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.
Atlanta, GA
Police increase presence across metro Atlanta amid teen takeover rumors
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Popular gathering spots across metro Atlanta saw heightened law enforcement presence Saturday night following rumors of potential “teen takeovers.”
Authorities say a similar event last weekend led to more than a dozen teenagers and adults being taken into custody. In response, agencies across the metro area are stepping up patrols in several high-traffic areas, including the Beltline and the Cumberland Mall and Battery districts.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: 9 juveniles, 8 adults charged after weekend ‘takeover’ event at The Battery
Along the Atlanta Beltline, Atlanta police confirmed they increased staffing levels as a precaution. An APD officer on scene told Atlanta News First that officers are maintaining an enhanced presence due to the takeover rumors. An Atlanta News First crew observed multiple people put in handcuffs and an APD officer at the Beltline said four guns had been confiscated.
Multiple patrol units were visible along the Beltline, with officers monitoring foot traffic and briefly detaining several individuals. Police said the show of force is intended to deter large, disruptive gatherings before they begin.
Cumberland Mall to have teen curfew Saturday after ‘takeover’ at The Battery
In Cobb County, law enforcement agencies are coordinating efforts around Cumberland Mall and The Battery Atlanta. The Cobb County Sheriff’s Office deployed its mounted patrol unit, with four deputies on horseback circling the mall. Units from the Cobb County Police Department, Marietta Police Department, and the Georgia State Patrol were also seen monitoring traffic and pedestrian activity in the area.
Electronic message boards and posted signage between Cumberland and The Battery warned visitors of the increased law enforcement presence. Officers said the goal is to prevent a repeat of last weekend’s arrests and ensure public safety.
For now, officials say the evening remains calm, but they are prepared to respond quickly if large crowds begin to form.
Copyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
Shooting causes lockdown at Mall of Stonecrest
STONECREST, Ga. – The DeKalb County Police Department is investigating a shooting that occurred at the Mall of Stonecrest on Saturday afternoon.
What we know:
The department was alerted to the shooting around 12:40 p.m. Officers responded to the mall and immediately began a search of the premises. In an early update, police stated the mall was on lockdown and that no victim had been found.
A few hours later, police confirmed a victim had been located and several people were detained after running away from the mall. The injured person was transported to a hospital and is expected to survive.
The mall remained on lockdown as of 3:45 p.m. as officers continued clearing the building. Police said the process could take several hours and requested that the public continue to avoid the area.
DeKalb police stated there is no further danger to the public.
What we don’t know:
At this time, it is unclear what led to the shooting or if any of the detained individuals have been charged.
The Source: Information in this article came from the DeKalb County Police Department via an email.
Atlanta, GA
The Pulse: Are pajamas really banned at the airport?
The show highlights a tongue-in-cheek social media “ban” on pajamas and Crocs at Tampa International Airport that sparked national debate over travel etiquette. The crew also covers the Atlanta Hawks’ bold “Magic City Monday” promotion featuring famous lemon pepper wings and halftime performances by T.I.. Additionally, the segment dives into Gen Z’s “loud breakup” trend on TikTok and ends with a nostalgic defense of the Burger King Whopper.
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