John Ruch, Author at Reporter Newspapers

Construction worker injured on I-285/Ga. 400 project site

Posted by John Ruch | Aug 13, 2018

A construction worker on the I-285/Ga. 400 interchange project was injured in an accident Aug. 13. The worker was hospitalized, according to the Georgia Department of Transportation. An I-285 exit ramp in the interchange was closed around 2:45 p.m. by the incident, according to the Sandy Springs Police Department. GDOT did not immediately have details about the accident, according to spokesperson Natalie Dale. “We are aware that a worker for our contractor working at the 285/400 interchange was injured in an accident on site and has been transported to the hospital,” said Dale in an email. GDOT’s “Transform 285/400”...

Many trees to be saved, planted in Bobby Jones Golf Course compromise

Posted by John Ruch | Aug 13, 2018

Dozens of trees will be saved and more planted in a compromise over a dispute about the Bobby Jones Golf Course redesign’s effects on Buckhead creeks. Chattahoochee Riverkeeper, an environmental advocacy group, earlier this year protested the Bobby Jones Golf Course Foundation’s request to state officials to build within a 25-foot buffer along the Peachtree and Tanyard creeks. Both creeks run through the golf course, located in Atlanta Memorial Park along Woodward Way. In a joint press release, the organizations said the foundation has redesigned the plans to remove 18 large trees rather than 47, and to plan 70...

Dunwoody Police seek smash-and-grab diamond thief

Posted by John Ruch | Aug 10, 2018

Dunwoody Police are seeking a suspect in a smash-and-grab diamond robbery on Aug. 9. Police say the suspect entered the Jared the Galleria of Jewelry store at 4503 Ashford-Dunwoody Road in Perimeter Center around 4:45 p.m. and used a hammer to smash open a case containing loose diamonds. The suspect allegedly stole three to four diamonds and went outside, where he gave the diamonds to a second suspect. The suspects ran towards Perimeter Center East. The suspect is described as a black male, 20 to 25 years old, 5-feet-9-inches to 6 feet tall, 170 to 180 pounds, with a...

After Dunwoody complaints, state board to consider localized DeKalb ambulance response

Posted by John Ruch | Aug 9, 2018

Responding to the city of Dunwoody’s alarm over long ambulance response times, a state board Aug. 9 decided to quickly study the creation of new EMS zones to speed up arrival times in DeKalb County. That could mean localized service in such cities as Dunwoody and Brookhaven. Meanwhile, the county is rethinking its ambulance service model, with a consultant reviewing options for keeping it privatized, bringing it in-house, or a combination of the two. All of the review comes amid complaints about private contractor American Medical Response, which officials say regularly fails to meet contractual response times and has...

Family movie night comes to Dunwoody’s Donaldson-Bannister Farm Aug. 25

Posted by John Ruch | Aug 7, 2018

A free outdoor screening of the movie “The Incredibles” will be hosted Aug. 25 at Dunwoody’s recently renovated Donaldson-Bannister Farm. The “Flick ‘n Chick On The Farm” movie screening, starting at 7:30 p.m., will include a superhero costume contest, tours of farm, and Chick-fil-A meals for sale along with an appearance by the fast-food company’s cow mascot. The event is sponsored by the city of Dunwoody and the Dunwoody Preservation Trust. The farm, at 4831 Chamblee-Dunwoody Road, dates to around 1870 and includes a historic house and grounds. After years of work, it opened in May as the city’s...