The first Mennonites arrived in America on October 6, 1683 aboard the Concord.
Cy Young threw his last professional baseball game as a member of the Boston Braves on October 6, 1911.
On October 6, 1953, WTVM-TV began broadcasting in Columbus, Georgia.
The Jimi Hendrix Experience held its first rehearsal on October 6, 1966.
The second Presidential debate between Republican incumbent Gerald Ford and Democratic challenger Jimmy Carter took place on October 6, 1976. During the debate, Ford said, there was “no Soviet domination in Eastern Europe”. Polling released on October 8, 1976 indicated that Democrat Jimmy Carter won the second debate against President Gerald Ford by a 50-27 margin.
Pope John Paul II became the first Pope to visit the White House on October 6, 1979. Carter’s notes from the meeting are at the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum in Atlanta.
The last four B-52 bombers stationed at Robins Air Force Base in Warner-Robins left the base for the last time on October 6, 1983.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The perfect political story for Halloween: Campaign to re-elect dead Alabama councilman raises questions
Former Mobile, Alabama, City Council President Levon Manzie died in September at the age of 38, but that isn’t stopping supporters from mounting his re-election campaign.
The push to get Manzie re-elected after his death included an ill-fated effort to appoint his mother to his seat and a mail campaign funded by a mysterious group with Republican ties outside Mobile, according to Nexstar’s WKRG.
Part of what’s at stake for his supporters is a special election that would be called if Manzie won this runoff. Otherwise, the position would go to his opponent, William Carroll. Both Manzie and Carroll are Black and have opposed a 2019 annexation plan that would increase west Mobile’s population by about 13,000 new residents, adding a predominantly white area into the majority Black city.
Should Manzie win the election it would trigger a special election which could allow a pro-annexation candidate to join the race.
Many in the mostly-Black district received flyers this week from a political action committee, TSA PAC, pushing for his re-election. The group is based out of Auburn — more than 200 miles away.
The flyers read: “Voting for Levon in the runoff election not only protects his legacy, but it also provides the residents of District 2 an opportunity to elect the candidate of their choice through a special election this fall.”
We’ve all heard stories for years about dead people casting ballots, but this time, they should be allowed.
Alabama continues to give with this story from the AJC: Convicted sheriff gives thumbs-up review of jail he ran
A longtime Alabama sheriff removed from office after being convicted of theft and ethics violations is giving five-star reviews to the jail where he spent more than two weeks in custody. Perhaps he should: He ran it for decades.
Ousted Limestone County Sheriff Mike Blakely addressed the news media Tuesday in his most extensive public comments since being convicted in August. Free on bond while appealing, Blakely maintained his innocence but had no complaints about doing time in the Limestone County Jail in Athens.
“Best jail in the state of Alabama — that’s another thing I’m proud of,” Blakely said during a news conference outside his attorney’s office in Huntsville. “The food was real good; the staff took very good care of me.”
Blakely, 70, was convicted in August of taking no-interest loans from a Limestone County jail fund that held prisoners’ money and of stealing $4,000 from his campaign account. He was in his 10th consecutive term at the time of his removal from office, making him Alabama’s longest-serving sheriff at the time.
Blakely said he “couldn’t ask for better treatment from the inmates,” and said some even offered to have him food delivered to the jail.
“I said, ‘No, I eat the jail food ’cause I love it because I’ve been eating it for the last 38 years,” he said.
Governor Brian Kemp today travels to Texas to join other Republican Governors on the southern border. From the AJC:
It’s Kemp’s third trip to the border since December. He’ll join Texas Gov. Greg Abbott near the banks of the Rio Grande in McAllen, where they are set to blame the recent surge of illegal crossings on President Joe Biden’s policies.
Abbott announced that the group will hold a press conference at 1 p.m. EST this afternoon.
Kemp has previously visited Georgia National Guard troops deployed to the border in a support role for federal agents.
More than two dozen GOP governors, including Kemp, signed a recent letter slamming Biden’s approach to the border.
Right now, tens of thousands of people are living in squalor along the border trying to get into the United States. Border agents have been overwhelmed.
[Reporter Justin] Farmer is traveling with the governor to McAllen, Texas where part of this crisis is unfolding. Kemp said he wanted to see the border crisis firsthand.
He will be joining 25 other Republican governors as they call on President Joe Biden to take action.
