Rough Draft Atlanta, Atlanta, GA (2026)

01/03/2026

GoFundMe started for Dunwoody teen injured in ski accident

(Photo courtesy of GoFundMe) The Dunwoody community is rallying to raise $100,000 to help with transportation costs for a Dunwoody High School graduate who was seriously injured in a skiing accident in Colorado. The effort has garnered more than $66,000 as of Jan. 3. "While on a ski trip in Colorado, our close friend Ayden Slipsager, a 2025 Dunwoody High School graduate and freshman at UGA, a member of Theta Chi fraternity, was involved in a serious accident that left him with life-altering injuries," the GoFundMe page reports. "Since that day, he has been fighting hard and showing incredible progress, but the road ahead is long and challenging."...

$100,000 needed for a Dunwoody High School graduate injured in a skiing accident for transportation to Shepard Center.

01/03/2026

Flu is spreading across Georgia. Hospitals urge masking and vaccination.

“We are seeing an increase in very sick kids and teens this cold and flu season,” Children’s Hospital of Atlanta’s website says, and the health system is requiring people over age 2 to wear masks in its facilities. (Courtesy of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) As flu rates increase in Georgia, forcing families to replace trips to visit grandparents with trips to the doctor, local health systems are asking people to mask up and warning patients of longer wait times in the emergency room. It’s hard to say exactly how many cases of flu there are in Atlanta, in part because of reporting delays due to the holidays....

Flu cases are rising in Georgia, overwhelming health systems. Low vaccination rates and a mismatch in flu variants contribute to the surge.

01/03/2026

Park 500 offers housing stability to families in DeKalb County this holiday season

A kitchen offered in one of the units at Park 500, a transitional housing complex that welcomed nearly 60 families who previously lived in extended stay hotels in December 2025. (Courtesy of the Park 500 website) Dozens of families received the gift of safe, stable housing this holiday season thanks to a new DeKalb County transitional housing program. About 60 families who had been living in extended stay hotels across the county have moved into Park 500, which is the county’s first transitional housing program designed to help families facing housing insecurity....

DeKalb County's first transitional housing program, Park 500, provides safe and stable housing for families facing housing insecurity.

01/03/2026

Sandy Springs Arts Foundation hosts community showcase

A scene from last year's ARTBEAT (File photo) The Sandy Springs Arts Foundation (SSAF) will host ARTBEAT, a free public celebration of student artistry, on Feb. 7, 2026, at 2:30 p.m. at the Byers Theatre. The event will showcase the work of more than 415 students from Ridgeview Charter Middle School, Riverwood International Charter High School, Sandy Springs Charter Middle School, and North Springs Charter High School. The afternoon will feature more than 100 pieces of 2D and 3D visual art displayed in the Byers Theatre lobby, alongside live performances including dance, chorus, band, orchestra, and rock band....

Join the Sandy Springs Arts Foundation for ARTBEAT, a free celebration of student artistry featuring visual art and live performances.

01/03/2026

Chamblee named ‘Monarch Champion’ by National Wildlife Federation

The City of Chamblee has been named “Monarch Champion” by the National Wildlife Federation’s Mayors’ Monarch Pledge program, an initiative that recognizes conservation work in support of the declining monarch butterfly population. The Monarch Champion designation is awarded to American cities whose mayors adopt at least 24 of the 30 conservation actions recommended through the pledge. Since joining the initiative in 2021, Chamblee has managed to create 10 acres of monarch butterfly habitat and engaged with more than 2,900 residents through the program, according to a press release. 2025, in particular, was a significant year for the Chamblee’s conservation efforts, highlighted by the discovery of monarch caterpillars on city property for the first time ever, according to Chamblee officials....

Chamblee named 'Monarch Champion' for conservation efforts supporting monarch butterflies within the city.

01/03/2026

The Atlanta News Quiz for January 3

It’s time to test your knowledge with this week’s Atlanta News Quiz! Click here to play, and please let us know how you do by sharing on Instagram, Facebook, or X . This week’s quiz is sponsored by SCAD. Experience SCAD Like Never Before ✨ Step into SCADstory, a one-of-a-kind 4D adventure that takes you through the university’s rich history of creativity, innovation, and design. Journey across four decades and 25 SCAD disciplines, from animation to themed entertainment design, in this immersive experience that celebrates the dreamer in us all. 📣 Discover the magic behind SCAD’s legacy and reserve your tickets today at scadstory.com.

https://roughdraftatlanta.com/2026/01/03/the-atlanta-news-quiz-for-january-3/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=jetpack_social

Test your knowledge with the Atlanta News Quiz sponsored by SCAD. Experience SCADstory, a 4D adventure celebrating creativity and design.

