Buckhead cityhood pt. 2, QC sold for $320 million, UFOs or spy balloons?, earthquake in Turkey + other news
Also, happy Valentine's Day y'all!
Welcome to my freemium newsletter by me, King Williams. A documentary filmmaker, journalist, podcast host, and author based in Atlanta, Georgia. This is a newsletter covering the hidden connections of Atlanta to everything else.
Black History Month events:
Fairburn is hosting an evening of the arts on Friday, 2/17. Register here.
Blackout: Open Mic Night & Pop-up Market will be held at the Lawrenceville Center for the Arts on Friday, 2/17. Register here.
Movers & Pacers Run Club Ahmaud Arbery Day Run on 2/23 at the West End Atlanta Beltline Trail starting at Lee+White and Black History Kids Run on 2/25 on Auburn Avenue, free tickets here.
Red Clay News
1. Buckhead Cityhood is back from the dead
A new piece of legislation has been written by a Republican State Senator to revive the idea of Buckhead cityhood. This comes also as several pro-cityhood mailings have been seen in the area in recent weeks. The effort faces a steep uphill climb as it was thrown to the wayside by outgoing Lt. Governor (now CNN commentator) Geoff Duncan and also rejected by then-House Speaker David Ralston, who passed this fall.
The renewed push for cityhood began again in December after a 77-year-old resident was killed in an at-home robbery. It also has some legs as the positioning of this effort is largely relying on pushing a referendum to voters in the Buckhead area on being its own city—a problem that comes with its own set of hurdles.
The problems with Buckhead cityhood:
To do this would require the city to de-annex from the City of Atlanta, after being annexed into the city in 1952.
Doing this would also require a series of separate agreements on key infrastructure items such as sewage, water, road repairs, 911 dispatch, schools, properties owned by the city of Atlanta
This would also affect the credit rating of the city of Atlanta and Buckhead City, making the overall state of Georgia’s credit rating potentially at risk
This also requires a change to existing state laws regarding local municipalities engaging in annexing, de-annexing, and acquiring new and/or existing land
The Buckhead cityhood push is still unclear on key funding mechanisms for its city separation and has not engaged in any series of non-affiliated economic feasibility studies.
Buckhead’s cityhood efforts are being pushed again by people, not living in Atlanta
The bill, SB114, was introduced by Republican State Senator Randy Robertson who lives 80 miles away from Atlanta in Catalula, Georgia. The bill is also sponsored by 9 Republican state reps, none of whom actually live in Buckhead or the city of Atlanta. While the Democratic State Senators in North Fulton, Sonya Halpern, Jason Esteves, and Josh McLaurin, all have publicly come out against the bill. The question of how far the bill goes largely relies on the willpower of newly installed Lt. Governor Burt Jones and new House Speaker Jon Burns, both of whom have not indicated their stances on the issue of Buckhead cityhood.
Watch out for Mableton’s cityhood effort
Buckhead cityhood’s effort may actually be helped by an unrelated de-annexation effort in Mableton currently taking place as some residents do not want to be included in the newly formed city. This effort is seeking help from state lawmakers to remove themselves from the city that was created by voters in November. This could prove to be both a litmus test for the feasibility of de-annexation and gives the secessionists a current example of another locale deciding to leave. The key difference here is that Buckhead has been a part of Atlanta for 71 years and Mableton has formed weeks ago.
The bigger picture
It’s a high probability that Buckhead cityhood mostly stalls out once again. But cityhood is also a leverage mechanism for Kemp and state lawmakers who look to push hard in forcing Democrats to follow their orders. This comes as Governor Kemp himself is making being ‘tough on crime’ a centerpiece of his second tenure. While Republican lawmakers and the State Attorney General’s office is looking to force ‘rouge’ prosecutors to fall in line with their anti-criminal justice endeavors. For Dickens and the city council, cityhood is going to continue being an instrument to ensure they likely not govern in ways outside of the purview of the state government.
2. Atlanta-based rap label Quality Control has been sold for $320 million
Quality Control Music, the home of hip hop heavyweights Migos, City Girls, and megastar Cardi B has been sold to HYBE America for a record-setting $320 million dollars. The number is the highest unadjusted total for any hip-hop label in history.
The move was made by Atlanta adjacent super music mogul Scooter Braun, who attended Emory University before dropping out to work with Atlanta hip hop label So So Def Records before breaking out on his own to discover Justin Beiber as well as manage Ariana Grande and Kanye West. Braun has been recently on a PR run detailing the sale as he was previously chided for a similar large purchase after his 2019 acquisition and then subsequent sale of the entire record label of Taylor Swift.
3. Republic nightclub permanently shut down after the murder of Michael Gidewon
Republic Lounge, a popular hip-hop nightclub will be permanently closed after the murder of co-owner Michael Gidewon. Gidewon, one-half of the duo AG Entertainment was murdered after escorting a patron out of his club who brought a gun into the venue. Gidewon’s service was held today at Ebenezer Baptist Church. While a $100,000 reward has been issued while the murderer is still on the run.
4. Councilman Jason Dozier is trying to change zoning laws
Atlanta City Councilman Jason Dozier is proposing a series of changes to zoning laws around the Atlanta Beltline that would bar developers from building gas stations and drive-throughs in the city to limit traffic congestion and protect pedestrians.
5. Atlanta City Planning Dept in question with several vital departures
The Atlanta City Planning Department is now being watched closely as several recent staff departures will cause the agency to miss some of its lofty goals and questions regarding its general governance ability.
