🌱 Arrests For 2022 Graduation Party Death + Smyrna Handmade Market

Good morning, Smyrna-Vinings! It's me, Danielle Fallon-O'Leary, your host of the Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out the most important things happening around town.

But first, today's weather:

Times of clouds and sun. High: 89 Low: 65.

Here are the top three stories in Smyrna-Vinings today:

1. Marietta police announced three arrests on Friday in the death of a 17-year-old boy who was fatally shot at a graduation party in 2022. On May 21, 2022, Grayson Green was killed at the entrance to the Walton Village apartments during a high school graduation party, with surveillance footage showing a crowd fleeing the scene as first responders arrived. The extensive investigation into Green's death has led to the arrests of two suspects this week in Newport News, Virginia. Per authorities, one suspect connected to the case was already in custody at the Douglas County Jail for unrelated charges. Ne'riyah and Ne'cquo Vargas, both 17, and both from Cobb County, and 21-year-old Tahkel Beverly Smart from Paulding County, are facing the same charges in Green's death, including malice murder, aggravated assault, and associated gang charges. (The Atlanta Journal Constitution)
2. Tomorrow (Jun. 4), the Smyrna Handmade Market will be at 1265 W Spring St. from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. More than 60 vendors will be in attendance, including 411 Farms, Burly Brandz, Folk & Fern, and more. Click the link to view all the vendors. (City of Smyrna, GA Government)
3. Political organizers associated with the protests against the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center are court-bound after being arrested on Wednesday, May 31. Marlon Scott, 39 from Atlanta, Savannah D. Patterson, 30, from Savannah, and Adele Maclean, 42, from Atlanta, are facing charges of money laundering and charity fraud for financial crimes alleged in their work with the Network for Strong Communities and the Atlanta Solidarity Fund. Opponents of the "Cop City" training facility claim that the three are organizers who ran a nonprofit organization and bail fund for legal support of protestors, quote activist Micah Herskind: "I think that it is a really frightening and dangerous escalation by the police, by Mayor Andre Dickens, by Gov. Brian Kemp against the right to protest and not just the right to protest but the ability to support those who have been criminalized for protesting." (FOX 5 Atlanta)

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Today in Smyrna-Vinings:

• School's Out Block Party At Hurt Road Baptist Church (10:00 AM)
• Garden Meet and Greet Gathering At 3448 Alexander Pl SW (2:00 PM)
• Meadery! At Viking Alchemist Meadery (5:00 PM)
• The Little Gym Inclusive Playdate At The Little Gym of Smyrna (6:30 PM)

From my notebook:

• The Smyrna Little League offers its congratulations to its 7u team, both 8u teams, and both 9u teams for advancing out of the district round to the NW Section Tournaments. Pictures included at the link! (Smyrna Little League via Facebook)
• The Public Safety Foundation is asking for a moment of your time to fill out a survey at the link from the Smyrna Fire Department! (Smyrna Public Safety Foundation via Facebook)
• LaGrange College Professor of Political Science, John A. Tures, writes in the Cobb County Courier, that "College degrees still very much matter. My students and I frequently research earnings from college graduates and non-college graduates. It's about a million dollars over one's lifetime, in favor of the college graduates ..." Tures is critical of Georgia state and local officials waiving degree requirements for government jobs, quote: "They're wrong. And Cobb County is poised to benefit from the continued power of a degree." (Cobb County Courier)

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Now you're in the loop and ready to head out the door on this Saturday. I'll be back in your inbox tomorrow morning with a new update!

— Danielle Fallon-O'Leary

About me: Danielle Fallon-O’Leary is a content manager 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.