Atlantafi.com is bringing you the latest on the coronavirus pandemic, which has the state of Georgia and the city of Atlanta under a state of emergency.
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The highly-anticipated Adair Court project has began in earnest after a recent groundbreaking ceremony. The project, located in a coveted spot between MARTA’s West End Station, Adair Park and the Atlanta BeltLine Westside Trail, will be a 91-unit mixed-income senior rental community.
Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and other city officials were on hand for the groundbreaking, which signaled the city’s efforts to sustain affordable housing amid a real estate boom that is being accelerated by the Beltline.
“Adair Court provides affordable housing that targets one of our city’s most vulnerable populations – our seniors,” Bottoms said in a news release. “This development and others like it are a direct result of the city’s concerted efforts to secure affordability and preserve legacy residences with the help of Invest Atlanta and the Atlanta BeltLine.”
Woda Cooper Companies, Inc. and Parallel Housing, Inc. are the developers on the project, which will cost $15 million.
Of the 91 units, 77 will be income-restricted based on the area median income.
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Say what you want about the “Puerto Rican Princess,” but she knows how to draw a crowd. The season, “Love & Hip Hop Atlanta” went live without the reality TV star and the ratings have been brutal.
According to the AJC’s Rodney Ho, “LHHA” ratings have sank 25% without Joseline Hernandez. After the birth of her child last year, Hernandez left VH1 over creative differences and bad blood on the set.
She now lives in Miami. I guess she’ll bounce back with a Florida-themed show.
The show’s overnight ratings averaged 2.06 million viewers, down from 2.74 million a year ago, according to Ho.
Do you miss the Puerto Rican Princess?
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Ray’s Restaurants is already has the giving spirit even though it’s summertime. The restaurant with three metro Atlanta locations (Ray’s on the River, Ray’s in the City, Ray’s at Killer Creek) is offering a $100 dining card to those who book a December party at its locations before Sept. 30, 2018.
To qualify, parties must spend at least $1,500 in food and drinks for the events. The dining cards will be mailed to recipients in January 2019 once the event invoices have been paid in full.
Got an event or know of something opening in and around Atlanta? Holla: TJohnson@AtlantaFi.com. See what’s poppin’ in the ATL! Subscribe to our news alerts here, follow us on Twitter and like us on Facebook.
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Even though Fat Tuesday was many moons ago, we’ve still got the alcoholic masterpiece known as the frozen daiquiri on your minds.
To put us back in the mood, Marietta seafood restaurant Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar is celebrating the official drink of New Orleans by serving the classic variety as well as two specially crafted versions as well.
The Cuatro daiquiri combines Bacardi 4 year with lime and house syrup, while the Thai daiquiri features Santa Teresa 1796, pineapple, lime and sesame. The Papa Doble blends Bacardi 8, grapefruit, lime and Luxardo for another refreshing twist.
Head to Drift Fish House & Oyster Bar and try them all by Sunday, July 22.
Read more: Casi Cielo opens in Sandy Springs
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Atlanta is addressing its stock of old homes in desperate need of repairs too expensive for their owners. Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms announced Friday that the city will kick-start an owner-occupied housing rehabilitation program.
The initiative will provide low interest loans to income-eligible homeowners so that they can use the money to fix their dwellings. “Building a city for everyone means ensuing that people who have roots in our communities can remain in our communities and also live with dignity,” Bottoms said.
She said the program was part of the city’s larger strategy to address affordable housing across Atlanta. She announced several loans to benefit residents citywide, but especially in low-income people.
Mayor @keishabottoms Announces New Owner-Occupied Rehab Housing Programs. https://t.co/Af8jbYZscb
— City of Atlanta, GA (@Cityofatlanta) March 9, 2018
She said to be eligible for the loans, people need to have a clean title. “If you are living in your grandma’s house, simply because she died, then you probably don’t have a clean title,” she said. “Please make sure that you take advantage of the assistance that is available.”
The loans will be used to access the safety of the structures as well.
