On December 31, 1695, a British law taxing windows went into effect, causing many property owners to brick-up some windows to avoid paying the tax. This may be the first recorded instance of the “Law of Unintended Consequences” in response to a tax increase. See also: Revolution, American.
On January 1, 1751, the law prohibiting slavery in Georgia was repealed after an act passed by the Georgia Trustees the previous year.
On January 2, 1766, some Sons of Liberty marched on the Royal Governor’s Mansion in Savannah to “discuss” the Stamp Act, which required the use of stamped paper for all printing as a means of taxing the colonies. They were met by a pistol-toting Governor Wright.
On January 3, 1766, after passage of the “stamp act,” the Royal Stamp Master arrived at Tybee Island and was taken to the Governor’s Mansion. On that day, Georgia became the first and only colony in which the stamp tax was actually collected.
Georgia became the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution on January 2, 1788.
Timothy Pickering of Massachusetts became the first United States Senator to be censured by the body on January 2, 1811.
Georgia Governor George Towns signed a constitutional amendment that removed the requirement that governors own at least 500 acres real estate and other property valued at least $4000 on December 30, 1847. At the time, an amendment to the state constitution had to be passed twice by the General Assembly in subsequent sessions, but did not require voter approval.
The Gadsden Purchase, establishing the southern border of the United States with Mexico, was signed on December 30, 1853.
Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born in Staunton, Virginia on December 28, 1856 and moved to Augusta, Georgia with his family a few years later. Wilson would later practice law in Atlanta, marry Ellen Axson of Rome, Georgia, and serve as President of the United States from 1913 to 1921. Recently, Princeton University removed Wilson’s name from campus.
Delaware, technically at the time a slave state, rejected a proposal to secede from the United States on January 3, 1861.
The USS Monitor, the first federal ironclad steamship, sank on December 30, 1862 off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina.
The Emancipation Proclamation by President Abraham Lincoln went into effect in eleven Southern states on January 1, 1863, though parts of Virginia and Louisiana were exempt.
The Kimball Opera House in Atlanta, a former location of the State Capitol, caught fire on December 27, 1894 and was destroyed.
The Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta’s Piedmont Park closed on December 31, 1895.
On December 29, 1896, Georgia Governor William Y. Atkinson signed legislation creating the state Schoolbook Commission.
The American Political Science Association was formed on December 30, 1903, and has been misunderstood ever since.
The sarcophagus containing the mummy of King Tatankhamen was discovered on January 3, 1925.
On December 26, 1939, President Franklin D. Roosevelt watched a private viewing of Gone With the Wind at the White House.
The first live recording of Led Zeppelin was made at Gonzaga University on December 30, 1968.
On January 3, 1973, Andrew Young was sworn in as the first African-American Congressman from Georgia since 1871.
Lockheed received the contract to produce 50 C-5B cargo aircraft for the federal government on December 30, 1982.
On January 3, 1990, Panamanian General Manuel Antonio Noriega surrendered to American forces in Panama.
On December 31, 1999, the Panama Canal was turned over to Panama pursuant to the Torrijos-Carter Treaties signed by President Jimmy Carter in 1977.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The Georgia General Assembly convenes in ten days on Monday, January 13, 2025 at 10 AM. Brace yourselves. The Joint Appropriations Subcommittee on Public Safety is scheduled to meet on Tuesday, January 7, 2025 at 1 PM in 341 CAP.
Former President Jimmy Carter died Sunday, December 29, 2024, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Former President Jimmy Carter’s environmental activism began and flourished in his home state of Georgia.
By his death at 100 years old on Sunday, Carter had established his green legacy throughout the fields, forests and river bottoms of Georgia just as much as he had in the White House.
Carter’s green roots in Georgia
Carter’s reverence for the environment began in his adolescence, when as a teenager he received an acre of farmland from his father in Plains, Georgia. It was there that he learned to grow and sell peanuts. After serving in the Navy, he returned to the modest land with his wife, Rosalynn, taking over his late father’s farming operations.
When he finished his term as a state senator in 1967, Carter went on to help create the Georgia Conservancy. The organization soon helped establish the Cumberland Island National Seashore, a protected wilderness designation for the Okefenokee wetlands, and the creation of Sweetwater Creek State Park.
