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A Macon activist who helped call attention to conditions at a federal immigration detention center in south Georgia in 2020 has been in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs […]

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WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump began imposing higher import taxes on dozens of countries Thursday just as the economic fallout of his monthslong tariff threats has begun to cause […]

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Fernbank Museum set to embark on $27M transformation Josh Green Thu, 08/07/2025 - 08:18

Following a successful fundraising campaign, one of Atlanta’s most cherished institutions, Fernbank Museum, is gearing up for its largest renovation and upgrade since it opened in 1992. 

Fernbank leadership announced this week that $27 million raised from donations will “revolutionize the guest experience” with a series of new exhibits and learning galleries spread across all three floors of the eastside facility. 

The museum’s goal is to reimagine how guests engage with content, connecting indoor and outdoor offerings at the 120-acre education campus that includes a 3D theater and nature experiences in Fernbank Forest and WildWoods.

The additions are set to open in phases over the next two years. They will include a landmark new signature exhibition called Changing Earth, an interactive science discovery area, expanded Star Gallery, and more temporary exhibit gallery space. 

Improved accessibility throughout the museum, in terms of physical spaces and content connectivity, will be another focus, per Fernbank leadership. The latter work will include the addition of an elevator and more automatic doors. 

Plans for the "revolutionary" new Changing Earth exhibit. Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

As museum attendance and memberships continue to grow, Fernbank aims “to offer layered experiences that connect guests more holistically to science, nature, and human culture, providing opportunities to engage all ages of learners in relevant and entertaining ways,” said Jennifer Grant Warner, Fernbank’s president and CEO, in an announcement. 

As the main new draw, Changing Earth will be Fernbank’s largest permanent exhibit, with a goal of showcasing the planet’s dynamic systems, beauty, phenomena, and diversity. That will include interactive and immersive features (see: the “Tectonic Dashboard” and biodiversity “Tree of Life”), touchable objects, and real specimens.

Contributors to Fernbank’s fundraising campaign included The Gary W. Rollins Foundation, the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation, and more than 80 other funders, with eight donations totaling $1 million or more each, per officials. 

The Changing Earth Life Biosphere. Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

In addition to Changing Earth, new aspects coming to Fernbank as part of the $27-million initiative are described by museum leadership as follows, edited for length:   

OUR PLACE IN THE COSMOS

The Star Gallery, which features a fiber optic ceiling mapping the stars and constellations of the evening Georgia sky, will see a transformation with expanded content about the solar system and origins of our universe, as well as cinematic media. Guests will explore how humans have connected to the constellations over time and how we are using science today to reconstruct our planet’s 13.8-billion-year story.

ORKIN DISCOVERY ZONE

The new Orkin Discovery Zone will feature a hands-on, active learning environment on the museum’s third floor. Guests of ages will step into the role of a scientist and hone their observation skills while they explore authentic objects, live animals, and interactives, learning about biodiversity, classification, communication, and more.

Highlights include the opportunity to peer through scopes to discoveries in WildWoods, see examples of biodiversity through real specimens, observe live animals in terrariums, and build a bug using a spinning activity that combines the traits of different insects.

ADDITIONAL TEMPORARY GALLERY

The new temporary gallery adjacent to Changing Earth will allow the museum to curate its own temporary exhibits and feature traveling exhibits to delve deeper into natural history themes.

The Earth Systems section of the Changing Earth exhibit. Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

Fernbank’s schedule calls for opening Our Place in the Cosmos in late 2025. 

The Orkin Discovery Zone is expected to open in 2026, and Changing Earth is anticipated to debut in 2027, alongside the temporary gallery space and expanded accessibility.

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Plans for the "revolutionary" new Changing Earth exhibit. Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

The Earth Systems section of the Changing Earth exhibit. Courtesy of Fernbank Museum

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Officials: Multifaceted upgrades—the biggest since early 1990s—will "revolutionize the guest experience"

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Plenty! The Woman-Evolve Conference hosted by Sarah Jakes Roberts, The Potterhouse pastor and daughter of legendary faith-leader, Bishop T.D. Jakes, brought together more than 20,000 women for a wealth of experiences, including informative workshops, educational resources, business opportunities, spiritual growth, personal development, networking, and all-day shopping.  Sarah Jakes Roberts is a tour de force in … Continued

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By bawintern1 on August 6, 2025 Bobby “DJ Cuzzin B” Carter, the longtime producer of NPR’s popul ar live music series, Tiny Desk, has broken his silence regarding the program’s future. According to Carter, Tiny Desk will continue to forge ahead despite the Trump administration’s defunding of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB). Tiny Desk, … Continued

