The Mayflower left Plymouth, England for a voyage to America on September 6, 1620.
On September 5, 1774, the Continental Congress convened for the first time at Carpenter’s Hall in Philadelphia; delegates attended from all the colonies except Georgia.
The United States government was nicknamed “Uncle Sam” on September 7, 1813.
On September 7, 1864, General William T. Sherman sent a letter to his Confederate counterpart, General John Bell Hood, offering to transport civilians out of Atlanta for their safety.
President William McKinley was shot on September 6, 1901. He is buried in Canton, Ohio, not far from the Professional Football Hall of Fame.
Alonzo Herndon founded the Atlanta Life Insurance Company on September 6, 1905, one of Georgia’s great success stories.
The first supermarket, a Piggly Wiggly, opened on September 6, 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee.
On September 6, 1941, Margaret Mitchell christened the cruiser USS Atlanta – Atlanta would later sink after being hit by 50 shells and a torpedo during the Battle of Guadalcanal.
The Heart of Atlanta Motel opened at 255 Courtland Street in downtown Atlanta on September 5, 1956. It included a three-story diving platform reached by spiral stairs and a pool large enough to hold a ski boat. African-Americans were not allowed at the Heart of Atlanta. [Photos © Georgia State University]
After passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which banned racial discrimination in interstate commerce, the Heart of Atlanta’s owner sued the federal government, asserting that the Act was an overly broad interpretation of the Commerce Clause of the United States Constitution.
The resulting decision by the United States Supreme Court upheld the Act, finding that Congress was within its authority to ban racial discrimination in businesses affecting interstate commerce.
Atlanta Time Machine has a webpage with interesting images of the Motel.
The Professional Football Hall of Fame opened on September 7, 1963 in Canton, Ohio.
The Summerhill Race Riot broke out in Atlanta on September 6, 1966.
On September 5, 1969, United States Army Lieutenant William Calley was charged with murder in connection with the deaths of 109 Vietnamese civilians at My Lai. An Army inquiry listed 30 people who knew of the event and charges were filed against 14; Calley was the only conviction. Later, President Nixon paroled Calley. From 1975 to 2005 or 2006, Calley lived and worked in Columbus, Georgia, before moving to Atlanta. In 2009, Calley apologized for the events at My Lai while speaking to a meeting of the Kiwanis Club of Greater Columbus.
Future Atlanta resident Curtis Mayfield saw his song, “Superfly” turn gold on September 7, 1972.
Former Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter returned to the Little White House in Warm Springs, Georgia, on September 6, 1976 to kick off the final phase of his presidential campaign.
On September 7, 1977, President Jimmy Carter signed the Panama Canal Treaty, which promised to turn over control of the canal to Panama by 2000.
Google was founded by Larry Page and Sergey Brin on September 7, 1998.
On September 6, 2014, USS John Warner (SSN-785), a mighty Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine, was christened at Newport News Shipbuilding. Big John calls Naval Station Norfolk its homeport. USS John Warner was commissioned on August 1, 2015 at Norfolk Naval Station.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Senate District 21 voters return to the polls for a September 23, 2025 Special Runoff Election, according to Georgia Recorder.
The special election to choose the next state senator in a suburban Atlanta district is going to a recount ahead of a Sept. 23 runoff.
Steve West, the third-place finisher in the race to replace Republican former state Sen. Brandon Beach, requested the recount Wednesday, a spokesman for Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office said.
Beach stepped down to serve as U.S. Treasurer, and seven people stepped up to replace him, including six Republicans and one Democrat in a reliably conservative district that includes parts of Cherokee and Fulton counties.
The sole Democrat, Milton mom, attorney and small business owner, Debra Shigley, placed first place with 8,444 votes, good for nearly 40% of the vote, but not good enough for an outright win.
Instead, she’ll duke it out in a runoff with the second-place finisher, who appears to be Jason Dickerson, a Republican investment manager, who earned just over 17% of the vote with 3,709 ballots cast. But West, a former Cherokee County Commissioner, trailed Dickerson by just 67 votes according to the initial count, putting him within the .5% margin required to call for a for a second tallying.
