🌱 APS Students Organize Gun Violence Rally + Atlanta Child Murder DNA

Good morning, everybody! I'm here with your Wednesday edition of the Atlanta Daily. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know about what's going on in town, including updates on...

• Students in Atlanta are coming together with authorities to fight gun violence.
• Four victims' families want all DNA released concerning the Atlanta Child Murder case.
• An Atlanta police officer is recovering well after being hit by a suspected drunk driver.

But first, today's weather:

A shower and thunderstorm. High: 54 Low: 49.

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Here are the top five stories today in Atlanta:

1. Law enforcement, city, and school officials aren't the only ones taking a stand against gun violence in Atlanta. Atlanta Public Schools students, with the help of the Atlanta Board of Education Advisory Council, are setting up a "Stand with Me Rally" on Dec. 15. The rally is a call to action, and a cry for help, from students in the wake of the shooting involving Zyion Charles, 12, and Cameron Jackson, 15. Three teens were arrested for the murders. The rally is being held at 130 Trinity Avenue at the intersection of Trinity and Central avenues at 6:30 p.m. (Reporter Newspapers + Atlanta Intown)
2. Families of victims in the Atlanta Child Murders case, a crime spree that took the lives of 29 Black children from 1971 to 1981, are asking all DNA be released concerning the case. Wayne Williams was charged with the murders; however, his guilt is still widely debated by the public. (11Alive.com WXIA)
3. Atlanta Police Officer Robert "Bobby" Golden was reportedly hurt last week when a drunk driver hit him. Golden and another officer were responding to a domestic violence call at a gas station on Jonesboro Road when the suspect ran away toward a busy street. The suspect and Golden were both hit in the incident. According to officials, Officer Golden has been recovering well in the hospital. (11Alive.com WXIA)
4. Young Thug, an Atlanta rapper, is facing new charges in jail and awaiting his trial date. A grand jury added four more charges last week, including street racing, reckless driving, and speeding. The charges are from an incident of speeding that happened in May 2021. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
5. Five-time Grammy Award-winning Janet Jackson announced her ninth tour, "Together Again," after a four-year hiatus. The tour will celebrate Jackson's 50 years in the entertainment industry and will begin in spring 2023 with a stop in Atlanta at the end of April. (WSB Atlanta)

Today in Atlanta:

• Annual Holiday Artist Market At Spruill Center For The Arts (10:00 AM)
• Cozy Winter Crafts At DeKalb County Public Library (3:30 PM)
• Taste Urban At The Foundry At Puritan Mill (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• LawnStarter ranked Atlanta as one of the most festive cities in 2022! The city came in 26th on a list of the 200 largest cities. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
• An Atlanta Regional Commission report found birth rates are slowing in the metro Atlanta area. The decrease is partly due to the region aging, with the percentage of women in childbearing ages (20 to 34) dropped 14 percent since 2000. (Atlanta Regional Commission)
• Five new homes have been listed for sale in the Atlanta area. Available properties range from an 1,400 square-foot, six-bed, two-bath home for $134,999 to a $1.6 million home with five beds, five baths, and 3,558 square feet. Get all the property details in Patch's latest real estate roundup. (Atlanta Patch)

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Events:

• Food Giveaway (December 17)
• Procrastinator's Pop Up: local artisan market (December 17)
• A Taste of Christmas in the Arab World Artist & Artisan Bazaar (December 17)
• 3hr Bachata Class @ Ballroom Impact + Evening Latin Night @ Tony Johns Creek Dec 17th (December 17)
• Holidays on Stage and Screen (December 17)
• Ugly Christmas Sweater Latin Night Atlanta @ Tonys Johns Creek Dec 17th (December 17)
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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you around!

— 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.