Bylines

Colorful, eclectic, nostalgic and legendary. These were all words used by Anaïs Long and her parents to describe The B-52s concert at the Akins Ford Arena on Saturday, Dec. 14.
The opening of Akins Ford Arena has been highly anticipated in the Athens area, and the concert was the second event to be held in the 8,500 capacity venue. Akins Ford Arena is the home of the Classic City’s brand new professional hockey team, the Athens Rock Lobsters, named after one of The B-52s’ most recognizable songs, “Rock Lobster.”

Since the fast fashion company Shein rebranded in 2015, its customer base and revenue has increased exponentially, along with other similar online clothing brands.
Fast fashion is typically low-priced trendy clothing that is mass-produced at fast rates, and clothing styles produced often go out of style as fast as they went “in style.” These clothes are quickly turned over and donated or discarded, with 60% of fast fashion items manufactured in 2012 being thrown away only a few years after their purchase, leaving a negative environmental impact.

The sounds of giggling children and upbeat R&B and hip hop music played as families lined up to get new backpacks full of supplies at Rocksprings Park Picnic Shelter before the end of the summer. West Broad Farmers Market’s Back-to-School Block Party partnered with the Bhuiyan Foundation to bring free school supplies and excitement to kids in the last days of summer.

Avid readers, history buffs and Athens natives gathered at the Taylor-Grady House on Tuesday, July 8, for the launch party of “The Preston Chronicles.” Author and historian Stephen T. Jackson proudly released the first two books of the trilogy at the event, “Murder and the Silent Coup” and “Murder for the Greater Good.”

In 2005, Corwin Weik first stumbled upon the freshly constructed Skate Park of Athens. Little did he know that this discovery would lead him to starting a nonprofit organization to fund the repair and expansion of the same skate park nearly 20 years later.
The nonprofit, Athens Skatepark Project, is devoted to increasing access to skate parks across Athens-Clarke County and enriching the community through skate culture.

Marcus “Nony” Lawrence’s business isn’t just about making cheesecakes. It’s about having resilience and determination to fight for the career you want.
“One of my biggest messages is consistency, like just stay at it. If you don’t quit, you can’t fail,” Lawrence said. “Failure is only when you quit.”
Lawrence is the owner and CEO of Nony’s Cheesecakes, which began as Cheesecake Topia in November 2012. Lawrence was forced to close in 2020 at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Last year, he rebranded the company to reflect his personal growth and long-term vision for success.

Almost exactly one year after the start of the Israel-Hamas war, Athens Artists for Change hosted a concert fundraiser at Athentic Brewing Company for three Palestinian families affected by the war in Gaza. On Sunday, Oct. 6 from 2 to 6 p.m., around 50 people came out to the brewery to enjoy drinks and food and watch four artists perform acoustic sets on the patio.

Ashtin Barker

Bylines

The B-52s return home: Legendary band rocks new Akins Ford Arena in historic Athens show

Redefining Style: Dawgs combatting fast fashion

Back-to-School Block Party provides Athens youth with 100 backpacks full of school supplies

“The Preston Chronicles” book launch party honors Athens’ history

Skate Park of Athens hopes to expand and continue fostering community

Breaking Barriers: The Pressure and Power of Being a Black-Owned Business in Athens

Athens Artists for Change raises over $1,000 for Palestinian families through concert