With the May 22 primary elections behind us, now it is time for voters to focus their attention on the July 24 runoff election. On the heels of the primaries, democrats are energized by the turnout and performance of their candidates. Republicans are also energized and battling a blue wave that rushed through the state […]
Posted inCrime
Murder suspect extradited from Mexico to Georgia to face charges
Jorge Montiel, 32 of Mexico, was returned to Cumming from Hidalgo, Mexico July 17, to stand trial for charges against him stemming from a 2010 murder case. Agents of the FBI Gainesville Office took Montiel into custody in Mexico and escorted him back to Georgia. The GBI and Forsyth County Sheriff’s Office took custody of […]
Posted inCrime
Did two Roswell police officers use a coin toss app to decide whether or not to make an arrest?
Two Roswell police officers are being investigated over allegations they used a coin toss app during a traffic stop to determine whether or not to make an arrest. Since it is an ongoing investigation, little information is available to the public, but Roswell Police Chief Rusty Grant released the following statement about the investigation: “On […]
Posted inAnnouncements
Georgia Cyber Crime Center Opens
On July 10 and July 11, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation officially opened the Nathan Deal Campus for Innovation at the Georgia Cyber Center in Augusta. The GBI’s Georgia Cyber Crime Center will be a collaborative effort with the Georgia Technology Authority, Augusta University, Augusta Tech, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, and public […]
Posted inAnnouncements
If You Live in Rockdale County, Your Property Taxes May Be Increasing
The Rockdale County Board of Commissioners has tentatively adopted a 2018 property tax rate which will require an increase in property taxes by 9.85 percent. All concerned citizens are invited to the public hearing on this tax increase at the Assembly Hall at 901 Main Street in Conyers July 24 at 10 a.m. Additional public […]
Posted inYour Family
New website allows Floyd County residents to search for nearby sex offenders
Sheriff Tim Burkhalter and the Floyd County Sheriff’s Office have launched a new sex offender registration and public notification program called OffenderWatch. The Floyd County Sheriff’s Office will now be part of a nationwide network of over 5,000 law enforcement agencies. The new service is a user-friendly website that enables citizens to search for potentially […]
Posted inYour Family
Augusta park to get new playground thanks to funding from Disney
The city of Augusta will be adding a new playground to Henry H. Brigham Park thanks to a $30,000 grant from The Walt Disney Company. The grant is part of the National Recreation and Park Association and Disney’s combined goal of providing one million kids and families with greater access to play. “The funding will enable […]
Posted inThe Public Record
The Public Record: Casey Cagle on the race to be the ‘craziest’
The Players: More audio of a secretly recorded conversation in May between Casey Cagle and fellow republican Clay Tippins. This portion of the recording was released by Brian Kemp’s campaign. So, your players in this one are all republicans, Cagle and Kemp are running against each other in the July runoff and Tippins is a […]
Posted inIn The News
If you live in Avondale Estates, your garbage collection fee just increased
The Gist: In Avondale Estates, the city’s sanitation fees will be going up about $71 per household per year in 2019, bringing the total for residential trash collection to $521 per year. When was the decision made?: The mayor and city commissioners voted on the increase July 9. How are the fees collected?: While residents […]
Posted inAnnouncements
Georgia’s Tax Revenue is up
Georgia’s net tax collections for June totaled $1.98 billion, for an increase of $20.5 million, or 1 percent, compared to last year when net tax collections totaled nearly $1.96 billion. Year-to-date, net tax collections totaled roughly $22.71 billion, for an increase of $961.3 million, or 4.4 percent, compared to June 2017, when net tax revenues […]
Posted inYour Family
Tips to protect your family from mosquitoes
As the weather continues to heat up and summer rains start falling, chances are your yard has become home to a few hundred blood-sucking nuisances that make outdoor barbecues and time with your family miserable. The Athens-Clarke County Unified Government offers several tips to help you cut down on and eliminate mosquitoes so that your […]
Posted inYour Government
Blythe City Council election that ended in tie to be decided in July runoff
We’ve all heard the rare story of elections being decided by a handful of votes or by one vote, but how often do you hear about an election ending in a tie? It happened in Georgia. In the small town of Blythe, a contentious city council race ended with the vote being a 50-50 split. […]
Posted inCrime
Former Fort Valley Police officer arrested
The Georgia Bureau of Investigation arrested Friday former Fort Valley Police Officer Vetrimyer “Vet” Miller, a 45-years-old from Warner Robins. Miller has been charged with Unlawful Possession of Identification Documents stemming from an incident last July. According to the GBI, while Miller was detached to the Peach County Drug Unit, he allegedly used his official […]
Posted inCrime
Former Georgia assistant principal arrested on sexual assault charges
A former assistant principal at Morgan County High School in Madison, Ga. was arrested Friday and charged with multiple counts of Sexual Assault by Persons with Supervisory or Disciplinary Authority, Sexual battery and one count of rape. The accused is 34-year-old Ryan Rickard who, according to the GBI, was previously under federal investigation for attempting […]
Posted inCrime
Man robs restaurant, steals empty cash register
Police are looking for a man who robbed a Gwinnett County restaurant, stealing an empty cash register, which he later discarded. According to Gwinnett police, the suspect threw a rock through the glass front door of El Fruitie Loco on Satellite Blvd., stole the cash register and fled on foot. Surveillance video shows the robbery […]
Posted inIn The News
Savannah to get monument honoring Martin Luther King Jr.
Savannah will soon be home to a new monument paying tribute to Georgia native and civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. The new monument will be part of the city’s new Riverfront Park on West River Street. The park will be located at the end of MLK Jr. Blvd. The monument will consist of […]
Posted inIn The News
Fulton County gets Text-to-911
The Gist: Fulton County residents who find themselves in an emergency and unable to talk on the phone can now text for help. The service is not intended to be used if residents are able to make a voice call, but is designed for those with hearing or speech impairments and those who are in […]
Posted inIn The News
How is Georgia’s new hands-free driving law being enforced in your area?
Georgia’s new hands-free driving law has been in effect for under a week now and while some law enforcement agencies are actively enforcing the law using citations, others are setting a grace period to educate drivers on the new law. If you’re still not sure what is and isn’t allowed under the new law, you […]
