As has already been communicated via letter to Decatur First customers, and reported by the DNO, Decatur First Bank recently signed an order with federal regulators to raise more capital and reduce bad debt as the bank crisis continues to play out across the state.

Bank president Judy Turner recently commented to the AJC…

…the bank has been a conservative lender, choosing not to invest heavily in new home construction or subdivision development that got so many Georgia banks in trouble. But the economic downturn has hit its customer base hard, causing a spike in loan delinquencies.

“When people lose their job, they can’t pay their bills,” she said. “There’s just a lot of stress in the economy.”

Margaret’s pics of grackles on the Recreation Center lawn were just too good not to give their own post.

Just beyond the left side of this image, I bet Dan Magee is running into the building, covered in grackles.

One more pic after the jump. Click the pics to enlarge and take in the full scope of the grack-attack. Read the rest of this entry »

Renfroe just keeps racking up the awards.

In mid-December, Renfroe Principal Bruce Roaden received a letter from the Governor’s Office of Student Achievement that Renfroe Middle School had received a 2009 Single Statewide Accountability System Platinum Award “for making great gains in student achievement.”  It was one of only nine middle schools in the state of Georgia to receive the top award handed out by SSAS.

According to the letter, schools must meet three criteria in order to receive an “impressive” platinum award.

1. Make Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP) for 3 consecutive years
2. Demonstrate that at least 35% of students exceed standards in all test areas as measured by state assessments
3. Place 98th percentile or higher statewide in greatest student achievement gains.

Renfroe will receive a “recognition banner” to display at the school.

Thanks to Middle School Physics Teacher Kris Webb for sending along the note and congrats to Principal Roaden and all Renfroe teachers, staff and students on their growing pile accolades!

This was fun.

Atlanta police barricaded DeKalb Avenue, a busy thoroughfare through Atlanta’s east side, Monday evening after a broken fire hydrant spilled water for two hours with the temperature below freezing.

I also saw a pretty awesome ice sculpture on the edge of Woodruff Park this morning, created by another fire hydrant that had blown apart at some point overnight.

Stupid expanding ice.

There was quite a crowd (30+) packed into the city commission room last night for Patti Garrett’s oath of office and first official meeting as a commissioner.  On a frigid night, the room was chock-full of Garrett supporters, family, big-wigs, and newsy reporters, all looking for a little warmth.

And they found it.

The mood was light and gracious, thanks to a night of appointments and honors, with both Garrett and District 1 commish Fred Boykin taking the oath of office.  (I noted the commissioners’ oath was longer than the Presidential Oath, but then reelected Mayor Bill Flood later mentioned that it was much shorter than Kasim Reed’s marathon oath of office earlier that day.)

With Jim Baskett still on vacation, commissioners Boykin and Kecia Cunningham acted as a sort of “formality tag-team” in nominating and reappointing Mayor Bill Floyd and Mayor Pro-Tem Jim Baskett to their leadership roles on the commission.

Read the rest of this entry »