Former Confederate General John B. Gordon was sworn-in as Governor of Georgia on November 9, 1886.
The next day, November 9, 1932, President-elect FDR addressed a national broadcast to the American people and mentioned that he would spend Thanksgiving at his “second home” in Georgia.
On November 9, 1938, Kristallnacht began the organized destruction and looting of Jewish businesses and homes in Munich, Germany.
On November 9, 1989, the former East Germany announced that citizens could cross the border to West Germany. That night, crowds began tearing down sections of the wall that divided the city.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Former United States Senator Max Cleland has died, according to the AJC.
Former U.S. senator and Veterans Administration leader Max Cleland died Tuesday more than 53 years after a live grenade dropped by a fellow soldier in Vietnam robbed him of three limbs.
A Democrat bound to a wheelchair most of his adult life, the 79-year-old Cleland was one of the first veterans from the killing grounds of Southeast Asia to enter American politics. He took a state senator’s seat in 1971, three years after his wounding, and went on to serve as top administrator in the U.S. Veterans Administration, as Georgia Secretary of State, a U.S. senator and an appointee in other federal agencies.
Cleland died at his Atlanta home from heart failure, according to a close friend and caregiver.
“What happened to him would have destroyed most men. But he persevered through it and prospered,” [former Governor Roy] Barnes said.
In “The Vietnam War,” the 2017 documentary directed by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick, the voice first heard is his.
“To live is to suffer. To survive is to find meaning in the suffering,” Cleland told the camera, quoting philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. He told friends that he could not bring himself to watch the entire 18-hour series — the memory was still too raw.
Cleland found his meaning in the public service he threw himself into as enthusiastically as he had volunteered for combat duty.
Cleland received the Silver Star, the Bronze Star for his service. He spent eight months in Veteran Administration hospitals and rehab centers, and a lifetime of wrestling with what would become known as post traumatic stress syndrome, or PTSD.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) will likely empanel a special grand jury to hear charges against former President Donald Trump, according to the New York Times.
As the House committee investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol riot fights to extract testimony and documents from Donald J. Trump’s White House, an Atlanta district attorney is moving toward convening a special grand jury in her criminal investigation of election interference by the former president and his allies, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deliberations.
The prosecutor, Fani Willis of Fulton County, opened her inquiry in February and her office has been consulting with the House committee, whose evidence could be of considerable value to her investigation. But her progress has been slowed in part by the delays in the panel’s fact gathering. By convening a grand jury dedicated solely to the allegations of election tampering, Ms. Willis, a Democrat, would be indicating that her own investigation is ramping up.
Instead of impaneling a special grand jury, Ms. Willis could submit evidence to one of two grand juries currently sitting in Fulton County, a longtime Democratic stronghold that encompasses much of Atlanta. But the county has a vast backlog of more than 10,000 potential criminal cases that have yet to be considered by a grand jury — a result of logistical complications from the coronavirus pandemic and, Ms. Willis has argued, inaction by her predecessor, Paul Howard, whom she replaced in January.
By contrast, a special grand jury, which by Georgia statute would include 16 to 23 members, could focus solely on the potential case against Mr. Trump and his allies. Ms. Willis is likely to soon take the step, according to a person with direct knowledge of the deliberations, speaking on the condition of anonymity because the decision is not final. Though such a jury could issue subpoenas, Ms. Willis would need to return to a regular grand jury to seek criminal indictments.
Fulton and DeKalb Counties set early voting dates and times for the November 30th runoff election, according to the AJC.
The hottest race will be the Atlanta mayoral contest, now officially between Atlanta City Council President Felicia Moore and City Councilman Andre Dickens.
The following Fulton cities will have runoffs for mayor and/or council member: Atlanta, Fairburn, Milton, Roswell and South Fulton.
Fulton’s early voting will run from Nov. 17 to Nov. 24 — eight days — from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at several locations throughout the county.
Fulton officials said they are awaiting clarification from the state about how many drop boxes they are allowed to disperse throughout the county for the runoffs.
The roughly 30,000 DeKalb County voters who live within Atlanta city limits will also be able to vote early in-person every day Nov. 17-24.
Voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays during that span; 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20; and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21.
Early voting locations will include the Bessie Branham Recreation Center (2051 Delano Drive NE in Atlanta) and the main DeKalb elections office (4380 Memorial Drive in Decatur).
Because the DeKalb cities of Stonecrest and Tucker also have runoffs scheduled, early voting locations at the county libraries in those municipalities will be available to Atlanta-in-DeKalb voters too.
Early voting for both counties will run eight days, from Nov. 17-24.
Fulton will run early voting from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. at several locations throughout the county, which you can soon check at https://www.fultoncountyga.gov/services/voting-and-elections.
