Latest news with #ex-Atlanta
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Yahoo
Atlanta tree removal ordinance moves forward to full council vote, fines could triple for violations
An Atlanta ordinance regarding tree removal is moving forward to a full city council vote after some provisions were pruned in a committee meeting Wednesday. At the meeting, Council member Michael Julian Bond said he was not comfortable voting on a new version they were seeing for the first time. The version that passed was a committee substitute, with changes to some of the previous version's features. According to the ordinance, focused on protecting the City of Atlanta's trees, if passed the city would have higher fines for illegal tree removals. In terms of function, the previous version of the city legislation required that the City of Atlanta have 50% average tree canopy cover. A study performed by the Center for Spatial Planning Analytics and Visualization at the Georgia Institute of Technology detailed the city's tree canopy size, citing analyses by the City of Atlanta. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In 2008, the city reported a canopy coverage proportion of 47.9%, but in 2018, a follow-up survey by the City of Atlanta found the canopy had reduced to 46.5%. 'The City of Atlanta 2018 percent urban tree canopy coverage for 2018 was 46.5%, a slight decrease from 2014 and almost 1.5% less than 2008, which equated to an estimated .43 acres of canopy lost per day between 2008 - 2018,' the Center for Spatial Planning said. As of 2020, the Center said Atlanta's canopy loss had been the result of a combination of single-family redevelopment, new construction for single and multi-family housing, industrial construction, mixed use and institutional and commercial properties. TRENDING STORIES: Former 'RHOA' star Kim Zolciak, ex-Atlanta Falcon Kroy Biermann removed from mansion, court docs say 12-year-old killed in crossfire as groups open fire at Atlanta apartment complex 10 charged with stealing more than $6M in electronics as part of porch pirate ring However, while all of the areas and developments have replanted the trees, as required by the city, the Center said the trees planted were not of the same type or quality. To protect the 'City in the Forest' factors of Atlanta, the city council proposed changing the current ordinances to do more for the trees. Should the proposed ordinance pass a full council vote, here are some of the changes that would occur: Make it more expensive to remove trees in Atlanta, increasing fines from $60,000 to $200,000 per acre of land where trees are removed illegally This applies to illegal destruction or removal of 60 trees per acre, or more if City Arborist cannot determine an exact number of trees Require that violations of ordinance during construction projects results in stop work orders and result in fines of between $50 to $1,000 based on number of violations Repeated errors or omissions for tree regulation may result in suspension of registration status for projects Owners and tenants of properties both subject to violations if one occurs, subject to fines individually Permits for removal must be posted publicly Additionally, the ordinance sets requirements for getting a tree permit application as: Prior to submitting a tree permit application, the applicant must schedule and attend an arborist meeting. The arborist shall assess the proposed project, provide guidance on tree preservation, and outline regulatory requirements. The arborist's recommendations shall be documented and included in the permit application. Failure to conduct an arborist meeting prior to application submission shall result in permit denial. While the committee passed the current version of the ordinance on Wednesday, the ordinance is expected to be discussed and voted on at the next full city council meeting on June 16. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Seniors gather at Atlanta City Hall to get help
City leaders say it can be too difficult for some seniors to find resources. Channel 2's Berndt Petersen shared how the city took those resources to them. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] In the atrium of Atlanta City Hall, helpers were assembled for those who needed them. 'We know it is hard out here for our seniors,' City Councilman Jason Dozier said. This includes seniors like Coretha Easterling, who sometimes struggles to make ends meet. 'Some seniors don't know,' Easterling said. On Thursday, they were brought to the right place. 'We know a lot of our seniors have to rely on Social Security, and are navigating the high cost of living and energy costs, so we're trying to bring the resources to them so they can weather this storm,' Councilman Dozier said. TRENDING STORIES: Former 'RHOA' star Kim Zolciak, ex-Atlanta Falcon Kroy Biermann removed from mansion, court docs say Man arrested in GA says he'll 'kill some more' after parents found dead in FL home, deputies say Metro Atlanta parents 'made a dumb decision' by giving 1-year-old beer, report says Dozier teamed up with the Georgia nonprofit Stimulate America to gather the resources many seniors need, under one roof. 'A lot of our seniors have come to us and asked for part-time jobs or seasonal jobs to supplement their income during this inflation,' the nonprofit's founder, Tiffany Howard, said. There was also information on affordable housing, getting more out of Medicare, Social Security, veterans' benefits and much more. Dozier said the seniors who looked after us now need someone to look after them. Easterling said they just need to know where to go. 'It helps the seniors to know what they can get or information they need to know,' Easterling said. The gathering at Atlanta City Hall was the first of four planned to help local seniors. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Neighbors say they had no water for hours during construction project in DeKalb neighborhood
