Milton Herald - February 19, 2026

City buys time for alterations to AG-1 zoning

By HANNAH YAHNE Hannah@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Following a public hearing Feb. 9, the Milton City Council voted 6-1 to extend a moratorium on applications for minor subdivision plats zoned Agricultural Residential (AG-1).

The extension is for up to 120 days and affects land subdivided into lots that exceed 3 acres or any size parcels into three lots or less.

Virtually all residential land in Milton is zoned AG-1, requiring specific lot sizes and setbacks to preserve the bucolic aesthetic the city seeks to maintain.

Three residents spoke in favor of the extension, saying more public input is needed before any changes are made to the city’s zoning code.

“What do we want to encourage as a city when it comes to development of our land?” resident Tony Rich asked the council.

Resident Leila Hasanovic raised concerns that as lots become smaller, the agricultural uses the city supports become increasingly constrained and incompatible with development.

The moratorium was implemented in January to allow staff an opportunity to conduct case studies and make recommendations to the council on potential changes to AG-1 zoning regulations.

See ZONING, Page 28

Bears forward Carter Higdon, No. 15, shares a greeting with childhood teammate Centennial’s Jaden

after the game at Cambridge High School Feb. 10. Higdon posted 31 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks against the Knights.

Cambridge completes season sweep of Centennial

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — Cambridge hosted Centennial High for a double header Feb. 10 where the visiting Knights were sent home winless for their last game of the regular season.

While both games were tight at the start, the Bears finished with doubledigit wins. The girls came out on top,

GIRLS BASKETBALL: BEARS 55, KNIGHTS 29

BOYS BASKETBALL: BEARS 70, KNIGHTS 41

55-29, and the boys posted a 70-41 lead by the final buzzer.

Cambridge girls head coach Shanteona Keys said the team’s defense propelled their play, and she was pleased with how all 15 players performed.

Before being hired as the varsity

head coach, Keys coached feeder basketball for the Bears. She reflected on five years of coaching the class of 2026.

“They’re the only group that I’ll ever have coached for five years,” she said. “I could only teach them because of the attitudes that they have. They come in here working, they’ve always been competitive.”

See BASKETBALL, Page 29

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AT&T telephone poles stripped for copper

ROSWELL, Ga. — For the third time in two weeks, the Roswell Police Department received reports of AT&T telephone poles cut and stripped for copper.

The most recent incident occurred Feb. 3 on Atlanta Street. An AT&T construction supervisor said they were notified of a power outage at 9 a.m. and called 911 after arriving on the scene.

Employees with AT&T said that the amount of copper taken would have been too heavy for one person to carry. They told officers of three other instances in January where copper was stolen from AT&T telephone poles.

The damage is estimated at between $50,00 and $100,000.

— Hannah Yahne

Roswell man arrested, charged with robbery

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 37-year-old Roswell man was arrested on a charge of robbery by intimidation Jan. 17.

Alpharetta police said officers were dispatched to a North Main Street business about noon after a shoplifting was reported. A store manager said the man threatened store employees while stealing more than $300 of food and drink.

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Officers obtained a description of the suspect and apprehended him nearby.

Employees followed the man through the store as he allegedly selected various items and concealed them in a backpack. The man threatened to kill the employees as he was stealing, police said.

Employees described the man’s tone

as threatening and erratic, police said. Officers recovered the allegedly stolen items from the man’s backpack and placed him under arrest.

— Jon Wilcox

Police investigate theft of $2,500 in clothing

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Police investigated a reported shoplifting of thousands of dollars worth of children’s clothing from a North Point Mall department store Jan. 14.

Alpharetta police officers were dispatched to the business for a shoplifting that occurred Jan. 13.

Various items of children’s clothing were reported stolen. The clothing had a value of almost $2,500.

Officers viewed security camera recordings that showed two men stealing the clothing, according to the police report. The men stuffed the clothes into black trash bags before fleeing on foot.

The incident was classified as a felony theft by shoplifting of more than $500.

— Jon Wilcox

Alabama man found unconscious at wheel

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 43-yearold Mobile, Ala., man was arrested on drug and intoxicated driving charges Jan. 20 after deputies reported finding him passed out in his vehicle on Shady Grove Road near Lake Lanier.

The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office said deputies were dispatched about 3:30 a.m. to the report of a crash at a roundabout on Shady Grove Road just south of Cagle Drive.

Deputies reported finding the man asleep at the wheel with white foam coming from his nose. Law enforcement officers conducted a driving under the influence investigation and found the man to be intoxicated, the sheriff’s report said.

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In the man’s pocket, deputies found a Seroquel pill, an antipsychotic medication that can produce sedation, the sheriff’s report said.

The man was charged with misdemeanor sale, distribution or possession of dangerous drugs, driving under the influence of drugs and prescription not in original container.

— Jon Wilcox

Police say female suspect used stolen keys in thefts

ROSWELL, Ga. — A woman was arrested Feb. 3 after Roswell police received reports of a burglary at a multiuse complex on Alpharetta Street.

An individual matching the description of the suspect was leaving a parking garage when police arrived on scene. It was reported that she had broken into multiple businesses after hours using the master keys that had been missing since Feb. 1.

When police stopped the subject, she was carrying a bag with two laptops and the missing keys. All items were returned to their owners.

— Hannah Yahne

Man says online contact led to sexual extortion

FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office investigated a report of online sexual extortion Jan. 23.

A man reported that he had made contact with a girl on Tinder and continued communicating with her on Instagram and Whatsapp at her request.

The man said he sent a video of himself undressed. Soon after, he received a phone call from an unidentified person who threatened to publish the video unless he paid $1,000.

Deputies advised the man the extorters would likely demand additional money if he paid.

The incident was classified as a misdemeanor sexual extortion.

— Jon Wilcox

FBI investigates Fulton County handling of 2020 ballots

By ZOE SEILER zoe@appenmedia.com

ATLANTA — The search warrant related to the FBI raid of a Fulton County elections hub shows the investigation is tied to the 2020 election results and possible “defects” in the Fulton County results.

The FBI executed a search warrant at 5600 Campbellton Fairburn Road in Union City Jan. 28.

During a press conference on Jan. 29, Fulton Elections Board Chair Sherri Allen said 700 boxes of documents were taken. She added that agents also looked at other documents “that we did not believe had anything to do with 2020.”

The search warrant was for all physical ballots from the 2020 general election in Fulton County, all tabulator tapes from the voting machines, all ballot images produced during the ballot count on Nov. 3, 2020, and all voter rolls from the 2020 general election.

The U.S. Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division sued Fulton County Court Clerk Che Alexander in December 2025.

The lawsuit claims that Attorney General Pam Bondi sent a letter to the Fulton County Elections Board in October 2025

demanding records responsive to a State Election Board resolution.

A subpoena requested “all used and void ballots, stubs of all ballots, signature envelopes and corresponding envelope

digital files from the 2020 general election in Fulton County.”

A hearing was scheduled for Feb. 9, 2026, regarding the transfer of the 2020 election documents to the state.

An FBI special agent with the Atlanta Field Office’s Public Corruption Squad requested the search warrant.

“Following the Nov. 3, 2020, presidential election, there were many allegations of electoral impropriety relating to the voting process and ballot counting in Fulton County, Georgia,” the affidavit says. “Some of those allegations have been disproven, while some of those allegations have been substantiated, including through admissions by Fulton County.”

The search warrant was part of an FBI criminal investigation into whether any improprieties were intentional acts. The investigation was initiated by a referral from Kurt Olsen, the director of election security and integrity, who was appointed by President Donald Trump. Olsen also served as Trump’s 2020 campaign lawyer and now serves as an administration official overseeing the attempt to investigate Trump’s loss, according to the Associated Press.

