1. Student who died in Belize remembered for smarts, quirky personality.
Tomari Allijah Jackson was supposed to celebrate his 15th birthday Monday. He was smart, gifted at playing the flute and had a quirky personality filled with a sarcasm beyond his years. But the high school freshman disappeared on a dream trip to Belize Saturday. After a search, he was found dead. No details were released late Monday on how Tomari died or whether he had drowned. "On behalf of our entire school district, I offer my sincere condolences to Tomari's family," Cobb schools Superintendent Chris Ragsdale said in an emailed statement. "We are deeply saddened by the loss of this talented North Cobb High School scholar and musician." Read more.
It seems like everyone who meets Braves bullpen coach Eddie Perez, 47, comes away feeling better about things. Perez already displayed his managerial skills in previous winter-ball seasons. This year, he managed a team that won the Venezuela Winter League title — a win that may have increased his visibility. Not only does he have the skills, he has the personality. Commanding respect is crucial for a good coach or manager, and Perez does that while being genuinely liked. "Eddie may be one of those who is better as a manager than a coach," Braves general manager John Coppolella said. "He's extremely smart and has a feel not only for the game, but also a sense of timing." Read more.
The DeKalb County Commission approved funding Tuesday to build an $8.6 million animal shelter near DeKalb-Peachtree Airport in Chamblee. The commission voted 4-3 to use short-term loans called certificates of participation to pay for the shelter, which animal advocates have sought for years. The vote allows the county to soon give its contractor permission to start construction of the 33,440-square-foot shelter. DeKalb's existing animal shelter off Memorial Drive had serious health hazards, including bug infestations and mold, according to a 2011 report from a citizen task force. At one point, euthanasia rates topped 60 percent, though that number declined significantly after the county outsourced shelter operations in 2014. Read more.
4. Kendrick Lamar piles up Grammys amid a night for tributes.
Rap took center stage at the 58th annual Grammy Awards, thanks to the armload of trophies collected by California rapper Kendrick Lamar. Lamar entered the night with 11 nominations and won in five different categories. Artists Taylor Swift, Chris Stapleton, Ed Sheeran and Justin Bieber also took home awards. So did former president Jimmy Carter. Carter won in the best spoken word category for "A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety." He'd won in this category before in 2007 for "Our Endangered Values." Read more.
5. Select Fulton to be considered as new economic development arm.
If you want to relocate your business to Fulton County, it's hard to know who to talk to and where to begin, a recent study concluded. That would change with Select Fulton, a new venture that would provide a single point of contact for incoming businesses. Fulton County commissioners are slated to vote on the measure Wednesday. Select Fulton would be formed by restructuring the county's office of economic development and its development authorities. County manager Dick Anderson said the program would operate much like Invest Atlanta, which functions as the city's economic development arm. The Carl Vinson Institute of Government helped to develop the proposal. Read more.
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