SEE THE WINNERS INSIDE S e p t e m b e r 2 6 , 2 0 2 4 | A p p e n M e d i a . c o m | A n A p p e n M e d i a G r o u p P u b l i c a t i o n | 5 0 ¢ | Vo l u m e 1 9 , N o . 3 9
Appeals court affirms $32.5 million judgment against Milton By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com MILTON, Ga. — The Georgia Court of Appeals affirmed a Fulton County jury’s verdict Sept. 16 citing Milton’s role in the death of a 21-year-old college student in November 2016. Last June, the jury delivered a verdict in favor of Joshua Chang’s parents,
awarding them more than $30 million in damages. Milton’s defense rested on sovereign immunity, the state’s constitutional doctrine intended to protect municipalities from lawsuits. The Court of Appeals heard the case after Milton appealed the jury’s decision. Chang, a senior with a full-ride scholarship to Yale University, died Nov.
18, 2016, after hitting a concrete planter along Batesville Road on his way home during Thanksgiving break. With the Court of Appeals affirming the jury’s decision, Milton is ordered to pay the victim’s family $32.5 million with post-judgement interest. An attorney for the Chang family said he estimates the interest accrued is around $3.5 million.
According to court documents, the victim’s family made seven offers to settle the case, ranging from $1.75 to $10 million just before the trial, which attorneys representing the city rejected. A statement from the Milton Communications Department says it respects the appeal court’s decision
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Students offer up ‘Acts of Kindness’ By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
AMBER PERRY/APPEN MEDIA
Students and parents pack “fall fun bags” Sept. 18 in Crabapple Crossing Elementary’s cafeteria, intended for 130 local foster families served by Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry.
MILTON, Ga. — More than 100 students from all grades at Crabapple Crossing Elementary lined up in the cafeteria Sept. 18 to pack bags full of donations. The bags were to be delivered to two local nonprofits — Fostering Together, a local foster care ministry, and the STAR House Foundation, a Roswellbased organization that provides after-school tutoring and mentoring to at-risk youth. The PTO-led initiative is part of “Raise Craze,” an online fundraising platform that enables participants to complete “Acts of Kindness,” rather than by selling items. During the fundraiser, customers of the nearby Starbucks are due to receive acts of kindness as well. The shop donated 700 coffee sleeves for students to decorate with kindness messages and artwork. Christina Lea, PTO vice president of operations and lead of the Acts of Kindness Committee, said she felt honored to be a part of a PTO team full of talented
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Caroline Nalisnick C: 404.513.9226 | Caroline@HOMEgeorgia.com
Sam DiVito C: 404.803.5999 | Sam@HOMEgeorgia.com
Allison Kloster C: 404.784.5287 | Allison@HOMEgeorgia.com