I-Team

Posted December 20, 2024 A Spalding County woman's apartment was badly damaged by Hurricane Helene and her apartment complex has failed to make adequate repairs. She is now dealing with multiple problems, including mold.

By Johnny EdwardsPublished December 19, 2024 The FOX 5 I-Team reported last week how independent testing, ordered by the Southern Environmental Law Center, found forever chemicals at unsafe levels in several wells in the low-income community, not far from a former DuPont carpet fibers plant. The discovery prompted the city to connect 15 homes to public water lines, to stop the poisoning. Forever chemicals have been linked to liver damage, thyroid problems, reproductive problems and various forms of cancer. The Brief: * Residents living off Pittard Road in Athens, a low-income community near a former DuPont plant, learned this year they’ve been drinking well water contaminated with forever chemicals, or PFAS. * For decades, government experts told residents their water was fine, apparently based on 2003 well tests that didn’t check for forever chemicals, because they weren’t on regulators’ radar then. * A dismissive 2006 report on the neighborhood by the Atlanta-based Agency for Toxic Chemicals and Disease Registry (ATSDR) may have shut down further investigation. * The truth could have been found much sooner: A PFAS expert says testing as early as 2009 could have confirmed the presence of forever chemicals. ATHENS, Ga. - An Athens neighborhood’s long search for the truth about contaminated well water didn’t have to take so long. FULL STORY: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/pfas-expert-regulators-could-have-detected-forever-chemicals-athens-wells-15-years-ago

The monthly average cost to stay warm indoors in Georgia is $113, but you can possibly beat the average if you make your home winter-ready. The FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle explains what you can do.

Almost 35,000 of these batter chargers were sold and now need to be pulled. The FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle explains why you should take this recall very seriously.

Posted December 13, 2024 A northwest Atlanta property owner took the city to court after getting $81,000 in water bills. Last month, a judge ruled that she didn't owe the money, plain and simple. A northwest Atlanta property owner took the city to court after getting $81,000 in water bills. Last month, a judge ruled that she didn't owe the money, plain and simple.

By Johnny EdwardsPublished December 12, 2024 ATHENS, Ga. - It’s been a mystery for one Athens neighborhood for more than two decades: Why have so many of their family members and neighbors fallen sick with cancer? "We’ve always known that there was something wrong with the water – always," said Neffy Davis, who grew up among extended family on Pittard Road from the 1970s to the early 1990s. "Every home had some form of cancer." FULL STORY: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/athens-residents-claimed-decades-were-being-poisoned-were-right

Deadlines are looming for Georgia's health insurance open enrollment, so don't delay getting this done. The FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle has a last-minute reminder for everyone still waiting to sign up for their plan.

Most toys in this country go through a rigorous testing process, but when they are shipped from overseas, there can be huge gaps in safety. And when they are sold in private marketplaces - like Facebook or eBay - another safety net, according to the government, is removed.

By Johnny EdwardsPublished December 3, 2024 A landlord and a downtown nightclub are battling in court over a building that sits on state property. The FOX 5 I-Team has learned that, before his death from cancer last week, Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson waded into that dispute. FOX 5 I-Team reporter Johnny Edwards obtained a scathing letter about the nightclub, sent by Thomspon to Atlanta's chief of police and mayor, a few months before he died. The Brief: Before Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson died in November, he reportedly warned of issues at Lyfe ATL nightclub on state property, deeming it a nuisance that needed to be investigated. Thompson's letter to authorities outlined significant concerns, including poor sanitation, safety hazards, drug odor, and nearby shootings. The nightclub is caught in a drawn-out legal battle, reportedly not paying rent since 2022. Despite citations for various violations, including lacking alcohol and food service permits, Lyfe ATL continues to operate. ATLANTA - Before his death in office last month, Georgia Labor Commissioner Bruce Thompson tried to sound an alarm about a downtown nightclub, the FOX 5 I-Team has learned. FULL STORY: https://www.fox5atlanta.com/news/before-he-died-gas-labor-commissioner-asked-police-investigate-nightclub-state-property

Holiday deliveries are kicking off into high gear, but consumer advocates are warning about scam texts pretending to announce delivery problems. The FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle explains what you need to be looking out for.

If your student graduates high school in May, your family is already talking about how to pay for college. Around $100 million in scholarship money goes unclaimed, and the FOX 5 I-Team's Dana Fowle looks at how you can see if you can get some of that cash.