On October 14, 1735, John and Charles Wesley sailed with James Oglethorpe from Gravesend, England, for Georgia and John Wesley wrote the first entry in his journal that would eventually cover 55 years. On that date, John Wesley wrote,
Our end in leaving our native country, was not to avoid want, (God having given us plenty of temporal blessings,) nor to gain the dung or dross of riches or honour; but singly this, to save our souls; to live wholly to the glory of God.
The First Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Colonial Rights in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on October 14, 1774.
Then-former President Theodore Roosevelt was shot before a campaign speech in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on October 14, 1912.
Roosevelt, who suffered only a flesh wound from the attack, went on to deliver his scheduled speech with the bullet still in his body. After a few words, the former “Rough Rider” pulled the torn and bloodstained manuscript from his breast pocket and declared, “You see, it takes more than one bullet to kill a Bull Moose.” He spoke for nearly an hour and then was rushed to the hospital.
A.A. Milne published Winnie-the-Pooh on October 14, 1926. E. H. Shepard illustrated the Pooh books.
The War Department renamed Wellston Air Depot to Warner Robins Air Force Depot to honor Brigadier General Augustine Warner Robins on October 14, 1942.
On October 14, 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. was announced as the winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, becoming Georgia’s first native-born winner. The Atlanta Journal Constitution has a story on how King’s Nobel Prize effected Atlanta.
The honor wasn’t just a watershed for King and the civil rights movement but also for Atlanta. It set off a series of events that some say fundamentally changed the city’s business, religious and racial cultures by bringing blacks and whites together for the first time to share a meal in public.
That simple act, holding a multi-racial banquet in the new Nobel laureate’s honor, tested the will and even the nerves of those determined to make Atlanta a more just and inclusive place.
“It was a defining moment in the history of the city, and it should go down in the city’s documented memory,” said Janice R. Blumberg, the widow of Rabbi Jacob Rothschild, who was instrumental in organizing the event.
King’s three surviving children are due in court in December to determine if the 23-karat gold medal — along with a Bible their father once owned — should be sold at auction. Brothers Martin Luther King III and Dexter King, representing the King Estate, plan to sell the items. Sister Bernice King has opposed the sale.
Mayor Allen and J. Paul Austin, chairman of Coca-Cola, gathered the business elite at the Piedmont Driving Club. Allen warned then he would be taking notes on who did not attend the dinner. But Austin delivered the crushing blow.
According to Young’s written account, Austin said: “It is embarrassing for Coca-Cola to be located in a city that refuses to honor its Nobel Prize winner. We are an international business. The Coca-Cola Company does not need Atlanta. You all have to decide whether Atlanta needs the Coca-Cola Company.”
On October 14, 1972, the Omni Coliseum in Atlanta opened.
On October 14, 1980, Republican candidate for President Ronald Reagan announced he would name a woman to the Supreme Court if elected.
To achieve those ends, we need the best people possible at the highest levels of Government regardless of sex, race or religion. I am also acutely aware, however, that within the guidelines of excellence, appointments can carry enormous symbolic significance. This permits us to guide by example, to show how deep our commitment is and to give meaning to what we profess.
One way I intend to live up to that commitment is to appoint a woman to the Supreme Court. I am announcing today that one of the first Supreme Court vacancies in my administration will be filled by the most qualified woman I can find, one who meets the high standards I will demand for all my appointments.
It is time for a woman to sit among our highest jurists. I will also seek out women to appoint to other Federal courts in an effort to bring about a better balance on the Federal bench.
Fort Pulaski fired their cannon in celebration of 100 years as a national park, according to the Savannah Morning News.
Fort Pulaski marked its 100th anniversary as a national monument with cannon fire.
Beginning Saturday morning and running through Sunday afternoon, the National Park Service and Fort Pulaski planned programs that celebrated the site’s storied past as a protector of a nascent nation, its role during the U.S. Civil War and its importance in ongoing historical and environmental research. The Slave Dwelling Project made a presentation and the Third Infantry Division Band performed.
“For over 250 years, Fort Pulaski has stood as a testament to resilience, not only as a military stronghold during the Civil War, but also as a symbol of our enduring commitment to preserve and protect our nation’s heritage,” said Park Superintendent Melissa Memory.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Early voting begins Tuesday for the November 5, 2024 General Election, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
Early voting for the Nov. 5 general election starts Tuesday in the Whitfield County Courthouse and while the presidential race tops the ballot, voters will also decide several local races as well as help decide the fate of two amendments to the state constitution.
For president, voters will decide from among Republican former president Donald Trump, Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris, Libertarian Chase Oliver and Green Party candidate Jill Stein.
