Atlanta, GA
💃🏽 Clubbing at the High
High Frequency Friday
Oct. 25 — The weekend is here, and if you’re looking to fill your dance card, between One Musicfest at Central Park,Jerry Seinfeld at the Fox, or the Hawks at State Farm Arena tonight, there is much to choose from. Visit our How Do You Atlanta? event calendar for more ideas.
☀️ Sunny and 81° today. The weekend also looks warm and sunny.
🫏 Former President Barack Obama, Bruce Springsteen, and Tyler Perry joined Vice President Kamala Harris at her Clarkston campaign rally yesterday, which drew an estimated 20,000 people.
⚖️ Defense attorneys for the three Brunswick, GA men convicted of killing Ahmaud Arbery are asking for a new trial for their clients.
🌳 A full master plan for The Stitch – the Downtown Connector capping park – will be released on Oct. 31.
👂 DeKalb County CEO-elect Lorraine Cochran-Johnson started her constituent listening tour in Dunwoody this week. See where else she’s headed.
🏡 A movement to declare the Candler Park neighborhood a city historic district has failed after a community vote.
💨 Conyers residents are demanding the BioLab chemical plant answer their questions, pay restitution, and leave town nearly a month after smoke from a fire brought daily life to a standstill.
🚒 DeKalb Fire & Rescue had to rescue two 10-year-old boys who tried to zip line after hours in Dunwoody’s Brook Run Park.
🎗️ A group of local Jewish organizations is hosting “Reflecting on a Year of Heartbreak, Resilience, and Hope” on Sun., Oct. 27 from 2-5 p.m. The event is open to all, but registration is required.
🍔 Tucker Meat Market owner Andrea Woolf is trying to bring home the title of the World Burger Champion at the World Food Championship next month.
⛸️ An ice skating rink will be a part of Brookhaven’s citywide winter celebrations for the first time this year.
ELSEWHERE
🙏 President Joe Biden will visit a Native American reservation today, where he’ll formally apologize for federal Indian boarding schools’ historical abuses.
⚖️ The Los Angeles district attorney said he will seek resentencing for Erik and Lyle Menendez, who killed their parents in 1989, saying they’ve “paid their debt to society.”
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• Clubbing at the High
• Film Review: ‘Conclave’
• The Sports Section
AND
• Top Stories of the Week
Have a good weekend,
Collin & Sammie
🎹 Join us Sat., March 29 for an Intimate Evening with Jason Isbell LIVE at The Fox Theatre! Tickets go on sale today, Fri., Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. at FoxTheatre.org!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Friday evening jazz and DJs transform the High into Atlanta’s hottest nightclub
🎷 Twice a month on Friday night, the High Museum of Art stays open later than usual for High Frequency Friday and Friday Jazz. Both evenings invite people to see the High in a different light — beyond just a museum — offering music, dancing, cocktails, and mingling with art as the backdrop to it all.
People begin lining up for Friday nights at the High well before the doors open at 6 p.m. Crowds come dressed to the nines, transforming the museum into the city’s hottest pop-up nightclub for four hours featuring some of Atlanta’s best DJs and jazz musicians.
Once the doors open, museum staff members begin scanning QR codes on tickets. The line moves quickly. People soon find the cocktails, beer, and wine inside and head toward the music.
🎨 Learn more about the pop-up here.
Georgia Power hosts backpack and supply drives for families in need
SPONSORED BY GEORGIA POWER
🎒 This summer, Georgia Power employees teamed up with local organizations to host backpack and supply drives to support families in need. Spearheaded by 15 citizen chapters across the state, these grassroots efforts gathered more than 2,800 backpacks filled with essential school supplies, benefiting 20 school districts.
Georgia Power employees are not just giving back; they’re helping to create a supportive environment where education can thrive. It’s all about building a brighter future for students across Georgia, one backpack at a time.
➡ Read the full story here.
2. ‘Conclave’ is petty politics done right
WEEKLY FILM REVIEW | BY SAMMIE PURCELL
🗳️ One of the most important locations in “Conclave” – a film that beautifully recreates echoing church halls and the dramatic, high ceilings of the Sistine Chapel – is a simple auditorium.
