County officials discuss projects that could be funded by SPLOST IX at a July 30 information session at Brandywine Elementary School. The sales tax program could provide more than $354 in funding for transportation, parks and recreation, fire, water and sewer as well as law enforcement projects.
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — A Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) program is expected to generate more than $354 million over six years, funding numerous projects across the county.
But Forsyth County voters will first
need to approve the tax program.
SPLOST IX, the next iteration of a program that started in 1987, goes before voters in November.
The penny sales tax could fund projects ranging from road widenings and intersection improvements to park and trail repairs to fire and law enforcement vehicles, facilities and equipment.
Unlike alternative methods of fund-
ing improvements, like budget increases and bonds, the SPLOST program receives considerable funding from residents who live outside the county.
In 2023, SPLOST VIII received about 34 percent of its money from sales tax contributed by visitors to Forsyth County.
See SPLOST, Page 13
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — The Forsyth County Commission heard presentations on a maintained maintenance and operations millage rate at their Aug. 1 meeting.
Commissioners are scheduled to consider adopting the millage rate and Fiscal Year 2025 proposed budget at an Aug. 15 meeting.
The rate proposed to commissioners will remain at 4.791 mills. The bond millage rate would decrease to 0.6 mills. The fire millage rate would increase to 2.505 mills.
One mill generates $1 for every $1,000 of a property’s taxable value, which by state law, is 40 percent of a property’s real – or fair market – value.
See MILLAGE, Page 13
WILCOX/APPEN MEDIA
Forsyth County commissioners listen to a presentation Aug. 1 on a proposed spending plan and funding for 2025.
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JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police made three arrests related to domestic violence in late July, two cases involving children.
On July 17, an Atlanta woman reported that her boyfriend, a 32-year-old Sandy Springs man, showed up at her mother’s residence while she was there with her 2-year-old son and her newborn daughter, whom the man fathered.
She told police her boyfriend grabbed their daughter out of her vehicle to place her in his vehicle, then used his knee to push her son onto his back. The boy fell, sustaining a scrape to the nose and a cut to his upper lip, according to the incident report.
The woman also said her boyfriend punched her in the eye, leaving a bruise. She said after attempting to crawl over her boyfriend to get to her child, he returned the newborn and left the scene, the report says.
Police obtained warrants on the suspect for two counts of battery and two counts of cruelty to children in the second degree.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police arrested a 34-year-old Lawrenceville man July 22 on a charge dating nearly five years ago.
In October 2019, a Johns Creek man reported to police that he sold an iPhone to the man for $500 but that he’d been paid with five counterfeit $100 bills, according to the incident report. The exchange took place at the man’s home, and it was based on a Letgo listing.
Detectives connected a telephone number used by the suspect with his date of birth, driver’s license number and Social Security number, according to the report. They also found that the phone had been sold one day after the exchange at an ecoATM at a Kroger in Lawrenceville.
If you want to talk to someone about the violence in your life or in the life of someone you know, please call Georgia’s 24-Hour Statewide Domestic Violence Hotline, 1-800-33-HAVEN (1-800-334-2836).
According to the arrest report, the suspect was booked into the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta July 24.
In another incident July 28, police arrested a 34-year-old Johns Creek man for allegedly striking his girlfriend in the face.
When speaking with the woman, police saw that she had a large red mark and swelling to her left cheek and fresh scratches on her neck, the police report says.
Police spoke with two independent witnesses who said they saw the man strike the woman, knocking her glasses to the ground, according to the report.
The man was charged with battery and transported to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.
Later that month, detectives obtained a warrant on the suspect on charges of forgery in the first degree and theft by deception, according to the report.
On July 22 of this year, police responded to the Gwinnett County Jail in reference to a wanted person out of Johns Creek, the suspect from the October 2019 case. Police transported the suspect to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.
According to jail records, he was released July 31.
JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Police responded to a section of Chattahoochee National Forest trails off Barnwell Road July 23 on reports of a naked man.
When police arrived at the scene,
The following day, police arrested a 44-year-old Johns Creek man after a dispute with a woman, involving their son.
The woman told police July 29 that the man was intoxicated and had gone into the kitchen while she was cooking dinner, immediately starting to insult her. The woman said the man had forcefully poked their son in the head, and when she tried to console the boy, the man slapped her hand away, according to the report.
The woman said the man shoved their son to the ground after he attempted to get in the middle of the pair and stomped on his leg, the report says. She said the man also prevented the son from calling the police, the report says.
The son corroborated the account to the police and provided a picture showing the man raising his hand as if he was going to strike his mother, the report says.
Police charged the man with three counts of battery, one count of simple assault and two counts of cruelty to children in the third degree. He was transported to the North Fulton County Jail in Alpharetta.
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.
a woman flagged them down and said the man had left five minutes earlier in a black SUV, according to the incident report. The woman described the man, some 40 years old, as “big, strong, fit,” wearing a baseball cap and appeared to her as being of sound mind, the report says.
Another witness told police he had seen the man walking on the roadway from the main parking lot toward the boat landing, wearing nothing but a red backpack, according to the report. The witness provided police with a partial license plate number.
By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com
FORSYTH COUNTY, Ga. — So far this year, around 4,800 voters have been challenged in Forsyth County, and the number is growing.
Anita Tucker, who has served as a Democratic appointee on the Forsyth County Board of Voter Registrations and Elections since 2022, said she has spent almost 50 hours running through each line of challenges to adjudicate them.
“I look at the names, I look at the status, I look at the date last observed, last contact, and then I look at the evidence,” said Tucker, who has worked as a poll worker and poll manager.
Since 2022, the year after Gov. Brian Kemp signed Senate Bill 202 into law, close to 60,000 names have been challenged in Forsyth County.
More than 5,000 names have been challenged under Section 229 of Georgia Election Code. If upheld, these kinds of challenges cancel the voters’ registrations entirely, and staff sends a letter providing options on how to appeal the decision.
