COUNTY/PROVIDED
A gas station on 2.7 acres on Ga. 53 at Knight Road would allow Forsyth County to tap into increased trucking traffic ahead of a proposed regional shipping hub. Commissioners approved a zoning request for the business Jan. 23.
County seeks to accommodate traffic surge, economic growth
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Residents are wary of increased traffic along commercial corridors in north Forsyth County as commercial activity expands, but the growth could benefit the local economy.
County planners will need to balance residents’ concerns while capitalizing on the economic benefits, said Alex Werner, vice president of economic development for the Chamber of Commerce.
A shipping hub planned near Gainesville could further increase traffic along Ga. 53.
Plans call for a gas station and convenience store
on 2.7 acres on Ga. 53 at Knight Road, but nearby residents say they are concerned about the business’s impact on nearby roadways. The Board of Commissioners unanimously approved a request to change the zoning from agricultural to commercial business district at a Jan. 23 meeting.
According to the county’s comprehensive plan, commercial corridors are major roadways that “contribute heavily” to the county’s tax base through major commercial and industrial business activity. The plan identifies 12 commercial corridors in the northern part of the county.
See GROWTH, Page 14
End-of-year exams to continue online in Forsyth County
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Four years since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, end-of-year exams are set to continue online with no signs of slowing.
Forsyth County School Board members scheduled a week in May to allow students to take the exams, which were first approved for the 2021 school year to promote safety through social distancing.
Since then, the district has discovered other benefits to the exams.
Board members received an update at a Jan. 21 meeting from Josh Lowe, chief of staff for Forsyth County Schools, who said testing week would be May 5-9.
The week coincides with the first slate of Advanced Placement tests.
In 2023, the district estimated high school students from eight schools would take more than 19,000 exams. Many of the tests are to assess students in Advanced Placement courses.
See SCHOOLS, Page 13
FORSYTH COUNTY BOARD OF EDUCATION/APPEN MEDIA
Forsyth County Schools Chief of Staff Josh Lowe discusses online testing at the Jan. 21 School Board meeting.
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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.
Cumming man arrested for narcotics possession
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A 65-yearold Cumming man was arrested on a drug charge Jan. 5.
Deputies were dispatched to a Spruce Court home about 10 p.m. after a suspicious person was reported, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report. Deputies met with the Cumming man at the home and determined he had two warrants charging him with failure to appear.
A search of the man found a straw with white residue and two bags containing THC wax and marijuana.
Testing of the residue revealed the substance to be cocaine.
The man told deputies he had purchased the marijuana from a store and cocaine from Roswell.
The man was charged with felony possession of cocaine.
— Jon Wilcox
Teens cited for racing along Bethelview Road
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Two teens were arrested on street racing charges Jan. 6.
Deputies were advised to look out for two Mini Coopers after a sheriff’s office sergeant reported they had passed him and appeared to be racing, according to a Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office report. The vehicles were seen on Bethelview Road at Atlanta Highway.
A deputy stopped both vehicles on Bethelview Road after both passed him. The deputy heard the vehicles honk their horn three times, a common practice with racing vehicles, according to the report.
After the honks, the Mini Coopers sped up and passed the deputy in tandem.
Both drivers, a 19-year-old Ball Ground man and 18-year-old Cumming man, were arrested on misdemeanor racing charges.
A search of the Ball Ground man revealed about $4,000 in cash, which he said was from the settlement of a lawsuit. The man also had a THC vaporizer in his center console, resulting in a felony possession of a controlled substance charge.
— Jon Wilcox
Woman cited for drugs following traffic stop
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 39-year-old Stone Mountain woman was arrested on drug charges Jan. 7.
Officers stopped a vehicle about 11 p.m. on Westside Parkway at Kimball Bridge Road after noticing a headlight was out, according to a report from Alpharetta Police.
Police reported smelling marijuana while speaking with the driver, who appeared nervous, according to the report.
