Our network

News

Mayor Reed pressured to endorse same sex marriage

ATLANTA - Three years ago State Senator Kasim Reed and Atlanta City Councilwoman Mary Norwood practically stumbled over each other courting the city's sizeable gay and lesbian vote in the mayor's race.

Reed ended up winning a squeaker by just over 700 votes.

Most observers believe he and Norwood split the LGBT vote.

But now some in that vocal and politically active community are threatening to vote against Mayor Reed next year if he doesn't follow President Obama's recent example and personally endorse same sex marriage.

"His refusal to come out and endorse same sex marriage in line with President Obama's endorsement of same sex marriage equality overshadows a lot of the great things that the mayor has done," LGBT activist Charlie Stadtlander told 11 Alive News on Monday.

Stadtlander has started a Facebook page to put pressure on the mayor.

Disabled veteran turns passion into profit

COBB COUNTY, Ga. -- It's not easy finding a job. And for disabled veterans, it's even more difficult.

That's why Kareem Walston decided to create his own. But his road was not an easy one. 

After spending three years in college, Walston joined the U.S. Army and was deployed to Iraq. He spent a year overseas before a leg injury sent him home. Soon after, he was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and received a medical discharge.

"It was hard," he recalled. "It was hard for me; it was hard for my family. It was just a shock being back in society and basically communicating with people. I really couldn't see past the next day. It basically shut me down."

Unable to walk at times, Walston spent more than two years looking for a steady job between therapy appointments and doctor's visits.

He had always been enamored with the motorcycles, but only admired from afar. One day, he decided to climb on and go for a ride.

HIV crisis facing black women in metro Atlanta

ATLANTA -- 11Alive News is sounding the alarm.

Research shows African-American women, many living in Atlanta, are being infected with HIV -- so much so that the new cases are being compared to African countries. 

Data collected in 2009 from the health departments in Clayton, Fulton, DeKalb, Cobb, Douglas and Gwinnett counties indicates infection rates of HIV and AIDS, respectively, as follows: (This is for women and men combined, all races.)

Fulton: 4,213 and 7,342 

DeKalb: 3,257 and 3,983 

Clayton: 847 and 943 

Cobb and Douglas: 1,030 and 1,288 

Gwinnett: 884 and 1,041

In another study conducted by the Centers for Disease Control, black women make up 60 percent of all new HIV cases among women. That's 15 times higher than white women and four percent higher than Hispanic women.

Police say attacks in East Atlanta and Kennesaw are unrelated

ATLANTA, Ga. -- Two incidents in the metro area, just days apart, have put women on alert all over the city.

Kennesaw State University sent students an alert on Friday morning, saying that a female student was attacked and sexually assaulted near a residence hall.

Campus officials later changed the original alert, saying that the attack was non-sexual.

Meanwhile, Atlanta police are still looking for a suspect who attempted to kidnap two women in East Atlanta.

He forced one woman into his trunk; and although she escaped the same man tried to abduct another woman ten minutes later.

In the community and online many of you have been asking whether there is a connection between the two cases, however, the answer is no.

Atlanta Police tell 11Alive they compared notes with Kennesaw State University Police, and it appears the attacks, as well as the suspects are different. 

Police: Suspect may try for 3rd kidnapping attempt

**Note: We have removed the names of the victims released by police in this story following a request by one of the witnesses in this case."

ATLANTA -- Atlanta police are canvassing East Atlanta. They're looking for a suspect determined to kidnap a woman. He has tried, and failed, twice. Investigators are worried he will try again.

A Candler Park resident was visiting her friend on Mayson Avenue near Reynoldstown in the early morning hours on Wednesday, May 2. They were sitting on the front porch when a man ran up with a gun in his hand and grabbed her. He screamed "You f----- with the wrong person!" and dragged her to his car. He told another man on the street "Don't be a hero, back off!"

The victim was stuffed in the trunk of the car, fighting to get out for about a mile. She tore through the liner and released the trunk latch, then ran to call police. She sustained minor injuries from the escape.

4th prescription drug take-back a big success

4th prescription drug take-back a big success

ATLANTA -- Last weekend's National Prescription Drug Take-Back Day was a big success in Georgia, with residents turning in an estimated 6,913 pounds of unwanted medication.

This number greatly exceeds the amount of drugs collected during the last take-back event in October, where Drug Enforcement Administration officials collected about 3,794 pounds.

Nationally, the event saw Americans turn in approximately 276 tons (552,161 pounds) of drugs.

"The Prescription Drug Take-Back campaign was a huge success," Harry S. Sommers, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA Atlanta Field Division, said in a statement. "This event was critical in stemming the tide of prescription drug abuse in this country."

PARKatlanta may soon be on 24-hour patrol

ATLANTA -- PARKatlanta has proposed some changes, and local business owners think, if passed, these changes will hurt their businesses and deter customers.

"Right now we have 7 p.m. enforcement on the meters and they're wanting to take it to 24 hours," said Grant Henry, an O4W business owner. "[Customers] wouldn't come. We would not be able to have a business on Edgewood Avenue."

The first proposal limits overtime parking, which means if a spot is marked "three hour MAX", you cannot feed the meter after those three hours are up. You'll be forced to move your car. 

And the second proposal affects when parking is enforced. If the proposal is passed PARKatlanta would be able to enforce parking rules 24 hours, every day, except Sundays. 

PARKatlanta will hold a host of meetings with community members and business owners to get input before they make any changes.