Under Section 230, more than 52,000 names have been challenged.
If challenges under Section 230 are upheld, voters’ registration are flagged, rather than immediately removed.
They will still be allowed to cast a ballot in the Nov. 5 general election, provided they sign an affidavit confirming their registered address is accurate. Provisionals are given to those who are unable to confirm their address as registered, which are later accepted or rejected by the Elections Board based on evidence provided by the voter and staff.
Efforts to speak with Republican members of the Elections Board were initiated in early July, but arrangements for interviews were not successful in time for this story.
County time
Voter challenges have taken up even more time for the county’s Election Office, whose nine full-time and two part-time employees serve just over 179,000 registered voters.
Section 229 of Georgia Election Code: Allows challenges that cancel a voter’s registration entirely. Elections staff would send the presumed voter a letter providing options on how to appeal the decision.
Section 230 of Georgia Election Code: Under this provision, voters’ registration are flagged, rather than immediately removed.
figure out the next steps. She said staff also must redact any personal identifying information before submitting those documents over to the Election Board.
Depending on which statute the challenger uses, Smith said staff either adds the challenge to a future board meeting agenda for a hearing or adds the notice of a challenge as an agenda item for the board to set the hearing.
Notification of all challenges is also posted to the county’s Voter Registration and Elections Department website, she said.
If a challenge is filed under Section 229, Smith said the Elections Office will issue a letter to the voter notifying them of the date, time and location of the hearing. It’s a process that involves printing, folding, stuffing, sealing and stamping envelopes, each with a 73-cent postage charge.
Elections Director Mandi Smith said at least two staff members spend about 20 hours a week performing work related to voter challenges.
Once a voter challenge is submitted, Smith said staff confirms whether the person filing the challenge is an elector of Forsyth County, a requirement of Georgia Election Code. Then, staff briefly reviews the challenge and supporting documents to
Advance notice isn’t required for challenges filed under Section 230, Smith said, because voters won’t be removed from the rolls.
If challenges are upheld, Smith said staff either cancels voters or flags challenged voters by manual entry in the state system, one voter at a time.
Appen
4 | Forsyth Herald | August 8, 2024
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — A local startup CEO left the corporate world to pursue a solution for one of the world’s most pervasive health problems.
“We can save lives,” Dr. Ajay Houde, CEO and cofounder of Annoviant, said.
In 2018, Houde left Halyard Health, formerly a part of Kimberly-Clark, a Fortune 100 company with operations in Alpharetta, to pursue a breakthrough technology to help patients with damaged or defective hearts. He and cofounder Dr. Naren Vyavahare, whom Houde described as the “brain behind the technology,” created the Alpharettabased startup Annoviant and an innovative process, dubbed TxGuard.
TxGuard technology removes animal cells from an animal’s blood vessel through a proprietary process and implants it into a person’s heart, allowing it to serve as a kind of scaffold for human cells to grow around. The technology’s ability to regenerate and grow with patients’ bodies may make it especially helpful to children born with heart defects.
Children born with heart defects have few options for replacing heart valves, Vyavahare said.
Annoviant has so far secured four grants from the National Institute of Health and about $7.5 million in funding.
“We can give a better option, minimize the number of repeat procedures and save the time in the hospital for people,” he said.
TxGuard, Houde said, has the potential to make an impact on a huge health problem.
serious health issues. In 2017, his mother died because of a lack of proper diagnosis. In 2002, his wife was rushed to the hospital to receive a stent to treat a renal artery defect. And his sister has struggled with breast cancer.
The health difficulties experienced by Houde’s loved ones were one major reason he decided to leave his position in the corporate world.
received support from nonprofit startup incubator Tech Alpharetta, as well as other organizations. That support, Houde said, has proved invaluable.
“This has been, for me, a lifesaver,” he said.
“Health care is actually very near and dear to me because I have lost many of my relatives, some close friends,” he said. “Some of my family members also were impacted by a lack of having the proper diagnostic or proper treatment.”
Annoviant’s TxGuard aims to provide heart disease patients better options.
Almost 400,000 people undergo heart bypass surgery in the U.S. each year, according to WebMD. Traditionally, the surgery involves taking a blood vessel from another part of the body to go around a blocked cardiac artery or defective parts of the heart.
Since the 1970s, the methods have largely remained the same. Although the surgery saves lives and has a high survival rate, the procedure often requires patients to take anticoagulant drugs and undergo repeat surgeries as the replaced tissues harden.
Developing the technology behind TxGuard has been difficult at times, Houde said, but his business has
With dozens of startups partnered with Tech Alpharetta, the nonprofit has served as a place where Houde can seek mentorship, discuss new ideas and find help in solving complex problems.
The support from Tech Alpharetta has been a blessing, says Houde, but also has offered him motivation in personal tragedy.
A few months ago, one of Houde’s close relatives was diagnosed with coronary heart disease.
“So many people are struggling,” Houde said, adding, “There are 20 million people today who are struggling with coronary heart disease.”
Other people close to Houde also have experienced
During coronary heart surgery, physicians normally remove a vein from a patient’s leg to bypass one in their heart. But for some people, like the elderly or those who have diabetes, that may not be a viable option.
Although the TxGuard technology has not yet been tested in humans, Houde said that could be coming relatively soon. Annoviant has been working with the FDA throughout its development process. He said getting FDA approval could nevertheless take a number of years.
The first TxGuard devices would likely be implanted on pediatric patients who have few options, he said.
“Saving lives and making people healthy is a noble cause,” Vyavahare said. “And it gives immense inner joy if you even help one patient.”
By MAGGIE LEE
The Current
ATLANTA — To build confidence in voting rolls, Georgia digitized a cancellation process.
Instead, they exposed voter data to exploitation.