As governor, Carter established the Georgia Heritage Trust, which identified critical areas in the state for conservation and protection. This included preserving more than 300 acres along the Chattahoochee River in metro Atlanta.
Carter then took his advocacy to the White House. His contributions on the national stage set in motion many of the environmental protections the United States benefits from today.
Protection of rivers
Much of Carter’s environmental legacy surely dates back to his love of rivers. He grew up fishing in the Georgia wilderness and became skilled in canoeing later in life, paddling many of the very rivers he would go on to save.
During his presidency, he helped clean up waterways, strengthened the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System, and secured federal protection for the Chattooga River.
He also vetoed the construction of several dams that would have harmed rivers throughout the country. This included the construction of the Sprewell Bluff Dam on the Flint River in Georgia.
The funeral processions for Carter, who died at his home in Plains on Sunday at the age of 100, will begin on Saturday, Jan. 4, in his hometown of Plains and then head to Atlanta.
Included among the major stops along his funeral procession route: A stop at his boyhood farm, a motorcade to Atlanta, a pause at the Georgia State Capitol, a service at the Carter Presidential Center, public viewings in both Atlanta and Washington, a funeral procession in Washington, a service at the U.S. Capitol, a National Funeral Service at Washington National Cathedral, and a private service and internment in Plains, Georgia.
Carter will be laid to rest in his hometown of Plains on Jan. 9. President Biden also announced he appointed Jan. 9, 2025, as a National Day of Mourning throughout the United States.
Saturday, Jan. 4: The state funeral will begin with the arrival of the Carter Family at Phoebe Sumter Medical Center in Americus, Georgia, at 10:15 a.m. Current and former Special Agents in Charge from the United States Secret Service will carry his remains to the hearse and walk alongside it as the motorcade leaves the medical center.
The motorcade will then travel through Carter’s hometown of Plains, Georgia to his boyhood home for a brief pause in front of his family’s farm at 10:50 a.m. During the pause, the National Park Service will salute the late president and ring the historic farm bell 39 times. His final journey to Atlanta will begin at 10:55 a.m.
As the motorcade arrives in Atlanta, it will stop at Georgia’s State Capitol for a moment of silence by Gov. Brian Kemp, Lt. Gov. Burt Jones, Mayor of Atlanta Andre Dickens, members of the Georgia Legislature, and Georgia State Patrol Troopers at 3 p.m.
Carter’s remains will then be transported to the Carter Presidential Center for an arrival ceremony at 3:45 p.m. and service at 4 p.m. Following the service, he will lie in repose for mourners to come and pay their respects from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 7.
Tuesday, Jan. 7: Carter will depart the Carter Presidential Center one last time with a ceremony at 9:30 a.m. The late president and his family then travel to Dobbins Air Reserve Base, Georgia, at 10 a.m., where they will board Special Air Mission 39 to travel to Washington at 10:40 a.m.
Special Air Mission 39 arrives at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland at 12:45 p.m., where Carter’s remains will be transferred with a ceremony to the hearse. Carter and his family will then travel by motorcade at 1:15 p.m. to the U.S. Navy Memorial, where his remains will be transferred from the hearse to a horse-drawn caisson for a funeral procession up to the U.S. Capitol at 2 p.m.
Upon arrival at the U.S. Capitol, the late president is carried by military body bearers into the Rotunda, where members of Congress will pay their respects during a service at 3 p.m. Carter will then lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor. The public is invited to pay their respects as he lies in state from 7 p.m. to midnight.
Wednesday, Jan. 8: The late president continues to lie in state while the military maintains a guard of honor. The public is invited to pay their respects from 7 a.m. on Jan. 8., until 7 a.m. on Jan. 9.
Thursday, Jan. 9: Carter will depart the U.S. Capitol with a ceremony for his last time at 9 a.m. The motorcade will then travel to Washington National Cathedral for a brief arrival ceremony at 9:30 a.m., followed by the National Funeral Service at 10 a.m. Upon conclusion of the service, Carter and his family will travel by motorcade at 11:15 a.m. to Joint Base Andrews in Maryland where they will board Special Air Mission 39 at 11:45 a.m. for his final journey home to Georgia.
