Atlanta, GA
Property owners tried to shut down violence-riddled club for months before it finally closed
Encore Hookah Bar was shut down per a court docket order requested by the Metropolis of Atlanta
ATLANTA — Atlanta’s Encore Hookah Bar & Bistro has served its final buyer.
The favored downtown membership is now closed for good after a streak of violent crime, together with a taking pictures the place a safety guard employed by the membership was killed.
The crimes not solely affected folks at Encore Hookah Lounge, but in addition close by vacationer sizzling spots. The Georgia Aquarium was struck by stray bullets that reportedly have been shot from the lounge.
Regardless of its prime location, Encore grew to become a identified location for legal exercise, amassing 171 calls to Atlanta Police within the final two years alone. The enterprise disclosed that it could shut down in an Instagram submit over the weekend.
11Alive discovered the property’s house owners tried to get Encore shut down way back to September. Habif Properties mentioned when Encore refused to vacate in December, it acquired the courts concerned. After the Metropolis of Atlanta requested a listening to final week, in keeping with the property house owners, Encore agreed to stop operations and vacate. The membership performed host to repeated violent crimes.
Full assertion from Habif Properties:
Habif Properties, LLC, is the administration firm for the property positioned at 320 Luckie St, Atlanta, GA.
On September 20, 2021, our workplace notified Encore that pursuant to the phrases of their lease, we have been terminating their occupancy with ninety days’ discover efficient on December 23, 2021. When Encore refused to vacate on December twenty third, we filed a movement for eviction with the Fulton Justice of the Peace Court docket. Our eviction movement in Justice of the Peace Court docket is at the moment awaiting an preliminary listening to.
On April 20, 2022, Habif Properties attended a listening to for a Momentary Restraining Order in opposition to Encore Hookah filed by the Metropolis of Atlanta. On account of the listening to, Encore Hookah agreed to stop doing enterprise and vacate the property by Wednesday April 27, 2022.
We’re more than happy with end result of the Momentary Restraining Order and are grateful for the actions taken by the Metropolis of Atlanta Deputy Solicitor, Erika Smith, on this matter.
11Alive tried to succeed in the operators of Encore however was unsuccessful.
James Reese lives a few blocks away from Encore. He mentioned even folks simply strolling round may very well be liable to potential violence.
“It’s unhappy to see it go, as a result of with the pandemic you hate for companies to lose out, however security and concern is such a giant deal,” Reese mentioned. “Companies ought to must be held accountable for self-policing. If an incident occurred, you could not count on it the primary time. However as soon as it turns into repetitive, it’s a must to have a look at your safety plans and enterprise mannequin and the kind of crowd you are attracting.”
Encore lies in Atlanta Metropolis Councilman Jason Dozier’s District 4.
Dozier mentioned town is taking a strategic strategy to give attention to Atlanta’s nightlife by educating enterprise house owners, ensuring liquor licenses are present and going after what he referred to as nuisance companies.
Atlanta hookah bar closes after two years of violent crime
“We needed to throw the kitchen sink at this factor,” Dozier mentioned when requested what it took to shut the membership.
“Due course of is a gradual course of. We wish to be certain analysis is being executed accurately, the right legal guidelines are being adhered to in order that we don’t have a scenario the place this institution comes again subsequent week or the week after,” he mentioned.
Dozier inspired the general public to share tips on companies that continuously entice crime and interact in illicit exercise. He mentioned plenty of different fashionable golf equipment might face the identical destiny as Encore if they do not take critical steps to curb crime.
Criticism: Atlanta Police referred to as to hookah bar 171 instances in 2 years resulting from fights, homicides, shootings
“Companies can’t solely be belongings for our metropolis however may very well be companions in how we’re perceived,” Dozier mentioned. “However that additionally means these companies should be good neighbors, must contribute to the general public good. We do must have instruments accessible to us to carry these unhealthy actors accountable, carrot and the stick, and I feel that’s the path we’re going as a metropolis. Encore is the primary of many conditions we’re going to try to enhance as a result of everybody within the metropolis deserves to be secure.”
