Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Falcons See ‘Lot of Similarities’ Between Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan

Published

3 weeks ago

April 30, 2024

Atlanta Falcons See ‘Lot of Similarities’ Between Kirk Cousins, Matt Ryan

Kirk Cousins’ tenure as the starting quarterback of the Atlanta Falcons is just now taking flight. Matt Ryan’s professional career, which featured 14 years under center in Atlanta, just made its final descent.

But the Falcons may spend the next several years watching a brand of football that hasn’t been seen since Ryan was traded in the spring of 2022.

“I think there’s a lot of similarities,” Falcons right guard Chris Lindstrom said at Tuesday’s press conference. “I think both those guys have a lot of experience, are great leaders and both extremely successful.”

Ryan is the Falcons’ all-time leader in passing yards (59,735) and touchdowns (367), two categories in which he ranks top 10 in NFL history. He’s also played more games in franchise history than anyone else who’s donned the red and black.

In the two years that followed Ryan’s departure, the Falcons started three faces at quarterback – Marcus Mariota, Desmond Ridder and Taylor Heinicke. None proved to be formidable short- or long-term options.

So, Atlanta aggressively pursued the 35-year-old Cousins, a 12-year veteran with 150 games of experience – and proven results – under his belt.

The Falcons signed Cousins to a four-year, $180 million contract March 13. He’s spent the last month and a half perusing the grounds of the team’s headquarters in Flowery Branch, bouncing in and out of meetings and training rooms as he recovers from a torn Achilles suffered Oct. 29.

During his introduction the night he was signed, Cousins stressed the importance of building bonds with teammates as soon as possible. Evidently, he’s off to a strong start.

“When you get here and watch how the guy works, it’s remarkable,” Lindstrom said. “The way he interacts with us has been great. You can’t ask for anything more. You just see the way he approaches every single day, the intensity in every single rep and the purpose behind it.”

Stylistically, Ryan and Cousins are both pocket passers known for their precision and intelligence. They’ll never be confused for dual threats, but they don’t need to be.

Both players have four Pro Bowl nods to their name. Ryan earned the nickname “Matty Ice” for his late-game performances, guiding 46 game-winning drives. He averaged one such drive per every five career starts. Cousins’ average is the same.

There’s an element of veteran savvy present in each – a calm, trustworthy voice and the right arm to match it. Lindstrom worked alongside Ryan for three years, seeing these traits each day.

Safety Jessie Bates III, who signed with the Falcons last spring, never played with Ryan. He does, however, know the value Cousins’ experience provides to the team, let alone the offense.

“His presence alone, just being there is next level,” Bates said. “The coaches can’t be out on the field too much, but when you have a guy like Kirk Cousins, he can go out there and run a whole script. That presence is something that’s priceless.”

Cousins has been a topic of hot discussion in and around Flowery Branch of late, as the Falcons drafted his potential successor – first-round pick Michael Penix Jr. – before he played his first snap in Atlanta.

But the Falcons remain firmly behind Cousins and the things he can accomplish in the years ahead, watching as he’s lived up to the billing they expected when dishing out a sizable contract this spring.

“The exciting thing about him is we know his makeup and his mentality, and we know it fits what we’re about and this culture that we’ve been working hard to build,” general manager Terry Fontenot said. “So, you definitely feel the impact.”

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Atlanta, GA

Man injured in shooting at northwest Atlanta gas station, police say

Published

6 hours ago

May 21, 2024

Press Room

Man injured in shooting at northwest Atlanta gas station, police say

ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – Police said a man was injured in a shooting at a northwest Atlanta gas station Monday evening.

Officers responded to a person shot in the area of Baker Road NW around 6:50 p.m., according to the Atlanta Police Department.

When they arrived, officers reportedly found a 27-year-old man who sustained an apparent gunshot wound to his right leg. He was alert, conscious and breathing, and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Police said the shooting happened at the Chevron station located at 2656 Donald Lee Hollowell Parkway NW, according to their preliminary investigation.

Investigators are working to learn what led up to the shooting. They have not announced suspects or arrests in the case.

