AJC PHOTOS OF THE MONTH -- FEBRUARY

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AJC PHOTOS OF THE MONTH -- FEBRUARY

Feb. 5, 2020 Lilburn: Vaping proponent David Higginbotham works in the vape lab of his Gwinnett County business Higgy Cigs Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Lilburn. Higginbotham says vaping helped him escape the potentially-fatal cigarette addiction and sees vaping as a smoking cessation product. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

February 8, 2020 Lawrenceville - Morgan Ball, who visits her friend Jasmine Abraham in Grayson, tries to catch a snowflake at Alexander Park in Lawrenceville on Saturday, February 8, 2020. Some parts of North Georgia saw as much as 6 inches of snowfall Saturday morning, Channel 2 Action News reported. Northern Gwinnett County received more than 2 inches while some Atlanta residents saw an inch or more, Burns said. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 6, 2020 Jesup, GA - Executive office manager Antonia Harris holds 16-days old Prince Jasper Lee Holder as she works in her office at Wayne Obstetrics and Gynecology in Jesup on Thursday, February 6, 2020. An in-depth feature on how the maternal mortality crisis is playing out on the ground in rural Georgia. I'll be shadowing OBGYN Jeffrey Harris in Jesup, Ga, who sees a lot of patients on Medicaid, and interviewing members of his staff and patients. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 18, 2020 Marietta - Kimberly Brooks can't hide her emotion as she shares her son's experience at Cobb County Detention Center during a public hearing at Zion Baptist Church in Marietta on Tuesday, February 18, 2020. The ACLU of Georgia and community partner held a second town hall meeting to listen to the concerns of families, friends, and community members as well as those who were formerly detained regarding the conditions in the Cobb County Detention Center. Since the end of 2018, seven people have died while in custody of the Cobb County Detention Center run by the Cobb County Sheriffâs Office. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

Feb. 1, 2020 Athens: Georgia guard Anthony Edwards reacts to his break away slam dunk after making a steal with Texas A&M guard Wendell Mitchell looking on in the final minutes of a 63-48 Georgia victory in a NCAA college basketball game on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2020, in Athens. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport: A ground stop was issued at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport making an impact on flight schedules as a deluge fell across metro Atlanta on Thursday, Feb. 6, 2020. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

February 15, 2020 Norcross - Tony Fernandez holding his water cup walks out to get a fresh air as his teenage daughter Sussette Fernandez (left) is lying in her bed in their extended stay hotel room in Norcross on Saturday, February 15, 2020. No one knows for sure, but thousands of families around metro Atlanta live in extended stay hotels. They are typically working poor, people who make enough money to sort of get by day-to-day, but they donât make enough to get themselves a stable apartment and certainly not to buy a home. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 12, 2020 Sandy Springs: Getting in a dry dayâs work before the next round of rain comes, construction workers seen between the King and Queen buildings of Concourse at Landmark Center, prepared forms for concrete pouring parallel to Peachtree Dunwoody Road on Wednesday, February 12, 2020 at the rising $800 million dollar, I-285 interchange at Ga. 400 in Sandy Springs. The average rainfall for the month of February is 4.2 inches. So far this month, Atlanta has recorded nearly 5 inches of rainfall, Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. âAlready at less than halfway through the month, we are well above average rainfall for an entire month,â he said. North Georgia is looking to get a repeat of last Thursdayâs strong to severe storms and heavy rain. Thursday will be âa tough morning commute,â he said. The line of storms is expected to reach northwest Georgia by 4 a.m. and move through the heart of metro Atlanta in time for the ride into work and school. There is a high chance of heavy rain, a moderate chance of damaging wind and even a low risk of isolated tornadoes, according to Channel 2. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

