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

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Restaurant group wants investigation into 2018 sinkhole at Piedmont Park

Be Our Guest Investments accuses Piedmont Park Conservancy of covering up the issue before anyone could determine the cause of the sinkhole.

News

The traditional Georgia accent is fading away

The speech pattern used by white English speakers "peaked" among people born around World War II

Georgia teacher fired for having book about gender identity in classroom

She is one of — if not the — first educator in Georgia to lose her job in relation to  a 2022 state law

Education

Remember when: A celebrated artist created Atlanta's most creative playground

The playground is striking for its simplicity and use of color.

How Home Depot picks out its Halloween decor

A team of executives pulls inspiration from haunted houses, movies, trick or treaters' costumes and  cemetery walks

Business

Halloween is serious business for Lance Allen, Home Depot&#x27;s go-to guy for ghosts, tombstones, inflatable cauldrons and animatronic witches.Why it matters: Halloween shoppers are expected to spend $12.2 billion this year on Halloween, up from $10.6 billion last year, according to the National Retail Federation&#x27;s <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="2023 season survey" data-vars-click-url="https://nrf.com/research-insights/holiday-data-and-trends/halloween" data-vars-content-id="a9233637-6bcf-465d-8227-04f985d52fc1" data-vars-headline="How Home Depot picks out its Halloween decor" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://nrf.com/research-insights/holiday-data-and-trends/halloween" target="_blank">2023 season survey</a>.

A photo of a Halloween decoration floor display at Home Depot. That includes a skeleton Grim Reaper and a tall character from A Nightmare before Christmas.

Pickleball concept to open along Atlanta Beltline

This winter, Painted Hospitality will open the Painted Pickle in Armour Yards adjacent to the under-construction extension of the popular Beltline trail.

The group that launched the Painted Pin and Painted Duck bowling alleys is planting a flag along the Beltline and getting into the pickleball game.What&#x27;s happening: This winter, Painted Hospitality will open the Painted Pickle in Armour Yards adjacent to the under-construction extension of the popular Beltline trail.

A new lawsuit has reignited a long-running dispute over a sinkhole in Piedmont Park, days before Music Midtown will bring thousands of visitors to the area.Flashback: In 2017, restaurant group Be Our Guest Investments leased space inside Piedmont Park Conservancy&#x27;s Community Center building, where it planned to open two restaurants.<ul><li>During renovations in 2018, the group said a sinkhole formed and part of the foundation collapsed.</li></ul>

Walmart to start building Vine City grocery store in fall

The Neighborhood Market will replace the Walmart Supercenter in Vine City

Walmart hopes to break ground on a new Neighborhood Market in Atlanta&#x27;s Vine City community later this year.Driving the news: Construction on the store is set to begin this fall, according to Brian Little, the company&#x27;s global communications director.

To tip or not to tip

During the pandemic, customers started tipping frontline employees more frequently, but the habit stuck.

You&#x27;re in the checkout line to pay for a pack of gum, a takeout meal or a little gift from a boutique, and the employee swivels around the checkout screen that asks for a tip. What do you do?What&#x27;s happening: <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="Tip-flation" data-vars-click-url="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/28/1184894498/the-driving-forces-behind-tip-flation" data-vars-content-id="1f2bfd98-6cbb-4af9-88de-19b6906b2065" data-vars-headline="To tip or not to tip" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.npr.org/2023/06/28/1184894498/the-driving-forces-behind-tip-flation" target="_blank">Tip-flation</a>. During the pandemic, customers started tipping frontline employees more frequently, but the habit stuck.

Illustration of a tip jar with an upward arrow in masking tape on the front. 

Exclusive: Rivian CEO on its new Georgia plant

The factory set for construction east of Atlanta is being designed as a "fossil-free plant."

