Tuesday tribute
Jan. 13 — This week, we have more on a tribute in Veterans Park to honor the legacy of mechanic and veteran Charles “Eddie” Mobley in Sandy Springs. We also have the full lineup for the 2026 Atlanta Jewish Film Festival, and details on a renewed call for road safety along Roswell Road.
And now for a few headlines:
🚰 A DeKalb County Superior Court Judge ruled that the City of Atlanta is justified in charging residents outside of its jurisdiction a 21% water surcharge.
💻 The DeKalb County Commission is considering a resolution to allocate 50% of tax revenue generated by data centers to support resident equity and environmental restorations.
🤝 The City of Tucker will honor Martin Luther King Jr. Day on Jan. 19 with volunteer projects to help support those in need and beautify the city.
🎻 The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra said that former Music Director Yoel Levi will conduct performances of music by Franz Schubert this week. Separately, the ASO announced a series of concerts to celebrate America’s 250th birthday.
🪲 The Master Gardener Volunteers of Cobb County (MGVOCC) are offering free educational gardening programs this winter and spring, including online lectures, in-person community workshops, and an environmentally themed book discussion group.
🕓 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter.
• Honoring Charles “Eddie” Mobley
• AJFF lineup
• Road safety in Sandy Springs
AND
• Stories of Atlanta | Lance Russell
Sandy Springs Police to honor former auto shop owner at Veterans Park
🎖️ Sandy Springs Police Capt. Andrew Spears said Charles “Eddie” Mobley always went out of his way to help neighbors at his auto shop, which was located where Veterans Park now sits on Roswell Road.
“I used to work for the Fulton County Police Department and had some interactions with [Mobley] there,” Spears said. “It wasn’t just law enforcement that he helped out. He was very active in the community. What we would see there is him bending over backwards to help the citizens of Sandy Springs.”
Helping seniors get air in their wheelchair tires and being an honest mechanic whom people could trust are just some of the reasons the Sandy Springs community remembers “Eddie.”
While Mobley passed away more than a decade ago, his generosity stuck with longtime police officers, spurring them to mount a campaign to memorialize the Vietnam War veteran on the site of his former auto shop.
🪖 Read more about Mobley and the tribute at Veterans Park here.
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Atlanta Jewish Film Festival announces lineup for 26th annual festival
📽️ The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival has announced the lineup for its 26th annual event, which will run in person at multiple theaters across Atlanta from Feb. 18-March 3.
The opening night film is the French dramedy “Once Upon My Mother,” which will play at the Sandy Springs Performing Arts Center on Feb. 18. This year’s festival lineup includes 49 feature films and 16 shorts.
After the in-person festival, select films will be available for streaming online from March 6-15. The full film schedule and ticket information can be found on the Atlanta Jewish Film Festival’s website. Member presales begin on Jan. 21 and tickets go on sale to the public on Feb. 4.
🍿 Learn more about the festival lineup here.
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Roswell Road crash sparks renewed safety calls in Sandy Springs
💥 It’s indisputable that Metro Atlanta drivers often exceed the speed limit along Roswell Road through the city of Sandy Springs. Residents are encouraging more action after a car flipped off the road and split a telephone pole in half during the first week of 2026.
Because Roswell Road is a state route, the Georgia Department of Transportation is also involved in any roadway alterations. The slope of the state route near the crash location is relatively severe, and drivers often break the 35 mph speed limit.
According to city documentation, new signals, access to the state route right-of-way, and signal modifications require permitting through GDOT. The city is working on filling the remaining sidewalk gaps along the corridor.
🚦 Read more about the incident and further safety concerns here.
Stories of Atlanta by Lance Russell
VIA SAPORTAREPORT
🚨 Our story this week comes from Atlanta’s long-time Chief of Police Herbert Turner Jenkins. Chief Jenkins served on Atlanta’s police force from 1932 to 1972 and was named chief of Atlanta’s police force in 1947, a position he held for 25 years. In his book, “Forty Years on the Force,” Jenkins reminisced about his time with the Atlanta Police Department.
One of the Chief’s many stories concerned an incident he witnessed on New Year’s Eve. It involved Atlanta’s mayor, William B. Hartsfield, and a citizen caught in mid-celebration whose actions so offended the mayor that Hartsfield felt obliged to intervene – despite being in the presence of Atlanta’s Chief of Police and two of his senior officers.
🖋️ Today’s Silver Streak was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.