Special Air Mission 39 will arrive at Lawson Army Airfield on Fort Moore, Georgia at 2 p.m., where Carter’s remains will be transferred with a ceremony to the hearse. Carter and his family then travel by motorcade to Maranatha Baptist Church, Plains, arriving at 3:30 p.m., followed by a private funeral service at 3:45 p.m.
After the funeral service, the late president and his family will travel by motorcade at 4:45 p.m. to the Carter residence for a private interment at 5:20 p.m. The public is invited to line the motorcade route as Carter and his family travel through his beloved hometown of Plains, Georgia to the late president’s final resting place.
Prior to interment, the U.S. Navy will conduct a missing man formation flyover in honor of former President Carter’s naval service and time as commander-in-chief shortly after the motorcade’s arrival at the residence.
“His compassion, his love of people and the fairness in his heart and how he just treated everybody good,” said Al Williams, Georgia State Representative.
Al Williams is a Georgia State representative who met Carter during his race for Georgia governor in 1970.
“We ran into each other, and he asked me would I support him, and I told him I was supporting former governor Sanders,” said Williams. “But when we got into a runoff, I thought about him and I had heard a lot of talk, I decided to switch and so I supported him for governor in the runoff that year.”
Williams says the next time he saw Carter was at the Capitol near the end of his term, alongside former state senator Mell Traylor.
“On the way out the door as he was shaking our hand, Mel asked him now that your term is getting ready to be over, what are your plans,” said Williams. “He says I’m going to run for President.”
They made it to the bottom of the stairs on Capitol Hill.
“We laughed until we almost fell over. He wants to run for president,” Williams continued.
But little did he know, it would turn into a moment and experience that Williams would remember forever.
“That shows you what we knew,” Williams said. “Consequently when he ran, I campaigned for him hard.
“It was something different about him. He proved to be a man of great compassion and conviction. Most of all, he did not lie and he was a gentleman to the end.”
And that’s the legacy that many across Georgia are recalling as the nation mourns the loss of it’s 39th President.
Effingham County State Court Judge Stephen Yekel was found dead in his courtroom, according to the Statesboro Herald.
The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office confirmed Tuesday afternoon that State Court Judge Stephen Yekel committed suicide. Deputies found his body inside an empty courtroom in the Effingham County Courthouse around 10:30 a.m. Dec. 31.
Tuesday was to be his last day on the bench. Judge Yekel lost his re-election bid in the June 18 runoff election to Judge Melissa Calhoun.
Chief Judge F. Gates Peed issued an order closing the courthouse for the rest of the day. Normal courthouse operations are set to resume Thursday.
According to news reports, Yekel sent a letter dated Dec. 6 to Gov. Brian Kemp’s office in requesting to resign from his position Dec. 30, the day before his term was set to end.
In the letter, reports said Yekel wrote that he received 900 more votes than any other candidate in the May 21 primary, but not enough to avoid a runoff with Calhoun, who won the runoff by less than 400 votes.
“I feel that the office of State Court Judge of Effingham is too important to be decided by only 6 percent of the eligible voters of Effingham County,” Yekel’s letter reportedly stated.
In a reply dated Dec. 12, Kemp thanked Yekel for his service and wrote: “However, regardless of the low turnout for this year’s runoff election cited in your letter, the people of Effingham County have spoken once again … The results of a fair election should not be nullified on the basis of a manufactured legal technicality.”
Yekel was elected state court judge in 2022 to finish out the term of then Judge Ronnie Thompson, after Thompson was appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp to become the Ogeechee Circuit’s fourth Superior Court judge.
State Court in Effingham County has jurisdiction over misdemeanors whose penalties range from serving one day to 12 months in jail and fines of up to $1,000.
From the Savannah Morning News:
According to Brian Bailey, public information officer for ECSO, Yekel died from a self-inflicted gun shot wound. A deputy found Yekel deceased in the courtroom Tuesday morning, Dec. 31. According to Bailey, it is routine for deputies to check rooms in the courthouse on a daily basis.
