A.M. ATL: Zero to $1,000

Morning, y’all! I’ve got tickets to see “The Odyssey” tonight — whatever you do, do not email me any spoilers.

Please give AJ a warm welcome back on Monday! It’s been my honor to write to you this week.

Let’s get to it.

STICKER SHOCK

Gonna cost a lot to drive it off the lot. (David Zalubowski/AP)

Car payments in the quadruple digits may be more common than you think — especially in Georgia.

• Roughly 1 in 8 Georgians with an active auto loan have at least one monthly payment of $1,000 or more, according to a new analysis from LendingTree.
• The sky-high payments could be caused by a lot of different things — buyers wanting big cars, low credit scores pushing monthly payments higher or high credit scores allowing for bigger loans.
• The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the U.S. was $49,758 in June.

If you’re buying a car soon and want to fall squarely in the “less than $1,000 a month payment” category, reporting intern Carson Bonner has some expert advice for you.

🔎 READ MORE: $1,000 car payments are increasingly common, especially in Georgia

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WHERE THERE’S SMOKE

Tenants of the Reserve at LaVista Walk are one step closer to getting paid out for a fireworks-induced fire that destroyed the complex where people lived and worked.

• The late 2023 fire gutted the LaVista Road apartment complex, shut down nearby roads and affected more than 200 residents.
• The settlement will total $8.45 million. Eligible tenants are expected to get $4,500, with $2,500 for each child resident. Tenants could get more for property damage claims.
• The aftermath of the fire has been litigious, with tenants accusing companies of not maintaining safety systems, ignoring complaints about fireworks and failing to secure the property after the fire.

🔎 READ MORE: $8.45M settlement reached over Atlanta apartment complex fire

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

🐮 A known hacker group is taking responsibility for a ransomware attack targeting Fairlife, the dairy brand owned by Coca-Cola. The company said it has no update to share after shutting down U.S. production of Fairlife last week.

🗳️ Voter turnout is low so far in the race to fill a Georgia Congressional seat. U.S. Rep. David Scott died before the end of his term. Now five candidates in the state’s 13th Congressional District are hoping more voters will come out to decide who fills the seat.

THRILL SEEKERS

Talk about Spaghetti Junction. (Courtesy of Thrillz Atlanta)

A new 50,000-square-foot indoor theme park is open for business. Thrillz Atlanta is sure to give your kids (and maybe you, too) a hit of adrenaline. Reporter Olivia Wakim has all the details, but here’s an overview:

• What: A 35-foot slide, airbag obstacle courses, trampolines, a climbing wall, duckpin bowling, an arcade, ziplining, sports, carnival-style rides, virtual reality and more.
• Where: Off Spaghetti Junction at 4280 Northeast Expressway.
• Who: All ages, from toddlers to adults.
• When: Starting yesterday, it’s open every day of the week.
• How much: It varies depending on your age and when you go. You can buy ticket packages or a la carte entry to different attractions.

I don’t really like theme parks, but I love air conditioning, so I might have to check it out.

🔎 READ MORE: What to expect at Thrillz Atlanta, the massive new indoor adventure park

NEWS BITES

Atlanta’s Dogwood Festival coming back in 2027, but uncertainty lingers

It’s free at last.