Real Estate Reinvented
City Hall invites residents to drop off hazardous waste ► PAGE 7
770.605.7545 | Together, Opening Doors
August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication | Ser ving the community since 1976
2026 High School Football Preview ► STARTS ON PAGE 15
Saints + Council breaks ground at Perimeter Mall By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com DUNWOODY, Ga. — Saints + Council, an upscale, modern American restaurant, is bringing its crafted cocktails and seasonal menu to Dunwoody with its first freestanding location. The restaurant will open at Perimeter Mall, 4514 Ashford Dunwoody Parkway, next spring. Around 50 people gathered for the groundbreaking July 30, including
representatives from Discover Dunwoody, the Perimeter Community Improvement District, the mayor and city council members. Guests enjoyed a selection of drinks, including the restaurant’s signature gin-based cocktail, the “Garden of Eden.” Spanning approximately 7,800 square feet, Saints + Council at Perimeter Mall will feature a midcentury exterior design highlighted by a slate roof and modern timber elements. Inside, vaulted ceilings, multiple fireplaces and large booths are situated
DANGEROUS PURSUITS
DeKalb police chases up by nearly 500% By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — Kenda Stuckey believes there are two parties who share the blame for her mother’s death and her son’s severe injuries. One is Joseph Odeh, the 18-year-old accused of fleeing police in a stolen vehicle on April 16. He’s facing numerous charges, including a charge of felony murder following a crash near
See SAINTS, Page 31
Kenda Stuckey’s mother, Antoinette Catchings, died during a police chase in April. DEAN HESSE/APPEN MEDIA
Miller Grove Middle School. Odeh struck two pedestrians, killing Antionette Catchings, 56, and seriously injuring Robert Stuckey, the 14-year-old grandson she was trying to protect. The other party to blame, Stuckey said, is DeKalb County Police, the agency that authorized the chase under a new policy announced in 2025.
See CHASES, Page 8
#1 TEAM COMPANYWIDE 2025 THE ROBIN BLASS GROUP
around a central, expansive island bar. A chef expo station at the end will serve as the main interior focal point. An innovative outdoor courtyard with telescoping roof panels, garden landscaping and a unique fire feature will anchor the restaurant. Construction is estimated to take nine months. William Pitts, founder and CEO of the restaurant’s parent company Spur Hospitality, said it was an easy decision to invest in Dunwoody.
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JIM BASS/APPEN MEDIA
Flowers memorializing Antoinette Catchings sit along the intersection of Covington Highway and Miller Road in June.
45+ YEARS IN ATLANTA
2 | August 13, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody
PUBLIC SAFETY
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A screenshot of a March 2026 video uploaded by content creator Boku Blackk.
IMAGE OBTAINED VIA YOUTUBE
Public warned about YouTuber impersonating health inspector RES NP S
A
UB CL
APPE
By DAN WHISENHUNT dan@appenmedia.com
appenmedia.com/join
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — A YouTuber impersonating a health inspector is raising alarms among public health officials in DeKalb County. The content creator, Boku Blackk, sometimes uploads videos of “inspections” at local restaurants to his YouTube channel. DeKalb Public Health officials cited a video uploaded in March as evidence of his antics. “This individual has made appearances in the metro area, including in DeKalb County, as video footage shows a visit to an establishment on Buford Highway in Brookhaven,” a news advisory from the DeKalb County Department of Public Health said. “This individual has also impersonated an inspector in other states, as seen on their YouTube
page, seemingly targeting Asian establishments.” The news advisory notes that under Georgia law, impersonating an agent of the health department or any public board of health is a misdemeanor. Attempts to reach the creator of the YouTube channel were unsuccessful. “Stunts, such as these, erode the trust of food service establishments and the credibility of legitimate Environmental Health Specialists (health inspectors),” the news advisory said. The DeKalb County Board of Health said legitimate health inspectors should: • Have their photo ID with them. “If an establishment is not sure if the person is legitimate, call the health department to verify their credentials,” the news advisory said.
• Be professional in both their appearance and actions. • Never take any money in the field. • Never take any free food or drink from the restaurant while conducting an inspection or even when not on the clock. Legitimate health inspectors will pay for their food like any other customer. • Provide some form of documentation after any visit, whether immediately via email or as a physical copy. “If it is a routine inspection, a copy of the inspection report should be obtained after it is signed,” the news advisory said. “If it is an informal, complaint investigation or follow-up inspection, documentation summarizing the visit should be obtained with signatures of the inspector and establishment representative.”
AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 13, 2026 | 3
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OPINION
4 | August 13, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody
TALK BACK TO THE CRIER
Make downtown Dunwoody more family friendly We’ve lived in Dunwoody for six years and have no plans of leaving. We love the community, the schools, and amenities like the Dunwoody Nature Center right in our backyard. But our biggest disappointment has always been the city’s reluctance to prioritize projects that encourage families to spend more time — and money — within Dunwoody. A few months ago, we saw potential plans to rethink the post office in the village. Why do two of the three proposals need to have administrative park facilities in the village? Downtown Dunwoody already feels designed to repel families with young kids: limited parking, minimal greenspace, and very few places where families can safely gather and spend time together. I’m now seeing the mayor celebrating the redesign of the sitting space in front of Fresh Market, which is another example of building something that doesn’t cater to families. Downtown Dunwoody would greatly benefit from a family-focused area. Imagine a large lawn area with a splash pad and playground, including seating for parents to hang out while purchasing food and drinks from downtown
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DYANA BAGBY/APPEN MEDIA
businesses. I realize parking would be a challenge, but our neighbors have seemed to solve these challenges and have thriving downtown areas. Brook Run is great, and there are options by the mall, but those aren’t the heart of Dunwoody. While the city must balance the
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interests of all residents (and much of downtown is privately owned), creating a more family-friendly downtown would benefit residents, businesses, and property owners alike. I’m tired of driving past the old Burger King and thinking about what could be. The Funwoody expansion is a nice
addition, and while it’s not particularly kid-friendly, it would be a welcome complement to a family-friendly greenspace. Dunwoody will always attract families because of the community it offers. But when we’re planning a night out with other families and our kids, Dunwoody is rarely part of that equation.
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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 13, 2026 | 5
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6 | August 13, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody
OPINION
PAST TENSE
The Roswell Railroad is worth remembering Before the Civil War, the King family of Roswell Manufacturing Company determined that a railroad to carry goods produced at their mills to Atlanta via Chamblee would benefit their business. Grading work to prepare for tracks began but was halted with the onset of the war. In the 1870s, construction VALERIE BIGGERSTAFF resumed and a narrow-gauge track Columnist was laid. Later, the track was changed to double gauge. The two engines that traveled on the Roswell Railroad were Dinky and Old Buck. Dinky was a generic term for many small steam engines. From 1881 until 1921, the railroad’s 9.8-mile path ran from the Chamblee Depot to where Chamblee Plaza is today, passing through the property of Chamblee First United Methodist Church. There was a trestle bridge over Nancy Creek near the church. The tracks went through present-day Interstate 285, Dunwoody’s Georgetown Park, and past DonaldsonBannister Farm. At the fork of Chamblee Dunwoody Road and Roberts Drive, the tracks continued to follow Chamblee Dunwoody, curving to the right at Spalding Drive then left at Roberts Drive. Roberts Drive is named after engineer Ike Roberts, who kept that job for the duration of the Roswell Railroad. The engine went forward toward Roswell and
KEN ANDERSON FAMILY COLLECTION
This drawing of Old Buck appeared along with Willanita Cook’s article in the July 3, 1969 DeKalb Neighbor newspaper. backward to Chamblee, as there was not room for a turnaround. Nandina Lane, formerly known as Spruill Street, originated as part of the railroad. There was a deep cut for the railroad on Chamblee Dunwoody Road where it meets Mount Vernon Road. This meant wagons could not cross and needed another way to get around. Nandina served that purpose. (“The Writings of Jim Perkins,” Dunwoody Crier columnist) The Roswell Railroad made four stops. From
Chamblee, the first stop was Wilson’s Mill flag stop. The next was Dunwoody Depot, located on Chamblee Dunwoody Road between where CVS Pharmacy and the Chevron gas station are today. Powers Station was in the area where Chamblee Dunwoody Road meets Spalding Drive. Next stop was the Roswell Depot, located on the south side of the Chattahoochee River in what is now Sandy Springs. A bridge over the Chattahoochee River was planned, but cost prevented its construction. A spur was built from the Powers Station to Morgan Falls in the early 1900s when the Morgan Falls Dam was under construction. Supplies were carried to the site by the spur. Carl Wallace, of Chamblee, recalled his dog Bo “running down the field at the sound of the train whistle to fetch the evening paper as it was thrown to him from the train.” (DeKalb Neighbor, “Old Buck still lingers in memory,” July 3, 1969) Wallace also told the story of the day the engine fell off the track “as Carl and his brothers watched in awe.” The group applauded when everyone worked together to get the engine back on the track and on its way. Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. Write her at pasttensega@gmail.com. Learn more at pasttensega. com.
