On June 29, 1565, Pedro Menéndez de Avilés sailed from Cadiz, Spain to invade Florida.
On June 30, 1665, England’s King Charles signed a royal charter for Carolina, defining its southern border and also claiming all land in what is now Georgia.
Johan De Kalb was born on June 29, 1721 in Germany. In 1777, De Kalb joined the Marquis de Lafayette in supporting the Americans against British forces, dying in Camden, South Carolina in 1780. In 1822, the Georgia General Assembly created DeKalb County.
On June 29, 1767, the British Parliament passed the Townshend Acts, levying a tax on glass, paint, oil, lead, paper, and tea in order to raise funds from the colonies.
On June 30, 1775, the Continental Congress passed the Articles of War, laying out complaints against Britain’s Parliament.
“The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States.”
The Second Continental Congress met in Philadelphia on July 1, 1776 to debate a resolution by Richard Henry Lee that the colonies declare their independence of Britain.
The first U.S. Postage stamps were issued on July 1, 1847 in New York City.
The Battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863. July 2, 1863 saw day 2 of the Battle of Gettysburg, with Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia attacking Meade’s Army of the Potomac.
Theodore Roosevelt and the Rough Riders charged San Juan Hill in Cuba during the Spanish-American War on July 1, 1898.
Coca-Cola marketed its current formula for the first time on July 1, 1916.
Gone With the Wind by Margaret Mitchell first went on sale on June 30, 1936; on June 30, 1986, the United States Postal Service issued a stamp commemorating Margaret Mitchell.
Saturday could well be called Intermodal Transportation History Day in Georgia. The first four-lane highway in Georgia was announced on June 30, 1937 from Atlanta to Marietta. The first C5 air flight took place from Dobbins in Marietta on June 30, 1968 and MARTA rail service began on June 30, 1979.
Superman made his first appearance in Action Comics #1 on June 30, 1938.
On July 1, 1956, a new Georgia flag bearing the state seal and a version of the Confederate Battle Flag became effective after being adopted by the Georgia General Assembly in the 1956 Session.
Ohio became the 39th state to ratify the 26th Amendment on June 30, 1971, lowering the voting age to 18.
The United States Supreme Court released its 5-4 opinion in Furman v. Georgia on June 29, 1972, holding that the death penalty violated the Constitution’s ban on cruel and unusual punishment.
The current Georgia Constitution became effective on July 1, 1983 after its approval in a referendum during the November 1982 General Election.
Spike Lee’s Do the Right Thing was released on June 30, 1989. Lee was born in Atlanta and graduated from Morehouse College.
Georgia native Clarence Thomas was nominated to the United States Supreme Court by President George H.W. Bush on July 1, 1991.
On June 29, 1993, Governor Zell Miller bought the first ticket in the Georgia Lottery.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
In-person early voting begins July 2, 2018, according to NowHabersham.
A City of Atlanta worker alleged voting improprieties in the 2017 municipal elections, according to the AJC.
An Atlanta City Hall staffer claimed her supervisor ordered her to print and deliver absentee ballots to an advocacy group’s staffer during work hours, according to records obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The Georgia Secretary of State’s Office confirmed in May that it had launched an investigation into potential irregularities during the city of Atlanta runoff in December that yielded a narrow victory for Bottoms. The office didn’t comment on the allegations, but it seems likely they are part of the state’s probe.
In the complaint, [Judith] Richards claims she was told to “create a voter numbers list during work hours” and that she had to campaign for Bottoms “because our jobs depended on it.”
Richards, who could not be reached for comment, also claimed she was told to print and deliver 500 blank absentee ballots to an Urban League staffer downtown, and to pick up other absentee ballots from Bottoms’ campaign headquarters and drop them off at a Fulton County office during business hours.
Chestatee Regional Hospital in Dahlonega will close next month, according to Georgia Health News.
Northeast Georgia Health System, based in nearby Gainesville, has agreed to purchase the Dahlonega hospital’s property and some equipment from the current owner of Chestatee Regional, DL Investment Holdings.
“We’re encouraged by the progress we’ve made during due diligence, and we are optimistic we will finalize the agreement next month,” Louis Smith, president of acute and post-acute operations for Northeast Georgia, said in a statement this week. “Once the current owner closes the hospital, we estimate it may take as many as 12 months to assess what is needed to re-establish high-quality health care services in Lumpkin County.”
