Union General Irvin McDowell’s forces engaged Confederates under General Pierre G.T. Beauregard and General Joseph Johnston at the First Battle of Manassas/Bull Run on July 21, 1861.
On July 21, 1868, the Georgia General Assembly ratified the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution as a condition for readmission.
Ernest Miller Hemingway was born on July 21, 1899 in Oak Park, Illinois.
On July 21, 1988, Massachusetts Governor Michael Dukakis accepted the Democratic nomination for President at the National Convention in Atlanta.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
President Donald Trump will visit Cobb County tomorrow, according to the AJC.
President Donald Trump’s visit to Wheeler High School on Wednesday packs a political punch far beyond the rollout of his new savings program for children.
His trip to the Cobb County school district alongside Georgia’s marquee GOP nominees comes at one of the last Republican-controlled institutions in a county that has become a pillar of Democrats’ statewide strategy.
After decades of GOP dominance, Democrats now hold a majority of Cobb’s state legislative delegation, control the county commission and occupy the sheriff’s office, district attorney’s post and nearly every other partisan countywide office.
But the school board is the most notable exception, where Republicans cling to a narrow 4-3 majority after years of bruising elections. That divide has become more pronounced as national politics seep into local education fights. Now Trump is stepping into the fray.
The visit marks at least the third trip by a president or presidential nominee to a Cobb County high school.
In 2003, President George W. Bush held a rally at Harrison High School in Kennesaw. Five years later, then-Democratic nominee Barack Obama staged a town hall at McEachern High School in Powder Springs.
New tariffs on Canadian products may affect Georgia, according to the AJC.
President Donald Trump ignited a likely clash with one of the nation’s largest trading partners Monday by ordering 50% tariffs on a range of Canadian goods — a move that quickly reverberated in Georgia’s race for governor.
Democratic nominee Keisha Lance Bottoms called the tariffs “nothing more than a tax on Georgia families and businesses.”
“Canada is one of Georgia’s largest trading partners, and these tariffs will drive up costs, threaten jobs and make it harder for Georgia businesses to compete,” she said.
Governor Brian Kemp announced the appointment of Brian K. Epps to the Georgia Court of Appeals, according to a Press Release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the appointment of the Honorable Brian K. Epps to the Georgia Court of Appeals, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Brian M. Rickman.
Judge Brian K. Epps has served as a Magistrate Judge on the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia for thirteen years. Before ascending to the federal bench, Judge Epps was a partner at Kilpatrick Townsend & Stockton LLP, where he represented commercial policyholders in insurance coverage disputes throughout the United States and internationally.
Judge Epps has been actively involved in the Augusta community for decades, including serving as a board member and chairman of Shepeard Community Blood Center and helping found and launch Prodigal Ministries and the Harlem High School Alumni Foundation. He teaches a mediation course as an adjunct professor at the University of Georgia School of Law and has devoted significant effort to developing concepts and technologies for mediation.
Judge Epps earned his undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the University of Georgia and his law degree from the University of Georgia School of Law, where he served on the Editorial Board of the Georgia Law Review. He was a law clerk to the Honorable Richard W. Story on the United States District Court for the Northern District of Georgia.
Judge Epps has been married to his wife, Amy, for 30 years. She is a regional literacy coach for the initiative established under the Georgia Early Literacy Act. They attend Stevens Creek Church and are the proud parents of two adult children.
Governor Kemp also announced the appointment of two new Superior Court Judges and two new District Attorneys, according to a Press Release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced the following judicial and prosecutorial appointments: W. Michael Burnham to the Superior Court of the Southern Judicial Circuit, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Brian McDaniel; Kellye C. Moore to the Superior Court of the Houston Judicial Circuit, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Edward D. Lukemire; Michael H. Rogers as District Attorney for the Griffin Judicial Circuit, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Marie G. Broder; and Kathleen Van Pelt Davis as District Attorney for the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit, filling a vacancy created by the resignation of the Honorable Clayton M. Fuller.
W. Michael Burnham is a life-long resident of the Southern Judicial Circuit. He is a partner at the law firm of Dodd & Burnham, where he has handled domestic, criminal, and civil matters throughout his legal career. He is a skilled civil mediator, arbitrator, and domestic relations mediator who regularly assists in high-asset and high-conflict divorce and custody cases.
