Atlanta Beltline names developer for Murphy Crossing project

1 big thing: Revitalizing Murphy Crossing

2. Trail notes: Poll week

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3. A new U.S. House delegate?

4. "A Man in Full" is Downtown

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Do you see yourself with a new career?

5. Five-ish points: Post office named for John Lewis

Illustration of five peaches spelling out "5-Ish Points."

😎 Today's weather: Sweet, sweet relief. A high of 78.

Situational awareness: The Braves' single-game postseason tickets go on sale at 10am today. Get yours here.

Today's newsletter is 895 words — a 3-minute read. 

😋 Emma finally tried Rumi last night. Totally delicious. The noon. The Soltani. The tahdig!

🥟 Kristal needs to set aside time to make dumplings. 

This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley and copy edited by Alex Perry.

Atlanta

A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Atlanta. Written by Emma Hurt, Kristal Dixon and Thomas Wheatley.

Axios Atlanta

1 big thing: Mental health crisis calls spike  

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Georgia Power wants to increase electricity prices

2. 🔌 Kilowatts killing our wallets 

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Attorney must stay with defendants in APS cheating scandal

3. Attorney must stay with defendants in APS cheating scandal

Xi'an Gourmet House wins with simple menu and excellent taste

4. Go eat: Xi'an Chinese Gourmet

An overhead shot of spicy Chinese noodles with tofu, carrots and mushrooms

Now hiring: New job openings

5. Five-ish points: Explore our neighborhoods

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Today's weather: Sunny and hot, with a high of 92º.

Situational awareness: This afternoon, a state commission will award licenses to companies that want to produce low-THC oil. 

📚 Become an Axios Atlanta member and contribute $100 or more between now and September 30th to receive a copy of Axios' "Smart Brevity" book! Promotion terms apply.

Today's newsletter is 898 words — a 3-minute read. 

😩 Kristal strongly encourages you to isolate new houseplants to prevent pests from infecting existing plants. I'm speaking from experience.

🤫 Emma recently replaced a few hanging plants she just couldn't get to stay alive with...fake ones. 

🕺🏼Thomas hopes his houseplants like Dorothy Ashby because that’s today‘s soundtrack.

Dome in the City could soon reopen

1 big thing: Don't count out Dome in the City 

Side by side photos of a crowd holding up phones at a concert and a mound-shaped white tent-like building called Dome in the City

Mayor halts redevelopment of Atlanta Medical Center site

2. Protecting the Atlanta Medical Center site

3. Coffee County's new machines

4. Hot garbage takes

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Take your career to the next level

5. Five-ish points: Braves expand roster

President Joe Biden smiles as he poses with a jersey with his name on the back and the number "46" on the back presented by the Atlanta Braves

It's Tuesday. We hope you're in a good groove.

Today's weather: Another great day. Sunny with a high of 74.

Situational awareness: Hurricane Ian, now a category 3 storm, has made landfall in Cuba. The National Weather Service projects tropical-storm-force winds could arrive in south Georgia on Thursday.

Gov. Brian Kemp has activated GEMA’s state operations center.

🎂 Happy birthday to our Axios Atlanta member Melissa Libby!

Today's newsletter is 901 words — a 3.5-minute read. 

☀️ Emma is grateful for this weather. Everyone take a call (or several) outside today!

🤯 Thomas is still marveling at the psychedelia that is John Portman's beach house in Sea Island.

😒 Kristal hopes supply chain issues don't affect how fast her car gets repaired.

Two companies given OK to produce medical cannabis

1 big thing: Weed gets a green light

Illustration of a marijuana leaf shown in the negative space of many leaves.

2. An interior secretary visits Georgia

Do you clean your Herbie Curbie?

3. Do you clean your Herbie Curbie?

4. 🎡 North Georgia State Fair is back! 

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New jobs to check out

5. 🥳 Five points: Truist Park's 3 millionth fan

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🍂Today's weather: It's the first day of fall, but it won't feel like it. High of 93.

Situational awareness: The early rollout of the $350 cash assistance payments to those on Medicaid, SNAP and TANF benefits isn't going smoothly for everyone. 

