Markley contextualizes the demolitions in the northern suburbs within the region’s long history of residential discrimination.
Tag: DeKalb County
Posted inColumns, Main Slider
MARTA stations can become true community centers
By King Williams Recently it was announced that MARTA, in partnership with Soccer in the Streets would be expanding its popular soccer program to 10 additional MARTA transit stations. Soccer in the Streets with support from Atlanta United Football Club, hopes to expand the program into a city-wide youth soccer league for kids in the […]
Posted inColumns
Planned Chamblee Doraville CID to create sense of place, urgency for improvements
By Guest Columnist DAN REUTER, a longtime advisor on urban planning and community development in metro Atlanta and the founder/CEO of Reuter Strategy
Momentum is building for the creation of a new Community Improvement District in the cities of Chamblee and Doraville. Led by local commercial property owners and encouraged by the leadership of the cities of Chamblee and Doraville, a CID will help the community to leverage the existing assets to provide greater access and amenities.
Posted inMain Slider
Kensington station development proceeds despite Avondale protests
The 240-unit development will be “100 percent affordable housing” right next to the Kensington MARTA station.
Posted inLatest News
DeKalb County’s fiscal posture improving, but not out of the woods, Moody’s reports
Analysts with Moody’s Investors Service thought enough of DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond’s promise to balance the county’s budget to include the promise in their credit analysis of the county.
It’s only only a passing comment. But given the gravity of these credit analyses, its inclusion in the July 18 report is noteworthy:
Posted inColumns
A holistic approach to provide affordable houses in distressed South DeKalb
A new, $20 million initiative that’s to provide 100 affordable homes – and improve the quality of life – in South DeKalb County could become a model for supporting distressed suburban neighborhoods, which have emerged as the epicenter of poverty since the Great Recession.
Posted inThought Leader, Transit
MARTA RECEIVES FEDERAL GRANT FOR NEW BUSES
$3.6 Million Will Upgrade and Expand Service in DeKalb County The Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority (MARTA) is receiving a $3.6 million grant from the Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) Bus and Bus Facilities Infrastructure Investment Program. MARTA will use the funding to upgrade and replace 40-foot diesel-fueled buses with 60-foot Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses used […]
Posted inUncategorized
Opening A New Chapter in Global Health
By Dave Ross, ScD, President and Chief Executive Officer, The Task Force for Global Health This month, we will move into a larger headquarters in downtown Decatur to meet the growing needs of our programs and launch new initiatives to solve large-scale health problems. Due to the success of our programs, we have been growing at […]
Posted inUncategorized
Atlanta City Council approves Emory-area annexation
A patch of DeKalb County not a mile wide along Clifton Road is set to join the city of Atlanta, taking the area’s few K-12 students — and substantial taxes — with it.
Posted inLatest News
ACLU of Georgia hires former DeKalb CEO Burrell Ellis as its political director
Former DeKalb County CEO Burrell Ellis is joining the ACLU of Georgia as its first political director.
Andrea Young, executive director of the ACLU of Georgia, said Ellis was one of the first people to respond when the job was posted.
Posted inLyle Harris
CEO-Elect Michael Thurmond offers “new vision” for DeKalb County
For local voters suffering from PESD – Post-Election Stress Disorder – DeKalb County CEO-elect Michael Thurmond provided just what the doctor ordered.
Flush from an election night victory, Thurmond delivered a thoughtful and inspiring speech last Thursday that hinted at his “new vision” for repairing the county long beset by racial divisiveness, bureaucratic mismanagement and political scandal.
Posted inDavid Pendered, Latest News, Main Slider
One DeKalb County neighborhood quietly winning annexation into Atlanta
One DeKalb County neighborhood took a big step Monday toward getting itself annexed into Atlanta, thereby taking itself out of play in the ongoing debates about creating a new city in DeKalb and having Atlanta annex east through Druid Hills.
Posted inColumns, David Pendered, Main Slider
DeKalb County’s bond rating unscathed by allegations of government corruption
DeKalb County residents have received some good news from a New York bond rating agency, which looked past allegations of government corruption to see a county that is capable of repaying its debts.
