Sandy Springs Crier - September 17, 2026 by Appen Media Group

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Atlanta agrees to sell detention center to Fulton County for $68 million ► PAGE 2 S e p t e m b e r 1 7 , 2 0 2 6 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 5 , N o . 3 8

City seminars to cover tree, occupancy regulations By JOSHUA WILSON joshua@appenmedia.com SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The city of Sandy Springs will host two free Build Sandy Springs seminars this month, one on tree regulations and one on the path to a certificate of occupancy. The first seminar, “Tree Talk: Understanding Removal, Development and Conservation,” is set for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 22. The seminar covers the city’s tree ordinance and urban forestry initiatives, including the review process for removing trees during property maintenance or

development. Officials said the seminar is geared toward design professionals, arborists, tree removal companies and property owners. The second seminar, “The Road to Occupancy: A Guide to CO Approval,” is scheduled for 2 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 29. It will walk attendees through the standard operating procedures and requirements for securing a certificate of occupancy, an official document certifying that a building meets code requirements and is legally fit for people to occupy or use. See SEMINAR, Page 8

CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

Attendees wear dirndls — traditional German folk dresses — at the 2025 OktoberFEAST in Sandy Springs. This year’s OktoberFEAST will be held Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, from 3 to 7 p.m. each day.

Sandy Springs to host third annual OktoberFEAST Oct. 17-18 By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com

CITY OF SANDY SPRINGS/PROVIDED

A graphic promotes the Build Sandy Springs seminar series, which offers free educational sessions on city development and permitting processes. Seminars will next be held on Sept. 22 and Sept. 29.

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. — The city of Sandy Springs is raising a stein to the return of OktoberFEAST, celebrating its third annual festival on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 17-18, at City Springs, 1 Galambos Way. Festivities will take place from 3 to 7 p.m. each day, and admission is free. OktoberFEAST will feature authentic Bavarian traditions, delicious food, seasonal beverages, live entertainment and family-friendly fun. The festival continues to blend the charm of a classic German Oktoberfest with Southern hospitality, creating a unique fall experience for all ages.

Food will once again be the star of the celebration. Guests can enjoy a variety of Oktoberfest favorites, including warm Bavarian pretzels with beer cheese dip, German sausages, chicken schnitzel, egg noodles and other seasonal specialties. Festivalgoers can also sample an expanded selection of seasonal German beers, Oktoberfest-style lagers and traditional German mulled wine. The Swinging Bavarians will also bring the sounds of Germany to the stage with lively polkas, traditional Oktoberfest tunes and crowd favorites that will have guests dancing throughout the weekend. For more information, visit sandyspringsga.gov/ feast.

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2 | September 17, 2026 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs

PUBLIC SAFETY

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APPEN MEDIA FILE PHOTO

The Atlanta City Detention Center, 254 Peachtree St. SW, is seen in this file photo. The city recently accepted Fulton County’s offer to buy the facility for $68 million.

Atlanta accepts Fulton County’s $68M jail purchase offer

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ATLANTA — Fulton County’s offer to purchase the Atlanta City Detention Center for $68 million was accepted Sept. 8, according to a letter sent to the board of commissioners from Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens. The 17-story building will give the Fulton County Sheriff’s Office an additional 1,150 beds for inmates, with the remaining 150 beds in the facility reserved for city of Atlanta detainees being held on municipal charges. It’s a step toward solving the county’s overcrowded facilities, which were cited in a consent decree against Fulton County and Fulton County Sheriff’s Office issued by the the U.S. Department of Justice in 2025. “We were extremely pleased to receive the letter from Mayor Andre Dickens accepting Fulton County’s offer to purchase the Atlanta City

Detention Center for $68 million,” Chairman Robb Pitts said. “This is a great day for Fulton County and Atlanta taxpayers. We have worked toward this day for many years, and I am grateful to Mayor Dickens for his leadership and partnership.” Fulton County has been leasing beds at the city’s detention center for years, but that deal was set to expire in December. After that, per-day housing costs would have tripled to $150 per inmate for the county. While the purchase is an important part of the solution, Commissioner Dana Barrett said this will not be an “instantaneous” fix. The detention center needs an estimated $75 million in renovations, she noted. Still, she said buying the building is an important step in providing safe and humane housing to Fulton County’s inmate population. “We have been at capacity or … arguably over capacity for a long

time because we outsource a lot of inmate beds in other counties already [and] not just to the city jail,” Barrett said. “In a perfect world, Fulton County would have all of the inmates in our care housed in Fulton County-controlled facilities versus outsourcing.” Dickens’ letter said the purchase would save county taxpayers around $600 million. Barrett said she thinks the real number is probably between $150 million and $200 million. The city and county are now looking at financing options and timing. The governing bodies anticipate a finalized agreement will be presented to both the Fulton County Board of Commissioners and the Atlanta City Council in the coming weeks. “I’m glad that the city and the county were able to move this to where it is now,” Barrett said. “It’s a huge accomplishment, I think, for both entities and for the citizens.”