COMMUNITY
Residents can drop off hazardous waste Sept. 19
AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 13, 2026 | 7
! T F E L S DAY
3
Only
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Dunwoody residents can safely dispose of household hazardous waste, like oilbased paint or pesticides, at a citysponsored event Saturday, Sept. 19 in the parking lot of Dunwoody City Hall, 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road. The free event will run from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. and is open to all Dunwoody residents. Proof of residency is required. Residents can find a registration link and select a drop-off time at dunwoodyga.gov/waste. More than 500 residents participated in last year’s event, recycling 49,266 pounds of household hazardous waste. This included 26,826 pounds of latex paint, 6,722 pounds of oil-based paint, 5,840 pounds of pesticides and 1,304 pounds of motor oil. “This event gives Dunwoody residents a convenient way to support CITY OF DUNWOODY/PROVIDED the city’s sustainability efforts by Volunteers collect items to provide safely disposing of materials that could for their safe disposal during the otherwise end up in a landfill,” said city of Dunwoody’s 2025 Household Dunwoody Community Development Hazardous Waste Event. Director Richard McLeod. “It remains a priority for the community development chemicals, household chemicals and department and the Dunwoody pesticides. Sustainability Committee, and we’re • Flammables, light bulbs and grateful for the strong participation we tubes, and corrosives. see each year from the city council and 12-28-2016_HindsonMelton_01-19-11_HindsonMelton.qxp 12/15/16 11:22Page AM 1Page 1 12-28-2016_HindsonMelton_01-19-11_HindsonMelton.qxp 12/15/16 11:22 AM residents.” Items that can not be recycled at the event include: Accepted items include: • Agricultural waste, biohazardous • Oil and latex paints, stains and or biomedical waste, and ammunition. paint thinner. Explosives, radioactive materials and • Automobile and household smoke detectors. batteries. • Cylinders of acetylene, oxygen, • Motor oil, antifreeze, gasoline and carbon dioxide, helium and refrigerant diesel. gases. “Serving our clients and community with honesty, integrity, and courage.” — courage.” Hannah Yahne “Serving our clients and community with honesty, integrity, and • Household cleaners, pool
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8 | August 13, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody
Chases: Continued from Page 1 “I think they should be 100% accountable as well,” Stuckey said. But county officials and police insist only one party, Odeh, deserves the blame. County officials declined to answer questions about Decaturish’s investigation into the April 16 crash and the increase in police chases. Public records show the April 16 chase appeared to violate the department’s chase policy. The crash occurred in a school zone at the end of the school day, with pedestrians present. The county’s policy explicitly prohibits chases in areas with “heavy pedestrian traffic,” including school zones. Changes to the chase policy led to a nearly 500% increase in police chases from 2024 to 2025, according to reports the county submitted to the Georgia Association of Chiefs of Police (GACP). A county spokesperson noted Catchings’ death is “the subject of pending litigation.” “In addition, the pursuit associated with the incident is scheduled to be reviewed by the DeKalb County Police Department’s Internal Review Board,” the spokesperson said. “To preserve the integrity of both the ongoing litigation and the department’s administrative review process, it would be inappropriate for county representatives to comment publicly on the facts or circumstances of the incident at this time.” Tiffany Reed, Robert’s aunt, grapples with the question of how much time Odeh should spend in prison. She believes there should be some accountability for him, up to a certain point. “Do I feel like he should go to prison for the rest of his life for something that DeKalb County also had their hand in? No,” she said. New crime-fighting tool When DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson took office in 2025, she authorized a new crime-fighting tool. Police would be allowed to pursue people for nonviolent crimes, such as property crimes, under the new policy. It is a policy with known risks. Chases account for hundreds of deaths every year, though there’s no reliable national database tracking this information. Those killed are often bystanders, according to a 2015 USA Today analysis. In early April, the Associated Press reported police pursuits had caused eight deaths nationwide in less than a week. In 2023, the Police Executive
PUBLIC SAFETY
Research Forum (PERF) recommended limiting chases to life-or-death situations. Chases should be limited to when someone has committed a violent crime or is an imminent threat, PERF advised. The county did not follow that advice. Cochran-Johnson’s policy shift resulted in a dramatic increase in police chases. In 2024, the department reported 17 vehicle pursuits to GACP. In 2025, the year the new policy was announced, the number of chases increased to 99. GACP is an accrediting agency and only provides chase data for agencies that report data to it. GACP Executive Director Butch Ayers said of the agencies that report data to his organization, only the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office had more chases than DeKalb County. “Obviously there was a change in policy down there [in DeKalb County],” Ayers said. “The number certainly jumped out.” The county spokesperson said officials continuously evaluate police department policies. “The safety of the public, our officers, and everyone involved remains the department’s highest priority,” the spokesperson said. Ayers is skeptical that more police chases will lead to less crime. If a chase leads to the arrest of a serious offender, like a murderer or rapist, hopefully that means the suspect will not reoffend. But if the underlying cause of the chase is something like speeding, he doesn’t think a chase will necessarily deter other people from speeding. “Just saying more chases is going to lower the crime rate, I don’t think that will happen,” Ayers said. The county spokesperson acknowledged the increase in chases and noted there were no pursuitrelated fatalities in 2025. The county did, however, report 28 pursuitrelated injuries in 2025, including two described as serious, according to data it provided GACP. One of the parties who was seriously injured was a passenger in a vehicle being chased. Another was an uninvolved third party. Three officers also received minor injuries in 2025. “Despite that increase, every reported pursuit in 2025 was determined through the Department’s administrative review process to be compliant with policy,” the spokesperson said. The chase that led to Catchings’ death this year appears to have deviated from county policy in a significant way. Unnecessary dangers The chase began at around 3:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 16, after
a Flock camera alerted the police department’s aerial support unit about a stolen 2024 Mitsubishi Mirage. An officer attempted a traffic stop at the intersection of Panola Road and Snapfinger Woods Drive. The driver, identified as Odeh, sped off, driving northbound on Panola Road at speeds exceeding 90 mph. The speed limit in that zone is 45 mph, the arrest warrant notes. Odeh allegedly ignored traffic control devices and drove on the wrong side of the road to elude police. A police helicopter monitored the pursuit from above. The officer attempted to use the precision immobilization technique, or PIT maneuver, a controversial police tactic authorized under the county’s new chase policy. In a PIT maneuver, an officer strategically hits a suspect’s vehicle, causing it to spin out with the goal of ending the pursuit. The PIT was unsuccessful and the officer’s vehicle never made contact with the stolen Mirage, the report said. However, Odeh’s mother, Renita Slappey, and Reed believe that a PIT maneuver ultimately caused Odeh to crash. The report asserts that Odeh lost control while attempting to make a sharp left turn at the intersection of Miller Road and Covington Highway. That report is backed up by at least one eyewitness, Calvin Stone. “Nobody else hit the car,” Stone said. “ … When they hit the curb, they hit the pole.” Slappey said her son maintains he was hit by the officer before he lost control of the vehicle. “He said they hit him from the back,” Slappey said. Slappey has started a petition seeking to have the charges against her son reduced because of the role the police chase played in this case. Reed believes the PIT maneuver caused the crash based on her review of photos. “If that kid had made that lefthand turn and lost control, the vehicle would have gone totally in the opposite direction and then facing the opposite direction,” she said. “He had to have been hit that way.” The department’s chase policy has an extensive list of tactics prohibited during police chases. Prohibited tactics include, “Pursuing in areas with heavy pedestrian traffic, e.g. sidewalks, shopping centers, active school zones.” The chase did not start in a school zone, but the crash occurred at the intersection of Miller Road and Covington Highway. According to DeKalb County Schools, the school zone is between the intersections of Miller Road and Wilkins Road and Miller Road and Covington Highway. The afternoon school zone runs
from 3:45 p.m. to 4:25 p.m., the spokesperson said. The report notes the officer abandoned the PIT maneuver “due to increased traffic volume and concern for public safety.” The department’s policy dictates that pursuits “shall be terminated” when “the hazards of exposing the officer and the public to unnecessary dangers are high.” The pursuits must also be terminated when “Road conditions are congested by traffic or pedestrians (especially during rush hour or in a school zone),” the policy states. Broken bodies The chase resulted in significant injuries to Odeh and Robert Stuckey. Slappey, Odeh’s mother, said the crash broke her son’s hip. Robert was airlifted to the hospital. His mother, Kenda, said he’s still recovering. Kenda Stuckey and Reed both believe the county did not need to pursue the stolen vehicle, especially given the circumstances. “The helicopter was on him,” Stuckey said. “They should just stop the chase.” “There was no need for them to light him up in that school zone,” Reed said. Stone, who witnessed the incident, said he also disagreed with the officer’s decision to chase a stolen car when no one’s life was in immediate danger. “If nobody in the car was hurt, I would have let that go, because that could have prevented somebody getting hit or killed,” Stone said. Slappey said her son is not to blame for the crash. “I think it’s actually the police’s fault, because if they hadn’t performed the PIT maneuver in the school zone, none of that would’ve even happened,” she said. The charges are stacking up for Odeh. In addition to the seven charges he faces from the crash, including felony murder, in July he was charged with felony abuse of an elder person in connection to the case. Jason White, who represented Odeh, believes his client was overcharged in this case. He said his client had a minimal criminal history and was on track to graduate high school. “There is a reason the legislature has delineated this crime of vehicular homicide,” he said. “It’s for cases exactly like this.” He said he did not believe the slew of charges against his client stemmed from the police department’s involvement in causing the crash. “Not at this time,” he said. Carl Appen contributed reporting to this story.
