Johns Creek considers plan for task force on elections

Roswell scraps effort to conduct ’23 polling

By AMBER PERRY amber@appenmedia.com

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Roswell officials have decided to stick with Fulton County to run its municipal elections this November, adding to the list of area cities abandoning efforts to operate their own polling.

Johns Creek, the first out of a North Fulton group to make the same move, has begun scoping logistics for setting up self-run municipal elections in 2025.

So far, Milton is the only North Fulton city that has formally adopted plans to operate its own municipal elections this November. In the first year, Milton has estimated $72,254 in costs for two polling locations on election day.

Sandy Springs has no council posts or referendums scheduled for this year.

Sparked by Milton’s decision in December to wrest control of its own city elections from the county, other cities across north Metro Atlanta have been exploring the idea over the past two months.

Johns objectives work session March 14.

Discussion has centered around

See ELECTIONS, Page 18

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Man extorted for $180 after sending pictures

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man informed Johns Creek Police March 6 he was being extorted for sending an intimate photo of himself to a “woman” on Instagram.

The man, who lives in an apartment off Addison Lane, told police that within the past hour, he had a chat on Instagram, during which he sent two photos, one of his face and another more revealing.

He said he received a message stating if he did not give them $100, the photos would be distributed. The man said he sent two separate Zelle payments, one $100 payment to one person and another $80 payment to another individual.

The man said he wanted to report the incident because he was afraid he would get into trouble. He asked the contact if she was 18 years old and what age was the appropriate age to remain legal. The man said the contact told him she was 18 years old.

The man said he blocked the suspect from sending him any further messages.

Personal checks altered for different amounts

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A woman reported to Johns Creek Police March 6 that on Feb. 27 someone wrote a check on her account for $1,100.25.

The check was written to her bank, Navigant Credit Union, at a branch in Florida.

A second transaction occurred March 6 in the amount of $7,500. The woman said the second check was a check she wrote. However, it was originally made out for $40 and mailed through the U.S. Postal Service Feb. 11.

The check was dropped off at the Publix mail drop off on State Bridge Road with another person’s name on the check. The check number was not valid, the police report said.

It appeared the check had been "cleaned," the report said, and the thief wrote their information on it.

The woman said she did not authorize the amounts, and the checks had been altered.

Thief steals belongings from man’s gym locker

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — A man reported to Johns Creek Police March 9 that someone stole his belongings from a locker at Lifetime Fitness off Lakefield Drive.

The man said he arrived at the gym at 1 p.m. and went into the locker room to secure his belongings in a locker. He said he went to the lockers closest to the pool entrance, and that there was a young man and an older man getting dressed in that area.

The victim said he was about to move to another section of the locker room when the younger man told him that he was welcome to use the same set of lockers.

The victim said he placed his clothes, an iPhone 12 pro max, Galaxy Note 8 and his wallet containing his Georgia driver’s license, house and car keys, debit and credit cards and a health insurance card inside the locker. He then locked the locker with a personalized code and scrambled the dial, the police report said.

The man said he left the area and went to the pool. Upon returning to his locker, the victims said he discovered his locker had been raided.

The man called police, and gym management searched the area to ensure the victim hadn’t mistakenly placed his items in another locker. They also checked trash cans and turned up nothing.

There were no cameras in the locker room, but management was in the process of checking cameras to see if anyone left the locker room with the man’s polo gym bag.

Management told police no one could have accessed the locker without a master key or knowing the victim’s personalized combination.

Police learned from footage that the young man the victim had spoken with in the locker room was a former employee of a Lifetime Fitness at a different location.

Management couldn’t provide the suspect’s personal information at the time.