Fulton Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram held that a Senate Committee may subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D), according to the Capitol Beat News Service.
A judge has ruled that the state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in its investigation of her role in the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump, the Associated Press reported Friday.
Fulton Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram filed the order on Monday, giving Willis until Jan. 13 to submit arguments over whether subpoenas issued by a Senate special committee to investigate allegations of misconduct against Willis are overly broad. Willis’ office has indicated she will ask the Georgia Supreme Court to review the ruling.
Ingram heard arguments in the case early this month, when former Gov. Roy Barnes appearing as her lawyer argued Senate Republicans were conducting a vendetta to punish Willis for prosecuting the Republican former president. A Fulton grand jury indicted Trump in August of last year on charges of participating in a conspiracy to overturn the results of the 2020 presidential election in Georgia that saw Democrat Joe Biden capture Georgia’s 16 electoral votes.
Last week, the state Court of Appeals disqualified Willis from the case, ruling that her sexual relationship with Nathan Wade, the special prosecutor she hired to lead the prosecution, constituted an appearance of impropriety.
However, state Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-Cumming, has announced he will introduce a resolution at the beginning of the 2025 General Assembly session next month to reestablish the Senate Special Committee on Investigations despite the decision removing Willis from the case.
“(The) ruling by the Georgia Court of Appeals … in removing Fani Willis from the election interference case only further validates our body’s justified concerns about the potential need to legislatively address such conduct and decision-making,” Dolezal said the day after the appellate court’s ruling. “These developments confirm the pressing need for continuing legislative action.”
The Senate committee sent subpoenas to Willis in August ordering her to testify at a September meeting and bring documents related to the case. She refused to comply, asserting the subpoenas were unlawful.
Barnes argued the committee lacked the authority to subpoena Willis, a power he said rests only with the full General Assembly. He also contended the subpoenas did not serve any legitimate legislative purpose but were simply to embarrass Willis and discover the details of her case against Trump.
But Josh Belinfante, a lawyer representing the committee, said investigating Willis’ handling of the election interference case might show existing state laws governing the hiring and compensation of district attorneys in Georgia to be inadequate for addressing “legal and fiscal issues” raised by her alleged misconduct.
Macon County Probate Judge Tommy Martin wants to prevent Jeffrey Canady from being sworn in as Sheriff despite a Superior Court order, according to 13WMAZ.
After many assumed the legal battle was over, a Macon County Probate Court judge is challenging a superior court ruling that made Jeffrey Canady sheriff-elect.
Judge Tommy Martin sent Canady a court order Dec. 20, saying he would not be sworn in as sheriff, despite winning the election. Instead, his opponent, Richard Martin, would become sheriff instead. He received about 600 fewer votes than Canady.
“I think it is illegal,” Macon County voter Clarissa Quinn-Turner said. “It is very disrespectful. We have a candidate that won and he should be acknowledged as the position that he won.”
Earlier this month, Superior Court Judge Richard Winegarden declared Canady could serve as sheriff, despite losing his POST certification. The Georgia Code states someone who is not a certified peace officer can still become sheriff as long as they complete certification within six months of taking office.
Judge Martin wrote he cannot take office, however, because Canady cannot be re-certified for two years. Canady lost his certification after admitting he used excessive force on a high school student.
Richard Martin attended the Sheriffs-Elect Academy instead of Canady. If Martin is appointed Jan. 1, he will vacate the seat as interim until there is a special election.
United States Senators Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) and Raphael Warnock (D-Atlanta) received their committee assignments for the next session, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Democrat Jon Ossoff will serve on the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee, which has jurisdiction over the federal budget.
“I look forward to serving on the Senate Appropriations Committee in the new Congress, where I will continue working across the aisle to deliver for Georgia,” Ossoff said Thursday.
Meanwhile, fellow Democrat Raphael Warnock has been appointed to the Senate Finance Committee, which handles federal tax and trade policies.
“I will be a guardian on the committee against any efforts to gut critical safety net programs like Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare … against expensive tariffs that will hurt Georgians’ pockets and bottom lines, and against any attempts to give massive tax cuts to the top 1% at the expense of working families and communities,” Warnock said.