Republicans say Shigley’s margin was bolstered by the GOP vote being split six ways and that their candidate will easily win the runoff.
The recount by the secretary of state’s office confirmed Shigley took the top spot, with roughly 40% of the vote. Republicans Dickerson and Steve West were neck-and-neck for the second-place finish, but Dickerson again narrowly edged out West by 65 votes.
“Our battle-tested voting system and its verifiable paper trail delivered a recount matching the original results — allowing county officials to quickly move forward and focus on the runoff,” Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said.
In a statement to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Dickerson said, “I look forward to Steve West joining the long list of Republicans united behind our campaign to defeat woke liberal Debra Shigley in the runoff.”
Georgia Senate Republicans had already congratulated Dickerson last week, saying “he ran an impressive campaign, competing against five fellow Republicans in this deep-red district.”
In a post on Facebook earlier Thursday, Dickerson announced endorsements he received from other state lawmakers and prominent figures in the area.
The recount involved rescanning all of the paper ballots and took about a day to complete.
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Order #09.04.25.01, appointing B. Kyle Thompson as Solicitor General of the Bartow County State Court. From AccessWDUN:
B. Kyle Thompson, an assistant district attorney in neighboring Walton County, was appointed to the post according to a release from the Governor’s Office Thursday afternoon.
Thompson’s appointment comes more than four months after Barrow County’s previous solicitor general, Kyle Sharry, resigned. Barrow County officials said Sharry cited “a desire to return to his private law practice” as the reason for Sharry’s resignation.
The Governor’s Office said Thompson and his family live in Winder. He is a graduate of Apalachee High School and both the University of Georgia and Mercer University.
He previously served as an assistant district attorney in the Western Judicial Circuit and as an assistant solicitor general in Macon-Bibb County.
“(Thompson) has extensive experience representing the State of Georgia in cases, including all misdemeanor violations,” a release from the Governor’s Office said.
Gabriel Sterling is running for Secretary of State to succeed his former boss, according to 11Alive via 13WMAZ.
The Republican spent years in the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office as one of current Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s top lieutenants and rose to national prominence in the wake of the 2020 presidential election for his role in defending the validity of Georgia’s results.
According to the bio on Sterling’s X account, he recently left the Secretary of State’s Office.
He is now launching a campaign to lead it.
Publicly-accessible records show that Sterling filed a “Declaration of Intention to Accept Campaign Contributions” form with the state ethics commission on Tuesday.
That document is the formal starting point for candidates to begin fundraising for a campaign.
“Georgia elections are the safest in the nation and I will fight every day to keep it that way,” said Sterling in a statement to the 11Alive Political Team Thursday afternoon.
Other candidates in the race, according to public records, include Democrat Adrian Consonery and Republicans State Rep. Tim Fleming and Kelvin King.
Sterling’s candidacy also raises questions about the future of Raffensperger—who indicated in an interview with The Georgia Vote earlier this year that he was seriously considering a run for higher office.
However, Raffensperger, a Republican, has so far made no definitive announcements about his future plans.
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Athens Banner Herald:
A former lieutenant of Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger is now running for the top job.
Gabriel Sterling filed paperwork to raise money for the Republican nomination on Tuesday and indicated Thursday that he will, indeed, campaign for the office.
“Georgia elections are the safest in the nation and I will fight every day to keep it that way,” Sterling said in a text message responding to a query about his plans.
Sterling signed his message as a “conservative Republican.”
His loyalties and those of his former boss were called to question by supporters of President Donald Trump after Trump lost his 2020 election in Georgia against Democrat Joe Biden. Trump famously called on Raffensperger to find enough votes to reverse his loss in the Peach State.
Raffensperger defended the accuracy of the results and dismissed claims of fraud. Sterling, who was the agency’s chief operating officer, backed up his boss, blasting such allegations, as “insanities, fever dreams [and] made-up Internet cabal.”
