🌱 Midtown HS Student Shot + Zoo Atlanta Closing Early Again For Heat

Hello again, everybody! It's Thursday in Atlanta and I'm back in your inbox with everything you need to know about what's happening in the community today.

First, today's weather:

Partly sunny and very warm. High: 93 Low: 73.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. An Atlanta high school student was shot and killed Tuesday night. According to authorities, the 15-year-old victim was a student at Midtown High School. The shooting happened close to midnight at College Park in Clayton County. A suspect has not been named and the investigation is ongoing. (Atlanta Patch)
2. The Zoo Atlanta will once again be closing early today due to "extremely high" heat. Yesterday, the zoo also closed early. The final entry for today will be the 12:30 p.m. to 1 p.m. time slot and guests are encouraged to head to the zoo early. The grounds will close at 2:30 p.m. Normal hours are to resume on Friday. (Atlanta Patch)
3. Are you a pimento cheese lover? There are 15 featured pimento cheese dishes in the Atlanta area you can try. From Twisted Soul Cookhouse & Pours serving a sweet tea barbecue brisket pimento cheese melt to Swan Coach House's pimento cheese fritters served with smoked bacon jam, you're sure to find a dish that will tingle your tastebuds! (Eater-Atlanta)
4. The murder conviction of an Atlanta father who left his 22-month-old son in a hot car, leading to the child's death, was overturned by the Georgia Supreme Court. In June 2014, Justin Ross Harris, 41, left his son, Cooper, in the car while he went to his job at Home Depot. Cooper was found seven hours later with the temperatures reaching the 80s that day. Harris claimed it was an accident and blamed sleep deprivation. The court ruled that details of Harris' extramarital affairs should not have been brought up in the original trial and that evidence that Harris maliciously left his son to die was "lacking." (CBS 46)
5. Early yesterday afternoon, the temperatures are already in the mid-90s across Metro Atlanta with plenty of sun. Temperatures were forecasted to peak in the upper 90s and lower 100s in many communities between 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. A Heat Advisory and Code Orange air quality alert were both in effect until early evening. Today, expect humidity to increase, making the air feel even hotter than yesterday. Stay cool, hydrated, and in the shade if possible. (CBS 46)

Today in Atlanta:

• Managa Dance-Cafe' At Little Five Points Center for Arts and Community (8:30 AM)
• Chalk the Parking Lot At Gresham Library (1:00 PM)
• June 2022 WBE Orientation Greater Women's Business Council (Virtual) (1:30 PM)
• Emory Community Health Night At Little Five Points Center for Arts and Community (4:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Check out new Art on the Atlanta BeltLine on the Southside Trail! The BeltLine featured "A Sweeter Breath" from artists Andrew Catanese, Eddie Farr, and S. Shayne. See it at the link. (Atlanta BeltLine via Facebook)
• Mayor Andre Dickens’ people-first budget – his first since taking office – was unanimously approved by City Council Tuesday. The FY 2023 general fund budget is the largest in the City’s history. View the full press release for highlights here. (City of Atlanta Government via Facebook)
• Atlanta Humane Society is in its FINAL WEEK of Atlanta's Cutest Pet Contest and the competition is heating up! Over 200 of the city's finest animals are in the running for fabulous prizes, a chance to be featured in our 2023 calendar, and most importantly, bragging rights! Vote for your favorite pet here. (Atlanta Humane Society via Facebook)

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Events:

• Bytes & Brews (2022 Series) (June 24)
• UMFF SpeedCollab: Networking for Content Creators in Film, TV, Streaming (June 26)
• Add your event

Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Thursday! See you 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.