Atlanta City Councilmember Carla Smith has officially introduced legislation to change the name of Confederate Avenue, East Confederate Avenue and Confederate Court in her southeast Atlanta district. The name changes were recommended by an advisory council created by former Mayor Kasim Reed to explore removal of monuments and renaming of streets related to the Confederacy, considered by many to by symbols of white supremacy and racism. Smith said she planned to hold public “listening sessions” on the name changes next month at city hall.
Atlanta BeltLine, Inc. (ABI) has appointed Clyde Higgs to the role of Interim Chief Executive Officer of the agency, following the departure of current CEO Brian P. McGowan. Higgs has served as ABI’s Chief Operating Officer since September 2015. Prior to joining ABI, Higgs served as the Executive Vice President of a collaborative, multi-billion dollar effort led by the state of North Carolina and real estate developer Castle & Cooke to revitalize the city of Kannapolis.
Atlanta Public Schools will be closed on Election Day, Nov. 6, after a vote by the Board of Education to amend the student calendar. Nov. 6 will now be a staff professional day and a student holiday. The board said the holiday will help mitigate traffic and security concerns for the 22 school sites that serve as polling places.