Morning, Druid Hills and North Decatur! It's been a newsy week, with HHS Secretary RFK Jr. touching down at the CDC's Clifton Road campus and a fallen tree knocking Sagamore Hills Elementary offline right as school started. Stick around for a packed weekend calendar (hello, Piedmont Park Arts Festival plus two Saturday road races) and a rundown of zoning and permits.

- News — RFK Jr.'s CDC visit, a new DeKalb fire chief, a power-outage headache at Sagamore Hills, and a warning about a fake health inspector making the rounds.
- Business — Go Greek Yogurt is set to open its first metro Atlanta shop right in Toco Hills.
- Events — Piedmont Park Arts Festival and two Saturday road races along S Peachtree Creek Trail mean Saturday traffic will be no joke, with plenty more on the calendar all week.
- Government — DeKalb's school board weighs a $22.8M nutrition contract while commissioners take up a Clifton Road historic preservation appeal and a slate of rezonings.
- Construction — A pricey Emory-area home addition, a mystery restaurant buildout in Toco Hills, and turn-lane and signal work near Lavista worth planning around.

Let's dive in.

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NEWS

Fallen tree cuts power to Sagamore Hills Elementary
A fallen tree knocked out power to Sagamore Hills Elementary School just as the new school year began, forcing students to relocate to a nearby high school.

HHS Secretary Kennedy visits CDC headquarters in Druid Hills
U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. visited the CDC's Clifton Road headquarters to mark the one-year anniversary of a shooting at the facility. He attended a commemorative memorial event and held a staff town hall on the Druid Hills campus.

Melvin K. Carter Named DeKalb County Fire Chief
DeKalb County CEO Lorraine Cochran-Johnson appointed department veteran Melvin K. Carter as Chief of DeKalb County Fire Rescue. Carter 20+ years of experience in fire suppression, emergency medical services, training, fiscal administration, recruitment and retention, and strategic planning, according to a county release.

DeKalb superintendent plans community engagement teams for new school year
As the new school year kicks off, the DeKalb County School District is launching community engagement teams to strengthen communication between school leaders and families.

DeKalb health officials warn local restaurants of fake inspector
DeKalb County officials issued a public alert warning local food establishments about an individual impersonating a health inspector to film social media content.

DeKalb, Decatur post test gains; ELA scores delayed
Both City Schools of Decatur and DeKalb County schools posted year-over-year gains on Georgia standardized assessments, with performance metrics showing progress across multiple grade levels. State English Language Arts results, however, remain pending.

BUSINESS

Go Greek Yogurt - opening - California-based Go Greek Yogurt will open its first metro Atlanta location in a 950-square-foot space at the Toco Hills shopping center, currently occupied by LK Hair Studio, situated between Sababa's and Sola Salons.

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Monday, August 10
- Story Time | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Tuesday, August 11
- Dekalb PD Town Hall 2 of 2 | Medlock Area Neighborhood Association
- TEX 01 - Floor Loom Weaving - Weaver's Choice or Project From the Weaving Hat (Edmisten) | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- Bingo | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County

Wednesday, August 12
- Family Nature Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History

Thursday, August 13
- Lyftd Clothing Co. Presents: Yoga in the Park (Mason Mill Park) | Mason Mill Park
- Investor Connect: Pitch & Deal Flow Night Atlanta | Wild Heaven Beer & Fox Bros. Bar- Q at Toco Hills
- Cookbook Club | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County
- Jewelry with Gin Live! | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County

Friday, August 14
- Fernbank After Dark: Bones & Brews | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- 🎟️BLAIR CRIMMINS AND THE HOOKERS* ticketed show | Napoleon's Grill
- DAP 06 - Advanced Watercolor (Matthews) | Callanwolde Fine Arts Center
- Friday Movies | Avis Williams Library - DeKalb County

Saturday, August 15
- Open House at Candler Park Golf Course | Druid Hills Civic Association Events
- Atlanta Chinese Dance Co. Presents Chinese American Journeys | Performing Arts Studio
- Run for PB& J 5K/10K/13.1 ATLANTA | S Peachtree Creek Trail (Course Map will be emailed)
- Bagel Run 5K/10K/13.1 ATLANTA | S Peachtree Creek Trail (Course Map will be emailed)
- Revolver LX: Kenny Howes & Friends perform Revolver Live | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Meet a Ranger | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Marsoupial | Wild Heaven Toco Hills
- Piedmont Park Arts Festival | Piedmont Park

Sunday, August 16
- Sensory Morning | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Aug 16th The Heck with linocut by @tenderslug | Heck House
- Family Nature Walk | Fernbank Museum of Natural History
- Dave Deckebach | Wild Heaven Toco Hills

GOVERNMENT

Note: our information comes from posted meetings documents (agendas and minutes when available) — latest source document hyperlinked to each meeting.

