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  • Waka Flocka Flame’s Brother Dies In Atlanta

    Shortly after the holiday season, Waka Flocka Flame is mourning the death of his younger brother. On Sunday, December 30, it was confirmed that Kayo Redd had died in his Atlanta home. Conflicting reports surround the cause of his death. Some say Kayo was shot, and others point to suicide, however TMZ reports that there was no foul play involved.

    Waka’s mother Deb Antney was the first to confirm the death, via Twitter. She tweeted: “I just lost another son.” Waka’s other brother Caodes was killed in a car accident when he was only 13-years-old. Antney previously talked about how Caodes’ death had impacted Waka, during a 2010 interview with Vibe magazine.

    “Since my son died, that’s when [Waka] flipped. He hated everything dealing with school because my son, his death was a sneak out the house to go help a kid with his homework before his father came home so the kid wouldn’t get a beating. Waka told him to go, he’ll cover for him. So [when he was biking home and killed by a car] Waka blamed hisself. He feels very responsible for my son’s death—that’s what flipped him out,” Antney said.

    Waka tweeted, “God please bless me.” He later tweeted, “Ya Big Brother love you Kayo,” along with a slideshow of pictures of him and his brother.

    An autopsy will be completed within the next couple of days to determine the actual cause of death.

    Image via Twitter

  • Gucci Mane Facing 20 Years on Federal Charges

    Rapper/actor/tattoo enthusiast Gucci Mane was charged in federal court Tuesday with two counts of possessing a firearm as a felon, after two incidents in September during which he brandished a gun and threatened police, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia.

    Mane, 33, whose legal name is Radric Davis, became “increasingly agitated,” during the September 14 incident, in which he spewed insults and threats at police officers. He was taken into custody after police found a handgun and a bit of marijuana in his possession. Though, according to CNN, federal prosecutors have just revealed in a press release that Mane was also arrested on September 12.

    “On September 12, 2013, Davis, who was a felon at the time, was found in possession of a firearm. Then, just two days later, on September 14th, he again possessed a firearm different from the earlier gun. On both occasions, Davis displayed the loaded firearm, acted erratically, and made threats to individuals, including police and his attorney,” according to the release.

    A felon in possession of a firearm charge carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison, along with a fine of up to $250,000.

    Gucci Mane was also arrested in Atlanta in March, after clubbing a fan over the head with a champagne bottle, and faced charges for violating a number of traffic laws in the city in 2010. Mane was also charged in the shooting death of a man in 2005, but the case was dropped due to insufficient evidence.

    Mane was indicted on November 19, and made an initial appearance before Magistrate Judge Linda T. Walker. The rapper is detained in custody pending trial.

    Below is Gucci Mane in his video for Servin’:

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n0XUo5HVMyc

    Time will only tell if the Servin’ star might one day make a sequel called Servin’ 20 Yrs.

    Atlanta Police Chief George Turner commented, “We cannot tolerate convicted felons ignoring the law by carrying firearms and endangering our citizens.” U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates added, “This is how people get hurt, and we are committed to ensuring that convicted felons not have guns.”

    Image via YouTube.

  • DragonCon 2013: Famous Nerds Tweet

    Dragon Con is upon us again! What is DragonCon? Well, the according to the website, it is the “largest multimedia, popular culture convention focusing of science fiction/fantasy, gaming, comics, literature, art, music and film in the universe!” It’s taking place in Atlanta at the Atlanta Convention Center. I have really been enjoying all the great pictures out there, but even better are the tweets! Here is what Dragon Con looks like through the eye of the famous bespectacled beholder:

    image via dragoncon.org

  • Usher’s Ex-Wife Seeks Custody Of Their Two Children

    Tameka Foster, ex-wife of pop star Usher, is seeking full custody of the couple’s two children, citing one of the children’s near death as proof of their father’s incompetence as a parent.

    Raymond V, the couple’s five-year-old son, nearly drowned in a swimming pool accident and has been in an Atlanta intensive care unit since. Foster said in court that the boy “is doing much better”.

    Foster’s bid for the children comes only months after Usher was granted primary custody. In that court battle Foster claimed that Usher was an absentee father, citing his celebrity lifestyle as the main reason.

