“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...
ELCA Football Charges Ahead
The new head coach for Eagle’s Landing Christian Academy has only been in Henry County since the spring, but is already making an impact on the players of the ELCA Chargers’ football team. Coach Justin Roberts moved from Debary, Florida, with his lovely wife, Jessica, their two sons, JJ and Jackson, and their dog, Alli, to start this new chapter in their lives. Throughout Coach Robert’s life, athletics have always played a significant role. In high school and college at Valdosta State University, he played football. After college, he took a teaching job that included a coaching position. Soon after...
Nursing Under Fire
The humidity hung heavy, like a damp curtain, as 22-year-old Millie Muscatello (now Evans) climbed aboard a helicopter in July 1970. Her destination was the 17th Field Hospital in An Khe, Vietnam, and she was the pilot’s only cargo. The landing pad was empty when she arrived, and the pilot left her alone there in the dark. She sat atop her luggage, waiting for her contact to show up, terrified as flashes of light began whizzing by. “They were incoming and outgoing tracers, but I didn’t know at the time which was which,” she said. “I sat there crying silently;...
Halloween Fun for Kids with Autism Spectrum Disorder
Halloween can be spooky AND fun for all children, but may be a little trickier for those on the autism spectrum. So how can you, as a neighbor, friend, or community organizer, help make this and other Fall festivities LESS spooky and MORE fun for these more sensitive children? “Large events can be unpredictable and overwhelming for some children on the autism spectrum,” says Bianca Brooks, PhD, a licensed clinical psychologist and part of the assessment and diagnosis team at Marcus Autism Center, a subsidiary of Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta. “The key is for event organizers to offer inclusive, autism-friendly spaces.”...
The Return to the Inca Culture
My recent return to the land of the Inca culture was a special time. Our second trip to Peru, in May of this year, felt even more special than the first. We began in Cusco, where we reunited with our friend Alvaro. He is an expert in Inca culture and a close family friend of my parents in Costa Rica. Seeing Cusco through his eyes gave us a deeper connection to its history and traditions. But there was still time for some newer traditions, such as our visit to the famous McDonald’s in Cusco. We traveled on to Arequipa, known...
Relief for Chronic Knee Pain
Imagine undergoing multiple surgeries to correct chronic knee pain but finding no relief. This was the reality of Arlene Randle’s life earlier this year. “I had four different surgeries to try to fix my knee problems, everything but a knee replacement,” she said. “I was in physical therapy because I had developed a limp in my right leg. After three weeks of PT, I was still limping, and my physical therapist suggested that I see Dr. Shrenik Shah at Preferred Vascular Group.” Dr. Shah is the Medical Director at the Southwest Atlanta Vascular Care office and has been with Preferred...
Allen’s Most Wanted
We have all seen an old western movie where the sheriff hammers a Most Wanted Poster on the outside wall of the local jailhouse, and we’ve seen episodes of “America’s Most Wanted” where the host documents the search for society’s evildoers. Those two words, “Most Wanted,” have always implied the ongoing pursuit of lawbreakers in our society, but how does that apply to our middle school student population? While most of us don’t view our middle school student population as troublemakers, it is well-documented to be the most challenging age for students. Puberty is the time when children encounter new...