Gov. Brian Kemp signed three bills Wednesday aimed at human trafficking in Georgia. “We are taking three important steps forward to make sure Georgia is a safe haven for survivors … turning Georgia into a national leader for victims’ rights and putting criminals behind bars,” Kemp said during a bill signing ceremony at the state Capitol. Senate Bill 370 will expand the businesses required to post notices containing information on how to reach a human trafficking hotline to include convenience stores, tattoo parlors, manufacturing facilities and medical offices. The law already includes bars, a ..read more

Ree De La Vega, who has taken over the lease of former restaurant and lounge The Sound Table, poses for a portrait outside the building in Atlanta on Tuesday, April 16, 2024. (Photo Courtesy of Arvin Temkar / The Atlanta Journal-Constitution) Ree de la Vega has always loved music and the energy produced when people collectively move to rhythm and beats. She’s been a professional DJ for nearly 15 years and a fierce advocate for the city’s vibrant nightlife scene and the LGBTQ community.  DJ gigs led to her becoming a party promoter, founding the weekly outdoor summer dance party Chaka Khan ..read more

The Atlanta Opera and The Temple present “Identity and Conflict,” a concert and panel discussion in honor of Yom HaShoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, at 6:30 pm. on Wednesday, May 1.  The evening features a performance of “Another Sunrise” for soprano and chamber ensemble by composer Jake Heggie and librettist Gene Scheer. Soloist Esther Tonea is a frequent collaborator with Heggie, and is a 2022 winner of the Metropolitan Opera’s Eric and Dominique Laffornt Competition. “Another Sunrise” is a 30-minute work based on the life of Krystyna Zywulska during the Nazi occupation of Poland. With ..read more

 File photo: Gov. Brian Kemp signs a bill, February 29, 2024. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder Gov. Brian Kemp signed a suite of education-related bills into law Tuesday, including a controversial measure that will allow parents of children in low-performing schools to claim $6,500 in state education funds to pull their children out of the public system and enroll them in private school or teach them at home. Supporters say expanding school vouchers will help kids in schools that don’t meet their needs succeed academically. Opponents say they siphon needed dollars from underfunded public sc ..read more

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Atlanta BeltLine, Inc.’s President & CEO Clyde Higgs announced today at a press conference that 17.9 miles of the 22-mile trail are expected to be complete for the 2026 World Cup matches. Dickens said construction will start earlier on two Southside Trail segments helping to move up the completion timeline. Originally slated to be completed in June 2026, these segments are now set to be finished in the first quarter of 2026. “By accelerating the completion of the longest continuous stretch of the BeltLine trail yet, we are accelerating equal access to econo ..read more

Adam Willaerts (Dutch,  1577 – 1664),  The Departure of the Pilgrim Fathers from Delfshaven on Their Way to America,  1620,  oil on panel, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, gift of Rose – Marie and Eijk van Otterloo, in support of the Center for Netherlandish Art,  2020. Photo © Museum of Fine Arts, Boston More than 100 paintings, prints, maps, and decorative objects created by Dutch artists during the 17th and early 18th century have landed at the High Museum of Art. “Dutch Art in a Global Age: Masterpieces from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston” includes work ..read more

Diving into Wednesday April 24 — Congratulations to the Atlanta-based School of Humans for their podcast “Unreformed: the Story of the Alabama Industrial School for Negro Children,” which won a Webby Award and received a Peabody nomination. Atlanta News First also earned a Peabody nom for “The Sixth,” a series highlighting defendants awaiting trial under prolonged detention. ?️ Mostly sunny and 75° today.  ? Piedmont Healthcare will move its executive and administrative offices to an office tower in Atlantic Station.  ? Democrat ..read more

Landmark Restoration of Savannah led the project to restore the Memorial to the Six Million. After a year of restoration, the Memorial to the Six Million will reopen in time for Yom HaShoah, the commemoration of the Holocaust. Sen. Jon Ossoff, the first Jewish senator from Georgia, will speak at the event. The memorial was built, designed and paid for by Atlanta area Holocaust survivors in 1964. Built by Georgia Tech graduate Benjamin Hirsch, the memorial was placed on the Nation Register in 2008. Read more about the restoration project here. The 59th annual community-wide marking of the Holoc ..read more

The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has named Bob Weis as its newest Executive in Residence (photo courtesy SCAD). The Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) has named Bob Weis as its newest Executive in Residence. Weis is the global entertainment lead for the design and architecture film Gensler, and is the former president of Walt Disney Imagineering, the arm of the Walt Disney Company responsible for Disney’s theme parks and attractions.. According to a press release, As Executive in Residence, Weis will work with and mentor students at all three SCAD locations in Atlanta, Sava ..read more

Map of the detour route at North Druid Hills Road. (Provided by GDOT) Access from North Druid Hills Road to Buford Highway and I-85 is taking a major turn this week as the Peachtree Creek bridge closes on Friday, April 26, for 90 days, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. The bridge replacement is part of the larger Interstate 85 at SR 42/North Druid Hills Road interchange improvement project now underway. GDOT has placed electronic signs in the area to indicate the five-mile detour route. Drivers will still have access from I-85’s Exit 89 and properties adjacent to the bridg ..read more