Sterling will be competing in the Republican primary next year against Kelvin King, who vowed to support the hand counting of ballots. Georgia voters currently enter their choice by touchscreen and receive a printout of the result. A machine then reads the result embedded in a QR code on the paper. Starting next summer, that QR code will go away under a new state law, and the secretary of state will have to devise a new method of voting.
King is married to State Election Board member Janelle King, who asserted at a legislative hearing last week that technical problems with the current ballot scanners caused flawed counts. (Raffensperger’s office responded that the machines were used improperly, attributing one erroneous outcome to human error.)
Janelle King was appointed to the board by House Speaker Jon Burns, R-Newington.
Burns also appointed another candidate to an election-related role.
Rep. Tim Fleming, R-Covington, a former chief of staff for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp, is also raising money for a secretary of state run. Burns appointed Fleming to lead a blue ribbon committee investigating election procedures and security. It has been traveling the state to hear from officials and the public, giving Fleming airtime.
A Democrat, Adrian Consonery, Jr., has also filed paperwork to raise campaign funds for a run at becoming the next secretary of state.
Former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms will campaign for Governor in Augusta tomorrow, according to WJBF.
She is bringing her “Standing up for Georgia Tour” to Augusta on Saturday, September 6th.
Lance Bottoms is hosting a meet and greet at the Lucy Craft Laney Museum of Black History located at 1116 Phillips Street in Augusta at 3 p.m.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth spoke in Columbus, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
U.S. Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth emphasized the name of Fort Benning but showed appreciation for its former namesake while speaking to the newest graduates of the Army base’s Officer Candidate School.
Making a public appearance at the Columbus-area military installation Thursday, Hegseth spoke to the 77 newest officers of OCS Class 501-25, who entered their new ranks as second lieutenants with their loved ones in the audience and the top brass at the podium. The training prepares participants to be leaders in the military.
“It is great to be here at Fort Benning, and it is Fort Benning,” Hegseth said toward the beginning of his speech.
The name of the base has changed twice in just a couple years. Originally named Fort Benning for Confederate Gen. Henry L. Benning, the U.S. government ordered it changed in 2023. Officials settled on Fort Moore to honor Lt. Gen. Hal Moore and his wife, Julia Moore.
Before being appointed defense secretary by President Donald Trump, Hegseth made it clear he objected to the renaming of bases such as Fort Benning in an interview with Ben Shapiro. He ordered that the name be changed back to Fort Benning earlier this year, but this time in honor of U.S. Army Cpl. Fred G. Benning, who served in World War I, military officials said. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross for his actions in that war.
The Moore family objected to the possible name change in an opinion piece, with Steve Moore, a son of Hal and Julia Moore, saying he was “disappointed” by the possibility.
ICE, ICE, Baby
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigation (HSI) officers raided the Hyundai Metaplant in Bryan County, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The entry to the plant is blocked off by several Georgia State Patrol cars and the Savannah Morning News (SMN) was told to exit the private property by the trooper, at the request of Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America (HMGMA).
A SMN reporter on the scene has witnessed Georgia state troopers turning away vehicles from both entrances to the Hyundai site. But, three passenger buses, one passenger van, at least three unidentified black vehicles and other Georgia State Patrol cars have been allowed through one of the entrances.Cars and semi-trucks have been exiting the property throughout the day.
It is currently unknown how many people have been detained, and what time the operation began this morning.
ICE officials were on the HMGMA megasite today serving a criminal warrant at the battery plant, which is still undergoing construction.
The Georgia Department of Public Safety’s Information Director for Georgia State Patrol (GSP) Capt. Crystal Zion confirmed around 2 p.m. that the department “assisted HSI with the service of a criminal search warrant in an operation at the Hyundai Metaplant, battery plant construction site in Bryan County.” Zion shared no further information and directed media inquiries to the office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
From the Savannah Morning News:
Dozens of people who started the day at work at the Hyundai Metaplant Motor Group America (HMGMA) site in Ellabell, Georgia Thursday, were driven off the site that afternoon apparently in law enforcement’s custody aboard large unmarked buses.
