AJC Photos of the Week, April 12-18, 2014

News

Our photojournalists have chosen these shots as the week's finest in news photography from the AJC and elsewhere.

KEEPING EACH OTHER STRONG--APRIL 17, 2014 ATLANTA Sgt Guinn's widow, Kimberly, stands with their 7 year old triplets, Isabelle, Alyssa, and Makenna as the casket enters the church. Atlanta Fire Rescue officials and firefighters joined with family and friends during the funeral of AFR Sgt Frank Guinn at Peachtree Road Presbyterian Church, Thursday, April 17, 2014. Sgt Guinn, 36, was training for an Ironman Triathlon in New Orleans when he was struck on his bicycle and killed. Guinn, a nine-year veteran of the department, was stationed at Fire Station 21. He is survived by his wife, a Cobb County teacher, and 7-year-old triplet daughters. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

DOGWOODS IN BLOOM--April 11, 2014 Atlanta: Alan Elsheshai gets in his 2-mile run Friday, April 11, 2014 passing the dogwoods in Piedmont Park. Metro Atlanta's spring outdoor festival season will be in high gear this weekend, with the Atlanta Dogwood Festival running through Sunday at Piedmont Park. The park will also host the 22nd annual Disc Dog Southern Nationals Saturday and Sunday. Dry weather is forecast throughout the weekend, with the next chance of rain predicted for Monday and Tuesday. Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said highs will be in the upper 70s Saturday and Sunday, with overnight lows in the upper 50s. Atlanta's pollen count Friday climbed to 4,054 particles per cubic meter of air, and that count is likely to stay high at least until the next round of rain on Monday and Tuesday. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

2 ALARM RESCUE--April 11, 2014 DeKalb County : Jitara Simmons said her brother was able to get one of the familiy's dogs, but their Yorkie Terrier, Diego, was still in the apartment. She was overjoyed when DeKalb firefighters brought the dog to her. Residents at an apartment complex on Buford Highway made harrowing escapes Friday during a 2-alarm fire that broke out around 10 a.m. DeKalb fire officials were called to the scene and told some residents had jumped from balconies while others may still be trapped. A 17-year-old babysitter said this is a spring break she will not forget. "This is a horrible spring break gift," said Jitara Simmons, of the DeKalb fire that broke out at the Terraces at Brookhaven apartment where she and her family live. The Cross Keys High School student said she was sleeping in her room when her brother woke her up screaming, "It's a fire! It's a fire!" "I grabbed the little kids I was babysitting for the weekend and we ran out of the house," she said. "The next thing you know flames were everywhere." Chuck Larry, who works at the complex, said he caught a man who was dangling from a window and rescued two girls from an apartment. Larry said he grabbed a ladder from the maintenance department and helped the two trapped girls escape. "It was just instinct," Larry said of his actions. Fire officials said no one was transported to the hospital that 5 people received minor injuries and were treated at the scene. The cause of the fire is under investigation. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

AVONDALE ESTATES FIRE VICTIMS REMEMBERED--April 14, 2014 DeKalb County : Avondale Estates neighbors embrace in front of a a memorial of flowers that grew Monday, April 14, 2014 outside the destroyed home where a DeKalb County mother was killed along with her 10-year-old daughter in an overnight house fire in Avondale Estates. She was a fundraiser for several local charities, including the charter school her daughter attended. Friends and co-workers of the woman who died in Saturday night's massive fire on Lakeshore Drive identified the two Sunday as Tami Willadsen and her daughter, Jess. Tami Willadsen's husband, Dave, suffered minor injuries, and their 5-year-old son, Jack, is being treated at Grady Memorial Hospital for serious burns. "We had 100 percent involvement and because of that, all crews were forced to fight the fire from outside," DeKalb fire Capt. Eric Jackson told Channel 2 Action News. Neighbors told Channel 2 that the family had just moved into the home about 6 weeks ago, and had hosted a house-warming party Saturday night. Jackson told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Sunday that the cause of the blaze, which caused radiant heat damage to the homes on either side, had not been determined. An online fundraising effort started by neighbors early Sunday on gofundme.com had raised nearly $20,000 by mid-afternoon Sunday for the families affected by the fire. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

