🌱 2,000 Poll Workers To Be Hired + $100 Million Awarded To Panhandler

Hi there, Atlanta! I'm here in your inbox per usual to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Because community information is power!

First, today's weather:

A thunderstorm in the p.m.. High: 90 Low: 72.

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Here are the top five stories today in Atlanta:

1. The Metro Atlanta Chamber is asking companies to help promote the role of a poll worker prior to early voting. The hope is to bring in a new generation of poll workers as the average age in 2020 was over 70 years old. Specifically, Fulton County is looking to hire about 2,000 workers who fit the eligibility criteria: a Georgia resident and 16 years of age or older. (CBS 46 News)
2. The Interlock – Atlanta's destination in West Midtown for 'working, playing, and staying' – has added new tenants while undergoing phase two of its construction process. Starbucks, Kurt Revolving Sushi Bar, Salon Lofts, and Five Guys have signed leases at The Interlock, with the expectation to open in 2024. A 42,000 sq. ft. Publix grocery store, 670 Georgia Tech student housing rooms, and commercial space are also part of the phase two construction. (Reporter Newspapers)
3. A panhandler has been awarded $100 million after an Atlanta federal jury found that a police officer had used unreasonable force against him. Jerry Blasingame, 65, was asking drivers for money in July of 2018 when Atlanta police officer Jon Grubbs shocked him with a stun gun during a foot chase. As a result of the shock, Blasingame fell and broke his neck, and now needs round-the-clock care. (WABE 90.1 FM)
4. Data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has been compiled to compare the highest and lowest paying education jobs in the Atlanta area. Stacker's compilation revealed short-term substitute teachers are paid the least with an annual average salary of $24,810 – more than $10,000 less than the national average. Postsecondary law teachers came in as the highest paying with an average salary of $152,750. (Northwest Georgia News)
5. Metro Atlanta residents protested on Sunday to demand a gas station be shut down that has been the center of crime for years. The Adamsville homeowners gathered at the Citgo gas station on Martin Luther King Jr. Drive to speak out against the constant crime. Resident Ricky Brown said, "You've got crime, you've got prostitution, you've got drug sales on this property. You've got shootings and killings and murders. It's all types of crime going on in this property." (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Today in Atlanta:

• Liquid I.V.’s Hydrate ‘N’ Play At Ponce City Market (11:00 AM)
• The Heat Effect Conversation At Farm Burger Midtown Atlanta (5:30 PM)
• Tequila Tasting Party At TWO Urban Licks (6:00 PM)
• Sweat & Sip In The Sky At Epicurean Atlanta (6:00 PM)
• Shack Track & Field Community Run At Shake Shack Piedmont Park (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Today is International Whale Shark Day! Celebrate by seeing the magnificent creatures at the Georgia Aquarium – the only aquarium in the Western Hemisphere to care for these gentle giants! (Georgia Aquarium)
• Are you looking for a new job? Check out the list at the link of companies hiring in the Atlanta area. (Atlanta Patch)
• Get in the know: The Department of City Planning is holding three meetings to discuss the Zoning Ordinance Rewrite; ATL Zoning 2.0. Find meeting dates and more information here. (Atlanta Department of Watershed Management via Facebook)

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Events:

• Free Zoom meeting about roof replacement near Atlanta, GA (August 31)
• Mini City Fall School Event (September 1)
• 2022 Purple Pansies Annual Gala Pillars of Hope Presented by Kroger (September 18)
• Add your event

That's it for today! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a senior writer with content creation agency Lightning Media Partners and assists Patch.com with community newsletter curation. Danielle also holds a Master’s Degree in Communication Sciences and Disorders and works part-time as a pediatric speech therapist.