Atlanta and Fulton may be winning valuable jobs and investments via property tax discounts to developers; or they may be giving away something they don’t have to.
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South River Watershed Alliance to DeKalb County: Stop dumping raw sewage into river
A polluted river isn’t like a pothole – it doesn’t shriek for attention every time you drive over it. The polluted South River is quiet like that, though now its advocates are calling on DeKalb County to stop dumping raw sewage into the river.
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‘Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood’ – ‘terrific’ movie belongs to Brad Pitt
You can’t say he didn’t warn us up front.
After all, Quentin Tarantino calls his newest film “Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood” which is, of course, not only an homage to Sergio Leone (“Once Upon a Time in the West,” Once Upon a Time in America”), but also the traditional way to start a fairy tale.
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Preservationists urge Atlanta to stop demolition of two downtown buildings
Historic preservationists are urging the city to issue a “stop-work order” of the proposed Wyndham/Margaritaville Atlanta project in the Fairlie-Poplar district in downtown Atlanta.
The proposed development would result in the demolition of two historic buildings – 141 Walton Street. and 152 Nassau Street.
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The absence of children in transportation planning
By Guest Columnist DOUG JOINER, a lifelong child and adolescent advocate
In January 2012, I was introduced to Safe Routes to School in metro Atlanta through the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors via a Kaiser grant. As I assessed the program in metro Atlanta, two disturbing issues immediately caught my attention – children rarely factor in transportation planning; and low-wealth minority communities have even few safety provisions for children walking to school.
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Atlanta’s economic development agency to face tighter control by Atlanta City Council
The Atlanta City Council is set to impose greater control over Invest Atlanta, the city’s economic development arm that acts as Atlanta’s agent to promote housing, economic development and redevelopment – all of it under control of a board chaired by the mayor, whose top advisor argued against the council’s exercise of authority.
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HIV/AIDS atop agenda for Atlanta’s new chief health officer, Fulton’s expanded services
Two significant changes in public health and HIV/AIDS programs are underway in Atlanta and Fulton County. The measures include: Atlanta’s newly created position of chief health officer; and Fulton’s expansion and renaming of its HIV services program to manage President Trump’s goal of ending the HIV epidemic in the United States.
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Muslims to help fill refugees’ back-to-school needs: Backpacks, pencils, paper
At a time DeKalb County’s school system expects students to have a home computer, a Muslim organization is leading an effort to give away to refugee children a back-to-school need that’s far more basic – backpacks, paper and pencils.
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Fort Mac redevelopment leader resigns
The public authority that’s overseeing the redevelopment of Fort McPherson has a new interim executive director. The turnover at the top comes amid media reports of a serious conflict between the authority and a key contractor, plus revelations of cash flow problems.
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‘Heartbeat bill:’ Dem lawmakers plan strategy; petition seeks to delay start date
The pace of activity is increasing in the effort to halt the pending restriction of abortion in Georgia.
Six Democratic lawmakers have just returned from a training seminar sponsored by a group founded by the former political director of NARAL, a pro-choice group. On Tuesday, the ACLU asked a federal judge to delay the Jan. 1, 2020 start of the “heartbeat bill.”
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Nobel Peace HQ move to Atlanta part of City of Peace vision
Top Atlanta business and civic leaders unveiled a vision Monday morning to turn Atlanta into a living city of peace.
The plans included hosting the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates on a regular, rotating basis; attracting the headquarters of the Permanent Secretariat of the World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates; and creating a Peace University as a collaboration between Atlanta’s institutions of higher learning.
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Justice for black youths, reparations in Atlanta’s conversations this summer
The nation’s conversation over the related issues of justice for black youths, and reparations, has its home this summer in Atlanta.
This week, two published authors have added their insights – one a historian whose first day at Emory University was Monday, the other a Pulitzer Prize-winning novelist who presented Monday at the Atlanta History Center. Meanwhile, remarks continue to resonate from last month’s congressional hearing on reparations – legislation endorsed by Georgia congressmembers John Lewis and Sanford Bishop.
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Questions surround future of Fort Mac redevelopment
The behind-the-scenes dealing at Fort McPherson reminds me of Marvin Gaye’s song: “What’s going on?”
The questions are numerous.
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‘Maiden’ – documents first female crew sailing the world
“The sea is always trying to kill you,” says Tracy Edwards at the beginning of the documentary, “Maiden,” about the first ever all-female crew to compete in the Whitbread round-the-world sailing race.
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State regulators order up more renewable energy from Georgia Power
Georgia Power will add new renewable energy to its portfolio under a plan unanimously approved Tuesday by state regulators. The company also got approval to wind down more coal-burning units.
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“New Atlanta”
What’s been brewing online and in real life for black Atlanta has finally gone mainstream – Old Atlanta versus New Atlanta.
This debate reached critical mass and mainstream media attention recently thanks to Atlanta influencer Isaac Hayes III.
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Valdosta non-profit cited for shorting pay to disabled workers; Biltmore Estate cited for immigrant
A non-profit in Valdosta was cited for stiffing disabled persons out of wages, the U.S. Labor Department announced last week. It’s the second case in a month the DOL has brought against a Georgia employer for shorting workers of pay. DOL’s investigations into wages are gaining currency in an era of employers offering fairly flat wage growth, as recorded in last week’s edition of the Federal Reserve’s Beige Book.
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The Westside Work continues: There are no silver bullets
By FRANK FERNANDEZ, senior vice president of community development of the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation
The Westside is indeed On the Rise. It is not perfect and long-time residents are rightly and deeply concerned about displacement and gentrification. However, Atlanta’s historic Westside is a different place than it was five years ago when our collective place-based efforts began.
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Leadership search for politically active Sierra Club of Georgia begins Saturday
The discussion begins Saturday about replacing the departing director of the Sierra Club’s Georgia chapter, one of the state’s few environmental organizations that endorses political candidates, seeks to influence legislation and sway public opinion.
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New audible crosswalk alert helps blind college student, reminds of simpler times
It’s a simple story from a simpler time. A mother asked a man to help her blind son. The man agreed. An audible tone was added to a crosswalk on a busy road. The son now can safely cross the road between his home and a bus stop after his ride home from school.
