- Created on 13 March 2013
City Council Will Hear From Finance 'Experts' on New Downtown Atlanta Falcons Stadium Proposal
The Atlanta City Council announced Tuesday that its Finance/Executive Committee has scheduled a work session for 9:30 a.m. on Thursday to hear from several experts regarding a proposed new stadium for the Atlanta Falcons.
The invited "experts" will make presentations to the Atlanta City Council about the stadium proposal.
Last week Mayor Kasim Reed and Atlanta Falcons owner Arthur Blank appeared together at City Hall to announce that the Falcons and the City of Atlanta had reached an agreement to bring a new stadium to downtown Atlanta.
Gov. Nathan Deal was also in attendance, as were members of the City Council.
"I am very encouraged that the message given to the mayor and the Falcons has been heard," said City Council President Ceasar C. Mitchell at the conference.
Mitchell was also quick to note that no legislation had yet been signed or put in front of the Council for the stadium. Despite the deal said to be in place between Reed and Blank, the proposal must still be vetted, approved and voted on by the Atlanta City Council.
Ten members of the Council appeared at the joint press conference held by Reed and Blank.
The work session will take place in the Council Chamber (second floor), Atlanta City Hall, 55 Trinity Avenue, S.W.
- Created on 12 March 2013
Clark Atlanta Junior Alia William Named SIAC Co-Softball Player of The Week
Albany State University junior Kandis Banks and Clark Atlanta University junior Alia William are the SIAC Co-Softball Players Of The Week, while Stillman College junior Ashley Savage earned the honor of SIAC Softball Pitcher of the Week for the fifth week of the 2013 Softball Season, the conference announced today.
Banks, a junior from Ellenwood, GA, sparked the Lady Rams to four wins last week. Banks totaled 10 hits, four home runs, and 14 RBI's to lead Albany State to victories over SIAC opponent Clark Atlanta and Division-I SWAC foe Alabama A&M.
Williams, playing centerfielder for the Lady Panthers hit her fourth home run of the season, while leading the team from the plate with 12 RBIs, four doubles, a triple, and nine runs scored this week. The native of Los Angeles, CA also stole six bases as she led the team to a 3-3 record for the week.
Continuing her dominance this season, Savage, a junior from Alabaster, AL posted 15 strikeouts in 13 innings of action for a 3-0 record last week with all three wins over Tuskegee. In her three appearances, Savage posted a 1.62 earned run average.
Here is a look at other notable performances last week around the Diamond
Jordin Kelow, Freshman, Lemoyne-Owen
Position: Infielder Height: 5-4 Hometown: Birmingham, AL
Accomplishment: The freshman went 8-for-13 from the pate, scoring seven runs, while batting in 10 runs to lead the Lady Magicians to a 4-0 record last week.
Chelsy Edior, Senior, Claflin
Position: Centerfield Height: 5-4 Hometown: Lynwood, CA
Accomplishments: Edior hit two home runs, and batted in six base runners, and scored eight runs to lead Claflin to a 4-0 record last week. The senior went 10-for-15 from the plate for a .667 batting average, while stealing six basses on six attempts.
Ashlee Handley, Junior, Stillman
Position: 3B/C Height: 5-3 Hometown: Athens, AL
Accomplishments: Handley went 3-for-7 last week for a .429 to lead Stillman to a 3-0 record and sweep of Tuskegee over the weekend. She also had four RBI's and a run scored last week.
Alexandria Taylor, Junior, Paine
Position: Utility Height: 5-2 Hometown: Lithonia, GA
Accomplishments: Went 4-for-5 from the plate for a .800 batting average from the plate.
Amanda Evans, Junior, Claflin
Position: Pitcher Height: 5-6 Hometown: Irmo, SC
Accomplishments: Evans went 2-0 and pitched two complete games (13 innings) and posted a 3.77 earned run average for the Lady Panthers last week. Evans also batted .692 with two home runs and seven runs scored.
Amanda Talley, Senior, Miles
Position: Pitcher Height: 5-6 Hometown: Pinson, AL
Accomplishment: Led the Miles to a four game sweep of SIAC West Division foe Kentucky State over the weekend. Talley shutout Kentucky State in game one on Saturday (5-0), while allowing five hits and 8-0 in game one on Sunday, with only four hits allowed. Talley relieved Talana Brown in the other two games to pick up the additional wins. Talley allowed only one run, one walk and struck out nine batters in her four wins.
- Created on 12 March 2013
The Luke Project Annual Charity Golf Benefit
It's that time of year again.
Avid and amateur golfers alike are invited to participate in the upcoming Annual Luke Project Charity Golf Benefit, scheduled for Wednesday, April 14 at St. Ives Country Club in Duluth.
The Luke Project Inc. (Leading Urban Kids into Excellence), a non-profit organization that impacts the lives of hundreds of inner-city youth in Atlanta, has begun accepting applications for its annual event.
Send a kid to camp or provide needed after-school supplies by selecting from a variety of sponsorship levels while playing on a top-notch golf course. Proceeds will benefit the project's three entities, LukePrep, an after-school program; LukeCamp, a day and overnight summer camp; and LukeSports, an interscholastic sports league that provides opportunities to metro-Atlanta charter schools and community clubs.
