Residents spoke out about the poor conditions of the Chelsea Gardens apartments in College Park. Now, they must find a new place to live. The City of College Park has reportedly condemned the complex due to its deplorable state, giving residents short notice to move. Shakira Fortson with the Party for Socialism and Liberation, outgoing resident Andre Harris and former resident Cassandra Meenaghan share their experience at Chelsea Gardens, what’s next for them, and the actions they want the property owner and city officials to take.

Plus, the final prom event in Cobb County for the 2025 season is happening on Saturday. The goal is to make sure Cobb County students with special needs, affectionally known as “rockstars,”  feel seen, celebrated, and supported. For 15 years, Superior Plumbing and the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office have partnered together to make sure prom night is an unforgettable experience for these students. Randi Okray, the communication and public relations specialist for Cobb County Sheriff's Office, and Jay Cunningham, founder of Superior Plumbing who launched the initiative, talk more about the annual tradition that coincides with Autism Awareness Month. Cunningham also talks about the initiative’s impact and the inspiration behind it.

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The Michael C. Carlos Museum at Emory University is hosting the Arts and Wellbeing Summit: Artistic Expression and Processing Grief on April 25-26. Rose talks with Katie Ericson-Baskin, the Ingram director of education at the Michael C. Carlos Museum, and Laney Castle, an administrative coordinator for the education department at the Michael C. Carlos Museum. They talk more about the summit and how art can be used to help process grief.

Plus, the Arts and Wellbeing Summit features support and participation from organizations such as The Grief House. The nonprofit says it’s a space for community-led support for grief and all kinds of loss. The “Closer Look” team recently visited The Grief House at Legacy Park in Decatur. We revisit Rose’s conversation with the executive director and co-founder Sascha Demerjian, Shonali Banerjee, a yoga teacher and musician, who works at the Grief House, and Kelly Yates, a mother who is dealing with grief after her son died in 2022.

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An energy audit can help new homeowners save money — not just through energy efficiency but with tax credits and more. However, an energy audit is not a required step in the homebuying process. Data also reveals that low-income households spend a larger share of their income on energy costs when compared to other households and that Georgia ranks in the top 5 for states with the highest energy burden. Cosco Jones, the owner and a consultant at Jones Sustainable Solutions Group, discusses what a proper "energy audit" should look like, and how poor energy efficiency has long-term consequences for a homeowner's budget and wellbeing.

Plus, a chain-link fence separates a community garden from I-20. Mozley Park residents who are members of the Five Mile Project (5MP) have been advocating for the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) to install noise barriers in their neighborhood. As we feature some of “Closer Look’s” most memorable conversations, we revisit Rose’s conversation with 5MP members Mia Pennington and Keith Palmer. They talk more about the noise concerns and efforts to beautify their neighborhood.

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This year marks the 56th Atlanta Journal-Constitution Peachtree Road Race. Rich Kenah, who serves as the race director and the CEO of the Atlanta Track Club, returns to “Closer Look” to talk more about this year's expanded race experience, which includes the return of a cherished tradition.

Plus, Flying Change Equine Therapy fosters emotional healing and wellness through equine-assisted therapy and learning. As we feature some of “Closer Look’s” most memorable conversations, we revisit Rose’s conversation with Lissa Corcoran, the founder and executive director for Flying Change. Corcoran tells the backstory of what led her to start the nonprofit and explains how rescued horses are helping both children and adults heal from trauma.

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Youth Villages is expanding its family support, mental and behavioral health services to reach more Georgia communities. The Intercept program is beginning in Rockdale, Douglas, and Paulding Counties. Tanya Anderson, the executive director of Youth Villages Georgia, and Jameta Wheeler, the state manager for In-Home Services at Youth Villages, talk more about Intercept and Youth Villages’ new pilot contract with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Development Disabilities.

