🌱 ATL Students Ill After Drinking Liquid + Atlanta Water Efficient

Hi all. I'm back in your inbox this morning to walk you through all the most important things happening in Atlanta these days. Today's briefing includes:

• Students fall ill after ingesting foreign liquid at metro Atlanta school
• Wealthy Atlanta neighborhood looks to secede from the city
• Atlanta residents top the nation in water efficiency

But first, today's weather:

Some rain and a t-storm. High: 75 Low: 49.

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Here are the top five stories today in Atlanta:

1. Several third-grade students at Hollis Innovation Academy in metro Atlanta became sick after drinking a "foreign liquid." Nine students complained of stomach pains, dizziness, and nausea, with two being taken to the hospital. The school is investigating the incident along with Atlanta Public Schools Police and is urging anyone with information to come forward. (Atlanta Patch)
2. Residents of the predominantly white and affluent neighborhood of Buckhead in Atlanta are moving closer to forming Buckhead City, citing concerns about crime and lack of municipal services. The movement gained momentum after a spike in crime during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, opponents say the plan wouldn't stop criminals from coming to the area and could make crime worse by weakening the remaining parts of Atlanta. (WJBF-TV)
3. According to data from Flume Data Labs, residents in metro Atlanta use the least amount of indoor water per day among the 15 largest metro areas in the United States. The average usage of indoor water in metro Atlanta is 36 gallons per day, which is lower than any other monitored metro area. The efficiency is attributed to the Water Stewardship Act in 2010, which improved plumbing codes and clarified how to respond to drought. However, while outdoor water use in the area is not the most efficient, residents are the third-lowest among the 15 metro areas monitored. (GPB News)
4. A family who lost their home in a 2020 explosion in Dunwoody caused by a gas leak says they have received no compensation or accountability from the utility companies involved. The Itow family and their neighbor, Sybil Williams, had to replace everything they owned out of pocket, and they feel that nobody cares. Although a preliminary report from the Georgia Public Service Commission found Atlanta Gas Light and Payne Drilling responsible for the explosion, the family has received no financial compensation from the utility company. (11Alive.com WXIA)
5. Georgia State University has won the Paul Simon Award for Campus Internationalization, granted by NAFSA: Association of International Educators, for its efforts to integrate global dimensions into the academic curriculum and student life. The award recognizes the university's commitment to accessible global experiences, including its free passport program, scholarship fund, and virtual exchange program, which enabled more than 1,300 students to participate in fall 2022. Georgia State also hosted and supported over 4,000 international students from 150 countries in 2022. (GlobalAtlanta)

Coming up in Atlanta:

Thursday, March 3

• Kim’s Convenience At Horizon Theatre Company (8:00 PM)
• Stand Up Comedy At The Clay! Hosted By Yoshee At Red Clay Music Foundry in Duluth (8:00 PM)

Sunday, March 5

• Marriage And Mimosas At The Starling (11:00 AM)

From my notebook:

• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Atlanta area at the link! (Atlanta Patch)
• Chef Bella Jones is opening a new Atlanta restaurant "Liz and Leon's" this fall, which aims to showcase African American cuisine, and soul food, in a beautiful and appealing way. (Eater Atlanta)
• The annual 5K walk and fun run event Hunger Walk Run is coming back to Atlanta on Mar. 12! The event aims to raise awareness and critical funds for local hunger relief. The event, which is celebrating its 39th anniversary this year, is organized by the Atlanta Community Food Bank and has raised over $12.5 million in its 38-year history to provide over 50 million meals. This year's 5k is a hybrid, with participants having the option to walk or run in person or virtually. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

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• Online Event about our services in the Atlanta area (March 4)
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That's it for today. I'll catch up with you soon with another update!

— Lauren Kubiak

About me: Lauren is a freelance copywriter for content creation agency Lightning Media Partners. She graduated from Rowan University with a Bachelor’s Degree in journalism. She is a full-time editor at an association management firm, editing peer-reviewed nursing journals, textbooks, and newsletters.