Category: Mark Lannaman

Georgia State University just received its largest financial gift ever — an $80 million donation from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, which is set to define the campus for the future. The announcement came this past Tuesday, Nov. 12. The donation will make the bulk of a total of $107 million going towards campus upgrades […]

Local author Harold Michael Harvey released his latest book titled “Fantasy Five: An Unimaginable History, The Election of Macon’s First Black Councilmembers,” with hopes of preserving history in a time where many seem keen on forgetting it. The book, as the name might suggest, chronicles the historic election of five Black city council members in […]

Next Generation Men & Women (NextGen), a workforce development nonprofit focused on introducing opportunities to high school students from typically overlooked backgrounds, is celebrating a decade of work in Atlanta. NextGen was founded by Ian Cohen, Travis Salters and Ben Sperling, formerly public school educators themselves, for the purpose of “serving students traditionally overlooked for […]

A mobile solar microgrid has been aiding in recovery efforts following Hurricane Helene, a powerful hurricane that rocked the Southeast in late September.  The Mobile Solar Power Station — an array of solar panels transported via a small trailer that can be unloaded anywhere —  debuted at the annual sustainability celebration Ray Day last year; […]

The DeKalb Green New Deal, a localized version of the Biden administration’s broader policies that champion sustainability and clean energy, just hit another milestone. On Sept. 17, a 100 percent Clean Energy and Transportation Transition Plan was presented to the DeKalb County Operations (OPS) Committee, outlining a path forward for DeKalb to transition away from […]

In the age of “standing on business,” the Atlanta Wealth Building Initiative (AWBI) is doing just that. Their latest brief, titled “Standing on Business,” advocates for legacy Black businesses in Atlanta being crucial components of Black wealth and community prosperity. The report was made possible through the support of United Way, according to the AWBI. […]

A four-month training course called Tech Academy is being launched out of a partnership between Atlanta Metropolitan State College and the Center for Sustainable Communities, aimed at equipping 10 Southwest Atlanta residents with a basic technology and programming education for the job market. The Tech Academy application closes on Monday, Sept. 16, with the program […]

A three-story-high pile of mulch spontaneously caught fire on Sept. 5 and had been continuously ablaze until at least Sept. 9, according to a press release from the South River Watershed Alliance. The fire has since been reduced and is being monitored by the Atlanta Fire Department. The mulch pile was believed to be fertilized, […]

HBCU Green Fund, a nonprofit aimed at advancing “cultural, financial, and environmental sustainability” at HBCUs and their extended communities, hosted its first-ever GreenFest at Truly Living Well, an urban farm located adjacent to the Atlanta University Center, on Saturday, Sept. 7. The free event was a celebration of “sustainability, culture, and the power of unity […]

The Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC), representing Chattahoochee Riverkeeper (CRK), has filed a lawsuit against the City of Atlanta for violating the Clean Water Act. The lawsuit alleges that Atlanta’s largest wastewater treatment facility, R.M. Clayton has been dumping dangerously high levels of pollutants into the Chattahoochee River — including chemicals and harmful levels of […]

The National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) held their annual Community Health Institute & Expo in Atlanta from Saturday August 24 to Monday the August 26, where they celebrated the work being done by community health centers.  Community Health Centers (CHCs) are a pillar of public health in communities all across the United States […]

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) just released $26 million nationwide to help remove unsafe levels of lead found in children’s drinking water at schools.  The grant funds released last Thursday August 22 at the direction of the Biden-Harris administration includes $1,152,000 million for Georgia. The funding stems from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, passed in 2021, […]

Oakhurst Presbyterian Church, located in Decatur, has officially completed this first month being partially powered through solar with the help of funds from the landmark Inflation Reduction Act and Georgia Interfaith Power and Light (GIPL), a group focused on hel;ing communities of faith adopt practical climate solutions.  The church’s solar system officially went online on […]

Georgia WAND and Georgia Conservation Voters (GCV) teamed up to sue the state of Georgia over what they are calling illegal practices.  The lawsuit alleges that “Georgia violated state constitution with HB-1312, which unilaterally blocked public service commissioner elections and allowed sitting members to rubberstamp controversial utility bill hikes, the highest in state history.” The […]

A new organization, Upson Environmental & Government Transparency, was formed last month in response to a proposed $1 billion plastic pyrolysis facility from the California-based company Brightmark in Thomaston, Ga. Brightmark, founded in 2016, previously aimed to build a similar facility in Macon, Ga., which would have been the world’s largest plastic-to-fuel facility but was […]

A new training program called the Equitable Development Initiative is looking to train investors to bring more affordable housing to Atlanta.  The program is being organized by Capital Impact Partners, a community development financial institution (CDFI) and part of the Momentus Capital brand which focuses on financing for disinvested communities. The application period closed on […]

The U.S. Department of Energy announced three student-led teams as winners for the final phase of its Collegiate Track of the American-Made Community Energy Innovation Prize, including one team from Atlanta. This final phase called the IMPACT phase, awarded the three teams’ community partners a total of $100,000. The pitch to be selected as a […]