Atlanta, GA
Self-driving pods pilot program to arrive at Atlanta’s airport
ATLANTA – More than 150,000 people work within a six-mile radius of the world’s busiest airport, but for some of them, transportation to and from work can be difficult. It is so bad. In fact, a recent survey found Atlanta airport employees commute nearly twice as long as others in the metro Atlanta area.
Officials are trying to solve that by using autonomous vehicles.
The company “Glydways” has agreed to bring their sleek and gray self-driving pods to the Peach State.
“Personal rapid transit, as well as micro transit and autonomous shuttles, we believe is the future of public transportation,” said Gerald McDowell, executive director of the ATL Airport CID.
The Glydways autonomous, on-demand vehicles will make a few stops around the airport and the Georgia International Convention Center complex in College Park. (Supplied)
When you hear personal rapid transit, think small. The Glydways autonomous pods will carry just four people. The pilot is estimated to cost about $20 million and feature a few stops around the Georgia International Convention Center complex in College Park.
The project is part of an effort to look at more cost-effective transportation options beyond buses and trains when they are not in service.
“We’re hoping in the next two to four years we will be able to make the determination if these innovative mobility solutions will be viable for our communities to offer in the future,” McDowell said.
The pods will operate in dedicated lanes. Glydways says it arrives on-demand, quickly, and goes about 30 mph.
“This region has been starved of better access for far too long, and we believe we can solve many decades of past due accessibility challenges,” said Eliot Temple, a vice president at Glydways.
If the pilot goes well, they hope to add stops around the entire airport, like Delta’s parking lots, the College Park MARTA Station and more.
The Glydways autonomous, on-demand vehicles will make a few stops around the airport and the Georgia International Convention Center complex in College Park.
“By having a thirteen-to-twenty-mile regional connector system surrounding the world’s busiest airport, we can bring a lot of opportunities here locally that they haven’t seen before,” Temple said.
Glydways says its system is designed to handle 10,000 people an hour.
The pilot is set to be operational by late 2026 and is expected to run for two years.
Atlanta, GA
Hurricane Helene: Boat rescues underway at flooded Atlanta apartment complex
A boat rescue is underway for residents of a flooded Atlanta apartment complex.
The Peachtree Park Apartments on Peachtree Park Drive are feeling the impacts of Hurricane Helene as it comes through Georgia.
Heavy rain ahead of Helene’s full arrival in the metro area led to the apartment complex seeing lots of water, leading to the need for an evacuation.
A Channel 2 Action News photographer was at the scene, where first responders were using boats to help residents leave the apartment complex.
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Details on the exact number of people impacted were not immediately available.
Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida as a Category 4 storm on Thursday evening and early Friday was downgraded to a Category 1 storm.
However, rain is still coming in and wind speeds are still reported at about 90 miles per hour, meaning the storm will still likely impact the area as it moves through.
Channel 2 Action News is working to get more details about the rescue underway.
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Atlanta, GA
Atlanta Hunkers Down As Helene Approaches – Videos from The Weather Channel
Atlanta, GA
Major League Scouting Report: Atlanta Braves’ Spencer Schwellenbach
Atlanta Braves right-handed starter Spencer Schwellenbach kept his team in the National League Wild Card race with a huge victory September 24.
Schwellenbach, 24, improved to 8-7, with a fine 3.47 ERA, and 1.07 WHIP in 20 starts for Atlanta.
Schwellenbach has thrown 116.2 innings in 20 appearances for the Braves.
Impactful Injuries:
The Braves have endured some very serious injuries this season, and they still have a chance to make the playoffs.
All Star outfielder Ronald Acuna Jr. required surgery for a torn Anterior Cruciate Ligament on his left knee. He has missed almost the entire season.
All star right-handed starter Spencer Strider, considered one of the best pitchers in baseball, has been sidelined since mid-April with elbow surgery that required an internal brace.
And to make matters worse for Atlanta, highly regarded third baseman Austin Riley’s season is over, due to a fractured hand.
Starter Reynaldo Lopez, who was having a very solid season on the mound, has been disabled with shoulder inflammation since September 10.
About Spencer Schwellenbach:
The Cleveland Indians selected Spencer Schwellenbach in the 34th round of the 2018 Major League Baseball draft. He did not sign with Cleveland.
Schwellenbach, who attended Heritage High School in Saginaw, Michigan, chose to attend the University of Nebraska, where he spent one season.
Schwellenbach, who also played soccer in high school, was named the Michigan Gatorade Player of the Year, as well as Mr. Baseball in his senior year
Schwellenbach played three years of shortstop in high school, and was a two-way player at Nebraska.
At Nebraska, Schwellenbach appeared in 18 games on the mound, all in relief. He earned 10 saves.
Schwellenbach earned the John Olerud Award as the best two-way college player.
Schwellenbach was chosen in the 2nd round of the 2021 draft by the Braves.
Atlanta gave Schwellenbach a $1 million signing bonus.
After the draft, Schwellenbach underwent Tommy John surgery, keeping him off the mound in both 2021, and 2022.
Schwellenbach missed a month of pitching in 2023, with shoulder inflammation.
His injury history dictates care in his use by the Braves staff.
This old scout was fortunate to see Schwellenbach in the 2023 All Star Futures Game in Seattle.
In that game, Schwellenbach threw one inning in relief; yielding one hit, while striking out two.
Scouting Spencer Schwellenbach:
Even though he was an award winning closer in college, the Braves have always used Schwellenbach as a starting pitcher.
Before his big league debut May 24, 2024, Schwellenbach made 24 minor league starts for Atlanta. He threw 110 minor league innings before he graduated to the Braves rotation.
Schwellenbach has a strong frame at 6-1, 200 pounds. He’s an excellent athlete.
A true power pitcher, Schwellenbach relies on both two-and four-seam fastballs as the foundation of a six-pitch mix.
According to brooksbaseball.net, Schwellenbach’s four-seamer sits at 96 miles per hour, but he can increase velocity when needed.
Schwellenbach’s sinker has a bit less velocity, sitting at 95 miles per hour.
Schwellenbach also throws a curve, a slider, a cutter, and a split.
One of the best aspects of Schwellenbach’s approach is his ability and desire to use any pitch at any time in the count. And his pitch distribution is very equal. Here are the percentages of Schwellenbach’s pitch use:
Fourseam fastball-37.24%
Sinking fastball=6.09%
Split (also a form of fastball)=10.77%
Cutter=14.52%
Slider=18.50%
Curve=12.88%
While he strikes out an average of 9.4 hitters per nine innings, Schwellenbach is only walking 1.8 hitters per nine, showing fine command and control of his arsenal.
Schwellenbach has yielded only 14 home runs in his 116.2 innings, which is outstanding.
Schwellenbach is the fifth starter in a solid Braves rotation that includes:
Chris Sale-LHP
Max Fried-LHP
Charlie Morton-RHP
Grant Holmes-RHP
Spencer Schwellenback-RHP
Scouting Grade: 55
For this old scout, Spencer Scwellenbach is a Grade 55 starter, which is a better than average performer.
Perhaps due to the Braves pitching injuries, Schwellenbach graduated to the big leagues quickly. However, he has earned the trust his team has placed in him.
If the Braves do make the playoffs, we may see Spencer Schwellenbach on the roster as pitching depth for a team on a mission.
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