On June 24, 1497, John Cabot first sighted North America, claiming it for the British Crown.
On June 24, 1795, the United States Senate voted to ratify Jay’s Treaty between the UK and United States. The terms of the treaty required an appropriation from the U.S. House of Representatives to implement it, and Congressional opponents tried to defeat the appropriation, which was approved by a 51-48 margin on April 30, 1796. Click here for more background on the treaty and controversy.
On June 24, 1853, President Franklin Pierce signed the Gadsden Purchase, acquiring what it now southern Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico.
General Robert E. Lee led the Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River toward Pennsylvania on June 24, 1863.
John R. Lynch was the first African-American elected Chairman of the Republican National Convention on June 24, 1884; Lynch was nominated by Theodore Roosevelt.
Woodrow Wilson married Ellen Louise Axson of Rome, Georgia in Savannah on June 24, 1885.
On June 24, 1948, the Soviet Union blockaded West Berlin from all road, rail, and barge traffic.
Following World War II, Germany was divided into occupation zones. The United States, Great Britain, the Soviet Union, and, eventually, France, were given specific zones to occupy in which they were to accept the surrender of Nazi forces and restore order. The Soviet Union occupied most of eastern Germany, while the other Allied nations occupied western Germany. The German capital of Berlin was similarly divided into four zones of occupation.
The United States response came just two days after the Soviets began their blockade. A massive airlift of supplies into West Berlin was undertaken in what was to become one of the greatest logistical efforts in history. For the Soviets, the escapade quickly became a diplomatic embarrassment. Russia looked like an international bully that was trying to starve men, women, and children into submission. And the successful American airlift merely served to accentuate the technological superiority of the United States over the Soviet Union. On May 12, 1949, the Soviets officially ended the blockade.
General Lucius D. Clay of Marietta, Georgia was military Governor of occupied Germany at that time.
The Rocky Horror Picture Show was released in West Germany on June 24, 1977. It’s astounding.
Rickey Henderson made his major league debut with the Oakland A’s on June 24, 1979, stealing his first base.
On June 24, 1982, the Equal Rights Amendment to the United States Constitution was defeated, having garnered the ratification of thirty-five states, three shy of the requisite Constitutional Majority.
Hopes for ratification before the deadline next Wednesday were dashed this week when the amendment was rejected by the Illinois House and the Florida Senate, two states in which supporters felt they had a fighting chance.
Had Illinois and Florida ratified the amendment, there was at least some chance that either Oklahoma or North Carolina would have provided the final needed vote.
Prospects were far slimmer in the other nonratifying states: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Nevada, South Carolina, Utah and Virginia.
Phyllis Schlafly, a leader of a group called Stop-ERA, hailed the defeat of the amendment tonight, saying: “They realized E.R.A. is dead and I think that that is an admission they have lost the battle. My feeling is that E.R.A. will take its place with the prohibition and the child labor amendments as ones which did not have enough support of the American people to be in the Constitution.”
The City of Dawson is working to create an Historic Preservation Commission, according to the Albany Herald.
Dawson’s city Council moved forward with efforts to formally establish a Historic Preservation Commission. In accordance with the Georgia Historic Preservation Act, an HPC would enable local governments to protect historically significant structures and neighborhoods through “legal, consistent and enforceable review standards,” Cherysh Green-Caldwell, Dawson’s city manager, wrote in an email.
These standards would help prevent “inappropriate alterations, incompatible development or demolition of culturally valuable sites.” Forming an HPC includes the adoption of a local preservation ordinance, the appointment of commission members and the formal designation of historic resources.
“A Historic Preservation Commission is a legal entity created by the city and sanctioned by state statute,” Green-Caldwell wrote. “Its formation, responsibilities, and decisions are guided by law and carried out with accountability to the public. While the city welcomes and appreciates citizen-led efforts that express interest in our collective history, it is important to clarify that this is separate from those private groups of individuals which are not affiliated with, nor sanctioned by, cities as an official body.”
There are currently 152 Georgia cities with established Historic Preservation Commissions.
“By establishing a formal HPC, the city gains access to enhanced planning tools, technical assistance, educational resources, and potentially state and federal preservation grants — all of which can support economic development, neighborhood revitalization, and civic identity,” Green-Caldwell wrote.