Rivian CEO RJ Scaringe says the <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="EV company&#x27;s $5 billion factory" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/03/02/full-speed-ahead-rivian-brian-kemp-georgia?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=pro_deals_climatetech_subs&amp;stream=top" data-vars-content-id="4c35b01f-c976-421b-b342-ceacc1a98b6e" data-vars-headline="Exclusive: Rivian CEO on its new Georgia plant" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/atlanta/2023/03/02/full-speed-ahead-rivian-brian-kemp-georgia?utm_source=newsletter&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_campaign=pro_deals_climatetech_subs&amp;stream=top" target="_self">EV company&#x27;s $5 billion factory</a> set for construction east of Atlanta is being designed as a &quot;fossil-free plant.&quot;Driving the news: Axios&#x27; Alan Neuhauser sat down with Scaringe to discuss the plant, the company&#x27;s new &quot;green-charging upgrades&quot; and Amazon&#x27;s 100,000-delivery van order.

Cumberland begins test drive of autonomous shuttles

The Hopper will test two routes serving the office, retail and residential area

Transit

Cumberland officials are expanding their vision for a less car-driven future with a driverless shuttle.What&#x27;s happening: Starting Tuesday, a driverless shuttle dubbed &quot;The Cumberland Hopper&quot; starts service around the auto-oriented office, retail and growing residential area.

A brightly colored 8-person autonomous shuttle with "Welcome aboard" and "hopper" on the side

Gathering Spot sues Greenwood over alleged missed payment

The fintech firm acquired the private membership club and co-working hub in 2016.

A celebrated business deal combining two of Atlanta&#x27;s most well-known Black-owned brands has spiraled into a courtroom dispute with allegations of a missed multi-million dollar payment and questionable accounting practices.What&#x27;s happening: The founders of The Gathering Spot private membership club and co-working hub allege that Greenwood, a fintech firm that <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="acquired" data-vars-click-url="https://www.wsj.com/articles/greenwood-acquires-the-gathering-spot-in-joining-of-black-owned-businesses-11652155083" data-vars-content-id="07eebfc1-f172-437b-999f-67d712bb21c4" data-vars-headline="Gathering Spot sues Greenwood over alleged missed payment" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/greenwood-acquires-the-gathering-spot-in-joining-of-black-owned-businesses-11652155083" target="_blank">acquired</a> the Gathering Spot in 2022, stiffed them and other investors on a &quot;substantial&quot; agreed-upon payment.

Side by side photos on a light blue background of Paul Judge and Ryan Glover on a red carpet and Ryan Wilson and TK Petersen also on a red carpet

Ridwell brings hard-to-recycle pick-up program to Atlanta

Plastics, light bulbs and batteries, be gone.

Ridwell, a service that recycles trash that can&#x27;t go in curbside bins, has started rolling into Atlanta, the company&#x27;s first East Coast location, and Decatur.Driving the news: Founder Ryan Metzger says that more than 3,000 metro Atlantans joined the waitlist for Ridwell. The company says it has more than 84,000 users in <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="dozens of cities" data-vars-click-url="https://blog.ridwell.com/blog/ridwell-service-areas" data-vars-content-id="2f7e5aee-350b-4afd-ba9c-198356ed1962" data-vars-headline="Ridwell brings hard-to-recycle pick-up program to Atlanta" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://blog.ridwell.com/blog/ridwell-service-areas" target="_blank">dozens of cities</a> including Austin, Denver and Portland, Oregon.

How to solve metro Atlanta's housing puzzle

The Atlanta Fed's Raphael Bostic and City Hall housing advisor Joshua Humphries talk fixes.

Finding an affordable place to live can feel like a second job for many metro Atlantans, particularly those living on low incomes.<ul><li>Solving that problem requires a building bonanza, fair and decent wages and community support, two experts told Axios.</li></ul>Driving the news: On Thursday, Axios hosted a virtual discussion with Raphael Bostic, the president and CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta, and Joshua Humphries, the housing policy advisor for Mayor Andre Dickens to discuss what&#x27;s working to increase affordable housing in metro Atlanta.

Illustration of a welcome mat that is a one-hundred dollar bill.

Business 🏦