Republican President-elect Donald Trump has said he will push to extend the tax cuts he steered through Congress in 2017 during his first term in office and impose heavy tariffs on imports from China, Mexico, and Canada. Trump will take the oath of office on Jan. 20.
Ossoff will continue serving on the Senate Intelligence and Rules committees, while Warnock will return to the Senate Agriculture and Banking committees.
The Georgia Department of Labor announced the extension of the deadline for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance after Hurricane Helene, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The filing deadline for federal Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for victims of Hurricane Helene has been extended to Feb. 7, the Georgia Department of Labor announced Thursday.
DUA is a federal program established to help workers whose primary income is lost or interrupted by a disaster declared by the president. It differs from regular state unemployment insurance in that it provides benefits to Georgians who aren’t eligible under the state’s program. That includes the self-employed, farmers, loggers, and workers who are paid by commission.
Twenty-two newly elected legislators will join the Georgia General Assembly in 2025, according to the AJC.
Georgia voters elected 22 new members of the General Assembly in November, including an Army colonel, a college football coach, a university trustee and a helicopter pilot.
And that’s just Floyd Griffin.
[State Representative-elect] Bryce Berry defeated state Rep. Mesha Mainor, whose switch to the Republican Party last year made it impossible for her to win reelection in the heavily Democratic House District 56. He came to Atlanta as a student at Morehouse College. His mother was a teacher. So was his grandmother. But Berry majored in economics.
Hall County voters have swapped one Echols for another in the state Senate.
State Sen. Shelly Echols, R-Gainesville, decided to retire earlier this year to spend more time with her son, Cohen, a high schooler with Down syndrome. Voters chose her husband, Drew Echols, to replace her.
Echols is a fifth-generation farmer, growing peaches, pumpkins and strawberries at the legendary Jaemor Farms in Alto. While his farm saw little damage from the hurricanes that battered Georgia this year, he said he wants to try to make whole those who did lose their harvests.
One idea floated by legislative leaders is to repeal the gratuities clause in the state constitution, which prevents the Legislature from giving money to farmers without being repaid.
Echols said he might be interested in exploring that, but it would depend on how the proposal is crafted. He said he didn’t think farmers were interested in government handouts, but he said it might be worth exploring how to exempt them from the gratuities clause in times of disaster.
“I don’t know much about being a legislator, but I know don’t back yourself into a corner,” he said.
Georgia State Rep. Dale Washburn (R-Macon) wants to ban SkyNet our computer overlords speed cameras, according to 13WMAZ.
If you are tired of school speed zone cameras, District 144 House Representative Dale Washburn says he agrees and is taking action to try to ban them across the state.
A speed camera operation company document shows cameras in Macon-Bibb brought in almost $7 million in revenue since the program began.
Washburn said the automated enforcement systems entrap Georgians into paying large fines and it needs to end.
“I think it’s outrageous to assume that all of these people, these thousands of people that are receiving citations don’t care about school zones and are racing through school zones,” he said. “So, it is just a scheme to rake in money, and I stand on that.”
And Macon-Bibb County has raked in a lot. A November 2024 report from Altumint, the company that operates the school camera system in Bibb, shows since starting the speed camera program, Macon-Bibb has made $5.6 million.
“I was shocked at the volume of money,” Washburn said. “Absolutely shocked at how much money was being taken in. When I began to hear complaints about this, what drew me to it was that it is just wrong to entrap good, law-abiding people who are going to work or maybe just doing anything, who are not people who are out speeding through school zones and I began to look at it from that standpoint.”
Washburn said his proposed bill to ban these school zone speed cameras is drafted and ready to go before the legislature.
“I am very serious about getting this done,” he said. “I have no higher priority this year than to pass a bill banning this camera system in Georgia.”
Washburn said the flashing lights to remind people to slow down are good enough and there shouldn’t be expensive fines to go along with that enforcement.
