Latest Reports Archives - SaportaReport

David Pendered

Tech pays tribute to fallen willow oak that dates to late 1800s

February 15, 2019, 4:38 pm/1 Comment

Leave it to the folks at Georgia Tech to turn the random falling of a towering tree into a learning experience and exhibit. The willow oak that stood for more than 100 years on campus has been rendered into remembrances that are on display through March 8.

Atlanta councilmember’s donation from council account to serve homeless, hungry

February 14, 2019, 10:01 pm/1 Comment

Sometimes a slice of life at Atlanta City Hall speaks to a broader moment in the human experience. That could be said of a pending $1,000 donation from Councilmember Jennifer Ide’s council account to a program that serves the homeless and hungry in intown Atlanta.

Different visions for Georgia’s Confederate monuments aired in state Senate committee

February 14, 2019, 7:39 pm/0 Comments

DeKalb County’s got a situation: it wants to get rid of the massive Confederate monument that it owns in downtown Decatur. But nobody wants it.

New hospital planned in North Georgia as one reopens temporarily to protect state certificate

February 14, 2019, 10:20 am/3 Comments

A new hospital is to be built and open in 2022 in Lumpkin County to serve an area just beyond the northern edge of the territory to be served by the soon-to-be consolidated Northside Hospital and Gwinnett Health Systems. During construction of the new facility, a closed hospital in Dahlonega is to reopen to protect a state certificate of approval of the type that some lawmakers say is outdated and should be eliminated.

With dollars short of building promises, Atlanta gets advice to do complete streets

February 14, 2019, 10:17 am/1 Comment

The man overseeing cuts to a pair of major Atlanta public works programs says that so far, he’s hearing that the public wants to prioritize bike and pedestrian upgrades.

Clyde Higgs is the new CEO of Atlanta BeltLine Inc.

February 14, 2019, 9:10 am/0 Comments

The board of Atlanta BeltLine Inc. has selected Clyde Higgs, the interim executive, to serve in the permanent CEO role.

The board met in executive session Wednesday morning when members selected the future CEO of the complicated, multi-faceted project. But the board did not identify the new CEO at the time.

Georgia Trust launches West Atlanta preservation initiative

February 13, 2019, 3:18 pm/0 Comments

By Maria Saporta A model partnership for preservation, sustainability and permanent affordability held a kickoff ceremony Wednesday along the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail. The project includes the rehabilitation of two historic properties and the possible development of a new home along the Westside BeltLine. The Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation purchased the three properties from […]

With Gwinnett MARTA vote nearing, leaders say it’s as big a deal as water, sewer, highways

February 10, 2019, 8:34 pm/2 Comments

“I’m telling you, the thought of having another half-million people in this county without additional transportation options, if there’s anything to keep me up at night, that would be one of them.”

Health reform effort faces potentially formidable opposition at state Capitol

February 10, 2019, 7:09 pm/1 Comment

The legislative effort to “revolutionize” the not-for-profit health care delivery system in Georgia is set to run head-on into entrenched hospital interests that have crowed victory in defending a law that dates to 1979 and protects the status quo.

Bill Rogers, David Ratcliffe talk SunTrust deal: ‘Sadness is more than overshadowed and compensated by the excitement’

February 8, 2019, 11:46 am/3 Comments

Atlanta will be losing the headquarters of its largest bank with the announced merger of SunTrust Bank and BB&T Corp. (NYSE: BBT).

But the deal is so compelling that it was worth losing the headquarters, according to two key leaders of the Atlanta bank.

New housing for endangered woodpeckers being installed along Flint River

February 7, 2019, 5:48 pm/0 Comments

A species of endangered woodpeckers that saw its homes in southwest Georgia blown away by Hurricane Michael is getting some new housing through a federal grant funded by Southern Co. and International Paper. The effort involves creating new nest cavities in trees and clearing debris that adds to wildfire risks near clusters of cavity trees.

Atlanta Housing, BeltLine, private partners joining on eastside building

February 7, 2019, 5:00 pm/2 Comments

A development of below-market-rate housing may start rising on the eastside BeltLine as early as this summer.

As health care revisions loom at Capitol, credit rating cut for system near Macon

February 6, 2019, 6:57 pm/0 Comments

As state lawmakers look “revolutionize” health care delivery in Georgia, a hospital authority in a rural part of the state has faced a double whammy of a credit downgrade and a reaffirmation of a negative outlook on its ability to repay about $72 million of borrowing in 2007 to finance an expansion.

Atlanta Jazz Festival funded, again, with proceeds of car rental tax at airport

February 5, 2019, 6:08 pm/0 Comments

The Atlanta Jazz Festival has prevailed in what’s become an annual ritual of tapping the airport car rental tax to help pay for the event. This year, the festival is to receive up to $350,000, a sum that’s up by $100,000 from last year’s appropriation, following a vote Monday by the Atlanta City Council.

