A few Canada geese were minding their own business on a sidewalk outside Perimeter Mall Saturday afternoon when the soft “oohhh” murmurs of passersby gave way to a tone more harsh as the pedestrians passed through the birds’ droppings. This is a sign of the summer season in metro Atlanta.
Author Archives: David Pendered
David Pendered, Managing Editor, is an Atlanta journalist with more than 30 years experience reporting on the region’s urban affairs, from Atlanta City Hall to the state Capitol. Since 2008, he has written for print and digital publications, and advised on media and governmental affairs. Previously, he spent more than 26 years with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and won awards for his coverage of schools and urban development. David graduated from North Carolina State University and was a Western Knight Center Fellow.
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Former ATL mayoral candidate tapped to help oversee youth detention, rehab programs
Former Atlanta mayoral candidate Margaret Kaiser was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to the board that oversees the state Department of Juvenile Justice. The department manages the detention facilities and rehabilitation programs for youngsters convicted of crimes.
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Fulton County bans disposable plastics, declares residues could harm humans
Fulton County’s Board of Commissioners has banned the use of most disposable plastic food packaging in the county’s facilities. The ban is to be phased in and take effect Jan. 1, 2020. It also declares humans could be harmed by particles of plastics.
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Human trafficking, sexual servitude: Georgia steps up prosecution, penalties
Georgia’s top prosecutor of human trafficking crimes took office last week at a promising time – both the job and three stringent laws were established July 1, indications of the state’s growing interest in combating a crime that’s drawing increased attention around the world.
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Israeli lunar crash reminds of energy behind push to build Spaceport Camden
The crash landing of Israel’s spacecraft onto the surface of the moon in April may have fueled the conversation related to the proposed commercial spaceport on Georgia’s coast. With more entities focused on space exploration, the appetite for a commercial launch pad in Georgia may be growing.
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Bald eagles survived Hurricane Michael, fewer hatchlings estimated in nests
Georgia’s population of bald eagles has survived the ravages of Hurricane Michael, though the storm destroyed 14 nests when it barreled through South Georgia in October, according to a new report from the Georgia Department of Natural Resources on eagle nests in the state.
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Spaceport Camden: FAA moves ahead with review; negotiates over releasing environmental reports
The FAA has decided it has enough information to review the launch permit application for Spaceport Camden – including environmental information. This occurs even as an environmental law group continues to fight the FAA in federal court in Atlanta for a full accounting of potential environmental hazards of proposed rocket launches over Cumberland Island National Seashore.
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Not all aboard with new philosophy of mobility in Downtown Atlanta
A new philosophy of mobility in Downtown Atlanta is to be ready for use in three years. Not everyone is on board. The Atlanta City Council on Monday issued a split decision, 11-4, in favor of the first phase of the concept – to convert part of Baker Street from a one-way to a two-way street.
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Atlanta place names: Reconciling past events, future dreams amid the present
This week’s 55th anniversary of the passage of the Civil Rights Act is marked in Atlanta with debates that involve some types of complexities that arose during its passage and enactment.
Leaders of the civil rights movement urge a park in a blighted black neighborhood be named for a (deceased) wealthy, white politician from Buckhead. Fans of hip hop question the potential removal from a MARTA rail station the name of an Alabama-born Confederate Army captain.
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Downtown Atlanta traffic: Baker Street conversion part of sweeping proposal to reshape mobility
A significant vote on part of the sweeping proposal to “revolutionize the way we move through Downtown Atlanta” into 2030 is on the agenda Monday, and the Atlanta City Council is slated to approve this step in a plan fostered by the group of influential business leaders, Central Atlanta Progress.
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Park service seeks comments for planned upgrades at park along Chattahoochee River
More improvements are planned near the southern tip of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area, including a proposed trail and elevated overlook with views of the river. The deadline for public comment is July 7.
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Sidewalk cafes may be authorized in Atlanta; proposal pending before city council
Sidewalk cafes have become commonplace in urban areas around the country and Atlanta is making plans to allow them. The plan has support from the head of the city’s leading pedestrian group, who views outdoor seating as enlivening streetscapes.
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A terrific site for affordable homes, if only there weren’t a sewer line
MARTA intends to sell nearly a half-acre of vacant land that looked like a prime candidate for a development of affordably priced homes near Carey Park, in Northwest Atlanta. The minimum bid was $6,200, low enough to take land costs almost out of the equation. Then a buyer asked about that sewer line.
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A 17-mile trail system taking shape in Sandy Springs to connect parks, neighborhoods, destinations
Sandy Springs is moving forward briskly with planning for an estimated 17-mile set of trails to link parks, Perimeter Center and the city’s central park. The city council has allocated $750,000 to further a plan still on the drafting tables at PATH Foundation.
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Georgia’s endangered marine mammal to get relief from planned halt of offshore oil exploration
The second dead right whale of the year was reported last week, and by coincidence it was spotted the same day the U.S. House voted to block the expansion of offshore oil drilling in waters of Georgia and most of the rest of the nation. Offshore oil drilling activities are a hazard to endangered right whales and to other sea life, according to the federal government.
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Dead dolphins off Tampa join dolphin deaths, huge dead zone in northern Gulf of Mexico
A new round of dead bottlenose dolphins was reported Friday by the federal government, this one south of Tampa and in addition to the dead dolphins reported earlier in the week along the northern coast of the Gulf of Mexico and the huge dead zone in the gulf that results from an inflow of fertilizers and urban sewage.
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Georgia’s pension fund cited in positive light by Moody’s credit analysts
Georgia’s pension fund is highlighted in a positive light in a recent credit rating action by Moody’s Investors Service. Moody’s issued the rating for about $951 million in debt the state plans to sell for purposes including education and election voting systems.
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Atlanta’s new DOT to be one-stop shop for everything from transit planning to pothole repair
Atlanta residents are to be allowed to voice their thoughts about how the city’s newly created Department of Transportation goes about its business – including transit planning. Late 2020 is the target date for the new department to be fully functional, according to legislation approved Monday by the Atlanta City Council.
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Trees: More than pretty plants, they mark efforts in civil rights, public health, more
Tree canopies represent more than pretty plants. Urban forests are at the center of a national conversation over civil and human rights, the wealth divide and public health – and President Trump’s foreign relations. This is the broader conversation as Atlanta considers a rewrite of its tree ordinance.
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No ‘open, blank check’ for Atlanta BeltLine, says Atlanta’s Finance Committee chair
The Atlanta BeltLine likely won’t get approval Monday for a $7 million allocation to cover unspecified “professional expenses” until it explains to the Atlanta City Council what the money is supposed to cover.