Competition will also include additional opportunities for the best individual player, closest shot to pin, longest drive, and first-place gross and first-place net.
Registration is available up to tee-off time. To register and for more information, visit www.thelukeproject.com.
(Photo: Ivy Prep Academy’s Reina Mitchom, a seventh-grader, scored 31 points in the LukeSports Girl’s Championship Game held at KIPP Atlanta Collegiate High School on March 2. Mitchom earned MVP honors while leading the Lady Monarchs past the Atlanta Lady Vikings, 51-36. In boys’ action, Ron Clark Academy defeated DeKalb Academy of Technology and Environment, 54-51. Photo Courtesy of LukeSport)
- Created on 12 March 2013
SIAC Baseball: Week 5 Players of the Week Announced
Kentucky State University senior Jacob Brackett is the Southern Intercollegiate Conference Baseball Player of the Week and Stillman College junior Joey Falletta is the SIAC Pitcher of the Week for the fifth week of the 2013 season, the conference announced today.
Brackett, a native of Frankfort, KY, hit three doubles, and one triple for a .526 batting average last week, in addition to going 10-for-19 from the plate. Playing first base, he also posted a perfect percentage from the field, while driving in 10 runs to lead Kentucky State to a 5-1 record last week, including 3-0 in Conference games against Tuskegee.
Falletta, a junior from Franklin, TN made history as the first player from Stillman to record a perfect game no hitter. In the Tigers 17-0 win over Lane, the right hander recorded 11 strikeouts.
Here is a look at some other notable performances around the diamond last week.
Kyle Smith, Junior, Stillman
Position: Infield Height: 6-3 Hometown: McCalla, AL
Accomplishment: Smith went 7-for-11 from the plate and hit three doubles and a triple for a .636 batting average to lead Stillman to a 3-1 record last week. He also had 14 RBI's and eight runs scored.
William Gorman, Senior, Paine
Position: 3B Height: 6-0 Hometown: Atlanta, GA
Accomplishment: Had a .364 batting average last week. Gorman also had three runs and three RBI's for the Lions.
Lydell Moseby, Senior, Benedict
Position: Catcher Height: 6-6 Hometown: Sacramento, CA
Accomplishment: Had a great series against Morehouse, scoring six runs and driving in six runs. Had a monster solo home run on Sunday.
Darius Osby, Junior, Claflin
Position: Junior Height" 5-11 Hometown: Leesville, SC
Accomplishments: Hit two doubles, a home run and a triple, while leading Claflin to a 2-1 record last week. Also batted .500 in 6-for-12 appearances from the plate.
Pitcher
Joe Dotson, JR, R-Freshman, Kentucky State
Position: Pitcher Height: 6-0 Hometown: Georgetown, KY
Accomplishment: In two starts, Dotson threw two seven-inning complete games.
Yaniel Delgado, Pitcher, Freshman
Position: Pitcher Height: 6-3 Hometown: San Lorenzo, Puerto Rico
Accomplishment: Pitched Benedict to a 9-1 victory over Morehouse in the opening game of the series. Struck out 11 in six innings, gave up just three hits.
Dezmond Moore, Junior, Claflin
Position: Pitcher Height: 5-8 Hometown: Hapevile, GA
Accomplishment: Pitched 5.1 innings and three strikeouts in a win for the Panthers last week.
Dalton Self, Junior, Paine
Position: Pitcher Height: 6-4 Hometown: Augusta, GA
Accomplishment: Went 1-1 last week and threw seven strikeouts in 11 innings of action for the Lions last week.
- Created on 12 March 2013
Tony Gonzalez Says He Will Not Retire; Plans to Return to Falcons Next Season
With NFL free agency only hours away a new report says tight end Tony Gonzalez has told the Atlanta Falcons that he will come back to play the 2013 season. The news was first reported by FoxSports.com.
After a loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFC Championship Game, it looked like Gonzalez would retire, but after getting cleared to return by his doctors the 36-year-old tight end will be back suiting up for the Falcons next season.
"After discussing it with my family and really, truly struggling with this decision I informed the Falcons I would like to return for one more shot," Gonzalez told Fox Sports.
Gonzalez had eight catches for 72 yards in the Falcons NFC Championship Game loss, including a 10-yard touchdown reception with 25 seconds remaining in the first half. The Falcons didn't score again and the longtime veteran was denied his first trip to the Super Bowl.
"Considering how this season ended, I wanted to give it another run with Matt (Ryan), Smitty (head coach Mike Smith) and the guys we have in there," Gonzalez said. "It was the first time I had won a playoff game and hopefully coming back once more we can take it one step further."
Gonzalez is the all-time leading receiver among tight ends and is second only to Jerry Rice in all time receptions with 1,242.
The legendary receiver said he thought his mind was made up in the other direction and was ready to hang up his cleats for good, but the lure of getting to his first Super Bowl seemed too close to pass up.
"I was done, I thought I had my mind made up," said Gonzalez. "This whole year I knew it would be my last but the way our final game ended and talking to all the guys in the locker room, in the end it was too difficult of a way for me to step away from the game. It's not often in a career you're around a group like we have down in Atlanta."
Earlier Tuesday, USA Today Sports reported that Gonzalez had given agent Tom Condon the OK to negotiate a contract with the Falcons.
