🌱 Mother Named Suspect In 7-Year-Old's Death + Porsche HQ Expanding

Hey, neighbors! It's Wednesday in Atlanta and I'm back in your inbox to get you caught up on all the most important things happening locally.I'll get right to it.

First, today's weather:

Mostly sunny. High: 89 Low: 66.

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Here are the top five stories today in Atlanta:

1. New details have emerged regarding the fatal shooting of seven-year-old Ava Phillips at a family gathering on Saturday at the Camden Vantage Apartments. The Atlanta police identified two suspects in the shooting: Deshon Collins, 23, and Kemeka Springfield, 44 – the victim's mother. As of Tuesday afternoon, Collins was still at large while Springfield was in custody and facing charges of aggravated assault and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony. (The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
2. A fatal crash yesterday at the on-ramp to I-75/I-85 in Atlanta caused delays for morning commuters. Police say a male driver in his 20s or 30s lost control of his vehicle, due to speed, and struck a tree. The driver died at the scene and his identity was not made public as of Tuesday afternoon. (CBS 46 News)
3. Porsche is growing its headquarters and track complex near the Atlanta airport in a $50 million expansion project. The plans include enough solar panels to power 191 homes which will offset emissions of 3.6 million miles of driving. The solar panels will be installed next year and Porsche will buy the energy from Cherry Street Energy – the same company powering the City of Atlanta. (GlobalAtlanta)
4. Atlanta nonprofit Lasagna Love is looking for chef volunteers to continue helping families. The nonprofit began allowing families in need to request a free meal through its website at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lasagna Love partners with local chef volunteers to make the free meals happen but has seen a decrease in volunteers and currently has 500 outstanding meal requests. (11Alive.com WXIA)
5. Atlanta native Leonte Benton has recently become one of the youngest Black men in the United States to lead a commercial real estate firm. The 38-year-old has been named president of Atlanta-based T. Dallas Smith and Co. – one of the largest Black-owned commercial real estate firms in the country. Benton got his start with the company more than 15 years ago as an intern. (WABE 90.1 FM)

Today in Atlanta:

• Storybook Time At Atlanta Botanical Garden (10:00 AM)
• Tour A Fire Station At Atlanta Fire Rescue Station 1 (11:00 AM)
• Dirty South Trivia At Monday Night Garage (7:00 PM)
• Jamie And The Guarded Heart At Smith's Olde Bar (7:00 PM)
• Chrissy Metz At City Winery Atlanta (8:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Atlanta Police Department has sadly announced the passing of their 18-year-old Percheron/Thoroughbred cross-mounted patrol horse, Hercules. The horse passed away last Friday after being rushed into emergency surgery. (City of Atlanta Police Department via Facebook)
• Looking for a female orange tabby cat? You're in luck – the Atlanta Human Society shelters have seen an influx of these cats recently! (Atlanta Humane Society via Facebook)
• As a reminder, you must leash your dog in non-designated parks/green spaces in Atlanta. You could be fined up to $1,000 for not following the city ordinance! (Atlanta Department of Watershed Management 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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Thanks for following along and staying informed! I'll see you back in your inbox tomorrow morning with your next 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.