Atlanta, GA
MLS apologizes for falsely announcing Atlanta United transfer
Major League Soccer apologized Thursday for publishing a story on its website that identified the wrong player as having transferred to one of its clubs, Atlanta United.
The league’s website, MLSSoccer.com, published a story Wednesday that falsely reported that Celtic FC and Japan forward Kyogo Furuhashi had been acquired by Atlanta. The article was quickly removed.
“Major League Soccer’s website mistakenly posted an article that named the wrong player as having signed with an MLS club,” the league said in a statement to The Athletic. “The article was immediately removed and corrected. MLS extends its sincere apologies to the impacted parties.”
The false report is no longer available, and the link now directs to an error message.
The mistake appears linked to Atlanta’s transfer hint for another player, US-born Cayman Togashi, a former Japanese youth international who spent his entire professional career in Japan. Atlanta teased on social media the arrival of a Japanese player, fueling those rumors even more.
The club later announced it signed Togashi through the 2025 season with an option for 2026. The 31-year-old signed on a free transfer from Sagan Tosu in Japan’s top flight.
Last month, the Daily Mail reported that Atlanta submitted a $12 million bid for Furuhashi. The club also recently named Ronny Delia, a former Celtic manager, as its head coach. Around the time of the false report by MLS, Furuhashi played in Celtic’s 2-0 win against Dundee United, coming on as a substitute for Adam Idah in the 62nd minute.
(Photo: Craig Foy / SNS Group via Getty Images)
Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hawks vs Phoenix Suns: Spread and Final Score Predictions For Tonight’s Game
The Atlanta Hawks are wrapping up their six game road trip tonight in Phoenix with a matchup against the Suns. It has not been the best road trip for the Hawks, as they have gone 2-3 on it, but they have been playing most of the trip without star forward Jalen Johnson. That is going to continue tonight as the Hawks will be without Johnson for the third straight game and the fourth time in the last five games. It has not been pretty for the Hawks without Johnson, but they are going to be facing one of the most disappointing teams in the league tonight.
Phoenix came into the season with title hopes and after a hot start, it looked like the hire of former Hakws coach Mike Budenholzer was paying off for the Suns. It has not gone well though. This team is currently outside of the top ten in the Western Conference, Bradley Beal is now coming off the bench, and Devin Booker is not playing up to his usual All-NBA level. This team has talent, but they have not shown it on a night-to-night basis, as evidenced from their loss to Charlotte on Tuesday. Even without Johnson, the Hawks have a chance tonight due to the Sun’s inconsistency.
Coming into tonight’s game, the Hawks are 6th in the NBA in PPG, 14th in FG%, 17th in 3PA, 19th in 3P%, 5th in FTA, 24th in turnovers, and 6th in rebounding. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 15th in points per 100 possessions, 18th in effective field goal percentage, 19th in turnover percentage, 8th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 9th in free throw rate.
Currently, the Hawks rank 28th in PPG allowed, 22nd in field goal percentage allowed, 30th in three-point attempts allowed, and 30th in three-point percentage allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Atlanta is 19th in points allowed per 100 possessions and 28th in effective field goal percentage allowed.
Phoenix comes into this game ranked 17th in PPG, 12th in FG%, 14th in 3PA, 7th in 3p%, 11th in free throw attempts per game, 25th in rebounding, and 10th in turnovers. Per Cleaning the Glass, the Suns are 13th in points per 100 possessions, 10th in effective field goal%, 13th in turnover percentage, 27th in offensive rebounding percentage, and 6th in free throw rate.
Defensively, Phoenix ranks 19th in PPG allowed, 14th in FG% allowed, 15th in 3PA allowed, and 21st in 3P% allowed. Per Cleaning the Glass, Phoenix is 23rd in points allowed per 100 possessions and 15th in effective field goal% allowed.
With Johnson out tonight, it is going to be on the shoulders of Trae Young to try and lift the Hawks to a win. Young had another 20-point, 20-assist game on Tuesday vs Utah, finishing with 24 points and 20 assists. Phoenix will likely try to guard him with rookie Ryan Dunn, who is a very solid defender, but Young is a different test entirely.
