Dentist in Acworth, GA

Global lifestyle brand Jaipur Living partnered with Atlanta Homes & Lifestyles to celebrate its new showroom with a grand opening party January 31 in Acworth, Ga., just North of Atlanta. More than 100 guests were in attendance, including interior designers, community officials, company staff, and friends.

Attendees were able to take part in tufting demonstrations, create their own rug designs, and were treated to a host of delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks. Guests were also delighted by the opportunity to view the behind-the-scenes operations of the 375,000-square-foot headquarters, scan a swatch wall for the brand’s full range of rug offerings, see accessories up close and personal, and shop vintage and one-of-a kind rugs in an afternoon of decor-filled revelry.

"N.K. Chaudhary, my father and the founder of Jaipur Living, strongly believes in not only weaving beautiful rugs, but also creating strong bonds of human connection. The Jaipur Living Studio was created as a gathering place to foster meaningful relationships between our design partners and customers and to connect them to the beautiful works of art designed by our artisans,” said Archana Chaudhary, Jaipur Living's chief operating officer.

The brand’s latest winter releases were on display with approximately 700 full-size rugs in addition to swatch samples for the company’s entire line of over 1,200 rugs. Jaipur Living also produces pillows, poufs, and throws, all of which are also now on view in the new space.

“Our Studio is more than just a product showroom. We've designed it to be a space for collaboration, creativity, inspiration, and to build these connections. We’re excited for this next chapter at Jaipur Living,” continued Chaudhary.

The Jaipur Living studio is now taking appointments. To book a showroom appointment, click here or email studio@jaipurliving.com.

About Jaipur Living Jaipur Living is a global lifestyle brand with a passion for people, product, and design. Known for its luxury rugs, poufs, pillows, and throws, Jaipur Living operates with a mission to create beautiful lives for its employees, customers, and artisans—all while preserving the age-old craftsmanship of handmade rugs. Through social initiatives and the Jaipur Rugs Foundation, the company supports more than 40,000 artisans in 700 villages by providing them with a livable wage, access to health care, leadership education, and opportunities for personal growth and development. Combining time-honored techniques and of-the-moment trends, every Jaipur Living product is as meaningful as they are beautiful.

ACWORTH, Ga. — In the heart of Acworth, you'll find a store called Two LiRu Antiques & Decor -- at least for now.

The second you walk in, the walls are filled with trinkets, vintage signs, and posters. The rooms are full of memorabilia, vinyl records, clothing, jewelry, coins, and more. If you walk downstairs, you may find things scarier than what you can find at a Halloween store and yes, even a casket.

It's 9,000 square feet of antiques. Or, as customer George Delalla says, "It's full of nostalgia."

"It gives a reflection of the past, the present, and what you may want to do for the future on collecting or just buying products in here," he said.

But when he walked into the store Thursday morning, Delalla was met with unexpected news.

"I drove by and I made a U-turn and came in here and I said, 'Is that sign for real?'" he recalled.

That sign announced the store's closure.

"It broke my heart thinking it's going to be gone. Acworth is changing. To see this being gone, Acworth is losing a little bit of its past. It's hard to put a nail on the wood on this."

After 8 years, owner Lisa Mack and manager Ryan Blankenberger say Two LiRu Antiques will have to relocate and downsize.

"We were given a 60-day notice to vacate," Mack said. "They are going to be either subdividing or selling the building as we understand it."

They say it has been an emotional time, after all the support they've received from the community.

"We want to let Acworth know we're really, really thankful for all your support," Blankenberger said.

After all, Blankeberger said the store had a good run.

"We made it through COVID. We beat the odds. This has become a community hub," he said. "We're sad to be leaving. It'd be easy to take it personally, but we don't."

That's why they've decided that, although they have to go away from this location, nothing can stop them from moving elsewhere.

They will be moving from their prime location on Main Street, which once served as Acworth's primary business district, to 4510 South Main Street. This new building will be 2,000 square feet -- a much smaller space compared to its multi-level 10,000 square-foot space it currently occupies.

"You can see the mountain-size task it will be to liquidate here, so we're going to continue to discount what we cannot take to the new shop with us and just really praying to be out in time," Mack said.

Their 60-day notice arrived at the end of May. They say that means they'll likely have to be out by the end of July.

Community members, like Will Britton, who has been coming to the store since it first opened, say they are upset they have to move out in the first place.

"It's definitely going to change the foot traffic because there are nice restaurants and things to eat but that was the thing – it was a destination," Britton said. "(We would say) let's go to Two LiRu and take a look around and get a bite to eat. It helps bring people down to the area. When you don’t have places people can corral or walkthrough, it changes the whole community and the way stores operate."

Blankenberger and Mack are hosting an auction the third week in July and will hold a store-closing sale where they will be liquidating all of their inventory within the upcoming weeks.

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Crossing known for crashes permanently closes

The City of Acworth has decided to do something about a train crossing where tractor-trailers have gotten stuck--some even struck--for years. They're closing it for good.

ACWORTH, Ga. - After dozens of tractor-trailers have gotten stuck on train tracks, and a few collisions, the city of Acworth decided to make a change. The School Street crossing is being shut down permanently.

Trains pass through downtown Acworth on a regular basis. The track runs parallel to Main Street. There are a few places to cross the tracks, but it's the School Street crossing that has caused problems over the years.

"Tractor-trailers were getting caught on that crest for a long time," said Kent Thelen, an Acworth resident.

The city has put up plenty of signs warning trucks not to cross the tracks, but the signs haven't solved the problem.

"Since 2018 we've had 49 citations issued for vehicles that shouldn't be going over that crossing but do. It's a pretty steep incline, so it's easy for trucks, especially tractor-trailers to get hung up on the rail there," said James Albright, Acworth City Manager.