EMOTIONAL WIN--APRIL 13, 2014 AUGUSTA Bubba Watson tears up after winning the Masters Golf Tournament Sunday afternoon. Final round photos from the Masters Golf Tournament, Sunday, April 13, 2014. BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

RENEWAL OF VOWS--APRIL 15, 2014 ATLANTA Episcopal Bishop Rob Wright presides over the Holy Communion service with archdeacons Carole Maddux and Ed Fuller. Clergy of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta hold their annual renewal of ordination vows at the City of Refuge, Tuesday April 15, 2014. The Holy Week service, traditionally held at Buckhead's Cathedral of St. Philip, was moved this year to the City of Refuge, a program to assist families in financial need. Episcopal Bishop Rob Wright, who oversees 109 worshiping communities in Middle and North Georgia, said he moved the event so he and other clergy would retake their vows among "Atlanta's last, lost and least." KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

RENDERING FINAL HONORS--APRIL 17, 2014 ATLANTA Atlanta Fire Rescue officials and firefighters salute as the casket leaves the church. They joined with family and friends during the funeral of AFR Sgt Frank Guinn at Peachtree Road Presbyterian Church, Thursday, April 17, 2014. Sgt Guinn, 36, was training for an Ironman Triathlon in New Orleans when he was struck on his bicycle and killed. Guinn, a nine-year veteran of the department, was stationed at Fire Station 21. He is survived by his wife, a Cobb County teacher, and 7-year-old triplet daughters. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

HUNTING EASTER EGGS--April 12, 2014 Atlanta - Katie Johnson (center) and London Davidson (left) wait for the start of one of the egg hunts during the Fernbank Museum of Natural History's Dinosaur Egg Hunt in Atlanta on Saturday, April 12, 2014. Hundreds of children ages two to 10 came out to participate in the egg hunts as well as play fun games, make crafts and listen to music. JONATHAN PHILLIPS / SPECIAL

WATER, WATER EVERYWHERE--April 17, 2014 Atlanta: Corey Green with City of Atlanta Watershed Department works on the situation Thursday. A major northeast Atlanta thoroughfare was shut down Thursday morning, April 17, 2014 after a water main break left deep standing water in the roadway. The break, near the intersection of DeKalb Avenue and Elmira Place, was reported just before 6 a.m. The water was as much as 3 feet deep in front of Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q, according to Atlanta police dispatchers. Shortly after 7 a.m., a repair crew located and closed a valve leading to the broken pipe, stopping the flow of water. The standing water had receded by 7:30, but DeKalb Avenue remained closed in both directions. Mark Arum in the AM750 and 95.5FM News/Talk WSB Traffic Center suggested McLendon Avenue and I-20 as alternates for commuters who normally use DeKalb Avenue. Chad Gerosa, who was preparing to cook baby back ribs, said the flooded street wouldn't keep Fox Bros. from opening Thursday. "We were here when half of Atlanta was stuck on the interstate all iced up, and we ran a normal day," he told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "We had a lot of neighbors who could get here by foot, and it probably won't stop us at all today. We'll be open." Neighbor Danny Feig-Sandoval was out walking his dog Daisy when they came upon what he said "looks like a lake." "I saw the [news] helicopter over our house and had to check out what's going on," he said. "That's a lot of water coming out of there." JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

CHANGE AT THE TOP--APRIL 14, 2014 ATLANTA Dr. Meria Carstarphen and the APS school board hold a press conference after the vote. Outgoing superintendent Errol Davis can be seen behind her. The Atlanta Public School board voted unanimously to appoint Meria Carstarphen as the incoming superintendent of schools. Carstarphen, current superintendent of the Austin, TX school district, will start this summer. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