O’Connor-Veazie said creating an HPC would save a lot of at-risk buildings.
“Nothing in Dawson’s protected,” he said. “Even our courthouse, which is on the National Register … it’s not actually a landmark. We’ve had several historic homes get torn down recently that were not needing to be torn down. We have such a wealth of architecture … we don’t want to lose too many.”
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
The Colquitt County Board of Elections announced it will open a single polling place for the July 15, 2025 Special Democratic Primary Runoff Election for PSC District 2, according to the Moultrie Observer.
The Colquitt County Board of Elections voted to enact Rule 270, pursuant to O.C.G.A. § 21-2-270, in preparation for the upcoming Democratic Special Primary Runoff Election for Public Service Commissioner, District 3, which will be held on July 15.
Rule 270 permits a local election superintendent to consolidate polling locations to a single site for a primary or runoff election when less than 1% of eligible voters participated in the preceding election.
Following certification of results from the June 17 Democratic primary, it was determined that 0.58% of eligible voters cast a ballot in the race. As the turnout fell below the statutory threshold, the Board of Elections is authorized to proceed with a single polling location.
On Election Day, July 15, voting will be conducted exclusively at the Ryce Community Center, 305 Seventh St. N.W., in Moultrie. Polling hours will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
In addition, early voting will be available from July 7 through July 11, from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Colquitt County Annex, 101 East Central Ave., Room 133, in Moultrie.
Voters will choose between Keisha Waites and Peter Hubbard as the Democratic nominee for Public Service Commission District 3. The winner will face Republican Fitz Johnson, who ran unopposed in the Republican Primary.
But another court case may derail the Public Service Commission elections, according to the AJC.
The 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has granted a motion to expedite a lawsuit alleging this year’s special elections violate the Georgia Constitution’s requirement for the state’s utility regulators to serve six-year terms.
The case could be heard in August or September, and a ruling could come in the days, weeks or months afterward.
While the Georgia Constitution calls for six-year PSC terms, a bill passed by the General Assembly last year rescheduled the elections and their terms following a lawsuit contending that statewide elections dilute Black voters in violation of the Voting Rights Act. All five members of the PSC are Republicans, and four are white.
Bryan Sells, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said it’s unclear how a ruling in his favor would affect this year’s PSC elections, and a decision might not come until after election day on Nov. 4.
“We’re not looking to stop elections,” Sells said, adding that the House bill “was designed to give political cover to the incumbents on the PSC, and it just stinks to high heaven.”
Legislators who supported rescheduling the PSC elections have said voters deserve an opportunity to elect their representatives to the utility regulator for the first time since 2020.
Georgia politicians are reacting to the US attack on Iran’s nuclear program, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
Georgia politicians are reacting to President Donald Trump’s weekend decision to bomb Iranian nuclear sites mostly along party lines.
Republicans have rushed to support the president’s action, while Democrats criticized Trump for ordering the bombing without congressional authorization and warned it could drag the U.S. into a lengthy war.
“America can never allow Iran to obtain a nuclear weapon,” Gov. Brian Kemp posted on social media. “Thank you to President Trump, our service members and intelligence personnel, and administration officials who conducted this successful operation.”
“It’s one of the best operations that I’ve seen in quite a long time,” added Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King, who is seeking the Republican nomination to challenge U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, D-Ga., next year. “The operational security was incredible.”
While praising U.S. troops, Democrats objected to Trump’s decision to move forward with the air strikes without consulting members of Congress.
“I pray for the safety of U.S. military service members deployed around the world and express my admiration for their courage and professionalism,” Ossoff wrote in a prepared statement. “Congress must be fully briefed on (the) operation and consulted on the administration’s strategy.”
“President Trump … has now entered another Middle East conflict,” added Sen. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga. “He has not sought congressional approval and has not sufficiently explained why this operation was necessary right now. … And this is not the first time the American people have been told it will end quickly. The people deserve to hear more than they’ve heard so far.”
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Rome, departed from the GOP party line in opposing the U.S. air strikes and warned of dire consequences, echoing concerns among Republican base voters who historically have backed Trump’s “America First” agenda.
“Every time America is on the verge of greatness, we get involved in a foreign war,” Greene posted on social media. “This is not our fight.”