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Atlanta, GA

Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment approved by city council

Published

13 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Press Room

Atlanta Civic Center redevelopment approved by city council

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ATLANTA – After years of discussion and anticipation, the future of the Atlanta Civic Center is finally set in motion. The Atlanta City Council has voted to enter a 10-year agreement with the Georgia State Historic Preservation Office, the Atlanta Housing Authority, and the Atlanta Civic Center. This agreement ensures that the site will continue to comply with the National Historic Preservation Act as it undergoes redevelopment.

The ambitious redevelopment plan includes an array of new structures and facilities designed to revitalize the area. Among these are an affordable senior residential building, five multifamily residential high-rises, a 10-story hotel, a 12-story office building, commercial developments, and a charter school. Central to the plan is the reuse of the existing Civic Center Performing Arts Center, which will be transformed into a state-of-the-art theater for arts and cultural events.

The first phase of the redevelopment focuses on constructing a building with 148 senior housing units on the northeast section of the Civic Center property, adjacent to Renaissance Park. This building will feature one-bedroom units, each approximately 600 square feet. It will also include a roof deck, a street-level café, a plaza, around 5,700 square feet of amenities, and 75 underground parking spaces.

According to the Atlanta Housing Authority, excavation work for the first phase is expected to begin this summer, with construction slated to start in November. This phase will also see the renovation of the 1960s Performing Arts Center, which will be converted into a cutting-edge venue for various arts and cultural uses. Additionally, a new performing arts school is planned in collaboration with Atlanta Public Schools.

This initial phase marks the beginning of a comprehensive redevelopment of the nearly 19-acre property. The master plan envisions a vibrant community hub featuring a mix of housing, retail spaces, parks, and a hotel. Atlanta Housing officials aim to complete parts of the project in time to showcase them to visitors during the World Cup in summer 2026.

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Atlanta, GA

The first Biden-Trump debate will be in Atlanta, a city rich with political drama

Published

20 hours ago

May 20, 2024

Press Room

The first Biden-Trump debate will be in Atlanta, a city rich with political drama

After it appeared voters wouldn’t get the chance to see the Democratic and Republican presidential candidates square off this year, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump last week agreed to two debates.

The first debate will take place June 27 in Atlanta, Georgia. It’s welcome news for the city of Atlanta, which was one of three finalists bidding to host the 2024 Democratic National Convention. It ultimately lost out to Chicago, but it wasn’t for lack of political drama within the state.

Atlanta became an epicenter of conspiracy theories and “election fraud” alleged by the Trump campaign during the 2020 election. Fulton County is now the site of the former president’s election inference case. And the battleground state carries major electoral weight, having flipped blue for the first time in nearly 30 years during the last presidential election.

The location of the debate has history for Trump and will likely give him and Biden plenty to spar over.

More: Biden and Trump to debate in Atlanta, announces CNN

Trump’s history with Fulton County, Georgia

It’s fitting that the debate will be held at CNN’s studios, nestled in the center of Fulton County. The studios are less than a mile from the State Farm Arena, which served as a ballot processing site during the 2020 election.

State Farm Arena quickly became the subject of conspiracy theories about illicit votes spread by Trump and his associates on social media in the hours following the election. Trump claimed that surveillance video showed election workers staying after hours and removing “suitcases full of ballots” from under a table.

The truth was much simpler. A plumbing issue at the arena had delayed Election Day operations, forcing some election workers to stay late to continue processing ballots. After a lengthy investigation by multiple agencies, it was determined that no fraud took place.

The Fulton County courthouse

Former President Trump is now intimately familiar with the Fulton County Courthouse, just half a mile from the site of the upcoming debate.After an investigation by the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office, Trump became the first former president to be indicted on felony charges in Georgia. He and 18 allies were charged with trying to interfere with the 2020 presidential election in Georgia after pressuring state officials to overturn the results.

Prosecutors in Georgia proposed August 5 as a start date for the trial.

Georgia’s potential as a swing state

The Georgia State Capitol, located a mile from the debate stage, played a significant role in the 2020 election.

It was where Biden was certified as the first Democrat to win Georgia in almost three decades, defeating Trump by nearly 12,000 votes.Georgia will remain a crucial swing state for the candidates in the 2024 election. Both Trump and Biden have made multiple stops to the Peach State during their reelection campaigns, showing just how important these votes are to the candidates.

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