Meetings This Week
- DeKalb County School District — Board of Education | Aug-10 | key topics: $22.8M school nutrition contract, AI use policy (Policy IFBI), Briarlake/Montclair HVAC repairs, Dunwoody High stadium project
- Atlanta Public Schools — Board of Education | Aug-10 | key topics: new A.D. Williams Elementary construction, multi-site demolition bundle, Tax Anticipation Note resolution, facility repurposing policy
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Board of Commissioners | Aug-11, 09:00 AM | key topics: park and dam renovation grants, Sugar Creek Tennis & Golf funding, adult entertainment moratorium, Clifton Road historic preservation appeal
- DeKalb County Board of Commissioners — Zoning Meeting | Aug-13, 05:30 PM | key topics: Henrico Road industrial-to-residential rezonings, Briarcliff Road salon suites rezoning, chronic nuisance property ordinance, Covington Highway package store

CONSTRUCTION

Permits

This week's filings show steady activity around Emory and Toco Hills, with a mix of institutional work, restaurant buildouts, and big-ticket home renovations.

- 1945 C Ridgewood Dr NE — Emory's graduate student housing Phase II project is installing new fire sprinkler systems in the building. Construction there continues to move forward.
- 3500 Peachtree Rd NE — A rooftop cell tower swap is underway, removing seven antennas and installing six new ones along with updated equipment. Expect some rooftop activity but nothing that should disrupt street-level traffic.
- Council Bluff Dr — A $585,473 addition just closed out, covering architectural and civil work for a major residential expansion. That's one of the priciest projects in the area this cycle.
- Toco Hills — A $414,540 retail buildout closed, adding new restrooms, a water heater, and a mop sink. That kind of plumbing scope usually signals a new restaurant or food service tenant moving in.
- 2933 N Druid Hills Rd — A $114,446 commercial HVAC overhaul closed, installing rooftop heat pump units, a mini-split system, and multiple ceiling units. Big mechanical investment for the building.
- Woodridge Dr — A $200,000 residential addition closed, adding a new rear addition and second floor to an existing single-story home.
- 2677 Buford Hwy — An apartment permit closed out, though details on scope weren't specified.
- 1945 Ridgewood Dr NE — An electrical permit reopened after a prior one expired, tied to the main Emory housing project. More sign of ongoing construction in that corridor.
- 2832 N Decatur Rd — A retail AC and air handler installation closed out, routine maintenance for a commercial space.

Beyond these, 16 more notable permits closed or got issued this period, adding up to over $5.3 million in combined value. Most are single-family additions, commercial electrical work, and retail buildouts, continuing the theme of steady home upgrades paired with commercial refreshes near Emory and Toco Hills.

On the smaller side, 73 additional residential and minor permits came through, totaling about $455,900. Single-family projects dominate that list, so expect the usual scattered driveway work, minor electrical jobs, and small business filings around the neighborhood.

Road Work

Under Construction
- Lavista and Clairmont Left Turn Lane Extension (DeKalb County) — Crews are extending the left turn lane on Lavista eastbound at Clairmont. If you drive through this intersection near Emory or North Druid Hills, expect lane shifts and slower turns while work continues.
- Lavista & Shepherds Lane Signal Upgrade (DeKalb County) — GDOT is upgrading the traffic signal at Lavista and Shepherds Lane. Watch for flaggers or temporary signal patterns if you pass through this intersection during construction.

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Until next week,
Druid Hills / North Decatur Busybody

Disclaimer: We use advanced data retrieval and analysis techniques across hundreds of sources, and may be prone to occasional error. Independently verify information with a secondary source, and please let us know if we got anything wrong via the feedback form.