Under the agreement Smith cited, the hospital purchase is to be followed by the University System of Georgia Board of Regents purchasing the hospital property from Northeast Georgia later this year. The Board of Regents then is to lease the property to Northeast Georgia for up to three years. Eventually, the University of North Georgia is expected to relocate some of its programs and services to the current hospital property.
Meanwhile, Northeast Georgia is expanding the hours of its urgent care clinic in Dahlonega.
Lieutenant Governor Casey Cagle addressed the water wars decision by the United States Supreme Court, according to the LaGrange News.
Cagle spent the morning visiting supporters and walking around LaGrange businesses to shake hands with potential voters.
Cagle was asked specifically about the Florida-Georgia water rights case, which continued Wednesday after the U.S. Supreme Court voted 5-4 for an expert to revisit key aspects of the case.
“We felt like we had a very strong case, but now it has gone back to a special master. Florida was not able to able to make a compelling argument that Georgia has been hurtful to them in terms of water supply, but on the same token, we probably weren’t as effective in making our case that we had not been,” Cagle said.
“It was certainly not a loss, but I am going to be a governor who is going to protect our water supply at every cost,” Cagle said. “That’s the bottom line. We have a statewide water management plan, and we are being good stewards of that resource and will continue to be, but Alabama and Florida need to understand we will take it to every level we can in order to make sure Georgia’s economic prosperity continues to be strong.”
Marty Kemp campaigned for her husband, Brian Kemp, in Valdosta, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The Georgia Department of Natural Resources will allow wider use of deer bait for hunting in North Georgia, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
The state Department of Natural Resource’s governing board approved the change during its Wednesday meeting. The change will be in effect for deer season this fall.
The controversial practice, known as hunting over bait, has been allowed in South Georgia since lawmakers passed a compromise measure in 2011. But above a line drawn across middle Georgia, hunters had to stay 200 yards away from, and out of sight of, bait when shooting a deer.
Efforts since then to expand the law have fallen flat, including measures this year that stalled after facing opponents who said the practice is unethical and not in the spirit of what’s known in the hunting world as “fair chase.”
The expansion push received new life when Gov. Nathan Deal issued an executive order after lawmakers left Atlanta. That order tasked DNR with finding an “appropriate” expansion. Lawmakers would still need to codify the change.
Wider reporting of opioid prescriptions will be required beginning July 1, according to the AJC.
Starting July 1, writing a prescription for opioid pain medications will require an extra step in Georgia — a step that lawmakers hope may push health care professionals to make better prescribing decisions.
A state law, passed last year, mandates that doctors, dentists and other prescribers check a database to determine what prescriptions patients have recently filled before doling out certain drugs, including opioid painkillers and benzodiazepines such as Xanax.
The checks will be frequent. The total number of opioid prescriptions in Georgia topped 8 million in 2017, according to the Georgia Department of Public Health.
The confidential database, first authorized in 2011 but underused, will help medical professionals make sure that patients aren’t getting pain pills from multiple doctors. Prescribers also can better check that a patient is not taking a combination of drugs that could be dangerous. Taking opioids and benzodiazepines at the same time, for example, is risky.
The AJC looks at other new state laws taking effect on July 1st.
Gwinnett County will work with the United Way to address homelessness, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
The commission approved an agreement with the United Way of Greater Atlanta to hire a new full-time employee who will work on homelessness issues. The county and the United Way will split the cost of employing that person, with the county putting up $50,000 that will cover half of the cost of the staffing the position.
“The Board of Commissioners’ priorities set earlier this year include recognizing homelessness as a persistent issue and leveraging resources with community partners,” Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said. “Offering a continuum of care for the homeless is listed as a two-year goal.”
The plan is that the person who fills the position will oversee efforts to create a strategy aimed at not only address homelessness, but also tackle the issue of affordable housing in Gwinnett.
The Hall County Commission adopted a FY 2019 budget that includes raises for county employees, according to the Gainesville Times.
Murray County Sole Commissioner Greg Hogan accepted a grant from the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council to fun a mental health accountability court, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen.
“The Superior Court judges of the Conasauga Judicial Circuit would like to thank Murray County Sole Commissioner Greg Hogan for accepting this grant and partnering with us to make the Conasauga Mental Health Accountability Court a reality,” said Superior Court Judge Scott Minter. “We are grateful that Commissioner Hogan has the vision and the foresight to see that this program will be a great benefit to our community.”
This grant was awarded from the Office of the Governor’s Criminal Justice Coordinating Council under the Council of Accountability Court Judges grant program. The grant is in the amount of $159,497.