Posted inWABE
Hopefully, soccer team can help unite fractured DeKalb County
Original Story on WABE By Maria Saporta Play Audio The new Atlanta United soccer franchise announced Tuesday that it had chosen DeKalb County for its headquarters and $35 million training facility. The DeKalb Commission voted earlier that day to approve the agreement with Atlanta United FC, one that would involve a $12 million investment by the […]
Posted inUncategorized
Incorporation pushes unwanted marriages on DeKalb neighborhoods
In north-central DeKalb County, my home is among thousands in the crosshairs of cityhood movements and proposed annexations. Count me among the otherwise sensible DeKalb County residents who rightly worry that a new city we’ve never heard of is going to take us over, or even worse, ignore us.
No one wants to be an unincorporated island surrounded by cities. But lots of us are in a pickle. Our zip code (30033) is Decatur, but we’re not in the city proper, and it doesn’t want us anyway.
Posted inUncategorized
If you parent a teen, listen to this expert on Georgia law
To celebrate turning 18, J. Tom Morgan walked into a tavern, purchased and downed a pitcher of beer and a pile of oysters. It was all legal back in 1972.
Today, an 18-year-old who did that in Georgia would face arrest, and if convicted, likely sentenced to six months probation—or 18 months if a fake ID was involved. There would be a fine, community service and drug and alcohol evaluation. The clerk who sold him the beer would likely get arrested too.
Posted inDavid Pendered
Tucker-Northlake business leaders to add walk, bike paths as part of planned renewal of an early suburb
Business leaders near Tucker and Northlake Mall in north DeKalb County have expanded their effort to strengthen their historic commercial center and make it more friendly for walking and bicycling.
As of last week, more than 67 commercial properties in the Northlake business district formally joined the existing Tucker Community Improvement District. The goal is to uplift the region in ways that are beyond the scope of local government.
“All you have to do is look at Perimeter and Cumberland to see the success of CIDs,” said Ann Rosenthal, president of the newly minted Tucker-Northlake CID.
Posted inDavid Pendered
DeKalb County school district: Credit rating stable, also wins $3 million grant from Wallace Foundation
A New York credit rating agency on Tuesday assigned a top score to the $36 million bond package the DeKalb County school district intends to sell Wednesday.
Also Tuesday, the Wallace Foundation announced DeKalb as a recipient of a $3 million grant to improve the leadership skills of its principal supervisors or regional superintendents, and to increase the number of regional superintendents in order to reduce a span-of-control that now averages 27 direct reports.
Taken together, the measures mark the continuation of the district’s slow but steady improvement from situations involving its accreditation probation and fiscal management in the 16 months since the DeKalb school board first named former state Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond as interim superintendent.
Posted inColumns, Michelle Hiskey, Michelle Hiskey & Ben Smith
What to do with a rabid cat
Until you’ve been chased by an animal that’s foaming at the mouth, you haven’t really experienced the terror of rabies.
Recent reports of potentially rabid animals threatening humans have reminded me of my own encounter with a rabid cat that I trapped with a recycling bin in my DeKalb County backyard just as it leapt to attack me. While it sounds like a freak occurrence, it’s surprisingly common especially during our warmest months, and it’s dead serious.
Last Thursday, a 13-year-old boy strangled a fox that had bit him. He’s receiving precautionary anti-rabies treatment pending the outcome of tests to determine if the animal was rabid.
Posted inDavid Pendered
DeKalb County’s interim CEO outlines plan to restore pride, performance
DeKalb County interim CEO Lee May delivered a State of the County Address Thursday in which he promised a bright future while acknowledging his temporary seat in the county’s top office.
May named problems and proposed solutions. He portrayed his office and the Board of Commissioners as working together, rather than feuding. He said DeKalb’s young people will benefit from a new Office of Youth Services and a functioning school superintendent and board of education.
May took the stage around 8 p.m. and introduced his wife and mother of his two, soon to be three, children, Robin May. Quickly, the faith leader reached into the Old Testament to open his address with the biblical figure Nehamiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem – a task May likened to the rebuilding of DeKalb after CEO Burrell Ellis was indicted last year on felony charges of public corruption.