Officers searched the woman’s vehicle and found marijuana, THC gummies and pills, which they suspected contained ecstasy.
The woman was arrested on charges of possession of marijuana, co-disorderly conduct and driving while license expired.
— Jon Wilcox
Police make drug bust during hotel stakeout
ROSWELL, Ga. — Roswell Police arrested a 23-year-old Alpharetta women Jan. 14 after she allegedly purchased illegal drugs at a Roswell hotel off Old Holcomb Bridge Road.
An officer said he spotted a Dodge Journey at the hotel parking lot during his patrol of the area “known for high narcotic activity.”
After observing the vehicle make multiple 15-minute stops at the hotel, the officer said he followed it onto northbound Ga. 400 and conducted a traffic stop after the driver made an abrupt lane change.
Because of a previous arrest for marijuana possession, officers asked the driver if she had any illegal drugs in her vehicle. After she surrendered a gram of marijuana, officers searched the vehicle and found a gram of cocaine and opioid pills.
The woman allegedly told officers that she purchased the illegal drugs near the hotel but refused to provide a room number or the name of a dealer.
Officers secured warrants for failure to signal lane change, possession of less than 1 ounce of marijuana and two counts of possession of a schedule II controlled substance before transporting her to Fulton County Jail.
Hayden Sumlin
Rideshare passenger cited for possession of drugs
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A 31-year-old Cumming man was arrested on drug possession charges Jan. 12.
Police stopped a vehicle on northbound Ga. 400 at Windward Parkway after it failed to slow or move over for a passing officer, according to an Alpharetta Police.
Officers smelled marijuana while speaking with the driver, who was transporting a passenger for a rideshare company. The driver declined smoking marijuana and said a passenger may have.
Police determined the passenger was wanted out of Morgan County on a drug possession charge.
Police searched the vehicle and passenger, finding a small baggie containing heroin, marijuana cigar and THC vape.
The passenger was charged with possession of a Schedule II controlled substance.
— Jon Wilcox
ASK APPEN
When was metro Atlanta this cold?
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ATLANTA — North Metro Atlanta residents cranked up their heaters and grabbed an extra blanket, or two, after a winter storm swept through the Southeast last week.
The National Weather Service issued an extreme cold warning and cold weather advisory for North Georgia ahead of frigid temperatures Jan. 20-22. The weather prompted school closures and warnings from local officials.
It was deja vu after a similar winter storm hit weeks earlier. Residents have endured a lingering cold spell that has stretched for weeks.
Known for its sweltering summers and often mild winters, Metro Atlanta has experienced its fair share of cold weather.
This winter
The area experienced its coldest temperatures on Jan. 20 with a low of 18 degrees, according to the National Weather Service.
The bitterly cold low was still a far cry from the lowest ever recorded temperature. Meteorologists recorded a low of -6 degrees on Jan. 20, 1985. On Jan. 20, 2017, the area enjoyed a balmy 74 degrees.
The cold temperatures at the start of last week are part of an ongoing spate of below-freezing weather. So far in January, at least 13 days have seen lows below freezing.
Temperatures dipped to 22 degrees Jan. 9 ahead of a winter storm that blanketed the area with more than 1 inch of snow and ice, closing roadways, schools, businesses and government offices.
Last month, the coldest day was Dec. 6 with a low of 24 degrees. About two weeks later, Atlanta experienced its warmest day of the month at 74 degrees on Dec. 17.
Recent
years
Atlanta’s coldest temperatures in recent years was 13 on Jan. 17, 2024 and Jan. 2, 2018.
On Dec. 8 and 9, 2017, an exceptionally heavy snowfall brought inches of frozen precipitation to the city, causing widespread power outages. Some parts of North Georgia recorded more than 1 foot.
A year later, snow again fell in Atlanta on Jan. 16-17.
The infamous “Snowpocalypse” in late January of 2014 left Atlanta with several inches of snow and ice, causing “tremendous” impacts for the region, according to the National Weather Service.