The state’s Department of Human Services has been beset by complaints from people struggling to access or use the funds.

Today's newsletter is 893 words — a 3-minute read.

🧺 Kristal finally got her weekend laundry out of the dryer.

🚴 Thomas is driving to St. Simons and planning to ride bikes, drink kombucha and sing karaoke. 

🛻 Emma just learned that Thomas used to work as a pharmacy delivery guy. Ask him about it sometime. 

Fulton schools to get license plate readers

1 big thing: What's your license plate number?

Interactive game: Map Atlanta's neighborhoods

2. How well do you know Atlanta?

An animated image of a line being drawn around a neighborhood in red and another in gray

3. 🥅 Pic du jour: New youth soccer field

4. 🏈 Falcons' first win 

Falcons versus Seahawks in Seattle, Washington 

New jobs to check out 

5.😔 Five-ish Points: Noah's Ark Sanctuary still closed

It's Monday. Shanah tovah to all who are celebrating!

 ☀️ Today's weather: Sunny, with a high of 80.

 Situational awareness: The world champions Atlanta Braves are set to meet President Biden at the White House today.

Today's newsletter is 881 words — a 3½ -minute read. 

🪴 Kristal enjoyed helping her sister move her plants into her new home. She can't wait to stage them perfectly! 

👃 Thomas biked 45 miles in St. Simons and managed to not get a sunburn. The secret weapon? A ridiculous looking nose cover. 

🏔 Emma was reminded of how much she loves exploring Arabia Mountain (especially with temperatures and overcast skies like yesterday's).   

This newsletter was edited by Jen Ashley and copy edited by Eileen O'Reilly.

Once a week, you lug giant plastic bins filled with garbage to your curb. After the sanitation crew empties them into their giant truck, you pull them back to your house. Repeat ad infinitum.

Thomas here. The other day I gazed into the dark abyss that is my trash can and wondered if people ever said "I'm not gonna live like this." 

The intrigue: Many people do decide to keep their Herbie Curbies from getting filthy. Metro Atlanta is home to at least four companies that will do the dirty work for a fee.

How it works: Dwight Jones Jr. of ATL Fresh Cans estimates he's pressure-washed more than 10,000 trash bins with his top-secret all-natural solution. 

Most customers order a one-time service ($45). 60% of his regular subscribers are on the quarterly plan, he says.

His worst bin: "I always say, I'll see a worse one tomorrow," Jones says. "Disgust has no boundaries. It doesn't stop."

Some Atlantans have their bins cleaned as frequently as once a month.

Small businesses

Once a week, you lug giant plastic bins filled with garbage to your curb. After the sanitation crew empties them into their giant truck, you pull them back to your house. Repeat ad infinitum.<ul><li>Thomas here. The other day I gazed into the dark abyss that is my trash can and wondered if people ever said &quot;I&#x27;m not gonna live like this.&quot; </li></ul>

News

After a long legal slog, two companies have been given the green light to grow and produce medical cannabis — specifically, low-THC oil — in Georgia. 

Why it matters: People living with serious medical conditions have waited years to access legal low-THC oil to find relief. 

The state's system to license growers and distributors of homegrown medical cannabis opens an untapped and highly competitive market.

Details: Tuesday, Botanical Sciences LLC and Trulieve Georgia Inc. — two of the original winners of the process — were officially awarded licenses by the state's medical marijuana commission. The unanimous decision follows more than a year of protests from rejected applicants.

Botanical Sciences plans to operate in a 100,000 square-foot facility in Glennville, per a 2021 AJC report.

Trulieve's "seed-to-sale" facility of the same size is under construction in Adel, according to a company statement.

Catch up quick: Georgia legalized the use of low-THC oil for medical purposes in 2015. Under the law, people living with advanced cancer, seizures, and other select conditions could join a state registry.

Yes, but: While the state passed a 2019 law allowing for a limited number of licenses to produce medical cannabis, the process has been stalled in court.

In 2019, the General Assembly created a system for licensing indoor growing and production operations. Nearly 70 companies applied for six licenses.

