Thursday thoughts
Oct. 17 — Former President Jimmy Carter cast his ballot in the 2024 election Wednesday. The 100-year-old former president voted by mail from his home in Plains, GA where he’s receiving hospice care. Carter’s early vote was one of more than 620,000 that the Georgia Secretary of State’s office says was cast this week.
☀️ After a frosty morning (and a likely battle with your family over turning the heat up or down), it will be sunny and 64° today.
🗳️ Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox Jr. invalidated seven new Georgia election rules yesterday, calling them “illegal” and “unconstitutional.”
➡ Prosecutors said the father of a teen accused in the deadly Sept. 4 Apalachee High School shooting was aware of his son’s obsession with school shooters and gave him the assault-style weapon he used as a Christmas gift.
🏢 The Tucker City Council took another step Tuesday night toward higher density in its downtown area to spur economic development. (Subscribe to our weekly Tucker newsletter.)
🚨 The City of Brookhaven’s 2025 budget includes funding for a real-time crime center within its police department, which will integrate license plate readers, cameras, gunshot detection technology, and drones.
🚒 More than a dozen emergency units responded to a house fire on Wednesday in Dunwoody that engulfed the structure and left one woman injured.
📣 Atlanta Beltline, Inc. named veteran arts leader Amina Cooper as its first-ever director of arts and culture to lead its public art initiative, Atlanta Beltline Art.
📰 Press Forward awarded $20 million to 205 small local news outlets across the U.S. Georgia winners include 285 South, Atlanta Civic Circle, The Atlanta Voice, Canopy Atlanta, Grice Connect, and NotiVisión Georgia.
ELSEWHERE
🎗️Former One Direction singer Liam Payne died after falling from a hotel balcony in Buenos Aires on Wednesday. He was 31.
➡ Rap mogul Sean “Diddy” Combs wants to know the identities of the alleged victims accusing him of sex trafficking so he can prepare for his May 5 criminal trial.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Halloween fun & food
• Risks of extended-stay hotels
• Adopt-a-Street Brookhaven
• Tech startup trade mission
AND
• Quick Bites
Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie
🏡 Seven stunning homes in one iconic, Intown neighborhood. The Virginia-Highland 28th-annual Tour of Homes on Sun., Oct. 20, offers a behind-the-scenes look at historic, charming spaces. Experience diverse architectural styles, finely appointed interiors, and enchanting outdoor spaces. Learn more here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Atlanta’s Halloween season is in full swing
🎃 It’s spooky season in Atlanta and Halloween events are popping up all around the Metro ahead of Oct. 31.
From haunted tours at Oakland Cemetery, haunted houses throughout the Metro area, and Halloween festivals everywhere from Zoo Atlanta to Little Five Points, there are so many spooky events to check out.
👻 Check out the full list here.
Celebrate fall at Town Brookhaven
SPONSORED BY TOWN BROOKHAVEN
🍁 Join us next Thurs., Oct. 24 from 6-8:30 p.m. for Fall Festival on the Town at Town Brookhaven!
🎃 A variety of family-friendly Halloween and fall activities will take place on the green space, including a petting zoo, DIY craft activity, Halloween character meet and greets, unique local market vendors, apple cider stand, music, games, and more. You can also meet several of our merchants at the event too.
🧟 Kids are encouraged to wear their Halloween costumes.
2. Extended-stay hotels can lead to health problems for kids
🎒 As principal of Dunaire Elementary School, Sean Deas has seen firsthand the struggles faced by children living in extended-stay hotels. About 10% of students at his school, just east of Atlanta, live in one.
Extended-stay hotels are often a last resort for low-income families trying to find housing. Nationally, more than 100,000 students lived in extended-stay hotels in 2022, according to the Department of Education, though officials say that is likely an undercount. Children living in hotels are considered homeless under federal law, and in some Atlanta-area counties about 40% of homeless students live in this kind of housing, according to local officials.
3. Cross Keys NJROTC kicks off Adopt-a-Street program in Brookhaven
🛣️ Cross Keys High School Navy Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (NJROTC) was recognized at the Brookhaven City Council meeting for its work in beautifying the city.
Cross Keys NJROTC is a group of nearly 100 young men and women who are dedicated to leadership, community service and fundraising, drill competitions, marksmanship training, and physical fitness.
Led by Sgt. Major Theseus Williams, Cross Keys NJROTC asked the city of Brookhaven to create an Adopt-a-Street program over the summer. The group has adopted Curtis Drive from North Druid Hills Road to Buford Highway.
🚘 Learn more about the program here.
4. Trade mission highlights opportunities between Atlanta and the UK
💸 A global robotics company headquartered in Newcastle Upon Tyne. A hardware manufacturing shop out of Liverpool. A software startup based in Manchester.
That might not sound like the traditional list of startups you’d meet while attending Atlanta’s largest venture capital conference, but last week those companies and other promising tech startups from across the U.K., were part of a trade mission set up by the British Consulate-General’s office in Atlanta. The delegation, organized by the consulate’s Senior Trade and Investment Officer Hanna Yu, joined in on the festivities around Venture Atlanta, the conference that saw investors and founders flood the Woodruff Arts Center in Midtown Atlanta for its two-day event.
