Posted inCrime

Georgia teacher arrested for soliciting photos from students under the age of 15

JASPER — A Pickens County Junior High school teacher has been arrested and charged with enticing a child for indecent purposes. Gilbert Suarez IV, 38, of Cartersville was arrested on four counts of enticing a child for indecent purposes. Suarez surrendered himself to the Pickens County Detention Center on Friday, Jan. 31. The Pickens County School […]

Posted inCrime

Barnesville man arrested and charged with making terroristic threats against his workplace

BARNESVILLE — The GBI has arrested a 24-year-old Barnesville man for terroristic threats stemming from a conversation he allegedly had with a co-worker. On Tuesday, Jan. 28, 24-year-old Michael C. Hudgins was arrested by GBI Agents for Terroristic Threats and Acts.  In addition to that charge, Hudgins was also charged with theft by receiving a […]

Posted inBusiness

Georgia Residents Will Start Paying Sales Tax for Items Purchased on Amazon and Other Online Retailers

ATLANTA – Gov. Brian Kemp has signed legislation imposing state sales taxes on online purchases facilitated by large retailers like Amazon, Google and Uber. The tax is projected to raise hundreds of millions of dollars annually in Georgia. Lawmakers in Georgia’s House and Senate hashed out a compromise measure early in this year’s legislative session to collect […]

Posted inCoronavirus, National

The coronavirus has spread person-to-person for the first time in the U.S.

The coronavirus has spread from person-to-person in the United States for the first time since it was reported in Wuhan, China last month. The new case spread between two people in Illinois. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention today confirmed that the coronavirus has spread between two people in the United States, representing the […]

Posted inYour Government

Georgia turns to TikTok to educate voters about the state’s new voting system

Want to know how Georgia’s new voting machines are going to work? You may be able to get your answers from TikTok. Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is hosting the first ever Georgia Secretary of State Secure The Vote TikTok voter education challenge. As part of the campaign, Raffensperger is encouraging participants in the […]

Posted inYour Government

Doug Collins to challenge Kelly Loeffler for Georgia senate seat

Georgia’s wild year of politics just got wilder. After much speculation, U.S. Rep. Doug Collins announced Wednesday morning that he will challenge appointed U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to fill the remainder of former U.S. Sen. Johnny Isakson’s term. Collins’ decision risks splitting Republican support in Georgia at a time when Democratic leaders see their prospects […]

Posted inYour Government

Human traffickers in Georgia could lose their commercial driver’s licenses

A bill introduced by an Athens republican would revoke commercial driver’s licenses from anyone convicted of human trafficking. State Representative Houston Gaines introduced House Bill 823 Monday on behalf of Governor Brian Kemp and First Lady Marty Kemp to combat human trafficking in Georgia. The legislation would impose a lifetime commercial driver’s license ban in […]

Posted inAnnouncements, Your Community

Want to be a poll worker in Hall County? Here’s what you need to know

The Hall County Elections Department is looking for poll workers for the upcoming election season. “We need poll workers who are willing to serve during the upcoming Presidential Preference Primary on March 24, as well as the General Primary on May 19,” Hall County Elections Director Lori Wurtz said. “We also need poll workers for […]

Posted inYour Family

Here’s what you need to know about a bill that would restrict dual enrollment for Georgia high school students

A bill restricting student dual enrollment in high school and college classes in Georgia cleared the Senate floor Tuesday. Sponsored by state Rep. Bert Reeves, R-Marietta, House Bill 444 would limit dual enrollment to 30 hours per eligible student for college or technical college courses the state-run student-finance agency funds. Beyond that, students would pay for classes […]

Posted inIn The News

Funeral arrangements for a deputy killed in the line of duty and other local stories you missed over the weekend

National news coverage this weekend was dominated by the untimely death of NBA star Kobe Bryant in a helicopter accident and revelations from John Bolton’s book on the Trump administration. Chances are, you heard about those as they were happening. Here are some local stories that happened over the weekend that you may not have […]