Claudia De la Cruz and Cornel West are on the ballot as independent presidential candidates. But the Supreme Court of Georgia disqualified them after the ballots had already been printed, saying their petitions did not meet state law. As a result, votes for them will not be counted. De la Cruz is the nominee of the Party for Socialism and Liberation, according to the Associated Press.
One proposed amendment to the state constitution would cap the annual rise in home values for property tax purposes to no more than the previous year’s inflation rate for existing homesteaded properties. The change would begin Jan. 1 if the amendment passes. It would not apply to commercial or industrial property or to apartment buildings or to rental houses. It would not apply to new construction or to additions or improvements to existing homes.
The other amendment would create a tax court to handle tax disputes. Currently, such disputes are handled in the executive branch of the state government.
And voters will also decide whether to increase the property tax exemption for tangible personal property such as office equipment to $20,000 from $7,500. Supporters say the goal is to relieve the tax burden on small businesses.
Early voting concludes Friday, Nov. 1. Voting will take place each weekday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. except Oct. 24 and Oct. 31, when it will take place from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. Early voting will also take place Saturday, Oct. 19, and Saturday, Oct. 26, in the courthouse from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Residents must bring a photo ID to vote.
“I am hoping for a huge turnout,” Lee County Elections Supervisor Veronica Johnson said. “We would like to have the number we had for the election in 2020 when we had over 10,000.
With Monday a state holiday for Columbus Day, the polls in Dougherty County will open at 9 a.m. on Tuesday. The Albany Civic Center site will be open from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. each weekday through the early voting period, which ends on Nov. 1.
Two state-mandated Saturday voting days will be held from 9 a.m-7 p.m. on Nov. 17 and Nov. 24.
Lee County plans to spice things up with two pop-up voting opportunities on the east and west ends of the county. The polls will be open from 2 p.m.-7 p.m. at the Bindery at Oakland Library on Oct. 21 and 22, and the same hours on Oct. 23 and 24 at the Redbone Fire Station.
Johnson said she hopes the extended hours will make voting more convenient for residents.
“We’re going to try to catch people after school, after work and hopefully after dinner,” she said.
Early voting also makes it easier on election workers as it helps lessen the massive crunch of voters coming out on the day of the election.
“I can’t imagine what election day would be like if we didn’t have early voting,” Johnson said. “We want our people voting early so our workers aren’t overwhelmed on Election Day. It helps us tremendously with not being overrun and being adequately staffed on election day.”
Gwinnettians have to decide which political party will control the county commission as well as the fate of transit in the county, who will represent the county in Congress and the Georgia General Assembly and who will lead the Gwinnett sheriff’s and tax commissioner’s offices.
Meanwhile, voters in Gwinnett County’s newest city, Mulberry, have to decide who their city’s first leaders will be.
In addition to the presidential race, there are four congressional races, 20 state legislative races and five county-level races on the ballot.
Among the county-level races are three of the five county commission seats. The commission is currently split between four Democrats and one Republican. The seats on the Nov. 5 ballot are all currently held by Democrats.
Oh, and voter will be asked to decide the fate of a proposed 30-year transit special purpose local option sales tax, or T-SPLOST, as part of the general election ballot.
And, that’s not even counting constitutional amendment questions on the ballot about establishing a Georgia Tax Court and letting the General Assembly establish a statewide homestead exemption.
The early voting period will continue every day — including Saturdays and Sundays — until Nov. 1, and will last from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. each day.
There will be 12 early voting sites for federal, state and county offices. Early voting in the Mulberry City Council special election will only be held at one of those sites, in Dacula, but will involve a separate ballot.
Former President Donald Trump speaks in Atlanta on Tuesday, according to Atlanta News First via WRDW.
Trump will speak at the Cobb Energy Performing Arts Centre on Tuesday, Oct. 15 at 7:30 p.m. He’s expected to talk about the economy, particularly inflation attributed to “Kamalanomics,” according to his campaign — a spin on “Bidenomics,” which is often used to describe President Joe Biden’s economic policy.
Before the speech, Trump will also tape an all-women town hall in Forsyth County that will air on Fox News on Wednesday.
It isn’t the only time Trump will be in town ahead of the election. He has a rally planned on Oct. 23 at the Gas South Arena in Duluth, which is being hosted by Turning Point PAC and Turning Point Action.
As election day draws closer and closer, both Trump and Kamala Harris are focusing their attention on crucial swing states — including Georgia. A Quinnipiac poll released in early October showed Trump with 50% support among likely voters in Georgia, with Harris receiving 44%.
Former President Donald Trump will take part in a Fox News town hall Tuesday in Forsyth County that will focus on women’s issues as he tries to narrow a gender gap in the race against Vice President Kamala Harris. He’ll cap the evening with a rally in metro Atlanta.