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | September 17, 2026 | 3

4 | September 17, 2026 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs

SPORTS

Overtime Select gives young basketball stars a way to grow By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com ATLANTA, Ga. — Requiring nothing but a hoop and a ball, and maybe the right shoes, basketball is one of the most accessible sports because of equipment and location. Rain or shine, hail, blizzard or heat wave, you can rest assured that at any given moment in a gym somewhere, someone is working on low-post footwork or dribbling through a faux press of cones. Between the school season — which can stretch up to seven months including preseason workouts — and AAU — which can both overlap with school playoffs and add an additional four months of parents juggling practices and tournaments — the month of August has become a respite for many basketball families. In the last three years, some of the top women’s basketball recruits in the nation have kissed goodbye to their lone month of freedom in exchange for two weekends of competition at the highest level available. Overtime, a sports media company out of Atlanta, Brooklyn, Los Angeles and Chicago, has offered transitional leagues in several sports — football, basketball, soccer, boxing and esports — to supplement and even replace high school competition for athletes aspiring to

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the pros. First came Overtime Elite, which can replace years of eligibility for male basketball players in high school or college. OTE and other formal competition leagues have been made possible by donors such as Jeff Bezos, Alexis Ohanian, Drake, Carmelo Anthony and Pau Gasol. Until three years ago, there was no program at Overtime for elite women’s basketball players similar to OTE. Now, Overtime Select is in a league of its own, as there is no other organization offering competition in this style for amateur female athletes outside of traditional AAU. Director of Overtime Select Sascha Malas and her team took two years to carefully research how to do right by their athletes. Their goals were to be “disruptive but also additive” and find new ways to enhance career opportunities for players. “We have elite basketball, but we’re building businesswomen,” Malas told USA Today. Rooted in storytelling, Select is helping bridge the gap to today’s sports landscape in college and the pros. With name, image and likeness licensing opportunities now legal in high school, athletes are under more pressure than ever to put their best foot forward. Select provides media training and has brought in college

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Overtime Select champions the Cold Hearts celebrate their comeback title win at Overtime Arena on Aug. 15.

MVP. The 2024 Naismith winner, Aaliyah Chavez, was the first team captain to be named in Select’s first season. The opportunity to extend to three straight Naismiths seems promising, as five of Rivals’ top seven players in the senior class played at Select this year. The consensus No. 1 recruit, Kaleena Smith, has already received national nods, and last season was honored with the MaxPreps National Basketball Player of the Year. If Smith is overlooked for the Naismith this season, another potential favorite could be this year’s MVP. Overtime Select crowned an all-new champion this year, the Cold Hearts, who defeated YGE in a comeback victory. YGE is led by league MVP Jezelle “G.G.” Banks. Despite beating YGE handily the first weekend, the championship was no easy feat. Cold Hearts head coach Sa’de WileyGatewood is now a two-time champion after winning the inaugural Select title in 2024. She said she doesn’t “like to lose two times in a row,” after falling in the semifinals last year. Cold Hearts were down 16 at one point in the second half and had to claw back in it with an 18-2 run to come out on top in the end.

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DUNWOODY HOME TOUR

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | September 17, 2026 | 5

PAID CONTENT

An Extraordinary 3-Acre Estate

Modern Farmhouse Masterpiece, Beautiful Gardens and Elaborate Model Train Display Provided by the Dunwoody Woman’s Club Step through the front door and you will immediately feel the appeal of this extraordinary modern farmhouse, the result of a two-year renovation. Soaring ceilings and windows featuring expansive views of the gardens create a light-filled backdrop for natural wood beams, custom millwork, and carefully layered textures. Every space feels both refined and welcoming—a home designed for effortless gathering, entertaining, and everyday life. This beautiful home is one of the featured residences on the 53rd Annual Dunwoody Woman’s Club Home Tour taking place Friday, October 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Proceeds from the tour support the Dunwoody Woman’s Club’s charitable initiatives and community projects. Home tour tickets are available through several convenient purchase options, listed at the end of this article. The open-concept design draws visitors in, offering seamless sightlines from one inviting space to the next. Abundant natural light highlights French oak flooring, statement lighting, and curated furnishings, while a neutral palette of soft green and cream creates an immediate sense of calm. In the main living area, a dramatic floorto-ceiling fireplace adds warmth and architectural interest, accented by a striking painting of Albert Einstein by the renowned artist Steve Penley. At the heart of the residence is a stunning kitchen that balances beauty and function. Natural wood cabinetry pairs elegantly with dramatic dark granite countertops and warm brass hardware, creating a striking contrast that feels both current and timeless. A generous center island serves as the hub of the home, where expansive windows frame views of the multi-level patio and gardens. The main level also contains the beautifully appointed primary suite. This luxurious retreat features abundant garden views, a vaulted cathedral beam ceiling, and a relaxing sitting area in front of the beautiful stone fireplace. As you tour the home, you will notice custom built-ins and an impressive collection of art and artifacts throughout. Each piece carries a story, blending cherished family heirlooms with meaningful contemporary collections. Upstairs, the home continues to impress with lovely guest

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Step through the front door and you will immediately feel the appeal of this extraordinary modern farmhouse, the result of a 2-year renovation. suites, each styled in its own warm, inviting color palette. The large terrace level with kitchen offers the family a place for recreation and relaxation, while the most delightful surprise is its dedicated train room, showcasing an elaborate model railroad complete with meticulously crafted landscape and vignettes, surrounded by a 360-degree mural. This display reflects a lifelong passion and

extraordinary attention to detail, offering a glimpse into a hobby built over time. While the home’s architecture is spectacular, its personal touches make it truly unforgettable. From the sundrenched living areas to the magical train room, this residence blends timeless luxury with personal history. It is a home designed to be lived in and enjoyed —making it a spectacular addition to this year’s Home Tour.