Thousands of motorists were stranded on roadways and highways for hours, and many simply abandoned their vehicles. According to the Georgia State Patrol, there were more than 1,500 storm-related crashes in the state with over 180 injuries. At least two people died.
Historical cold
On March 13, 1993, “The Storm of the Century” slammed the Eastern U.S., killing 15 in Georgia. It brought 4 inches of snow to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport and as many as 3 feet in some parts of Georgia.
According to the National Weather Service, the storm was one of the most intense mid-latitude cyclones to hit the Eastern U.S.
From Jan. 18-22,1985, recordbreaking cold affected every state east of the Rocky Mountains, freezing Atlanta with temperatures as low as -8 degrees. At least 165 deaths across the country were attributed to the weather.
In mid-January 1982, a weather event since dubbed “Snow Jam,” brought about 4 inches of frozen precipitation, paralyzing the city. Gov. George Busbee declared a state of emergency and mobilized the National Guard to aid motorists and clear roadways. At least 10 people died in the state.
One of the most devastating snowstorms in the history of the Southeast occurred from Feb. 9-11, 1973, dropping as much as 2 feet of snow across the region. Atlanta was spared from much of the carnage as the heavy snow remained mainly south of the city.
Forsyth County to hold town hall on state highway overpass project
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — Forsyth County will host a town hall meeting Feb. 3 relating to the Ga. 369 overpass over Ga. 400. The project has been delayed by construction flaws.
The meeting is set for 6 p.m. at Browns Bridge Church, 3860 Browns Bridge Road.
County officials will provide information and answer questions related to the project.
The town hall will feature a panel discussion, project updates and discussion. Information provided at the town hall will later be made available on a project webpage at www.forsythco. com and the county’s social media channels.
County Manager David McKee said the meeting will provide a comprehensive presentation and discussion.
“The widened Browns Bridge Road is in the final stages before fully opening four full lanes of traffic,” McKee said. “The project has already made a tremendous impact on commutes in north Forsyth. We encourage anyone with questions on the project to submit them for discussion.”
The overpass was delayed months after a support beam was discovered to be cracked after Baldwin Paving Company surveyors misaligned the layout of the bridge by a few inches. The overpass is part of a larger project to widen Ga. 369.
The overpass could be delayed by nine months, followed by an additional three months to complete construction.
Baldwin is handling the beam’s replacement and assuming financial responsibility.
Commissioners have discussed auditing the bridge project to determine how similar problems can be avoided in the future.
“We thank the community for their patience as the full SR 369 widening project nears completion,” McKee said. “And in the meantime, the overpass continues to remain open to traffic on Browns Bridge Road as modifications are made to the northwestern portion of the bridge.”
— Jon Wilcox
HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
Snow blankets the landscape north along Lake Forrest Drive in Sandy Springs before 9 a.m. Jan. 10. Some traversed the hilly corridor, but law enforcement encouraged motorists to stay at home.
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6 | Forsyth Herald | January 30, 2025
Consigning Women charms Dunwoody community
By HAYDEN SUMLIN hayden@appenmedia.com
DUNWOODY, Ga. — Claudia Corsino moved from Belgium to Dunwoody in 2015 to be closer to her son at Virginia Tech and fell in love with the community.
With her husband working in Duluth and daughter attending the Atlanta International School, the Corsino family chose a spot in the middle.
While she and her husband moved to Alpharetta before the pandemic, the Dunwoody Running Club and her best friends kept Corsino coming back to Dunwoody every week.
When she found out the prior owners of Consigning Women were looking to sell and move closer to their grandchildren in Florida, Corsino said she loved it too much to let it shutter.
“I do everything here, it’s still my area,” Corsino said with affection in her voice.
Consigning Women has six longtime employees, some within walking distance of the store in the Mount Vernon Shopping Center.
“They just love the store, and they treat it like their own home,” Corsino said. “You can feel that when customers come in.”
