Judge upholds Georgia election laws on all counts in voting rights case
ajc.com > politics...District Judge Steve Jones" judgment in favor of the state of Georgia concludes the major case over voter registration and absentee ballot practices after a trial in which voters testified about problems at the polls but few of them were unable to cast a ballot.... ...He has been a reporter at the AJC since 2013 following a decade at The Associated Press in Atlanta, Honolulu and Montgomery, Ala. Evan Vucci / AJC...
Critics warn Georgia Power's proposed rate hikes won't be the last
ajc.com > news...But public interest staff attorneys, consumer watchdogs and concerned citizens warned that more rate hikes are coming, and that those, too, should be considered by the Georgia Public Service Commission (PSC) as they weigh the company's request.... ...In his testimony, Georgia Power CEO and chairman Chris Womack said the company recognizes the financial impact the rate increase would have on customers, but claimed they were necessary to fund grid improvements, plus continue the company's gradual shift toward renewable energy sources....
These 2 seniors were named National Merit semifinalists
gainesvilletimes.com > news > education...Seniors Hassan Khan and Alyssa Woo are among over 16,000 semifinalists in the 68th annual National Merit Scholarship Program, who represent less than 1% of all high school seniors in the United States.... ...The scholarship was established in 1955 at "a time in which there was concern that the United States was lagging behind in the Cold War scientific race, but the public was indifferent to rewarding intellectual accomplishment," according to the National Merit Scholarship Corporation, a privately...
NGHS lifts mask requirements for those who are fully vaccinated
gainesvilletimes.com > news > health-care...Northeast Georgia Health System will no longer require masks at most of its facilities for people who are fully vaccinated.... ...John Delzell, incident commander for NGHS" COVID-19 response, said in a press release Friday. "Safety is our top priority, so we may require universal masking for employees and visitors again if our area's COVID-19 transmission levels increase in the future."....
Dawson man charged in biggest fentanyl bust ever in White County
gainesvilletimes.com > news...Thomas Earl Garnsey, 49, of Dawsonville, and Joshua McLaughlin, 34, of Canton were arrested on Sept. 25 in connection to a multi agency investigation, according to a press release.... ...The fentanyl and meth were valued at $25,200 and about $35,000 respectively, said Georgia Bureau of Investigation Assistant Special Agent in Charge Aaron Maupin. "This is the largest fentanyl seizure ever made inside of White County," the release stated....
Fewer eligible for student loan help after changes to federal plan
ajc.com > education...Department of Education recently updated its guidance related to those loans handled by private lenders but guaranteed by the government, including Federal Family Education Loans (FFEL) and Perkins loans, according to news reports.... ...Arkansas, Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska and South Carolina are challenging the debt cancellation, calling it "economically unwise and downright unfair."....
Athens woman's death appears "deliberate and personal," officials say
ajc.com > news > crime...We do not believe this is the act of a serial killer," Habersham Chief Deputy Murray Kogod said during a news conference. "We believe that this act was deliberate and personal.".... ...Her Chrysler Pacifica, a rental car she was using after her own car was damaged in a wreck, was seen traveling north on Ga. 15 just after 2:15 p.m. The car was captured on cameras at the Tallulah Falls School, Cason said....
Delta pilots union raises stakes in labor contract negotiations
ajc.com > news...The pilots union at Delta Air Lines is raising the stakes in labor talks by starting a strike authorization vote -- which does not mean a strike is planned, but is aimed at sending a message to management amid contract negotiations.... ..."While approving a strike ballot does not mean a strike is imminent, it clearly sends the message that the Delta pilots are willing to go the distance to get the contract we've earned and deserve," according to Jason Ambrosi, head of the Air Line Pilots Association union at Delta. ...
Capitol Recap: $400 billion price tag on student debt plan could reshape debate - The Atlanta Journal Constitution
ajc.com > politics..."Summary: Biden is stealing $400 billion from those without a college degree to pay off the loans of those who do," U.S. Buddy Carter, R-Pooler, said in a Twitter post shortly after the CBO released its report.... ...Alisha Thomas Searcy said she's been "ostracized and excluded" by fellow Democrats. That, she said, includes powerful groups aligned with gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams that have yet to endorse her bid against incumbent Republican Richard Woods....
Georgia's Republican incumbent attorney general vies for second full term
ajc.com > politics...Attorney General Chris Carr, a Republican from Dunwoody, is seeking his second full term as the state's top lawyer. He was first appointed by then-Gov. Nathan Deal in 2016 and won his first full term in 2018.... ...Brian Kemp. State Sen. Jen Jordan, a Democrat from Sandy Springs, is challenging the incumbent because she said he has spent more time pushing partisan politics instead of prioritizing the needs of Georgians....