Dunwoody millage stays flat; no tax hike for homesteads
By HANNAH YAHNE hannah@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — The Dunwoody City Council voted unanimously July 1 to keep the city’s millage rate the same at 3.040 mills.
The tax rate for 2026 also includes a one-mill reduction for all homestead properties, lowering the effective rate to 2.040. One mill equals $1 in tax for every $1,000 of a property’s assessed value. Dunwoody’s millage rate is the lowest compared to surrounding cities, with Chamblee’s millage rate at 7.25 mills, and Brookhaven’s rate at 3.85 mills.
In addition, the city will continue to freeze assessed values for properties receiving a homestead exemption. Combined, these exemptions mean that no homestead property will see an increase in its city tax bill this year, according to officials.
Although the millage rate remains the same, rising property assessments in DeKalb County are expected to increase overall tax collections by 0.50 percent over the rollback millage rate and required the city to advertise the proposal as a tax increase under state law.
See MILLAGE, Page 17
DeKalb extends data center moratorium
By DYANA BAGBY dyana@appenmedia.com
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County commissioners voted July 7 to approve a resolution to extend a moratorium on new data center development through early next year while officials continue studying the industry’s impact on the county.
The moratorium ends March 30,
2027, unless it is extended.
The vote follows the commission’s surprising June 23 vote to reject a separate set of proposed zoning and land-use regulations for data centers from the Planning & Sustainability Department. The resolution — sponsored by commissioners Mereda Davis Johnson and Robert Patrick — states that at that meeting it “became apparent for the first time” that input
from other county departments may be needed to come up with comprehensive regulations that “fully protect the county’s citizenry.”
DeKalb County is one of numerous local governments across the state debating how to regulate data centers as residents push back against their extensive water and power usage.
DYANA BAGBY/APPEN MEDIA
Residents speak out against data centers at the July 7 DeKalb County Commission meeting.
See DATA, Page 17
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No injuries after police chase ends in Avondale Estates
DEKALB COUNTY, Ga. — DeKalb County police were involved in a chase that ended in Avondale Estates on Sunday afternoon, June 21.
No one was injured, a police spokesperson said.
Police said the chase began at 4:30 p.m. when officers spotted a stolen vehicle on North Decatur Road. The officers tried to stop the vehicle, and the driver fled.
“The driver ultimately struck a mailbox and construction equipment in the 100 block of Olive Street in Avondale Estates,” the spokesperson said. “No injuries were reported. The occupants of the vehicle got out and ran. One person at the scene was detained, but later released. The driver and a passenger are still on the run.”
POLICE BLOTTER
All crime reports published by Appen Media Group are compiled from public records. Neither the law enforcement agencies nor Appen Media Group implies any guilt by publishing these names. None of the persons listed has been convicted of the alleged crimes.
Vandal smashes window of Johns Creek patrol car
ROSWELL, Ga. — A rock was thrown into the window of a patrol car belonging to the Johns Creek Police Department at an officer’s apartment complex on Saratoga Drive the night of June 30.
The female victim provided the responding Roswell officer with a video that showed a Black male with long dreadlocks wearing a white tank top and black shorts approach the vehicle with a large rock in his hands. He looked around the parking lot before throwing the rock at the back window of the patrol car and walking away.
The Roswell officer witnessed the
Police are still investigating.
“Anyone with information can send an anonymous tip through the free DeKalb County PD app or by texting ‘DKPD’ to 847411, followed by the tip,” the spokesperson said.
Police chases account for hundreds of deaths nationwide every year. Those killed are often bystanders. In early April, the Associated Press reported police pursuits had caused eight deaths nationwide in less than a week.
In 2023, the Police Executive 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.
CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson has made public safety a priority for
shattered window and the rock inside the patrol vehicle.
The Johns Creek officer believes the unprovoked incident was one of two people that live in a nearby apartment. The Roswell officer was unable to contact the residents.
The Johns Creek Police Department responded to the scene and is pressing charges.
