Blog posts by Blake Aued, Editor
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Phil Lanoue Is a Finalist for Superintendent of the Year as Clarke School Scores Fall
Blog: In the Loop
Clarke County School Superintendent Philip Lanoue, Georgia's superintendent of the year, is one of four finalists for national superintendent of the year.
The district's announcement came today—one day after the state's College and Career Ready Performance Index figures showed that the majority of local schools are doing worse, not better.
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Ground Broken on 'One-Stop Shop' for Homeless
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Blake Aued
Athens-Clarke County government and nonprofit officials broke ground today on a $6 million resource center for the homeless that's been almost 10 years in the making.
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Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Dec. 15
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: Randy Schafer
Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.
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Michael Stipe: R.E.M. Will 'Never, Ever' Reunite
Blog: Homedrone
Former R.E.M. frontman Michael Stipe—who, at age 54, is starting to bear a passing resemblance to John Malkovich—gave an interview to "CBS This Morning" that aired Saturday in which he looked back on his 30-year career to promote REMTV, a DVD box set of the band's television appearances. Here are some of the highlights:
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Protesters Stage 'Die-In' at Georgia Square Mall
Blog: In the Loop
All over the country, activists have been staging "die-ins" to protest the deaths of Michael Brown, Eric Garner, Tamir Rice, Trayvon Martin and other African American males at the hands of police. The local progressive group Athens for Everyone got in on the action Saturday at Georgia Square Mall, giving shoppers a little something to think about while they browsed for Christmas gifts.
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Paul Broun Wants to Start a Tea Party Group
Blog: In the Loop
Because of course he does.
He did not mention this to me when we ran into each other in the Kroger checkout line last weekend, but U.S. Rep. Paul Broun, who lost a Senate bid in the May primary, is looking for work once his term is up at the end of the year.
He was a doctor before he was elected to Congress in 2007 but plans to stay in politics,telling the AJC:
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The Belk Bowl (?) and Why Georgia's Going There, Explained
Blog: Culture Briefs
Well, it beats Shreveport.
Georgia fans, of course, are complaining about having to go to scenic Charlotte, NC, to play what they feel is an inferior team, No. 21 Louisville, in the Belk Bowl, which is a thing I, like many, only found out exists yesterday.
The Belk Bowl, founded in 2002, doesn't really have a prestigious pedigree, with past matchups featuring such national powerhouses as Boston College versus Navy and Pittsburg versus North Carolina. But it gained new prominence this year when the NCAA instituted a four-team playoff. Under the new system, there are six top-tier bowls and six second-tier bowls.
So how did Georgia end up in this Belk Bowl? Like everything else in college football, it's illogical, arbitrary, arcane and complicated to the point of being incomprehensible.
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Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Dec. 8
Blog: In the Loop
Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.
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Check Out Photos and Video from the Parade of Lights
Blog: Culture Briefs
The Downtown Parade of Lights last night featured more than 60 floats, among them Monsoon rockin' out on the Flagpole/40 Watt Club/AthFest Educates: Athens Music float. But the talk of the town was Victory Chapel's rappers and crucified Jesus. (The church is best known for its legendary "rotisserie Jesus" float a few years back.)
Here are more photos from Flagpole intern Randy Schafer:
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Terrapin Beer Hosts Bake-Off, Expands Can Line
Blog: Grub Notes
To celebrate the 10th anniversary of Wake-n-Bake Coffee Oatmeal Imperial Stout (a collaboration between Terrapin Beer Co. and Jittery Joe's Coffee), Terrapin is hosting a baking contest on Jan. 17 at the Foundry Ballroom (at Graduate Athens, aka the Inn Formerly Known as the Foundry Park).
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The UGA NAACP Is Marching for Michael Brown Tonight
Blog: In the Loop
Athens residents at a Ferguson solidarity rally at the Arch on Nov. 26. Credit: Randy Schafer
The University of Georgia chapter of the NAACP is planning a "peaceful march and vigil honoring" Michael Brown, the African American teenager who was shot and killed by white police officer Darren Wilson in Ferguson, MO.
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Athens Is Now the Poster Child for Binge Drinking
Blog: In the Loop
Jason Benning purchases thousands of dollars worth of food and alcohol for his Libation Station tailgate. Credit: Randy Schafer
Athens gets a lot of national attention, but this is one of those times when we probably don't want it.
A recent Chronicle of Higher Education article highlighted Athens—long known as a drinking town with a football problem—as the poster child for binge drinking.
The article tells the story of how Athens came to be drowning in booze through the eyes of University of Georgia Police Chief Jimmy Williamson, former fake ID kingpin William Trosclair (whom Flagpole profiled in February), bar owner Mark Bell, UGA health official Liz Prince, alcohol-free party planner Adam Tenny and tailgater Jason Bening (whose Libation Station was featured in a Flagpole photo gallery last month).
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Athenians Protest Ferguson Peacefully
Blog: In the Loop
There were no riots, no overturned cars or burning storefronts. No marchers blocking the interstate. Nobody throwing rocks through Five Guys' windows or carrying crates of vinyl out of Wuxtry. No police in riot gear, throwing smoke bombs. Just 200 or so people gathered at the Arch, holding signs and speaking from the heart about their frustration with a St. Louis County, MO, grand jury's decision not to indict Officer Darren Wilson in the shooting death of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown.
