William Shakespeare was born April 23, 1564 and died April 23, 1616.
James Oglethorpe won reelection to the British Parliament while in America on April 25, 1734.
The Library of Congress was founded on April 24, 1800 and is the largest library in the world today.
On April 26, 1866, the Atlanta Ladies’ Memorial Association held a Confederate memorial observance at Oakland Cemetery for the first time.
In 1874, the Georgia General Assembly passed legislation designating April 26th of each year as “Confederate Memorial Day,” choosing the day of Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s surrender to Union General William T. Sherman at Durham Station, North Carolina. There is no longer a statutorily-recognized Confederate Memorial Day, but it became customary for Governors to issue a proclamation yearly designating April 26th as Confederate Memorial Day or to make it the Monday or Friday closest to the 26th.
Lucius D. Clay was born in Marietta, Georgia on April 23, 1898, the son of Georgia U.S. Senator Alexander Stephens Clay, who served in the Senate from 1896 until his death in 1910. Clay graduated West Point in 1915 and eventually rose to serve as Supreme Allied Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Deputy for Military Government. During the Berlin Airlift, Clay helped keep Allied-occupied West Berlin supplied with food for almost a year after Soviet forces blockaded all land routes into the city.
The United States declared war on Spain on April 25, 1898.
On April 26, 1913, 13-year old Mary Phagan was found dead, having been sexually assaulted, in the basement of a pencil factory in Atlanta. Guilt was pinned on the Jewish owner of the factory, Leo Frank. Frank was convicted, but later his sentence was commuted after Governor John Slaton concluded from his own investigation that Frank had been framed. Frank was later hanged by a lynch mob.
Hank Aaron his his first home run in major league baseball on April 23, 1954, playing for the Milwaukee Braves against the St. Louis Cardinals.
Jack Kingston was born on April 24, 1955. He was elected to the Georgia House of Representatives in 1984 and served four terms and in 1992 was elected to the United States Congress.
“Georgia On My Mind” became the official state song on April 24, 1979, when Governor George Busbee signed legislation designating it.
IBM introduced the Personal Computer Model 5150 on April 24, 1981, though some authorities date the introduction to April 12. It sported an Intel 8088 processor at 4.77 Mhz, a whopping 16k of RAM, which was expandable to 256k, and a clicky keyboard. The initial price tag was $1565, equivalent to more than $4000 today.
New Coke was announced on April 23, 1985.
On April 26, 1986, the world’s worst nuclear accident occurred at Chernobyl in the Soviet Union.
Thirty-two people died and dozens more suffered radiation burns in the opening days of the crisis, but only after Swedish authorities reported the fallout did Soviet authorities reluctantly admit that an accident had occurred.
On April 27, Soviet authorities began an evacuation of the 30,000 inhabitants of Pripyat. A cover-up was attempted, but on April 28 Swedish radiation monitoring stations, more than 800 miles to the northwest of Chernobyl, reported radiation levels 40 percent higher than normal. Later that day, the Soviet news agency acknowledged that a major nuclear accident had occurred at Chernobyl.
On April 25, 1996, Georgia Governor Zell Miller signed Senate Bill 519 designating English the official language of Georgia. Click here for the text of the bill.
On April 28, 2014, the earliest ever Primary Elections in Georgia began, as in-person early voting started across the state.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Governor Brian Kemp is visiting South Georgia today to survey new tornado damage, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The governor will arrive at the Cook County Airport in Adel around noon by helicopter, according to a statement from the governor’s office.
Before coming to Adel, the governor is expected to stop in Pelham, which also suffered major damage from the wave of storms Thursday.
The tornado ripped off roofs and destroyed buildings in the Cook County city, according to witnesses.
Johnny West, Cook County’s emergency management director, said there was damage throughout the county and “heavy damage” in the city.
President Donald Trump has now stated he opposes Governor Kemp’s decision to allow the re-opening of certain enumerated businesses. From the Savannah Morning News:
President Donald Trump said he told Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp that he “disagreed strongly” with Kemp’s decision to begin allowing some nonessential businesses to soon reopen.
“The people of Georgia … have been strong, resolute, but at the same time he must do what he thinks is right,” Trump said of Kemp, a Republican. “I want him to do what he thinks is right. But I disagree with him on what he’s doing. … But I think (opening) spas and beauty salons and tattoo parlors and barbershops in phase one … it’s just too soon.”
Kemp responded in a tweet Wednesday night that he appreciated Trump’s guidance but would move forward with his plan.
“Our next measured step is driven by data and guided by state public health officials,” the governor said. “I am confident that business owners who decide to reopen will adhere to minimum basic operations, which prioritize the health and well-being of employees and customers.”
The president amped up his criticism on Thursday. “I want them to open,” he said of businesses, “and I want them to open as soon as possible and I want the state to open. But I was not happy with Brian Kemp. I will tell you that.”
Mr. Trump’s public scoldings of Mr. Kemp sent a confusing message to other Republican governors who are considering similar moves.
