Atlanta, GA

Diary of Defend the Atlanta Forest protestor can be used in court

Published

2 years ago

January 9, 2024

Diary of Defend the Atlanta Forest protestor can be used in court

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A Fulton County Superior Court judge has ruled the diary of an Atlanta Public Safety Training Center protestor who was killed by police can be used in the trials of other people charged in connection with violent protests over the controversial facility.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Kimberly Esmond Adams ruled “relevant portions” of the diary can be used in a trial beginning Wednesday for Ayla King, one of more than 60 people charged in connection with the protests.

Before their death, Manuel Teran kept a diary that was filled with diatribes against police and other groups, including such statements as “All cops are bastards because they enforce unjust laws by force,” and that white people “behave like modern racists,” according to a motion filed in Fulton County Superior Court.

State prosecutors have been wanting to use Teran’s diary as proof of what they are calling a criminal enterprise to stop the development of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.

Teran was shot and killed during a protest at the site of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center in January 2023. Last week, Georgia Deputy Attorney General John Fowler filed the motion in Fulton County Superior Court, arguing Teran’s diary consists “of violent anti-police rhetoric and drawings, notes on meetings in the forest, to do lists regarding various tasks including committing crime, philosophical musings about the tyranny of government, and other personal writings.”

Teran was killed at the site, which critics call “Cop City,” when Georgia State Patrol Troopers were clearing the site on Jan. 18. An autopsy report released in April said Teran had been shot at least 57 times. A previous private autopsy report released in February said that Teran was shot “at least 13 times.”

The construction site has been the center of violence and controversy ever since then-Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced a plan in April 2021 that would turn the forested land into a public safety training facility that would include a shooting range, a mock village and a burn center. Opposition immediately arose from environmental groups, neighborhood associations and racial justice groups.

Last week, activists and police had a confrontation involving tear gas during a march by the group “Block Cop City.” The activists gathered Monday morning at Gresham Park to march in protest of the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center. The march followed a weekend full of events by the group “Block Cop City.”

On Nov. 6, almost 60 of the 61 people who have been arrested and charged with various felonies and misdemeanors were arraigned at the Fulton County courthouse. The defendants are facing RICO charges for allegedly violating the state’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act, and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr’s office is the lead prosecuting agency.

Supporters are calling the charges a violation of First Amendment rights.

State prosecutors said Teran’s diary shows “significant evidence of a general and larger conspiracy to occupy the land of the site of the future Atlanta Public Safety Training Center.”

“In addition to a shared goal of occupying the land to prevent the construction of the training center, there is evidence of similar clothing, similar and unique violent action tactics, written documents, verbal statements, financial documents, and similar travel patterns and destinations,” the motion states. “Each defendant in this indictment has specific evidence against them, and each defendant is connected to at least one other defendant by incident, communication, personal connection, financial connection, and/or other connection.”

“All of this evidence links the Defendants back to the Defend the Atlanta Forest criminal enterprise.”

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Atlanta, GA

Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta

Published

5 hours ago

March 27, 2026

Press Room

Power outage impacts more than 5,000 customers in Midtown Atlanta

Updated on: March 27, 2026 / 9:48 AM EDT
/ CBS Atlanta

Thousands of people are without power in Midtown Atlanta as crews work to restore service following an equipment failure, according to Georgia Power.

The outage affected nearly 5,300 customers, stretching from Currier Street Northeast to 11th Street.

Georgia Power said the outage was caused by an equipment issue, and crews are on-site making repairs.

Officials added that, thanks to smart grid technology, service is expected to be remotely restored to more than half of affected customers soon.

An estimated restoration time was listed at 10:15 a.m.

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Atlanta, GA

The Best Vintage Shops in Atlanta

Published

17 hours ago

March 26, 2026

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Vogue’s guide to the best vintage stores in Atlanta is part of our directory of the very best vintage around the world, curated by editors from all over. Whether you’re traveling and searching for some superb stores to visit on your trip or are curious about your local vintage treasure chests, Vogue’s directory has you covered.