— Hannah Yahne
Phony officer impersonators rake in thousands of dollars
ROSWELL, Ga. — In two days at the end of June, the Roswell Police Department received two reports of phone calls impersonating police officers, one even giving fake citations.
The first fraud victim told a Roswell officer that her son had been arrested in Cobb County on June 28. That same afternoon, she was contacted over the phone by an individual identifying himself as Officer Carlton Mitchell.
The suspect led the victim to believe he worked for Cobb County pre-trial.
her administration. She has bolstered hiring, increased officer pay and made significant investments in crime-fighting technologies.
Under her administration, the department changed its chase policy last year. Police are now allowed to pursue people for nonviolent crimes.
At least one bystander has died due to a chase since the policy change.
On April 16, DeKalb police spotted a stolen vehicle in the area of Snapfinger and Panola roads and chased it when the 18-year-old driver refused to pull over.
The driver lost control of the vehicle, striking two pedestrians: Antoinette Catchings, 56, and an unidentified 14-year-old. Catchings died of her injuries.
— Dan Whisenhunt
He told the woman that if she did not pay the fees associated with her son’s “detainment,” that he would be re-arrested for his citation which had already been paid using a bail bondsman.
Over the phone, the fraudster instructed the mom to make four payments totaling nearly $2,000 using Apple Cash and Zelle, which she did.
On June 29, a Roswell officer was dispatched to a home on Hemingway Lane where a man said his wife was scammed out of $7,000.
An individual by the name of Lt. J. Owens told the Roswell woman that she missed jury duty and would need to pay or she would be arrested. He sent a copy of an arrest warrant complete with her information over text.
The woman sent the money in three increments using Apple Cash. Then, she was sent copies of three citations by the same supposed officer for failure to appear, contempt of court and avoiding civil duties.
— Hannah Yahne
Change lives, change the world
Brought to you by – Wesleyan School
Wesleyan School believes faith and intellect are great partners with each other. At Wesleyan, it’s not a matter of choosing faith or intellect, but rather using both to create the best possible education for your child. Our leadership and faculty work to provide students with an atmosphere that is challenging, reinforces the value of hard work, and emphasizes character and integrity above accomplishment. Wesleyan prepares students for each stage of life and provides them with the opportunity to see all the possibilities that lie before them. Wesleyan’s school motto is JOY-Jesus, Others, Yourself, and every aspect of school life is oriented to reinforce this philosophy of putting Jesus first and others ahead of ourselves.
A college preparatory environment, students have access to a wide range of academic opportunities along with athletics, arts, service and other extracurricular activities. Wesleyan’s 85-acre campus provides state-of-the-art academic facilities along with on-campus practice space for athletics and arts.
Located just outside of I-285 in Peachtree Corners, Wesleyan enrolled 1,210 students in grades K-12 for the 2024-2025 school year. Wesleyan offers bus routes throughout the metro Atlanta area. Supervised care before school is included in the cost of tuition and after care is available (K-8) until 6 p.m. at an affordable rate.
The Wesleyan School 5405 Spalding Drive, Peachtree Corners, GA 30092 770-448-7640
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A strong start in faith and learning
Brought to
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by – Dunwoody Baptist Preschool
For over 57 years, Dunwoody Baptist Preschool’s vision has been to inspire the love of learning by nurturing each child within a Christ-centered environment. We are committed to encouraging our early learners to thrive academically, but even more importantly, we want them to grow spiritually. We, as teachers and staff, care deeply that all of our students know who God is and that He loves them unconditionally. We are an Accredited with Merit preschool through COGNIA.
At Dunwoody Baptist Preschool, we offer 2, 3 ,4 and 5-day classes for children ages 6 months to 2 years and 5-day classes for children in 3’s, 4’s Pre-K and our unique Young 5’s class. Early Morning drop-off, Extended Day and Enrichment classes in cooking, art, phonics, science, Spanish, dance and piano are also offered.
