A Fulton County Superior Court judge ordered the City of Sandy Springs to release all requested police reports to the court for review in Appen Media's ongoing lawsuit, alleging failure to provide the documents under Georgia's Open Records Act. The post Fulton County judge sides with newspaper in open records lawsuit against Sandy Springs appeared first on ...

Steak and Grace, which opened to great fanfare less than a year ago in the heart of Dunwoody Village, has abruptly closed its doors. The Aha! Connection first reported the closure when Audra Anders, who runs the page, Googled to make a reservation and saw that it had closed. A message on the restaurant’s answering […] The post Dunwoody’s Steak and ...

Brookhaven Parks and Recreation invites community members to lace up their walking shoes and join Walk with a Doc, a free, year-round walking and health education program at Murphey Candler Park.  The program combines fitness and health education with lead physician, Dr. Vahid Yeganeh, MD, Family Medicine, Lifestyle Medicine, and Obesity Medicine. Dr. ...

House Bill 323, which passed the Georgia House nearly unanimously, would expand access to life-saving kidney transplants and prevent patients from having to sacrifice their hard-earned assets to qualify for Medicaid, while also providing affordable Medigap plans for eligible dialysis patients under 65. The post Georgia must stand up for kidney patients ...

The estate of Cornelius Taylor, the 46-year-old man killed on Jan. 16, 2025 during a homeless encampment clearing operation, has filed a second civil lawsuit. The suit, filed on Jan. 23, follows a pending action brought against the City of Atlanta and focuses on the conduct of private entities and individuals tasked with outreach, supervision, […] The ...

The Fulton County Commission passed the 2026 operating budget with a 4-3 vote, keeping the property tax rate flat at 8.87 mills, and providing funding for services such as senior and behavioral health, the Grady Health System, the sheriff's office and all jail facilities, election management, libraries, and animal services. The post Fulton County Commission ...

Fuming about Fern Jan. 23  It’s Cathy and Stephanie from Rough Draft with our weekly newsletter on Tucker. Cathy has a beef with whoever named a potentially life-threatening ice storm after a feathery plant.  Out of curiosity, we looked up our names to see if they have been associated with a storm, tropical event, or […] The post Roll up the ...

Due to the winter storm, many Atlanta venues have cancelled or postponed events, including concerts, city council meetings, and the Atlanta Comedy Film Festival. The post Winter Storm Fern event cancellations around the metro Atlanta area appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Sundance preview Jan. 23   Happy Friday, everyone! It’s a magical time in movie land Oscar nominations were announced yesterday, with “Sinners” landing a record-breaking 16 nominations (the previous record was 14). Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another” picked up 13. But these aren’t surprises to me! The biggest shocks I ...

Some restaurants and bars in metro Atlanta are adjusting hours or closing for a portion of the weekend due to Winter Storm Fern. Check out our running list of restaurant service adjustments and closures. The post Atlanta restaurants adjusting hours, closing due to Winter Storm Fern appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

Clean energy advocate Patty Durand, who was accused of stealing a booklet labeled as containing trade secrets during an energy regulatory hearing, will not be indicted after the Fulton County District Attorneys office formally declined to prosecute the case. The decision was filed Wednesday in Fulton County Superior Court. Durand, who founded a watchdog ...

MARTA will implement an inclement weather service plan in anticipation of severe winter weather in the metro Atlanta area beginning Saturday, Jan. 24, according to a press release. With the forecasted freezing rain, sleet, and low temperatures this weekend, MARTA will continue on a reduced service plan to the extent feasible, while ensuring the safety […] ...

Georgia emergency officials are urging residents to prepare for potential winter storms by stockpiling supplies, winterizing their homes, and creating a family disaster plan. The post Georgia residents urged to prepare for potential winter storms appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

The Savannah College of Art and Design has announced the honorees for the 2026 SCAD TVfest, which takes place Feb. 4-6.  The festival, which is in its 14th year, features screenings, premieres, panels, and awards recognizing excellence across the television industry. At this year’s SCAD TVfest, SCAD students and alumni will bask in the limelight […] ...

The push to have Ansley Parks Peachtree Circle designated as a city historic district took on a more urgent note this week after the demolition of one of the streets oldest homes. The new owners of 205 Peachtree Circle razed the American Craftsman-style home, which has stood in Ansley Park for more than a century, […] The post Demolition of historic ...

Emergency officials are urging Georgia residents to prepare for icy conditions and possible power outages, ahead of Winter Storm Fern this weekend. Rough Draft will continue monitoring conditions throughout the weekend. Check back for regular updates. The post Winter Storm Fern: Friday updates appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta.

The Sundance Film Festival started yesterday in Park City the festivals last Utah hurrah until it moves to its new home in Boulder, Co. in 2027. Last year, I braved the wintery depths of Park City to bring you on the ground action from the festival. This year, I will instead be watching from […] The post 10 films to look forward to at the Sundance Film ...

Friday freeze Jan. 23 The weather appears to be turning frightful for the weekend. We’ve got more below about the governor’s state of emergency, and visit RoughDraft.news and follow us on Instagram and Facebook for ongoing coverage of the impending winter storm.  Cloudy and 52 today, ahead of the predicted ice and snow starting […] The post Winter ...

Two local film production companies have partnered with Assembly Studios, planning to produce their next slate of films using the studios resources.  Autumn Bailey Entertainment (ABE) and Braveheart Entertainment announced the partnership with Assembly in December of last year. According to a press release, both companies aim to build a sustainable model ...

Helen Macdonald uses they/them pronouns, but, at the time this movie takes place, used she/her pronouns. This article uses they/them pronouns when talking about Macdonald in the present tense, and she/her to distinguish the character played by Claire Foy in the film.  To anyone who has experienced grief of any kind, theres a recognizable pattern […] The ...

DeKalb County and NACA are partnering to host the "Achieve the Dream" event from Jan. 22-25, which will provide DeKalb residents with financial and credit literacy programs, housing and homeownership counseling, increased access to down payment assistance, and long-term housing and financial stability. The post DeKalb County launches ‘Achieve the Dream’ ...

The Atlanta Beltline broke ground for the city’s first Bike Park on Thursday at Shirley C. Franklin Park on the Westside. The Bike Park is designed to introduce people to road and mountain biking and teach cycling skills, according to a press release. By Putting the park at Franklin Park, it brings the sport […] The post Atlanta Beltline breaks ground ...

Jewish judge leaving the bench Jan. 22 (4 Shevat 5786)   A long weekend always messes with my sense of time. It is indeed a Happy Thursday!  Kvellers Daci Platt wrote about attending an “upstander” event at her Minneapolis synagogue. “Its eerie,” she wrote. “Armed ICE agents are driving down my street, showing up randomly at construction ...

So. Much. Kaapi. Jan. 22  Hello, internet friends!  I’ve been working at Raani Coffee Roasters in the old Hodgepodge Coffeehouse space in East Atlanta and just eavesdropped on a conversation about how notorious gatekeeping is in the restaurant and bar industry. One of my community table neighbors said something along the lines of people should ...

Election season in Georgia is here, with statewide primary elections less than four months away and the campaigning for those contests well underway. But as Georgians prepare to cast their ballots, a key question remains unclear: Will the state be able to eliminate QR codes from ballots to comply with a 2024 state election law? […] The post Fate of ballot ...