More information Purchase tickets in any of the following ways: • Online: dunwoodywomansclub.com/eventtickets/ • In person: The Enchanted Forest (Dunwoody Hall Shopping Center) or Judy & Grace Boutique (The Shops of Dunwoody) • From a club member: Purchase directly from any Dunwoody Woman’s Club member. • Dunwoody Farmers Market: Brook Run Park, September 12, 19 & 26, 9a.m.-12p.m. • QR code: Scan the QR code on the right to purchase tickets instantly. Will call Tickets purchased online may be picked up at the Spruill Center for the Arts, located in the Dunwoody Cultural Arts Center (5339 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody). If you need more home tour tickets, they will be available for sale during this time:

• Monday–Thursday September 28–October 1st: 1:00 p.m.–3:30 p.m. • Friday October 2nd (Tour Day): 9:30 a.m.–12:00 noon The Spruill entrance is located in the center of the building. Parking is available directly in front of the entrance and on the right side of the building near the Dunwoody Library. Tickets are $35 in advance and $40 on tour day. We look forward to seeing you at the home tour and appreciate your support. Remember, profits of the tour help fund our charitable projects. Buy your tickets today! www. dunwoodywomansclub.com/event-tickets/ For more information about the Dunwoody Woman’s Club, go to dunwoodywomansclub.com.

Experience Art in the Gardens & The Return of Our Popular Raffle! New for 2026! The Dunwoody Woman’s Club is partnering with the Dunwoody Fine Art Association to bring talented en plein air artists to the gardens of two featured homes. Watch the artists paint outdoors, purchase original artwork directly from the easel, or visit a boutique gallery at one of the featured homes showcasing additional works by local artists. Our popular raffle returns with three spectacular prizes: • An original, matted and framed painting, “Cloisters, Sorrento,” by artist Pat Fiorello. • A $1,000 shopping spree at Lauderhill’s Fine Jewelry. • A luxurious Face Haven Spa gift basket valued at $1,000 Available on Tour Day Only! Raffle tickets, original artwork from the en plein air artists and artwork featured in the boutique gallery will be available for purchase exclusively during the Home Tour. Be sure to bring cash or a credit card to enter the raffle and shop for one-of-a-kind artwork.

6 | September 17, 2026 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs

SPORTS

Area lacrosse players headed to international play By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — In recent weeks, four area high school lacrosse players from Milton, West Forsyth and Wesleyan have been announced as members of a national team. Team USA’s U17 and U19 squads will be hosting Canada and the Haudenosaunee Nationals Sept. 25-27 at the USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Maryland, for the Brogden Cup. Several weeks later, the teams will compete again in Oshawa, Ontario, for the second annual Rivalry Challenge against Canada Oct. 9-11. The Brogden Cup originated in 1988, named after Olympic goalie Mac Brogden, a Johns Hopkins alumnus who represented Team USA in the 1932 Los Angeles Olympics. Lacrosse is set to return to the Olympics, and to Los Angeles 96 years later, and Team USA has recently selected their players. Only one college player is going to the Olympics, with the rest being professionals, but all the buzz in the media is making the Brogden Cup even more special this year. West Forsyth midfielder Luca Diehl is returning to the national team for the Brogden Cup after taking part in the U17 combine last year. As a member of the

class of 2028, recruiting opened Sept. 1 at noon for coaches to contact her. Diehl is one of two five-star juniors on the Wolverines, and she could be shaping up to be the second Wolverine in three years to sign to play for Maryland. Twotime state champion with West Forsyth Avery Grace Jones is a freshman Terrapin this year. Another athlete from the Eagle Stix club program, Wesleyan’s Savannah Higgins, will be playing in the Brogden Cup on the U19 battalion. Higgins is a senior committed to the University of Michigan. She is the only area player to make the U19 team, men’s or women’s, and is one of just two women from outside of the Northeast. Eagle Stix director Tim Godby is no stranger to sending players to top Division I programs or to international stages. “We’ve got girls from our program going to some of the best programs in the country in college every year,” Godby said. “It’s just great to see success that the girls have had [and for them] to have the chance to play at the next level in college and now at the USA level. It’s just pretty incredible to see girls from here, which is one of the nontraditional areas for lacrosse, producing talent every year.” Milton boys’ lacrosse is sending two players to the world stage. Cooper

COURTESY USA LACROSSE/INSTAGRAM

West Forsyth midfielder Luca Diehl, right, drives on a defender at the Team USA U17 Combine earlier this summer.

Schindler put up eight goals against a nationally ranked Roswell squad in the state championship, and the coaches at Team USA took notice ahead of the Brogden Cup. He is one of only two players on the U17 team who are from south of Maryland. Midfielder and faceoff specialist Andreas Roux will be joining the South

Overtime: Continued from Page 4 “I’m just proud that they were able to see what can happen when you don’t put your heads down and keep playing,” Wiley-Gatewood said. Wiley-Gatewood, a former McDonald’s All-American and San Diego native, won the three-point shooting contest at the game. She went into coaching after playing for Pat Summitt and Brenda Frese in college. She is in her second year as the head coach at Cuyamaca College in El Cajon, California, after over a decade coaching high school. “I’ve always felt there’s more to basketball than just a game,” reads her bio. “It’s a platform to shape who you’re becoming.” Media buzz early is not new to WileyGatewood. She was, in fact, one of the trailblazers for it in the 2000s. After becoming the youngest-ever invitee, male or female, to the Nike All-America camp, she won Miss Basketball twice along with a lengthy resume of state and national awards before graduating from Lynwood High. After injuries cut her playing career short, Wiley-Gatewood immediately returned home to pour into young athletes, and she hasn’t stopped since.