    Foster’s new case includes her claims that the singer “continues to excessively travel, utilizes third-party caregivers to supervise the minor children rather than personally exercising parenting time and providing supervision for the minor children.” Foster also claims that he is away from Atlanta “in excess of 85% of each month.”

    Foster also added that her former husband is “not capable of providing daily caregiving and supervision for the minor children of the parties as petitioner is preparing to film a movie in Panama and has ongoing commitments that require his presence in Los Angeles, New York and various other cities for the Voice and his upcoming album.”

    Foster’s concern for her children’s welfare is understandable in the wake of the death of her son (Usher’s stepson) in a watercraft accident last year. If her allegations are found to be true then the pop star could be forced to relinquish custody.

  • Coweta Woman Found Injured, But Alive

    Coweta Woman Found Injured, But Alive

    A Georgia woman has been found alive after an exhaustive search over the weekend turned up no leads.

    78-year old Eleanor Alexander was found in a wooded area not far from her Coweta home, covered in bug bites and injured from where she’d walked into a barb-wire fence. Alexander suffers from dementia, a fact that was never far from the minds of those looking for her after she disappeared from her house sometime between Friday night and early Saturday morning.

    “There are a lot of ponds and lakes in the area, and we worried she had fallen or stumbled in to one of them,” Coweta County Sheriff’s Lt. Col James Yarbrough said. “During the middle of the night, we were concerned about animals getting to her.”

    Dozens of officers and volunteers helped in the search for Alexander, some with dogs who reportedly aided in finding her. She was immediately flown to Atlanta Medical Center, where officials say she’s doing well.

  • SkyView Atlanta Ferris Wheel Opens for Business

    Atlanta’s newest attraction, a 200-foot tall Ferris wheel in the downtown area’s Centennial Park, is now officially open for business.

    The SkyView Atlanta Ferris wheel stands nearly 20 stories tall and features 42 separate gondolas that can each hold 6 people. The gondolas are climate controlled, so it’s set to be an attraction for all types of weather.

    (image)

    SkyView Atlanta22 hours ago

    SkyView Atlanta GA Power adjusting power lines

    Powered by socialditto(image)  32 likes ·  4 comments

    According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Mayor Kasim Reed and a handful of city council members were the first ones to ride the new attraction shortly after the ribbon-cutting ceremony. Apparently, people lined up as early at 7 am this morning to be one of the first to ride the Ferris Wheel.

    “The SkyView Ferris wheel is set up to thrill families from all over the Atlanta Metro area,” says its creators. “With a view like this, everyone will be wanting a ride. Surrounded by many other local favorite attractions of this downtown Centennial Park area, you’ll never find yourself looking for something to do. SkyView. You can see Atlanta from here.”

    Each ride consists of 4 revolutions and lasts about 15 minutes.

    (image)

    Tickets run from $9.10 (child) to $14.45 (adult). Kids under the age of 2 ride for free.

    SkyView Atlanta’s owners expect the giant ferris wheel to draw over 50,000 visitors in its first year. The project was funded privately.

    [All images courtesy SkyView Atlanta]

  • Fired: Radio Hosts Made Fun of Athlete With ALS

    Modern sports radio often walks a fine line between opinionated and offensive. Three radio sports talk hosts who crossed that line this week have been fired after airing a skit that made light of a former NFL player with Lou Gehrig’s Disease.

    The hosts of Atlants 790 The Zone’s sports talk show Mayhem in the AM were fired after making fun of former NFL safety Steve Gleason. Program hosts Steak Shapiro, Chris Dimino, and Nick Cellini aired a “humorous” segment on Monday in which “Gleason,” who was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in 2011, called into the radio show. As Gleason cannot speak without the aid of a synthetic voice, he was parodied in the segment with a robotic voice telling a knock-knock joke. The punchline was, “Smother me. Do me a favor.”

    Gleason played as a safety for the New Orleans Saints from 2000 to 2007. He now runs Team Gleason, an organization dedicated to raising ALS awareness and providing services to those afflicted with ALS.

