1. New Atlanta park to rise near Falcons' Mercedes-Benz stadium. Rodney Cook Sr. Park, a 16-acre green space, will serve a number of key roles — community gathering place, a monument of the state and city's place in the Civil Rights Movement and a fix to vexing flooding issues that have plagued Vine City for years. The park will also become a part of a network of parks connected to the Atlanta Beltline. [Read more]
2. Kevin Pillar apologizes to Braves, Jason Motte for use of gay slur. Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Pillar released an apology on Thursday to the Atlanta Braves after yelling a gay slur at pitcher Jason Motte during Wednesday night's game. [Read more]
3. Armed neighbors capture Gordon County home-invasion suspect; 2 held. Alex Alcantar and Dustin Eugene Freeman, both 17 from Calhoun, were wearing masks and gloves when they burst into the home while a husband and wife were having dinner. The alleged intruders also had bricks and baseball bats, the sheriff said. [Read more]
4. Lauded rocker Chris Connell killed himself by hanging. Chris Cornell, one of the most lauded and respected contemporary lead singers in rock music with his bands Soundgarden and Audioslave, hanged himself Wednesday in a Detroit hotel room, according to the city's medical examiner. He was 52. [Read more]
5. Cobb police review addresses 'perceptions of racism,' stadium strain. Cobb County police must acknowledge and address public perceptions of racism and discriminatory policing, according to a study of the department by the International Association of Chiefs of Police released Thursday. [Read more]
