Morning, yâall, and welcome to (gasp!) December. Temperatures are (gasp!) around 30 degrees this morning and highs wonât get out of the 40s.
- President Joe Biden pardoned his son Hunter last night, sparing him a possible prison sentence for federal gun and tax convictions.
Todayâs newsletter also offers the latest on Atlantaâs inspector general fight, a Georgia coupleâs ambitious oyster enterprise and a wild weekend of football.
But first: good people doing good things!
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COMMUNITY CHAMPIONS
Credit: Contributed photos/AJC
Credit: Contributed photos/AJC
We â both the AJC and ⌠pretty much everyone else in society â write and talk a lot about politicians. And business leaders. And all the other people with capital-P power.
Which is good! Accountability is key.
But can I tell you a secret? Itâs the regular olâ Joes and Jills doing their best that make Atlanta great. The ânormalâ folks who dedicate their time and hearts to something a little bigger than themselves? Thatâs who creates a community.
- Which brings us to this yearâs installment of Everyday Heroes â the AJCâs annual endeavor to give the do-gooders out there their props.
With the help of media partners across the state, weâve highlighted 48 Georgians doing their best to give others their best.
The list includes folks like Anthony âSpark Plugâ Thomas, who started picking up litter along a Fayette County highway 20 years ago and never stopped. Folks like Penny Miller, who turned her Winder ranch into a paradise for aging pups.
Like Dunwoodyâs Mady Cohen, who raised money to put Narcan in schools after a classmate died, and Malek Jandali, whoâs helped park hundreds of pianos in public places across the city.
- âWhen we put a piano in an unexpected place, we change the narrative,â Jandali said.
And isnât that what all this is about? Changing things â making things better, in ways big and small â starts with action. Noticing something wrong, or lacking, or inconvenient, and doing what you can to shake things up.
That can mean starting a garden. Making art. Or simply picking up trash.
It doesnât matter. Everything is something.
So while I hope youâll cruise through our Heroesâ stories, know that this isnât only about celebrating them.
- Itâs also about inspiring other folks to do what they can, too. Maybe thatâs you, or your neighbor, or the least favorite relative you saw last week.
The more the merrier.
We need all the help we can get.
Not signed up yet? Whatâre you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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THE WEEK AHEAD
Credit: File photos
Credit: File photos
âď¸ Today: The jury in Fulton Countyâs âYoung Slime Lifeâ trial resumes deliberations. Plus itâs Cyber Monday! Buy more things on the internet!
â Tuesday: Election day for the handful of local races undecided after Novemberâs voting.
- Itâs also GivingTuesday, when youâre encouraged to donate to your favorite community organizations and nonprofits.
đ¤ Wednesday: Creed and Three Doors Down bring some early 2000s rock nostalgia to State Farm Arena.
đ¸ Thursday: Roots music pros The Wood Brothers play The Eastern.
đ Friday: High school football playoff semifinals. Will this dude run for 605 yards again?
- LeBron James and the Lakers come to town to take on the Hawks, too.
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âCONCERNS OF CRONYISMâ
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
As the battle over Atlantaâs internal watchdog rages on, columnist Bill Torpy writes that Inspector General Shannon Manigault warned officials about the âconcerns of cronyismâ accompanying a security contractor with deep political ties.
- The City Council may send another $1.5 million to the contractor later today.
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CRIME WATCH
Âť Atlanta police arrested a teenager they say shot and killed a 70-year-old man during an attempted carjacking outside a liquor store off Metropolitan Parkway.
Âť The Georgia State Patrol says a trooper suffered injuries during a shootout with a pair of alleged street racers in Rockdale County.
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SHUCKING AROUND
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Meet the Tybee Oyster Co., a first-of-its-kind Georgia oyster farming operation that involves acres and acres of underwater baskets â and has the folks in Savannah salivating for âSalt Bombs.â
- âWe often feel like weâre building a plane while we fly it,â cofounder Laura Solomon said. âWe took off with one wing and no landing gear, but weâre still airborne.â
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DAY CARES & DISABILITIES
A Smyrna day care recently settled a federal complaint alleging it refused to enroll a toddler with autism.
Ryan Buchanan, U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, tells the AJC his office found a number of day cares similarly violating the Americans with Disabilities Act in recent years.
- Have you had such an experience? Let investigative reporter Katherine Landergan know.
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YEESH, KIRK
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Falcons quarterback Kirk Cousins threw four interceptions in Sundayâs 17-13 loss to the visiting Chargers â and hasnât completed a touchdown pass in about a month.
Thatâs enough for columnist Michael Cunningham to officially declare Cousins a problem for the team, which suddenly sits at 6-6. But head coach Raheem Morris says heâs not mulling a move to rookie Michael Penix Jr.
- Flags and fisticuffs: Georgia and Georgia Techâs eight-overtime affair didnât end with a midfield flag-plant, but just about every other rivalry game did. The AJCâs Ken Sugiura says such celebrations should be fair game.
- Kennesaw State: The Owls hired Jerry Mack, a running backs coach with the Jacksonville Jaguars, to lead their football program.
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FEEL-GOOD FILM
Craving a family-friendly Christmas movie that doesnât involve a City Girl moving back home and falling for the handyman with a golden heart?
- Maybe try âFestival of Trees,â a locally shot comedy involving rival interior decorators trying to trim the best tree. A portion of the proceeds goes to Childrenâs Healthcare of Atlanta, too.
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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT
Âť Bruce Thompsonâs life, legacy and final lessons celebrated
Âť Dozens go missing from senior care homes, some with deadly results
Âť Donât be a holiday crime victim: Metro Atlanta police offer safety tips
Âť Poll: Metro Atlanta residents oppose higher water, sewer rates for upgrades
Âť Buford church weighs future following massive fire on Thanksgiving
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ON THIS DATE
Dec. 2, 1990
Look, a giant Bart Simpson patting a young marching band member on the head as a Christmas parade made its way down Peachtree Street!
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Courtesy/Georgia Aquarium
Credit: Courtesy/Georgia Aquarium
This space is usually off limits for âcourtesy photosâ like the one above, from the Georgia Aquarium. But Scuba Claus is back!
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ONE MORE THING
Would you go diving with aquarium creatures, in a Santa suit or otherwise? Thatâs a pretty hard no from me.
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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.
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