All children at DBP not only learn and explore within the classroom, they enjoy music, science, gym and Chapel classes as well as daily playground time.
Please visit our Admissions section on our website at dbc.org/ weekdayschool to register your child for the 2026-2027 school year. Please
email Lesley Kammerer, Director at lkammerer@dbc.org for information on school tours. To see all of the fun we are having, check out our Instagram or Facebook @dunwoodybaptistpreschool!
Venetian Pools swimmer starts fundraiser for cancer research
By JIM BASS jim@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — At the memberowned Venetian Pools Community Association in Decatur, a dedicated group of lap swimmers often show up at all hours of the day.
This month, lap swimmer Michael Purser is taking that dedication one step further by uniting with Swim Across America to raise money for the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Aflac Cancer and Blood Disorders Center (ACBDC).
The fundraiser is called “Team Thomas” in honor of child cancer survivor Thomas Dellinger.
Swim Across America is a national nonprofit organization dedicated to raising funds for cancer treatment research through charity swims. According to their website, Swim Across America Atlanta has raised more than $3.9 million since 2013 for Children’s and ACBDC, primarily through its annual Lake Lanier open water swim event.
Venetian Pools, located at 150 Scott Blvd., was founded in 1931 and is now described by its members as an “oasis.” It is known for the eight-to-10year waitlist to become a member. The pool currently has around 600 families in total and features three Olympicsized lap lanes, which serve as the laps for the fundraiser throughout the month.
According to Purser, to participate, Venetian Pool members register for he event and set a milage goal for laps to swim in July. Donors and sponsors are asked to contribute based on how many miles are swam, or donate a lump sum through the event’s Swim Across America website.
“People who swam here as children now bring their own kids, and people who raised their kids here keep coming long after those kids have moved on. It’s a community as much as a pool,” Robert McCullar, President of Venetian Pools Board of Directors, said.
Purser has been a member at the pool for more than 20 years, serving on its board of directors twice before. As the summer season approached, Purser heard from his brother about the nonprofit and began looking into hosting a local fundraiser with the passionate lap swimmers who swim many miles a day.
“After talking with my brother about Swim Across America, I said, ‘Wait a minute, we got lap lanes, we got people,’” Purser said. “If we want to hold a swimming event, instead of having a one-day event, let’s do this over 30 days and build up momentum
Teratoid Rhabdoid Tumor (ATRT), an aggressive form of cancer that begins in the brain and spinal cord. It primarily affects children under the age of 3. The two sought the help of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta.
“It is a horrible disease that takes the life of small children, and families are just devastated because it happens so fast,” Sharlena Thomas said. “I mean, one minute you’re playing with your healthy child, and the next minute you’re planning their funeral. It’s just horrible.”
“It’s the worst thing imaginable for a parent. Every day you are begging to God for your child and that they won’t suffer.”
Children’s doctors treated him for more than a year. After undergoing 31 proton radiation treatments, three stem cell transplants, three rounds of high-dose chemotherapy and two surgeries, Thomas survived. He’s now 7 years old.
Although Thomas still deals with some effects following the treatments, Sharlena Thomas said he is excelling in school in Asheville and will enter the second grade this year.
awareness for Children’s or [ACBDC], we’re gonna do because they saved our lives. They saved our son’s life,” Sharlena Thomas said. “Many children don’t live through this disease.”
Rebecca Woody, director of the Swim Across America event, got involved with the program over a decade ago through learning about a friend’s daughter who suffered from cancer. She said the cancer research is saving lives and helping doctors find safer ways for diagnosed children to be cancer-free.
“If we can help in any way find ways for immunotherapy or things that will allow them to not have their little bodies destroyed while they’re trying to grow, it is just gamechanging,” Woody said.
Swimming for a cause
The fundraiser will last all of July for Venetian Pools, and although it is not open to non-members, Swim Across America has several other events across the Atlanta area.
and try and pull more people in.”
As Purser spearheaded the fundraiser, he remembered Thomas Dellinger and his family, whom he had helped five years prior. Purser called them up.