Chief Assistant District Attorney Sheneka Terry will serve as interim District Attorney for the Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit after the suspension of DA Mark Jones, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
The interim will be Chief Assistant District Attorney Sheneka Terry, who has been out of state on maternity leave, McBride said. Terry was returning Tuesday to Columbus, and likely would be sworn in on Wednesday morning, [Superior Court Judge Gil] McBride said.
Because of this impending change in leadership, McBride decided that he will postpone hearing particular cases involving negotiations on guilty plea agreements and probation violations.
Since those agreements were made under Jones’ administration, and Jones no longer can present them to the court, Terry should have time to review them to determine whether she agrees with them, the judge said.
“She has to be in a position to make this recommendation her own, and it would be unfair to ask her to do that until she’s had a chance to actually look over those files,” he said.
Terry is to serve as interim DA until the felony charges that led to Jones’ suspension are resolved. If acquitted, Jones may return to office. If he’s convicted, the governor may appoint a replacement to serve the rest of Jones’ term in office, which ends in 2024, McBride said.
Congressman Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) is working against Biden administration initiatives, according to The Brunswick News.
The Republican congressman from Pooler stays busy these days arguing against what he perceives as bad or dangerous actions, legislation and mandates.
“American service members should not be punished for demanding our military leaders stand up and take ownership of their decisions,” Carter and the other House Republicans wrote. “Especially when those decisions lead to the tragic deaths of 13 service members.”
Carter is opposed to legislation that would trump state laws on abortion, voting against the Abortion on Demand Act introduced by Democrats. He said the act allows abortions up until birth.
“This bill is an atrocity and a tragedy,” Carter said.”I will protect the rights of our children both born and unborn because they are a gift from God. Unfortunately, Democrats and the radical-left hope to pass the most anti-life bill in our nation’s history.”
“This is America,” Carter wrote in a letter to Biden and others in the president’s administration. “Nobody should have to choose between freely making their own medical decisions and losing their job.”
“That is just as true for the health care workers who showed up to work every day during the uncertainty and chaos of the early pandemic to help bring this country through it. Joe Biden imposing his will and judgment on the private decisions of a free people is nothing short of dictatorial, and I will fight for health care workers and all other Americans in this attack on medical freedom and privacy.”
Calling [the $4.3 trillion dollar spending bill] a “socialist tax,” Carter said it is the most expensive piece of legislation in the history of the United States that includes over $2 trillion in taxes. He said it will add over $2 trillion in debt to the country’s $28 trillion in national debt.
“This bill is a disaster for working families, with massive tax hikes on those who can least afford it – breaking President Joe Biden’s promise to not raise taxes on American’s making under $400,000,” Carter wrote. “This is completely out of control. There are trillions in deficit spending, all to give handouts to the wealthy while taxing the middle class and small businesses. It is unconscionable to ask Congress for a blank check with this reconciliation package.”
Congressman Sanford Bishop (D-Albany) said broadband connectivity is important for economic development, according to WALB.
He said the key element to growth is connectivity.
Adding that the costs of living and internet are something southwest Georgia struggles with, Bishop said both are focus areas when re-locating.
“If they move to an area where the cost of living is not as high as a metro area, but they have access to the same amenities and quality of life such as healthcare education, cultural activities, I think that will make areas more attractive,” said Bishop.
Bishop said another way to encourage more businesses to invest in southwest Georgia is through tax breaks.
Lieutenant Governor Geoff Duncan (R-Forsyth County) spoke to a combined meeting of the Albany and Dougherty County Rotary clubs, according to the Albany Herald.
The Georgia State Senate Study Committee on Improving Access to Healthy Foods and Ending Food Deserts heard testimony on the lack of availability of quality food in some areas, according to the AJC.
“We are so interested in food insecurity because it overlaps with many of our population health and community benefit priorities,” Katie Mooney, senior manager of community benefit and population health at Grady Health System, told lawmakers Tuesday. “Diabetes and hypertension are directly impacted by food access and nutrition.”
About 22% of the state’s 10.7 million residents live in urban parts of the state that are more than 1 mile from a grocery store or more than 10 miles away from a grocery store in rural areas, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Economic Research Service. Georgia has the fifth-highest rate of residents who live in low-income neighborhoods with low access to healthy food.