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Thousands of citizens of Fulton County – from north to south – spoke out and sent a clear, unified message to the Board of Commissioners: Now is not the time for a tax increase! Your pleas did not fall on deaf ears. I am pleased to inform you that the Fulton County Board of Commissioners … Continued

The post Fulton County Board of Commissioners Rejects Tax Hike appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

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08/7/25: Homicide: 3005 Peachtree Rd NE

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Preliminary Information: On 8/7/25, around 2:28am, officers responded to 3005 Peachtree Rd NE in reference to a person shot. Upon arrival, officers located an adult male inside the apartment with a gunshot wound. Grady EMS responded to the scene and transported the male to the hospital where he was later pronounced deceased. Responding officers placed a male suspect into custody on scene. Preliminary investigation indicates the victim and suspect are cousins. The suspect was visiting from Florida. The two were involved in a dispute inside the apartment that escalated to gunfire. The suspect was arrested on scene and transported to APD Public Safety Headquarters with charges pending. The investigation continues.

Please keep in mind the above information is preliminary in nature and can change as the investigation progresses and new information comes to light.

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After this week’s competency hearing, families plead with Florida officials to respect their wishes before Friday’s decision Multiple public petitions call on Governor and Clemency Board to grant mercy The children of Curtis Windom, along with relatives of one of the victims, are calling on Florida officials to halt Windom’s scheduled execution on August 28. … Continued

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Sixty years ago today, President Lyndon B. Johnson signed the 1965 Voting Rights Act saying, “The denial of the right to vote is still a deadly wrong and the time […]

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The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) Secretary Sean P. Duffy announced Tuesday a $3.89 billion loan that will help fund Georgia’s State Route 400 Express Lanes Project, the largest loan […]

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A group of former elected officials gathered at Heart of Roswell Park on Canton Street Wednesday to voice criticism of Mayor Kurt Wilson and city council. Led by former Mayor Jere Wood, the group of 10 described the city as “in crisis,” pointing to the removal of 35 specimen trees at Mimosa Hall as the […]

The post Ex-Roswell leaders accuse city of illegalities tied to Mimosa Hall and beyond appeared first on SaportaReport.

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Officials: Tax break for project in red-hot O4W not tied to grocery store Josh Green Wed, 08/06/2025 - 16:28

Observant development watchers of Atlanta have raised concerns that tax breaks granted to a mixed-use project in one of the city’s hottest real estate zones were contingent on the building including a grocery store that is no longer happening. 

That’s not the case, according to developers and government officials who approved the multi-million-dollar tax incentive in Old Fourth Ward. 

“We can definitively say that we will not be receiving any benefits that were tied to the grocery component,” said Ben Yorker, a Northwood Ravin development partner, of the project now called The Bowery at Old Fourth Ward, which his company is building in partnership with Fuqua Development. 

Develop Fulton (formerly the Development Authority of Fulton County) in 2023 approved the development team's request for $5.7 million in tax savings across 10 years for the three-building project that will consume nearly a full block. The Bowery recently started demolition work at the southeast corner of Boulevard’s intersection with Highland Avenue, just east of downtown. 

Developers confirmed last week to Urbanize Atlanta the grocery store component many residents in the area had been banking on—reportedly a Publix, as of two years ago—had been nixed. Yorker said Wellstar’s sudden closure of nearby Atlanta Medical Center, which cost the area jobs and significant daytime population, along with the city’s subsequent clampdown on property rezoning, had scared away potential grocery tenants. 

The Bowery at Old Fourth Ward's first new rendering showing finalized plans for townhomes (left), retail, and apartments along Highland Avenue. Courtesy of Northwood Ravin/Fuqua Development

Kwanza Hall, Develop Fulton chairman, acknowledged that the hospital closure “significantly impacted the viability of that [grocery] portion of the development,” but he feels The Bowery project “still has the potential to create meaningful local impact.” Hall said Develop Fulton incentives tied to specific development components such as grocery stores are forfeited when those aspects aren’t built, but according to Yorker, that doesn’t apply in The Bowery’s case.  

“This project exemplifies both the promise and the challenges of revitalization,” Hall wrote in a statement to Urbanize Atlanta. “It’s a reminder that even with approved incentives, market conditions can shift and affect a project's composition… We will continue to coordinate with the development team to ensure the best outcomes for the community.”

Yorker balked at publicly disclosing what the grocery’s replacement might be, as plans have not been finalized. 

“Though it did not work out to incorporate a grocer, we’re confident we can incorporate other meaningful features that the surrounding neighborhood will enjoy,” Yorker wrote in an email. “Our view is that our properties are most successful when the communities around them flourish.”

