🌱 CEO Arrested For Theft + Holiday Traffic: What To Expect

Hello all. I'm back with your fresh edition of the Atlanta Daily. Here's everything you need to know about what's happening these days in town, including:

• The CEO of a high-end home-building company was arrested for stealing from his clients.
• Holiday traffic is here again, with the busiest travel day expected to be Jan. 2.
• A police chase ended in an accident and vehicle fire.

But first, today's weather:

Mostly cloudy. High: 49 Low: 29.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. The CEO of Muffley Homes, a high-end luxury home builder, was arrested after his clients took him to court for theft. One Atlanta couple said they hired the builder in 2020, and their bank account was completely drained by the time they ended their contract with the company. Delays and shortages due to the pandemic were the first excuses; according to the clients’ attorney, the couple found out more than $181,000 for vendors wasn't always used for their job – the money was taken from their account and used for another job. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
2. The end-of-year holiday is fast approaching; now is the best time to plan for heavy traffic delays. The American Automobile Association (AAA) is estimating that over 112 million motorists will be traveling at least 50 miles between Friday, Dec. 23 and Monday, Jan. 2. According to AAA, the peak travel time in Atlanta will be 5:15 p.m. to 6:15 p.m. on Jan. 2 on I-75 northbound and GA-17 to I-675. (Atlanta Patch)
3. Georgia State Patrol officers were chasing a vehicle when it crashed and burst into flames, leaving two people critically injured. Officers were patrolling when a car passed, speeding at 120 mph. Troopers turned on sirens and began following the vehicle, but the suspect sped off and tried getting onto I-85 south when he lost control of the vehicle, hitting a pole and then a tree. The driver faces charges of felony fleeing, reckless driving, failure to maintain lane, headlight violations, and speeding. (WSB Atlanta)
4. After three years, Atlanta will continue its annual New Year's Eve festivities at the iconic Peach Drop event. Mayor Andre Dickens will host the free event, which typically draws 65,000 to 100,000 people. Performers So So Def Jermaine Dupri & Friends, Da Brat, and Jagged Edge will ring in 2023. (11Alive.com WXIA)
5. Atlanta offers plenty of holiday-themed activities on the last weekend before Christmas. From a "food truck court" grand opening to ugly-sweater bar crawls, this weekend's events offer an array of choices for avid foodies and Christmas-lovers. (11Alive.com WXIA)

Today in and around Atlanta:

• Holiday Juggling Show At Aurora Theatre (11:30 AM)
• 2nd Annual Ugly Sweater Crawl At Downtown Roswell, Roswell (2:00 PM)
• Uptown Brunch & Comedy Daytime Show At Uptown Comedy Corner (3:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Atlanta's eighth Shake Shack is opening this week in West Midtown. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• Are you in the market for a luxury apartment? Vibe at Echo Street West offers one- and two-bed apartments with a vibrant and comfortable atmosphere, and will begin taking tenants this January. (vibeatechostreetwest.com)
• Atlanta students are joining the fight against gun violence. See pictures from the rally this week at the link. (City of Atlanta Government via Facebook)
• The Department of Watershed Management launched an initiative to help single-family households with delinquent accounts. See details about the F.L.O.A.T. program at the link! (Atlanta Department of Watershed Management)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured businesses:

• Colony Roofers — (Visit website)
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Events:

• 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)
• Aura Reading & Chakra Balancing (December 17)
• Holidays on Stage and Screen (December 17)
• Ugly Christmas Sweater Latin Night Atlanta @ Tonys Johns Creek Dec 17th (December 17)
• Online webinar about our types of roofing in Atlanta, GA (January 1)
• Add your event

That's it 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.