African national team. Team USA has an automatic bid to the Olympics as the hosts, and the remaining five spots are up for grabs. Four of those teams will be determined next year at the 2027 World Sixes Championships. The 2026 African Sixes Lacrosse Championships will be hosted by South Africa in Johannesburg Dec. 1-4, where both men and women will play to decide which team will move on to the 2027 World Sixes Championships. Africa currently has 15 countries that are members of World Lacrosse, up 400% from when they joined Ghana, Kenya and Uganda in 2021 as the only members from the African continent. According to World Lacrosse documents on the Olympic qualification system, each continent is guaranteed one team in the Olympics, so the stakes couldn’t be higher come December. Milton boys’ head coach Tom Dell shared his pride upon finding out that two of his players would be representing their countries. “It’s huge for our program and for these young men,” he said. “It’s a cool thing [for our players to be] highlighted.” Milton High and Eagle Stix lacrosse continue to cement themselves as a nontraditional lacrosse area that can no longer be ignored. She later founded Hoop Blessings LLC to lead her practice in faith and continue training players. Wiley-Gatewood told Appen Media that the growth seen in Select since its first year has been monumental. “That’s what we’ve been building off of, and the girls are just happy,” she said. Cold Hearts assistant coach Kristine Dillon said she knew deep down what this team was capable of from the beginning. “Everybody stepped up,” she said. “[This] great group of girls, literally before we even touched down, we just felt the connection, the energy.” Championship MVP Jordyn Palmer, who won a gold medal earlier this summer with the U18 Team USA squad, bested Banks, who also won gold at the 2026 FIBA U18 Women’s Americup. The teammates-turned-rivals were the leading scorers on their respective teams, and they both put up double figures in the gold medal game in June. Palmer won the Best Duo award with her teammate, Sandy Creek junior Morghan Reckley, who served as the captain of Cold Hearts. With their third season now wrapped, Overtime Select is still continuing to shoot higher. The fourth year of Select is sure to contain further pursuance of the highest levels of competition and development.

SPORTS

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | September 17, 2026 | 7

Roswell receiver gets advice from legendary football coach By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell High School wide receiver Landon Magnuson got a rare opportunity to sit down with former Alabama football coach Nick Saban on Aug. 25. With Hornets coach Jonathan Thompson's approval, Landon missed practice to travel to Saban's home on Lake Burton with his mother, Brooke Magnuson, who coaches Roswell's girls lacrosse team. Brooke had spoken with Saban by phone and arranged an in-person meeting. Brooke said Saban and his wife, Terry Saban, who is affectionately known as "Miss Terry," treated her and her son "like family." Landon tore his anterior cruciate ligament last season and was cleared to put the pads back on a few days after his meeting with Saban, on the morning of the Hornets' game against Newton High School. Landon said the biggest piece of advice Saban gave him was to "be where your feet are." "He said, 'Look down at where your feet are. That's where you are,'" Landon recounted. "Having that setback like I did, you have to do more than what's expected and work hard, and I've been working super hard." He told Appen Media that he was seeking advice from Saban on how to stand out as a recruit after his injury limited his

opportunities to shine. Now that he has been cleared to play, Landon said he is excited to bring energy to the wide receiver room as he earns his spot on the field. He looks forward to playing a role in the Hornets' season as they push to improve on their semifinal finish last year. "I think I'm going to bring good hands, good blocking," Landon said. "With tearing my ACL, I need to work on route running, so I'm not thinking too far ahead. I'm working on controlling my controllables right now." The Hornets will also focus on controlling their controllables after their 42-15 loss to Newton on Aug. 28. After leading 15-14 at halftime, the offense couldn't connect in the final two quarters. "When things like this happen, you got one of two options: you can either look at it or run from it, and I'm gonna look at it in the face," Thompson told the team in a postgame huddle. "Defensively, we did a hell of a job, put us in a great position all night to go take this football game. We didn't do it offensively, so I gotta take a look in the mirror and figure out what we gotta do to fix that. And I promise you, I will. But we gotta do it together now." He said he had faith in his staff to put together an effective plan moving forward. "It's a long season; this doesn't define you, OK?" Thompson continued. "But it can if you allow it to. I'm not going to allow it to."

MAGNUSON FAMILY/PROVIDED

From left, Roswell wide receiver Landon Magnuson, girls lacrosse coach Brooke Magnuson and legendary football coach Nick Saban stand in front of the picturesque view from Saban’s Lake Burton dock on Aug. 25.