“I hope that our governor’s right, and I hope the president’s right,” State Representative Ron Stephens, a Savannah Republican, said on Thursday. “Actually both of them are right in that we’ve got to get the economy going. I just don’t know the timing of it.”
Some Georgia legislators agreed with President Trump, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Sen. Harold Jones said Kemp would do well to listen to the president.
Trump “was just being forthright and saying what he felt. He was giving his honest critique, as he will do,” he said.
The state’s shelter-in-place lasts through April 30 and Kemp’s emergency powers extend to May 13, so it’s unclear why the governor decided to make the order for Friday, he said.
“He’s ending it a little bit too early,” Jones said. “It’s a balancing act, but we’re just kind of rushing into it.”
Rep. Gloria Frazier said she’d hoped Kemp might rescind the order in light of Trump’s critique.
Speaking of oddities, Congressman Jody Hice (R-Monroe) and Congressperson Alexandria Ocasio Cortez found themselves among the “Nay” votes on CARES ACT 3.5, according to the AJC.
Hice, a Republican from Monroe, released a statement late Thursday saying he is concerned about Congress spending money that increases the national debt even as these programs fail to keep pace with demand from struggling businesses and employees.
“For example, the Paycheck Protection Program for small businesses ran through its original funding at an amazing pace, and this additional $310 billion will likely follow suit and run dry quickly,” Hice said.
In addition to Hice, the other “no” votes were Republican Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Thomas Massie of Kentucky and Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York.
Ocasio-Cortez said that her district has been hit hard by the coronavirus and the bill did not do enough to protect small businesses or fund treatment and prevention measures.
In addition to adding $310 billion to replenish the Paycheck Protection Program, the legislation also allocates $75 million for health care providers and $25 billion for coronavirus testing.
State legislative leadership is considering reconvening the General Assembly Jun 11, according to the Georgia Beat News Service via the Albany Herald.
The June 11 date is being discussed as a possibility among several officials involved in talks over when to reconvene the session, according to several people with direct knowledge of those talks. Resuming the session on May 15 is also being discussed as an option.
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, the state Senate’s presiding officer, have not said when they will reconvene the 2020 session, which they are empowered to do.
Last week, Ralston tapped five state lawmakers and several key Capitol staffers to serve on a committee tasked with looking at how to close out the remainder of the session. That committee has not met yet, according to an official with direct knowledge of its activities.
In some cases, lawmakers in other in-session states have voted by proxy. For instance, lawmakers in Kentucky changed rules for the state’s House of Representatives that let members located outside the chamber text photos of their votes to a few members inside the chamber.
The date isn’t final and must be approved by House Speaker David Ralston and Lt. Gov. Geoff Duncan, according to several officials with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
But they said the June date has emerged as the likeliest return, though Duncan has also proposed a May 14 date. It means Georgia lawmakers could head back to the Capitol just two days after the June 9 primary.
Gov. Brian Kemp said Wednesday he planned to meet with Duncan and Ralston this week to discuss when the Legislature should reconvene. Duncan and Ralston both declined comment.
The legislative leaders said a June 11 date would give state officials more time to contain the pandemic, while also allowing budget negotiators a clearer picture of the disease’s economic toll before a June 30 deadline to pass a spending plan.
From this morning’s AJC Political Insider:
The 2020 session of the General Assembly will resume on June 11 after a coronavirus hiatus if House Speaker David Ralston has any say about it. And he does.
The speaker said he picked that date not for public health reasons but financial ones. The April revenue figures will be released by early June, and they’ll help inform negotiations about Georgia’s beleaguered spending plan.
“To try to go in during May would be like trying to throw darts when you’re blindfolded. It makes no sense,” he said.
As for the session, the goal is to adopt a 2021 spending plan before June 30. But Ralston didn’t rule out tackling a more narrow list of other legislation, and perhaps some unspecified new proposals that have emerged.
State Rep. Vernon Jones (D?-DeKalb) will at least serve out his current term in office, according to the Savannah Morning News.
A day after Rep. Vernon Jones said he would resign effective immediately, Jones posted a Twitter video stating he changed his mind because he received “overwhelming” support from his constituents.
“Because of what you did for me, I’m going to remain on the battlefield,” Jones said. “I’m going to complete my term. I’m going to continue to put my country before my party. And I’m going to do everything I can to get Donald J. Trump elected.”
The Democrat made waves last week when he endorsed Trump, stating in a video that he’s backing the Republican president because of his support for criminal justice reform and historically black colleges and universities.
Although Jones will complete his term, he did withdraw his candidacy for re-election, a spokesman said.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler discussed business reopenings and unemployment, according to the Gainesville Times.
Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler encouraged employers and employees “to work together” as some businesses are allowed to reopen Friday, April 24, under new state guidelines.
“I would hate to know that an employer would have a blanket statement that (employees) need to come back to work and not have any consideration (for employees),” he said in a press briefing Thursday, April 23.
Employees “may have some health issues, and there are some (unemployment) rules out there that have to do with an individual and whether they need to continue to stay at home,” Butler added.
One of the key concerns is whether workers lose benefits if they feel like it’s not safe to return.