The town hall, which coincides with the start of early in-person voting in Georgia, will be before an audience made up entirely of women at the Reid Barn in Cumming. The pretaped interview will air on “The Faulkner Focus” with Harris Faulkner at 11 a.m. Wednesday.
Faulkner said in an interview Friday that she hopes the event will involve plenty of back-and-forth from the audience on topics ranging from Hurricane Helene coverage to child care policies. She also plans to delve into Trump’s stance on abortion.
It will mark the former president’s third visit to Georgia this month after two trips last week to survey storm damage from Hurricane Helene in Valdosta and Augusta. The Republican nominee also plans stops in Savannah and Gwinnett County later this month.
United States Senator and GOP VP candidate JD Vance (O-H-I-O) made an appearance in Gwinnett County, according to the AJC.
JD Vance, the Republican nominee for vice president, visited a campaign office for former President Donald Trump in Gwinnett County to praise volunteers for helping the GOP ticket achieve victory in November.
The Ohio senator encouraged the volunteers gathered at the county’s Trump campaign headquarters to continue their work calling voters, knocking on doors and writing postcards to make sure every supporter votes.
“If we vote and our people get out there and vote, we’re going to win,” he said.
Justice Nwaigwe, who was part of the Gwinnett crowd, said he has knocked on more than 250 doors near Dacula since he began canvassing this summer because he prefers face-to-face interaction with voters.
Vance, he said, “is a super down-to-earth guy with a typical American upbringing and military service that makes him a leader and good citizen.”
While at the office, Vance called two Georgia voters, including a woman who told him she was concerned about whether young people were supporting their campaign.
“I understand what you mean, but I think we’ve got to do as well as we can with the youth voters,” he said. “But I do think that we’re going to do very well among folks who realize how bad it can get if we don’t have good leadership.”
“Every single time we make a voter contact, and you expand that by 10,000 contacts a week, and you take what all you’re doing, and then every other county where we’re doing the same thing in the state of Georgia, this is how we win the election,” he said.
Vance also visited The Varsity on an earlier trip to Rome:
Former President Bill Clinton campaigned in Albany for Democratic candidates Kamala Harris and Tim Walz, according to WALB.
On Sunday afternoon, South Georgians flooded to the Dougherty County Democratic Committee Headquarters to hear a former President speak about who he’d like to see in the White House next.
“I believe that she really has the ability to be a fine, effective, and transformative President,” said former President Bill Clinton in support of Democratic nominee, Kamala Harris.
“You know, most things that are worth having, require working for it. And I don’t care what anyone tells you. Cooperation is better than constant conflict. Building is better than constant blaming. Resentment… and revenge, never amount to much,” said Clinton.
Georgia residents are able to cast their ballot as early as Tuesday, Oct. 15th. Those eligible to vote in Dougherty County can do so at the Albany Civic Center.
Bill Clinton’s presidential efforts 30 years ago when flood waters ravaged southwest Georgia were not forgotten by an adoring Albany crowd that listened to the country’s 42nd president extoll the virtues of the Kamala Harris/Tim Walz ticket during a campaign stop in Albany Sunday.
After attending services at Mt. Zion Church, Clinton spoke for almost 45 minutes before a local crowd at the Harris campaign headquarters on Pine Avenue.
“When I volunteered to help Kamala with her campaign, I asked her folks not to send me to the big places,” Clinton said. “Places like Albany, these are the places I want to be.”
Former Georgia Lt. Gov. and Albany businessman Mark Taylor and District 2 U.S. Congressman Sanford Bishop, who is himself running for re-election, introduced Clinton to the crowd that started gathering a couple of hours before the beginning of the noon event.
“These are historic times in Albany and all across the nation,” Taylor said. “We are honored today to have the 42nd president with us, just as he was back in ’94 when the area was flooded. As president, Bill Clinton took this nation from 7.5% unemployment to full employment when he left. And he left us with the last balanced budget this country has seen. … That’s what Democrats do.”
Bishop, who had been invited to take part in a debate in Macon against Republican challenger Wayne Johnson Sunday, came to Albany instead and encouraged citizens to take others with them to the polls when early voting starts Tuesday.
“We’re living in dangerous times; the course of history will be changed by this election,” Bishop said. “(The country will decide on) good or evil, forward or backward. When I was learning to drive, I was told that if you want to go forward, you put (the gear shift) in ‘D.’ If you want to go backward, you put it in ‘R.’”
Clinton talked about some of the vital issues that have surfaced during the presidential campaign, including the economy, health care, the environment and abortion.
“We set a record for the number of jobs added over an eight-year period during my time in office,” Clinton said. “The Biden-Harris administration will set the record for the number of jobs added over a four-year span in American history.”
