Months of unpaid work, a secret procurement process, “philosophical differences” and a brief suspension of services ended Jan. 6 when Atlanta executed a two-year, $5 million contract for community response agency the Policing Alternatives & Diversion Initiative, or PAD. It’s been a lengthy, troubled process for the long-standing diversion program due to multiple contract issues […]
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Mayoral climate coalition announces 2025 leadership team, includes Mayor Dickens as vice-chair
Climate Mayors, a nationwide coalition of over 350 mayors dedicated to climate action, announced their 2025 leadership team on Monday, Jan. 6 — which includes Atlanta mayor Andre Dickens as a new vice-chair along with Mayor Lauren McLean of Boise, Idaho. The coalition started in 2014 and has mayors representing 46 states. Six other mayors […]
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King Center launches MLK holiday schedule focused on youth and AI
The Martin Luther King Jr. Center for Nonviolent Social Change kicked off the annual King Holiday Observance roster with a Jan. 7 press conference announcing a lineup for “Mission Possible: Protecting Freedom, Justice and Democracy in the Spirit of Nonviolence365.” Through Jan. 20, the King Center and its partners will host a series of events […]
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U.S. Fish and Wildlife announces plans to expand Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge by 22,000 acres
On Jan. 3, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) announced it is moving forward with a plan to expand the acquisition boundary of one of Georgia’s most precious natural resources — the Okefenokee swamp. The expanded acquisition boundary authorizes the FWS to purchase or conserve additional land around the Okefenokee. However, the decision remains […]
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Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park approaches official status as Georgia’s first National Park, 64th in the U.S.
Georgia is one of 20 U.S. states without a National Park, but that may soon change. The state is on the verge of getting its very own National Park through the Ocmulgee Mounds National Historical Park, located in Macon, Ga., which looks to become a National Park pending final approval from Congress. Georgia has several […]
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Annual HOPE Global Forum focuses on the future, AI and fighting poverty
It’s hard to overstate what happens every year during the HOPE Global Forum, and the 10th annual meeting did not disappoint. John Hope Bryant, the founder of Operation HOPE and the Global HOPE Forum, has turned it into a multifaceted event that looks at the latest developments in society, business, technology, mental health, AI, financial literacy, […]
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Two new Savi Provisions shops are heading to Atlanta food deserts
Invest Atlanta approved $8.1 million in funds to help Savi Provisions open two new shops in the city’s food deserts at a Dec. 19 board meeting. The stores are part of a citywide effort to create accessible, affordable food in Atlanta — particularly in neighborhoods lacking nearby fresh food access. The provision shops will open in […]
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Tides Center picks Ayesha Khanna of Atlanta to be its top executive
Long-time Atlanta civic leader Ayesha Khanna is the new executive director of the Tides Center, a national philanthropic organization dedicated to advancing social justice. San Francisco-based Tides, founded nearly 50 years ago, is the “mother” organization of Tides Foundation, which has about $1 billion in assets through donor-advised funds and initiatives, and Tides Center, which […]
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City of Norcross buys historic woman’s club with new preservation
After a rocky journey, the historic Norcross Woman’s Club building is officially under city of Norcross ownership. The Georgia Trust For Historic Preservation announced its agreement with the city to sell the building for $450,000 on Dec. 17. The sale comes after a months-long struggle over who would own and control the historic property. The […]
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Learn4Life’s annual report on metro Atlanta education a mixed bag
When it comes to public education in metro Atlanta, the outcomes are mixed. For the past seven years, Learn4Life has been tracking key education metrics among students in the five-county Atlanta metro area — a region that encompasses eight school districts. Learn4Life, founded in 2016, has been tracking six key indicators — kindergarten readiness, 3rd-grade […]
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A $2.5 million campaign will honor Kenny Blank’s vision for AJFF
The Atlanta Jewish Film Festival (AJFF) is celebrating its 25-year history by launching a $2.5 million fundraising campaign in honor of Kenny Blank, its executive and artistic director. AJFF announced Thursday morning its plan for the “Kenny Blank Vision Initiative” to grow and expand the film festival’s impact into a yearlong hub for cultural engagement, […]
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Chattahoochee Brick Company transformation inches along at advisory board meeting
The Chattahoochee Brick Company Memorial, Greenspace and Park board held its quarterly meeting at the Northwest Library at Scotts Crossing on Dec. 11 as the members continued to inch along a lengthy community input process. An 11-member advisory board was appointed by the city of Atlanta to oversee the entire transformation of the fraught Chattahoochee […]
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U.N. wraps up fifth session of negotiations on plastic pollution treaty in Korea, falls short of finalizing
The Intergovernmental Negotiating Committee (INC) of the United Nations held its fifth session of negotiations in Busan, South Korea from Nov. 25 to Dec. 1. Advocates went into the session hoping to finalize a legally binding international document on plastic pollution; instead, they’ll have to wade through another round of negotiations over the text of […]
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Community Stakeholder Advisory Committee meets for the final time ahead of Public Safety Training Center opening
The group of community members assembled three years ago to provide input on the Atlanta Public Safety Training Center, widely known as “Cop City,” met for the final time via Zoom on Thursday, Dec. 5. The facility is set to open later this month, according to officials from the Atlanta Police Department (APD) and the […]
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MARTA board votes on positions for 2025, discusses rail service changes and another leadership departure at December board meeting
The MARTA board of directors voted on leadership positions for 2025 and granted an ethics code waiver for another departing employee at the December board meeting on Thursday. Beginning in January, Jennifer Ide, representing the City of Atlanta, will serve as Chair of the board; Al Pond, representing Fulton County, will serve as Vice Chair; […]
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AT&T’s Venessa Harrison announces January retirement
After 45 years with AT&T, Venessa Harrison announced plans to retire at the end of January. Harrison moved to Atlanta in 2018 to serve as president of AT&T Georgia. Then, in 2022, she was given greater responsibility when she was named as president of AT&T Southeast Coastal States — a territory that includes Georgia, North […]
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English Avenue tree project gets statewide climate funds
A community-led team project is tackling climate through English Avenue’s struggling tree cover, kicking off a research and planting project thanks to an influx of funding from Drawdown Georgia. The Atlanta-based community effort called the Green Team of English Avenue will receive $200,000 across two years starting in 2025. Drawdown Georgia, a decentralized “leaderful” climate […]
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Tom Bell, Camille Love and Carter to receive CAP awards
Central Atlanta Progress will bestow its top awards to longtime civic players in downtown and the city at its Jan. 28 annual meeting. CAP’s annual meeting, along with the Atlanta Downtown Improvement District, will be held at the Hyatt Regency Atlanta during lunch. The awards program has been part of the CAP/ADID annual meeting for […]
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Transit experts point to economic concerns as the main reason Gwinnett and Cobb County voters rejected transit expansion this year
Transportation was on the ballot for Cobb and Gwinnett County voters in November, but both referendums to fund public transit expansion with a local 1 percent sales tax failed. Long-time transit advocates in the Atlanta region pointed to concerns about the economy as the main reason these initiatives didn’t find more support with voters in […]
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Eshé Collins wins at-large Atlanta City Council seat
Eshé Collins is the expected winner of the Dec. 3 runoff election to replace the vacant Atlanta City Council Post 3 at-large seat after beating out Dr. Nicole “Nikki” Evans Jones. The Atlanta Center for Civic Innovation called the race for Collins at 10:59 p.m. The Atlanta Board of Education board member beat out Jones, […]
