During the peak of his career, Jimmy Williams held a coveted spot as one of Atlanta’s most influential leaders. Williams was a key connection point at the intersection of power between Trust Company Bank (later SunTrust and now Truist), the Coca-Cola Co. and the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation. By the time he was elected president […]
Category: Latest News
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Georgia moves forward on bill to define antisemitism after contentious hearing
A contentious public hearing on Jan. 22 over House Bill 30 ended with an arrest after the Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved the bill that would codify a definition of antisemitism into Georgia State Law. The committee set aside thirty minutes for testimony from those supportive of and against the bill, which stalled in 2023 after […]
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Cobb County student activists keep up the fight against book bans
The Cobb County School District has been a hotbed of controversy since several books were first pulled from school shelves for containing “sexually explicit” and “inappropriate” materials in 2023, a decision Superintendent Chris Ragsdale doubled down on at the Jan. 18 board meeting. Ragsdale said his team “continues to actively review the millions of books […]
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Invest Atlanta sets affordable housing focus in the new year
Invest Atlanta, the city’s official economic development authority kicked off the new year with a look at the Beltline, affordable housing, and economic programs for 2024 in the Jan. 18 board meeting. Jan. 18 also marked District 1 Atlanta Councilmember Jason Winston’s first Invest Atlanta meeting as the chair of the Community Development and Human […]
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Spelman receives $100 million from philanthropist, trustee Ronda Stryker
Today, Spelman College announced they have received a donation of $100 million, making it the largest single donation to a Historically Black College or University. The gift came from Ronda Stryker, the medical equipment company Stryker Corp. director, and her husband William Johnston, chairman of wealth management firm Greenleaf Trust. Stryker, a Spelman Board of […]
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City of Atlanta to receive an electric bike rebate program. Can the city’s infrastructure support it?
The latest win for alternative transit was just announced in Atlanta — a joint rebate program between the Atlanta Regional Commission (ARC), the City of Atlanta, and Propel ATL to help residents buy their own electric bicycle (e-bike). The program is aimed at low and moderate income Atlanta residents. It doesn’t have a specific launch […]
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Atlanta welcomes the 1000th Whataburger in the country, thirteenth location in the metro area
Whataburger, the fast food chain headquartered in San Antonio, can officially call Atlanta home of its 1000th franchise in the nation thanks to the location that just opened in Vinings. The celebration was met with dozens of Whataburger executive leadership, along with representatives from Coca-Cola and Cobb County Chamber of Commerce. Other partners included the […]
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Historic Odd Fellows building sees $1.25 million investment in renovation and preservation
The historic Odd Fellows tower at 250 Auburn Avenue, once home to an African American fraternal organization, will soon be home to a Georgia Works yearlong housing program for chronically homeless men. The renovated building will house up to 164 men at any one time, as well as four retail stores to be leased to […]
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Mayor Andre Dickens sees conflict and collaboration at first ARC meeting as board chair
Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens kicked off 2024 with a tense moment as protestors spoke up about city and international issues at his first meeting as board chair of the Atlanta Regional Commission. Dickens is the first Atlanta mayor elected to the role, following Kerry Armstrong’s 10-year tenure. Minutes after calling to order, three protestors stood […]
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Governor Brian Kemp to tackle unions, transportation and education in 2024
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp laid out his legislative and budget goals for the upcoming year at the Georgia Chamber of Commerce’s Eggs n’ Issues breakfast on the field at Mercedes-Benz Stadium on Wednesday. The annual event serves as the official kick-off to the state’s legislative session, with the Chamber of Commerce and state officials gathering […]
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Newly formed Georgia Trust for Local News sparks hope for journalism
As of Jan. 1, the Georgia Trust for Local News – a subsidiary of the National Trust for Local News (NTLN) – has acquired 18 newspapers in Middle and South Georgia. The model blends the best of nonprofit and for-profit practices to ensure the sustainability of local news.
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UNCF receives $100 million grant to support capital campaign
Today, the United Negro College Fund (UNCF) announced that Lilly Endowment has awarded a $100 million unrestricted grant to support its capital campaign. The grant will go towards the college fund’s $1 billion capital campaign’s five components: student scholarships, unrestricted funds to enhance the endowments for Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU), capacity-building programs for […]
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Terri Lee top choice to become CEO of Atlanta Housing
The search committee for a new CEO of Atlanta Housing has picked Terri Lee, the agency’s chief operating officer, to be the next leader. The board of Atlanta Housing is expected to approve Lee as the new CEO during its next board meeting scheduled for Jan. 24. She will succeed Eugene Jones, who announced his […]
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Nonprofit looks to increase rooftop solar accessibility for low income households
A nonprofit is seeking to increase access to rooftop solar for lower and moderate-income households in Georgia through a program called Georgia BRIGHT, which stands for Building Renewables & Investing for Green, Healthy, Thriving Communities. Capital Good Fund, the nonprofit running Georgia BRIGHT, is looking to install between 150 and 200 rooftop solar systems as part […]
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Raphael Bostic paints fairly rosy economic picture at Atlanta Rotary
In his annual talk to the Rotary Club of Atlanta, Federal Reserve of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic compared the economic situation to last year’s forecast.
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Messages of peace will flood Atlanta during the 2024 King holiday week
From Jan. 8 to Jan. 16, the 2024 King Holiday Observance will celebrate the teachings of the late Martin Luther King Jr., who would have turned 95 on Jan. 15. This year’s theme: “It Starts with Me.”
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Rivian EV manufacturing project moves forward in Morgan County after judge dismisses challenge
Supporters of the proposed $5 billion Rivian electric vehicle manufacturing plant in Morgan County, Ga., got a big win this week after a judge dismissed a zoning challenge that would have paused the project. The project was first announced in December 2021. Rivian, founded in 2009, has become a major player in the electric vehicle […]
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Our readers’ top stories of 2023
2023 was a year of turmoil over the “Cop City” controversy and the future of MARTA. The movie scene lost George Lefont, but also regained the Tara. And old favorites like the Little Five Points Halloween parade continued to delight. Here are the year’s top stories as chosen by our readers through their clicks, and […]
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Brothers-in-law turn bagel shop into deli empire
Across 30 years in the Atlanta food industry, Wayne Saxe and Howard Aaron have built a small culinary empire as co-owners of Goldbergs Fine Foods, “Atlanta’s original New York-style deli.” But their sizable corporate portfolio all started with a small bagel shop. The brothers-in-law migrated to Georgia from South Africa in 1992 with hopes of […]
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Atlanta-Charlotte high speed rail one of several projects to receive federal funding for studies
The dreams of high-speed rail (HSR) enthusiasts just came one step closer to reality. On Friday, Dec. 8, the White House announced $8.2 billion in funding for HSR projects and HSR corridor studies around the country — one of the largest investments of its kind. One of the HSR corridors to be studied would connect […]
