Happy Wednesday
July 28—Hello Atlanta!
⛅ After another intense afternoon storm yesterday, the forecast calls for blue skies and sunshine with a high of 93° today, although it will feel like 101°.
😷 It's going to feel even hotter with your mask on. Georgia Health News reports they are making a comeback.
🎤 It's perfect weather for an evening of outdoor, live, local music! Tonight, Goodie Mob headlines East Point’s free, monthly “Wednesday Wind Down" summer concert series.
🥇Between the heat, a typhoon, Naomi Osaka's third round exit, and Simone Biles bowing out of the team finals and all-around competition, the Olympics have had their share of heartbreak, frustration, and weirdness.
Biles' Instagram post gracefully captured most of those emotions as she explained, "It wasn’t an easy day or my best but I got through it. I truly do feel like I have the weight of the world on my shoulders at times. I know I brush it off and make it seem like pressure doesn’t affect me but damn sometimes it’s hard."
Read more about the immense pressure Biles dealt with at, and before, the Olympics.
🏊 In a moment of local happiness, Brooks Curry, the swimmer from Dunwoody, won an Olympic gold medal in the men's 4×100-meter freestyle relay.
🇺🇸 In Washington D.C., a House select committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol began emotion hearings yesterday. Panel members and police are examining to what degree the mob of President Trump’s supporters that descended on the Capitol was a coordinated effort.
The Washington Post reports that Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn said, "'January 6th still isn’t over for me,'" as "he described how protesters dressed in Trump campaign paraphernalia called him the n-word — and did the same to several of his Black colleagues. 'Is this America?'"
⚖️ In Canton, GA, Robert Aaron Long, the gunman accused of killing eight people at three Atlanta-area massage businesses on March 16, pleaded guilty to the first four murders, and received four sentences of life without parole.
Next month, Long will appear in Fulton County court, where District Attorney Fani Willis filed plans to pursue a hate crime sentence enhancement, along with the death penalty, in the trial for four additional murders. Six of the victims in his shooting spree were women of Asian descent.
📸 For our Wednesday morning IG shout out, we just can't stop gazing at this sunrise shot overlooking South Downtown, taken by @Jerrito1, aka photographer Luis G. 👇🏻
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🍩 Even as the sun rises in this photo, a chapter is closing on Ponce de Leon Ave, as the AJC reports that, after two fires this year, the iconic Krispy Kreme building will be demolished.
🕖 Today's Draft is five stories: Cops in Sandy Springs are cracking down on house parties, especially when they involve underage teens. We check in on the Cultural Experience Project, I share my weekend music picks, and this week's coffee shop spotlight shines on an Atlanta mainstay.
Have a great day! —Chad Radford
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1. Risky business in Sandy Springs
🥳 PARTY FOUL: In June, the Sandy Springs City Council approved an ordinance to ban party house events in residential areas. The ordinance is now being enforced. On July 24, three people were arrested after police responded to complaints about a large house party on Heards Ferry Road.
Around 10 p.m. that night, police were dispatched after receiving complaints of a possible concert being held at a home. Police said that when they arrived, they found hundreds of vehicles illegally parked and blocking emergency vehicles. They also found 500 to 600 people listening to a live band, many of whom were under 21 years of age.
The homeowner, Timothy Gregg Osby, 54, was charged with operating a special event without a permit, furnishing alcoholic beverages to persons under 21 years of age, and disorderly conduct for possession of marijuana.
His ex-wife, Samantha Osby, 52, was arrested and charged with operating a special event without a permit. A third person, an 18-year-old female, was also charged with false representation to police and public intoxication.
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*Partner Message* 🎙️ Join the Atlanta Press Club on August 19 for an in-person Newsmaker Luncheon with U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock. Moderated by Patricia Murphy, political reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, this is the kickoff of the 2021-22 Newsmaker Leadership Series. Seating is limited, reserve your seat now!
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2. Inside the Arts: the Cultural Experience Project's guarantee
🎨 One Grade. One Venue. Guaranteed.
This is the Cultural Experience Project’s mission statement. This month, Camille Russell Love's "Inside The Arts" takes a deep dive into the program founded in 2004 to bring arts education programs to Atlanta Public Schools in the wake of steadily declining K-12 arts funding.
Research has shown how critical arts and culture education is for children—particularly low-income students and students of color. CEP creates eye-opening experiences for students that are grade-appropriate, intellectually stimulating, and fun.
With COVID-19 restrictions letting up, CEP is excited to resume much of its regular programming this school year.
