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Atlanta heat wave, cooling centers and community garden

Theo

Wednesday heatwave

June 26 — Today is World Refrigeration Day (no, we didn’t make that up!), and with temperatures approaching the century mark, we need all the cool we can get. The city of Atlanta has opened cooling centers for those who need them.

🥵 Sunny and 99° today. The Code Orange air quality alert continues.

🚨 The soon-to-close Dunwoody Walmart receives an average of two police calls per day for criminal activity. Editor Cathy Cobbs takes a closer look at the statistics.

⚖️ A Douglas County judge arrested and charged with a felony following a fight at a Buckhead nightclub has been removed from office by the Georgia Supreme Court due to unrelated violations.

🚒 The Atlanta Fire Rescue Foundation has acquired two new Rivian R1T trucks to provide the first-ever electric vehicles to serve as AFRD rapid response units. (Related: Rivian shares soar after VW announced $5 billion investment.)

🩸 A sharp decline in donations since late spring has prompted the American Red Cross to seek donors of all blood types, including type O blood and platelets.

🍽️ Pullman Yards plans to launch a restaurant residency program called Brick & Mortar in August.

🎓 Thirty-nine students from eight local high schools recently graduated from Leadership Perimeter’s Youth Leadership Sandy Springs program.

🏀 The Atlanta Hawks have the first pick in the NBA Draft, which begins tonight.

SOMEWHERE ELSE

⚖️ A Manhattan judge modified former President Donald Trump’s silence order, allowing him to comment on witnesses and jurors during his secret trial, but maintained restrictions on others.

🇰🇪 At least 13 people have been killed after protests against new tax proposals in Kenya escalated, with demonstrators storming and burning down Parliament.

IMAGE THIS: The Fox Theater’s community partnership program, Fox Gives, has awarded a $70,000 preservation grant to the Grove Park Foundation for the ongoing renovation of the historic Grove Theater on Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway.

🕖 Here is the content of today’s newsletter:

• Brookhaven Community Garden
• Electoral integrity effort
• MARTA Five Points Station
AND
• Choice of concerts

Have a nice day,
Collin and Sammie

🎉 Join Ponce City Market for Ponce Goes Inside Out, a neighborhood event with live music, delicious food and family fun. Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 27 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and join us on The Yard!

MESSAGE FROM THE SPONSOR

Photo by Logan C. Ritchie

🐌 Although still in its infancy, Brookhaven Park’s garden is teeming with concerns to keep insects away from 13 plots of okra, squash, eggplant, herbs, beans and other summer vegetables. The organic garden opened June 3 for its first season and there is still plenty of room to expand.

The Brookhaven Park Garden has come a long way in just a few months. The land, which served as a garden years ago, was overgrown when Luke Kelley, co-director of the Siegler & Blackburn Community Garden, began the process of developing the space.

Kelley may have started the process, but he had a lot of help along the way. From the City of Brookhaven and DeKalb County to the many volunteers, it took a lot of work to grow this garden.

🫑 To read more about this story, click here.

Avoid the pie; Push the Pop!

SPONSORED BY THE GEORGIA PECAN GROWERS ASSOCIATION

🍦 What’s better than a slice of pecan pie?

How about some Georgia pecan ice cream in a push pop? To celebrate freedom during the upcoming July 4th holiday, Georgia Pecan Growers have teamed up with YOM Ice Cream to give away free Georgia Pecan popsicles July 3-7 in Atlanta.

😅 So skip the pie, and push the pop! It’s the perfect way to cool off while enjoying one of Georgia’s iconic treats and supporting Georgia farm families!

🗓️ Watch this space for more details and locations, and learn more about Georgia Pecans on Instagram!

Photo by Jill Nolin/Georgia Recorder

2. A bipartisan group of former elected officials launches an effort to restore confidence in democracy

🗳 Prominent former Georgia elected officials from both sides of the aisle are banding together to launch a new group focused on restoring faith in democracy and defending the state’s election system.

The Democracy Defense Project, announced Tuesday, will consist of former Georgia political heavyweights: former Republican Gov. Nathan Deal, former Democratic Gov. Roy Barnes, former Republican U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss and former Democratic Atlanta Mayor Shirley Franklin. . The new group is part of a national effort focused on battleground states like Georgia.

A press release announcing the group’s launch described the effort as a “counterbalance to attempts to undermine and sow distrust in the integrity of elections.” They plan to do this through public statements pushing back against election misinformation and defending those sworn to uphold the rule of law.

➡️ To read more about this story from Georgia Recorder’s Jill Nolin, click here.

Photo courtesy of Propel ATL

3. City leaders and stakeholders rally against MARTA Five Points station renovation plan

🚆 City leaders, stakeholders and transit advocates continue to pressure MARTA to pause its $230 million renovation plan for the Five Points station.

At a lunchtime rally hosted by Propel ATL, a nonprofit transit and pedestrian advocacy organization, several speakers — including Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman, Councilman Municipal Jason Dozier and Central Atlanta Progress President AJ Robinson – urged MARTA to reconsider its renovation plan.

The renovation, funded by the More MARTA sales tax, would close the station for four years. An audit of the More MARTA program requested by the city is still underway, with a final report expected in July.

Rebecca Serna of Propel ATL said in her opening speech at the rally that the renovation would extend commutes for the 17,000 passengers who use the station daily. Thousands more would be affected by the station’s closure during World Cup matches in 2026.

🚇 More information on this story here.

🎉 Join Ponce City Market for Ponce Goes Inside Out, a neighborhood event with live music, delicious food and family fun. Mark your calendars for Thursday, June 27 from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. and join us on The Yard!

SPONSOR MESSAGE

Photo courtesy of the Los Angeles Children’s Choir

4. Choice of concerts

VIA HOW ARE YOU ATLANTA?

Wed June 26
🎛️ This girl was lying @ Coca-Cola Roxy
🎧 How much time spent at the West Terminal

Thursday June 27
🕶️ Neighborhood bribe at Ponce City Market
🤠 Cole Swindell @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
🎤 Brandi Carlile @ The Eastern (FULL)
🌹 Their dirty roses @ Vinyl
🚬 Nicotine Dolls @ Terminal West
😎Joey Fatone and AJ McLean @ Coca-Cola Roxy

Friday June 28
🔊 K. Michelle @ L’Est
⚡Your father-in-law @ Vinyl
🤠 Whitey Morgan and the 78s @ The Loft
⭐ Marty Stuart at Variety Playhouse

Saturday June 29
🕶️ Cody Johnson at Fifth Third Bank Stadium
🎉 T-Pain Mansion at Wiscansin Party @ Lakewood Amphitheater
🎺 Celebrating Southern Soul Blues at Candence Bank Amphitheater in Chastain Park
🇲🇽 Firm Group @ State Farm Arena
🎶Ryan Adams @Tabernacle
⑤ Five iron frenzy @ The Loft
☄️ From Montreal @ Variety Playhouse
🔥 All the Feelings (21+) @ Buckhead Theatre

Sun. June 30
🎹 Cavetown and Mother Mother @ Coca-Cola Roxy
🎙️ Sarah McLachlan at Cadence Bank Amphitheater in Chastain Park

Tuesday July 2
🧒 Los Angeles Children’s Choir (photo) @ Ebenezer Baptist Church (FREE)

Wed July 3
🤩 D. Savage @ The Loft

TO AGREE

🎙️ Don’t miss Sammie with the AJC’s Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45am and 4:45pm as they preview the city’s best happenings on WABE.

📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.

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