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8 | September 17, 2026 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs

COMMUNITY

Charcuterie caterer Graze Craze opens in Alpharetta

Seminar:

By ERLANDRYA RUTLEDGE erlandrya@appenmedia.com

Continued from Page 1

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Graze Craze, a charcuterie caterer, opened in Stonewood Village in Alpharetta Aug. 18. Located at 670 N. Main St., Suite 107, the 1,400-square-foot shop features an assortment of meats and cheeses, seasonal produce, housemade dips and sweet treats. The shop is open Sunday and Monday by appointment only and Tuesday through Saturday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Grazing offers people the flexibility to enjoy an entire meal or savor small portions of food throughout the day, the franchise’s website says. Graze Craze provides diverse meal plans through charcuterie boxes, platters or tables. Scott and Sara McNabb own the shop. They said they are excited to bring handcrafted graze-style catering to Alpharetta and neighboring areas. Scott served for 15 years in the U.S. Air Force and then spent 25 years building and leading sales teams for software companies. Sara is an artist and former marketing executive. They are members of several business associations and said they saw the franchise as an opportunity to combine their love of entertaining with their experiences in sales and marketing.

MATTHEW PACE/CONTRIBUTED

A charcuterie board from Graze Craze is shown. The franchise opened an Alpharetta location — 670 N. Main St., Suite 107, in Stonewood Village — on Aug. 18. “We were drawn to the beautiful, fresh, homemade products and the unique variety, from brunch items to classic charcuterie to dessert trays, all of which can be adjusted for dietary needs, including gluten-free, keto and vegetarian,” Sara said. “We’re excited about creating shared, memorable experiences, and we look forward to being part of every celebration.” Graze Craze offers selections in

multiple sizes, with signature selections including classic, vegetarian and sweet. Classic features an assortment of cured meats, cheeses, fresh fruits, vegetables, crackers and sweet accents. Vegetarian is a spread with seasonal produce and housemade dips, while sweet offers chocolates, cookies, fruit and sweet dips. The franchise has locations across the U.S. and in Canada, France and Australia.

That seminar will also highlight common issues that delay CO issuance and how to avoid them. The event is aimed at contractors, tradespeople, homeowners, and others involved in construction and development. Both sessions will be held in the Barfield Room, located on the second floor of Sandy Springs City Hall, 1 Galambos Way. Visitors should check in with lobby staff for directions. For interested parties, International Code Council continuing education credits will be provided at each event. To register, visit sandyspringsga.gov/events.

OPINION

AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs | Sandy Springs Crier | September 17, 2026 | 9

From a beloved Faulkner scholar, a truly lasting legacy

JOSHUA WILSON Managing Editor joshua@appenmedia.com

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about legacy. I guess it has to do with a number of prominent people dying — like Dolly Parton, Tim Curry or Gloria Steinem — but the thoughts really intensified when a close friend from my home state of Mississippi passed

away Sept. 5. Lorie Watkins Massey was a professor of English at my alma mater, William Carey University. She was a beloved academic and one of the foremost scholars in all things William Faulkner. Faulkner, too, was a native son of the Magnolia State, and he won the Nobel Prize in literature in 1949. His novels and short stories were set in the fictional Yoknapatawpha County, Mississippi. Lorie could not only pronounce that place’s name, but she knew all the ins and outs of Faulkner’s sometimes tedious (to me, anyway) works. Her work kept Faulkner’s legacy alive and introduced him to dozens of

JOSHUA WILSON/PROVIDED

Lorie Watkins Massey and Joshua Wilson goof around in a pair of pillories during a 2012 William Carey University field trip built around the works of William Faulkner. new students each and every school term. She was a truly lovely person. As an undergraduate student, I studied history and English at William Carey, and I was drawn to Lorie’s humor and way of explaining things. Like me, she was born and raised in the Deep South, and she had the Southern charm needed to introduce a reluctant college student to Faulkner. She could, with her slight drawl and captivating manner, break down the drollest (to me, anyway)

of subjects. After I graduated with my bachelor’s degree, I took a full-time job at the university while working on my master’s degree. Lorie needed a chaperone for a field trip she was taking with her undergrads, and I happily signed up. Of course, the subject matter was all things Faulkner, but I didn’t mind. We had a blast. I have pictures of us in a mock pillory at one stop. I don’t remember what the significance of that stop was for the trip, but it might have just been

a way for Lorie to have fun. Lorie faced years of health challenges but was always upbeat. She had time for every student, colleague and person who would stop by her office or send her a note. When I learned of her passing, I posted a message about her on my Facebook page and was quickly inundated with comments about how she had changed this person or that person’s life. That, my friends, is the textbook definition of a meaningful legacy. She was only 54, and in that time she left more of a mark than most people manage in twice as long. I’m grateful for the time I had with her. I know so many others are, too. People with such powerful legacies leave behind huge holes, and we can only hope to live up to their examples. I’ve been blessed throughout my life to be surrounded by wonderful legacy makers. They have laid out clear examples of how to live. I hope I can rise to the challenge, and I hope I can be an example of a positive legacy for others. Thank you for reading my words about my friend. I hope that you, too, will consider legacy and what you’re doing to rise up and honor the positive ones left around you.

AIKENOMICS

If you’re going to be a bear…be a grizzly Each week I write about what I see happening in the real estate and mortgage markets. Sometimes it’s rates, loan programs or strategies for buyers and sellers. Every once in a while, however, I see someD.C. AIKEN thing that concerns Guest Columnist dcaiken.com me. Today is one of those days ... and I’ll begin by saying I hope I’m wrong. Let’s go back to 2001-2005. Things were great. Home prices soared 54%, mortgage rates averaged roughly 6.2%, and getting a mortgage was ... how should I put this? ... about as difficult as fogging a mirror. I’m kidding ... but not by much. Those were the days of stated income, stated assets, 100% financing and frighteningly relaxed underwriting. Homeowners watched their equity explode and began believing home prices had nowhere to go but up. Sound familiar? The problem wasn’t simply that prices had risen dramatically. Sellers began believing those gains were permanent.

