The Sandy Springs Police Department is mourning the loss of one of its own after retired K-9 Igor died Dec. 14.
K-9 Igor was a 11.5-year-old Belgian Malinois and served the city of Sandy Springs as a Dual-Purpose police service dog for 10 years.
Igor was laid to rest after loosing the ability to walk due to a spine injury from years of service.
Igor was responsible for numerous Firearm and Tracking finds and responsible for millions of dollars of narcotics seizures. Igor and his team were also responsible for several high profile arrests and apprehensions. Igor was not only a beloved member of the police force, but was beloved by his handler, Officer Sean Hanse and the Hanse family.
The Atlanta Police Department H.E.A.T Unit will use a new grant to develop and implement strategies to reduce local traffic crashes due to aggressive and dangerous driving behaviors.
APD is one of 21 law enforcement agencies in Georgia to receive a Highway Enforcement of Aggressive Traffic grant for the Federal 2023 Fiscal Year. Referred to as a H.E.A.T. grant, Atlanta Police Department’s award totals $134,528.
The goal of the H.E.A.T. program is to combat crashes, injuries, and fatalities caused by impaired driving and speeding, while also increasing seatbelt use and educating the public about traffic safety and the dangers of DUI.
H.E.A.T. grants fund specialize traffic enforcement units in counties throughout the state. The program was designed to assist Georgia jurisdictions with the highest rates of traffic crashes, injuries and fatalities with grants awarded based on impaired driving and speeding data.
As law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI campaign and the Click It Or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, the Atlanta Police Department will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year in coordination with GOHS’s year-round waves of high visibility patrols, multi-jurisdictional road checks and sobriety checkpoints.
Class AAA state champion Wesleyan led the way among local softball squads as several of its standouts were among the local players selected to the Georgia Athletic Coaches Association All-State teams.
Wesleyan swept the top honors in the AAA team, with junior Macey Cintron selected player of the year and senior Ryley Kutter pitcher of the year. Cintron has committed to play college softball at Duke, while Kutter is a College of Charleston commitment.
Four Wesleyan players were selected to the AAA first team — junior catcher Marjee Williams, senior infielder Christina McCoy and freshmen outfielders Shayla Bahr and Avery Tucker — while Wesleyan sophomore Sarah Wren was a second-team selection. The seven Wesleyan all-state selections led the Wolves (32-2) to their second consecutive state championship and fourth in six years.
Mount Vernon also has a big presence on the Class A, Division I team, with junior pitcher Grace Westmoreland, junior catcher Reagan Hickey and sophomore infielder Reese Hickey selected to the first team and junior infielder Lauren Dove chosen for the second team.
Westmoreland, Reagan Hickey, Reese Hickey and Dove led Mount Vernon (26-7) to the state tournament for the second year in a row.
A number of Northside standouts were selected to the AAAAAA team, with two North Atlanta players, junior catcher Leela Langston and senior infielder CeCe Smith, along with St. Pius X junior Nina Parker chosen for the first team and Riverwood junior infielder Jaden James and Marist senior infielder Katelyn Deguire named to the second team.
Two Northside players were named to the AAAA team — Pace Academy sophomore catcher Kate Grice for the first team and Lovett junior Ana Gore for the second team.
Several Northside volleyball standouts were among the players selected to the Georgia Volleyball Coaches Association All-State teams.
Class AAAA state champion Pace Academy led the way on the AAAA team, with junior Grace Agolli selected as player of the year and Cat Monroe as coach of the year.
Other Pace players chosen were senior Briea Craft and juniors Ellie Siskin and Dhru Lalaji, along with Lovett junior Emma Duffield and Westminster junior Ellie Myers. Lovett junior Kennedy Campbell was an honorable mention selection. St. Pius X junior Isa Boyd was selected to the AAAAAA team, with St. Pius senior Nina Shaw a honorable mention selection. Wesleyan senior Lauren Van Wie was named to the AAA team, while Wesleyan junior Avery Daum was chosen to the honorable mention category. Van Wie and Daum led the Wolves to the AAA quarterfinals.
Whitefield Academy sophomore Elizabeth Cella was selected to the Class A team.
Pace’s Academy’s Craft and Wesleyan’s Van Wie were also named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association’s All-American team, which is comprised solely of senior players.
Craft, who has committed to play college volleyball at Memphis, was a third-team selection, while Wesleyan’s Van Wie — a Pennsylvania commitment — was an honorable mention choice.
Craft and Van Wie were also named to the all-senior American Volleyball Coaches Region 3 team, along with three St. Pius players — Shaw, Kelly Stevenson and Abby Williams — as well as Westminster’s Carleigh Franklin and Marist’s Faith Henley.
Metro-Atlanta residents will once again be able to witness the storytelling of Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater at the Fox Theatre Feb. 16 through 19, 2023.
Led by Artistic Director Robert Battle, the 2023 Atlanta engagement will showcase the passionate spirit and extraordinary technique of Ailey’s dancers in five exciting performances featuring premieres, new productions and repertory favorites.
The inspiring finale of all programs will be Alvin Ailey’s must-see American masterpiece “Revelations,” acclaimed around the world for sending hearts soaring and lifting audiences to their feet. Since its debut in 1960, “Revelations” has been seen by more people around the world than any other modern dance work moving audiences with its powerful storytelling and soul-stirring music, evoking timeless themes of determination, hope and transcendence. Springing from Ailey’s childhood memories of growing up in the south and. attending services at Mount Olive Baptist Church in Texas, “Revelations” pays homage to the rich cultural heritage of the African-American and explores the emotional spectrum of the human condition.
To help introduce young audiences to the magic of Ailey during Black History Month, a school-time performance Feb. 17, at 10:30 a.m. will engage and enlighten Atlanta students. The hour-long program, moderated by one of the dancers, will give young audiences a peak behind the scenes into the world of dance and introduces young audiences to the magic of Alvin Ailey’s must-see masterpiece, “Revelations.”
