General James Oglethorpe, founder of Georgia, signed a treaty with the Spanish government of Florida on October 22, 1736.
USS Constitution, named by President George Washington, was launched in Boston Harbor on October 21, 1791.
During the War of 1812, the Constitution won its enduring nickname “Old Ironsides” after defeating the British warship Guerriére in a furious engagement off the coast of Nova Scotia. Witnesses claimed that the British shots merely bounced off the Constitution‘s sides, as if the ship were made of iron rather than wood. The success of the Constitution against the supposedly invincible Royal Navy provided a tremendous morale boost for the young American republic.
Today, Constitution serves as a museum ship, and has sailed under her own power as recently as 2012. Southern live oak, harvested and milled on St. Simons Island, Georgia, is a primary construction material for Constitution.
The United States Senate ratified a treaty with France on October 20, 1805, closing the deal on the Louisiana Purchase.
On October 22, 1832, the Cherokee Land Lottery began in Milledgeville, with more than 200,000 Georgians competing for 53,309 lots of land.
Georgia Governor John B. Gordon signed legislation on October 22, 1887 that increased the number of justices on the Georgia Supreme Court from 3 to 5.
On October 21, 1888, the Augusta Chronicle published a letter from General William Tecumseh Sherman.
Pleasant Stovall, editor of The Augusta Chronicle, wrote the famous old general, and what do you know? He answered, in perhaps the most famous letter to the editor ever printed in the newspaper.
It was published Oct. 21, 1888, and basically, the old warhorse said he didn’t attack Augusta because he didn’t have to. He wanted to get to Savannah where the Union Navy could bring him supplies.
However, he offered to correct the oversight if Augusta felt neglected, writing: “I can send a detachment of 100,000 or so of Sherman’s Bummers and their descendants who will finish up the job without charging Uncle Sam a cent.”
President Grover Cleveland arrived in Atlanta for the Cotton States and International Exposition on October 22, 1895.
On October 20, 1905, President Theodore Roosevelt stopped in Roswell to visit his mother’s girlhood home at Bulloch Hall.
Dizzy Gillespie was born on this day in 1917 in Cheraw, South Carolina.
Harding was a progressive Republican politician who advocated full civil rights for African Americans and suffrage for women. He supported the Dyer Anti-lynching Bill in 1920. As a presidential candidate that year, he gained support for his views on women’s suffrage, but faced intense opposition on civil rights for blacks. The 1920s was a period of intense racism in the American South, characterized by frequent lynchings. In fact, the NAACP (National Association for the Advancement of Colored People) reported that, in 1920, lynching claimed, on average, the lives of two African Americans every week.
On the Presidential campaign trail, Franklin Delano Roosevelt arrived in Atlanta on October 23, 1932, speaking to 10,000, and continued on to his “second home” at Warm Springs, Georgia.
FDR campaigning in Atlanta and Georgia in 1932.
When he arrived at Warm Springs, FDR gave a short speech:
“Two more weeks to go. . . . First, let me say this: this old hat, a lot of you people have seen it before. It’s the same hat. But I don’t think it is going to last much longer after the 8th of November. I have a superstition about hats in campaigns, and I am going to wear it until midnight of the 8th of November. . . . Well, it’s fine to see, and I’m looking forward to coming down here for the usual Thanksgiving party at Warm Springs, and having a real old-fashioned Thanksgiving with my neighbors again. I thank you!”
Lewis Grizzard was born on October 20, 1946 at Fort Benning, Georgia.
On October 23, 1971, the Coca-Cola Company launched the advertising campaign “I’d Like to Buy the World a Coke.”
On October 21, 1976, Billy Carter spoke to an audience in Albany, Georgia, about his brother’s campaign for President.
On his brother Jimmy’s drinking habits, Billy said, “Jimmy used to drink liquor. Now he’s running for president he drinks Scotch, and I’ve never trusted a Scotch drinker.” Billy preferred the alcohol choice of his brother’s running mate, Walter Mondale – “I liked him the best of all the ones who came to Plains. He’s from a small town and he’s a beer drinker.”
Today, Billy Carter’s service station is preserved as a museum in Plains, Georgia.
On October 20, 1977, a small twin-engine plane carrying members of Lynyrd Skynyrd from Greenville, South Carolina to Baton Rouge, Louisiana crashed in a swamp in Gillsburg, Mississippi. Singer Ronnie Van Zant, guitarist Steve Gaines, vocalist Cassie Gaines, assistant road manager Dean Kilpatrick, pilot Walter McCreary and co-pilot William Gray died in the crash.
