Morning, y’all! Temperatures around 90 and lower humidity mean it should be (marginally) more comfortable outside today.
News-wise, get ready to discuss an exclusive AJC survey of Georgia delegates’ Biden-related feelings, Fulton County losing its elections director and another local county raising property tax rates. Plus a guide to board games!
But first: athletes ready to rep the ATL at the rapidly approaching Paris Olympics.
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IT’S ATLANTA!
Caleb Wiley — the Morningside native who’s spent the last two years playing top-notch defense for Atlanta United — is still just 19 years old.
And he’s had one heckuva week.
Any day now, he’ll be shipped to Chelsea F.C., which competes in the top-tier English Premier League. He also found out he’s headed to Paris for the Olympics.
- “It definitely feels like a dream,” Wiley told the AJC’s Doug Roberson.
The talented teenager is set to suit up for the U.S. Men’s National Team during the Summer Games, which officially begin with the July 26 opening ceremony (though the soccer squad plays a few days earlier). He’s just one of a handful of athletes with Atlanta ties slated to compete.
Here’s a quick look at some other local folks bound for France:
- Emily Sonnett: The Marietta native (and World Cup champion) made the U.S. women’s soccer team. Fellow metro Atlantans Jane Campbell, Croix Bethune and Hal Hershfelt are alternates.
- Anthony Edwards: The former Holy Spirit and UGA star (and current Minnesota Timberwolf) will rep USA basketball.
- Rhyne Howard: The Atlanta Dream guard made the United States’ 3x3 women’s basketball squad.
- Chris Eubanks: The Atlanta native and Georgia Tech alum will play singles for the U.S. tennis squad. Fellow American Coco Gauff, who spent her early years in Atlanta, will play singles and doubles.
- Jose Alvarado: The recent Georgia Tech standout led Puerto Rico basketball to its first Olympics berth in 20 years.
Plenty more folks with Georgia ties made U.S. Olympic rosters in swimming or track and field, including: Aaliyah Butler (UGA, track), Nic Fink (UGA, swimming), Daniel Haugh (Kennesaw State, hammer throw), Chase Kalisz (ex-UGA, swimming), Keturah Orji (ex-UGA, triple jump) and Luca Urlando (UGA, swimming).
Dacula native and Army marksman Will Hinton, meanwhile, will shoot for gold in trap.
Several other athletes with local connections will live out their Olympic dreams with other countries. Keep and eye out for them all — and let me know if I missed your favorite!
In the meantime, more sports highlights:
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BACKING BIDEN
The AJC reached out to all 109 of Georgia’s delegates to next month’s Democratic National Convention, speaking with about half of them. Only two shared any concerns about backing President Joe Biden’s nomination.
- If Biden did step aside, most said they would support Kamala Harris atop the ticket.
- Why it matters: As questions about Biden’s age and ability continue to swirl, those pledged to support him in battleground Georgia are standing pat. As one delegate put it: “I’ll take him on life support over Trump.”
In his latest AJC opinion piece, former Republican Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan (not a delegate!) offers a similar sentiment — but writes that America deserves better than a choice “between the incarcerated and the incapacitated.”
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MORE ELECTION NEWS
» The Republican-led State Election Board advanced a proposal giving county board members access to a wide range of documents before they certify elections. Critics fear it would help partisans reject legitimate results.
» Fulton County election board chair Cathy Woolard is stepping down again, three months after taking the role on an interim basis — and less than four months before November’s high-stakes election.
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HOW IT HAPPENED
The man accused of killing someone on the Atlanta Beltline over the weekend absconded from a nearby transitional center nearly two weeks earlier.
- Corrections officials say William Tyler Coleman, 27, was in the early stages of a work release program at the facility on Ponce de Leon Avenue.
- The identity of the man Coleman is accused of stabbing has not been released, nor has a potential motive.
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YOUR POCKETBOOK
In Cobb County: The school board voted not to move ahead with a $50 million graduation venue. The county commission indefinitely postponed the creation of a new stormwater fee.
In DeKalb County: Commissioners approved a hike in the property tax rate, saying they need more money for voting operations and 911 services.
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ATL H20 WOES
Atlanta officials gathered Tuesday to discuss the city’s water woes. Of note: From January 2022 to now, 960 water main breaks have occurred across the city. So far this year, the number is 176.
”We’re starting to see a decline in our water main breaks,” city COO LaChandra Burks said. “Will we ever get to a point where this number is zero? Absolutely not.”
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BORED? TRY A BOARD GAME
The heart of Georgia summer is a pretty good time to stay indoors. Which means it’s also a pretty good time to play some board games!
- Whether you’re a gung-ho gamer or a noob looking for an excuse to drink beer, check out our roundup of metro Atlanta bars, cafes and shops where you can give it a go.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Greenbriar area gains high-end affordable housing
» Delta signs agreement with Saudi startup Riyadh Air
» Alaina Reaves sworn in as District 1 Clayton County commissioner
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ON THIS DATE
July 10, 1993
Atlanta officials broke ground on the city’s future Olympic stadium. After hosting track and field events (as well as opening and closing ceremonies) during the 1996 Games, the reconfigured stadium hosted the Braves for two decades.
When the Braves abandoned Turner Field for the suburbs, Georgia State University scooped it up and transformed it into a football stadium.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC photographer Arvin Temkar recently captured Kelundra Smith, a metro Atlanta native and former theater critic, discussing her well-received new play about the washerwoman strike of 1881. “The Wash” is playing at Impact Theatre through July 28.
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ONE MORE THING
State wildlife folks safely captured and relocated a young black bear who was spotted all around Cobb County in recent days. Photos in the link!
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
