Kari Apted

Kari Apted

Kari Apted has been writing for The Newton Community Magazine since its inception. She began writing professionally in 2005 when her work was chosen to appear in "Operation Homecoming: Iraq, Afghanistan, and the Home Front, in the Words of U.S. Troops and Their Families," an anthology sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts.

Kari’s portfolio now includes blogs, feature stories, humorous newspaper columns and a plethora of home design articles. She’s currently working on her first book. Kari adores her husband, Donnie, their four mostly-grown children, and the family’s pack of rescued mutts. When she isn’t writing, Kari loves creating artwork, traveling, and hosting paint-and-sip parties.

When Mercy Reigns

Dan and Lillian Howard moved to Georgia a few years ago, bringing an incredible story of sorrow and forgiveness with them. When their 18-year-old son was brutally murdered by someone

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Dog Daze

East Newton Elementary School media specialist Meghen Bassel serves as pet parent to beloved support dog Booker T. Pug. However, her canine expertise extends far beyond the library’s walls—all the

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Homeschool, Not Alone School

by Kari Apted Dr. Annise Mabry’s children were the driving forces behind her development of Tiers Free Academy Homeschool Cooperative. As an LGBTQ-identifying individual, her daughter, Ally, was the victim

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Passion for the Arts

Gichin Funakoshi, known as the father of modern karate, once said, ‘Spirit first, technique second.’ Jim Fuller, owner and chief instructor of Jim Fuller’s U.M.A.S. Karate, shares the belief that

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A Mission in Medicine

While most teenagers are preoccupied with the latest TikTok trends, Madison Forsythe stays busy pursuing her future. She recently endured a stringent selection process to achieve a leadership position in

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Walk This Way

Marc Roach decided more than a decade ago to start putting one foot in front of the other in pursuit of better health. Now, the 75-year-old covers between 10 and

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Little Fish, Big Fun

The small town of Newborn in eastern Newton County celebrates an unlikely local resident every April: the lowly hornyhead fish. The annual Hornyhead Fish Festival features a fishing tournament with

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Life with Lupus

Makayla Cosby was a picture of good health until mysterious symptoms appeared at the tender age of 7. After extensive testing, her family learned she had childhood onset lupus. Cosby

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