Dyson Daniels was overshadowed a bit by Young’s performance and game-winning shot, but Daniels flirted with a triple-double on Tuesday night. Daniels scored 16 points, had seven assists, and six rebounds on 7-12 shooting. He can be the lead guard and playmaker whenever Young goes to the bench and has done a decent job of that. Daniels will also be tasked with guarding Booker tonight (which is not an easy task) and trying to limit his scoring.
Zaccharie Risacher had one of his better performances this season on Tuesday night vs Utah. He scored 14 points on 6-14 from the field and pulled in six rebounds. With Johnson out, it might be Risacher guarding Kevin Durant tonight, though the Hawks could use Vit Krejci to do that.
Krejci had a solid game for Atlanta on Tuesday, scoring 13 points and shooting 3-4 from three and I would expect him to get the start with Johnson out again.
Clint Capela had a monster game on Tuesday, shooting 9-11 from the field and scoring 18 points. He finished at the rim well and also had three blocks and Phoenix is not a good rebounding team. If the Hawks win, I would bet that Capela is very key in making that happen. With Onyeka Okongwu questionable and Larry Nance still out, it might be the first time for Dominick Barlow to play an actual role on this team as the backup to Capela. If Okongwu plays, Barlow is unlikely to see minutes.
The bench will be led by De’Andre Hunter, Bogdan Bogdanovic, and Garrison Matthews (as well as whoever is the backup center). Until the fourth quarter, Bogdanovic and Matthews were having a poor shooting night, but Bogdanovic nailed two big shots to keep the Hawks in the game. Combined, they shot 4-15 from three and it is tough for Atlanta to win when two of their best shooters shoot like that. Hunter bounced back from a pair of rough games and scored 17 points and hit four of his seven three-point attempts against the Jazz. The bench will have a huge role tonight in helping the Hawks to earn a victory.
How the Hawks are able to guard Durant might be the biggest mismatch in the game. Durant is close to unguardable, but the Hawks don’t really have a great option in the starting lineup and I would expect to see Hunter get a lot of minutes on him when he comes off the bench. Atlanta could not guard Lauri Markkanen on Tuesday due to his size and shooting combination and they could struggle with Durant for the same reason.
According to Fanduel Sportsbook, the Suns are 6.5 point favorites tonight and the total is set at 238.5.
This is going to be a tough matchup for the Hawks without Jalen Johnson. The Hawks struggle to replace his versatile skillset when he is out and that is going to be a problem tonight against Durant and the Suns. Phoenix is inconsistent and can lose on any given night, but I like them to squeak by the Hawks tonight.
Final Score: Suns 120, Hawks 115 (Hawks +6.5 and Under)
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Atlanta, GA
Atlantans prepare steep driveways for winter weather
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Winter weather on the horizon has people living in metro Atlanta with steep driveways preparing for ice.
Steep driveways are a common sight in Sandy Springs and there are solutions to not being stuck during the storm.
Amit Gambhir is one driver with a steep driveway. “It hasn’t been too bad. That we’ve seen. I know we’re thinking that could be the case in a couple of days,” said Gambhir.
“I want to say it was eight hours. I was one of the lucky ones it wasn’t overnight but it was a long time,” said Gambhir.
Gambhir doesn’t plan on being stuck in his car again.
“I do not plan to be out and about very much Thursday night through however long this lasts,” said Gambhir.
“If you do need to get out of your house and out of the neighborhood, probably Ice Melt, so you can get your car where it needs to go. So snow shovels or Ice Melt,” said Andy Jones, a manager and owner of Intown Ace Hardware.
Ice Melt is a chemical substance that melts snow and ice by lowering the freezing point of water.
“It essentially melts the ice and then that melted ice will run off your driveway so it won’t refreeze and you’re not slipping,” said Jones.
Salting driveways is another option.
“Go ahead and pull down to the street and park your car on the street the night before,” said Jones.
“I think we’re just going to hold steady here and play it safe,” said Jones.
Copyright 2025 WANF. All rights reserved.
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