The Muscogee Nation, sometimes called the Muscogee Creek Nation, may soon become the first Indigenous nation invited back to co-steward the land it once called home, before being forcibly removed nearly two centuries ago. The Ocmulgee Mounds — the centerpiece of Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park — sit in the heart of Macon, Georgia. The […]
Category: Mark Lannaman
Mark Lannaman is a current graduate student at the Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds a B.A. from Georgia State University and an M.S. from Georgia Tech. He has previously worked with WABE as an intern for the Atlanta Press Club. Mark was a 2021 National Association of Hispanic Journalists mentee, 2021 Every Learner Everywhere fellow, & 2022 Society of Environmental Journalists fellow. He enjoys reporting on topics including sustainability, environment, education and urban development. Born and raised in Metro Atlanta, his family comes from Jamaica and Colombia. One of his favorite quotes is, “You cannot discover new oceans unless you have the courage to lose sight of the shore” -André Gide.
Posted inColumns, Mark Lannaman
Live Thrive’s Corporate + Community Challenge returns for another year of friendly corporate competitiveness
The Atlanta corporate community is in some good old-fashioned competition for a good cause — to see who can recycle the most over the course of six months. Live Thrive, an Atlanta-based nonprofit focused on reuse, waste diversion and recycling of materials, has brought back its popular Corporate + Community Challenge for another cycle, which […]
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Two democrats unseat incumbent republicans in Georgia’s Public Service Commission race by large margins
The Georgia Public Commission (PSC) will have two new commissioners in 2026 after voters elected Peter Hubbard and Alicia Johnson, ousting incumbents Fitz Johnson in District 3 and Tim Echols in District 2, respectively. According to the Georgia Secretary of State Office, Hubard won 62.91 percent of the vote while Alicia Johnson won 37.09 percent, […]
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FreeRent Atlanta Grant Program returns for third year, lending a helping hand to residents in troubling times
Some say nothing in life is free, while others say the best things in life are free. One organization is looking to lean into a third mantra: it costs nothing to be kind. On Oct. 31 FreeRent, an Atlanta-based nonprofit that provides rental assistance for one month or more to help them on their path […]
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SCAD launches applied AI degree and minor
AI continues to make its way into every facet of society, and one of the nation’s premier schools for arts and design is no different. Starting in the winter quarter, the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) will begin offering a Bachelor of Design in Applied AI, along with the option to minor in […]
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Ocean Conservancy’s hallmark International Coastal Cleanup celebrates 40 years of collection — and not just trash
Ocean Conservancy held its 40th International Coastal Cleanup (ICC) effort on Sept. 20 in what it calls the “world’s largest beach and waterway cleanup effort.” Hundreds of thousands of volunteers took to their local beaches and waterways around the world to help clean up the trash that made its way there in a day of […]
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Stargazing: Georgia State University’s CHARA Array receives $1.39M grant to enhance its work studying the stars
The National Science Foundation (NSF) Major Research Instrumentation Program awarded Georgia State University a $1.39M grant for upgrades to its Center for High Angular Resolution Astronomy (CHARA) Array located at Mount Wilson Observatory in Southern California. The array consists of six synchronized telescopes, each with a one-meter diameter light-collecting mirror, spread across the mountaintop. These […]
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Coast to coast, skyscraper to skyscraper
Last month I had the privilege to accompany a friend and hydrology doctoral student out West to Yosemite National Park. It was the sort of trip that you go into hoping to see natural wonders that will feed your soul, and yet still the sights left me in awe — and taking a ridiculous amount […]
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Little pain for a lot of gain: Little Five Points’ Findley Plaza undergoing renovations
A project more than a decade in development is finally coming to fruition in one of Atlanta’s most vibrant neighborhoods. Findley Plaza, located at the intersection of Euclid Ave and Moreland Ave, is undergoing renovations that will feature wider open space for the public. The redesign moves the tree wells to the outer edges of […]
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Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District gets a new administrator, looks towards proactive resiliency
