5 things to know today: Douglasville hate-crime victim speaks out; Atlanta faces threat of severe storms

Melissa Alford sits in the jurors box during the sentencing of Jose Torres and Kayla Norton at the Douglas County Courthouse on Monday. (Henry Taylor / henry.taylor@ajc.com)

Melissa Alford sits in the jurors box during the sentencing of Jose Torres and Kayla Norton at the Douglas County Courthouse on Monday. (Henry Taylor / henry.taylor@ajc.com)

1. Douglasville hate-crime victim to defendants: 'Why you crying now?' Melissa Alford felt a twinge of sympathy in court for the mother of three children facing so much prison time for a hate-crime. Alford's sympathy soon evaporated for Kayla Norton when she recounted the ordeal on that summer day nearly two years ago. [Read here]

2. Georgia highway tolls may never expire. State transportation officials are seeking the General Assembly's blessing for their plan to use tolls as a permanent tool to regulate traffic on Georgia's congested highways. [Read here]

3. How much of The Battery will be open for Braves opener? The Braves plan to provide a lineup soon of the parts of the mixed-use development adjacent to SunTrust Park that will be open when the first regular-season game is played there on April 14. [Read here]

4. Trump doubles down on campaign pledges. President Donald Trump revived the populist rhetoric that helped propel his rise to the top of the Republican ticket and later the White House while urging lawmakers to cast aside partisanship to work with him in his first address before a joint session of Congress. [Read here]

5. Atlanta faces threat of severe storms. Metro Atlanta is experiencing the calm before the storm. But by the evening commute, a storm system that brought tornadoes to the Midwest is expected to pound metro Atlanta, according to Channel 2 Action News. [Read here]

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