A huge sewer project is causing problems for some DeKalb County neighbors. They said they had no water for hours Wesnesday, and the water pressure was low. They said when it finally came back on, the loud construction noise was 24 hours a day. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] This project is larger than it looks from the street. NewsDrone 2 flew over the massive project that's strictly to repair Atlanta's sewer system. However, the blocked-off streets, Glenwood Avenue and Terry Mill Road, are in DeKalb County. When neighbors lost water Wednesday, it wasn't because of the work being done. The water went out when a contractor made a mistake. Catherine Moore lives across the street from this sanitary sewer project. She's aware of Metro Atlanta's aging infrastructure and understands workers have to dig up roads to make important sewer repairs. She says her issue is that her neighborhood got zero notice when water was cut off on Wednesday and little notice about the project. 'They gave us about three hours' notice that it was going to be 24/7 construction, only stopping on Sundays. We had no time to think about (what to) or want to go somewhere else. As you can hear in the background, it's a full-blown construction site and that's happening at 2 a.m. as well as in the middle of the afternoon right now,' Moore told Channel 2's Tyisha Fernades. TRENDING STORIES: 9-year-old girl nearly loses hand to Florida shark attack Former 'RHOA' star Kim Zolciak, ex-Atlanta Falcon Kroy Biermann removed from mansion, court docs say Man's death deemed 'justifiable homicide' after confronting wife at Buckhead apartment, police say When neighbors try to file complaints, they say DeKalb officials say it's Atlanta's problem and Atlanta says it's DeKalb's problem. Fernandes spoke with directors of both watershed management departments and learned that it is strictly Atlanta's sewer project; however, DeKalb is in charge of notifying neighbors. Moore says both municipalities need to do a better job of communicating. She hopes the 24-hour construction noise is worth it in the end and doesn't last longer than projected. 'Apparently they can have some variance and do whatever they want to bypass the noise ordinance laws,' Moore said. A spokesperson for the city of Atlanta expects the project to continue for about three more weeks. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Alleged victim says she met Cash Out through Instagram, forced to stay at a home for 2 months
During testimony on Thursday, an alleged victim detailed how she met metro Atlanta rapper John Michael Gibson, who is also known as Cash Out. He and two co-defendants are accused of luring women into sex trafficking. The woman, whom we are not identifying, said she met Cash Out through Instagram. He invited her out to a club, and from there, she said things escalated. 'Who reached out to who?' prosecutors asked the woman. 'He reached out to me,' she answered. 'Do you remember what he said?' prosecutors asked the woman. 'Yes. He'd been looking for me,' she said. TRENDING STORIES: Former 'RHOA' star Kim Zolciak, ex-Atlanta Falcon Kroy Biermann removed from mansion, court docs say More wet weather, with showers and thunderstorms likely this weekend Rick Ross Car Show causes traffic troubles at another event miles away Cash Out is the figurehead of an organization at the focus of a 41-count indictment against him and five others. The Fulton County District Attorney is accusing the rapper of using his celebrity status to push women into a life of prostitution. The young woman said that after meeting up with Cash Out, she was taken to a home in Hapeville with other women, where she said she remained for two months as people came in and out of the home. 'Everybody pretty much lounged around wherever, but the back room was for the dates,' the woman said. Gibson is accused of keeping a place of prostitution. The indictment also cites incidents that allegedly occurred in a hotel room off of Fulton Industrial Boulevard.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man arrested in GA says he'll ‘kill some more' after parents found dead in FL home
A 38-year-old man facing murder charges made some bizarre claims before deputies found his parents dead. [DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks] On June 6, around 11 a.m., deputies in Sumter County, S.C., received a call about a disturbance involving a gun on Green View Parkway. The suspect left before deputies arrived. Witnesses told investigators the suspect, identified as Nikolas Steven Kirchner, 38, pointed a gun at multiple people and threatened to shoot them. Investigators said he allegedly held a family member at gunpoint and forced another to go inside the home to get someone else, threatening to shoot the hostage in the head if they didn't do what he said. According to reports, a family member came out of the house armed, causing Kirchner to get his car and drive away while the family member was on the phone with dispatch. TRENDING STORIES: Rick Ross Car Show causes traffic troubles at another event miles away Former 'RHOA' star Kim Zolciak, ex-Atlanta Falcon Kroy Biermann removed from mansion, court docs say Metro Atlanta parents 'made a dumb decision' by giving 1-year-old beer, report says Just before 4 p.m., Taliaferro County deputies received a 911 call about a driver who saw a suspicious person on the shoulder of the highway. The witness told deputies the man was wearing a white and red baseball cap, kneeling with one hand raised. When deputies searched the man's name in the database, they confirmed it was Kirchner. The TCSO said they also learned he was the same person wanted out of Sumter, S.C. and was a suspect in a recent homicide in Pinellas County, Fla. During the investigation, officials said the 38-year-old admitted to killing two people and said that he had abandoned a stolen Nissan Pathfinder along Interstate 20. Deputies found the car in Pinellas County, Fla. [SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter] Simultaneously, the Pinellas County Sheriff's office in Fla. was conducting its own investigation into two homicides. Pinellas County authorities said, around 12:35 p.m., that Friday afternoon, deputies executed a welfare check at a home on Saunders Avenue in Largo, after a company said an employee did not show up to work. When deputies arrived, they found Elizabeth Lee Kirchner, 53, and Steven Eric Kirchner, 64, dead in the living room from apparent gunshot wounds. Detectives said they learned the victims' son, Nicholas Kirchner, left the home. Detectives got a call from Sumter County authorities regarding the incident Nicholas was involved in earlier. According to officials, during the incident, Nicholas Kirchner said, 'I've already killed two people – I'll kill some more.' Nicholas admitted multiple times that he killed his parents and described it as a 'righteous kill,' according to the PCSO. Nicholas was ultimately arrested and taken into custody by the Taliaferro County Sheriff's Office. Nicholas was transported to the McDuffie County Jail in Georgia with a felony warrant for two counts of first-degree murder premeditated.
