Morning, y’all! Today’s forecast: high temperatures around 90 degrees, less humidity and no rain.
News-wise, get ready to talk about the contract of Atlanta’s new schools superintendent, a curious Clayton County tax break and Stacey Abrams’ take on President Biden. Plus free movies and pro tips for improving your grill game!
But first: Just how crowded can metro Atlanta get?
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HERE WE GROW AGAIN
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Credit: Miguel Martinez/AJC
Well, well, well.
Not so “full” after all, are we Atlanta?
Newly released estimates from the Atlanta Regional Commission put the 11-county metro area’s population at a record 5.2 million people. That’s a lot!
And the data offers plenty of other interesting insights, too. Among them:
- Gwinnett became the second Georgia county to eclipse the 1 million mark. (Fulton’s the other.)
- Atlanta proper, meanwhile, led the way with a growth rate of about 2.1% over the last year. The U.S. Census Bureau recently said the city surpassed 500,000 residents for the first time.
Then there’s the “exurbs.” Farther flung counties like Cherokee (1.9% growth), Henry (1.8%) and Forsyth (1.6%) are doing a lot of the heavy lifting here, too.
- We’ve previously reported that the larger 29-county Atlanta region is now the 6th largest metro in the U.S. — more populous than similar areas surrounding Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia. (Eat it, mid-Atlantic!)
So what’s driving it all? “It’s fueled by metro Atlanta having a strong economy,” said Mike Carnathan, the ARC’s manager director of research and analytics. “People tend to follow jobs.”
Housing that’s affordable (at least relatively speaking, compared to other major metros) helps attract transplants, too.
And will it continue? Job growth is leveling out a bit, home prices keep rising and infrastructure (like transportation and, ahem, water systems) will play a big role in determining what the future looks like.
- But, Carnathan said: “I’m really foreseeing a continuation of trends for the next few years, barring anything like another pandemic.”
Find a more in-depth breakdown of metro Atlanta’s continued population growth (complete with charts and graphs!) right here. And keep on scrolling for more news.
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A SUPER SALARY
Credit: Ben Hendren
Credit: Ben Hendren
Bryan Johnson will officially begin his tenure as Atlanta Public Schools superintendent on Aug. 5 — and the AJC’s Martha Dalton dug up his contract.
- Johnson’s starting salary is $375,000. That’s about $55,000 more than predecessor Lisa Herring.
- He’ll also earn a consulting fee of $1,500 for each day he works before his start date.
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CRIME AND PUBLIC SAFETY
» Atlanta police released new footage from last month’s chase involving a hijacked Gwinnett County transit bus. It’s pretty dramatic.
» “Dateline NBC” hosts are in town for the Savannah College of Art and Design’s “TVFest: True Crime.” They’ll discuss an upcoming episode focused on the disappearance of an 8-year-old Georgia girl.
» Cobb County firefighters rescued three women stranded on an island in the Chattahoochee River.
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INCENTIVES ENIGMA
Credit: Screenshot/Google Maps
Credit: Screenshot/Google Maps
Clayton County officials recently approved tax breaks for international toilet maker Toto to dramatically expand its factory in Morrow. But they’re not saying just how much the deal is worth — and the project won’t create new jobs.
» More business news: CNN plans to lay off 100 employees. Atlanta-based NCR Voyix is laying folks off, too.
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BIDEN WATCH
President Joe Biden is set to hold a news conference later today, a day after silver screen silver fox George Clooney (and, uh, more Democratic politicians) joined calls for him to nix his reelection bid. The 5:30 p.m. event should be carried by most TV news stations.
- On the local level: Faith leaders from about two dozen Black Georgia churches plan to hold a pro-Biden news conference at the state Capitol.
- And influential Democrat Stacey Abrams writes that voters should ignore the “doom loop,” dubbing Biden “our best guarantee for a more just and equitable future.”
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CONCERNING RESULTS
A new study found toxic metals like lead and arsenic in tampons, sparking concerns about menstruation products used by millions of women in the U.S. But ferreting out the exact health implications will take more research.
- “We need to know what is going into our bodies and we need to know how that will impact our health,” Dr. Cherie Hill, a gynecologist and obstetrician with Emory Healthcare, told the AJC.
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A LATE LOSS
The Braves bullpen allowed four late-inning runs in a 7-5 loss to the Diamondbacks, snapping the team’s four-game winning streak. Max Fried takes the mound in tonight’s series finale (9:40 p.m. on Bally Sports South).
More sports highlights:
- Atlanta-based TNT appears to be out of the NBA business, with the league finalizing broadcast deals with three other media giants.
- A judge dropped DUI charges against UGA running back Travis Etienne, sentencing him to 12 months probation. Etienne pleaded no contest to more minor charges tied to his March arrest.
- The Atlanta Dream got within one point in the final minute but lost 78-69 to the Chicago Sky.
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GRILLING SZN
Credit: Chris Hunt for the AJC
Credit: Chris Hunt for the AJC
Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to upgrade your grill game.
The AJC touched base with folks from five local restaurants — from Chai Pani to Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q — to get recipes for marinades and glazes that’ll have your cookout crackin’.
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FILMS FOR FREE
Atlanta’s Tara Theatre teamed up with Pluto TV to offer free admission to several movies on Saturday and Sunday. Offerings include new features like “Fly Me to the Moon” and classics like “E.T.”
- Check out the schedule here and plan on showing up early. It’s first-come, first-served.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Fulton DA: No reason to recuse judge from Young Thug trial
» Switchyards to open first OTP coworking space
» Ossoff bill seeks to ban stock trading for members of Congress
» Abortion rights advocates: Shift in GOP abortion stance is not ‘a win’
» South DeKalb transit hub gets $25 million grant
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ON THIS DATE
July 11, 1918
Atlanta voters shot down a ballot issue that would’ve provided funding to update the city’s water system.
Mayor Asa Candler (founder of the Coca-Cola Company and namesake of a million other Atlanta things) vowed to move forward with improvements anyway. But as we all learned very recently, infrastructure from the era continues to cause problems more than a century later.
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
AJC photographer Hyosub Shin captured 9-year-old Jordan Wylie enjoying the splash fountain at Vine City’s Rodney Cook Sr. Park.
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ONE MORE THING
A new analysis from MarketWatch ranked Hartsfield-Jackson as the second-best major American airport in terms of providing “stress-free travel.” At first blush that seems a little rich — but all things considered, the fine folks at ATL keep things chugging along pretty smoothly, right? Right?
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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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