Banker. Pastor. Missionary. Farmer. Those are a few words that represent parts of Eugene (“Gene”) Dailey’s life, but there are countless layers and stories that connect those pieces of his 100 years. He was born at home in 1925, the fourth of six boys in his family. His baby sister was born when Dailey was almost 10. Their father was a tenant farmer near Union City, growing cotton and other cash crops — “a little bit of everything,” Dailey says. “Corn was the hardest thing,” Dailey adds. “The corn went to the barn. The stalk was waste so you cut...
Serving Compassion
Watching students stream through the breakfast line in McDonough High School’s cafeteria is a lesson in how inspired leadership can nurture processes into outstanding models of efficiency. Long lines disappear almost as quickly as they form, and rather than the animated scene one might envision where dozens of teens assemble, there is order and calm. The cafeteria and kitchen are spotless. Pots, sinks, and the well-used industrial-grade stoves and freezers gleam like new. MHS School Nutrition Manager Rhonda Lundsford Wright deserves much credit for the cafeteria’s streamlined operations and immaculate equipment. Wright, a proud graduate of Henry County High School’s...
Ms. Becky’s Brownies
If you’ve ever been to Creekside Christian Academy, there’s a good chance you’ve had the famous Ms. Becky’s brownies. “I know people who literally don’t touch a speck of sugar or sweets, but the second they find out she’s made brownies, they hunt them down,” says Carey Melton, Student Life and Community Engagement Director at Creekside. If you ask baker Becky Stuart about them, the recipe isn’t “too special” except for some added vanilla and how long you bake them. But ask anybody else about them and you will get an earful. “If you put them out, they’d be gone...
Walk This Way
“How can I make it better?” Maclin Williams asked this in 2023 when he first settled in McDonough after moving from Ohio by way of Stockbridge. He learned about efforts to develop a community health improvement plan. Mr. Williams had started distance running as a recovery tool after heart surgery and knew that others could benefit from similar exercise. Williams investigated how to partner with local organizations to address health disparities related to high blood pressure, diabetes, and obesity, promote mental and emotional well-being, and raise awareness about cancer prevention. Because all of those medical issues are helped by regular...
Hummus & Baba Ghanoush
The holidays present ample opportunities to dine with beloved family and friends, and few appetizers satisfy as thoroughly as these healthy Mediterranean dips. Sherif Riad from Fusion Restaurant & Bar on Hwy. 155 in McDonough welcomes you to try his family’s signature recipes at your next gathering. “For extra smooth hummus, peel the chickpeas after boiling; rub them between your hands to loosen the skins,” Riad said. “And don’t rush charring the eggplants when making baba ghanoush. It’s the key to its signature smoky flavor.” Riad suggests serving both dips with warm pita bread, crispy falafel, fresh raw vegetables or...
Running Towards Health
Kobi Henegan’s sister, Jade, has always looked out for her little brother. Their parents, Ron and Kiona, credit Jade for noticing the changes that led to Kobi’s diagnosis of Type 1 Diabetes (T1D) when he was just eight years old. “She noticed that he was using the bathroom a lot and thought something might be wrong,” Kiona recalled. When Kiona took Kobi to the doctor, his fasting blood glucose was over 300. Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta verified he had T1D. “Kids are often in diabetic ketoacidosis when they’re diagnosed, which is an emergency,” she said. “Thanks to Jade, we found...
Flying High with the ‘Sky Soldiers’
They’re housed in a nondescript metal building near Atlanta Speedway Airport and within sight of EchoPark Speedway: three Huey and three Cobra helicopters. Their years in military service during Vietnam and the Cold War are behind them. But their stories are far from over. The aircraft are part of the Army Aviation Heritage Foundation and Flying Museum, begun in 1997. Hampton’s Legacy Chapter was the first, with founder Mike Brady aiming to acquire Huey aircraft and make them flyable for local events. Since then, chapters have opened in Mesa, Arizona, and St. Louis, Missouri. Brady’s wider goal was to...
How to Care for Your Mental Health This Season
As the holidays draw closer, the calendar pages tend to fill with events, gatherings and visits. It can be a joyous time of year, but it can also be stressful. “Before the season even starts, you should think about what holiday events or traditions matter to you the most,” said Ashley Woodbridge, a licensed master social worker with Sixty Plus Services at Piedmont Henry Hospital. “You don’t have to do it all. In fact, when you try, you often get exhausted, both physically and mentally. It is perfectly reasonable to set and honor your own boundaries.” This can be important...
Renovating Independence
Cayden Prescott recently received a special gift that has completely transformed his life. The 17-year-old McDonough resident was born without a right thigh bone and lost his foot to amputation by age two, wearing a prosthesis for several years. In the fall of 2022, he went in for a spinal fusion procedure in hopes of seeing physical improvement, but he had a stroke during surgery and is now paralyzed from the waist down. During his 11-week hospital stay, one of his nurses at Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, Dina Parks, wanted to find some help for the family and asked Cayden’s...
Keeping Rhythm – Piedmont Henry Upgrades Electrophysiology Lab
Electrophysiology is the medical specialty that treats heart rhythm disorders. Thousands of electrophysiology procedures, including the implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators as well as certain types of ablations, have been performed at Piedmont Henry Hospital over the last 20 years. Atrial Fibrillation (A fib) is now the most common heart rhythm disorder. Piedmont Henry Hospital is upgrading the electrophysiology lab this fall, allowing electrophysiologists to perform left heart procedures, also known as catheter ablations, to restore normal heartbeats and treat atrial fibrillation. “By targeting the source of the irregular heart rhythm in the left atrium of the heart, we can...