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...
The Beauty and Power of a Meal
I’ve always been a “four seasons” guy, but there’s something about fall that stands out to me. The crisp air, the glow of a campfire, the joy of gathering with friends around a football game, and, of course, the tradition of Thanksgiving—all of it reminds me of how powerful meals can be. There’s something uniquely meaningful about sitting around a table with others, sharing food, laughter, and stories. In Mark 2:13–17, we see Jesus do the same. After calling Levi (Matthew) to follow Him, Jesus doesn’t take him to a synagogue or a lecture. Instead, He goes to Levi’s house...
Meeting the Need
Nurses are in great demand all over the United States. To meet that need in Henry County and surrounding areas, Southern Crescent Technical College (SCTC) has expanded its nursing program across all six campuses. This means about 160 new nurses can be launched into the workforce every year, with the vast majority of them remaining in the area where they already live. The Associate of Science in Nursing program is the traditional plan for students who want to become registered nurses. It operates four days a week at various campuses, including Henry County. It includes 16 months of class time...
From “Love” to Scoring
“Love” may mean “zero” in tennis, but for Caroline Lemieux, it marked the beginning of everything. At 3 ½ years old, she experienced communication delays that hindered her social interactions. Her athletic mother, Katie, introduced Caroline to a variety of sports, including soccer, T-ball, and basketball. But Katie’s efforts were in vain until they discovered a forgotten tennis racket —an aunt’s gift tucked away in a closet. And that simple object led to dramatic changes for young Caroline. In March 2021, Katie took Caroline to a “Tennispalooza” event hosted by Above the Net, a nonprofit 501 (c)(3) sports-based youth development...
Local. Affordable. FRESH.
After unexpectedly losing both of their jobs in the same month, husband and wife duo Nicole Folkes-Johnson and Donshay Johnson began a temporary food share out of their garage. “There was no big purpose. We didn’t really have a plan,” said Folkes-Johnson. “We were trying to help our neighbors eat better.” Nearly 15 years later, Folkes-Johnson shares that they never expected their small, temporary business to grow to such a large magnitude and positively impact the lives of so many across Georgia. “Our mission is to help people eat better and to help people who don’t necessarily have access to...
Beyond the End Zone
A high-school football player’s odds of making it into the NFL are less than one percent – lower than the chances of being struck by lightning. Strong Rock Christian School alumnus Demetrius Knight, Jr. (Class of 2019) has beaten those odds. In April 2025, the Cincinnati Bengals drafted the linebacker from Henry County in the second round. Knight, 25, gives God the glory. “Without Him, me or my family wouldn’t even be in this position,” said Knight. “That’s the foundation.” Knight was a four-year starting quarterback and two-time team captain at Strong Rock in Locust Grove. Tobias Jacobi, Head Strength...
New Name, Same Commitment
The tract of dairy farmland didn’t seem like anything special in the late 1950s. But those 850 acres in Henry County became the site of a dream come true: bringing NASCAR to Georgia. Automobile racing was nothing new in the state or the Atlanta area. Coca-Cola founder Asa Candler helped fund Atlanta Speedway in 1909 in hopes of it becoming the Indy of the South. In reality, the track hosted events for only two years before closing (and later becoming the grounds for Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport). The fascination with racing, however, didn’t fade. Small oval tracks—and a few larger ones...