?? Stitching Downtown
Wednesday wakeup
Jan. 31 —?Georgia Tech stunned third-ranked North Carolina?74-73 last night. A go-ahead layup with 7.7 seconds left gave Tech its third home win over a Top 25 team this season.? ?
?? Sunny with a high of 53° today.?
???Nathan Wade, the special counsel in the Fulton County case against former President Donald Trump, reached an agreement in his divorce yesterday and will not be forced to testify about his rumored romantic relationship with District Attorney Fani Willis.
??? Georgia House Rules Committee Chair and longtime state Representative Richard Smith died suddenly at 78. In a rare visit to the House floor, Gov. Brian Kemp paid tribute to Smith and said, "He just did what he thought was right.”
?? An ongoing?cyber attack?against Fulton County has made it impossible to pay property taxes, record property transactions, get a marriage license, or apply for a firearms permit.
??? A state Senate committee overwhelmingly approved legislation Tuesday legalizing sports betting in Georgia. The bill now moves to debate in the full Senate.?
?? A petition circulating on change.org is asking the Georgia House of Representatives to re-evaluate a resolution honoring Dunwoody Police Chief Billy Grogan.?
??? Residents who live adjacent to Mount Vernon School in Sandy Springs are fighting the school's plan to install lights on its athletic field.
?? Sandy Springs-based?UPS?reported a drop in shipping volume in its latest earnings report. CEO Carol Tomé?said the company would lay off 12,000 employees.
?? As "Dry January" comes to a close, The Zero Proof, an Atlanta-based retailer, importer, and distributor of non-alcoholic beverages, announced it has closed its Series A fundraising round.
PICTURE THIS:?Trash Trap Fellow Gillian Barber is pictured here cleaning out one of the?Chattahoochee Riverkeeper's traps at Dresden Park in Chamblee after a recent storm. Stormwater carries litter from roads, parks, and sidewalks into nearby streams, where it can accumulate and harm aquatic habitats.?
ELSEWHERE
??? A pilot and explorer who spent $11 million looking for Amelia Earhart's lost plane believes he might have found it using sonar.
?? Chita Rivera, the beloved Broadway actress who starred in works such as "West Side Story" and "Chicago," has passed away. She was 91 years old.
?? Here's what's in today's newsletter:
? The Stitch
? The path to 'Hamilton'
? Georgia election workers
AND?
? Concert Picks
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
1. The Stitch makes strides to reconnect Downtown Atlanta
?? Often, the most transformative ideas are born out of necessity. This holds true for The Stitch, an innovative infrastructure project aimed at mending the physical divide in the heart of Atlanta.
In the 1950s and 60s, our city center was intentionally severed by the Downtown Connector, leaving Atlantans disconnected from vital opportunities and each other. As Mayor Andre Dickens aptly put it, “Despite its name, the Connector cuts our city center in two. Now is the time for change.”?
The Stitch is that change. Once complete, the ADID-led project will establish a 3?4-mile platform over the Connector, creating approximately 14 acres of new urban parks and public spaces, improvements to 11 connecting streets, and enhancements to the Civic Center MARTA station.?
TODAY
??? Georgia-Pacific, Craig Jones, Bem Joiner, and several others will be honored at the 24th Annual Central Atlanta Progress & Atlanta Downtown Improvement District Meeting & Awards Celebration at the new Signia by Hilton Atlanta.
2. Erin Ramirez's path to the 'Hamilton' stage?
?? If you’ve ever been in a musical or play, you’ve probably had that pre-show nightmare where you’re forced to go on without knowing any of your lines or blocking. Chances are though, you’ve never come as close to living that nightmare as Erin Ramirez has.?
Ramirez officially joined the touring cast of “Hamilton” last October, taking on the ensemble role of Woman 5 and understudying all three Schuyler sisters. Her “Hamilton” journey started on Oct. 16 in New York City, where she was fitted for costumes and began work on her first track? – the Peggy Schuyler/Maria Reynolds role. That week, she worked on her own with a music supervisor and a dance supervisor, later joining the company in Chicago on Oct. 23.?
