Today is Friday, December 18. That means we are just one week until Christmas. Speaking of Christmas, the forecast shows a small chance of snow on Christmas Day. It is too early to get your hopes up, but it is also 2020 — which means maybe we should expect a Christmas Day blizzard. Here are today’s top headlines.

The News:

Gov. Brian Kemp is promising to supply more staff to strained hospitals.

The Home Depot was smacked with a record fine for lead paint violations. The Atlanta-based retailer will pay $20 million.
A SWAT team shot and killed a Smyrna man while entering his apartment.
A 36-year-old died in Bibb County after a collision with a logging truck.

Mike Pence was in Georgia yesterday.
Be careful on the roads during the Christmas and New Year’s holiday. The Georgia State Patrol will be out and about if you need help remembering to do that.
A water main break closed all Baldwin County Schools yesterday.

There are more Georgians in the hospital right now for COVID-19 than there were in July.
A Georgia elementary school student was found with an unloaded gun at school.
In the Georgia senate race, a new poll shows that the two republican candidates hold a narrow lead in the race.

A former Georgia Police Major is being charged with the theft to the tune of about $4,500.
Gwinnett County is buying Gwinnett Place Mall.

Weather:

Temperatures are below freezing this morning, but you can probably feel that. This afternoon expect a high of 49 degrees before we return to below freezing temps in the overnight hours.

Coronavirus:

The state reported 8,037 new cases of coronavirus yesterday. There were 300 people hospitalized for the virus yesterday and 56 confirmed deaths from COVID-19. The death toll from coronavirus in Georgia is now 9,358 confirmed deaths with 936 deaths likely caused by the virus.

Quote of The Day:

“Christmas is not a story of hope. It is hope.” -Craig D. Lounsbrough

Thom Chandler

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Thom Chandler is the editor of The Georgia Sun and has been writing, editing and managing websites and blogs since 1995. He is a lifelong Georgian and one of those increasingly rare Atlanta natives.