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Tuesday, May 26 — We are proud to be recognized as finalists in the global Publisher Newsletter Awards alongside the BBC and The Times of London. Rough Draft is nominated for Best Daily and Best Local & Community, and Side Dish and Family Meal are finalists for Best Food & Drink Newsletter. Learn about our entire portfolio of newsletters here. 

🌧️ More rain and some heavy thunderstorms with a high of 78° today.

💼 Atlanta Beltline, Inc. named Nino Maisuradze its new chief financial officer. She was previously CFO for Ingenico North America.

🩺 Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta announced plans to open a new pediatric primary care clinic in Adamsville, and launch primary care and pediatric specialty services in Union City.

☕ Plans for a 7 Brew in downtown Tucker will be presented to the city council in June after the planning commission approved a permit for the drive-thru coffee shop.

🏆 Agnes Scott College’s oldest building, Agnes Scott Hall (also known as Main Hall), was recently recognized for “Excellence in Sustainable Rehabilitation” by The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation.  

🐝 Two Georgia students, Sreeya Lakkimsetti of Augusta and Sarv Dharavane of Dunwoody, are competing in the annual Scripps National Spelling Bee, which begins today at Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. Here’s how to watch.

ELSEWHERE

🇺🇸🇮🇷 The U.S. struck Iranian missile sites and mine-laying boats near the Strait of Hormuz today, calling them “self-defense strikes.”

🤠 Texas voters headed to the polls today for the GOP Senate runoff between incumbent U.S. Sen. John Cornyn and Attorney General Ken Paxton.

🏀 The Knicks swept the Cavaliers to advance to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999, where they will face the winner of the Thunder-Spurs series, which is tied 2-2, with Game 5 tonight.

🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• HBCU scholarships

• TrustDALE

• CNC 50th anniversary

• Insurance parity

AND 

• Volunteer Opportunities


⛳ Golf Chastain: Nine at Night returns July 27 for a one-of-a-kind glow golf experience at Chastain Park. Enjoy dinner, drinks, music, and a glow-in-the-dark round of golf under the lights. Grab your friends and register here! SPONSOR MESSAGE


Courtesy of Morehouse College

1. Blank Family Foundation’s HBCU scholarship initiative distributes over $4.2 million

🎓 The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation reports that more than $4.2 million has been disbursed to approximately 600 students at Atlanta’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities.

Launched in October 2025, the program provides targeted gap funding to students in their junior and senior years. The funding is designed to cover outstanding financial balances that might otherwise prevent students from graduating.

To date, the foundation has distributed $1.45 million to 290 students at Clark Atlanta University, $1.24 million to 115 students at Morehouse College, and $1.65 million to 189 students at Spelman College.

💰 Find out more about the scholarships here.


Sudden orthopedic need? Get Better right now.

SPONSORED BY PEACHTREE ORTHOPEDICS

📲 Peachtree Orthopedics is now offering immediate access for all patients through their ChatORTHO chat feature. Just go to chatorthoatl.com and you can communicate right away with a LIVE, actual Peachtree Orthopedics clinician.

This service is offered from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week, 365 days a year. And – best of all – it is FREE!

So why wait? Whether you have an immediate injury need or it’s just time to deal with that nagging issue, click now to get fast, free care recommendations and guided next steps for your continued care.

Peachtree Orthopedics has 42 leading physicians and has served Atlanta for over 70 years with a commitment to helping you Get Better.

➞ To learn more or chat now, click here!


2. Noises in the attic? It could be wildlife

TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE

🐿️ A strange sound overhead has a way of turning a quiet house into a guessing game. A faint scratch near the ceiling, a quick scramble above the bedroom, a dull thump somewhere near the soffit, and suddenly the attic feels less like storage space and more like a hidden hallway.

For many homeowners, those noises are the first clue that wildlife has found a way inside.

Today, the folks at TrustDALE will teach you what attic noises may mean, why animal removal is rarely as simple as chasing something out, when it’s time to bring in a professional, and more.

🐰 Check out the full blog post here.


Courtesy of Chattahoochee Nature Center

3. Family-friendly summer events announced by Chattahoochee Nature Center

🛶 The Chattahoochee Nature Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to environmental education, conservation, and the rehabilitation of native plants and wildlife, today announced a series of family-friendly summer events tied to its 50th anniversary.

Some of the events include the Flying Colors Butterfly Festival on June 6-7, the Possum Trot 10K on June 20, and an anniversary celebration on June 24-28.

🗓️ Get more details about the upcoming events here.


4. Insurance parity is on the minds of mental health advocates during the 30th Carter Center forum

⚕️ Last week, the Carter Center hosted its 30th annual Mental Health Forum, continuing the work of former first lady Rosalynn Carter, bringing together thought leaders and experts from all corners of mental health advocacy.  

Former U.S. Rep. Patrick J. Kennedy spoke at the event. He worked with the Carter Center to pass the 2008 federal Mental Health Parity Act that helped Georgia craft its state parity law. Kennedy said Georgia could still improve by investing more in prevention.

“Right now, we pay for the most costly care because we wait until it becomes a crisis,” Kennedy said. “No surprise – if you waited for cancer to be Stage 4, you’d end up spending a lot more money than if you did much more – early on – to screen.”

Read more in this story from GPB. 


😌 You’re invited to the Wednesday Wellness Series with the Chastain Park Conservancy at Farm Chastain this June. Enjoy relaxing evenings of sound bath, Qigong, restorative yoga, and meditation surrounded by nature. Free and open to the community. Register today at Chastain Park Conservancy. SPONSOR MESSAGE


Photo via handsonatlanta.org

5. Volunteer Opportunities

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA

📦 Urban Recipe, Inc. needs volunteers on Wednesday afternoon in Atlanta to assist in their food pantry. Volunteers will assemble and fill boxes, maintain the pantry’s inventory, and help with light cleaning.

👕 New Life Community Alliance is looking for volunteers to help in their Garments of Grace Clothing Closet on Thursday morning in Decatur. Expect to organize inventory, manage storage spaces, weigh clothes, and enter data.

🚲 Free Bikes 4 Kidz (pictured) is seeking volunteers on Saturday afternoon in Decatur. Participants will clean, prep, and repair bikes to give away to underserved children. No experience is necessary.



🎓 It’s not too late to find a great high school. At The New School, your teenager will be known, valued, and challenged, both inside and outside the classroom. Students graduate from TNS knowing themselves and the city – and they head into the world with confidence. Reach out today! Financial aid available. SPONSOR MESSAGE


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This report was compiled and written by Rough Draft Atlanta's staff.