Moments later, Special Agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) for Georgia Steven Schrank issued a statement about today’s investigation.
“Behind me today HSI agents along with ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), ERO (Enforcement Removal Operations), the FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation), DEA (Drug Enforcement Agency), ATF (Alcohol, Tobacco Firearms), CBP (Customs and Border Patrol), US Marshals and Georgia State Patrol conducted a judicially authorized enforcement operation as we are actively conducting an investigation into unlawful employment practices going on at this hundred, multi-hundred acre construction site behind me,” Schrank said.
He confirmed “many arrests of undocumented individuals” were being made at the site and additional details are to be provided during a 10:30 a.m. Friday press conference to held at United States Attorney’s Office Southern District of Georgia in Savannah.
Representative Jesse Petrea of Georgia’s 166th District told WTOC Thursday that “It’s very disheartening, if indeed there’s a large presence of people illegally in this country.”
“They are not only driving wages down for American workers, they are taking jobs from American workers. It is unacceptable at any time, but especially when we’ve offered these kinds of tax incentives to bring industry here. 100%.” [said Petrea.]
When asked if he thinks Hyundai needs to face some sort of accountability from the State of Georgia, Representative Petrea said, “Absolutely. Absolutely. Absolutely.”
“And I’ll tell you, there has been a multitude of meetings with them to make sure that no one in this country illegally is working on this job site… because I’ve been present for those meetings.”
Hundreds of undercover law enforcement vehicles and Humvees were reportedly seen on Kia Road Thursday morning.
Large buses were also seen entering the site. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearm (ATF) confirmed Thursday night 450 people were apprehended during the sting operation.
Thursday afternoon, Yvonne Brooks, president of the Georgia American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) issued this statement in response to the ICE raids at the Hyundai metaplant:
“Georgia’s labor movement is outraged by ICE’s escalating presence at workplaces across the state. This raid is the latest in an ongoing campaign of harassment that has targeted immigrant Georgians as they try to earn an honest living. Arresting and detaining workers, who are exploited every day and risk their lives every day on the job, creates an atmosphere of fear that terrorizes workers and their families and increases the workload burden on their coworkers. And when multiple workers have died during the construction of this very plant, the only federal action that could possibly be justified is to strengthen enforcement of occupational safety and health protections and other labor rights—a far cry from ICE raids.”
The Georgia AFL-CIO stands with every worker who has been targeted by these politically motivated raids. Our movement will do everything we can to support all working families. That’s what solidarity looks like, and it cannot be broken. Workers in our state will not be pitted against each other.”
The Georgia AFL-CIO is the state’s largest labor federation, representing hundreds of thousands of union members statewide.
South Korea is not amused. From the Wall Street Journal:
South Korea protested the action to the U.S. and said it was trying to secure the release of its citizens.
The raid and arrests come after months of tense negotiations between the U.S. and South Korea over tariffs and investment. In late July, the two countries agreed that a 15% tariff rate would be imposed on South Korean imports in exchange for South Korea investing $350 billion in the U.S.
The factory is being built by a joint venture between South Korea-based Hyundai Motor and a South Korean battery manufacturer, LG Energy Solution. It is located in the town of Ellabell, near Savannah, Ga., and is part of a $7.6 billion Hyundai complex that the state has described as the largest manufacturing project in Georgia’s history.
The plant, once completed, is set to supply batteries to Hyundai Motor’s nearby electric-vehicle manufacturing plant, which opened last year. Hyundai has pledged to employ 8,500 people there by 2031 as part of a $2 billion incentive package it received from Georgia.
Among those detained at the factory were South Korean employees of LG Energy Solution on business travel. Hyundai Motor said it believed that it didn’t directly employ any of those detained. LG Energy said Friday it was cooperating with the South Korean government and relevant authorities to ensure the employees’ safety and secure their prompt release from detention.
South Korea’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Friday expressed regret at the detention of Korean nationals at the Georgia site and said it had conveyed its concerns to the U.S. Embassy.