The website launched July 29 by Georgia’s secretary of state intended to help individuals to cancel their voter status and to increase confidence in the state’s electoral rolls has instead exposed private personal data of voters, according to an investigation by The Current.
Oversights by IT workers during a test phase meant that for at least two days vital data such as driver’s license information or partial Social Security numbers would have been visible to malicious actors. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger unveiled the site on Monday, July 29.
The Current discovered one security flaw on Wednesday — and immediately alerted the Secretary of State’s office. The story was held for publication until the agency worked with the IT vendor, MTX Group, to correct the issues.
Gabriel Sterling, chief operating officer for the Georgia Secretary of State’s office and former member of the Sandy Springs City Council, told The Current on Wednesday afternoon that approximately a couple hundred people had visited the site before the software fix.
“We launched something, we found some issues, no one was impacted in any real way that we can discover, we’ve taken steps to mitigate it and make sure it doesn’t happen,” Sterling said.
The issue is the second security flaw discovered since the site came online. The first, reported by The Associated Press, has also been fixed, according to Sterling.
The partial Social Security numbers and drivers’ license numbers exposed inadvertently on Georgia’s voter cancellation site are part of data necessary to initiate a voter registration cancellation, along with a person’s date of birth and county of residence. This personal information is valued by hackers to perpetuate identity or credit fraud.
The Current, while using the new site, discovered that sensitive personal information displayed in the computer code sent from the cancellation portal to some users’ browsers. That flaw was related to an even more obvious security problem first reported by the AP: One page inside the portal very briefly displayed personal information in plain text.
Sterling said his office has been testing the portal internally for weeks. One
of the problems had been fixed during testing, but a last-minute change elsewhere invalidated the fix, he said. The problem identified by The Current was on a list of things that needed to be checked, but it wasn’t checked, he said.
The cancellation portal is part of a larger $5.1 million overhaul of the state’s voter registration system. Those changes include storing information in cloud-based servers run by the company Salesforce, which uses security standards laid out for agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the U.S. Department of Defense. Not even the MTX Group programmers can see voters’ information, he said.
Georgia’s new election laws allow unlimited numbers of challenges to voter registration, part of a series of changes that the Republican-led state government has made to voting law amid pressure from the pernicious but wrong opinion that voting fraud is rampant in the Peach State. The brunt of those registration challenges falls on county election officials.
Though this portal was designed for individuals to remove only themselves or deceased relatives, it comes at a time when voter-list vigilantes are appearing at county election boards with thousands of names they want removed from voter rolls. Voting rights advocates are on high alert, and didn’t care for the language that first appeared on the new Secretary of State page: “Please enter the information for the voter you are wanting to cancel.”
Despite the initial flaws in the cancellation portal — which Sterling emphasized were fixed within hours — the new digitized system is more secure than depending on paper and the mail, he said.
Sterling said fewer than 20 people visited the site before Monday’s flaw was fixed; and a couple hundred people had initiated cancellation requests as of Wednesday afternoon.
“At the end of the day … all these county [election office] folks, a human being still has to look at this to see if it seems right to them,” Sterling said. Anyone whose registration is canceled should receive a postcard in the mail double-checking the deletion.
Raffensperger’s office called the site “secure” when they announced its debut via press release Monday. The office touted it as a simple way for anyone moving out of state to remove themselves from the Georgia voter list, or to do so for a deceased family member.
Hospitality investment firm Peachtree Group is the new owner of the Hamilton Hotel, a 119-unit boutique hotel in downtown Alpharetta. The firm purchased the hotel at auction after it was foreclosed on in early July. A Peachtree Group representative said the firm intends to stabilize the hotel’s performance.
By JON WILCOX jon@appenmedia.com
ALPHARETTA, Ga. — The Hamilton Hotel, a luxury inn located in the heart of downtown, has new owners following a foreclosure sale that came years after it lost almost 25 percent of its appraised value.
The Hamilton was foreclosed on July 2 and sold at auction by Mayfair Street Partners for $41,981,183 to Peachtree Group, an investment firm with a portfolio that includes ownership and management of numerous hospitality assets.
The building’s appraisal value jumped from $10,292,500 in 2021 to $21,088,300 in 2022 before suffering a devaluation to $15,964,300 in 2023.
Greg Friedman, CEO and managing principal for Peachtree Group, said his firm intends to focus on stabilizing the hotel’s performance.
Opened in 2021, the 119-unit, 123,470-square-foot Hamilton is one of Hilton’s Curio Collection operation, a handpicked set of unique, high-end hotels that includes 160 properties across the world.
The Hilton brand and its downtown location, which includes 25-million square feet of office space and over 14-million square feet of retail space, made the Hamilton a sound invest-
ment, Charles Talbert, Peachtree Group vice president, said.
“The Hamilton Hotel boasts a prime location in downtown Alpharetta,” Talbert said. “The high costs and governmental barriers to constructing another hotel in a similar location enhance its competitive advantage.”
Mayor Jim Gilvin said the Hamilton has served as an important asset to the city and its downtown. He was pleased the hotel would continue as a destination for visitors.
The hotel’s location makes it ideal for visitors to experience all the heart of the city has to offer.
“As Alpharetta has become a hospitality destination with all the restaurants and entertainment venues and all the activities and events we hold downtown,” Gilvin said, “it was only fitting that we have a place for visitors who don’t live here.”
Jane Rodgers, CEO and president of Awesome Alpharetta, the city’s convention and visitors bureau, said the Hamilton has played an important role in the downtown, serving as an attractive lodging for visitors who appreciate walkability to shopping, dining, events and attractions.
“The Hamilton Alpharetta has become an integral part of the fabric that creates a vibrant downtown with its exceptional charm and sophisticated design,” Rodgers said.
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ATLANTA — The 33rd annual Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic kicks off the 2024 high school football season Aug. 14-17 with 11 games across five locations, featuring some of Georgia’s top talent.
