🌱 Chattahoochee River Closure Extended + Downtown Atlanta Road Safety

The quickest way to get caught up on the most important things happening today in Sandy Springs.

Jul 3, 2023 2:51 pm EDT | Updated Jul 3, 2023 3:38 pm EDT

Good morning, everybody! I’m here right on time with your Tuesday edition of the Sandy Springs Patch newsletter. Keep reading to find out all the most important things happening in town.

But first, your local weather:

• Tuesday: A heavy t-storm in the p.m.. High: 90 Low: 72.
• Wednesday: Humid; an afternoon t-storm. High: 89 Low: 69.

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Here are the top three stories in Sandy Springs today:

1. Thursday’s partial closure of the Chattahoochee River in Sandy Springs has been extended to include all downstream portions of the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area. As of Sunday, Jul. 2, hiking trails, picnic shelters, and the visitor center are still open for use. The Chattahoochee Riverkeeper will continue to collect and test water samples for E. coli, and guests are encouraged to monitor the park website for ongoing updates. (Sandy Springs Patch)
2. As of this month, Senate Bill 44 — which enforces a mandatory five-year minimum prison sentence for individuals convicted of recruiting gang members in Georgia — is in effect. When the bill was raised in the House of Representatives, Republican leaders added an amendment that would curtail judges’ legal ability to release a suspect without bail if they had other charges, such as “bond jumping” or failure to appear in court. Some Democrats in the Senate, including Sen. Josh McLaurin (D-Sandy Springs), raised objections to the amendment, saying the limitations went beyond the initial purpose of reducing gang activity. (Georgia Law News)
3. If you’re walking or biking to downtown Atlanta this summer, you may soon find the process a bit easier. The Atlanta Downtown Improvement District (ADID), as part of its Downtown Atlanta Master Plan, is at work on safety improvements on Courtland Street and Martin Luther King Jr. Drive. The recent completion of the expanded sidewalk on Courtland Street, as well as the ongoing work on MLK Drive’s bike lane between Capitol Avenue and Forsyth Street, are steps toward achieving the goals of increasing the city center’s livability and slowing down vehicle speeds on the street. (SaportaReport)

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