Meanwhile, Georgia political leaders at the state level took the partisan positions of their respective camps.
“Iran messed around and found out the hard way – President Trump means business and delivered on his promise of peace through strength,” said state Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte, R-Dallas. “Iran must never be able to hold a nuclear arsenal.”
“I am thankful for the safe return of all service members involved in (Saturday) night’s air strikes,” said Senate Minority Leader Harold Jones, D-Augusta. “(But) I believe, like so many others, that diplomacy is the only way we can truly resolve this crisis.”
United States Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme Northwest Georgia) has more thoughts to share, according to the Savannah Morning News.
In a statement posted online on Monday, June 22, Greene criticized what she called the “neocon warmongers” in Washington pushing the U.S. toward another foreign conflict.
“I don’t know anyone in America who has been the victim of a crime or killed by Iran,” Greene wrote. “But I know many people who have been victims of crime committed by criminal illegal aliens or MURDERED by Cartel and Chinese fentanyl/drugs.”
Greene accused federal leaders of failing to address cartel violence and cross-border drug operations that she claims kill far more Americans than foreign actors like Iran.
Greene tied her frustration to decades of U.S. military involvement abroad, recalling her own life during major conflicts.
Greene wrote, “I’m GenX. I’ve watched our country go to war in foreign lands for foreign causes on behalf of foreign interests for as long as I can remember.”
Though she has been a vocal ally of former President Donald Trump, Greene emphasized that support for him doesn’t mean agreement on every issue.
“I can also support President Trump… while disagreeing on bombing Iran,” she said. “That’s not disloyalty. Critical thinking and having my own opinions is the most American thing ever.”
“We don’t know what the future holds and I pray for the safety of all people and an end to the constant demand for America to go to war,” she said. “Enough is enough.”
U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter (R-SSI) also spoke about the attacks, according to WTOC.
Congressman Carter said what he wants, and what President Trump wants is peace in this situation, but that’s contingent on Iran coming to the negotiating table.
Carter said he believes Trump is open to striking a peace deal with Iran, and that’s what he’s wanted since the very beginning.
Meanwhile, the Department of Homeland Security has issued an advisory that the unrest in the Middle East could lead to extremists attempting violence here in the United States.
Carter said that as for Georgia, our ports and military bases are prepared for anything.
“It would be naïve of us to think that there aren’t going to be some attempts at some disruption, and we have to be prepared for that. I’m very confident that the ports are doing their part, making sure they’re covered, as well as everywhere else around. We’ve got a strong military presence in the 1st District, so those troops and those bases are on high alert as well, so everyone’s prepared and everyone’s going into this with their eyes open,” said Congressman Buddy Carter
We did ask Carter whether he thought the US attack on Iran was a violation of Trump’s no new wars campaign promise- he said it isn’t, and that the President is achieving peace through strength.
We reached out to Democratic Senator Jon Ossoff for comment as well, but a spokesperson declined the request.
“This is what peace through strength looks like,” said House Speaker Jon Burns, echoing other Trump allies who endorsed the attack.
U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff, the state’s first Jewish U.S. senator, called on the White House to “promptly and fully” brief Congress on the military strategy.
Earlier this week, he responded to criticism from Jewish leaders about his silence on the conflict with a statement on the broader Israel-Iran war.
“While I celebrate the success of Israeli air defenses downing incoming Iranian missiles,” wrote Ossoff, who is facing reelection next year, “I mourn the terrible loss of life that has resulted from those that have landed.”
U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock said the “Iranian regime’s threat remains real” and that he continues to support Israel’s right to defend itself. But he said Trump hasn’t “sufficiently explained” why this operation was necessary.
“With thousands of American troops at risk for potential retaliation, this is not ‘the art of the deal.’ This is war,” Warnock said early Sunday. “And this is not the first time the American people have been told that it will end quickly.”
U.S. Rep. Nikema Williams, the former chair of the state party, said Trump shouldn’t have ordered the strikes without congressional approval. State Rep. Ruwa Romman, a Gwinnett Democrat who is the lone Palestinian American in the Legislature, echoed that sentiment.
“This illegal action is opposed by the majority of Americans, will put us all in danger, and only benefits weapons manufacturers and warmongers,” she said.