Puzzles
ier 8/13/26 Connect
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Connect-It
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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, 4 and 5 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!
Dunwoody Crier...................................August 13, 2026 | 9
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Dunwoody Crier 8/13/26 Crossword
WORLD CITIES
Across
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1. Australian eucalyptus eater. City on the Loire. Fine fabric. 2. Coffee order. Dallas, Texas suburb. Loser. 3. Astronaut’s insignia. Milky gem. City in W. Netherlands. 4. Seventh Heaven. City in central Poland. Beach find. 5. City in SW Missouri. Go it alone. Evening TV offering. 6. Slightly open. Difficult program. City on India’s Yamuna River 7. Young hooter. Norway’s capital city. Motif. PuzzleJunction.com
12 13 14 15 1 Nile reptiles 5 Pool exercise 16 17 18 19 9 Protrude 20 21 22 23 12 Bryce Canyon 3 locale 24 25 26 27 28 13 Jai ___ 14 Strays 32 33 34 29 30 31 4 16 Curly cabbage 35 36 37 17 Norma Rae actress 5 38 39 40 41 42 43 20 Old west’s Starr 22 Buffoon 44 45 46 23 Kind of pie 6 47 48 49 50 24 Huge 27 Suspect’s record, 53 54 51 52 at times /13/26 Sudoku7 29 Partitioned 55 56 57 58 59 60 World Cities Crier 8/13/26 Kakuro PuzzleJunction.com 32 Legal matter How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle Dunwoody above has three clues and three answers. The last letter in the first answer on each line is 61 62 63 64 65 66 34 Corn units 1. Australian eucalyptus eater. on the Loire. Fine fabric. the first letter of the second answer, andCity so on. The connecting letter is outlined, giving you the correct number of letters for each 35 Not at home 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 69 Kakuro, also known as Cross Sums, is a challenging number puzzle, solved in a crossword style grid. The rules are easy: A 36 number 2. the Coffee Dallas, Texas Loser. Monroe of Some for 3 answers on the line. But here’ssuburb. the catch! The clues are not in order - so the first clue in Line 1 may (or may not) actually To solve theorder. Sudoku puzzle, each row, column and above the diagonal line in a black square is the sum of the white squares to the right of it. A number below the diagonal line is the sum Like It Hot 70 71 72 be the second or thirdnumbers answer in1that line. Got Good luck! boxfor must contain the to 9. of the City whiteit? squares in the sequence below it. You may only use the digits 1 to 9, and a digit can only be used once in any sequence. 3. Astronaut’s insignia. Milky gem. in W. Netherlands. 38 Thickness Copyright ©2026 PuzzleJunction.com 39 Family 4. Seventh Heaven. City in central Poland. Beach find. 40 Poetic 10 Mentalist Geller 68 Roman emperor 42 Japanese sash 5. City in SW Missouri. Go it alone. Evening TV offering. contraction 11 Palpitation 69 Shredded 43 Honey maker 41 Sea gull 15 Aspersions 70 Hither’s partner 44 Grad's wear 6. Slightly open. Difficult problem. City on India’s Yamuna 44 Murphy Brown’s 18 Jabber 71 Retain 45 Psyches River. Bergen 72 Sicilian volcano 19 Periodontist’s deg. 46 All About Eve 7. Young hooter. Norway’s capital city. Motif. 46 Ice ___ 21 Boy actress Holm 47 Exploit 25 Rio ___ Down 47 Burger side order 49 Tokyo, formerly 26 Always, in verse 48 Uninhibited 50 Eagle’s nest 28 At Seventeen 1 Razor-billed bird 50 Completely 51 Lined charts singer Janis 2 Knife 51 See 18 Down 53 Opposite of 24 29 Nuke 3 Blanched 52 Blue Across 30 Wise one 4 Cheers actress 54 Fable writer 55 Ventilate 31 Dissenting vote Long 57 After river or 56 Family dog, for 33 TV show type, 5 Modern surgical piggy short shortly tool 59 Congeal 58 Vote into office 6 ___ mode 36 Hr. part 60 Sea swallow 61 Now Voyager 37 Fish story 7 Buddy 62 Furthermore actress 8 Fodder holder 39 Body Heat actress 63 Neckline shape 65 Toboggan Turner 9 TV’s Topper 64 Anger 67 Loafer, e.g. actress Anne 41 Mongrel 66 Genetic material How to Solve:Copyright Kakuro,©2026 also PuzzleJunction.com known as Cross Sums, is a 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
7 4 1 8 8 3 5 4 8 7 1 2 2 9
7 9
2 3 4 9 5 6 7 1
See puzzle solutions on Page 29
Solution
Solution 9 5 2 4 1 7 8 3 6
6 4 8 2 9 3 1 5 7
7 1 3 5 8 6 2 9 4
3 8 5 6 4 2 7 1 9
4 9 1 3 7 8 6 2 5
2 6 7 9 5 1 4 8 3
5 7 9 8 2 4 3 6 1
8 3 4 1 6 9 5 7 2
1 2 6 7 3 5 9 4 8
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Psoriasis Awareness Month
Understanding your triggers and finding the right treatment Brought to you by – Dr. Titilola “Lola” Sode, Epiphany Dermatology August is Psoriasis Awareness Month, an opportunity to increase understanding of a chronic inflammatory condition that affects more than 8 million Americans. While psoriasis is often recognized by its thick, scaly patches of skin, it’s much more than a cosmetic concern. Psoriasis is an inflammatory disease that can impact your overall health, making proper diagnosis and treatment essential. One of the challenges of living with psoriasis is that flare-ups can be unpredictable. While every patient’s experience is different, common triggers include stress, skin injuries such as cuts or sunburns, certain infections, changes in the weather, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and even some medications. Identifying your personal triggers is an important part of managing the condition and reducing the frequency and severity of flare-ups. Because psoriasis can affect more than just the skin—including the joints in some individuals—it is important
to partner with a board-certified dermatologist who can develop a treatment plan that’s tailored specifically to your needs. Whether your psoriasis is mild or more extensive, there are more treatment options available today than ever before. From prescription topical medications and light therapy to advanced oral medications and biologic therapies, we can customize an approach that fits your lifestyle and treatment goals. Living with psoriasis doesn’t have to mean living with constant discomfort or frustration. By understanding your triggers, following a consistent treatment plan, and working closely with your dermatologist, you can achieve better control of your symptoms and improve your quality of life. If you’ve been struggling with persistent patches of dry, itchy, or scaly skin, don’t wait to seek care. This Psoriasis Awareness Month, make your skin health a priority by scheduling an appointment with a board-certified dermatologist and taking the first step toward clearer, healthier skin.
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HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
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Stay active with a healthy Achilles Brought to you by – Roshmi Bhattacharya, MD, Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Surgeon, Wellstar Orthopedics and Sports Medicine Many of us enjoy staying active through sports such as pickleball, tennis, basketball, soccer, running or weekend workouts. These activities are great for our health, but sudden starts, jumps and changes of direction can place tremendous stress on the Achilles tendon. The Achilles is the strongest tendon in the human body, connecting the calf muscles to the heel. It helps lift the heel and propel the body forward when walking, running or jumping. The Achilles tendon has a high load capacity, sustaining peak forces up to 8-10 times body weight during impact activities. However, the load that the tendon is able to withstand declines with age. When the load consistently exceeds the tendon’s capacity for recovery, recurrent micro-tears occur leading to degeneration of the tendon. This can lead to persistent pain called Achilles tendinitis. In other situations, a sudden push-off or landing can result in feeling a “pop” or a sensation of being kicked in the back of the ankle, typical of a complete Achilles rupture. For both severe tendinitis and rupture, pain and swelling may
develop, and walking or standing on the toes of the injured leg may be difficult. Who is at risk? Anyone can rupture an Achilles, but risk may increase when someone returns too quickly to high-impact activity after a period of reduced exercise. Other risk factors include male DR. BHATTACHARYA gender, age 30-40 years, high-impact activity, previous Achilles pain, diabetes, obesity, inflammatory diseases, and smoking Certain medications also can affect tendon health. These include corticosteroids and fluoroquinolone antibiotics such as ciprofloxacin or levofloxacin. If new tendon pain or swelling develops while taking one of these antibiotics, stop exercising and contact the prescribing clinician immediately.