“If you are having a problem with people not recognizing that they need to slow down at school, then certainly having a patrol car put there with the flashing lights on or just a patrol car sitting there will slow people down,” he said. “If you’re having any problems, then an officer should issue citations to those people. But to have cameras doing that is one of the big problems here. These tickets are being given outside of the time frames. We have evidence of that, so lights are not flashing.”
He said on day one of the legislative session, he will start working to get other state representatives to co-sign the bill.
Richard Coleman was sworn-in as Chatham County’s first African-American Sheriff, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Dozens gathered to watch as nine members of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners and Chatham County coroner, David Campbell, were sworn in on Thursday.
Chatham County Commission Chairman Chester Ellis swore in to his second term during the inauguration ceremony. He highlighted the commission’s accomplishments over the last four years.
“From January 1, 2021, until January 2nd, 2025, this commission has brought in this county $1.7 billion,” Ellis said.
New Richmond County Sheriff Eugene Brantley swore in 100 new employees, according to WJBF.
During Sheriff Eugene Brantley’s campaign, he made it clear he was ready to make change.
And on day two of the new year and new administration, Sheriff Brantley is doing just that with an additional 100 employees to the Richmond County Sheriff Office agency.
Richmond County Sheriff Office employees will begin their duties Monday, Jan. 6.
Brantley unseated Richard Roundtree, who’s served as sheriff for 12 years and marked his last day in office Tuesday.
Here’s Brantley’s message:
“As I officially take office at midnight on New Year’s Eve, I want to assure the residents of Augusta that our law enforcement agencies are fully prepared to ensure a safe and secure celebration as we usher in the new year.”
“While my tenure begins at the stroke of midnight, we have been working closely with our local law enforcement partners to ensure that there is an increased and visible presence throughout Augusta, particularly in downtown areas. Public safety is our top priority, and we are committed to providing a strong presence, responsive services, and a sense of security for everyone celebrating the occasion.”
“I want to personally assure you that both my command staff and I will be at the office starting at midnight and will be actively engaged in the community throughout the night. We will be out on patrol and visiting key areas to ensure everything runs smoothly. This hands-on approach reflects our commitment to being accessible and responsive to the needs of our community, especially on such an important night.”
“Our dedicated officers will be working collaboratively with local police, emergency services, and event organizers to monitor the situation and respond promptly to any incidents that may arise. We are prepared for the unique challenges that come with this night, including crowd management, traffic control, and ensuring that all activities remain safe and enjoyable for all participants.”
“We are excited to step into this new chapter, and I am personally looking forward to working with our law enforcement partners and the community in the coming days and years. Together, we will continue to strengthen our efforts to keep Augusta safe, not just on New Year’s Eve, but every day of the year.”
He took his oath of office Friday during a ceremonial swearing-in as the new sheriff of Augusta-Richmond County.
“My first order of business is going to be to get in, meet with all of the deputies and different non-law enforcement personnel. Just kind of get the temperature of the workplace, see what we can do to improve it, change the culture. Just fix a lot of the things that I saw were wrong with or not going as, as they should within the office,” said Brantley.
Matthew Karl “Matt” Hube was sworn in as a Superior Court Judge for the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit, according to the Statesboro Herald.
Matthew Karl “Matt” Hube joined the Ogeechee Judicial Circuit bench this week as its newest Superior Court Judge. After first being officially sworn by Bulloch County Probate Judge Lorna DeLoach, Hube was treated to a ceremonial swearing in by retiring Superior Court Judge F. Gates Peed, whom he succeeds in office.
Hube wasn’t part of the 10 a.m. Dec. 30 Oath of Office ceremony that DeLoach conducted for most of Bulloch’s newly elected and re-elected officials on the second floor of the historic Bulloch County Courthouse. But she had sworn in Hube at 9:30 a.m., since the judgeship he holds is assigned to Bulloch for that purpose, although like the other Superior Court judges, he will serve throughout the four-county circuit.
Then Peed conducted the separate ceremony, just for Hube, across the street at the Bulloch County Judicial Annex. Hube’s family, friends and other citizens filled Courtroom A for that purpose, while a reception was set out downstairs in the jury assembly room for officials and their families who had been part of the main ceremony.