‘Team Thomas’
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Purser opened his backyard guest home to two parents who contacted him through a friend. The two parents, Sharlena Thomas and Elizabeth Dellinger, needed a place to stay nearby after their son Thomas Dellinger received a devastating diagnosis.
Just before turning 2 years old, Thomas was diagnosed with Atypical
Among his many hobbies, he enjoys being at the lake, swimming, crawdad hunting, bugs and magic.
Purser recalled the times he spent with Thomas and his parents as Thomas struggled through treatments in 2021. He still found time to be a child and play in the nearby creek.
“I can tell you right now, I don’t care how old you live, the day you see a child with cancer, I think the term cruel and unusual just goes right off your tongue,” Purser said. “It’s just … it’s not fair.”
When Purser called Sharlena Thomas to ask for her permission to build the fundraiser around Thomas’ story, she quickly agreed.
“Anything we can do to raise
McCullar hopes that members will rally around the fundraiser and hope that swimmers can feel good about contributing to a great cause.
“When Michael brought it to the board, we supported it right away. It’s aligned with our mission. Our lap swimmers already log serious miles every season, and it benefits two tremendous Atlanta assets,” McCullar said.
Among the members committing to the fundraiser is frequent lap winner Jessica Landisman Williams, who said that this is personal to her. She knows how important cancer research can be.
“We are stewards of our planet. We are stewards of our city, and we need to care of the folks who are going to hopefully take both our planet and our city to better places than we’ve taken them so far,” Landisman Williams said.
SHARLENA THOMAS/PROVIDED Thomas Dellinger poses for a photo while wearing a suit.
Venetian Pools lap swimmer Michael Purser poses for a photo at the pool on June 23.
Venetian Pools sits with a lifeguard on duty on June 23.
Women, nonbinary soccer league coming to Decatur Legacy Park
By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com
DECATUR, Ga. — As the world celebrates soccer this summer, a group of athletes in metro Atlanta is creating a safe and welcoming space for people to come together and play the great game.
Sons of Pitches (SOP), a soccer league in Atlanta, started a women and non-binary (WNB) league in 2022, offering cis women, non-binary athletes and transgender individuals an opportunity to play soccer weekly.
The league has grown over the years. The first WNB season had five teams. Currently, about 10 teams are competing in the late spring season. There are typically two divisions competing on Wednesday nights.
Building on the momentum from SOP, a few players and teams are moving the women and non-binary league to Legacy Park in Decatur. It is being supported by the Decatur Parks and Recreation Department.
is welcome,” one organizer who did not want to be named said. “This is a welcoming space. It’s not striving to be, it is. That feels super important to me.”
After facing some challenges internally and on the field, teams and players are looking forward to a new chapter of the WNB league through the city of Decatur.
“It’s a chance for a fresh start,” Beavers said. “I feel like that’s the biggest thing. We can really direct this league to be what we collectively want it to be rather than what men who own a business want it to be, because those are never going to be perfectly aligned.”
Decatur WNB registration is open through Aug. 5. The fee is $600 per team. The organizers are still working through details to allow for individual player registrations. To register, visit decaturga.com/parksrec/page/ registration
One of the organizers grew up playing soccer from childhood through college. She continues to play in adult leagues in metro Atlanta. For many women playing adult soccer, co-ed leagues are the most readily available option. The organizer, who didn’t want to be named, said that the transition from co-ed teams to women’s and nonbinary teams was one of the best of her soccer career.
Jade Beavers and Mikayla Logan are also helping to organize the new league. Beavers is a transgender athlete, playing on one of two teams comprised of transgender and non-binary players.
Beavers grew up playing most other sports, but fell in love with soccer after following the English Premier League and practicing with their friends. They got connected to the WNB league in 2024.
“I’ve played at least once a week with Sons of Pitches or with Soccer in the Streets for two years now,” Beavers said. “I wasn’t really like a soccer kid. I didn’t grow up with it, but I feel like I have found so much meaningful community in the soccer world that I never had, even despite my many years of playing other sports; soccer people are who I vibe with.”