Each of the games will be shown live on Peachtree Sports Network and streamed digitally on the Atlanta News First app. The Saturday games at Mercedes-Benz Stadium will be broadcast on Peachtree TV and 92.9 The Game.
Half of the 22 competing teams will make their first-ever appearances in the high school football showcase this year. For the first time in school history, the Dunwoody Wildcats are playing in the Corky Kell Classic.
Last season, head coach Michael Nash and the Wildcats ended a 14-year playoff drought, exiting in the first round after a historic season.
One reason to be optimistic about the school’s first showcase invitation is star quarterback Matt Pearch, two-sport athlete pitching for Yale University in 2025.
The Dunwoody Wildcats will travel up Ga. 400 to Cumming and square off against the South Paulding Spartans from Douglassville Aug. 15 at 4:30 p.m. at West Forsyth High School.
It’s the third game of the 2024 Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic.
The West Forsyth Wolverines, perennial Class 7A playoff team, takes the field right after at 7:30 p.m. against the Class A defending champions Prince Avenue Christian.
The Alpharetta Raiders, head coach Jason Kervin and edge rusher Julius Holly have a chance to get revenge for their neighbors to the south, North Atlanta High School, when they face the Houston County Bears Aug. 17 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The Bears knocked off the North Atlanta Warriors 42-32 in the first round of the Class 6A playoffs last year. The Warriors face the Kell Longhorns at their stadium 8 p.m. Aug. 14 in the second game of the high school football showcase.
Alpharetta is led by a group of highend recruits, including quarterback D.J. Bordeaux and tight end Ethan Barbour who is committed to the University of Georgia.
Corky Kell Executive Director I.J. Rosenberg said it took three months to put together the showcase’s widest range of participants yet.
“I think if you look at the 11 games and 22 teams playing this year, you will see we worked hard to be as inclusive
The 2024 Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic schedule
Wednesday, Aug. 14 at Kell High School, east Cobb County
• 4:30 p.m. Fredrick Douglass vs. LaGrange
• 7:30 p.m. North Atlanta vs. Kell
Thursday, Aug. 15 at West Forsyth High School, Cumming
• 4:30 p.m. South Paulding vs. Dunwoody
• 7:30 p.m. Prince Avenue Christian vs. West Forsyth
Friday, Aug. 16 at Hebron Christian High School, Dacula
• 2:00 p.m. D.M. Therrell vs. Hebron Christian
Friday, Aug. 16 at Barron Stadium, Rome
• 5:00 p.m. Callaway vs. Cass
• 8:00 p.m. Creekside vs. Rome
Saturday, Aug. 17 at MercedesBenz Stadium, Atlanta
• 10:00 a.m. Walton vs. Brookwood
• 1:00 p.m. Alpharetta vs. HoustonCounty
• 4:00 p.m. McEachern vs. North Gwinnett
• 7:00 p.m. Douglas County vs. Cedar Grove
as possible,” Rosenberg said. “We also have made a move into South Georgia as well as going back to the northwest part of the state while getting teams from all over Metro Atlanta.”
When the football showcase began in 1992, only four Metro Atlanta high schools participated, McEachern, Brookwood, Southwest DeKalb and Newnan.
Corky Kell Classic organizers added former Brookwood Broncos head coach Dave Hunter’s name to the high school football showcase in 2023 to honor his involvement and advocacy since day one.
Sports Turf Company, sponsors of the Corky Kell & Dave Hunter Classic for the seventh consecutive year, are hosting the coaches’ and players’ luncheons Aug. 5 at the Marriott Northwest at Galleria and Aug. 6 at the Rome Civic Center.
The company recently completed turf field replacements at Alpharetta and Milton high schools.
“Sports Turf Company’s mission to support Georgia high school’s coaches and athletes aligns with ours, creating the perfect partnership for this event,” Corky Kell’s executive director said.
As we all age there comes a point when the need for in-home caregiving becomes obvious, especially when the physical activities of daily living become too difficult to manage without help. There are a wide variety of situations, however, when the power of in-home caregiving can be used to provide a major boost to the quality of life of you or your older loved one.
When home is in an assisted living community, in-home care can provide a bridge that gives you the freedom and flexibility to remain in the setting and with the friends you’ve come to love. Perhaps maintaining your independence will require extra help as you recuperate from an accident or surgery. Should fall risks emerge, your caregiver can add security and peace of mind. A skilled Home Helpers caregiver can make life and nights easier if your loved one is starting to wander. For couples, this also makes sure a good night’s rest happens for their partner. Adding in-home care to the services provided by your facility can get you through unexpected times and weave a strong layer of support that lets you continue to maintain the lifestyle you want.
Home Helpers can also provide companionship if your loved one is in a Rehabilitation Center. Recovery can often be challenging, and having a sitter who stays with them can provide both
emotional comfort and stability in unfamiliar surroundings. The warmth of a well-matched companion can also help speed up recovery and battle the loneliness that can delay their recovery. It’s a way to have peace of mind knowing someone is by their side and looking out for your loved one.
Over the years, the transition from the loss of a partner, career or shrinking circle of social contacts can make it feel like the world is smaller every day. Depression and loneliness can be as debilitating as any other health challenge. Almost a quarter of adults over age 65 are considered to be socially isolated. Forty three percent of adults in the United States over age 60 report feeling lonely. For your older loved one, promoting social interaction can truly be transformative. A caregiver with a heart centered approach and positive spirit can help reinvent ways to pursue a hobby, enjoy outings and community activities, and build relationships that make for a longer and better life.
We have a team with depth and skill that can provide the care you need from six hours a day, several days a week to 24/7 care. A Home Helpers caregiver can assist with all personal care, help around the house, accompany you on doctor’s visits and provide specialized care for Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, etc. For a free consultation, please call Home Helpers of Alpharetta and North Atlanta Suburbs at (770) 681-0323.