Trump lost the 2020 election after serving his first term in office. He lost the national vote by about 7 million votes to Joe Biden and lost Georgia by 11,779 votes. Trump has maintained that he won the 2020 election.

See BALLOTS, Page 28

Down & Derby fundraiser to benefit Children’s Healthcare

MILTON, Ga. — For its fourth year, the Milton Friends’ Down & Derby event supporting Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta will be held at The Green at Crabapple Market, Saturday, May 2 from 5:30-10 p.m.

This year’s event will offer a live viewing of the Kentucky Derby, festive cocktails and Southern-inspired bites.

Down & Derby is the largest single-day fundraiser in Milton and has raised more than $675,000 to support Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta since 2022. This year, Milton Friends of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta hopes to exceed more than $1 million in donations.

Funds raised will directly support the patient and family experience at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. This includes programs such as the Zone (a hang-out and game center for patients), art and music therapy, chaplaincy and summer camps.

“Every year, Down & Derby raises the bar in bringing Milton residents together to support Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and those families who rely on them in times of need,” Mayor Peyton Jamison said. “This is what community is all about – helping those who need it – and I’m excited to see the people of Milton step up yet again.”

General admission tickets will go on sale March 18 and can be purchased online. Sponsorships are available for purchase.

The Milton Friends of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta is a volunteer group that brings communities together in support of patients at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. To learn more about how to get involved in the Milton Friends, email friendsofchoamilton@gmail.com. — Hannah Yahne

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King’s Ridge dedicates John Smoltz Complex

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — King’s Ridge Christian School hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony Feb. 9 for its new baseball and softball complex and dedicated the name to school founder and Braves legend John Smoltz.

The ceremony was well-attended by students, parents, board members and other members of the King’s Ridge community. After the ribbon cutting, a memorial bench was dedicated to honor victims of a tragedy that hit close to home, the death of the Van Epps family.

In his remarks at the ceremony, Smoltz said that he previously stated he would never allow anything to be named after him at KRCS, but outside of the school he’s no stranger. 2.1 miles of Old Milton Parkway were named the John Smoltz Highway in Aug. 2017.

Smoltz was previously attributed to saying that he’d prefer the complex to be named after a teacher at the school, but the administration planned the name as a surprise.

Smoltz turned down a big paycheck from the Yankees to stay with the Braves in 2001 to keep his children in school at KRCS and has remained in North Fulton after retirement from the MLB. Smoltz played 20 seasons for the Braves and recorded over 3,000 strikeouts.

The school broke ground on the complex in April 2024 and there are further plans to add press boxes, concessions, locker rooms and indoor hitting facilities on-site.

The athletic department also has plans on the books to build tennis courts on campus.

Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison made an appearance to support the school his three children attend and to memorialize two high school classmates.

“[King’s Ridge] has come a very long way over 25 years,” he said. “It’s just amazing what the school has done over 25 years and where it’s going. It’s growing not only in academics, but also school sports.”

King’s Ridge Athletic Director Mike Power, who came to KRCS after 17 years as the AD at Roswell High, also serves as the Tigers head baseball coach and has been with the school for six years.

“[The new facility] is a blessing,” he said. “You can see the excitement and the enthusiasm, and we’ve got a lot of people here that want the best for their kids.”

The 90-plus acre campus has plans for a connecting road from the Smoltz complex to the student center, according to Power.

Van Epps family friend and KRCS parent Matt Capps spoke at the dedication of the memorial bench and shared memories of enjoying time with Ryan, Laura, James Ryan (J.R.) and Harrison.

Capps coached J.R. in football and

baseball and remembered the work ethic and athletic drive of both brothers.

J.R. hit a grand slam and posted a strong performance pitching in the

tournament he and his family were on the way home from when tragedy struck.

“It’s just, the impact that J.R. and Harrison had not just on me, but the

community, our kids, the school,” Capps said. “The way they went about everything they did was just special. Not just the Van Epps family, but the King’s Ridge family, has been through a lot… there’s a hole.”

Before KRCS, the Van Epps brothers played football for the Milton feeder program, which has also made efforts to honor and memorialize the Van Epps family.

Ryan and Laura, who were both lacrosse players at Roswell High School, were remembered for their contributions to the KRCS community.

A bench in the John Smoltz Baseball & Softball Complex will provide an opportunity to celebrate life and remember the devotion of two loving parents and two devoted athletes.

KRCS Head of School Tony Fajardo said he was “deeply grateful to those who helped make the memorial possible.”

“Laura and Ryan chose Christian education because they believed in raising their boys in faith, character and strong relationships,” he said. “They loved this school, they loved the people, they loved the mission. They weren’t just a part of King’s Ridge, they invested in it, walked alongside it and helped shape it.”

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Milton girls basketball falls to Buford

By ANNABELLE REITER annabelle@appenmedia.com

MILTON, Ga. — The Milton High girls pushed the No. 2 team in the state into overtime Feb. 12 but wrapped up regular season play on the short end of a 67-61 loss to Buford.

The game featured two nominees to the McDonald’s All-American Game –Milton’s Caroline Young and Buford’s Lydia Ledford. Young is committed to Berry College and Ledford to TennesseeChattanooga.

Young posted 14 points, 14 rebounds and three steals to boost her career scoring total above 1,000 points.

She said she came into the game focused on boxing out, and it showed with a strong rebounding performance that propelled her offensive production with several putbacks and fastbreak opportunities.

Milton sophomore Aaleanna Milord held Ledford to 13 points, forcing stops at several critical moments in the fourth quarter. Milord struggled shooting against Buford but made several loose ball and team-minded plays to make an impact off the stats sheet.

Junior Deyva Davis led the Eagles in scoring with 25 points and also grabbed four steals despite missing shootaround due to illness earlier in the day.

Davis said she “always feels better once she starts moving.” The first game to go to overtime for the Eagles this season, Davis said a tough opponent like Buford is sure to strengthen her team’s play in the postseason.

Neck-and-neck through the first quarter, only one possession separated the teams in the first frame. Buford pulled ahead in the second by forcing turnovers and stringing together stops.

With four- and six-point runs, the Eagles cut the deficit from 11 to four points going into halftime.

Buford then went on another run to build their largest lead of the game at 12 points near the end of the third. The Wolves’ have only one loss this season.

The Eagles started to find their rhythm once again to tighten the deficit.

Milord rebounded an errant shot in the final frame and the ball ended up in the hands of sophomore Grace Musselman, who drained a 3-pointer to tie the score at 46. The shot sealed a 9-0 Milton run, and they continued to ride the momentum into overtime.

Milton head coach Triston Cooper said the game against Buford was valuable, and he has drawn inspiration from Wolves coach Gene Durden’s culture building.

Milton sophomore Aaleanna Milord, center,

rebound led to a 3-pointer that tied the

“I’m very proud of my girls tonight because not only did they respond, they showed resilience for all 36 minutes,”

Cooper said. “We just kept fighting, kept fighting, kept fighting, and eventually we made some shots down the stretch and were able to send it to overtime.”

But, the Eagles couldn’t sustain the push, and the Wolves pulled away.

“In overtime, we ran out of gas a little bit, but I couldn’t be more proud of my girls, [and how] they competed,” Cooper said.

Milton girls move to 21-4 on the season, with just two in-state losses to Holy Innocents and Buford.

Only three of the 21 wins were by less than 15 points – 14 points over Seckinger, 13 over Starrs Mill and eight over Lanier. Nine games ended with a lead larger than 30 points.

Milton has suffered two losses to Buford this season, first in football Aug. 13 and now girls basketball.