Soccer is a popular sport, but it’s largely behind a paywall and male-dominated unless spaces are intentionally created to break down some of those barriers.
“We’re not perfect, but I really want this new league and I really want this community to be [where] everyone
The league will still be 7v7 with games kicking off at 7:30 p.m., 8:30 p.m. and 9:30 p.m. on Wednesday nights at Legacy Park, 500 S. Columbia Dr. in Decatur. There is parking and restrooms available at the park.
“There is a collective understanding amongst the broader populus that plays in this WNB space that no matter who you are, how good you are, what your identity is, this is a good place to be. At the end of the day, we are all here to play soccer and have fun,” Beavers said.
The organizers noted that having a welcoming space where women and the LGBTQ+ community feel safe is important. When two teams are competing, where all the players are transgender, non-binary, or gender queer.
Beavers said that while there are challenges at times, the teams have established their presence and the soccer pitch has become a place where anyone can create a community.
Players were connected with Madeleine Henner, the executive director of Legacy Decatur, who helped her connect with the city. Legacy Decatur oversees the operations of Legacy Park. Decatur Parks and Recreation has been working to increase available programming for adults.
The new Decatur WNB league will be one created for and by women and nonbinary athletes.
“It’s an amazing democratized space where everyone’s on the soccer field together,” one of the organizers said. “I’ve played soccer for 26 years and I’ve never known it like this. I think that’s super unique to this space … I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
Data:
Continued from Page 1
They also raise concerns about their impacts on the environment and public health. At the same time, data centers dot metro Atlanta, and the area is now the second-largest data center market in the country. State officials say data centers are a boon for local economies.
In DeKalb County, the commission is currently considering a special land-
Talley:
Continued from Page 6
Food scraps create methane when they go to the landfill and don’t decompose the right way. For Stevens, composting is a simple way for individuals to reduce their waste and give back to the Earth.
Stewart said that his primary takeaway from the pilot programs is that composting is attainable and can be successful in City Schools of Decatur (CSD).
“The team at Talley showed us that, and the pilot at DHS taught us some valuable lessons that we can implement for next year,” Stewart said.
CSD Chief Operating Officer Jarvis Adams has a goal to eliminate all plastic from school meals, which will require a variety of changes to the current nutrition program, such as getting rid of Styrofoam trays, prepackaged foods, and packaged condiments and utensils.
“This fall, the plan is to reimplement reusable trays at the lower elementary schools, using the dishwashers onsite to wash the trays every day,” Stewart said. “The switch back to reusable trays [at Talley] was relatively easy because the existing staff can handle the additional workload required to wash trays since there are relatively few students.”
He noted that additional cafeteria staff would be needed to handle the workload at DHS.
The ESB and CSD are still working through the details for next school year, but Stewart is hopeful
use permit application for a 2-millionsquare-foot facility in Ellenwood, in south DeKalb on 95 acres at 4358 and 4280 Loveless Place.
Data center regulations first came before the DeKalb County Commission last July. Since that time, commissioners voted numerous times to approve data center moratoriums as they and the community considered a proposed zoning ordinance.
The resolution and new moratorium call for any updated regulations to account for the county’s Department of Watershed Management protocols
Decatur High School receives five bins from CompostNow to collect compostable material during a pilot program in May.
that the district will switch to compostable trays for other schools.
The ESB recommends implementing compostable trays as part of a composting program to make the greatest impact.
“My personal goal would be to use the lessons we learned in this spring’s composting pilot to launch composting programs at each school in the fall,” Stewart said.
on water use and sewer capacity. It also requests that Chief Executive Officer Lorraine Cochran-Johnson direct other departments, including Public Safety, Transportation, Roads and Drainage, and Public Health, to identify potential impacts on their operations for consideration in drafting new regulations.