That first full week of rehearsal wasn’t quite as intensive as Ramirez thought it might be, but she wasn’t worried. Her debut date wasn’t until Dec. 8, so she had plenty of time to learn everything. Until she didn't.?
3. They watched two Georgia election workers face abuse, and it's compelling them to serve in 2024
??? Outside a neighborhood recreation center, Evelyn Myers steps off a blue and orange bus retrofitted with desks and recruitment posters. Inside, Myers has just signed up to work her first election, hoping to inspire her four grandkids.
“My 17-year-old will be 18 in June, so he’ll have a chance to vote,” Myers says. “And I’m so excited for him.”
Myers says she also felt compelled to serve after Donald Trump and his supporters baselessly attacked the integrity of Fulton County’s 2020 election and the people who ran it, including two Black women who endured threats and harassment once Trump and others falsely accused them of election fraud.
领英推荐
4. Concert Picks
VIA HOW DO YOU ATLANTA? SPONSORED BY SCAD
Wed., Jan. 31
???Mick Jenkins?@ Terminal West
???Tinashe?@ Buckhead Theatre
???Hamilton?@ Fox Theatre (runs through Feb. 25)?
Thurs., Feb. 1
???Emory Jazz Fest 2024?@ Schwartz Center for Performing Arts (also Fri. and Sat.)?
???The Steel Wheels?@ City Winery
??Croce Plays Croce?@ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
???The Planets?@ Atlanta Symphony Hall (runs through June 21)
???Jackson Dean?@ Terminal West?
Fri., Feb. 2
???Dylan Marlowe?@ Vinyl?
???Howard Hewett?@ City Winery (also Sat.)
???Candlelight: A Tribute to Taylor Swift?@ The Chapel on Sycamore
???San Holo?@ The Eastern
???Scotty McCreery?@ Coca-Cola Roxy?
?????Jang Minho?@ Gas South Theater
????Rumours: A Fleetwood Mac Tribute?@ Variety Playhouse?
Sat., Feb. 3
?????Laima Vaikule?@ Center Stage
???Vader?@ The Loft
???Soulful Sounds in Atlanta?@ Cleveland L. Dennard Conference Center?
Sun., Feb. 4
???Plvtinum?@ Vinyl?
???The Glenn Miller Orchestra?@ Cobb Energy Centre
?????Ballimaaraan?@ City Springs
?????Daley?@ City Winery
???Gipsy Kings with Nicolas Reyes?@ Atlanta Symphony Hall??
Mon., Feb. 5
???Celtic, Folk, & World Music Concert?@ Red Light Cafe??
Tues., Feb. 6
???Me Like Bees?@ Vinyl?
???James Fortune?@ City Winery
???Squid?(pictured) @ Terminal West?
???Matisyahu with Cydeways?@ Variety Playhouse?
Wed., Feb. 7
???Young Gun Silver Fox?@ The Loft?
???Dave Hollister?@ City Winery
???The Bald & the Beautiful?@ Coca-Cola Roxy?
?? Looking ahead: Tickets are on sale for the 36th Annual Steamhouse Lounge Oysterfest (Feb. 24 & 25).?
TUNE IN
??? Don't miss Sammie with the AJC's Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. as they preview the top events in town on WABE.
?? The segment is also a podcast. Listen to the full conversation by subscribing to the How Do You Atlanta? podcast at wabe.org or wherever you get your podcasts.
??? Today's newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.?
Happy Wednesday wakeup! ?? Like Henry David Thoreau once said, “I took a walk in the woods and came out taller than the trees.” It's all about gaining perspective and growth. By the way, if you're passionate about trees, there's an exciting sponsorship opportunity for the Guinness World Record of Tree Planting you might find interesting. Check it out here: https://bit.ly/TreeGuinnessWorldRecord ?? Let's make a difference together!