Thursday’s tally
Oct. 23 — The Hawks stumbled out of the gate, losing to the Raptors 138-118 in last night’s season opener. Kristaps Porziņģis scored 20 points in his Atlanta debut. The Hawks travel to Orlando to face the Magic tomorrow, and then host the defending NBA Champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, on Saturday.
☀️ A high of 74° and sunny today.
🪡 New renderings of The Stitch park that will span the I-75/85 Connector were revealed during yesterday’s “State of Downtown” event.
🔌 Former PSC candidate Patty Durand was arrested Tuesday for allegedly stealing Georgia Power trade secrets during a commission meeting.
📈 The Brookhaven City Council is mulling a 2026 budget that includes a .8 millage rate increase.
🗳️ The Georgia Senate intends to vote on another income tax cut next year, with some top Republicans discussing eliminating the state income tax.
💸 Federal cuts to global health aid have forced Atlanta nonprofits to slash staff and programs.
🌼 Galloway School students, parents, and volunteers will plant hundreds of daffodils this morning as part of the Daffodil Project, which honors children lost in the Holocaust.
📋 A new survey shows overwhelming community support for Atlanta’s LGBTQ+ community center.
🎼 Sammie spoke with the stars of “9 to 5: The Musical,” which starts tonight and runs through Nov. 8 at Out Front Theatre.
ELSEWHERE
🏗️ After promises it wouldn’t be touched, President Donald Trump began demolishing the entire White House East Wing to build a $250 million ballroom.
🗺️ North Carolina’s legislature passed a new congressional map, boosting Republicans’ chances in next year’s midterms.
🩰 Misty Copeland retired from American Ballet Theatre last night, ending a 25-year career that saw her become the company’s first Black female principal dancer in 2015.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Dylan Griggs honors André Leon Talley
• My Panda redefines employee gifts
• Best New Restaurants voting
AND
• Quick Bites
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1. Artist Dylan Griggs honors André Leon Talley’s enduring influence through ‘ALT’
VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER ABOUT ART | SUBSCRIBE
🖌️ When Atlanta artist and SCAD painting student Dylan Griggs set out to capture the late André Leon Talley, he wasn’t just painting a portrait, he was channeling a legacy.
His five-foot acrylic work, “ALT,” now part of the exhibition “André Leon Talley: Style Is Forever” at SCAD FASH Museum of Fashion + Film, radiates the same grandeur, confidence, and creative power that made Talley an international fashion icon.
“Honoring André Leon Talley through my painting was profoundly meaningful to me. It was an opportunity to celebrate Black excellence in a creative space – something Talley himself championed so powerfully throughout his life and career,” Griggs said.
👠 More on this story from Sherri Daye Scott here.
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2. Atlanta startup My Panda redefines employee gifts with ‘Time Back’
🐼 Atlanta-based startup My Panda is betting that employees don’t want another gift card or branded mug for the holidays.
What they really want is their time back, says CEO and founder Tamara Lucas.
My Panda provides local personal assistants to busy individuals and families. It also recently launched a holiday gift and bonus package that offers employees dedicated hours with a personal assistant to tackle their to-do lists.
Employers pick the level of support and number of hours of help they would like to gift. Employees can then book time with local Pandas to help with anything from laundry to scheduling to prepping for a holiday party.
⏱️ Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
3. Best New Restaurants SZN
🏆 It’s Best New Restaurants season in Atlanta – the time of year when publications like Rough Draft present awards to new restaurants bringing something special to the local food scene. For 2025, we’re giving our readers a chance to weigh in with the inaugural Readers’ Choice Awards.
New restaurants considered for Readers’ Choice must have opened between Oct. 1, 2024, and Oct. 1, 2025, and must reside within Rough Draft’s major coverage areas, including the cities of Atlanta, Brookhaven, Tucker, Sandy Springs, and Dunwoody.
We’ve also provided space for new restaurants residing within greater Metro Atlanta. We’ll collect reader responses through Nov. 21 and announce the Rough Draft and Readers’ Choice winners during the first week of December.
➡️ Click here to vote for the Best New Restaurants of 2025.
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4. Quick Bites
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😋 For this week’s Quick Bites, Rough Draft Dining Editor Beth McKibben brings you details on the opening of James Beard award-winning Chef John Currence’s Big Bad Breakfast in Buckhead, along with the openings of Ghee Indian Kitchen and Lo Kee along Howell Mill Road on the Westside. There’s also news of a closure at Sweet Auburn Curb Market. Plus, some dining events to add to your calendar, including the first Sober Supper Club at The Select in Sandy Springs and Polish American Heritage Week in Oakhurst.
🍳 Here’s the latest from Beth.
What’s brewing in Sandy Springs?
☕ The city has approved a 10-year lease with Summit Coffee to operate the historic Williams-Payne House. The 1869 farmhouse, adjacent to the Heritage Sandy Springs Amphitheater, will offer traditional and specialty coffee, breakfast, lunch, and dinner, alcoholic beverages, and ice cream.
🥕 Come on out to the Fresh Harvest Fall Artisan Market on Sat., Oct. 25, at Refuge Coffee Co. in Clarkston! Browse 25+ artisan vendors, enjoy global cuisine, live music, and fun for the whole family. RSVP for a free coffee! SPONSOR MESSAGE
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