SCREENSHOT

The Johns Creek City Council votes Feb. 9 to approve an ordinance change that allows electric bikes on sidewalks and paths but not in city parks.

Johns Creek passes measure allowing e-bikes on pathways

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — On a split vote Feb. 9, the Johns Creek City Council ruled to allow use of electric bicycles on the same pathways as traditional bikes.

The vote was 4-3.

The ordinance change allows electric bikes on sidewalks, except at city parks. Electric bikes that can exceed 28 mph will be restricted to roadways only.

Traditional bicycles are allowed on sidewalks, paths and city parks.

The vote follows months of discussions prompted by the rise in popularity of electric-powered bicycles and safety concerns.

Mayor John Bradberry and council members Dilip Tunki, Stacy Skinner and Erin Elwood voted for the ordinance.

Council members Bob Erramilli, Chris Coughlin and Larry DiBiase dissented, saying they preferred to give electric bike riders access to park paths.

DiBiase said he saw allowing ebikes at city parks as a question of common sense, especially considering

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their rise in popularity.

Between 2018 and 2022, sales of e-bikes rose from around 250,000 per year to more than a million, according to Harvard Health Publishing.

DiBiase said he thinks it’s impractical to ask a rider to park their electric bicycle at the entrance of a park after riding there.

“I don’t think it’s realistic that someone is going to take an e-bike, go from their house, go to Newtown Park and park it outside,” DiBiase said.

Bradberry countered that point.

“But, by that logic, if someone was on a motorbike or a moped, we should let them come in and ride that, as well,” the mayor said.

Council members debated concerns over pedestrians when adding e-bikes on pathways. Some members questioned whether e-bikes’ electric motors might result in dangerous speeds.

Brian O’Connor, Public Works director, said Parks and Recreation staff recommended restricting e-bikes from parks to promote safety with pedestrians because of their speed.

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It’s a direct call to action, and the growth in the students we’re seeing is incredible. It’s beyond what any classroom can provide.

SWARUP KESARKAR, Co-CEO of Alpharetta Print Shop

Student print shop teaches business skills while turning profit

By HANNAH YAHNE Hannah@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — For 30 minutes each day, the 10-member team of Alpharetta High School Print Shop is in full swing, writing invoices and designing banners to drape the school’s walls.

Since its launch in 2023, the Alpharetta Print Shop has turned into a lucrative business and popular extracurricular among students. This past year, only four spots were open to 33 applicants.

“You’re dealing with real money, and you have real clients that have real requirements,” said Swarup Kesarkar, the co-CEO of Alpharetta Print Shop.

The enterprise serves more than 100 clients.

Clients can request designs and pick from various paper types, like vinyl, glossy or matte. The print shop offers high-quality materials at an affordable price with each paper material costing less than $20 a foot.

Most current clients are programs at Alpharetta High, Kesarkar said. Last September, the print shop designed and printed banners for each of the school’s student organizations in time for Raider Fest, a community celebration featuring a parade, food and information about all 86 clubs.

The Alpharetta Print Shop started as a fundraising effort for the school’s chapter of the Future Business Leaders of America (FBLA). Now, it serves as a stepping stone for students aspiring to become FBLA officers.

“The print shop was kind of necessary for FBLA’s success, because FBLA is so big that we need some pillars to sustain it,” Kesarkar said.

The student organization is a business, Kesarkar said, and it helps create responsible and forward-thinking leaders at a young age.

BUSINESSPOSTS

Members of Alpharetta High School’s student-run print shop gather Feb. 5 after a 30-minute session that included confirming orders and matching invoices to order forms.

Print:

Continued from Page 10

“Everyone has to learn how to communicate with each other and kind of grow together to understand how to operate this business the most efficient way possible,” he said.

It has evolved into being an irreplaceable Career and Technical Student Organization, Kesarkar said.

Fulton County Schools is taking notice, and the small business is pitching that the district start a

Just opened?

print shop at each high school to give students a real path to business operations.

Not only is it a learning opportunity for students, but the Alpharetta Print Shop has saved the school thousands of dollars by having in-house printing access.

“It’s a direct call to action, and the growth in the students we’re seeing is incredible,” Kesarkar said. “It’s beyond what any classroom can provide.”

To place an order with the Alpharetta Print Shop, visit the Alpharetta High School website or email alpharettaprintshop@gmail.com.

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Arts Center features Black History Month exhibit

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A Black History Month art exhibit in Johns Creek challenges visitors to ask themselves big questions.

Althea Foster, curator and program director for The Arts Center at Johns Creek, said the almost 40 works from esteemed museums are not only beautiful, but they are imbued with meaning.

“It is also about communicating truth,” Foster said. “Maybe it will change the way you feel about things, and maybe it won't, but it's a very human experience that we can all share.”

Now through March 7, The Arts Center, 6290 Abbotts Bridge Road, Building 700, will host “Black Joy as Power and Resistance: African American Printmakers.” It features prints from a variety of techniques, many by contemporary artists.

The works are on loan from Atlanta’s High Museum of Art, New York’s The Museum of Modern Art and Whitney Museum of American Art , among others. The display marks the 12th annual Black History Month exhibit by The Arts Center at Johns Creek.

“This exhibition is particularly special because we have been able to borrow works from museums that are considered the deans of African American art,” Foster said.

Whether visitors are artistically uninitiated or well-studied, Foster said she thinks the works will spark feeling and thought.

For example, a series of prints titled “Flowers of Trees 1, 2, 3 and 4” by Savannah artist Laurie Darby holds a hidden meaning.

“You look at them and you say, ‘Oh, these are very lovely,’” Foster said. Then when you read the artist statement, you find out that she remembers her grandfather's stories of people being lynched from magnolia trees.”

Many of the works are more hopeful. Jerushia Graham’s “Architect of Futures Yet Unseen,” one of Foster’s favorites, shows an innocent child and evokes “a universal sense of humanity that surpasses race,” Foster said.

“You look at this child, and you imagine what they might achieve,” she said.

“Cornbread and Buttermilk” by Curlee Raven Holton tells the life experiences of an elderly man in America. Layered with text, it recounts the experiences of a Black man in America.

“You're getting a lot of different perspectives,” Foster said.

The messages within the works at The Arts Center are more important than ever, the museum curator said. As some work to discredit the importance of marginalized groups in the country, works found in the exhibit demonstrate the power and beauty of experiences of all people.

“We can look at these as specifically African American, but they're American works,” Foster said. “These people have made their place in American art, and their works deserve to be shown.”

“That’s So Zora,” a screenprint by

February.

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ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT

BY: JON WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA

Althea Foster, curator and program director for The Arts Center at Johns Creek, looks at “For Whites Only,” a serigraph by Faith Ringgold on loan from the Experimental Print Institute, Feb. 6.

Alpharetta mayor: Big news coming soon for North Point Mall

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Alpharetta could see movement in the redevelopment of North Point Mall within the coming weeks.

Mayor Jim Gilvin announced during his State of the City address Feb. 5 the mall’s owner New York Life Co. “has engaged a new local partner to help shape its vision of transforming North Point Mall into an arena-centric, mixeduse destination.”

Contacted Feb. 10 for an update, the mayor said he still has no other details, but added he was told an announcement clarifying the progress could be made within the next couple of weeks.

Once a premier commercial shopping destination, North Point Mall has suffered economic setbacks with the openings of mega mixeduse developments like Avalon and Alpharetta City Center.

The mall and its surrounding area has been the focus of a renewed push for reinvestment by city officials with the creation of a new tax allocation district and a plan that reimagines the area as a more green, walkable and mixed-use community.

New York Life previously said it plans to create a mixed-use project around an NHL franchise.

