BACK TO SCHOOL: Summer unofficially came to a close for some students in metro Atlanta with the start of the new school year on Wednesday. Atlanta Public Schools, Cobb County, Cherokee County and City Schools of Decatur opened their doors and began the 2018-2019 school year on Aug. 1. The next big round will be Monday, Aug. 6, with students in Fulton, Gwinnett, DeKalb, Clayton and Fayette counties returning to the classroom.
» AT APS: 'Learning is fun'
» IN COBB: Welcome back on rainy day
» HOW THE DAY WENT: Photos from the first day
» WHEN SCHOOL STARTS: The dates for 18 metro districts
» THE ULTIMATE ATLANTA SCHOOL GUIDE: Learn more, make comparisons
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
Credit: HYOSUB SHIN / AJC
PHOTO RECAP: There were plenty of striking images this past week in local news. From the serious to the not-so-serious, here are some of our galleries to check out.
» PHOTOS OF THE WEEK: A look back at July 29-Aug. 4
» CHIPPER JONES' BIG DAY: Braves star joins Hall of Fame
» PEACHFEST 2018: State's iconic fruit in the spotlight for family fun
Credit: Jenna Eason
Credit: Jenna Eason
MARTA EXPANSION? In a historic vote Wednesday, the Gwinnett County Commission voted 4-1 during a special-called 8 a.m. meeting to approve a contract with MARTA for future transit services. The commission then voted unanimously to give Gwinnett voters the chance at a referendum on joining the mass transit agency — during a special election in March and not during this fall's general election as previously suggested. That delay for the referendum date raised questions about the future of a transit vote and about the deeper motivations of those involved. After the commissioners' referendum decision, the MARTA board on Thursday decided to wait before acting on the Gwinnett transit contract.
» GWINNETT'S VOTE: Commissioners and mass transit
» AJC POLITICS: Possible reasons behind referendum delay
» MARTA'S VOTE: Board delays action on Gwinnett contract
» WHAT IT MEANS: A reflection of region's changing attitudes
