Time for Tuesday
March 24 — A fire heavily damaged the historic Floyd County Courthouse in Rome, GA, yesterday, forcing a judicial emergency declaration and closure through at least Wednesday. The 1892 building was undergoing renovations at the time; the cause remains under investigation.
🌤️ Mostly cloudy with a high of 64° today.
✈️ ICE agents in tactical gear patrolled airports across the country, including Atlanta’s, on Monday as part of a White House effort to aid understaffed security operations. Airport officials continue to recommend arriving four hours before your flight.
➡ As the Georgia General Assembly enters the final two weeks of the session, here are some recent developments under the Gold Dome:
- The Senate passed a bill to shift the state from the Eastern Time Zone to the Atlantic Time Zone, eliminating the twice-yearly clock changes.
- A bill lifting the limit on THC content in medical marijuana and allowing vaping for faster pain relief was sent to Gov. Brian Kemp for signature.
- The Senate passed a bill banning cellphones in high schools, and it is now on the governor’s desk.
🗣️ Sandy Springs is hosting four T-SPLOST public open houses in April where residents can weigh in on proposed transportation projects.
🏆 Alpharetta was ranked the top small city in the U.S. for career opportunities. Another study put Atlantic Station atop the “Best Places to Live in America” list.
🏫 Parents have released a video accusing the DeKalb County School District of corruption related to its Student Assignment Project — a sweeping consolidation effort that will touch nearly every school in the district.
📽️ The Atlanta Film Festival announced the lineup for its landmark 50th anniversary event, which runs April 23-May 3.
🤝 The Dunwoody Young Men’s Service League recently partnered with the Community Assistance Center to improve the grounds and interior of the nonprofit’s facility.
🍝 The Glenwood Park Italian restaurant Trattoria Lucia will begin brunch service on March 28.
📣 Georgia Tech introduced Scott Cross as its new men’s basketball coach, with the Troy University transplant promising a blue-collar, defense-first program and a push to sell out home games.
ELSEWHERE
✈️ Air traffic control audio captured a controller saying “I messed up” in the moments after the fatal collision between a plane and a fire truck at LaGuardia on Sunday. The NTSB retrieved flight recorders and opened a formal investigation.
🛡️ The Senate confirmed Sen. Markwayne Mullin as Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem as head of the agency.
🇺🇸🇮🇷🇮🇱 The White House said plans for U.S.-Iran talks remain “fluid,” after President Donald Trump and Iranian officials gave conflicting accounts of whether negotiations were even taking place. Follow live updates here.
⛹️♀️ WNBA players unanimously ratified a new seven-year collective bargaining agreement that includes the sport’s first revenue-sharing model. The Atlanta Dream open the season on May 10.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• A dining hall makeover
• Last Looks at Oglethorpe
• TrustDALE
• Around the State: GPB
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
🏴☠️ The Atlanta Symphony Orchestra presents Disney’s “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest” Live in Concert. Get ready for the ultimate cinematic experience as you watch the full movie on a 40-foot screen while the ASO performs the score live! March 28-29. Get your tickets now! SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Emory University’s Cox Food Hall gets a design makeover
🌮 Cox Food Hall at Emory University reopened last fall with a brand new look after more than a year of renovations.
Located at the center of Emory’s main campus, Cox Hall serves as a frequent grab-and-go stop for thousands of university students, faculty, and staff each day. Before now, the dining hall had not undergone renovations in 20 years.
Designed by Arcturis | Square Feet Studio, the 12,000-square-foot dining hall now features expanded seating and updated architectural design meant to improve flow. Emory also added five new restaurant stalls at Cox Food Hall, including Big Chicken, Ace Sushi, Twisted Taco, Brasiliana Pizza, and Honolulu Coffee.
🍣 Check out the full story here.
Atlanta’s Trusted Source for Orthopedic Care
SPONSORED BY PEACHTREE ORTHOPEDICS
⛰️ The last thing anybody has time for is an injury that disrupts their week. But, Peachtree Orthopedics is here to make life easier.
For 70 years, we’ve been committed to helping Atlantans return to the activities they love. At our 11 convenient locations, we have 42 leading physicians, all of whom are fellowship-trained, with specialties in every body part.
Injured in the evening or on the weekend? Skip the ER. Our UrgentORTHO clinic offers same-day, evening, and Saturday hours.
➞ It’s time to get back to doing what you love. Peachtree Orthopedics is here to help you Get Better.
2. Oglethorpe University hosts sixth annual student film festival
📽️ Students, faculty, family, and industry judges gathered in Lupton Auditorium at Oglethorpe University on March 20 for the sixth annual Last Looks student film festival.
Twenty-six films spanning from animation to experimental were shown to an audience of more than 100 people. Significant standouts were “Hair” by Lia Kusky, “From Her Hands to His” by Kaylee Kula, and “Dog Problems” by Paul Danner. Each of those three films won two awards.
Rachel Spooner was on the ground at Last Looks to speak with student filmmakers.
🍿 Check out her reporting here.
3. Small closet solutions that actually look beautiful
TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE
👗 A small closet can make a whole room feel harder to manage. Clothes bunch together, shoes migrate to the floor, shelves turn into catchalls, and suddenly a space that should make mornings easier starts to feel like a daily irritation.
The good news is that a tight closet doesn’t need more square footage to work better. It needs a smarter plan. The folks at TrustDALE are here to help you make your small closet feel polished instead of packed.
👢 Check out more from TrustDALE here.
4. Two men are traveling the entire length of the Chattahoochee River
🛶 Two men are paddling the entire length of the Chattahoochee River to raise money and awareness for a river advocacy group.
Jarod Horne and Stephen Burden began their 500-mile journey on March 1 in the North Georgia mountain town of Helen. Their rafting adventure is expected to take a month.
GPB’s Orlando Montoya caught up with the duo at their camp outside of Cusseta, south of Columbus, to discuss the journey.
➡Read more in this story from GPB.
🌳 This is a call to action for our 4-0-Forest! Volunteer in parks and green spaces across Metro Atlanta at Conserve the 4-0-Forest on Fri., April 17 and Sat., April 18. Remove invasive species and restore our urban forest. SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
📦 Open Hand Atlanta (pictured) is seeking volunteers on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta to pack meals for seniors and people with chronic illnesses across Metro Atlanta. Volunteers will help portion food into individual containers.
⚾ SHINE needs volunteers at a Braves home game on Friday evening in Atlanta to raise funds for children with autism. Expect to assist with concessions operations, including customer service, cleaning, handling food and beverages, and operating a cashless POS system.
🌳 EcoAddendum is looking for volunteers to help restore Osborne Park on Sunday afternoon in Brookhaven. Participants will work with tools like clippers, pruning saws, trowels, and shovels.
MORE VOLUNTEER NEWS
🧒 DeKalb County Juvenile Court seeks volunteers for its Judicial Citizen Panel Review. Members meet with professionals and families to determine permanency for children in foster care, track progress between reviews, and assist DFCS. DeKalb residency required. Training is April 14, 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. For more information, visit here.
📈 Latinas drive $1.3 trillion in U.S. economic impact. The Latin American Association’s (LAA) Latina Entrepreneurship Program, Avanzando Juntas, equips women to start and grow businesses. Learn more or support our work at thelaa.org. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Play News Word Atlanta, our daily word game.
💡 Help support independent local media by becoming a Rough Draft member today. Pick up some cool swag, including our new, limited-edition LOCAL hoodie.
📤 Have a friend or colleague who would enjoy getting this newsletter? Forward them this link to subscribe.