🌱 New Community Center To Address Gun Violence + Alyssa's Law Pilot

Hello all. It's me, Lauren Kubiak, your host of the Atlanta Patch newsletter. Let's get this day started off right with a quick guide to the most important things happening these days in town, including updates on:

• New Atlanta community center addresses gun violence
• Metro Atlanta schools pilot mobile panic alert system
• Nationwide campaign to find missing person since 1978

But first, today's weather:

Showers around; not as warm. High: 66 Low: 52.

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Here are the top five stories today in Atlanta:

1. A new community center called the Reverend Timothy McDonald III Community Outreach Center is set to open in Atlanta to address gun violence. The center, located in East Atlanta Village, will house 12 nonprofits focused on violence prevention, grief counseling, and mental wellness under one roof. The initiative was created by Black Push CEO Shaun Smith, who wants to take a community-based approach to gun violence rather than relying solely on government intervention. (11Alive.com WXIA)
2. Georgia schools are testing a mobile panic alert system called "Alyssa's Law," which can alert first responders in case of emergencies, and it's being piloted in several metro Atlanta school districts. The Centegix CrisisAlert program, which is part of the system, uses badges worn by staff to signal different types of emergencies to the district police department, including a full school lockdown, while also pinpointing the location where the alert is activated, and it's already in use in some schools in the state. The technology is considered a time-saving upgrade to current systems, requiring less time and quicker emergency response. (11Alive.com WXIA)
3. Gas station screens across the United States will broadcast information about a missing person's case that is almost 45 years old. The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children has partnered with GSTV to air videos about the case at more than 28,000 gas retailers in 48 states. The campaign will run for two weeks and focus on the case of Raymond Green, who was abducted from his Atlanta home as a 5-day-old infant in 1978. (Atlanta Patch)
4. Two children were shot on a playground near McDaniel Street SW and Fulton Street SW, leaving neighbors concerned. A 12-year-old girl and a 13-year-old boy were taken to the hospital with gunshot wounds, after investigators found them alert and conscious. The incident is believed to have occurred during a fight between a group of children, but the shooting suspect remains unidentified, and investigators returned to the scene on Thursday morning to canvas the area. (WSB Atlanta)
5. The High Museum of Art will showcase "HAPPY JOYLANTA," a community-based art project and immersive installation designed by Tanya Aquiñiga, on the Carroll Slater Sifly Piazza from May 14 through Nov. 26. The installation is the eighth site-specific piece to be presented in the museum's outdoor space and will feature signs, symbols, and memories that reflect Atlanta's diverse communities. The museum aims to promote community engagement and inclusivity through its multi-year series of outdoor art commissions. (Subscription: MDJOnline.com)

Today in Atlanta:

• Twilight Trek At Zoo Atlanta (6:30 PM)
• Brooke Lynn Hytes From Canada's Drag Race At X Midtown (8:00 PM)
• Eddie Owen Presents: Allman Bros Tribute END OF THE LINE At Red Clay Music Foundry (8:00 PM)
• Marty Manous At Billy Allen's (9:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• Online lender CashNetUSA recently published a report stating that 15 percent of all internships in Georgia are unpaid, which is the 12th largest share among states, and the average hourly wage for interns working in the state is $16.71, the 20th highest of the 50 states. The report sourced internship salary data from over 100 U.S. industries and average hourly pay for paid internships in each state from career-search website Zippia. (Patch)
• Are you looking for a new family member with four paws? Check out the list of adoption-ready pets in the Atlanta area at the link! (Atlanta Patch)
• Woodward and Park, a neighborhood bistro in nearby Grant Park, is closing on Feb. 26 after three years at the location due to the impending relocation of its partners, chef Christian Heninger and general manager Amanda Heninger, to Savannah. The closure follows that of Full Commission, a neighboring restaurant that closed in January. (Eater Atlanta)

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Featured events:

• Paranormal Author finally comes to Atlanta! (February 24)
• A Seminar on TRAUMA (February 25)
• LiveLifeFun Sand Volleyball Leagues - Registration Deadline March 2nd (March 2)
• Online Event about our services in the Atlanta area (March 4)
• Minority Men's Health Discussion (March 9)
• PRIDE Kickball Spring '23 League - Registration Deadline March 9th (March 9)
• GO Kickball Spring Leagues - Registration Deadline March 9th (March 9)
• Advancing Neuroscience and Health Equity (March 23)
• Add your event

That's it for today! I'll catch up with you soon with a new update.

— Lauren Kubiak

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