Brought to you byDr. Emily Kurokawa, medical director of Wellstar North Fulton Spine & Pain Center
Back pain is one of the most common reasons patients seek physician care. Back pain can be emotionally, mentally and physically disabling. This can all lead to sleep deprivation, mood disruption and physical limitations. If you are experiencing back pain, the expert team at Wellstar North Fulton Spine & Pain Center will provide personalized care.
There are many causes of back pain, including degenerative disc disease, disc herniations, nerve root compression and trauma. More rare causes include autoimmune
disorders, inflammatory disorders, malignancy or pregnancy.
Symptoms can range from muscle soreness to joint aching or a shooting and burning sensation down the legs. There are “red flag” symptoms that may indicate serious causes for back pain. These symptoms may present as limb weakness, bowel or bladder incontinence, or pain that awakens you from sleep. However, most cases of back pain will resolve with rest and non-surgical treatments within a few weeks.
Non-surgical treatments may include muscle relaxants, topical creams, prescription medications or over-the-counter pain medications such as acetaminophen, aspirin or ibuprofen. You may also benefit from applying heat or ice, resting and/ or seeing a physical therapist or a chiropractor.
If back pain lasts longer than six
weeks despite non-surgical therapies, then further imaging and/or injections may be needed. Injections may help reduce pain. Our boardcertified pain physicians offer a range of injections using corticosteroids into various joints or the spine.
A pain physician may recommend an epidural steroid injection if you have disc disease, spinal stenosis or disc herniations that lead to nerve compression. If you have back pain that does not travel to other parts of the body, you may be offered corticosteroid injections into the facet joints or sacroiliac joints, and if indicated, radiofrequency ablation may be offered for a longer therapeutic relief. Those who have had back surgeries and still have persistent back pain may be recommended for spinal cord stimulators, which are implanted devices that send electrical impulses
to the spine. Our pain physicians can also offer various other injections beyond the back. If you have pain in your neck, knee, shoulder or hip, our pain physicians can offer you conservative and non-surgical options.
Our patients at Wellstar North Fulton Spine & Pain Center have success because they have a whole team of experts working for them, and our board-certified pain physicians can guide you in the right direction. If you are a candidate for spine surgery, we refer you to our expert neurosurgeons at Wellstar North Fulton Medical Center, who are standing by to develop a surgical treatment plan that’s right for you.
Learn more about our services at wellstar.org/northfultonspineandpain, or call (770) 751-2719 to make an appointment.
Dr. Brent Taylor is a Board-Certified Dermatologist, a Fellowship-Trained Mohs Surgeon, and is certified by the Board of Venous and Lymphatic Medicine in the field of Vein Care.
He is an expert in skin cancer and melanoma treatment, endovenous laser ablation, minimally invasive vein procedures and cosmetics procedures such as Botox and injectables.
Kathryn is a certified physician assistant with over 18 years experience as a Dermatology PA. We are excited to welcome her, as she brings with her experience in general dermatology and cosmetic dermatology.
Her specialties include general dermatology such as acne, eczema, rashes, hair loss, full body skin exams, abnormal growths etc. Kathryn also specializes in cosmetic dermatology including lasers, injectables, micro-needling, PRP, facial peels, sclerotherapy for spider veins and at home skin care.
Kathryn Filipek, PA-C
Atlanta
As a responsible parent, I try not to talk to my children about celery right before bedtime. I wouldn’t want to give them nightmares!
After all, celery is one of several plants that contain “psoralens,” a group of chemicals that can cause terrible sun burns and rashes when eaten or dropped on one’s skin.
The classic example of a rash from psoralens is the vacationer who makes himself a margarita and accidentally drips lime juice on his skin. All is well until he lies in the sun. Then, blisters develop everywhere the lime juice touched: most often in the pattern of a line down the forearm following where the lime juice dripped and ran.
But limes and celery aren’t the only culprits. Most citrus fruits, figs, fennel, carrots, and even parsnips contain psoralens. Yes, EVEN parsnips. And all this time you thought parsnips were innocent. Hah.
Most psoralens stay in one’s system for about three hours after ingestion, so someone who consumes large quantities of psoralens should avoid the sun for half a day or so.
An infamous report in a 1990 volume of Archives of Dermatology details the case of a German woman who fell victim to celery. She was a vegetarian who enjoyed tanning beds, and she did not realize that celery and tanning beds are a dangerous combination. One fateful day, she cooked a one-pound celery root and proceeded to eat the entire root and all the broth in which it had stewed. One hour later, she went to the tanning bed and received her usual 30-minute treatment. Nothing seemed amiss during the tanning bed session, but over the following 48 hours, she developed fever and then diffuse swelling and large blisters. She was hospitalized, treated with steroids, and the reaction took weeks to subside.
Investigators studied a comparable celery root and determined that there was approximately 1mg of psoralens in every 10g of celery root, meaning that she had ingested approximately 45mg of psoralens. This dose of psoralens would be expected to cause the observed blistering reaction in the presence of the amount of tanning bed light she received.
For the reader interested in toxicology, the LD50 (Median Lethal
Dose: the amount of something that would be lethal in half of the people who took it) of psoralens in the absence of light is approximately 1700mg/kg in mice. This means that if a mouse receives a dose of 1700mg of psoralens for each kg of body weight, then the mouse has a fifty percent chance of surviving. If we assume the same LD50 in humans and assume a 70kg weight for the average person, then this would mean that a human would have to eat 2,600 pounds of celery in one sitting to have a 50% chance of dying from the psoralens. Of course, this is impossible. No one can eat this much celery in one sitting (do not take this as a challenge)! But, in the presence of ultraviolet light on one’s skin, just one pound of celery was enough to nearly lead to the German woman’s death. It’s a remarkable example of a toxicity that is environment-dependent to the extreme. Celery is approximately 2600 times more lethal in the presence of ultraviolet light than in its absence. Psoralens hurt us in the presence of light because psoralens can fit inside our DNA and cause chemical reactions that depend on light to be initiated. Mutations and even breaks in DNA can occur. Even if the cell survives, the mutations can ultimately lead to cancer. Still, the small doses of psoralens the average person ingests from a normal diet allow us to usually disregard our diet when going in the sun. Large quantities of psoralenscontaining fruits and vegetables are the exception.