Davis Johnson said the new moratorium would allow time for the county to study how data centers affect areas beyond zoning.
“The planning department just deals with the zoning aspect and we’ve
PRINCESS PEACH
heard from the community … that there’s other aspects,” she said. Commissioner Ted Terry, who cast the only no vote on the resolution, accused his colleagues of “playing politics” by deciding now, after a year of debate, to include other county departments in creating data center regulations. He also blasted fellow commissioners for approving a resolution that brings in the CEO to conduct internal studies on how data centers impact communities, rather than requiring independent outside studies.
Princess Peach (ID# 59056342) is looking for someone to restore her to her rightful place (a home if a castle isn’t available.) She’s 4 years old, 60 lbs. and loves some TLC. Volunteers call her a sweet baby, timid but incredibly polite. She walks well on leash and enjoyed lots of pets from volunteers (if the blissful look on her face was any indication.) She adores treats and is a good girl with a heart full of love. She doesn’t need a castle, just a home and you!
Expand your family by four furry little feet; meet Princess Peach and have a loving friend forever. All adoptions include spay/neuter, vaccinations and microchip. All you have to do is provide the love and security that every shelter animal deserves! If you would like more information about Princess Peach or if you have questions about adopting, fostering or volunteering please email
or call 404-294-2165; all potential adopters will be screened to ensure Princess Peach goes to a good home. Come visit Princess Peach and hundreds of other adoptable pets at DeKalb County Animal Services today -- no appointment needed! Our address is 3280 Chamblee Dunwoody Road, Chamblee, GA 30340. We look forward to helping you find your new best friend!
If you can’t adopt, please consider fostering temporarily or come take one of our pups for a fun day out with our Dog for the Day program. This program is a great way to borrow a canine companion for a hike, a trip to the park, or a lazy day at home. Email foster@ dekalbanimalservices.com for more information about Dog for the Day. Your love and kindness can make all the difference.
Continued from Page 1
The proposed tax increase for a home with a basic homestead exemption and a fair market value of $650,000, not factoring in an assessment freeze, is approximately
$3.75, according to the city. Because Dunwoody’s property assessment freeze is mandated in its charter, no homestead property owners in Dunwoody will see a city tax bill increase this year, according to a city spokesperson. Only commercial properties, rental properties and properties without a homestead exception will pay higher taxes.
PET OF THE WEEK
ALEX STEWART/PROVIDED
Ham radio Field Day exercise tests readiness in emergency
By DEAN HESSE dean@appenmedia.com
DORAVILLE, Ga. — The Alford Memorial Radio Club and DeKalb Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) took part in the annual American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day exercise at Pleasantdale Park in Doraville during the 24-hour event, held June 27-28. About 100 people participated, according to club members on site.
David Ritchie, a club member and treasurer of the Stone Mountain Ham Fest, which the club sponsors each year, said the exercise tests operators' readiness to work outside their normal setups.
"The premise of this operation is an emergency preparedness drill," Ritchie said. "It gets us to get our equipment outside of our homes, where we're normally set up, so if there was a national emergency, we would basically be able to deploy."
In Memoriam
James Andrew Anchors
February 19, 1942 – June 30, 2026
Dr. James Andrew Anchors, 84, passed away on June 30th, 2026. While we are deeply saddened by his loss and will miss him terribly, we have peace knowing that he is once again reunited with his beloved bride, Barbara, after losing her just 7 months earlier.
Jim was born February 19th, 1942, in Atlanta, Georgia. He always had a larger than life personality, but was also focused and driven. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout, reflecting his dedication and character, and always knew he wanted to be a chiropractor. He was accepted to Logan Chiropractic College, and after he and Barbara married at the young age of 20, they moved to St. Louis, Missouri. Upon graduation, they moved back to Georgia, and he opened Anchors Clinic of Chiropractic in Dunwoody, serving the community for over 5 decades.
of Chiropractic Examiners. He also spent many years involved with Life University and was instrumental in growing it into the esteemed school it is today. He loved his family, which he showed in so many ways throughout the years. He was always present and took us on the best family vacations and so many weekend trips that we will never forget. He was truly the best husband, father, and grandfather.
