Atlanta, GA
‘It Still Takes a Village’ initiative about gun violence, mental health held
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Atlanta rapper Young Dro hosted his “It Still Takes a Village” initiative and panel discussion about gun violence prevention and mental health awareness in the wake of a rise in youth gun violence in the metro Atlanta area.
The “It Still Takes a Village” event was held at the world-renowned Trap Music Museum in Atlanta on Wednesday evening.
Several panelists joined the discussion including Dr. Walter Brooks, Xavier Spann, a Grady Hospital professional, and other mental health professionals and community leaders. The room was filled with kids, parents, and other community members who all want to see an end to gun violence.
Ciara Elle, the co-founder of It Still Takes a Village, has experience as a health professional, and community leader. She talked about a lack of resources in Black communities and how the way some people are taught a certain way based on the environment that they grow up in.
Elle said there is a “distinct difference between a behavioral disorder and a mental illness.” Elle says there needs to be more violence prevention and de-escalation and conversations instead of people resulting in violence.
Atlanta city leaders have also called for a curfew to be put in place after the metro Atlanta area and other parts of Georgia were plagued with youth gun violence in the last week.
Atlanta city leaders call for curfew after spike in youth gun violence
Rapper Domani Harris also talked about some misconceptions in the music and entertainment industry. “Music is so good, people put their real life into their music. It sounds so good that sometimes people ignore what we’re saying. What we’re saying is exactly how we’re feeling.” Domani says some artists talk about obstacles in their lives, and if it has a catchy hook, the message is lost.
Young Dro and Domani have talked about their personal lives in their music and sometimes their harsh realities are overlooked because critics focus on the wrong things.
Young Dro has held multiple It Takes a Village initiatives during the past several months across Georgia and he is taking his initiative on a tour across the U.S. with a focus on youth and de-escalation tools.
According to the official website, “the intervention tour, ‘It Still Takes a Village’ Gun Down Initiative 2023 Hip Hop Edition is grounded on the concept of this collective aid and the joint effort of community members to address gun violence, drug abuse, and the associated mental health problems, as well as behavioral issues among youths.”
Atlanta city leaders call for end to youth gun violence after shootings
There have been multiple shootings involving youth across the metro Atlanta area and other parts of Georgia in the past week.
Police say 16-year-old Breasia Powell was shot and killed outside Benjamin E. Mays High School around 2:30 a.m. on Sunday. A 16-year-old boy was also injured in the shooting.
A 16-year-old boy was arrested in connection to the shooting death of a 17-year-old boy early Saturday morning in LaGrange.
An average of 133 Georgia children and teens die by guns every year, according to Everytown.
Copyright 2023 WANF. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
Assaults On Transgender People Leads To Arrest In Atlanta
ATLANTA, GA — Police on Monday arrested a 28-year-old man accused of assaulting multiple transgender people in Atlanta, authorities said.
Michael Boykin was taken into custody after police received a tip that he was in the area of 160 Ponce De Leon Ave. Northeast. According to police, Boykin was wanted because of his connection to a series of assaults targeting transgender people.
Authorities said they believe Boykin had a gun and was considered armed and dangerous at the time of his arrest.
Police arrested Boykin on outstanding warrants for aggravated assault, criminal trespassing, battery and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon. He was also charged with possession of drug-related objects.
No additional information was immediately available.
Atlanta, GA
A’s Reportedly Sign Former Atlanta Braves Third Baseman
All offseason, the question looming over the Athletics has been who will man the hot corner for them in their first season in West Sacramento, and on Thursday night we received a bit of clarity. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the A’s are in agreement with former Atlanta Braves third baseman Gio Urshela, with Martín Gallegos of MLB.com saying that it’s a one-year deal. The agreement has not been announced by the A’s, as the deal is pending a physical.
Last season the A’s struggled to find consistency at third base, initially giving the job to J.D. Davis, whom they signed during Spring Training, but when he went down with an injury early in the season, Abraham Toro took over and provided a bit of a spark across 56 games at the position. In 28 games in May, Toro hit .315 with a .351 OBP. From that point on, he topped out at batting .200 in eight games in July, and was designated for assignment in late August.