Georgia — and other states — have rural prosperity on their minds. Now how to get it done?

February 4, 2019, 5:45 pm/1 Comment

The worry is building among Georgia policymakers that the differences between metro and country are too big, to the detriment of folks in rural Georgia. It’s among lots of states thinking about how to make up the difference.

Atlanta hands Super Bowl reins to Miami: ‘You have set the bar really high’

February 4, 2019, 5:21 pm/0 Comments

Atlanta scored high marks in its hosting of Super Bowl LIII.

At a press conference Monday morning, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said Atlanta did a great job hosting the largest U.S. sporting event.

Security super tight at Super Bowl LIII compared to 19 years ago

February 4, 2019, 11:39 am/0 Comments

The last time Atlanta hosted the Super Bowl, it was pre-9/11. It was a much more innocent time.

The layers and layers of security at Super Bowl LIII underscore the difference 19 years can make – all perfectly understandable.

Feds say Spaceport Camden review ‘paused,’ Camden County files for launch license

February 3, 2019, 9:29 pm/3 Comments

Federal authorities continue to list the status of an environmental review of the proposed spaceport on Georgia’s coast as “paused,” citing unspecified issues related to the project sponsor. That said, the sponsor has issued a statement saying it has moved the project forward by applying for a license to launch rockets.

Atlanta Audubon aims to help remove invasive species, attract birds to DeKalb County park

February 2, 2019, 3:24 pm/0 Comments

The Native Plant and Wildlife Walk at a DeKalb County park is soon to be a bit more native. The Atlanta Audubon Society has awarded a grant that’s to help provide for the removal of invasive species, after which bird friendly species of plants are to be installed.

Arthur Blank on new Westside park: ‘It is a great moment for our city’

February 1, 2019, 2:20 pm/1 Comment

John F. Kennedy Park in Atlanta’s historic Westside will be a lasting legacy of Super Bowl LIII.

NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank and Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms officially unveiled the renovated park Thursday morning, a cool but sunny occasion.

Poverty & Equity

LET JUSTICE FLOW
Last week I was in Washington, DC, with social justice leaders from Catholic Ministries from across...
Region Matters

Plannerisms: Learn About…First & Last-Mile Connectivity
By Kate Sweeney Plannerisms, ARC’s series of audio shorts, gives you a clear explanation of planni...
Metro Business

Georgia Rises Up with New Sports, Technology and Higher Education Rankings
Photo above provided by Metro Atlanta Chamber via the ATL Brand Box. Super Bowl LIII recently broug...
Transit

MARTA DOUBLES RIDERSHIP OVER SUPER BOWL WEEKEND
The Metropolitan Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) moved over a half-million customers during the thre...
Higher Education

New Ph.D. Program Trains Students In Tackling Complex Urban Challenges
By Jan Nijman, Director and Distinguished University Professor, Urban Studies Institute at Georgia S...
Financial Inclusion

EVERYTHING I EVER NEEDED TO KNOW ABOUT BUSINESS I LEARNED RIDING MOTORCYCLES
By Anita Ward, President, Operation HOPE When I was 12 I drove my first motorcycle into a tree at th...
People, Places, Parks

The Underappreciated Economic Benefits of Georgia’s Outdoor Industry
By Georgia Conservancy Advocacy Director Leah Dixon and Coastal Director Charles McMillan “Local a...
Philanthropy

Georgia’s campaign to end low literacy gains momentum through collective impact
By Britta Hallberg, guest author from Literacy For All, a donor-advised fund of the Community Founda...
Leadership in Action

Access to Justice
By Natalie-Claire Woods Lyda, Editor, Peachtree Papers, The Junior League of Atlanta, Inc. The Uni...
Global Health

Clarkston Summit lays foundation for deeper community engagement
By Rebecca Baggett, MPH, Director, Programs and Communications, Emory Global Health Institute On Nov...
Arts & Culture Seen

Inspiring those who inspire us
By Alvin Townley “When you’re in a combat zone, you exist in two worlds,” explained Colonel R...
Law & Public Policy

‘Cybersecurity’ and ‘Privacy’ Aren’t the Same Thing
By Sam Olens, This column originally appeared in the Daily Report As with any government action, a...
Historic Westside

NFL Foundation, Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation & Atlanta Super Bowl Host Committee unveil $2.4 million renovation of the Westside’s John F. Kennedy Park
By Westside Future Fund Each year, the NFL seeks to improve the surrounding communities of the Super...
Sustainable Communities

The Role of Housing Authorities in Addressing Metro Atlanta’s Housing Crisis
Born out President Roosevelt’s Depression-era New Deal program in 1937, public housing authorities...

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David Pendered

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Tom Baxter

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Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith

Saba Long