It’s here where a few men are trying to decide who should become the next pope. The men in this room – including Cardinal Lawrence (Ralph Fiennes), who has been tasked with running this election – think it imperative that the progressive Cardinal Bellini (Stanley Tucci) wins. Mostly because he doesn’t want it. “No sane man would want the papacy,” Bellini says.
It’s a familiar adage, although perhaps used in an unfamiliar setting; the person who does not seek power is usually the best person to wield it. “Conclave,” directed by Edward Berger and written by Peter Straughan, based on the novel by Robert Harris, meditates on many ideas like this, ideas that feel poignantly on the nose in today’s climate.
It’s a political thriller dressed up in a cardinal hat, but one that’s a lot more fun to languish in than our current political state. “Conclave” isn’t reinventing the wheel, but is an eminently watchable and entertaining parable about the perils of ambition and what happens when grown men get a little too big for their britches.
⛪ Read Sammie’s full review here.
🍿 Stay in the picture with Scene by Rough Draft, our weekly newsletter about Georgia’s film industry. Subscribe for free.
3. ATL United faces Messi in playoffs, World Series begins
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH GEORGIA POWER
⚽ Atlanta United plays in Round One of the MLS Playoffs against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami tonight at 8:30 p.m. in Ft. Lauderdale, FL (Apple TV+; 92.9 FM). The Five Stripes advanced after beating CF Montréal in a penalty shootout.
⚾ Game 1 of the World Series between the Yankees and Dodgers is in Los Angeles tonight at 8:08 p.m. (FOX). This will be the 12th time the iconic MLB teams have faced each other in the Fall Classic.
⚾ Former Dodgers pitcher Fernando Valenzuela died this week at 63. The Mexican-born star started “Fernandomania” by winning both the Cy Young Award and Rookie of the Year in 1981.
🏀 The Atlanta Hawks won their season opener against the Brooklyn Nets 120-116 in Atlanta on Wednesday night. The Hawks face the Hornets at home tonight at 7:30 p.m. (FanDuel Sports Network; 92.9 FM).
🏈 Previously winless Kennesaw State upset previously unbeaten Liberty University on Wednesday night 27-24 as fans rushed onto the field.
🏈 Here are tomorrow’s local college games:
- Georgia Tech plays at Virginia Tech at noon (ACC Network; 93.7 FM)
- Georgia State plays at Appalachian State at 1 p.m. (ESPN+; 88.5 FM)
- Mercer hosts Western Carolina at 3:30 p.m. (ESPN+)
- West Georgia hosts Southern Utah at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Morehouse College hosts Fort Valley State at 2 p.m. (ESPN+)
- Georgia Southern lost to Old Dominion last night.
- No. 2 Georgia and Clark Atlanta are off this week.
🏀 The New York Liberty won the WNBA Finals in overtime against the Minnesota Lynx 67-62 on Sunday. The championship-deciding Game 5 was the most-watched WNBA Finals game in 25 years.
🏈 The Falcons play division-rival Buccaneers in Tampa Bay on Sun., Oct. 27 at 1 p.m. (FOX; 92.9 FM).
🏈 The Drive for the GHSA State Title continues tonight with Woodward Academy vs. Decatur, live on the Peachtree Sports Network at 8 p.m. Stream the game here.
♂️ The Sports Section is sponsored by Gameday Men’s Health Buckhead, offering testosterone, weight loss, peptide, and ED therapies so you can get back in the game. Learn more today!
🎹 Join us Sat., March 29 for an Intimate Evening with Jason Isbell LIVE at The Fox Theatre! Tickets go on sale today, Fri., Oct. 25, at 10 a.m. at FoxTheatre.org!
SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. Top Stories of the Week
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA
A look back at this week’s most-read stories from our website. Follow @RoughDraftATL on Instagram for regular updates.
① Two long-derailed Dunwoody properties move forward with new owners
② Kemp announces another $1B tax rebate
③ 7 classes in Atlanta for keeping your kitchen and culinary skills sharp (pictured)
④ Capitol skybridge proposal concerns historic preservationists
⑤ Georgia Supreme Court delays ruling on election board rules until after Nov. 5
💭 Test your knowledge of the week’s news in tomorrow’s News Quiz. Keep an eye out for our email at 8 a.m. or bookmark this page!
📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.