In DeKalb, voting will be held from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays, then 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 20 and noon to 5 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 21.
Remington Firearms will relocate its headquarters to LaGrange, Georgia, according to a press release.
Governor Brian P. Kemp [on Monday] announced Remington Firearms (RemArms), America’s oldest firearms manufacturer, will locate its global headquarters and open a new advanced manufacturing operation as well as a world-class research and development center in LaGrange, Georgia. Through these projects, RemArms will invest $100 million and create 856 jobs over a five-year period in Troup County.
“Georgia’s firearms industry is responsible for thousands of jobs and millions of dollars of investment in our communities,” said Governor Kemp. “I am a proud owner of some of Remington’s first-class product, and now, I am excited to welcome them to their new home in the Peach State. As yet another big manufacturing win for our state, I look forward to seeing the oldest firearms manufacturer in America thrive in Georgia’s pro-business environment.”
Founded in 1816, Remington Firearms is one of the United States’ largest domestic producers of shotguns and rifles. Several of the company’s strategic products will be manufactured in Georgia. The new headquarters will also become home to an innovative research and development center.
“We are very excited to come to Georgia, a state that not only welcomes business but enthusiastically supports and welcomes companies in the firearms industry,” said Ken D’Arcy, RemArms CEO. “Between the support we’ve received from the state and from Scott Malone and Kelley Bush of the City of LaGrange Economic Development Authority, we cannot wait to expand our company in Georgia. Everyone involved in this process has shown how important business is to the state and how welcoming they are to all business, including the firearms industry.”
The company will be hiring for positions in production, operations, engineering, and management, as well as careers in HR, finance, and administration in Remington’s onsite executive offices. For more information, please visit www.remarms.com.
“I am thrilled to welcome Remington Firearms to the growing list of manufacturers who call LaGrange home,” said Mayor of LaGrange Jim Thornton. “The Remington name has long been associated with great products, and I know they will continue that tradition and be very successful here. I applaud the partnership with Governor Kemp and the economic development teams at the state and at the city that help attract great companies to our community.”
The Georgia Department of Economic Development was represented in this competitive project by Senior Project Manager Taylor Kielty in partnership with the LaGrange Economic Development Authority, Georgia Power, and Georgia Quick Start.
“For more than two centuries, Remington Arms has been a part of the fabric of our country, and for many of us who grew up with a strong connection to the outdoors and a love of outdoor sports, a trusted brand like Remington has been interwoven into our lives,” said GDEcD Commissioner Pat Wilson. “This makes it all the more exciting for us to see Remington Firearms locate their global headquarters and advanced manufacturing operations to Georgia where they will join a strong community of great companies who call this state home. Many thanks to our economic development partners in Troup County for helping the state win this project, which will undoubtedly have a sizeable economic impact on LaGrange and surrounding communities.”
About Remington Arms
Founded in 1816, Remington Arms is one of the nation’s oldest firearms brands, operating for 205 years. Remington is one of the largest producers of shotguns and rifles in the world.
Former United States Senator David Perdue (R) spoke to the Golden Isles Republican Women, according to The Brunswick News.
There were about 50 women in the meeting at noon at Bennie’s Red Barn and a handful of men when Perdue, who is being encouraged to challenge Gov. Brian Kemp for the party nomination, said, “Georgia already has a governor.”
“I want a unified Georgia,’’ he said. “I want a unified Republican party.”
Perdue said that he believes that 52% of Georgia voters are Republican and 48% are Democrats. Although Republicans led the U.S. Senate elections, runoffs were necessary because Libertarians took away too many votes for the top candidates to win the 50% plus one vote majority required under Georgia law.
Then when it came time for the runoff, “800,000 of us did not come out in January,” he said. “If we don’t get off our backsides and get the people out to vote, we’re going to lose.’’
The State Senate may vote today on their redistricting plan, according to WRDW.
Republicans continue working on a proposed district map for Georgia’s state House even as they slate their state Senate map for a Tuesday vote.
House Republicans released a new map on Monday that would change more than 20 metro Atlanta districts.
Changes in GOP-friendly northern suburbs could make two districts more Republican and one district more Democratic.
From the Capitol Beat News Service via the Gwinnett Daily Post:
Georgians whose cities and counties would be divided under a new state House map proposed by legislative Republicans complained Monday the new districts would unfairly dilute their voting power.
During a nearly three-hour hearing, residents from Coweta County, Peachtree City, Dunwoody and other communities pleaded with members of the House Legislative & Congressional Reapportionment Committee not to divide their communities into multiple House districts in order to accommodate population changes reflected in the 2020 U.S. Census.
Several accused House Republicans of splitting their communities in order to target Rep. Philip Singleton, a Republican from Sharpsburg who has been critical of GOP leadership. The proposed map draws Singleton into a predominantly Democratic district in South Fulton County, splitting Coweta County among five districts in the process.