The Conasauga Mental Health Accountability Court will be geared toward addressing criminal defendants whose behavior is driven by mental health issues. This court will be presided over by Minter.
Eyebrow microblading will be regulated by local county boards of health beginning July 1, according to the Rome News-Tribune.
Effective July 1, anyone performing eyebrow microblading, and facilities where the cosmetic procedure is performed, will be regulated under the rules of local county boards of health that the Georgia Department of Public Health uses to regulate body art studios and artists. Previously, the procedure had been included in the prohibition of tattooing within one inch of the eye and considered a misdemeanor under the law.
“Microblading is somewhat different from traditional tattooing and permanent cosmetic artistry, but we will license and inspect facilities and individuals offering the procedure just as we do for other body art studios,” said Tim Allee, environmental health director for the Georgia Department of Public Health Northwest Health District. “We ask that anyone who plans to offer microblading to the public please contact the environmental health office of their local county health department to discuss the ramifications of the new law.”
The Harris County Board of Education has hired Roger Couch as its next Superintendent, upgrading his interim status, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
The Albany Commission adopted a $272.9 million FY 2019 budget, according to the Albany Herald.
Lawrenceville has been designated a “City of Ethics” by the Georgia Municipal Association, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Gwinnett’s county seat was one of three cities in Georgia that received that designation for the first time during the convention in Savannah. Hiawasee and Turin are the others receiving “City of Ethics” title in Georgia.
“Congratulations to City Leaders and the Lawrenceville community on being named one of three designated ‘Cities of Ethics’ at the 2018 Georgia Municipal (Association) Annual Conference,” the city announced on its Facebook after the designation was presented.
GMA launched the “City of Ethics” program 18 years ago as a way to promote the adoption of ethics ordinances by cities.
Lawrenceville wasn’t the only Gwinnett city recognized for its ethics during the convention. GMA also recertified Braselton and Peachtree Corners as Cities of Ethics, association spokeswoman Amy Henderson said.
LaGrange was also recertified as a City of Ethics, according to the LaGrange News.
Flowery Branch City Council adopted the previous year’s property tax millage rate, according to the Gainesville Times.
Even though the Flowery Branch City Council voted 3-2 on Thursday, June 28, to keep the rate at 3.264 mills, some residents will see higher tax bills because of rising property values.
In passing the tax rate, the council rejected rolling it back to 3.078 mills, which would have kept the amount of revenues the same.
Hogansville has adopted it budget for the next fiscal year, according to the LaGrange News.
Savannah has hired Roy Minter as the new police chief, according to the Savannah Morning News.
A federal grand jury subpoenaed records on Republican Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck, according to the AJC.
According to a subpoena obtained by The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, federal prosecutors asked the Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner for personnel records from when Beck worked for the agency.
The subpoena, dated June 19, asked for “all personnel, employment, time sheet, compensation, disciplinary history and ethics records” for Beck. It also asked for “insurance financial disclosure statements, requests for permission to perform outside employment forms, employee ethics pledges and any related records completed by or associated with Beck.”
Beck’s campaign released a statement saying, “Jim does not know what this is about and is not in a position to comment on it. He is focused on his campaign for insurance commissioner and the important insurance issues that Georgians face, including protecting our veterans and seniors against fraud and opening regional offices where consumers can have face-to-face meetings with Department of Insurance officials.”
Blythe City Council candidate Daniel Martin is being criticized for Facebook posts, according to the Augusta Chronicle.
Already under indictment for vote-buying, a candidate in the July 24 runoff for Blythe City Council is under fire for a series of derogatory Facebook posts some are finding offensive.
Daniel Martin’s posts include photographs of children with guns, references to diversity causing “white genocide,” a call to “take no prisoners” in a race war, a statement that Democrats want to “replace us with Muslims and other third-world filth.”
The posts are dated within the last year and were condemned by several as uncharacteristic of the small community on the Richmond-Burke county line.
“I think they’re horrible. That’s my hometown; I’ve been living there all my life and my family has been living there since the 1800s,” Blythe businessman Jonathan Welch said.
Asked for a response, Martin had political consultant Rick Knox contact The Chronicle.
“We have freedom of speech in this country and unfortunately with Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Barack Obama and all the extreme liberals talking about killing whitey, just because somebody sticks up for their heritage does not make them a neo-Nazi,” Knox said. “I have never seen such a top-notch smear job.”
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