A large police presence responded to Atlantic Station on Saturday
ATLANTA – Atlanta police say nearly 500 teenagers caused a massive disturbance at Atlantic Station Saturday night, launching fireworks into crowds and eventually drawing real gunfire outside the district.
Atlantic Station chaos
The backstory:
Atlanta police originally responded to the shopping center after 7 p.m. following reports of shots fired. While investigators quickly determined the sounds were actually fireworks being ignited by a large crowd of “unruly” juveniles, the situation turned more dangerous as the crowd was dispersed.
“It can escalate from firecrackers to now its guns to life being taken. That’s something we don’t want,” said John Williams, who was visiting the area.
As officers cleared the mall, a group of teenagers allegedly began firing actual guns near Spring Street NW and 17th Street.
Shooting outside Atlantic Station
What they’re saying:
The gunfire sent patrons at Nan Thai Fine Dining ducking for cover.
“Definitely about 30 shots,” said Jedi Niyomkul, the restaurant’s general manager. “I’m making sure everyone is on the ground because we do have a lot of glass.”
Niyomkul said the restaurant was hit by at least one bullet. He expressed frustration that the crowd was pushed out of the mall but not adequately monitored once they crossed into the surrounding city streets.
“Once they got them across the bridge, there was no patrol over on this side to make sure that they dispersed,” Niyomkul said. “Literally at 17th and Spring, right there, 100 to 150 kids just sitting all around the corner, doing absolutely nothing, just looking for trouble.”
Atlantic Station curfew
Dig deeper:
The disturbance occurred despite Atlantic Station’s strict codes of conduct. The district enforces a 3 p.m. curfew for anyone under 18, requiring them to be with a parent or guardian. Additionally, no one under 21 is allowed on the property after 9 p.m.
Atlanta City Council member Michael Julian Bond said the city must find a more consistent way to manage large groups of youth.
“We again manage this population policy-wise, more than any other segment than our society, so we all got to step up year-round in how we manage that population,” Bond said.
The Source: Information in this article came from Atlanta police and FOX 5’s Annie Mapp speaking with Jedi Niyomkul and Michael Julian Bond.
Families and communities across metro Atlanta are coming together to celebrate Kwanzaa, a weeklong observance honoring African heritage, culture, and values.
Each night of Kwanzaa centers on a different principle. The first night focuses on Umoja, the Swahili word for unity — a value many say feels especially meaningful right now.
For Atlanta artist and poet Kenneth “Zakee” Zakee, Kwanzaa is more than a holiday. He says it transformed his life.
Zakee welcomed CBS News Atlanta inside his studio, where African and African American artwork lines the walls. As he lit the kinara — the candleholder central to Kwanzaa — he explained the deeper meaning behind the tradition.
“Kwanzaa means first fruits of the harvest,” Zakee said. “So we have to have some produce on the table to represent the first fruit, to represent harvest.”
Zakee says his connection to Kwanzaa began during a time of deep grief, after losing his mother. A friend invited him to a Kwanzaa celebration for emotional support — an experience he says gave him community when he needed it most.
“It was just so much love,” Zakee said. “It was like a seven-day Black history experience.”
Created in the 1960s to reconnect Black Americans with African heritage, Kwanzaa’s values, customs, and greetings are expressed in Swahili. Zakee even gave CBS News Atlanta a quick lesson in how to greet others on the first night.
“Habari gani?” he asked — meaning, What’s the news?
“Umoja,” came the response.
That sense of shared meaning was also on display as vendors and artists set up for Kwanzaa events at ArtsXchange.
Patricia Jackson of Studio P Designs, a former educator, says teaching students about Kwanzaa was always important to her.
“We really made an effort to expose our students to all of the other celebrations, especially Kwanzaa and what it stands for,” Jackson said.
For Zakee, passing the tradition on to younger generations is essential. He hopes Kwanzaa helps young people feel grounded, affirmed, and connected.
“A sense of belonging,” he said. “A sense of being part of something bigger than themselves — and recognizing the strength of their people.”
Zakee believes those values don’t just strengthen communities — they make the world a better place.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — A large police scene has shut down Spring Street in Midtown.
This all started around 9:30 p.m. Saturday. Police haven’t released any details, but there is glass all along the sidewalk.
Earlier Saturday, police responded to Atlantic Station after teens set off fireworks. It is unclear if the two scenes are related.
This is a developing story. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.
Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.
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