JOURNALISM
Gator seasons ends with a 13-footer making headlines
- At some point in the battle with the alligator, the hunters probably stopped thinking about the record book. Which may be just as well. Because the alligator they killed last week after a four-hour fight was nearly a foot shorter than the state record lizard taken last year. But the alligator that hunters took Oct. 2 from Lake Blackshear did measure 13 feet and weigh in at 660 pounds, according to media reports. The beast took six bullets to kill before it ...more
Proctor Creek area, other Atlanta brownfields, to be assessed by city
- Atlanta is about to embark on another assessment of brownfields that are located in strategic locations the city seeks to prime for redevelopment. The first site on the list is the Proctor Creek watershed area. The new Falcons stadium is in the Proctor Creek basin, which also encompasses a portion of a planned $30 million urban renewal project to be funded by Atlanta and the Arthur M. Blank Family Foundation. The city has allocated $392,000 for the project. Proposals are due Nov. ...more
Golden Radish Award highlights farm-to-school program in Atlanta, six other metro school districts
- Atlanta Public Schools has won a top state award for its efforts to serve students locally produced, farm-fresh food. Atlanta was among seven school districts in metro Atlanta recognized by Georgia Organics in an event Monday at the state Capitol. Georgia Organics presented its Golden Radish Awards to school districts it determined are doing an outstanding job in providing farm-to-school foods. Atlanta’s recognition was especially poignant. The district accepted a Golden Radish Award for trying to improve the quality of food served ...more
Georgia’s university system noted for cost-cutting efforts, but budget requested from Legislature still rising
- A New York credit rating agency has named Georgia as the state to watch for its efforts to control the spiraling cost of higher education. Moody’s Investors Service highlighted Georgia’s consolidation of universities as an example of an attempt to improve the fiscal efficiency of its university system. Georgia was the only state singled out. Moody’s report stands in contrast to the current debate over post-secondary education in Georgia’s gubernatorial campaign. Gov. Nathan Deal and Sen. Jason Carter appear to be focused ...more
Atlanta says, ‘We did drop the ball’ by skipping residents’ input in parks contract
- A controversy over the management of an Atlanta recreation center illustrates the types of problems that can emerge when city departments function with an interim commissioner. Some residents of East Atlanta are irate that the city didn’t contact them before moving ahead with a plan to extend a lease with East Atlanta Kids Club, Inc. to operate the recreation center at Brownwood Park. The proposal was skating through City Hall until Atlanta City Councilmember Natalyn Archbong asked that it be tabled at ...more
Moody’s raises warning flag over college application, enrollment trend
- The nation’s colleges and universities face a new post-recession challenge in meeting their budgets, according to a report released Thursday by Moody’s Investors Service. High school students who apply to college are less likely than ever to enroll. That’s because students are applying to a record number of schools and then enrolling where they get the best deal. Schools left in the lurch run the risk of providing too many resources – teachers and classes and such – for the actual ...more
Field test for Ebola devised by Emory students who now seek crowdfunding
- As the nation focuses on a case of Ebola in a Texas hospital, two students at Emory University are raising money for a test they think could identify the virus in the field. The freshmen think they have figured out a way to test for the virus without the need for expensive machinery that’s generally available only in hospitals – too far from sick people in villages in Africa to be of practical use. They’re secretive because of the intense competition for ...more
Fulton County to hire lobbyists as state seeks to exert control over tax rate
- Fulton County on Wednesday is slated to hire a team of lobbyists that includes a top Washington firm and two local Republican firms that have connections at the state Capitol. The annual fee would total $216,000, with a three-year renewal option. The team at the state Capitol could help Fulton resolve disputes with top Republican lawmakers, who have sued the county over tax collections. The team would include a chief advisor to then Gov. Sonny Perdue, and a former leader of ...more
With port deepening assured, Savannah turns to next project: More warehouses as supply absorbed
- Georgia’s ambition for the Port of Savannah to smother its competitors is evident in the latest initiative – calling on the private sector to nearly double the amount of warehouse space near Savannah. This additional warehouse space is part of a double-barreled approach to grow cargo capacity. The other aspect is a planned network of inland ports that would rival in size the Louisiana Purchase. These expansion plans are founded on the deepening of the Savannah shipping channel to accommodate huge vessels. ...more
Pin color shifts from blue to pink as focus moves from prostate to breast cancer
- Rockdale County Chairman Richard Oden is preparing to change his lapel pin from a light blue ribbon to a pink ribbon. At the ARC meeting last week, someone commented that Oden’s pin wasn’t pink, to recognize October as breast cancer awareness month. Oden responded that his blue pin recognizes September as prostate cancer awareness month, and he would change to a pink pin on Oct. 1. Awareness pins are a subtle but stark reminder that Georgia leads the nation in the rates ...more