On October 22, 1991, the Braves played Minnesota in the first World Series game in Atlanta.
Georgia-born Clarence Thomas was sworn in as an Associate Justice of the United States Supreme Court on October 23, 1991.
The Atlanta Braves won the first game of the 1995 World Series on October 21, 1995, as Greg Maddux dominated the Cleveland Indians, allowing only two hits. Native American groups protested the names of both teams.
The Atlanta Braves won Game 2 of the 1995 World Series, beating Cleveland 4-3, on October 22, 1995.
Georgia artist Howard Finster died on October 22, 2001.
One of my dogs is named Finster, after the artist.
Georgia Politics, Campaigns, and Elections
Georgia voters will decide four statewide ballot questions, according to the AJC.
Statewide Ballot Question 1: Provides for suspension of compensation of certain state officers and members of the General Assembly.
Text: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to suspend the compensation of the governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, attorney general, state school superintendent, commissioner of insurance, commissioner of agriculture, commissioner of labor, or any member of the General Assembly while such individual is suspended from office following indictment for a felony?”
Statewide Ballot Question 2: Provides for temporary local tax relief after disasters.
Text: “Shall the Constitution of Georgia be amended so as to provide that the governing authority of each county, municipality, and consolidated government and the board of education of each independent and county school system in this state shall be authorized to grant temporary tax relief to properties within its jurisdiction which are severely damaged or destroyed as a result of a disaster and located within a nationally declared disaster area?”
Statewide Ballot Question 3: Provides for ad valorem tax exemption for certain timber production, reforestation, and harvesting equipment.
Text: “Shall the Act be approved which grants a state-wide exemption from all ad valorem taxes for certain equipment used by timber producers in the production or harvest of timber?”
Statewide Ballot Question 4: Expands ad valorem tax exemption for family-owned farms and adds qualified products to the exemption.
Text: “Shall the Act be approved which expands a state-wide exemption from ad valorem taxes for agricultural equipment and certain farm products held by certain entities to include entities comprising two or more family-owned farm entities, and which adds dairy products and unfertilized eggs of poultry as qualified farm products with respect to such exemption?”
From Fox5Atlanta discussing Ballot Question 1:
If a Georgia official is suspended, under the state’s constitution, they continue to receive pay up until they are found guilty. This proposed amendment seeks to end that practice.
Georgia Insurance Commissioner Jim Beck was indicted on federal charges of money federal charges of money laundering, mail and wire fraud in May 2019.
Gov. Brian Kemp suspended Beck shortly after, but he continued to draw the nearly $200,000 annual salary for the position. So did Kemp’s appointee to the position, John King, costing the state twice as much.
“They couldn’t suspend him without pay, so this amendment would change that,” said Ben Taylor, Associate Professor at Kennesaw State University.
A “YES” vote on this question would mean support to the change the constitution to end salaries for any official suspended due to a felony indictment. Officials who are not convicted and later reinstated, would be entitled to backpay.
From the Secretary of State’s Absentee Voting Database:
Total ballots cast: 576,481
Total mail ballots cast: 55,568
Total in-person ballots cast: 519,746
In-person October 17, 2022: 134,692
In-person October 18, 2022: 135,057
In-person October 19, 2022: 127,788
In-person October 20, 2022: 122,209
Total Electronic ballots cast (overseas and military voters): 1167
From the Capitol Beat News Service:
After eclipsing the 2018 midterm elections turnout on the first day of early voting this week, Georgians surpassed the turnout ahead of the 2020 presidential election on the second day of early voting.
More than 134,000 voters cast early ballots across the Peach State Tuesday, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger reported. That’s a 3.3% increase over the second day of early voting two years ago. Historically, voting in midterm elections falls off substantially from voting in presidential elections.
“We’re extremely pleased that so many Georgians are able to cast their votes, in record numbers and without any reports of substantial delays,” Raffensperger said. “This is a testament to the hard work of Georgia’s election workers, the professionals who keep our elections convenient and secure.”
This year’s midterms mark the first general election since the Republican-controlled General Assembly passed controversial election-reform legislation last year replacing the signature-match verification process for absentee ballots with a photo ID requirement and restricting the location of absentee ballot drop boxes.
Raffensperger and other Republican leaders are pointing to the strong early voting numbers as proof the new law is not suppressing the vote as Democratic critics have claimed.