CANDLE STARTS FIRE--April 14, 2014 Gwinnett County : A predawn fire Monday, April 2014 that heavily damaged more than a dozen units of an apartment building near Norcross was apparently started by an unattended candle. The fire at The Reserve at Peachtree Corners complex on Ashley Run Court was called in at 3:07 a.m., and when firefighters arrived five minutes later, they found "massive fire," with several apartments already engulfed in flames, Gwinnett fire Capt. Tommy Rutledge said. "Police were already on the scene, going door-to-door conducting evacuations," Rutledge told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "Firefighters had to battle this blaze from the outside from the start," Rutledge said. "They began to knock down the flames and continued to evacuate the building." Rutledge said no injuries were reported. About 15 of the 20 units in the 30-year-old building were damaged by the fire. "It appears to be an accidental fire that was sparked by a candle," Rutledge said. "Investigators have talked to the occupants in the fire origin apartment and they're telling us that they may have had a candle that was unattended." He said one of the occupants of that apartment tried to douse the fire with an extinguisher, "but it was just too far gone by that point." Rutledge said about 50 firefighters battled the flames. "We weren't only battling the main blaze, but we were also worried about hot embers that were floating through the air that were landing on the roofs of nearby apartment buildings and in the glass and pinestraw," he said. "Firefighters had their hands full making sure this fire did not spread." JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

HITTING FROM THE AZALEAS--APRIL 11, 2014 AUGUSTA Rory McIlroy hits from the azaleas on #13. Second round photos from the Masters Golf Tournament, Friday, April 11, 2014. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

GREEN JACKET STILL FITS--041314 AUGUSTA: Bubba Watson becomes a two-time Masters champion as Adam Scott presents him his second green jacket upon winning the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on Sunday, April 13, 2014, in Augusta. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

TECH V GEORGIA BASEBALL--041514 ATLANTA: Georgia Tech base runner Mitch Earnest loses his helmet stealing second base just past the tag of Georgia shortstop Hunter Cole during the sixth inning of their college baseball game on Tuesday, April 15, 2014, in Atlanta. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

WINDY TUESDAY--April 15, 2014 Atlanta: Jaye Delery struggles with her umbrella against the wind near MARTA headquarters in the 2400 block of Piedmont Avenue as the Atlanta metro area was under a wind advisory from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m., with wind gusts up to 40 mph. The rain that soaked metro Atlanta overnight and into Tuesday morning, April 15, 2014 will usher in much colder temperatures by early Wednesday. Channel 2 meteorologist Karen Minton said lows early Wednesday will be around 33 degrees in town and in the upper 20s to low 30s in the suburbs. Afternoon highs Wednesday will be in the upper 50s, Minton said, followed by lows Wednesday night in the upper 30s. The Weather Service has also posted a freeze warning as far south as Macon, from midnight to 9 a.m. Wednesday. Forecast for the rest of the week: Skies will be sunny Wednesday and partly cloudy Thursday, and there's a 30 percent chance of rain Friday, Minton said. Highs will be in the mid-60s Thursday and Friday, with lows early Friday in the upper 40s. The weekend will begin with partly cloudy skies Saturday, with highs in the low 70s and lows around 50 degrees. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

A WALK IN THE PARK--APRIL 12, 2014 AUGUSTA Bubba Watson and his caddie, Ted Scott, walk around the pond on #15. Third round photos from the Masters Golf Tournament, Saturday, April 12, 2014. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

G-DAY GAME--April 12, 2014 Athens - Georgia Bulldogs running back Brendan Douglas (22) chases a loose ball as Georgia Bulldogs linebacker Kosta Vavlas (30) follows in the first half of the 2014 Intrasquad G-Day game at Sanford Stadium in Athens on Saturday, April 12, 2014. HYOSUB SHIN / HSHIN@AJC.COM