Come to Atlanta for its southern charm and lush greenery, stay for its vintage. The Hollywood of the South has a lot more than on-set locations and an upcoming roster of FIFA World Cup games, and whether exploring shops along the Beltline, losing your voice at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, or itching for the eccentric pleasures of a roadside antique mall, these vintage gems make the journey to the A more than worth it.

Photo: Courtesy of The Clothing Warehouse

Dutch field pants, netted shirts, prairie dresses, and a floor-to-ceiling selection of cowboy boots are a few of the many goods awaiting your search at this Atlanta mainstay. Opened by Jim Buckley in 1992, the Clothing Warehouse now calls the hipster Little 5 Points home. Its redbrick exterior is hard to miss—head upstairs for womenswear and union-made dresses, then downstairs to a room of seriously color-coded tees—it’s likely you will find plenty of Atlanta history in the form of 1996 Summer Olympics shirts. Plus, its wholesale location is a 15-minute drive away in West Midtown, if you’re up for an afternoon dig.

Address: 420 Moreland Ave NE, Atlanta

At the vintage and makers market Mother Lode, there’s something for every lover of old things. Founder Lindsay Short’s estate sale background is well-reflected in the shop’s range of garments, decor, and wares. Find 1930s beach pajamas beside bowling shirts and Edwardian tunics at Fellows Vintage’s booth, or ’60s wedding dresses that seem more Factory Girl than bride-to-be from Iron Pony. The hunt continues at Mother Lode’s sister location in college town Athens, which opened in 2023.

Address: 3429 Covington Hwy Ste B, Decatur

Monet Brewerton-Palmer first got her love for bridal from her grandmother, who was a shop seamstress. Then, after shopping for her own wedding dress in 2014 and ending up with four, her interest (and personal collection) only grew. Now, Brewerton-Palmer offers brides an array of dresses by Vera Wang, Oscar de la Renta, Catherine Rayner, and more. Standout pieces include a 1959 one-of-one from Jacques Heim, a silk rose-covered Christian Dior for the romantic, and a fur-accented Muriel Martin for the nontraditionalist.

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Atlanta, GA

Former Atlanta principal back at his old school as its new handyman:

Published

1 day ago

March 26, 2026

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Former Atlanta principal back at his old school as its new handyman:

Retirement did not last long for one Atlanta school principal.

After 10 years leading Burgess Peterson Academy, David White is back, and this time he’s making sure everything inside the school’s building runs smoothly.

White retired last September from being the school’s principal, but home didn’t suit him for long.

“I found myself really kind of lonely and disconnected,” White said. “I had lost my sense of community, for sure, so when this position became available, I kind of laughed because I used to say that it would be the perfect retirement job.”

Retirement didn’t suit former principal David White, so now he’s back as the handyman at the Atlanta school he led to make sure everything runs smoothly.

CBS News Atlanta

White applied for the open site manager position and got the job. Now he enjoys being back in the same halls that bring him joy.

He is six weeks into the new job.

“I find myself now always looking to see if there are lights that are burned out, if there are issues that need to be addressed,” said White. “There’s always the need for touch-up painting, right? Because kids have dirty little hands, and they love to pick paint.”

During CBS News Atlanta’s visit, White was repairing a broken lightbulb in the boy’s bathroom.

“The light started flickering, like, just blinking off and on, and so of course the kids were saying it was haunted,” he said.

Around the school, his impact hasn’t faded.

Students and staff light up when they see him.

“It’s been really great to see their excitement to be here every day and to see Mr. White,” said principal Dr. Holly Brookins. “I really feel that having him back has added so much value to our community, and it’s really been a joyful thing for all of us.”

With a tool belt and new titles, White proves that no matter the role, some people never stop showing up for the places they love.

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