"They use it anyway, They think they can make it, unfortunately they don't," said Thelen.

City leaders posted video on social media of a train roaring down the tracks as a trailer was hung up last week.

"It was like something out of a movie, truck pieces everywhere, it was crazy," said Jordy Bagwell who witnessed the collision.

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Acworth city official say they are permanently closing off a railroad crossing after one too many accidents involving driver who should have not gone through the crossing. (Supplied)

Fortunately, no one was hurt, but after this latest incident as well as taking into consideration major train derailments in other parts of the country, including one in Ohio that created a toxic chemical spill, Acworth city leaders decided to close the School Street crossing permanently.

"After considering a lot of things, safety of the intersection was the foremost concern over public convenience," said Albright.

Even though this crossing is the shortest way for Jordy Bagwell to get to her neighborhood, she understands the importance of safety.

"I think the minor inconvenience of going around is better than the potential of a train accident in our neighborhood," said Bagwell who was out for a walk with her baby girl, Georgia.

City leaders say stuck vehicles also use city resources. Police respond to crashes and do traffic control, Public Works is often called in to clean up. They say this closing will also put an end to that.

ACWORTH, Ga. - A confessed child molester in Cherokee County was sentenced to 30 years in prison.

Alexander David Eppsteiner, 27, of Acworth, entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to two counts of aggravated child molestation and two counts of child molestation.

He also will spend life on probation and must register as a sex offender.

Eppsteiner was accused of sexual abuse of a young boy, from when he was 7 to when he was 10 years old. Allegations came to light in April 2021, prompting an investigation.

Prosecutors learned Eppsteiner had been grooming the young boy, showing the child pornography, which lead to specific acts including inappropriate touching and oral and anal sodomy.

"It is common for those who prey on children sexually to place fear in their victims not to come forward, and in this case, Eppsteiner threatened the victim ‘not to be a snitch.’ This child’s courageous disclosure led to the discovery of other victims of child sexual abuse. In the face of overwhelming evidence, the defendant decided to enter a guilty plea, which in turn removed a serial offender from our community," said Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney Rachel Hines, of the Special Victims Unit, District Attorney’s Office.

During his sentencing hearing, prosecutors outlined a history of sexually predatory behavior towards young children, including secretly taking a photo of an 8-year-old boy while using a public restroom and having conversations and exchanging obscene photos online with a 14-year-old boy who lived in New York.

Investigators say they found several sexually explicit images of boys on his phone, including his victim.

"Through collaborative efforts of several agencies, including the Cherokee Sheriff’s Office, the Anna Crawford Children’s Center, and the District Attorney’s Office, this sex offender has received a just punishment for his despicable crimes," said District Attorney Susan K. Treadaway. "We are proud of the brave boy who had the courage to tell his parents about the abuse, ensuring that this defendant is unable to hurt another child."

Eppsteiner was also ordered to stay away from his victims

What is grooming?

Prosecutors in this case warn parents about grooming. It allows predators to mask or hide their sexual abuse. The manipulation that goes along with grooming can include gaining the child and caregiver’s trust, filling a need, using flattery and gifts, isolating the child, sexualizing the relationship, and maintaining control.

Children who have been groomed for abuse typically feel conflicted about reporting the incidents. The victims are more likely to help conceal the abuse.

Anyone who suspects a child is being abused or groomed should contact Child Protective Services as 1-855-GA CHILD (1-855-422-4453).

ACWORTH, Ga. — Several neighbors in a Cobb County community are concerned about a pipeline replacement project that they say is disrupting their daily lives.

A section of Poplar Street in Acworth is shutdown as crews work on the project.

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“We couldn’t park in our driveway for weeks and weeks and weeks,” said Katrina Botts, who lives in the neighborhood.

“They hit my mailbox, knocked it down. It was right here, they just tied it to the tree over here,” said Arthur David Hightower, who lives nearby.

Some neighbors say the project is a daily headache for them.

“They didn’t tell us they were going to cut down trees. Our house has shaken so much that it’s cracked on the back end of it,” said Botts.

“I was forced to park further down the street and then walk up walk across the mud and all that to get to my house fortunately it was only a few days,” said Vicky Smith who lives in the neighborhood.

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Some neighbors say they have to drive to the post office to get their mail, others say they experienced the same problem until recently.

“The mail people started delivering to my front door but they would weekly, not daily,” said Smith.

The Cobb County Marietta Water Authority released a statement in response to concerns from neighbors.

“The Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority (CCMWA) is replacing a source water pipeline from its intake on Allatoona Lake off Steven Road in Bartow County to its Wyckoff Water Treatment Plant off Mars Hill Road in Acworth. The project replaces roughly 7,200 feet of 30-inch pre-stressed concrete cylinder pipe installed in 1965 with 54-inch ductile iron pipe. The project is nearing completion with roughly 600 feet of pipe left to replace. Unfortunately, in the area of Poplar Street in Acworth, the pipeline traverses the roadway. Excavation of the pipe trench along the roadway at Poplar Street and Cox Circle revealed very poor soil conditions and an unexpected conflict with CCMWA’s existing 60-inch pipeline. The elevation conflict with the existing 60-inch pipeline is requiring additional engineering, which has unfortunately resulted in a temporary stoppage of work in the area, by the pipeline contractor, Garney Construction. CCMWA is concerned about residents of Poplar Street being able to access their residences. As a result, CCMWA is working closely with Garney Construction to install a temporary road along Poplar Street, despite the poor soil conditions, which have been exacerbated by abnormally high rainfall. CCMWA is committed to establishing access through Poplar Street as soon as possible.”

— Cole Blackwell, Cobb County-Marietta Water Authority General Manager

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