“Trump keeps saying that there was no inflation when he was president. It’s kind of hard to have inflation when the whole economy has collapsed.”
Clinton said the Trump/J.D. Vance ticket is masterful at “blame, brag and divide.”“Trump says things that sound good … until you think about it,” the former president said. “For instance, he talks about putting a tariff on goods, telling his people that will make other countries pay for goods. No, all that will do is add 10% to the cost, so that the wealthy can get richer.”
“The far right plan of resentment and revenge is never the way to govern. I believe cooperation is much better than constant conflict. I believe Kamala Harris has the ability to be a really fine, effective, transformative president.”
Clinton said Georgia — and Albany — are important to the outcome of the election.
“There are seven swing states that will likely determine the outcome of the election, and, disgustingly, they’re all tighter than a tick,” he said. “So here’s the way it will go: You can show up and help Kamala carry Georgia, and she will win. If you don’t, she probably won’t.”
“And I can promise you this: There will be a lot of people who will never forgive themselves if they fail to vote and this thing goes the other way. The far right is counting on you (Democrats) giving up. But you’ve got the numbers. And Kamala Harris and Tim Walz are worth showing up for.”
“Uniting people and building, being repairers of the breach, as Isaiah says, those are the things that work,” Clinton said. “Blaming, dividing, demeaning — they get you a bunch of votes at election time, but they don’t work.”
“I think it was a great advancement for southwest Georgia to have the former president come to grace us today during the church service and spread the word about voting, especially to our young people,” said Takisha Campbell.
In 1992, Clinton and then-Sen. Al Gore rode a campaign bus through southwest Georgia to court rural voters. Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz revived the approach earlier this year by visiting Savannah and Liberty County in the southeastern part of the state, but they did not travel west.
Albany is a historic spot in the Civil Rights Movement, at Mount Zion, Clinton reminisced on a time when politics were less polarized and lamented a political climate that has been poisoned with misinformation.
He pointed to the post by U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., post on X claiming that Democrats caused Hurricane Helene, which swept through the southeast last month. And he said Trump’s running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, who has repeatedly failed to acknowledge that Trump lost the White House in 2020, was a “yes man” to Trump.
Democrats see Clinton as someone who can mobilize both rural voters and Black voters. But while Clinton was recognized for his popularity in southern Black communities, it remains to be seen whether he can still inspire Black voters as the population familiar with his presidency grows older. But he didn’t hold back in describing the stakes in this year’s race.
“This whole election and the future of the country is turning out to be what people who were sort of on the fence about voting are going to do in the next three and a half weeks,” Clinton said. “It’s the craziest thing I’ve ever seen.”
Black registered voters have overwhelmingly favorable views of Harris and negative views of Trump despite his attempts to appeal to nonwhite voters, according to a recent poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. But the poll also shows that many Black voters aren’t sure whether Harris would improve the country overall or better their own lives.
Clinton, who was governor of Arkansas before he became president, also spoke at the Harris campaign’s Albany office, saying he asked.
Republican challenger Wayne Johnson criticized Rep. Bishop for his choice to attend the Clinton rally instead of a pre-planned debate, according to the Albany Herald.
Republican congressional candidate Wayne Johnson criticized incumbent U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop, D-Albany, Sunday for losing touch with southwest Georgia’s 2nd Congressional District during 32 years in office and said it’s time for a change.
“When you’re running for Congress, you’ve got to get in tune with the people in the district…. [Bishop] spends 85% of his time in Washington,” Johnson said during what had been planned as a live-streamed debate with Bishop at the Atlanta studios of Georgia Public Broadcasting. Bishop, however, declined to participate.
The incumbent representative instead helped welcome former President Bill Clinton to Albany for a noon rally.
Clinton campaigned in Middle Georgia, according to 13WMAZ.
He made stops in Albany Fort Valley, and Perry on Sunday to campaign for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.
He stopped by a fish fry in Fort Valley around 3:00 p.m. to encourage voters to support Harris and Walz in November.
The crowd had about 100 people in Fort Valley, and folks cheered as he shared stories of his own time on the presidential campaign trail. Clinton said when it comes to former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, there’s a big difference of personalities and politics.
“One of the things they wanna do is repeal the Affordable Health Care Act. And all its protections for people with pre-existing conditions,” Clinton said.
He shared that he’s known and supported Kamala Harris for decades before she ever decided to run for president. He said to get her elected, it could be a tight race, which is why he said it’s up to everybody to early vote, or vote in person.
“She’s the only person who’s offered any kind of solution to a real inflation problem that almost a 100% of us has faced,” Clinton said.
After spending about 30 minutes talking to the crowd in Fort Valley, Clinton headed over to Perry for the Georgia National Fair. Folks kept him busy with pictures, hugs, and handshakes.