📱 Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
💖 Join us for PINK’S Global 20th Anniversary Fall Women’s Empowerment Event on Oct. 22 at the Woodruff Arts Center. Celebrate, connect, and hear from America’s top women business leaders. Don’t miss out on inspiring speakers and meaningful connections. Register now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE
🤝 For today only, every location of Farm Burger will contribute $1 from each burger sold to assist those impacted by Hurricane Helene. Visit here for additional details on Burger Give Back Day and learn how you can support relief efforts in Western North Carolina.
💔Schoolhouse Beer has announced plans to permanently close its Emory Point location on Oct. 27. While the Marietta campus will remain open, fans are encouraged to stop by Emory Point for a last toast.
🍝 Amalfi Cucina & Mercato, featuring traditional Italian cuisine, is welcoming hurricane evacuees traveling into the area to “Pay What You Can” on the food portion of their bill (excluding alcoholic beverages). This offer is valid at both their Atlanta and Buckhead locations. Learn more by visiting their Facebook page here.
🎉 The Atlanta Municipal Market turns 100 years old this year. A commemoration ceremony with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens is planned for tomorrow at 10:30 a.m. You can RSVP here and take a peek at a GSU project detailing the market’s history here.
📚 Buckhead’s Lucian Books & Wine is hosting a signing and lunch with chef and author Renee Erickson in honor of her new book, “Sunlight & Breadcrumbs,” on Sat., Oct. 19 starting at 11:30 a.m. There will be a three-course menu inspired by recipes found among the stories, paintings, and personal photographs within the book. For more information or to register visit here.
👻 Spooky S’mores are back at all Atlanta locations of Sugar Shane’s! For their full list of ghoulish and seasonal specials, check out their Instagram here.
🔥 Sweet Auburn Barbecue is heating up game day energy with guest pit master Big Slim and his beloved smoked turkey legs on Sat., Oct. 19. They’ll have the smoker going out front as the Georgia Bulldogs take on the Texas Longhorns. Stay tuned to their Instagram for details. And for those already planning their turkey feast for Thanksgiving, their famous smoked turkeys are available for ordering now.
🎟️ Ready for Southern Ladies Arm Wrestling (SLAW)? Hop on over to Wild Heaven West End to join upcoming women’s sports bar Jolene Jolene this Saturday starting at 7 p.m. You can grab your tickets here.
🍍 Climbing Kites’ THC/CBD-infused beverages are available in Georgia starting this month. With zero sugar, calories, and alcohol, the sparkling mixes have already won accolades for flavors like Pineapple Passion Fruit and Mixed Berry. For more details on where to purchase, follow their Instagram here.
🐔 🥂 Looking to unwind at the end of the week? Midtown’s Hartley Kitchen & Cocktails is offering a new Birdies & Bubbles deal available every Friday starting at 5 p.m. The weekly special pairs fried chicken and caviar with sparkling wine. For more details follow their Facebook page here.
🏌️Fans of Puttshack – the tech-infused mini golf experience featuring food and drink – will be thrilled to know that a second location opens Nov. 6 in Dunwoody at the High Street development. For more updates and launch date details, follow their Instagram here.
✍️ On Sun., Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. Chef Kelsey Barnard Clark will sign her new cookbook, “Southern Get-Togethers: A Guide to Hosting Unforgettable Gatherings Plus Entertaining Inspiration, Tips, and 100+ Recipes” at Kevin Gillespie’s restaurant Nádair in Woodland Hills.Tickets are available for purchase here.
🪔 Diwali is on the way! Join festivities at Atlantic Station’s first-ever celebration on Tues., Oct. 29 starting at 6 p.m. In partnership with the Atlanta Film Society and NaanStop, you can expect henna tattoos, craft stations, traditional Indian dance performances, and more.
🍸 Shake it up with Buena Vida Tapas Bar’s classic cocktail class on Oct. 24 starting at 6:30 p.m. Learn how to make a Dark ‘n Stormy, a Mojito, and a Paloma. Small bites are also part of the evening, and the event will be led by bar manager George Scott. You can make your reservations here.
🩸 It’s time for tricks and treats with Mellow Mushroom’s new Halloween cocktail, the Twisted Fang (pictured). Available at select locations through Nov. 11, the drink is a mix of Deep Eddy lemon vodka, DeKuyper triple sec, lemon juice, house-made sour, and is topped with Monin strawberry purée, a lemon twist, and a vampire fang stir stick.
🍺 Congratulations to Athens-based Creature Comforts Brewing Co. for an award-winning 2024 at the Great American Beer Festival last weekend. Their 10th Anniversary Barleywine took home the bronze in the Wood-and-Barrel-Aged Strong Beer category, and their Classic City Lager landed the gold in the American Pilsner category.
🥃 Tip Top Proper Cocktails is at it again! Their sixth release of 2024 is the Whiskey Sour. Known for canned cocktails like the Paper Plane, Penicillin, Boulevardier, Manhattan, and Negroni, this new addition features bourbon, lemon, and demerara sugar. To find out more details and to learn where to purchase, visit their website here.
🎃 💀 🕷️ Looking for Halloween events to attend over the next two weeks? We’ve rounded up a list of everything from parades and costume parties to murder mystery dinners and Halloween soirées taking place at restaurants all over Atlanta. Check out the full list of events here.
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
