🌱 Chick-fil-A Tries Plant-Based Meal + Task Force Receives $250K

Hey, friends. Lauren Kubiak here with your fresh copy of the Atlanta Patch newsletter, filled with all the community news you need to know right now. Including updates on:

• An Atlanta fast-food chain is testing the waters with a plant-based option.
• Significant people and locations impacted the civil rights movements in Atlanta.
• Fulton County approves $250,000 project for the Reparations Task Force.

But first, today's weather:

Cooler with a little rain. High: 57 Low: 46.

Shoutout to the awesome local business that keeps this newsletter running:

Looking to buy or sell a home in the Atlanta area? The Betsy Meagher Team is a mother-daughter Realtor duo with over 20 years of experience in all areas of Metro Atlanta. With 20+ closings in 2022 and counting, Betsy & Mary Corder have a strong pulse on the rapidly changing Atlanta market. Click here to visit Betsy’s website and learn more.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. Chick-fil-A is jumping on the plant-based bandwagon with its cauliflower sandwich. The Atlanta chain announced on Thursday it would test out its first plant-based option in Denver, Charleston, SC, and Greensboro, NC restaurants beginning Feb. 13. The cauliflower steak is marinated, breaded, pressure-cooked, and served on a bun with two pickle slices. (WSB Atlanta)
2. Atlanta is rich with African-American history, and Martin Luther King Jr. is arguably one of the most significant figures to emerge from Georgia’s Capital City. However, Atlanta is home to several figures and locations that also shaped the city. Visit the link to read about the historical figures and places impacting the civil rights movement in Atlanta. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
3. Following Martin Luther King Jr. Day at the end of January, the Fulton County Commission voted to approve $250,000 in funding for the Reparations Task Force. The task force was created about two years ago to investigate and offer commissioners recommendations for reparations to the county’s Black residents for the sins of slavery. The funding will go toward a study where officials search thousands of historical documents to establish whether the county owes its Black residents property or other restitutions. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
4. The American Transportation Research Institute released a 2023 study on the country's worst traffic bottlenecks – metro Atlanta has six in the top 20. The institute used data from trucking GPS, which found Atlanta has nine of the 100 worst spots. Spaghetti Junction came in No. 4, and I-20 at I-285 on the Westside ranked No. 5. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
5. Are you looking to fill your social calendar this weekend? Check out the list of events happening in and around Atlanta this weekend, including Valentine's Day and Super Bowl-themed activities at the link! (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal Constitution)

Today in Atlanta:

• Luxury Valentine’s Dining Experience At Brassica At Waldorf Astoria Atlanta Buckhead (5:00 PM)
• 2023 Oscar Micheaux Film Series At New Black Wall Street Market (6:00 PM)
• Sips Under The Sea At Georgia Aquarium (7:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Did you miss Bruce Springsteen's performance at State Farm Arena last week? You can see the performance captured in photos at the link! (Gwinnettdailypost.com)
• Did you know Kanye West's father was once an Atlanta photographer? Ray West made history in Atlanta, being one of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution's first Black photojournalists in the '70s and '80s. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
• 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)

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Featured businesses:

• Colony Roofers — (Visit website)
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Featured events:

• Warehouse Sale! (February 11)
• 3hr Salsa Boot Camp Atlanta @ HDC Dance & Fitness Center Sat Feb 11, 2023 (February 11)
• Ladies Night: A Salute to Women in Music (February 11)
• Pre Valentines Day Noche Caliente Latin Night @ Tonys Johns Creek Sat Feb 11, 2023 (February 11)
• Havana Nights Atlanta Valentines Day - Dance lesson, 3 course Dinner, & Latin dancing Tues Feb 14th (February 14)
• The Mountaintop about MLK Last night Feb 17-26 at Marietta Theatre In The Square (February 17)
• Anna Razumovskaya Artist Show (February 18)
• Xernona Clayton Statue Unveilng on International Women's Day March 8 (March 8)
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Other featured classifieds:

• Looking to Rent A Warehouse for 2 weeks Atlanta (Details)
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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Friday! I'll see you around.

— 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.