By contrast, state Rep. Esther Panitch, a Sandy Springs Democrat who is the only Jewish member of the state Legislature, credited Trump for ordering the attacks.
“God bless the USA and Israel,” she said.
Governor Kemp was briefed on possible threats related to the conflict, according to Atlanta News First and the Associated Press via WTOC.
Gov. Brian Kemp was among several U.S. governors who were briefed Sunday by federal officials on potential threats after Saturday’s American air strikes on Iranian nuclear production sites.
Kemp confirmed a call with Kristi Noem, secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, on social media.
“We are coordinating with law enforcement on all levels as we closely monitor any possible threats. May God continue to bless our troops and first responders,” Kemp said in the post.
Governor Kemp also announced his support for the “One Big, Beautiful Bill” currently in the United States Senate, according to the AJC.
A provision in President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful” spending bill would gut Democratic-backed incentives that have helped make Georgia a hub for electric vehicles, battery manufacturing and solar energy.
And Kemp is one of the key supporters of the Republican-backed bill, which could hit Georgia’s bottom line hard in other ways, too.
It would also slash funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program that helps poor families afford groceries, which could leave the state on the hook to pay $812 million annually to sustain the food stamps initiative.
New work requirements and stricter eligibility checks for Medicaid — building on mandates Kemp enacted in Georgia — could lead to an estimated 84,000 in the state losing coverage and put added strain on hospitals that care for the uninsured.
Trump’s budget, which narrowly passed in the U.S. House and is now pending in the Senate, boosts border security and immigration enforcement and introduces a new round of tax cuts that mostly benefit wealthy Americans. It offsets some of those costs through a sweep of budget-cutting measures mostly targeting social safety net programs and producing broad and potentially disruptive implications.
Along with other Republican governors, Kemp said the bill sets the stage for the “next great American revival.”
Kemp has defended the bill as a long-term investment in fiscal discipline that helps steer the economy away from “winners and losers” picked by political leaders. He said 54 of the 59 emobility projects the state announced on his watch came before the federal incentives were enacted or were tied to larger projects that predate the perks.
And his office has dismissed criticism of the package, saying it’s not “only premature but it spreads uncertainty and fear in the minds of Americans,” because the final version is still being hashed out.
“What is absolutely certain though is that congressional inaction will result in a massive tax increase on millions of hardworking Georgians,” Kemp spokesman Garrison Douglas said.
He added that fighting to rein in federal spending shouldn’t be “controversial or irresponsible.”
“In fact, it is the mandate that our elected representatives were sent to Washington D.C. to address,” Douglas said, “and our office will continue to monitor the status of this legislation and what impacts a finalized version may have.”
Georgia’s economy could face ripple effects by reduced consumer spending, as cuts to health care programs and food assistance take a toll on low-income families. Hospitals and health clinics could be forced to seek new grants or state aid to offset the loss of federal dollars.
The possibility of a special legislative session to fill budget gaps or restructure state safety net programs is already circulating under the Gold Dome, though top GOP lawmakers are downplaying the chances.
“Let’s deal with the elephant in the room. A special session, in my opinion, will not occur unless there’s a national emergency or an emergency of huge magnitude,” Senate Majority Leader Steve Gooch told the “Politically Georgia” podcast, nodding to the roughly $15 billion in Georgia’s reserves. “We’re ready for those rainy day issues.”
Some Democrats are already sounding the alarm. State Reps. Sandra G. Scott of Rex, Viola Davis of Stone Mountain and Kim Schofield of Atlanta sent a joint letter to Georgia’s congressional delegation asking lawmakers to fully fund SNAP and Medicaid.
Georgia’s abortion restrictions under the “Heartbeat Bill” are likely to remain a campaign issue, according to Georgia Recorder.
Roe v. Wade, the landmark Supreme Court case enshrining abortion rights across the country, was overturned three years ago today in a case known as Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, intensifying a yearslong battle over access to reproductive health care in Georgia.
The fallout of the Dobbs decision is continuing to cause ripple effects throughout the state, with advocates on both sides gearing up for a fight that will play out — at least in part — at the ballot box in 2026.
For Democrats, who are hoping to see incumbent U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff reelected for another term, access to reproductive health care is a crucial part of the campaign. High-profile cases of Georgia women whose deaths have been tied to Georgia’s six-week abortion ban have also cast a national spotlight onto the state’s restrictive laws.
