🌱 High-Rise Building Fire Contained + City's Unemployment Rates Down

Welcome back, Atlanta! I'm here in your inbox today to get you caught up on everything you need to know about what's going on around town. Hope you all have a great day. Keep scrolling for the scoop...

First, today's weather:

Plenty of sunshine. High: 90 Low: 71.

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Here are the top five stories in Atlanta today:

1. A fire that broke out yesterday at a building in downtown Atlanta was contained the same afternoon it began. The smoke was visible for miles from the high-rise building at the intersection of Ted Turner and Luckie streets. The building was under construction and officials say a rubber membrane caught fire on the roof. (WSB Atlanta)
2. The Atlanta Mayor has announced he will be appointing Chandra Farley as the city's first-ever chief sustainability officer. Farley's new role will begin on Sept. 29 and will place her in Mayor Andre Dickens' Cabinet. The chief sustainability officer role will have the responsibility o f assessing the city's sustainability plans, goals, and programs. (The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)
3. The unemployment rate in Atlanta dropped in July compared to the four percent rate of unemployment it was at the same time last year. As reported by Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler, the unemployment rate was 2.8 percent this past July. In total, the number of unemployed persons in the city has dropped by 37,327 in a year. (Reporter Newspapers)
4. Clemon Walker, 35, has been identified as the man fatally shot near Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway yesterday morning. Police believe the shooting near a local auto repair shop was a homicide. No details on a suspect or a motive for the shooting had been released as of Wednesday afternoon. (Atlanta Patch)
5. The Fulton County Board of Health has reported success in their monkeypox virus outbreak efforts to support the African American community. The county hosted free vaccination sites weekly, posted QR codes to vaccination slots at bars, and expanded clinic hours in its efforts. About 79% of county residents that contracted monkeypox were African American. (Reporter Newspapers)

Today in Atlanta:

• National Gyro Day Celebration At Grecian Gyro (11:00 AM)
• Inquiring Minds: Bob Thompson At High Museum of Art (1:00 PM)
• Candlelight: A Tribute to Beyoncé At Magnolia Hall (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Atlanta Falcons have officially narrowed down their roster to 53 men. Check out the full roster heading into the 2022 football season at the link. (Atlanta Falcons via Instagram)
• Good news for local drivers: Over 6,000 potholes have been repaired in Atlanta since January! You can report a pothole that needs some attention here. (City of Atlanta Government via Facebook)
• Share your thoughts with Atlanta Public Schools – take the Community Service Survey by following the link. (Atlanta Public Schools via Facebook)

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Events:

• Mini City Fall School Event (September 1)
• White Luna Labor Day weekend Dinner & Latin Night ATL Sat Sept 3, 2022 (September 3)
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You're all caught up for today! See you all tomorrow morning for 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.