The Blank Family Foundation is putting its stake in a growing mental health and well-being philanthropy field with $8 million in grant funding to various nonprofits across 2023. The foundation, one of the largest philanthropic groups in Atlanta, revealed its list of 2023 grantees at a Dec. 12 roundtable meeting. The millions of grant dollars […]
Category: Latest News
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The Gathering Spot reverts to original owners, operators
Ryan Wilson and TK Peterson – co-founders of “The Gathering Spot” – announced Thursday the company is once again independent because they have reacquired majority ownership.
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CHRIS 180 focuses on care and kindness at holiday luncheon
With the holiday season in full swing, Atlanta-based mental health and family services nonprofit CHRIS 180 brought together children, staff, and employees for a luncheon at the Ritz-Carlton ballroom on Dec. 8. The holiday luncheon featured crafts, decor, and a visit from Santa Claus, played by Fulton County Judge T. Jackson Bedford. While attendees dined, […]
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Rockdale plans ‘microtransit’ as start of 30-year transit expansion plan
Rockdale County will start planning an on-demand “microtransit” service as the start of a 30-year transit vision finalized this month. The southeastern metro Atlanta county’s Transit Development Plan was approved by the Board of Commissioners on Dec. 5. It proposes an on-demand shuttle service as a short-term pilot program that could inform future local and regional bus […]
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Open AI’s Sam Altman to co-chair AI Ethics Council with Atlanta’s John Hope Bryant
In his first public appearance since rejoining Open AI as CEO, Sam Altman took the stage at the HOPE Global Forums Dec. 11 to join in a conversation with Operation HOPE’s CEO and founder – John Hope Bryant.
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HOPE Global Forums bringing impressive slate of world leaders to Atlanta
Between Dec. 10 and Dec. 12, the HOPE Global Forums will feature some of the best minds in the business, government and civic worlds – once again making Atlanta a centerpiece in the fight against poverty. This will be the 10th annual HOPE Global Forums – with Atlanta and the Hyatt Regency as its home base.
Posted inDelaney Tarr, Latest News
‘Common Ground’ soil-centric documentary premieres in Atlanta
Community leaders gathered at the Tara Theater on Dec. 4 for the Atlanta premiere of the 2023 documentary “Common Ground,” a sequel to the 2020 documentary “Kiss the Ground” focused on the regenerative agriculture movement. The film, directed by couple Josh Tickell and Rebecca Tickell, takes on the farming and agricultural industry through an environmentally-conscious […]
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Atlanta Ronald McDonald House breaking ground on new facility
On Wednesday, Dec. 6, Atlanta RMHC is breaking ground to build a new facility at the new Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Hospital campus where Arthur M. Blank Hospital is being constructed at North Druid Hills Road and I-85. The hospital will begin serving patients in fall 2024.
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MARTA seeks public comment on history-focused review of Five Points Station project impacts
MARTA is seeking public input on a history-focused environmental review of its Five Points Station makeover, a $206 million project that previously stirred controversy about timing and design. While the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) review covers a broad range of potential impacts, it is focused on mitigations for destroying the canopy and plaza of the […]
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Doug Shipman seeks balance with his picks for Atlanta City Council leaders
Atlanta City Council President Doug Shipman carefully selected his 2024 committee assignments, making sure to rotate leadership among various city council members.
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Atlanta City Council committee members for 2024 are named
The Atlanta City Council committee chairs and members for 2024 have been named. City Council President Doug Shipman makes the appointments, which he announced on Dec. 4. The committees are sub-groups of the council where legislation and policies typically get the most in-depth discussion. “My goal, as it has always been, is to assure the […]
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Mayor Andre Dickens gives update to Atlanta Rotary, hints at a deal with WellStar
A warmly received Mayor Andre Dickens gave a State of the City update to the Rotary Club of Atlanta on Dec. 4, touting several accomplishments since he had last spoken to the organization in May 2022. The program began with a spotlight on a joint initiative between Rotary and the city – the Early Childhood […]
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World Pediatric Project acquires Atlanta-based Childspring International
World Pediatric Project, a non-profit based in Richmond, Va. that provides pediatric surgical and diagnostic care, is acquiring Atlanta-based Childspring International, a humanitarian organization specializing in connecting children to pediatric medical care. The two organizations signed the transaction in late November.
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Galloway School delays plan to demolish historic building as preservation petition launches
The Galloway School has again delayed a controversial plan to demolish its historic Gresham Building, citing ongoing neighborhood discussions. Meanwhile, an alumnus has launched a petition calling for the building to be saved. Laurel David, an attorney for the school, said it has deferred City zoning applications related to the plan until January “in order […]
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‘City in the Forest’ gets a little greener: Multiple Georgia entities win Urban and Community Forestry Grants
The Urban and Community Forest program from the U.S. Department of Agriculture has allocated billions in grant funding across the U.S. — including Georgia — to increase urban tree canopies and the workforce in this area equitably. Grant funding was made possible through the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) funds. The Urban and Community Forest program […]
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Protected land around Amicalola Falls State Park triples in size
The Conservation Fund and the Georgia Department of Natural Resources announced Nov. 21 the addition of 2,000 acres to the Dawson Forest Wildlife Management Area in north Georgia – more than tripling the state conservation lands around Amicalola Falls State Park.
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Politicians, civil rights activists react to death of Rosalynn Carter
Former First Lady Eleanor Rosalynn Carter passed away on Sunday, Nov. 19. The Carter Center released a statement from President Carter saying, “Rosalynn was my equal partner in everything I ever accomplished. She gave me wise guidance and encouragement when I needed it. As long as Rosalynn was in the world, I always knew somebody […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr, Latest News
Georgia tax credit tackles support for young adults aging out of foster care
Of the 11,000 children in Georgia’s foster care system, over 700 people age out every year when they turn 18. A new tax credit will allow state residents to allocate funds to young people as they transition into adulthood, when a focus on access to higher education. Passed in 2022, the “Fostering Success Act” established […]
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Atlanta’s pedestrian death rate is rising and worse in majority-Black neighborhoods, report says
Atlanta’s rate of pedestrians killed by vehicles is rising and is worse in majority-Black neighborhoods, according to new data mapping by the advocacy group Propel ATL. The new report, “38 Reasons Why,” analyzes the 38 pedestrian deaths reported within city limits in 2022, the last year for which complete data is available. That death rate […]
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Atlanta Constitution building, Gullah Geechee community are among Georgia Trust’s 10 historic ‘Places in Peril’
The former Atlanta Constitution newspaper building and a Gullah Geechee community facing displacement are among the “Places in Peril” on the Georgia Trust for Historic Preservation’s annual list of the state’s 10 most endangered historic sites. The 2024 list — announced Nov. 15 and dated to encourage rescue actions in the coming year — includes […]
