and website in this browser for the next time I comment Δdocument.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value" Please support local news—East Cobb News—during Small Business Week! Kemp won’t challenge Ossoff in U.S. Senate race East Cobb Weather Update: A mild forecast stretches into May Check the latest East Cobb real estate sales Editor’s Note: The savory tastes of the Taste of East Cobb • Call/text 24/7 for breaking and emergency news tips: 404-219-4278 A free digest with top East Cobb News headlines calendar listings and more is delivered every Sunday Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSANDY SPRINGS (Atlanta News First) - Consent is now required if you want to speak your mind in proximity to the public in this metro Atlanta suburb The Sandy Springs City Council recently passed three new ordinances limiting First Amendment activity the most controversial of which creates an eight-foot buffer zone between someone wanting to share a message and anyone who doesn’t want to hear it Kenneth DeSimone, chief of the Sandy Springs Police Department told the city council his officers would now arrest someone for silently walking through a demonstration with the flag of an opposing group “It’s on us to prevent chaos, and if you don’t help us out, chaos will ensue,” DeSimone said during the council’s April 1 meeting ADL is one of the world’s largest organizations opposed to anti-Semitism through the United States “A neo-Nazi group littered my neighborhood’s lawns, including my own, with hate-filled leaflets seeking to sow fear in the Jewish community,” said Mike Petchenik during public comment still implored council not to pass the ordinance that would limit printed materials’ distribution “The ordinance as written could preclude legitimate news outlets, such as the Sandy Springs Crier from distributing its newspapers in our community,” Petchenik said The first new ordinance approved by the city council now makes it illegal for the Sandy Springs Crier to deliver its free newspaper early in the morning. (The Sandy Springs Crier is published by Appen Media, which has a partnership with Atlanta News First through its Decaturish publication) The new ordinance prohibits “delivery of uncontracted-for literature into the residential neighborhoods between the hours of 9:00 p.m “The only council person who voted against it asked specifically what would happen if our newspaper was delivered [before 7:00 a.m.],” said Carl Appen “The city attorney said that if someone were to deliver the Sandy Springs Crier then the police would show up and handle it.” During the meeting, council member Jody Reichel asked City Attorney Dan Lee “If Appen Media puts something at the end of someone’s driveway at 6:50 a.m “The police will come and handle whatever needs to be handled,” Lee replied Appen Media delivers the Sandy Springs Crier in the early morning hours to avoid traffic and to make sure the weekly paper is on driveways when readers wake up Appen Media is locked in a bitter lawsuit with Sandy Springs over its refusal to provide officer narratives in police incident reports with the exception of Sandy Springs,” Appen said The Georgia Open Records Act requires release of initial incident reports even when there’s an open police investigation. Sandy Springs withholds officers’ descriptions of incidents from those reports, which led Appen Media to sue the city in the Superior Court of Fulton County Sandy Springs won a dismissal of the case in its early stages, but Appen Media appealed. The Georgia Court of Appeals reversed that dismissal in March and sent it back to the lower court Within days of the city’s loss in the appeals court the Sandy Springs City Council passed the new ordinance limiting the newspaper’s delivery hours Lee has not replied to a request for comment from Atlanta News First Investigates city councilors discovered the new laws would also apply to their campaign efforts They banned soliciting or canvassing of any kind between 9:00 a.m along with the eight-foot buffer zone rule for speech “If I’m out here on the green and I’m campaigning and I want to give someone a T-shirt hand them a flyer I have to ask their permission?,” Reichel asked “You can’t do it unless you have their permission,” Lee replied Two days after the ordinances were passed in Sandy Springs, the Georgia General Assembly inserted language into a bill that would have restricted public access to police records statewide The new measure was added to a bill that had already passed the Georgia Senate. It would have made all crime records exempt from the Georgia Open Records Act until every legal appeal is exhausted, all the way up to the Supreme Court of the United States while limiting release of officer narratives in incident reports The measure was advanced in the final hours of the legislative session without a committee hearing or public comment “It was in direct response to the appellate court’s ruling in our case,” Appen said The new language was removed from the bill before a vote in the Georgia House, after several news outlets including Atlanta News First Investigates questioned the measure Brian Kemp responded publicly he did not support it The least controversial new ordinance passed unanimously It prohibits blocking driveways