February 7, 2020 Atlanta: L-R - Kimberly Williams-17, Joanna Mathis-13 and Santonya Mathis-16 walk in snow flurries in the 800 block of Glenwood in Atlanta on Friday, Feb. 7, 2020. Flurries and wintry mix were reported all over the metro area Friday morning, including in Cherokee, Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Paulding counties, according to Channel 2 Action News. Areas from Atlanta, the northern suburbs and into the northeast Georgia mountains could see snowflakes. Temperatures were in the 30s and 40s Friday morning and were a marked change from the 50s and 60s just 24 before. The cold air came in on the heels of a weather system that battered the region with heavy rain, severe thunderstorms and gusty wind for the better part of Thursday. Saturday afternoon should be slightly warmer with highs in the low 50s, but Monahan said there is another chance of wintry mix and snow showers in between. Saturday has a 40% chance of wet weather during the morning hours. By Sunday, metro Atlanta will be back in the 60s under a mostly sunny sky, according to the latest forecast. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

February 25, 2020 Atlanta: Andrew Young International Boulevard at Centennial Olympic Park Drive in downtown Atlanta was socked in with fog Tuesday morning, Feb. 25, 2020 As motorists and pedestrians alike found challenges in navigating to their destinations. Fog stayed around the metro area till mid-day. Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan talked about the change in Wednesdayâs weather, âWeâre in the 40s, and then the opportunity by Wednesday night ... for snow showers up in the North Georgia mountains.â Metro Atlanta could wake up to freezing temperatures Thursday on the other side of the front, according to Channel 2. Another chance for snow is coming Friday night and Saturday morning, which could also see lows in the 30s. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

February 13, 2020 Austell: Tyiesha McCane (Left) covers Makilha McCane-7 (right) a first grader at Riverside Primary School at 300 Riverside Parkway in Austell as they waited in the rain for the school bus in Austell. Heavy rain and storms swept through already waterlogged North Georgia on Thursday morning, Feb. 13, 2020 dumping an inch or more of rain across the region. More than a foot of rain has fallen in Atlanta since the start of the year, double the average 6 inches of rainfall, according to the National Weather Service. Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan said Thursday's rainfall totals are highest in the northern and western Atlanta suburbs, which were inundated with rain when the storm system first moved into the state. Flooding remains a concern. Flood warnings are in effect until further notice for Crooked Creek near Norcross and Pew Creek near Lawrenceville. Big Creek in Roswell is under a flood warning until 11 p.m. Friday. On Friday, North Georgia will swap the storms for even colder weather. Some areas could wake up to temperatures in the 30s, and the projected afternoon high for Atlanta is only 49 degrees. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

02/14/2020 -- Atlanta, Georgia -- Delta Air Lines CEO Ed Bastian (right) receives a plaque from Delta TechOps Technical graphics designer Joel Freeland (left) during Delta Air Lines profit sharing event at Delta TechOps in Atlanta, Friday, February 14, 2020. Freeland helped in creating the 'thank you' graphic that has more than 90,000 Delta Air Lines employees names scribed in it. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)

February 20, 2020 Dunwoody - Rob Sayer (right), Founder and CEO, plays the trumpet for Emmett White, 2, as his mother Lilian Hilerio (left) looks at The Music Class Inc (TMC), an international music education program, in Dunwoody on Thursday, February 20, 2020. The Music Class, provides music and movement classes for families with young children. They partnered with a large early childhood education company in China (https://www.rybbaby.com/tmc.html) where they teach the program. Over 20,000 families in China attending the classes there across the country. With classes cancelled in China during the outbreak and our families there stuck at home they are filming classes here in Atlanta and broadcasting them free on a WeChat channel in China. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 19, 2020 Riverdale: A woman was led out of the house and taken away in a patrol car by police. Police are investigating after a man was shot and killed at a Riverdale home early Wednesday morning, Feb. 19, 2020. Several Riverdale police officers were on the scene in the 6500 block of Oak Valley Drive since about 4 a.m. The GBIâs crime scene unit responded to collect evidence. According to police Chief Todd Spivey, the shooting may be domestic in nature. A woman was escorted from the home about 6:30 a.m. âWe are not releasing any names at this time,â Spivey told AJC.com in an email. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