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One week after Georgia lawmakers removed a crucial tax break for Delta Airlines, Facebook announced that it is coming to the Peach State. Wednesday’s announcement was confirmed by Gov. Nathan Deal.
Facebook will build a $750 million data center in Newton County, about 45 miles (east of downtown Atlanta. The Menlo Park, California-based company has been added to its data capabilities with a string of data centers around the nation.
The data center, which will be located in Stanton Springs, is expected to bring about 100 jobs to Newton by the time in opens in 2020. The company says the campus will be 100 percent renewable energy.
“Georgia’s business-friendly climate and world-class technological infrastructure continue to attract innovative companies like Facebook,” said Deal. “It is fitting that the No. 1 company in the world in terms of active users has chosen the No. 1 state for business for this project. We appreciate Facebook’s leadership for recognizing Georgia as a state that serves not only as a major hub for general business, but also as a place where tech firms can be successful in the future. This project represents a significant investment and will create meaningful opportunities for the surrounding community. We welcome Facebook to Georgia and look forward to the growth of this partnership.”
About $2.5 billion will be invested in infrastructure improvements and equipment through 2029, according to the Atlanta Business Chronicle, which first reported the story.
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CWL Atlanta was supposed to bring together the biggest and brightest stars to compete head to head in one of the most popular games out there.
But controversy has struck before the games have even begun.
Doug Censor Martin tweeted Wednesday night that he was no longer aligned with Blazt. it is unclear what the spat is about.
“I will NOT be attending CWL Atlanta,” Martin tweeted. “Blazt left our team last minute to join eRa which put us in a terrible position. I would personally like to thank Most Wanted for everything they’ve done for us. Moving forward I am a F/A for all events.”
I will NOT be attending CWL Atlanta.
Blazt left our team last minute to join eRa which put us in a terrible position.
I would personally like to thank Most Wanted for everything they've done for us.Moving forward I am a F/A for all events.
— Doug Censor Martin (@FaZe_Censor) March 8, 2018
CWL Atlanta is March 9 -11, 2018. More than 160 teams are headed to Atlanta to play “Call of Duty” over the the $200,000 prize pool.
GEORGIA WORLD CONGRESS CENTER, HALL B5
285 ANDREW YOUNG INTERNATIONAL BLVD NW, ATLANTA, GA 30313
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Atlanta has made another top 10 list, but this time it’s a dubious one. The city has the eighth-worst traffic in the world, according to a recent study.
The findings, published in February by Inrix Global Traffic Scorecard, show that that ATL commute is just as bad as you thought it was.
The rankings have some economic ramifications as well: Because of the congestion, the city lost $7.1 billion or an average of $2,212 per motorist.
If there’s any consolation, it’s that ATL is only the fourth worse in the United States. Gridlock in Los Angeles, New York City, and San Francisco was rated worse.
So why is ATL traffic so bad? There are many reasons, but one of them is that some say the city is in a virtual no-man’s land with no natural way out.
Tom Weyandt, ex-Mayor Kasim Reed’s former transportation adviser, told WABE this:
“There’s no mountain chain; there’s no desert; there’s no water – we’re here because of the railroads. The railroads came together right in downtown. The zero mile post is in Underground Atlanta. And the city grew out along the railroads. That’s why we have these eccentric five-point intersections in many different places in the downtown area.”
Another reason is urban sprawl, which Atlanta has become a poster child case. And it has been called “a strip mall in a forest,” which means that it has long catered to parking rather than getting around.
Why do YOU think traffic is so bad in Atlanta? Let us know in the comments.
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If it’s one thing we’ve learned here in Atlanta, it’s that Adult Swim knows how to throw a party. That being said, it’s with particular delight that their newest bash is for metal heads.
“Adult Swim Presents: M r. Pickles Thrash-tacular Metal Tour” is heading our way. It features two of the best indie metal groups around, Exodus Attack and Municipal Waste.