A project at the proposed mega mixeduse development The Gathering at South

Forsyth also is seeking a hockey franchise.

Gilvin said redevelopment of the mall by New York Life and a partner could benefit the tax district and the city’s ef-

forts to improve the area. The mall and a potential redevelopment plan of it is a central feature of the tax district, Gilvin said.

“It’s part of the whole reason we are trying to redevelop the whole corridor,” Gilvin said.

A study commissioned by the Alpharetta City Council showed the taxable real estate value of nine mall parcels has fallen by about 47 percent since 2019.

Estimated 2024 city, county and school district property taxes on mall real estate and commercial personal property fell by nearly 53.5 percent compared to five years ago.

“It’s critical to the corridor moving into a redevelopment mode,” Gilvin said. “We can’t kick it off until there is some clarity on the North Point Mall redevelopment because it is the biggest part of the whole project.”

Gilvin said he’s eager to learn what direction New York Life may take the mall and remains optimistic.

“Everybody in the City of Alpharetta organization would have liked to make more progress, but that’s not reality,” the mayor said. “We don’t own the mall. We don’t own all the surrounding properties … We have to be patient.”

Rotary plunge raises $220,00 for charities

By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com

ALPHARETTA, Ga. — Burke Lewis had one thing on his mind when he leaped into the Wills Park Pool Feb. 7.

“I just wanted to help people,” the 10-year-old Milton boy said.

As temperatures hovered in the mid-40s, Burke and scores of others braved the cold at the Rotary Club of Alpharetta’s annual Polar Bear Plunge. Launched in 2018, the plunge has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars this year.

This year’s plunge saw more than 1,635 donors contributing more than $220,000 to 235 causes.

Burke raised almost $8,500 for Champions Community Foundation, which serves young adults with physical disabilities. Other charities included the Lionheart Life Center, Meals by Grace, the Jafuta Foundation and more.

Despite the cold, spirits ran hot poolside.

Many divers donned costumes.

One lederhosen wearing group wore Bavarian themed dress. Others opted for capes and superhero costumes.

A penguin-masked, tuxedo-wearing Tom Diaz elicited cheers atop the diving board after a lifeguard asked him to remove his dress shoes for safety reasons.

Few lingered in the chilling water, swimming as fast as they could for the pool ladders, where they emerged with steam rising from their bodies.

Kile Lewis, Burke’s father and founder of the event, said he never imagined it would become so popular.

“I actually got a lot of pushback,” he said. “People thought I was nuts the first year.”

Then a new arrival from Ohio, he thought Alpharetta residents might just be crazy — and charitable — enough for it to work. His goal now is for it to reach a cumulative million dollars in raised funds.

“Look how many people are out here this morning,” he said. “It’s amazing.”

$100,000: What it costs to fight for public records

Dear reader, With so much happening in the news and in our day-to-day lives, you might not have seen this update:

A Fulton County judge recently ordered Sandy Springs to turn over previously withheld documents to Appen Media in an ongoing public records lawsuit.

We've now been in court for almost three years, pushing for public access to police incident reports the department is trying to withhold.

During that time, we've written a few stories and columns about the case. Plus, our newsroom has been able to produce some hard-hitting articles based on limited records we've been able to obtain thus far.

But to date, I haven't mentioned one critical piece of information:

Our small, locally owned newspaper group has now spent nearly $100,000 fighting for these records. Why?

Because it matters.

Transparency begets transparency. The inverse is also true.

These are reports that police departments across the state regularly release to the public. And yet, we have been unable to access them from Sandy Springs without going to court.

We do not have endless resources –far from it.

But we do have our readers, and I hope this example shows you why that's so important.

If you believe these records should be public, consider supporting our work.

You can make a recurring or onetime gift at appenmedia.com/join. Alternatively, you can mail a check to 319 N. Main St., Alpharetta, GA. 30009. Just make it out to Appen Media Group and put “Records” in the memo.

Thank you for your support and continued readership.

This article first appeared as an email the author sent Appen Media and Sandy Springs Crier readers on Feb. 6. Help support the newsroom today at appenmedia.com/join.

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

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My values have always included a deep respect for education, a strong belief in parental responsibility and a firm commitment to freedom of thought. That’s why I’m alarmed to see legislators once again advancing a bill that would threaten institutions that have served our communities for generations: our public and school libraries.

Senate Bill 74 would remove longstanding legal protections for librarians and expose them to criminal prosecution if they lend a book later deemed “harmful to minors” under a vague state definition. You might think this sounds like hyperbole, but the truth is dark: it would be a criminal misdemeanor – punishable with possible jail time – for simply doing the work librarians have done for decades.

That’s not conservative principles. That’s not common sense. That’s legislative overreach that would undermine the very foundations of learning.

For decades, Georgia law has protected librarians from prosecution for circulating materials that some people might interpret as harmful to minors. That protection wasn’t given accidentally. Legislators recognized that libraries are centers of learning and community support, not places where adults should fear incarceration for exercising professional judgment.

Now, that protection is at risk. Lawmakers today argue this simply holds librarians to the same standards as other citizens. But government already has laws against distributing truly obscene material to minors, and even those laws require clear definitions and careful interpretation. Removing safeguards for trained professionals who select and categorize books based on established policies invites chaos.

Georgia isn’t alone. Across the coun-

try, a wave of state legislators have sought to impose criminal penalties or heavy restrictions on librarians and educators over book content. At least seven states have passed similar laws in recent years, with many others debating them – and a number of legal challenges have already occurred.

In Arkansas, a law that would have allowed prison sentences for librarians who distributed “harmful” books was struck down as unconstitutional just last year.

These efforts don’t emerge in isolation. They accompany a surge in bookchallenging and censorship campaigns nationwide, often focused on books featuring LGBTQ+ characters or discussions of race and identity – works that millions of Americans consider vital to a complete education and reflective of real lives.

The fear of legal action will inevitably make librarians overly cautious, eroding vibrant collections and stifling intellectual curiosity.

Worse, this kind of policy shifts re-

sponsibility for reading decisions from parents and guardians, who know their children best, to unelected bureaucrats and prosecutors, and it could chill the professional judgment of trained librarians.

If there are real concerns about age-appropriate materials, they are best addressed through dialogue and policy, not criminal penalties. Georgia libraries already have reconsideration policies and community review processes to address book complaints. These frameworks respect both parental concerns and First Amendment rights.

We can protect children without weaponizing our legal system against educators. We can support parents without stripping teachers and librarians of their professional judgment. And we can uphold freedom of speech and expression – a right that doesn’t end at the library door.

Let’s not turn librarians into defendants. Let’s keep our libraries what they’ve always been: safe, welcoming and free.

Me versus my cell phone, a battle worth the effort

RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com

The morning keeps getting older. I have texted one of my sisters, a couple friends and talked to Christina but other than that, I have not caved and looked at the news or any social media on my phone. Well, I have almost eliminated social media anyway, but sometimes I regress, but not this morning. The longer I go without being sucked in by that phone, the stronger the reward feels. The morning is still mine. I am exercising some restraint – control over my time. I am maintaining my peace and staying focused – focused on me and the moment instead of torturing myself in cyber space. Why do I do that?

It dawns on me: I need to turn off “notifications” on my phone – one less distraction, one less unwelcomed and unneeded Pavlovian stimuli. Damn them. Stupid me to have turned “notifications” on in the first

place. If I counted, I bet I get at least three notifications an hour, sometimes more, between texts and news updates. Why would I want that?

