Morning, y’all! We’ll see high temperatures in the low- to mid-50s today and throughout the weekend. Perfect holiday festival weather!
News wise, get ready for exclusive analysis of a potentially botched state House election, the death of a beloved local pitmaster — and Herschel Walker striking a pose during his long-delayed college graduation. Plenty more, too.
But first: Keep an eye out for creepy critters.
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LORD HAVE MERCY
Sometimes I feel like I write about animals (and particularly invasive species) a bit too much in this space. But is that gonna stop me from doing it again?
Not a chance — and this one’s got quite the interesting twist.
When it swept through Georgia and other parts of the Southeast in September, Hurricane Helene wrought all sorts of damage: lives lost, homes destroyed, farmers and farmworkers left to fret about the future.
- The AJC’s Drew Kann reports it also might’ve spread some unwanted critters around.
Freshly released analysis from the U.S. Geological Survey, he writes, found that Helene-fueled flooding and swollen waterways had the potential to help something like 90 non-native and invasive species expand their territory in Georgia.
“We’re dealing with species that can not only float and disperse, like plants and mollusks, but also a lot of fish that will actively swim through the floodwaters,” a USGS botanist said.
- Among the most concerning critters: Asian swamp eels, giant applesnails and cane toads.
The first two can damage crops or carry parasites capable of making people sick. The latter (which weigh as much as 3 pounds!) are capable of straight-up poisoning pets and humans.
Why this matters: The above implications aside, invasive species are often bad for the environment and the almighty economy. They can wipe out or otherwise impact native flora and fauna — meaning that, basically, the more they proliferate the closer we are to a never-ending spiral of disease, hunger and death.
A planet no longer capable of sustaining human life as we know it.
A dystopian future bereft of hope or meaning.
Or something like that.
Happy Friday the 13th!
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ELECTION ERROR?
Initial results from a rural east Georgia House district showed that state Rep. Mack Jackson won reelection last month by a grand total of 48 votes.
- One problem: AJC analysis now shows that about 60 people may have voted in the district when they should’ve voted in another. Jackson’s Republican challenger wants the election tossed and redone.
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GET YOUR MONEY
Want BioLab to pay you back for expenses related to that big chemical cloud it sent wafting over the metro area? Like, say, the cost of a hotel you had to stay at during evacuations?
You’ve got through New Year’s Eve to make a claim.
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STAY IN YOUR LANE
» Bus-only lanes are coming to parts of downtown Atlanta in 2025 — and MARTA wants legislators to let them put up automated cameras to ticket drivers who use them.
» The Peach Pass folks postponed app and website upgrades that would’ve left you without access to your account for several days.
» Columnist Nedra Rhone is very tired of being blinded by folks driving around Atlanta with their high beams on. Same, girl. Same.
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SECOND CHANCES
President Joe Biden’s big list of federal commutations included 71 Georgians, most of whom faced long prison sentences but were released to house arrest during the COVID-19 pandemic. Biden said they and hundreds more had “shown that they deserve a second chance.”
- Georgians with commuted sentences include Jason Cole Votrobek and Roland Castellanos, former Cartersville pain clinic owners convicted of distributing oxycodone, and Kawana Champion, a former postal worker who took bribes in exchange for delivering cocaine.
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A NEW BEGINNING
The AJC’s Lautaro Grinspan touched base with members of Atlanta’s Syrian community, including revered composer Malek Jandali — who said the fall of the Assad regime in his home country elicited “tears of joy, total joy.”
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YOUR SPORTS WEEKEND
College football’s regular season is over, and the Falcons play Monday (the same day high school state finals get underway at Mercedes-Benz Stadium). But sports aplenty remain on tap!
- Collins Hill High grad Travis Hunter could win the Heisman Trophy (8 p.m. Saturday on ESPN).
- The Hawks hope to advance to the NBA Cup finals by beating the Bucks (4:30 p.m. Saturday on TNT).
- and Georgia Tech women’s basketball will try to clinch a historic 11-0 start by topping UNC (2 p.m. Sunday on ACC Network).
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ON THE SCENE
Two film projects plan to start shooting in the Atlanta area early next year: A Karin Slaughter-inspired series starring Rose Byrne and “Scream 7,” which will include the return of Neve Campbell.
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A LEGEND LOST
Dave Roberts, the former fine dining chef who became an Atlanta barbecue (and mac and cheese) pioneer, died unexpectedly this week. He owned and operated Community Q in Decatur since 2009.
- “He was part of Atlanta chef culture,” Terry Koval, chef at Deer and the Dove, told the AJC. “Someone you knew that had your back if you needed something. His restaurant says it all: Community Q. He was about community.”
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Nikki Giovanni and the literary artists she inspired in Atlanta
» Atlanta school board to appoint new member to fill Collins’ seat
» Government tower could soon become apartments
» Mother gets life sentence in Cherokee ‘cult baby murder’
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ON THIS DATE
Dec. 13, 2000
Democrat Al Gore officially conceded the race for president, about six weeks after Election Day. The U.S. Supreme Court ended a closely watched recount in Florida the day before, sending George W. Bush to the White House.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Speaking of Heisman trophies: AJC photographer Jason Getz captured legendary Georgia running back (and failed Senate candidate) Herschel Walker striking the pose during his Thursday graduation ceremony.
Anisa Zvonkovic, the dean of UGA’s College of Family and Consumer Sciences, joined in.
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ONE MORE THING
It’s not too late to ship those Christmas presents — but you’re definitely pushing it!
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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.
