Around the Region: Toll Lanes Proposed, American Pickers Coming and School Probation Ends

– Northeast Cobb Patch

Northeast Cobb drivers who frequent the I-575 corridor extending from the I-75 interchange in Cobb County into Cherokee County know well the traffic congestion experienced with only four general-purpose lanes.

The Northwest Corridor Project (NWCP) proposes to make transportation improvements that include the addition of a managed lane system in the median between the I-75/I-575 interchange and Sixes Road.

The NWCP has been compared to the I-85 Express Lanes, but the scope and operation of the two projects vary greatly. Some of the key differences between the I-85 project and the NWCP include the addition, not conversion, of lanes and the installation of lane barriers. Additionally, the NWCP would be a public-private partnership.

– Athens Patch

The American Pickers, from a popular television show of the same name on the History Channel, will soon visit the Athens area.

In particular, the duo is searching for country music memorabilia, racing memorabilia, Civil War items or other “interesting historical” items.

If your collection fits into any of these categories, pickers Mike Wolfe and Frank Fritz may want to speak with you. If you have some potential treasures, or if you know of someone else who might, send an email to Hannah Smith of the Athens Convention and Visitors Bureau or call 706-816-9376.

– Buckhead Patch

The has removed the Atlanta Public Schools from probation, giving some much-needed positive news to a district battered by two scandals this year.

SACS left the district on "advisement," meaning there are a couple of issues the accrediting agency wants to continue to monitor in the next 12 months to ensure APS' board doesn't backslide into problems.

SACS, which in , threatened to remove APS' accreditation -- essentially making high school diplomas worthless -- if board members failed to make significant improvements on specified action items.