No Kings rallies drew demonstrators across metro Atlanta and Georgia during the first weekend of early voting. In Roswell, Lee Jenkins, pastor of Eagles Nest Church, led a nonpartisan march through the community on Sunday to encourage participation in the general election on Nov. 3. The Souls to the Polls march drew parishioners and community […]
Author Archives: Adrianne Murchison
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College Park denies accommodation request for sober living home
College Park city council voted to deny a reasonable accommodation request that would have allowed up to eight unrelated people to live in a sober living home in a residential neighborhood. The request by Halcyon House sought permission to house eight residents at 2041 English Lane, where current zoning limits occupancy to three unrelated people. […]
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Human trafficking investigation puts spotlight on illegal activity in Sandy Springs
This story has been updated with comments from Sandy Springs police about recent investigations involving illegal activity in the city. Morgan Falls Overlook Park, the site of a recent police investigation into human trafficking, is considered one of the crown jewels of Sandy Springs. The scenic side of the park has pavilions, playgrounds, porch swings […]
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Delta Air Lines Foundation awards $1M grant to Agnes Scott College
The Delta Air Lines Foundation has awarded a $1 million grant to Agnes Scott College to support its Global Journeys program, which introduces first-year students to global issues and leadership development. As part of the college’s Summit program, Global Journeys explores global themes in the class curriculum before students travel to an international destination. The […]
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Sandy Springs Police make prostitution arrests while concerns grow over viral park video
Sandy Springs police say they’ve been conducting a human trafficking operation at Morgan Falls Overlook Park and also near Hammond Drive, which has resulted in four arrests, the rescue of an adult trafficking victim, and three children being placed in protective custody. The police statement does not address Wednesday’s incident with Marron Bridges. Two social […]
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Sandy Springs Police investigating incident captured in viral video at Morgan Falls Park
Sandy Springs police say they are conducting an active investigation involving an incident Wednesday at Morgan Falls Park. A woman recorded an encounter with officers at the park that has since attracted widespread attention on social media. Thursday, Marron Bridges said that she has filed a complaint with the police department. She said that she […]
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10-year-old honored for heroic actions in College Park house fire
College Park is honoring a 10-year-old boy who played a major role in saving his family’s home during a fire this summer. During Monday’s city council meeting, Mayor Bianca Motley Broom and Fire Chief Sterling P. Jones presented Cornelius Chones with a proclamation for his courage and quick action after a fire broke out at […]
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MJCCA features Joseph Bau exhibit, film and book talk
An art exhibit, film screening and book talk highlighting the life and work of Holocaust survivor and artist Joseph Bau will take place this fall at the Marcus Jewish Community Center of Atlanta. Bau, a graphic artist born in Krakow, Poland, survived the Plaszów concentration camp in part because of his skills in making maps […]
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Georgia schools still rely on 1985 funding formula as student needs grow
Journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones, in a recent New York Times Magazine essay, writes about the decision she and her husband made to send their daughter to predominantly Black public schools serving high-poverty communities, where funding and resources were more limited than at many other schools. Their choice was intentional. They wanted their daughter to attend school […]
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Judge dismisses College Park councilwoman’s TPO petition against resident
A Fulton County Superior Court judge dismissed a petition for a stalking temporary protective order brought by a College Park councilwoman against a resident. During a Monday hearing, Judge Tamika Hrobowski-Houston said resident Allyson Blue’s words and actions toward College Park Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie did not amount to stalking, harassment or threats and denied McKenzie’s […]
Posted inAdrianne Murchison, Columns
Documentary revisits Atlanta’s 1906 race massacre with a warning for today
Filmmaker Trent Frank posed the question to the audience following the screening of his documentary, “Never Again: The 1906 Atlanta Race Massacre:” Could this happen again? His film recounts the cultural and political climate in September 1906 that led to four days of violent attacks against Atlanta’s thriving Black communities, killing at least 25 people. […]
Posted inAdrianne Murchison, Columns
Robb Pitts backs Republican Thorne, defends remarks about Democrat Goldman
Just months ago, Fulton County Commission Chairman Robb Pitts was fighting the federal seizure of the county’s 2020 election records. Now, the outgoing Democrat is endorsing Republican Fulton County Commissioner Bridget Thorne, whose role in the federal investigation became part of the controversy surrounding the January raid. Pitts recently announced his support for District 1 […]
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South Fulton to host 25th annual HBCU National Tennis Championships
A four-day national tennis championship will begin this week at the South Fulton Tennis Center. The 25th annual HBCU National Tennis Championships will be held Sept. 17 through Sept. 20, bringing an estimated 250 tennis athletes from Historically Black Colleges and Universities to compete in Division I and II singles and doubles matches. According to […]
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Atlanta Women’s Foundation awards nearly $1.5M to nonprofits serving women and girls
The Atlanta Women’s Foundation announced nearly $1.5 million in investments this week to support organizations and programs serving women and girls across metro Atlanta. The funding will support nonprofits working in areas including early childhood education, family stability, mental health, leadership development and girls’ empowerment. Each nonprofit selected for funding will receive a grant ranging […]
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For Black women in leadership, must degradation come with the territory?
For Black women, is degradation by others the price of leadership? I have been thinking about this lately as I cover College Park. And especially on Saturday, when a controversial Facebook account that is critical of College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom referred to her as a “whore.” The Facebook page, which is administered by […]
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College Park tensions reach a precipice as allegations and accusations collide
College Park has adopted a new security policy for elected officials as political tensions between city council members and residents continue to intensify. The policy allows the mayor and council members to receive security protection when there is a credible threat to their safety. It was spurred in part by Councilwoman Jamelle McKenzie and approved […]
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Manipulated images, anonymous posts fuel new College Park political fight
Both known and anonymous social media posters continue to take aim at College Park Mayor Bianca Motley Broom. The mayor says she is exploring legal options against those responsible for what she describes as false and defamatory attacks. The latest controversy centers on photographs published over Labor Day weekend on the Everything College Park Facebook […]
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South Fulton launches inaugural Roots & Routes storytelling festival
An inaugural storytelling festival will bring renowned artists to the Southwest Arts Center on Sept. 11 and Sept. 12. The city of South Fulton’s Department of Cultural Affairs is hosting the Roots & Routes Festival featuring nationally recognized storytellers. Southwest Arts Center is located at 915 New Hope Road S.W., in South Fulton. An opening-night […]
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A Home for Everyone in DeKalb: Homelessness can’t be solved in a silo
In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, Greg White, then-director of Recreation and Parks for the city of Decatur, began to see how the shutdown was making life even harder for people experiencing homelessness. “I say, in America, we forgot about poor people,” White said. With water fountains turned off in public spaces, many […]
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Smyrna’s riverfront neighborhood adds to city’s changing landscape
A stretch of Smyrna along the Chattahoochee River that was once dominated by industrial uses has a new identity. The city is putting finishing touches on the new riverfront community. “I’m excited about it because development along the river is difficult,” said Andrea Worthy, Smyrna’s community development director. Riverview Landing is a mixed-use development of […]
