🌱 Heavy Thanksgiving Traffic + Monkeypox Rising in Atlanta

Hello, friends! I'm back with your fresh edition of the Atlanta Daily. Here's all the local news you need to know right now, including...

• Thanksgiving Day travel is expected to be the highest in three years, leading to traffic congestion in metro areas.
• Atlanta is a hotspot for Monkeypox, according to recent data.
• A new social media trend challenges people to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles.

But first, today's weather:

Sunny to partly cloudy. High: 52 Low: 34.

Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. According to AAA, Thanksgiving travel is expected to cause severe congestion in metro areas, with as many as 49 million Americans traveling by car. To avoid heavy holiday traffic in Atlanta, it’s recommended to leave early Wednesday morning or before 11:00 a.m. Thanksgiving Day, and avoid traveling between 4:00 p.m. and 8:00 p.m. on Friday through Sunday. (Atlanta Patch)
2. Georgia ranks third in the country for monkeypox cases per 100,000 residents, and Atlanta is the hotspot with over 60 percent of the state's confirmed cases. The District of Columbia and New York are the top two states with confirmed cases. While 4,200 residents received their first dose of the vaccine, they failed to receive their second dose to build immunization, experts say. (GPB News)
3. The Atlanta Police Department is trying to combat a new social media trend that challenges people to steal Kia and Hyundai vehicles. Officials say thieves break into victims' cars, smash the steering column, and use a computer part to start the engine. About 700 Kias and Hyundais have been stolen since the challenge began in the summer. (WSB Radio)
4. A man in his 30s was shot at his home in northwest Atlanta. Officials believe the shooting occurred after an altercation took place. As of Friday, the man is in stable condition at the hospital; however, he reportedly refuses to cooperate with the police. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
5. Atlanta police are offering a $2,000 reward for new information that leads to the arrest of suspects involved in a shooting at a Pittsburgh apartment complex. A video was released that shows three people with masks and guns leaving the complex. (FOX 5 Atlanta)

Today in Atlanta:

• Public Safety 5K Run/Walk At The Battery Atlanta (8:30 AM)
• Atlanta Bourbon Festival At Guardian Works (2:00 PM)
• A Christmas Carol At Alliance Theatre (2:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• Vipul Singh snapped a breathtaking picture of the orange crescent moon earlier this week. Check it out on Atlanta's Instagram at the link! (Atlanta via Instagram)
• A new adult day center opened in Sandy Springs and takes you back a few decades. Town Square is the first in the state to allow older adults to receive experiential and cognitive care in a 1950s-themed setting. (Reporter Newspapers + Atlanta Intown)
• It's the most wonderful time of the year — for holiday bars! See Atlanta's pop-up bars for the season at the link. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

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Events:

• Author Jimmy Broccoli - "Rabbits" Book Launch at the Bell Tower Boutique (November 19)
• Salsa ATL Dinner & Latin Night @ Tony's John's Creek Sat Nov 19, 2022 (November 19)
• Sunday Live! A Jazz Experience (November 20)
• Skeleton Crew by Dominique Morisseau (November 20)
• Online webinar with our specialist on the roofing contractor in Atlanta (December 1)
• Jazz at the Ballroom Presents "HOLIDAY IN" (December 17)
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You're officially in the loop 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.