Atlanta News

From the Saporta Report:

The Atlanta Documentary Film Festival (Docufest), part of a slate of festivals put on by the Atlanta Film Series every year, celebrated its 20-year anniversary with a successful event this past weekend — with one of their best turnouts in years. Docufest was held from March 22 and 23 at the Limelight Theater in Atlanta. […]

The post Atlanta Documentary Film Festival celebrates 20 years of showcasing documentaries and kicks off 2025 slate of festivals from Atlanta Film Series appeared first on SaportaReport.

Arts Atlanta:

Artist Sabre Esler struggled for years to find a space in Atlanta where she could exhibit her thesis artworks. So she created her own. Her jewel box Pollinator Art Space on The Goat Farm campus offers artists a space for new or experimental work. :: Tucked behind a massive rusted water tower on The Goat...

From WABE Local News:

A bill that would grant compensation to wrongfully convicted Georgians was just given a second chance after lawmakers spliced it into a bill inspired by President Donald Trump’s election interference […]

From WABE Politics News:

Georgia lawmakers are retreating from election proposals that could have allowed a Donald Trump-aligned state board to strike thousands of challenged voters from the rolls and would have required polling […]

From WABE Politics News:

Georgia lawmakers are giving up on creating a statewide database to collect information on students who might commit violence, even as they push forward other parts of a school safety […]

Downtown Roswell’s ‘much-anticipated’ parking deck moves forward Josh Green Fri, 03/28/2025 - 08:11 As ITP visitors may have noticed, the City of Roswell’s historic district in recent years has grown so popular as a regional destination for dining and shopping, its quaint yesteryear infrastructure has struggled to keep up. 

No, the solution isn’t a new transit hub and dedicated rail line through North Fulton County. It’s more parking—and lots of it—in addition to other strategic infrastructural changes near hotspot Canton Street, according to city officials. 

During a specially called meeting Wednesday, Roswell’s mayor and city council unanimously approved a design-build contract with seasoned firm Winter Construction for a $14.5 million new parking deck that will rise within a few minutes’ walk of most downtown attractions. 

In a meeting recap, city officials described the parking deck as “much-anticipated” and “a crucial step.” 

Winter Construction/City of Roswell

Plans call for the 395-space structure to echo the historic district aesthetically, with details beyond the brick façade. Other touches will include large windows for airflow and light, plus “architectural parapets and metalwork, tower-like corner stairwells, and variation in the depth of the exterior walls to add dimension and interest to the structure,” per city officials. 

It will be located on a corner where Green Street meets Ga. Highway 9 (Alpharetta Street), about a block east of Canton Street. The site is also just south of the multi-building Southern Post development that replaced a dated shopping center and was finished last year. 

Winter Construction also recently completed a new parking garage for the City of Woodstock, in addition to one in Snellville. 

“This parking deck is more than just infrastructure,” said Mayor Kurt Wilson in an announcement, “it’s an investment in our city’s future, supporting economic growth and enhancing quality of life for years to come.”

The planned 395-space parking structure's location, in relation to Canton Street and other downtown attractions. Google Maps

Two years ago, Roswell voters overwhelmingly OK’d nearly $180 million in bond funds that included $20 million for a new deck to help alleviate parking headaches near Canton Street. Roswell leaders picked the site in question in March last year after evaluating eight potential locations. 

The deck isn’t the only change that could be coming in the immediate area. 

A tactic to increase safety and connectivity—dubbed the Green Street Activation Plan—would convert the street to a one-way, southbound road, with a new brick-paved, multi-use trail and improved lighting installed. 

Meanwhile, the plan calls for converting nearby Plum Street—a one-way thoroughfare located between Green and Canton streets—into a brick-paved, multi-use trail for direct access to downtown’s shopping and restaurant strip. (What is this, Broadway or something?) 

Roswell officials say the parking structure is just one step the city is taking to cut back on congestion and improve visitor experiences while still supporting local businesses. Parking usage data that’s being collected now and future strategies will be addressed in forthcoming public meetings this spring, per officials. 

Winter Construction’s schedule calls for finishing the parking deck in summer 2026. The firm was the low-bidder and top applicant among nine companies competing for the design-build job, per the city. 

Which begs the question, Atlanta: Will this increase your chances of visiting one of the metro’s liveliest and most unique city centers, or no? 

