Strong Storms Surprise Metro Atlanta

A severe storm system is heading for the Carolinas and Virginia in its sights late Tuesday after it slammed into metropolitan Atlanta, damaging dozens of homes and snarling the afternoon commute.

At least 56 homes and one business in suburban Gwinnett County, Georgia, were damaged by a possible tornado, police there said. Twelve of the residences suffered major damage.  Also some businesses are reporting damage.

There were no reported injuries.

Here's a link to a video on CBS Atlanta: http://www.cbsatlanta.com/local-video/index.html?grabnetworks_video_id=4442088

More Federal Money Getting Wasted in Atlanta

This time on a streetcar project nobody will ride.

Why won't anybody ride it you ask?  Why don't people feel safe walking around Downtown Atlanta?  Why did the mini golf/amusement park across from Turner Field fail?  Why do Atlanta officials keep let beggars and panhandlers roam all over Downtown Atlanta?

Here's what is going down.  The U.S. Department of Transportation has agreed to grant the city of Atlanta $47 million for the proposed downtown streetcar project,  according to U.S. Rep. John Lewis of Atlanta.

If John Lewis is backing this it is bound to fail.  Lewis said in a statement. "Not only does this project offer citizens and visitors to the downtown area another option for transportation, it will also provide green jobs and support economic development."

The streetcar line will run east-west connecting the MLK site with Centennial Olympic Park.  What convention goers and visitors will want to ride this.  I can't see people from the suburbs coming into Atlanta to ride this streetcar.

According to city plans, the project would cost more than $70 million, with the city and the Central Atlanta Progress' Downtown Improvement District putting up about $20 million for it.

Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed's office has estimated the project would create 5,200 jobs over 20 years and would not only help ease downtown traffic problems but also help the city compete for more tourism and convention business.  5200 jobs?  Doing what?  It won't eliminate any traffic problems or congestion, it will be something else that can be run corruptly and eventually will be the butt of many jokes and an eye sore for the city.

Everyone Who Thinks They are Going to Take the GA 400 Toll Away, Take One Step Forward

Officials are meeting this week to determine wheter they will keep the toll booths on GA 400 in North Metro Atlanta when the bonds are paid off in 2011.

When the toll booths were installed almost twenty years ago I remember telling a friend of mine they will never take those booths down, even though by law they are supposed to in 2011.

Now they say they needto keep the tolls going because there are other road projects to do, many of which have nothing to do with GA 400 and its use.

Why should those that use GA 400 be forced to pay for projects all over Fulton County?  The toll booths should come down in 2011, or at the very least a vote should be put to the people to see if they want the toll money to be used for future road projects.  And if approved they should be used for projects that help make GA 400 a better highway and take away some of the congestion that plagues this road every day.

 

Plane Lands on I-85 During Rush Hour in Atlanta

Strange things continue to happen on Atlanta hihways.  According to the Federal Aviation Agency, N9263R a Piper Saratoga made an emergency landing On I-85 southbound near Shallowford Road.

There are no injuries on the ground or on the plane.

Kathleen Bergen with the FAA, said the safety inspectors are on the scene talking to the pilot.  According to the Federal Aviation Agency, N9263R a Piper Saratoga made an emergency landing On I-85 southbound near Shallowford Road.

There are no injuries on the ground or on the plane.

The FAA says the inspectors are on the scene talking to the pilot.

Updates to come.

Zoo Atlanta Rattlesnake Found Dead

The rattlesnake that had Atlanta on edge for three days was found dead Monday morning on the front porch of a vacant house a few blocks away.

The adult female tiger rattlesnake was discovered missing from its cage Friday. Zoo officials had been looking in vain until Monday morning, when they received a call from someone on Atlanta Avenue who said they spotted the snake.

Zoo visitors over the weekend were unaware that the dangerous reptile was missing.  A Zoo representative, Keisha Hines told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution the nocturnal snake was believed to be still inside the building where she was housed, which is not accessible to the public.  Hines said signs warning the public were thus not needed.  She was wrong, and Zoo Atlanta dodged a big bullet with the discovery of the snake this morning. 

Zoo Atlanta needs to conduct an internal investigation right away, and might want to consider looking for a new spokesperson to replace Ms. Hines.