?? Hurricane Helene approaches
Treacherous Thursday
Sept. 26?— Hurricane Helene continues to gain strength, and is expected to hit the Gulf Coast of Florida this evening with a "catastrophic" storm surge before making a beeline through Georgia. We are?updating weather reports ?in partnership with GPB News, and maintaining a growing list of school closures and event cancellations , including the balance of the Braves-Mets series .
?? Heavy rain, wind, and?75° today.?
?? The Georgia Supreme Court ruled that votes for presidential candidates Cornel West and Claudia De la Cruz won't count, upholding decisions to disqualify them from the ballot.
?? Southwest Airlines plans to reduce service to and from Atlanta next year, cutting pilots and flight attendants. The airline will decrease its Atlanta gates to 11 from 18 and serve 21 cities, down from 37.
?? Fulton County is looking for volunteers aged 55 and older who may be eligible for its AmeriCorps Senior Companion Program .?
????Long-term parking decks at the Dunwoody, Medical Center, Lenox, and Lindbergh MARTA stations will reopen on Oct. 7 after new payment system upgrades .
ELSEWHERE
???New York City Mayor Eric Adams was indicted in a federal corruption probe , becoming the first sitting mayor to face criminal charges.?
??? Congress cleared a stopgap funding bill, preventing a government shutdown until Dec. 20.?
?? A gunman hijacked a Los Angeles city bus ?early Wednesday, leading to an hour-long police chase and one fatality.
?? Here's what's in today's newsletter:
? Catching up with Mohamed Massaquoi
? Centennial Yards entertainment district?
? Erika Council at DBF? Hypepotamus story
AND?
? Quick Bites
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie?
?? Discover a recently renovated 100-year-old home in Peachtree Heights. Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty, the historic home on a private hilltop retains its Old-World?charm while offering modern amenities like a state-of-the-art kitchen and a primary suite with a sitting room, two bathrooms, and a coffee bar.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Former football player Mohamed Massaquoi on recovery and motivation
?? Mohamed Massaquoi speaks at a lot of events. Butdespite how long he’s been doing it, he didn’t really become comfortable with the idea of public speaking until recently.?
“You have to be vulnerable. You have to be authentic,” Massaquoi said. “You have to say something that isn’t so generic that you leave [the audience] on a cliffhanger and they don’t know what to do.”?
In Massaquoi’s case, he has to be extremely vulnerable. In 2017, Massaquoi – who played football at the University of Georgia and in the NFL – was in an ATV accident that resulted in the loss of his left hand. The doctors were able to save the former wide receiver’s left thumb, but he now wears a prosthetic in place of his other four fingers.?
??? As a wide receiver, Massaquoi’s hands were his most important assets. After the accident, he had to adjust. Read more about Massaquoi's story here .
Luxury and Craftsmanship Unite in Award-Winning Home
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA FINE HOMES
?? This OBIE Award-winning home ?in Milton seamlessly combines elegant design with superior craftsmanship. Recognized by the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association, this stunning property, listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, features French oak floors, wrought iron staircases, gas lanterns, a heated saltwater pool, and an outdoor kitchen. The heart of the home, the open great room, is anchored by the chef’s kitchen with a walk-in pantry and prep area.
Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty is Metro Atlanta's No. 1 residential real estate company and No. 1 in luxury home sales above $1.5 million.
???? Check out our current listings here.
领英推荐
2. $557 million bond sale to fund Centennial Yards entertainment district??
???Invest Atlanta has approved the sale of roughly $557 million in bonds to support the construction of Centennial Yards’ entertainment district opposite Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
The bonds are part of a massive $1.9 billion incentive package approved by the city in 2018 for the 50-acre, mixed-use development now under construction by CIM Group. The property, formally known as The Gulch, was a warren of below-street-level parking lots and CSX train tracks for decades.
D.A. Davidson’s Development Finance Group?said that the?financing is one of the largest public-private partnerships in the country.