Also, on the evening of June 15, 1930, a mob lynched Morehouse student Dennis Hubert. This May, Hubert will be posthumously awarded an honorary bachelor of arts degree during the commencement ceremony. Ann Hill Bond, an Atlanta-based journalist and chair of the Fulton County Remembrance Coalition, and Imam Plemon T. El-Amin, Hubert’s nephew, talk more about Hubert’s life, and the legacy of Hubert’s mother, an educator, who served as a principal of the Crogmsn School, where Hubert was lynched.

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On today’s special edition of "Closer Look," Rose and the team take listeners out into the community. First, we begin with a climate gentrification tour in Atlanta's Old Fourth Ward neighborhood. Rose talks with Adrienne Rice, the executive director of Sustainable Georgia Futures, about the nonprofit’s mission to help specific communities grow and thrive in the green industry. We also hear from Genesis Tilman, Drew Barnes and Liyaah Rocha who participated in the walking tour. 

Plus, Edgewood Garden is a place for community. The urban greenspace, operated by the Wylde Center, was once the site of an apartment building. It was transformed into a community garden back in 2012, part of a revitalization effort to serve residents of the area. It now has a playground, picnic benches, honeybees, butterflies, fruit trees, vegetable beds and more. But one of the garden’s most popular attributes is its chickens. Rose talks with Jennifer Gerndt, Matty Garrett, Gordon Dyker of the Wylde Center to learn more about Edgewood Garden and its nature center. We also hear from Heath Ward, the co-founder of City Chick, who discusses people’s growing interest in raising their own chickens as egg prices rise.

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President Donald Trump’s 100-day mark for his second term is fast approaching. Since taking office, the Trump administration has already taken several executive actions on education, immigration and more. Today’s special edition of “Closer Look” focused on the potential economic and social challenges the Atlanta region could face within the next four years. The conversation allowed guests to share their concerns and thoughts about the local response and mobilization to federal actions.

Guests include:

Staci Fox, the president and CEO of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute

Fallon McClure, the deputy southeast regional director for Working Families Power

Fred A. Jones,  the senior director of public policy and advocacy at the Southern Education Foundation

Nathaniel Smith, the founder and chief equity officer of the Atlanta-based Partnership for Southern Equity

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Beyond democratic freedoms, what factors into how Black Americans thrive socially and economically? It’s a theme that’s explored in the new book, “BLACK POWER SCORECARD: Measuring the Racial Gap and What We Can Do to Close It.” The book’s author, Professor Andre M. Perry is a nationally recognized expert on race, structural inequality, economic inclusion, and education. In his book, he studies the life expectancy for Black Americans across multiple cities. He also rates their power based on quality and access to property, business, wealth, education, health, and social mobility. Perry talks more about how each of these factors are linked to the social and economic power of Black People.

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Georgia-based Appen Media and Decaturish.com have launched a new print edition, Decaturish Ink. Dan Whisenhunt, the founder and editor of the online community news outlet, talked more about the new print component. He also shared details about the publication’s goals of providing deeper, more narrative-driven content that seeks to capture the spirit and unique voices of Decatur and surrounding areas like Avondale Estates, Clarkston, Tucker, Chamblee, Kirkwood and Stone Mountain.

Plus, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), recognizes April as Fair Housing Month. The Fair Housing Act prohibits housing discrimination. Richard Rothstein, a housing scholar and author of 'The Color of Law' and co-author of 'Just Action,' returns to “Closer Look” to assess the Trump administration’s housing policy and the historical context of unequal housing practices in the U.S.

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On today’s special edition of Closer Look with Rose Scott, we’re joined by a roundtable of former employees of the Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Since taking office for a second time, the Trump Administration has reportedly committed to cutting 10,000 federal employees from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The mass layoffs began April 1st, with a projected reduction of 2,400 workers at the CDC. That’s about 18% of the staff, reportedly impacting some of the agency’s vital research and health provisions. Today, we ask our panel of professionals about the mass layoffs and how it could impact the work of the CDC and your health.

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