Casimir Pulaski, a Polish aristocrat who fought with the colonists in the American Revolution, died in Savannah on October 11, 1779.
The United States Naval Academy opened in Annapolis, Maryland on October 10, 1845.
Former Confederate President Alexander Stephens was released from federal prison on October 12, 1865 and returned to Georgia.
The first game in Sanford Stadium was played on October 12, 1929, with the University of Georgia Bulldogs beating the Yale Bulldogs. Here is ten minutes of the game.
On October 12, 1958, The Temple was bombed after a phone call to WSB warned that Black churches and Jewish temples would be blown up.
Vice President Spiro Agnew resigned on October 10, 1973 and pled guilty to federal income tax evasion charges.
On October 10 1976, a poll by Time magazine showed Georgia Governor Jimmy Carter with a 2-1 electoral vote margin.
Carter led in 21 states and the District of Columbia, with 273 electoral votes (three more than necessary to win), while President Ford led in 17 states with 113 electoral votes.
The online Georgia archives at UGA has a collection of campaign materials, including a 1976 Carter for President brochure.
On October 10, 1980, the Martin Luther King, Jr. Historic Site was established in Atlanta.
Former Georgia Governor and President of the United States Jimmy Carter was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize on October 11, 2002.
Bobby Cox managed his last game in Game Four of the NLDS on October 11, 2010.
On October 10, 2015, Donald Trump made his first campaign stop in Georgia.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Blotter: DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton was indicted in Illinois, according to Fox5Atlanta.
Federal prosecutors in Illinois have charged DeKalb County Schools Superintendent Dr. Devon Horton in a sweeping corruption case tied to his previous tenure leading Evanston/Skokie School District 65.
The DeKalb County School Board placed Horton on paid administrative leave and named Dr. Norman C. Sauce III interim superintendent while officials review the situation.
What we know: A federal grand jury in April 2024 returned a 17-count indictment against Horton and three associates, identifying them as Antonio Ross, Samuel Ross, and Alfonzo Lewis.
The filing, entered in the Northern District of Illinois on Oct. 8, outlines alleged wire fraud, honest-services fraud, federal program theft, and tax evasion.
Prosecutors say Horton, while superintendent at District 65, steered professional service contracts to companies tied to his associates, approved invoices for work that was not performed, and received kickbacks routed directly or through an individual identified as his sibling.
The indictment also alleges Horton used a district procurement card for personal expenses in 2022 and 2023 and underreported income on his federal taxes.
Accusations of kickbacks, tax evasion
By the numbers: According to the indictment, District 65 paid roughly $139,500 to Connecting the Dots Leadership Initiative LLC, $119,500 to Asset Protection Specialist LLC, and $24,500 to New Flight 35 Sports & Academic Academy LLC.
Prosecutors allege kickbacks to Horton totaled about $41,900 from Connecting the Dots, $30,800 from Asset Protection, and $9,000 from New Flight 35.
The filing further alleges Horton’s own company, Altering the Education Xpectation LLC, received about $10,000 through Chicago Public Schools after false representations.
The indictment lists multiple wire transmissions, including emails and electronic fund transfers, that prosecutors say advanced the scheme.
It seeks forfeiture of at least $293,500 related to the alleged wire-fraud counts and an additional $30,845.77 tied to the alleged federal program theft counts. Horton is also charged with two counts of tax evasion for 2022 and 2023.
‘Angered’ over indictment
What they’re saying: District 65 told families it learned of the formal charges on October 9. “The District has been aware of the ongoing investigation and has fully supported the process,” the statement said. “At the request of federal authorities, we have maintained confidentiality to protect the integrity of the investigation.”
Board leaders Sergio Hernandez and Dr. Nichole Pinkard said they were “deeply troubled and angered” by the allegations and that the district’s legal team is reviewing the indictment and expects a more detailed statement soon.
The DeKalb County School District, where Horton was named as superintendent in 2023, acknowledged the indictment in a brief statement, saying it is aware of the federal charges but has no further comment at this time.
The other side: In a statement, attorney Terence Campbell of the Chicago law firm Cotsirilos, Poulos & Campbell said Horton has “served the DeKalb County School District honorably and with the highest integrity.”
Campbell said Horton’s leadership led to higher graduation rates, improved student performance, and the hiring of “high-quality educators.”