Someone who gained $200,000 in equity in five years ... sometimes for little more than keeping the lights on and mowing the grass ... wouldn’t consider lowering the price $20,000 or offering $10,000 toward closing costs. Why should they? Their house was worth what they said it was worth. Until it wasn’t. Trees don’t grow to the sky Around 2008, I was quoted in a national newspaper expressing concern about the euphoria surrounding housing. My comment was simple: “Trees don’t grow to the sky.” Neither do home prices. National home prices ultimately declined more than 25% from the housing-market peak to the bottom in early 2012, and that’s where my concern about today begins. From 2020 through 2025, U.S. home prices increased roughly 50% to 55% — eerily similar to the extraordinary appreciation of the early 2000s. There is one huge difference: Mortgage underwriting today is substantially more responsible. We don’t have anything resembling the widespread stated-income, no-document lending environment of 2005-2007. But underwriting isn’t what has my attention.

Seller psychology is. Homes in metro Atlanta are now taking close to 60 days to sell in many areas. Just a few years ago, homes sold in days with multiple offers, often above asking price. Today we’re seeing longer marketing times, price reductions and increasing seller concessions. Sellers are adjusting. I’m just not convinced they’re adjusting quickly enough. Consider the owner of a $700,000 home who has experienced roughly 50% appreciation since 2020. They may be sitting on hundreds of thousands of dollars in additional equity, yet refuse a $20,000 price reduction or $15,000 closing-cost contribution. Here’s where history gets uncomfortable. A 25% decline on a $700,000 home takes the value to approximately $525,000. Suddenly dropping your price $30,000 today doesn’t sound so bad, does it? I’m not predicting another 2008. Today’s market has tighter lending standards, substantial homeowner equity and a very different inventory situation. But markets don’t need identical circumstances to correct. Sometimes prices simply get

too far ahead of affordability. Create the market — don’t chase it If competing homes are listed at $700,000 and aren’t selling, listing yours at $699,000 probably isn’t a strategy. Maybe it’s $675,000. Maybe it’s $650,000. Maybe it’s an aggressive sellerpaid rate buydown. Give buyers a compelling financial reason to choose your house instead of the other 15 sitting on the market. I’ve watched this movie before. I hope this time the ending is different. But if you’re selling in a market beginning to favor buyers and you’re finally ready to become bearish on your asking price ... Don’t be a teddy bear. Be a grizzly bear. DC Aiken is Senior Vice President of Lending for CrossCountry Mortgage, NMLS#658790. For more insights, you can subscribe to his newsletter at dcaiken.com. The opinions expressed within this article may not reflect the opinions or views of CrossCountry Mortgage, LLC or its affiliates.

10 | September 17, 2026 | Sandy Springs Crier | AppenMedia.com/Sandy_Springs

GET OUTSIDE GEORGIA

OPINION

Look for me. Can you see me now? OK, I admit it. It’s too hot to go outside. Should I change the name of this thing to “Get Inside, Georgia, and Enjoy the Air Conditioning”? I’m tempted. How hot is it? I think of that STEVE HUDSON scene from “Good Columnist Morning Vietnam” — you know, that movie where Robin Williams (who plays a DJ named Adrian Cronauer) is asking a soldier named Roosevelt about the weather. It goes like this: “What’s the weather like out there?” Cronauer asks, and Roosevelt replies, “It’s hot. Dam’ hot!” Yeah. It’s like that. And I’m glad I didn’t end up in Vietnam, though I missed it by a whisker. But a buddy of mine, an Army Ranger, did make the trip. When he shipped out he was a happy soul, but he came back ... changed. I asked him once if he saw much action. “Some,” was all he said. Then he added the strangest thing, and I remember it clear as day. He added, “But I saw some purty flowers.” I wasn’t expecting that, just like I wasn’t expecting this particular memory to drift back into view just now. What is it about flowers? I’ve never been quite sure, though I think my favorites are the ones growing wild. I’m especially partial to daffodils, being as they are the universal harbingers of spring. Remember spring? When it was not so hot? I do, vaguely. Eventually it’ll come around again, I’m sure, and when it does, the daffodils will return. Spring. Thinking of it makes things cooler.