Georgia’s law bans most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, which is usually at about six weeks and before most women know they are pregnant.
Adriana Smith, a 30-year-old mother and nurse, was roughly two months pregnant when she was declared brain dead after experiencing a series of blood clots in mid February. Doctors told Smith’s family that while she had no chance of recovery, her organs would be kept functioning so as not to violate Georgia law.
Months later her baby, Chance, was delivered by emergency cesarean section and taken to the neonatal intensive care unit, weighing one pound 13 ounces. The family said they planned to take Smith off life support last week.
Two other Georgians, Amber Nicole Thurman and Candi Miller, both died in 2022 after suffering complications from taking abortion pills. Thurman died in a hospital after doctors waited nearly a day to perform a routine procedure to remove fetal tissue from her uterus; Miller died after family members said she was afraid to seek medical care because of the recently enacted six-week abortion ban.
At a press conference held in front of a mural depicting Thurman and Miller, members of the Democratic Party of Georgia criticized the state’s law, citing cases like Thurman, Miller and Smith’s as evidence of the danger Georgia’s ban poses for those seeking reproductive health care.
“We’ve seen multiple women tragically lose their lives and all because some fat cat politicians think that they know better than women, they know better than those women’s families, they know better than doctors about how to make health care decisions about women’s own bodies,” said Charlie Bailey, who chairs the Democratic Party of Georgia.
Republicans running for the U.S. Senate in 2026 include Congressman Buddy Carter, who represents a district in coastal Georgia, and Georgia Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner John King, who have both praised Georgia’s six-week abortion ban. Congressman Mike Collins, a Jackson Republican, is also seen as a potential contender for the race, though he has not announced his candidacy.
State Rep. Shea Roberts, an Atlanta Democrat, highlighted the turmoil Georgia’s abortion restrictions pose for doctors trying to administer care for pregnant patients, and criticized Republicans’ response to the ban’s repercussions.
“Georgia’s abortion laws are vague, often leaving doctors and hospitals scrambling with their lawyers instead of giving patients the care they need,” Roberts said. “These women should be alive today, and they should still be with their families, yet Carter, King and Collins have stood by the very ban that led to these deaths.”
However, state Sen. Ed Setzler, an Acworth Republican who authored Georgia’s six-week abortion ban, said he celebrated the overturning of Roe v. Wade.
“When the Dobbs decision came down, we were overjoyed because it gave legislatures, gave the elected representatives, the people, the ability to handle these very, very difficult circumstances, and balance the very difficult circumstances women find themselves in with the basic right to life of a living, distinct child, and our state took it very seriously,” he said.
Setzler also defended his legislation, officially called the Living Infants Fairness and Equality (LIFE) Act, arguing that provisions aimed at helping pregnant Georgians recover child support during their pregnancies and allowing them to claim “unborn children” on their taxes provided families with extra support that other states’ bans did not include.
“Our state had worked in a very careful and balanced way to give balance to these difficult circumstances with the life of a child in a way that I think was thoughtful,” he added. “Many other states I don’t think took the time that we did to work through that, and I’m proud of the work we did.”
He also criticized Georgia’s Democratic Party, saying it was “sickening” that the party “seizes all these tragic circumstances to try to score points.”
However, reproductive health care advocates argue that restrictions on abortion have caused downstream effects that limit health care access for all Georgians and impact rural residents of the state most acutely.
“The effect Georgia’s abortion ban has on our health system is felt all over the state,” said Jaylen Black, the vice president of marketing and communications for Planned Parenthood Southeast. “Doctors are fleeing the state. Some of them won’t move to Georgia. Medical students avoid residency programs in our state, and that makes it harder for Georgians to get the care that they so desperately need.”
The yearslong court battle over Georgia’s abortion ban
Georgia’s six-week abortion ban was briefly overturned last year in a ruling by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who declared the state’s law unconstitutional after the SisterSong Women of Color Reproductive Justice Collective filed a lawsuit in state court in 2022.
That action was short-lived. The Supreme Court of Georgia quickly reinstated the ban after Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr filed an emergency injunction, allowing the restriction to remain in effect while the court considered a narrow portion of the lawsuit.