But Democratic gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams argued the record turnout is a result of Democrats overcoming the voting restrictions.
“It does not mean voter suppression doesn’t exist,” Abrams told supporters Tuesday during a rally in southeastern Atlanta. “But we’re stronger, better, and faster than it.”
Early voting turnout is expected to increase during the last week of the early voting period. All 159 Georgia counties will have early voting this Saturday.
The last day for early voting will be Nov. 4, the last Friday before Election Day Nov. 8. To find early voting locations and hours in your county, visit the secretary of state’s My Voter Page.
In the first three days of early voting, Monday through Wednesday, 1,822 Bulloch residents voted in-person, surpassing the three-day count from the comparable election four years ago.
In fall 2018, for the last election that included a governor’s race, 1,530 Bulloch residents voted early in-person during the first three days, according to a spreadsheet provided by county Election Supervisor Shontay Jones.
Early voting continued Thursday, when as of 4:30 p.m. the running total was 2,388 in-person early voters in less than four days. Meanwhile, 224 absentee paper ballots had been accepted as of Wednesday. So more than 2,600 residents, or over than 5% of the county’s 50,030 registered voters, have already cast ballots in advance of the Nov. 8 general election.
Now, in addition to what this Friday may add, come two Saturdays of voting opportunity, plus 10 more weekdays and a couple of temporarily added locations.
The one place open for Saturday voting in Bulloch County, both this Saturday, Oct. 22, and next, Oct. 29, will be the Board Elections and Registration area in the County Annex, 113 N. Main St., Suite 201, Statesboro. Saturday voting opens one hour later than weekday early voting, so the hours are 9 a.m.-5 p.m. both Saturdays.
As of Thursday morning, just under 400,000 Georgia voters had cast their ballots during in-person early voting, with 126,918 showing up on Wednesday, Oct.19, alone, the Georgia Secretary of State’s Office reported. Wednesday’s total marked a 63.3% increase from day three of 2018 midterm and gubernatorial early voting and was only slightly under the total of day three of early voting in the 2020 presidential election, stated the agency’s Thursday news release.
At the Bulloch County Annex, Jones said the arrival of voters had been “steady” each day this week, with a line forming Monday while the electronic system operated slower than usual during heavy first-day use statewide. But the line, she said, had been “nothing out the door.”
Wednesday’s total marks a 63.3% increase from Day 3 of 2018 midterm early voting and is only slightly under the total of Day 3 of early voting in the 2020 presidential election.
Georgia has had record turnout since the first day of early voting this year, surging to nearly twice the number on the first day of early voting in 2018. Wednesday’s total continues to surpass the previous midterm records set in the 2018 midterm election, and the cumulative total is only 15,000 votes under the presidential election cumulative total at this point in 2020.
“The counties have worked tirelessly alongside our office to encourage Georgians to cast their vote early,” Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger said in a news release. “County election directors are getting the job done, and Georgians know it.”
Reports of long lines were rare, with some lines in the metro areas being reported. No substantial delays were reported. Turnout is expected to increase during the last week of early voting. All counties will have mandatory Saturday voting this coming Saturday.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office released a new “Poll Worker First Response,” according to WTOC.
“This is really almost presidential levels when you look at 2020. So, we’re just excited about the turnout that we’re seeing. People and voters are energized,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger.
This week, they launched “Poll Worker First Response”—an app that poll workers can use to report threats that could impact the voting process.
“If you’re the poll manager, and you see something at your precinct, you can quickly text in what you’re looking at, and is it someone being unruly, someone being rude, or is it actually a physical threat.”
Raffensperger says these messages then go through a chain of command.
“That information goes to our state election director, his number two, our deputy. It also goes to our county election director, we can also loop in law enforcement.”
“Coming out of 2020, there was so much misinformation, people were threatening poll workers. We had some counties that went 75% for President Trump, meanwhile those poll workers were being followed home.”
“We want everyone to go out there and exercise the priceless right to vote. We want to put a smile on their face, we want to keep those lines as short as possible. We’re just excited that we’re seeing big participation, we want to keep everyone safe.”
State and federal officials are preparing to respond to tactics aimed at election workers and voters. On Oct. 12, the FBI issued a warning that it would prioritize investigations into threats made against election workers. And Wednesday Ryan Buchanan, U.S. attorney for the Northern District of Georgia, appointed one of his assistants to spearhead the handling of complaints regarding the election.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted in a fair and free election,” Buchanan said. “Similarly, election officials and staff must be able to serve without being subject to unlawful threats of violence.
Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger’s office issued guidance this month to county election officials clarifying that a voter’s eligibility cannot be challenged at the polls and must be in writing. Only then can county election officials review the challenge and determine if probable cause exists to investigate further, the bulletin states.
Raffensperger’s office also set up a text message line for poll workers to report problems by sending a five-digit number that relays information to county and state election officials working closely with law enforcement to respond.
“We want to ensure that we keep polling places safe, and I think this shows our concern. We’re placing a premium on election security,” Raffensperger said. “We want to protect our election workers because they’re the true heroes of democracy.”
Sheriffs across the state have been briefed on how to watch out for potential dangers, said Chris Harvey, the state’s former elections director who now trains police as deputy executive director for the Georgia Peace Officer Standards and Training Council.
Disrupting a polling place could be a crime under Georgia law, Harvey said. Police in several states are being provided with cards they can carry in their pockets that summarize election laws, which in some cases aren’t covered during regular law enforcement training.
In Stephens County, the two top election officials both resigned, according to AccessWDUN.
Election Supervisor Krista Terry submitted her resignation, and it was effective Tuesday.
Shortly after that, Poll Manager Sheila McClain also resigned.
In a statement, the Stephens County Elections Board confirmed Terry’s departure on Tuesday, citing “the constant harassment that seems to be an unfortunate part of our current political landscape.”
That statement, from Board Chair Sean Black and bearing the names of the other members, states, “[Terry] has done a phenomenal job in that position. She was energetic, hardworking, and conscientious.”
“It is a loss to the county that she cannot continue as supervisor,” the statement reads. “We hoped that she would stay. Our support for her and the job that she did is unanimous. We wish her well going forward. The County and the Elections Board will ensure that the General Election moves forward.”
The Floyd County Board of Elections and Registrations ruled that a Berry College student may register to vote, according to the Rome News Tribune.
The Berry freshman, who is originally from California but now lives on campus, appealed to the board after the registrar’s office had determined her to be ineligible. At issue was whether or not she had taken steps under the Georgia Election Code to establish Floyd County as her permanent residence.
“You look at the totality of the intent and the facts,” [County Attorney Virginia Harman] said. “A statement of intent to change residence is part of the test, but then you have to look at the facts of what they have done to change their residence.”
During the hearing, Amanda Milner presented a paycheck and a bank statement as proof of residency. She said she plans to stay in the Rome area after she graduates, adding that she is not registered to vote in California and has no intention of moving back there.
Floyd County Elections Supervisor Akyn Bailey said Wednesday that Milner has now been registered, per board instructions. Because the original application was made before the deadline, she will be able to vote in this election.
Former United States Senator Kelly Loeffler (R-Atlanta) will testify before Democrat Fani Willis’s grand jury, according to CNN via the Albany Herald.
The revelation that Loeffler testified before the grand jury comes as hundreds of Loeffler’s text messages have surfaced, revealing new details about the Georgia Republican’s correspondence about efforts to challenge the election in the months leading up to and immediately following the January 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol.
Loeffler lost her Senate seat last year in a runoff race to Sen. Raphael Warnock, a Democrat. Loeffler now leads a conservative voter mobilization organization in Georgia.
Loeffler was a staunch Trump ally while serving in Congress as Georgia’s junior senator and prior to the violence on January 6, she planned to vote against certifying her state’s electoral results in support of the former President’s broader effort to upend Joe Biden’s legitimate victory.
After the US Capitol attack, Loeffler backed off her objection, saying on the Senate floor: “When I arrived in Washington this morning, I fully intended to object to the certification of the electoral votes. However, the events that have transpired today have forced me to reconsider, and I cannot now in good conscience object to the certification of these electors.”
Text messages, first reported by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and also obtained by CNN, reveal that Loeffler appeared to be in direct communication with members of the Trump family in the weeks leading up to January 6, including the former President’s daughter and senior adviser Ivanka.
Loeffler also received several messages from then Congresswoman-elect Marjorie Taylor Greene during this time, including one asking her to talk “about a plan we are developing on how to vote on the electoral college votes on Jan 6th,” a month before that date, according to the messages obtained by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and CNN.
