By David Pendered Dec. 9 – Birmingham is soon to start retooling 2.5 miles of roads and sidewalks in its Civil Rights District in hopes of sparking economic renewal. Plenty of redevelopment opportunities exist in the neighborhood surrounding the 16th Street Baptist Church, where four girls died in a terrorist bombing in 1963, and the […]
Short Takes
Counting US: Race, ethnicity rules taking effectBy David Pendered Nov. 18 – On Tuesday, as the Census enacts the category of “Middle Eastern or North African” and other changes, the agency is to update the public on the status of the project that aims to modernize reporting practices. The purpose of the new practices is to increase accuracy in representing the […]
Short Takes
Key Bridge crash: Trial date setBy David Pendered Nov. 11 – Two important deadlines were set Nov. 7 in the federal lawsuit involving the collapse of the Key Bridge in Baltimore, after it was struck by a container ship. A federal judge in Maryland has set June 1, 2026 for the bench trial to begin, following a Feb. 27, 2026 […]
Short Takes
CFO sentencing: End of public corruption cases?By David Pendered July 21 – The public corruption trial of Atlanta’s former CFO, “James” “Jimmie” “Jim” “Anthony” “A.” Beard, and fate of two full-automatic rifles he bought with city funds may be soon be complete. A newly filed order by a federal judge sets Beard’s sentencing for Aug. 27 at 2:30 p.m. U.S. District […]
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Sally Sears and archives from AlabamaBy David Pendered MONTEVALLO, ALA. – MAY 19 – Sally Sears’ latest project is the preservation of an important segment of history in her birthplace, a college town an hour south of Birmingham. Sears, a longtime Atlanta journalist and civic leader, has established an ongoing effort to preserve and share some of her parents’ local […]
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Revealing history hidden by the seaBy David Pendered BEAUFORT, N.C. – March 3 – Exposing a previously concealed serial number of a typewriter is a big deal when the machine comes from the sunken wreckage of a German submarine sunk in World War II. Michelle Crepeau revealed the serial number in her work as a conservator at the North Carolina […]
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Soccer in the Streets, 2026 World CupBy David Pendered Feb. 8 – Soccer in the Streets got another shot of adrenalin when the World Cup announced the schedule of games in Atlanta in the 2026 FIFA World Cup. All the youngsters who play the “beautiful game” in Atlanta’s mission-driven soccer program will be hoping for a seat at a game. A […]
Short Takes
Former ATL CFO corruption trial delayed to May 15By David Pendered Jan. 24 – The federal corruption trial of a former CFO for the City of Atlanta has been postponed again, this time from Feb. 12 to May 15. Defendant Jim Beard requested the 90-day delay. Beard faces an eight-count indictment that a federal grand jury handed down on Sept. 15, 2020 in […]
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The BeltLine does not need fixed rail to be successfulBy Howard S. Wertheimer Note to readers: Howard S. Wertheimer, FAIA Emeritus, LEED AP, is a lecturer at Georgia Tech’s School of Architecture; former AVP for Capital Planning & Space Management and Institute Architect at Georgia Tech, and former COO at Piedmont Park Conservancy Oct. 6 – There is a fast-growing community of citizens who […]
Short Takes
Better Atlanta TransitBy Mike Dobbins Sept. 10 – There is a great need for better Atlanta transit. The current plans are obsolete. There have been no comprehensive transit plan updates since: Before the 2017 transit referendum; Before COVID with its ongoing disruption of settlement patterns, thus shifting the locations of origins and destinations essential to plan transit […]
