Rico Figliolini, Author at Reporter Newspapers

Dunwoody hires lobbying firm for legislative session

Posted by Rico Figliolini | Nov 28, 2017

Dunwoody’s mayor and City Council approved Nov. 13 the hiring ConnectSouth lobbying firm for $70,000 for 2018 state legislative support. ConnectSouth has been used by the city since it was founded to represent its priorities and concerns at the General Assembly, Chris Pike, Finance Director, states in a memo. The $70,000 approved this year is an increase of $5,000 over 2016 and 2015 rates. “As with many professional services contracts, the value grows as the relationship grows,” Pike stated in the memo to the mayor and City Council. The mayor and council at the Nov. 13 meeting also approved...

Brookhaven Police gain use of MARTA station cameras

Posted by Rico Figliolini | Nov 28, 2017

MARTA Police are now allowing the Brookhaven Police Department access to the department’s surveillance cameras at the Brookhaven-Oglethorpe station as a way to attempt to locate people breaking into cars and homes along Dresden Drive and Historic Brookhaven. Brookhaven Chief Gary Yandura at the Nov. 14 work session said he had reached out to MARTA officials requesting the sharing of the cameras. “Groups of youths are coming from Atlanta and breaking into cars and houses … so we want to monitor that area,” Yandura said. Yandura said police are seeing groups of teens numbering four to 10 in a...

Democrats join two local House races

Posted by Rico Figliolini | Nov 28, 2017

Democratic candidates have announced runs for two local state House seats in Brookhaven and Sandy Springs next year in the party’s quest to turn Perimeter areas blue at the ballot. Josh McLaurin will seek to replace retiring Republican state Rep. Wendell Willard in the Sandy Springs panhandle’s House District 51, and Matthew Wilson is challenging incumbent Republican Rep. Meagan Hanson in House District 80, a Brookhaven-centered district that includes Sandy Springs’ High Point area. District 51 In the District 51 race, McLaurin joins another previously announced candidate, Republican Alex Kaufman. McLaurin, a Sandy Springs attorney, earlier this year announced...

Sandy Springs Recycling Center’s 24/7 drop-off ends Dec. 1

Posted by Rico Figliolini | Nov 27, 2017

The Sandy Springs Recycling Center is ending 24-hour drop-offs and will only take materials during regular business hours, effective Dec. 1. For over 30 years, the center at 470 Morgan Falls Road has accepted after-hours drop-offs of materials in parking lot bins. But now, the center will be locked down after hours, including with new gates blocking access to the parking lot. The drop-off site will have extended hours on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Keep North Fulton Beautiful, the nonprofit that operates the recycling center, said in a press release that 24/7 drop-off has led to several problems: overnight theft,...

Senate District 6’s blue flip is a numbers game, expert says

Posted by Rico Figliolini | Nov 27, 2017

While the Dec. 5 runoff election for the state Senate District 6 seat has yet to be held, one result is already certain: the district will flip to Democratic control for the first time in five years. In a surprise ending, the eight-way race ended up with Democrats Jen Jordan and Jaha Howard as the top two vote-getters. The red-to-blue flip drew surprise and concern from some local and state Republican leaders. But Hunter Hill, the last person to hold the seat, and Joseph Knippenberg, an Oglethorpe University political science professor, say the result was mostly about Republicans cannibalizing...