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Changes to Atlanta city employee salaries could happen in weeks, councilman says

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Changes to Atlanta city employee salaries could happen in weeks, councilman says


Atlanta city employees can rest a little easier knowing they’ll get to keep the extra hourly hazard pay they began receiving during the height of the pandemic. This comes after concerns they’d lose the added income that was previously funded by federal dollars.

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“There’s no way … There’s no way that I would be able to continue to live,” city employee, Michelle Chapman, told members of Atlanta City Council Monday.

What started as a bump in pay for risking exposure to COVID-19 has become an essential part of these employees’ livelihood.

“It’s the difference between them eating, and having a place to stay,” another employee, Tim McClain, told council members.

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That difference is a $4.12 hourly increase that was funded by the federal government up until the funds ran out last year.

Chapman and McClain were among nearly a dozen city employees who went before council on Monday pleading city leaders would consider a solution that allowed them to keep the extra pay they’d grown to rely on.

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“I come to work every day and I do the very best that I can,” Chapman said. “Find it in your hearts to make this a permanent part of my salary. I could not live without it.”

Atlanta City Councilman Michael Bond says despite some confusion about the funding source, the added money was never in jeopardy.

“Everything because of inflation has gone up. That includes groceries, that includes gas,” he stated. “The City of Atlanta has assumed that burden now that the federal government will not be continuing to pass on that payment.”

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At Monday’s council meeting, city leaders also discussed plans to make the $4.12 raise a permanent part of employee salaries that would be reflected in their pensions.

“They’re already still receiving the money, but we just need to make that legal distinction that this is now part of their permanent salary,” Bond explained.

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He told FOX 5 that change to employee salaries could happen in a matter of weeks if council approves adjustments to the city’s personnel ordinance. Be sure to stay with FOX 5 Atlanta for the latest updates.



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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels

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Buckhead apartment building evacuated due to dangerous carbon monoxide levels


A Buckhead apartment building was evacuated for a time late Tuesday night due to a carbon monoxide alarm. 

What we know:

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The incident occurred at an apartment complex in the 2900 block of Pharr Court South. 

According to Atlanta Fire Rescue, firefighters are investigating elevated carbon monoxide levels.

The entire building was evacuated as a precaution. 

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One person was evaluated at the scene for possible carbon monoxide exposure. 

Crews ventilated the building while they looked for the source.

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Firefighters say they were able to finally locate the source and contain it.

Once readings were back to a safe level, residents were allowed back inside the apartments.

What we don’t know:

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It remains unclear how many residents were displaced by the evacuation. 

The Source: The details in this article come from the Atlanta Fire Rescue.

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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say

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2 arrested in deadly drive-by shooting of 7-year-old Atlanta girl, police say


Two suspects in a shooting that left a 7-year-old Atlanta girl dead and her mother injured are now in custody nearly a week after the violence, police say.

The shooting happened around 9:45 p.m. on Feb. 24 at a home on the 2200 block of Tiger Flowers Drive NW.

Investigators believe the shooting stemmed from a dispute between one of the victim’s family members and the gunman over the phone. Thirty minutes after the argument, the suspect came back and fired shots into the home, police said.

Officers responding to the scene found a 44-year-old woman and her daughter, identified as 7-year-old Zoe Price, shot. Medics rushed the pair to a local hospital, but Price died from her injuries.

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Atlanta Police Chief Darin Schierbaum said the department’s homicide unit secured an arrest warrant for 19-year-old Preston Smith two days after the shooting. Smith turned himself in to the Fulton County Jail on March 2.

Schierbaum said officers executed a search warrant on Feb. 27 at a home on McDaniel Street. On that day, 17-year-old Steven Richardson, who police described as an “accomplice,” turned himself in to authorities.

Both men are charged with murder, criminal attempt to commit murder, three counts of aggravated assault, second-degree criminal damage to property, possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony, and four counts of third-degree cruelty to children. Richardson is also charged with possession of a Firearm by a Person Under 18.

At a press conference to announce the arrests, Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens described Price as a bright and compassionate little girl who was “full of energy and full of joy.”

“Her life was cut short in an act of senseless violence, and that loss is not abstract. It is a chair that is going to be missing at the dinner table each night. It is an empty classroom seat next to her friends,” Dickens said.

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The mayor called the arrests “a step forward towards justice” for Price’s family and families across the city.

Dickens said that violence, like the act that took Price’s life, would not be tolerated in Atlanta.



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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More

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Atlanta Braves News: Top 30 Prospects, Starting Pitching Depth, More


On Monday, the Braves were able to earn another Spring Training victory over the Detroit Tigers. It was a game where the starting pitching depth of the Braves was on full display, as Bryce Elder, Joey Wentz, and Owen Murphy all threw multiple innings. While it is likely unwise to expect big things from any of these three arms this season, they are a part of the “next man up” group for the Braves if injury again impacts the rotation. Each had a solid effort today, a trend that will hopefully continue.



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