6. Black volunteers who passed out water to voters in 2020 in Albany cleared
In a surprise to no one, several Black political volunteers have been cleared of any wrongdoing after being accused of passing out water to voters in long lines in the 2020 election. This is according to the Georgia State Election Board’s recent finding. There could be one charge stemming from this 2020 incident, as the woman who brought up the complaint, a local white woman, decided to bring a gun to the site after ‘suspicions’ of the group Black Voters Matter who were in attendance.
Despite the rhetoric of the Secretary of State and the Statewide Republican lawmakers, the efforts of line warming, including passing out water occurred in mostly Black and Democratic districts were not instances of voter manipulation. But this did lead to changes via SB 202, a law that outlawed the practice of line warming and created new barriers to attendance in future elections. Barriers such as reducing key aspects of the early voting period including the location of dropboxes reduced the overall time of early voting and greatly reduced the number of absentee ballots given.
Other red clay news:
The city of Atlanta must return $10m in unspent Covid-era rental assistance.
The city of Atlanta has relaunched its Clean Energy Advisory Board.
Former Democratic DeKalb CEO turned Republican pitchman, Vernon Jones has been ordered to pay $45,000 to a man who criticized him on Facebook.
Hartsfield-Jackson Airport will be adding gates to Concourse E (International) after receiving a $40 million dollar grant.
GDOT is moving forward with a new plan to replace the cables on the Talmadge Bridge in Savannah.
There is a new unionization push at the Athens-based Creature Comforts beer.
Morris Brown receives $2.9 million for school reopening.
Ossoff touts securing $250 million for broadband expansion in rural Georgia.
Casino supporters and gambling advocates are back in the general assembly to push for legalizing sports betting.
Several conservative and Christian groups are now pushing for state lawmakers to ban abortion outright in the state.
Georgia US Congressman Buddy Carter has drafted a new bill outlining a national sales tax to replace the federal income tax, aka a ‘fair tax’.
Georgia scientists are working on the world’s first honeybee vaccine.
Chamblee city council has denied a plan to turn two extended-stay hotels into apartments. The city council still is citing a lack of parking minimums + underlying zoning to reject the idea.
12 state employees (11 of whom are sports coaches) made over $1m a year in 2022.
Atlanta 90s rock radio station 99x is back, including several of its original morning show hosts.
National News
1. US shoots down another spy balloon and maybe a UFO?
The US and China are beginning to engage in a soft conflict of espionage regarding spy balloons. Last week saw the US shoot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon over the Atlantic Ocean. Today another suspected Chinese spy balloon over Alaska has also been shot down. Chinese espionage has been of increased concern to the US over the last few years. Including the use of spy balloons that weren’t discovered during the Trump administration.
Is the US government shooting down UFOs? Or something else?
The US has also shot down four other unidentified flying objects within the last seven days. This includes one in Montana and another in Ohio. The US has been tight-lipped on the objects in question, but while some online have claimed that these are UFOs, the higher probability is that these are Chinese aerial spy instruments. In the case of the recent objects shot down, all have been found operating within or near restricted US military airspace. China, whose spy balloon was downed over Alaska has now publicly denounced the US regarding this matter in addition to claiming that the US is also using aerial spy vehicles on them as well, especially the use of balloons, a tactic dating back to the Eisenhower administration in the 1950s.
Other national news:
Women’s underwear company Thinx settled a lawsuit over the use of “forever” chemicals in its products.
DirecTV is removing the pro-Trump channel, Newsmax.
Citi and Bank of America are supporting the expansion of fossil fuels. While Exxon and Chevron are both considering buying several overseas rivals.
According to a new study, Black founders in 2022 only raised 1% of all VC funds.
The FTC is investigating whether or not rising egg prices are due to price gouging and not pandemic or supply chain issues.
United Methodists have split over its LGBT stance, resulting in over 1,800 churches splitting from the denomination.
A new study identifies that long covid is keeping thousands from re-entering the job market.
New preliminary study sites that wage inequality may be starting to reverse.
Meta has reinstated President Trump on Facebook and Instagram after a 2-year ban.
Airbnb is banning listings of former plantations and slave houses on its platform.
Florida governor Ron DeSantis has launched a Super PAC ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
International News
1. Deadly earthquakes kill over 35,000 in Turkey and Syria
A series of catastrophic earthquakes and aftershocks in Turkey and Syria have killed at least 20,000 people. At least 2,00 buildings have been destroyed as recovery efforts are ongoing in both countries. The earthquakes and aftershocks are amongst some of the deadliest disasters in the last 25 years. Both countries are seeking international aid in both the recovery of their citizens as well as temporary sheltering and relief.
The US, UK, and EU have all mostly avoided aid to both countries as Syria since 2011’s civil war has been at the receiving end of US-led sanctions. The US has issued a temporary grant of reprieve as 23 organizations have been allowed to deliver aid to the country. While Turkey is now moving to arrest contractors and construction companies who have worked on or built several of the buildings that have collapsed. The country believes there may be an additional 90,000+ wounded.
If you would like to donate:
The Syrian American Medical Society or by texting EarthquakeSyria to 71777.
What I’m checking out
Georgia State TV’s video: Beneath the Skyline: City at the Crossroads
This video focuses on gentrification in Peoplestown and across the city. It features interviews with residents displaced by the Peoplestown retention pond plus Professor Dan Immergluck and Atlanta Beltline founder Ryan Gravel.
Is it Valentine’s Day already? I hope y’all have fun, but I’m anticipating 50% candy on 2/15!
-KJW
Thanks for compiling all of the topics you have covered and distilling them down into bite size bits
I appreciate you putting together the newsletter