Here are some of the deets, according to a Facebook post from Municipal Waste:
Adult Swim is moshing its way around the country with an immersive, fan-centric 13-city metal “thrash-tastic” tour featuring Exodus and Municipal Waste in support of the new season of its animated series Mr. Pickles. Along with enjoying face melting guitar riffs, fans attending the Thrash-tacular Metal Tour can take photos in the Mr. Pickles hellacious dog house, purchase exclusive Mr. Pickles merchandise and receive free Adult Swim swag. The new music tour continues Adult Swim’s commitment to bringing vibrant and impactful experiences directly to its fans. The onslaught of sound begins Thursday, February 22nd in Seattle, Washington.
Blabbermouth.net (Official) pre-sale tickets are now available for purchase from now until 10pm (local time) tonight, January 11th, using the code: Pickles666
General admission tickets will be available for purchase starting Friday, January 12th at 10am (local time). For more information on the tour, how to get tickets and schedule, please visit www.adultswimpresents.com.
Confirmed dates for Mr. Pickles Thrash-tacular featuring Exodus and Municipal Waste are:
2/22/2018 Neumos – Seattle, WA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesNeumos2/23/2018 Hawthorne Theatre – Portland, OR
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesHawthorne2/25/2018 The Regency Ballroom – San Francisco, CA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesRegency2/26/2018 House of Blues Anaheim – Anaheim, CA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesHOBAnaheim2/27/2018 House of Blues San Diego – San Diego, CA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesHOBSanDiego3/01/2018 Metro Music Hall – Salt Lake City, UT
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesMetroMH3/02/2018 The Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesSummitMH3/04/2018 Bottom Lounge – Chicago, IL
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesBottomLounge3/06/2018 Rock & Roll Hotel DC – Washington, D.C.
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesRockandRollHotel3/07/2018 Irving Plaza – New York, NY
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesIrvingPlaza3/08/2018 Theatre of Living Arts – Philadelphia, PA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesTLA3/09/2018 The National – Richmond, VA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesTheNational3/10/2018 The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA
Tickets: bit.ly/MrPicklesMasqueradeExodus’ Gary Holt states, “Super excited to hit the road again with our good bros in Municipal Waste for the Adult Swim’s Mr. Pickles Thrash-tacular tour! This will be a thrash extravaganza at its finest!!!! Can’t wait!”
The original architects of the thrash metal scene, Exodus has battled every kind of adversity over the past 30 years and used it all as fuel to stoke their ever-raging fire. With “Blood In Blood Out”, Exodus’ tenth full-length studio album of new material prove they still have the fortitude, chops, and talent to deliver top-notch, ballad-free tunes that stand out without straying from the band’s core aesthetic. Watch the music video for “Blood In Blood Out” here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6c69S3pD8qI
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In the 1980s, there was a popular hamburger commercial that appropriately asked “Where’s the beef?” In 2018, it’s in McDonald’s Quarter Pounder sandwich.
The hamburger giant announced this week that it is serving fresh beef, across the majority of its restaurants.
The cooked-to-order beef comes amid customers’ heightened expectations of food quality from U.S. restaurants and fast-food joints.
McDonald’s says that all of its burgers use 100 percent pure beef with no gunk like fillers, additives or preservatives.
“Over the past two years, we’ve made a series of bold, tangible changes for our customers,” said McDonald’s President and Chief Executive Officer Steve Easterbrook. “Serving All-Day Breakfast, moving to cage-free eggs and testing delivery are all proof of our commitment to build a better McDonald’s. And we are committed to transforming more aspects of our business, including offering a more modern and enjoyable dining experience, adding new levels of convenience and technology, and making more positive changes to the food we serve.”
The fresh beef initiative is just one of many changes McDonald’s has led in the last few years. In 2015, the company announced its All-Day Breakfast menu, with an aim to serve only cage-free eggs by 2025, and an effort to serve only chicken not treated with antibiotics.
Find your nearest McDonald’s restaurant here.