Blog Topic: Breaking News

In the Loop: The Athens Land Trust Is Raising Money to Keep Paying Student Farmers

By Blake Aued | May 19, 2016 3:01pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

The Athens Land Trust is raising funds to keep paying students who participate in the Young Urban Farmers program, which is on the chopping block in the Clarke County School District’s upcoming budget.

The program pays students—many of whom come from disadvantaged backgrounds—who work in the West Broad Market Garden.

ALT Executive Director Heather Benham said she met with program participants, and students “were not enthused” about receiving class credit rather than money.

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Grub Notes: Transmet West Closes and Diablo's Opens

By Hillary Brown | May 18, 2016 4:09pm

Photo Credit: Photo via Facebook

Transmet West, on Oglethorpe Avenue, has announced that its last day in business will be this Sunday, May 22. An all-you-can-eat buffet will be available for $12 per person that day, and beer and wine will run you only a buck to clear out as much inventory as possible. Also: live music.

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In the Loop: The Pope on Prince Is Leaving Prince

By Kat Khoury | May 13, 2016 12:10pm

The Pope on Prince is about to become the Pope on Jackson when it moves into Community’s former space at 119 N. Jackson St., above the downtown Jittery Joe’s.

Monica Bischoff, owner of The Pope, said the rent for her current space above Daily Groceries is too high. The space downtown will cost much less and has steady pedestrian traffic, and she doesn’t have to deal with the steep stairs that lead to her current store getting slippery and dangerous during rain. The downtown space also has central air conditioning, while the current Pope is equipped with window units only.

“I don’t think that Prince Avenue is good for retail,” Bischoff said. “The foot traffic here is awful, crossing Prince may cost you your life, and I’m not making any money.

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Homedrone: DubConscious Frontman Charged With Weed Trafficking

By Gabe Vodicka | May 10, 2016 2:38pm

DubConscious (Zelski is third from left).

Adrian Zelski, the frontman for popular Athens reggae outfit DubConscious, has been arrested and charged with felony drug trafficking and felony conspiracy after authorities discovered "approximately 18.5 pounds of suspected marijuana" during a search, according to an Asheboro, NC Courier-Tribune report.

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Homedrone: AthFest Announces Outdoor Lineup, Club Crawl Headliners

By Gabe Vodicka | May 10, 2016 2:24pm

Photo Credit: Jeff Forney

The Coathangers

In late March, AthFest announced the outdoor headliners for this year's 20th-anniversary edition, and now the festival has released the full outdoor schedule, which you can check out on the AthFest site.

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In the Loop: Police Identify Athens Woman Killed by Train

By Blake Aued | May 6, 2016 4:31pm

Brandi Sue Darling, 31, is the woman who was hit by a train and killed Thursday morning while walking along the tracks near Wynburn Avenue in Boulevard, according to the Athens Banner-Herald.

The conductor blew the horn when he saw Darling, but she did not move, and even with emergency brakes the train could not stop in time, police said.

Darling was homeless and may have been staying at a camp in the area, according to police.

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In the Loop: Gov. Deal Has Vetoed the Campus Carry Bill

By Blake Aued | May 3, 2016 5:58pm

Photo Credit: Joshua L. Jones/file

Expect celebration, if not celebratory gunshots, on the University of Georgia campus this evening: Gov. Nathan Deal has vetoed House Bill 859, the controversial “campus carry” bill.

In a lengthy statement explaining his veto—available in full here—Deal said he believes HB 859 would do little to make campuses safer.

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In the Loop: Fire Engulfs House on Carr's Hill

By Kat Khoury | April 28, 2016 2:39pm

Photo Credit: Kristina Lewis

“I swear to you on my life I saw that man on fire,” Carly Hildebrant said, wide-eyed and barefoot. She and her brother, Adam Hildebrant, along with his girlfriend Kristina Lewis, live next door to 198B Little St., which was engulfed in a fire Thursday morning.

No one was killed or seriously injured.

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In the Loop: Memorial Scheduled for UGA Students Killed in Wreck

By Blake Aued | April 28, 2016 1:42pm

UGA President Jere Morehead issued a statement mourning four students who were killed in a car crash Wednesday night.

A memorial for four UGA students who died in a car crash in Oconee County Wednesday night will be held at 5 p.m. today at Tate Plaza.

The students—Kayla Canedo, 19, of Alpharetta; Brittany Feldman, 20, of Alpharetta; Halle Scott, 19, of Dunwoody; and Christina Semeria, 19, of Milton—were killed on Highway 15 when the Toyota Camry they were riding in crossed the center line and collided with another car at about 9 p.m. Wednesday, according to Georgia State Patrol. The driver, Agnes Kim, 21, of Snellville, is in critical condition, and the other car's driver was hospitalized as well.

The cause of the crash is under investigation, but authorities have said they don't believe alcohol was involved.

UGA President Jere Morehead released a statement on the fatal crash this morning:

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In the Loop: Michael Stipe Might Attend an Anti-Campus Carry Rally on Wednesday

By Blake Aued | April 25, 2016 3:21pm

Michael Stipe has already made it abundantly clear that he opposes Georgia’s “campus carry” bill, and the former R.E.M. frontman expounded on his reasoning in a USA Today op-ed published this morning.

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