Last spring, we went to England, to the Lake District in the northern part of the country, a magic place. It’s the home of poet William Wordsworth of daffodil poem fame — you know, “I wandered lonely as a cloud ...” Wandering is fun. It’s always fun to wander about in England. Sometimes it’s fun, as here, to wander around in the world of words too. In fact, I think I’ll just wander through the memories of that trip now (it’s still too hot to do much else) and see where that might take me. So hold on. Along with clothes for all seasons (a good plan if you’re England-bound in early spring), we packed the binoculars. “They’re not heavy,” I said, “and they might come in handy in case you want to look at something important.” But you don’t need binoculars to see That’s how we found ourselves, daffodils. a day or two later, wandering the “How I hope,” she had said more English countryside looking for a than once before we left, “that the patch of yellow flowers made immortal daffodils might be blooming.” by a 19th-century poem. We found Have you figured out yet that she it, too, a fantasia of golden yellow likes flowers? She is especially fond close by the shore of Ullswater Lake’s of roses, which I delight to bring her. Glencoyne Bay. We walked a while on Those come from the store. Storecozy footpaths, soaking it in. Then we bought roses are good to bring to the stopped, and she turned to me and one you love. spoke the poem out loud: Oh, but they pale beside English “I wandered lonely as a cloud ...” daffodils. The earth whispered with her then, As it turned out, we were in luck. I think — a gentle rustling of leaves, Daffodils were blooming everywhere, a soft lapping of water on the lake’s glowing with regal exuberance as only shore — but I heard only her voice and British flowers can do. They waved at a poem about flowers. us along the highway as we drove north “... And then my heart with pleasure out of Manchester. They smiled at us as fills,” she concluded, “and dances with we turned onto the country lane that the daffodils.” led to our cottage (a stone cottage, of What does poetry mean? I’m of course), and they cheered as we parked the opinion that meaning comes from and waved in welcome along the garden context, and context comes from who walkway that led to our door. you are and who she is and where and But the real prize — the one that when and, well, all of it. would absolutely, positively make the Finding meaning is grand. trip — would be to find the very field of We stood there a moment more. flowers that Wordsworth immortalized Then we turned and walked back up in the poem. theDeath shore,Notices to the car, to our cottage, to T:\Obits Death Notices\2026

Wandering is fun. It’s always fun to wander about in England. Sometimes it’s fun, as here, to wander around in the world of words too.

our home away from home. Another day or two later I decided to go hiking. I decided to climb Helm Crag, the local mountain. I could see it from the cottage, and it called me. So I packed my daypack with cheese and water and readied my walking stick, the one my friend gave me years ago, locking its sections into place. Two leg-stretching hours later I was at the top. There were no daffodils at the summit of Helm Crag, though now and then a warplane flew by at eye level, practicing for whatever might come next. In that moment I missed her. Then I had an idea, even as another jet roared by. Out came the cellphone. In seconds I heard her voice. “Hi!” I said. “Hi to you too,” she replied. “How’s the hike?” “Good,” I said, and I added, “Want to try something?” “Sure! What?” “Grab the binoculars and go outside and look at the top of Helm Crag.” “OK — give me just a second.” From my perch on the mountain, I squinted toward the cottage, barely visible in the distance. I didn’t see when she stepped outside and turned the binoculars my way. But I heard her voice over the phone. “What do I look for?” she asked. “Look for me,” I said. “I’m on the ridgeline waving my walking stick. Can you see me?” There was a moment of silence. Then — “Yes. Yes! I see you!” Well. How about that. Binoculars are wonderful things. They help you see. They bring you close. Yeah, they do. Just like daffodils.

Jacqueline Dohm, age 86, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 2, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Marynelle Criswell, age 87, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 5, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

James Exparza, age 91, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 7, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

Joy Strachan, age 77, of Roswell, GA passed away on September 2, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

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Holly Christian, age 60, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on September 1, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.

APPE

DEATH NOTICES

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Puzzles

rier 9/17/26 Connect-It

PuzzleJunction.com

Connect-It

Each line in the puzzle below has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is the first letter of the second answer, and so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each answer (the answers in line 1 are 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!

Sandy Springs Crier.....................September 17, 2026 | 11

Dunwoody Crier 9/17/26 Crossword

UP IN A TREE

Across

PuzzleJunction.com

1. Smell bad. “Norwegian Wood” instrument. Keep the tree grounded. 2. One-dish meal. Cautious. Trees drop them in Fall. 3. Moonfish. A tree’s “clothing”. Fancy spa. 4. It grows on trees. Clan emblem. Seasonal visitor. 5. Lift. Baby’s bed. It’s like an arm on a tree. 6. Upper part of a tree. Martial artist. Slightly open. 7. Up in the air. The body of a tree. Gumbo pod. PuzzleJunction.com

