Atlanta, GA
Zoo Atlanta’s giant pandas leave for China after 25 years in the city
Editor’s note: The video above is from previous coverage
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – After decades at Zoo Atlanta and months of goodbye celebrations, the zoo’s beloved giant panda family boarded a FedEx plane bound for China on Saturday morning.
Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun and Xi Lun are headed to the Chengdu Research Base of Giant Panda Breeding. They were sent with three Zoo Atlanta employees, 300 pounds of bamboo, 10 pounds of fresh produce and 20 pounds of biscuits made for leaf-eating animals, the zoo said.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: ‘Panda-Palooza’: Zoo Atlanta bidding farewell to giant pandas after 25 years
Lun Lun and Yang Yang have been at Zoo Atlanta since 1999. Born in 2016, Ya Lun and Xi Lun are twins and two of the pair’s seven children, the rest of which have already been sent to the research base.
In early 2024, the zoo announced the pandas would be sent back home after the loan agreement with China expired.
PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Zoo Atlanta’s giant pandas returning to China in late 2024, facility says
“While Zoo Atlanta will certainly miss Lun Lun, Yang Yang, Ya Lun, and Xi Lun, and their departure is bittersweet, they have created a momentous legacy here in Atlanta and around the world, leaving their mark not only in the hearts of their friends and fans, but on the scientific and zoological communities’ understanding of the behavior, biology, and care of this rare and treasured species,” Zoo Atlanta President and CEO Raymond B. King said in a statement. “It has been our privilege to be able to share this remarkable family with our members and guests for 25 years.”
Copyright 2024 WANF. All rights reserved.
Atlanta, GA
Midtown Atlanta sewer work to close part of 10th Street
ATLANTA – Drivers in Midtown Atlanta should prepare for traffic changes this week as a new roadwork project begins along 10th Street.
What we know:
The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management said part of 10th Street will close starting Wednesday for sewer repairs.
The construction will impact the eastbound lane between Charles Allen Drive and Monroe Drive.
Officials said the repair project is expected to continue for about four weeks.
Crews will work overnight on weekdays from 5 p.m. until 5 a.m. Construction activity will continue around the clock on weekends until the project is complete.
What you can do:
Motorists traveling through Midtown are encouraged to plan ahead and expect delays in the area during the closure.
Atlanta, GA
Three Biggest Questions Facing the Atlanta Hawks Following the NBA Draft Lottery Results
The 2026 NBA Draft has come and gone, and while the results did not go the way that the Atlanta Hawks had hoped, landing at No. 8 overall, but they are still getting a top-eight pick in a deep draft when they are coming off a season in which they won 46 games and made the playoffs. Atlanta had hoped that having the most favorable selection from the Pelicans and Bucks would turn into a top-four pick, but they are going to get a chance to add to their young core with a high-level talent.
Now that the NBA Draft Lottery is over, what are some questions facing the Hawks?
1. Who could they take with the pick?
We will get into other scenarios later, but for this exercise, let’s just assume that the Hawks are going to stick at No. 8 and make a selection.
While the top four picks are likely going to be (in some order) AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, Cameron Boozer, and Caleb Wilson, the rest of the draft does not seem to be as certain.
There is a popular sentiment that the quarter of guards consisting of Keaton Wagler, Darius Acuff, Kingston Flemings, and Mikel Brown Jr are going to be picks 5-8, but that is not as much of a certainity as the top four.
The Clippers are picking 5th, but they just made a big trade for Darius Garland. Brooklyn just took four guards in last year’s draft, and the Kings are always a wild card, though of these teams, they have the biggest need at guard and don’t seem likely to veer from that.
In the NBA, needs is usually ignored in the draft and the best player available is taken most of the time, but it will be interesting to see which players the Clippers, Nets, and Kings decide on.
If those teams do take three of those guards, the Hawks would have their choice of whoever is left over from that group or players such as Michigan center Aday Mara, Arizona guard Brayden Burries, or Michigan forward Yaxel Lendeborg.
2. Could the Hawks move up or down in the draft?
While I think as of right now that the most likely scenario is that the Hawks stay put at No. 8, they do have some interesting options to potentially move up or down depending on how things fall.
As I mentioned earlier, the Clippers just traded for Darius Garland and if the Hawks wanted to get ahead of the Kings and Nets to land the guard of their choice, they could try and put together an attractive package to try and make a trade with Los Angeles.
The Nets seem less likely to move down, but after taking four guards in last year’s draft, could they move down and try to target another position?
What about a trade down? If the Hawks had been at No. 7 or in the top four, I would say a trade down is unlikely, but at No. 8, there could be an opportunity there for Hawks general manager Onsi Saleh. Would Oklahoma City be interested in moving No. 12 and No. 17 for No. 8? That would give the Hawks three first round picks and if they like a player that could be in that range, that would be a possibility, though all of this is just hypothetical at the moment.
3. Do the Hawks attempt to move the No. 8 pick for an established star?
Saleh has been adamnat that the team is not one player away and that the Hawks wanted to add through the draft, but even in a draft as deep as this one, the odds of getting a star player at No. 8 are long.
It is tough to really gauge the trade market for this offseason right now, but the No. 8 pick is an attractive asset. Could the Hawks try to trade for Celtics star Jaylen Brown? Again, it is tough to know who else could be available this summer and I would bet against the Hawks moving this pick for a veteran player, but never say never in the NBA.
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Atlanta, GA
Braves News: Remembering Bobby Cox, strides from Spencer Strider, more
On a sad day overall for Braves Country, due to the passing of the legendary Bobby Cox, Spencer Strider gave Atlanta fans something to be happy and hopeful about with a stellar outing, shutting down the Dodgers potent offense for 6.0 innings with 8 strikeouts and 15 whiffs. He looked as good as he has in a long time. His fastball averaged 96.4 MPH, with 17 inches of induced vertical break and he had four pitches working nicely together. Even if Strider doesn’t quite return to his Jacob deGrom levels of dominance, having him as a true #1 or #2 quality starter would make a huge difference for this Braves team to pair with Chris Sale. Bryce Elder has been great this season, but shouldn’t be the second best starter in the rotation of a World Series contender. If Strider can keep something like Saturday night’s version of himself moving forward, that’s a huge development for him and this team.
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