45 Years of El Azteca

Local News and Events

On Wednesday, the DeKalb County Board of Education made a significant decision by naming Dunwoody High School’s stadium after Ryan Seacrest, a TV and radio personality and 1992 graduate. The board also approved an $185 million modernization project for Druid Hills High School.

Today's weather is partly cloudy with a temperature of 59 degrees. In Athens, Democrat Eric Gisler won a special election that flipped a State House seat in a district that President Donald Trump previously won by double digits. Early voting has started for the Dec. 16 runoff in Georgia Senate District 35 between Jaha Howard and Roger Bruce.

Fulton District Attorney Fani Willis has agreed to testify before the Senate regarding the Trump election interference case, despite previous efforts to resist a subpoena. Additionally, Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office is conducting a full-scale investigation following an incident where a Fulton County poll worker allegedly scanned multiple ballots during the Dec. 2 runoff election.

Big Play, a new entertainment complex featuring an arcade, bowling, laser tag, mini-golf, and a restaurant, is set to open tomorrow in Dunwoody’s Mount Vernon Shopping Center. A federal judge recently struck down Georgia’s ban on gender-affirming care for transgender inmates in state custody, but the state is appealing this decision.

The City of Atlanta has renamed a portion of Pryor Road and Pryor Street in honor of late community advocate Michael Langford.

National and International News

Democrat Eileen Higgins has won Miami’s mayoral race, ending her party’s nearly 30-year drought. President Donald Trump recently commented on Europe, stating it was "decaying" and led by "weak" leaders during a Politico interview, hinting he might walk away from Ukraine if it doesn’t cede territory to Russia.

Picture This

The original Pink Pigs, Percival and Priscilla, are on display for the holidays at the Atlanta History Center in Buckhead. These monorail cars once circled the roof of the old Rich’s Department Store in Downtown Atlanta, giving kids a birds-eye view of the city and the Great Tree.

What’s in Today’s Newsletter

• Take 5 with Ryan Hardwick
• Sandy Springs @ 20
• Wellness Wednesday
AND
• Concert Picks

Opportunities for Young Families

There are numerous new opportunities for young families at Congregation B’nai Torah in Sandy Springs. Your first year of membership is free! Come check out an upcoming event or join us for Tot Shabbat.

Take 5 with Race Car Driver and Entrepreneur Ryan Hardwick

Ryan Hardwick’s passion for racing began at home and was nurtured by his family. He is the 2025 FIA World Endurance Championship LMGT3 Drivers’ Champion and a winner of the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Born in Tennessee and now an Atlanta transplant, his family has deep roots in car racing: his maternal grandfather built race cars and owned a round-track team, his mother earned a National Championship, and his father raced cars and trucks alongside her for years.

When he’s not behind the wheel of a Porsche 911 GT3 R, home for Hardwick is Buckhead, where he and his family live just a short drive (depending upon traffic) from his “day job” running Mountain Motorsports, a thriving business he and his co-owner expanded from East Tennessee to Alabama and into the greater Atlanta market.

For her most recent edition of Take 5, Teri Elam spoke with Hardwick about his love for racing, the film “F1,” and more. Check out that conversation here.

Fashion Meets Art at the High Museum!

SPONSORED BY THE HIGH MUSEUM

Experience Viktor&Rolf: Fashion Statements – a bold, breathtaking exhibition celebrating avant-garde fashion visionaries who blurred the line between haute couture and art. Only at the High, the exhibition’s sole U.S. stop.

➞ On view through Feb. 8, 2026.

El Azteca Has a Front-Row Seat; Neighboring Cities Join the Movement

SPONSORED BY MWT WINDOWS

To celebrate the 20th anniversary of Sandy Springs, we have two stories about witnesses to the incorporation.

• Owners of longtime Mexican restaurant El Azteca have had a front-row seat to the city’s incorporation over its 45 years on Roswell Road.
• A perspective piece on how Sandy Springs’ efforts helped other activists realize their own incorporation dreams.

Online coverage of Sandy Springs @ 20 is sponsored by MWT Windows. Get a free consultation today!

Wellness Wednesday

Join Aum Studio for Wellness in Alpharetta on Friday at 7 p.m. for a sacred resonance sound journey. Voice and instruments will help you release, restore, and reconnect.

Meet up at Mason Mill Park in Decatur for We Hike to Heal (pictured), a free women’s group hike, on Saturday at 10 a.m.

Atlanta Holistic Mental Health & Wellness is hosting an ADD/ADHD monthly life coaching and support group session on Saturday at 1 p.m. in Sandy Springs. A 30-minute introductory session will precede the event.

Indulge your sweet tooth at Livable Buckhead’s Hot Chocolate Crawl this Sat., Dec. 13! Enjoy hot chocolate and specialty cocktails while strolling through Lenox Square, Phipps Plaza, and Peachtree Road. Local musicians and visits from Santa add to the festive fun. Admission is free!

Concert Picks

Wed., Dec. 10
Trisha Yearwood @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
Guaco @ Tabernacle
Xavi @ Coca-Cola Roxy

Thurs., Dec. 11
David Foster + Katharine McPhee @ Fox Theatre
Dean Johnson + Esther Rose @ Vinyl
Raekwon + Mobb Deep @ Tabernacle
Teddy Swims @ Coca-Cola Roxy

Fri., Dec. 12
Allman Betts Family Revival @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
Brendan Abernathy @ Aisle 5
Chris Renzema @ Buckhead Theatre
Holidaze! with Five Eight and more (pictured) @ Smith’s Olde Bar

Sat., Dec. 13
Thievery Corporation @ Tabernacle
Chris Mitchell Jazz @ Variety Playhouse

Sun., Dec. 14
Trans-Siberian Orchestra @ Gas South Arena
Robert Earl Keen @ The Eastern
Ella Mai @ The Loft
The Cool Kids @ Vinyl

Mon., Dec. 15
Leslie Odom Jr. @ Atlanta Symphony Hall

Tues., Dec. 16
The Fabulous Equinox Orchestra @ Gas South Theater
Hometown Hero: Young Thug & Friends @ State Farm Arena

Wed., Dec. 17
Sarah Brightman @ Atlanta Symphony Hall
The Front Bottoms @ The Eastern

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Final Notes

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