A.M. ATL: Fire and brimstone

Morning, y’all! Has anyone else’s internet been cutting out a lot recently? My husband thinks it’s the heat. While there could be many reasons, I, of course, blame data centers.

Let’s get to it.

THE ‘SHUT UP’ HEARD ‘ROUND ATLANTA

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, seen here in June, recently told a constituent to "shut up" in the comment section of an Instagram post. (Hyosub Shin/AJC)

A nice little social media post celebrating Atlanta’s Nature Gurlz devolved into a quagmire of aggression last week after Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens, of all people, chimed in with some spicy language.

It’s become A Thing online, where people are debating social media manners.

What went down

Dickens shared a video of himself surprising the Nature Gurlz, a beloved group of women who meet up weekday mornings to bask in the great outdoors.

• “In life, you gotta have a little fun,” Dickens said during the video, which was full of nice vibes.
• “Have some fun by restoring Peachtree St’s pedestrian-centric design in downtown and by delivering what we voted for with extra sales taxes for Marta by getting Beltline rail done,” Jonathan Brimer, a Grant Park resident, wrote in the comments.
• This is where things go off the rails.
• “Shut up and respect our legacy black women residents that made this city that you get to enjoy freely,” Dickens replied. “We on the southside today.”

Oop!

Naturally, people didn’t take well to the mayor of a major city saying “shut up” to a constituent. Others accused Brimer of “hijacking” Dickens’ post and trying to steal the spotlight from the Nature Gurlz.

As someone who’s been on the receiving end of many grumpy non-sequiturs from readers over the years, I can sympathize with wanting to uncork a little verbal pop. Doesn’t mean it’s right! Just saying.

🔎 READ MORE: More updates from City Hall

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SUN GETS IN YOUR EYES

An aerial image shows a large construction site in Bacon County, where Silicon Ranch is building one of Georgia's largest solar farms in one of its smallest counties. (Miguel Martinez/AJC)

A trio of new renewable energy projects could soon cover thousands more acres of rural Georgia in solar panels.

It’s a win for clean energy advocates, especially with all of these data centers to power. But the projects aren’t without their concerns.

• This ongoing trend of large, “utility-scale” solar projects is mostly affecting the southern half of the state. The area’s relatively cheap, flat land has been a major draw for developers.
• In fact, nearly 90% of Georgia’s largest solar facilities in development or operation are in South Georgia, according to a recent AJC analysis.

Why people don’t like it

• Some residents are worried about how these sprawling energy farms will affect local soil, especially near farmland.
• They’re also mistrustful of tax incentives used to lure these projects into the area.
• Then, of course, there’s the aesthetic consequence of having acres and acres of land covered in solar panels. Not exactly Georgia in its most natural splendor.

The next question is: Who’s going to use all of this power? Georgia Power has already claimed the output from one of the projects, but others are up in the air.

🔎 READ MORE: Specifics about the projects and just how much land is involved

EX-ATL FIRE UNION CHIEF SUES MAYOR, CITY

Fire Capt. Nate Bailey, the former head of Atlanta’s firefighter union, says he was retaliated against after advocating for better working conditions.

He’s suing the city, Dickens and Fire Chief Rod Smith, saying he was sent to “front-line duty” as punishment for his union activism.

• Bailey says he frequently clashed with Dickens’ administration over working conditions, shuttered stations, a lack of equipment and firefighter pay.
• It came to a head in 2024 when he went to City Hall and complained about the results of a pay study for Atlanta’s firefighters.
• Hours later, he was reassigned to Engine 6, what the lawsuit calls “the most active and dangerous assignment within the (department).”
• After injuring his neck in the more physically demanding role, Bailey says he now makes less money because he isn’t eligible to work as much overtime.
• Bailey got biblical in the lawsuit, comparing his plight to that of Uriah the Hittite. In the ancient text, King David sends Uriah to die on the front lines of a war.

🔎 READ MORE: Bailey’s claims, and Dickens’ response

Another fire department lawsuit

• In March, Atlanta Professional Fire Fighters Local 134, with Bailey at the helm, sued the city for failing to honor a collective bargaining agreement after learning Dickens hadn’t signed the contract.
• The mayor eventually signed the CBA in May, after a new union president was elected.

MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS

❓ Trivia Time! Out of the thousands of governors elected over the course of U.S. history, how many have been Black? Answer at the bottom.

🚀 Marietta-based startup Atomic-6 invented futuristic “space armor” that protects critical infrastructure on spacecraft. Its armor will be aboard a SpaceX rocket launch this fall.

🏛️ Socialism and communism are two commonly misunderstood political bogeymen that have been used to scare voters for many a decade. Here’s a guide to separate the facts from the myths.

A LITTLE FALCONS PREVIEW

Atlanta Falcons quarterback Tua Tagovailoa runs drills during an NFL football training camp practice on Monday in Flowery Branch. (Brynn Anderson/AP)

It’s Thursday, which means a new episode of “Flagship,” the AJC’s podcast that digs into some of the most interesting stories on the desks of AJC journalists. Oh, and it’s hosted by me.

• This week is for the Falcons faithful. I had a lively conversation with Falcons reporter Daniel Flick that will buoy your preseason spirits.
• We also have an election preview from our politics team and a look-see at Atlanta’s current state as the most surveilled city in America.

Come for the lowdown on Falcons QB Tua Tagovailoa, stay for the riff on English philosopher Jeremy Bentham. We cover a lot.

Listen on the AJC website or anywhere you get your podcasts. Just search “AJC Flagship.” And drop me a line to let me know how you like it! I have almost settled on my audio voice. It’s a journey.

NEWS BITES

All about the ice cream cone, one of many gifts immigrants have given the U.S.

Ice cream used to be a luxury treat, and before ice cream cones, there was apparently a time when people would purchase “penny licks” of the stuff in glass jars. They’d lick the jar clean and hand it back to the vendor for the next customer, who’d fill it up again. Share to ruin a germophobe’s day.

How to keep life’s little problems in perspective

One thing will do that for sure: big problems.

Frustration as Braves swept in Minnesota

Cheer up! They’re still five games ahead of the Phillies atop the NL East.

Truckload of squid spills into Rhode Island street, creating a smelly summer mess

Core sense memories were made that day, and none of them good.

ON THIS DATE

Aug. 20, 1999

Success story: Falcon off endangered list. The peregrine falcon, the world’s fastest bird once pushed to the brink of extinction in the United States, has recovered enough to be taken off the endangered species list. … The real savior, (Falcon experts) say, was the 1972 ban on the pesticide DDT.