“For a Republican group to gut Coweta County the way we’ve been gutted, I wonder about the party I’ve been involved in,” said Jan Horn[e], a Republican activist from Coweta County.
Mike Crane, a former state senator from Newnan, suggested an alternative map proposed by House Democrats would keep more communities of interest together than the Republican map.
From the Georgia Reporter via the Albany Herald:
Many others came to support Sharpsburg Republican Rep. Philip Singleton, a self-described constitutional conservative whose right-wing beliefs have sometimes put him at odds with his own party. Singleton has joined a suit to block the state from using its barcode balloting system and has gotten crossways with House Speaker David Ralston.
Singleton’s Coweta County district is set to stretch north to south Fulton County, moving him from a district that went nearly 75% for Donald Trump in the last election to one that went 66% for Joe Biden.
If the committee votes on a map, it will head to the full House, and if it passes there, move on to the Senate.
While population growth has necessitated changes in the districts representing Coweta, Singleton said that the changes to his district look a lot like vindictive gerrymandering by Speaker of the House David Ralston.
“I know I am a thorn in Republican leadership. I’m difficult to deal with,” Singleton said. “By every metric, I’m the most conservative member of the Georgia General Assembly.”
When he chaired the Senate Reapportionment and Redistricting Committee 10 years ago, Sen. Mitch Seabaugh, R-Sharpsburg, called redistricting “the most political activity under the gold dome.
“Teamwork is important, and those who have demonstrated they have zero desire to work with anyone, easily could find themselves isolated with no help,” he once said. “Being a team player doesn’t mean one walks blindly and does as instructed. Instead, disagreements are handled with respect. Colleagues are treated with respect.”
Singleton told his fellow Republicans that they’re abandoning the principles they claimed to stand for, such as protecting their party’s supporters, keeping communities whole and preserving incumbency.
“The Speaker of the House couldn’t buy me off or beat me at the ballot box, so I am unsurprised he would gerrymander to remove the most conservative Republican in the state from office,” Singleton wrote on Facebook. “This is a shocking betrayal of GA conservatives that is far worse for Coweta than even the Democrat proposal was.”
Singleton has made his opposition to Ralston, a Republican from Blue Ridge, a centerpiece of his political identity, criticizing him for his use of legislative leave.
The Lowndes County Board of Elections certified last week’s results and set early voting dates and times for a November 30th runoff election, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Only 3.55% of registered Lowndes County voters cast a ballot, with only 1,278 voters participating in the elections in Valdosta, Hahira and Lake Park.
No major changes were reported from the initial results reported Nov. 2, but all school board races saw an increase in their voting counts.
The Valdosta Board of Education races showed moderate increases in votes, but the District 7 Superward East race is still headed for a runoff election between Debra Bell (incumbent) and David Gilyard.
The runoff election will be held Nov. 30. Early voting will be 8 a.m.-5 p.m., Nov.12-13, Nov. 15-20, Nov. 22-24 and Nov. 26, at the elections office, 2808 N. Oak St.
The Hall County Board of Education voted to pause construction projects due to higher costs in the marketplace, according to the Gainesville Times.
“My recommendation is that we hit the pause on major projects,” [Superintendent Will Schofield] said, “until we see some sort of semblance of sanity.”
Federal CARES money, Schofield suggested, has spurred a massive spike in demand, and thus prices, in construction materials.
“I compare it to a drunken sailor frenzy in that we have passed out so much money at the federal government through some of these programs, that supply and demand is certainly working well,” Schofield said. “And so those $25 million elementary schools that we projected three years ago, one of them bid last Monday — as you know, you’ve seen all of the figures for — $43.6 million.”
“I liken it to an individual that was planning on an addition at their home or going to renovate their basement,” Schofield said. “He’s saved some money and all of a sudden what you thought was gonna cost $40,000 is going to cost ($75,000.) Most of us would say, ‘Not now. We’ll just wait.’”
“I totally agree with your assessment,” board member Sam Chapman said. “I mean, if it’s my own farm, and I had to do something in the same situation, I’d make the same decision for myself.”
Augusta Judicial Circuit courts are seeking state funds to address a backlog of cases developed during the pandemic, according to WRDW.
The judicial circuit’s administrator says right now there are 300 to 400 backlogged cases still waiting to go to trial. This money could help add more staff and bring down those delays.
“These funds will help us implement that more aggressive plan that we have,” said Nolan Martin, Court Administrator, Augusta Judicial Circuit.
Martin believes the money would make a big difference. Georgia suspended jury trials at the start of the year because of COVID. He says that created a backlog in the Augusta Judicial Circuit with hundreds of cases delayed. Before COVID that number would be close to zero. Now it takes two to three months longer than normal for cases to go to trial.
