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Community Corner

🌱 Pope Appoints Atlanta Priest + $1.5M Award In Bogus ATL Arrest

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)

Hey, Atlanta! Let's get you started this Wednesday with everything you need to know going on around Atlanta today.

First, today's weather:

A couple of morning showers. High: 70 Low: 56.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Atlanta:

  1. Pope Francis has appointed an Atlanta priest, Jacques E. Fabre, as bishop-elect for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston, following the resignation of Bishop Robert E. Guglielmone, 76. Fabre's appointment makes him the 14th bishop of the Diocese of Charleston. According to a news release from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Fabre is a priest of the religious order the Missionaries of St. Charles (Scalabrinian Fathers), and currently serves as an administrator at San Felipe de Jesús Mission in Forest Park and as the local superior of the Scalabrinian priests in Atlanta. Since 2010, Bishop-elect Fabre has also served as a member of the Archdiocese of Atlanta's Finance Council, the Budget and Operations Committee, the Projects Review Committee, and as Director and Spiritual Director to the Hispanic Charismatic Renewal. (Atlanta Patch)
  2. A transgender woman who spent more than five months in jail after a bogus arrest by an Atlanta police officer has been awarded $1.5 million by a federal grand jury. Ju'Zema Goldring was walking with friends in Midtown on Oct. 11, 2015, when she was arrested and charged with jaywalking, a crime she says she didn't commit, according to her federal lawsuit. Officers Vladimir Henry and Juan Restrepo then searched Goldring's purse and found a "stress" ball, which they cut open and tested a substance inside the ball for narcotics, Goldring's suit states. Jail records show that, despite two field tests finding no evidence of illegal drugs, Goldring was also charged with trafficking cocaine. Goldring, listed under the name Julius Goldring, remained in the Fulton County jail until March 22, 2016, according to booking records. Her federal lawsuit, filed two years later against Atlanta police and the two officers, went to trial earlier this month and the jury ruled in favor of Goldring. (Free: TheHill.com; Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
  3. Anyone interested in owning a piece of Atlanta history is invited to bid on the auction of items from the estate of Robert W. Woodruff, president of Coca-Cola from 1923 to 1955, and his wife Nell. The online auction will begin at 10 a.m. Feb. 26 and features more than 400 lots including portraits of Mr. Woodruff by Norman Rockwell and Thomas Stephens, a portrait of George Washington by former President Dwight Eisenhower (Woodruff's longtime friend and golfing partner), a Thomas C. Molesworth "Jack Rabbit" stand, custom Tiffany & Co diamond jewelry worn by Nell, Coca-Cola items, furniture items and decorative objects. No in-person bidding will be held for this auction due to COVID, but bidders can register and bid right now on LiveAuctioneers.com, Invaluable.com and Bidsquare.com. Those interested will be able to preview all lots in person in Ahlers & Ogletree's Atlanta showroom at 700 Miami Circle.
    To see all the lots, go to aandoauctions.com. (Free: ReporterNewspapers.net; Subscription: Atlanta Journal Constitution)
  4. A resolution passed Monday by the City Council urges the Atlanta Police Department to have officers keep a steady stream of non-flashing blue lights on during their patrols from sunset to sunrise. Current department policy allows patrol officers to keep their lights on, though it's not required. The City Council's resolution is non-binding, and it's up to police department leadership whether they want to change their rules. Other communities across the country have put similar policies in place, including Gwinnett County, which began requiring its officers to keep cruise lights on in 2019. (Free: 11Alive.com WXIA; Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
  5. If you're interested in seeing drill monkeys, head to Zoo Atlanta – the only zoo in North America with drills. The troop consists of a male, named Enwe, and three females named Achi, Drew and Amaka, all born at Zoo Atlanta, and all known to exhibit a behavior known as an appeasement grin. Enwe is 19, Achi is 21, Drew is 24, and Amaka is 19 years old. Typically, drill monkeys live into their mid-20s, but with excellent zoological care, can live into their early 30s. Wild drill monkeys are found in Nigeria, Cameroon, and on a small Island off the coast of Africa, called Bioko Island. Next time you're at Zoo Atlanta, be sure to stop by the Monkeys of Makokou habitat and check out the troop of smiling drills. (zooatlanta.org)

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Today in Atlanta:

  • COVID-19 Vaccinations and Booster Shots at the DeKalb County Public Library. (10:00 AM)
  • Get a taste of adventure at Escape the NETHERWORLD, the traditional escape room with a thrilling twist! From the team behind the legendary NETHERWORLD Haunted House, guests can choose any of four escape rooms to try their luck. (2:30 PM)
  • An African-American girl comes of age during the Civil Rights Movement in April Sinclair's hilarious, insightful novel that was named YA Book of the Year (1994) by the American Library Association, "Coffee Will Make You Black," a book discussion at the DeKalb County Public Library. (6:00 PM)
  • In the first of a series of lectures focusing on Black artists, recent alum and co-curator of "Beloved Community" Taylor Roberts '21 will give a lecture titled "Picturing Respectability" at the Oglethorpe University Museum of Art. (7:00 PM)
  • Join Fulton County Library System and author Timothy Todd to explore the History of Black Banks. This event takes place virtually. RSVP to experience the talk live and interact with the author. The event will be live on Facebook at 7:00 p.m. EST today and uploaded to YouTube after the event. (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

  • The City of Atlanta Police Department congratulates Deputy Chief Celeste Murphy for being selected as the new Chief of Police of the Chattanooga Police Department. Murphy will serve as the first female and first African-American woman to ever lead the Chattanooga Police Department. We are proud of this historic accomplishment and wish Deputy Chief Murphy well in her new role." (Facebook)
  • Atlanta Botanical Garden is wondering if you're anxiously awaiting the first tulip blooms? We'll keep you posted. Until then, maybe a little daff'll do ya. (Facebook)
  • Atlanta History Center notes that Feb. 21 would've been Civil Rights trailblazer and congressman John Lewis' 82nd birthday. Although he was born in Alabama, Lewis is widely considered a hometown hero in Atlanta for the monumental work, time, blood, sweat, and tears he gave towards equal rights. The "Conscience of Congress" was one of the "Big Six" leaders of the civil rights movement in the 1960s, was among the original 13 Freedom Riders, and helped organize the March on Washington. From there, Lewis continued to fight for people's rights by serving in the United States House of Representatives for Georgia's fifth district from 1987 until he passed in 2020 at the age of 80. (Facebook)
  • The Atlanta BeltLine exceeds more than 50% of its affordable housing goal with the closing of Skyline Apartments.🎉 Situated directly on the Southside Trail in the neighborhood of Peoplestown, Skyline Apartments joins a number of other affordable housing developments representing more than 600 apartments underway in the area. (Facebook)
  • Nextdoor Neighbor, Midwest Cascade: "Fulton County Schools to Offer Plan B Option for School Diploma - #diploma #fulton #schools #graduation" (Nextdoor)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

  • Pregnant? Participate in a Maternal Health Research Study (February 23)
  • Learn How To Reduce Your Risk For Heart Disease During American Heart Month (February 28)
  • Get A 'Taste Of Paradise' During This Exclusive Event At Atlantis (February 28)
  • GO Kickball League Registration (March 9)
  • GO Volleyball League Registration - Brookhaven (March 9)
  • GO Softball League Registration - Piedmont Park (March 9)
  • PRIDE Kickball Atlanta Spring Leagues (March 21)
  • Add your event

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Wednesday! I'll see you soon.

— Kathy Cioffi

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

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