"The system acts like it's open season on black youth," said Alvin Sheats, president of the Clarke County NAACP.
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Sound Off on the Ferguson Non-Indictment
Blog: In the Loop
Police tear-gas protestors in Ferguson. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.
A Missouri grand jury declined to indict Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson last night in the shooting death of Ferguson resident Michael Brown.
The decision enraged many and sparked protests all over the country. Locally, a Ferguson solidarity protest organized by Athens for Everyone will be held at 5:30 p.m. today at the Arch.
If you've got some time to spare, here's a PDF of the full grand jury report. In addition to mainstream news outlets, Vice had some terrific on-the-ground coverage, as well. Read those first, or jump straight into the comments.
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Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Nov. 24
Blog: In the Loop
Welcome to Athens Power Rankings. In the spirit of sports rating systems, through painstaking analysis, we rank the top movers and shakers in the Classic City each week. Who's hot? Who's not? Find out below.
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Yawn. Athens Made Another Best-Of List
Blog: Culture Briefs
Another day, another list.
This time, it was Travel & Leisure that named Athens one of "America's Best College Towns." in an attempt to get poor saps like me to reblog it and reap the clickbaity benefits. Here's their totally generic description of our city (R.E.M. blah blah Bulldogs blah blah lotsa bars) that could have been written by anyone with 15 minutes and an Internet connection.
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The Morton Theatre May Be Haunted
Blog: In the Loop
What's that blur on the right?
When there's something strange in the Morton Theatre, who you gonna call?
Ghosts of Georgia Paranormal Investigations.
According to an Athens-Clarke County news release, "after hearing stories over the years about unexplained occurrences in the building, the Public Information Office (PIO) approached the Morton Theatre staff about telling the history of the building with a twist by hosting an overnight ghost hunt." Because Jeff Montgomery ain't scared of no ghosts.
Six investigators with Ghosts of Georgia and a Radar Productions videographer conducted an overnight investigation Oct. 11–12, setting up a variety of recording equipment and walking through the 104-year-old building. (This isn't your tax dollars at work. The investigation was free, Montgomery said.)
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UGA Pays Tribute to Gov. Carl Sanders
Blog: In the Loop
Former Georgia Gov. Carl Sanders, a staunch supporter of UGA's School of Law, speaks during the 2003 rededication of the Alexander Campbell King Law School Library. Photo courtesy of UGA.
Carl Sanders, Georgia's governor from 1963–1967, died Sunday at the age of 89. The University of Georgia issued a news release highlighting the Double Dawg's impact on UGA.
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Auburn Fan Claims He Was Spit on, Hit by Bottles in Athens
Blog: In the Loop
This is an anonymous Reddit post, so take it with a Big Gulp full of grains of salt, but a (purported) Auburn fan didn't have a good time in Athens last weekend (if this person was even here at all).
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Todd Gurley's Career at Georgia Is Over
Blog: In the Loop
Photo Credit: John Kelley
Surely, you thought, after last year's cavalcade of exploding ligaments, Georgia could get through a season without a serious knee injury. Sadly, that is not the case.
Page 44 of 76, showing 20 records out of 1503 total, starting on record 861, ending on 880
latest stories
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In the Loop | December 17, 2014 3:12pm
Phil Lanoue Is a Finalist for Superintendent of the Year as Clarke School Scores Fall
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In the Loop | December 16, 2014 5:23pm
Ground Broken on 'One-Stop Shop' for Homeless
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In the Loop | December 15, 2014 3:13pm
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Dec. 15
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Homedrone | December 15, 2014 11:06am
Michael Stipe: R.E.M. Will 'Never, Ever' Reunite
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In the Loop | December 14, 2014 2:41pm
Protesters Stage 'Die-In' at Georgia Square Mall
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In the Loop | December 10, 2014 3:23pm
Paul Broun Wants to Start a Tea Party Group
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Culture Briefs | December 8, 2014 5:42pm
The Belk Bowl (?) and Why Georgia's Going There, Explained
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In the Loop | December 8, 2014 11:28am
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Dec. 8
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Culture Briefs | December 5, 2014 11:34am
Check Out Photos and Video from the Parade of Lights
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Grub Notes | December 2, 2014 4:25pm
Terrapin Beer Hosts Bake-Off, Expands Can Line
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In the Loop | December 2, 2014 3:00pm
The UGA NAACP Is Marching for Michael Brown Tonight
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In the Loop | December 1, 2014 10:56am
Athens Is Now the Poster Child for Binge Drinking
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In the Loop | November 26, 2014 11:18am
Athenians Protest Ferguson Peacefully
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In the Loop | November 25, 2014 11:25am
Sound Off on the Ferguson Non-Indictment
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In the Loop | November 24, 2014 11:21am
Athens Power Rankings for the Week of Nov. 24
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Culture Briefs | November 21, 2014 2:41pm
Yawn. Athens Made Another Best-Of List
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In the Loop | November 20, 2014 1:39pm
The Morton Theatre May Be Haunted
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In the Loop | November 17, 2014 3:56pm
UGA Pays Tribute to Gov. Carl Sanders
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In the Loop | November 17, 2014 2:02pm
Auburn Fan Claims He Was Spit on, Hit by Bottles in Athens
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In the Loop | November 16, 2014 4:14pm
Todd Gurley's Career at Georgia Is Over