Burnham earned a bachelor’s degree in English from Valdosta State University and a Juris Doctor from Samford University’s Cumberland School of Law in Birmingham, Alabama. He is married to Stephanie Burnham, and they have two children, Boston and Tripp.
Kellye C. Moore is the managing partner of Walker, Hulbert, Gray and Moore, LLP in Perry, Georgia, where she has a general civil litigation practice. Previously, Moore served as Judge Pro Tempore for the Houston County Juvenile Court under Judge Monica Wilburn. In addition to her private practice, she serves as general counsel to both the Georgia Sheriffs’ Association and the Constitutional Officers’ Association of Georgia, advising Sheriffs, Superior Court Clerks, Probate Judges, and Tax Commissioners.
Raised in a U.S. Air Force family, Moore earned her Bachelor of Business Administration, cum laude, from the University of Georgia and her Juris Doctor from Mercer University School of Law. Kellye lives in Houston County, and she and her late husband, Chris, shared two daughters.
Michael H. Rogers currently serves as Senior Assistant District Attorney in the Griffin Judicial Circuit. He has successfully prosecuted misdemeanor cases and major felonies in the Superior, Juvenile, Magistrate and Probate Courts throughout the Circuit. Prior to joining the Griffin Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office, Rogers practiced privately in Thomaston, specializing in criminal defense, domestic relations, and estate law. He also served as an assistant public defender.
Rogers is actively involved in his community and is a graduate of the Leadership Georgia Class of 2022, as well as past president of the Thomaston Bar Association. He earned his Bachelor’s degree in History from Columbus State University and his Juris Doctor from Mercer University. Rogers, his wife, and two children reside in Upson County and attend Christ Chapel Church of Zebulon.
Kathleen Van Pelt Davis currently serves as a Special Assistant Attorney General representing the Division of Family and Children Services and the Division of Aging services for the four counties of the Lookout Mountain Judicial Circuit. She has been a director of her law firm, Bowers & Davis, LLC, for eleven years, representing litigants in criminal and domestic matters. She also conducts mediations throughout Northwest Georgia. Previously, Davis worked as an associate Special Assistant Attorney General, serving under the Honorable Steven M. Ellis.
Davis attended the University of Georgia School of Law, where she graduated cum laude. While in law school, she participated in the Prosecutorial Clinic and served under District Attorney Kermit McManus of the Conasauga Judicial Circuit. Prior to law school, she graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia, where she earned a Bachelor’s in Political Science. Davis, her husband, and her four children reside in Catoosa County.
United States Senator Jon Ossoff (D-Atlanta) campaigned in Rome, according to WRGA News.
Less than four months out from Election Day, Sen. Ossoff is criss-crossing the state to meet Georgians everywhere.
In Rome, Georgia, the canvass kickoff continued the incredible momentum that’s building for Ossoff’s re-election campaign as Democrats head into November unified,
“This is not just a campaign for Democrats… This is a campaign for everybody who longs for sanity and competence and ethics in American government again.” Senator Ossoff said in Rome. “This is a campaign for people in rural areas and suburban areas and urban areas. This is a campaign for people in every corner of our state. We welcome all to this coalition — a coalition that will win.”
The Fayetteville Police Department fired three officers for alleged misuse of Flock cameras, according to Atlanta News First via WTVM.
According to police, testing of a new auditing feature revealed that the officers had conducted searches outside their scope of work — including looking for their own plates or those of friends and family. The three, who have not been identified, were put on administrative leave before being terminated.
“The department will not speculate regarding the intent behind those searches,” the police department said in a statement. “However, searches of this nature are subject to strict scrutiny and were determined to have been conducted without a legitimate law-enforcement purpose, thereby constituting a violation of department policy.”
The police department asked the Georgia Bureau of Investigation to conduct a criminal investigation. No charges have been announced yet.
Several law enforcement officers in north Georgia have recently been accused of searching through the system for reasons unrelated to their jobs. In June, a Greene County deputy was arrested and fired — and later that month, three Cherokee County deputies were as well.