The A’s also deployed Tyler Nevin, Brett Harris, Armando Alvarez, and Darell Hernaiz at third this past season, with the six players combining for a 79 wRC+ (100 is league average), with nobody possessing a league average bat in the bunch, and accumulating -0.9 fWAR. The Athletics ranked No. 28 in fWAR at the position.
GM David Forst has said that the A’s were looking to add a veteran to the mix headed into 2025, with an emphasis on defense. This will be Urshela’s tenth season in the big leagues, and at the very least he has consistently put up WAR totals greater than zero, which will be an improvement.
The 33-year-old signed on with the Detroit Tigers last offseason, but they released him in late August. The Braves picked him up a couple of days later, and he finished out the season with Atlanta. Between both stops, he played 128 games, 110 of those coming at third base, with some time also spent across the diamond at first.
He hit .250 with a .286 OBP, nine homers, 52 RBI, and ended up with an 81 wRC+. With the glove, he racked up 0 Defensive Runs Saved and +3 Outs Above Average, using a couple of different metrics. His defense at the position has seemingly improved in recent years, and he has gone from well below league average to at, or above.
While adding a veteran upgrade was certainly on Forst’s bingo card, Urshela doesn’t figure to be a full-time addition to the roster. Instead, he’s likely to have the large side of the platoon, though who his partner will be is up for debate.
Last season against left-handers he went 17-for-96 (.177), while batting .271 in a much larger sample size against righties. While we missed on which player the A’s could end up signing, A’s on SI seemed to be on the right track with the thinking of the front office. Urshela’s 97 wRC+ against right-handers (vs. 29 against lefties) in 2024 should lead to him playing the majority of the time, but perhaps not every day.
Instead, the likely option against southpaws, at least in this point in the offseason, is Darell Hernaiz. Both players have upside with the glove, and Hernaiz went 12-for-43 (.279) against lefties, good for a 90 wRC+. While the A’s still don’t have a ton of pop at the position, they have the makings of a conglomerate league average option.
This is also an interesting path for the team to take, since Urshela’s deal is only for the 2025 campaign. That would seem to suggest that the A’s believe in former top first round pick Max Muncy being able to make the transition from shortstop to third base in the early part of the season, and potentialy make his debut at some point in the second half of ’25.
Adding Urshela buys the A’s a little time to figure out who will ultimately take over at third base, and it also potentially buys Hernaiz another look in the big leagues, and a chace to earn the job himself.
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks Guard Listed as Good Trade Target for Sixers
Since they’re only one-and-a-half games out of a playoff spot, the Philadelphia 76ers should remain a buyer as trade season gets underway in the NBA. Armed with decent sized contracts and draft capital, Daryl Morey has the assets to bolster the supporting cast around the team’s star trio.
As the rumor mill starts to heat up, the staff at The Athletic compiled a big board of players who could be on the move before the February 6th deadline. Among those mentioned was Atlanta Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic. When listing best fits for the veteran, the Sixers were among the handful of teams cited.
Given that he’s a 38.4 percent career 3-point shooter, it’s exceptionally difficult to imagine he won’t get back to that level at some point as he gets his rhythm back. But he doesn’t totally fit the Hawks’ new age timeline, and a number of teams would love to get a player like Bogdanović, who has a proven big-game track record on the international stage.
With the Hawks going in a different direction, Bogdanovic could garner a lot interest around the league. For the Sixers, the 32-year-old provides multiple needed skills. Bogdanovic could serve as a sixth man/spot starter, along with providing secondary playmaking and shot creation on the offensive end. Most importantly, he is another above-average three-point shooter to put around Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Paul George.
Bogdanovic’s dip in production shouldn’t be alarming, as the Hawks’ roster shakeup has likely played a part in that. In 12 games this season, he is averaging 11.8 PPG and 2.0 APG while shooting 34.6% from deep on moderate volume. With an increased shot quality playing alongside three All-Star’s, Bogdanoivc’s numbers would surely revert back to his career average if traded to the Sixers.
The Sixers would have to combine multiple contracts to acquire Bogdanovic ($17.2 million salary), but he’d be a long-term investment at a rather team-friendly price. He is signed through this season and next with a club option for 2027.
With the Sixers’ high-end talent locked in, the focus is on building a strong supporting cast. As an experienced guard with a complementary skill set, Bogdanovic is someone who could help Philly achieve their goals this season and beyond.
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