DeKalb Picks Finalist for Superintendent, Not Everyone Pleased

Cheryl Atkinson

Obviously the powers-that-be in the DeKalb County School System got who they wanted as the system's next superintendent - because this time there wasn't leak!
The school board has choosen Cheryl Atkinson as its finalist to become the school system's next superintendent.  Atkinson currently is superintendent of Lorain, Ohio schools. She previously served in administrative positions in Kansas City, Mo.; Charlotte, and Charleston, S.C. She will visit DeKalb in the next 14 days to meet with parents and other residents.  Click AJC to read more.
But not everyone on the board is happy about it.  Two board members, Nancy Jester of Dunwoody and Don McChesney, have made their feelings known that Atkinson is a lesser choice than previous finalist-in-waiting.  The only reason she is now the finalist is because she is the choice of the board member(s) who choose to leak the names of the previous choices, thus derailing their chances. 
Click McChesney and Jester to read their comments - it's quite revealing.  And it also underscores the problems within the school system - problems that won't go away anytime soon.
As usual with the school system, DeKalb County School Watch is all over the new superintendent-finalist - the blog is peppered with opinions.

Bridge on Spalding Closed

Beginning Monday, August 15 at noon, the Ball Mill Creek Bridge, located on Spalding Drive will be closed for repairs. City officials were given verbal notification from the Georgia Department of Transportation's State Bridge Maintenance Unit late on Thursday, August 11 that the bridge required maintenance. It was determined through an underwater inspection that the bridge has an undermining of one of the foundations and requires immediate maintenance.



Ball Mill Creek Bridge


The bridge is a 34-foot single span steel and concrete bridge constructed in 1929. The condition identified by the Georgia Department of Transportation is repairable through stabilization and does not require replacement of the bridge at this time.
Plans call for the City to retain a specialty contractor to stabilize the bridge. Repair of the bridge is anticipated to commence on Tuesday, August 16 and be completed in six (6) weeks, weather permitting. The suggested detour route is Ball Mill Road to Dunwoody Club Drive from the east and Roberts Drive to Dunwoody Club Drive from the west. The public is asked to use extreme caution and maintain the posted speed limit in the residential areas along the detour route. The detour map includes the primary as well as alternate detour routes.