“The economic activities of our investing companies and the rights and interests of our citizens must not be unjustly infringed during the process of U.S. law enforcement,” the ministry said.
South Korean companies in strategic industries including semiconductors, shipbuilding and batteries have pledged tens of billions of dollars in new investments in the U.S.
From the Associated Press via WJBF:
South Korea on Friday expressed “concern and regret” over a major U.S. immigration raid at a sprawling Georgia site where South Korean auto company Hyundai manufactures electric vehicles, which officials said led to the detainment of an unspecified number of South Korean nationals.
South Korea’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Lee Jaewoong, read a statement following South Korean media reports that the raid by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement resulted in the detainment of around 450 people, including 30 South Korean nationals. Lee did not specify exactly how many South Koreans were detained but called the number “large.”
Thursday’s raid targeted one of Georgia’s largest and most high-profile manufacturing sites, touted by the governor and other officials as the largest economic development project in the state’s history. Hyundai Motor Group, South Korea’s biggest automaker, began manufacturing EVs a year ago at the $7.6 billion plant, which employs about 1,200 people, and has partnered with LG Energy Solution to build an adjacent battery plant, slated to open next year.
ICE spokesman Lindsay Williams confirmed that federal authorities were conducting an enforcement operation at the 3,000-acre (1,214-hectare) site west of Savannah, Georgia. He said agents were focused on the construction site for the battery plant.
“The business activities of our investors and the rights of our nationals must not be unjustly infringed in the process of U.S. law enforcement,” Lee said.
Lee said the ministry is taking active measures to address the case, dispatching diplomats from its embassy in Washington and consulate in Atlanta to the site, and planning to form an on-site response team centered on the local mission.
The Department of Homeland Security said in a statement that agents executed a search warrant “as part of an ongoing criminal investigation into allegations of unlawful employment practices and other serious federal crimes.”
It did not say whether anyone was detained or arrested.
President Donald Trump’s administration has undertaken sweeping ICE operations as part of a mass deportation agenda. Immigration officers have raided farms, construction sites, restaurants and auto repair shops.
The Pew Research Center, citing preliminary Census Bureau data, says the U.S. labor force lost more than 1.2 million immigrants from January through July. That includes people who are in the country illegally as well as legal residents.
Hyundai and LG’s battery joint venture, HL-GA Battery Company, said in a statement that it’s “cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities” and paused construction to assist their work.
Operations at Hyundai’s EV manufacturing plant weren’t interrupted, said plant spokesperson Bianca Johnson.
Protestors gathered in Atlanta against Governor Kemp’s order deploying Georgia National Guard members in support of ICE, according to 13WMAZ.
The debate over Gov. Brian Kemp’s decision to deploy the Georgia National Guard spilled onto the steps of the State Capitol Thursday, where demonstrators demanded the governor rescind his order.
Kemp directed Georgia National Guard soldiers and airmen to provide administrative support in what he described as a crackdown on illegal immigration. Republican leaders in the state, including GOP Chairman Josh McKoon, backed the move, aligning it with President Donald Trump’s national immigration agenda.
“He’s done this before. I think it is appropriate. I think it’s a good use of our National Guardsmen,” McKoon said. “Those who are protesting, they’re really protesting the wrong thing. If they have a problem with the enforcement of these laws, they need to do something about having the laws changed.”
But critics argue the measure targets immigrant and minority communities and risks tearing families apart. The Party for Socialism and Liberation organized Thursday’s rally, where activists voiced fears of increased surveillance and intimidation.
“We’re out here today to resist Governor Brian Kemp’s call to have the National Guard patrol Georgia streets, much in the same way that Trump has taken over the D.C. police and had federal agents patrolling the streets,” organizer Genny Kennedy said.
Chants from protesters filled the air as they called for free speech protections and safeguards for immigrant families. “People are defiant, and we’re coming out to build this movement. Papers or no papers, people are fighting back,” organizer Esteban Hernandez said.
Kemp, in a statement posted on X, reiterated that his directive is part of keeping Georgians safe.
