DeKalb County residents seeking relief from dangerous temperatures can access free cooling centers and swimming pools Tuesday and Wednesday as heat indices soar above 100 degrees.
🏊 What’s Happening: DeKalb County is designating rooms in recreation centers as cooling stations on June 24-25, 2025, with water fountains available for hydration. All recreation center pools will be free to the public from 2 p.m. until closing both days.
What is the Heat Index?: The heat index refers to what the temperature feels like when the air temperature is combined with relative humidity. The thermometer in your car may report 90 degree temperatures, but the humidity means that to your body, it will feel like it is over 100 degrees. The heat index is sometimes called the “apparent temperature.”
🌡️ Why It Matters: Extreme heat can be deadly, especially for vulnerable populations like seniors and those without air conditioning. These emergency measures provide essential protection during what could be this summer’s most dangerous heat event.
🔍 Between the Lines: This approach comes directly in response to National Weather Service warnings, showing how local governments are increasingly treating extreme heat as a serious public health emergency requiring immediate action.
How to Read and Understand The News
When reading news, remember:
- Truth doesn’t change because we dislike it
- Facts remain facts even when they make us uncomfortable
- Events happen whether we accept them or not
- Good reporting often challenges us
- The news isn’t choosing a position — it is relaying what official, verified sources have said.
- Blaming the press for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Before dismissing news that bothers you, ask:
- What evidence supports this story?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I “shooting the messenger” because I don’t like what is happening?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not just comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