On December 20, Greene also invited Loeffler to a White House meeting she organized with Trump and other members of Congress who were going to “challenge the Electoral College votes for Biden in several key swing states on January 6,” according to the messages.
Governor Brian Kemp attended the 9th annual “Salute to Georgia Sheriffs” in Jones County, according to 13WMAZ.
“I want to tell you just how much we appreciate what all of you do every single day,” Kemp says.
Governor Kemp thanked all law enforcement for all their work in the past couple of years.
“It’s been tough times in this country and in this state when you think of civil unrest, when you think of people who have seen injustice with their own eyes,” he says.
Kemp says the lives of 14 Georgia officers have been lost due to violence, and he supports the voices and ideas of law enforcement.
“They know that we’re going to work with people to let their voice be heard, as they should, just like we did in downtown Atlanta, after the George Floyd incident, and just like we did during the whole Ahmaud Arbery investigation.”
Sheriff Carlton Speed in Banks County was announced the Sheriff of The Year. He says he appreciates Kemp’s words.
“He has supported law enforcement 100%,” he says. “It gives us the feeling that we are supported at the highest level of state government, and they’re willing to step out and support local law enforcement who support the people in their communities every day.”
“Every sheriff here knows that he’s got our backs,” says Lenn Wood, the sheriff of Coweta County for the past three years.
Crawford County’s Sheriff Lewis Walker agrees.
“Well it’s very important when your governor and other state personnel take that time and come share with us. To have that support, it means a whole lot to law enforcement.”
U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker, Republican candidate for Lieutenant Governor Burt Jones, and other state representatives also attended.
Republican Senate candidate Herschel Walker campaigned in Macon, according to 13WMAZ.
Walker continued his “Unite Georgia Bus Tour” in Macon.
Thursday morning, Walker held a rally outside of the Sanford Insurance building on Forsyth Road.
Walker was accompanied by RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel and a few senators like Rick Scott of Florida.
Oprah Winfrey appeared in a pre-recorded chat to campaign for Stacey Abrams without the inconvenience of actually coming to Georgia, From the Associated Press via WSAV:
Winfrey appeared in a prerecorded chat with Abrams on a campaign website Thursday, saying she believes the candidate has a “calling to want people to be able to do better, to live better and to thrive in their lives.”
“I’m wishing that the people of Georgia come out and make that a reality for you and the state of Georgia,” Winfrey said.
Kemp has attacked Abrams as “Celebrity Stacey,” saying last month that Abrams is “running her campaign to cater to liberal elites” and not to Georgians. Kemp generally leads Abrams in polls.
“While Stacey Abrams continues to solicit the help of out-of-state billionaires,” said Kemp spokesperson Tate Mitchell, “Gov. Kemp will continue to talk to hardworking Georgians about his record of economic success and plan to build a safer, stronger Georgia.”
Democratic candidates rallied in Lilburn, according to the Gwinnett Daily Post.
Democratic Party gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said the decision to bring her party’s candidates for state offices together in Gwinnett County was a logical one to make, and it boiled down to one factor: diversity.
“We are here in Gwinnett County because we know this is the most diverse county in the state, and if you’ve got the most diverse ticket, this is where you need to be,” Abrams said. “We also know we’re facing a generational opportunity in the state of Georgia.”
The Democrats who joined Abrams at the event, which is part of her “Let’s Get It Done” tour, included: lieutenant governor candidate Charlie Bailey; secretary of state candidate Bee Nguyen; attorney general candidate Jen Jordan; labor commissioner candidate William Boddie; insurance commissioner candidate Janice Laws Robinson; and agriculture commissioner candidate Nakita Hemmingway.
The party’s nominee for state school superintendent, Alisha Thomas Searcy, was the only Democrat running for a state office who was not present at the rally, but she did get a shoutout from Abrams during the event.
“When we are fighting for our children, Alisha Thomas Searcy is going to be fighting with us,” the gubernatorial candidate told attendees.
A Quinnipiac University Poll released earlier this month, for example, showed inflation was the No. 1 issue for independents and Republicans, but it was the fifth most important issue for Democrats, who considered abortion to be the top issue facing the state.
“We deserve more money in our pockets and that is why I’m going to release stimulus checks, a billion dollars worth, but they’re not going to the multi-millionaires who have more than enough,” Abrams said. “We’re going to get it to the rest of Georgians who deserve their fair share.”
Abrams also campaigned in Athens, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The rally drew about 200 supporters, most of them students at the University of Georgia. In addition to Abrams, speakers included candidates Janice Laws Robinson, Nakita Hemingway and Bee Nguyen.
