🌱 Chick-fil-A Donating $100,000 + APS Adds 30 Minutes To School Day

Hello again, friends! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Daily. Here's all the local news you need to know right now, including...

• An Atlanta Chick-fil-A is donating $100,000 to a program at the Children's Healthcare of Atlanta.
• Public schools in Atlanta are adding 30 minutes to the school day.
• A metro Atlanta athletic director received the prestigious Hidden Heroes award.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler with clouds and sun. High: 51 Low: 43.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. An Atlanta Chick-fil-A is donating $100,000 to the Kids at Heart program this week. The donation will fully fund the program for 2023. The program is offered at the Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, where families can spend time with other families going through similar experiences. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
2. The Atlanta Public School system is increasing the school day by 30 minutes due to setbacks from the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools can choose how they want to focus the time extra time. Scott Elementary School, for example, calls the added time W.I.N. for "What I Need," so each student can focus on the areas they need to catch up. (11Alive.com WXIA)
3. The athletic director at nearby Druid Hills High School received statewide recognition for her devotion to building competitive athletic programs. Henrietta George, or "Coach George," has worked at the high school for nearly 20 years and was honored with the Hidden Heroes contest, sponsored by Georgia Leadership Institute for School Improvement. (DeKalb County School District)
4. Non-alcoholic beverage options are becoming more popular in the city. Poncey-Highland is now home to Atlanta's first-ever bottle shop, which sells non-alcoholic wines, beers, and spirits. The Zero Co. is a partnership between Elemental Spirits Co. and Zero Proof and offers in-store and online purchases. (Eater Atlanta)
5. A 16-vehicle crash on northbound I-285 involving a semi-truck caused five people, including a 3-year-old, to go to the hospital with critical injuries. The identities of the victims have not been released. The accident occurred between Washington Road and Camp Creek Parkway yesterday morning. (WSB Atlanta)

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Today in and around Atlanta:

• Garden Lights, Holiday Nights At Atlanta Botanical Garden (5:00 PM)
• City Council Zoning Public Hearing At City Of South Fulton (6:00 PM)
• Santa After Hours At Rolecall Theater (10:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Down the road from Atlanta, Decatur Square hosted its annual SantaCon on Saturday, where adults dressed in their best holiday get-up and enjoyed seasonal cocktails and treats. See photos from the event at the link! (Decaturish.com)
• Council member Michael J. Bond continued his holiday tradition by dressing up as St. Nick and handing out gifts during The Jabez Project Christmas Party. (Atlanta City Council via Facebook)
• MARTA is searching for bus operators and bus technicians. Visit the link to see complete requirements and more information about job openings. (MARTA via Facebook)

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Alrighty, you're all good for today! I'll catch up with you bright and early tomorrow morning with 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.