Tuesday votes
Oct. 15 — Today is the first day of early voting in Georgia for the Nov. 5 election, which is three weeks from today. We’ve got more details below, and hundreds of poll watchers are expected to deploy across Georgia with new legal freedoms to monitor operations.
⛅ Partly cloudy and cooler with a high of 66° today.
🪦 An Oakland Cemetery security guard who was fired after a scuffle with Atlanta City Councilmember Liliana Bakhtiari said he plans to file a lawsuit.
🏗️ Construction of the new Brookhaven City Hall has reached a milestone with the completion of mass timber installation.
💼 Renee Kutner has been named as the first female CEO of the Jewish Federation of Greater Atlanta. Kutner, the current COO, will start her new role on Dec. 1.
♨️ Sandy Springs barbecue restaurant McDaniel’s QN2 has served hundreds of meals to Asheville, NC residents recovering from Hurricane Helene.
💻 Many SNAP recipients across Georgia had funds for food assistance wiped from their cards after hackers were able to break into the system.
🗓️ Join our colleague Beth McKibben at tonight’s Atlanta Press Club event, “Is Atlanta a Food City” from 6-8 p.m. at The Garage at Monday Night Brewing. Registration is available at the door.
ELSEWHERE
🎗️ Lilly Ledbetter, a women’s rights activist whose fight for pay equity led to the 2009 Fair Pay Act, died at 86. Her decade-long legal battle against Goodyear reshaped U.S. labor laws.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Early voting
• Nancy Pelosi at MJCCA Book Festival
• Literacy champion
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
🎒
This summer, Georgia Power employees teamed up with local organizations to host backpack and supply drives to support families in need. These grassroots efforts gathered more than 2,800 backpacks filled with essential school supplies, benefiting 20 school districts. Read the full story here. (SPONSOR MESSAGE)
1. Early voting locations open across the state
🗳️ Forty-four polling locations will open for early voting in Fulton County, 20 in DeKalb County, 12 in Gwinnett County, and 12 in Cobb County today and remain open through Fri., Nov. 1.
Registered voters can check their status and view a sample ballot at Georgia’s My Voter Page.
The November General Election will include the U.S. Presidential election, U.S. House of Representative seats, some countywide elections, two Georgia Constitutional amendment proposals – statewide homestead exemption and Georgia Tax Court – and one statewide referendum to raise the amount of tangible personal property exemption. Some counties will have special elections.
➡️ Check out more early voting information here.
Explore your creative side with Spruill Center for the Arts
SPONSORED BY SPRUILL CENTER FOR THE ARTS
OCTOBER AND NOVEMBER WORKSHOPS ARE AVAILABLE!
🎨 Drawing, painting, jewelry, woodworking – have you ever been curious to try your hand at a new art form? At Spruill Center for the Arts, our fall workshops are a wonderful way to test the waters and try something new. It’s a great way to explore a new medium, on your own or with a friend.
➡️ Explore our extensive workshop catalog and find the course for you!
2. Nancy Pelosi to close MJCCA Book Festival
📖 Former Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the first female speaker of the House of Representatives, will serve as the closing speaker for the Book Festival of the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta (MJCCA) on Sun., Nov. 17.
The MJCCA announced that Pelosi, who served for 37 years representing California’s 11th District, will discuss her newly released memoir, “The Art of Power,” a recounting of her historic rise from housewife to U.S. House Speaker.
“This year’s book festival is set to be our most memorable yet,” MJCCA Book Festival Co-Chair Cherie Aviv said. “We are thrilled to announce Nancy Pelosi as our closing speaker, offering a unique and intimate look at her remarkable career.”
🗓️ The Festival begins on Sat., Nov. 2 with New York Times Best Selling author Emily Giffin discussing her latest book, “The Summer Pact” with Dunwoody-based author and screenwriter Alison Greenberg.
3. Super Bowl winner Malcolm Mitchell says literacy is his greatest victory
📕 As part of Georgia Pre-K Week, a celebration of the state’s pre-K program, Georgia resident and former NFL star Malcolm Mitchell joined political leaders and local celebrities in reading to children.
Mitchell is from Valdosta, home of the winningest high school football program in the country. He excelled at football, but struggled with reading growing up. Now, he has a couple of children’s books under his belt as an author, and he enjoys promoting literacy as much as possible.
🎧 Literacy is important to Mitchell, who recently spoke to GPB’s Orlando Montoya in the studio. You can check out that transcript and recording here.
🍾 Join us for Grand Tasting Midtown on Oct. 17 at the Epicurean Hotel Atlanta. Enjoy unlimited food, wine, craft beer, cocktails, desserts, live music, and chef demos from 25 top restaurants. Get tickets today! (SPONSOR MESSAGE)
4. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
📦 Helping Mamas, Inc. is looking for warehouse volunteers on Thursday morning. You will process donations by sorting, taking inventory, and shelving items in addition to loading vans, as needed.
✍️ Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta (pictured) needs volunteers for its Marietta afterschool program on Friday afternoon. You will help during homework hour, engage with participants during activities, and assist staff.
👟 Atlanta Track Club seeks volunteers for its 2024 PNC Atlanta 10-mile run, 5K, and the Mile & Dash on Sunday morning. Roles include cheering on, greeting, and directing race participants; helping at the start line and hydration stations; passing out t-shirts to finishers; and setting up and breaking down event spaces.
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
