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Atlanta Chef Will Compete on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship

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Atlanta Chef Will Compete on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship


Food Netwrok is tapping Atlanta for desserts. Local pastry chef Jon’nae “Jaye” Smith will compete on season 11 of Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship. This follows season 10, when Atlanta pastry chef Nickey Boyd was a finalist on the show.

“When I got the call, I remember running out into the living room, and I leaped so high, I could’ve flown through the roof,” says Smith, who grew up watching Food Network shows with her father, an avid cook.

“I got into baking out of curiosity,” says Smith. “I remember I made a dense cake, and I didn’t know why that cake was coming out so hard. Like, why are we eating rocks?”

That curiosity led her to culinary school at Johnson and Wales University in 2017. Since graduating, Smith has worked in and around Atlanta as a pastry chef, including at Canoe under pastry chef Jennifer Paul, the Loews Hotel, the Hill at Serenbe, and with executive chef Demetrius Brown (also a Hill at Serenbe alum) on supper clubs at Bread and Butterfly. Smith began her baking career by interning at the Four Seasons in Atlanta and then at Disney’s Four Seasons in 2017. She is part of The New South, a collective of Black chefs who host dinners around Atlanta. She does not make dense cakes anymore.

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Chef Jon’nae “Jaye” Smith is one of 13 contestants on Food Network’s Spring Baking Championship.
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“It’s been overwhelming to receive the amount of support I’ve been receiving from my peers,” says Smith. “I’m so grateful for my community. I consider it a luxury.”

Chef Smith loves “drama”

Though she wasn’t allowed to reveal dish details from the show, Smith has a distinct baking style.

“I like flavors from the Caribbean or the South — I love mago. Crunch is a big feel for me — a crumble, a twill, a cookie, or a macaron,” says Smith. “I’m a sauce girl for life. Even if it tastes good without a sauce, no girl, put the sauce on there. I use a lot of infused chantilly, especially with alcohol. And then drama. I love drama.”

Smith says her culinary training at Disney prepared her for speed, volume, and accuracy on delivering thousands of plated desserts. But even that didn’t prepare her for the time restraint on the show’s challenges.

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“Filming on the show was a blur. You’ve got to put an eight-hour shift into an hour and a half to do the challenge,” says Smith.

Plus, Smith says, the pantry on the show lacked a key ingredient. “There could’ve been a better variety of types of chocolates. It wasn’t the best,” says Smith, laughingly. “And the heavy cream wasn’t great.”

As for judges’ critiques, Smith says she got one token of advice she will carry with her throughout her career.

“A pinch of salt,” says Smith. “A pinch of salt goes a long way.”

The new season of Spring Baking Championship will premiere on Food Network on March 10 at 8 p.m. ET.

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Atlanta, GA

Golden State takes home win streak into matchup with Atlanta

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Golden State takes home win streak into matchup with Atlanta


Atlanta Hawks (19-21, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Golden State Warriors (21-18, eighth in the Western Conference)

San Francisco; Sunday, 8:30 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: Golden State will try to keep its three-game home win streak alive when the Warriors face Atlanta.

The Warriors are 13-5 on their home court. Golden State is 9-12 against opponents over .500.

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The Hawks have gone 12-10 away from home. Atlanta ranks second in the league scoring 17.6 fast break points per game. Nickeil Alexander-Walker leads the Hawks averaging 3.9.

The Warriors average 15.9 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.8 more made shots on average than the 13.1 per game the Hawks give up. The Hawks average 14.5 made 3-pointers per game this season, 2.4 more made shots on average than the 12.1 per game the Warriors allow.

TOP PERFORMERS: Jimmy Butler III is averaging 19.6 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.9 assists for the Warriors. Stephen Curry is averaging 25.7 points and 5.1 assists over the past 10 games.

Onyeka Okongwu is averaging 16.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and 3.3 assists for the Hawks. Jalen Johnson is averaging 21.1 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Warriors: 7-3, averaging 120.1 points, 42.5 rebounds, 30.4 assists, 8.9 steals and 4.6 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.0 points per game.

