Morning, y’all! You can expect temperatures in the mid-80s(!) throughout the weekend. But plenty of thunderstorms, too.
- Happening now: A massive internet outage affecting Microsoft is hamstringing businesses around the world — including airlines and airports. Delta said all of its flights are “paused” and things are not good at Hartsfield. Stay tuned to AJC.com for updates.
Otherwise, today’s jampacked newsletter includes a look at Donald Trump’s RNC acceptance speech, Georgia’s sinking coast and a new pitch for MARTA’s Five Points station. A guide to peachy summer cocktails, too.
But first: A beloved but bedeviled bit of asphalt.
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A ROUGH STRETCH
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Credit: John Spink/AJC
Ponce de Leon Avenue (or “Ponts,” as we’re wont to pronounce it) runs some 16 miles, from Midtown east to Decatur and on to Stone Mountain.
But one much smaller stretch of the historic road appears to have collected some sort of curse.
The early 1900s-era building that hosts the former Atlanta Eagle gay bar location and that old, iconic Kodak sign caught fire again Thursday morning. The cause remained unclear — but a different blaze broke out in another part of the building just over a month ago.
- “It sounds like they’re trying to burn down the corner here … it’s sort of sad, and it’s really bad for the neighborhood,” Eagle owner Richard Ramey told the AJC.
He may be on to something.
The Eagle/Kodak building sits near the northeast corner of Ponce and Argonne Avenue.
Over on the southwest corner? The Krispy Kreme store owned by Shaquille O’Neal — which finally reopened last fall after back-to-back fires shut it down for more than two years.
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Credit: JOHN SPINK / AJC
Another block or so to the west? Mary Mac’s Tea Room, the venerable soul food restaurant that just recently closed for two months after its roof collapsed.
Smack dab in the middle of all that is where a massive sinkhole nearly ingested an unfortunate driver and their SUV last summer.
Might it all be a bit of comeuppance?
Ponce, of course, draws its name from that of Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de León and his search for the mythical Fountain of Youth. As the local lore goes:
- Atlanta’s own mineral spring surfaced near what’s now Ponce City Market. Way back in the mid-1800s, construction buried a waterway that nearby railway workers relied on for drinking.
- They went searching for another spring, found one — and then decided it had special healing powers.
A city councilman dubbed the whole area Ponce de Leon Springs and helped turn it into a tourist destination, complete with an amusement park. As industry (and a baseball stadium!) moved in, the natural aspect largely disappeared.
Perhaps, then, the elements have finally found a way to fight back.
Say a prayer for Ponce.
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SINKING CITIES
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
Credit: Katelyn Myrick/AJC
Sea levels keep rising, the coastline is sinking and, according to a recent scientific study, the area around Savannah is the most flood-susceptible in the U.S.
In their deeply reported new story, the AJC’s Adam van Brimmer and Drew Kann speak to residents and officials up and down the coast to see how they’re preparing for a watery future — from backyard rain gardens to multimillion-dollar drainage upgrades.
- “What we do to address water now is going to determine the world that we leave to our grandkids,” Brunswick resident Semona Holmes said.
» Interactive: See where Georgia’s coast is sinking the most
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MORE TOP STORIES
» The latest judge to oversee Fulton County’s Young Thug trial scheduled a status hearing this morning, with plans to discuss what’s next.
» Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens asked MARTA to consider a shorter-term (and less intrusive) fix at the Five Points station.
» The Georgia State Patrol says a driver jumped off a bridge to try and escape the troopers pursuing him. He suffered serious injuries (and did not escape).
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‘GOD ON MY SIDE’
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Credit: Hyosub Shin/AJC
Donald Trump formally accepted the Republican Party’s presidential nomination last night, declaring in his acceptance speech that he “had God on my side” during the recent attempt on his life.
He also referenced Laken Riley, the Athens nursing student killed in February.
More from the AJC:
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A CHILLING CONNECTION
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Credit: Arvin Temkar/AJC
Thomas Matthew Crooks, the man accused of trying to assassinate Trump, had at least one photo of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis on his phone, according to media reports.
Crooks’ phone reportedly carried images of leaders and officials across the political spectrum.
- Related coverage: Roswell man charged with threatening FBI director
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SPORTS HIGHLIGHTS
» The Braves (who get back in action against the Cardinals tonight at home) announced their schedule for next season. Of note: The All-Star game at Truist Park is set for July 15.
» Atlanta United will try to get its act together Saturday night, when the Columbus Crew comes calling at Mercedes-Benz Stadium (7:30 p.m. on Apple TV).
» Georgia football says a now-former staff member gambled on sports, an NCAA violation.
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BOTTOMS UP!
Credit: Courtesy photo
Credit: Courtesy photo
As we’ve previously reported, this year’s Georgia peach crop is plentiful. And what better way to celebrate than to drink one — with a little booze mixed in?
- Check out the AJC dining team’s list of 11 peach and peach-inspired drinks at bars and restaurants around town.
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Lou Dobbs, conservative commentator and original CNN anchor, dead at 78
» Legendary comedian Bob Newhart dead at 94
» Group sues State Election Board over possibly illegal meeting
» Georgia job growth continues, but the pace has slowed. Here’s why
» ‘Pedophile’ prison escapee who eluded capture since 1994 arrested
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ON THIS DATE
July 19, 2005
Eric Robert Rudolph received two life sentences for detonating a bomb outside a women’s clinic in Birmingham, Alabama. He previously agreed to plead guilty in exchange for avoiding the death penalty.
Rudolph reached a similar agreement on charges tied to the 1996 bombing at Atlanta’s Centennial Olympic Park.
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
Credit: Ziyu Julian Zhu/AJC
AJC photographer Ziyu Julian Zhu captured resource teacher Heda Docking reading a book during a break at Gwinnett County Public Schools’ recent new educator orientation event.
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ONE MORE THING
The Atlanta Beltline got some new branding. They’ve dubbed the logo “A Global Beacon” intended to “be a source of light that spans all cardinal directions.”
But it kinda just looks like a wheel made of red, blue and green Monopoly houses?
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at [email protected].
Until next time.
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