However, an unrelated state Supreme Court ruling from earlier this year has complicated the plaintiffs’ case. Wasserman v. Franklin County, which was decided in January, created a new precedent that prevents third-party entities from suing on behalf of someone else. As a result, abortion rights advocates like SisterSong are now unable to file lawsuits on behalf of their patients.
“At a minimum, a plaintiff must assert her own rights to maintain an action in Georgia courts,” the Supreme Court stated in a February ruling in the abortion case.
The case now sits with the Fulton County Superior Court, where McBurney will evaluate whether the plaintiffs still have standing to bring the lawsuit.
“For a second time, the Supreme Court has elected not to address this case on its merits (other than to stay this Court’s ruling on the merits),” McBurney wrote in an order this month.
The parties now have until July 21 to submit briefs that incorporate the two Supreme Court rulings before the case can proceed.
State Rep. Derrick Jackson said if he were elected governor, Georgia’s abortion law “would be my first bill to repeal.”
Jackson made the comments to Atlanta Journal-Constitution journalists Greg Bluestein and Patricia Murphy on Tuesday’s episode of the “Politically Georgia” podcast.
The Tyrone Democrat said that as long as the abortion law exists, we “cannot talk about raising a family in Georgia.” The law outlaws abortions once a fetal heartbeat can be detected, which is usually around six weeks.
Any attempt to roll back the law would face staunch opposition in the state Legislature, unless Democrats succeed in wresting control from Republicans.
Earlier this month, Jackson became one of the latest Democrats to enter the race for governor.
State Sen. Jason Esteves of Atlanta; former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms; and Olu Brown, former pastor of Impact Church, have already launched campaigns in hopes of breaking Republicans’ decadeslong hold on Georgia’s top job.
From another story in the AJC:
The Democratic Party of Georgia is launching a campaign tied to Tuesday’s anniversary of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision ending the constitutional right to an abortion.
The push includes news conferences in Atlanta and Savannah and a new minute-long ad out this morning that labels Georgia’s 2019 anti-abortion law “extreme and dangerous.”
The ad also targets three prominent Republicans: U.S. Reps. Buddy Carter and Mike Collins as well as Insurance Commissioner John King. They support the state’s abortion restriction and are either declared or potential U.S. Senate contenders against Democratic incumbent Jon Ossoff.
The Democrat, meanwhile, has held his own hearing on Georgia’s abortion restriction — and recently released a survey of obstetricians that found many have delayed care because of the ambiguity of the state’s law.
Gov. Brian Kemp and his Republicans allies have fiercely defended the state law, which is facing a legal challenge, as a way to ensure “the lives of Georgians at all ages are protected.”
The new campaign comes as national Democrats also aim to refocus attention on the issue. A Senate forum is planned this week targeting a provision in the GOP-backed spending bill that would block Medicaid payments to abortion providers that received more than $1 million in federal reimbursements in 2024. The move could gut funding to Planned Parenthood.
Former Fox5 investigative reporter Randy Travis announced he will run for Lawrenceville City Council, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Travis, 63, announced in a YouTube video this week that he will run for a seat on the Lawrenceville City Council this fall. Travis retired from FOX 5 last year but has lived in Lawrenceville for years.
He will run against incumbent Councilman Austin Thompson, who is running for a second term, for the City Council Post 3 seat.
“I spent a career working as a watchdog of governments across our state,” Travis said in a statement to the Daily Post on Wednesday. “Now that I’m retired, I’d like to continue that public service by watching your tax dollars, but this time from the inside.”
Travis’ announcement comes a little more than a month after Thompson announced his plans to seek re-election on Facebook. Qualifying for the Lawrenceville City Council elections (the Post 4 seat is also up for election this year) will take place from Aug. 18 through Aug. 20.
In his campaign announcement video, Travis said, if elected, he would work to keep city taxes and utility fees low, support a range of housing options in the city from affordable housing to executive homes and ensure the tax burden was more evenly spread out.
“I know how to spot waste and fraud,” Travis said. “I’ve done it my whole life and I know how to make government work better for you.”
Chalk one up for SkyNet. A drone flown by the Monroe County Sheriff’s Office located a missing 71-year old, according to 13WMAZ.
Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deputies successfully located a missing 71-year-old woman on Saturday, finding her through the use of advanced drone technology.