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• Roswell news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta) 

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The planned 395-space parking structure's location, in relation to Canton Street and other downtown attractions. Google Maps

Winter Construction/City of Roswell

Subtitle Brick-clad structure to join street conversion, multi-use trail enhancements near Canton Street

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From the Atlanta Tribune:

Staff turnover at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention continues as the United States faces several public health threats. by Jennifer Porter Gore By Tuesday afternoon, it was clear that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention was having a tough week. Already dealing with domestic outbreaks of measles and tuberculosis as well as […]

The post As Upheaval Continues, CDC Loses its Equity Chief appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From WABE Politics News:

Georgia Sen. Jon Ossoff soft-launched his reelection campaign at a boisterous rally in Atlanta this week on Saturday. On this week’s episode of “Plugged In,” hosts Sam Gringlas and Rahul […]

From the Atlanta Tribune:

MARCH 26 1831—The founder of the Afri­can Methodist Episcopal Church Church, Richard Allen, dies at age 71 in Philadelphia, Pa. As its first bishop, Allen set the AME Church on the path to becoming the first Black religious denomination in America to be fully independent of White control. He, in effect, chartered a separate religious […]

The post This Week In Black History March 26-April 2, 2025 appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

Spencer to guide the institution on local, state and federal government issues Morehouse School of Medicine (MSM) is proud to announce that LaShannon Spencer, PhD, has joined MSM as Vice President of Government Affairs. In this role, Dr. Spencer will report to the Office of the President and CEO and guide the institution on local, […]

The post Dr. LaShannon Spencer Joins Morehouse School of Medicine as Vice President of Government Affairs appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Tribune:

The shocking revelation that top national security officials in President Donald Trump’s administration texted military strike plans in a group chat that included a journalist has led one Illinois congressman to call for sweeping resignations. “The careless mishandling of sensitive information has not only compromised national security but also put the lives of U.S. service […]

The post Rep. Jonathan Jackson Demands Defense Secretary Resign After Signal App Leak of U.S. Military Plans appeared first on Atlanta Tribune.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Photo: Getty Images Tech billionaire and Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) head Elon Musk issued an ominous threat to Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters after she suggested that first lady Melania Trump should be deported. Waters was speaking at an anti-DOGE rally in Los Angeles, California over the weekend when she called out President Donald Trump … Continued

The post Elon Musk Threatens Maxine Waters Over Melania Trump Deportation Comments appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From the Atlanta Daily World:

Photo: Getty Images The Department of Education has restored online applications for several student loan repayment plans. On Wednesday (March 26), the Education Department announced that applications had been reopened for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, again allowing borrowers the chance to lower their monthly repayments or seek loan forgiveness, per Newsweek. IDR applications were initially … Continued

The post Department Of Education Restores Student Loan Payment Plans: What To Know appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From WABE Local News:

According to the latest data from Giving USA, charitable giving reached $557.16 billion in the U.S. in 2023. As the philanthropic landscape continues to evolve, younger generations of Americans will […]

From the Saporta Report:

Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens teased public engagement sessions starting as soon as June 2025 for the newly-announced plans to build rail on the Beltline’s Southside trail at a March 27 Atlanta Press Club event.  During the Q&A moderated by Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter Riley Bunch, Dickens defended his controversial plan to pivot from long-planned light rail […]

The post Dickens teases summer start for Beltline rail planning stage appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Politics News:

Georgia’s Republican-dominated state Senate is going forward with an investigation of Stacey Abrams, a move that comes as President Donald Trump has made a target of the two-time Democratic nominee for […]

From the Atlanta Daily World:

The Power of Conversation: Healing a Nation Through Truth and Dialogue DECATUR, Ga. — In a rare and timely conversation at the Porter Sanford III Performing Arts and Community Center, civil rights leader Xernona Clayton, former Georgia Gov. Roy Barnes, and Dr. Bernice A. King, CEO of the King Center, gathered for a fireside chat … Continued

The post DeKalb County Fireside Chat Features Trailblazers and Changemakers, Xernona Clayton, Dr. Bernice King and Gov. Roy Barnes appeared first on Atlanta Daily World.

From WABE Politics News:

Georgia’s Brian Kemp could tie New York’s Kathy Hochul for the highest-paid state governor under a proposal made Thursday. State senators agreed to amend House Bill 86 to give big […]

Another golf course going residential—with homes in $300Ks Josh Green Thu, 03/27/2025 - 14:40 North of Atlanta, a residential project is coming together that’s a unique take on infill development and (relatively) affordable housing.

National homebuilder Fischer Homes has opened sales for its first Dawsonville project, Villas at Gold Creek, with price points for new housing that are practically nonexistent in intown Atlanta and the city’s inner suburbs today. It’s the latest example of metro golf course land being repurposed into housing.  

Finished and forthcoming homes on what used to be Gold Creek golf course links start in the $310,000s and top out in the $380,000s in rapidly growing Dawson County, project reps tell Urbanize Atlanta. 