An early look at the proposal's scope as it relates to Tribute Lofts, pictured at right. Submitted

Rough boundaries of the Old Fourth Ward property in question, where Highland Avenue meets Boulevard, just north of the neighborhood dog park. Google Maps

Finalized plans for The Bowery call for a 273-unit apartment building and two townhome blocks with 12 units total. Roughly 10,000 square feet of retail with patio spaces will operate at street level. 

Another 2,000 square feet of retail or incubator space will be placed so that it faces a popular dog park next door, Freedom Barkway. The project’s 400-space parking deck will include 17 spaces reserved for dog park patrons. 

Once demolition and other pre-development work finishes, Yorker said construction should be ready to start in late fall this year. 

Developers forecast the full project will open in early or mid-2028.  

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The Bowery at Old Fourth Ward's first new rendering showing finalized plans for townhomes (left), retail, and apartments along Highland Avenue. Courtesy of Northwood Ravin/Fuqua Development

An early look at the proposal's scope as it relates to Tribute Lofts, pictured at right. Submitted

Looking southwest, initial images of Fuqua Development's proposal distributed three years ago are shown next to John Lewis Freedom Parkway. Plans have been refined since. Submitted

Tentative breakdown of the Fuqua proposal as submitted to the city in 2022. Fuqua Development/Office of Zoning and Development

Prior to demolition work this month, the idle 3-acre site and shuttered Desperate Housewares Atlanta furniture store, seen here in 2024. Google Maps

An earlier rendering illustrating how the project will transform one corner of the Highland Avenue-Boulevard intersection. (Highland Avenue frontage is at left.) Northwood Ravin/Fuqua Development; 2023

Rough boundaries of the Old Fourth Ward property in question, where Highland Avenue meets Boulevard, just north of the neighborhood dog park. Google Maps

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A judge has ordered elected leaders in Georgia’s Fulton County to appoint two Republican nominees they had rejected to the county’s election board. The county Republican Party sued in June, […]

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Five soldiers at Fort Stewart-Hunter Army Airfield in Georgia were injured after a sergeant in their unit opened fire with a personal handgun, the base’s commander said.

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Photo: Getty Images North America BET has indefinitely suspended two of its longtime award shows. During a recent interview, CEO Scott Mills confirmed that the company was putting an indefinite pause on the BET Hip Hop Awards and the Soul Train Awards, per Baller Alert. “For BET linear, we have suspended the Soul Train and … Continued

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Providing services ranging from microloans to tech support, Rollins has helped over 150 Black-owned businesses.

The post From Hug to Hub: Kiyomi Rollins Supports Black Businesses in Her Atlanta Cafe appeared first on Capital B News - Atlanta.

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Feds yank $151M from Stitch project; leaders vow it's still happening Josh Green Wed, 08/06/2025 - 14:00

Nearly a decade after it was first proposed, a transformative greenspace and infrastructure project in downtown Atlanta had finally reached the doorstep of construction phases this year. But now, the bulk of its funding is officially gone. 

The One Big Beautiful Bill Act, signed into law by President Donald Trump last month, rescinded $151.4 million in federal grant funds that had been awarded to the highway-capping Stitch project in early 2024. 

That funding constituted roughly 3/4th of the estimated cost to design and build the Stitch’s multi-acre first phase. Ouch. 

So is the bill a crushing, final blow for an ambitious project that aims to stitch intown neighborhoods back together, decades after being cleaved apart by a freeway? Not even close, says Stitch leadership. 

Jack Cebe, director of the Stitch and an engineer and landscape architect by trade, acknowledged the loss of federal funds is “disappointing” but relayed that “the Stitch is happening” nonetheless in a newsletter today. 

Courtesy of CAP/ADID

The Stitch’s 5.7-acre phase one—envisioned as the green heart of the project, with pathways, native gardens, a plaza, shade structures, pavilions, a playground, restrooms, and multiple connections to nearby streets—was on track to launch construction in 2026. Until last month, that is. 

More than $40 million in local funding for phase one had also been secured. Cebe says that aspect of the Stitch will complete permitting, approvals, and shovel-ready engineering by mid-2026. Also working in the Stitch’s favor, according to Cebe, is a reaffirmed commitment to see it through from the Georgia Department of Transportation and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens’ office. 

In April, the Atlanta City Council approved a new downtown special services district to primarily help cover the Stitch’s operations, administration, maintenance, and programs costs, as funded by property-owning taxpayers within the district. 

