Wellstar opens new $12 million cancer facility

By DELANEY TARR delaney@appenmedia.com

ROSWELL, Ga. — Wellstar North Fulton Hospital opened the doors to a $12 million comprehensive cancer center at a ribbon cutting ceremony on March 23.

The 12,000-square-foot facility offers advanced cancer treatments including CyberKnife radiation therapy, a Specialty Teams and Treatments (STAT) Clinic, imaging services and an outpatient infusion center.

Roswell Mayor Kurt Wilson, Milton Mayor Peyton Jamison and other Roswell city officials joined hospital representatives for the ribbon cutting.

A banner bears the names of organizations that participated in the week of give-back and volunteer efforts for Daffodil Days March 25. Groups included the Rotary Club of Johns Creek North Fulton, Girl Scout and Brownie troops, Autrey Mill Nature Preserve and area schools.

Wellstar North Fulton President JonPaul Croom said the comprehensive cancer center is the only one of its kind in North Fulton County. Wellstar North Fulton’s sister facility, Wellstar Kennestone Hospital is the only other program in the area that offers the same level of cancer care, he said.

Croom credited the bulk of the development to Dr. Mark McLaughlin, a radiation oncologist who spearheaded the expansion.

“About four years ago, we got together with physicians in this area and administrators from Wellstar Health System to share a common goal,” McLaughlin said. “That common goal was to provide comprehensive, truly integrated cancer care at the Wellstar North Fulton Cancer Center.”

McLaughlin said when he came to

See WELLSTAR, Page 10

NEWS TIPS

Police Blotter

770-442-3278

AppenMedia.com

319 N. Main Street

Alpharetta, GA 30009

HANS APPEN

Publisher RAY APPEN Publisher Emeritus

CONTACT

Contact reporters directly or send story ideas to newsroom@appenmedia.com.

LETTERS, EVENTS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS

Send your letters, events and community news to newsroom@appenmedia.com. See appenmedia.com/submit for more guidance.

ADVERTISING

For information about advertising in the Johns Creek Herald or other Appen Media properties, email advertising@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278.

CIRCULATION

To start, pause or stop delivery of this newspaper, email circulation@appenmedia.com or call 770-442-3278

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.

Burglaries discovered at local storage facility

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police spoke to the manager of Extra Space Storage on Jones Bridge Road March 13, who said she found a unit with a broken lock.

The owner of the unit, who lives in Alpharetta, arrived on site and confirmed he was missing corporate books for a company that closed down and a fluorescent hanging light, both valued at $25.

Police noticed the lock had been broken off and the interior wire ceiling was caved in. The unit’s owner said it looked like somebody fell in and broke the lock off from the inside.

The manager said the unit was secured and locked on March 11 at 6 p.m.

Police requested detectives to the scene, who conducted their own investigation.

Police were then dispatched a few hours later to the same storage business for what appeared to be another burglary. The unit’s owner, a Johns Creek resident, said he had not been inside the storage unit since 2017 and nothing seemed to be missing.

But the man pointed out that the wire ceiling about his unit was cut using some sort of tool and pulled back to gain entry. Detectives arrived to take pictures and took a tool bag containing a wire cutter to submit as evidence.

Gym trainer accused of aggressive behavior

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — Johns Creek Police interviewed several individuals

March 13 at LA Fitness off Medlock Bridge Road about an incident involving a woman who allegedly assaulted a man for using a piece of gym equipment too long.

The victim, a Norcross resident, said the woman, a personal trainer, aggressively approached him many times, yelling, and at one point threw a weight at him. He said the weight hit his left ankle, and he considered it a deliberate attempt to harm him.

The suspect denied throwing anything at the man or doing anything illegal, the police report said.

Two witnesses said they saw the woman throw a weight, but it did not hit the man. One of the witnesses was the woman’s client.

Several people approached the police and said the woman is known to be confrontational with gym members.

Due to conflicting testimonies and a lack of video evidence, police filed no charges.

Rent check bounces after subleasing unit

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — On March 17, a woman informed Johns Creek Police March 17 that she and her husband had been defrauded while subleasing her son’s apartment while he was away at college.

She said she charged $4,844 for the several months the unit was available and that an applicant requested a month’s worth of the fee be waived because of a delay in moving in.

After the full amount was paid, the victim sent $1,300 back to the individual through Zelle.

After sending the money, the victim discovered that the check for the original $4,844 had bounced. She was unsuccessful in getting her money back, and the applicant’s phone number was different than the one used to send the refund on Zelle, the police report said.

Police informed her that the incident appeared to be a scam and that she needed to call her bank to get a refund.

Suspect sought in theft of $329 worth of tequila

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. — An employee at Grapes and Grains off Old Alabama Road informed Johns Creek Police of a shoplifting incident March 19.

From the video footage, police saw a man entering the business at 2:50 p.m. who began to browse the tequila aisle. He then spoke with the employee about buying $3,500 in liquor.

While the employee spoke with other staff members outside the aisle, the man removed a bottle of liquor from the shelf before facing away from the security camera three separate times.

After he took the third bottle, the man left the store at around 3 p.m.

The employee said he stole three half-gallon bottles of Casamigos Reposado tequila, with a total value of $329.

The suspect was described as a slender Black man, around 6 feet tall with short dreads who wore a camouflage puffer jacket, ripped blue jeans, gray shoes and a black ball cap with gray/white lettering.