“The best advice I could give anybody becoming a judge or wanting to be a judge is, listen,” Peed said. “It doesn’t cost you anything to listen, and most of the time, though most of what we hear, it shows itself to us, if we will just listen.”
Georgia’s oath of office for Superior Court judges is a little different from the more general one affirmed by county commissioners and administrative officers. With the judge’s oath, Hube swore or affirmed to “administer justice without respect to person and do equal rights to the poor and the rich” and “faithfully and impartially … perform all the duties” of a judge to the best of his “ability and understanding and agreeably to the laws and Constitution of this state and the Constitution of the United States.”
After Hube said, “So help me God,” and was introduced as the new judge, applause erupted. “I would warn you, don’t get used to that,” Peed quipped, so the applause was followed by laughter.
Hube attended the new judge orientation training held in Athens for Georgia’s incoming new superior court judges – there were 24 at the time – for three and a half days in mid-December.
Re-elected without opposition, Muldrew and Superior Court Judge Lovett Bennett Jr. had been sworn in for their 2025-2028 terms by DeLoach during a separate ceremony Dec. 20. Superior Court Judge Ronald K. “Ronnie” Thompson, also elected without opposition, was sworn in first by Effingham County’s probate judge but then took part in Bulloch County’s Dec.30 ceremony.
The Ogeechee Circuit, which comprises Bulloch, Effingham, Jenkins and Screven counties, also has an appointed Juvenile Court judge.
Peed, like many other Superior Court judges who retire from full-time service, is set to become a senior judge. As such, he may accept assignments when needed in this or other circuits, such as when elected judges are on leave or are recused from cases.
I award three points for proper use of “comprise,” and another three points for thoroughness.
Gwinnett County Commission Chair Nicole Love Hendrickson was sworn in for her second term, according to AccessWDUN.
In 2020, Hendrickson made history as the first Black person to be the head of Georgia’s second-most populated county’s board of commissioners.
“It’s an honor to have been entrusted by the residents of Gwinnett for a second term,” Hendrickson said. “Strong leadership can drive meaningful change in our community and by working with residents, businesses and local organizations, we can continue to create a county that offers opportunity and equity for everyone.”
Gwinnett County Tax Commissioner Denise R. Mitchell was sworn in for her first term as an elected Commissioner, according to AccessWDUN.
Mitchell won the Nov. 5 election after receiving over 240,000 votes.
In 2021, she was appointed the county’s chief deputy tax commissioner and began serving as tax commissioner in May 2022.
The previously-elected Tax Commissioner Tiffany Porter died in office in 2022.
Glynn County Commissioner Walter Rafoski was elected Chairman by his peers, according to The Brunswick News.
Walter Rafolski was named the new Glynn County Commission chairman at Thursday’s meeting.
Wayne Neal, who has served three consecutive terms as chairman, was named the commission’s vice chair.
Rafolski thanked his fellow commissioners for their unanimous vote.
Prior to his appointment, Rafolski, at-large Post 2 commissioner, joined three other county commissioners in the swearing in ceremony elected officials take before starting a term in office. Incumbents Sammy Tostensen, representing District 1, Allen Booker representing District 5, and newly elected District 2 Commissioner Bob Duncan joined Rafolski in the ceremony conducted by Brunswick Judicial Circuit Chief Judge Stephen Scarlett.
Dr. Malinda Cobb began work as interim Superintendent for Richmond County public schools, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
“I am deeply grateful to the board and our dedicated staff for entrusting me with the responsibility of leading the Richmond County School System during this important transition,” Cobb said in a news release. “As we enter the new year, my focus will remain on ensuring stability, supporting our educators and staff, and maintaining the high standards of excellence we hold for our students and community.”
The Richmond County school board approved Cobb to fill the interim role in early December.
She replaces Dr. Kenneth Bradshaw, who officially retired on Tuesday, Dec. 31.
Two new members of the Colquitt County Board of Education were sworn in, according to the Moultrie Observer.
Judge Wes Lewis performed the swearing-in ceremony for incoming Colquitt County Board of Education Board Members Beth Cannon, Matthew Clifton, and Brad Gregory on December 19, 2024. Their terms officially begin on January 1, 2025.
