Meet the recent Eagle Scouts ► PAGE 5
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Owen McDonald stands next to his younger brother Cooper McDonald at the U.S. Olympic Team Trials June 15. Both were participants in the trials. HALEY MCDONALD/ PROVIDED
Milton brothers swim to Olympic time trials By HANNAH FRAZER hannah@appenmedia.com NORTH METRO ATLANTA — Owen McDonald and his younger brother Cooper fulfilled their aspirations of qualifying for the U.S. Olympic Team Trials in swimming. It’s not everyday that sibling rivalry occurs at the most elite level of athletic competition, but for the McDonald brothers, it was pure excitement to be living their dream together rather than competing against each other during the trials in Indianapolis. “It was like a big dream come true,” Cooper said. “I am doing this with my brother, and there is no one else I would rather do it with.” The Rivers Academy graduates,
from Milton, got their start at Dynamo Swim Club in Alpharetta. The company, with two more locations in Chamblee and Oakhurst, is home to many competitive swimmers. Dynamo was also the starting ground for fellow Rivers Academy graduate Brooks Curry, whose team earned gold in the 2020 Summer Olympics in the 4-by-200-meter relay. Curry, from Dunwoody, is set to compete again this year in the same style. Owen, 20, qualified in the trials for the 200-meter freestyle, 100-meter freestyle, 200-meter backstroke, and 200-meter Individual Medley.
See BROTHERS, Page 6
New Georgia law that makes swatting calls a felony takes effect By KATE VERITY Georgia Recorder ATLANTA — Georgia Senate Bill 421, one of many pieces of legislation that went into effect July 1, aims to increase punishment for those behind so-called
swatting calls in order to deter future harrowing law enforcement false alarms in Georgia. With new potential to face steeper consequences, Georgia lawmakers intend to counter the increased number of swatting calls seen in recent years.
Swatting is the colloquial name for when a person calls 911 or emergency services and invokes a response from law enforcement – often a SWAT team – by intentionally reporting a fake emergency. High profile people are frequently the target of these incidents.
Georgia’s Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene has beentargeted numerous times at her Rome home throughout her political career. State Sen. Clint Dixon, a Gwinnett
See SWATTING, Page 7