Interestingly, we do have a clue as to why plants make psoralens to begin with. The fact that they can be toxic to animals that ingest them means that they may exist to discourage animals from eating these plants. However, a more intriguing finding is that celery stalks will increase their production of psoralens by up to ten times the normal amount when infected with certain molds. Psoralens may be a defense against mold, and we humans may be the innocent bystanders. Eating celery that was infected with this mold prior to harvesting could theoretically increase the psoralen concentration by ten times the amount, and this would mean that the German patient might have only had to eat a couple ounces of infected celery to suffer the same consequences in the tanning bed.
So, remember: Be careful with lime juice at the beach. Be cautious about celery ingestion prior to light exposure. And never, ever trust a parsnip!
Brought
to you by
– Will Goodwin, M.A at Summit Counseling Center
In a world where stress is often a common household guest, managing our reactions and maintaining positive connections with our spouses can be challenging. However, learning to turn towards rather than away from each other during stressful times can significantly strengthen a relationship. Here are some practical ways to achieve this:
1. Recognize the Signs of Stress
First and foremost, acknowledge when you’re stressed. It’s crucial to be aware of your body’s signals, such as tensed shoulders, a tight stomach, or a general feeling of unease. This awareness can prevent the stress from escalating and affecting your interactions with your spouse.
2. Employ Quick Stress-Relief Techniques
Before engaging with your partner, take a moment to reduce your stress level. Techniques such as the S.T.O.P. method (Stop, take a breath, Observe, Proceed) can be effective.
3. Initiate Connection
For many of us, experiencing stress can lead us to withdraw from others. Instead of withdrawing, try choosing to engage. Opening about your stressors can turn a potential disconnect into a moment of connection.
4. Listen Actively
Active listening involves fully concentrating on what is being said and your spouse’s emotional state rather than passively hearing the message of the speaker. This demonstrates empathy and validates their feelings.
5. Plan Stress-Reducing Activities Together
Engage in activities that both of you find relaxing. It could be a walk, a shared hobby, or simply watching a favorite show together. Shared activities can not only reduce stress but also reinforce the bond of fondness and admiration between you.
6. Maintain Physical Closeness
Physical touch can be incredibly comforting and soothing in moments of stress. A hug, a gentle touch on the arm, or holding hands can release oxytocin, reducing stress and promoting a sense of calm and connection.
Turning towards each other in times of stress involves a conscious decision to connect and communicate rather than withdraw into individual coping tactics. By adopting these approaches, couples can foster a supportive environment, enhancing their relationship resilience against the inevitable stresses of life.
Some are debated
City on the Rhine
“Olympia” painter
Elmer’s nemesis
Heroic poem
50 Dog holder
51 Burrowing rodent
53 “Give ___ break!”
54 Little dog, for short 55 Wind down 56 Kosovo locale 58 Small amount
Reservations 63 Bullfight cheer
Dabbling duck 65 “Shucks!” 66 Psyches 67 Kachina doll maker
1 Prefix with system 2 How the weasel goes? 3 Infamous Amin
Some horizontal beams
Native Australian
Subcompact 7 “___ De-Lovely”
8 One of the “Katzenjammer Kids”
9 Repeated, singer who sang with Cult Jam
10 Plugs
11 Brunnhilde, e.g.
15 Saint-Germain’s river
17 Accelerator bit
19 Transmitted
21 It may be smoked
23 Quite a party
24 Requiem Mass word
25 Polynesian intoxicant
26 After horse or house
27 Plant with tiny white flowers
30 Hosp. injections 31 Slicker 34 Wipes out 36 Print measures
Maybe it’s because we have a “sorta” President who doesn’t want to “re-up” for the job. Or maybe it’s because folks are mostly ignoring the results of all those Democrat Party primaries. Then again, it could be because the Olympics opened in Paris with an offensive (to some) opening ceremony that was too weird to embrace.
A better explanation for these strange times might land right at the doorstep of the local school districts here in Georgia. There’s a possible culprit for things just seeming “off.”
For some reason, the folks responsible for educating students seem to have failed our kids when it comes to teaching some common sense.
Here’s the subject of my ire: Right smack-dab in the middle of summer, it’s “Okay, everyone out of the pool! Get to class. Sharpen those pencils. Pony up your lunch money. Go to bed before the Braves game. Hurry up and get to the bus stop.”
Continued from Page 3
Tucker was already prepared for the Aug. 6 hearing, where the board was expected to hear 250 challenges under Section 229 and another 764 challenges under Section 230. They had been postponed from previous meetings.
It wasn’t until late 2022, after challenges had begun to pour in, that the board received evidence ahead of time to prepare.
Tucker recalled her very first meeting as an Election Board member that year, in March. There had been a challenge.
“It was a lot of deer in the headlights, all of us, not just me, everybody on the board, because we hadn’t seen that before,” Tucker said. “It’s been a huge learning curve to get here for all of us, honestly.”
Tucker said election board members do not receive training, of any kind, when they are appointed. They can attend the Georgia Association of Voter Registration and Election Officials Conference, held once a year, she said, but membership is voluntary and the information provided there is high-level.
“A lot of it is — you depend on the other board members,” Tucker said.
Tucker emphasized that condensing information sent from the county’s
Why in the name of all that’s holy are we starting school on the first day of August? I’m not for insurrections of any kind but I think if I were a school-age youngster, I might adopt the posture of my generation when it came to being shipped off to a place called Vietnam.
