Wednesday results
June 19 — It’s Juneteenth, which means the major stock markets, banks, government offices, and the post office are closed.
☁️ Cloudy and 89° today.
➡ Vice President Kamala Harris was in Atlanta yesterday to attend a gun violence summit hosted by Migos rapper Quavo at the Carter Center.
🚊 The Atlanta City Council voted unanimously Monday to back Mayor Andre Dickens’ call for MARTA to pause a $230 million renovation of the Five Points Station.
💦 The Army Corps of Engineers said it will conduct a $1 million study of Atlanta’s aging water system following two major main breaks.
🗳️ Qualifying opens June 25 for the vacant Atlanta City Council Post 3 At-Large seat during a special election on Nov. 5.
⚖️ The Cobb County father convicted of murder after leaving his toddler in a hot car in 2014 has been released from state prison, but booked into county jail.
🚗 After a rash of “super speeders” being caught on GA 400, the Sandy Springs Police Department is warning drivers of arrests and fines.
🏳️🌈 Pop star Ava Max will headline the 2024 Atlanta Pride Festival in Piedmont Park this October.
🔥 Pitmaster John Lewis is planning to open Lewis Barbecue’s first Atlanta location at Ansley Mall next summer.
ELSEWHERE
💰 The ongoing boom in generative AI has propelled Nvidia past Microsoft as the world’s most valuable public company.
🇰🇵 Russian President Vladimir Putin is visiting North Korea for the first time in 24 years.
🎗️ Baseball legend Willie Mays, known as the “Say Hey Kid,” died yesterday at 93. Mays is widely considered the greatest center fielder of all time.
PICTURE THIS: Dr. Bryan Johnson, a former Hamilton County Schools superintendent in Chattanooga, TN, is slated to become the next superintendent of Atlanta Public Schools. He was introduced by the Atlanta Board of Education during a press conference on Tuesday. The board will take a formal vote on hiring Johnson at its July 8 meeting.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Key runoff results
• Kamayan ATL expansion
• Juneteenth at City Springs
• Jon Ossoff at Brookhaven / Perimeter Chamber
AND
• Concert Picks
Have a great day,
Collin & Sammie
🥘 Southern Chefs Potluck is back! Join amazing Chefs Duane Nutter, Anne Quatrano, Rodney Scott, and more as they prepare an epic feast to raise money to make locally grown food affordable for all Georgians – Oct. 6 at Serenbe. Learn more.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Cochran-Johnson becomes first Black woman to lead DeKalb; Ivory unseats Hall in Fulton
🗳️ In a historic vote in DeKalb County, former county commissioner Lorraine Cochran-Johnson defeated Larry Johnson for the office of chief executive officer.
Following yesterday’s primary runoff, Cochran-Johnson will become the first Black woman and the second female in the history of DeKalb County to be elected to the post.
No Republican candidate is running for the position in November’s general election.
IN FULTON
➡ Incumbent Natalie Hall lost her bid to retain her Fulton County Commission District 4 seat to challenger Mo Ivory in the Democratic primary runoff.
➡️ See more details and results from the runoff here.
Dutch Art in a Global Age at the High Museum
SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM
🎨 Final Weeks! Step back into time at Dutch Art in a Global Age at the High Museum! Marvel at masterpieces by Dutch artists, including Rembrandt, and explore maps and objects from centuries past.
Don’t miss the chance to see these treasures in person, for just a few more weeks at the High Museum.
2. Exclusive: Kamayan ATL Filipino restaurant to expand in Doraville
🇵🇭 Kamayan ATL is expanding its operations in Asian Square, a complex of Asian-owned retail stores and restaurants on Buford Highway.
Dr. Zheng Xiang Wang is closing Wang Eye Clinic after nearly 20 years, a reflection of Asian Square owners growing older and retiring. Next-door neighbor Kamayan ATL will use the 3,000-square-foot space for pop-ups and overflow seating while undergoing a yearlong renovation.
Owners Mia Orino and Carlo Gan have plans to renovate in stages by “sprucing up the front” and building a restaurant kitchen. They’re applying for a beer and wine license – something Kamayan ATL is missing.
3. Sandy Springs, Dunwoody to celebrate Juneteenth at City Springs
🎉 The cities of Sandy Springs and Dunwoody will come together at City Springs today, from 5-8 p.m. for the annual Juneteenth Celebration.
The free, family-friendly event starts at 5 p.m. with activities scheduled in Byers Theatre, the Byers Theatre Lobby, and the City Green.
The commemoration of the end of slavery in the United States following the Civil War will showcase a performing arts production, a STEAM digital art gallery, educational activities, food vendors, and more.
4. Ossoff pledges to stay out of political fray during remarks at Chamber luncheon
🗣️ U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff said he won’t participate in the polarizing political climate that has gripped the nation for the past few years. He made the remarks at the Brookhaven/Perimeter Chamber of Commerce luncheon on June 14.
“We have to be careful not to allow the partisan conversation to distort our view of the world,” the first-term senator told a packed crowd at the Prosperity Partners Luncheon at the Atlanta Marriott in Perimeter Center. “Every day, our team is solving the specific needs of our constituents.”
Ossoff said when he was elected in 2021, he made the conscious decision to become known for his accomplishments rather than become notorious for “posting insults on various platforms.” He also said despite the perception that the federal government is in a state of gridlock, there have been advancements that have improved the lives of many Georgians.
🥘 Southern Chefs Potluck is back! Join amazing Chefs Duane Nutter, Anne Quatrano, Rodney Scott, and more as they prepare an epic feast to raise money to make locally grown food affordable for all Georgians – Oct. 6 at Serenbe. Learn more.
SPONSOR MESSAGE
5. Concert Picks
VIA HOW DO YOU ATLANTA?
Wed., June 19
🎹 SOULREBELROCK @ Center Stage
📍 XOMG POP! @ Buckhead Theatre (CANCELED)
💣 Anthony Q @ Vinyl
Thurs., June 20
④ The Pierres @ The Earl
🦁 Goose @ Fox Theatre (also Fri. and Sat.)
🔌 Electric Avenue @ Atlantic Station
🎙️ Aaron West and the Roaring Twenties @ Loft
🤩 VERIVERY @ Center Stage
🎻 Ben Rector and Cody Fry @ Atlanta Symphony Hall (also Fri.)
🎶 Pandora Y Flans @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Fri., June 21
♨️ Willie Nelson, Bob Dylan, Robert Plant & Alison Krauss @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre (Pictured)
🌹 Maggie Rose @ Terminal West
👑 The Best Damn Queen Show Ever @ Variety Playhouse
🔥 Burning Spear with Kabaka Pyramid @ The Eastern
Sat., June 22
🥁 Menu (pictured) @ Vinyl
🦅 Quasi @ The Earl
📺 truTV Impractical Jokers @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
🎉 Hot 107.9 Birthday Bash @ State Farm Arena
💊 Alanis Morissette @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
⚡ Dexta Daps @ Tabernacle
🇲🇽 Yuri @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Sun., June 23
🧑🎤 The Spits @ The Earl (also Mon.)
🎧 Inayah @ The Loft (POSTPONED)
💛 Yellow Days @ Terminal West
🎟️ FEID @ Gas South Arena
Tues., June 25
🏝️ Future Islands @ The Eastern
⭐ Donny Osmond @ Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre
Wed., June 26
🎛️ That Girl Lay Lay @ Coca-Cola Roxy
TUNE IN
🎙️ Don’t miss Sammie with the AJC’s Mike Jordan every Thursday at 9:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. as they preview the top events in town on WABE.
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
