Prime Tuesday
Oct. 8 — Election Day is four weeks from today, and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger says damage from Hurricane Helene will not impact his team’s preparations. We have a non-partisan voter guide produced by the AJC and Atlanta Civic Circle on our website.
☀️ Sunny and 79° today.
🇮🇱 Several thousand people attended a community commemoration in Sandy Springs last night for the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 Hamas terrorist attack on Israel.
⚖️ The Georgia Supreme Court reinstated Georgia’s six-week abortion ban on Monday. The state is appealing a Fulton County Superior Court decision declaring the law unconstitutional.
🔎 The Douglas County Sheriff’s Department released video and dispelled social media rumors about an off-duty Atlanta Police investigator fatally shot during an alleged home invasion.
💨 Rockdale County officials say a shelter-in-place order will remain in effect for those closest to a chemical plant that caught on fire over a week ago.
🗳️ A probe into allegations that several county election boards failed to properly investigate voter eligibility disputes is on the agenda of today’s Georgia State Election Board meeting.
🏫 The Atlanta School of Massage, a longtime fixture in Dunwoody, abruptly closed its doors three weeks ago, reportedly owing its landlord hundreds of thousands of dollars in unpaid rent.
🎥 Maria Guerra-Stoll has become the first Latina appointed to the Governor’s Film, Music and Digital Entertainment Advisory Commission.
💰 The Atlanta Women’s Foundation has awarded $1.05 million in grant checks to 17 nonprofit partners across metro Atlanta.
ELSEWHERE
🌀 Hurricane Milton, a powerful Category 4 storm with 155 mph winds, is approaching Florida’s Gulf Coast. Officials are issuing dire warnings of potentially historic and life-threatening storm surge beginning tomorrow. Tampa Mayor Jane Castor said, “Helene was a wake-up call, this is literally catastrophic.”
🎶 Cissy Houston, Grammy Award-winning gospel singer and the mother of Whitney Houston, died Monday at 91.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Ronald McDonald fundraiser
• Decatur restaurants
• Around the State: GPB
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
Happy Prime Day,
Collin & Sammie
🥃 From the producers of the Atlanta Food & Wine Festival, join Whiskies of the World featuring 150+ whiskey and other spirits on Sat., Oct. 12 at the InterContinental Buckhead. Explore endless bourbons, scotches, tequilas, and rums for the ultimate tasting event experience. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Ronald McDonald House pushes to complete $90 million fundraiser for Brookhaven facility
💸 Atlanta Ronald McDonald House Charities (ARMHC) is making a push for the last $12.2 million of a $90 million goal to build a new facility in Brookhaven.
Hoping to complete the project by December 2025, the House will be constructed next to Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital, which opened on Sept. 29. It will be the third House in Metro Atlanta. ARMHC provides meals, accommodations, and financial support while a young family member is undergoing treatment.
“With Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta’s Arthur M. Blank Hospital now open, the new House will be vital to providing additional accommodations, comfort, care, and community to families while their children undergo treatment,” said Chris Marinac, chair of the new House development committee.
🏗️ Read more about the initiative here.
Spirits for Spruill at the Spruill Art Gallery
SPONSORED BY SPRUILL CENTER FOR THE ARTS
🥂 Grab your tickets to Spirits for Spruill, a celebration of public art in Dunwoody. Come experience a wonderful fall evening outdoors, featuring the unveiling of our 5th annual AMPLIFY mural project that will stand as a symbol of artistic excellence and community spirit for the coming year.
Your ticket is not just access to the event. It also includes tequila tastings, margaritas, and delicious bites from a local taqueria. Plus, an epic live blues rock performance by the BFG Band!
➡ Tickets are on sale now. Don’t wait!
2. 16 must-visit restaurants in downtown Decatur
🥯 If you were in Decatur over the weekend for the Decatur Book Festival but didn’t have time to try one of the city’s great restaurants, here’s your excuse to go back.
Senior food editor Beth McKibben has compiled a list of 16 must-try eateries to add to your menu. A taster: Pastries A Go Go, The Deer and The Dove, The Reading Room, Victory Sandwich Bar, Kimball House, and Chai Pani (pictured).
🍽️ See the full list and make your reservations.
3. ‘Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil’ musical headed to Broadway in 2025
🌴 The musical adaptation of the 1994 nonfiction bestseller “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” will make its way to Broadway next year.
The true-crime travelogue set in Savannah made its stage debut in Chicago in July for a one-month run, starring Tony Award-winning actor J. Harrison Ghee as The Lady Chablis and featuring original music and lyrics by Tony Award-winning composer Jason Robert Brown.
Producers haven’t yet announced when in 2025 the show will open on Broadway, but “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil” author John Berendt told GPB that he’s excited to see it in New York, where he lives, after having enjoyed the Chicago production.
➡ Read more on this story from GPB.
🎸 Enjoy your very own city soundtrack this October at Midtown Alliance’s “Live After 5” outdoor music series. Hear up-and-coming talent every week from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at two different locations (Peachtree @ 10th on Wednesdays; Peachtree @ 15th on Thursdays). Featuring jazz, blues, singer/songwriter + more. Details here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🧽 Power Atlanta Inc. (pictured) is looking for volunteers for their Power Pantry food distribution and cleaning crew on Thursday evening. You will collect and store food and household products for free distribution to underserved communities.
👗 Society of St. Vincent de Paul Georgia needs thrift store volunteers in Chamblee on Friday afternoon. Expect to process, sort, and tag donated items in addition to assisting shoppers.
🪵 EcoAddendum is looking for volunteers to help with the South Bend Park GRC Forest Restoration on Saturday afternoon. Jobs include working with hand tools such as clippers, pruning saws, and shovels. Participants will also have the option to earn stewardship certifications after participating in several volunteer events.
📍 Today is Prime Big Deal Days from Amazon, and we have a rundown of some deals. Here’s a link to today’s fastest-selling items. SHOP WITH ROUGH DRAFT
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
