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The Future of Local News in Georgia

Good morning, Georgia. Bundle up—and we mean really bundle up. Mother Nature is about to remind us why we moved here for the mild winters, and she's not taking prisoners.

If you thought last weekend’s winter event was enough, think again. A winter storm is bearing down on northeast Georgia starting this evening, and the National Weather Service isn’t mincing words. Some areas could see up to 7 inches of snow—that’s not a typo—with temperatures in the 20s ensuring everything sticks.

The Winter Storm Watch covers northeast Georgia through Sunday morning, with the heaviest snow expected east of I-26. Wind gusts up to 35 mph.

And just to make things extra fun, wind chills this weekend will plunge to 5 degrees below zero in some spots. That's the kind of cold that makes you question every life decision that led you to leave your house.

Speaking of dangerous cold, First Baptist Church Woodstock is opening an emergency warming center tonight and Saturday night from 6 p.m. to 8 a.m. The Homeless Coalition of Cherokee County is partnering with local churches to make sure everyone has a safe place to ride out the arctic blast.

It's been a rough week for Georgia law enforcement.

A Warner Robins police officer was shot Thursday morning during a standoff on Redmond Street that lasted hours. The officer is in stable condition, and the suspect was arrested around 11 a.m. after Warner Robins Police, the Houston County Sheriff’s Office, and the GBI surrounded the home.

Meanwhile, a Cobb County police officer shot a woman multiple times Tuesday after she walked into police headquarters in Marietta, asked to speak with an officer, then pulled out a handgun and pointed it at him.

And in Alpharetta, a police patrol car was struck from behind by a drunk driver while officers were conducting—wait for it—a DUI stop. The irony is so thick you could cut it with a knife. The patrol car was so damaged that officers couldn't get back inside, and the fire department had to cut into it to retrieve equipment. All officers are unharmed, but the vehicle is toast.

Speaking of DUI, a Macon attorney pleaded guilty Monday to vehicular homicide in connection with an August 2020 crash that killed his passenger.

Roswell police are asking for the public's help identifying a woman who died at Wellstar North Fulton Hospital in November 2024. The woman gave hospital staff false information before dying from a medical emergency, and for more than a year, detectives have exhausted every lead trying to establish her identity.

A 24-year-old male inmate was found dead Thursday morning at the Bibb County Law Enforcement Center. Corrections deputies and medical staff discovered him unresponsive in his cell during morning medication rounds. Despite lifesaving efforts, he was pronounced dead.

On a brighter note, Cherokee County is collecting donations for its 11th annual Project Valentine, which benefits clients of Empower Cherokee and Next Step Ministries—both serving the special needs community.

Stay warm, stay safe, and stay off the roads this weekend if you can. If you see someone who needs help getting to a warming center, point them in the right direction. And for the love of all that's holy, don't drink and drive.

We'll see you on the other side of this deep freeze.

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