In this week’s episode, Love, Atlanta host Ann Hill-Bond and guests Alyssa Johnson and Saba Long discussed data centers, civic participation, MARTA and the planned relocation of the Olympic Cauldron.
Alyssa Johnson is Capital B Atlanta’s enterprise reporter. Saba Long is the Executive Director of Atlanta Civic Circle, a nonprofit media organization.
Love, Atlanta airs Thursdays on WRFG from 4-5 p.m. Tune in live or listen to previous shows. The radio show is recorded and produced at WRFG Atlanta.
Data Centers
- Alyssa Johnson described a proposed 2 million-square-foot data center in majority-Black Ellenwood, DeKalb County, that residents and advocates opposed because of water use, energy use, and existing industrial pollution; the project was denied.
- South Fulton has had 20-plus data centers proposed, with limited state regulation leaving local governments to establish moratoriums or other controls.
Civic History
- Summerhill residents are opposing Georgia State University’s proposed move of the Olympic cauldron to Centennial Olympic Park. A petition has more than 2,000 signatures, Atlanta City Council passed a resolution against the move, and the mayor issued a letter supporting residents.
- MARTA’s Next Gen changes closed about 30 bus routes and removed a stop near a senior community. Residents, including an 84-year-old chemotherapy patient, may wait until December for possible shuttle-service inclusion.
Journalism Strategy
- Saba Long emphasized that local outlets should collaborate, explain policy impacts, and address coverage gaps. Her proposed “collaboration becomes civic memory” model would allow newsrooms and civic groups to share records and reporting infrastructure while producing audience-specific coverage.
- Missing or under-resourced beats include transportation and mobility, education, arts and culture, and civic infrastructure. The discussion also highlighted food insecurity, SNAP and Medicaid changes, extreme weather, mutual aid, and the 2026 elections.
