Be the first
Friday, Oct. 23 — Welcome to the first issue of Rough Draft Athens! This newsletter launch marks our first market outside of metro Atlanta, and we couldn’t be more excited to be in the Classic City.
📣 If you missed the announcement about our launch, here it is.
📰 If you’re new to Rough Draft, it’s great to have you here. Our publications, both print and digital, cover a blend of the news people need, like local government, public safety, and education, and the stories they crave, including dining, entertainment, and real estate.
Today’s inaugural issue includes a profile of Puma Yu’s, as well as ways you can get involved in volunteering around Athens, and a rundown of events. If you have story ideas, you can send them to our team via email, and if you’re a local business that’s interested in sponsorship opportunities, let us know.
🙏🏼 I hope you enjoy the newsletter, and please never hesitate to send me feedback via email or by replying to this newsletter. Every week, we’ll start with a rundown of local headlines as well.
Thanks for reading,
Keith Pepper | Publisher
🗳️ Early voting in Georgia ends on Friday, Oct. 30. Here’s what’s on the ballot in Athens-Clarke County. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3.
🎞️ A panel discussion following the screening of the documentary “Groundswell” at the University of Georgia sparked conversation around the future of farming. The panel included Georgia farmers and Laura Turner Seydel, the daughter of the late Ted Turner and one of the film’s executive producers.
📱 Athens-Clarke County State Court Judge Ryan Hope, who launched text reminders for court dates as a municipal judge, is working with a nonprofit to take the program statewide.
🚧 A downtown Athens redevelopment project is moving forward, replacing aging affordable housing at the former Bethel Midtown Village with a walkable community designed to meet sustainability standards.
🧑🏫 The Clarke County School District announced its Teacher of the Year finalists. A district committee selected three finalists out of a field of 22 school-level teachers, representing different grades and schools.
⚖️ The Clarke County Sheriff’s Office announced upgrades to inmate health care and facilities, including the return of on-site video communication with inmates (a facility-wide technological update) and new medical equipment.
🤝 The TOUR Championship is more than a week of great golf. Discover how Southern Company, alongside other Proud Partners and the surrounding community, is creating lasting impact, inspiring future generations, and making the championship one of Atlanta’s most meaningful summer traditions. SPONSOR MESSAGE
Couple behind Puma Yu’s talk building on its success in Athens
🇹🇭 Puma Yu’s is more than just a business endeavor for Pete Amadhanirundr and Ally Smith, the couple behind the Thai restaurant in Athens. It’s a milestone in their relationship, which blossomed within the Classic City’s hospitality industry.
Now married with a baby and a critically acclaimed restaurant, Amadhanirundr and Smith will continue building on the success of Puma Yu’s with a new Five Points cafe and cocktail bar called Hin.
👉 Read more about Puma Yu’s and the couple’s new restaurant here.
Virginia-style manor near Five Points
SPONSORED BY DWELL REAL ESTATE
🏠 Modeled after a Shenandoah Valley manor, this brick Georgian sits on 4.6 acres at the end of a cul-de-sac off the Timothy Road corridor, less than ten minutes from Five Points. Listed for $1.449 million, the home features a formal layout with high ceilings, hardwoods, and a paneled study across a 5,000-square-foot main level. A finished terrace level adds a kitchen, game room, and fireplace.
Gena Knox, co-founder of Dwell Real Estate, is one of Athens’ top-producing agents and holds the record for the city’s highest in-town residential sale.
🍸 The Haunting; tonight at 5 p.m. at Nighthawks Lounge.
🎊 College Square Grand Opening; tomorrow at 11 a.m. in downtown Athens.
🎃 Jack-O-Lantern Jog 5k and Fun Run; Sun., Oct. 25 at 2 p.m. at Sandy Creek Nature Center.
🍹 Hin Bar Pop-Up; Tues., Oct. 27 at 5 p.m. at The Old Pal.
Visit our free events calendar for more.
🤝 The TOUR Championship is more than a week of great golf. Discover how Southern Company, alongside other Proud Partners and the surrounding community, is creating lasting impact, inspiring future generations, and making the championship one of Atlanta’s most meaningful summer traditions. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🍴 Downsizing Sale – Sale items include sterling silver jewelry and flatware, vinyl record collection, cast iron pots, pans and skillets, vintage Beatles card collection of about 600 cards, vintage furniture and much more. Fri.-Sat.
📼 Tools & Woodworking Galore – Monroe home is filled with tools and woodworking items, Civil War book collection and collector items. Extensive Playboy magazine collection spanning nearly every year since first publication. Women’s and men’s clothing and shoes. Fri.-Sat.
🪞 Curated Collection in Commerce – Mix of antiques, vintage pieces, collectibles, furniture, household goods, décor, tools and outdoor equipment. Fri.-Sun.
💉 Seasonal viruses, including the flu, are spreading earlier this year, and health experts are encouraging people to protect themselves and others with annual influenza and COVID-19 vaccines.
📸 President Donald Trump and former President Barack Obama will campaign for candidates in Georgia ahead of the midterm elections. Trump will headline a rally in Perry on Saturday, with Obama headlining a rally in Atlanta on Wednesday, Oct. 28.
🩺 Georgia plans to spend more than $12 million in federal funding to equip rural emergency rooms to handle childbirth, as rural hospitals close their labor and delivery units. Some doctors warn ERs cannot replace access to maternity wards.
🚜 Help out at Williams Farm with the Athens Land Trust.
🍝 Serve meals with Bigger Vision.
📚 Process and relocate books with Books for Keeps.