[State Senator Harold Jones, II (D-Augusta)] said the panel, which held meetings earlier this year in Augusta and Valdosta, will make recommendations to the state Senate later this year.
Gwinnett County Commissioners voted for a 4 percent pay raise for employees, according to AccessWDUN.
Commissioners also voted to approve an additional four percent raise for county first responders, bringing their raises to a total of 8 percent. Eligible first responders include those in the Gwinnett County Police, Fire and Emergency Services, Sheriff’s Office, Corrections and E911 departments.
“The 2021 budget the Board of Commissioners adopted in January focused on preserving continuity in county government services,” said Commission Chairwoman Nicole Hendrickson in a press statement. “At the same time, it was necessary to take a conservative fiscal approach to budgeting because of the devastating effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. This strategy opened the door for us to demonstrate our appreciation of County staff in a tangible way.”
Gwinnett Commissioners delayed consideration of a proposal to decriminalize some marijuana possession, according to AccessWDUN.
Gwinnett County commissioners decided to table the issue on Tuesday in order to give county leaders more time to weigh the impact. The issue will be discussed again at a Nov. 2 meeting.
The proposal would eliminate jail time as punishment for small amounts of marijuana. One of the advocates for reducing the punishment has been Kirkland Carden. Carden says, if enacted, the new punishment would be the equivalent of a traffic violation and the individual charged would receive a citation instead of jail time.
When Carden first proposed the idea earlier this year, he said reducing jail time for what he considers a minor offense, not only helps the county but the individual, as well.“When someone gets arrested, it hurts their ability to be a functioning valued member of society. We don’t want you in jail.”
Local stoner activist Jeff Spicoli responded:
Savannah is still deciding whether to permit large events next month, according to WTOC.
Permits for any events with more than 500 people in public spaces are not being granted in Savannah this month. But November is still up for consideration.
One of the biggest events in the Fall in Savannah, the Rock N Roll Marathon, is still on for now.
At a news conference Monday, Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he’s been talking with Visit Savannah and Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon organizers asking how late a decision could be made on whether or not to grant a permit for the race.
“They said they have a little bit of time. So, we’re hoping within the next week, we’ll be able to make a decision about what November looks like for us. Stay tuned,” Mayor Johnson said.
Savannah reported that a $500 dollar incentive for employees to get vaccinated netted an additional 142 recipients, according to WTOC.
That takes the number of fully vaccinated city employees to 1,346, or about 63-percent of all workers.
Savannah Mayor Van Johnson said he’d like to see that percentage hit 80 or higher.
[WTOC] also checked in with the school system, and they [said] about 43-percent of their 5,600 employee workforce has been looked up for vaccine verification, with around 3,000 employees applying for the vaccine incentive.
At today’s news conference, Mayor Johnson talked about the boost in numbers of city employees getting vaccinated, and the difference between this incentive program and the last that gave employees time off instead of cash.
“We know people are doing it, and again, the numbers kind of say for themselves. The difference with this side of the program, is that we’re verifying it. The GRITS system is the vaccine database for the state. And so, in order to receive the incentive, your name has to be checked independently in GRITS to make sure you are really vaccinated,” the Mayor said.
Augusta Commissioners reinstated a mask mandate for municipal buildings, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
The Glynn County Board of Elections proposed maps for redistrict County Commission lines, according to The Brunswick News.
The four maps were drawn by the Glynn County Board of Elections and Registration and are posted on its website. A link allows feedback for county commissioners, who will ultimately decide which map to send to the governor’s office for approval.
One mandate when drawing the new district lines, done once every 10 years following the completion of the census, is to keep all five districts close in population.
Most of the proposed maps are very similar, said Chris Channell, elections board supervisor.
“The census population on SSI was only 81 individuals over the exact target for each district,” he said. “Therefore, Jekyll Island has to be moved to one of the other districts. It will either need to go to District 1, District 4 or District 5.”
Christina Redden, deputy elections supervisor, said District 2, which encompasses all of St. Simons Island, is the only proposed district identical on all four maps. She said the island’s population was “almost perfect” when it came to drawing the new lines.
The maps will also have to be adopted by the General Assembly, not simply approved by the Governor.