DeKalb County Schools suspends superintendent
What’s next: Horton was placed on administrative leave with pay from his current post in Georgia. The board has named Dr. Norman C. Sauce III as interim superintendent.
Candidates for Public Service Commission in the November 4, 2025 Special Election are discussing the role of renewable energy, according to the Capitol Beat News Service via the Savannah Morning News.
A solar power advocate who is running for a seat on Georgia’s energy regulation agency made his case without opposition Wednesday when his opponent declined to participate in a broadcasted debate.
“Why didn’t you have the courage to show up today and defend your six rate hikes in two years,” Peter Hubbard, the Democrat running to unseat Republican Fitz Johnson from the Public Service Commission, said at the Atlanta Press Club debate Wednesday. “And what will you do to lower power bills?”
The five-member PSC regulates the companies that provide consumers with electricity, natural gas and telecommunications. All five run statewide for six-year terms, but a series of events produced a race where Hubbard is competing with Johnson for an abbreviated term representing District 3 in metro Atlanta.
The odd-year election stems from an ultimately unsuccessful lawsuit that argued statewide elections for seats that technically represent a portion of the state dilute the impact of Black voters.
The lawsuit postponed PSC elections last year and in 2022.
Johnson was appointed in 2021, so this is the first year he has had to stand for election to the post.
Two other candidates are vying for the District 2 seat, which represents eastern Georgia.
Republican Tim Echols was first elected in 2010 and reelected in 2016 and would have been up for reelection in 2022 if not for the lawsuit.
Democrat Alicia Johnson wants to unseat him. She and Echols also did not participate in Wednesday’s debate, which took place in the studios of Atlanta broadcaster WABE.
Hubbard said current PSC policy will further drive up consumer electricity bills as more data centers get built. The facilities, a necessity for the development and operation of artificial intelligence, consume massive amounts of power. And Hubbard said they pay less per unit of energy than other customers.
Both of the Republican incumbent candidates have refuted such claims, saying a resolution that the all-Republican PSC approved in January forbids Georgia Power from passing on the costs to ratepayers of serving new large-load customers — including data centers.
Fitz Johnson said at a Georgia Chamber of Commerce event this summer that the new policy “absolutely strengthens the grid, puts downward pressure on the rates … so we don’t have to be worried about large loads coming here and driving up your rates.”
Echols has said the state “is poised to become the artificial intelligence capital of America” and that data centers produce local tax revenue.
The incumbents were in office when the expansion of nuclear Plant Vogtle was completed last year, seven years behind schedule and with massive cost overruns.
Vogtle’s Units 3 and 4 were the first new nuclear reactors built in America in decades.
Hubbard said the cost makes nuclear power unaffordable. He said solar power and other innovations can meet future needs at a reasonable cost.
“There are things like unlocking the value of solar, and embracing newer technologies like virtual power plants, that can allow us to accommodate the load growth that we’re seeing from data centers while also putting downward pressure on rates,” Hubbard said at his solo debate, which is being broadcasted on radio and television. “The lowest cost resource is also the most sustainable and the most reliable. Solar and battery storage will increase the reliability and lower costs for consumers in the state. So, we can have our cake and eat it too.”
The election is Nov. 4. Turnout was low in the PSC primaries this year. No other statewide candidates are on the ballot, but local offices on November ballots may draw more to the polls for a race that could affect every resident’s pocketbook.
The two incumbent Republican Commissioners, Fitz Johnson and Tim Echols, held a rally Tuesday evening at a barn in Cumming, with strong backing from Republican leaders like Gov. Brian Kemp and Attorney General Chris Carr supporting their reelection bid.
Carr called the two Democratic opponents, Alicia Johnson and Peter Hubbard, “socialists who will make energy costs go up and reliability go down.”
Echols, who has been on the commission for 15 years, said the Democrats are “at war with our fossil fuel plants” and “we can’t allow (them) to take the helm of the Public Service Commission to shut these things down.”
Echols, of District 2, admitted the Democratic primary turnout June 17 scared him to death, but he is “fired up now.”
The Democratic primary turnout in June doubled the Republican vote total.
Johnson, of District 3, told the crowd of 100 people Tuesday that he loves his job and he is thankful to Kemp for appointing him several years ago. This is Johnson’s first election as he was appointed because a previous commissioner left the position in midterm to fulfill another role. The commission terms last six years.