The protest ended peacefully Thursday evening, but the divide over Georgia’s latest immigration battle remains sharp.
The Houston County Sheriff’s Office is removing “ICE” decals from their cars, according to 13WMAZ.
The department has removed decals with the letters “ICE” after concerns spread online about whether the unit was tied to federal immigration enforcement.
Sheriff Matt Moulton said the local ICE unit has nothing to do with immigration.
“It was not an immigration unit, has never been an immigration unit. It’s strictly been a criminal apprehension team,” Moulton said.
The letters ICE stand for Interstate Criminal Enforcement, not Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In fact, Moulton said the Houston County unit began using the acronym in 1999, several years before the federal immigration agency was created in 2003.
“Their primary responsibility is interdiction and criminal enforcement efforts out on I-75,” Moulton said.
The two-man team monitors the 22-mile stretch of interstate that runs through Houston County. Their mission is to stop criminal activity traveling along the roadway.
“What they’re trying to do is stop criminal activity from moving in Houston County, up and down the interstate,” Moulton said.
Deputy Matthew Robinson said traffic stops often come down to a quick judgment call.
“We are out there looking for guns, gangs, cartel, drugs, human smuggling. Their behavior upon sight of law enforcement draws attention to them and that’s what we’re trained to identify,” Robinson said.
Still, recent national violence against immigration agents made Moulton rethink the decals.
“The way ICE agents, immigration officials are being attacked by cartel members, families being threatened, out of an abundance of caution for my deputies, I felt it was the safest thing to do,” Moulton said.
Moulton says all their department vehicles are marked with labels such as Patrol, Traffic or SRO so deputies remain easily identifiable.
Georgia’s film industry is declining, according to WSAV.
The Wall Street Journal reported that big names like Marvel Studios are packing up and moving their projects to places like Europe, where labor costs are lower.
According to the Savannah Regional Film Commission, 2022 was a great year for the industry with 16 feature films set in the area. That number down to eight films in 2024 and three so far in 2025.
While Georgia does have beautiful locations and some tax incentives, experts like casting director Bill Marinella believe producers are moving projects where the money is.
“I think health has probably been a big motivating factor,” Marinella said. “You figure you’ve got various ages from like 18 years to maybe 65 or 70… all those health care premiums that they pay into. They go across seas to Europe; they don’t have those health care premiums. That all adds up.”
Marinella has been in the business for about 30 years, and he said he’s seen it change drastically. He’s finding himself traveling more and more for work to follow the “tax credit circus” as he called it.
Things could be looking up here in Georgia with the recently reinstated postproduction tax credit, effective Jan. 1. This would give editing, visual effects, and sound companies incentives in the Peach State.
The State House Blue-Ribbon Study Committee on Georgia’s Medical Marijuana and Hemp Polices met in Augusta, according to WJBF.
The Blue-Ribbon Study Committee met at Augusta University on Sept. 4, 2025. They’re reviewing and evaluating Georgia’s current laws, policies and procedures. The goal is provide clarity for doctors, patients and distributors of cannabis and hemp products.
Representative Mark Newton is the chair of the committee.
“We’re looking at the best policy to keep that safe so people number one know what their getting that the dosages are small and not dangerously high,” said Augusta Rep. Mark Newton (R). “That we also look at the science behind it as far as medical what does it do to young kids, what does it do to other adults. A lot of people with an interest in this and a knowledge base we’re trying to pull us all together and try to find out what we can to make the best policy recommendations.”
The Blue-Ribbon Study Committee will report their findings and legislative recommendations to lawmakers.
You can watch the Committee hearing here.
Calls are being made for changes to state law after a baby was found in a dumpster, according to WTVM.
A newborn baby boy was found alive in a dumpster behind the Budgetel Inn on Victory Drive around 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The infant was taken to Piedmont Columbus Regional for treatment. His condition has not been released.
The discovery highlights ongoing debate about Georgia’s “Safe Place for Newborns Act,” which allows parents to surrender babies 30 days old or younger without facing prosecution. However, state law requires parents to hand the infant directly to a worker at a hospital, fire station, or police station.
