Justin Phongsavanh is no ordinary local resident. He’s a Paralympian. A Paralympic bronze medalist and world record javelin thrower who now calls Henry County home. But how did this man, born and raised in the Midwest, make his way to Georgia? “The reason why I picked Georgia is I could not do snow anymore,” says...
Learning to read is one of the core skills taught when a student first starts going to school. However, not every student learns the same way or at the same pace. At Community Christian School in Stockbridge, Alicia Petry, the school’s literacy specialist, has introduced students and teachers to the Orton-Gillingham method. She is the...
This statement of truth, as viewed upon entry into the Manifest Wellness Spa, is quite apparent. Located on Highway 42/23, in the back of the Vineyard Park facility in McDonough, this unique health center not only offers healing services with discounted packages for paying clientele, but it also offers free services for military veterans and...
Scott Mayo and Matt Settle have known each other for over twenty years, playing high school baseball against each other. Settle played for Stockbridge High School and Mayo for Union Grove. Both men went on to play college baseball. Over the years, the two Henry County men always envisioned going into business together in some...
For the McGinnis family, having several generations living on the same property in Henry County, with each generation having gone to the same school, is something special. “It’s neat three generations have gone there,” says TJ McGinnis, son of the patriarch of the family, Hal McGinnis. TJ followed in his dad’s footsteps by attending school...
It isn’t a secret that Piedmont Henry Hospital is a busy place. The emergency department is one of the busiest in the Piedmont system, the surgical services department hums with activity every day of the week, and the hospital continues to offer new programs and services to care for a consistently growing and thriving community....
A small spot in McDonough continues to make a big name for itself. Ron Pippin opened the Original Pippin’s BBQ in 1986 in a small shed in McDonough, stirring up so much noise that he decided in 1988 to open up a permanent space near the McDonough square, where it still stands today on Sims...
A public library’s primary mission has not changed in decades. The exact methods by which a library meets its community’s needs can be a constantly moving target, mainly because of changes in technology. This is the reasoning behind the planned renovations at the McDonough Public Library just off Hwy 81, east of downtown. At the...
Strong Rock Christian School’s 2023 varsity baseball team has brought home a state championship. It was an incredible May night in the North Georgia mountains. Strong Rock had just lost the second game in a three-game series, leaving them 1-1 against Bethlehem Christian Academy. Both the Patriots coaches and players dug deep and committed to...
Are you looking for a unique night on the town? Look no further than Southern Ghost Tours in McDonough. Southern Ghost Tours has become well known in the McDonough area since its rebrand in 2020. The revamped tours seek to tell true stories of McDonough and those who once lived here…and some who may have...