This article was produced in partnership with ProPublica. Georgia Health News is a member of the ProPublica Local Reporting Network. On Tuesday afternoon in a small town in southwest Georgia, Army National Guard 2nd Lt. George Peagler stepped into a white hazmat suit, pulled up his bright green gloves and adjusted his N95 mask. Georgia Gov. Brian […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Brian Kemp wants you to wear a mask despite end of shelter-in-place
On the first day after Georgia’s shelter-in-place order officially expired, Gov. Brian Kemp is urging Georgians to continue wearing face masks when they go out, a sign that the governor doesn’t expect the state to return to normal immediately. Kemp, Dr. Kathleen Toomey, and the Georgia Department of Public Health urge all Georgians to continue […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Georgia senator introduces plan to address doctor shortage by allowing immigrant visas
U.S. Sen. David Perdue, R-Ga., is planning to introduce bipartisan legislation aimed at relieving the nation’s shortage of doctors and nurses critically needed to respond to the coronavirus pandemic. The bill would recapture and reallocate 25,000 unused immigrant visas for nurses and 15,000 for doctors and instruct the State Department and Department of Homeland Security […]
Posted inYour Government, Coronavirus
Gordon County has an absentee ballot drop box
CALHOUN — Voters in Gordon County will be able to drop off their absentee ballots for the June 9 primary election at a new absentee ballot drop box. The Gordon County Board of Elections and Voter Registration Office recently installed an “Official Absentee Ballot Drop Box” for voters to use when dropping off their absentee […]
Posted inCrime
$25,000 reward offered for information on shooting at DeKalb Solicitor-General’s home
The DeKalb County Police Department is offering a $25,000 reward for details leading to the arrest, indictment and conviction of the individuals responsible for firing at the home of DeKalb County’s solicitor-general Donna Coleman-Stribling. According to police, shots were fired at Coleman-Stribling’s home at about 10 p.m. April 11 while the family was inside the […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Georgia’s shelter-in-place order expires tonight, but not for everyone
The Gist: As expected, Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has decided to let the state’s shelter-in-place order expire at 11:59 p.m. tonight. However, Kemp has extended the shelter-in-place order for medically fragile and elderly Georgians until June 12. He has also set restrictions on businesses until May 13. Why it Matters: Kemp has faced pressure from […]
Posted inMissing
Missing Macon man found dead
MACON — A Macon man who was missing since Saturday afternoon was found dead Thursday morning near a wooded embankment. The Bibb County Sheriff’s Office responded to a call of a person down just before 10 a.m. When deputies arrived they found a man unresponsive down a wooded embankment. After further investigation, authorities were able […]
Posted inIn The News
Burn bans begin in some Georgia counties May 1
Beginning May 1, the Georgia Environmental Protection Division open burning ban will be in effect for 47 Georgia counties. The ban will begin June 1 in seven additional counties, which were given extra time to clear vegetative debris from April storms. Counties that have until June 1 are Banks, Catoosa, Chattooga, Floyd, Gordon, Upson and […]
Posted inYour Government, Coronavirus
More than 1 million Georgia voters plan to vote absentee
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s plan to have Georgians vote by mail amid the coronavirus pandemic seems to be a hit among voters. The secretary of state’s office reported more than 1 million Georgians have requested absentee ballots, shattering all previous records in the state. “Our goal was to keep voters safe and take […]
Posted inTraffic & Transportation
Triple lane closures on I-285 this weekend
Georgia Department of Transportation contractors will install overnight triple lane closures on the south end of I-285 this weekend in Clayton and Fulton counties. Weather permitting, three left lanes will be closed on I-285 westbound from Airport Tunnel to SR 314/W. Fayetteville Road bridge from 7 p.m. Friday, May 1 until 5 a.m., Monday, May […]
Posted inCoronavirus, Your Community
Rabun County parks will have a ‘soft opening’ May 1
The Rabun County Recreation Department will begin a “soft opening” Friday May 1. The Lake Loop Nature Trail, Rabun Bark Park and the pond will be available for use. The playground, baseball fields, softball fields, football fields and soccer fields will be closed to the public, as will all gyms and offices. Anyone coming to […]
Posted inBusiness, Coronavirus
Will recently laid off workers be replaced by automation?
A new study by Georgia State University economists shows a strong correlation between Americans unemployed due to coronavirus and those likely to be displaced by automation after the pandemic is over. About 75% of industries at risk from COVID-19 closely match those with high potential for automation due to artificial intelligence (AI) and advanced computer […]
Posted inCoronavirus
Report finds Georgia ranks 48th in U.S. for coronavirus support for at-risk groups
A new report says Georgia is among the worst states in the U.S. in protecting at-risk populations from COVID-19. The personal finance website WalletHub sought to identify the states with the best support systems and most coronavirus support for at-risk people. WalletHub’s analysis, released Tuesday, compared the 50 states and District of Columbia across three dimensions: […]
Posted inGeorgia People
City of South Fulton to honor 100-year-old resident
SOUTH FULTON — Few people have witnessed the level of change Hattie Lucy Young has seen in Fulton County during her lifetime. The City of South Fulton resident, who has lived within a radius of only several miles for her entire life, turned 100 years old on April 12 amidst the trials of the COVID-19 […]
Posted inCrime
Second arrest made in shooting death of 21-year-old in Decatur
DECATUR — A second arrest has been made in the April 22 slaying of a 21-year-old in Decatur. The DeKalb County Sheriff’s Fugitive Unit, working with the Cobb County Police Department, arrested 19-year-old Austell resident Eliyahu Benyamin as a possible second suspect. According to the Sheriff’s Dept., Benyamin is suspected of facilitating the shooting death […]
Posted inCoronavirus, National
Antiviral drug Remdesivir found effective at treating coronavirus
Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday said a study of the antiviral drug remdesivir showed promising signs for treatment of coronavirus. Fauci said the mortality rate for COVID-19 patients given remdesivir was 8 percent compared to 11 percent for those taking a placebo. “Remdesivir has a clear-cut, significant, positive effect in diminishing the time to recovery,” […]
Posted inMissing
Police need your help finding a missing Macon man
UPDATE: Randall Head was found dead April 30. Read more here. Bibb County Sheriff’s Office investigators are asking for the public’s assistance in a missing person investigation. According to the Bibb County Sheriff’s Office, 51-year-old Randall Head, of Macon, was last seen leaving his home Saturday afternoon, April 25. Head’s father contacted the Sheriff’s Office […]
Posted inCrime
Registered sex offender arrested on sexual exploitation charges in Clayton County
FOREST PARK — A 30-year-old registered sex offender was arrested Tuesday in Clayton County and charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of children for alleged possession of child pornography. On Tuesday, April 28, 2020, Vincent Hughes, of Forest Park, a registered sex offender, was arrested by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the Clayton […]