Overview of the Dawsonville former golf course in question before construction on the Villas at Gold Creek began. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

All residences have two attached units per lot (what city folk might call duplexes), and each home has a separate entrance and two-car garage. It’s marketed as Fischer Home’s Paired Patio Home Collection. 

The two available floorplans—the single-story Wembley and two-story Hudson—have either two or three bedrooms and floorplans between 1,657 and 2,196 square feet. 

Gold Creek, formerly a 27-hole golf course, has been repurposed to 18 holes to make way for home development.  

Facades of the Hudson floorplan homes at Gold Creek. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Example of finishes inside the Hudson plan. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Other golf-course reclamation projects have taken shape in recent years in metro Atlanta suburbs. In Lawrenceville, for example, Gwinnett County’s oldest country club made way for apartments, while a luxury project with sprawling estates is replacing the former Trophy Club of Atlanta in Milton. 

In Dawsonville, the Fischer Homes project is located at 331 Gold Creek Drive, in the foothills of the North Georgia Mountain, about 60 miles north of downtown Atlanta. 

According to new U.S. Census estimates, Dawson County grew by 6.4 percent in the year ending July 1, which was good for No. 1 in the country among counties with at least 20,000 residents. 

Josh Brockman, division manager for Fischer Homes Atlanta Division, called the Gold Creek project the most affordable new home construction in the Dawsonville area. The residences are “delivering outstanding value without sacrificing quality,” Brockman said in an announcement this week. 

An LLC called Gold Creek Development is leading the project’s development. 

North Georgia Mountains loom in the distance beyond Gold Creek. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Villas at Gold Creek—set within the established Gold Creek neighborhood—includes HOA fees that cover all exterior maintenance and lawncare. Other perks are listed as proximity to North Georgia Premium Outlets and outdoor destinations such as Amicalola Falls State Park and the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail at Springer Mountain. 

Swing (get it?) up to the gallery for more Villas at Gold Creek context and project images. 

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• Dawsonville news, discussion (Urbanize Atlanta)

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331 Gold Creek Drive Dawsonville Fischer Homes Villas at Gold Creek Atlanta Suburbs Gold Creek Development Gold Creek Gold Creek Golf Course Dawson County North Georgia Mountains Affordability Affordable Housing affordable housing North Atlanta Suburbs OTP Exurbs Atlanta Exurbs Duplexes Atlanta Duplexes Atlanta Golf Courses Golf Courses Adaptive-Reuse Adaptive-Reuse Development Atlanta Infill Infill Infill Development

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The Villas at Gold Creek's 331 Gold Creek Drive location in Atlanta's exurbs. Google Maps

Overview of the Dawsonville former golf course in question before construction on the Villas at Gold Creek began. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Previously built housing next to the Gold Creek links. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Facades of the Hudson floorplan homes at Gold Creek. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Example of finishes inside the Hudson plan. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

The single-story Wembley floorplan at Gold Creek. Villas at Gold Creek

North Georgia Mountains loom in the distance beyond Gold Creek. Fischer Homes/Villas at Gold Creek

Subtitle Fischer Homes project north of Atlanta called Villas at Gold Creek

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From WABE Politics News:

The second part of Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp’s top priority to limit lawsuits and large verdicts won approval Thursday from the House. The full package, also called tort reform, is set […]

From WABE Local News:

An 11-year-old DeKalb County student is experiencing the “sweet spell of success” for the second consecutive year. Sarv Dharavane was among 20 students competing in the 64th Annual Georgia Association […]

From the Saporta Report:

It seems as if we might have to pay more attention to things that can’t be said in certain spaces. Again.  Because if you live in the American South or know anything about its history, you know we’ve been here before. We mucked through it then, though it cost us dearly in spilled blood, lost […]

The post Now and then, there are things that can’t be said in newspapers appeared first on SaportaReport.

From WABE Arts and Culture News:

WABE’s H. Johnson has been a fixture on 90.1 FM since 1978. As host of both “Blues Classics” and “Jazz Classics,” Johnson continually educates and entertains WABE listeners every Friday and Saturday […]

From the Saporta Report:

Out of Hand Theater Announces New Shows in Homes Season Out of Hand Theater recently announced the opening weekend of How to Make a Home, a compelling one-act play showing March 7 to May 18, 2025. Presented in partnership with Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and Partners for HOME, this groundbreaking production explores the realities of […]

The post Reporter’s Notebook: New shows, events, open house; Students honored, leadership changes; New housing at KSU appeared first on SaportaReport.

Arts Atlanta:

Technical prowess is on show in Atlanta. Across three recently opened exhibitions, artists are showcasing their ability to manipulate materials with finesse and mastery. At Marcia Wood Gallery, New Work by Featured Artists (through May 3) sounds like an innocuous exhibition, a simple roundup of gallery artists, but it is alive with some unexpected, good...