Morning, y’all! I’ve got tickets to see “The Odyssey” tonight — whatever you do, do not email me any spoilers.
Please give AJ a warm welcome back on Monday! It’s been my honor to write to you this week.
Let’s get to it.
STICKER SHOCK
Credit: AP
Credit: AP
Car payments in the quadruple digits may be more common than you think — especially in Georgia.
- Roughly 1 in 8 Georgians with an active auto loan have at least one monthly payment of $1,000 or more, according to a new analysis from LendingTree.
- The sky-high payments could be caused by a lot of different things — buyers wanting big cars, low credit scores pushing monthly payments higher or high credit scores allowing for bigger loans.
- The average transaction price for a new vehicle in the U.S. was $49,758 in June.
If you’re buying a car soon and want to fall squarely in the “less than $1,000 a month payment” category, reporting intern Carson Bonner has some expert advice for you.
🔎 READ MORE: $1,000 car payments are increasingly common, especially in Georgia
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WHERE THERE’S SMOKE
Tenants of the Reserve at LaVista Walk are one step closer to getting paid out for a fireworks-induced fire that destroyed the complex where people lived and worked.
- The late 2023 fire gutted the LaVista Road apartment complex, shut down nearby roads and affected more than 200 residents.
- The settlement will total $8.45 million. Eligible tenants are expected to get $4,500, with $2,500 for each child resident. Tenants could get more for property damage claims.
- The aftermath of the fire has been litigious, with tenants accusing companies of not maintaining safety systems, ignoring complaints about fireworks and failing to secure the property after the fire.
🔎 READ MORE: $8.45M settlement reached over Atlanta apartment complex fire
MUST-KNOW POLITICS AND BUSINESS
🐮 A known hacker group is taking responsibility for a ransomware attack targeting Fairlife, the dairy brand owned by Coca-Cola. The company said it has no update to share after shutting down U.S. production of Fairlife last week.
🗳️ Voter turnout is low so far in the race to fill a Georgia Congressional seat. U.S. Rep. David Scott died before the end of his term. Now five candidates in the state’s 13th Congressional District are hoping more voters will come out to decide who fills the seat.
THRILL SEEKERS
Credit: Thrillz Atlanta & Brown Bag Marketing
Credit: Thrillz Atlanta & Brown Bag Marketing
A new 50,000-square-foot indoor theme park is open for business. Thrillz Atlanta is sure to give your kids (and maybe you, too) a hit of adrenaline. Reporter Olivia Wakim has all the details, but here’s an overview:
- What: A 35-foot slide, airbag obstacle courses, trampolines, a climbing wall, duckpin bowling, an arcade, ziplining, sports, carnival-style rides, virtual reality and more.
- Where: Off Spaghetti Junction at 4280 Northeast Expressway.
- Who: All ages, from toddlers to adults.
- When: Starting yesterday, it’s open every day of the week.
- How much: It varies depending on your age and when you go. You can buy ticket packages or a la carte entry to different attractions.
I don’t really like theme parks, but I love air conditioning, so I might have to check it out.
🔎 READ MORE: What to expect at Thrillz Atlanta, the massive new indoor adventure park
NEWS BITES
Atlanta’s Dogwood Festival coming back in 2027, but uncertainty lingers
It’s free at last.
Giant metal roosters spread autism acceptance in Maine after town zoning spat
A beautiful tale of a community coming together to stick it to a zoning board.
FDA reviews peptide injections favored by RFK Jr. and wellness influencers
Maybe check with your doctor before injecting anything, OK?
Atlanta Dragon Con suspends new eternal memberships for first time ever
All those Odysseus cosplayers will just have to buy a regular ticket this year.
ON THIS DATE
July 24, 1993
Credit: AJC
Credit: AJC
Whew! Day camps seek cool ideas as heat zaps kids’ energy. With gallons of sunscreen, truckloads of ice and innovative hot-weather treats like upside-down sundaes, day camps are keeping thousands of kids cool in Hotlanta’s record-breaking temperatures. … The recipe: camper lies on back with mouth open wide. A friend plops in a scoop of camper’s favorite ice cream, drizzles chocolate sauce all over it and camper’s face — tops it with whipped cream. Gulp! It’s a sundae.
Now that’s what I call a Lazy Sundae.
ONE MORE THING
Before you head to the farmers market this weekend, check out our primer on how to pick the perfect peach. You want it to be soft but not mushy; firm with a little bit of give; round but not oddly shaped; yellow or red but definitely not dark green. Coincidentally, that’s also how I would describe the perfect throw pillow.
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at AMATL@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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