Thursday tidbits
April 17 — Lawmakers and community advocates called for reform of the Georgia State Patrol’s pursuit policies following the death of 19-year-old Cooper Schoenke in Little Five Points on Monday night.
☀️ Sunny and 75° today.
🗣️ The Morningside Lenox Park Association has sent a letter to the Atlanta City Council urging them to deny a proposal to redevelop Amsterdam Walk. The organization signed off on the plan last year, but does not support a modified one submitted by Portman Holdings.
🎓 Student enrollment at Georgia’s public colleges and universities reached 345,823 this spring semester – an all-time record high.
⚕️ Healthbeat reports that job cuts at the CDC include a successful program reducing HIV transmission to babies.
🏓 Dill Dinkers indoor pickleball center in West End will hold its grand opening tomorrow starting at 11 a.m.
🚶 Walk with a Doc will meet monthly starting on Saturday at Murphey Candler Park in Brookhaven to combine fitness and health education.
🏆 North Springs High School teacher Sharmila Durai was awarded the 2025 Valari Mathis Camp Award of Excellence.
ELSEWHERE
➡ Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that tariffs will cause higher inflation and slow the U.S. economy. The announcement immediately sent stocks lower, with the Dow falling 1.7%, S&P 2.2%, and Nasdaq 3%.
🎗️ Wink Martindale, the game show host who began as a Memphis disc jockey who once interviewed Elvis Presley, died Tuesday at 91.
🕖 Here’s what’s in today’s newsletter:
• SCAD Art Showcase
• Illumine at Oakland
• Insurance startup
• Wholesome Wave + Love is Love
AND
• Quick Bites
❤️🩹 Addiction isn’t confined to stereotypes — it’s a complex, silent epidemic affecting all walks of life. At Southern Live Oak Wellness, we are committed to meeting people where they are. Learn more about us and our programs here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
1. Spring Fine Arts Showcase returns to SCAD Atlanta
VIA SKETCHBOOK, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER | SUBSCRIBE
🌸 This weekend, Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) will present the return of the Spring Fine Arts Showcase.
This large exhibition offers a unique opportunity to view and buy over 400 works made by SCAD Atlanta students, faculty, and alumni.
Sales are facilitated through SCAD Art Sales, the university’s in-house art consultancy. SCAD is the only university to offer exclusive representation to students, alumni, and faculty to international buyers.
🎨 More on this story here.
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We have 43 leading physicians, all fellowship-trained, with specialties in every body part. This ensures expert, focused care that is designed for the best results and a quicker recovery.
Even better – our UrgentORTHO clinic offers same-day, evening, and Saturday hours, so you can come when it works for you. That means you can get seen quicker, avoid the E.R., and pay less.
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2. Illumine returns to Oakland Cemetery
🪦 Illumine returns to Oakland Cemetery this week, transforming the historic site with innovative lighting, new installations from local artists, interactive experiences, and live music.
From April 17-20 and April 24-27, Oakland will become a fluorescent night-time wonderland with interactive glowing art and colors shining a new light on the cemetery’s incredible architecture.
While exploring the cemetery after the sun goes down, Illumine attendees will also enjoy two stages of live entertainment, multiple bars, and an Oakland pop-up shop.
💡 Learn more about the event here.
3. This Atlanta InsurTech startup makes life insurance about living
🧬 One of the players in Atlanta’s InsurTech startup scene wants to put life back into the life insurance industry.
Kaleido Life, being built under the helm of CEO and co-founder Craig Du Bruyn, has set out to disrupt the century-old model of life insurance.
The disconnect between premiums paid and tangible living benefits is the core problem Kaleido is determined to solve. Kaleido’s model works by turning traditional policies into immediate liquidity with the startup’s signature cash-upfront policy. Users can get paid out a percentage of their life insurance policy early (as in, before death) to fund different life events.
➡ Read the whole story from Hypepotamus here.
✨ Join Kate’s Club for the 2025 Mourning Glory Gala on Sat., April 26 at the Grand Hyatt Atlanta Buckhead. Enjoy an inspiring program and live entertainment while supporting grieving children, families, and young adults. Save me a seat! SPONSOR MESSAGE
4. WWG x Love is Love Cooperative Farm
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH WHOLESOME WAVE GEORGIA
🌱 Wholesome Wave Georgia (WWG) has partnered with farms like Love is Love Cooperative Farm to make healthy, locally grown produce (including food-producing plants) affordable for all Georgians since 2009.
WWG matches food stamp spending on local produce, making healthy food 50% off for families in need, while increasing revenue for Georgia farmers.
➞ Pretty cool, right? Learn more and get involved here.
5. Quick Bites
VIA SIDE DISH, A WEEKLY NEWSLETTER| SUBSCRIBE HERE
😋 For this week’s Quick Bites, Dining Editor Beth McKibben has details on R. Thomas Deluxe Grill going up for sale, news of a space-age-themed restaurant and lounge opening this weekend at Underground Atlanta, and an update on the second location of Northern China Eatery on the Eastside Beltline.
Plus, more of the dining news you need to know!
⏩ Here’s the full roundup.
❤️🩹 Addiction isn’t confined to stereotypes — it’s a complex, silent epidemic affecting all walks of life. At Southern Live Oak Wellness, we are committed to meeting people where they are. Learn more about us and our programs here. SPONSOR MESSAGE
🔤 Don’t miss News Word Atlanta, our new, daily word game – Presented by Oglethorpe University, Atlanta’s premier undergraduate learning experience.
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