• Warm up before activity. • Maintain calf flexibility and strength. • Wear supportive, activity-appropriate shoes. • Include recovery days rather than performing highimpact exercise every day. • Avoid smoking and address persistent Achilles pain before returning to explosive activity. Treatment does not automatically mean surgery. Both surgical and nonsurgical care can be effective. The best approach depends on the type of tear and the patient’s health and activity goals. Treatment typically includes early protection in a splint followed by structured rehabilitation. With or without surgery, recovery can take several months, and returning too quickly can place the healing tendon at risk. The key message is to listen to warning signs. Gradual training, appropriate conditioning and early evaluation of Achilles pain can help keep you safely active.
Can an Achilles rupture be prevented? Not every rupture is preventable, but several habits may reduce your risk: • Increase running, jumping and court sports gradually, especially after time away.
Roshmi Bhattacharya, MD is an orthopedic foot and ankle surgeon with Wellstar Orthopedics and Sports Medicine. She has offices in Marietta and Alpharetta. If you would like to schedule an appointment, please call (470)-95-ORTHO (956-7846) or go to www.wellstar.org/ortho.
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14 | August 13, 2026 | Dunwoody Crier | AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody
HEALTH & WELLNESS • Sponsored Section
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This is National Wellness Month, a time to encourage all of us to focus on important aspects of wellbeing - from stress management and the creation of wholesome habits to self-care. For older adults, wellness is the framework to maintain independence, dignity and their best quality of life. While aging presents natural physical and cognitive changes, professional inhome care acts as a powerful catalyst for senior wellness within the comfort of home. By focusing on preventive health, regular physical movement, mental stimulation and emotional fulfillment, wellness can become not just a theme but an everyday reality. This is also the perfect opportunity to reassess the care needs of aging loved ones. The beauty of professional in-home care lies in its adaptive nature. As personal care needs advance, it’s built to evolve. From basic, occasional assistance to comprehensive support, it matches the aging journey of your loved one while avoiding the “transfer trauma” and anxiety and confusion often caused by having to leave the home they love. Here are just some of the ways a Home Helpers heart-centered, skilled caregiver can help. Proper nutrition and hydration are the foundation of healthy aging, but due to fatigue, mobility issues, or cognitive decline it’s often a struggle. Caregivers can assist with healthy meal preparation and watch fluid intake to prevent dehydration. This is a leading cause of UTI’s (urinary tract infections) and confusion. Regular movement preserves flexibility,
muscle mass and bone density but fear of falling often keeps an older loved one sedentary. A caregiver can provide support with neighborhood walks, following prescribed stretching routines or encourage physical therapy exercises critical to maintain mobility and vitality. As physical limitations increase, help with Activities of Daily Living such as bathing, dressing, grooming and fall prevention are important to reduce injury risks. Medication reminders can help ensure that they’re taken at the right intervals as prescribed. Light housekeeping and assistance with daily chores help keep a clean and clutterfree home. Social isolation and loneliness are major contributors to depression and rapid physical decline. A well-matched caregiver offers genuine companionship, aids family communication, and provides a link to their community and friends or help with transportation to events or appointments. Your personalized Home Helpers care plan can adapt to health shifts and safely speed up recovery from surgery, assist after a return home from a rehabilitation stay or a stroke. We can also provide the specialized care needed for a loved one with the advanced care needs of Alzheimer’s, Dementia or Parkinson’s. As an added support system for families, we have now added Nursing services. From four hours a day, several days a week to 24/7 care, we’re here to help. We can also provide live-in care alternatives that may be a more economical choice. For a free consultation please call Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta at (770) 681-0323.
AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 13, 2026 | 15
August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com | An Appen Media Group Publication
2026 HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL PREVIEW
16 | August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
2026
FO OT B AL L S C H ED UL ES
High school football around the region kicks off in earnest this month, renewing a fall tradition that has bred heart-stopping action and long-standing rivalries. Enjoy this special section from North Atlanta Now powered by Appen Media, bringing you a list of games to watch this season. Support the work of your local community newsroom today at appenmedia.com/join.
On the cover The photos featured in the cover collage are credited to: • ANNABELLE REITER • WMSPORTOGRAPHY • JSM PRODUCTIONS • KEN LANGLEY
► DUNWOODY 8/20
4:30 PM
@ Centennial
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Riverwood
9/11
7:00 PM
@ Chamblee
9/18
7:00 PM
vs. Midtown
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Alcovy
10/2
7:00 PM
vs. Lakeside
10/16
7:00 PM
vs. Shiloh
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Decatur
10/30
7:00 PM
vs. Heritage
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Meadowcreek
► RIVERWOOD 8/21
7:30 PM
vs. North Springs
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Dunwoody
9/10
7:30 PM
vs. Pebblebrook
9/18
7:30 PM
@ Westminster
10/2
7:30 PM
@ Alpharetta
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Lanier
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Gainesville
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Roswell
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. Milton
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Johns Creek
► NORTH SPRINGS 8/21
7:30 PM
@ Riverwood
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Creekview
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Woodland
9/11
7:00 PM
vs. Kennesaw Mountain
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Westminster
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Pace Academy
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Salem
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. Greater Atlanta Christian
10/30
7:00 PM
@ Stephenson
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Douglass
► NORTH ATLANTA 8/13 8/21 8/27 9/4 9/11 9/18 10/2 10/9 10/23 10/30 11/6
7:00 PM 7:30 PM 6:00 PM 8:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:00 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 8:00 PM
vs. Westlake @ Langston Hughes @ Midtown @ Jackson vs. Norcross @ McEachern vs. Harrison @ Kennesaw Mountain @ Hillgrove vs. Campbell vs. Pebblebrook
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
► DENMARK
AppenMedia.com | August 13, 2026 | 17
► CENTENNIAL vs Sequoyah
8/20
4:30 PM
vs. Dunwoody
7:30 PM
@ Alpharetta
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Johns Creek
7:30 PM
vs. Campbell
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Alpharetta
7:30 PM
@ Cambridge
9/11
7:30 PM
@ South Forsyth
7:30 PM
@ Peachtree Ridge
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Cambridge
9/24
7:30 PM
vs. Forsyth Central
10/2
7:30 PM
@ Blessed Trinity
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. South Forsyth
10/9
7:30 PM
@ St. Pius X
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Lambert
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. Sprayberry
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. North Forsyth
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Marist
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. West Forsyth
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Chattahoochee
8/21
7:30 PM
8/28 9/4 9/11 9/18
► JOHNS CREEK
► ALPHARETTA
8/21
7:30 PM
@ Northview
8/21
7:30 PM
@ Kennesaw Mountain
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Centennial
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Denmark
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Mountain View
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Centennial
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Chattahoochee
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Duluth
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Milton
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Gainesville
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Gainesville
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Riverwood
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Roswell
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Roswell
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Lanier
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Milton
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. Alpharetta
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Johns Creek
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Riverwood
11/06
7:30 PM
vs. Lanier
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NSLEYRE.COM | 404.480.HOME | 3035 PEACHTREE ROAD, SUITE 202, ATLANTA, GA 30305 ual housing opportunity. If you have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted.
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ANSLEYRE.COM | 404.480.HOME | 3035 PEACHTREE ROAD, SUITE 202, ATLANTA, GA 30305 Equal housing opportunity. If you have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to b
ANSLEYRE.COM | 404.480.HOME | 3035 PEACHTREE ROAD, SUITE 202, ATLANTA, GA 30305 Equal housing opportunity. If you have an existing brokerage relationship, this is not intended as a solicitation. All data believed to be accurate but not warranted.
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2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
18 | August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com
Metro Atlanta high schools preview 2026 football season By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Teams in the north Atlanta metro are historically known to play high-level football, but don’t think current coaches or players are resting on the laurels of their reputations. They’re hungry and looking for success this season. The Fulton County School System hosted a media day for their football teams at the College Football Hall of Fame on July 24. Sixteen public schools gave a briefing on their teams and their gridiron hopes and dreams. Director of Athletics Lamarr Glenn, school board Vice President Kristin McCabe, and Superintendent Mike Looney spoke, followed by a keynote speech by Fulton County Schools graduate and former NFL defensive tackle Andre Fluellen. Each team’s head coach then had the opportunity to take the podium to provide an update on how their offseason has progressed and what to expect from them this year. Alpharetta Alpharetta’s Danny Carlisle was the first program lead to take the stage.
