Atlanta, GA
Atlanta joins worldwide protests about Venezuela’s election
Hundreds of people gathered in downtown Atlanta on Saturday to protest how Venezuela’s authoritarian government is handling its July presidential election.
Demonstrators across the world gathered this weekend to show support for Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutia, who challenged Nicolas Maduro in the election. The Maduro administration says it won the election, but independent vote counts by opponents show otherwise.
“We’re here because we hope everyone around the world will join us in our quest for freedom,” said Manuel Rodriguez. He’s from Venezuela and has lived in Atlanta for six years. “The people of Venezuela have spoken, and we don’t want Nicolas Maduro as president anymore. It’s as simple as that.”
Woodruff Park filled with demonstrators, many with the bright yellow, blue and red Venezuelan flag draped over their shoulders or emblazoned on baseball caps. Hundreds chanted, “Libertad!” between speakers calling for a free Venezuela over a megaphone.
“People in my country don’t even have the possibility to get healthcare, “Rodriguez said. “Why is that possible in the country with the largest oil reserves in the world?”
He said Venezuelans have fled to the U.S. in large numbers in recent years because of economic and social issues paired with the threat of political oppression for those who did not support the Maduro administration.
These things prompted former President Donald Trump to pause deporting some Venezuelans because of the political unrest.
The Biden administration then granted those fleeing Venezuela to the U.S. temporary protected status, protecting Venezuelans already in the U.S. from deportation or being detained by the Department of Homeland Security based on whether or not they have documentation outside of the temporary protected status.
Some protesters in downtown Atlanta held body-length pieces of paper with vote tallies that show Urrutia won more votes than Maduro. Many other protesters held signs with various calls for democracy and help for the country.
Erika Gomez had one of them.
“Imagine a country where you go to presidential elections and the government declares itself the winner, but the Electoral College refuses to publish results,” she said. “That’s what’s happening in Venezuela right now.
Gomez is from Venezuela and has lived in Atlanta for the last 20 years. She said the Maduro administration’s rejection of a democratic voting process is just the latest in a long line of decisions that have hurt her home country.
“Extreme ways of government are not foreign to any country and no country is exempt from experiencing something like that,” she said. “Democracy is very fragile everywhere.”
Atlanta, GA
Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels
ATLANTA – A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm.
What we know:
The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South.
According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.
The entire building was evacuated as a precaution.
One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure.
Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.
Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.
Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.
What we don’t know:
It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation.
The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.
Atlanta, GA
2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say
Two suspects in a shooting that left a 7-year-old Atlanta girl dead and her mother injured are now in custody nearly a week after the violence, police say.
The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a home on the 2200 block of Tiger Flowers Drive NW.
Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between one of the victim’s family members and the gunman over the phone. Thirty minutes after the argument, the suspect came back and fired shots into the home, police said.
Officers responding to the scene found a 44-year-old woman and her daughter, identified as 7-year-old Zoe Price, shot. Medics rushed the pair to a local hospital, but Price died from her injuries.
Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department’s homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Preston Smith two days after the shooting. Smith turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on March 2.
Schierbaum said officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 27 at a home on McDaniel Street. On that day, 17-year-old Steven Richardson, who police described as an “accomplice,” turned himself in to authorities.
Both men are charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18.
At a press conference to announce the arrests, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described Price as a bright and compassionate little girl who was “full of energy and full of joy.”
“Her life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, and that loss is not abstract. It is a chair that is going to be missing at the dinner table each night. It is an empty classroom seat next to her friends,” Dickens said.
The mayor called the arrests “a step forward towards justice” for Price’s family and families across the city.
Dickens said that violence, like the act that took Price’s life, would not be tolerated in Atlanta.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More
On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.
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