Atlanta, GA

In Atlanta, Kids Are Being Kept Out of School Due to Paperwork

Published

2 years ago

January 1, 2024

In Atlanta, Kids Are Being Kept Out of School Due to Paperwork

It’s unclear to Tameka how—or even when—her children became unenrolled from Atlanta Public Schools, the AP reports. But it was traumatic when, in fall 2021, they figured out it had happened. After more than a year of some form of pandemic online learning, students were all required to come back to school in person. Tameka was deeply afraid of COVID-19 and skeptical the schools could keep her kids safe from what she called “the corona.” One morning, in a test run, she sent two kids to school. Her oldest daughter, then in seventh grade, and her second youngest, a boy entering first grade, boarded their respective buses. She had yet to register the youngest girl, who was entering kindergarten. And her older son, a boy with Down syndrome, stayed home because she wasn’t sure he could consistently wear masks.

After a few hours, the elementary school called: Come pick up your son, they told her. He was no longer enrolled, they said. Around lunchtime, the middle school called: Come get your daughter, they told her. She doesn’t have a class schedule. Tameka’s children—all four of them—have been home ever since. Thousands of students went missing from American classrooms during the pandemic. For some who have tried to return, a serious problem has presented itself. A corrosive combination of onerous re-enrollment requirements, arcane paperwork, and the everyday obstacles of poverty—a nonworking phone, a missing backpack, the loss of a car—is in many cases preventing those children from going back. In Atlanta, where Tameka lives, parents must present at least eight documents to enroll their children—twice as many as parents in New York City or Los Angeles.

One of the documents—a complicated certificate evaluating a child’s dental health, vision, hearing, and nutrition—is required by the state. Most of the others are Atlanta’s doing, including students’ Social Security cards and an affidavit declaring residency that has to be notarized. The district asks for proof of residency for existing students every year at some schools, and also before beginning sixth and ninth grades, to prevent students from attending schools outside of their neighborhoods or communities. The policy also allows the district to request proof the student of residence after an extended absence or many tardy arrivals. Without that proof, families say their children have been unenrolled. (Read much more at the AP, including how gentrification plays a role, stories of other families in similar situations, and the rest of Tameka’s journey—including a threat of being punished for “educational neglect.”)

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Atlanta, GA

Man shot while sitting in car at DeKalb shopping center

Published

4 hours ago

November 3, 2025

Press Room

Man shot while sitting in car at DeKalb shopping center

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – DeKalb County police are investigating after a man was shot while he was sitting in his car on Sunday.

Around 2:45 p.m., officers responded to Wesley Chapel Square in the 2300 block of Wesley Chapel Road for a report of someone shot. Upon arrival, officers found a man with minor injuries from a shooting, and he was taken to the hospital.

The man said he was sitting in his car when another car pulled up and shot him.

This is an ongoing investigation. Check back with Atlanta News First for updates.

Anyone with information can send an anonymous tip through the free DeKalb County PD (Tip411) app or by texting “DKPD” to 847411, followed by the tip.

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Atlanta, GA

FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY: Steady rain develops late-day Sunday

Published

22 hours ago

November 2, 2025

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FIRST ALERT WEATHER DAY: Steady rain develops late-day Sunday

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Steady to locally heavy showers are possible late Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening. Dry and increasingly warm weather moves in next week.

This morning is starting generally dry with a few sprinkles over far northwest Georgia. Clouds will steadily thicken up through the day with rain pushing in closer to 3 PM. Rain should become steadier with pockets of heavy rain developing between 3-6 PM and lasting into the evening.

Sunday 5p Futurecast(WANF)

Rain should taper off by midnight, leaving the chance for patchy dense fog to form closer to daybreak. If any dense fog develops, it will likely last through 8 AM before quickly clearing.

Expect a mostly sunny and dry week ahead. Small rain chances could return Friday – Sunday.

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Atlanta, GA

DreamHack Atlanta 2025 brings thousands of gamers, big prize pools, and global competition to Georgia

Published

2 days ago

November 1, 2025

Press Room

DreamHack Atlanta 2025 brings thousands of gamers, big prize pools, and global competition to Georgia

The Georgia World Congress Center has officially transformed into a gamer’s paradise this weekend as DreamHack Atlanta kicks off its 2025 festival — one of the largest gaming events in the country.

More than 40,000 gamers, fans, and esports enthusiasts are expected to fill the halls for three days of tournaments, interactive exhibits, and nonstop gaming energy. From E-A Sports competitions to Clash of Clans showdowns, DreamHack is drawing players from around the globe — each hoping to level up their skills and, for some, their bank accounts.

A DreamHack attendee plays a video game.

CBS News Atlanta

Global gamers, local excitement

Among the competitors is Rodrigo Oli, who traveled from Mexico City to take part in the E-A Sports FIFA tournament. After scoring a last-minute goal to advance to the next round, Oli says the stakes couldn’t be higher.

“Tomorrow, we’ll compete for a chance to win and play on the biggest stage,” Oli said. “I want to win the whole thing — it can be life-changing.”

Oli is one of roughly 300 competitive gamers battling for a share of $6.6 million in total prize money this weekend — with games like EA Soccer, EA Football, and Clash of Clans headlining the competition.

Rodrigo Oli, an attendant of the 2025 DreamHack event, shows CBS Atlanta some behind-the-scenes action of his game.

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CBS News Atlanta

Clash of clans championship brings global teams to Atlanta

For 20-year-old Max Dearmey, a junior engineering major at North Carolina State University, the festival is more than just gaming — it’s a global stage.

“We won our first match today,” Dearmey said. “The top eight teams from around the world made it here after a year of qualifiers.”

Winners in the Clash of Clans tournament will take home $60,000 — and for Dearmey, whose family traveled to Atlanta to watch him play, the event is as much about community as it is competition.

Beyond the competition: A gamer’s wonderland

Even for those not competing, DreamHack is a chance to explore everything gaming has to offer — from free-to-play zones and virtual reality experiences to live music and cosplay showcases.

CBS Atlanta’s Leondra Head even jumped in on the fun, testing out a VR headset and saying, “This is beautiful — it’s like a mountain.”

CBS Atlanta’s Leondra Head gives virtual reality a try at DreamHack.

CBS News Atlanta

As DreamHack continues through Sunday, organizers say the event celebrates the spirit of gaming — bringing together players of all ages and skill levels to share in the excitement, creativity, and community that define the modern gaming world.

If you go:

📍 Where: Georgia World Congress Center, Atlanta, GA

📅 When: Through Sunday, Nov. 2

🎟️ Tickets: Available at dreamhack.com/atlanta