Atlanta, GA
Former Atlanta Watershed intern speaks out about illegal detention
ATLANTA – One of the five city employees that the inspector general said was illegally held against her will is speaking out publicly.
Briana Jackson said she felt like she was in jail and was even told she could not go to the bathroom during the three-hour ordeal.
The employees were detained because a watershed official could not find her wallet. The city officials have been disciplined.
What they’re saying:
Jackson lost her job and said the incident has set her back financially.
Briana Jackson is a single mother who said her life was finally back on track when the city of Atlanta hired her for an apprenticeship. That was until one of her supervisor’s wallets disappeared.
“It hurt. It hurt. I cried so hard for days and nights behind that,” Jackson said. “They suspected me as being the new intern, as being a person who stole the wallet.”
Jackson said the false imprisonment she encountered at the City of Atlanta Watershed Department was not only wrong.
She said it robbed her of her confidence, and she believes it is why she was fired one week later.
What they’re saying:
Jackson took FOX 5 Atlanta back to April 2024 when Watershed Manager DeValory Donahue could not find her wallet.
“The next thing I know, everybody in the office is being rounded up and put into this conference room,” Jackson said. “We are asking what is going on, nobody’s telling us nothing.”
Jackson said she and the other employees felt intimidated, primarily because she didn’t know what was going on.
She said an Atlanta police officer guarded the door and even restroom privileges were temporarily suspended.
“An hour or two passed by, we’re like, ‘Can we go to the restroom?’ The officer goes off, and he’s like, ‘I’ll ask somebody’ and I’m like, ‘Why do you have to ask somebody if we can go to the restroom?’” she recalled. “I’m actually scared.”
“I was the last person in the room, and I was sitting in that room for three hours,” she explained. “They were searching through my things without my consent.”
“I just felt like I was in jail. I didn’t know what to do really,” she added.
Jackson, Senior Management Analyst Charles Hobbs and three others were subjected to what Inspector General LaDawn Blackett concluded was an abuse of power and false imprisonment.
Dig deeper:
Following the IG investigation, the city told FOX 5 Atlanta, Atlanta Watershed Management Deputy Commissioner Yolanda Broome, who was promoted after this incident, received a warning and mandatory training.
Watershed Manager II DeValory Donahue received a warning and mandatory training, and Director of Safety and Security Sterling Graham received a warning and mandatory training.
Three senior investigators got written reprimands and mandatory training, but Jackson said she lost her life-changing opportunity with the city of Atlanta and would like to get her job back.
“I feel like I was really bullied in that situation and nobody told me about this case that was happening,” Jackson said. “I was trying to change a lot for my daughter, get a house and things like that. At that apprenticeship, I was making $900 a week. It was just taken away from me like that.”
“Nobody even called me for a second chance to come back to work at the city of Atlanta. It is like they kicked me to the side, and nobody even cared,” she said.
What’s next:
The city confirmed that the governing board for the Office of Inspector General is scheduled to take up this issue on March 17 at City Hall.
The Source: Brianna Jackson spoke with FOX 5’s Aungelique Proctor for this story. Previous FOX 5 Atlanta reporting was also used sourcing an investigation by Atlanta Inspector General LaDawn Blackett and other city officials.
Atlanta, GA
Firefighters battle blaze at Roswell apartment complex
ROSWELL, Ga. – Roswell firefighters and police officers responded to a massive apartment fire that broke out Thursday evening on Greenhouse Drive.
What we know:
According to the Roswell Fire Department, emergency crews responded to the blaze at the Enclave Apartments.
Officials say no one was injured.
Crews worked into the night to make sure all the hot spots were doused.
No injuries were reported.
Firefighters are working with community partners to assist everyone affected by the blaze.
What we don’t know:
Authorities have not yet determined what caused the fire to start. It is also unclear exactly how many residents have been displaced or how many units within the building were damaged by the flames.
What they’re saying:
Adnan, a resident at the complex, said he heard a “bang noise” around 6:45 p.m. “Around that time, I heard a bang noise. It was pretty loud. I didn’t I didn’t think it would be something like this. Maybe I felt like something actually blew up or something that really paid that much attention,” Adnan said.