The Augusta Circuit serves Burke and Richmond Counties.
Democratic State Senator Jen Jordan (D-Cobb County and Buckhead) announced raising more than $1 million dollars in her bid for Attorney General, according to the Albany Herald.
The $1 million sum marks a primary fundraising record for a Democratic challenger for attorney general in Georgia, achieved more than six months before the May 24 primary is scheduled to take place.
The previous primary fundraising record for a Democratic challenger was held by 2010 nominee Ken Hodges, who reported raising an aggregate $791,152 in his June 2010 filing. The 2018 Democratic nominee for attorney general raised just over $900,000 over the course of the entire cycle.
United States Senator Jon Ossoff’s staff said a study may be undertaken of high-speed rail transit for Georgia, according to 13WMAZ.
Congress passed a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill, but what does that mean for Central Georgia? Potentially, the state could get a high-speed rail system that makes a stop in Macon.
“I think it signals the beginning of a great new period of redevelopment and construction,” former Macon Mayor Robert Reichert said.
The proposed line would move between Atlanta, Macon, and Savannah, but so far, it’s too soon to say when or even if you could board a train in Macon. A communications director from Senator Jon Ossoff’s office says there is a draft to begin an environmental impact study, which is a “huge” step towards building a new rail line. Pete Buttigieg, the U.S. Secretary of Transportation, says this bill will have an impact on jobs.
Ossoff’s office says a study has been drafted for the Atlanta-Savannah rail line with the proposed stop in Macon.
The University of Georgia is partnering with Lyft in a pilot program to enhance campus safety, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The University of Georgia is partnering with Lyft to provide a nightly rideshare program for students with service beginning in the coming weeks. This new program, UGA Ride Smart, represents the latest component of a recently announced $8.5 million investment over the next three years to enhance campus safety. This initiative and others will continue to be evaluated in the coming year to maximize their impact.
Up to $1 million annually — $3 million over three years — will go toward an overlapping system in which UGA Ride Smart combines with evolving night bus schedules, the student-run Designated Dawgs ride service, and other efforts to offer the most coverage reasonably possible.
“After countless hours of research and outreach to other Division I universities, SGA has tailored this program to best serve the student body in Athens,” SGA Chief of Staff Joseph Benken said. “We are proud to offer a rideshare program that sets the standard high for safe late-night transportation.”
Augusta Commissioners are discussing how to spend unallocated COVID relief funds, according to WJBF.
The city budget does have 71 million uses for Federal Rescue Act funds, but the city’s allotment is 82 million dollars that leaves 11 million dollars that has some city leaders making plans on how to divvy that up.
Millions in American Rescue Act funds brought a new wrinkle to this year’s budget sessions with 11 million dollars of the funds still unassigned, with commissioners saying they how they would like to see it used.
Now commissioners are expected to approve the 2022 budget next week likely before they make decisions on the 11 million dollars, they will be able to go back after the fact when projects are determined in Augusta.
Coweta County and the City of Newnan will accept liquor license applications after voters approved sales referenda, according to the Newnan Times Herald.
While Coweta County will process applications on a first come, first served basis, the city of Newnan will use a lottery system. Only three liquor store licenses will be issued by each jurisdiction.
Potential package proprietors will have to wait a bit longer in Senoia, as the city doesn’t currently have an ordinance regulating the sale of distilled spirits. Newnan and Coweta County enacted their ordinances over the summer, making them contingent on voters approving the package liquor referendum.
The referendum to allow package sales of distilled spirits passed overwhelmingly in all three jurisdictions.
In unincorporated Coweta, the vote was 8,413, or 66.59 percent to 4,190 or 33.4 percent. In Newnan, the vote was 2,757, or 78 percent, to 778, or 22 percent.
Senoia voters approved the liquor referendum by 597 votes, 70 percent, to 257 votes, 30 percent.
Washington City Council held its first meeting since a council member was arrested for an altercation with the Mayor, according to WJBF.
Glynn County Commissioners voted to hire Mike Stewart as interim County Manager, according to The Brunswick News.
Wild pigs are tearing up yards in Chatham County, according to WTOC.
That’s right pigs, wild pigs.
While they may look harmless, they’ve caused some serious damage to many yards in the neighborhood.
“I’m looking at roughly, to redo it all over again, roughly two to three thousand dollars to do it all over again,” said [homeowner Gerald] Scott.
He says he tried calling everyone he could think of for help, “I even called my homeowners insurance to see if they’d cover it, but no one covers this.”
Although he’s frustrated about his lawn, he says safety is his main concern.
“If a small kid runs up and thinks one of the small piglets is something to play with that sow is going to attack them.”
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