It is funny. It reminds me of all those attempts to stop smoking cigarettes and fighting the urges, the cravings. And going just a moment at a time, one step then another. Same thing. How startling it is to realize – to internalize – that this small metal plastic-encased battery with cameras made by a fruit company called Apple has such control over me. Let’s see how much longer I can go and not pick it up this morning.

Instead, I am reading, and after I read for a while, I’m going to sit down at my keyboard and work on my music, then paint. I’ll do work in my blues book, work on some chord progressions, and then painstakingly continue work reading music – from my complete Beatles anthology. I thought “Hey Jude” would not be that hard to learn to play; it sounds easy, but, at least for an old guy who is still trying to relearn/reeducate his brain, eyes and hands to coordinate, that song is not so easy – at least as easy as it sounds.

I found another Ann Patchett book on one of the bookshelves, “Truth & Beauty.” What joy. I just finished her “The Story of a Happy Marriage,” which I loved. After I finished it, I started looking for a new book to read. I picked up and read maybe 20 pages in four different books before giving up on each one – Michael Cunningham’s “A Home at the End of the World,” Frazen’s “Freedon,” Doerr’s “Cloud Cuckoo Land” and “Year of Wonders” – Geraldine Brooks. Frustrating.

I’m afraid I think Ann Patchett has spoiled me. She had me before I even finished reading page 1 of her “Truth & Beauty.” It reminded me of how instantly I was hooked into Richard Powers’ “The Overstory.” Same deal.

I am not sure why I am so comfortable reading Ann. It may be her honesty – her candor – and how she so unflinchingly shares so much with her readers so fearlessly. I can’t imagine being so free. She makes it look so easy, so effortless, so natural. It may be the amount of trust she has for herself and, again, in her audience.

“After the dishes were washed and put away, Lucy put a tape in the little stereo box, and we danced in the kitchen. No matter how dismal things seemed, ungraded papers, brutal weather; we could find the energy to spin around the table under the bright fluorescent lights of our apartment…. Kitchen dancing was the only hope for girls like me who needed to find their way in privacy. On Governor Street we would dance for hours. We laughed so hard, and the music was so loud… We danced until our hair was damp and our feet ached from the linoleum floor.”

Her writing seems like a living room conversation among old friends or a sleep-over back in the day. It reminds me of a night at the theater or an intense debate over “The Great Gatsby” in a small university classroom setting among a dozen grad students or maybe freshmen. Or maybe she is just easy to read because she doesn’t ask so much from her audience. No, I don’t think that is it, but maybe.

OPINION

Phenology and you as a citizen scientist

Phenology (fi-NOLuh-jee) is the study of seasonal changes in living things.

Phenology looks at when events happen in nature, such as when plants leaf out, flowers bloom, birds migrate, or insects appear, and how those timings change over time.

These events are closely connected to temperature, daylight and weather patterns. Because climate conditions are changing, phenology has become especially important for scientists who want to understand how ecosystems are responding.

However, scientists can’t be everywhere at once, and that’s where citizen (or community) scientists come in.

Citizen science

Citizen science means that people, who aren’t professional scientists, help collect data for research projects. You don’t need special equipment or advanced training, just curiosity, careful observation and consistency.

Phenology is perfect for community science because:

• Observations are simple but powerful.

• Data can be collected over many years.

• Scientists need information from many locations.

When thousands of people record the same kinds of observations, patterns begin to emerge that no single researcher could see alone. By engaging community members, researchers can collect a larger amount of data, and often span more geographic regions, in a shorter amount of time.

Two popular websites for collecting and reporting data are Nature’s Notebook, usanpn.org, from the USA National Phenology Network, and BudBurst, budburst.org, from the Chicago Botanic Garden Regenstein School. Each of these sites will guide you in how to make observations and how to report your data.

Of course, there are many things to observe, so it might be a good start to choose one plant. Nature’s Notebook has a Redbud Phenology Project that may be a good starting point here in the South. You can certainly select any project that interests you, but let’s use the redbud project as an example.

Why redbud trees matter

Redbud trees (genus Cercis) are especially useful for phenology projects because:

• They bloom early in spring, making them sensitive indicators of warming trends.

• Their bright pink or purple flowers are easy to recognize.

• They grow in many regions, including neighborhoods, parks, and school grounds.

• They are native and abundant in our area.

Key phenology events on redbuds

When helping with a phenology project, you’re usually asked to observe specific stages, often called phenophases. Common ones include:

• Dormant – No visible growth; buds are closed

• Bud burst – Buds begin to open

• First flowers – One or more open flowers appear

• Full flowering – Many flowers are open across the tree

• Leaf-out – Leaves begin to emerge

• Fruit development – Seed pods form later in the season

Recording when these events occur — and sometimes how many buds, flowers or leaves you see — creates valuable data.

How you can help

Here’s the steps to get started as a

citizen scientist on a redbud phenology project:

1. Choose a tree. Pick one redbud tree that you can visit regularly. It should be easy to access and unlikely to be cut down or heavily pruned.

2. Observe consistently. Visit your tree on a regular schedule (often once or twice a week during spring). Consistency matters more than perfection.

3. Record what you see. Use a notebook, datasheet or a project-approved app or website. Record the date and the phenophases you observe—only what you actually see.

4. Be careful and honest. If you’re not sure whether a stage has started, it’s okay to record “not sure” or wait until your next visit. Accuracy is more important than guessing.

5. Submit your data. Upload or share your observations according to the project instructions. Your data becomes part of a much larger scientific dataset.

Why your observations matter

Data from phenology projects can help scientists:

• Track how spring is arriving earlier or later

About the author

This week’s “Garden Buzz” guest columnist is Chris Adams, a Master Gardener for almost 20 years and Sandy Springs resident. She loves to teach gardening classes, especially to children. She can be found once a month, April-October, at the Sandy Springs Farmers Market, helping the children with a fun, nature-based activity.

• Understand regional differences in climate impacts

• Study relationships between plants, pollinators and weather

• Inform conservation and landmanagement decisions

Even a single tree, observed carefully over time, can contribute to meaningful research.

Science starts where you are

Phenology reminds us that science doesn’t only happen in labs; it happens in backyards, schoolyards and parks. By paying attention to seasonal changes, you’re helping scientists better understand our changing world. All it takes is observation, patience and the willingness to look closely at nature — one bud, one bloom and one season at a time.

I was privileged to participate as a citizen scientist in a phenology research project by a University of Georgia master’s student. This activity allowed me to learn new ways to observe and appreciate nature. I am inspired to encourage others to find ways to participate in a project and hopefully also gain a new appreciation for nature and its seasonal changes. Slow down and observe; you will not regret it.

Happy Gardening!

North Fulton Master Gardeners, Inc. is a Georgia nonprofit 501(c) (3) organization whose purpose is to educate its members and the public in the areas of horticulture and ecology in order to promote and foster community enrichment. Master Gardener Volunteers are trained and certified by The University of Georgia Cooperative Extension. Learn more at nfmg.net. Previous Garden Buzz columns are featured at https:// appenmedia.com/opinion/columnists/ garden_buzz/.

Save the date: 25th annual Garden Faire April 11, 2026, at Wills Park in Alpharetta.

OPINION

The history of the ‘sheriff’ of Crabapple

It simply would not be proper to write about the history of North Fulton without including Hal Coleman. He has been entertaining and educating local audiences as a singer, song writer and humorist for more than 50 years. His musical career led to his induction into the Atlanta Country Music Hall of Fame, and he continues his music to this day. Here is his story.

Hal Coleman was born and raised on Canton Street in Roswell. His father, Harold (1921– 1993) was also from Roswell. Harold worked in real estate. During World War II, he flew 25 missions over Japan as a radio operator in a B-29 bomber. Hal’s mother, Anne (1926-2019), owned an antique shop in Roswell in the 1960s specializing in early American antiques.

