When was the last time you noticed butterflies, ladybugs, hummingbirds, or even lightning bugs in your yard? I have a simple favor to ask: step outside and take a look at your landscape. Is it neat, green, and well-kept? Maybe a little wild? Or somewhere in between? Now ask yourself: is it truly alive? Here in Henry County, many of our landscapes are filled with plants from far beyond Georgia. While they may be ornamentally beautiful and familiar, they often provide little support for the birds, butterflies, and pollinators that keep our ecosystems thriving. Native plants, those that have grown...
Getting (and staying) Better
The Piedmont Henry emergency department saw a record number of patients in the month of March, eclipsing 8,800 encounters. It was a busy month, but it didn’t feel that way for staff members, patients or visitors because of some process improvements focused on seeing patients early and often. “The process starts with a patient checking in with a nurse in the lobby and being triaged,” said Jason Tavel, Director of Emergency Services at Piedmont Henry. “This lets us catch things that might need immediate attention but also gives us a baseline for the reassessments that take place during their stay...
Seasons Seem Long, But Life Is Short
During my childhood, I remember hearing the wise words of elderly loved ones as they would reflect on the course of their lives, saying (something to the effect of)…“seasons seem long, but life is short.” As a kid, I did not fully grasp what they meant. At that time, all that I could think about was hurrying through the school year, so that I could spend my summers playing baseball and going fishing. However, each summer seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and before I knew it, I was back in the classroom enduring yet another school...
Membership has its Privileges
Poised on the edge of your bed, you cast a fleeting glance in the direction of your closet’s open door. Unable to dismiss the unrelenting stare from the multiple sets of eyelets of your running shoes, you don’t begrudge their existence. Rather, you miss the satisfaction resulting from quality time spent together. While running solo can be a cathartic and introspective experience, sometimes the motivation to head out the door becomes fleeting. Fear not, runners of Henry County; you are not alone. For more than 15 years, the Atlanta Southside Runners Club has welcomed runners who not only seek more...
SCULPTmed Aesthetics
SCULPTmed Aesthetics offers a variety of services targeting women’s wellness and longevity. Peptide therapy is a rapidly growing treatment option that signals the body to perform specific functions, which can enhance metabolism, sexual desire, reduce fatigue and improve quality of sleep, accelerate healing from surgery, and offer neurocognitive support for anxiety, depression, age-related brain fog, and memory. The effects of peptide therapy may appear within weeks, while full effects are usually noticed within three to six months. SCULPTmed Aesthetics continues to provide services ranging from cosmetic treatments to gynecological health procedures – all offered within the expertise of a physician’s...
A Foundation of Hope: The Rosenwald Schools of Henry County
Prior to the 1954 Supreme Court ruling in Brown v. Board of Education, public education for African American children in the South was chronically underfunded. This inequity ultimately led to the establishment of what became known as Rosenwald Schools, constructed through support from the Rosenwald Fund. The Rosenwald Fund was formed through the collaboration of Booker T. Washington, then president of Tuskegee University, and Julius Rosenwald, then part-owner and president of Sears, Roebuck and Company. Their partnership provided rural Southern communities the opportunity to petition local school boards for funding, which the Rosenwald Fund would match to construct one- or...
Downtown Presence McDonough Police Department’s Newest Role Puts Officers Where It Counts
You might see McDonough Police Department Officer Destiny Ruiz chatting with a kid on the downtown Square or visiting with business owners at the Square Knot or Pandora. But she’s not wasting her time — she’s patrolling the downtown district as part of her normal duties. “Since being assigned to the downtown district (in 2025), my primary goal is community engagement and being that outreach source to the community, bridging the gap between law enforcement and citizens,” noted Ruiz, who has been with the department since 2024 after being in the medical field since 2009. “I make contact with businesses...
One Swing Away
At just 27 years old, Logan Perkins is working hard to make a name for himself in the professional golfing world. Perkins was born in Louisiana; his family moved to Locust Grove when he was a toddler. He grew up in Henry County and attended Strong Rock Christian School. An avid baseball player, he changed his sport of choice in middle school. “I started playing at the former Eagles Brook Country Club with friends who had grown up around golf their entire lives,” Perkins said. He joined Strong Rock’s golf program and, at the end of his freshman year, shot...
Butler’s Bridge Park
I pushed off from the Butler’s Bridge kayak put-in, pointed my kayak upstream, and had the South River to myself inside of thirty seconds. The river banks were buzzing with spring insects, birds were swooping low over the water, and the only other sound was my paddle and the current. It takes me 15 minutes to drive to Butler’s Bridge Park from downtown McDonough. I have made this drive many times over the years on the way out to Ola, but this was my first time turning in at the new park. My first paddle was just 15 minutes on...
Blankets, Brothers, and Belonging
The day started early on Giving Tuesday in 2023. At 8 a.m., a Nickelodeon crew arrived at our home to feature kids who were leading their own holiday giving efforts. They filmed CJ and Kollin, along with the host, as they built a blanket fort together in our loft — hands busy, fully engaged — talking with them about why they give and modeling how kids can lead through service. Afterward, Kollin climbed into our red wagon, and CJ pulled him through our neighborhood, collecting blankets and socks from neighbors to donate to foster youth during the holidays. The 12-hour...