All four candidates spoke at length about the state of voting rights in Georgia. Nguyen, who is running for secretary of state, criticized Republican legislators’ passage of SB 202, which imposed tighter restrictions on absentee voting and dropbox availability, and banned offering food or water to voters waiting in line.
“We learned that 50,000 people had been hassled, that they had their right to vote held hostage by the secretary of state. We learned that 214 precincts had been shut down. And later, an independent analysis would tell us that 85,000 Georgians could not cast the ballot in 2018,” [Abams] said.
Senator Raphael Warnock campaigned in Athens, according to the Athens Banner Herald.
The Baptist minister turned senator held a rally with other local Democrats, including Athens Mayor Kelly Girtz, Athens Commissioner Tim Denson and state Sen. Jen Jordan at the UGA Chapel.
Warnock, who drew a crowd of about 200 students, discussed his plans for re-election and the importance of the youth vote.
“Now this is what happens when you send a preacher to the Senate. I even believe that infrastructure is spiritual,” he said. “Infrastructure in the real sense is about the recognition that we live in the same house; that we’re stuck with one another. And so it is in our enlightened self interest to work on the house that we live in together.”
Incumbent U.S. Representative Buddy Carter (R-Pooler) debated his Democratic opponent on WTOC.
“My opponent wants to go to Washington D.C. so he can be a rubber stamp,” said Rep. Carter.
“You want to talk about extremist here in the abortion debate talk about my opponent. Talk about the democrats who want to perform an abortion up to the time of birth and have the taxpayers pay and to refer to abortion as healthcare,” said Rep. Carter.
Rep. Buddy Carter said after the debate that claims from Herring that he does not serve the interests of his district are false.
“I’m excited every time I go to D.C. The shine has not worn off for me because I believe, I believe in the American Dream. I believe in this country and I’m not gonna give up or let these woke socialists win.”
State Senator John F. Kennedy (R-Macon) is challenged by Democrat Chris Benton, according to 13WMAZ.
Kennedy is the incumbent, first elected in 2014.
“I get great satisfaction out of solving problems and helping my constituents,” Kennedy said.
Benton is his challenger, hoping to bring a different viewpoint to the office.
“They don’t live my life and the life of most of the people in this district. And I want to bring our perspective to the senate,” Benton said.
“Doing things like teacher pay raises, doing things like making sure the education budget is well-funded. Doing things like making sure the classrooms are there to teach, and not be a vehicle for divisive policies,” Kennedy said.
Benton also wants to focus on affordable healthcare, ending gerrymandering and legalizing cannabis.
“Legalizing sports betting and cannabis will increase revenue without increasing income taxes and with that additional revenue, we can invest in our infrastructure, repair our streets, and we can invest in our education without raising taxes,” Benton said.
“Families in middle Georgia and around the state that are suffering because of inflationary pressures on everything. Gas to groceries and everything in between. We’re now looking at maybe some difficult economic times ahead,” Kennedy said.
The Valdosta Daily Times profiles the candidates for Valdosta and Lowndes County elected offices.
Republican Shelly Echols faces Democrat Jody Cooley for the Senate District 49 seat that is open after Butch Miller ran for Lieutenant Governor, according to AccessWDUN.
Echols has served as the District 3 representative on the Hall County Commission since 2018. Her website states she has lived in District 49 her entire life. She serves on the board of Choices Pregnancy Care Center in Gainesville as well as on the board of Avita Community Partners.
Echols said in a recent interview on WDUN’s The Martha Zoller Show that the voters she has spoken with have been concerned about the economy.
“The Democrats have made a mess of things right now, and voters are sick of it,” Echols said. “They want to make sure, first of all, that the Georgia legislature doesn’t turn Democrat. But they also want to make sure that we have strong leaders in place that will fight that and continue the red wave that’s going throughout the country.”
Echols said that she would like to look at the state’s finances if elected.
“I think that we need to make sure that our reserves are what they can be,” Echols said. “I know that there are caps on those, we need to make sure everything is capped off and that we’re tucking money away where we can, because I just don’t see the economy continuing to do as all as in the past. I think we’re on the verge of a recession and I think we need to be prepared for that.”
Chatham County voters will decide on a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for Transportation (T-SPLOST) when they vote in the November elections, according to WTOC.
If voters approve it, this would be a one cent sales tax added to all sales within Chatham County that will be dedicated to transportation projects.