He genuinely loved people, and his joy was contagious. He loved a good joke and a good laugh more than anyone. He was always smiling and lifting others up, and he never met a stranger. He truly lived a full, rewarding, and exceptional life.
He is survived by his daughter, Kim; his son, Brad, and his wife, Kristin; his grandchildren, Ella and Owen Anchors.
Throughout his distinguished career, Jim served in many roles in the Georgia Chiropractic Association and was appointed to both the Georgia and National Boards
A memorial service will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, July 25th, 2026, at Dunwoody United Methodist Church, with a reception immediately following in the fellowship hall.
Started in 1933, ARRL Field Day is the largest annual amateur radio emergency preparedness exercise and open house in North America, held each year on the fourth full weekend of June. Amateur, or "ham," radio operators set up temporary stations in public spaces to practice rapid equipment deployment and communicate with other stations under simulated disaster conditions.
The exercise serves three main purposes: emergency preparedness, public outreach and on-air operation. Operators practice working in abnormal environments and off-grid power situations, since standard infrastructure often fails during natural disasters. The event also functions as an open house, with clubs demonstrating their skills and inviting the public to learn about amateur radio. As an informal contest, participants try to make as many radio contacts as possible with other operators across the U.S. and Canada.
Operators set up in places ranging from remote fields and parks to local emergency operations centers, with organizers encouraging stations to rely entirely on alternative power sources such as batteries, solar panels or generators.
David Ritchie's wife, Cathy Ritchie, said the amateur radio community plays a key role in disaster response, providing emergency communications when other systems fail.
The Stone Mountain-based Alford Memorial Radio Club was founded in 1973 and gives amateur radio operators in the area a chance to learn, communicate and serve their community.
Michael Boatright operated his station from the back of a U-Haul truck during the exercise. He said the event highlights a capability many people don't realize hams have: the ability to keep communicating after other systems go down.
"Everything we're operating on right now is on emergency power," Boatright said. "This truck is providing power to us, but if that goes out, I switch right over to my battery. If a tornado were to hit the county and knock out power or knock out the phones, we stay on the air."
Boatright said his club works with DeKalb County's emergency management agency and keeps a station at the agency's office at fire headquarters.
"It's more than a hobby — it's an essential public safety service," he said.
Jim Penland, emergency coordinator for DeKalb ARES, said local ham operators provide communications support for major events, including the Peachtree Road Race on July 4.
"We have operators in the AtlantaFulton County EMA office in case of security issues, and we also do medical dispatch," Penland said.
For more information on the Alford Memorial Radio Club, visit www.totrradio.org.
— Photos by Dean Hesse
John DeRoo wears a hat bearing his call sign and an official American Radio Relay League (ARRL) Field Day shirt at Pleasantdale Park in Doraville June 28.
Jim Penland, emergency coordinator for DeKalb ARES (Amateur Radio Emergency Service), stands in the back of a rental truck from which members transmitted during the annual ARRL (American Radio Relay League) Field Day exercise at Pleasantdale Park in Doraville June 28.
OPINION
Small steps, not grand gestures, can heal division
“The earth turns, but we don’t feel it move. Then one night you look up, one spark, and the sky is on fire.” — Amsterdam Vallon, “Gangs of New York”
Political polarization rarely arrives with a bang. It seeps in quietly through hardened rhetoric, siloed media and the slow erosion of shared civic ground.
It’s tempting to treat polarization as a modern phenomenon, fueled by the invention of social media and 24hour cable news. But the truth is that polarization thrives when institutions
AIKENOMICS
fail to evolve alongside the people they serve. When systems become rigid, unresponsive or perceived as unfair, frustration hardens into distrust, and distrust calcifies into division.
That’s why change, even incremental change, matters — not because it offers a quick fix, but because it signals responsiveness. It tells people the system can still hear them.
