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MLK Beloved Community Awards shines light on injustice of man killed during homeless encampment clearing

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MLK Beloved Community Awards shines light on injustice of man killed during homeless encampment clearing


The annual Beloved Community Awards by The King Center kicked off a weekend of remembrance and service in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

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It’s a night to honor people working to make the world a more just place.

But the injustice of an unhoused man’s death, caused by an Atlanta City Public Works truck during a sweep of the encampment where he was sleeping, weighed heavily on many of the civil rights leaders gathered at the ceremony.

MLK Beloved Community Awards

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The music, glitz and glamor of the annual awards ceremony shined bright Saturday evening.

As celebrities and community leaders came together to honor those working to carry out Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s vision of a “beloved community.”

Actress Jenifer Lewis, who’s starred in many movies and T.V. shows including Black-ish, received an award during the ceremony.

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Actress Jenifer Lewis at the 2025 Beloved Community Awards.

“I’ve had a lot of wonderful occasions in these 68 years, but this is the most wonderful. The glory and the hallelujah of it all when people come together, stand strong and unite,” Lewis said.

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Civil rights leaders concerned about homeless man’s death

But the death of a man who was homeless at the hands of an Atlanta City Public Works truck while they were trying to sweep the encampment where he was staying on Old Wheat Street Thursday, happened just a few hundred feet away from The King Center. 

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Dr. Bernice King, CEO of the King Center and daughter of the late Dr. King lamented the tragedy.

“I just wish that the person who did this would’ve thought about ‘hey let’s check the tents, let’s make sure human beings are not present’ before they cleared out the camp,” King said.

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FOX 5 was at another MLK Day event in Stone Mountain and caught up with the President of Hosea Helps Elisabeth Omilami.

Hosea Helps President Elisabeth Omilami

She decried the tragedy and says the death feels too similar to the deaths of the two sanitation workers in Memphis, Tennessee, in 1968.

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“It reminds me of the gentlemen who were crushed by the garbage truck in Memphis at Martin Luther King’s last speech where he was assassinated in Memphis,” Omilami said.  

State President of the NAACP Gerald Griggs was at Saturday’s awards ceremony and says it shows how badly the City needs to make changes.

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“We don’t need to move people when we’re having international guests. I think Dr. King would want us to embrace those unhoused brothers and sisters and do more to provide the necessary funds and housing for them,” Griggs said.  

How City of Atlanta leaders are responding

In a statement, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens said the city will “review each of our processes and procedures and take every precaution to ensure this never happens again.”

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Dr. King says the King Center stands ready to help them do that.  

“We’re looking forward at The King Center to possibly working with the City to train people on how to carry out what they’re trained to do in a humane way,” King said.  

Some activists have accused the City of clearing the homeless encampment because of its proximity to The Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Park and the upcoming holiday.

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But the City denies that. 

In a statement, Cathry Vassell, CEO for Partners for HOME, which works with the City to get people housed, said they had been working with this encampment for months to try and get them off the streets prior to this sweep.

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“The first engagement with this encampment began the week of April 5, 2024. Individuals began transitioning to shelter on June 7, 2024. Through these ongoing efforts, 21 individuals have been connected to shelter and housing,” her statement reads.

The Source: Information for this story was provided by the City of Atlanta and gathered by FOX 5 crews at the 2025 Beloved Community Awards Ceremony and Stone Mountain MLK ceremony.

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Atlanta, GA

Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles

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Man arrested for knocking kids off bicycles


A man was arrested at a concert last week after he shoved two kids off their bicycles, causing one of them to fall into a fountain, Sandy Springs police said. FOX 5 Atlanta’s Brittany Edney reporting. 

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Same DNA, new address: Muchacho expands to West Midtown

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Same DNA, new address: Muchacho expands to West Midtown


Photo by Luke Beard

When Muchacho first opened along the Atlanta Beltline and Memorial Drive, it became known as a place shaped as much by its surroundings as by its menu. That site, housed in a 100‑year‑old train depot, set the tone for how the brand approaches expansion: start with the bones of a building, then let the space tell the story. The newly opened Muchacho West Midtown follows that same philosophy.

“We like to celebrate unique attributes of each property and work with the palette we’re given,” says founder and owner Michael Lennox. While the original Muchacho is defined by its long, narrow footprint and Spanish tile roof—features reminiscent of its former life as a train depot—the West Midtown location leans into an industrial past rooted in automotive culture: a former Meineke car care shop. Big windows reference former garage doors, while retro racing details appear inside.

Inside Muchacho on the Westside

Photo by Luke Beard

Still, the connective tissue between the two locations is clear. Both spaces draw heavily from Muchacho’s Southern California skate‑and‑surf roots. At Muchacho West Midtown, familiar playfulness appears via a blue‑orange‑yellow racing stripe pattern, a three‑dimensional pegboard gallery wall used to hang art and plants, and vintage Meineke signage. A life‑size cardboard cutout of George Foreman, once the pitchman for Meineke, underscores Lennox’s willingness to lean into humor and nostalgia. “It’s a playful brand,” he says.

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A functional halfpipe for skateboarding anchors the outdoor experience and will double as a performance space for bands and DJs. In about a month, a 4,000‑square‑foot “tropical secret garden” with tall bamboo lining the perimeter will open on the south side of the property. Another 1,500 square feet of patio space wraps the west and north sides, currently welcoming about 80 guests. Altogether, the West Midtown location will accommodate about 215 guests, making it comparable in size to the original, with a little more outdoor space.

Crispy chicken sandwich

Photo by Luke Beard

Muchacho West Midtown opened with the same core menu that made the Beltline location a staple: tacos, breakfast burritos, coffee, cocktails, and beer. Standouts like migas, chilaquiles, carne asada, and al pastor continue to be available. Over time, however, Lennox says each location is expected to develop its own personality, driven by the chefs who have “a pretty wide creative latitude.” Chef Betty Aparicio, formerly of Chido & Padre’s, steers the kitchen on the Westside.

“We want to nurture some immediate familiarity while providing space for some special moments you can only have at each location,” Lennox says.

Margarita

Photo by Luke Beard

One of these special moments will take place April 4 at a grand opening party dubbed MuchachoFest. Expect bands, a fortune teller, a mini skate park in parking lot, food and drink specials, and giveaways. “It’s going to be a fun day in West Midtown,” Lennox says.

A third Muchacho location will debut in the old Revival space in Decatur this summer. In addition, the Electric Hospitality team is bringing Ladybird Grove & Mess Hall to the Westside. Slated to launch in May on 11th Street, the convivial restaurant and bar will feature a 5,000-square-foot courtyard with an airstream bar, stage, and Crepe Myrtles, and a 45-seat island bar inside. Formerly a single-story warehouse from 1950s or ’60s, Ladybird West Midtown will offer the same food and beverages as its Eastside sibling with room for the chef and mixologist to add their unique touches.

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels


A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm. 

What we know:

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South. 

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. 

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One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure. 

Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.

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Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.

Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.

What we don’t know:

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It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation. 

The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.

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