JOURNALISM
Progress at Atlanta city jail recognized by statewide award issued to top jailer
- Georgia Supreme Court Justice David Nahmias The statewide recognition Wednesday of Atlanta city jail Chief Patrick Labat reminds of how far the jail’s administration has come since the days when trials were delayed because the suspect was, “Lost in Jail.” “LOJ” was the shorthand provided when a case was called but the suspect did not enter the courtroom. The judge would wait a few moments, ask a bailiff to check on the location of the suspect, and summarily move to the ...more
DNR report cites climate change as, ‘central and defining wildlife conservation issue’
- The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is predicting in a draft report that climate change will eliminate habitat for some species by 2050, even as man-made “sprawl zones” create tremendous challenges for other critters and plants. The DNR can hardly be described as reactionary or left-leaning. The department has a history of granting considerable leeway to property owners. That’s one reason the predictions contained in the proposed “State Wildlife Action Plan” can be viewed as alarming. The report DNR is completing is ...more
Atlanta poised to adopt $3.65 billion transit plan for BeltLine, Streetcar
- Atlanta’s $3.65 billion proposal for transit along the Atlanta BeltLine and Atlanta Streetcar could soon be adopted into the city’s comprehensive transportation plan, following a public hearing scheduled for Tuesday at Atlanta City Hall. The Atlanta City Council’s Community Development Committee has scheduled a public hearing at its Tuesday meeting, which is to begin at 12:30 p.m. This may be one of the final opportunities for the public to express opinions on proposed transit routes that ultimately could be embedded in ...more
Annual Paddle Georgia event begins Saturday, to pass site of environmental victory
- About 400 paddlers are scheduled to depart Saturday from the Statesboro area in the 11th annual Paddle Georgia fundraising event, and their route will take them down a waterway where environmentalists won a major victory. About 38,000 fish were killed in 2011 in the Ogeechee River. Speculation attributed the kill to a spill from King America Finishing, which produces a fire retardant fabric at a plant along river. The fish kill began about 50 yards below the company’s effluent pipe. The state ...more
Atlanta’s planning department outlines initiatives in new report
- A new report by Atlanta’s planning department promises the city will monitor the city’s tree canopy and update the tree ordinance, address blight and promote affordable housing, and make sure the planned bike share program starts this year. The annual updates issued by Atlanta’s Department of Planning and Community Development typically are feel-good reports. This one maintains the tradition. The report covers a one-year period ending June 30, 2014. Although it has just been released, the report and related materials make no ...more
Atlanta BeltLine negotiating sale of 1.5 acres near Piedmont Park with up to five entities
- The Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. is continuing negotiations, with perhaps a handful of experienced real estate developers, to sell 1.5 acres of land that’s adjacent to Piedmont Park and now is a parking lot next to Park Tavern. BeltLine officials would not disclose the identity of proponents or with whom they are pursuing a transaction. However, the officials did release a sign-in sheet from an April 27 meeting that was mandatory for anyone interested in buying the tract. The sale is to ...more
52 miles of managed lanes being built with plans to serve expanded transit bus system
- In a new approach to road construction in Georgia, the state is adding 52 miles of managed lanes in metro Atlanta with the intention of using them to serve a growing number of transit buses filled with passengers. The state’s three major transportation agencies are working together to create a system that is to help provide reliable trip times. The system is to serve commuters traveling from home in Atlanta’s suburbs to destinations mainly in downtown Atlanta, Midtown and the Perimeter ...more
Visioning plan for Atlanta’s first black suburb reveals anxiety about stadium, hope for BeltLine
- A new visioning plan intends to guide the revitalization Atlanta’s first suburb developed for African Americans, a neighborhood where two thirds of residents who took a survey think the new Falcons stadium will have a negative impact on their community. The survey size was small – just 18 respondents. But it does represent a snapshot of the perspective of a group of people, nearly half of whom have lived in Washington Park more than 40 years and feel a strong connection ...more
Local initiative to address foreclosure crisis receives national Housing Visionary Award
- Piece by Piece, a regional initiative to address metro Atlanta’s foreclosure crisis, received a national award Thursday for its comprehensive approach that brings together 155 public and private partners. The National Housing Conference presented its 2015 Housing Visionary Award to the program during NHC’s annual gala in Washington. Piece by Piece is staffed by the Atlanta Neighborhood Development Partnership, Inc. “NHC is pleased to recognize ANDP and Piece by Piece for their work in stabilizing metro Atlanta neighborhoods and for crafting a ...more
State likely to continue transit funding, as it plans to dispense $75 million for transit hardward
- Georgia is likely to provide money in the future to support transit, in addition to the $75 million the Legislature provided this year, Jay Roberts, the state’s recently appointed transportation planning director, said Wednesday. In other transit news, Georgia’s transit agencies should be notified in January as to whether they will get a share of that $75 million, said GRTA Executive Director Chris Tomlinson. In addition to Tomlinson’s work at GRTA, he serves as executive director of the state entity that’s ...more