A Northeast Georgia state lawmaker was stripped of his Georgia House committee chairmanship Friday for belittling the late Congressman John Lewis’ legacy in a radio interview. It’s the second time Rep. Tommy Benton, R-Jefferson, has lost a leadership position in the General Assembly since June 2017, when he distributed an article promoting the idea that […]
Posted inCrime
Georgia State Patrol officer charged with murder after shooting 60-year-old
The GBI has arrested a Georgia State Patrol Officer who who shot and killed a 60-year-old earlier this month after a brief chase. The GBI has arrested 27-year-old Jacob Gordon Thompson on charges of felony murder and aggravated assault. He will be booked into the Screven County Jail. Officials say the investigation supports the charges […]
Posted inCrime
Suspect arrested in gang-related slaying of 70-year-old in Norcross parking lot
NORCROSS — A suspect has been arrested in what police are calling a gang-related homicide in a hotel parking lot in Gwinnett County. The Gwinnett County Police Department responded to the In Town Suites at 1950 Willow Trail Parkway Thursday after 70-year-old Richard St. John was found dead in the parking lot with at least […]
Posted inNews Blog
News Blog: Athens-Clarke County settles mask lawsuit
The Mayor and Commission held a Special Called Session on Friday, August 14 at 8:15 a.m. to approve a settlement with plaintiffs related to the recent mask ordinance requirement for public and commercial spaces and an ordinance changing the hours of alcohol sales and closing times for retail by the drink licensees. With the support […]
Posted inYour Government
Georgia is getting serious about police reform
Police training and tactics like chokeholds, no-knock warrants and rubber bullets for crowd control in Georgia will face scrutiny from a group of state lawmakers tasked with making reform recommendations for law enforcement agencies before year’s end. The Georgia Senate study committee looking at policing techniques and oversight comes after the General Assembly passed legislation outlawing […]
Posted inMissing
Missing Woodstock teen found
WOODSTOCK — A 16 year-old girl who went missing Wednesday in Woodstock has been found and returned home safely. In the early morning hours Friday, the Woodstock Police Department announced that 16-year-old Lily Griffin had been found. Lily disappeared from the area of Weatherstone Trace Wednesday evening.
Posted inCoronavirus
Should fall sports resume? Emory experts weigh in
Emory University infectious disease experts have raised strong concerns about fall sports being played in areas, such as Georgia, that have high levels of COVID-19 cases. “I feel like the Titanic,’’ said del Rio, who serves on an NCAA COVID advisory panel. “We have hit the iceberg, and we’re trying to make decisions of what […]
Posted inEvents
Decatur Book Festival goes virtual
DECATUR — Metro Atlanta’s most well known book festival will be virtual only this year. The 2020 Atlanta Journal-Constitution Decatur Book Festival presented by Emory University has announced that the event will be free and completely virtual this year, beginning Friday, Sept. 4, and continuing through Sunday, Oct. 4. The Decatur Book Festival, one of the largest independent book […]
Posted inYour Government
Kemp to withdraw mask lawsuit against Atlanta mayor
Georgia Governor Brian Kemp said today he would be withdrawing his lawsuit against Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms and the Atlanta City Council over the city’s mask mandate, but that doesn’t mean the controversy between them is over. Instead, Kemp will add language to his next executive order that will allow businesses an exemption from […]
Posted inCrime
Georgia court official charged with sexual exploitation of children
WOODBURY — A court official in Meriwether county has been arrested and charged with Sexual Exploitation of Children. According to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, on Wednesday, August 12, 2020, Meriwether County Deputy Clerk of Magistrate Court Carol Washington was charged with one count of Sexual Exploitation of Children (Possession of Child Pornography) and one count of […]
Posted inMissing
Have you seen her? This Woodstock teen is missing
WOODSTOCK — The Woodstock Police Department is asking for the public’s help finding a 16-year-old girl who went missing yesterday. Police say 16-year-old Lily Griffin was last seen Wednesday evening in the area of Weatherstone Trace. If you have any information on Lilly’s whereabouts, please contact the Woodstock Police Department.
Posted inBusiness
Zillow is moving into Dunwoody
DUNWOODY — Popular real estate company Zillow will be making its new Southeastern home in Dunwoody. Georgia Governor Brian Kemp today announced that Zillow Group, the largest portfolio of real estate brands on the web, has named the metro Atlanta area its Southeastern hub, bringing nearly 200 jobs to the area. “Our state’s skilled workforce […]
Posted inFood
Ready for Fall? Dunkin’ is rolling out it’s autumn lineup early
Does 2020 have you throwing in the towel and screaming for relief? If you’ve had enough of a difficult year, Dunkin’ is inviting you to get ready for fall and is unleashing its fall flavors in late August. As snack aficionados begin to crave the comfort and coziness of autumn, Dunkin’ is bringing America the […]
Posted inCoronavirus
‘I did not expect things to get this bad:’ Parents react to rocky school start
A Cherokee County high school is going temporarily online after nearly 300 students and staff have been placed on two-week quarantine on the seventh day of the school year, Superintendent Brian Hightower announced Tuesday. “We recognize this decision still may create hardships for Etowah High School families and is disappointing for students who want to […]
Posted inCrime
Monroe man charged with Decatur motel murder
The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office Fugitive Unit has arrested a murder suspect in connection with the shooting death of LePaul Alexander Cheeks on August 6, at a motel on Wesley Chapel Road in Decatur. Monroe resident Ricky O’Neil Holmes is being charged with Felony Murder. According to the arrest warrant, Holmes shot Cheeks, who was […]
Posted inYour Family
‘Yes, Your Kid:’ Every Child is at Risk for Suicide (and the Warning Signs Are Nearly Impossible to Spot)
As a psychiatrist specializing in suicide prevention, it’s deeply troubling to me that suicide rates keep climbing, especially for teens. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the suicide rate for white children between 10 and 17 years old was up 70 percent between 2006 and 2016, and up 77 percent for black children. Every […]
Posted inYour Family
Georgia awarded the most college degrees in its history last year
The University System of Georgia awarded a record-high 70,879 degrees during the last fiscal year, despite the challenges imposed by the coronavirus pandemic. That marked a 4.5% increase over fiscal 2019 and the largest year-over-year increase since 2011, when the university system joined the Complete College America program with its emphasis on earning a degree. […]
Posted inLocal
Dunwoody is getting a new sidewalk along Peeler Road
The City of Dunwoody is adding enhancements to its pedestrian safety network with a new sidewalk along Peeler Road. Dunwoody Mayor Lynn Deutsch and Dunwoody City Council Members held a socially-distanced groundbreaking for the project yesterday. Construction is scheduled to begin this month. “This important project furthers the city’s goal of having sidewalks on both […]