Monica Kelsey, CEO of Safe Haven Baby Boxes, says the law leaves out an option available in other states.
House Bill 350, proposed in 2024, would have allowed baby boxes in Georgia. It was withdrawn during the 2025-2026 legislative session.
Safe Haven Baby Boxes are climate-controlled devices installed at some fire stations and hospitals. A parent can place a newborn inside, and within minutes, first responders are alerted to retrieve the baby. There are currently boxes in 24 states, including Alabama. Fire Station One in Opelika received one last year.
Kelsey says her organization has pushed to bring the devices to Georgia but has been blocked by lawmakers.
“It really angers me when a baby is found in a dumpster in a state where we’ve tried to pass legislation,” she said. “We don’t ask states for money. We just ask for permission to work in your state.”
Kelsey noted parents in Georgia are not prohibited from crossing state lines to use a baby box in a neighboring state.
Georgia’s United States Senators are demanding that Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., resign as Secretary of Health & Human Services, according to AccessWDUN.
Both Democratic U.S. Senators for Georgia, Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock, took the day to scrutinize Kennedy as well.
Warnock specifically made waves at the hearing for calling on President Donald Trump to fire Kennedy.
“For the first time we’re seeing deaths from children from measles. We haven’t seen that in two decades … you are a hazard to the health of the American people,” Warnock said. “I think that you ought to resign. And if you do not resign, the President of the United States, who put forward Operation Warp Speed, which worked, should fire you.”
“Despite your lack of credentials and expertise, clearly, you have an agenda. It is a threat to the public health of the American people. It’s clear that you are carrying out your extremist beliefs,” Warnock said.
Ossoff also demanded Kennedy’s resignation at a press conference.
“The destruction of the CDC in Georgia, the systematic dismantling of American public health is putting children and families across the country at risk every single day. This is chaos. It is out of control. And every day this continues, more and more Americans are put at risk by Mr. Kennedy’s radical and incoherent ideology,” Ossoff said.
Ossoff said the agency’s morale is low.
“Agency morale is at rock bottom. A quarter of the workforce has been pushed out. It is an agency known for its tenacity and precision and capacity that is now totally in chaos by design. And every day this continues, the damage is compounded. It is time for Mr. Kennedy to resign,” Ossoff said.
“Secretary Kennedy is demolishing our entire public health infrastructure,” [Ossoff] said during an interview on MSNBC with former Biden administration spokesperson Jen Psaki. “It is negligence. It is, I think, willful and malicious in some cases.
Dublin City Schools owe $5 million dollars in back payments to the state employees health benefits plan, according to 13WMAZ.
Dublin City Schools is working to repay nearly $5 million it owes to the state after failing to make required contributions to the state employee health plan, according to district officials.
The financial crisis came to light when the Georgia Department of Education sent a letter to district leaders flagging “financial concerns,” including unpaid contributions dating back to March. Superintendent Fred Williams said he first learned of the missing payments through the state notification.
“The state brought it to our attention and that’s when we jumped on and responded and so that’s how actually I became aware of the situation,” Williams said.
The district’s chief financial officer, Chad McDaniel, has resigned in the wake of the revelations. Williams said the district is now working with external firms to help manage its finances.
According to state education officials, the district had been deducting employee contributions from workers’ paychecks but failed to forward those payments to the state health benefit plan for months. The district has since paid approximately $780,000 toward the debt but still owes a substantial amount.
The financial troubles have sparked concern among local taxpayers, particularly as the district recently imposed a 25% increase in school taxes.
The superintendent said the district will eventually search for a new chief financial officer but is currently focused on resolving its financial issues. District officials did not provide specific details about how they plan to raise the remaining funds needed to satisfy the debt.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced more than $78 million dollars in federal aid to Georgia for Hurricane Helene recovery, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
On Wednesday, FEMA announced $97 million for 138 state and local recovery projects. Georgia’s share totals $78.4 million spread across the following organizations:
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