📌 Local chambers to merge

Talk of Tuesday

July 16 — The MLB All-Star Game is tonight at 8 p.m. on Fox, and Atlanta will have a few players representing . Pitchers Max Fried, Chris Sale, and Reynaldo López will join designated hitter Marcell Ozuna at the Midsummer Classic. The highlight, er, lowlight of last night’s Home Run Derby was Ingrid Andress’s rendition of the national anthem.

⛅ Partly cloudy and 92° today.

⚖️ Fulton County Superior Court Judge Ural Glanville was recused from Young Thug’s YSL RICO trial after accusations of foul play stemming from a private meeting with prosecutors and a key witness.

🍺 The Pub @ EAV will replace Elder Tree Public House in East Atlanta Village by the end of September. ( Subscribe to Side Dish, our weekly food newsletter.)

4️⃣ Fulton County has been named the fourth-best county in America for economic development , according to a new poll.

🚲 City of Atlanta residents 18 years or older may apply for a rebate on a purchase of a standard or cargo e-bike sold at local bicycle shops.

♻️ Brookhaven, Chamblee, and Doraville will host a joint household hazardous materials recycling event on Aug. 17.

🧳 Travel + Leisure named Savannah as a top-three city to visit in the United States.

ELSEWHERE

🗳️ Former President Donald Trump tapped U.S. Senator J.D. Vance of Ohio as his running mate. Trump, who made a surprise appearance on the first day of the Republican National Convention, was flanked by Secret Service agents and had a bandaged right ear.

⚖️ U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the classified documents case against Trump, saying the appointment of the special prosecutor violated the Constitution.

📈 Stocks are poised to open higher today after yesterday’s record close for the Dow Jones Industrial Average.

🛍️ Amazon’s Prime Day starts today. Our partners at NerdWallet have tips on what to expect, and what to avoid.

🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:

• Chamber merger
• Search and rescue dogs
• Around the State: GPB
• Local literary events
AND
• Volunteer Opportunities

Have a good day,
Collin & Sammie

🍹 Raise your glass and savor the flavors at the Grand Tasting Alpharetta on Aug. 8 at The Hotel at Avalon! Join us for a one-night-only event celebrating Alpharetta’s diverse restaurant scene. Enjoy unlimited food, wine, craft beer & cocktail tastings, decadent desserts, and entertainment. Buy your tickets today!

SPONSOR MESSAGE

1. Sandy Springs, Perimeter chambers announce merger

🤝 The long-rumored merger of the Sandy Springs Perimeter Chamber and the Perimeter Chamber has come to fruition.

Successful chambers grow and evolve to anticipate and meet their local business communities’ needs, Brian Bollins, chairman of the Perimeter Sandy Springs Chamber and vice president for Choate Construction told Rough Draft.

“This decision reflects our desire to address our members’ needs in an increasingly complex and uncertain economy. We will continue to focus on the needs of our respective cities of Dunwoody and Sandy Springs, but with an improved position to address shared business interests and concerns,” Bollins said.

➡️ Read the full story here .

Good Times Get to Be Savored in Perimeter.

SPONSORED BY PERIMETER COMMUNITY IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS

Perimeter offers a haven for savoring life’s moments and hopping from one delightful experience to the next.

😎 Catching up with friends or colleagues? Savor your time as you hop between 85 diverse restaurants and delightful local spots for a memorable meal.

🎉 Celebrating a successful meeting? Relish the moment at one of our charming local venues for a well-deserved treat. Yum!

🚆 Accessible by MARTA, you can leave your car – and worries – behind.

Come see why Perimeter is Metro Atlanta’s top destination for dining, shopping, and entertainment.

2. Local trains dogs, handlers in search and rescue

🐶 Alex Collier spent a recent Friday speaking virtually at SARCON 2024, the annual gathering of search and rescue professionals.

Collier – a K9 search and rescue (SAR) handler and member of the Georgia Community Emergency Response Team (GA-CERT K9) – spoke about the importance of public awareness, volunteer involvement, education, and community support in successful SAR operations.

