1. RedState Gathering kicks off with a debate watch party
Hundreds of partisans gathered in Atlanta for this weekend's RedState Gathering to watch as the first Republican presidential debate unfolded in Cleveland Thursday night. The event, organized by WSB Radio host Erick Erickson, has Atlanta in the presidential spotlight. Erickson is calling it the largest gathering of presidential candidates in Georgia history. Read more.
2. Grand jury clears Georgia officer in teen's shooting death
A Fulton County grand jury Thursday decided Luther Lewis, a former Union City police officer, should not face criminal charges for the 2011 shooting death of Ariston Waiters, an unarmed black teenager. This is the second time a grand jury has cleared his name in this case. Sources say Waiters' mother is devastated by the decision. Read more.
3. DeKalb police: Man falls from wall, dies after officer uses Taser
According to DeKalb County police, a man died after falling from a wall when an officer used a Taser during a foot chase Thursday night. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is handling the case. Read more.
Atlanta secured a 9-8 win Thursday night all thanks to Eury Perez and his game-winning single in the bottom of the eighth. Read more.
5. DeKalb CEO Lee May seeks to end the government investigation he began
Interim DeKalb County CEO Lee May wants an end to the investigation of government corruption that he began because he is concerned about the "tone and content" of the investigators' inquiry that characterized the county as "rotten." May wrote in a letter to the investigators Thursday that the final report must be completed by Aug. 26, and they won't be funded afterward. Read more.