and entryways during protests and demonstrations The ordinance banning speech within eight feet without consent drew the most opposition. Two of the six council members voted against it, including Melody Kelley “we actually are applying this eight-feet rule everywhere?” The police chief gave an example from a pro-Israel demonstration in Sandy Springs “We had two individuals that had the Arab headdress on with two Palestinian flags that walked into the crowd,” DeSimone said but they were just walking through that event The feeling of the community out there was outrage and my guys had to grab them pretty quick and get them out there “You would arrest someone just for walking through a group of people?” If there’s something you would like Atlanta News First Investigates to dig into, fill out this submission form Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTube Home / Buckhead Stories / Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza expands into Sandy Springs The local leaders of Mister O1 Extraordinary Pizza said they’re bringing the unique eatery to Buckhead and Sandy Springs to introduce residents to its “revolutionary” pies “Mister O1 is a revolutionary pizzeria founded by internationally acclaimed chef Renato Viola whose extraordinary talent earned him an O1 Visa for artistic ability,” Miguel Blatt and Daniel Scala who along with Brandon Weitz are Mister O1’s Georgia partners “With a commitment to quality and consistency thin-crust pizzas using premium ingredients—imported from Italy or locally sourced—and a signature 72-hour dough fermentation process and truly extraordinary pizza experience.” Mister O1 opened its first Georgia location in Sandy Springs It will open its second location in the Prominence Apartment development in early June Mister O1 will have 29 locations nationwide once the Buckhead restaurant opens It was included in Michelin’s “Recommended” Miami restaurants list in 2022 Blatt and Scala said they plan to open more metro Atlanta locations in middle to late 2025 “Mister O1’s expansion into Atlanta’s Sandy Springs and Buckhead was driven by a mix of strategic growth and a passion for bringing our unique pizza experience to new audiences,” they said artisanal cuisine made it a natural next step for us.” Blatt and Scala added that they chose Georgia and metro Atlanta because of its recent growth which has attracted “a diverse and food-savvy population.” When asked why they chose Sandy Springs and Buckhead as their first Georgia locations family friendly community with a strong dining culture making it the perfect place to establish a presence Buckhead is known for its upscale lifestyle and appreciation for top-tier culinary experiences—an ideal match for our brand.” “Our move into Atlanta represents more than just expansion—it’s about sharing our passion for great pizza and a welcoming experience with new communities,” Blatt and Scala said “We can’t wait to be a part of the Atlanta food scene and create a place where people come together over great food.” Mister O1 offers pizza-cooking classes in its Miami and Dallas locations and the Georgia partners said one of the new Atlanta locations will present those classes soon Blatt and Scala said you can follow their social media channels to get details once they’re released For more information on Mister O1, visit www.mistero1.com Click here or on any of the homes below to see the best homes for sale and coming soon to the market in Buckhead. Featured properties are brought you by Buckhead’s top real estate broker, Ben Hirsh and perhaps this is the way it will always be The search is for excellence and beauty and grace and vibrancy We are connected to one another with a common bond This website is using a security service to protect itself from online attacks The action you just performed triggered the security solution There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase You can email the site owner to let them know you were blocked Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page Please email if you would like to be allow listed After 14 years, Rumi’s Kitchen in Sandy Springs is getting a makeover The Persian restaurant originated down the street in 2006 and moved to the current location (6112 Roswell Road) in 2012 all attention is back on Sandy Springs as the space gets reimagined with an updated look and new menus “I believe in time you have to update everything so you don’t get forgotten,” says founder and chef Ali Mesghali The doors were shut after dinner service March 23 and are slated to re-open this summer The revamped restaurant will feature better sound control and porcelain and hardwood floors (instead of concrete) High-end chandeliers add to the elegant appearance “It was time for a refresh after so much wear and tear,” COO and wine director Stephen Kaplan says there will be three private dining rooms rather than two—one of which will feature a solarium-style glass ceiling “The patio space was right by Roswell Road We wanted to make it more romantic and intimate,” he adds The food offerings will be expanded as well incorporating Middle Eastern flavors with the Persian specialties Expect labne charred tomato and Wagyu Zabuton kabob Entrees designed to be shared include braised lamb neck and pomegranate