Sunbathing gator shuts down fitness trail

Submitted by Julie Wolfe, 11Alive Reporter

Tuesday, March 15th, 2016, 2:40pm

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. -- Chattahoochee's resident alligator loves these early spring temperatures. He (or she, it's still up for debate) has been escaping the cool waters of the river to warm himself in the shallow wetlands. As temperatures inched towards a record 82 degrees Tuesday, the National Park Service announced plans to close part of a trail inside the Chattahoochee River Recreation Area.

"The alligator has been pretty active lately because of the warm temperatures," Ardrianna McLane with the National Parks Service told 11Alive's Julie Wolfe. The Park Service decided to close a portion of the Cochran Shoals Fitness Loop to minimize stress on the alligator. McLane said a small portion of the trail will be marked with sandwich-board style signs.

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Submitted by 11Alive News Staff

Friday, March 11th, 2016, 11:45pm

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. -- A chase between Sandy Springs police and a motorcyclist ended almost as quickly as it began when the rider took a spill while trying to get away.

The department released video on social media that shows a rider accelerating around a parked vehicle while trying to run from police on Roswell Road. The rider appeared to be attempting to get onto westbound Interstate 285.

But that attempt was foiled when a tall curb apparently got in the way bringing the bike down - and the rider along with it.

The video shows the rider attempting to pick up the bike as a uniformed officer comes over to make an arrest.

The official reason for the stop was apparently a missing license plate.

Police accompany the video with a short description asking if it would have just been easier to stop followed by the hashtag "#JUSTSTOP"

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Submitted by Blayne Alexander, 11Alive Reporter

Wednesday, March 9th, 2016, 7:43pm

ATLANTA -- Sandy Springs Police are looking for two men who have repeatedly attacked victims as they left a bank.

Police are investigating three different robberies that took place on Feb. 22, Feb. 26 and March 3. They all happened on or near Roswell Road.

In each case, police said the victims were basically stalked by the suspects. According to police, the suspects watched customers enter and leave the bank and, based on what they in their hands, followed them to a different location, where the robberies took place.

"In all three of these cases, the victims had the red Bank of America bank bags leaving the locations and I guess those bags kind of stand out," said Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Ron Momon. "In two instances, the victims stopped at convenience stores and, after coming out of the convenience stores, were accosted in their vehicle."

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Submitted by 11Alive News Staff

Wednesday, March 9th, 2016, 8:21am

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. -- At least 20 residents are displaced after an early morning fire at an apartment complex.

A fire broke out at The Reserve At Ridgewood apartments located in the 7000 block of Roswell Rd. According to The Red Cross, 12 units were impacted by the fire. The organization was on the scene "assisting with lodging, food, emotional support and other essentials," said American Red Cross of Georgia Regional Communication Manager Divina Mims-Puckett.

Stay with 11Alive for updates on this story.

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Want to Learn How to Tie a Trout Fly?

Submitted by Sylvia Small on Friday, March 4th, 2:12 pm

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Submitted by 11Alive News Staff

Friday, December 18th, 2015, 7:57pm

SANDY SPRINGS, Ga. -- An attempted traffic stop ended with a high-speed chase and crash on Georgia 400 Friday morning.

Authorities said a Georgia State Patrol Trooper tried to pull over a driver on a speeding charge. The driver didn't stop, and a chase began.

Eventually, the driver lost control of the vehicle and hit a median near the Northridge exit. The driver was taken to Northside Hospital and turned over to Sandy Spring Police.

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Submitted by Doug Richards, 11Alive Reporter

Thursday, December 10th, 2015, 8:19pm

ATLANTA -- The mayor of Sandy Springs says the city is "not unserious" about studying a monorail as part of a plan to expand transportation. And he thinks taxpayers may be willing to swallow the cost -- which is part of the reason for the mayor's ambivalence.

If they build a monorail in Sandy Springs, odds are pretty good it would look a little like the elevated train that connects Hartsfield Jackson Airport with the convention center west of the airport. And it would cost a pile of money.

It's not a monorail but it's the newest elevated train in town. It spans a modest one and a half miles. In 2009, it cost an immodest $642 million to build—a cost comparable to the new Braves stadium in Cobb County.

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