Tag: Buckhead

DA Fani Willis Boasts Fulton County Safer than Four Years Ago Despite Increasing Crime Statistics

Debra McClure
Fani Willis

A new campaign ad for District Attorney Fani Willis says that Fulton County is safer now than it was four years ago. However, year-end data from the Atlanta Police Department shows that crime rates have increased in southwest Atlanta and that car theft continues to skyrocket. Willis released the campaign ad on Monday. 

In a post on the X platform, the campaign ad for Willis, currently running for re-election, states, “The last four years, we’ve made Fulton County safer for everyone — and we’re just getting started.”

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Atlanta Mayor Courts Democrats for 2024 DNC Convention

Addison Basurto

City of Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and other Georgia Democrats welcomed DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison in a tour of State Farm Arena on Friday as part of their attempt to win the bid for Georgia’s capital to host the 2024 DNC National Convention.

“This week, Atlanta welcomed Democratic National Convention officials to promote its bid to host the 2024 convention. Our city is clearly the place to be!” The City of Atlanta Government said in a Facebook post on Friday.

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Buckhead Public Safety Task Force Issues Final Report, Plan to Halt Crime

Addison Basurto

The Buckhead Public Safety Task Force (Legislative Reference No. 22-R-3001) issued its final report on Friday, with recommendations and a plan to curb crime in the northernmost Atlanta district, wherein the city stated a new police precinct will open up in June.

“Task Force participants were able to hear from a broad spectrum of public safety stakeholders, and I look forward to seeing that expertise translated into a meaningful action plan,” said District 7 Council member Howard Shook.

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Buckhead Site of Yet Another Violent Crime, Brian Kemp and Other GOP Leaders Still Not Endorsing Movement to Separate City from Atlanta

Chris Butler

News of yet another violent crime in Buckhead apparently won’t nudge Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and other high-ranking GOP legislators to push for legislation to allow Buckhead residents to vote on separating from crime-plagued Atlanta. Members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) reported a violent carjacking in Buckhead on Sunday.

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Former President Trump Endorses Buckhead City Movement, Blasts ‘RINOs’ Who ‘Don’t Deliver’

Cooper Moran

Former President Donald Trump on Saturday endorsed a movement to establish a new city, Buckhead, as one separate from the City of Atlanta.

Residents of the region organized the movement following a series of decisions from leaders in Atlanta that, they argue, led to a spike in crime.

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Buckhead City Committee Members Say Georgia Legislators’ Recent Actions Will Endanger Lives

Chris Butler

BUCKHEAD —  Georgia General Assembly members have, for this year, written off legislation that would allow Buckhead residents to vote on separating from Atlanta, but members of Buckhead’s City Committee aren’t done and announced new priorities Wednesday. Buckhead City Committee members held a press conference at Buckhead City Headquarters. There, they announced that Bill White will continue to serve as the Buckhead City Committee CEO. Committee members then called on Governor Brian Kemp, Speaker of the House David Ralston (R-Blue Ridge), and other high-ranking GOP legislators to use their clout to push for a vote.

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Buckhead City Committee Members Say All is Not Lost, Despite Setback in Georgia General Assembly

Chris Butler

Members of the Georgia General Assembly are unwilling to move forward with legislation that would allow Buckhead residents to vote later this year on forming an independent city. But members of the Buckhead City Committee, who have pushed for a vote, said media reports about the matter lack important context.

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Buckhead Announces New Political Action Committee in Effort to Separate from Atlanta

Chris Butler

BUCKHEAD, Georgia — Buckhead City Committee CEO Bill White announced Monday that his group has a new Political Action Committee (PAC), effective February 1. White announced the news at a fundraiser at Buckhead’s Bistro Niko restaurant. Monday night’s fundraiser had a sell-out crowd. Almost 300 people attended, White said. The event had a minimum ticket donation requirement of $250 per person.

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Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan’s Latest Move Endangers Buckhead City Bill

Chris Butler

Georgia Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Cumming) this week assigned the legislation that could help Buckhead incorporate into its own city to a senate committee seated entirely by Democrats. Duncan did not return The Georgia Star News’ repeated requests for comment this week.

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Buckhead City Committee Leader Says His Inside Sources Contradict Information Put Out by Atlanta Mayor and Police Department

Chris Butler

Staff for Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens and the Atlanta Police Department (APD) accused Buckhead City Committee leader Bill White of misinforming the public about alleged corruption and mismanagement practices within their agencies. White told The Georgia Star News on Friday that several APD sources feed him information and that those sources are reliable. White said he knows those sources’ identifies, but he will keep them anonymous.

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Vernon Jones Says Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp Wants to Have It Both Ways on Buckhead as a Separate City

Chris Butler

Georgia Governor Brian Kemp and members of his staff on Wednesday would not declare his stance on whether Buckhead should formally remove itself from crime-plagued Atlanta. The Georgia Star News specifically asked whether Kemp and members of his team have met or communicated with members of the Buckhead City Committee, including its leader, Bill White. We also asked whether Kemp and members of his team told White and other Buckhead City Committee members that they support the city of Buckhead.

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Georgia Gubernatorial Candidate Vernon Jones Responds After Atlanta Mayor Bashes Leader of Buckhead City Committee

Chris Butler

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms on Monday questioned whether former President Donald Trump is somehow tied to an effort to remove Buckhead from the much larger and crime-plagued city that she oversees. Bottoms specifically criticized Bill White, who leads the Buckhead City Committee.