“My opponent is a big Green New Deal guy,” Johnson said. “The Green New Deal is crushing families in this country, and we are not going to let (him) California our Georgia. … We need you to tell your friends and families because it’s about turnout.”
“It’s an honor to support Fitz and Tim”, Kemp said. “We know how important this race is, not only for this year but for next year and for the next decade when you think about our quality of life, business environment and how much we’re paying for utilities.”
Echols called Alicia Johnson a “DEI candidate” who will bring “DEI and wokeness to the PSC,” at the rally on Tuesday.
Alicia Johnson emailed the Ledger-Enquirer her response to that claim, saying it is a reflection of him, not her, and it’s “a lie and racist MAGA dog whistle.”
“He is a rubber stamp for Georgia Power and not a regulator,” she wrote. “After a decade of service, he should have a record to run on and not be using terrorist fear-mongering as a tactic. But he does not. I won’t be intimidated or distracted.”
Kemp told the crowd Echols and Fitz Johnson and have been supplying the data centers with what they need, and, if voters want renewables or businesses want renewables to power it, the PSC can give you what you need.
“If we don’t put a stake in the ground in November, there’s going to be blood in the water,” said Republican state Sen. Larry Walker, one of the chamber’s leaders. “The Democrats are going to be emboldened — and they’re going to spend ungodly amounts of money next year.”
That fear is not hyperbole.
But Republicans say Democratic wins could have broader implications, signaling that the GOP’s long grip on statewide offices is loosening. While Democrats Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock both won U.S. Senate elections in 2021 and Warnock won again in 2022, it’s been nearly two decades since a Democrat has won a race for any other statewide office.
Republicans see warnings signs everywhere. Bills for Georgia Power residential customers have climbed roughly $43 a month since early 2023 after six commission-approved increases, and some Georgians are venting their frustrations.
It’s an off-year election with a Republican in the White House, a combination that typically drags down the party in power. Major municipal races in Atlanta and other Democratic strongholds could further tilt left-leaning turnout.
Turnout for PSC races is normally steady because they coincide with presidential votes or midterms.
But elections for the PSC were delayed in 2022 because of a court battle over whether the statewide voting for the seats illegally diluted the influence of Black Georgians.
That makes turnout the biggest wild card this November. Only 2.5% of the state’s 8.4 million registered voters cast ballots in the June PSC primary. During the runoff the next month, poll workers outnumbered voters in some rural counties.
“About a year ago, we elected Trump with a 115,000-vote margin,” said Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon. “We hardly had 115,000 votes total in the Republican primary for this race.”
U.S. Rep. Mike Collins, now running for Senate, warned that Democratic victories could open the door to a “Green New Deal” agenda. Attorney General Chris Carr, a GOP contender for governor, said electing the “two socialists” would give Democrats a leg up in 2026.
The incumbents got in on the act, too. Fitz Johnson accused Hubbard of trying to “California our Georgia.” Echols said Alicia Johnson would bring “DEI and wokeness” to the commission because of her background as a nonprofit executive, leading the
Democrat to fire back and accuse him of “MAGA dog whistle” tactics.
One of the bluntest warnings, though, came from Kemp, who said voter apathy could play into Democratic hands.
“They don’t even want people to know that there’s a race, and that is our biggest liability,” he said. “People just don’t know what’s going on. And the Democrats want it to stay that way.”
The Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce held a voter education event ahead of the November 4 elections, according to the Moultrie Observer.
Early voting begins next week with issues of state, county and municipal concern on the ballot.
Ballots can be cast at the Colquitt County Courthouse Annex Tuesday through Oct. 31 during normal business hours as well as on Saturdays, Oct. 18 and 25. Voters who don’t cast a ballot early can vote at their usual polling sites Nov. 4.
All voters in the state will cast ballots in two Public Service Commission races. Incumbent Republican Tim Echols faces Democrat Alicia Johnson in District 2, while incumbent Republican Fitz Johnson faces Democrat Peter Hubbard in District 3. Click here to read a related story about those races.
A gathering Tuesday evening at the Arts Center of Moultrie, however, focused on the other two parts of the election: A county-wide vote to consider an additional sales tax, and three contested races for the Moultrie City Council. The event was sponsored by the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce.