The county says they collect this penny tax over the next five years and estimate about $420 million would be collected.
If approved by voters, this would be the first time the county would have access to additional funds they would traditionally have to get from other sources.
“We might have to raise taxes to do these things or wait for another SPLOST to come around and one thing we have seen recently with construction projects in particular is construction projects have gone up so we are having to stretch our dollars that much more to make things happen and this would give us that extra amount of money to make things happen,” said Chatham County Engineer Suzanne Cooler.
Habersham County faces cost inflation on SPLOST-funded projects, according to AccessWDUN.
Faced with millions of dollars in cost overruns in the estimates for new facilities approved by voters, Habersham County leaders now are faced with how to fund those Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax projects.
County Manager Alicia Vaughn said under the law the county must complete projects included in a voter-approved SPLOST, even if that means taking the money from the county’s general fund.
But Vaughn said the county does not have money available for that purpose.
One possible way is the formation of a public facilities authority appointed by the county commission for the purpose of issuing bonds to finance the projects.
“We had the county attorney discuss the option of creating a public facilities authority for the county, and the public facilities authority would be created through the legislative cycle,” Vaughn said. “And it would require a 5-0 vote for creation of the facility by the board of commissioners – potentially at the next meeting, but hopefully before the end of the year.”
Augusta Mayor Hardie Davis joined other Georgia mayors visiting Washington , according to WRDW.
President Joe Biden invited mayors from across Georgia to promote his efforts to lower gas prices and talk about his recent bipartisan infrastructure bill.
Their trip came as Biden promoted efforts to lower gas prices and efforts to boost domestic manufacturing, including a new electric battery plant in Augusta.
As director of the Office of Public Engagement and former Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms noted, “building back better” will take time.
“Most recently, infrastructure dollars are helping us with the fifth street pedestrian bridge that we just opened up. So, this administration has been an incredible partner for us in the city of Augusta. There’s a lot that’s happening in our community,” said Davis.
Davis says federal funding will help with employment in our area.
Brunswick City Commissioners approved a 180-day moratorium on new homeless shelters, according to The Brunswick News.
The Brunswick City Commission voted on Wednesday to approve a 180-day moratorium on the “establishment, expansion or development of a homeless shelter where one is not currently operated.”
“I don’t believe this to be a punitive measure,” said Brian Corry, city attorney. “It’s a measure the city needs to take so there’s not knee-jerk reactions … I think this is going to give us an opportunity.”
Mayor Cosby Johnson concurred, adding that it’s a chance for the city to “reset” its ordinances by taking time to carefully consider them and consult with all the relevant and knowledgeable parties rather than jumping to the first solution.
Corry did not recommend including drug addiction rehabilitation and mental health facilities in the moratorium, which are already subject to local and state regulations.
“I think state law and our current ordinance address those two things,” Corry said.
Mayor Pro Tem Felicia Harris said it’s unfair the city has to shoulder the cost of “excessive” calls for police to facilities that serve the homeless, saying the facilities should cover the cost.
“Everybody’s expecting the city to be the remedy and remedy those matters when we weren’t included in the conversation when you were opening that business,” Harris said.
She said any new ordinances should require facilities serving the homeless to provide for their own security.
Commissioner Johnny Cason suggested creating a process requiring such facilities to obtain the approval of state and city governments.
“You can’t just start a 501c3 and open the doors,” Cason said. “You should have to have a certificate of need from the state.”
Brunswick leaders met to discuss homelessness in the coastal city, according to The Brunswick News.
The homeless problem has gotten bad enough that public officials, civic organizations, law enforcement, health providers and others met Thursday for a daylong summit to discuss the issue and possible solutions.
Glynn County Commission Chairman Wayne Neal told the audience at the Blythe Island Baptist Church that it will take a group effort to deal with the problem.
“It’s right here in Glynn County,” he said. “Working together we can accomplish a lot more than separately. Our citizens in Glynn County are demanding we do something about the situation.”
Brunswick Mayor Cosby Johnson said the homeless issue is complicated and there is not a single solution to the problem.
“Let us find a way to come together,” he said. “We’re talking about people.”
Grady County Schools contend with bus driver shortages, according to WALB.
Todd Gainous, director of transportation for Grady County Schools, says the bus driver shortage has gotten worse over recent years. Now, they need at least ten drivers. Currently, drivers have double routes, and two routes had to be removed.