    Rick Mack, the general manager of 790 The Zone issued a statement on the matter on Monday, apologizing specifically to Gleason and explaining that the hosts have been fired:

    “We deeply regret the offensive programming that aired this morning on “Mayhem In The AM” on 790 The Zone, related to former New Orleans Saints player Steve Gleason and his battle with ALS. We suspended the three individuals involved immediately following their comments and have since terminated their employment. 790 The Zone, our owners, sponsors and partners in no way endorse or support this kind of content. We sincerely apologize to Mr. Gleason, his family and all those touched by ALS.”

    Dimino has has also issued an apology on his Facebook page, referring to himself as a bully:

    So where to begin. The obvious and rightful place is with an apology. And the reality of knowing that falls short…no matter what I say…is heartbreaking.

    The sheer stupidity of trying to put this as a failed attempt at humor is not lost on me.

    The words “Should have known better” mean nothing to me. And shouldn’t to you right now

    I would like to though offer my apology. Knowing that it is everyone’s right not to accept it. Or even consider accepting it for now.

    My apologies go out first to Steve Gleason and his family. The weight of what he and they are going through did not need to be made heavier or worse by the pure and straight insensitivity of my actions.

    I also want to offer up my apologies to all who are not only dealing with ALS..but to those who are dealing with ANYTHING that has made themself or family and friends subject to the physical and emotional heartache of any debilitating disease or condition.

    As a father of two girls, I put myself in a position that I have begged…pleaded..DEMANDED..they not put themselves in. That of the bully. The mean kid. The one who thinks what they say or do comes with no consequence. It does. It always does.

    I have no illusion as to what 19 years on the radio…30 years of being a grown man..and most importantly almost 10 years of being a father..and what you build up in your name and reputation over those periods of time..should and does mean.

    Now I know how quickly a stupid and worse than that non thinking moment can change all of it.

    I hope I get a chance to prove this is not who I want to be. It was and is who “I am” today though. That much is not lost on me.

    I have spent so long not trying to put other people in a bad place because of me. Today I failed miserably.

    I’m very open to any and all dialogue as it pertains to the people I have hurt and disappointed. I’ve had that dialogue with myself..my wife and will with my kids.

    Thanks for at least this much of your time

    Chris Dimino

    Steak Shapiro has appeared on CNN to apologize, calling the radio segment “stupid” and “offensive.”

    (Image courtesy Team Gleason)

  • Airport Explosion: Atlanta International Evacuated

    An explosion at the Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport in Atlanta caused portions of the building to be evacuated on Tuesday. An electrical explosion occurred in a maintenance shed near gate D21 at around 8:40 am. No one was injured in blast.

    According to a Reuters report, the explosion caused only “minor” damage. The blast cut off power in airport Concourse D, which was evacuated briefly.

    The cause of the blast is now under investigation. The incident, according to Reuters, appears not to have caused any flight delays.

    The airport announced the incident via its Twitter account. Concourse D is now open, with full power and air conditioning restored:

    Hartsfield-Jackson is one of the largest airports in the world. It serves as a major hub for air travel throughout the eastern U.S.

  • Chief Keef Arrested On Marijuana Charge

    Chief Keef Arrested On Marijuana Charge

    Chief Keef, the 17-year old rap star, has been arrested in Atlanta for smoking weed in an upscale hotel.

    Keef has been arrested twice before despite his young age and was sued earlier this year for child support by a girl who claims he got her pregnant when he was just 15. One of his previous arrests was for heroin manufacture.

    The rapper has been in Atlanta shooting a video with Gucci Mane for the track “Darker”.

  • Otis Nixon Arrested on Drug Charges

    Former Atlanta Braves outfielder Otis Nixon was caught with a crack pipe and crack rock during a traffic stop near Atlanta on Saturday.

    According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution report on the arrest, Nixon told police that the crack cocaine found in his truck did not belong to him, and that the pipe belonged to his son. Another crack pipe was found following a search of the truck.

    Nixon was reportedly transporting a female passenger at the time of the arrest. Police subjected Nixon to field sobriety tests, and noted that the former MLB player did not appear to be high or drunk. According to the Journal-Constitution report, Nixon has now been charged with cocaine and paraphernalia possession.

