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Georgia Increases Spending on Lethal Injections Amidst Secrecy Laws, Records Reveal

Georgia Increases Spending on Lethal Injections Amidst Secrecy Laws, Records Reveal

Georgia has significantly increased its spending on lethal injection processes, with records obtained through a lawsuit revealing over $1.1 million in payments to at least one contractor since the COVID-19 pandemic. This period saw only a single execution in the state. The average annual cost for lethal injection-related expenses over the past decade has exceeded $150,000, a substantial increase from prior years. These details emerged after a ProPublica journalist sued the state to release records, which Georgia had initially withheld under its Lethal Injection Secrecy Act. This law aims to protect individuals involved in executions from harassment by death penalty opponents. The state's Department of Corrections and the Attorney General's office have declined to comment on the rising costs or the secrecy surrounding the process. The Georgia Supreme Court recently removed a barrier that had paused executions, leading to a scheduled execution for September 16, which would be the state's first in two years.
Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News
Study finds top 2 party schools in GA and it's not Georgia Southern

Study finds top 2 party schools in GA and it's not Georgia Southern

On a list of the U.S. colleges with the biggest party scenes, two Georgia schools hold their own with colleges in Florida, Texas and California.
Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News
Georgia is home to North America's largest snake, growing 9 feet

Georgia is home to North America's largest snake, growing 9 feet

Eastern indigo snake can grow to 9 feet, is nicknamed 'Emperor of the Forest,' and is native to Georgia. Where? How many are there? Is it venomous?
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Man Impersonating NBA Player Steals $90,000 Luxury Car from Georgia Hotel

Man Impersonating NBA Player Steals $90,000 Luxury Car from Georgia Hotel

A man allegedly stole a $90,000 BMW SUV from a Hyatt Regency Savannah hotel in Georgia by convincing valet workers he was a professional basketball player who owned the vehicle. Surveillance footage captured the suspect walking through the hotel lobby, removing items from a white Audi, and then presenting a valet ticket for a gray 2026 BMW X5. The incident occurred around 12:30 a.m. on August 14. The suspect reportedly told the valet he was a professional basketball player with multiple cars at the hotel before driving off in the BMW. Investigators later discovered that the Audi left at the hotel had also been reported stolen the day before the BMW theft. The same suspect is linked to another alleged valet theft at a Fairfield Inn in Savannah approximately two weeks prior, where a 2019 Toyota C-HR was stolen using a retrieval code.
USA TodayUSA Today
Measles cases linked to Atlanta area daycare outbreak rise to eight

Measles cases linked to Atlanta area daycare outbreak rise to eight

A measles outbreak at an Atlanta area daycare has now led to at least eight positive cases. Georgia DPH is working to track additional contacts.
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Protest Planned in Cedartown Demanding Accountability for Miniature Donkey Shooting

Protest Planned in Cedartown Demanding Accountability for Miniature Donkey Shooting

Community members in Cedartown, Georgia, are organizing a protest outside the Polk County Courthouse for Friday morning at 8 a.m. The demonstration aims to demand accountability and transparency following the police shooting of a family's miniature donkey named Heehaw. Demonstrators are calling for local officials to release all body camera and drone footage related to the shooting and to fire the Cedartown officer involved. According to an officer's report, Officer Trenton Garner shot and killed the 1-year-old miniature donkey in a pasture while searching for a missing 12-year-old girl. Garner stated that the donkey charged at him and another K-9 handler after horses in the pasture were spooked. He fired a single round from his department-issued Glock 17. The owner, Hannah Israel, disputes the claim that Heehaw was aggressive, describing him as well-socialized and believing he was like a dog. Officer Garner has been placed on leave, and the Georgia Department of Agriculture is investigating the incident. ...
Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News
Savannah teens join fight against human trafficking

Savannah teens join fight against human trafficking

Savannah teens are joining the Tharros Place board to support local survivors of human trafficking through advocacy.
AP NewsAP News
Midterm elections head into the home stretch as candidates hit Labor Day events

Midterm elections head into the home stretch as candidates hit Labor Day events

Candidates in several states with competitive House and Senate races are beginning the stretch run of election season with Labor Day events at festivals, union halls and parades
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Georgia State Patrol Reports 216 DUI Arrests During Labor Day Weekend

Georgia State Patrol Reports 216 DUI Arrests During Labor Day Weekend

The Georgia Department of Public Safety (GSP) has reported a significant number of arrests and citations during the Labor Day travel weekend. According to officials, Georgia State Troopers and officers made 216 arrests for driving under the influence (DUI) within a 24-hour period. In addition to DUI arrests, troopers issued 183 citations for distracted driving and 324 citations for not wearing seat belts. The GSP also responded to 95 crashes across Georgia's roads, resulting in one fatality and 29 injuries. Ten of these crashes involved drivers under the influence. The department emphasized that impaired driving remains a major threat on Georgia's roads, despite the availability of rideshare services and other options to avoid driving while intoxicated. They urged drivers to prioritize safety by slowing down, buckling up, avoiding phone use, and never driving impaired.
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Milwaukee Man Charged in Deadly Shooting Near Food Truck, Victim Identified as Michael Jackson, also known as Mike Lee

Milwaukee Man Charged in Deadly Shooting Near Food Truck, Victim Identified as Michael Jackson, also known as Mike Lee

Lexus Ford, 34, of Milwaukee, has been charged with first-degree reckless homicide, first-degree reckless injury, and possession of a firearm by a felon in connection with a deadly shooting that occurred near a food truck in the city's Midtown neighborhood on August 28. The victim has been identified by his family as 39-year-old Michael Jackson, also known as Mike Lee, a detail later confirmed by the Milwaukee County Medical Examiner's Office. According to the criminal complaint, Milwaukee police responded to reports of gunfire around 3:45 a.m. and found Jackson with multiple gunshot wounds; he later died. Another 33-year-old man was also shot and hospitalized. The surviving victim informed investigators that he and Jackson were walking towards Jackson's vehicle after Jackson arrived at the food truck where the victim was working, when a car pulled alongside them and opened fire. Surveillance video and Flock license plate reader technology aided investigators in identifying a Ford Focus linked to Ford. For...
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Teenager Shot in Road Rage Incident Originating in South Carolina, Investigation Transferred to Aiken County Authorities

Teenager Shot in Road Rage Incident Originating in South Carolina, Investigation Transferred to Aiken County Authorities

A teenager was shot and wounded on Sunday night in Augusta, Georgia, following a road rage incident that began in Aiken County, South Carolina. The teen was a front-seat passenger in a car driven by his brother when the shooting occurred during an argument with another driver. Richmond County deputies responded to the 700 block of Walton Way in Augusta around 9:23 p.m. after reports of the incident. By the time deputies arrived, the injured teenager had already been transported to a local hospital. His injuries are reported as non-life-threatening. Due to the shooting taking place in South Carolina, the Richmond County Sheriff’s Office does not have jurisdiction over the case, and the investigation has been transferred to Aiken County authorities.
Savannah Morning NewsSavannah Morning News
Measles cases rise in Georgia as outbreak spreads

Measles cases rise in Georgia as outbreak spreads

Georgia measles cases rise to 14 this year as health officials track an outbreak linked to a metro Atlanta daycare.