Hal and his wife, Lynn, attended Roswell High School. Although Lynn has retired from teaching elementary school she still teaches part time.

“If they had a hall of fame for wives, mothers and grandmothers, Lynn would be in it,” Hal says.

Lynn and Hal have a son, Jason, who works for a company that provides audio and video for large public events. Their daughter Ellen is a financial planner and stockbroker. They have two grandchildren, Beau and June.

In high school while his friends were on the ballfield, Hal was in the woods fishing and hunting with dogs.

“You could even hunt on Canton Street in those days” Hal says.

He attended Young Harris College, then a two-year institution, followed by two years at UGA where he obtained a degree in entomology, or, as Hal says, “bugs.”

He had a gift for music, and while in college, he played the guitar and sang.

“People would ask me to sing Bob Dylan songs and do impersonations,” he says.

His first paid gig was in the early 1980s at the Country Fare which later became the Southern Skillet in Roswell. He played every Friday and Saturday for about a year, then formed a band called Cassville Station and played on military bases in the Atlanta area. He still worked full time for the Georgia Department of Agriculture as a pest control regulatory inspector, a position he held for 10 years.

He eventually started his own business, North Fulton Exterminating

PHOTOS: FAMILY/PROVIDED In the late 1980s the celebrated radio talk show host Ludlow Porch suggested that Hal Coleman run for “sheriff” of unincorporated Crabapple. The character enjoyed great popularity for many years. Here the sheriff is shown in his uniform.

Company. He sold the company after 18 years and became a sales and marketing coach for small to medium sized pest control companies. He is currently winding down his involvement in the operation to focus on his music.

“I started out as one man with a spray can and made a million-dollar business,” Hal says.

Pest control is big business in Georgia with more than 1,200 operators. Hal became president of the Georgia Pest Control Association. About three years ago, he was inducted into their Hall of Fame, a very prestigious award.

Ludlow Porch was a popular radio talk show host for more than 30 years until his death in 2011. His show was syndicated on 40 radio stations throughout the South. Hal called in to the program and bantered with Ludlow a few times using the name Milton Crabapple. He was an instant hit and became a regular on the show.

Milton Crabapple was an alternate personality for Hal, and many people did not know that they were the same person. When Ludlow Porch – real name Bobby Hanson – went on vacation, Hal Coleman took over the program.

In the late 1980s, Ludlow had the idea that Milton Crabapple should run for sheriff of unincorporated Crabapple. There was an election of sorts and Milton was elected.

“A lot of people believed it was real,”

Hal notes.

Over the years, Hal appeared on other radio shows including a call-in show on Kicks 101.5 FM where he called in every Friday morning for 10 years and another call-in show O’Neill William’s Great Outdoors Show on WSB for 25 years. He called in as Milton Crabapple and sometimes hosted the show as Hal Coleman. Finally, Hal had the Milton Crabapple show in the early 1990s every Thursday on Mountains Lake Radio in Cumming.

Milton Crabapple still exists on Facebook and has thousands of followers where he posts two or three times a week.

When I asked Hal how he came up with all the stories he told on the radio, he explained that he grew up listening to old men telling stories sitting around campfires. He plays the guitar by ear.

“I matured from a class clown to a ham,” he says.

Hal has recorded some of his songs on the Southern Track label. The most successful song which Hal co-wrote with Barry Etris was “The Bird” by Jerry Reed for which Hal received a BMI country music award. The song was number 2 in Billboard Magazine. Since the song includes

some cuts from Willie Nelson, Hal, Barry and Willie accepted the award together.

There is more to Hal’s story, but space has its limits. Suffice it to say that Hal is a deeply religious family man and a class clown.

“If it ain’t fun, I don’t like to do it,” he maintains.

He used to have 200 bee hives and sold honey. He was a Roswell firefighter for 10 years and an EMT. He was a Civil War reenactor for many years and a member of the Commemorative Air Force, a group who fly vintage World War ll airplanes.

I had the pleasure of seeing Hal perform at the Rock ‘n’ Taco on the entertainment strip in Roswell recently. He really knows how to entertain an audience. If you have a chance, drop in on the third Friday of every month and say “hi.”

Bob is a Member of the City of Alpharetta Historic Preservation Commission and Director Emeritus of the Milton Historical Society. You can email him at bobmey@bellsouth.net. Bob welcomes suggestions for future columns about local history.

This 1919 Pitts and Sullivan family photograph was taken at Morgan Falls and appeared in the Georgia Power Magazine. Front row, from left: Nancy Coleman Sullivan (1866-1931), Rosa Reed Sullivan (1885-1978), Irene Sullivan Pitts (1903-1998) holding baby Roy Clifton Pitts (1919-1987) in her lap, Georgia Burgess Reed (1848-1938). Back row: from left, Dave B. Sullivan (1832-1928), Charles W. Sullivan (1859-1939), W. Cliff Sullivan (1884-1938), Roy T. Pitts (1896-1956) and James Wiley Reed (1842-1919).

Sullivan family history, from Morgan Falls to Tallulah Falls

VALERIE

Columnist

BIGGERSTAFF

In the previous Past Tense, I shared the story of James Stanford Pitts, ancestor of Gail Pitts and namesake of Pitts Road. In the early 1900s, James S. Pitts worked for Georgia Railway and Electric Company, which later became Georgia Power Company. Looking to the Sullivan side of Gail Pitts’ family tree, several family members worked for Georgia Power Company in the first half of the 20th century.

Gail’s paternal grandparents, Roy Thomas Pitts (1896-1956) and Irene Sullivan Pitts (1903-1998), married on April 28, 1918. Irene Sullivan’s father and Gail Pitts’ great grandfather, William Clifton (Cliff) Sullivan (18841938), began his career with Atlanta and Water Power Company in 1902. He worked as a water boy at Morgan Falls, during construction of the dam and the Bull Sluice Plant. Sullivan was promoted to operations, then became superintendent of the plant in 1913. (Atlanta Constitution, Oct. 21, 1938, “Utility Official of Tallulah Dies”)

Cliff Sullivan became foreman of the Morgan Falls plant in 1923. In 1926, he was named foreman of the Tallulah Falls hydroelectric plant, the largest in

Georgia, and in the 1930s, Cliff Sullivan was appointed superintendent of all six North Georgia hydroelectric plants. The plants were located on the Tallulah and Tugaloo Rivers. (“History of the Georgia Power Company, 1855 to 1956,” by Wade H. Wright)

Cliff Sullivan married Rosa Nevada Reed (1885-1978) in 1902. From her family history archives Gail Pitts shares, “Cliff and Rosa Sullivan had four children: Elizabeth (Irene), Frederick Reed (Fred), Ollie Austell (Ollie), and Choice Felton (Felton). Irene worked at the downtown Atlanta Rich’s store, while husband Roy Pitts worked for Georgia Power. All three of Cliff and Rosa’s sons worked for Georgia Power during their lifetimes. Felton retired as an operator at the Tallulah Falls hydroelectric plant.”

According to his 1938 obituary, “Mr. Cliff Sullivan was widely known among Atlantans who have gone to Lakemont for visits and among those who maintain residences there. He was counted one of the power company’s most valued employees.” Cliff Sullivan and Rosa Reed Sullivan are both buried in the Old Roswell Cemetery.

Award-winning author Valerie Biggerstaff is a longtime columnist for Appen Media and the Dunwoody Crier. She lives in Atlanta. You can email Valerie at pasttensega@gmail.com or visit her website at pasttensega.com.

The fine art of gallivanting – or is it scooter-pooting?

