When asked his favorite things to do, Austin Dennard is quick to answer with basketball, gaming, and praying for others. A freshman at McDonough High School, he is a leader both on the basketball court and off. Austin spends much of his time reaching out to the youth in the community and encouraging them to join him at the Malachi Project, a local faith-based youth program. Describing himself as a “man of God,” Austin states he would rather be spending time with others at the Malachi Project if he knows he is “changing lives.” Established in 2015 by Pastor Terrell...
An Affinity for Acrylics
Creating art does not come naturally to everyone, but sometimes, the urge to get creative can bring beautiful results. McDonough resident Yasna Grainger has not been an artist her entire life, but she has found a calling in working with acrylic paint. Acrylic, according to Grainger, is “her favorite medium due to its forgiving nature.” Grainger does not only paint with acrylics, however; she also creates mixed media art pieces, junk journals, and works with watercolors. When speaking with Grainger, she stated that she was shocked to be contacted for this article, since she did not consider herself an artist....
Rewarding Positivity
Athletes are often faced with intense competitions, losing games and stressful situations, and one organization wants to recognize students who can shine outside of that. “About 98 percent of kids who play high school sports won’t go on to play in college, but they all will go on to be productive members of society,” says Ryan Pederson, vice president of Positive Athlete, an organization started by him and his father Scott more than 10 years ago to recognize students for their character. “Most athletes retire by age 35, so what are you bringing to society after that — what are...
Adventures in Authorship
Dr. Andrea Carter may have settled into her retirement home in Henry County, but she is far from being retired. In recent years, the career educator has embarked on a new venture that allows her to “stay in the conversation,” as she puts it, on a topic that is near and dear to her heart—student literacy. “We have had students who have issues with literacy as long as I’ve been in education, which is more than 30 years,” she said. “I wanted to stay in the conversation not by being in the classroom but by providing tools that can be...
An Optimal Optical Mission
Summer break provides plentiful time for students to rest before the upcoming school year. While this is a common occurrence for children in our country, many children and families around the globe aren’t able to relax in the same ways we are. Through the work of missionaries who take trips around the world, help is available to many different communities. Carson Wicks, an eighth-grade student at Creekside Christian Academy, participated in an extremely helpful missionary trip over his summer break. In a village near Lima, Peru, Wicks and his family, along with other missionaries, provided free medical and optical services...
Caring for the Whole Person
The American Cancer Society estimated that there were 1.9 million new cancer cases diagnosed in the United States in 2022. That is almost 5,250 people a day who hear the news and then have to navigate through diagnostic testing, various forms of treatment, and numerous other appointments. The oncology services team at Piedmont Henry Hospital, from staff members in imaging or radiation oncology, to nurses, physicians, surgeons, medical oncologists, and more, helps people every step of the way. “Everyone with Piedmont was very comforting,” said Denise Neikirk, a Stage 0 breast cancer patient from Thomaston who completed her radiation treatment...
How to be Happy
As the pastor of my church for almost 30 years and having talked with hundreds of people, the number one comment I hear people say is, “I just want to be happy.” I have seen people try to achieve happiness in so many destructive ways. I have watched many achieve the goals they thought would bring happiness, but in the end, they felt empty. I myself have fallen prey to this kind of thinking in earlier seasons of my life. What I have found is happiness is not a destination; it is a constant choice. So, the question is, how...
Staying Active
Tony Carder is well-known in Henry County. He got his start with Active Pest Control when his father launched the business in 1985, has served as the CEO of Clean Earth Sanitation, and opened several businesses on the McDonough square, including Crust & Craft. In 2019, Carder sold Active Pest Control and focused more on his businesses in McDonough. In June, he got back into the pest control business, serving as the CEO of TruNorth and working with his children, Cody, 24, and Kayleigh, 22. “They grew up in the business, like I did, and wanted to get involved,” said...
A Mystery of Love
From its conception, the Veterans Museum at Heritage Park in McDonough has been the home and showplace for veterans and their loved ones – given the opportunity to share memorabilia and personal belongings in an effort to establish a larger than life personal and meaningful connection with the museum. Veterans Museum curator Jim Joyce shared an interesting story of sealed cards and flowers being left each Memorial Day over the past 8+ years in remembrance of Sgt. Soltow. The envelopes have the handwritten words “My Precious Daddy” and remain sealed to this day. “Not knowing the words written on the...
50 Years Strong
The story of what is now known as the Bennett Family of Companies is the prototypical American success story. It is about how a half-century of hard work combined with an exceptional emphasis on faith and family led to the existence of one of the most successful private companies in Henry County. The full Bennett story could not fit in this space or even this entire publication. Here is a snapshot. Marcia Taylor moved to Georgia as a 19-year-old mother of three with the promise of a job in the transportation industry. The man who hired her soon became her...