🌱 New MLK Statue + Teen Hit By Gunfire, Suspect At Large + BRT

Hi, everybody. I'm back in your inbox this morning to walk you through the most important things happening in town. Today's issue includes news about:

• A new MLK statue will be unveiled on Apr. 1 at Rodney Mims Cook Sr. Peace Park.
• Police are looking for a suspect who shot at a home, hitting a 17-year-old girl.
• Georgia senators voted yesterday to regulate vaping in public spaces.

But first, today's weather:

Cloudy, a shower in the p.m.. High: 72 Low: 51.

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Here are the top five stories today in Atlanta:

1. While a recent unveiling of an abstract Martin Luther King Jr. statue in Boston last month received mixed reviews, a different MLK statue unveiling here in Atlanta might be more positively received. On Apr. 1, the new statue will be revealed, which depicts MLK's “I’ve Been to the Mountaintop” speech, wearing a robe, with a hand raised and holding a Bible. The unveiling ceremony will be part of the World Peace Revival's Peace Walk at Rodney Mims Cook Sr. Peace Park in Vine City. (InsiderAdvantage)
2. Atlanta police are searching for a suspect who shot a 17-year-old girl while she was inside her home. Investigators said the shooting occurred just before 10 p.m. on the 3600 block of Venus Place, where an unidentified suspect began firing at the house. The teen was alive when she was rushed to an area hospital, but no updates have been released on her condition since then. (FOX 5 Atlanta)
3. Georgia senators are moving to curb vaping in public spaces under new smoking rules. The state Senate voted 51-3 yesterday to pass Senate Bill 47, which regulates vaping in the same way the state already regulates smoking cigarettes. Any person who violates the law may face up to $500 in fines. (AM 920 The ANSWER)
4. MARTA is shifting its light rail plans to buses for Atlanta's Clifton Corridor project in Fulton and DeKalb counties. The transit agency once supported light rail as the "future of transportation in metro Atlanta" but has pulled the plug on another light rail project, noting Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) will get riders to their destination just as fast and is the cheaper option. (WSB Atlanta)
5. The police chief of the Georgia State University (GSU) police department insists staff and students "remain calm but vigilant" following the shooting at Michigan State University that left three students dead and five critically injured. The campus police department participates in active shooter training with the Atlanta Police Department, Fulton County Sheriff's Office, Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Georgia State Patrol. "There’s 50,000 students here. That’s a hundred thousand eyes, so we like our students to get involved and report anything they see that’s suspicious on our campus,” GSU Police Chief Anthony Coleman said. (WSB Atlanta)

Today in Atlanta:

• Atlanta Green Gathering At Orpheus Brewing (4:30 PM)
• City Of South Fulton District 3 Community Meeting At 3550 Enon Road (5:00 PM)
• R&B Thursday Featuring DJ Bomb Jahlaam At TEN ATL (6:00 PM)

From my notebook:

• When it comes to doling out municipal fines and fees, Georgia ranks fourth in the nation. According to an analysis of 2020 Census Bureau data, the Reason Foundation found that Peach State cities collected nearly $377 million in fines and fees from residents across the state that year. That’s about $35.16 per person, compared to the national average of $27 per resident. (The Center Square)
• Thinking of dipping your toes into the housing market? Check out the list of open houses happening this week in the Atlanta area at the link. (Atlanta Patch)
• The Atlanta Opera has announced an ambitious new 2023-2024 season featuring a marquee selection of blockbuster hits: "The Shining," "Frankenstein," and "Rigoletto," to name a few. (Subscription: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution)

More from our sponsors — thanks for supporting local news!

Featured events:

• AID Atlanta Night @ The Hot Wing King (February 17)
• Anna Razumovskaya Artist Show (February 18)
• Atlanta Dogwood Festival Run for the Arts 5K (February 18)
• Atlanta Caribbean Lions Annual Fundraising Dinner & Gala (February 18)
• Pretty in Pink Noche Caliente Latin Night Atlanta @ Tonys Johns Creek Sat Feb 18, 2023 (February 18)
• Taxes in Retirement Webinar (February 20)
• BJ's Wholesale Club Pre-opening Limited-time Offer (February 23)
• LiveLifeFun Sand Volleyball Leagues - Registration Deadline March 2nd (March 2)
• PRIDE Kickball Spring '23 League - Registration Deadline March 9th (March 9)
• GO Kickball Spring Leagues - Registration Deadline March 9th (March 9)
• Add your event

That's it for today! See you tomorrow for your next 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.