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Keisha Lance Bottoms Urged to Identify Atlanta’s Public Properties Within Buckhead City Borders

Chris Butler

Buckhead City leaders this week said a proposed Buckhead City could affect all City of Atlanta-owned property within Buckhead itself. Buckhead officials said in a press release this week that they have asked Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and City Attorney Nina Hickson to help them identify all of Buckhead’s City of Atlanta-owned properties.

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Georgia Legislators Who Oppose Buckhead Separation Accused of Spreading ‘Hyperbolic Drivel’

Chris Butler

A group of Georgia state legislators, all Democrats, have come forward to publicly oppose Buckhead residents’ efforts to secede from crime-plagued Atlanta. But the residents of Buckhead who want to separate have responded to those lawmakers.

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Buckhead City’s Fundraising Surpasses $1 Million in Georgia

Chris Butler

Buckhead, Georgia residents and businesses have contributed $1 million to support the initiative to create Buckhead City, members of the Buckhead City Committee said in an emailed press release Thursday.“The Buckhead City Committee expects to raise another million dollars before the end of this upcoming legislative session (April) to further advance Buckhead’s path to cityhood,” according to the press release.

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Georgia General Assembly Special Session to Feature Hearings on Buckhead’s Proposed Separation from Atlanta

Chris Butler

Members of the Georgia General Assembly are scheduled to convene a three-week long special session starting November 3 where they will hold hearings and discuss whether Buckhead should incorporate as a municipality separate from Atlanta. This, according to a press release that members of the Buckhead City Committee emailed this week.

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Proposed Buckhead City Would Run a Budget Surplus After Leaving Atlanta, New Feasibility Study Says

Chris Butler

Buckhead residents wants to formally secede from crime-plagued Atlanta, and if those same frustrated residents were to leave then their new city would run a budget surplus, according to a study from Valdosta State University. Officials with Valdosta State University’s Center for South Georgia Regional Impact published the study this week.

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Man Fighting on Behalf of Crime-Ravaged Buckhead Responds to Atlanta Hiring a Director of Violence Reduction

Chris Butler

Due to rising crime rates, the City of Atlanta is advertising for a director of violence reduction. Crime has increased so much that residents of nearby Buckhead formally want to secede from Atlanta. The man leading that secession movement told The Georgia Star News Wednesday that the new director of violence reduction, regardless of who takes the job, won’t influence Buckhead residents to have second thoughts about leaving.

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Georgia Senate to Hold Hearing on Buckhead ‘Divorce’ from Atlanta

Peter D'Abrosca
Atlanta skyline at night

The Buckhead neighborhood’s efforts to secede from Atlanta have cleared another hurdle, as the state Senate will convene to debate a pair of bills aimed at separating the suburb from the city during its upcoming special session. 

“Bill sponsor Sen. Brandon Beach (R-Alpharetta), who has served in the state legislature’s upper chamber for ten years, told Breitbart News he has ‘never seen’ Buckhead cityhood gain so much traction before,” Breitbart reported. 

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Buckhead Residents Desperate to Leave Atlanta Call Their Home ‘A War Zone’

Chris Butler

Buckhead made national headlines Monday after FOX News host Tucker Carlson described, in sometimes graphic terms, how crime rates in this Atlanta residential district have soared and how certain of Atlanta’s opportunistic politicians incited the violence. Buckhead residents have organized and wish to secede from Atlanta.

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Buckhead Grapples With Another Violent Weekend as City Officials Campaign to Leave Atlanta

Chris Butler
View of Buckhead, Georgia

Buckhead, already trying to formally break away from the City of Atlanta so they can address an out-of-control crime wave using their own resources, had another violent weekend, including a murder. According to the Atlanta Police Department’s (APD’s) website, someone shot a man Saturday as he jogged through the 1200 block of West Wesley Road in Buckhead.

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Group Forms to Oppose Buckhead’s Proposed Secession from Atlanta

Chris Butler

Buckhead residents organized earlier this year and announced they wish to secede from Atlanta, but members of a new group formed within the district this week and they say seceding is dangerous. This, according to a press release that members of the group A Committee for a United Atlanta emailed to The Georgia Star News this week.

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms Won’t Seek Reelection as City Uncertain About Public Safety

Chris Butler

This week Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms announced she will not seek reelection. This, while Atlanta’s crime rate remains high and a new report explored why members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) have difficulties hiring and retaining employees.

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Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms Won’t Seek Reelection as City Uncertain About Public Safety

Chris Butler

This week Atlanta Mayor Keisha Bottoms announced she will not seek reelection. This, while Atlanta’s crime rate remains high and a new report explored why members of the Atlanta Police Department (APD) have difficulties hiring and retaining employees.

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Atlanta’s ‘Terrifying’ Events Prompt Buckhead Residents’ Desire to Secede from City

Chris Butler

Buckhead residents who have organized and wish to secede from Atlanta said this week that they are diverse and their ties to that larger city bring crime and one horror story after. Members of this group, the Buckhead Exploratory Committee (BEOC), also said that they are serious about wanting to leave.

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Some Residents of Buckhead Want to Declare Independence from Crime-Ridden Atlanta

Chris Butler

Buckhead residents have formed a new group to study whether their upscale commercial and residential district should formally break off from Atlanta and its soaring crime rate and possibly create their own law enforcement agency. This, according to the members of this group, The Buckhead Exploratory Committee, on their website.

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