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In today’s Scoop:
🍗 A new restaurant takes over a familiar Athens spot
🏞️ What Athens residents need to know about Memorial Park
📅 What’s happening around Athens this week
What are you most excited to do this fall in Athens? |
🎓 Athens Academy Has a New Head of School, And He’s Walking Into a School on the Rise
Athens Academy is starting the 2026–27 school year with new leadership and some pretty strong momentum behind it. The school began the year with a 98% reenrollment rate, its highest opening-day enrollment in three years, and 138 new students joining the community.
That new chapter is being led by Jeff Miles, who became Athens Academy’s fifth Head of School on July 1. He comes to Athens after serving as Head of School at Rabun Gap–Nacoochee School, where he led a $30 million capital campaign and helped grow enrollment from 562 to 700 students.
But Miles' message to the Athens Academy community isn't really about growth for growth's sake. He talks about building on what already makes the school distinctive: academic excellence, meaningful relationships, character, curiosity, resilience, and helping students discover their individual paths.
That's especially interesting for families looking at the school now. Athens Academy has spent 60 years developing an education that goes beyond academics, with students participating in arts, athletics, service, and leadership alongside their classroom work.
And Miles has a personal stake in the community, too. He and his wife, Kiana, have two daughters who attend Athens Academy - Lia, Class of 2031, and Alison, Class of 2034. So he's not just stepping onto campus as the new Head of School; his family is becoming part of the school alongside the families he's now serving.
For parents considering an independent school, that combination of 60 years of history and new leadership makes this an interesting moment to take a closer look. The school serves students from K3 through 12th grade on its 152-acre campus, with its mission centered on “excellence with honor.”
The easiest way to understand what Athens Academy is building next is to see it firsthand. Come walk the campus, see the classrooms in action, and meet the community Jeff Miles is now helping lead.
Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!
🍗 Hot or Not Chicken is bringing new life to the former Weaver D’s spot
Hot or Not Chicken is now open at 1016 E. Broad St., the longtime home of Weaver D’s. The new restaurant serves Nashville-style hot chicken, tenders, sandwiches, Cajun fries, slaw, banana pudding, and more. Its opening gives the historic East Broad Street space a new life while keeping it focused on casual, approachable food.
🌲 Choose Your Place While the Choice Is Still Yours
Most people never get to decide where they spend their later years. They wait, something happens, a fall or a hard diagnosis, and then their kids are scrambling to move them anywhere with an open bed during the worst week of everyone's life.
The Landing Senior Living exists so you never have to do it that way.
You move into your own one or two bedroom apartment while you're independent and well, on your own terms, into a place run by people who own it themselves.
The Landing is locally owned, not a corporate chain, and it staffs well above what Georgia requires.
One family member wrote about her friend: "She has blossomed! Her care is exactly that, care! The staff treat her like a treasured member of their family! Her health has improved, and we are comforted by the care she receives here every day!"
Because they grow with you, this is the only move you have to make. If your needs ever change, assisted living, transitional care, and memory care are right here in the same community, with the same people who already know you. You're never uprooted, and your family never has to pass you off to strangers.
You keep your independence and your dignity, and they keep watch. Come see for yourself whether it's the right move.
Thank you to our local sponsors who help make this publication possible!
🎓 How UGA’s growth is changing Athens
The Gist: UGA is starting the new academic year with an expected record enrollment of about 44,500 students, along with new buildings and continued campus expansion. As the university grows, its footprint and presence continue to shape the city around it.
Why It Matters: UGA is a major part of everyday life in Athens, and its growth reaches beyond campus. More students and a larger university footprint can affect housing, traffic, local businesses, and how the city develops in the years ahead.
Read more here.
🏞️ What Athens residents need to know about Memorial Park’s construction
The Gist: Memorial Park is currently undergoing major improvements funded through SPLOST 2020, and most of the park is closed while crews work on the pond and surrounding infrastructure. The project is addressing stormwater problems and other needed upgrades, with construction expected to continue into 2027.
Why It Matters: Memorial Park is one of Athens' most popular outdoor recreation spots, home to the pond, walking paths, Bear Hollow Zoo, Athens Creative Theatre, and Birchmore Trail. The current closures affect how residents can use the park, so it's useful for families and regular visitors to know what's accessible and how long the work is expected to last.
Read more here.
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A broken fridge, washer, oven, or dishwasher can feel like a much bigger problem than it really is. The first step is getting the right person to look at it. If you don’t need this now, save this email for later.
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🍦 Friends of Bear Hollow Ice Cream Social | Jeni's Splendid Ice Creams | Athens | Aug. 27 | More Enjoy an ice cream social benefiting Friends of Bear Hollow Zoo Thursday afternoon.
📚 LEGO Builder’s Challenge | Oconee County Library | Watkinsville | Aug. 27 | More Kids can put their building skills to work during a LEGO challenge Thursday afternoon.
📖 Athens Library Store First Anniversary Celebration | Athens-Clarke County Library | Athens | Aug. 29 | More Celebrate the library store's first anniversary Saturday with a special afternoon gathering.
🎸 Gimme Hendrix: The Ultimate Jimi Hendrix Tribute | Georgia Theatre | Athens | Aug. 27 | More Catch a live Jimi Hendrix tribute Thursday night at the Georgia Theatre.
🎤 In the End: Linkin Park Experience | 40 Watt Club | Athens | Aug. 28 | More Hear a live Linkin Park tribute Friday night at the 40 Watt Club.
🎭 Athens Improv Festival | Flying Squid Comedy | Athens | Aug. 27-28 | More Catch local and visiting improvisers during the Athens Improv Festival Thursday and Friday.
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