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Community Corner

🌱 Many Items Scarce As Temps Fall + 2 Walmarts Close To Sanitize

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Atlanta.

Kathy Cioffi, Community Contributor
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(Patch)

Hello, people of Atlanta! It's me again, Kathy Cioffi, your host of the Atlanta Daily.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny and warmer. High: 52 Low: 38.

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Here are the top 5 stories in Atlanta today:

  1. As temperatures continue to drop across metro Atlanta, supply chain issues nationwide are leaving some store shelves bare of winter items. "I got a bunch of heaters in today that I haven't been able to get," said West Midtown's Ace Hardware assistant manager Tommy Brown on Friday. So far this week, Brown said, customers have been in looking for winter supplies like heaters, firepits and wood. "This is really the first cold cold morning that we've had but I can expect a lot more," Brown said, adding some items have been on back order for weeks. According to store managers contacted by CBS46, the best time to check back for winter items is right when stores open. (CBS46 News Atlanta)
  2. And, speaking of cold weather, Atlanta dropped into the 20s for first time in 320 days Friday. After an Arctic airmass moved into metro Atlanta Friday morning, temperatures plunged into the 20s throughout the region. While the lowest temperature at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport was 28 degrees, Waleska in Cherokee County registered 18 degrees at 8 a.m. Friday. Looking ahead, temperatures are expected to drop again into the mid to upper 20s after a cold front pushes through Sunday night. (WSB Radio)
  3. The rapid surge of the omicron variant across the state has caused two metro Atlanta Walmart locations to temporarily close for deep cleaning and sanitizing. The stores are located in Duluth at 2635 Pleasant Hill Road, and in Newnan at 1025 Highway 24 E. According to a statement from Walmart, both locations closed at 2 p.m. Thursday as part of a company-initiated program to allow third-party cleaning crews time to thoroughly clean and sanitize the buildings. Both stores will remain closed until 6 a.m. today. (Free: Fox 5 Atlanta; Subscription: Atlanta Journal Constitution)
  4. A baby formula shortage across metro Atlanta has moms turning to social media for help. Acknowledging the issue on its website, formula maker Enfamil said, in part, "We are aware of baby formula shortages in some retailers and will do everything possible to ensure you don't run out of formula. During this time, formulas can be purchased directly from Amazon, Walmart or Target should your local retailer not have adequate stock of our product options." Robert Rankin, executive director of the Infant Nutrition Council of America, said, "Infant formula manufacturers are actively working with distributors, retailers and state agencies to ensure availability of and ‎continued access to infant formula. Unnecessary stockpiling can be counterproductive to these efforts. As always, it is essential to obtain infant formula from a safe, reliable source, and discuss feeding-related questions with a child's pediatrician." (11Alive.com WXIA)
  5. January's Lunch and Learn virtual presentation by the Georgia Archives will be "Future Places Project: Redefining Historic Preservation in Atlanta" by Doug Young, assistant director for the Historic Preservation Studio in the City of Atlanta's Office of Design in the Department of City Planning. The event will be Friday, Jan. 14, from noon until 1 p.m. and will touch on the Future Places Project, the first comprehensive assessment of the City's historic preservation program in nearly 40 years. Basically, the goal of the Future Places Project is to ensure that Atlanta retains its historic identity as the City moves forward. Register for the event at https://tinyurl.com/2p88nspa. (The Henry County Times, Inc.)

Today in Atlanta:

  • Winter Reading Challenge - Holidays around the World - at the DeKalb County Public Library (ALL DAY)
  • Don't Ghost Your Own Writing! Creative PR and Marketing for Creatives from the Georgia Writers Association (NOON)
  • The Carnegie Writers - Atlanta Virtual Workshop - via Zoom (3:00 PM)
  • Frankly Scarlet (The Grateful Dead Experience) at 37 Main Avondale Estates (9:00 PM)
  • Nick & The Knacks (From Aerosmith to Lenny Kravitz, it's a party) at 37 Main Buford (9:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • Fleeing suspects are no match for APD's Air Unit, especially when patrol officers and our law enforcement partners work together. (Facebook)
  • With many of the Atlanta Botanical Garden's plants dormant in late winter, Paperbush, Edgeworthia chrysantha, is a worthy focal point come February. Learn more in the latest issue of Clippings. 📖 https://bit.ly/ABGClippings (Facebook)
  • Wednesday, the Animal Protection Unit was called to bring these tiny puppies and their loving moms to the Atlanta Humane Society. Since then, the puppies and their moms have been settling in to loving foster homes, where they'll receive much-needed love and care. But they still need your help. Our foster supplies are running low, and we want to ensure these puppies and their moms receive all the support they need. We've dropped a few supplies, including bottles, toys, and blankets, into our Amazon Wish List so that our supporters can join us in helping these animals. And although these puppies are relying on their mom for food, they're skinny and will need formula supplementation and probiotics. If you're able to help, visit https://a.co/7PrHGB4. (Facebook)
  • According to an exhibition on display at the Atlanta History Center, the nation's early leaders never envisioned the numbers, classes, sexes, and races of Americans that currently cast ballots on Election Day. What happens when the people decide to govern themselves? The result has been reluctant adjustments, contentious struggles, and ongoing negotiations as groups tried to persuade lawmakers, the courts, and their fellow citizens to let them share the power of the polls. American Democracy: A Great Leap of Faith examines the bold experiment to create a government "of the people, by the people, and for the people." This exhibition was developed by the National Museum of American History, adapted for travel by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, and funded locally by The Rich Foundation. The exhibition will be on display at Atlanta History Center until March 23. (Facebook)
  • Pedal into 2022 as an Atlanta BeltLine bike tour guide! Are you passionate about the Atlanta BeltLine and also comfortable on the seat of a bicycle? If so, you might have a future as an Atlanta BeltLine bike tour guide. (Facebook)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday! See you tomorrow morning for another update.

— Kathy Cioffi

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

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