Carlisle has faced a rocky first few months with the Raiders. Alpharetta High has been undergoing construction all summer, forcing the team to complete all their workouts while exposed to the elements. The coach said it takes the team an hour and a half to set up equipment and take it down after practice, but the players have accepted the challenge as an opportunity for the development they wished for. Nick DePietro, the 2024 Region 7-5A second-team running back, rushed for more than 1,000 yards as a sophomore at Johns Creek before transferring to Alpharetta last year and playing on the junior varsity squad to comply with GHSA transfer guidelines. Carlisle told media day attendees he expects DePietro to be the team’s “workhorse.” “I’m excited to see us come together,” DiPietro said. “We’re all confident in our coaching staff and to see how far we can go.” Carlisle also brought junior lineman Calvin Landy Jr. to media day. He has been pulling in numerous Power 4 offers this year. Landy told Appen Media his top schools are Georgia, Auburn, Florida State, Georgia Tech and North Carolina.
► MOUNT PISGAH
He said he wants scouts to know he is “very coachable and very versatile” and able to play “all five” spots on the line. Roswell Centennial Head Coach Adam Miller is the first coach of the last six to make it to their fourth season with the school. The school launched its own feeder football program for kindergarten and up this season. “We’re excited to get rolling,” Miller said. Players said they are most excited for the matchup with Cambridge this year. Miller said the Sept. 18 contest will be one that speaks volumes about his team’s capabilities. Senior Atticus Cordes, who also plays lacrosse, said the team is more bought in than ever before. The shuffling of regions this year has brought Marist, St. Pius X, Sprayberry and Chattahoochee into Centennial’s group that retained Blessed Trinity and Cambridge but parted from Westminster and Kell. Coach Jonathan Thompson at Roswell High is beginning his second year at the helm. After forging Lee County into a record-breaking offense as the coordinator until 2024, the Hornets put up over
43 points per game last season during their semifinal playoff run. Had they won in the Final Four, they would have faced a familiar foe, Gainesville, in the title game, whom they had beaten 37-35 earlier in the season. The Hornets will face off against Walton in Week 1 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in a highly anticipated rematch of last year’s 30-28 Roswell win. The Hornets will scrimmage against Cambridge Aug. 6 to prepare for the Corky Kell. Thompson played golf with his running backs coach and Bears program head, Tyler Jones, and his offensive coordinator ahead of the match several weeks ago. Roswell’s biggest wins last season came in close games, and one of the questions facing the team is whether they can widen the gap this year. New additions that may hold promise for accomplishing that include former Alpharetta quarterback Matthew Schletty to replace current Furman freshman Trey Smith; another former Raider, three-star edge Jaxon Holly; and Peachtree Ridge transfer Elijah Thompson. The Hornets have several returning players on both sides of the ball ready to step up into new roles.
See PREVIEW, Page 19
► NORTHVIEW
8/21
7:30 PM
@ Lake Oconee Academy
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Johns Creek
8/28
7:30 PM
@ CCA
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Drew
9/11
7:30 PM
@ PCA
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Berkmar
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Mount Paran Christian
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. King’s Ridge
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Walker
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Trion
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. King’s Ridge
10/1
6:30 PM
@ Towers
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Fellowship Christian
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Chattahoochee
10/23
3:45 PM
@ MBCA
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Clarkston
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Towers
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Johnson
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Mount Vernon
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Banks County
► WESLEYAN
► WOODWARD ACADEMY
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Whitefield Academy
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Marist
8/28
7:30 PM
@Elbert County
8/28
7:30 PM
@Chapel Hill
7:30 PM
@Tri-Cities
9/11
7:30 PM
@North Cobb Christian
9/11
9/18
7:30 PM
@Lovett
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. McIntosh
7:30 PM
@Northside
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Gilmer
9/25
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Haralson County
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Newnan
7:30 PM
@Langston Hughes
10/9
4:00 PM
@Holy Innocents
10/16
10/23
7:30 PM
@Therrell
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. Morrow
7:30 PM
vs. Lovejoy
7:30 PM
@Creekside
10/31
4:00 PM
@KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
10/30
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Temple
11/6
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
Preview: Continued from Page 18 Senior Dre Cousey recorded over 1,100 all-purpose yards and nine touchdowns last season. Offensive lineman Miller Westerfield committed to UGA over the summer ahead of his senior year. He is ranked No. 33 in Georgia’s senior class by On3 and No. 50 by 247 Sports. Coach Thompson flagged junior tight end Sean Smith as one on breakout watch. Milton Milton Head Coach Ben Reaves used his opening moments at the podium to give flowers to the entire county. His Eagles may have made up two of the last four, but it takes going back 12 more years to find another four champions like the ones from Fulton in the last four seasons. Milton kicked off the season with a scrimmage against Grayson before the opener against North Cobb. The Eagles will go on another outof-state trip Sept. 11 to face off against Battle Ground Academy of Franklin, Tennessee. Reaves brought four seniors to media day, biting at the chance to leave a legacy. Aside from quarterback Derrick Baker, who transferred from Florida last season, the other three players have championship-level experience from the Eagles’ back-to-back state titles. They all have committed to SEC, ACC and Big 10 programs and are ranked in 247 Sports’ Top 200 players in Georgia’s senior class. Baker sat out for nearly the entire season last year after injuring his wrist in the season opener against Buford. The Tennessee commit told Appen Media he is ready to get back on the field with his brothers. He said the team had a workout several weeks ago put on by an Army representative. Baker said team bonding exercises like that have strengthened the team on and off the field. Milton’s QB1 concluded his OT7 career earlier this year. He etched his name in the California seven-on-seven league’s records book with 105 passing touchdowns and bested the passing yards record. Baker participated with Cam Newton’s team and said Newton has become an irreplaceable mentor. Reaves described the Eagles’ 8-4 season and second-round finish last year as “a good cleanse” and said it was exactly what the team needed to catapult them back to state championship heights, even if it didn’t measure up to the program’s standards. One big difference from last year will be the usage rate of four-star tight end Grant Haviland. The Vanderbilt commit took on a different role last year, but with
some new additions to the offensive line, Haviland will have more opportunity to score this season, according to Reaves and Baker. Milton is returning 15 of 22 starters from last year, including junior cornerback Keelan Wonsley, who is shaping up to potentially be the third Eagle recruited by the Volunteers’ DB staff. He has already received an offer to join Milton alumni Dylan Lewis and Ty Redmond, who are entering their sophomore years at Tennessee. Redmond has been tabbed as one of the best cornerbacks in the SEC in one of the best defensive back cores in college football. Cambridge Head Coach Tyler Jones said his team is ready to compete at a high level despite being the newest school in Fulton County. This year’s team is young, too, but the senior captains Jones brought to media day are leading by example. They said they are prepared to show up big at Mercedes-Benz in their Week 1 matchup with Brookwood at the Corky Kell Classic. Star receiver Craig Dandridge is the latest Bear wideout to go on to suit up for UGA after graduating last year, leaving running back Brooks Malone to carry the offense. Malone rushed for 15 touchdowns and over 1,150 yards in his junior season and said he is ready to leave his mark this year. Cambridge’s defensive line is anchored this year by senior Luke Huffman and the son of a former Falcon, Kroy (K.J.) Biermann Jr. Biermann made the all-region second team as a freshman last year and hopes to see his younger brother Kash return from injury for his freshman year. K.J. told Appen Media at practice his dad didn’t let him or his brothers play football until seventh grade. Before middle school, it was only wrestling, baseball and basketball. Kane Biermann began his football career this season for the junior Bears, playing offensive guard and defensive tackle, per K.J. K.J. said even with an NFL veteran dad, there’s no pressure on his shoulders. His motivation comes from a drive to “be better than” his dad. When the brothers began to display their athletic awards on the wall next to their father’s, it only intensified their desire to be the best athletes in the family. “Get ready to see a lot of sacks and great defense and a great offense this year,” K.J. said.
AppenMedia.com | August 13, 2026 | 19
► CAMBRIDGE 8/13
5:30 PM
vs. Brookwood
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Woodstock
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Milton
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Denmark
9/18
7:30 PM
@ Centennial
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Sprayberry
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Marist
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. Chattahoocheel
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. St. Pius X
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Blessed Trinity
► CHATTAHOOCHEE 8/21
7:30 PM
@ West Hall
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Forsyth Central
9/11
7:30 PM
@ Johns Creek
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Sprayberry
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. St. Pius X
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Northview
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Cambridge
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. Marist
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Blessed Trinity
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Centennial
► WEST FORSYTH 8/21
8:00 PM
vs. Houston County
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Norcross
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Lanier
9/11
7:30 PM
@ Cartersville
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Parkview
9/24
7:30 PM
@ North Forysth
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Lambert
10/15
7:30 PM
vs. Forsyth Central
10/30
7:30 PM
@ South Forsyth
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Denmark
► BLESSED TRINITY 8/20
7:30 PM
vs. Decatur
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Milton
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Hebron Christian
9/11
7:30 PM
@ Lambert
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Marist
Johns Creek Northview Head Coach Mario Drayton told Appen Media he is prepared to launch a campaign to revitalize the energy around football in Johns Creek.