FLOST Voters in Colquitt County will consider adding a 1% sales tax, raising the total to 9%. Unlike previous sales tax votes, the Floating Local Option Sales Tax will be a new tax that will go to the general funds of the county and municipal governments. It’s designed to shift the local tax burden from primarily property taxes to a balance of property and sales taxes.
Chas Cannon, who is both Colquitt County administrator and the area’s representative in the Georgia House of Representatives, discussed the FLOST proposal at Tuesday’s forum. Read more details from his presentation here.
The remainder of Tuesday’s event was a meet-and-greet with candidates for three Moultrie City Council seats that are up for election.
More on the Floating Local Option Sales Tax, from the Moultrie Observer.
The Floating Local Option Sales Tax, or FLOST, would raise money for the general funds of the county and the municipalities within it. The law that created the FLOST requires that the revenue from the sales tax be used to offset property taxes, partially shifting the local tax burden from primarily property taxes to a balance of property and sales taxes.
Colquitt County Administrator Chas Cannon — who is also the area’s delegate in the state House of Representatives — presented the case for the FLOST during a political forum Tuesday sponsored by the Moultrie-Colquitt County Chamber of Commerce at the Arts Center of Moultrie.
In the 2024 session, the Georgia Legislature passed House Bill 581, which limited the amount a primary residence’s taxable value could increase from one year to the next. Counties, municipalities and school boards had the ability to opt out, which meant the limit wouldn’t apply to their constituents.
To discourage opting out, though, another part of the bill allowed counties to levy an additional 1% sales tax if (1) the county and all its municipalities allowed the limit to take effect and (2) voters agree to the sales tax in a referendum. Colquitt County and all its municipalities have agreed to the property tax limit.
It took effect this year, and Cannon said the county will lose about $700 in property tax revenue this year because of it.
FLOST will be a new sales tax. Currently, Colquitt County consumers pay 8% sales tax. Half of that — 4 pennies on every dollar of sale — goes to the state. The other half is made up of four 1% sales taxes for different purposes:
— Local Option Sales Tax, or LOST, goes to the Colquitt County Board of Education for use in its general fund. It’s the oldest local option sales tax, and it was designed to reduce property taxes. It is ongoing and does not need to be re-approved by voters.
— Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or SPLOST, goes to the Colquitt County Board of Commissioners, the city councils of every city in the county and to various city-county authorities like the Recreation Authority and Development Authority. It is passed by voters for a specific period of time, usually five years. Its revenues must be used for capital expenses, such as construction projects, buying vehicles or buying construction supplies. Governments can propose a new SPLOST as the old one nears its end, and voters can approve or reject it.
— Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or ESPLOST, goes to the Colquitt County Board of Education. It is essentially like the SPLOST: It has a limited duration, its revenues can be used only for (education-related) capital expenses, and voters can consider a new ESPLOST as the old one winds down.
— Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or TSPLOST, goes to the county, its municipalities and various authorities, like SPLOST does. Also like SPLOST, it is for a limited time, its revenues can be used only for (transportation-related) capital expenses, and voters can consider a new TSPLOST as the old one nears its end.
The FLOST would add to existing sales taxes, taking the county’s total sales tax to 9%.
The purpose of the FLOST — like the LOST — is to reduce property taxes. HB 581 is worded so that whatever revenue comes in from the FLOST will force an equal reduction in property tax revenue.
A property owner’s tax bill is calculated based on the taxable value of the property and the tax rate.
The county Tax Assessor’s Office determines the property value, and the taxable value is 40% of that. The office provides governments the tax digest showing the total taxable value of property in the county overall and in specific cities.
If approved by voters, FLOST revenues would help pay for part of the budget before the county or city government set property tax rates. Therefore, those property tax rates can be lower because they won’t be paying for the full budget anymore. And a lower property tax rate multiplied by an unchanged taxable value will result in a lower property tax bill.
Cannon said county officials expect property tax rates to decline by 51% once the FLOST is fully implemented, but that will take a little while.
That’s one of the best articles I’ve read about FLOST, HB 581, and property taxes.
White County will host a session to discuss their upcoming FLOST vote, according to AccessWDUN.
White County will host a FLOST Public Information Open House on Tuesday, October 14, 2025, from 5:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. at the White County Administration Building, located at 1235 Helen Highway, Cleveland, Georgia.
This open house will provide an opportunity for residents to learn more about the upcoming Floating Local Option Sales Tax (FLOST) referendum. FLOST is a proposed local sales tax option that, if approved by voters, would serve as a new revenue source to help provide property tax relief for all White County property owners.
