Man climbs ladder, breaks window and assaults woman in home, police say

Investigators say a man climbed a ladder outside a woman’s home, broke a window and then went inside and sexually assaulted her.  The woman told police she was asleep in her bed when she felt the man assaulting her. The woman’s husband and children were in the house at the time. The victim said she did not know the attacker, and the man ran off. He was arrested, and it turns out the suspect is one of the woman’s neighbors.  The woman talks about the terrifying attack, on Channel 2 Action News at 5 p.m. TRENDING STORIES: Gwinnett County releases new info on stabbing inside classroom 1 dead, 2 in critical condition after shooting at Popeyes restaurant How much money will you actually get if you win Mega Millions jackpot?

Atlanta City Hall releases new deal terms for $5B Gulch project

Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms’ office on Tuesday released new terms for a proposed public financing package for the $5 billion development of downtown’s Gulch that removes a controversial extension of a special taxing district. The long-term costs, including interest, that taxpayers would cover under the original deal are likely to come down considerably. But the overall public financing for the deal will still total more than $1 billion. VIDEO: Previous coverage on this issue In August, Bottoms unveiled a proposal for up to $1.75 billion in bonds, not including borrowing costs, backed by future sales and property taxes created within the 40-acre downtown property. The proposal now includes a package valued at up to $1.9 billion, but the deal will not rely as heavily on bonds and therefore the total long-term costs to taxpayers will likely be less than the original proposal. Bottoms and CIM were forced to alter the deal for lack of council support.  The changes remove some technical complexity in addition to reducing the interest on bonds that would be recouped by future tax revenues. Supporters say the new terms will motivate CIM to build faster in order to recoup costs. Bottoms’ office released details and about 700 pages of new agreements with the developer for City Council consideration. AJC FLASHBACK PHOTOS: A look at Atlanta’s Gulch and viaducts Developer CIM Group wants to build a mix of office towers, apartments, hotels and retail over the parking lots and railroad tracks between Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Five Points MARTA station. The site is complicated and requires a massive $500 million steel and concrete platform spanning the tracks to create a new street grid. The project remains eligible to collect a portion of future sales taxes created within the Gulch through 2048 and allows CIM to receive reimbursements from the city out of the area known as the Westside Tax Allocation District. Those funds would come from new property taxes created on the site through 2038. The earlier terms extended the taxing district’s life by 10 additional years. The new deal still calls for up to $1.25 billion in bonds through 2048 to be repaid by five pennies of the local 8.9-cent sales tax revenue created within the Gulch. The other revenue stream still involves future property taxes created by the project, but now through 2038. However, instead of issuing bonds that would accrue interest, CIM will be eligible for reimbursement of costs of development. Under those terms, CIM could apply for reimbursement of up to 12.5 percent of qualifying development costs out of the TAD for two decades. CIM also would be allowed to obtain about $32 million in bonds up front that also would be paid from future property taxes. Under the new structure, CIM could recoup up to $625 million in development spending from property taxes through 2038, bringing the financing package to about $1.9 billion. But with the elimination of the TAD extension and reduction in future bond debt, this structure is likely to reduce overall costs through the life of the TAD. Supporters of the Gulch say the development will effectively pay for itself because of the new revenue created, but critics say the project will siphon tax revenue by directing development to the Gulch that would have happened in other parts of the city that contribute to the public coffers. “Our team has worked nonstop over the last several months to structure a deal that would not just bring much needed development to the westside of downtown, but most importantly, would benefit communities throughout Atlanta,” Bottoms said in a news release. “With the inclusion of millions of dollars towards affordable and workforce housing, economic development, and job training, this historic agreement is vastly different than any other negotiated by our City.” A public benefits agreement with CIM remains largely unchanged and includes a $28 million donation into a citywide affordable housing fund, and creation of the greater of 200 residential units or 20 percent of the project as workforce housing. CIM also has committed to spend $12 million in a city economic development fund, $2 million for workforce training and a $12 million donation for a new fire station. At a press conference outside City Hall Tuesday morning, members of the Redlight the Gulch Coalition, which opposes the project, said the public benefits of the deal are still dwarfed by the subsidy. J.C. Bradbury, a Kennesaw State University economist who contributed to an outside analysis of the deal, said Gulch supporters do not consider opportunity costs for using taxpayer dollars in the Gulch rather than in other parts of the city. He said buildings constructed in the Gulch likely would have been built elsewhere in fully taxable areas, depriving the city, Fulton County and Atlanta Public Schools of future revenue. “This is just the shuffling of dollars,” he said. A.J. Robinson, the president and CEO of Central Atlanta Progress, which supports the proposal, said the new terms enforce stronger terms on CIM to deliver, otherwise they won’t be able to recoup costs. They also have to work faster.  “It took a really good for the city and made it better. Most importantly it forces the development team into a 20-year time frame to build a whole bunch of density. From the city’s standpoint, that’s what they should be trying to encourage.”

Former choir, orchestra teacher accused of sexual battery against student

A former Woodstock High School chorus teacher is facing charges of sexually assaulting a student. Ryan Parker McKendrick, 36, was arrested Saturday on charges of sexual battery against a child under the age of 16, sexual assault by a teacher and tampering with evidence, as well as four counts related to distributing or promoting obscene materials of minors.   McKendrick left his post as director of the Woodstock High chorus and orchestra earlier this month, according to his LinkedIn page. He had been employed with the Cherokee County School District since 2007. TRENDING STORIES: College athlete was on phone with mom shortly before death on campus Gwinnett County releases new info on stabbing inside classroom Beloved Fulton PE teacher killed while crossing busy street He is the third metro Atlanta teacher to be accused of sexual misconduct involving a child in the last month. Two teachers, one employed with DeKalb County schools and the other a music instructor who gave lessons out of his home, were found dead after the allegations were brought to light. Authorities said both men appear to have killed themselves. AJC.com has reached out to the Cherokee school district for comment about the latest case. McKendrick was arrested by Roswell police and was briefly held in the county jail before he posted a $34,306 bond, a Cherokee sheriff’s spokesman said. The warrant was obtained by school district police. This article was written by Chelsea Prince with our investigative partners at The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.