Solstice Wednesday
June 21 — If today feels like the longest day of the year, it’s because it is the longest day of the year. Summer officially arrives this morning at 10:57 a.m.
⛈️ Thunderstorms with a high of 74° today.
🗳️ Three-term Brookhaven councilmember John Park has exclusively told Rough Draft’s Logan C. Ritchie that he is running for mayor in the city’s Nov. 7 municipal elections. Current Mayor John Ernst has reached his term limit.
🏙️ If elected, Park’s purview could be bigger, as two DeKalb County neighborhoods are petitioning to be annexed into Brookhaven.
💰 The Atlanta City Council approved a $790 million budget – the largest in the city’s history – introduced by Mayor Andre Dickens at yesterday’s meeting.
🔎 An investigation into alleged election fraud in the 2020 presidential election in Fulton County has been dismissed by the state.
🚨 Two men were shot at a southwest Atlanta apartment complex during a vigil related to a separate shooting at the same complex last year.
🏳️🌈 Buckhead law firm Morris, Manning & Martin is teaming up with OUT Georgia Business Alliance to present the Power of Connection, an LGBTQ+ business summit, today and tomorrow. There’s still time to register for in-person and virtual attendance.
🏗️ Audubon is putting the finishing touches on phase two of the Flats of East Atlanta, adding 112 units.
ELSEWHERE
🙏 The search for five people aboard a tourist sub near the wreckage of the Titanic continues. Banging sounds were traced yesterday giving “continued hope of survivors.”
⚖️ Hunter Biden has reached a plea deal with federal prosecutors in relation to his failure to pay $1 million in federal taxes and his illegal purchase of a handgun in 2018.
PICTURE THIS: New Atlanta Falcons defensive end Calais Campbell and his wife Rocio stopped by Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to visit patients, pose for photos, sign autographs, and deliver gifts. He also visited a local Publix to surprise 10 single-mom families with $500 gift cards.
🕖 Today’s newsletter is ④ stories.
• NextGen Broadway
• Comedian Jenna Kim Jones
• Opioid settlements
AND
• Concert Picks
Happy hump day,
Collin, Sammie, & Madison
🎆 Sandy SpringsSTARS & STRIPES is back on Tues., July 4 on the City Green with food trucks (6 p.m.), music by The Platinum Band (7:30 p.m.), and fireworks (9:30 p.m.)! Avoid parking and road closure headaches with free parking and a shuttle ride from Lake Forest Elementary starting at 4 p.m. Click here for more information.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Students work on acting, dancing skills in musical theater camp
🎭 NextGen Broadway, a musical theater camp for the next generation of artists presented by the City Springs Theatre Conservatory, has begun the first of its three summer sessions.
“Our NextGen Broadway theatre camps for elementary and middle school students are designed for students of all levels, whether this is their first time performing or for those with more experience who are ready for a larger role,” City Springs Theatre Conservatory Executive Director Natalie DeLancey said.
The Conservancy’s high school performance of “All Shook Up” allows for students to choose from two tracks: those who have auditioned and will be performing, and those in the technical track who are currently working alongside the production team on all technical elements including carpentry, scenic painting, lighting, sound, and stage management.
👯 Learn more about NextGen here.
Show off your wheels
SPONSORED BY BROOKHAVEN CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
🇺🇸 The Brookhaven Chamber, City of Brookhaven, and Explore Brookhaven invite you to the Red, White & Blue – Haven ’23 Car Show benefiting the Brookhaven Police Foundation and Brookhaven Chamber.
This festive Fourth of July weekend event is perfect for families and car enthusiasts alike.
🍔 Food Trucks & Beverage Service
🧒🏽 Family-Friendly Event
🌭 Special Appearance by the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile
🏎️ The event is FREE to spectators.
➡ For more information, to show your car, or to sponsor, click here.
2. In conversation with comedian Jenna Kim Jones
🤣 Jenna Kim Jones finds humor in her personal life. But even if you don’t have much in common with her, she’s confident you’ll find something to relate to in her stand-up.
The comedian, who resides in Peachtree City after stints in New York and Los Angeles, has an upcoming show entitled “Jenna Kim Jones: Who Is She?!” at the Charles Wadsworth Auditorium in Newnan on July 1. Jones will be recording her new comedy album at the show, so come ready to laugh.
Ahead of the show, Sammie got the chance to speak with Jones about her interesting upbringing, the differences between the New York and LA comedy scenes, and what she finds funny about her everyday life.
➡️ You can find Sammie’s conversation with Jones here.
3. Report: Figures released for local government payouts from opioid settlements
💊 Since 2015, companies that sell opioids, as well as their makers, have been paying out millions of dollars in settlements to the people those products have harmed. Currently, that number is around $50 billion, and the public has been made aware of how much each state would receive.
However, those funds were not meant to stay entirely at the state level. In accordance with guidelines established throughout the myriad settlements, the funds were to be partly distributed to counties for use in opioid abuse prevention and recovery.
What each county received was not public information until recently, when KFF Health News successfully acquired the details for nearly every state involved in the litigation. The reporting reveals how much each county within each state has received in compensation for the damage caused by opioids.
💰 Click here to learn more.
🇺🇸 Sandy SpringsSTARS & STRIPES is back on Tues., July 4 on the City Green with food trucks (6 p.m.), music by The Platinum Band (7:30 p.m.), andfireworks (9:30 p.m.)! Avoid parking and road closure headaches with free parking and a shuttle ride from Lake Forest Elementary starting at 4 p.m. Click here for more information.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Concert Picks
VIA HOW DO YOU ATLANTA?
Thur., June 22
👯 The Watson Twins @ The Earl
🎤 Lindsey Lomis @ Vinyl
Fri., June 23
🎻 OK Cello @ Eddie’s Attic
🚚 Tedeschi Trucks Band @ The Fox Theatre (also Saturday)
🎹 Tori Amos @ Cobb Energy Center
🤠 Shenandoah @ Buckhead Theatre
👩🎤 Bebe Rexha @ Tabernacle
Sat., June 24
🎸 Noel Gallagher’s High Flying Birds & Garbage @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Sun., June 25
🥁 Weezer @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Tues., June 27
💊 The Cure @ State Farm Arena
🎶 Joseph @ Variety Playhouse
📻 Peter Frampton @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
TUNE IN
🎙️ Don’t miss Sammie with culture writer Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. as they preview the top events in town on WABE. This week Sammie is psyched about Atlanta Got Sole and the Camp Creek Soul Festival, while Mike has his eye on Peru on Ponce and Taste on the Square. Of course, all of us are excited about Sunday’s Mix Tape Block Party from 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.