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Centennial
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Sprayberry
10/16
7:30 PM
@ St. Pius X
10/31
7:30 PM
vs. Chattahoochee
See PREVIEW, Page 19
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Cambridge
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
20 | August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com
Preview: Continued from Page 20 He said that starts with creating a rivalry between his Titans, the Chattahoochee Cougars and the Johns Creek Gladiators. Drayton said he felt the game against North Springs last year had an encouraging impact on the team, showing them what they are capable of and who they are striving to be as a team. He brought his four team captains to the Hall and told Appen Media that all the work the team put in last year is propelling them into this season. “The kids have been working extremely hard,” Drayton said. “That last game, through adversity and what happened to our quarterback, we got to stretch it out and that really galvanized us and really got us to where we are right now.” Drayton said the team has grown immensely and became a family. The Titans’ first game of the season is Aug. 21 at home against Johns Creek. Drayton said he plans to schedule the Gladiators every year to maintain a new cross-town rivalry. Johns Creek Head Coach Jason Tester took over this year after the departure of Jim Rowell prior to the Gladiators’ last game of the season in 2025. “Everything is about building … getting
closer as a group and these guys seeing the fruits of their labor,” Tester told Appen Media. Tester said last year’s young team has progressed leaps and bounds this offseason. He highlighted two players in the spring game. Two-way playmaker Elijah Antoine had several tackles for loss and receiver/defensive back Ben Feigin notched a receiving touchdown. Junior Jake Blackwell is entering his third year starting at quarterback for the Gladiators. Tester said he is one of the team's major leaders. Chattahoochee High’s recently promoted Head Coach Austin Hamilton has brought a renewed energy to the team after moving into his new role from co-offensive coordinator last year. He said his former post as the junior varsity head coach also helped him adjust to the new position. The Cougars hosted their own media day July 18, where they not only took team photos but also held a mock postgame press conference. Players received media training earlier in the week to prepare for how to approach questions. Hamilton said the team has already begun to see the fruits of their labor this offseason from padded camps, but he knows the reality of the situation as a new head coach. Much is up in the air and can only be settled on the field. “It’s all fun and games, but we got to put a good product on Friday nights,”
Hamilton said. Hamilton is a former offensive lineman for Grayson High and West Georgia. At Fulton County media day, he brought four seniors, including a center and a guard. His team is ready to redefine what it means to be a Chattahoochee Cougar. The coaching staff said the difference from last year is “night and day,” especially in the weight room. Many of the coaches are alumni of the school. Several transfers joined the team for the first time in several years this season, and the Cougars are looking to capitalize. Sandy Springs Riverwood Head Coach Josh Coffey joined the program in January, coming from Denmark High, where he served as the offensive coordinator. He held the same position at Union Grove and Lamar County and also made stops at Chattahoochee and Spalding. Coffey said the offseason has been coming along well. He brought quarterback and defensive end Jake Kaplan, along with two other seniors and one sophomore who is returning to the varsity squad after making the team as a freshman. Kaplan agreed with Coffey’s assessments of how the summer has gone. He said the community can expect a lot of fight in this team.
“I think things have been coming along great,” Kaplan said. “I would say we’ve come a long way since we started working out in the winter. I’ve seen a toughness in my team that I’ve never seen among my teammates before, and we’ve done a really great job just coming out every day, waking up early and getting after it.” One of Coffey’s biggest undertakings has been establishing this team’s identity as their own and not based on years past. “Our base pillar is perseverance, that fight through, that overcome something,” Coffey said. “That’s something that these seniors have really taken and run with, and they’ve answered every call I’ve made. They’ve stepped up, they’ve fought through it, they’ve gone to the level of perseverance that they’ve had to.” County Athletic Director Lamarr Glenn said he is excited for the five new head coaches in the county and to see what they can lead their teams to. “It’s always exciting to see the next players step up,” Glenn said. “The expectation of Fulton County is here. It’s not going anywhere. The anticipation is that Fulton County is going to have somebody special each year.” Glenn’s take on Fulton teams to watch this year are Creekside, Milton, Langston Hughes and Roswell. It’s never safe to count these teams out, so fans may be in for a fifth straight state title from Fulton this year.
► MOUNT VERNON
► ROSWELL 8/13
8:00 PM
vs. Walton
8/21
4:30 PM
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Newton
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Whitefield Academy
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Etowah
9/4
4:30 PM
@ Holy Innocents Episcopal
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Archer
9/11
7:30 PM
@ St. Anne-Pacelli
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Lanier
9/18
4:15 PM
vs. MBCA
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Gainesville
9/25
7:30 PM
@ King’s Ridge
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Alpharetta
10/2
3:45 PM
vs. Fellowship Christian
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. Johns Creek
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Walker
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. Riverwood
10/30
3:45 PM
vs. Mount Paran Christian
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Milton
11/6
7:30 PM
@ Mount Pisgah Christian
vs. McNair
► MT. BETHEL
► MARIST 8/21
7:30 PM
@ Woodward Academy
8/28
7:00 PM
vs. Druid Hills
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Brookwood
9/18
7:30 PM
@ Campbell
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Blessed Trinity
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Cambridge
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Sprayberry
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Chattahoochee
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. Centennial
11/6
7:30 PM
@ St. Pius X
8/15 8/29 9/4 9/11 9/18 10/2 10/10 10/16 10/23 10/31 11/6
7:00 PM 7:00 PM 7:00 PM 4:15 PM 4:15 PM 4:15 PM 2:00 PM 7:00 PM 3:45 PM 1:00 PM 7:00 PM
@ Varsity Opponent @ Copper Basin @ UAA vs. Towers @ Mount Vernon vs. Walker vs. SFA @ Mount Paran Christian vs. Mount Pisgah Christian vs. King’s Ridge @ Fellowship Christian
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
PREVIEWS FROM OTHER METRO AREAS Forsyth County West Forsyth High will represent Forsyth Co. in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic. The Wolverines will face off against Houston County in the last game of the tournament’s final day, Aug. 21 at 7 p.m. With the new shuffling of regions, all of the Forsyth teams, except East, are grouped together in Region 6-7A. East Forsyth is not slated to play any area teams in the regular season this year. The six teams in Region 6-7A will all play one another, so there’s no need to publish rankings. The region standings will speak for themselves. The toughest non-conference schedules belong to West and Lambert.
Dunwoody After suffering a loss to Class 5A runners-up Gainesville in the first round last season, Dunwoody is ready to rebound. Players’ Instagram bios indicate the team is out to avenge last year’s 5-6 record. They held a spring scrimmage May 14 against North Atlanta and have a fall scrimmage slated for Aug. 13 against Wesleyan. The Wildcats will open their season Aug. 20 at the Corky Kell Classic at Blessed Trinity High School against Centennial. Dunwoody is playing in their second straight Corky Kell after losing to St. Pius X 15-12 last year at Mercedes-Benz.Head Coach Matt Schmitz said he knows Centennial is well-coached after pulling off one of the biggest playoff upsets in the state last year. “We know we’re gonna have to be ready,” Schmitz said at Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic media day. At Score Atlanta’s media day ahead of the memorial tournament, players said they have immense pride in wearing their hometown across their chest. One of Dunwoody’s most highly anticipated games is their matchup with rival Chamblee. Only a few miles apart, these schools always bring their best game against each other no matter what sport. The Wildcats hope to extend their winning streak to four games after besting the Bulldogs the last three seasons. The series has gone back and forth, with Chamblee taking three straight before the Wildcats took over. Dunwoody won six straight in the 2010s and is looking to extend the
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
Dunwoody quarterback Jack Quartararo hands off to running back Cameron Irastorza at Decatur High School Sept. 26, 2025. winning streak back to that point. Quarterback Jack Quartararo is one of several major returners for the Wildcats. Offensive lineman Grant Pearch has pulled in offers from Penn, Cornell, Air Force, Georgia State and Middle Tennessee, among others.
Decatur Head Coach William Felton is preparing his Bulldogs to make their first-ever appearance in the Corky Kell + Dave Hunter Classic. They will play against Blessed Trinity at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 20 to open their season. Felton took over in 2020 and is looking to improve on the Bulldogs’ 4-6 finish last year. To prepare for the Corky Kell, Decatur will scrimmage against Miller Grove on Aug. 14. He said the matchup is a major opportunity and platform for his team and players. He said it’s imperative for them to “demonstrate that they belong.” Felton brought six seniors with him to the Score Atlanta media day and they all said they were excited to get on the field with their brothers and make the most of their final year as a Bulldog. Several said they are eager to make a playoff appearance. In 2024, Decatur went 9-2, but Felton has been recently scheduling teams that will challenge his players. He said that although they may not be guaranteed to win against elite teams, he’s satisfied with what the team will get from the hours they put in. “At the end of the day, hard work and dedication don’t guarantee you a W,” Felton said. “But it does guarantee you an opportunity to compete for [it].”