12 13 14 15 16 1 Manila bean 4 Forehead 19 17 18 8 Cool drinks 21 22 20 12 Small brook 3 14 French Sudan, 24 25 26 27 23 today 15 Sugar portions 28 29 30 31 32 33 4 17 Everything’s 36 37 34 35 okay 19 Foxy-faced 5 39 40 41 42 38 primate 20 Flycatcher 44 45 43 21 Baseball players 6 47 48 49 50 46 at the July classic 23 Before, 51 52 53 54 55 poetically /17/26 Sudoku7 24 Alias 60 61 56 57 58 59 Up a Tree 9/17/26 Kakuro PuzzleJunction.com 27 Fizzles out How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle Dunwoody above has Crier three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is 63 64 65 62 28 Helpless 1. first Smell instrument. the giving you the correct number of letters for each the letterbad. of the“Norwegian second answer,Wood” and so on. The connectingThey letter keep is outlined, statement tree grounded. 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 67 68 66 Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. The rules are easy: A number 31 Buck dispenser for 3 answers on thepuzzle, line. Buteach here’srow, the catch! Theand clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually To the solve the Sudoku column above thedrop diagonal line inina black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum 2. One-dish meal. Cautious. Trees them Fall. 34 Diminutive 69 70 71 be the second or the thirdnumbers answer in1that line. Good inluck! boxformust contain to of 9. the Got whiteit? squares the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence. suffix 3. Moonfish. A tree’s “clothing.” Fancy spa. Copyright ©2026 PuzzleJunction.com 36 Uncle (Sp.) 37 Balm ingredient 66 Sleep disorder 8 Good to go 35 Poi source 4. It grows on trees. Clan emblem. Seasonal visitor. 38 Stadium sounds 67 Hints 9 Pairs 37 In awe 5. Lift. Baby’s bed. It’s like an arm on a tree. 39 Forest god 68 Game equipment 10 Mrs. Peel of The 40 Cravings 42 Dour 69 Small whirlpool Avengers 41 Casting need 6. Upper part of a tree. Martial artist. Slightly open. 43 Ticks off 11 Cowboy boot 70 Slangy assent 47 No restrictions 44 Driver’s aid attachment 71 Waking ___ on a ticket 7. Up in the air. The body of a tree. Gumbo pod. 45 Beetle Bailey Devine (1998 13 Fabrication 48 DiCaprio, to fans pooch film) 16 12th graders 49 Madness 46 ___’easter (Abbr.) 50 Ho-hum 47 Really nervous 18 Close, as an 51 Exposed Down 51 Danish cheese envelope 54 Odyssey 52 Camera type, 22 Fleur-de-___ 1 Vineyard fruit sorceress briefly 25 Young foxes 55 Extra 2 Gulf ship 53 Color TV 26 China setting 3 Type of outdoor 56 Triumphant cry pioneer 29 More or ___ gear 57 Easy gait 56 Over a period 4 Upscale wheels 30 Numbers game 58 Touch down of time 31 Type of bicycle 59 Paste 5 Actress ___ Dawn 60 Bitter Chong 32 Tipster 61 Atlantic food fish 62 Squirrel away 33 Exec’s note 6 Cantina cooker 64 Grassland Copyright ©2026 PuzzleJunction.com How to Solve: Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a 63 Conductor’s cry 7 Command answer 34 Hibernia 65 Cigar residue challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. The rules are easy: A number above the diagonal line in a black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of Copyright ©2026 PuzzleJunction.com it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum of the white How to Solve: To solve the Sudoku puzzle, each row, squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits column and box must contain the numbers 1 to 9. 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence.

2 3

1 7

6 5 4 2 2 3 9 2 8 5 9 5 7 4

2 4

8 9

See puzzle solutions on Page 12

Solution

Solution 4 7 5 1 3 9 6 8 2

2 3 1 7 8 6 9 4 5

6 8 9 4 5 2 1 7 3

8 5 6 9 4 3 2 1 7

9 1 7 6 2 8 3 5 4

3 4 2 5 7 1 8 9 6

5 2 3 8 9 7 4 6 1

1 9 4 3 6 5 7 2 8

7 6 8 2 1 4 5 3 9

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2 SOLUTIONS Solution 3 1 Join today 2 6 7 for $16/month 5 4 2 PuzzleJunction.com 17/26 Kakuro 4 DC Aiken 2 3 Big Sky Franchise Team David & Michelle Bertany 8 2 9 MaryAnne Browne Amour & Duane Carthy 5 9 Scott Childress 7 4 Solution 8 9 5 Connect-It 8

A D E S B R O W G O A L U M P S M A L I R I L L L E M U R A L L I S W E L L A L L S T A R S P E W E E D I E S A K A E R E A T M A L L I S L O S T A L O E T I O E T T E G L U M S A T Y R R A H S O T T O T E E I R E S G E N E inDa crossword L O solved A L puzzle, N O R number style grid. The rules are easy: A number Cross Sums, is a challenging below the diagonal line is the sum A R it.CA number S toLtheRright of E Usquares L white e in a black square is the sum Bof the can only be used once in any sequence. andRa digit I D the sequence below G digits 1 toA9, C N the A LonlyOuse L may A it.L You PuzzleJunction.com 17/26 Connect-It A L L A B O A R D H O A R D D I C E C U E S A P N E A N E D Y E A H E D D Y

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Continued innovation in digital media has changed the ways in which people buy, sell and interact with products and services. It has caused businesses to reassess the ways in which it communicates with potential customers and advertises its products. It has been well documented that these changes have had a destructive impact on local newspapers, which continues to be a primary source for local news, but is no longer a primary source for local advertising dollars – historically the lifeblood for reporters and their coverage. At Appen Media Group we want to address this conflict head on, and build new and innovative approaches to monetizing local news and creating a sustainable future for local journalism in metro Atlanta.

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Over 1,000 Rugs in Stock! All Sizes and Colors!

A few examples of our Going Out of Business prices: 13x20 hand-knotted rug 100% wool – $9,850 now $1,250 10x14 hand-knotted rug 100% wool – $5,500 now $980 8.5x11.5 antique heriz – $11,500 now $2,500 8x10 power loom – $1,720 now $290 6x9 woven 100% wool – $950 now $175 3x5 antique – $1,200 now $175

Store Closing Means Unbeatable Savings.

Thousand plus rugs are available in all sizes, colors, and styles new and antiques from all over the world with unbelievable prices. This is your opportunity to purchase premium rugs at some of the lowest prices we’ve ever offered. These savings are only available while inventory lasts, so don’t wait to find the perfect rug for your home.

SCAN FOR MORE INFORMATION Store Hours: Monday - Saturday 10:30 am - 7 pm | Sunday 12 pm - 6 pm 11266 State Bridge Rd, Suite 300, Alpharetta, GA 678-404-7555 * All sizes are approximate. | License #15200