    Nixon had a 16-year career in the Major Leagues. He first appeared with the Yankees in 1983, but played for many teams during his career, including the Cleveland Indians, the Montreal Expos, the Boston Red Sox, the Texas Rangers, the Toronto Blue Jays, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Minnesota Twins. He ended his career in 1999 with the Atlanta Braves, where he had also played from 1991 to 1993.

    Nixon has had a history of drug abuse. He was arrested on drug charges in 1987 and sent to rehab. In 1991, Nixon missed the World Series due to failing a drug test for cocaine.

  • CNN Anchor Robbed: iPhone Stolen in Atlanta

    A CNN anchorwoman was the victim of a brazen daylight robbery in Atlanta last week.

    Carol Costello, the news anchor for the 9 am to 11 am segment of CNN Newsroom, revealed this weekend that she had been robbed on Thursday. She claims that she was “walking down a beautiful, leafy Atlanta street” while talking on her iPhone. Three “teenagers” then ran up to her and grabbed her phone. Costello fought for the phone but had a “chunk” of her hair pulled out for her trouble.

    According to a wsbtv report on the incident, Costello was walking in the 1100 block of Piedmont Avenue. Costello gave the police a description of the iPhone thief. The anchor vented about the event on her Facebook page, where she wrote that she was “angry”:

    (image)

    Carol Costello CNN3 days ago

    Good Morning. In retrospect, what happened to me yesterday is insignificant in light of what happened in the Boston.
    Still, I feel the need to vent. And isn’t that what friends are for?
    I was robbed.
    And I am angry.
    I was walking down a beautiful, leafy Atlanta street, talking on my IPhone.
    Guess what happened next?
    Three teenagers ran up behind me. One of them grabbed my IPhone. Stupidly I struggled to hold on-to it. But, he was a big guy. And he pulled out a chunk my hair.
    I let go.
    As he ran down the street, laughing, I hurled a few expletives his way.
    I felt no fear at the time, I was just angry. Now I’m angry, shaken and sad. What a lousy life those kids have ahead of them.
    Turns out, according to ABC news: “cities across the country are on alert as officials warn of an uptick in stolen Apple products, dubbed “Apple picking.”
    Thieves steal IPhones, wipe them clean, then sell them for up to one-thousand bucks.
    So, a warning for you. Do not talk on your IPhone as you walk down the street.
    Oh, and let go of the stupid device if someone tries to steal it.
    Hope you join me at 9 and 10 AM ES. Powered by socialditto(image)  390 likes ·  740 comments

    IPhone theft is nothing new, and though thieves may be getting better at it, apps such as iCloud can help locate an Apple device once it is stolen.

  • $9000 Water Bill: Woman Goes Head-to-Head with Water Company

    A $9000 water bill would more than likely force me to consider alternate means of indoor plumbing. That’s probably something Atlanta, Georgia resident Blayne Beacham should look into after clashing with her water company over an insanely bloated bill that has blossomed to outrageous proportions since the problem began last year.

    Beacham, who owns a three-bedroom cottage in the Buckhead area of city, had gotten used to paying her $100 water bill over the years. However, when she received a statement for $497 last July, she assumed it was a clerical error. Concerned that something might be seriously amiss, Beacham contacted her water company in order to address the issue. Unfortunately, they claimed there was absolutely nothing wrong with the bill, and, as a result, she was responsible for the entire amount.

    As the year progressed, the amount of her water bill began to inflate in a most unnatural manner. By December, Watershed Management stated that she owned a whopping $758. By April, her bill has risen to an astounding $2585. Thinking that she had a leak in her somewhere in her cottage, Beacham hired an inspecter to have a look at her property. According to the specialist, everything was a-okay, indicating that something must have gone wrong at the water company.

    “We called the water department and worked out an agreement where I would pay them $120 a month until I could get a court date,” she explained.

    Although the previous amounts were pretty insane by anyone’s standards, particularly for a simple three-bedroom cottage, nothing could readily prepare Beacham for her June bill. The total amount due: $9,000. According to the statement, $2,638.68 was from previous invoices and $6,705.72 were brand new charges.

    Watershed Management claims they are looking into the matter, and plan to investigate the water usage meter they installed at Beacham’s home. However, since the cycle doesn’t end until July, she still has a while to wait until she knows whether or not she’s stuck with the entire bill.