01/03/2026

Family of Atlanta detective hires private investigator for murder-suicide probe

The family of an Atlanta Police detective identified as the suspect in a Christmas murder-suicide near Piedmont Park has hired a private investigator to monitor the ongoing investigation into the deaths of Kevin Stroner and his girlfriend, Moriah Cardona....

Atlanta Police detective identified as suspect in Christmas murder-suicide. Family hires private investigator to monitor investigation.

01/03/2026

🥁 The monks go marching

Your picks for 2026 Jan. 2 — It's Cathy and Stephanie from Rough Draft with our weekly newsletter on Tucker. Cathy is still in the midst of her end-of-year ruthless purge, and technically, we are on break, so this one will be brief. We'll be back at full steam next week. 🗳 This issue contains a story about some of incoming Tucker Mayor Anne Lerner's priorities for 2026, a recap of the Buddhist monks' march across the United States with a stop in Tucker, the passing of a beloved community figure, and some thoughts on what 2026 has in store for Tucker....

Discover incoming Tucker Mayor Anne Lerner's priorities for 2026, the inspiring Buddhist Walk for Peace, and the passing of a beloved judge.

01/02/2026

Atlanta over halfway toward building, preserving 20,000 affordable housing units

Atlanta leaders and housing developers gather for a ceremonial groundbreaking July 15, 2025, on Sylvan Hills II, an affordable housing complex. Credit: Amanda Andrews / GPB News At the beginning of his term, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens set a goal to create or preserve 20,000 units of affordable housing by 2030. About five years into the effort, the city is over halfway toward the goal. So far Atlanta has built or is in the process of completing 12,441 units. According to the federal Department of Housing and Urban Development definition, affordable housing should cost no more than $1,700 a month....

Atlanta is making progress towards its goal of creating affordable housing units. The city is exploring innovative building methods and funding tools.

01/02/2026

⭐️ Sandy Springs’ rising stars

Happy New Year Jan. 2 — Whether you caught the drone and firework show over the city of Atlanta, were streaming the "Stranger Things" finale, or were sound asleep as the clock struck midnight, we hope your 2026 is off to a good start. 🏢 The Atlanta Business Chronicle reports the Roswell Road shopping center whose tenants include US Food CHEF'STORE and Hudson Grille has been sold to an investment firm. There's no word on whether the sale may impact the current retailers. (Subscription required) 🟤 The Business Chronicle also reported UPS…...

Catch up on the latest news in Sandy Springs, including community service reflections, student achievements, and local events. Happy 2026!

01/02/2026

🎞️ Best Movies of 2025

Happy New Year! Jan. 2 — Hello and Happy 2026! Hope everyone had a great holiday and is slowly recovering from all the New Year's parties. In honor of that recovery, we have another short edition of Scene, but next week we will be officially BACK! 2026 is here, and I'm looking forward to making it better than ever. A few sad notes before we move on: 📽️ Isiah Whitlock Jr., known for his frequent collaborations with Spike Lee and his work on "The Wire," died Tuesday at the age of 71....

Discover the best movies of 2025, interviews with filmmakers, and a tribute to James Ransone in this edition of Scene.

01/02/2026

More than 9K to run in AJC Polar Opposite Peachtree Road Race on Jan. 3

Laura Pifer wone the 2025 Polar Opposite Peachtree female division. (Photo by Paul McPherson courtesy Atlanta Track Club) On Saturday, Jan. 3, more than 9,000 runners and walkers will take on the second running of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Polar Opposite Peachtree Road Race. With a sold-out field for the second year in a row and nearly double the number of participants from the inaugural event, the race reflects the growing popularity of this cold-weather counterpart to the iconic July 4 tradition, according to a press release. Reversing the famed Peachtree course, participants will start in Piedmont Park at 8 a.m....

Join over 9,000 runners at the 2025 Polar Opposite Peachtree Road Race in Atlanta. Experience the iconic 6.2-mile route in reverse during winter.

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