Consider our most powerful institutions. Congress, for example, is structurally incentivized toward gridlock and partisan entrenchment. The Supreme Court, meanwhile, faces growing public skepticism about its impartiality. These aren’t fringe concerns. They’re mainstream anxieties. Addressing them doesn’t require tearing everything down — it requires
thoughtful recalibration. Ethical, procedural and transparency reforms are not radical ideas, but they are meaningful steps toward stronger, more accountable government. They recognize that institutions are not sacred relics but living systems that must evolve to remain relevant and effective. Failure to adapt risks not only ineffectiveness but also deeper political division.
Adaptation is not a sign of weakness. It’s a sign of vitality.
Look at baseball, famous for its reverence for tradition. For decades, it resisted modernization, clinging to its rhythms and rules as if they were sacrosanct.
Then viewership declined alongside shifting cultural habits. Leadership changed. They introduced the pitch
clock and other rule changes to speed up play. The efforts to make the game more engaging weren’t betrayals of baseball’s essence — they were acts of preservation. By evolving, the sport is trying to ensure that new generations will care about it.
Political polarization feeds on the belief that nothing can change, that the system is broken, that the other side is not just wrong but unreachable. Breaking that cycle doesn’t start with grand gestures. It starts with small, visible steps that restore a sense of movement — proof that the “earth” is turning in ways we can actually feel.
If we ignore the quiet shifts, if we dismiss incremental change as insufficient, we risk waking up one night to find the sky already on fire.
Several factors will govern whether mortgage rates fall
D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist dcaiken.com
Last week offered the markets their first real glimpse of the “new Federal Reserve” under Chairman Kevin Warsh. Investors, economists, and political observers were watching closely for signs that the Fed might align itself with President Trump’s repeated calls for lower interest rates.
Instead, the Federal Open Market Committee chose to leave rates unchanged.
While the decision was widely expected, what surprised many was the Fed’s willingness to keep the possibility of a rate increase on the table later this year. That stance highlights the difficult position policymakers currently face. The White House is advocating for lower rates at a time when inflation has climbed to 4.2 percent, its highest level in three years. Yet reducing rates while inflation remains elevated is akin to trying to extinguish a fire with gasoline.
It may feel proactive, but the outcome is rarely what anyone hopes for.
From a monetary policy perspective, the Fed’s caution is understandable. Inflation remains well above its longrun target, while unemployment has remained relatively stable. Under these conditions, the central bank has little incentive to begin easing policy prematurely. In fact, if labor market conditions strengthen further while inflation persists at current levels, the argument for additional tightening becomes considerably stronger.
This creates an unusual economic paradox. Normally, stronger employment is celebrated as an unequivocal positive. Today, however, every surprisingly strong jobs report may increase the probability of higher interest rates. It’s one of the few situations in economics where good news can immediately become bad news — and then somehow be spun as good news again on financial television.
So where does this leave mortgage rates?
The outlook is cautiously optimistic. I expect inflationary pressures to moderate over the next six months,
Inflation remains well
D.C. AIKEN
Senior
VP of Lending, CrossCountry Mortgage
aided in part by declining energy prices as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to ease. If inflation trends lower, mortgage rates should gradually follow.
Earlier this year, mortgage rates briefly dipped below 6 percent, helping stimulate purchase activity during the first quarter. A return to rates beginning with a “5” later this year could once again unlock pent-
up housing demand and improve affordability for many buyers.
That said, expectations should remain grounded. While rates below 6 percent appear achievable, forecasts calling for sustained mortgage rates in the mid-5 percent range remain optimistic. Economic forecasting is difficult enough without pretending the crystal ball actually works.
For now, the most likely scenario is one of gradual improvement rather than dramatic relief. Inflation appears poised to cool, mortgage rates may drift lower, and housing activity could strengthen modestly. But barring a significant economic slowdown, borrowers hoping for the ultra-low rates of years past may need to keep hoping a little longer.
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.
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