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Atlanta City Games: Free event showcases top track talent and local stars

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Atlanta City Games: Free event showcases top track talent and local stars


Some of the fastest runners on the planet are headed to Atlanta this weekend as Piedmont Park prepares to host the Atlanta City Games, a world-class track event featuring Olympic athletes from across the globe and right here in Georgia.

Set on a specially built 200-meter straightaway in the park’s meadows, the event will showcase top-tier track and field talent, including 2024 Olympian Anna Hall and world-class hurdler Tia Jones, a Marietta native and Walton High School alumna.

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What they’re saying:

“I’m really excited,” said Hall, a silver-medal heptathlete and former University of Georgia standout. “We want to put on a great show.”

The Atlanta Track Club, which is organizing the event, says the temporary track was constructed with precision and care, using imported Italian mondo rubber and tons of steel to ensure an elite-level competition surface.

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“If you were here all week you would see the tons and tons of steel and tons and tons of mondo rubber from Italy that were brought in to create this perfectly level 200-meter straightaway,” said Rich Kenah, CEO of the Atlanta Track Club and a bronze medalist at the 1997 World Championships. “The whole point of this is to bring Olympic track and field to the people.”

What we know:

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The Atlanta City Games, which begin at 8 a.m. Saturday and run through 10 a.m., will also include races for up-and-coming athletes, a kids’ mile, and a high school track meet at Midtown High School.

“It’s a lot of fun every time, so I’m really excited to be back in Atlanta,” said Hall.

For Jones, the hometown event carries special meaning. “It always feels good to come back and run for my city,” she said.

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Kenah echoed the significance of the event’s location. “Atlanta is an Olympic city,” he said, referencing the city’s legacy as host of the 1996 Summer Olympics.

What’s next:

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The Atlanta City Games is free and open to the public.

The Source: FOX 5’s Christopher King spoke with organizers of the event for this article.

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Atlanta, GA

Critically missing: 11-year-old missing in Atlanta after running away

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Critically missing: 11-year-old missing in Atlanta after running away


Omari James. Photos provided by Atlanta police

Atlanta police are asking for the public’s help locating 11-year-old Omari James, who has been classified as critically missing.

What we know:

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Investigators said Omari ran away from his home around 9:30 p.m. Thursday after getting into an argument with his parents over his cell phone.

Police said Omari was last seen wearing a black shirt, red, white and blue shorts, black Nike slides and a Nike ski hat.

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What you can do:

Anyone who has seen Omari or knows where he may be is asked to call 911 or contact the Atlanta Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. The investigation remains ongoing.

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Georgia Secretary of State opens investigation into voter registration mailers sent to deceased residents

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Georgia Secretary of State opens investigation into voter registration mailers sent to deceased residents


Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger announced Thursday that his office has opened an investigation into Ready to Register and other third-party organizations after reports that voter registration mailers were sent to deceased Georgians and other ineligible recipients.

According to the Secretary of State’s Office, election officials have received numerous complaints about voter registration solicitations being mailed to people who have died. In one unusual case cited by the office, a deceased family dog reportedly received one of the mailers.

State officials said they are reviewing whether the mailings violate Georgia law or otherwise undermine confidence in the state’s election system.

ATLANTA, GA – JUNE 09: A stack of “I’m a Georgia Voter” stickers are seen at a polling location on June 9, 2020 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Elijah Nouvelage/Getty Images)

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The Secretary of State’s Office said third-party voter registration groups frequently conduct mass mail campaigns ahead of major elections but often rely on commercial databases that can contain outdated or inaccurate information, unlike Georgia’s official voter registration system.

“Groups like this highlight the unreliability of commercial data,” Raffensperger said in a statement. “Georgia maintains one of the cleanest voter rolls in the nation through continuous list maintenance and citizenship verification. These outside organizations don’t use those standards. Instead, they flood mailboxes with inaccurate solicitations that confuse voters and waste election officials’ time.”

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Raffensperger also thanked voters who alerted his office to the mailings.

“I want to thank the voters who have flagged the inaccurate mailings and sent them to our office,” he said. “Whether checking their ballots for accuracy or keeping their own registration information up to date, voters are a crucial line of defense in election security.”