Former President Bill Clinton made a stop in Fort Valley Sunday as part of a tour across Georgia to support Vice President Kamala Harris’ bid for president in the final weeks of the election.
Beneath a grove of pecan trees nestled among Peach County’s rolling farm fields, Clinton spoke to a crowd of a couple hundred, hitting on issues of civil liberties and the economy that Democrats have emphasized frequently on the campaign trail. He also rebuked former President Donald Trump’s rhetoric, saying it “divided” Americans.
“Somebody who is really good at dividing, promoting resentment and anger, can do pretty well for a while,” Clinton said. “Sooner or later, for democracy to survive, you’ve got to figure it out.”
Clinton’s appearance in Middle Georgia marks yet another stop by a major political figure amid a tense race between Democrats and Republicans to win the state. Georgia’s 16 electoral votes could be key to securing the White House, as they were in 2020.
Clinton focused heavily on housing, immigration and inflation, which have been hot topics for both parties this election cycle.
“(Kamala’s) the only person who has offered a real solution to a problem all of us have faced: inflation,” Clinton said during his remarks.
Further touching on the cost of living, Clinton emphasized Harris’ promise to lower housing costs. Harris has emphasized increasing the supply of affordable housing, promising to build three million new homes and apartments in four years. She has also proposed giving first-time home-buyers $25,000 to help cover costs.
Georgia has taken on a new significance in national politics, and Clinton was eager to acknowledge that.
After the state sent two Democratic senators to Congress in 2022 and helped to elect Biden during the 2020 election — the first time a Democratic candidate had won the state since Clinton himself was running in 1992 — it became one of a handful of states politicians and experts alike believe could decide the election.
“There are seven states that can go either way in this election,” Clinton said. “It’s going to come down to whether (Georgians) are willing to do one more time what you did when you elected not only Joe Biden and Kamala Harris four years ago, but Raphael Warnock and Jon Ossoff.”
Clinton visits Columbus today to campaign for the Harris-Walz ticket, according to WTVM.
According to Muscogee Democratic County chairwoman Vivian Creighton, the former president will be in Columbus on Monday as a part of his tour in Georgia. Clinton will also make stops in Macon and Albany as well.
The Harris campaign views Clinton as a rare surrogate who can pull off a twofer: motivate rural Georgians who have drifted away from Democrats while also energizing Black voters who make up the party’s base.
Recent polls of Georgia show Harris with softer support among Black voters than other Democratic statewide candidates at this stage in the contest, and her campaign is taking new steps to rev up core supporters. Both Harris and Trump plan rallies in Atlanta this week.
Trump’s Georgia allies said Clinton’s visit smacked of desperation. Georgia GOP chair Josh McKoon linked Clinton’s stop with events held earlier in the week headlined by the actress Julia Roberts.
“If Kamala Harris was winning,” McKoon said, “they would not be summoning movie stars of yesterday and Democratic political stars of yesteryear to try to resuscitate her dying campaign.”
Clinton’s visit evoked memories of his 1992 barnstorming trip across South Georgia when his name was on the ballot. His aides dubbed that campaign blitz, which started in Columbus and ended in Valdosta, the “Bubbas for Bill” tour.
This time, though, Clinton’s stops didn’t involve large rallies or a lengthy caravan that stretched into the horizon. Instead, organizers put the former president in smaller settings. There was even an impromptu stop at a McDonald’s, where startled staffers posed for a selfie.
In Fort Valley, he was joined by U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop and two-time gubernatorial nominee Stacey Abrams. Clinton sported a brown-plaid shirt and ostrich-skin boots with a camouflage “Harris Walz” cap on his head.
Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff will campaign in Savannah on Thursday, according to WTOC.
He’s campaigning for his wife Democratic nominee and Vice President Kamala Harris, Governor Tim Walz, and Georgia Democrats.
Details are limited about where and what time the Second Gentleman will be during his visit.
Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro (D) campaigned for the Harris-Walz ticket on Sunday, according to the AJC.
Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro trekked to Georgia on Sunday to campaign alongside U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock. A few days from now, Warnock will journey to Shapiro’s home state to return the favor.
It was a whirlwind trip for Shapiro. The governor, one of the nation’s most prominent Jewish leaders, spoke to worshippers at Ebenezer Baptist Church, where Warnock is the senior pastor. And he rallied voters at two stops in Fayette and Clayton counties.
[The AJC] caught up with the duo at the latter stop, where they sat for an interview we’ll play later this week on the “Politically Georgia” podcast. They both pushed back on polls that suggested Vice President Kamala Harris was struggling to energize her base voters.