You know how they say that half the fun of traveling is planning the trip? Well, they’re right. Mostly. Except when they’re not.

Don’t get me wrong. I enjoy the planning part of travel as much as anybody. I can spend hours and days and weeks poring over maps and brochures and travel guides as I plan even the most modest of expeditions.

Like the other day: She called me about lunchtime and asked me to run up to the grocery store to get some bananas for a batch of homemade banana bread.

“I think I’ll make banana bread tonight,” she said. “But we need some good bananas.”

Do you like banana bread? I’ll bet you do, and if you do, then you know the critical importance of getting bananas that are just right.

I have been well trained in the art of selecting the right bananas for banana bread. They must be just the right degree of ripeness at the time of bread-making, and choosing them is nigh onto science with a touch of magic thrown in.

I’m good at it. Yay for me!

Anyway, there I was, getting ready to head off to the Land of Produce to do my

banana selection thing. It was gonna be just a quick trip.

But first, being the true traveler that I am, and fully aware of the possibilities that travel offers for finding new places to see, and certifiable in as many as three other categories too, I paused for a moment of research to see what I might see along the way. That’s the fun of travel, even travel to the grocery store: there’s always a chance of discovering something you’ve overlooked or not even thought about before.

So I got on the interweb. I searched for “things to see on the way to the grocery store.” Then a whole list of things came up on the screen, and I spent the next five hours looking at each and every one, making meticulous and careful notes about which ones I’d like to explore and experience. It was a grand list, too, organized into categories and subcategories with circles and arrows and colorcoded highlighting. I printed out a map of the route, too, and carefully marked the location of each and every spot I’d found. Okay, so I was getting a little lost in the research. Time was passing. But I was planning! Man, I was gonna be ready for this trip to get bananas!

About that time, I realized that the sun was starting to set.

Uh oh.

Maybe I’d gotten a little carried away with the planning thing. Maybe I should have just gone to the store.

But where’s the fun in that?

Now it’s another day, a day or two later. We are sitting at the table enjoying some coffee (I make good coffee, too, but don’t even get me started on the planning involved in making a trip to the coffee store).

We are talking about travel and about trips and about planning. There’s a big trip coming up, and I can tell that I’m about to do another deep dive into the world of online trip planning. I can tell this because I’m starting to talk about side trips and second-tier destinations. And I’m just getting ready to reach for my box of highlighters when suddenly, somewhere in the distance, a train whistle blows (no kidding) and I’m jerked back to reality, and all of a sudden I stop.

“Hmmm,” I say out loud. “Hmmm.”

“Hmmm what?”

“You know, it occurs to me that I am getting lost in the process. Planning is good. But sometimes gallivanting is good too.”

“Gallivanting?”

“Yes, gallivanting. You know,” I add learnedly, “the fine art of roaming or wandering without plan or agenda, the experience of travelling just for the fun of it…just to see where the road will lead.”

“Gallivanting?” she says. “With one ‘el’ or two?”

“Opinion is divided,” I say. “Some scholars belong to the one el school, while others say that two els is correct. Research

is ongoing pending continuation of federal funding.”

Whether one or two, gallivanting is a fine word. Maybe it’s a Georgia word, though I think I have heard it in other places too.

“Gallivanting,” I say again. “Freeform travel! And think of all the time it will save!”

“Oh!” she says. “You mean ‘scooterpooting!’ “

“Scooter-pooting?” I ask. Haven’t heard that one. Maybe it’s an Alabama term, a nugget of language from the land of her birth?

“Uh huh,” she says. “Scooter-pooting. Means the same thing!”

I take a sip of coffee and think about it. Travel without planning? Travel without maps and highlighted dots and destinations? Travel just to see where the road will take you?

Yeah!

So, we keep talking about the big trip that’s coming up. Some of the places we’ll go do need the planning (you know, for reservations and hours-of-operation and all that kind of thing). But as we keep planning, we build in room for more freeform adventures. I am sure there will be plenty of them, and I can’t wait to tell you how they unfold and share the places that we find.

“It’s gonna be fun,” I say. “It’s gonna be great fun gallivanting!”

“You mean scooter-pooting,” she says. Yeah. That too.

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!

GROUPS

1. Rock bottom. Fashionable. Group of witches.

2. Toss. Group of criminals. Cold weather warmer.

3. Syrup type. Fixed costs. Group of bees.

4. Theater group. Door sign. Mountain pool.

5. Juicy fruit. Group of cattle. Burger condiment.

6. Sporting group. Office note. Heavy drinking vessel for Beowulf.

7. Musical group. Pub game. Cookbook suggestion.

1 Rock bottom. Fashionable. Group of witches

2. Toss. Group of criminals. Cold weather warmer

How to Solve: Each line in the puzzle above 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 4, 5 and 5 letters). The clues are numbered 1 through 7, which 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!

3. Syrup type. Fixed costs. Group of bees

4. Theater group. Door sign. Mountain pool

5. Juicy fruit. Group of cattle. Burger condiment

6. Sporting group. Office note. Heavy drinking vessel for Beowulf.

7. Musical group. Pub game. Cookbook suggestion

Ballots: AAPPEN PRESSCLU

In Georgia, the 2020 election was overseen by Republican Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and certified by Gov. Brian Kemp, also a Republican.

The affidavit claims that Fulton County does not have the scanned images of the 528,777 ballots initially counted or the 527,925 ballots that were recounted. The county had said some ballots were scanned multiple times during the recount.

Other alleged deficiencies included inaccurate batch tallies from a risklimiting audit, counting absentee ballots that had never been creased or folded, and reporting 17,434 ballots fewer than originally counted. The affidavit states that Fulton County reported 511,343 ballots on election day but 527,925 the next day.

of intentional action, it would be a violation of federal law regardless of whether the failure to retain records or the deprivation of a fair tabulation of a vote was outcome-determinative for any particular election or race,” the affidavit says.

The election records were needed to determine if records were destroyed and if the vote tabulation included false votes, according to the affidavit. The warrant sites possible violations of election records preservation and retention laws, and a law that says it’s a crime to “knowingly and willfully” deprive residents of a “fair and impartially conducted election process,” The AP reported.

that after every review, no issues were found in the 2020 general election results in the county.

“Fulton County’s 2020 elections have been examined, they’ve been reexamined, they’ve been audited, there have been headcounts… in every instance we come up clean,” Pitts said during a Feb. 10 press conference.

He said the county will fight the lawsuit and allegations with every resource available.

As part of an agreement between the State Election Board and Fulton County, an independent monitor was hired in 2020 to observe the general election. The monitor found “sloppy processes” and “systemic disorganization” but no evidence of fraud or other illegal actions, the AP reported.

The Secretary of State’s Office investigation and State Election Board performance review also had similar conclusions.

misconduct, or large systematic issues that would have affected the result of the November 2020 election,” according to the affidavit.

Pitts filed a lawsuit asking for the search warrant to be unsealed and demanding that the documents taken be returned.

Pitts previously said Fulton County wants to retrieve the ballots because it is unaware of what is happening with them. The county would like to inventory the documents. He added that the officials were not given notice of the raid or copies of what was taken.

In an interview with WSB-TV, Secretary of State Raffensperger said he doesn’t understand why federal officials are reliving the 2020 election. He is not aware of what the FBI is looking for or why.

“We probably know as much as you do because the search warrant that was issued is sealed, so no details were provided to us or to the press or to Fulton County,” Raffensperger said. Continued from Page 3

“If these deficiencies were the result

Zoning:

Continued from Page 1

Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts has maintained

Building trends of larger homes and amenities are pushing the limits of exisiting development standards on smaller lots. A trend of complaints and variance requests led staff to raise the question: Do current AG-1 zoning regulations match the expectations that are set forth in Milton’s comprehensive plan?

