News
- Created on 12 June 2013
MARTA Planning to Put Officers on Every Train
MARTA will begin placing officers on all of its trains effective immediately, according to the new CEO.
MARTA Police Chief Wanda Dunham sent out a memo which detailing the new policies that will be put into effect for the public transit company.
Dunham said that the changes have not received a welcoming response from officers, particularly MARTA’s new chief administrative officer says, because it instructs police to focus primarily on customer service as opposed to enforcing the law.
“Officers think that we are going to take their police powers away and we want them to sing Kumbaya with the customers,” Dunham said.
Dunham said that is not the case, but she wants the officers’ presence to be known for the assistance and safety of customers.
A number of MARTA riders have complained about being approached by panhandlers when riding the train system. Effective immediately, police officers will be patrolling every train looking for panhandlers.
“(I see panhandlers a lot), they are very prevalent,” rider Dennis Webb told WSB.
At the end of the memo, Dunham said that while MARTA does not plan to outsource, they are looking for ways to improve effectiveness. She said now is the time to prove that MARTA can be beneficial for its customers.
- Created on 12 June 2013
Southern Baptists Announce Resolution Opposing Boy Scouts Gay Inclusion Policy
(CNN) -- The Southern Baptist Convention on Wednesday expressed its "continued opposition to and disappointment" in the decision by the Boy Scouts of America to permit gay youth members, the group said in a tweet.
The convention -- which has a national network of 45,000 churches and church-type missions -- passed a resolution at its annual meeting in Houston, Texas.
While the resolution doesn't ask its members to leave the scouts, the resolution "affirms the right of all families and churches prayerfully to assess their continued relationship with the BSA, expressing our support for those churches and families that as a matter of conscience can no longer be part of the Scouting family."
- Created on 11 June 2013
Electrical Explosion, Not Bomb Threat, Responsible For Evacuation at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
The Atlanta Daily World earlier reported that three bomb threats, one at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and another two near the Georgia Capitol building, had resulted in separate evacuations. We were later informed that the evacuation at the airport was due to an electrical explosion, not a bomb threat.
Two separate bomb threats were reported downtown near the Capitol building by multiple sources. State law enforcement officials have since said that the area is clear.
An area of the airport was closed earlier in the morning and has since reopened to passengers. The area was briefly evacuated because of an explosion in a maintenance area.
Airport spokesman Reese McCrainie told the Daily World that the small electrical explosion happened at about 8:40 a.m. in a ramp level maintenance shop near Gate D-21.
Below is the full statement sent to the Daily World about the explosion:
Three separate incidents – an explosion at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and two different threats near the Georgia Capitol – have forced evacuations around Atlanta.
At approximately 8:40 a.m. today, there was a small electrical explosion near Gate D 21 at a ramp level maintenance shop at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. The cause of this explosion is currently under investigation. There were no reported injuries, and there was no fire.
There has been minor property damage. Passengers on the northside of Concourse D were evacuated to Concourse E. Arriving aircraft have been reassigned to other available gates.
The Atlanta Fire Department has given the all-clear. At this time, passengers are returning to Concourse D. There is still partial power outage in certain areas of Concourse D. Travelers should check with their airlines for any changing gate assignments.
- Created on 11 June 2013
Fulton County Schools Up For $1 Million Award For Black AP Participation
The high performance of African-American students in advanced placement classes at Fulton County Schools has put the district in the running for the $1 million Board Prize for Urban Education.
The annual prize is given to districts that have the greatest performances and improvements and is the largest educational award in the country given to school districts.
Fulton is one of the six urban school districts in the nation using strategies to increase African American participation in AP programs and improve scores on AP tests. Cobb County School District is also on the list.
A report titled, "The Road to Equity: Expanding AP Access and Success for African-American Students," documents Fulton's achievements and how school systems are increasing college readiness for black students and creating a system where they can equal their white classmates.
"This report is eye-opening in how well our schools are doing, but to reach our strategic goal of increased college preparedness, we have to do more to engage all of our minority student populations," Fulton Superintendent Robert Avossa told Patch.
The report, conducted by The Eli and Edythe Broad Foundation, found that these districts were able to raise AP test score without losing student participation. They analyzed four years of AP exams and passing rates for 75 districts whose demographics make them urban areas.
AP tests have proved important for students, allowing them to perform better upon entering college and giving them the option to test out of classes saving time for the student and money for the parent.
College Board research shows that students who have participated in AP courses have higher overall GPAs in college, roughly 1.5 points higher.
Fulton and the other districts recognized have implemented methods like expanding access to the gifted programs, educating parents on the benefits of AP classes and offering a rigorous curriculum beginning in elementary school. They've also offered teachers additional training and professional development and have continuously instilled confidence in students making it clear they have college potential, the report finds.
Another report, released by the Education Trust this month, found that the participation gap could be closed if every school with an AP program focused on enrolling its low-income students of color.
- Created on 11 June 2013
Bomb Threats Force Evacuation Near Capitol Building; Electrical Explosion at Hartsfield-Jackson Airport
UPDATE:
The portion of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport that was closed earlier in the morning has reopened to passengers. The area was briefly evacuated because of an explosion in a maintenance area.
Airport spokesman Reese McCrainie told the AJC that the small electrical explosion happened at about 8:40 a.m. in a ramp level maintenance shop near Gate D-21.
There were no injuries reported, and there was no fire, according to McCranie. He said there was “minor” property damage.
ORIGINAL STORY BELOW
Three separate incidents – an explosion at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and two different threats near the Georgia Capitol – have forced evacuations around Atlanta.
Law enforcement officials are investigating bomb threats at the Judicial Building and Health Building, both located within a block of the state Capitol. The Judicial Building is located at 40 Capitol Square, across the street from the Capitol, and is home to the attorney general and state Supreme Court. The health building, located at 47 Trinity Ave., houses the Department of Education, the Georgia Building Authority, Georgia Technology Authority and several transportation agencies.
Common Cause Georgia had scheduled a 10 a.m. press conference at City Hall.
Authorities have also evacuated the Coverdell Legislative Office Building at 18 Capitol Square. That building houses offices of most state lawmakers and staff as well as several media outlets, including The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Witnesses nearby said sirens could still be heard at 9:30 a.m. and that a large police presence was visible in the area near Atlanta City Hall.
In a matter that authorities have not said is related, a portion of Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been evacuated because of an explosion in a maintenance shed. That explosion was reported by an Atlanta fire spokeswoman to the AJC. The explosion happened around 9 a.m. in a maintenance shed at Concourse D, according to Atlanta fire spokeswoman Janet Ward.
Ward said there was no fire or smoke, but power is out to Concourse D and the concourse has been evacuated.
This is a breaking news story. For updates on the latest developments check back with the Atlanta Daily World.