During the event, attendees will have the opportunity to visit a series of educational stations designed to provide information about how FLOST works, what it means for the community, and how it could benefit White County taxpayers. County staff and representatives from the cities will be available to answer questions and share educational materials about the referendum.
White County residents are encouraged to stop by at any time between 5:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. to learn more. Those unable to attend can also find detailed information about the FLOST proposal by visiting whitecountyflost.com
Georgians who buy their health insurance on the state exchange may see shocking price increases under the “Big, Beautiful Bill,” according to the AJC.
Window shopping for 2026 health insurance has opened early on Georgia Access, the Affordable Care Act marketplace exchange that covers 1.5 million Georgians. Open enrollment, when people can purchase plans, begins Nov. 1. The ACA is also known as Obamacare.
Georgia shoppers can now see the price hikes they’ll pay for coverage that starts Jan. 1. The prices for ACA consumers are spiking nationwide partly because Jan. 1 is also the day “enhanced” ACA subsidies, passed by Congress during the pandemic, are set to expire.
Now that prices are posted, an Atlanta Journal-Constitution reporter looked at the actual Georgia Access offerings for such a couple. The 2026 silver plan premiums to choose from ranged between $2,600 and $4,800 per month. That lowest-premium silver plan offered a deductible of $10,000.
Prices in Georgia are expected to increase the most for those who are older and just above middle-income, and for those just above the poverty level. Many deductibles will also soar.
President Donald Trump and his GOP allies have been cutting health spending, not increasing it. They say they aim to reverse “waste, fraud and abuse” and give tax breaks.
Congress has currently shut down the federal government largely over Democrats’ demand the subsidies be extended.
As a result of the price hikes, combined with other changes under Trump’s One Big, Beautiful Bill Act tax and spending law, about 460,000 Georgians are expected to drop Georgia Access health insurance next year and go uninsured, according to the health research organization KFF.
Nationwide, the Congressional Budget Office expects the expiring enhanced subsidies alone to prompt 3.8 million people to go uninsured.
U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Extreme NW GA) has a lot to say on the topic. From Georgia Recorder:
As the government shutdown drags into its second week, Georgia’s congressional delegation is locked in a partisan struggle over who is to blame, with one of the state’s most high-profile Republicans, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, seemingly charting her own political path by challenging both parties on the issue of rising health care costs.
Greene, a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump, broke with her party’s leadership and declared, “I’m carving my own lane” in an online post this week. She said she would go “against everyone on this issue” because the premium hikes would impact “my own adult children” and her constituents in northwest Georgia.
She criticized the Republican-controlled Congress for prioritizing “foreign countries and foreign wars” over domestic health care affordability concerns.
At the core of the dispute in Washington is the expiration of enhanced Affordable Care Act premium tax credits, which would significantly increase health insurance costs for Georgians if allowed to expire at the end of the year. According to an Atlanta Journal-Constitution analysis, a 60-year-old couple making $85,000 per year would see their monthly premium more than triple.
While Greene provided a rare moment of agreement with Democrats — “I never thought I’d say this, but Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene is right,” Sen. Raphael Warnock posted online Tuesday — she offered no clear legislative solution, maintaining a deep ideological opposition to the program itself. Greene called the ACA a “disaster” and the insurance industry a “scam.”
Greene said she was “absolutely disgusted” by the lack of a Republican plan to prevent the doubling of health insurance premiums for Americans.
Natalie Crawford, executive director of Georgia First, a nonprofit think tank and policy advocacy group, said in an interview that she is hopeful more members of Georgia’s congressional delegation will come to understand how “uniquely bad the situation is for Georgia.”
The loss of these credits, she said, would result in the collapse of the state-based marketplace, an “explosion” of the already “very large uninsured rate,” and an expansion of the coverage gap for residents who earn too much for Medicaid but too little to afford market policies.
“Those are populations that are going to be greatly affected. It’s going to have very real fiscal impact for the state of Georgia,” Crawford said. “And I think that the more our delegation understands that and is able to speak to that, there potentially is some hope for negotiation.”
Crawford said the lack of a viable alternative means the state of Georgia would be left to consider its own tax credits or to “revisit expansion” to cover those expected to lose coverage if the federal tax credits expire. Georgia is one of 10 states that have not fully expanded Medicaid.