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Hawks: 4-6, averaging 116.9 points, 42.4 rebounds, 31.9 assists, 10.1 steals and 4.2 blocks per game while shooting 47.1% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 116.0 points.

INJURIES: Warriors: Seth Curry: out (thigh).

Hawks: Kristaps Porzingis: out (achilles), Zaccharie Risacher: out (knee), CJ McCollum: out (quad), N’Faly Dante: out for season (knee), Corey Kispert: out (hamstring).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Atlanta, GA

Flood watch expands into metro Atlanta ahead of severe storm threat

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Flood watch expands into metro Atlanta ahead of severe storm threat


A powerful weather front is moving into metro Atlanta, prompting officials to expand flood watches as “wave-after-wave” of heavy rain threatens to saturate the region through Saturday.

The FOX 5 Storm Team warn that storm totals could reach four inches in some areas, with isolated spots in North Georgia potentially seeing up to six inches.

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Flood Watch in northwest Georgia

What we know:

A Flood Watch is currently in effect through Saturday evening for a large portion of North Georgia. The region is bracing for widespread rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches. Some areas could see locally higher amounts reaching up to 6 inches before a cold front moves through Saturday afternoon to end the threat.

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“The rain train is wide open and here it comes,” said FOX 5 Storm Team chief meteorologist David Chandley. “We got waves of rain tonight and storms. They’re going to be with us tonight and right on through Saturday.”

In the northwest, the watch includes Bartow, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Cobb, Dade, Dawson, Fannin, Floyd, Gilmer, Gordon, Haralson, Lumpkin, Murray, Paulding, Pickens, Polk, Towns, Union, Walker, White, and Whitfield counties.

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KEEP UP WITH THE LATEST BY DOWNLOADING THE FREE FOX 5 STORM TEAM APP AND FOLLOWING @FOX5STORMTEAM ON X

Flooding risk, high winds

Local perspective:

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Thunderstorms expected overnight and into early Saturday morning are a primary concern. 

The primary concern for North Georgia remains damaging winds and heavy rainfall that could lead to flash flooding. While the threat of severe weather is lower Friday night, the FOX 5 Storm Team expects conditions to change as the front arrives Saturday morning.

“Flooding [is] possible in Northwest Georgia with that severe threat,” Chandley said. “I expect we may see some of those [flash flood warnings] across North Georgia late tonight and early tomorrow because that ground is going to be saturated.”

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A Level 1 “marginal risk” for severe storms has been issued for most of the area, though regions near Columbus face a slightly higher “slight risk.” Forecasters noted that while the atmosphere currently lacks the instability for massive thunderstorms, a “brief, spin-up tornado” cannot be ruled out on Saturday.

What’s next:

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Sunday: Windy and much colder, with highs struggling to reach the 40s and 50s.

Monday: Temperatures are expected to plummet into the 20s by Monday morning.

The Source: This article contains an original forecast by the FOX 5 Storm Team.

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Atlanta, GA

Serious crashes block Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, Lawrenceville Highway early Friday

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Serious crashes block Atlanta’s Downtown Connector, Lawrenceville Highway early Friday


A major crash involving eight vehicles shut down all southbound lanes of the Downtown Connector early Friday morning, causing significant traffic delays near University Avenue.

What we know:

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The crash was reported on Interstate 75/Interstate 85 just before University Avenue, with injuries confirmed at the scene. Traffic was being diverted off the connector at Interstate 20, Exit 247, while the entrance ramp from I-20 to the connector southbound was also closed. Drivers were advised to use Exit 56A to McDaniel Street or alternate routes including Metropolitan Parkway or Interstate 285. The scene was cleared and lanes began reopening around 6:30 a.m. FOX 5 Atlanta is waiting for a final report on what happened. 

A separate serious injury crash was also reported in DeKalb County on Lawrenceville Highway westbound between Montreal Road and Interstate 285. All lanes were blocked, and authorities said the incident involved a pedestrian struck by a vehicle. Both investigations were ongoing. The scene was cleared and lanes reopened around 6:45 a.m., according to Georgia Department of Transportation. 

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