Said Shapiro:
“Don’t underestimate the power of enthusiasm. Don’t underestimate the fact that someone’s not just going to vote for Kamala Harris, but they’re going to put that lawn sign on their lawn, particularly in some of these swingier counties, that’s a permission slip to your neighbor. … It’s still gonna be close, but I think we got momentum on our side. I’m a sports guy. I’d much rather be us than them coming down to these final two minutes, and I think we got a better team on the field.”
Gov. Tim Walz’s wife, Gwen Walz, will campaign in Atlanta on Wednesday, according to the AJC.
Vice President Kamala Harris will campaign in Georgia on Saturday, October 19, 2024, according to the AJC.
Vice President Kamala Harris will hold a rally in Atlanta on Oct. 19 to cap the first week of in-person early voting in Georgia as both campaigns focus increasing attention on the battleground state.
The Democrat’s plan to hold the Atlanta event Saturday surfaced hours after former President Donald Trump’s campaign announced it would hold a rally on Tuesday in metro Atlanta to rev up Republican voters.
There’s a rare consensus among political leaders and senior strategists that Georgia remains up for grabs. And the busy calendars for the campaigns only reinforce that idea.
Harris’ trip to Atlanta is her fifth in Georgia since becoming the party’s nominee. She’s held boisterous rallies in downtown Atlanta and Savannah, delivered an emotional address about abortion rights in Cobb County and surveyed Hurricane Helene damage in Augusta.
Trump has also crisscrossed Georgia in hopes of avenging his 2020 defeat to Democrat Joe Biden. Since Sept. 30, Trump has made two separate trips to Valdosta and Augusta, using his latter appearance for an onstage reconciliation with Gov. Brian Kemp.
He’s already scheduled three trips to Georgia over the next two weeks. He will hold a rally in metro Atlanta on Tuesday after taping a Fox News town hall in Forsyth County. And he plans to headline a National Rifle Association convention in Savannah on Oct. 22 followed by a Gwinnett County rally on Oct. 23.
U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop Jr. and Republican challenger Wayne Johnson met in a public forum Friday night, according to WTVM.
This pivotal race sees incumbent Democrat Sanford Bishop Jr. facing off against Republican challenger Wayne Johnson. The district includes Columbus, Albany, Americus, Cuthbert, Macon, Warner Robins, Perry, Thomasville, Bainbridge, Byron, Cario, Cusseta, and Leesburg.
The hour-long session offered voters a comparison of the candidates’ platforms and visions for the district.
Congressman Bishop, who has served for over 30 years, is vying for another term. He is competing against Johnson, a former senior official under the Trump administration. Both have shared their views on several hot-button issues, including Georgia’s new controversial election rules and immigration.
One question posed to the candidates was whether Georgia is prepared to hold a free and fair election this year. Additionally, they were asked for their thoughts on the new election rules passed by the state board, which require coworkers to hand count ballots, and whether these rules will reassure voters or create more chaos and delay in certifying the results.
“I have full confidence that the election results for the state of Georgia will be properly administered,” said Bishop. “Our governor, Brian Kemp, is absolutely committed to ensuring we have the best election process in the nation. We’ve had many people question some of our past practices, which has actually led to improvements.”
“I believe our elections will be free and fair, but I question whether the count will be,” said Johnson. “The new rules, put in place by a partisan group that took control of the state election board, are not laws but regulations. They are being contested in court by local boards of election who feel they will create chaos.”
The candidates were also asked about their plans for addressing the growing problem of illegal immigrants entering the US without harming Georgia’s agricultural industry, which relies heavily on immigrant workers, and without stigmatizing and threatening immigrants, including those here legally.
Voters in Cobb and Gwinnett Counties will decide transit referenda, according to the AJC.
Cobb and Gwinnett counties, which have voted down efforts in the past, are trying once more with similar plans that borrow heavily from one another. The proposals were drafted with lessons learned from past failed attempts and offer a range of services designed to appeal to more voters.
County leaders say it’s a chance to make the suburbs, long designed around car ownership, more accessible for modern transportation needs. In addition to residents who rely on public transit because they can’t afford to drive, there are also growing numbers of people opting out of driving by choice.
“We have got to really think about our future and how people get around,” Cobb County Chairwoman Lisa Cupid said. “People just travel differently. They live differently.”
Muscogee County voters will choose a District Attorney and Solicitor General, according to WTVM.
Voters in Muscogee County will be able to meet and hear from candidates in the District Attorney race, as well as those running for Solicitor General. Ahead of Thursday’s event, Attorney Anthony Johnson and appointed District Attorney Don Kelly explained why they believe they are the right choice for the DA position.
“I think the biggest issue we face is gang violence, especially juvenile gang violence. This is my area of expertise; I have specialized in representing kids charged as adults with serious crimes throughout my career,” said Johnson.
