🌱 Fire Damages Historic Atlanta Building + Youth Curfew Tabled Again

Welcome back, Smyrna-Vinings. I'm here in your inbox this morning to tell you everything you need to know about what's going on around town.

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But first, today's weather:

Rain and drizzle in the a.m.. High: 55 Low: 28.

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Here are the top stories today in Smyrna-Vinings:

1. A historic building near the Morris Brown and Clark Atlanta University campuses caught fire on Thursday morning, and firefighters quickly responded to the scene. They used a defensive approach to put out the fire, but the second floor partially collapsed during the process. The building, Gaines Hall, is one of the oldest landmarks in Atlanta, dating back to 1869, and it is currently owned by Clark Atlanta University. The cause of the fire is unknown, but thankfully no injuries were reported. (11Alive.com WXIA)
2. Police received reports of a shooting at Premier Apartments in Austell early Thursday morning, and when they arrived at the scene, they found two victims with gunshot wounds. Phil Ray, 23, was found with a gunshot wound to the foot in front of building 300, while Jamari Payne, 19, was found in front of building 313 with wounds to the arm and torso. Both victims were taken to a hospital and are currently in stable condition, and it is unclear what led to the shooting or if anyone has been arrested. If you have any information, please contact the Cobb County Police Tip Hotline. (WSB Atlanta)
3. Atlanta City council member Keisha Waites' proposal for a citywide curfew for teens has been tabled once again. The proposal was made as a response to the killing of 12-year-old Zyion Charles near the Atlanta Station in November. Waites had attempted to propose a curfew for those aged 17 and older, which was previously tabled due to the need for more crime data, and then adjusted the proposal to include those aged 16 and to change the hours, but it was still tabled. Meanwhile, Fulton County approved an 8 p.m. curfew for those aged 16 and younger on Feb. 2, which is hoped to have a positive impact on the county and keep young people safe. (11Alive.com WXIA)

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Today in Smyrna-Vinings:

• Adult Art Workshop: Painted Canvas Bags - Smyrna Public Library (10:30 AM)
• ATL Cigar Class - CBD American Shamen Vinings (7:00 PM)
• 2023 Vision Board Party & Mixer - Windy Hill Community Center (7:30)

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From my notebook:

• Practice makes perfect, and the same goes for the K9 unit dog and officer. Thank you to Chappy Pallet Liquidation for letting our K9 unit and Kennesaw PD conduct joint training in your warehouse! (Cobb County Police Department via Facebook)
• Safety first, come down to Cobb County Safety Village in Marietta for family and friends CPR training and instruction. This course is $5 and does NOT offer an American Heart Association completion card. (Cobb County Fire & Emergency Services via Facebook)
• The 2022 Keep Smyrna Beautiful Lady Bird Johnson Award was awarded to longtime board member Liz Davis. This award is awarded to a member who has been an amazing volunteer for more than 10 years, helping keep their community cleaner, greener and more beautiful! (City of Smyrna via Facebook)

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More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• Anna Razumovskaya Artist Show (February 18)
• Atlanta Dogwood Festival Run for the Arts 5K (February 18)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 20)
• College Planning and Financial Aid Webinar (February 21)
• BJ's Wholesale Club Pre-opening Limited-time Offer (February 23)
• GO Kickball Spring Leagues - Registration Deadline March 9th (March 9)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to start this Friday! I'll see you around.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O'Leary is a content manager with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master's Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.