Collier, who lives in Sandy Springs, has been involved with search and rescue for over nine years. Her background is in animal husbandry and dog training. She brought home a boxer that was a working dog that needed a job. After trying a few options, the pup, Kane, ended up in search and rescue and has been on approximately 50 searches.

⛑️ More on this story here .

3. New solar panels projected to save Savannah $1.4 million over 25 years

☀️ More than a dozen municipal buildings in Savannah will soon feature solar panel arrays, as the City Council unanimously approved a $5.75 million contract modification with Atlanta-based Cherry Street Energy to install 1.26 megawatts of new solar capacity across 14 city-owned buildings.

The deal expands the city’s contract with the renewable energy firm, which was initially signed in July 2022 to add 1.7 MW of solar capacity at 19 city facilities over 25 years for $6.32 million. Since then, however, installation was scaled down to 16 facilities, as three sites were deemed unfeasible due in part to renovations.

The contract expansion will add an estimated $1.4 million in energy savings over 25 years, with each solar array meeting about 37% of its building’s energy needs.

⚡ More on this story from GPB here .

4. July Atlanta Literary Events

VIA STACKS, A MONTHLY NEWSLETTER ABOUT BOOKS | SUBSCRIBE FOR FREE

Here’s a rundown of local events for book lovers and writers across metro Atlanta:

🖍️ Today (and every Tuesday this month), the Virginia Highlands Kids Storytime will meet from 10:30-11 a.m. at Virginia Highlands Books. Sheri Dillard, the author of the children’s book “Cowhide-And-Seek,” leads the group every Tuesday. This event is free and open to the public .

🏛️ On Thurs., July 18 at 7 p.m., The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library welcomesJoshua A. Douglas to discuss his new book, “The Court v. The Voters: The Troubling Story of How the Supreme Court Has Undermined Voting Rights.” The book is a gripping look at the erosion of voting rights and its implications for democracy, told through the stories of nine Supreme Court decisions. This event is free and open to the public .

🐕 On Sat., July 27 at 1 p.m., the Atlanta Silent Book Club will partner with the Atlanta Humane Societyfor a silent reading hour. They’ll be playing and spending time with various animals. No need to RSVP !

🏠 On Tues., July 30 at 6 p.m., the Margaret Mitchell House hosts a panel discussion featuring experts discussing the history and cultural impact of the book and film, “Gone With the Wind.” Guests will have the opportunity to view the new exhibition “Telling Stories: Gone With the Wind and American Memory” before hearing from a panel of scholars and curators involved in creating the exhibition. Tickets are $20 for non-members of the Atlanta History Center and $15 for members .

➡ Read the whole list on our website.

🍹 Raise your glass and savor the flavors at the Grand Tasting Alpharetta on Aug. 8 at The Hotel at Avalon! Join us for a one-night-only event celebrating Alpharetta’s diverse restaurant scene. Enjoy unlimited food, wine, craft beer & cocktail tastings, decadent desserts, and entertainment. Buy your tickets today!

SPONSOR MESSAGE

5. Volunteer Opportunities

IN PARTNERSHIP WITH HANDS ON ATLANTA

🥑 Grady Fresh Food Cart is looking for volunteers to help Wednesday morning at the Grady Ponce de Leon Center. You will sort, pack, and distribute fresh produce to Grady patients.

🌳 Atlanta’s Truly Living Well needs volunteers on Thursday morning to help at its four-season farm. Expect to assist with harvesting vegetables, applying soil to garden beds, planting, weeding, or watering.

📚 The Latin American Association in Atlanta (pictured) needs help with its Fiesta de Libros on Sunday afternoon . Volunteers will set up and organize activation stations – including reading sessions, storytelling, or coloring activities – and assist with cleanup after the event.

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📧 Today’s newsletter was edited by Julie E. Bloemeke.

The post 📌 Local chambers to merge appeared first on Rough Draft Atlanta .