Savannah and Chatham County voters will decide on a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Education (E-SPOST) in November, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Put broadly, it’s one of the seven extra pennies placed on top of the price of every dollar spent on items purchased in Chatham County, and it’s a lucrative practice. ESPLOST has generated more than $1 billion for the Savannah-Chatham County public schools over the last 15 years, and the district has used that money to eliminate bond debt, repair and modernize existing school facilities, purchase technology and school buses, and build modern buildings to replace aging ones.
Its goal is to bring in revenue for schools without having to raise local property taxes. Essentially, if you buy something in Chatham County, regardless of if you live here or not, a penny of the total cost will go to the Savannah-Chatham County public schools.
Experts call this “tax exporting” and for Chatham, being a tourist destination pays off. An estimated 35% to 40% of ESLOST revenue comes from visitors.
Georgia enacted the special purpose local option sales tax for education, or ESPLOST in 1996. By 2019, all but one county in the state – Burke – had passed at least one ESPLOST referendum. Of Georgia’s 159 counties, 126 have enacted four ESPLOSTs, producing 20 years’ worth of revenue.
ESPLOST money can be used for capital outlay, meaning construction, technology, transportation, learning equipment/resources, and bond debt reduction. ESPLOST dollars can’t be used for personnel recruiting, teacher salaries or benefits.
Turnout is projected to be light for this year’s election. This is an off year for federal and state elections and elected officials in Chatham’s three largest local government entities – Savannah, Chatham County and Pooler – are in the middle of their terms.
It’s one of the best and most in-depth articles I’ve read about SPLOST taxes.
Effingham County voters will also decide on a SPLOST, according to WTOC.
“This isn’t your big key election. Your presidential election or Gubernatorial race,” says Effingham County Manager Tim Callanan.
But if you live in Effingham County, the SPLOST, or Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, renewal should catch your eye.
“We’re probably talking about somewhere between $75-80 million,” says Callanan.
The Muscogee County Board of Elections will hold a public meeting about upcoming elections and procedures on Thursday, according to WTVM.
Three candidates are running for Warner Robins City Council District Three, according to 13WMAZ.
Warner Robins city councilman Keith Lauritsen is facing two challengers for his District 3 seat — businesswoman Angie Eugene and Robins AFB retiree, Scott Howard.
The Athens-Clarke County TSPLOST 2023 Advisory Committee is discussing a potential project list for a 2023 vote, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
There is currently a TSPLOST [Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Transportation] in effect in Athens-Clarke. If voters approve the sales tax, it runs for five years. The next referendum is in May 2022, when voters will decide whether to continue the existing tax.
The Advisory Committee is made up of residents appointed by the commission, who are reviewing 91 projects submitted by government staff, residents and various organizations. The proposed projects would cost $700 million in all, while the TSPLOST is projected to collect $144.5 million.
The Gainesville Times is profiling local elections, including Buford Board of Education, Flowery Branch City Council Post 3, Lula City Council District 3, Lula City Council District 2, Mayor of Lula, and Mayor of Braselton.
Dalton Public Schools is considering offering free COVID testing to staff and students, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
The tests would be free not only to students and staff but to the school system, courtesy of “the (Georgia) Department of Public Health,” Woods said. On Thursday, Woods and other administrators will meet with building principals to discuss logistics, such as where testing would be in each building.
It’s likely testing would be available once a week at each school, she said. Currently, these tests “are running about a 24-hour turnaround,” so students and staff could have results within a day.
The program would be “completely optional,” said Superintendent Tim Scott. “You’d have to opt in — it’s totally voluntary — and they can opt in, but then (still) choose not to test.”
Dalton Public Schools staff members can already receive free, rapid COVID-19 testing at the Whitfield County Health Department Monday-Friday without need of an appointment, according to Woods.
There’s a nice little wordplay in this piece about Macon’s proposed glass entry to the city auditorium, from 13WMAZ.
Last year’s unveiling of plans for a new glass lobby vestibule brought rave reviews, but the up to $6 million estimate for that addition has shattered expectations for the new design.
Necessary upgrades to the 1925 building’s aluminum wiring, fire safety measures and replacing the heating and cooling system will eat up much of what has been budgeted from SPLOST collections.
The urgent need to repair cell doors in the Bibb County jail triggered some of the other shifts in spending. More than $1.5 million in SPLOST public safety funds will go toward ongoing work making the cell doors tamper resistant to keep inmates from jamming the locking mechanism.
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