🌱 GSU Brain Researcher Granted $3 Million + Four Car Thieves Arrested

Hello, neighbors! It's Saturday in Atlanta and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on the most important things happening in town. In today's issue, we'll cover these stories and more:

• A brain researcher at Georgia State University received a $3.6 million grant.
• Four suspects were arrested for stealing a vehicle and attempting to break into an officer's car.
• A 22-year-old man was arrested for stealing a vehicle with an older woman in it.

But first, today's weather:

Rather cloudy. High: 62 Low: 50.

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Here are the top five stories today in and around Atlanta:

1. The National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health awarded a $3.6 million grant to brain researcher Tricia King at Georgia State University. The five-year grant will be used to improve treatment outcomes for patients with different types of brain cancer. King and her colleagues will also study the impacts of patients' genetics on their outcomes. (WSB Radio)
2. Four people were arrested for breaking into cars Thursday night in Atlanta. The group, including two children, allegedly stole a vehicle, used it for other crimes, and then tried to break into an off-duty police officer's vehicle Friday morning. Police said the suspects tried escaping in a red car but later crashed. (Atlanta Patch)
3. According to Clayton County Police, a 22-year-old man was arrested for stealing a car and kidnapping the 86-year-old woman sitting in it. Taron Williams is suspected of kidnapping and felony theft for taking a motor vehicle. The incident happened in the metro Atlanta city of Jonesboro, and the grandmother was found hours later at a restaurant on Howell Mill Road. (Atlanta Patch)
4. A state senator wants to ban the social media platform TikTok across Georgia, saying it is malware produced by China. Jason Anavitarte of Paulding County voiced his concerns on Facebook and has already created an executive order to ban the app on all state-owned devices. (WSB Atlanta)
5. All lanes on I-285 were closed yesterday after a tractor-trailer overturned and a car went up the median wall. The accident happened past Georgia 400, and it is unknown if there were injuries. All lanes of traffic opened a few hours later. (11Alive.com WXIA)

Today in and around Atlanta:

• Take & Make Winter Holiday Card At Flat Shoals Library, Decatur (10:00 AM)
• Santa's Cup-N-Hand Kickball Tournament At Blackburn Park, Brookhaven (10:00 AM)
• Cirque du Soleil: KURIOS – Cabinet of Curiosities At Atlantic Station (4:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Animal shelters in the Metro Atlanta area face the same issue: overcrowding. PAWS Atlanta is one of the shelters experiencing the growing trend and had a total of 158 animals dropped off at the facility this year. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
• Holiday make-and-take craft workshops can also create memories with family and loved ones. See all of the workshops in Atlanta at the link! (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal- Constitution)
• Mayor Andre Dickens plans to create a new city department to expand resources for employment, training, and fair labor practices. (City of Atlanta Government via Facebook)

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You're officially in the loop for today. I'll see you soon!

— 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.