Typically, someone will walk in the store and ask to see a specific item or speak with an employee they’ve known for a decade. Corsino said there are new items in the store each day, and the most unique treasures and popular new items have competition.
The consignment store specializes in upscale resale, and its structure lends itself to more of a community environment. Consigners bring items in and often start shopping afterward.
“We have both sides of the community,” Corsino said. “We always have really cute stuff you cannot find in any other store.”
Back when she first moved to Dunwoody, Corsino said she started volunteering at the Community Assistance Center’s Canopy Thrift Shop off Roswell Road in Sandy Springs’ North End. Her time volunteering with the Perimeter nonprofit gave her experience with the operations of clothing store.
“It’s a thrift store, the only difference in the concept is we receive donations [at the Community Assistance Center] and here we take consignments,” she said. “The selling process is the same.”
Corsino said Dunwoody stands out in Metro Atlanta because of her former neighbors and the wonderful friends she made. For the local business
owner, the people in Dunwoody make it what it is.
“The important thing is to let people know we have new items every day,” Corsino said. “We have five appointments, so we take in new items and put them on the floor; every time you come shop, you
From left, Claudia Corsino and Christine Kratzenberg work the front register at Consigning Women, a Dunwoody community staple since 2011, within the Mount Vernon Shopping Center. Corsino, an Alpharetta resident and the third owner of Consigning Women, bought the business in October because of how much the store and its community means to her.
Consign:
Continued from Page 6
can find something new, something different.”
After a month, merchandise gets a 25 percent knock down. Consigning Women cares and sells for local Metro Atlantans, giving them 40 percent of each sale.
To get started, consigners need to call 770-394-1600 to set up an appointment (with a maximum of 25 items). The store accepts almost all women’s clothing and accessories with exceptions for wedding dresses, vintage items, lingerie and most jewelry, unless it’s signed or unique.
The items remain the property of consigners until they sell or 60 days pass. After that point, expired items may be donated.
“There’s always lots of items, some 50 percent off,” Corsino said. “The prices ... you cannot match them at a normal store; you always find good deals here.”
The consignment store, owned and operated by local women, makes its mission to create a unique shopping atmosphere of hospitality and friendship.
Corsino said she’s encouraged that a recent rezoning of the Mount Vernon Shopping Center will help generate more foot traffic for the other small shops around Consigning Women. She attended rezoning meetings in the fall and said other small business owners
within the shopping center need more customers too.
Business was better during the holidays than it has been during January’s notorious retail slump. Corsino said business has been good, and she wants to keep growing.
Next door, Southern Comforts Consignment, shuttered last January and consolidated to its Mountain Park Plaza location. A former co-manager said the shopping center needs some work to make it more attractive.
The philosophy of the Consigning Women is as important to its employees and owner as it is to the customers and consigners that keep it running. With new ownership, loyal customers were quickly won over by Corsino’s infectious smile and energy. She also kept the interior of the store the same, which longtime customers appreciated.
Christine Kratzenberg, celebrating a decade working at Consigning Women this year, said she loves Corsino for stepping up and buying the business. She said the community was worried when they heard the prior owner was looking to sell.
Kratzenberg said the best thing Corsino has done for business was getting Consigning Women on social media and spreading the word about the neighborhood consignment store.
You can follow Consigning Women at facebook.com/p/Consigning-WomenAtlanta-100057294286434/ and at instagram.com/consigningwomen. atlanta/.
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HAYDEN SUMLIN/APPEN MEDIA
The Consigning Women storefront sits on the Jet Ferry Road side of the Mount Vernon Shopping Center. Owner Claudia Corsino says she is encouraged the shopping center will get more foot traffic after its January rezoning.
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The monthlong mourning for Jimmy Carter has ended.
What a blessing it would be to see Carter’s postpresidency spirit survive him.
Chances are slim in today’s fractured America, but history has shown that charity and humanitarianism are not exclusive to liberal Democrats. Carter is not the only former president with a stellar humanitarian resume.
