Bans, Burns, and a Butcher Shop Born From Faith

Good morning, Henry County. Grab your mug, we've got a lot to cover.

The Weekend Eye is also out this morning. Mother's Day is Sunday, and we built this one for you.

Governor Kemp just signed a cellphone ban for Georgia high schools. Henry County was already ahead of it.

One in three Georgia zip codes is a child care desert. The data finally explains what so many families here already know.

The Nest Watch is back with a new report on corporate homeownership in metro Atlanta that hits especially close to home here in Henry County

The emergency burn ban has been lifted. Summer restrictions still apply through September.

And in case you missed it yesterday, T&T Meats is back today. A promise made in a hospital room. A butcher shop that almost didn’t open. Worth every word.

Let's get into it. 🦅👁️

GEORGIA - Governor Kemp signed the Distraction Free Education Act on Tuesday, expanding Georgia's classroom phone ban from elementary and middle schools to high schools statewide but Henry County Schools already had a ban in place before the state required it. The law takes effect in July 2027, giving districts time to choose how to enforce it, but early research from a Marietta pilot program shows kids are already talking to each other at lunch again. See how Georgia schools are planning to implement the ban at CBS Atlanta →

HENRY COUNTY — Henry County has lifted the emergency burn ban that was put in place during heightened wildfire conditions, but residents still can’t burn yard debris just yet.

The county is now operating under Georgia’s annual statewide burn restrictions, which remain in effect through September. Read more at Henry County Government

GEORGIA - A new report from the Center for American Progress finds nearly half of all young children in America live in child care deserts — and in Georgia, one in three zip codes doesn't have enough licensed providers to meet demand. If you've ever struggled to find affordable child care in Henry County, the numbers finally explain why. See how Georgia stacks up and what it means for working families at Center for American Progress →

HENRY COUNTY - Henry County Youth Lacrosse is hosting its annual summer camp June 8–11 at Union Grove High School — open to boys and girls from kindergarten through 12th grade, all skill levels, 6:30–8:30 PM each evening. Register at LaxCamp.org →

HENRY COUNTY — On May 1st, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story got us looking deeper into a trend reshaping metro Atlanta’s housing market, including parts of Henry County: the rise of investor owned single family homes.

The AJC story, based on research from the Washington, D.C. based American Economic Liberties Project, reported that metro Atlanta now leads the nation in large investor owned single family rental homes. The report argues the trend has contributed to higher home prices and fewer homeownership opportunities across the region.

Other housing research and media reports have also pointed to Henry County as one of metro Atlanta’s hotspots for investor owned single family homes.

Researchers have also referenced parts of State House District 117 in Henry County, represented by Mary Ann Santos, as an example of how widespread investor ownership has become in some suburban communities.

Housing advocates worry the shift could make it harder for first time buyers and working families to build long-term wealth through homeownership as more homes become rentals owned by large investment groups.. Read the original reporting from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

🏡 Nest Watch Is Expanding

Coming soon, Nest Watch will move to our Weekend Eye edition, where we’ll begin featuring local listings, open houses, and market spotlights in partnership with Henry County real estate professionals.

Agents interested in featuring listings or open houses can contact us at [email protected].

LOCUST GROVE - “I probably own stock in Bath & Body Works.”

That’s one of the first things Angie Dixon says when describing T&T Meats.

“I burn candles all the time,” she laughs. “A lot of times the first thing people say is, ‘It smells good in here.’”

That warmth is intentional.

Because for Angie, a butcher shop was never supposed to feel cold.

Nearly ten years ago, she wasn’t in the meat business at all. She had spent 23 years working at an accounting firm when she stopped by T&T Meats to check on a longtime family friend who owned the shop. Something felt wrong immediately.

“He didn’t even recognize me,” she remembers.

Within hours, he was rushed to the hospital, covered “head to toe” in cancer. The next morning, Angie walked into his hospital room, and he looked at her and said something she still carries with her.

“He said, ‘I’m going to make you an offer you can’t refuse.’”

Angie had never owned a butcher shop. Never worked behind a meat counter. But after praying on it, she and her son, Brent Dixon, decided to take the leap.

“The only thing he said to me was, ‘Please don’t change the meat and be good to my customers.’”

They kept that promise.

Today, T&T Meats has two locations and a fiercely loyal following across Henry County. During the pandemic, when grocery store shelves were empty, people lined up outside the shop waiting for meat. Angie sat outside with a megaphone and numbered tickets, calling customers one by one from the parking lot so families could safely wait in their cars.

People never forgot it.

Neither did she.

“I feel like I’m preserving, in my little way, human nature to be good to each other,” Angie says, her voice cracking with emotion. “It doesn’t cost anything to be good.”

Inside the shop, customers still ask for custom cuts the old fashioned way. Children come in looking for suckers and stickers. Angie knows many customers by name.

“You deserve to be treated with respect,” she says.

And in a world of self checkout lanes and shrink wrapped supermarket meat, that kind of service has become rare.

But inside T&T Meats, it’s still the standard.

Visit T&T Meats
T&T Meats
📍 McDonough: 399 Keys Ferry St, McDonough, GA 30253
📍 Locust Grove: 2794 Hwy 42 N, Locust Grove, GA 30248
📞 McDonough: (770) 898-0040 | 📞 Locust Grove: (770) 957-9663
📘 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TandTMeats
🕒 Tuesday through Saturday: 10 AM to 6 PM | Closed Sunday and Monday

FRIDAY MAY 8

Farmers Market at City of McDonough📍 162 Keys Ferry Street 🕙 10AM–2PM

SATURDAY MAY 9

Move with the Mayor: Boots on the City Lawn 📍 Stockbridge City Hall · 4640 N Henry Blvd, Stockbridge 🕐 10:30 AM · Free Community Wellness Initiative hosted by Mayor Jayden Williams.

Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary Spring Fling 📍 712 LG Griffin Rd · Locust Grove 🕐 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM · Free to attend

Volunteer Workday at Panola Mountain State Park 📍 Panola Mountain State Park · Nature Center · 2620 Hwy 155 SW, Stockbridge 🕐 8:30 AM – 11:00 AM ·

Critter Fun Day at Noah's Ark 📍 712 LG Griffin Rd · Locust Grove 🕐 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM · $25 per child · Ages 4–12 ·

Mother's Day Tea Party · 📍 Magnolia Tea Room, McDonough Square · 🕐 12:00 PM · Sweet treats, warm tea, games, and prizes — a charming afternoon out with Mom right on the square.

SUNDAY MAY 10

Mother's Day at Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary · 📍 712 LG Griffin Rd, Locust Grove · 🕐 Sunday, May 10 · Moms get free entry when visiting with a child

Check out the full weekend event listing in the Weekend Eye.

Bad Dad Joke of the Day 🤣

What did the mom say when her kid asked what she wanted for Mother's Day?

"For you to stop asking me what I want for Mother's Day." 🤣

That's your Friday, Henry County.

The conversation about who's buying homes in Henry County is finally backed by data.

And if you haven't read the T&T Meats story yet, do it this weekend. It's the kind of story that stays with you.

Rain or shine, this weekend is full of reasons to celebrate the women who hold this county together. Happy Mother's Day, Henry County.

See you Monday.

Stay sharp, stay local. The Eagle Eye Digest 🦅👁️