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 […]
Category: Sections
Posted inColumns
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 […]
Posted inColumns
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; […]
Posted inLatest News
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 […]
Posted inLatest News
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 […]
Posted inLatest News
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 […]
Posted inColumns
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 […]
Posted inUncategorized
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, […]
Posted inLatest News
HouseATL welcomes new advisory board directors
HouseATL, a membership coalition aiming to engage civic leaders and promote the development of a housing affordability plan, announced its new advisory board last week. The group elected four new directors to the board. In addition, six incumbent board members were reelected to their positions for three-year terms, to round out the 25-member board. The […]
Posted inLatest News
‘PFAS contamination of their land, water, blood and food’: farmers demand stricter PFAS regulation in sewage sludge
A judge ruled earlier this month that lawsuits against the City of Calhoun and a number of manufacturers allegedly responsible for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) contamination in their waters can move forward. The City of Calhoun was sued in March of 2024 by the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) on behalf of North Georgia […]
Posted inColumns
Partnership between conservation and mountain biking organizations seeks to expand trail access in Atlanta
Southern Conservation Trust (SCT) and MTB Atlanta formed a partnership to develop new hiking and mountain biking trails on properties owned by SCT, according to an announcement on Thursday. The two organizations created a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to combine their respective expertise to expand access to trails that support recreation and community engagement on […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Invest Atlanta helps fund development by locals, for locals in English Avenue
On Nov. 21, the Invest Atlanta Board of Directors pushed ahead on its second “Community Builders” redevelopment on the city’s Westside. The board approved $260,000 in grant funding for longtime Westside resident and local neighborhood leader Tracy Bates’ redevelopment. Bates is part of the economic development organization’s “Community Builders” program, and her six-unit property will […]
Posted inLatest News
Metro Atlanta Chamber’s annual meeting highlights economy and downtown development
The Metro Atlanta Chamber invoked a sense of history and the importance of downtown at its 165th annual meeting Thursday morning. The location, the Georgia Freight Depot, was intentional. The depot opened in 1869, 10 years after the founding of the Atlanta Chamber. More than 900 business and community leaders from throughout the Atlanta region attended […]
Posted inLatest News
Church shows love for neighborhood with free gas giveaway to the public
A College Park church is funding a free gas giveaway to the public this weekend. MegaFaith Center will hold a “Gas on God” giveaway event at 1 p.m. Saturday at Chevron gas station, 5110 Old National Highway in College Park. The church is offering motorists up to $50 per vehicle in free gasoline. Pastor Jessie […]
Posted inDelaney Tarr
Atlanta talks historic preservation with ‘Plan A’ public meeting
A group of Atlanta city planners, historic preservationists and community members packed into Atlanta’s oldest home to talk about “Plan A,” the latest update to the city’s comprehensive development plan that guides the future of Atlanta. Every five years the city is required to update the development plan. Since February, the team has had 34 […]
Posted inColumns, Grace Donnelly, Latest News
MARTA to move forward with Five Points project, explore alternative funding options, and make ethics code exception for HNTB
MARTA board members discussed the future of the Five Points Station renovation, an inquiry into alternative funding options, and an exception to the agency’s ethics code at the meeting on Thursday, Nov. 14. “MARTA and Mayor Dickens have agreed to move forward with the originally planned Five Points transformation project,” MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood said […]
Posted inLatest News
Sustainable Fashion Week Atlanta hosts Conscious Couture Fashion Museum & Gallery for America Recycles Day
Sustainable Fashion Week (SFW) Atlanta celebrated America Recycles Day on Saturday, Nov. 16, with its free event: Conscious Couture Fashion Museum and Gallery. The purpose of the exhibit was to “educate visitors about the environmental and social impacts of the waste we incur and how we live on the planet, inspiring more eco-conscious choices,” according […]
Posted inLatest News
South Arts launches $1.1 million grant program for ‘cultural sustainability’
Regional arts organization South Arts launched its newest grantmaking initiative with the $1.14 million Cultural Sustainability program on Nov. 15. Funded in part by the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, organizations with annual expenses under $500,000 across the nine-state region will be able to apply through Feb. 5, 2025. South Arts will choose 12 organizations […]
Posted inLatest News
State Road and Tollway Authority announces $16 million in grants and loans for local transportation projects
The State Road & Tollway Authority (SRTA) announced on Tuesday that applications are open for up to $16 million in transportation loans and grants for local, regional and state governments and community improvement districts. The goal of the funding is to fast-track transportation infrastructure improvements and enhance mobility and economic development across the state. The […]
Posted inLatest News
Georgia State University receives largest donation ever for a major campus upgrade
Georgia State University just received its largest financial gift ever — an $80 million donation from the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, which is set to define the campus for the future. The announcement came this past Tuesday, Nov. 12. The donation will make the bulk of a total of $107 million going towards campus upgrades […]
