JOURNALISM
Ebola tests conducted at Atlanta’s airport on 27 passengers, none were positive
- Ebola tests have been conducted on 27 passengers at Atlanta’s airport and none tested positive for the disease, according to the latest available federal report. The 27 who were tested in Atlanta were among a total of 521 passengers tested as they traveled through one of the five U.S. airports that have implemented enhanced screening for Ebola. The report covers from Oct. 11 to Oct. 20. Among the five airports, only one – Washington Dulles – identified passengers who were transported to ...more
Proposed annexation by Brookhaven fuels push back from cities yet to be formed
- A border dispute appears to be breaking out in DeKalb County, involving Brookhaven and two cities that haven’t even been incorporated. The issue is the tax base represented by two entities that have requested to be annexed into Brookhaven – Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta, and Executive Park. Two proposed cities, Lakeside and Briarcliff, have included property taxes from this area in their budget considerations. The future competitors are now aligned against a common foe. In addition, the situation presents the latest twist in ...more
Report: Stormwater runoff from industrial sites endanger Chattahoochee River
- The basin of the Chattahoochee River is threatened by stormwater runoff that carries hazardous materials from industrial sites into the water system, a new report shows. This situation prompted the Georgia Water Coalition to again include the Chattahoochee River on its 2014 edition of Georgia’s Dirty Dozen, a list of water pollution problems across the state that was released Wednesday. The release of Georgia’s Dirty Dozen also served as a changing of the guard for the Chattahoochee Riverkeeper. Sally Bethea, founding executive ...more
Dreams of jobs training hit realty; Atlanta vows it won’t surrender
- Less than 10 percent of those who applied for a job-training program initiated by Falcons team owner Arthur Blank passed the drug/alcohol test required for acceptance to the program, according to Atlanta City Councilmember Ivory L. Young, Jr. Young cited the figure to illustrate the challenge of job training for individuals who have troubles past or present. Of 160 applicants, 18 were accepted, he said. The issue of jobs-training is again becoming relevant in Atlanta, as the new Falcons stadium creates jobs ...more
Concerns over potential redlining raised in study of spotty recovery of home prices in metro Atlanta
- Signs of the discriminatory lending practice called redlining have reemerged in metro Atlanta, according to a new analysis of home sale prices. Georgia Tech Professor Dan Immergluck reached this conclusion in his study that determines the extent of the uneven recovery of home prices in metro Atlanta. Immergluck said the report shows the need for regulators to refocus on fair lending. Risk-averse lenders have gone so far in restricting loans that entire sections of metro Atlanta are essentially off limits to groups ...more
Atlanta Fed: Modest growth in Atlanta, across southeast U.S.
- A new round of economic reports indicate Atlanta and the rest of the southeast continue on a trajectory of “modest” growth. Two new reports from Atlanta Federal Reserve portray the region’s economy in relatively good terms. These reports join the muddled mix that shows the foreclosure rate has fallen, while the number of workers in metro Atlanta has decreased and the number of unemployed has increased since the spring. In particular, the Atlanta Fed observed that apartment construction remains “robust,” and commercial ...more
BeltLine’s Bellwood Quarry to be propelled by city committee
- One of the more photogenic parks planned for the Atlanta BeltLine is also the largest, and plans for moving it forward may be starting to shape. The old Bellwood Quarry is soon to be the sole subject of a redevelopment review committee to be formed by the Atlanta City Council, according to legislation led by Councilmember Michael Julian Bond. The council is slated to approve the proposal as part of the consent agenda on Oct. 20. Of political note, Bond omitted council ...more
Atlanta’s jobs program should teach skills film industry needs in order to help locals get work, councilmember says
- Atlanta’s workforce training program should help residents learn the skills needed to get jobs in Atlanta’s film industry, an Atlanta councilmember with a unique perspective said Tuesday. “The movie industry is hot in the city of Atlanta,” Atlanta Councilmember Joyce Sheperd said in a meeting of the council’s Community Development and Human Resources Committee. Sheperd made her remarks following a presentation by Michael Sterling, who described the administrative changes he has made since taking the helm of the Atlanta Workforce Development Agency. ...more
To educate Georgians, regents expand distance learning, request $212.7 million in campus construction
- Georgia’s Board of Regents have expanded an aggressive, two-pronged plan to create an additional 250,000 college graduates by 2025. For starters, regents agreed in September to extend to 11 additional campuses the system’s distance education program. Regents also adopted a construction budget request that’s almost 11 percent higher than the previous request to the state Legislature. The goal is to propel Georgia toward the type of educated population necessary to attract quality employers, as well as to manage civic and cultural responsibilities. Chancellor ...more
Atlanta “showing signs” of economic recovery, credit outlook improved, says report with regional implications
- The city of Atlanta is “showing signs” that it is rebounding from the recession, according to a new report from Moody’s Investors Service. Among the signs Moody’s identifies: The tax base is inching up; foreclosures are down to pre-recession levels; the unemployment rate is still stuck above 10 percent, but is attributed to people moving here to look for work rather than to locals unable to find a job. The report could be a guide in gauging the economy in other parts ...more