist is responsible for connecting clients to the programs and services that NFCC offers. The role includes data entry, updating clients’ applications, and keeping clients and students informed of programs and service enhancements. As the face of NFCC at the Intake desk, this role requires maintaining a professional and welcoming presence that reflects the organization’s values.
Proficiency in Microsoft Suite and Spanish are required. Experience using Salesforce or other CRM systems is a plus.
If this sounds like the role for you, we’d love to hear from you! Please submit your resume to jobs@nfcchelp.org
Farmer gave thanks to both sides, saying he supported the freedom of the press and those who keep him safe,
For years, the city has published documents with one-sentence narratives stating when and where police are dispatched. Unlike incident reports provided by police agencies in surrounding jurisdictions, the Sandy Springs reports typically lack details on the nature of the crime, an accounting of property damage, injuries associated with a crime, whether there were any victims or any arrests were made,
In its complaint, Appen cited examples of Sandy Springs reports in which both documents were created at the same time on the same day. When the newspaper filed open records requests for the reports associated with these incidents, the city only provided the first, one-sentence page.
This behavior runs counter to that of surrounding agencies and statewide practices.
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