Tuesday timeline
Feb. 3 — The Red Cross and community members are stepping up with donations of money, clothing, and furniture to help those who lost everything in the weekend fire at the Dunwoody Village Apartments.
☁️ Cloudy and 57° today.
🚨 A man is in critical condition after being shot inside the Decatur Library yesterday evening.
📺 The Braves confirmed they are leaving FanDuel Sports Network after the network’s parent company collapsed, and plan to launch their own broadcast network for the 2026 season.
🍸 The Atlanta City Council passed a resolution urging Mayor Andre Dickens to implement the Edgewood Corridor Public Safety Task Force’s recommendations, but referred an alcohol license moratorium back to committee.
🚰 The City of Griffin urged residents not to drink the tap water after a fuel spill at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport fouled the Flint River on Friday.
🗳️ The Georgia Senate voted along party lines Monday to urge Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to turn over the state’s unredacted voter list to the Trump administration.
📁 The Los Angeles chapter of Planned Parenthood will help manage Planned Parenthood Southeast after months of turmoil that led to an internal investigation and the ouster of the organization’s interim CEO.
🏆 The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation’s Georgia Chapter will honor Brookhaven resident Dr. Olga Sherrod at its annual Torch Gala on Feb. 7.
ELSEWHERE
🏛️ The House plans to vote today on a Senate-approved funding package to end a three-day partial shutdown.
🔎 Authorities are searching for NBC anchor Savannah Guthrie’s 84-year-old mother, after she was taken from her Tucson, AZ home against her will.
🗣️ Bill and Hillary Clinton agreed to testify before a House committee investigating convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.
🇮🇷 Iran’s president said he is ready for negotiations with the U.S.
🚀 Elon Musk merged SpaceX with xAI, with plans to launch data centers in space and pursue a $1.25 trillion IPO.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• MARTA open house
• TrustDALE
• Take 5 with Ruth Forman
• Cell phone ban
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
🏢 Perched on the 17th floor of The Charles, this three-bedroom residence presents one of the building’s most desirable floor plans and sweeping skyline views. Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, enjoy curated custom upgrades, a designer kitchen, NanaWall doors, and a wet bar with 50-bottle wine storage. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. MARTA hosting open houses on launch of new bus network
🗣️ MARTA will hold a series of community open houses across Metro Atlanta to educate riders on the upcoming launch of the NextGen Bus Network. The first sessions are underway this week.
As part of the ongoing “Know Before You Go” outreach campaign, these interactive sessions will provide riders and the community the opportunity to meet one-on-one with the MARTA team to learn how to use the new network.
Attendees can explore the new network map, learn about the expansion of high-frequency bus corridors, and receive personalized trip-planning assistance.
Orthopedic issues? This is how you Get Better.
SPONSORED BY PEACHTREE ORTHOPEDICS
🧑⚕️ Peachtree Orthopedics has 43 leading physicians, with specialists in every body part – providing expert, focused care that is designed for the quickest recovery and the best outcome.
Our UrgentORTHO Clinics offer same-day, evening, or even Saturday hours. So come when it works for you, get seen quicker, incur less cost, and avoid the E.R.!
📲 New patients can use our AskORTHO feature – a free online resource where you can chat with a live Peachtree clinician.
Peachtree Orthopedics has served Atlanta for over 70 years with a commitment to helping you return to the things you love. No matter your orthopedic challenge – they’ll help you Get Better too.
➞ Learn more or book an appointment here.
2. What home warranties actually cover and why it matters
TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE
🏠 Home warranties are marketed as a financial safety net for homeowners who worry about sudden breakdowns of major systems or appliances.
The concept sounds simple: pay a monthly or annual fee, then receive help when something essential stops working. In practice though, confusion often starts when a claim is filed, and not when the contract is signed.
Most home warranties are service contracts, not insurance policies. They are designed to cover repair or replacement of specific items that fail due to normal wear and tear, rather than damage caused by accidents, misuse, or external events. Understanding that distinction early makes it easier to evaluate whether a warranty is worth having in the first place.
❓ The experts at TrustDALE have more here.
3. Take 5 with children’s author and poet Ruth Forman
📚 Contributor Teri Elam caught up with Atlanta writer Ruth Forman to discuss her latest children’s book, “Do I Love You? Yes, I Do!” The story is a sequel to her acclaimed picture book, “Like So.”
Forman said she wrote the new book for her daughter, who needed reinforcement of self-love and acceptance of who she was. The author said the themes of love between a mother and daughter, of nature, and deep connections to ancestors are all part of the story.
➳ Read Teri’s Q&A with Forman here.
4. Survey of Georgia parents shows support for school cell phone bans for mental health, well-being
📱 Starting this year, Georgia kids in public elementary and middle schools cannot use their phones during the school day, with some exceptions around checking messages during lunch periods. A bill currently making its way through the Georgia General Assembly would include high schools and take effect in July 2027.
Emory University’s annual survey of Georgia parents finds most are in favor of such a statewide ban on cellphones in public high schools.
The Emory Center for Child Health Policy polled parents of school-age children between October and November 2025 and found that parents supporting the high school cellphone ban feel it will improve students’ academic focus and learning (88%), foster better in-person social interactions (71%), and improve student mental health and well-being (69%).
➡ Read more in this story from GPB.
👪 There are so many new opportunities for young families at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Plus, your first year of membership is free! Come check out an upcoming event or join us for Tot Shabbat. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🐝 Five Points Farm (pictured) is looking for volunteers on Wednesday morning in Atlanta. Plan to plant, weed, mulch, and collect seeds in downtown gardens that support native pollinators.
🪦 Park Pride is seeking volunteers for the first event of Love Your Park 2026 on Wednesday morning in Atlanta. Volunteers will clean up litter and pull weeds to beautify Oakland Cemetery.
📝 Girls Incorporated of Greater Atlanta needs volunteers to work with students on Thursday afternoon in Atlanta. Expect to help with homework and assist with after-school programming.
🫶 The Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation has fueled every major IBD breakthrough. Think of someone you love living with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis. Honor them by giving today and supporting our Torch Gala on Sat., Feb. 7. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
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