Intrigue: Earlier on Wednesday, judges in McIntosh and Dougherty counties halted the commission from issuing the four remaining licenses set aside for smaller companies, per 11 Alive.

What's next: Licensed operations must be up and running within a year, according to state law.

Operations must be up and running within a year

Medical marijuana

After a long legal slog, two companies have been given the green light to grow and produce medical cannabis — specifically, low-THC oil — in Georgia. Why it matters: People living with serious medical conditions have waited years to access legal low-THC oil to find relief.

Thomas here. Last weekend, my friend Sonam suggested our buds meet at Xi'an Gourmet House for a pre-movie dinner. (We saw "Barbarian"! It was clever, frightening and funny.)

Details: Located in The Mark at the corner of Spring and 10th Street, Xi'an works off a slimmed-down menu that won my heart with its relative simplicity.

You've got noodles, soups, burgers, dumplings and some simple appetizers. All of which taste excellent.

I opted for the vegetarian noodles dry with stir-fry potato, carrot, king mushroom and tofu. I also added an order of veggie spring rolls, and I sampled my friend's order of scallion pancakes.  

The latter was less decadent than what you'd find at Gaja's and Ok Yaki. That subtlety was delightful.  

Yes, but: My friends opted for the beef noodle soup. Everyone loved their meal and the spice level.

The peppercorns made my mouth tingle but didn’t make me sweat or see bright lights.  

On the menu: noodles, soups, burgers, dumplings and some simple appetizers.

Restaurants

Thomas here. Last weekend, my friend Sonam suggested our buds meet at <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Xi&#x27;an Gourmet House" data-vars-click-url="https://xiangourmethouse.kwickmenu.com/" data-vars-content-id="4959f81e-b67a-486b-bc3c-0ce8ef8c69e1" data-vars-headline="Xi&#x27;an Gourmet House wins with simple menu and excellent taste" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://xiangourmethouse.kwickmenu.com/" target="_blank">Xi&#x27;an Gourmet House</a> for a pre-movie dinner. (We saw &quot;Barbarian&quot;! It was clever, frightening and funny.)Details: Located in The Mark at the corner of Spring and 10th Street, Xi&#x27;an works off a <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="slimmed-down menu" data-vars-click-url="https://xiangourmethouse.kwickmenu.com/menu.php" data-vars-content-id="4959f81e-b67a-486b-bc3c-0ce8ef8c69e1" data-vars-headline="Xi&#x27;an Gourmet House wins with simple menu and excellent taste" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://xiangourmethouse.kwickmenu.com/menu.php" target="_blank">slimmed-down menu</a> that won my heart with its relative simplicity.

Food and Drink

Georgia Power wants to hike electricity prices 12% over the next three years — but not before giving the chance to make your voice heard. 

Why it matters: Georgia Power provides electricity to more than 2 million people in 155 of the state's 159 counties.

Details: Starting next Tuesday, the Georgia Public Service Commission — a five-member body of elected officials who decide how much you pay to turn on your lights and heat up your oven — will accept public comments on the rate hike.

Comments will be heard before the hearing and will also be accepted by email.

Of note: The PSC recently changed its public comment rules, a move that sparked protests from some clean-energy and public-interest groups. 

By the numbers: Georgia Power says the typical ratepayer would see monthly bills go up $14.32 next year per bill, with smaller increases ($1.35, $0.62) in the following years. 

That additional cash will be re-invested in improving the transmission grid, working toward a goal of adding 6,000 megawatts of renewable energy by 2035, and more, the utility says. 

Yes, but: Large industrial customers, however, will see 6% higher bills, the Southern Alliance for Clean Energy said earlier this year. Smaller businesses will see a similar increase to typical residential ratepayers.

The organization says Georgia Power's spending plan fails to increase renewable energy options like rooftop solar. 

What's next: After next week’s hearings, the PSC will hold additional meetings in November. A final vote is expected in late December. 

Prices would increase 12% over the next three years.

Electric power

Georgia Power wants to hike electricity prices 12% over the next three years — but not before giving the chance to make your voice heard. Why it matters: Georgia Power provides electricity to more than 2 million people in 155 of the state&#x27;s 159 counties.