AppenMedia.com | August 13, 2026 | 21
► FELLOWSHIP CHRISTIAN 8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Trinity Christian
9/4
7:30 PM
@ Lovett
9/11
7:30 PM
@ Savannah Christian
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Prince Avenue Christian
10/2
3:45 PM
@ Mount Vernon
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Mount Paran Christian
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. Mount Pisgah Christian
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. King’s Ridge
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Walker
11/6
7:000 PM
vs. MBCA
► MILTON 8/21
7:30 PM
vs. North Cobb
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Blessed Trinity
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Cambridge
9/11
7:00 PM
@ Battle Ground Academy
9/25
7:30 PM
@ Johns Creek
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Lanier
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. Alpharetta
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Gainesville
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Riverwood
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Roswell
► HOLY INNOCENTS 8/21
7:30 PM
@ Pace Academy
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Athens Academy
9/4
4:30 PM
vs. Mount Vernon
9/11
7:30 PM
@ Haralson County
9/18
8:00 PM
@ Therrell
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Temple
10/2
6:30 PM
vs. Lovett
10/9
4:00 PM
vs. Wesleyan
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. KIPP Atlanta Collegiate
11/6
7:30 PM
@ North Cobb Christian
► NORTH FORSYTH 8/21
7:30 PM
@Jackson County
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Archer
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Dacula
9/11
7:30 PM
@Campbell
9/18
7:30 PM
@Norcross
9/24
7:30 PM
vs. West Forsyth
10/9
7:30 PM
vs. Forsyth Central
10/16
7:30 PM
@South Forsyth
10/30
7:30 PM
@Denmark
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. Lambert
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
22 | August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com
► FORSYTH CENTRAL
► EAST FORSYTH
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Creekview
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Cherokee Bluff
8/28
7:30 PM
@Pope
8/28
7:30 PM
@Dawson County
9/4
7:30 PM
@Chattahoochee
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Pope
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Veterans
9/11
7:30 PM
@Pickens
9/18
7:30 PM
@Cherokee Bluff
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Lumpkin County
9/24
7:30 PM
vs. Denmark
10/2
7:30 PM
@Madison County
10/9
7:30 PM
@North Forsyth
10/9
7:30 PM
@Jefferson
10/15
7:30 PM
@West Forsyth
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. North Oconee
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. Lambert
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. Flowery Branch
11/6
7:30 PM
vs. South Forsyth
11/6
7:30 PM
@Winder-Barrow
► LAMBERT
► SOUTH FORSYTH 8/21
7:00 PM
@Duluth
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Peachtree Ridge
7:30 PM
@Sequoyah
8/28
7:30 PM
@Cherokee
8/28
9/4
7:30 PM
@Allatoona
9/4
7:30 PM
@Tift County
7:30 PM
vs. Blessed Trinity
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Centennial
9/11
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Starr’s Mill
9/18
7:30 PM
vs. Lanier
7:30 PM
vs. South Forsyth
9/24
7:30 PM
@Lambert
9/24
10/9
7:30 PM
@Denmark
10/9
7:30 PM
@West Forsyth
7:30 PM
vs. Denmark
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. North Forsyth
10/16
10/30
7:30 PM
vs. West Forsyth
10/30
7:30 PM
@Forsyth Central
@Forsyth Central
11/6
7:30 PM
@ North Forsyth
11/6
7:30 PM
► KING’S RIDGE 8/14 8/21 8/28 9/11 9/18 9/25 10/2 10/9 10/23 10/31 11/6
7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 7:30 PM 1:00 PM 3:00 PM
► PINECREST vs. Haralson County @ Westover vs. Westminster vs. Lakeview Academy @ Northview vs. Mount Vernon vs. Mount Paran Christian @ Mount Pisgah Christian @ Fellowship Christian @ MBCA vs. Walker
8/14
7:30 PM
@ Cherokee Christian
8/21
7:30 PM
vs. Central Christian
8/28
7:30 PM
vs. Harvester Christian
9/11
7:30 PM
@ St. Francis
9/18
7:30 PM
@ Msgr. Donovan Catholic
9/25
7:30 PM
vs. Covenant Christian
10/9
7:30 PM
@ Unity Christian
10/16
7:30 PM
vs. Horizon Christian Academy
10/23
7:30 PM
@ Johnson Ferry
► JOHNSON FERRY CHRISTIAN
► ST. FRANCIS 8/14
7:30 PM
vs. Covenant Christian
8/21
7:30 PM
@ N. Ga Homeschool Tribe
8/21
7:30 PM
@Skipstone Academy
8/28
7:30 PM
@ Fideles
9/4
7:30 PM
vs. Georgia Force Christian
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Pinecrest Academy
9/11
7:30 PM
vs. Msgr. Donovan Catholic
9/18
7:30 PM
@ New Creations
9/18
7:30 PM
@Lanier Christian Academy
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. Lafayette Christian
10/2
7:30 PM
vs. N. Ga Homeschool Tribe
10/16
7:30 PM
@ Johnson Ferry
10/23
7:30 PM
vs. Unity Christian
10/30
7:30 PM
@ Horizon Christian
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
AppenMedia.com | August 13, 2026 | 23
ANNABELLE REITER/APPEN MEDIA
24 | August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
STANLEY LEARY/APPEN MEDIA
From left, bass clarinet players Trenton Leach and Aubri Franklin, and saxophone players Alexander Amar, Sebastien Laurent and Parker Brown practice on the field during marching band camp at Roswell High School July 17.
For band students, summer camp builds more than music By STANLEY LEARY newsroom@appenmedia.com ROSWELL, Ga. — Before most students have cracked open a textbook this fall, hundreds of teenagers across Fulton and Forsyth counties will have already spent two weeks together in the summer heat, learning drill formations, memorizing music and, in many cases, finding the friend group that will carry them through high school. Johns Creek, Milton, Alpharetta, Dunwoody, Sandy Springs, Roswell and the Forsyth County high schools were among the programs running fullensemble band camps in mid-to-late July, ahead of the fall football season and competition marching band. For band directors, the two-week stretch is logistics and rehearsal. For families, it’s something more. “When they were coming into ninth grade, band camp had already happened,” said Amy Kingry, whose two sons are percussionists. “When they came into school the first day, they already had friends, they already knew where everything was in the school, they already had a family started.” Tara Glaspey, whose sons play
trombone and French horn, described the same effect. “You’ve got a family already of people that have your back,” she said. “It’s a support system.” For the students themselves, the appeal is less about strategy and more about connection. Sydney Godoy, drum major and senior clarinet player, said the band offers something few other school activities can match. “Music is the universal language,” Godoy said. “Everybody can get into music, and there are so many different kinds of music, and you just find your people here.” Cooper Glaspey, a sophomore French horn player and section leader, said band has taught him skills that go beyond music. “It helps with people,” Glaspey said. “You get to meet all kinds of new people. You can be in the leadership, learn how to lead, learn how to communicate. I think it helps with other things like school because you learn how to manage your time.” The research bears out at least part of what parents suspect. According to data published by the College Board from its Student Descriptive Questionnaire, students with
coursework in music performance have historically scored dozens of points higher on both the verbal and math sections of the SAT than students with no arts participation — a gap that has shown up consistently across multiple years of College Board reporting. Some researchers caution that the relationship is correlational, since students drawn to music also tend to come from backgrounds associated with higher academic performance. But directors and parents in North Atlanta say the daily habits built in band — practicing outside of class, managing a packed schedule, learning music that doesn’t come easily — mirror the discipline colleges look for. Randy McDow, executive director of the Stamps Scholars Program and a former staffer for the Georgia Tech President’s Scholarship Program, said music students often arrive at college already equipped for its demands. “You’re used to having regularly scheduled lessons, practice or homework outside of that session, working together with others who may be just like you or might not be just like you,” McDow said. He added that music, like
competitive sports, teaches students to keep working at something they aren’t immediately good at. “You eventually run up against a piece of music that forces you to really dig deep and work on it, to master it,” he said. “Those are very good experiences, leadership-wise, habit-building type situations.” Glaspey said that the lesson in discipline is something she tells other parents directly. “There’s also just the discipline aspect — to be able to be on the field and march a show, you have to practice. You can’t just show up and make it happen,” she said. “In the culture we live in now, with instant gratification from our phones, we’re missing out on a lot of that discipline.” For Godoy, who plans to study music composition at the University of Georgia, the payoff is already clear. “I think everyone should play an instrument,” she said. “The way it makes you feel, the act of doing it — I fell in love with everything about music.” Directors say the two weeks of long, hot rehearsals are laying groundwork that goes well beyond the football field — for students who, in many cases, haven’t even started their freshman year.
