Atlanta, GA
Atlanta police expect tens of thousands in crowd for Peach Drop to ring in 2025
Final Peach Drop preparations underway
Final preparations at Underground Atlanta are underway for the Peach Drop. Thousands of people are expected to join Big Boi in downtown Atlanta to ring in the New Year.
ATLANTA – Atlanta police anticipate tens of thousands of people to come out to watch the iconic Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta this New Year’s Eve.
Final preparations are well underway for the event, which will feature rapper Big Boi as the headliner.
At the stroke of midnight, the Peach will drop, marking the start of 2025.
Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)
Atlanta police said they will work 12-hour shifts and have canceled off days to ensure the safety of everyone who comes out.
“We have 1,700 officers. Almost every one of them will be working over that 24-hour period,” Chief Darin Schierbaum said at a news conference Monday morning.
Atlanta’s Peach Drop returns
Last year, the city canceled the celebration, which also went on hiatus during the pandemic.
Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)
Chief Schierbaum urged citizens to celebrate responsibly.
“Citizens can choose safe celebration or consequence,” he said. “And we ask them to choose the first one.”
He said APD will be supported by other law enforcement agencies, with officers stationed on the ground and monitoring from above via helicopters and drones.
Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)
He promised to crack down on three things: celebratory gunfire, drunk drivers, and street racers.
“If you’re going to come to Atlanta to street race, you’re going to meet the Atlanta Police Department and the Georgia State Patrol,” Schierbaum said. “We will have specialized teams deployed throughout the city.”
New Year’s Eve safety
Officials also issued reminders about the dangers of celebratory gunfire and reckless fireworks use.
“That has deadly consequences,” Schierbaum said. “We’ve seen that here in the region, and we ask everyone that is going to be in the city to please not discharge your weapons. If we see you discharging a weapon, we will arrest you.”
The city’s E911 Center expects a busy night too.
Last New Year’s Eve, the city said was slammed with more than 1,700 emergency calls between 9 p.m. and 3 a.m. “For non-emergency situations, I encourage you to call 311 and use option two,” said Desiree Arnold, Atlanta’s E911 Director. “This line is specifically designed for non-emergency issues such as noise complaints and fireworks.”
Arnold said operators will also be working 12-hour shifts to handle the influx.
Peach Bowl and Peach Drop transportation
Meanwhile, both for the Peach Drop and the Peach Bowl the following day, city officials warn traffic will be a nightmare.
Preparations are underway for the Peach Drop at Underground Atlanta in Downtown Atlanta on Dec. 30, 2024. (FOX 5)
They recommend using MARTA.
“We want to make sure that MARTA is your first choice,” Caviness said. “We’re here to make sure you skip the parking nightmare in the city.”
Chief Schierbaum echoed this advice, “That is a way to ensure a safe celebration instead of a consequence of DUI arrest.”
Street closures for the Peach Drop will begin at 6 a.m. on New Year’s Eve. Officials strongly encourage visitors to plan ahead and avoid driving downtown.
The Source: This article is based on original reporting by FOX 5’s Rob DiRienzo who spoke with city of Atlanta police and other officials preparing for the Peach Drop.
The Atlanta Braves have locked down two free agents. One bolstered the bullpen while the other diversified their options on the offense. Now, from what we’re hearing, the attention has turned to fortifying the rotation.
We are gaining an idea of who the Braves are targeting on the starting pitching market. Framber Valdez and Michael King appear to be the top two free-agent options they’re taking a look at, per source. The goal would be to land one of the two. How far along any potential talks are or if they’re currently talking at all is unclear. We just know now that these two are preferred targets.
Previous reports said that the Mets and Giants had previously chatted with Valdez. King is on the radar of the Tigers and Cubs. There are contenders in play for these same guys.
Signing a free agent is their plan A for acquiring starting pitching depth. What we are hearing confirms the willingness to cough up a draft pick to make a big signing. Both have a qualifying offer attached to them.
