Decatur PD sent out this alert about an hour ago… (Location of Bruton Street via Google Maps)

On 6/16/14 at approximately 8:55 am, Decatur Police responded to a residential burglar alarm in the 100 block of Bruton Street.  Officers arrived and observed the garage doors to be ajar, the gate into the backyard broken off its hinges and a rear living room window broken.  A vehicle parked in the garage was found with the keys in the ignition in the on position, but not running.  The homeowner was contacted and it was determined a second vehicle that was left parked in the driveway was now missing.  A maintenance worker at a neighboring house reported seeing a black female, 30-40 years old, approximately 5’7”, wearing a white shirt and blue jeans walking in the area prior to the burglary.

The stolen vehicle is a red Mercedes E320 displaying GA tag (PEX 2935).

A familiar item on the Decatur City Commission meeting agenda this evening…annexation!

The commission is slated to take a vote on the petition of property owners along South Columbia and Derrydown Way – just south of the city limits – to have 31 properties of approximately 10 acres annexed into the city of Decatur.  According to the application, all lots are single-family residential.

Though a long, ongoing conversation, of late the annexation requests by groups of neighboring property owners have seemed to pick up steam.  Back in April, the entire Parkwood neighborhood west of the city was annexed by request into the City of Decatur.  Smaller annexation requests have been a semi-regular item on the commission’s agenda for the past year or so.

Another item on tonight’s Decatur City Commission meeting agenda: a change order of approximately $13,000 to include three more multi-space pay stations along Ponce where previously, single space meters were originally planned.  The change order letter from Asst. City Manager Lyn Menne also states that after months of planning, the new parking meters are scheduled to be installed next week, June 23rd – 26th.

There’s also been talk around here of late about the start of Saturday parking enforcement.

Decatur has long had stated metered times on Saturday, but hasn’t enforced those limits.  Menne tells DM that when that occurs, the city may start out just enforcing the 2 hour limit, but not ticketing.  Menne says the city is still gathering information on how spaces are being used on Saturday and the approach to Saturday enforcement is “still a work in progress but whatever we do will involve a lot of public notice before tickets are issued.  Our goal is not to ticket.  Our goal is keep the best, most convenient on-street spaces turning over so customers have a reasonable expectation of finding a parking space.”

What could this be?

Among the items on the agenda for tonight’s Decatur City Commission meeting – approving a liquor license for “consumption on premises of beer and wine” to “The Cask Room” at 900 West College Avenue.  That’s the address of the strip which includes, among other businesses – Avellino’s (pizza), Ale Yeah! (beer), and Revolution Doughnuts (well…donuts).  The application notes the new business will “be located in the former yoga studio space to the rear of the commercial building”.

No traces of the online of what “The Cask Room” will be, but it sure sounds interesting.

Screenshot courtesy of Google Streetview