On the morning of May 28, 1945, first daughter Margaret Truman brushed past an elderly gentleman entering the White House as she rushed to class at George Washington University. Years later, she told historian Thomas Fleming that, at dinner that evening, she asked her father what the distinguished-looking man had been doing at the White House.
Harry Truman, a mere high school graduate, used the opportunity to teach the college history major a lesson. He instructed Margaret to go downstairs and scan portraits of the presidents in the main hall.
Others at the White House that same morning also paid little notice of the portly, 70-year-old man. Over the past dozen years, he had been all but erased. But, he knew his way to the Oval Office.
President Truman, five weeks into office, invited Herbert Hoover inside where they discussed relief efforts for the starving millions in Europe following Germany’s defeat.
Truman had chosen well.
Before his disastrous Republican presidency, Herbert Hoover had acquired notoriety for engineering one of the greatest relief efforts in history.
A self-made man
Orphaned at age 10 in 1884, Hoover became a multi-millionaire by age 40 through his acumen in the mining business. From humble beginnings, he graduated from Stanford, then established mining consulting services throughout the world with offices on three continents.
See FOX, Page 11
OPINION
Fox:
Continued from Page 10
A devout Quaker, Hoover was moved by reports of mass starvation in Belgium in 1914 after German forces overran the country in the First World War.
Operating out of his London office, Hoover won the blessing of President Woodrow Wilson and a Belgian relief organization to launch the Commission for Relief in Belgium. Through private donations and government grants, the CRB accumulated 5.7 million tons of foodstuffs for distribution in areas suffering most.
The CRB had its own factories, its own navy and railroads. It had its own flag.
Hoover worked 14-hour days, overseeing food distribution to millions. Still a private citizen, he crossed the English Channel 40 times pressing German leaders to allow the food shipments into Belgium and occupied northern France in 1915. In London, he negotiated safe routes through Britain’s shipping blockade of the continent.
His efforts were a textbook in efficiency, going so far as to salvage the flour sacks for Belgian trade schools where students turned them into clothing.
Hoover assembled volunteers to fundraise for the campaign. Not a penny of that money found its way into his pockets.
He extended relief into areas of the new Soviet Union besieged with famine in 1921. When one critic posed whether he was helping communism, he replied that 20 million people are starving. “Whatever their politics, they shall be fed!”
During and after the war, Hoover’s efforts were credited with having saved more than 9 million lives.
And, while he shunned acclaim, he became known worldwide as “The Great Humanitarian.”
Downfall within a decade
Tragically, less than a decade later, as president, Hoover was painted as heartless to the helpless during the Great Depression. Like many conservatives at the time, he held a core belief in separating government from domestic social safety nets.
Few presidents have been so vilified. Tent cities for the homeless became “Hoovervilles.” His successor, Franklin Roosevelt, obliterated his name from the crowning public works achievement of his presidency. Hoover Dam became Boulder Dam.
In point of fact, Hoover had pursued private unemployment insurance as Secretary of Commerce in 1922. He pushed for a safety net negotiated between insurance companies, employers and workers, without “the blighting hand of government.”
As president, he supported a handful of major public works projects to provide jobs, but he would not abide channeling public money directly to the poor.
He believed charity came from the heart, and he practiced what he preached, discretely donating his presidential salary and untold amounts of his personal wealth to charities during his term. From the time of the great Belgium relief effort until his death in 1964, Hoover kept not one dime of public money.
Truman recognized Hoover for the man he was. In that May 1945 visit, he asked Hoover to mount another massive relief campaign in Europe. This time, it was Germany and Austria that lay in ruin.
At Truman’s behest, Hoover visited 38 nations in an effort to avert mass starvation among war victims. Over three months, he traveled more than 50,000 miles.
