Good morning, Henry County.
We're back on a Monday! With summer just about behind us, we're slowly working our way back to five days a week. This week, you'll hear from us twice, today and Friday.
And what a time to get to know the people leading our cities.
Today we launch Leaders in Focus, starting with McDonough Mayor Kam Varner. We get into the family legacy that drives her, how she got her start, and why becoming a leader first meant becoming a student.
Meanwhile, Stockbridge residents are sounding off after the City Council voted to remove Mayor Jayden Williams. But is this really the end?
Plus, Stockbridge swears in its Youth Council today, and temperatures may still be in the 90s, but fall is calling. McDonough and Locust Grove are looking for scarecrows.
And don't miss Mayor Varner's Rapid Fire on Instagram. Watch and follow @eagleeyedigest →
Let's get into it. 🦅👁️
Caballos Y Trokas..This Saturday at EchoPark Speedway
EchoPark Speedway is about to look like nothing you've ever seen there before. Caballos Y Trokas brings one of the most electrifying cultural festivals in the Southeast to Henry County this Saturday — one day of custom lowrider trucks, dancing horses, live regional Mexican music, a burnout show, food, and vendors from noon to 10 p.m. It's bold, it's beautiful, and it's happening right in our backyard.
📅 Saturday, September 19 · 12 to 10 p.m.
📍 EchoPark Speedway · Hampton, GA Get tickets at caballosytrokasatl.com →
STOCKBRIDGE CITY HALL
Stockbridge City Council Voted to Remove Its Mayor. The Backlash Was Swift
STOCKBRIDGE - After a nearly 10-hour hearing Saturday, the Stockbridge City Council voted to remove Mayor Jayden Williams from office following an investigation into his use of city funds and communications with an 18-year-old high school student.
Among the evidence presented were personal purchases made with Williams' city purchasing card. Williams testified that some charges resulted from mistakenly using the wrong card and said he reimbursed the city when improper expenses were identified.
Then came the reaction.
On local social media, some residents said the council made the right decision. Others questioned whether removal went too far, and if whether Williams had enough guidance & mentors around him given his age and lack of experience. Some are even asking that the same level of scrutiny be extended across Stockbridge's broader finances.
Before his removal, Williams and his attorneys had called for a forensic audit of city spending covering the previous five years.
The City of Stockbridge has now issued its first official statement since the vote, confirming Williams' removal and saying city business and services will continue without interruption. The city also acknowledged that “additional legal or procedural matters may arise” and said it will follow the City Charter, city ordinances and Georgia law as the transition moves forward.
And this may not be over. Williams has the right to appeal his removal to Henry County Superior Court. As of Sunday, he had not announced whether he would.
Why it matters: Williams is out of office for now, but the questions surrounding Stockbridge City Hall aren't going away. Residents are watching what happens next.
STOCKBRIDGE CITY HALL
Stockbridge's Next Generation of Leaders Take the Oath
STOCKBRIDGE — While the city processes a tough weekend, its youngest leaders are stepping up. Today, the Stockbridge Youth Council holds its 2026–2027 Swearing-In Ceremony, welcoming new members and installing this year's student officers. The program gives local teens a real seat at the table, building leadership skills and a firsthand look at how city government works.
Why it matters: Amid a season of hard headlines about Stockbridge's elected leadership, this is a reminder that the city's future leaders are already showing up to do the work the right way.
Today, September 14 · 5:30 PM
📍 Stockbridge City Hall, 4640 North Henry Blvd
🎟️ FREE, open to the public
FALL FUN
Two Cities, Two Scarecrow Contests. Don't Miss the Deadlines
HENRY COUNTY — Fall is coming to downtown Henry County, and both Locust Grove and McDonough are looking for scarecrows.
Locust Grove's Scarecrow Village is accepting applications through Tuesday, September 15. Families, businesses, schools, churches and community groups can enter for free, with scarecrows taking over downtown from October 1 through October 31. Visitors will even get to vote for a People's Choice winner.
Registration for McDonough’s Scarecrow Contest on the Square runs through Friday, September 25, but there's a catch: only 50 entries will be accepted this year.
Why it matters: It's a chance for families, businesses, and community groups to get creative and become part of the fall scenery downtown. Just don't mix up those deadlines. Locust Grove closes first.
LEADERS IN FOCUS
Mayor Kam Varner: “I Became a Student”
She didn't walk into City Hall with all the answers. She went out and found them.
MCDONOUGH- Kam Varner's family has been in Blacksville for seven or eight generations. Her great-great-grandfather, Pompey Phillips, owned so much land there that a road still carries his name. The neighborhood took care of itself back then. Seafood markets, barbershops, lawn services, two of everything. Advocacy wasn't a cause she picked up. It was just how her family operated.
She didn't set out for politics. "I wanted to be an attorney. The next Johnny Cochran," she said. Then, at 29, members of McDonough's American Legion Post 516 encouraged her to run for City Council.
She won. And suddenly she was sitting in rooms with people who had spent years studying government. She didn't have a degree of her own yet, and she didn't pretend to know everything.
"I became a student," Varner said. She meant it literally. While serving on Council, she went back and earned a bachelor's in organizational leadership from Point University, then a master's in public administration from Strayer, studying the same things she was already living: finance, poverty, why one community thrives while another stalls out. It wasn't about the letters after her name. It was about getting better at the job in front of her.
"I'm forever a student," she said.
Thirteen years and two terms as Mayor Pro Tem later, she ran for mayor.
"I just absolutely jumped off the porch with faith and ran."