Case studies conducted by the Community Development Department found that the average home size in Milton has increased to more than 5,200 square feet while average lot sizes have decreased to 1.86 acres. The report spanned from 20212025.

An AG-1 lot’s impervious surface coverage is restricted to 20 percent or 25 percent, depending on whether the home is on a public or private road.

With builders maxing out a lot’s impervious surface area, new homeowners often are left frustrated that they can’t make additions, like a pool or deck, City Manager Steven Krokoff said.

The City Council is left to decide

The review board stated, “we do not see any evidence of fraud, intentional

now whether it wants to impact how AG-1 land is being developed and what that would look like for Milton going forward.

Timing matters

Currently, land that will be subdivided into fewer than three lots goes through the minor plat’s subdivision process versus a preliminary or major plat, which is four lots or more.

Minor plats don’t require extensive development review before land is divided, often leading to issues arising during the building permit process because development standards are applied after lots are created.

With a preliminary plat, developers are making decisions on house placement, stormwater challenges and other development requirements.

Not requiring decisions on stormwater management or development footprints before the lot is sold pushes the burden to homeowners or land

buyers who are not experts, Deputy Community Development Director Tracie Wildes said.

One proposal from staff would be to revise minor plat eligibility to no longer allow land subdivided into lots under 3 acres to qualify. The minor plat process would still be used to subdivide large lots that are more than 3 acres.

This would require landowners to go through some version of the preliminary plat permit process, ensuring that lot sizes are informed by Milton’s development standards before land is divided. It would also allow for better protection of the tree canopy and rural viewshed.

“When the bulk of the analysis is done before the plat is sold there are fewer problems and significantly improved outcomes,” Wildes said.

Getting it done quickly

The City Council hopes to have a decision that will end the moratorium on minor plats creating lots on less than 3 acres by its meeting April 13.

City Manager Krokoff said the next nine weeks will see an aggressive effort of public outreach opportunities, required board meetings and continued analysis of the city’s current processes. He said staff is working to find creative solutions that won’t negatively impact current landowners and homeowners, as well as future buyers and developers.

The council is working hard to draft a resolution that people are looking for, Krokoff said.

The next City Council meeting was set to be held Wednesday, Feb. 18.

Basketball:

Continued from Page 1

Senior guard Gabi Johnson led the Bears with 16 points and has continued her leadership role with the bench getting more play than normal.

With just two seniors and two juniors on the team, Centennial is young, with three starters and the first two off the bench being freshmen or sophomores.

Centennial head coach Dana Smith said she’s pleased with the improvement her team has shown this season.

“I’m proud that they fight,” she said. “Every possession, they never give up. They’re learning to trust one another and stepping up to the plate.”

Smith says senior Mya Saeed, who posted three points and 14 rebounds, is the centerpiece for the Knights in “energy and setting the tone.”

Saeed is a volleyball player who tried her hand at basketball for her senior year. She has racked up over 130 rebounds this season.

In the boys game, the teams came in with similar overall records, Cambridge at 12-12 and Centennial at 11-12. In region play, however, Cambridge was 5-2 and Centennial 2-5.

Cambridge head coach David Akin said he was appreciative of the support from the band and student body who showed up with energy to cheer on the Bears.

“I feel like our guys are playing hard and they’ve bought into a style of play that is conducive for them and conducive for winning,” he said. “I was praising them after the game in the locker room for just making winning plays and not trying to make highlight plays.

Cambridge forward Carter Higdon posted 31 points, 11 rebounds and a trio assists, steals and blocks.

Higdon was ranked by Sandy’s Spiel as the No. 10 power forward in Georgia’s class of 2026.

NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

REITER/APPEN MEDIA

Cambridge senior Gabi Johnson shoot a free throw at Cambridge High School Feb. 10. Johnson led the Bears in scoring with 16 points in the 55-29 win over Centennial.

He said growing up in Roswell before moving to Milton, he played feeder basketball with several of the Centennial players and always looks forward to matching up.

Higdon gave credit to teammates for his stellar scoring performance, especially junior Avery Joe and Bryson O’Kelley.

“[My teammates] would give me opportunity to score, throwing the ball ahead to me after a steal,” he said. “When my teammates score, it opens up my game.”

Carter’s younger brothers Jordan and Blake are both on the varsity team. Last week, Jordan hit a 65-plus foot buzzer-beater to win the game against Blessed Trinity.

The win kicked off a killer month of February, and their next game followed suit with another big victory over Kell

Feb. 6.

Still hungry for more, Cambridge looks to make a statement in the region tournament. Akin said the bench players have earned playing time from practice, and with second leading scorer Christian Fraiser out with no timetable for return due to vertigo, they are stepping up in games.

A one-possession game for most of the first quarter against the Knights, the Bears capitalized on turnovers to rush ahead and never relinquish the lead in the last three periods.

Centennial head coach Matt Barksdale reflected on a tough season matching up with the Bears.

“Defensively, I felt like we had some really good possessions,” he said. “More than the score would indicate, but if you’re getting stops and then giving up offensive rebounds, it goes to waste. But I am really proud of how Jaden stepped up for us lately as a leader.”

The Region 6-4A tournament is set for Cambridge High School Feb. 16-18. Centennial will face Blessed Trinity in the 4-5 game to determine whether or not the Knights will go to the state tournament.

Westminster’s final game against BT will determine whether or not they tie with the Bears for the first seed going into the region tournament. The top three seeds in region with Kell have been a close race all season.

Carter Higdon said the Bears’ next goal is winning the region tournament, but the aspirations don’t stop there. Cambridge lost in the second round to Jonesboro last year and looks to improve.

The Bears’ only region losses are to teams they split the series with. Nine of their 12 overall losses are to out-of-state or higher classification teams.

NOTICE OF MEETINGS AND PUBLIC HEARINGS FOR AMENDMENTS TO THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT CODE FOR THE CITY OF MILTON

The City of Milton City Council will hold a public hearing for the applications for alcohol licenses listed below on Monday, March 2, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. in the City Council Chambers on the First Floor of City Hall located at 2006 Heritage Walk, Milton, Georgia 30004. All interested persons are encouraged to attend the public hearing.

PH-26-AB-03 – Ephesus Turkish Kitchen LLC has submitted an application for a license to sell Wine, Malt Beverages and Distilled Spirits for Consumption On-Premises, and for Sunday Sales of same, at its place of business located at 5310 Windward Parkway, Suite E, Milton, Georgia 30004.

PH-26-AB-04 – Celtic Rising LLC dba Olde Blind Dog Irish Pub has submitted an application for a license to sell Wine, Malt Beverages and Distilled Spirits for Consumption On-Premises, for Sunday Sales of same, and for Resident Caterer at its place of business located at 12650 Crabapple Road, Suite 100, Milton, Georgia 30004.

RZ26-03 – Text Amendments to the Unified Development Code regarding minor plats and AG-1 Standards to the following: Article 2 General Provisions; Article 3 Agricultural Districts; Article 6 Special Purpose Districts; Article 9 Site Development; Article 10 Streets and Improvements; Article 11 Environment; Article 12 Administration; and Article 13 Definitions.

The above item will be considered at the following meetings and public hearings:

Community Zoning Information Meeting

Tuesday, March 24, 2026, at 6:00 pm

Planning Commission Public Hearing

Wednesday, March 25, 2026, at 6:00 pm

Mayor and City Council Public Hearing

Monday, April 13, 2026, at 6:00 pm

Location:

Milton City Hall – Council Chambers

2006 Heritage Walk Milton, GA 30004

678-242-2540

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