“I’ve been a prosecutor for the last 21 years, and that’s all I’ve done. I’ve tried and prosecuted more murder cases than anyone in this area,” said Kelly.
The Solicitor General is the chief prosecutor for all misdemeanor crimes in the area. Candidate Shevon Thomas [D] believes people should vote for him because of his extensive trial experience.
“I’ve tried cases at the federal district court, jury trials, and in superior courts throughout Georgia. The Office of Solicitor General affects the lives of local citizens, and they want to know the person responsible for making decisions in that area,” said Thomas.
Republican incumbent Suzanne Goddard is running for re-election, according to the Albany Herald.
Columbus lawyer Shevon Sutcliffe Thomas qualified to seek the post as a Democrat, while Goddard switched parties to run as a Republican, saying she did not agree with the Democratic Party’s stance on border security. Now 67, she has served in the solicitor’s office for 27 years, rising to chief assistant solicitor in 2003 before her boss Ben Richardson was appointed a Superior Court judge.
Her appointment to solicitor followed soon after.
The nominees running for Chattahoochee Judicial Circuit district attorney were unopposed in the May primary, so they’ve waited several months to face off against one another in a race that will determine a more permanent replacement for the late Stacey Jackson.
Don Kelly, the Republican nominee and current district attorney, will face Democratic nominee Anthony Johnson.
Kelly has worked in the district attorney’s office since 2003, including under Jackson before his death. Kelly also has worked as a Superior Court law clerk and has run his own law firm, according to his campaign website.
Kelly was made acting district attorney by Jackson when Jackson stepped away from his role to deal with health issues. After Jackson’s death, Gov. Brian Kemp appointed Kelly to remain district attorney until this election.
Prior to Jackson stepping into the district attorney’s office, former DA Mark Jones was convicted in a corruption case that saw him pay a fine and serve time behind bars. He pleaded guilty to four charges pertaining to official misconduct and was sentenced to one year.
Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman Sr. (D) is running for reelection against Republican challenger Mark Lajoye again, according to the Ledger-Enquirer.
Incumbent Muscogee County Sheriff Greg Countryman Sr. will face off against Republican candidate Mark Lajoye for the second time.
Countryman defeated Lajoye in the 2020 election, with Countryman receiving 50,812 votes to Lajoye’s 27,765, the Ledger-Enquirer reported.
The Columbia County Republican Party hosted a breakfast over the weekend, according to WRDW.
On Saturday morning, the Republican Party for Columbia County helped sponsor a community breakfast, giving away essential supplies and feeding the community.
The owner of Cousin T’s Pancakes, Terrance Williams, spoke about what led to him helping to cook the pancakes for the event.
“Whenever our brothers and sisters in America are in need, we need to do what we can to help out our people. This is our home so we have to take care of each other,” said Williams.
Lyft will offer discounts on November 5, 2024 for General Election voters, according to WJBF.
Through their 2024 LyftUp Voting Access Program, the company is stepping up by offering 50% discounted rideshare, bike, and scooter rides to the polls on November 5th.
Governor Brian Kemp’s office announced that September state revenues were down 2.8%, according to a Press Release.
The State of Georgia’s net tax collections during the month of September approached $3.21 billion, for a decrease of $91.2 million, or 2.8%, compared to FY 2024 when net tax collections totaled almost $3.3 billion for the month. Year to date, net tax revenue collections totaled roughly $8.11 billion, for an increase of $29.5 million, or 0.4%, compared to September 2023 when net tax collections approached $8.08 billion.
The changes within the following tax categories account for September’s overall net tax revenue decrease:
Individual Income Tax: Individual Income Tax collections during the month totaled nearly $1.44 billion, up from a total of almost $1.39 billion in fiscal year 2024, for an increase of $50.2 million or 3.6%.
The following notable components within Individual Income Tax combine for the net increase:
Individual Income Tax refunds issued (net of voided checks) decreased by $35.4 million or 27.9%
Income Tax Withholding payments for September decreased by $4.1 million, or 0.3%, from FY 2024
Individual Income Tax Estimated payments increased by $19.5 million, or 12%, over FY 2024
All other Individual Tax categories, including Tax Return payments, were down a combined $0.6 million
Sales and Use Tax: Gross Sales and Use Tax collections for September totaled roughly $1.55 billion, which was an increase of $36 million, or 2.4%, over FY 2024. Net Sales and Use Tax decreased by $52.5 million, or 6.4%, compared to September 2023 when net Sales Tax revenue totaled $820.2 million. The adjusted Sales Tax distribution to local governments totaled $773.7 million, which was an increase of $91.4 million, or 13.4%, from last year’s adjusted distribution total of $682.3 million. Sales Tax refunds decreased by roughly $2.9 million compared to FY 2024.
