Seven people were arrested last night, Sept. 23, during protests against a Louisville, Kentucky grand jury’s decision not to indict police officers in the shooting death of Breonna Taylor. According to the Atlanta Police Department, the seven were arrested during a protest near the State Capitol in Downtown. The Georgia State Patrol and members of the National Guard also clashed with protesters, deploying teargas to disperse demonstrators. Unrest was reported in cities across America after the grand jury decision to charge only one officer with wanton endangerment for shooting into the home of Taylor’s neighbors.
Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has announced a new partnership with the Fulton County Board of Health to combat COVID-19. The $7.7 million agreement will expand COVID-19 testing to reach at least 20,000 Atlanta residents, hire more than 150 contact tracing support staff, map demography trends to include racial and ethnic disparities, and more. To view more updates on Atlanta’s current reopening phase, visit the COVID-19 Atlanta Reopening Dashboard.
The Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation has made a $9.5 million grant to First Tee, a youth development program that uses golf to teach life skills. The Foundation has supported First Tee for nearly a decade, and this new grant allows the organization to reach more kids across the U.S. and expand its teen curriculum. Currently reaching kids through programs at 150 chapters, 10,000 schools and 1,600 youth centers, including a Metro Atlanta Chapter, First Tee is opening the door to more kids and teens across its network, especially inviting those who are in underserved communities, to have access to programs and new opportunities.
The post News Briefs: 7 arrested during protests; expanding COVID-19 testing; Blank donates $9.5M to First Tee appeared first on Atlanta INtown Paper.