“This is not a partisan issue. It should not be a partisan issue, and I understand policy differences, but at the end of the day, healthy Georgians are productive Georgians, and if we continue making policy choices that favor a lack of coverage or don’t do anything to improve coverage, and accessibility and affordability, then what we understand is going to happen is that we have a less healthy workforce, and ultimately that will lead to a less healthy Georgia economy,” Crawford said.
‘This is not a health care fight’
Greene stands out for her willingness to talk about the expiring health care subsidies. Her Georgia Republican colleagues have instead focused on ramping up pressure on Democrats to support the GOP spending plan.
Georgia Republicans sent a letter to Warnock and Sen. Jon Ossoff this week demanding they “set aside partisan politics” and “join us in reopening the government.” They accused Senate Democrats of refusing to pass a “clean, continuing resolution” that the House has already approved and of holding Georgia families and farmers hostage.
Rep. Mike Collins, a U.S. Senate candidate speaking Tuesday at a Georgia Republican event in Cumming, insisted that the debate is “not about a health care fight” but solely about passing a “clean CR” to fund the government, arguing that if Democrats want to argue about health care, they can “bring that up on its own.”
“This is not a health care fight. That’s not where you have this fight. Right now, this is a funding bill. Simple,” he said.
Rep. Austin Scott said in a statement Thursday that “the Democrat argument to shut the government down over ACA subsidies is nothing more than an excuse,” and pointed to funding bills House Republicans passed in September that he argued would keep the government open until November while negotiations continue.
“They knew well over a month ago they were going to shut the government down to try and teach President Trump a lesson. The bottom line is they hate Trump more than they care about the American people,” Scott said.
‘We’re not bending the knee’
Democrats, meanwhile, are unified in blaming the Republican leadership for creating the crisis. Rep. Hank Johnson, led the Georgia Democratic delegation in a letter to House Speaker Mike Johnson, urging him to call the House back to Washington “to engage in good-faith bipartisan efforts to address these issues.”
“Our constituents get up each morning and come to work. With Georgians’ health care on the line and government funding expired, they expect the same from the Members of Congress who represent them,” he wrote to Johnson.
Rep. Lucy McBath, speaking at a press conference in Atlanta Thursday, insisted the shutdown is “not a government shutdown of our making,” but because Republicans refuse to negotiate.
“We have wanted a bipartisan funding bill. We’ve been waiting, trying to get the Republicans to come to the table to negotiate, but they refuse. What they have given us is a take it or leave it,” McBath said.
McBath rejected the view that health care is a secondary issue in the government funding debate, a position some of her Republican colleagues, like Collins, have taken. She added that the issue is central to the nation’s economy, arguing that if people are not healthy, they cannot work, and “if they can’t work, they’re not a vital part of this economy.”
She said Democrats are ready to “stand (their) ground.”
“I cannot predict how long this will last, but we have to stand our ground to make sure that we are doing everything that we can to give as much information and prepare people as to what is about to happen with the expiration of these tax credits. We’re not bending the knee, and we’re not kissing the ring,” she said.
Augusta property taxpayers are also seeing higher fees, according to WJBF.
Going on this year’s tax bills, the commission approved fee increases for garbage and streetlights.
It has the phone ringing like it hasn’t in years at the Tax commissioner’s office.
“If you’ve been calling my office and had a hard time getting us on the phone, it’s probably because we had more calls than I remember over the past 13 years,” said Chris Johnson Richmond County Tax Commissioner.
$54 dollar increase for trash service, a new $45 dollar fee for people who have no lights on their street and as much as a $295 dollar street light fee for previously exempt properties.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted by a federal grand jury, according to the Associated Press via 13WMAZ.
New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted Thursday in a mortgage fraud case that President Donald Trump urged his Justice Department to bring after vowing retribution against some of his biggest political enemies.
James, a Democrat who infuriated Trump after his first term with a lawsuit alleging that he built his business empire on lies about his wealth, was charged with bank fraud and making false statements to a financial institution in connection with a home purchase in Norfolk, Virginia, in 2020.
The top federal prosecutor for the Eastern District of Virginia, a former Trump aide, personally presented the case to the grand jury weeks after she was thrust into the role amid the administration’s pressure to deliver charges.
In a lengthy statement, James decried the indictment as “nothing more than a continuation of the president’s desperate weaponization of our justice system.”