An Atlanta News First Investigation previously found that Flock cameras were being used for more than just investigating crimes. Information about when a car was seen at a specific location remains in the database for 30 days and is shared with hundreds of external agencies. Some cameras are also designed to follow people as they walk.
The system has prompted nationwide protests, with activists concerned about the possible invasion of privacy. Earlier this month in Barrow County, the sheriff’s office said it was looking for vandals who damaged several Flock cameras, cutting down camera poles and severing solar power equipment.
A DeKalb County Deputy has been charged with alleged misuse of Flock cameras, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
A DeKalb County deputy accused of misusing Flock Safety camera data adds to a growing list of law enforcement officers charged with violating their oath.
Sgt. Kabiru Salawu, a 17-year veteran of the agency, was fired and arrested for unauthorized use of Flock license plate reader technology, the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office announced Friday.
The agency said the misuse was identified during an internal probe, and Salawu was immediately terminated following the discovery. Salawu was charged with misuse of license plate data and felony violation of oath of office.
“The public expects and deserves integrity from every member of the agency,” Sheriff Melody Maddox said in a statement. “The misuse of law enforcement technology or confidential information for any unauthorized purpose is a serious breach of the public’s trust and will not be tolerated. When misconduct is identified, we act swiftly, hold those responsible accountable, and remain committed to the highest ethical standards.”
It brings the total arrests of law enforcement for license plate misuses in Georgia to 17 in the past few months.
Flock Safety, and Atlanta-based company, issued a statement following the arrest of the Albany officers, saying the case proves their system works to hold law enforcement accountable.
“According to public reporting and investigators, Flock’s audit records played a key role in identifying and documenting the unauthorized searches,” according to the statement. “While the incident has prompted renewed discussion about public safety technology, Flock believes it demonstrates the importance of designing systems with accountability built in.”
The company says the Flock system records who accesses information, when the search was conducted, what information was gathered and what case is associated with the information search, making it clear when a search was not directly tied to investigative work.
“Technology doesn’t create misconduct. People do,” Paige Todd, co-founder of Flock Safety, said in the statement. “The question isn’t whether someone will attempt to misuse technology. The question is whether the technology is designed to expose that misuse and help agencies hold bad actors accountable.”
Three more Richmond County Deputies have been charged in connection with alleged misuse of Flock data, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Three more officers with the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office have been charged with using the agency’s license-reader camera system for their personal use.
Lt. John McKenzie, Inv. Curtis Hoskins and Deputy Joshua Johnson have been charged with misuse of license plate readers and with violating their oath of office.
“The investigation determined that all three deputies knowingly accessed the Flock camera system to search license plate numbers for reasons unrelated to any official law enforcement purpose,” RCSO Capt. Danny Whitehead said in a statement. “Investigators determined the searches were conducted for personal reasons and were not connected to any criminal investigation, call for service, intelligence-gathering or other legitimate law enforcement activity.”
All three officers have been fired and have turned themselves in to the Charles B. Webster Detention Center.
The arrests make a total of four RCSO officers charged with surreptitiously using AI-powered Flock readers.
Deputy Jaquarius Yarbrough was charged with the same offenses in June after investigators found that someone had “conducted multiple inquiries involving at least one license plate over a 28-day period,” according to the RCSO.
Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards announced he will not prosecute former Washington County Solicitor General Michael Howard, according to 13WMAZ.
Houston County District Attorney Eric Edwards announced Friday he would not bring charges against Howard following a yearlong Georgia Bureau of Investigation inquiry into Howard’s handling of misdemeanor cases, including DUI dismissals, in Washington County State Court.
“We were elated to receive the news on Friday that just confirmed what we’ve been saying this whole time, which is there’s absolutely no merit whatsoever to these allegations,” said Matthew Wilson, Howard’s attorney, in an interview with 13WMAZ on Monday.
In a letter to the GBI, Edwards wrote that investigators found no evidence Howard received “kickbacks” or coordinated with defense attorney Johnny Vines, whose clients were at the center of the original allegations. Edwards said court records showed Howard dismissed cases involving clients of many attorneys, some more frequently than those represented by Vines.