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3. Georgia's $4B industry
🎥 Atlanta has truly become the Hollywood of the South.
Georgia’s booming film and television industry has set a record with $4 billion in direct spending on production in the state for fiscal year 2021.
Locally shot productions are racking up Emmy Award nominations too. Earlier this month, the Disney+/Marvel Studio’s “WandaVision” (above) lead the way with a whopping 23 nominations, followed by HBO’s “Lovecraft Country,” Amazon’s “The Underground Railroad,” and another Disney/Marvel hit, “The Falcon and the Winter Soldier.”
Steve Weizenecker, Vice Chair of the Governor’s Advisory Commission on Film, Music and Digital Entertainment, said the figure was “stunning” to see, and said it was directly related to Georgia reopening for productions before California.
Weizenecker also says the state’s production facilities and soundstages are all booked well into 2022, and he praised the industry for helping to keep COVID numbers low as crews returned to work. He said the positivity rate was below two percent thanks to safety protocols put into place by local studios and facilities.
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*Sponsor Message* 🥩 Meat My Truck makes it easy to enjoy fresh seafood, meats, game, and poultry from the nation’s leading providers. Enjoy locally sourced butter, cheeses, oils, and charcuterie items. Pre-order online and save with code HOOK15 (first order only). Shop onsite Saturdays at the Dunwoody Farmers Market and Roswell General Store.
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4. Chad's weekend music picks
Recharge your batteries after tonight's Goodie Mob show, because the weekend is packed with good music.
Fri., July 30
🏄 West Palm Beach indie rock outfit Surfer Blood headlines a Friday night in East Atlanta. Worn-Tin and Small Reactions also perform. 7:30 p.m. The Earl.
🥳 Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Fest. Day 1: Some heavy hitters take the mainstage Friday night, including Amy Ray, Rick Springfield, and Collective Soul. The second stage boasts performances by pedal steel guitar player and former frontman for Colonel Bruce Hampton's band, the almighty AJ Ghent. See the calendar listing above for times, location, and other performers on the bill.
Sat., July 31
💃 The Revivalists and Better Than Ezra close out Day 2 of the Brookhaven Cherry Blossom Fest's main stage. Blair Crimmins and the Hookers headline the second stage with a set of supernatural hot jazz. See our calendar listing for performance times, schedule, et al.
🎸 Atlanta noise rock outfit New Bedlam sits atop a lineup featuring And That Is Why, Corner Creature, and Small. 8 p.m. at Bogg's Social & Supply
🎧 Sonic Revelry: A Boutique House Music Fest kicks off at the Piedmont Park Pavillion. (Day two is Sunday, Aug. 1)
🎤 Old School Hip Hop Fest featuring Rakim, KRS-One, Big Daddy Kane, Kool Moe Dee, and Kwame brings an evening of serious boom-bap to the Mable House Barnes Amphitheatre.
Sun., Aug. 1
🐄 Austin, TX's '80s cow punk legends Hickoids share the stage with Nikki & the Phantom Callers (above) and Black Cat Rising. 7 p.m. (doors) at Boggs Social & Supply.
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5. Coffee Spotlight: Alon's
☕ Daydreaming of a European vacation? Craving Parisian pastries and fresh baguettes? Well, save yourself the pricey plane ticket and head to Alon’s Bakery & Market.
Named after executive chef/owner Alon Balshan, Alon’s is renowned for its from-scratch breads, gourmet sandwiches, rich coffee, fine cheeses, and more.
As a young man, Balshan attended Tadmor Culinary School in Israel, and worked his way through European bakeries before immigrating to the U.S. in 1986. With the help of his father, Maurice, he opened Alon’s Morningside location in 1992 on a shoestring budget.
Focusing on fresh, quality ingredients, Balshan built Alon’s into a city-wide destination for artisan food and drinks. These days, you can often find him in the kitchen at the bakery’s larger, Dunwoody location, which opened in 2008.
Alon’s sources its beans from Batdorf and Bronson Coffee Roasters, the same roastery behind Dancing Goats. Sip your espresso right at the coffee bar in traditional Euro-café fashion, and make sure to pair your drink with one of Alon’s delicious breakfast treats. Whether you opt for a classic chocolate croissant or a warm slice of olive bread, prepare to be immersed in old world charm.
Be sure to check out Rough Draft's guide to local coffee as we continue to profile the metro area coffee scene.
What’s your favorite coffee shop? Drop us a line on Instagram and let us know! —Holyn Thigpen
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