Months into her first year as mayor, she talks about the job the way she talks about most things, carefully, and with an eye toward what's possible, rather than what's wrong. There's a parks master plan underway. A citywide beautification push designed to carry some of downtown McDonough's charm beyond the Square. And housing affordability is the issue closest to her heart, giving teachers, grocery workers and public works crews an actual shot at owning a home.
Even the hard days get the same treatment. The challenges, she said, are "mostly opportunities." She has a way of landing on what's next instead of dwelling on what went wrong.
Ask what she wants people to say about her when it's all over:
"She wasn't self-serving, and she left McDonough better than she found it."
THINGS TO DO
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 14
Stockbridge Youth Council Swearing In Ceremony · 📍 Stockbridge City Hall · 4640 North Henry Blvd, Stockbridge · 🕐 5:30 p.m. · FREE · New members and officers of the 2026 to 2027 Stockbridge Youth Council are officially sworn in.
Monday Night Cruise · 📍 Summit Racing Equipment · 20 King Mill Rd, McDonough · 🕐 6 to 8 p.m. · Cars, trucks, and motorcycles fill the lot for a weekly community cruise in. All are welcome.
Evening Crafting Circle · 📍 Fairview Public Library · Study Room 1 · 🕐 6 to 7 p.m. · FREE · Bring your knitting, crochet, or any fiber craft project and make artsy new friends while discussing books.
Mindfulness and Meditation Workshop — Spanish Version · 📍 McDonough Public Library · Meeting Room · 🕐 6 to 7:30 p.m. · FREE · Registration required · A four-part beginner-friendly series featuring guided meditations, short teachings, and group discussions conducted entirely in Spanish. 12 seats remaining — register now.
TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 15
Scrapbooking Social · 📍 Locust Grove Public Library · Meeting Room · 🕐 4 to 5 p.m. · FREE · Join an hour of scrapbooking and chatting with fellow crafters. A fun and creative Tuesday afternoon well spent.
WEDNESDAY SEPTEMBER 16
Adult Computer Class: Basic Computer Skills for Seniors · 📍 Cochran Public Library · Dr. Marilyn L. Flynn, Ed. D Community Meeting Room · 🕐 3 to 4 p.m. · FREE · Build your tech skills at the library. Topics include internet basics, online safety, typing, and using email and search engines. Perfect for seniors getting comfortable with technology.
FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18
Fine Motor Friday · 📍 McDonough Public Library · 🕐 10:30 a.m. · FREE · Fun fine motor activities for young children.
Rumble in the Grove · 📍 Locust Grove City Hall Front Lawn · 3644 Highway 42, Locust Grove · 🕐 7 to 9 p.m. · FREE · Live professional wrestling on the City Hall lawn. Bring lawn chairs and blankets. Food and frozen treats available for purchase.
⚠️ DEADLINE ALERT — FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 18
Locust Grove Chili Cook Off and Beer Festival · Applications for chili cooks and vendors close at 5 p.m. Friday September 18. The festival is October 10. Apply now before spots are gone.
SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 19
Community Do Good Day · 📍 Projects throughout McDonough · 🕐 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. · FREE · City-wide volunteer day in the historic Blacksville neighborhood. Park at Henry County Middle and High Schools · 155 to 175 Postmaster Drive · Shuttles provided. No experience required. Just show up.
Daisy Days: Guided Panola Mountain Hike · 📍 Panola Mountain State Park · 2620 Highway 155 SW, Stockbridge · 🕐 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. · Ages 10 and up · Registration required · Three-mile guided hike to see Panola Mountain's blooming yellow daisies. Part of the annual Daisy Days Hike Challenge.
Smoke and Mirrors Truck and Car Show · 📍 Sweet Auburn BBQ · 1828 Jonesboro Rd, McDonough · 🕐 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. · FREE · Monthly community car and truck show. Food, drinks, giveaways, and raffles.
Coast and Cove Mahjong Social at Oasis Nutrition · 📍 Oasis Nutrition · 20 Old Jackson Road, McDonough · 🕐 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. · 🎫 Guided play $20 · Open play $15 · All experience levels welcome · Presented by Oasis Nutrition and Coast and Cove Mahjong Social. Remember Amber Villegas from our Tales from the Perch? This is her. Come pull up a chair.
Paws for a Purpose 5K · 📍 City Park · 186 Cleveland St, Locust Grove · 🕐 Registration 7 a.m. · Race 8 a.m. · $35 · First annual 5K benefiting Street Paws and local rescue animals. Well-behaved leashed dogs welcome. ⚠️ Price increases September 17 — register now to save.
Caballos Y Trokas · 📍 EchoPark Speedway · Hampton · 🕐 12 to 10 p.m. · 🎫 General admission $100 · Children 10 and under free with ticketed adult · Live regional Mexican music, custom trucks, dancing horses, burnout show, food, and vendors.
Jollof Festival ATL 2026 · 📍 Westside Motor Lounge · 725 Echo St NW, Atlanta · 🕐 3 to 8 p.m. · West African jollof rice competition featuring regional interpretations of the dish, tastings, and family-friendly activities. Worth the trip.
MONDAY SEPTEMBER 21
Monday Night Cruise · 📍 Summit Racing Equipment · 20 King Mill Rd, McDonough · 🕐 6 to 8 p.m. · Weekly themed cruise in for local auto enthusiasts.
That's your Monday Eye.
We're just getting started with Leaders in Focus. Mayor Kam Varner is first up, with more conversations with Henry County's local leaders coming your way.
We'll be back Friday with your Weekend Eye and plenty to do around Henry County.
Until then, stay sharp. Stay local. The Eagle Eye Digest. 🦅👁️
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