Rescuing Europe again
Hoover also helped sway the prevailing tide of high-level U.S. government sentiment that called for reducing Germany “into a pastoral state” that could never wage war again. Instead, Hoover argued that Germany was essential to the economic prosperity of Europe, and he promoted plans to rebuild the country into an exporter. This, he argued, would “relieve American taxpayers of the burdens of relief and for economic recovery of Europe.”
Truman, himself, was apt to leaving Germany adrift, but his regard for Hoover helped sway him.
The result was the Marshall Plan which infused billions into western Europe, revitalizing industry, blunting the spread of Soviet communism and creating a thriving economy.
In a final benevolent act for the man who had restored his dignity, Hoover accepted the presidential pension when it was first enacted in 1958. He accepted because Truman publicly claimed to be on poverty’s doorstep after leaving office – a claim historians today dispute. Nevertheless, Hoover did not want his Democratic friend to suffer the shame of being alone on the public dole, so he also took the pension.
Then, he discretely donated it to charity.
A soft heart needn’t be tethered to political persuasion.
The 100 most influential people, Nos. 66-70
Here is a continuing list of people and things that have impacted our world – some serious, some not so much.
No. 66: Sports records that may never be beaten I am including sports records such as these because they, to me, represent values, ethic, determination and discipline that, in the past, is what helped create this country and which – it seems to me – we now lack. These records are not money-based. They are personal values-based achievements.
Edwin Moses – 400-meter-high hurdles. Moses did not lose this race for 10 years (from 1977 to 1987), a race often decided in a hundredth of a second. He won 107 consecutive finals (122 races in a row). Two-time Olympian gold medalist, holder of world record four different times.
Joe DiMaggio – a hit in 56 consecutive games in 1941. He finally played a game without a hit, then went on a 16-game hitting streak, bringing his total to getting a hit in 72 out of 73 straight games. During the streak, he hit 408, with 15 home runs and drove in 55 runs. To put DiMaggio’s feat in perspective, in all of baseball history, the next greatest streaks are: Pete Rose 44 in 1978, 39 games; Paul Molitor in 1987, 38 games; tie, Jimmy Rollins in 2005, Tommy Holmes in 1945, 37 games. It’s not likely this one will ever be broken.
Cal Ripken – Consecutive games played. Cal broke the one record everyone though was unbreakable, Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games without missing a start. Ripken’s 2,632 ran from May 1982 until September 1998. That’s 17 years –never too sick, never too injured to show up. This one for sure will never be broken.
Ty Cobb – Highest career batting average. Cobb hit 366 from 1905 to 1928 and won 12 American League batting titles. They nicknamed him the “Iron Horse.” He also, at one time, held the record for most consecutive games played.
Mary T Meagher – “Madam Butterfly.” Meagher owned the women’s butterfly event from 1979 until 1988. Her world records in the 100- and 200-meter butterfly both lasted almost 20 years each. The current world record (2:01.81 by Liu Zige of China) was set in 2009, so 15 years so far.
That is still short of Mary’s records that endured over 19 year before being broken. Mary’s record was 2:01.96. Rogers Hornsby – .424, the highest single-season batting average in the live ball era. Ted Williams batted
.406 in 1941, the highest average in the more modern era and was the last time a major league player recorded a single season average above .400. So, Williams’ record is now 84 years old. Hornsby’s is 100 years and probably
will never be broken. Ted William’s record might be broken. Tony Gwinn batted .394 in 1994, and George Brett batted .390 in 1980.
No. 67: Marijuana
I have reservations about this one. I think I am including it because, between gambling and pot, the government seems to be increasingly legalizing things that probably are not in the best interest of the country, but they are in the best interest of business interests. Many would take exception to this idea, I am sure.
No. 68: The Butterfly Effect
I quote from Wikipedia: “The butterfly effect describes a phenomenon in chaos theory whereby a minor change in circumstance can cause a large change in outcome. The butterfly metaphor is attributed to the 1952 Ray Bradbury short story “A Sound of Thunder.”