Beth Cannon ran unopposed for District 6. She was born and raised in Colquitt County. She works as a registered nurse at Colquitt Regional Medical Center – Home Health Services.
Matthew Clifton represents District 3. He is the vice president of Operations/Ancillary Services at Colquitt Regional Medical Center.
Brad Gregory represents District 2. He is a Colquitt County High School graduate and former educator. He spent more than 20 years in the Colquitt County School District before moving to the private sector.
Donna Wilson was sworn in as the new Colquitt County Clerk of Courts, according to the Moultrie Observer.
Albany City Commissioner Jalen Johnson (Ward 2) missed four consecutive meetings and may run afoul of a Commission rule, according to the Albany Herald.
The first-term commissioner, who faces removal if he is absent from the January meeting, said he intends to attend that meeting and that he remains responsible to constituents, even though his work schedule has kept him out of town for extended periods.
The city’s charter states: “Absence from five consecutive regular meetings, whether excused or unexcused, shall operate to vacate the office of a commissioner unless said cumulative absence is excused by the commission by resolution setting forth the reason therefor and entered upon the minutes of the board.”
Commissioners also have discussed the issue of virtual attendance of meetings, the Ward IV commissioner said.
During the COVID-19 state of emergency, rules were relaxed to allow for elected officials to attend meetings online. During the worst of the pandemic, all meetings for the city and Dougherty County were conducted via the internet.
There was some confusion, with there being local, state and federal declarations of emergency that were ended at different times, Warbington said, but all of the commissioners are on the same page since Gov. Brian Kemp’s instructions that elected officials are only allowed to attend two meetings virtually during a calendar year, as determined by state law.
“As far as Commissioner Johnson is concerned, he’s still within the guidelines with the meetings he’s missed,” Warbington said. “He still lives in Albany. Hopefully he’s going to get back on board in January.
“The charter is pretty clear. Come January or February, if Commissioner Jonson continues to miss meetings because of his work schedule, we’ll have some decisions to make.”
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan (ND-GA) announced his resignation effective January 19, 2025, according to AccessWDUN.
U.S. Attorney Ryan K. Buchanan announced his resignation as the chief law enforcement officer for the Northern District of Georgia effective Jan. 19.
A press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia said Buchanan was sworn in on May 2, 2022, as the District’s 26th Presidentially-appointed and Senate-confirmed United States Attorney.
“I thank President Biden for nominating me, Senators Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff for their recommendation and support, and Attorney General Garland for his leadership during my tenure,” Buchanan said. “It has been an honor and a privilege to serve the American people and the Northern District of Georgia.”
Governor Brian Kemp issued Executive Orders appointing 16 Senior Judges, according to AccessWDUN.
Kemp made the appointments on New Year’s Day. They included the following local judges (the county the judge served in is in parentheses:)
Ronnie K. Batchelor (Gwinnett County)
Karen Beyers (Gwinnett County)
Kathlene F. Gosselin (Hall County)
Jeffery S. Malcom (Hart County)
Currie M. Mingledorff II (Barrow County)The other 11 judges appointed came from various areas of the state ranging from Coastal Georgia to Metro Atlanta.
The full list can be found on the Governor’s Office’s website.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources extended shrimping season through January 17, 2025, according to The Brunswick News.
The commercial and recreational food shrimp season in Georgia has been extended to Jan. 17.
Walter Rabon, commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, announced the decision, which was based on scientific data and favorable environmental conditions. The goal is to provide fishers with additional opportunities to catch shrimp while maintaining sustainability.
The extension applies to the 3-mile territorial limit in Georgia to allow the continued harvest of food shrimp by both commercial and recreational fishers.
“This extension supports our fishing communities and ensures everyone can enjoy the benefits of a productive shrimp season,” said Eddie Leonard, a marine biologist with the Coastal Resources Division of Georgia DNR. “Our priority remains balancing economic opportunity with the protection of this vital resource.”
The commercial and recreational food shrimp fishery in state waters will close at 6:20 p.m. on Jan. 17. The earliest it can re-open under state law will be May 15, however the fishery generally re-opens around mid-June based on environmental factors and shrimp population data.
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