Weekend roadwork to affect many major highways

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, January 24th, 2014, 10:48am

Weekend roadwork to affect many major highways

(WXIA) -- Sign work, bridge maintenance and lane closures are all on the Georgia Department of Transportation's weekend agenda.

Work will continue on the Buford-Spring Connector in Atlanta from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. daily. One right southbound lane will be closed between Lindbergh and Monroe drives.

Pacing will occur on Interstate 20 in both directions between Highway 5 and Liberty Road, just west of Atlanta. Drivers can expect brief delays from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

One new project this weekend involves I-285 east at I-75 in Cobb County. Two left lanes and the ramp to I-75 north will be closed overnight, and ramp traffic will be detoured to I-75 south, Cumberland Boulevard and then back to I-75 north. GDOT said the ramp will be open during the day.

As usual, drivers can expect single lane closures around the Ga. 400/I-85 Interchange, especially on Cheshire Bridge Road, Sidney Marcus Boulevard and the Buford-Spring Connector.

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Fulton County K-9 dies of cancer

Submitted by The Associated Press on Friday, January 24th, 9:53 am

ATLANTA -- Fulton County Sheriff's officials say the department is mourning the loss of K-9 Deputy Marco Henry.

PHOTOS | Notable deaths in 2014

Marco, a 6-year-old Belgian Malinois, was euthanized Wednesday after a veterinarian discovered that he developed an inoperable cancer. Officials say they were unaware that Marco was sick until Wednesday morning.

Sheriff's officials say Marco and commander of the county's K-9 unit, Sgt. Corey Henry, had been partners for more than five years. Marco was trained to detect the presence of drugs, search for suspects and track their scents. Sheriff's officials say Henry and Marco spent more than three months in training together beginning patrol duties together.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Thursday, January 23rd, 2014, 10:45am

GDOT launches Twitter feeds for specific highways

ATLANTA -- The Georgia Department of Transportation has created 16 new Twitter accounts for traffic alerts throughout the state.

Each feed is tailored to a specific highway or region, according to GDOT spokeswoman Chata Spikes.

Spikes said only serious accidents will be tweeted, as opposed to every single stall and fender bender on the highways.

Feeds for Atlanta traffic include:

* I-285: @GDOT_I285_ATL
* I-75: @GDOT_I75_ATL
* I-85: @GDOT_I85_ATL
* I-20: @GDOT_I20_ATL

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Wednesday, January 22nd, 2014, 8:29am

Message from GDOT: Turn off your sprinklers!

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Department of Transportation is reminding north Georgia residents to be mindful of temperature drops and to turn off their sprinkler systems.

GDOT released this statement Wednesday morning:

Every winter, we have icing issues due to automatically-timed sprinkler systems left on overnight in freezing temperatures. They can create a very hazardous condition for motorists the next morning.
Automatic sprinkler systems are often timed to operate at night, and when spray from the sprinkler is blown onto the road or water drains onto the road, black ice is formed, creating a hazard for motorists.
The Department urges residents and businesses to take a moment and ensure that automatic sprinkler systems are turned off. With sub-freezing termperatures on the way, motorists are cautioned to be on the lookout for icy patches or black ice, especially early in the morning.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, January 21st, 2014, 8:24am

Ga. Connections Academy accepting applications until Feb. 27

(WXIA) -- Sometimes a student is forced to change schools mid-year.

If a child is a promising athlete, a working performer or encounters some type of health issue, online school gives him the flexibility he needs to heal, practice and/or travel.

Georgia Connections Academy, a fully accredited K-12 online school, is now accepting applications for mid-year enrollees in grades K-11. The school allows students to learn at their own pace, be it faster or slower than traditional school.

Visit connectionsacademy.com for more information about the school and to sign up a child. Parents can also call the school at 678-825-3258.

Late enrollment ends Thursday, Feb. 27.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Monday, January 20th, 2014, 1:30pm

(WXIA) -- Many metro Atlanta residents and companies chose to celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. Day by serving their communities.

Hosea Feed the Hungry estimates it will feed 10,000 families during its MLK Day meal, which began at 10 a.m. at the Georgia International Convention Center in College Park.

More than 3,000 people rolled up their sleeves to serve with Hands On Atlanta, beautifying such areas as City of Refuge and Chastain Memorial Park.

Georgia Power employees spent the day volunteering at Lutheran Towers, a housing development for seniors in Midtown Atlanta. They also assembled, labeled and distributed collection boxes at Rockdale Emergency Relief in Conyers.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, January 17th, 2014, 5:00pm

(WXIA) -- Georgia Department of Transportation crews aren't letting the prospect of cold weekend weather deter them from working on road projects.

As usual, most of the work will take place overnight. However, a few projects will be completed during the day.

Work will continue along the Georgia 400/Interstate 85 interchange, which includes Cheshire Bridge Road, Sidney Marcus Boulevard and the Buford-Spring Connector. Lane closures can be expected during the day as well as at night.

One right southbound lane of the Buford-Spring Connector will be closed for bridge work daily from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

Sign work will take place on I-85 in both directions between Clairmont and Lenox roads. Two left lanes will be closed in both directions from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m.

A new project will take place on I-20 in both directions between Highway 5 and Liberty Road in Douglas County. Minimal delays are expected daily between 7 a.m. and 5 p.m.