That new tax district is, of course, separate from federal grant money. Representatives from U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock’s office told Urbanize Atlanta in June that losing the federal cash “would necessitate a conversation with the City of Atlanta about how to proceed with the use of the [special services district] proceeds,” hinting that those funds could be channeled toward helping build out Stitch phase one. 

Similar tax districts have helped fund construction of the Atlanta Beltline and Truist Park/The Battery Atlanta, as Stitch leadership has noted. Property owners near the Stitch are expected to shoulder an annual increase of about $200 in additional property taxes for every $100,000 of a property’s assessed value. The tradeoff would be that the Stitch, in theory, will eventually boost property values and make the area more desirable.  

Cebe, in his upbeat missive, said the Stitch has made “significant strides” over the past two years beyond securing (if temporarily) more than $200 million in local and federal funding. Thousands of Atlanta residents also contributed input for a master plan that Dickens and the city council formally adopted in June. 

Section of the park to begin construction first. Courtesy of CAP/ADID

Courtesy of CAP/ADID

Benefit events are in the works for the Stitch, which is projected to create 4,500 jobs and $9 billion in economic investment for downtown, per Cebe. 

The three-phase Stitch was initially proposed back in 2016 but had been gathering momentum over the past year like never before. Phase one is planned for a middle section between Peachtree and Courtland streets, above the downtown Connector.

Phases two and three were tentatively scheduled to begin construction in 2029 and 2033, respectively, but would require a variety of additional funding sources. Those could include state and federal grants, commitments from the City of Atlanta, philanthropy, and “real estate value capture,” project leaders have said.

All told, the most recent Stitch projections called for 14 acres of new public space eventually being created over the Connector, with a price tag north of $700 million. The goal was to finish it in roughly 11 years, or sometime in 2036, pending funding.

Find more context and details for what the Stitch’s initial phase could be in the gallery above. 

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Planned connectivity for the Stitch's first phase. Courtesy of Atlanta Downtown Improvement District

Components of phase 1, as currently planned. Project leaders' schedule calls for breaking ground on this section in 2026. Courtesy of Atlanta Downtown Improvement District

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Overview of the three-phase Stitch proposal and potential related development sites. The area has the capacity to handle 16,000 new housing units at a variety of income levels, project leaders have said. Courtesy of Atlanta Downtown Improvement District

Historical perspective for the Stitch site included in today's CAP/ADID presentation. Courtesy of CAP/ADID

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08/06/25: Statement/BWC on arrest of one of Fulton County's most wanted fugitives - Kordale Miliam

On August 5, 2025, the Atlanta Police Department’s Proactive Enforcement & Interdiction Unit (APEX) and S.W.A.T. Unit assisted Gwinnett County Police Department with the execution of a search warrant at 2905 Springdale Rd. SW.

The operation resulted in Atlanta Police taking wanted person Kordale Miliam into custody on multiple outstanding warrants from multiple jurisdictions.

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Applause and ululations erupted as 12-year-old Yassin Alghalban emerged through sliding doors in the arrivals hall of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport on Sunday, his mother pushing him in a courtesy […]

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Black Art in America (BAIA) was positively teeming with visitors this weekend during the 2025 Fine Art Print Fair. Now in its third year, this annual tradition invites new and experienced buyers to the gallery in East Point for a weekend-long celebration of Black printmakers.  The walls were filled with compelling prints alongside their woodcut...

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For the first time since 1988, Habitat for Humanity’s Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project is headed to Atlanta. The annual event is known as the “world’s largest building blitz,” with thousands of volunteers descending on a different city each year to construct dozens of homes.  An estimated 2,000 volunteers will head to the Sylvan […]

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Photo: Neal McNeil / iStock / Getty Images A Texas man has been arrested after allegedly plotting mass violence against Black and Jewish people. 39-year-old James Henderson was arrested last month on multiple felony charges, including terrorism, after authorities received a tip about him possessing explosives and threatening mass violence, per Kens 5. Authorities discovered … Continued

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Former DeKalb County CEO Michael Thurmond officially launched his bid to be Georgia’s next governor on Wednesday with an attention-grabbing campaign ad that appears to take a shot at President Donald Trump. Footage of Thurmond speaking at a “No Kings” protest in Athens in June is featured in the “Boots on Georgia Ground” ad, which […]

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The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it is removing age limits for new hires at the agency responsible for immigration enforcement, as it aims to expand hiring after a massive […]

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Not only are the Jackson State Tigers defending HBCU national champions, but the Tigers have been voted the preseason favorites in the HBCU FCS Coaches Poll. The 2025 HBCU college football Preseason All-America team presented by BOXTOROW, released on Tuesday, is reflective of the success of the Tigers last season and what the team returns … Continued

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