Rain could cancel road projects for the weekend

Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, July 18th, 2014, 3:00pm

Rain could cancel road projects for the weekend

(WXIA) -- The threat of rain this weekend could provide some welcome relief for Atlanta-area drivers.

The Georgia Department of Transportation has already postponed a handful of road projects, thanks to the weather.

WEATHER | 11Alive meteorologist Tracy Humphrey has your weekend forecast

Resurfacing on Interstate 20 in Rockdale and Newton counties, and concrete replacement on the west side of I-285 have been canceled for Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

GDOT said it plans to move ahead with scheduled resurfacing on I-20 between Douglasville and Villa Rica, as it is very close to finishing the work -- well ahead of its projected November completion date. However, rain may briefly halt crews.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, July 11th, 2014, 3:00pm

(WXIA) -- Metro Atlanta drivers enjoyed a break last weekend when the Georgia Department of Transportation postponed road projects for the July 4 holiday.

But now that the fun is over, the work begins again.

Crews will be on several interstates throughout the metro, working on much-needed improvements. Delays are expected in all areas where roadwork will be performed.

As always, projects are weather permitting. Afternoon and evening thunderstorms could temporarily halt or delay work.

Here is some of this weekend's scheduled roadwork:

Cobb County
* Two right southbound lanes of I-285 will be closed between Paces Ferry Road and South Cobb Drive from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for slab replacement and repair.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Tuesday, July 8th, 2014, 10:41am

NEWTON COUNTY, Ga. -- The Georgia Department of Education released school-level CRCT results for the 2013-14 school year Tuesday morning.

See how Newton County's 8th graders fared on the test, which will be replaced by Georgia Milestones next year. The numbers indicate the percentage of students who met or exceeded standards in each area.

Clements MS
* Reading: 91.6
* English Language Arts: 91.2
* Math: 71.7
* Science: 70.3
* Social Studies: 73.9

Cousins MS
* Reading: 94.8
* English Language Arts: 91.8
* Math: 84.3
* Science: 81.8
* Social Studies: 80.7

Indian Creek MS
* Reading: 97.2
* English Language Arts: 95.2
* Math: 79.9
* Science: 78.7
* Social Studies: 82.1

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Thursday, July 3rd, 2014, 11:59am

Happy 4th of July: No weekend road projects!

(WXIA) -- The Georgia Department of Transportation will celebrate the July 4 holiday by taking a break from all road projects.

The weekend construction that has plagued drivers for weeks will be temporarily halted at noon on Thursday.

However, GDOT expects considerable delays in certain areas, especially on Friday. Hundreds of thousands of people are expected to run in or watch the 2014 AJC Peachtree Road Race, which will close several roads in Buckhead and Midtown. Fireworks displays and other Independence Day celebrations will also affect commuters Friday night.

An international Jehovah's Witnesses convention will be held at the Georgia Dome this weekend; 34,000 people from 14 countries will attend. GDOT said this event may also have an impact on traffic in the area.

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Eye care experts urge parents to leave fireworks to pros

Submitted by Curran PR on Wednesday, July 2nd, 1:48 pm

ATLANTA -- Thousands of Georgia parents are buying sparklers for their children this Fourth of July, thinking they are a safe way to celebrate. But, as a Georgia eye expert warns, sparklers heat up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit -- hot enough to melt some metals -- and are the number one cause of fireworks injuries requiring trips to the emergency room.

Members of the Georgia Optometric Association are urging parents to leave all the fireworks to the professionals and avoid fireworks that may cause serious eye injuries when used inappropriately. Some of the most common fireworks injuries are eye abrasions, lacerations, contusions and foreign matter in the eye. The majority of these cases are related to the use of sparklers.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Friday, June 27th, 2014, 3:00pm

Weekend traffic: Roadwork on I-20, cyclists on Ga. 400

(WXIA) -- It will be another difficult weekend for drivers on Interstates 20 and 285.

Weather may provide a little relief, as road crews do not work during thunderstorms. See the weekend forecast.

But drivers should still use caution when traveling through these areas:

Clayton County
* One northbound right lane of I-675 will be closed between Highway 138 and I-285 from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. nightly for sweeping.

Cobb County
* Two southbound right lanes of I-285 will be closed between Paces Ferry Road and South Cobb Drive from 9 p.m. Friday to 5 a.m. Monday for slab replacement and repair.
* One westbound right lane of I-285 will be closed at Rottenwood Creek from 7 a.m. to 12 p.m. Saturday for concrete pouring.

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Submitted by Beth Sawicki, Where U Live Producer

Thursday, June 26th, 2014, 12:35pm

(WXIA) -- Metro Atlanta's unemployment rate climbed eight-tenths of a point in one month.

May's rate was 7.3 percent, considerably higher than April's 6.5 percent.

In Newton County, the rate was 8.0 percent in May.

Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said the spike was mostly due to new graduates entering the workforce. The Atlanta area's labor force grew by about 24,400 in May.

Metro Athens had last month's lowest area jobless rate at 5.7 percent. The Heart of Georgia-Altamaha region's was the highest at 9.8 percent.