Friday again
Feb. 20 — Del Taco shuttered all of its Georgia locations, including one on Lavista Road in Tucker. This is the third time the fast food chain has exited the state over the last 47 years.
☔ Rain and a high of 73° today. More showers are in the weekend forecast with highs ranging from the upper 50s to mid-60s.
🗣️ President Donald Trump visited a steel plant in Rome, GA yesterday, telling supporters he “solved” the affordability problem and stumping for Dist. 14 candidate Clay Fuller.
🗳️ A state board declined to take over Fulton County’s elections, but left the door open for future action following last month’s FBI raid on the county’s election warehouse.
👋 House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones, a fixture in the leadership of Georgia’s House of Representatives, will step down when her term ends later this year.
💊 Atlanta Police are investigating the shooting of four men at a Midtown apartment building, believed to have been a drug deal gone bad.
🚨 Three women were detained, and two massage parlors were shuttered yesterday after Sandy Springs Police raided the businesses for suspected sexual activity.
🏞️ DeKalb County appointed Christopher Bass as its new director of recreation, parks, and cultural affairs.
💡 Georgia Power customers may see a slight dip in their bills this summer due to a drop in the price of natural gas.
AT THE WINTER OLYMPICS
⛸️ Alysa Liu ended a 24-year American drought in women’s figure skating, winning gold with a flawless free skate performance.
🏒 The USA’s women’s hockey team beat defending champions Canada 2-1 in overtime to clinch the gold medal.
- Norway – 34
- U.S. – 27
- Italy – 26
ELSEWHERE
🗣️ President Trump said Thursday that nine members of his “Board of Peace” agreed to pay $7 billion into a Gaza relief package and five agreed to deploy troops as part of a stabilization force.
🎗 Eric Dane, best known as Dr. Mark “McSteamy” Sloan on “Grey’s Anatomy,” died Thursday at 53, ten months after announcing he had ALS.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Honeymoon Israel
• Film Review: ‘This Is Not a Test’
• Nordstrom Rack opens amid closures
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
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1. Newlywed trips to Israel foster understanding of Jewish traditions and values
✈️ Honeymoon Israel (HMI), a program to promote newlyweds making new connections to the Holy Land, is celebrating its 10th anniversary.
Since 2015, HMI has organized trips for 180 cohorts originating from major cities, including Los Angeles, Boston, New York, and Atlanta.
Avi Rubel, an Atlanta resident, is a co-founder and CEO of HMI. Rubel said HMI has sent more than 3,000 people to Israel, sparking deep connections to Jewish culture, traditions, and values. When they return, the cohort is encouraged to remain close, with Jewish activities like Shabbat dinners and holiday celebrations.
Girl Scout Cookies: More than a Sweet Treat
SPONSORED BY GIRL SCOUTS OF GREATER ATLANTA
🍪 Sure, Girl Scout Cookies taste good, but they also make you feel good. Every penny of profit stays local, helping local girls realize their dreams. Now through April, show your support by buying a box of your favorites, including the newest flavor, Exploremores.
💚 Visit ShowMeTheCookies.com to find a cookie booth near you, order online, or support our cookies-for-service-members program, Smiles4Military.
2. ‘This Is Not a Test’ gives less than the bare minimum
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🧟 The beginning of Adam MacDonald’s “This Is Not a Test” is disorienting – and not in the way you expect a zombie apocalypse movie to be.
We meet our protagonist, Sloane (Olivia Holt). She’s sitting in the bathtub and reading a suicide note, and it’s pretty clear where this scene is headed. She’s interrupted by her dad, and when we meet him, we understand a little more about what’s got her in such dire straits. Then, very quickly, zombies attack, and we’re off to the races.
Before the zombies come into play, the dialogue between Sloane and her dad is almost impressively expository, a problem that will persist throughout “This Is Not a Test,” which is based on Courtney Summers’ novel of the same name. Through that dialogue, we learn that Sloane’s dad is abusive, her mom is gone, and her sister Lily (Joelle Farrow) also left not too long ago. However, we learn nothing substantial about Sloane as a character. And therein lies the rub.
🏫 Click here to read Sammie’s review.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. Amid multiple closures, Nordstrom Rack to open at Atlantic Station
👠 Fashion retailer Nordstrom Rack will open a new location at Atlantic Station this fall. The 28,000-square-foot store is the off-price division of Seattle-based Nordstrom department stores, offering apparel, accessories, beauty products, home decor, and shoes from many of the top brands.
The opening announcement comes after a spate of Atlantic Station closures late last year that rocked the mixed-use development, including the departure of the Publix supermarket, DSW shoe store, and Banana Republic. Nordstrom Rack will take over the former DSW space.
Property manager, Hines, called the closures a “natural cycle” of turnover in the retail world, but the 6,000+ residents of the development have demanded a voice in the future of Atlantic Station.
🔐 Read more on this story here.
🎉 Team Hidi 2026 is the culinary event you don’t want to miss. Celebrate food service workers on Sun., March 15, at Truist Park, with nearly 100 food and beverage partners supporting Giving Kitchen’s mission. Get details and tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top Stories of the Week
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① New transit project breaks ground in South Metro Atlanta (Pictured)
② Dunwoody residents weigh in on second phase of Winters Chapel Path
③ Fired DeKalb officer disputes accusations in Tucker library incident
④ Republican Steven McNeel wins Georgia Senate seat runoff
⑤ Father arrested after toddler shot and killed at Sandy Springs apartment
🎉 Team Hidi 2026 is the culinary event you don’t want to miss. Celebrate food service workers on Sun., March 15, at Truist Park, with nearly 100 food and beverage partners supporting Giving Kitchen’s mission. Get details and tickets here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
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