CRCT STUDY--April 11, 2014 - Smyrna - Brooklynn Cox studies before school starts in Becky Goodman's second grade class at King Springs Elementary School. Teachers at King Springs Elementary School in Smyrna are using the time between 7:20 and 7:50, before school officially starts, as additional instructional time for the CRCT exams. Many school districts across Georgia missed half a dozen or more days this winter because of snowy, icy weather. The loss in school time has school officials playing catch up so students are ready to take the state’s standardized test this month. School systems are doing a variety of things to make sure students are getting the prep time they need for the Criterion-Referenced Competency Test (CRCT) – from asking students to come in into school earlier to reducing recess periods to offering extra school time on Saturdays. BOB ANDRES / BANDRES@AJC.COM

TIED FOR SECOND--APRIL 13, 2014 AUGUSTA Jordan Spieth hits from the trap on #10. Final round photos from the Masters Golf Tournament, Sunday, April 13, 2014. BRANT SANDERLIN / BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY VISITS ATLANTA--APRIL 16, 2014 ATLANTA U.S. Transportation Sect. Anthony Foxx (center right) stopped in Atlanta on his U.S. "invest in America" tour Wednesday, April 16, 2014. Foxx and Mayor Kasim Reed toured the Atlanta Streetcar and Atlanta Beltline, both projects that have largely been built with the aid of federal funds. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

REMEMBERING CAPTAIN HERB--April 16, 2014 Dekalb County: Some Atlanta motorists have taken their remembrance of Captain Herb Emory literally to the streets. This driver was in the morning rush hour on I-85 south at North Druid Hills. A private funeral was held Wednesday. A celebration of Captain Herb Emory's life will be held Saturday morning at Johnson Ferry Baptist Church in east Cobb. The public is invited to the 10 a.m. to noon celebration. The church is at 955 Johnson Ferry Road near Lower Roswell Road. Emory died Saturday of a heart attack he suffered while assisting at a wreck site near his Douglas County home. JOHN SPINK/JSPINK@AJC.COM

CHAMPIONSHIP HUG--APRIL 13, 2014 AUGUSTA Bubba Watson hugs his caddie Ted Scott as he wins the Masters Championship Sunday afternoon. Final round photos from the Masters Golf Tournament, Sunday, April 13, 2014. CURTIS COMPTON / CCOMPTON@AJC.COM

UGA PRO DAY--April 16, 2014. Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray works out in front of NFL scouts during UGA's Pro Day Wednesday April 16, 2014 in Athens. Murray's collegiate career ended with a left knee injury against Kentucky, but has since recovered. BRANT SANDERLIN /BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM .

A KISS FOR LUCK--April 16, 2014. Former Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray gets a kiss from his girlfriend Kacie McDonnell after completing his workout in front of NFL scouts during UGA's Pro Day Wednesday April 16, 2014 in Athens. Murray's collegiate career ended with a left knee injury against Kentucky, but has since recovered. BRANT SANDERLIN /BSANDERLIN@AJC.COM

POPPY FIELDS--An Afghan farmer works on a poppy field in the Khogyani district of Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Thursday, April 17, 2014. Last May's harvest produced a staggering 5,500 metric tons (6,000 tons) of opium, 49 percent higher than the previous year and more than the combined output of the rest of the world, according to a report issued Wednesday by the United Nations' drug control agency. Poppy cultivation is expected to increase in both eastern and western provinces of the country. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)

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KEEPING EACH OTHER STRONG--APRIL 17, 2014 ATLANTA Sgt Guinn's widow, Kimberly, stands with their 7 year old triplets, Isabelle, Alyssa, and Makenna as the casket enters the church. Atlanta Fire Rescue officials and firefighters joined with family and friends during the funeral of AFR Sgt Frank Guinn at Peachtree Road Presbyterian Church, Thursday, April 17, 2014. Sgt Guinn, 36, was training for an Ironman Triathlon in New Orleans when he was struck on his bicycle and killed. Guinn, a nine-year veteran of the department, was stationed at Fire Station 21. He is survived by his wife, a Cobb County teacher, and 7-year-old triplet daughters. KENT D. JOHNSON/KDJOHNSON@AJC.COM

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