Edwards noted he did not agree with every dismissal he reviewed but said those decisions fell within a prosecutor’s discretion. Wilson said Howard stands by all of them.
“It is very important for the prosecutor who lives in that community to be able to have the discretion to make that decision,” Wilson said.
Columbus-area residents protested against data centers, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Around 100 people gathered on Broadway in Columbus on Saturday to rally against efforts to bring a hyperscale data center to Muscogee County.
The demonstration was part of a larger, nationwide effort to protest data centers, with 142 protests held across 42 states, according to Reuters.
In Columbus, organizers used the rally to call for a moratorium on proposed data centers for the area.
The community came together in opposition to the overlay that was recently approved by Columbus Council, organizer Darlene Blaird told the Ledger-Enquirer.
“We felt like we were not listened to by the city council,” she said. “We feel like there were so many people who were in opposition to the overlay and Project Ruby. We feel like they weren’t transparent and didn’t listen to us.”
Dougherty County Commissioners approved a 45-day moratorium on rezonings for data centers, according to WALB.
Dougherty County leaders met Monday, July 20, to discuss a resolution that would start a county-wide review of large-scale data center development.
The commissioners passed the resolution, which will last for 45 days. The initiative is effective immediately and will go until early September.
During that period, leaders will look at the city’s zoning ordinance to determine next steps.
“We believe we can look at our zoning ordinance and determine whether or not we need a specific zoning for data centers,” said Gloria Gaines, representative for District Five for Dougherty County Commission.
Augusta-Richmond County commissioners are considering an ordinance to regulate data centers, according to WRDW.
Augusta-Richmond County commissioners are set to vote on a proposed ordinance that would be the county’s first set of rules specifically for data centers — and decide whether to extend a moratorium on new facilities before it expires.
The draft ordinance would restrict data centers and high-density computing facilities to heavy industrial zoning only, require a special exception and public hearing before any project is approved, and set standards for noise, cooling systems, and buffers from homes and farms.
Under the proposal, facilities would need to maintain a 500-foot buffer from residential or agricultural properties — reduced to 300 feet if a planted visual screen blocking the line of sight is installed. Noise could not exceed 65 decibels measured at the property line. All facilities would be required to use air-cooled or closed-loop cooling systems; open-loop or water-consumptive systems would be prohibited unless Augusta Utilities grants a written exception.
The ordinance would also require applicants to submit a utility service coordination letter, an emergency access and safety plan, annual compliance certifications, and noise testing before and after operations begin.
Minister Shavonne Williams, executive director of Partners for Faith and Justice, said the level of public turnout reflects the depth of concern in the community.
“People are concerned with the data centers, and the fact that you’ve had 11 speakers sign up on the same thing is indicative of our community-wide concern,” Williams said.
Williams said residents feel the process has moved without fully examining the consequences.
“There’s a confusion about data centers. There’s a feeling that it’s been rushed without thoroughly investigating what the community impacts are,” she said.
She called on commissioners to extend the moratorium and hear from residents before taking further action.
“The commissioners need to listen to the people,” Williams said. “I know data centers may be necessary somewhere, but is it right for Augusta-Richmond County, where we already have a lot of health concerns, we have water concerns?”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) announced $26 million in additional funding for storm relief and other projects, according to WSAV.
The funding will go to helping Georgia communities recover from Hurricane Helene, the Coronavirus pandemic (COVID-19) and rebuild communities.
The approved funding is provided through FEMA’s Public Assistance Program.
FEMA will reimburse communities for:
• The costs of debris removal
• Critical infrastructure repair
• Emergency protective measures to reduce immediate threats to life, public safety, health, or propertyThe four projects are:
• $19.8 million to University Health Services, Inc. for emergency protective measures in response to COVID-19.
• $3.8 million to John D. Archbold Memorial Hospital for emergency protective measures in response to COVID-19.
• $2.5 million to Columbia County for debris removal following Hurricane Helene.
• $169,000 to South Georgia State College to repair, restore or replace facilities damaged during Hurricane Helene.
Tifton City Council member Milton Jay Hall also serves as Third Vice President of the Georgia Municipal Association’s District 11, according to the Tifton Gazette.
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