“Hell no, we won’t go.” Those adopting that stance were vilified, termed un-American. They were Commies, draft dodgers, or even worse. Looking back, they were right to sit that silly war out.
Maybe the kids today could form some sort of coalition and say: “It’s hot time, summer in the city. It’s too hot and we got gypped out of playing with our friends. We’ll see you in September, say the Tuesday after Labor Day will be about right.”
Administrators and teachers are a giving lot. They sacrifice and do their collective best to provide the best education possible. As a parent who always supported those educators, I am flummoxed as to why these educators have such a devil of a time reading a calendar. Summer vacation shouldn’t wrap up on the last day of July. To me, there’s no argument where that would make sense.
election staff and making notes is her individual practice.
Others on the five-member board may wait to view the evidence during the hearing, and Tucker said she believes they do. A July 2 meeting, where the board heard more than 1,000 challenges, ran six hours.
“Evidence,” or the materials challengers bring forth as grounds for cancellation, falls within a wide range — bills of sale, speeding tickets or cases in another state, social media accounts.
“People lie on social media. There’s nobody regulating that … It’s hearsay,” she said. “And, that’s what I say.”
A new software called EagleAI has also been used to generate spreadsheets of information to challenge voters, allowing challenges in bulk. It allegedly compares the state’s publicly available voter rolls with other records, such as the National Change of Address registry and inmate records from the Georgia Department of Corrections.
A June 28 board vote tossed out more than 740 EagleAI-created challenges.
Tucker said she personally refuses to do any additional research, making her decision based only on the evidence provided.
“It is not our job to go and try to investigate all those people,” Tucker said.
Pizza, strombolis, calzones are menu items that seemingly don’t belong anywhere near a good breakfast. And that’s where you might be surprised to find that one of the best morning meals around is firmly ensconced at Marie’s Italian Deli in Cumming.
I know, I know. I didn’t think it possible to parlay a great place for pizza with a cool little restaurant that offers yummy bakery items and hearty eyeopeners like a vegetable frittata and a sausage-and-egg meal that includes wonderful potatoes and fresh-baked Italian bread. For later-in-the-day
The kids are grown so I don’t have a dog in this fight.
I don’t speed through school zones, even when the temperatures are still sizzling because, after all, the calendar will tell us there is still nearly two months of summer left. I have become acclimated to school buses running with summer heat rising off the blacktop.
“Our job is to take what our lawyers have said is ‘quasi-judicial,’ … which, for me, is very heavy. That’s a very ?? thing, a position to be put in. I don’t think it’s right.”
But, Tucker said she always has an overarching reason to vote “no,” and that’s due to her belief that voter challenges, specifically under Section 229, are in violation of the National Voting Rights Act.
The law requires that a challenge go through two federal election cycles before a voter is canceled from the rolls.
“I honestly feel in my heart and soul, our county board is going to get sued for this at some point,” Tucker said.
Months after Senate Bill 202 was passed, what Tucker characterized as “the beginning of the mass voter suppression effort in Georgia,” the U.S. Justice Department announced that it filed a lawsuit over its voting procedures. More lawsuits have followed.
But, she said Forsyth County goes beyond what’s required. Lauding Elections Director Smith, Tucker said the county sends out voter registration cards and instructions on how to register to those successfully challenged under Section 229.
Voter challenges, to Tucker, are a “hit from behind,” a “gut punch.”
“I feel like someone is challenging a bunch of people that they don’t know, and those people have no one,” Tucker said. “They are not there to defend themselves.”
desserts, there is a full display of gelato just begging to be taken home.
The place is a staple for pizza. Weekends will find Marie’s jammed to the rafters. There’s usually some cool music that includes Jimmy Buffet, Dylan and Tom Petty. I have often found myself dillydallying while picking up a Friday night pizza or calzone for the family.
Owner Karen Smith is involved with helping the community as evidenced by the awards and stickers in the window. The service is as outstanding as the food.
It’s a homey, comfortable establishment that will surprise but not disappoint.
This all makes about as much sense as a football bat. Will this column raise the ire of teachers? I sure hope so.
Mike Tasos has lived in Forsyth County for more than 30 years. He’s an American by birth and considers himself a Southerner by the grace of God. He can be reached at miketasos55@gmail.com.
Tucker said Senate Bill 189 has prompted a potential policy change for the Forsyth County Elections Board.
The bill says the presence of a voter’s name in the National Change of Address database will be insufficient to sustain a challenge, unless there is additional evidence to indicate they have lost their residency.
While an official vote has not yet taken place, Tucker said the county will likely automatically dismiss any challenge that solely uses National Change of Address data as evidence. Gwinnett County has already enacted the measure, she said.
More changes may come, but not if Tucker can help it.
She recently sent the State Election Board a letter opposing a petition that seeks to revise Rule 183-1-12-.02, which creates a definition for certifying the results of an election including primaries, general elections and runoffs.
Tucker said she hopes the State Election Board will postpone any rule changes.
“If you break one of these rules, because Lord knows you can’t keep up with all of them, then what? Then the counties get punished,” Tucker said. “They’re doing the best they can. They’re working really, really hard, long hours, and it’s like you just keep piling on top of them and then blame them when something goes wrong.”
Continued from Page 1
“Over a third of who's paying for SPLOST is coming from non Forsyth County residents passing through, stopping to buy something …, which makes a big difference,” Russell Brown, county communications director, said. “When you talk about 34% of a six-year tax program such as this, that means that residents are not paying for this in full.”
County officials invited the public to Brandywine Elementary on July 30 to inform residents about projects that could be funded and learn what their priorities are.
Here’s what county officials from various departments had to say.
County transportation officials are looking at a number of projects to be funded by the new SPLOST program, including trails, sidewalks and roads.
Improvements and widenings on McGinnis Ferry Road are a high priority, John Cunard, department of engineering director, said.
The road serves as an important eastwest corridor, connecting Ga. 400 and Gwinnett County.