Water is arguably the most important resource any region can have, yet few have heard of their local water stewards or managers. The Metropolitan North Georgia Water Planning District (The District), the body that protects the Metro Atlanta water resources at large, extending to 15 counties and 97 cities and is staffed by the Atlanta […]
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UrbanHeatATL undergoes latest summer campaign, building off years of data collection
Hotlanta lives up to its most hated nickname — in some places more than others. UrbanHeatATL has been documenting the phenomenon of urban heat islands — pockets of intensified heat compared to surrounding rural or suburban areas — throughout the City of Atlanta and identifying the places where they’re more intense than others. On July […]
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Atlanta gets $50 million investment from Momentus Capital
Momentus Capital, a community development financial institution (CDFI) branded family of organizations that includes CDC Small Business Finance and Capital Impact Partners and Momentus Securities, announced a $50 million investment in Metro Atlanta through 2027 last month. The investment will focus on the core Metro Atlanta counties of Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Clayton and Gwinnett. The […]
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Citizen science: New York resident looks to fill the gap in heat data at subway stations
The East Coast heat wave in late June may have come and gone — everywhere but the subway stations, that is. There, the heat was more of the same. With one of the most extensive train systems in the country, New York City’s subway stations are also some of the oldest. For the country’s most […]
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Cinema for the Global South: Alma Film Festival looking to make a big debut in early 2026
With over twenty years in the film industry, veteran actor-writer-director-producer Anthony Page, based in Atlanta, is looking forward to his latest project: bringing to life Alma Film Festival in the Dominican Republic from March 17 to March 22, 2026, where media and filmmakers from the Global South are centered and celebrated. Tallying over 300 productions […]
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Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield to get a 21-acre expansion
Late last month, the Trust for Public Land (TPL) announced it closed on over 21 acres of private land next to Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park, effectively expanding the park. The newly acquired land was reportedly under consideration for residential development before the TPL acquisition. Instead, it will now be owned and operated by the […]
Posted inColumns, Latest News, Mark Lannaman
June 2025: A tale of two primaries and runoffs
Despite increases in electricity rates over the last few years, turnout in the primary election for those ratemakers did not increase accordingly. The Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) primaries took place earlier this month, with some thinking this year could be bigger than most because of a host of topics ranging from delayed elections, multiple […]
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Atlanta continues cementing itself as a hub for science and technology through Science Square expansion
Science Square, which opened Phase I in 2024 south of Georgia Tech’s main campus on the Westside, is expanding its capabilities with the relocation of seven biomedical research labs to “Southeast’s premier life sciences district.” The seven-lab relocation is in partnership with Emory University, a renowned school for its life sciences research, as well and […]
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Atlanta’s tech scene has a big week with Atlanta Tech Week and Render ATL
The tech space in Atlanta, an evergrowing industry for the region anchored by dozens of colleges both in and around the city, saw enthusiasm for the growing space on full display last week. Atlanta Tech Week, which ran from June 8 through 13, wrapped up its programming on Friday for its third year filled with […]
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Lights, camera, taxes: Georgia looks to maintain production powerhouse status as Kemp signs new tax break into law
Gov. Brian Kemp signed House Bill 475 (HB 475) earlier this month, ushering in a new age of tax credits that reflects the ever-changing film and TV industry. The bill goes into effect at the start of next year and was sponsored by Rep. Matthew Gambill (R) and Sen. Matt Brass (R). Notably, it made […]
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The unheard win for public health
A long-standing powerhouse in public health, Atlanta is now home to another public health initiative that’s been making strides in eliminating the debilitating disease lymphatic filariasis: Global Alliance for the Elimination of Lymphatic Filariasis (GAELF). Lymphatic filariasis (LF) is a tropical parasitic infection, which is usually transmitted through mosquitoes. It is sometimes called ‘elephantiasis’ because […]