“These charges are baseless, and the president’s own public statements make clear that his only goal is political retribution at any cost. The president’s actions are a grave violation of our Constitutional order and have drawn sharp criticism from members of both parties,” she added.
James called the decision to fire Siebert and replace him with a prosecutor who is “blindly loyal” to the president “antithetical to the bedrock principles of our country,” and she said she stood by her investigation of Trump and his company as having been “based on the facts and evidence — not politics.”
Abbe Lowell, James’ lawyer and a prominent attorney representing multiple Trump targets, said James “flatly and forcefully denies these charges.” James is scheduled to make an initial appearance in the federal court in Norfolk, Virginia, on Oct. 24.
“We are deeply concerned that this case is driven by President Trump’s desire for revenge,” Lowell said in a statement. “When a President can publicly direct charges to be filed against someone — when it was reported that career attorneys concluded none were warranted — it marks a serious attack on the rule of law. We will fight these charges in every process allowed in the law.”
James, 66, has been attorney general since 2019 after becoming the first Black woman to be elected to statewide office in New York. She cruised to reelection in 2022 after abandoning a short-lived run for governor.
Hall County Commissioners voted to suspend the county Planning and Zoning Commission, according to AccessWDUN.
The Hall County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday to temporarily suspend the Planning and Zoning Commission following a complaint alleging that some members violated Georgia’s Open Meeting Act.
The board received a complaint on Sept. 18 that “several” people, including another planning commissioner, observed three members of the planning commission meeting and conducting county business on Sept.15. The meeting allegedly had no public notice, agenda or meeting minutes, which violates state law.
District 3 Commissioner Gregg Poole introduced a motion to suspend the planning commission’s activities until a third-party investigation into the matter can be conducted.
The commission Planning and Zoning members are appointed by the Hall County Board of Commissioners and are not elected officials.
“While the suspension is in place, all new and pending planning and zoning applications, including rezoning, special uses, conditional use, permits and/or variance requests scheduled to be heard by the Hall County Planning Commission, will be heard by the Hall County Board of Commissioners to minimize delays in the application process,” a statement from the County said. “Hall County Planning and Zoning staff will be contacting those applicants with active applications to discuss next steps.”
Dougherty County Commissioners voted to allow battery storage facilities, according to the Albany Herald.
Previously, battery energy storage systems in the county were limited to installations that linked to a solar generation system.
“Our previous ordinance just didn’t address it,” Albany-Dougherty Planning Services Director Paul Forgey said during an interview after the conclusion of the commission meeting. “They are allowed, but only as part of a solar development.”
The Albany-Dougherty Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend allowing non-solar battery facilities in July. County commissioners approved that recommendation in a 6-1 vote, with Commissioner Anthony Jones casting the opposing vote.
As the price of batteries used to store power has decreased, more companies are looking to develop them near electrical substations, Forgey said.
Effingham County Commissioners voted to leave the Live Oak Public Library system, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Effingham County commissioners made it clear Tuesday night that they want out of the Live Oak Public Library system, first unanimously approving a resolution to withdraw from the system and then voting to remove and replace the chairman of the library board.
Wade Herring, attorney for Hunter Maclean who represents Live Oak Public Libraries, said on a call the day before the meeting that Effingham County Commissioners do not have the legal authority to remove libraries from LOPL.
“Under Georgia law, libraries are not departments or agencies of a county,” said Herring in a 55-page letter sent to Effingham County Attorney Edward Lee Newberry, Jr. dated Oct. 6. “As is the case statewide, the library in Effingham County is governed by state law. Georgia law vests the decision to stay with or leave LOPL in the Effingham County library trustees. The library trustees have not decided to leave LOPL.”
Effingham County Chair Damon Rahn confirmed that he was aware of this during the meeting by saying, “We are not the deciding factor here. I just want to make that clear.”
Ivy Gibbons, chair of the Effingham County Democratic Committee, addressed the commission’s decisions during the public comment period of the meeting.
“This is a backdoor way of closing our libraries and censoring our education materials,” Gibbons said. “I think it’s highly suspicious that these are the same people that wanted to close down our libraries two years ago. I think it is incredibly unfair and disingenuous to say you are saving the taxpayers money when you are the very ones wasting it.”
Later in the meeting, the commission also voted unanimously to remove Erica Biezenbos from her position as chair of the Effingham County Library Board.
