The Georgia Regional Transportation Authority may end up overseeing regional mass transit. On Monday the state commission charged with proposing legislation to knit together metro Atlanta's disparate mass transit agencies issued a report saying an existing state agency should serve that purpose. Legislators have suggested in interviews that that would be GRTA. They said that it would serve as an umbrella over local agencies like MARTA and Gwinnett County Transit, which would continue to operate their individual services.
The former head of a transit authority that runs under a similar model, in Chicago, has said a more unified model of a single regional transit operator is better, if the political will can be found to create one. Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed said that he agreed but the Chicago model was a necessary first step here. ARIEL HART
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The SCLC, still reeling from the sudden death of President Howard Creecy, is continuing to make plans for their annual convention Aug. 14-16 in Atlanta.
At a Monday press conference in the Southern Christian Leadership Conference headquarters, interim president Issac Farris Jr., said the convention will go on as scheduled, where a new leader of the organization will also be elected.
Creecy, who had been president since January, died last Thursday. His funeral has been scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday at Jackson Memorial Baptist Church, 534 Fairburn Road NW in Atlanta. A candlelight vigil will be held Wednesday night at the SCLC headquarters, 320 Auburn Ave. ERNIE SUGGS
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Chicago-based Navigant Consulting Inc. was selected as the partner to help Georgia redesign its Medicaid program, the Department of Community Health announced Monday.
The consulting firm will earn as much as $3.3 million over three years by helping the state look for new ways to serve the 1.7 million Georgians now covered by Medicaid and PeachCare for Kids and the additional 650,000 people expected to join the programs as part of the federal health care overhaul. Containing costs will be a major focus of the review, which will also examine the best ways to deliver care and maintain access to care for Medicaid recipients in all corners of Georgia.
"During our review, we will be learning what is working around the nation and how we can make it work even better here in Georgia," said David Cook, the Department of Community Health commissioner. CARRIE TEEGARDIN
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A group in Roswell helps families down on their luck get back on their feet. B5
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The Girl Scouts have deep roots in Georgia. B4
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