Employers “don’t have to cut off unemployment, you are not being required to cut off unemployment,” Butler said. “Nobody’s telling anybody to do that. We have purposely set the system up to where (businesses) can bring workers back slowly, and continue to file partial claims for them.”
Companies aren’t required to reopen, so workers at businesses that don’t reopen can still draw unemployment, he said.
The Center Square reports that new unemployment claims are down in Georgia.
Initial unemployment claims in Georgia dropped for the second consecutive week, data released Thursday by the U.S. Department of Labor showed.
Initial unemployment claims in Georgia for the week ending April 18 were 243,677, down 75,904 – or 24 percent – from the 319,581 initial claims filed the week ending April 11.
The Georgia Department of Labor said Thursday it has processed 1,090,536 unemployment claims in the past month, more than the combined total for the previous three years.
Because of an emergency rule issued late last month, an individual in Georgia can earn up to $300 per week in income without reducing their weekly unemployment benefit amount, allowing employees to work reduced hours and still qualify for state and federal weekly benefits, GDOL said.
“We are working very diligently to come up with solutions to get Georgians back to work as soon as it is safe to do so,” GDOL Commissioner Mark Butler said. “Although some people are returning to work, the GDOL will continue to process and make payments for all weeks an individual was eligible for benefits.”
Dalton area unemployment rose to 5.1% in March, according to the Dalton Daily News Times.
Metro Dalton’s unemployment rate increased to 5.1 percent in March, Georgia Labor Commissioner Mark Butler said.
Metro Dalton is Whitfield and Murray counties.
The unemployment rate increased 0.7 percentage points in March. A year ago, the rate was 4.6 percent.
Butler said the metro area’s initial unemployment claims drastically increased in March. Due to the effects of the new coronavirus (COVID-19), all metropolitan statistical areas in the state saw a dramatic increase in initial claims along with the unemployment rate.
Northwest Georgia fire departments are addressing Covid prevention for firefighters, according to the Dalton Daily News Times.
Dalton Fire Chief Todd Pangle said medical calls account for 65% to 75% of the calls answered by his department each month. Whitfield County Fire Chief Edward O’Brien and Murray County Fire Chief Dewayne Bain said a similar percentage of those department’s calls are for medical emergencies.
Those departments adopted a number of practices in early March to keep the new coronavirus (COVID-19) from spreading among firefighters.
“We’ve closed fire stations to everyone but employees,” O’Brien said.
Fire departments have also begun asking firefighters to take their temperature before the start of a shift. Anyone with a fever is told to stay home.
“We were always diligent about hand washing and keeping things clean,” said Pangle. “But we have placed an even greater emphasis on washing hands and using hand sanitizer often. We have also mandated that stations be cleaned and disinfected multiple times a day.”
All three departments have also made some changes in the way they handle medical calls — asking individuals, especially those who have fever, cough, trouble breathing or other symptoms of the coronavirus to, if they can, meet them outside their homes. If the individual cannot come outside, one firefighter goes inside to assess the situation
“The idea is to provide aid to those people while at the same time reducing the exposure to our firefighters,” Pangle said.
Lowndes County Tax Commissioner Rodney V. Cain announced the reopening of his office today, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
his office will re-open to the public 8 a.m. Friday, April 24, and will remain open until 5 p.m.
The drive-through will be open 9 a.m.-5:30 p.m.
”Extra precautionary measures are in place to ensure adherence to social distancing requirements, and the number of citizens permitted in the building at one time will be limited and monitored,” according to a statement from the tax commissioner office.
Call (229) 671-2579 with any questions.
Less traffic due to Covid 19 is making some government work easier, according to The Brunswick News.
On the bright side, it makes life easier for workers on infrastructure projects.
“When you don’t have any school traffic, don’t have a lot of people going to the beach, going to rental homes, it’s safer and we don’t worry as much about the traffic,” said Glynn County Public Works Director Dave Austin.
“We are in the spring break season, (when) it’s usually pretty busy around here. It’s picking up, though,” Austin said. “We’re trying to do some of the resurfacing work during the day we wouldn’t even think of doing during peak hours (before the outbreak).”
“Many things we would have to do at night we can now do during the day,” [Brunswick-Glynn County Joint Water and Sewer Commission Executive Director Andrew] Burroughs said. “Anytime you can work during the day, you can work more safely. You can bring lights in at night to illuminate the site, but daylight is always better.”
Anyone traveling from St. Simons Island to Metro Atlanta is implored to go pick me up a mess of ribs at Southern Soul and bring them to me. You will be rewarded. You’ll have to get your own food to go, as they’re not yet reopening for dine-in service, according to The Brunswick News.
Come Monday, things will look pretty much the same at this popular barbecue joint in the roundabout on St. Simons Island. Although Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has declared restaurants can resume serving seated diners beginning next week, Southern Soul’s staff and owners believe the risk of spreading or catching COVID-19 is still too great for serving in close quarters.
“We will just offer curbside,” restaurant co-owner Griffin Bufkin said. “We’re looking out for the safety of our guests and we’re just going to continue with curbside for now.”
Comments ( 0 )