The Bulloch County Board of Education is considering a policy to limit electronics for k-8 students, according to WSAV.
The Bulloch County Board of Education (BOE) has voted to place a new policy for review and public input.
The Board Policy JCDAF would set a limit on the use of electronic devices in the classroom from Kindergarten through 8th grade. This, to “increase safety and focus” in educational environments, a policy that would begin in the 2026-2027 school year.
Devices like cellphones, smartwatches, tablets, headphones and any portable device that can connect to the internet and send messages will be limited for students. This is in support of the Distraction-Free Education Act, signed in May by Gov. Brian Kemp.
The proposal does not specify the extent of the limitations, as school leaders are working on developing the best way to apply this policy, which is open to public input.
Savannah City Council is considering limiting new hotels in part of the city, according to the Savannah Morning News.
The Chatham County-Savannah Metropolitan Planning Commission voted to recommend approval of an outright expansion of the Hotel Development Overlay, which regulates what size hotels are permitted in certain areas of downtown, into the Victorian, Thomas Square and Cuyler Brownville neighborhoods. The petition now goes to Savannah City Council for final decision.
The meeting was packed with passion from a slew of neighborhood residents, with an overwhelming majority supporting the extension to prevent hotel development in the areas. Some 20 residents spoke Tuesday, adding to 80 comments submitted online. Residents supporting the expansion see the measure as protecting the residential nature of their neighborhoods.
Lowndes County Commissioners rescheduled a work session from Monday, October 13, 2025 to Tuesday, Oct. 14, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Newly appointed Tifton City Manager Jeff Shoobridge started work, according to the Tifton Gazette.
Valdosta Assistant City Manager Catherine Ammons followed her now-former boss out the door, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Hardy’s resignation was announced at the end of a called meeting of the Valdosta City Council Tuesday night. Ammons’ was announced in a city press release about noon on Wednesday.
“Serving the City of Valdosta has been both a privilege and an honor,” Ammons said. “I am humbled to have worked alongside so many talented professionals who care deeply about this community. I am grateful for the partnerships, progress, and teamwork that define our city government, and I wish the organization nothing but continued success.”
Mayor Scott James Matheson expressed his gratitude for both Hardy and Ammons in a recent statement, thanking them for their service.
“On behalf of the City Council, I extend our sincere appreciation to Richard and Catherine for their service and commitment to Valdosta,” Matheson said. “They have served with dedication and integrity, and their leadership has strengthened the city in countless ways. As we move forward, we remain focused on maintaining stability, and continued excellence in serving our citizens.”
The city has begun its search for a new city manager, with Matheson assuming the duties of Hardy’s position until the position is filled. It is unclear what will happen to Ammons’ position.
Chatham County Elections Supervisor Billy Wooten will trade his full-time role for a part-time job as an Elections Officer, according to WTOC.
The Chatham County Board of Elections has announced that Chatham County Elections Supervisor Billy Wooten is ending his tenure.
He will take on a part-time role as an election officer.
Wooten has led the Board of Elections in an interim capacity in 2020 after Russel Bridges retired. He then took the job full-time and has served there since.
Wooten began working with the Chatham County Board of Elections in 1998 as a poll clerk after hearing a poll clerk questioning a voter about their ID.
In a statement, Wooten said, “and it seemed to me that the poll worker was trying to intimidate this young person from casting a vote, and I found that to be wrong in a lot of ways. I thought to myself, you know, I’ve got time. I could volunteer and work Election Day, and I could understand how this process works. It just stirred me to get involved.”
Chatham County Board of Elections Chairman Tom Mahoney also released the following statement:
“Chatham County is the fifth largest county in Georgia, the largest outside of metro Atlanta, and Mr. Wooten used his years of managerial experience to expand staffing to keep pace with our rapid growth. With the help and support of the County and our Board, he and his staff managed implementation of an entirely new voting system rolled out in the midst of the global pandemic. The new system required acquisition and build-out of a new warehouse six times larger than our old storage space in just a few months. Then we had to quickly pivot to use that warehouse to process over 40,000 absentee ballots — about ten times more than typical elections. Mr. Wooten and his staff trained elections workers on the new system as it was being delivered. Mr. Wooten has certainly earned retirement from the Supervisor’s position, and we are lucky to have his continued service at the Board of Elections.”
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