February 19, 2020 Juliette - Aerial photograph shows Georgia Power's coal-fired power plant and its ash pond (right) in Juliette on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Two Georgia communities take on coal ash contamination of groundwater as two bills to create more stringent rules for coal ash disposal work their way through the state legislature and GA environmental protection division reviews permits submitted by Georgia Power that environmentalists say would degrade water quality and the environment. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 19, 2020 Juliette - Fletcher Sams, executive director at Altamaha Riverkeeper, collects water samples for test at a home near Georgia Power's coal-fired power plant in Juliette on Wednesday, February 19, 2020. Two Georgia communities take on coal ash contamination of groundwater as two bills to create more stringent rules for coal ash disposal work their way through the state legislature and GA environmental protection division reviews permits submitted by Georgia Power that environmentalists say would degrade water quality and the environment. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 26, 2020 Los Angeles, California - Portrait of Larry Sanders at the Green Meadows Recreation Center, where he was stopped by LAPD officers last year in South Los Angeles on Wednesday, February 26, 2020. About two weeks later, Sanders received a letter that said he would be added to CalGang, the statewide gang database. As the GBI launches a database of alleged gang members and their associates and as Gov. Brian Kemp lobbies for tougher sentences for gang-related crimes, Georgia could consider recent events in California to be a customary tale. Officers in the Los Angeles Police Department were found to have falsified entries into California's gang database, causing immeasurable harm to people the officers claim to be gang members. The scandal has raised questions around the country about the validity of gang databases, now maintained by 14 states and several large cities. Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 27, 2020 Union City: Two men were killed and one person was critically injured Thursday morning, Feb. 27, 2020 in a crash that shut down a major south Fulton County roadway for more than six hours, authorities said. Union City police notified the Georgia State Patrol about the single-vehicle crash on South Fulton Parkway between Derrick and Stonewall Tell roads about 4 a.m., the state agency said in an emailed statement. According to the GSP, a 2015 Kia Optima was traveling eastbound on South Fulton Parkway, entered the median of the roadway and hit several trees. It is not clear why the Kia left the roadway. âAs the vehicle struck the trees, it rotated counterclockwise,â the agency said in an emailed statement. âWhile in rotation, the back seat section of the vehicle separated.â The driver, a 24-year-old man, and the back-seat passenger, a 25-year-old man, were ejected from the Kia and pronounced dead on the scene, according to officials. An unidentified female passenger in the front seat was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital in critical condition. The names of the victims have not been released because their relatives have not been notified. Lanes did not start reopening until 9:30 a.m. Another hour passed before the rest of South Fulton Parkway reopened. While traffic is moving again, slight delays remain. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

Feb. 14, 2020 North Port, FL: Atlanta Braves pitcher A.J. Minter does an agility drill on the agility field during spring training on Friday, Feb. 14, 2020, in North Port. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

Feb. 21, 2020 North Port, FL: Atlanta Braves second baseman Ozzie Albies (left) and outfielder Ronald Acuna both do pushups in the outfield after missing fly balls while having a friendly fielding competition during batting practice at spring training on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, in North Port. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

Feb. 21, 2020 North Port, FL: Atlanta Braves first baseman Freddie Freeman goes in head first trying out one of the new sliding matts on the teamâs agility field during spring training on Friday, Feb. 21, 2020, in North Port. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

Feb. 20, 2020 North Port, FL: Atlanta Braves pitcher Felix Hernandez (left) photo bombs outfielder Marcell Ozuna (right) while he poses for a photograph during photo day at spring training on Thursday, Feb. 20, 2020, in North Port. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

Feb. 18, 2020 North Port, FL: Terry McGuirk (left), Braves Chairman, looks on while Hank Aaron speaks as the Atlanta Braves honor him by naming a street after him just outside the doors of CoolToday Park during the first full squad workout of spring training on Tuesday, Feb. 18, 2020, in North Port. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