I included this in the list because it suggests that we all matter – what we do or don’t do, what we consume or don’t consume, if we vote or not, if we are kind or not, etc. It matters.
No. 69: “The Twilight Zone”
“You’re traveling through another dimension, a dimension not only of sight and sound but of mind, a journey into a wondrous land whose boundaries are that of imagination. That’s the signpost up ahead – your next stop, the Twilight Zone.” Rod Serling
I was a huge fan of Ray Bradbury growing up. I read almost all of his books. Ditto for the TV series, “The Twilight Zone.” I include this in the list because it, along with Mr. Bradbury, reminds me of Mr. Musk and his ambition to fly to Mars and colonize the planet. I actually think he will do this during his lifetime, and Mr. Serling and Mr. Bradbury give me the confidence to believe it may actually be possible.
“Looking back over a lifetime, you see that love was the answer to everything.” – Ray Bradbury.
“Fahrenheit 451,” Bradbury’s classic book and also the temperature at which book paper catches fire and burns.
No. 70: Dick Van Dyke
I wanted to end on a feel-good note. If only for his role in Mary Poppins but also because he, at age 99, so represents the best humanity has to offer in so many ways. Six Emmys (12 nominations), one Grammy and one Tony. Should we all live so long, so humbly, so successfully!
RAY APPEN
Publisher Emeritus ray@appenmedia.com
Joe DiMaggio
Marijuana
OPINION
‘The Future’s so Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades’
This week’s music inspiration for my article is the 1980 hit “The Future’s So Bright, I Gotta Wear Shades” by Timbuk3. This week we had the inauguration of our 47th President Donald J. Trump. In his speech, President Trump spoke about many things regarding his vision/plans for the economy, from tax cuts, to reducing government spending, increasing the research of AI capabilities, to making home ownership more affordable. He signed numerous executive orders within 72 hours of taking office.
For the most part, our “Wall Street” warriors like what they have heard thus far.as the DOW, as of this report, was at its highest point since mid-December of 2024. The 10year Treasury has gone back below 4.65 percent after testing the 4.80 level a few weeks ago, and mortgage rates appear to be heading back below the 7 percent mark. So far…so good.
While he has signed many executive orders as of today, the one which has not been officially put in place are the tariffs on Cananda, China and Mexico. The date of Feb.1 has been bantered around as when he may impose a 10 percent tariff on China, but that date does not appear to be set in stone as of now. He has further stated he is having folks close to the White House, including
Schools:
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The tests include final exams, makeups and senior recovery. Because the exams involve a large number of students, considerable preparation and planning is required.
A single Advanced Placement geography exam at West Forsyth High School was held in 16 classrooms and the auxiliary gym. At least 23 test examiners and four hall monitors worked as overseers.
During the testing, many normal
our Treasury Secretary, do further research on the overall affects that these potential tariffs may have on the U.S. economy.
The tariff issue is a question being bounced around Wall Street as whether it will be ultimately inflationary for the U.S. consumer or not. The fact that he is having further research done is a good thing, and it appears that our “warriors” on Wall Street are taking a wait-and-see position for now, which is why we have seen, for now, mortgage rates move back to lower levels.
President Trump has many plans for improving the overall economic outlook for the United States. U.S. jobs and bringing down inflation are at the top of his list. The inflation component will certainly drive the direction of mortgage rates over the next several years, and we know that lower mortgage rates will increase home sales and new home construction which creates many more jobs.
While it is way too early in the game to get too excited about our economy and home sales moving back in the right direction, for now…I am certainly cautiously optimistic.
D.C. Aiken is vice president, producing production manager for BankSouth 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 BankSouth Mortgage or its affiliates.
school functions will continue. Breakfast and lunch will continue to be served, and teachers will provide daily online office hours for students. End-of-year testing can be a stressful time for students, and the online testing can allow them to better prepare and plan, district officials say. They also model similar testing weeks at the college level, preparing students for future academic careers.