A state-of-the-art events space near Mercedes-Benz Stadium that expanded the limits of Atlanta nightlife's offerings — and tested the patience of some Vine City residents — could soon reopen.

Driving the news: Roughly a year after the city ordered Dome in the City to close its doors, the space's request for a permit to operate cleared an Atlanta City Council committee meeting Monday.

Catch up quick: Located across the street from the Georgia World Congress Center, the inflatable venue projects 360-degree visuals ranging from animations to sporting events on its roof. 

The pandemic hamstrung the business owners' plans, according to a presentation to the Atlanta zoning review board on Sept. 8. The 32,000 square foot space hosted nightlife events and concerts, plus community events like a toy drive, on a limited basis.

Some residents of Vine City said those high-profile events came with noise echoing through the hilly single-family neighborhood and traffic clogging its narrow streets.

Details: DeWayne Martin, a lawyer for Dome owner Jaycee Atlanta Development, told the board that the owners have invested more than $100,000 in sound mitigation and beefed up plans for security and traffic.

Moving forward, the Dome wants to host small-scale athletics, concerts and other private events, Martin said. (The lawyer did not return Axios' request for comment.) 

The other side: "We know that this is a money situation, and people want to make money off the land that they own," says Carrie Salvary, a longtime Vine City resident who opposes the space. "But you also want to be good neighbors as well. But I think the whole good neighbor portion went out the window."

The intrigue: The Vine City Civic Association supports the Dome, says Bishop John Lewis, the organization's chair. But the neighborhood planning unit representing the greater area recommended the city reject its permit application.  

What's next: The permit request moves to the full Atlanta City Council. Council member Byron Amos, who represents Vine City, did not return Axios' request for comment.

It was ordered to close its doors roughly a year ago.

Dome in the City drew crowds and attention during the pandemic until the city ordered owners to close the doors. Photos: Prince Williams/Wireimage/Getty; Thomas Wheatley/Axios

A state-of-the-art events space near Mercedes-Benz Stadium that expanded the limits of Atlanta nightlife&#x27;s offerings — and <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="tested" data-vars-click-url="https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/new-pop-up-nightclub-in-vine-city-causing-concerns-amongst-residents/W42LLCO4X5BAPEJNGJOWY2PDRE/" data-vars-content-id="f1cb121e-d020-4e5c-9540-eefe0130c672" data-vars-headline="Dome in the City could soon reopen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.ajc.com/news/atlanta-news/new-pop-up-nightclub-in-vine-city-causing-concerns-amongst-residents/W42LLCO4X5BAPEJNGJOWY2PDRE/" target="_blank">tested</a> the patience of some Vine City residents — could soon reopen.Driving the news: Roughly a year after the city ordered <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Dome in the City" data-vars-click-url="https://domeinthecity.com/" data-vars-content-id="f1cb121e-d020-4e5c-9540-eefe0130c672" data-vars-headline="Dome in the City could soon reopen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://domeinthecity.com/" target="_blank">Dome in the City</a> to close its doors, the space&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="request for a permit" data-vars-click-url="https://atlantacityga.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&amp;MeetingID=3629&amp;MediaPosition=&amp;ID=30293&amp;CssClass=" data-vars-content-id="f1cb121e-d020-4e5c-9540-eefe0130c672" data-vars-headline="Dome in the City could soon reopen" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://atlantacityga.iqm2.com/Citizens/Detail_LegiFile.aspx?Frame=&amp;MeetingID=3629&amp;MediaPosition=&amp;ID=30293&amp;CssClass=" target="_blank">request for a permit</a> to operate cleared an Atlanta City Council committee meeting Monday.

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Stories

Dome in the City could soon reopen

Do you clean your Herbie Curbie?

Two companies given OK to produce medical cannabis

Xi'an Gourmet House wins with simple menu and excellent taste

Georgia Power wants to increase electricity prices

Newsletter editions

⚾️ Biden and the Braves

✏️ Drawing Atlanta neighborhoods

👍 Beltline project progress

🍁 Legalized weed

☎️ Crisis calls spike