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
AppenMedia.com | August 13, 2026 | 25
PHOTOS BY: STANLEY LEARY/APPEN MEDIA
Inemesit Ubom practices during a trumpet sectional at marching band camp at Roswell High School July 17.
From left, Winston Scoggins, Ethan Young, Hayden Kingry and Finn Kingry practice during a drum sectional at marching band camp at Roswell High School July 17, as instructor Sarah Mottram Nesbitt works with Bella Izquierdo.
Kaylee Roselli plays bass drum during marching band camp at Roswell High School July 17.
Stephen Gheen and Nat Vincent play sousaphone during marching band camp at Roswell High School July 17.
A drone view shows the full marching band rehearsing on the practice field during marching band camp at Roswell High School July 17.
26 | August 13, 2026 | AppenMedia.com
2026 NORTH ATLANTA NOW FOOTBALL PREVIEW
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AppenMedia.com/Dunwoody | Dunwoody Crier | August 13, 2026 | 27
Bears, water, and putting things back together Remember the flood? No, not that one. The one at Hacienda Hudson and all the sogginess that followed. We talked about it last time. Who would have thought a little water could disrupt things so much? STEVE HUDSON As we speak (I Columnist hope), they’re putting down new carpet. It’ll be nice and fresh and won’t make squishing sounds when you walk on it. Since carpet isn’t supposed to squish, that will be a good thing. We have temporarily relocated while this work is underway. This particular “elsewhere” is north, up in the hills a ways. There are deer (tens of thousands of them) in the woods and some giant bream in the lake nearby. So it’s not too bad. Not really. But what has made it stand out most is the bear family that wanders by every few days. I think bear sightings are incredibly neat, and I’ve gotten to enjoy two of them over the last few days. Both times I got to see momma bear and her three cubs as they meandered through the woods on the steep hillside just beyond the back deck. Momma just kind of ambles along, purposefully and patiently, while the kids gambol back and forth behind her and run all over the place like kids of all species and persuasions are want to do. Sometimes one or the other of them will stop for a minute and paw at a tree stump or dig for some unseen something in the dirt. Momma puts up with it for a while but soon looks over her shoulder to remind the little ones to keep moving. Then the cubs kind of jump to attention and take off full-speed through the trees back toward Momma, where the whole cycle repeats again. They move along that way, starting and stopping, until they eventually wander out of view. It’s neat to see, and seeing it makes me happy. I wonder where the bears go on these walkabouts? Do they have a route they follow? Do they have familiar places they like to visit and things they like to see? And (since water has been on my mind so recently) I find myself wondering what they do when it rains. That’s actually a timely question, for (let me tell you) it rained the night before last. It was a storm of Biblical proportions. From the safety of inside, it was kind of neat – sort of like watching bears at a distance. But then somebody turned the wind up to 10, and the sky lit up in shades of electric blue and gold. Then the tornado siren started wailing and urgent warnings began popping up on the cellphone. All of a sudden it wasn’t so much fun anymore.
STEVE HUDSON/APPEN MEDIA
A lightning strike damaged the Oglethorpe Monument in downtown Jasper, Ga. The lightning grew stronger and more frequent. I stepped outside to check it out (I know, I know) and found myself beneath a firmament that flashed and flickered, sparking and sputtering like a hyperactive street light, accompanied by a soundtrack of deep-toned rumbles from somewhere in the glowing darkness above. Did it sound like a freight train? I listened. Maybe it did. I thought fleetingly of my buddies the bears. Without cellphones (at least I assume bears don’t have cellphones), how would they know what was going on? But about that time there was an especially bright flash from over yonder, over in the direction of the town of Jasper. Ooh, I thought, that was a big one. I went back inside then, safe behind the closed door, and I wondered again about the bears. As quickly as it started, the mayhem began to recede. The siren wound down. Wind eased up. Rain slowed and stopped.
The light show faded. And soon, comfortable again in the relative safety of relative calm, I turned off the porch light and
turned in. The next morning, checking the news, one story caught my eye. It was a storm story, a story about an historic monument that had been hit by lightning and partially blown to pieces in the nearby town of Jasper. “Jasper’s just down the road,” I said as she set out sausage gravy and warm biscuits for breakfast. “Let’s go see it after lunch.” “Okay,” she said, and we did. Lunch was at a place called Last Catch, a new-to-us seafood restaurant that came highly recommended by a friend. I had blackened catfish. She had clams. We shared a bowl of she-crab soup, and it was about as good as any I’d ever had. It was good to eat well in the wake of the nearmiss the night before. Then we meandered on over to check out the lightninged monument. The site of the strike was easy to find. Golden-yellow police tape surrounded it, and a car with flashing blue lights was parked close by just in case the tape didn’t catch your eye. The monument, what was left of it, stood there looking kind of sad.
See HUDSON, Page 28
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING The City of Dunwoody Zoning Board of Appeals will meet on Thursday, September 3, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the Council of Chambers of Dunwoody City Hall, located at 4800 Ashford Dunwoody Road, Dunwoody, Georgia 30338, for the purpose of due process of the following: ZBA 26-16, 5522 Mill Trace Drive, Dunwoody, GA, 30338: Variance from Sec. 16-78 to allow a porch, deck, and retaining wall to encroach into the 75-foot stream buffer. Should you have any questions or comments, or would like to view the application and supporting materials, please contact the City of Dunwoody Community Development Department at 678-382-6800. Members of the public are encouraged to call or schedule a meeting with the staff in advance of the Public Hearing if they have questions or are unfamiliar with the process. The staff is available to answer questions, discuss the decision-making process, and receive comments and concerns.
DEATH NOTICES Rosemary Blackington, age 93, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 21, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory. Laverne Calvert, age 84, of Milton, GA passed away on July 26, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Mildred Gergelyi, age 89, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 20, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Archella Pelletier, age 56, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 22, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Clyde “Drew” Ludwick, age 76, of Alpharetta, GA passed away on July 27, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Alice Pruet, age 84, of Roswell, GA passed away on August 2, 2026. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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Hudson: Continued from Page 27 Three serious-looking folks were checking it closely. Could I join them for a closer look? No, one said, because we don’t know if it might fall. It is not good to be fallen-on by a monument. A nearby historic marker, close enough to be read from outside the barrier, told the monument’s story. Known as the Oglethorpe Monument, it is (was?) 38 feet tall. Designed in 1930 by Colonel Sam Tate of the Georgia Marble Company, it honors Gen. James Edward Oglethorpe, founder of the Georgia colony. Sculptor James Watt carved it from solid Georgia marble, and at first it was located on nearby Grassy Knob. But that location made it a prime target for vandalism. Some folks even used it for target practice, and it was getting into pretty bad shape. But then it was restored and moved to Jasper around the turn of the century, where it stood until the other night. Lightning is strange stuff. Sometimes it starts fires. But other times it just makes things blow up. Someone knowledgeable in that area once told me that the explosion occurs when the lightning bolt’s electric blast encounters some water. The water explodes violently into steam, he explained, and it’s the steam explosion that blows things to bits. Well, apparently there was water in the way when that lightning bolt hit the monument. This water thing has implications all around, doesn’t it? Anyway, the strike blasted some of the carved panels from the obelisk, leaving the area around its base littered with smashed and broken bits of history. One moment the monument was just standing there, and the next a golden blast from out of nowhere hit hard and everything was changed. Just like that. Lesson: Beware golden blasts, even if you think you’re strong as stone. So what happens next? On the monument side, I’m hearing that there’s already talk of restoration. Most things can be put back together, after all. I hope that will happen there too. And the bears? I imagine they’ll keep making their circuits through the woods, dealing with wind and water in their own bearish way. The cubs will grow into adults and start wandering their own territories, I guess. Maybe our paths will cross again. Meanwhile, I just learned that the home front water-damage restoration should be completed sometime next week. It will be good to be back in familiar territory, though I admit that I’ll miss the bears. Again, I remind myself: Even in the middle of chaos, and no matter how bizarre things may seem for a season, most everything can be put back together if that’s what you want to do. I hope so.
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From left, Georgia Restaurant Association President Stephanie Fischer, Spur Hospitality CEO William Pitts and Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch hold shovels at the July 30 groundbreaking of the Saints + Council location at Perimeter Mall in Dunwoody.
Saints: Continued from Page 1 “When we decided to do our firstever freestanding restaurant, there was
nowhere else that I looked other than the city of Dunwoody, because I believe in its current leadership, and I believe in its future,” Pitts said. “It was a very easy decision to invest our time, energy and resources into Media this community, T:\ADS_2025\Appen Group\Filler Ads\ and we are honored Shop, Eat, Read Local to be here.”
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