Forsyth City Police Department initiated the investigation and searched Highway 83 North but could not locate the missing woman using traditional ground methods.
“They asked us to use our UAV to go out there and see if we can locate her,” Sheriff Brad Freeman said.
The Monroe County Sheriff’s Office deployed its newest unmanned aerial vehicle, a DJI M30 Matrice equipped with Forward Looking Infrared (FLIR) thermal imaging technology. The equipment can detect heat signatures on the ground.
“The new UAV we have has what called FLIR infrared technology that you can see basically heat signatures down on the ground,” Freeman said. “You’ll be able to tell through the operator whether you’re looking at a possum, a dog or a human being.”
They said the drone successfully located Yim at Camp Timberlake, nearly three miles from her last known location.
“A regular camera at night’s virtually useless,” Freeman said. “Maybe 5% of the time you can tell what you’re looking at, but at nighttime you have to use some other kind of technology.”
The sheriff’s office says the most significant advantage of drone technology lies in response time. Monroe County can deploy drones within 20 minutes, compared to 1.5 to 3 hours required for helicopter assistance from state agencies.
Investigator Cody Maples, who oversees the drone program, emphasized the time-saving benefits.
“As soon as we get to an incident where we need an aerial view, I’m within a few minutes of getting there,” Maples said. “We would have to wait and call in a helicopter which could take 30 minutes or longer.”
Maples said the technology significantly reduces search duration.
“It cuts search and rescue times in half,” Maples said.
The sheriff’s office says they have operated drone technology for approximately five years, recently upgrading through a grant from the Monroe County Law Enforcement Foundation. Authorities now operate three drones, including two older models and the newest thermal imaging unit acquired in March.
The sheriff’s office says they deploy drones at least once monthly for various scenarios beyond missing persons cases, including fugitive searches and crime scene documentation.
“You can use it for missing persons, looking for wanted persons that maybe have fled a crime scene, and documenting crime scenes to get an aerial view with still photographs and videos,” Freeman said.
Freeman emphasized the importance of rapid deployment in missing person cases, particularly involving vulnerable populations.
“If you’ve got a lost child, time’s of the essence,” Freeman said. “You can get a canine out there, but you can also use multiple assets to locate a missing person. The outcome is probably gonna be a whole lot better.”
Augusta City Commissioners will consider whom to appoint to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of former Commissioner Alvin Mason, according to WJBF.
The sudden resignation of Former Commissioner Alvin Mason has left voters in the 4th District without their representative.
Under the charter, the commission will vote on naming an interim commissioner to replace Mason and then call for a special election. The commissioners in the 9th Super District are expected to lead the discussion.
“Super 9 and the mayor will collaborate together and try to build consensus with the commissioners to see who has the support,” said Mayor Pro-Tem Wayne Guilfoyle.
It’s early, but one name being mentioned is Tanya Barnhill-Turnley, who Mason appointed to the Charter Review Committee.
“Tanya – she always cared about Augusta. Her and Alvin were very close. She was his campaign manager,” said Guilfoyle.
District voters will ultimately get the final say in who replaces Mason, but that will likely take place after commissioners appoint an interim.
The Georgia Board of Pardons and Parole elected former Eastern Judicial Circuit District Attorney Meg Heap as Chair, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.
Meg Heap will chair the State Board of Pardons and Paroles for fiscal year 2026 which begins July 1. Heap, who joined the board in January of 2021, is a former prosecutor from Savannah.
The five-member parole board also elected Joyette Holmes to serve as vice chair. Holmes was appointed to the board in January of 2024.
Heap served the Eastern Judicial Circuit as district attorney, serving two terms. She began her career as a volunteer coordinator and victim advocate with the Victim-Witness Assistance Program in the Chatham County District Attorney’s Office. Heap served as the parole board vice chair for fiscal year 2025. She will succeed current Chairman David Herring.
The Georgia parole board members are appointed by the governor subject to confirmation by the state Senate. Board members serve staggered seven-year terms and may receive reappointments. Only the board has the authority to determine who may be granted parole or receive a pardon. The board can commute sentences including death sentences.
Georgia’s Eastern Judicial Circuit serves Chatham County.
Coffee County Commissioner Oscar Paulk has died, according to WALB.
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