Feb. 5, 2020 Marietta: Atlanta United forward Ezequiel Barco (from left), forward Josef Martinez, and midfielder Pity Martinez pose for a portrait at the team training ground on Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Marietta. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

February 29, 2020 Atlanta - Molly Seidel (left) and Aliphine Tuliamuk, hug after they were qualified during the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in downtown Atlanta on Saturday, February 29, 2020. The marathon will decide the first six American athletes heading to the Olympic Game in Tokyo. Featuring just under 700 of the country's top runners, the race is organized by Atlanta Track Club as part of America's Marathon Weekend. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 29, 2020 Atlanta - America's top male runners take off from the starting line for the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in downtown Atlanta on Saturday, February 29, 2020. The marathon will decide the first six American athletes heading to the Olympic Game in Tokyo. Featuring just under 700 of the country's top runners, the race is organized by Atlanta Track Club as part of America's Marathon Weekend. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 29, 2020 Atlanta - A runner collapses after she crossed the finish line during the 2020 U.S. Olympic Team Trials Marathon in downtown Atlanta on Saturday, February 29, 2020. The marathon will decide the first six American athletes heading to the Olympic Game in Tokyo. Featuring just under 700 of the country's top runners, the race is organized by Atlanta Track Club as part of America's Marathon Weekend. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

February 1, 2020 Gwinnett - Several Gwinnett County Fire services respond to fatal multi-vehicle crash scene caused a massive fire that is blocking all lanes of I-85 in Gwinnett County on Saturday, February 1, 2020. The blaze was the result of a crash involving a tractor-trailer that left one person dead about 8 a.m., Gwinnett police said. As a precaution, people were evacuated from their vehicles and nearby businesses on the access roads. (Hyosub Shin / Hyosub.Shin@ajc.com)

02/03/2020 -- Sandy Springs, Georgia -- Heards Ferry Elementary School student Mikayla Raidbard reaches for an apple while assembling her lunch tray during lunch at Heards Ferry Elementary School in Sandy Springs, Monday, February 3, 2020. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)

February 18, 2020 - Atlanta - Rep. Carolyn Hugley (from left), D - Columbus, Rep. Calvin Smyre, D - Columbus, and Rep. Debbie Buckner, D - Junction City, acknowledge Columbus area constituents during morning orders as the General Assembly returned for the 13th legislative day. Bob Andres / robert.andres@ajc.com

February 5, 2020 - Atlanta - Rep. David Knight, R - Griffin, takes a picture of the new legislative schedule after they voted to adjourn until February 18th to allow time to work on the budget. The House was in session this morning as the Georgia 2020 General Assembly continued for it's twelfth legislative day. Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

February 12, 2020 - Atlanta - Georgia State Capitol as viewed from the James H. "Sloppy" Floyd Building. Bob Andres / bandres@ajc.com

February 28, 2020 - Atlanta - Rep. Sharon Cooper (center),
R - Marietta, receives a standing ovation and is congratulated by Speaker Pro-Tempore Jan Jones, R - Milton, after the passage of her bill. The Georgia house passed HB 987, sponsored by Cooper, to provide additional measures for the protection of elderly persons and better regulate assisted living facilities. Bob Andres / robert.andres@ajc.com

February 28, 2020 - Atlanta - Governor Brian Kemp addressed the newly formed Governor's Coronavirus Task Force. Bob Andres / robert.andres@ajc.com

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Feb. 5, 2020 Lilburn: Vaping proponent David Higginbotham works in the vape lab of his Gwinnett County business Higgy Cigs Wednesday, Feb. 5, 2020, in Lilburn. Higginbotham says vaping helped him escape the potentially-fatal cigarette addiction and sees vaping as a smoking cessation product. Curtis Compton ccompton@ajc.com

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