Morning, y’all! Today’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies and temperatures approaching the mid-80s.
Newsletter-wise, we’ve got the latest on a death row inmate who wants to die by firing squad, holiday weekend gas prices and a positive ending to the Braves’ doubleheader. Locals wax poetic about Red Lobster, too.
- You may also notice a new look to AJC.com. Let me know what you think!
But first: Let’s get ready to vote.
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HITTING THE POLLS
It’s Election Day, friends. And if you’re not one of the 550,000 or so Georgians who already cast a ballot, it’s time to go secure that sticker.
Because cramming is better than not studying at all, I strongly encourage checking out the AJC-Atlanta Civic Circle voting guide before heading to the polls. Just type in your address and voilá — all the races you can vote in, laid out before you.
The AJC’s Mark Niesse compiled a good list of things to know, too.
That said: Let’s go ahead and take a spin through a few of the higher profile metro Atlanta contests.
- A nominally nonpartisan race for Georgia’s Supreme Court pits John Barrow (who landed in hot water after campaigning on protecting abortion rights) against incumbent Andrew Pinson.
- A whole host of Republicans are vying for west Georgia’s 3rd Congressional District, a seat vacated by Rep. Drew Ferguson.
- Democratic U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath and David Scott look to fend off primary challengers in the redrawn 6th and 13th Congressional Districts, respectively.
On the more local level? Several state lawmakers face primary challengers. There are lots of school board races, too. Otherwise:
- City of Atlanta voters will decide on extending a 1% sales tax for water and sewer repairs.
- They’ll also join the rest of Fulton County and weigh in on a primary that includes Sheriff Patrick Labat and three Democratic challengers. District Attorney Fani Willis has a primary challenger, too.
- DeKalb County voters will pick their next CEO from among a trio of current commissioners: Steve Bradshaw, Lorraine Cochran-Johnson and Larry Johnson.
- Folks on the eastern side of Gwinnett County will decide the fate of the proposed new city of Mulberry.
Per usual, polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. statewide. This story will update throughout the day and into the evening and AJC.com carries traditional vote trackers galore.
I’ll have a little round-up for you Wednesday morning, too.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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TRENDING DOWN
Hitting the road for Memorial Day weekend? Gas prices are higher than a year ago — but trending downward for the fourth week in a row. As of Monday afternoon, the average price for a gallon of regular in metro Atlanta sat at $3.39.
- “This summer is shaping up to be mostly favorable for drivers hitting the road,” an analyst from GasBuddy told the AJC.
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MORE TOP STORIES
» Death row inmate Michael Nance wants to be the first Georgian executed by firing squad in modern history, claiming health issues would make lethal injection less effective and unconstitutionally cruel.
» Over the last four years, Georgia had the nation’s third highest increase in people getting health insurance through the Affordable Care Act marketplace. Federal subsidies helped drive things.
» The parents of slain Kennesaw State University student Alasia Franklin say she was “respectful, smart and beautiful inside and out.” They identified the man accused of killing her as an ex-boyfriend.
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FREQUENT FLYER
The AJC’s Matt Kempner introduces us to Tiffany Hendricks, a chronically homeless Atlanta man who’s been arrested 80 times on nonviolent offenses. What do you do when nothing — not jail, not rehab, not counseling — seems to help?
“I have to stop ... doing things that cause problems,” Hendricks said.
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TRUMP ON TRIAL
Star witness Michael Cohen concluded his testimony and the prosecution rested its case in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial. Closing arguments could take place a week from today, the judge said.
- Meanwhile, in Atlanta: Fulton County officials began sending heaps of documents to the state Court of Appeals, which will issue another ruling on District Attorney Fani Willis’ participation in Trump’s local prosecution.
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SPLIT RESULTS
The Braves led 5-0 in Game 1 of Monday’s doubleheader — then lost 6-5. Chris Sale stopped the bleeding in Game 2, pitching seven spotless innings to spearhead a 3-0 win.
Overall, Sale extended his scoreless innings streak to 20.
More sports highlights:
- The Atlanta Dream host Dallas in tonight’s home opener at the Gateway Center (7:30 p.m. on Peachtree TV).
- UGA baseball star Charlie Condon is the SEC’s Player of the Year. Read more about his journey from unheralded recruit to top pro prospect here.
- Renovations at Falcons HQ in Flowery Branch mean fans can’t attend training camp this summer. The team will, however, host two open practices elsewhere.
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LOBSTER LAMENTATIONS
Red Lobster recently filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. Three metro Atlanta locations already closed and the future is uncertain — so we asked longtime lobster lovers to share their memories.
“We dressed up like we were really going somewhere special,” one told the AJC. “Us kids all got Shirley Temples, and my mom and dad got the fancy drink in the collector lighthouse glass.”
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Hot pot chain Chubby Cattle Shabu opens in Duluth
» Nightclub shooting victim’s funeral arrangements announced
» Farm winery owners sue Milton after being denied alcohol license
» 4 dead, 5 injured in Bartow County crash on I-75
» Stone Mountain gun shop owner guilty in $1.2 million relief fund case
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ON THIS DATE
May 21, 1944
A local man bought the original model of Eli Whitney’s cotton gin, saying it belonged in the South (where it revolutionized cotton harvesting and made life much harsher for enslaved people).
“I haven’t been so excited over anything since 1920 when I was scattering circulars for Hoke Smith by airplane, and the plane ran out of gas,” purchaser J.H. Elliott told The Atlanta Journal.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC photographer Miguel Martinez captured a lone traveler at MARTA’s Airport station, which reopened Monday after six weeks of renovations. Improvements include new flooring, ceilings and lighting.
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ONE MORE THING
Before we go, check out this story about a national nonprofit’s plan to convert a Cobb County motel into metro Atlanta’s first community for veterans facing homelessness: “It’s about more than just redeveloping a building; it’s about building a support environment where our veterans can thrive.”
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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.
