CHICAGO – Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens reflected on witnessing history at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago on Thursday evening, where Vice President Kamala Harris formally accepted the Democratic nomination for president.  

Speaking with FOX 5 in a one-on-one from the convention hall in Chicago, Mayor Dickens said Georgia played a big role in the D.N.C. and will in the upcoming election.  

“The energy is electric here in Chicago,” Dickens said. “People are fired up and excited. I keep hearing conversations about Atlanta and Georgia and the pivotal role we play.”  

The week featured notable appearances from Georgia figures, including a surprise performance by Atlanta artist Lil Jon. Democratic Sen. Raphael Warnock and Congresswoman Lucy McBath got primetime speaking roles.  

Even a Georgia Republican, former Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan made an appearance. Dickens said it there are bipartisan concerns about the prospect of Former President Donald Trump winning a second term.  

“Georgia is becoming a road map for how Democrats can work together,” Dickens observed. “But it’s also clear that there are Republicans who recognize that Trump is not good for America.”

SEE ALSO: Rep. Lucy McBath, other families of gun violence shine spotlight at DNC

Mayor Dickens said this was his first attendance at a national convention, an experience he described as an honor. 

When Vice President Harris took the stage, she made history as the first Black woman to be nominated for president by a major party.  

“Never before has a woman – a Black woman – been on that stage as a presidential nominee,” Dickens said. 

 But as soon as the convention festivities wrap, Dickens said his party needs to get to work mobilizing voters. 

“As soon as we get off that plane in Atlanta, we hit the ground running. The next 74 days are crucial as we head into the election.”  

SEE ALSO: Kemp says DNC is ‘sugar high,’ voices full-throated support of Trump

Dickens said he wished the convention had taken place in Atlanta, especially given the stakes of a Georgia victory, but he hinted at preliminary talks with party leaders about making a pitch to bring the D.N.C. to Atlanta in 2028. 

This story is being reported from Atlanta

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – After more than two decades, Atlanta City Councilmember Howard Shook has announced he’s stepping away from office.

Shook, who represents District 7, said Thursday that he won’t seek reelection after ending his sixth term on the Atlanta City Council.

In a statement, Shook touted accomplishments for his Buckhead district like more parks and trails, the development of the Buckhead Village shopping district and eliminating sewer spills into Nancy Creek.

“As Chaucer knew, ‘All good things must come to an end,’” Shook said in his announcement. “Without a doubt, one of the very best things to happen to me was the privilege of being elected by my friends and neighbors to represent them as a member of this legislative body.”

Shook also serves as the vice chair of the council’s finance committee and has served on several others. He’ll retire after the last council meeting of 2025.

Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.

The Atlanta Braves dropped Wednesday night’s game to the Philadelphia Phillies, 3-2, after watching the 2-0 lead slip. 

Despite the loss, there was a positive takeaway. Starting pitcher Max Fried is looking like his All-Star self again. He pitched seven innings of two-run ball giving up four hits and one walk while striking out four. He threw 61 of his 91 pitches on the night for strikes (67%). 

“Definitely felt like myself. I was commanding the ball on both sides of the plate. It was nice to get back under myself,” Fried said after the game Wednesday. 

While he felt good about his outing, he wasn’t completely satisfied. 

“We’re in the results time of the year. Wish I was able to hold that lead tonight – get a win. Because ideally, I would like to take the ball and have us win.”

It’s admirable that Fried has a sense of accountability, but the Braves offense didn’t give him the run support. In the end, the Phillies were held to 0-for-2 with runners in scoring position and left just one runner on base. The opportunities were not abundant for them. However, the Braves went 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position while also leaving nine men on base. 

One team took advantage of what they could muster. The other team, who had more chances, couldn’t get it done. But if this is how Fried is pitching, they’ll win more often than not. The Braves are 13-9 when he starts after all. 

Fried has the confidence in his team to get in the win column down the stretch. 

“We’re playing good, hard baseball. We’re in a lot of games right now. I feel like if we keep playing like this, things are going to be going our way.” 

Having their ace return to form will go a long way to have things go their way. The Braves are hanging on to a playoff spot for dear life with the Mets still on their heels. Their lead over the Mets was shaved to 1.5 games after New York won Wednesday. They have a key series against them at the end of September, but they still have to be in the hunt a month from now.

Getting some big wins against the Phillies and taking advantage of the favorable schedule would do the trick.  

They have the rotation to get them to the playoffs and then put everyone on notice with a run in October. 

If Fried stays in top form, he, Sale and Lopez could be a three-headed monster down the stretch. Three starters are all you need for a postseason series too. 

That’s a win from each starter in a best-of-five series. In a best-of-seven, you have them for the early games to go up in the series and have them rested for a game six or seven when backs are against the wall or to finish the series off and clinch. 

Sure, the run support wasn’t there in the recent loss, but a couple timely runs might be all the team needs when these guys are on the bump.