He described the scene as he escaped his room: “Next thing I turn around, there’s a huge, huge fire on the roof. It started from the back side, and then it just spread so quick.” Adnan added that it looked like a “huge explosion” and praised the first responders, saying, “I just think that the firefighters did a great job putting it down. So I appreciate them”.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from the Roswell Fire Department, the Roswell Police Department, and an interview conducted by FOX 5 with a resident at the scene.
Atlanta, GA
Braves bring back powder blue with new Nike City Connect jerseys
The Atlanta Braves debuted their 2026 Nike City Connect jerseys Thursday during a launch party at Truist Park.
nspired by the 6 states of the South that make up the Braves fan base, the vibrant powder blue color and bold typography with retro script make these jerseys look incredible
Inspired by the six states of the South that make up the Braves fan base, the powder blue uniforms pay homage to the team’s 1980s SuperStation era while updating the look for today’s fans with bold typography with retro script.
“The fans’ reaction has been great,” said Insung Kim, VP creative director for the Braves. “When we first revealed the jerseys, the sentiment on social media has been like, ‘oh, finally, the Braves are bringing back the powder blue jersey. Those are my favorite jerseyes that I saw growing up,’ so we just love hearing that.”
The jersey features a brighter powder blue, red piping, an updated “Atlanta” script logo, a new “ATL” block letter sleeve patch, and a 3D “ATLANTA BRAVES” wordmark near the jocktag. Players helped select a v-neck style for comfort and performance. A matching powder blue cap completes the uniform.
The team will wear the special jerseys when they face the Cleveland Guardians at Truist Park Friday, throughout the series and then every Saturday home game for the rest of the season.
Fans can purchase the entire City Connect collection, which includes jerseys, hats, jackets, and t-shirts, at the Braves Clubhouse Store, MLBShop.com, Nike.com, and other retail locations.
The Braves are also bringing City Connect to fans across the Southeast with the Out of the Park mobile shop, visiting Kroger and Harris Teeter locations in Georgia and South Carolina.
Atlanta, GA
Reynaldo Lopez’s Suspension Reduced By MLB After Angels-Braves Brawl with Jorge Soler on Video
Atlanta Braves pitcher Reynaldo López reached a settlement with Major League Baseball to have his seven-game suspension reduced to five games upon appeal, according to Chad Bishop of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
López and Los Angeles Angeles outfielder Jorge Soler were initially given identical seven-game suspensions after fighting during Tuesday’s 7-2 Atlanta win.
Soler also appealed his suspension and appeared in Wednesday’s matchup between the teams, homering for a second straight game.
The outfielder felt it was “intentional” when López threw up and in during Soler’s fifth-inning at-bat. He had homered off López in his first at-bat and was hit by a pitch in his second time at the dish. Soler has also raked against López during his career, going 14-for-23 with five homers and three doubles in those matchups.
“Obviously, I have good numbers against him,” he told reporters. “After the home run and getting hit by a pitch after that, and then he missed way too high and close to my head. At this level, you can’t miss like that.”
López denied trying to hit him.
“It’s just a shame, the situation and how things unfolded,” he told reporters. “On my part, there was never any intent to hit him at any point. So again, it’s just a shame.”
Atlanta manager Walt Weiss backed up López’s remarks.
“I know it didn’t look good because of Soler’s numbers against Lopey, and he hit a homer, he hit him. It didn’t look good,” he said. “Lopey’s not throwing at him. I don’t allow our pitchers to throw at people just because they can’t get ’em out. Our job is to get ’em out. But I understand why Soler got angry. And he’s a really mild-mannered guy. So I think the switch flipped for him. … There was no intent there. I just think that Lopey’s just overthrowing, because he’s had a hard time getting him out. But he’s certainly not trying to hit him.”
L.A. manager Kurt Suzuki, meanwhile, backed up his player.
“I don’t blame Jorge one bit,” he said. “You get thrown at your head, you have a family, a career. It’s dangerous. I know it happens. But if you ask any hitter and a ball gets thrown near their head, especially after hitting a homer, it’s not good.”
It remains to be seen whether Soler will have his suspension reduced on appeal. As for López, he’ll be eligible to make his next start on Tuesday against the Miami Marlins.
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