Empty Nest
Sponsored section ►►PAGE 26
National sex sting hits home 9 nabbed in Ga., 2 in Alpharetta ►►PAGE 4
Studio West among best in county WFHS named Southeast Honor Theatre ►►PAGE 14
My iPhone addiction Publisher Ray Appen opens up ►►PAGE 8
October 21, 2015 | forsythherald.com | 75,000 circulation Revue & News, Johns Creek Herald, Milton Herald & Forsyth Herald combined | 50¢ | Volume 18, No. 42
‘Let’s remember their names’ Family Haven holds remembrance vigil By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com
KATHLEEN STURGEON/STAFF
Shandra Dawkins, left, and Q. Dansby release balloons in honor of the five domestic violence victims from Forsyth County over the past year.
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Sharon Wilkins, 54. Nicole Thomas, 44. Rebecca Manning, 37. Jacob Smith, 9. Jared Smith, 8. Those are the names of Forsyth County residents who died due to domestic violence in the past year. They were also the names that the Family Haven candlelight vigil focused on Oct. 15 outside the Forsyth County Courthouse. “Let’s remember their names,” said Family Haven Executive Director Shandra Dawkins. “Let’s honor them by getting the word out about domestic family violence. This is everyone’s business. If we work together we can end and eradicate domestic violence in the
lives of others.” Commissioner Cindy Jones Mills presented a proclamation declaring October Domestic Violence Awareness Month in Forsyth County. She started by reading some startling statistics. Every 15 seconds a woman is battered in the United States by her husband or partner, Mills read from the proclamation. Every day, four battered women are killed in the United States. In homes where spousal abuse occurs, children are abused at a rate 1,500 percent higher than the national average. “Approximately 7,741 children sought safe shelter and other services from Georgia domestic violence shelters in the past year,” Mills read. “Approxi-
See NAMES, Page 37
Humane Society of Forsyth BOE reviews has record adoption redistricting, calendar drafts By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com
By KATHLEEN STURGEON kathleen@appenmediagroup.com FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Board of Education recently reviewed a second redistricting draft and a first draft of the 2016-17 school year calendar at their work session Oct. 8. Joey Pirkle, deputy superintendent of schools, presented the second draft of redistricting to the board and said the county’s two new schools, Brandywine Elementary and DeSana Middle, are set to open in August 2016. The BOE approved the
first redistricting draft Sept. 10 and Pirkle said then the redistricting committee reviewed the feedback, but said they had no recommendations for changes to the first draft. There will be two public forums on redistricting Oct. 20 and Oct. 22 at 6 p.m. at West Forsyth High School. To provide other feedback, visit forsyth.k12.ga.us/redistricting. “The committee feels that draft one serves to populate the two new schools, taking into consideration the pro-
See BOE, Page 36
CUMMING, Ga. — Over 100 homeless pets in Forsyth County now have homes thanks to the Humane Society of Forsyth County. During the weekend of Oct. 3-4, the HSFC took part in Petco’s 50th anniversary. The company was holding mega adoption events across the nation at all of their retail stores. Mark Schullstrom, executive director for the HSFC, said each store has a primary adoption group that they work with and HSFC is the primary adoption group for the Petco on Market Place Boulevard in
See ADOPTION, Page 36
Paul the cat poses with his new family. He was adopted during the mega adoption event Oct. 3-4.