Widening of McFarland Parkway has been carried over from previous SPLOST projects. SPLOST IX could provide funding to widen the roadway from four to six lanes from McGinnis Ferry to Ga. 400.
“It's been a long time coming,” Cunard said. “But it takes a while to get these
Continued from Page 1
A home that is worth $100,000 on the market would have a taxable value of $40,000, and a levy of 1 mill would cost the homeowner $40 in taxes.
Board Chairman Alfred John said when the Commission can maintain the rate while continuing to provide an acceptable level of services, they are
Continued from Page 5
“It will also help keep Georgia’s voter registration database up-to-date without having to rely on postcards being sent and returned by an increasingly inefficient postal system,” Raffensperger was quoted as saying in the Monday release.
Georgia Democrats this week have panned Raffenberger’s voter cancellation initiative, and the security snafus have enhanced the mistrust
transportation projects on the ground.”
Other potential improvements include:
• Longstreet Church Road
• Elmo Road at Bannister Road
• Hurt Bridge Road at Holbrook Road
• Majors Road at Shiloh Road
• Shady Grove Road at Chattahoochee Road
• A multi-use trail at Jot Em Down Road
• Sidewalks at Kelly Mill Road and Nichols Drive and Christopher Robin Road
• Resurfacing of county roads
The county needs about 18 million gallons of water each day, and supplying that demand requires major infrastructure.
With SPLOST IX, water and sewer officials hope to contribute about $60 million to a 192-million water intake project. The project would build a second station to pump water from Lake Lanier and a 15,000-foot, 48-inch-wide pipeline to carry it through the county.
The project would improve the current water system’s quality, reliability and resiliency.
It would also allow the county to generate its own water supply instead of purchasing it from other municipalities.
Parks and trails get a lot of use in the county, and many are in need repairs and renovations, county officials said.
“The Big Creek Greenway has a desperate need for some improvements,” Barry Lucas, assistant county manager, said. Sections of the greenway have been
acting as good stewards of residents’ tax dollars.
“It's very important to voters,” John said. “Once they see the actual dollars we take in and how it's allocated and where it's allocated, it instills confidence of people that we are in a balance.”
A low tax rate also benefits the county by attracting businesses to the local economy, county CFO Brian Clark said.
“If that tax rate is lower than it is down the street, then it's both sides of that coin,” Clark said. “What we are try-
among many members of the state’s minority party. As Georgia moves from long-term Republican dominance to a place where more Democrats register to vote, margins as small as 12,000 votes matter in statewide elections. Democrats fear the portal will be abused by conspiracy theorists and bad actors to wrongly disenfranchise voters.
One Democratic state senator said she saw her own personal information in plain text on the site. Her caucus called for the cancellation portal to be taken down altogether.
The state cancellation site still starts by asking for a person’s name, date of
around for about 10-15 years. Weathering has deteriorated many boardwalk sections because parts of the greenway are located in a floodplain.
The county’s polo fields could also be improved with tax funding.
Parks and other recreational facilities that could receive funding include:
• Sharon Springs Park
• Central Park
• Denmark Park
Fire department officials hope to fund a new training facility on 35 acres off Martin Road with SPLOST funds.
Currently, the department relies on a now outdated training facility built in the mid-90s, Fire Chief Barry Head said.
“It's outlived its life expectancy,” Head said. “And it doesn't suit our needs anymore. It's very small. It's antiquated.”
The new facility would feature a burn building, training tower, classrooms, a logistics building and motor maintenance shop.
The remainder of SPLOST funds for fire would contribute to replacing aging vehicles.
Top-notch equipment is essential to keeping down the county’s crime rate, Stacie Miller, sheriff’s office spokeswoman, said.
Vehicle costs are up about 90 percent, she said, making them an important focus for SPLOST funds.
The office also hopes to soon purchase
ing to strive to do is broaden our commercial base while providing a high level service for our residential base.”
Because of increasing property values, maintenance and operations property tax revenues will increase by a net 3.95 percent.
The continued growth in property values, John said, is the result of high performing schools and the county’s public safety efforts to establish safe communities.
“I tell people there's a magic sauce,”
birth and county of residence to start the voter cancellation process.
Next, the site asks for the voter’s drivers license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number.
For a short period Monday morning, if a user clicked an option saying they don’t have a driver’s license, the site generated a form for the user to print and return by mail or email. Pressing that button to create the form exposed the personal information.
This story comes from The Current, an independent, in-depth and investigative journalism website for Coastal Georgia.
Public input meetings will be held throughout the county, all between 6 and 7:30 p.m. Two meetings will be held in each district to enable as many residents to attend as possible. The dates are:
• Tuesday, Aug. 13 – Mashburn Elementary School;
• Tuesday, Aug. 27 – Sharon Forks Library
• Tuesday, Sept. 10 – Forsyth Central High School
• Thursday, Sept. 12 – East Forsyth High School
• Tuesday, Sept. 17 – Post Road Library
• Tuesday, Oct. 1 – Settles Bridge Elementary School
• Monday, Oct. 7 – Hampton Park Library
• Monday, Oct. 14 – Big Creek Elementary School
new camera systems, such as body cameras that can be live streamed by supervisors in real time.
A new surveillance system would allow businesses and residents to opt into allowing deputies at a real time crime center to view their exterior cameras when needed.
“If something's happening, let's say my house is getting burglarized,” Miller said. “And they have a home camera, they can tap into that, figure out where the guy is.”
Early voting begins Oct. 15. The last day to register to vote or update your voter information in order to be eligible to vote is Oct. 7.
John said. “There are two things, great schools, great public safety.”
The county’s parks system, which offers 28 parks and 13 miles of greenway trails are also attractive to prospective residents, David McKee, county manager, said.
“It cost a pretty budget to maintain it and operate it,” McKee said. “But I would put Forsyth County's park system and greenspace system up against anybody else's in the nation.”
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