That being said, they are willing to go out on the trade market if needed and in a specific circumstance. Plan B is to make a deal for Milwaukee Brewers right-hander Freddy Peralta.
The 2025 All-Star has been rumored to be a trade candidate since the start of the offseason. What we are hearing lines up with previous speculation as to the type of moves the Braves could make. The Athletic’s Jim Bowden suggested the Braves make a move for Peralta, and part of that suggestion included a potential trade piece that would likely be dealt in this scenario.
The Brewers would likely want to make the centerpiece of the return the Braves’ No. 2 prospect, JR Ritchie. However, the Braves would likely prefer to hang onto Ritchie. They see him as a key piece of their future. They would likely prefer to make the centerpiece of the deal Hurston Waldrep, who showed significant promise once she was called up toward the end of last season.
Another player would likely be dealt along with one of the two names. The Braves would like to know whether an extension would be in play. They wouldn’t want to make the move for strictly a rental.
However, the Brewers want to get a trade done during the offseason. If he’s on the roster during the regular season, it would put them in a bind. They don’t see him as someone they’ll be able to keep around, but if they’re contending, they can’t trade him at the deadline. He would have to stick around for a push, and then he would walk.
Meanwhile, the Braves are pushing to have a top-five payroll in the league for next season. That puts them in the position to take on one of the two possible free-agent signings or take on a contract extension in a potential trade.
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ATLANTA, GA — Two people are dead following a fiery crash on Interstate 75 in Atlanta, according to police.
The crash occurred shortly before 3:15 a.m. Saturday on southbound I-75 near Cleveland Avenue Southwest. According to police, a Kia Sportage was traveling on I-75 when the driver lost control of the vehicle while attempting to exit at Cleveland Avenue.
Police said the vehicle left the roadway, hit a pole and subsequently caught fire.
Two unidentified occupants of the vehicle were pronounced dead at the scene.
Investigators with the Atlanta Police Department Accident Investigations Unit responded to the scene to determine what led to the crash. The investigation into the collision is ongoing.
An Atlanta chef allegedly shot two teenagers who were suspected of trying to steal packages outside his home in broad daylight.
Rakim Bradford was charged with two counts of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony after he opened fire on the boys, ages 15 and 16, at his townhouse in the Mays neighborhood, southwest of Downtown Atlanta, on Thursday around 3:40 p.m.
Bradford, the head chef at an area IHOP, according to his LinkedIn, was at his home on the 700 block of Celeste Lane SW when he noticed the teens near his front porch, Atlanta Police said.
Officials believe the teens had traveled to the Villages of Cascade complex, where they spotted a delivery van and followed it, according to Atlanta News First, citing Bradford’s arrest warrant.
“After the packages were dropped, they agreed to steal that package from the front of the residence,” the warrant stated.
Bradford caught the teens going for the packages and allegedly shot the pair before they could steal the delivery.
“We believe a property crime was occurring, that some packages were being taken off a front porch, which is common this time of year,” Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum told reporters. “The homeowner did discharge his weapon to stop that theft of packages.”
The unidentified 15-year-old was found with a gunshot wound to the right foot. Officers later found the 16-year-old suffering from a gunshot to the right arm.
He was transported to the hospital in critical condition before undergoing surgery. The teen is expected to survive.
“The Atlanta Police Department takes gun violence very seriously,” Schierbaum said. “Anytime a child is injured in our city, we really take that really seriously. We want to make sure they know what’s happening.”
Bradford was detained after the shooting and brought in for questioning.
Officials ruled out a home invasion and didn’t announce any charges against the two teens.
Neighbors warned potential porch pirates of stealing packages from other homes.
“Don’t go and steal people’s packages,” Andrew Julian told the outlet. “On the other side of that, what right do you have to defend your own home, and then what decision do you make to defend your own home based on somebody taking an item off of your porch? So, it’s certainly a conversation to be had.”
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