Young foxes
More or ___
Numbers game
Type of bicycle
Exec’s note
Hibernia
D.C. AIKEN Guest Columnist dcaiken.com
Growth: AAPPEN PRESSCLU
DEATH NOTICES
Elgin Aeschliman, 75, of Roswell, passed away on January 19, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
James Clack, Sr., 93, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 16, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Arlene Corsiglia, 91, of Roswell, passed away on January 11, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
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At the Jan. 23 meeting, several residents said they were concerned the business may increase traffic.
“I’ve lived in the area for 33 years,” said nearby resident Kathy Konar. “And traffic is bad enough without adding a bunch of people.”
Commissioners must balance residents’ concerns while supporting commercial activity, Werner said.
Historically, growth has been focused in the southern portion of the county, often focused along busy thoroughfares like Ga. 9, Ga. 400, Ga. 20 and McGinnis Ferry Road.
As infrastructure spreads in north Forsyth County, growth will increase, Werner said.
County officials are working to limit widespread residential growth because a booming population could strain county services and trigger residents’ opposition, Werner said.
“There’s a lot of people in the more rural parts of the county who don’t want to see that growth,” Werner said.
Four sewer projects funded by the American Rescue Plan Act carried a provision requiring commercial users be served before residences.
As growth increases, it becomes more important for county planners to alleviate residents' concerns, he said. Many residents want to preserve the identity of their rural communities as the county’s population continues to explode.
Plans for a liquor store at the gas station were withdrawn after residents voiced opposition. The business also falls under the Coal Mountain overlay district, which requires aesthetic choices that call for neutral tones and promote a nicer look, Werner said.
While the County Commission cannot stop all businesses, it can mitigate their impacts.
Mary Elkins, 88, of Roswell, passed away on January 12, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Marlene Hitt, 90, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 11, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Arthur McCracken, 84, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 16, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Commissioner Mendy Moore says the Board of Commissioners could ask the Georgia Department of Transportation to study the intersection
Road for traffic improvements.
Commissioner Mendy Moore said the county’s hands are tied in some cases, regardless of resident sentiment.
“It's not our job to pick winners and losers,” she said. “What we have to do is look at this very objectively and impartially.”
But she said the county could ask the Georgia Department of Transportation to study the intersection for consideration of traffic improvements.
“A lot of times when traffic comes into an intersection, and it increases, it does warrant to have additional improvements done at that intersection,” Moore said. “I think that would be the case in this one.”
Traffic could further increase along that part of Ga. 53 with the creation of a regional shipping center near Gainesville.
Slated to open in 2026, the $127-million shipping hub would likely substantially increase trucking traffic along Ga. 53 and other commercial corridors in north Forsyth County.
The hub would link North Georgia with the Port of Savannah’s 36 global container ship services that arrive each week. The freight would then travel via trucks along highways, many running through Forsyth County.
Gas stations like the one planned at Ga. 53 at Knight Road will allow the county
Marilyn Owens, 88, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 14, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Mae Riley, 87, of Roswell, passed away on January 18, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
Amy Sims, 50, of Alpharetta, passed away on January 17, 2025. Arrangements by Northside Chapel Funeral Directors & Crematory.
More Information
According to the Forsyth County Comprehensive Plan identifies 12 commercial corridors in the northern part of the county:
• Canton Highway/Ga. 20
• Dahlonega Highway/Ga. 9
• Dawsonville Highway/Ga. 53
• Freedom Parkway
• Ga. 400
• Jot Em Down Road
• Keith Bridge Road/Ga. 306
• Marsett Parkway
• Martin Road
• Settingdown Road
• State Barn Road
• Ga. 369/Matt Highway-Browns Bridge Road
to tap into the traffic. Sales from gas, food and other conveniences would benefit the local economy and pay into Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax programs.
“The growth is going to come,” Werner said. “We can either get the benefit of it, or the trucks are going to pass through the county and not use it.”
FORSYTH COUNTY/PROVIDED
at Ga. 53 at Knight
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