Ballot Tuesday
Oct. 14 — Early voting begins today and runs through Oct. 30 ahead of the Nov. 4 general election. You can find early voting locations and check your registration status at the Georgia My Voter Page. We have more election-related news below.
☀️ Sunny and 82° today.
🎤 Canadian singer-songwriter Daniel Caesar surprised fans with a free, pop-up concert in Piedmont Park at 4 p.m. yesterday. Atlanta Police shut down the performance after a few songs.
🏠 Amanda Rhein was appointed Chief Housing Officer of the City of Atlanta’s housing leadership team. Chatiqua Ellison was named Deputy Chief Housing Officer and Senior Advisor to the Mayor on Homelessness.
🎭 A Tennessee Williams classic will return to Atlanta as “The Glass Menagerie” launches Theatrical Outfit’s 49th season on Oct. 29.
📺 Former CNN president and LBJ aide Tom Johnson discusses his new memoir, “Driven: A Life in Public Service and Journalism from LBJ to CNN,” tonight at the Atlanta History Center at 5:30 p.m.
🧵 “André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever,” a landmark exhibition honoring the legendary style icon, opens tomorrow at SCAD FASH.
🎹 Our colleague Cathy Cobbs has a review of Patty Griffin and Rickie Lee Jones’ weekend show at Variety Playhouse.
🏈 Bijan Robinson had a career high 238 scrimmage yards, including an 81-yard TD run as the Falcons beat the Bills 24-14 last night.
ELSEWHERE
🕊️ President Donald Trump called for a new era of harmony as Hamas released the final 20 living Israeli hostages and Israel freed nearly 2,000 Palestinian prisoners under a US-backed peace plan.
📰 Media outlets ranging from The New York Times to the conservative Newsmax refused to sign new Pentagon press rules and now face eviction from the Defense Department.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Georgia elections
• Trust Dale: Amazon settlement
• New Glide Pizza
• Oyster harvest season
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
🌆 Only a few miles from the Atlanta Perimeter! Discover how Greater Atlanta Christian School blends top-tier academics, Christian faith, and a caring community for Infants-12th grade. Now’s the time to schedule your tour and see why your neighbors are choosing GAC. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Georgia Republicans say they fear local elections could help Democrats in statewide utilities race
🐘 A unique off-year election for two seats on the Georgia Public Service Commission, a body responsible for regulating utilities in the state, has Republicans vocally concerned, especially considering concurrent municipal elections that they worry could favor Democratic mobilization.
Early voting starts Tuesday for the Nov. 4 election, which will decide the fate of two incumbent Republican commissioners on the PSC – Tim Echols of District 2 and Fitz Johnson of District 3 – who are being challenged by Democratic candidates Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard, respectively.
With the races operating outside the typical presidential or midterm election cycles, attention is low and local municipal races could inadvertently dictate the outcome of the statewide PSC contests, according to experts.
✅ Read more election coverage from the Georgia Recorder here.
MORE ELECTION NEWS
📣 The Republican primary to select Georgia’s next Secretary of State gained another challenger Monday as former Democrat-turned-Republican Vernon Jones entered the race.
🗳️ Atlanta municipal elections are coming up on Nov. 4. To help you learn where everyone stands on the issues, Rough Draft Atlanta has Q&As with candidates for mayor and city council president, Atlanta City Council, and Atlanta Board of Education.
Celebrate Illumination and Revolution with the Atlanta Symphony
SPONSORED BY ATLANTA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
🎶 The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra continues the season with adventurous and poignant performances: Celebrate Indian music and culture at the free Visions of India Festival, and experience orchestral fireworks in Nina Shekhar’s Lumina and Gustav Holst’s The Planets on Oct. 23 and 25. Kala Ramnath joins for Concerto for Hindustani Violin.
Then, your Orchestra performs with virtuoso Francesco Piemontesi, Beethoven’s witty First Piano Concerto and Shostakovich’s heart-rending Symphony No. 8 on Nov. 6 and 8.
🎟 Tickets are selling quickly for these concerts with your Orchestra – details at aso.org.
2. What the recent Amazon settlement means for you
TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE
📦 Amazon recently agreed to pay $2.5 billion to settle Federal Trade Commission (FTC) charges that it tricked millions of people into signing up for Prime memberships and then made it frustratingly difficult to cancel. The settlement is one of the largest consumer protection cases in U.S. history, and it’s designed to return money directly to customers who were misled.
The good news? A substantial portion of that settlement – $1.5 billion to be exact – is earmarked for consumer refunds. Even better, you don’t need to do anything to claim your share.
💰 Find out what this means for you from our partners at TrustDALE.
3. Glide Pizza joining the restaurant ranks in South Downtown
🍕 A second, full-service location of Glide Pizza will open next year on Mitchell Street in South Downtown.
Slated to debut ahead of the World Cup soccer matches taking place in June and July at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the pizzeria will share courtyard space with Todd Ginsberg and Josh Kim’s new Mitchell Street restaurant.
The design will lean nostalgic and feel similar to Glide Pizza in downtown Decatur, which became the first full-service location when it opened earlier this fall.
🍺 Read more on this story here.
4. From oyster brood to table
🦪 Georgia just wrapped up its first summer oyster harvest season.
Traditionally, oyster harvesting was limited to cooler months, with the season closing from May 1-Sept. 30, when bacteria harmful to humans, like Vibrio vulnificus and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, are most active. New regulations passed by the Georgia Board of Natural Resources’ Coastal Resources Division now permit closed-season harvesting under strict conditions.
This week, GPB has a photo story that gives you a look at the entire process from hatchery to table.
➡ Read more on this story from GPB.
🪴 The Dunwoody Garden Club is hosting ecologist Doug Tallamy on Oct. 25 at 4 p.m. Learn how easily you can help protect the environment with native plants. Free, but registration is required. Don’t miss this inspiring talk! SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🍋 Impact Church needs volunteers for their community food pantry on Thursday morning. Roles include organizing, packing bags and boxes for distribution, monitoring lines, and assisting clients.
🎨 Callanwolde Fine Arts Center (pictured) is looking for volunteers for their Art Scholars Camp on Friday afternoon. Expect to help with art and movement classes, meal times, pick up and drop off, and general supervision. A background check is required.
🦋 Friends of Pea Ridge Park need volunteers on Sunday afternoon in Decatur. Park beautification efforts involve removing ivy and invasive plants, and washing benches and tables.
📚 The Book Festival of the MJCCA is back! From Oct. 22-Nov. 16, the 34th annual festival features an impressive array of authors, including John Grisham, John Kasich, Debbie Gibson, Jake Cohen, and Sanjay Gupta. Check out the full lineup and get tickets here! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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