3. Erika Council at the DBF
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE DECATUR BOOK FESTIVAL
???Join renowned baker and food writer Erika Council for an enriching panel session where she celebrates the Southern biscuit’s rich heritage and its place in Black culinary culture. Discover over 70 sweet and savory recipes from her acclaimed cookbook, "Still We Rise: A Love Letter to the Southern Biscuit,"?and learn how Erika combines traditional techniques with innovative creations to honor the legacy of her family and the Southern culinary icons who inspired her.
???The speaker session will be held on Sat., Oct. 5 at 1:45 p.m. at the First Baptist Church of Decatur.?
4. Meet the entrepreneur tackling Atlanta's transportation woes and helping more students get to school safely
Amia Mize ?didn’t originally envision herself as an entrepreneur.
She built her career in the corporate world at Comcast, working as a production agent supervisor for the telecommunications giant while raising her family in Atlanta. However, a personal challenge with school drop-offs and pickups eventually led her into the startup world.
It all started when an unexpected school redistricting policy left her without a dedicated bus route for her daughter. Mize had to rework her schedule to handle after-school pickups herself. During those trips, she noticed a significant issue with school transportation.?She saw dozens of kids waiting outside the school building, searching for a ride.?Determined to solve the problem, Mize launched?Takes A Village Transportation ?in Atlanta in 2015.?
?? Explore historic elegance in Buckhead with this Philip T. Shutze-designed home, preserved with minor updates. Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby's International Realty, it features a remodeled kitchen, a grand entry, and a luxurious primary suite with heated marble floors. Enjoy an elevator, a garden with a koi pond, and a cobblestone driveway.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER|SUBSCRIBE HERE ?
?? The?owners of Cabbagetown restaurant JenChan’s opened Mikkelson’s Market on Flat Shoals Avenue in neighboring Reynoldstown. Expect prepared and grab-and-go food, breakfast sandwiches, aebleskivers (Danish pancake-like puffed pastries), and sm?rrebr?d (Danish open-faced sandwiches). The market also serves root beer floats, slushies, and farmer’s Coca-Cola (peanuts in a glass Coke bottle). Read more here and follow them on Instagram .?
???The Pub @ EAV , owned by East Atlanta Village resident Kaside Scott and former Bone Lick BBQ and P’Cheen chef Mike LaSage , is now open in the former Elder Tree Public House space. Read more here about what to expect from Scott and LaSage.
? Refuge Coffee Co., a nonprofit organization providing competitive-wage jobs, mentorship, and job training for resettled refugees and other immigrants, is hosting a 5K and one-mile fun run on Sept. 28 starting at 9 a.m. in Clarkston. To register for Run to Brew Hope visit here.
?? Beltline bar and restaurant Breaker Breaker in Reynoldstown will celebrate its first anniversary on Sept. 29. The celebration will include slushies, popular dishes from past and present menus, Jell-O shots, and more. Expect a dunk tank, gator toss, airbrush artist, and limited edition merch. Follow on Instagram for updates.?
?? Be sure to stop by happy hour at the recently reopened Lure Saltwater Kitchen &?Bar in Midtown. From 4-6 p.m. they are featuring half-priced oysters, select bottles of wine — sourced from sustainable, regenerative organic, and biodynamic farming - a limited menu of shareables, and cocktail or wine-by-the-glass specials.?
?? Toastique, a gourmet toast and juice café, will open its first Atlanta location on Sat., Oct. 5 in Hanover Midtown. The first 100 guests will receive $50 in reward dollars with a $10 purchase. The?menu will feature gourmet toast creations, smoothies, bowls, cold-pressed juices, coffee, and grab-and-go options.
?? Starting Oct. 6,?the Eastside Beltline location of One Flew South , owned by Chef Todd Richards, will begin offering a Sunday jazz brunch. Look for dishes like chicken and waffles and spicy shrimp omelets, as well as dishes prepared table side all set to live jazz. Brunch takes place from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Reservations are highly encouraged .
?? Potbelly , known for its subs, salads, and shakes, is bringing 15 total shops to the Atlanta area, beginning January 2026. Storefronts are planned for locations like Buckhead, Midtown, Roswell, Chamblee, and more. For more updates follow their Instagram here .