Well hello there! Your old friend Tyler here, filling in for A.J. while she takes a couple days off. I’ve been writing the AJC’s Sports Daily newsletter (check it out and sign up!) for about a month now. But I sure have missed y’all.
Let’s get to it, eh?
STACKING CASH OR PROTECTING KIDS?
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
Credit: Natrice Miller/AJC
You’ve been there.
You’re cruising on down the road. Maybe a tad zoned out, if we’re being honest. Paying attention but going through the motions, lost in other thoughts.
Then you see the camera.
And the school across the street.
It’s like 6 p.m. You’re well within the normal speed limit, if not the school time restrictions. You breathe a sigh of relief.
🤔 But you can’t help but wonder … will I get a ticket anyway?
It’s possible, apparently! And a healthy portion of the state Legislature wants to take that concern off your plate — by outlawing automated speed cameras in school zones altogether.
More than 100 lawmakers have signed onto House Bill 225, the legislation state Rep. Dale Washburn, R-Macon, recently introduced to do just that.
Washburn told the AJC’s Cassidy Alexander that he’s heard from constituents who have gotten tickets outside of permissible locations or hours. He believes the technology — first allowed in Georgia in 2018 — has moved beyond the goal of keeping kids safe.
“It’s all about raking in money, and in the process, our citizens are being victimized,” he said.
🤔 That’s a hefty charge! But we’re definitely talking about a lot of cash.
According to various media reports:
- Thirty-six speed cameras in Washburn’s Macon-Bibb County issued $8.8 million in fines through 11 months of 2024.
- Ten Atlanta cameras activated last fall issued $1.6 million in fines during their first three months.
- Over a span of about five years, cameras in 54 Georgia municipalities generated $112 million in revenue.
A portion of the money goes to the operating company while the rest goes to the municipality.
School districts in Cherokee, Clayton, DeKalb, Fulton, Gwinnett and Henry counties use cameras, too.
“I’m hearing from a lot of representatives and a lot of senators who are really angry about this,” Washburn said. “So I’m continuing to push forward and I believe a ban is the best solution.”
What do y’all think? Are school zone speed cameras worth the potential hassle, a money grab or somewhere in between?
Shoot me an email and perhaps I’ll include some feedback in tomorrow’s newsletter.
DELTA DEBACLE
Credit: Associated Press
Credit: Associated Press
A regional Delta jet operated by subsidiary Endeavor Air crash-landed at Toronto’s Pearson International Airport on Monday. Photos from the scene showed it lying belly-up.
Initial information suggested 18 people went to the hospital. A potential cause remained unclear, though the airport’s fire chief said the runway was dry and there were no cross-wind conditions at the time of the incident.
The crash is the first serious one involving a Delta plane since 2015, when a plane skidded off a runway at New York-LaGuardia Airport. But:
✈️ It comes just weeks after a mid-air collision between an Army helicopter and an American Airlines plane in Washington killed 67 people.
✈️ Several subsequent incidents, including a medical jet crash in Philadelphia and a runway collision in Arizona, further stoked air travelers’ fears.
Aviation experts and government officials say the Federal Aviation Administration has been understaffed and overworked for years. That includes air traffic controllers.
The Trump Administration started firing hundreds of FAA employees over the weekend.
OH COME ON!
We’ve had snow (twice). We’ve had false spring. We’ve had dangerous deluges that spawned a tornado.
How about another round of wintry mix to top it all off?
Low temperatures figure to be in mid-20s on Wednesday morning. With rain also in the forecast, that could mean “some snow mixed with rain in the north metro,” according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan.
Flurries and “minimal light accumulations” are possible in the mountains.
🥶 The good news: Temperatures are expected to rise back into the 40s by Wednesday afternoon.
INSPECTOR OUT
Credit: Riley Bunch/AJC
Credit: Riley Bunch/AJC
Shannon Manigault, the city of Atlanta’s inspector general, announced her resignation. The move comes amid a nasty public feud with Mayor Andre Dickens’ administration.
“The attacks have been systematic, sustained and savage,” Manigault told the AJC. “As we have uncovered more corruption, once again, at the highest rungs of City Hall, the attacks have gotten worse.”
The mayor’s office said it’s always valued ethical government and will ensure future oversight efforts “respect the rights of our employees.”
The Manigault-Dickens dispute stemmed from disagreements over the office’s use of subpoenas to compel testimony.
🔎 Why you should care: The inspector general is Atlanta’s top independent watchdog. Since 2017, Manigault’s office released reports that allege abuses of power by a commissioner, questionable city contracts and a bribery scheme in the city department of planning.
🔎 What’s next: New legislation spearheaded by the mayor’s office and passed by City Council on Monday changed how the inspector general’s office operates.
EYE ON THE BALL
Two notable sports happenings to keep an eye on today:
⚾ The Braves have their first official full-squad workout of spring training. Get caught up with the latest on Spencer Strider, Ronald Acuña Jr. and more.
🏀 The state high school basketball playoffs begin. They’re a three-week affair that culminates with finals in Macon in early March.
NEWS BITES
Presidential descendants reflect on Trump, history and the importance of the office
Nerd out with folks related to Grover Cleveland, William McKinley and Harry S. Truman.
Atlanta’s nightlife industry generates over $5 billion in revenue
That’s more than 4% of the city’s economy. Party hard (but safely!), folks.
New data center proposal in Bartow would require as much power as 324K homes
Sure seems like a lot. At least our power bills aren’t already rising in perpetuity.
ON THIS DATE
Feb. 18, 1924
From the department of weird but seemingly well-meaning PR stunts: The Atlanta Journal hires Capt. Godfrey Rodriquez — “famous globe-trotter, mountain climber and physical culture expert” — to encourage local folks to exercise more.
They called it “hikes for health.”
“It is expected that within a few days literally thousands of men, women and children will be seen on the streets and roads wooing health by walking,” the story reads.
Credit: File photo
Credit: File photo
ONE MORE THING
That was fun. Let’s do it again tomorrow!
Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact us at amatl@ajc.com.
Until next time.
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