Corporate Income Tax: Corporate Income Tax collections for September decreased by nearly $90 million, or 13.1%, compared to last year, when net Corporate Tax revenues totaled $687.5 million.
The following notable components within Corporate Income Tax make up the net decrease:
Corporate Income Tax refunds issued (net of voids) were up $29.7 million compared to September 2023
Corporate Income Tax Estimated payments decreased by $47.2 million, or 10.9%, from FY 2024
All other Corporate Tax payments, including Corporate Return payments, were down a combined $13.1 million
Motor Fuel Taxes: Motor Fuel Tax collections for the month increased by $6.7 million, or 3.5%, compared to FY 2024 when motor fuel tax collections totaled $193.4 million.
Motor Vehicle – Tag & Title Fees: Motor Vehicle Tag & Title Fee collections for September rose by $0.2 million, or 0.7%, while Title ad Valorem Tax (TAVT) collections decreased by $2.6 million, or 3.2%, from FY 2024.
Valdosta area agriculture was damaged by Hurricane Helene, according to the Capitol Beat News Service and the Valdosta Daily Times.
Lowndes County’s agricultural losses from Hurricane Helene are “easily in the millions,” according to a local extension agent.
Lowndes County’s pecan crop took a pounding, said Jacob Kalina, agricultural natural resources agent for the UGA Extension Service.
“Blueberries and pecans also were affected,” he said. “Even peanuts, but not so much as they are low to the ground.”
The agricultural damage was “worse than expected,” Kalina said.
Helene ripped through almost nine million acres of Georgia timberland, doing almost $1.2 billion of damage, a statement from the Georgia Forestry Commission said.
Helene caused $6.4 billion in damage to Georgia’s overall agricultural industry, according to estimates released Thursday by the University of Georgia’s College of Agriculture and Environmental Sciences.
Gov. Brian Kemp called on Congress to quickly appropriate funds for agricultural disaster relief. Meanwhile, more than 40 agricultural industry firms have created their own relief fund for Georgia’s growers. More information can be found at www.supportgeorgiafarmers.com.
Tift County public schools will install weapons detection systems, according to WALB.
On the same day that Tift County High School went on lockdown due to a student with a “paper and duct tape gun. parents are reacting to news that the school system will be adding weapons detection systems to all middle schools and the county high school.
“Times have changed. When I was in school, that was before any school shooting ever happened, we didn’t have a need for that then. I firmly believe this is going to enhance the safety of the kids. I could see where someone could say the school could feel like a prison, however I can get over that argument to get to the safety of the school system,” parent and former educator Heather Crumley said.
The Tift County Board of Education is partnering with XTRACT ONE to install these weapon detection systems.
“We protect money at the bank, we protect people when they fly on planes. I’m a firm believer in protecting our kids, which are the biggest assets and most important thing to us,” Crumley said.
The Tift County School District released a statement about the new technology, saying
“We are confident that the implementation of XTRACT ONE’s weapons detection systems will significantly enhance our existing security measures and provide an additional layer of protection for our school community.”
The installation of the weapons detection system will begin this fall, and the district hopes to have everything complete by the new year.
The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Department received a $90,000 grant from the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety to improve traffic safety, according to the Valdosta Daily Times.
Funding for this grant is provided by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and is awarded based upon the partnership with The Governor’s Office of Highway Safety in helping to reduce crashes, injuries, and fatalities across the State of Georgia.
The grant is good through September 2025. “Federal and state crash data show sustained enforcement of traffic laws reduces crashes and saves lives on our roads,” Allen Poole, director of the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety, said. “GOHS will continue to partner with state and local law enforcement to implement projects and initiatives designed to protect everyone using our roads and to help reach our goal of zero traffic deaths in Georgia and our nation.”
“Once again we are thankful to Governor Kemp and the Governor’s Office of Highway Safety for providing the citizens of Lowndes County and the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office this grant opportunity. With overall traffic fatalities down from last year to this year, I feel this grant is helping that continued reduction. While a reduction in fatalities is great, our goal is eliminating fatalities through the voluntary compliance of the traffic laws, and the use of safety restraints,” said Lowndes County Sheriff Ashley Paulk.
As law enforcement partners in the Drive Sober or Get Pulled Over DUI and Click It Or Ticket seatbelt campaigns, the Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office will also conduct mobilizations throughout the year.
Ryan Purvis was named Chief Executive Officer by the Development Authority of Bryan County Board, according to the Savannah Morning News.
“Ryan is a rising star in the economic development field, and I look forward to working with him for many years to come,” said Jon Seagraves, chair of the authority board. “His knowledge of the county and ability to build partnerships in his previous positions were major factors in the board’s decision to select Ryan for the leadership position.”
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