“Bus driver is a niche position. You work 2 hours from 6 to 8, then in the afternoons you work for 2 to 5,” Gainous said.
Gainous says bus drivers are some of the most important employees across the school district. While Gainous is navigating the driver shortage, he is navigating bus routes most mornings. On Thursday, they received special appreciation for all that they do.
The Brunswick Judicial Circuit District Attorney’s Office will receive a $200,000 federal grant to fight gang crime, according to The Brunswick News.
The grant comes from the 2021 State Homeland Security Program, and is presented through the state’s Emergency Management Agency, Brunswick DA Keith Higgins said.
The money will be used to gain access to an investigative case file system known as Formlytics, used by government agencies to prosecute street gangs and other groups responsible for violent crimes against communities, he said.
The DA is providing local law enforcement agencies with access to the system, including the Glynn County and Brunswick police departments, the county sheriff’s office, county schools police and the Georgia State Patrol.
It is also being used by law enforcement agencies throughout the judicial circuit’s five counties, which encompasses Camden, Wayne, Appling and Jeff Davis counties in addition to Glynn.
The Buckhead-based system is being used by law enforcement throughout the state, from Atlanta to Savannah, allowing agencies to work together to combat crimes committed by the thousands of street gangs in Georgia.
“I am grateful to Gov. Brian Kemp and Harlan Proveaux of the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency, who awarded the sub grant that makes all of this possible.”
Cohutta Town Attorney Todd Johnson is accused of allegedly trying to bribe Varnell Solicitor Bryan Rayburn, according to the Dalton Daily Citizen News.
The affidavit submitted by a Varnell police lieutenant to obtain an arrest warrant for Cohutta Town Attorney Todd Johnson accuses Johnson of “willfully and with intent (taking) a substantial step to commit bribery” and “extortion” in an email to Varnell Solicitor Bryan Rayburn. The affidavit does not say Johnson is the Cohutta town attorney or that he was acting as a private attorney representing a driver ticketed by a Varnell police officer.
In the affidavit, Varnell Police Department Lt. Winston Swilley wrote “Todd Johnson did willfully and with intent take a substantial step to commit bribery when he sent an email to Brain (sic) Rayburn (Varnell city prosecutor) offering a ‘small donation’ (money or favors) to have two Varnell citations dismissed.”
Swilley also wrote that “Todd Johnson did willfully and with intent take a substantial step to commit extortion when he sent an email to intimidate, threaten or force Brain (sic) Rayburn (Varnell city prosecutor) into dropping two Varnell citations.”
Rayburn said he was “shocked” when he found out the Varnell Police Department had gotten an arrest warrant for Johnson.
“I didn’t forward the email to Chief Moreno because there was no reason to as it was never my intent to have criminal charges brought against Todd,” [Rayburn] said.
Johnson’s email to Rayburn said he was trying to resolve his client’s case.
“I was hoping a small donation to the Varnell cause would keep (his client) in Atlanta, but I await your sage advice, sir,” the email said.
In an incident report, Moreno said based on the comments in the email about a donation, Johnson “is attempting to bypass due process and reward Varnell if his request is fulfilled.”
In a supplemental report, Swilley said after reviewing the evidence he had determined Johnson “has willfully and knowingly committed the offense of criminal attempt to commit bribery and criminal attempt to commit extortion .. to bypass due process to get two citations dismissed by monetary means” and referenced the section of Johnson’s email mentioning “a small donation to the Varnell cause.” He said Johnson’s reference to “Officer Norris’ past shows a substantial step in (committing) extortion by stating events he states as fact even though the charges were dropped” against Norris.
[Johnson’s attorney Leslie Waycaster] said Johnson’s remark about “a small donation to the Varnell cause would keep (his client) in Atlanta” was not an attempt at bribery.
“There is procedure in Georgia called a predisposition where if you get a ticket you can pay the fine and it stays with the city or county where the ticket was issued,” he said. ”But the ticket doesn’t get reported at the state level, so it doesn’t affect your points on your driver’s license and it doesn’t show up on your driving record where your insurance rates are affected. That’s what Todd is talking about.”
Rayburn said that is how he interpreted Johnson’s email.
“Todd is a great attorney, and he and I have never had any issues whatsoever,” he said. “His email was simply an attempt to advocate for his client. I never perceived the email as an attempt to bribe or extort me. These types of conversations are had daily between prosecuting attorneys and defense attorneys.”
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