🌱 GA Adds 17K Jobs, Low Unemployment Rates + CDC Director Threats

Good morning, neighbors! Lauren Kubiak here with your fresh copy of the Atlanta Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out everything that's fit to print about what's happening in town these days, including updates on:

• Georgia has an all-time high job availability with low unemployment
• Mississippi man threatened two Atlanta CDC directors regarding the COVID-19 vaccine
• Local university receives a $100,000 grant from Macy's

But first, today's weather:

Cold; breezy in the afternoon. High: 50 Low: 30.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. According to the Georgia Department of Labor, the state's job numbers have reached an all-time high with almost 17,000 jobs added compared to December. Georgia's unemployment rate was unchanged at 3.1 percent in January, compared to the national average of 3.4 percent. Several sectors, including private education and health services, leisure and hospitality, and financial activities, saw job growth. (WSB Atlanta)
2. Robert Wiser Bates from Mississippi was sentenced to two years in prison for threatening Center for Disease Control and Prevention Atlanta Director Rochelle Walensky and Dr. Anthony Facui, the director of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Disease at the National Institutes of Health. In July 2021, Bates left several voicemails for Walensky that were determined to be threats, and investigators found that he had made similar threats towards Dr. Facui. Bates made these threats because he was angry with the COVID-19 vaccination program. (WSB Atlanta)
3. Clark Atlanta University's (CAU) Art and Fashion Department has received a $100,000 grant from Macy's Future of Style Fund after a family on a university tour provided a connection. Macy's Future of Style Fund provides scholarships and programming support to students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities in support of Macy's social purpose platform, Mission Every One. According to BJ Arnett, associate professor and interim chair of the Art and Fashion Department at CAU, the grant was an unexpected opportunity for the department and students. (The Atlanta Voice)
4. The City of East Point, in partnership with Food Well Alliance and CompostNow, is launching a two-year pilot program that allows residents to compost their food waste and turn it into soil for local farmers. Families can drop off food waste at four locations throughout the city instead of sending it to landfills. The compost will first be offered to BIPOC farmers as a way to reconcile the history of agriculture, but it will ultimately be available to the entire community. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
5. Residents at Bentley Ridge Condominiums in nearby Marietta have been unable to drive up to their homes for four days due to a sinkhole that has formed in the road. The Homeowner's Association said engineers would be sent to evaluate the sinkhole and determine the best solution. In the meantime, residents have been using an alternate route and assisting each other until the road is back open. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Today in Atlanta:

• Pi Day 5K (Virtual) At Anywhere (9:00 AM)
• Fit For A King At The Masquerade (7:00 PM)
• Tickle Me Tuesdays Comedy Show At The Tavern @ Lounge And Sports Bar (8:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Are you looking to fill your social calendar this week? Check out the list of events happening in and around Atlanta this week at the link! (Atlanta Magazine)
• New homes have been listed for sale in the Atlanta area! Get all the property details at the link. (Atlanta Patch)
• Aquil Muhammad, a former Delta Airlines ticketing specialist, pleaded guilty to a charge of conspiracy to commit wire fraud for issuing fraudulently issued Delta Airlines tickets without compensation going to the airline. Muhammad made fake transportation credit vouchers and Delta travel vouchers to cover the required taxes from late 2016 through December 2017. (WSB Atlanta)

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Featured events:

• Homebuyer Blueprint Live Webinar (March 16)
• March into Summer Party! (March 18)
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• Gent's Lunch - A Benefit for the High Museum Wine Auction (March 22)
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Thanks for following along and staying informed! See you all tomorrow morning for another update.

— Lauren Kubiak

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