To the polls
Tuesday, Nov. 3 — Today is Election Day, and polls are open across Georgia from 7 a.m.-7 p.m. Here are five things to watch for today, and if you need to find your voting locaiton, check the GA My Voter Page. The Rough Draft team will cover developments and have real-time results from the AP after the polls close. Bookmark our liveblog and check back often for updates.
☁️ Cloudy with a high of 72° today.
🖼️ A federal judge sentenced Brady Lum, the High Museum’s former chief operating officer, to one year in federal prison for embezzling $600,000 from the museum.
🏳️🌈 The Atlanta City Council unanimously approved a resolution to begin the process of potentially designating a Virginia-Highland home connected to LGBTQ+ history as a city landmark.
🎭 Fox Gives, the philanthropic arm of the Fox Theatre, announced 12 single-year grants totaling $500,000 for historic theaters and partner organizations in Georgia.
🌊 The City of Atlanta Department of Watershed Management relaunched its FLOAT Initiative to help customers pay off past-due water bills.
⭐ Light Up Dunwoody will return to the Donaldson-Bannister Farm House on Nov. 15.
🎁 The Community Assistance Center is helping local families facing financial hardship celebrate the holidays through its annual Hope for the Holidays program.
ELSEWHERE
🇪🇺 Hackers remotely cranked freezer temperatures as high as 122° at supermarkets across five European countries Monday in what an EU official called a deliberate attempt to disrupt the continent’s food supply.
🗳️ The Trump administration made an emergency appeal to the Supreme Court yesterday to set aside thousands of California mail-in ballots from people suspected to not be citizens.
🔎 A federal judge dismissed the Department of Justice’s criminal case against two former FBI officials charged in connection with an investigation into Hunter Biden.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Lotus Disability
• Fall plumbing checklist
• Gainesville port opening
• ATL Stylewriters Jam
• Upcoming Events
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities
🏠 Priced at $2.25 million, this six-bedroom Brookhaven home was built in 2020 and features a saltwater pool with a waterfall and automated cover, an outdoor kitchen and shower, and a conditioned sunroom. Listed with Atlanta Fine Homes Sotheby’s International Realty, it also offers a third-level wet bar and EV charging. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Atlanta couple makes disability services more affordable after life-changing accident
🦽 In 2022, Emily Stanislaus’ life changed. On a trip to visit her parents with her partner, Cristina Gutiérrez, she fell off the roof of her parents’ home and landed on concrete, suffering a spinal cord injury that left her using a wheelchair.
Very suddenly, Stanislaus and Gutiérrez had to navigate what Gutiérrez calls the “disability tax”: the extra time, money, and energy required to survive as a disabled person.
Their solution was Lotus Disability, a membership-based business that delivers essential support services directly to consumers at a discounted rate. Part of its mission is to make everyday life more manageable and affordable for the people who rely on disability services.
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. Fall plumbing checklist
TOGETHER WITH TRUSTDALE
🚰 It may seem hard to believe, but according to the Farmers’ Almanac, the first freeze is closer than you think. In Atlanta, for example, you can expect to see frost on the ground as early as Nov. 13.
A frozen pipe can burst, flood your home, and leave you scrambling for an emergency plumber in the middle of a cold snap. The good news? A quick inspection now gives you time to catch leaks, protect exposed pipes, and schedule repairs before service becomes an emergency.
This fall plumbing checklist from TrustDALE walks you through what to do before the first freeze, starting outside and working your way in.
🏈 Join the City of Chamblee for the last 3rd Spot Watch Party of the season between UGA and Ole Miss on Sat., Nov. 7. Wear your team colors, bring your friends, and make Chamblee your destination for college football. SPONSOR MESSAGE
3. Gov. Kemp, Georgia Ports host grand opening of inland port in Gainesville
🚂 The Georgia Ports Authority is celebrating the opening of a $134 million inland port in Hall County.
The terminal moves cargo between Northeast Georgia and the Port of Savannah by rail. Georgia Ports CEO Griff Lynch calls it one of the authority’s most transformative projects.
“For every 10,000 containers that we generate through the inland port, we’re taking 3 million truck miles off the Georgia highways,” Lynch said. “So we’re really excited about that.”
The inland port launched with a soft opening in May and so far has moved a mix of home and retail goods as well as manufacturing components for imports. Gov. Brian Kemp was among the dignitaries on hand for the grand opening last Thursday.
➡ Read more in this story from GPB.
5. Upcoming Events
🎶 Coco Montoya; tonight at 7 p.m. at Eddie’s Attic.
🪑 Emory Post-Election Forum: After the Vote; tomorrow at 4 p.m. at Emory University.
📒 2026 FORWARD Conference; tomorrow-Sun., Nov. 8 at 6 p.m. at Atlanta Cultural Exchange at The Center (CTR) Atlanta.
🎤 Dave Chappelle; tomorrow at 7:30 p.m. at State Farm Arena.
🎸 Mass Destruction Metal Fest; Fri., Nov. 6 at 3 p.m. at The Garden Club at Wild Heaven West End.
🖼️ Chastain Park Fall Arts Festival; Sat., Nov. 7 at 10 a.m. at Chastain Park.
📧 Find out how you can get your event featured in Rough Draft. For more events, visit RoughDraftAtlanta.com/events.
🎉 Bike. Walk. Scoot. Stroll. Westside Stride is back and bigger than ever thanks to Atlanta Streets Alive! Join us Sun., Nov. 8, for a free, family-friendly block party on Howell Mill Road featuring local food, music, vendors, and plenty of fun. SPONSOR MESSAGE
6. Volunteer Opportunities
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
🌿 Legacy Park needs help creating a demo garden of native plants on Wednesday morning in Decatur. Be ready to complete various gardening tasks, including weeding, mulching, and planting.
🧥 New Life Community Alliance is looking for Garments of Grace volunteers to help with its community closet on Thursday morning in Decatur. Expect to enter data, sort and weigh clothes, and manage storage.
🐞 No Limits Community Development Corporation (pictured) is looking for volunteers for its Urban Community Garden on Saturday morning in Atlanta. Look forward to helping with farm landscaping, maintaining raised beds, and tending to pesticide-free produce.
🔤 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.
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