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Community Corner

🌱 State Troopers At Polls? + Dwarf House Reopens + Storms Coming

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)

Happy Thursday, Atlanta! Here's everything worth knowing today in Atlanta.

First, today's weather:

A shower and thunderstorm. High: 72 Low: 51.

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Here are the top 5 stories today in Atlanta:

  1. Brad Raffensperger, Georgia's Secretary of State, made a request this week to have Georgia state troopers assigned to polls on each election day and have Georgia Bureau of Investigations agents involved in probing for possible fraud. Following allegations of widespread election cheating during the 2020 presidential election in Georgia — allegations that have since been disproven — efforts have been led by Republican leaders at the state level to enhance the protection of election integrity. Raffensperger, a Republican, said he would ask Gov. Brian Kemp and state lawmakers to add two GBI agents to each elections case and post state troopers and other sworn state law enforcement personnel at each polling location. (Atlanta Patch)
  2. After a nine-month renovation, the Dwarf House, founded by S. Truett Cathy and birthplace of the Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich, is scheduled to reopen today in Hapeville. Instead of the traditional "Chick-fil-A First 100 Grand Opening celebration," The Dwarf House will be surprising 100 local Hapeville heroes with free Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich meals for a year. Also, Chick-fil-A will donate $25,000 to Feeding America in honor of the event. The Dwarf House restaurant first opened in 1946 and was last renovated in 1967. (What Now Atlanta)
  3. The weather forecast for later today in North Georgia calls for heavy showers and strong wind gusts as a storm system from the west brings the threat of tornadoes. Beginning this afternoon, rainfall will grow denser, gradually becoming storms overnight and into early Friday morning, according to the National Weather Service. No severe weather watch or warning has been issued, but forecasters expect the greatest chances for high winds and heavy storms in counties west of I-75. (Atlanta Patch)
  4. Pinky Cole and Derrick Hayes - Atlanta's food power couple - recently welcomed their first baby, daughter D Ella Hayes. The couple own and operate the Slutty Vegan and Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, respectively. "I am so fortunate to have my mother and Derrick's mother as constant support in our household," Cole said. "We are both so very busy growing our food empires, we wouldn't be able to do what we love without our village."(Free: People.com; Subscription: Atlanta Journal Constitution)
  5. Atlanta street artist Greg Mike has turned his attention from big projects to items made to fit in the palm of a hand. Make that two palms: Baseball bats. Mike recently partnered with iconic brand Louisville Slugger to create a first-of-its-kind Artist Series Limited Edition Wood Bat featuring his design laser-cut into 250 maple baseball bats, on sale through the Louisville Slugger website. Each limited-edition bat is numbered and hand-signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity. For more information, click here. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

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Today in Atlanta:

  • Looking for a laugh? Head to the Wylie Hotel for its first comedy night tonight with a diverse lineup of Atlanta's funniest comedians. (7:00 PM)
  • The Garden Club at Wild Heaven Beer West End Brewery & Gardens is hosting a concert from "The Artist of the Violin" herself, Brooke Alford. Alford brings a deep, soulful sound with creative flow to the violin. (8:00 PM)
  • Join us for a magical never-before-seen tour of the Holy Land. Explore places you can't visit in person and discover the incredible secrets they tell. Expert Israel guide and author Josh Even-Chen will take you on a journey you will never forget—and forever change the way you see Israel. This live virtual event is free and open to the community. (8:00 PM)
  • The Lounge Flys, Atlanta's Stone Temple Pilots Tribute, with Audiovault will perform at 37 Main Avondale Estates. (8:00 PM)
  • South City Jazz hosted by West Byrd at St. James Live welcomes Baltimore-born and raised jazz-soul singer/songwriter Maysa Leak to the stage. Maysa is the kind of singer who takes hold of a song and enraptures her audience as she delivers lyrics, melodies and harmonies in a way that only she can. (9:30 PM)

From my notebook:

  • City of Atlanta Police Department thanks Twisted Taco and Mark Dodson, an Atlanta resident, for teaming up to provide lunch to our hard-working APD Gang Unit. The food was delicious! We appreciate Mr. Dodson and the other residents who helped pay for our officers' meals. #Grateful #AtlantaPolice @TwistedTacofayetville @mortagecapitaladvisors (Facebook)
  • Atlanta BeltLine says it's #FamilyDay, and we know the perfect place to spend time with the ones you love. You guessed it, the BeltLine! Miles of trail, numerous green spaces and plenty of local spots for food and shopping. See you there 👋 (Facebook)
  • Orchid Daze, the Atlanta Botanical Garden's annual indoor plant exhibition, explores the creative interplay between vibrant flowers and sculptures by Kristine Mays. On display in the Garden's Fuqua Orchid Center through April 10. (Facebook)
  • We're replacing tracks on MARTA's Red Line in the center of GA-400. Red Line service south of Dunwoody Station will be suspended from 9 p.m. Feb. 18 through the end-of-service Feb. 23. Learn more: https://itsmarta.com/trackreplacement.aspx. #MARTA2040 #MARTAbackontrack (Facebook)
  • Nextdoor Neighbor, Brittany Park: "How do you plan to pay for college - scholarships or student loans? This Saturday, Feb. 19th from 10 a.m.-noon, students ages 13 to 18 will learn how to write their way to a debt-free college education." (Nextdoor)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Events:

  • Anna Razumovskaya Artist Show (February 18)
  • Meet & Greet the Artists - Garry & Lois Colby (February 20)
  • Mindful Movement For Flexibility and Peace (February 22)
  • Hammond B3 Jazz Legend Tribute to Jimmy Smith Emory University Performing Arts Studio (February 25)
  • 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)
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You're officially in the loop for today! 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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