Georgia officials said the issue mirrors problems recently identified in North Carolina, where election officials warned residents about similar mailings from Ready to Register. According to the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office, North Carolina officials said the organization mailed registration forms to deceased individuals, used outdated forms, listed incorrect election office addresses and included QR codes that raised privacy concerns.

Raffensperger criticized the mass mailing campaigns, saying they create confusion while increasing the workload for local election offices.

“Whether intentional or simply reckless, these mail campaigns operate like a grift — raising money and generating activity while shifting the costs onto taxpayers, election officials, and voters,” Raffensperger said. “Georgia taxpayers should not have to clean up the mess created by organizations that prioritize volume over accuracy.”

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The Secretary of State’s Office is encouraging Georgians to verify their voter registration through the state’s My Voter Page and says voters who are already registered at their current address should disregard unsolicited voter registration mailers.



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Mosquitoes in Atlanta neighborhood test positive for West Nile Virus

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Mosquitoes in Atlanta neighborhood test positive for West Nile Virus


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Mosquitoes in the Grant Park neighborhood of Atlanta have tested positive for West Nile Virus, according to Fulton County health officials.

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Fulton County Board of Health Environmental Health mosquito control staff say the mosquitoes were tested following trapping in Fulton County.

“Mosquitoes can be dangerous if infected and may pose a serious health risk to people in our area,” Environmental Health Director at the Fulton County Board of Health, Brandon Leftwich, said in a statement from the agency. “We want to make sure communities are aware and take necessary precautions to protect themselves.”

Grant Park is in southeast Atlanta, south of Old Fourth Ward and west of East Atlanta.

Here’s what to know.

What is West Nile Virus?

West Nile Virus is the illness caused by infections from a pathogen in the Flaviviridae family. Mosquitoes are hosts for the pathogen, meaning they can spread it to people and other animals without dying.

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It is the leading cause of mosquito-borne illness in the contiguous United States, infecting more than 2,000 people each year. About 1,300 people develop a severe illness, and more than 130 people die annually in the U.S. from the infection, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

It spreads during mosquito season, or the period between June and October each year. Infections typically peak in late August and early September.

Many people infected may never show symptoms, and others will only experience mild, flu-like symptoms. It can take between 2 and 6 days after a mosquito bite to feel poorly, and then people may experience headaches, body aches, joint pain, vomiting, diarrhea or a rash. Those with mild illness can recover completely, but some fatigue and weakness can last much longer, even weeks or months.

In cases of severe illness, West Nile Virus attacks their central nervous system and can result in hospitalization or death. Patients may experience a very high fever, headaches, neck pain, stupor, disorientation, muscle weakness and other serious symptoms. Recovery can take weeks or months, and some effects could become permanent.

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How is West Nile Virus treated?

There is no medicine that can treat West Nile Virus, so those with mild symptoms can take over-the-counter medication like acetaminophen to manage pain, fever or headaches. Those with West Nile Virus should not take ibuprofen or other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, according to the CDC. Patients should stay hydrated and take lots of rest to let your body fight the virus and recover.

Those with severe illness may need intravenous fluids, pain medication and nursing care at the hospital level, though there is still no medication that can be taken to cure the infection.

It is believed that those who have been infected by West Nile Virus develop a lifelong immunity or protection, meaning they can’t get the virus again, according to the CDC.

How to prevent mosquito bites

Fulton County health officials recommend following the “5Ds of mosquito bite prevention” to keep yourself safe from mosquito-borne illnesses.

  1. Dusk/Dawn: Avoid being outside during periods when mosquitoes are most active, including in the early morning and as the sun is setting.
  2. Dress: Loose-fitting clothes and items with long sleeves or pants will reduce the amount of exposed skin for a mosquito bite and make it difficult for a mosquito to bite through clothes.
  3. DEET: Insect repellant should contain DEET. It is the most effective ingredient in mosquito repellant.
  4. Drain: Standing water is a great place for mosquitoes to breed, so make sure to dump out water from buckets, barrels, flowerpots and tarps outside that could harbor mosquito larvae. You should also cut overgrown grass or weeds.
  5. Doors: While it might be nice for a breeze to pass through your house in the evenings, make sure doors and windows are closed and sealed to keep mosquitoes out of the house.

Irene Wright is the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA Today’s Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.



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