short rib “We’re redefining items that weren’t selling as much anymore,” Mesghali explains Now we want to expand it beyond the kebabs and make it more regional.” They’ll also begin offering brunch on the weekends Offerings may include a Persian omelet (scrambled eggs with turmeric and a Dutch baby pancake with sour cherry jam a new beverage menu will feature 12 to 14 cocktails such as a Paper Plane with a Persian spin and a Calvados (French apple brandy)-based drink with orange blossom syrup An expanded nonalcoholic list means nondrinkers can taste the same flavor profiles sans alcohol wines focus on Middle Eastern producers from Israel These new menus bring the Sandy Springs offering closer to those available at the other metro Atlanta locations “We’re trying to be on the forefront of Middle Eastern cuisine That requires constant evolution,” Kaplan says Sign up to receive GPB Event announcements via Email LISTEN: GPB's Amanda Andrews reports on the Path400 extension Atlanta City Council approved two measures allocating $1.7 million in federal funding to the Path400 project connecting the Buckhead neighborhood to Sandy Springs The money from Federal Highway Administration will pay for construction on two trail extensions along Ga Denise Starling leads the nonprofit Livable Buckhead She said trails are important for economic development and provide more commuter options “We connect to three transit stations and connect between Buckhead's central business district get that all to where you can use the trail for your commute into Buckhead,” she said “We're even going to be able to go from one mall to another.” The final trail extension will extend from Lordains Park to Sandy Springs Starling said construction isn’t the only project on the calendar Path400 is also planning social events on the path and they don't have the opportunities to really meet their neighbors connect with them and create that social fabric" that community really needs Liveable Buckhead hosts programs throughout the year such as the upcoming BuckheadRUN 5K in May to show the community how to use the Path400 and encourage connection Amanda Andrews is a general assignment reporter for GPB News. She previously worked at KUNC as a Morning Edition producer and backup host GPB is committed to bringing you comprehensive news coverage from Georgia across the country and around the world.  Your support makes this possible.  Please consider making a gift today to support this vital public service Share on FacebookShare on X (formerly Twitter)Share on PinterestShare on LinkedInSANDY SPRINGS, Ga. (Atlanta News First) - An alleged fake landlord at the center of an Atlanta News First investigation has been arrested Michael James Bourff is charged with perjury Bourff was initially arrested in another county for DUI charges but later transferred to Fulton County jail where he bonded out January 1 Bourff is accused of trying to evict Sandy Springs resident Sheila Gibson from her own home “I don’t understand how the whole thing can happen,” Gibson said in a May 2024 interview “It upsets me just to talk about it; I feel so violated.” Real estate records show Gibson’s family bought the house in 2020 for $480,000 we sacrificed a lot to buy the house,” said Gibson But when the 69-year-old grandmother pulled up to her driveway in December 2022 she saw a notice posted on her gate which read in part “scheduled to be evicted immediately by the Fulton County Marshal’s Department.” Magistrate court documents also show deputies tried to execute the eviction in October 2022 but were “unable to gain access to the property,” the deputy noted Gibson’s gate leading up to her house was malfunctioning that day and all our possessions would have been on the street,” she said For nearly a year, a series of Atlanta News First investigations showed how metro Atlanta homeowners’ property are being taken out from under them, without them even knowing it. The ongoing Stolen Homes investigation uncovered a pattern of deed thefts Under Georgia law, clerks are not allowed to ask for photo IDs when someone files a deed. Atlanta News First Investigates also discovered the lack of oversight into notaries who are stamping the deeds This is all happening without homeowners knowing about it until it’s too late Some are told their house no longer belongs to them; some are told to pay rent to the new owners; and others being evicted from their own home After these Atlanta News First investigations Georgia lawmakers approved new measures that take effect next year separate loophole exists when filing paperwork for evictions No one has to prove they own the very property for which they’re seeking an eviction Records show Bourff filed eviction paperwork in the Fulton County Clerk’s Office claiming he was the “agent” of the Sandy Springs home and the “occupants had past due rent of $12,000.” Bourff also filed an “application to execute writ of possession,” seeking to take the property Bourff alleged Gibson failed to file an answer in court to the initial eviction notice But Gibson said she was neither served with that initial eviction paperwork “It’s crazy how someone can walk into an office provide no identification and no one bothers to check to make sure this person actually owns the home,” Gibson said