Hear Georgia NOW

Tag: Georgia

  • 2026 defense bill authorizes nearly $300M to improve infrastructure at GA installations

    2026 defense bill authorizes nearly $300M to improve infrastructure at GA installations

    2026 defense bill authorizes nearly $300M to improve infrastructure at GA installations

    The 2026 National Defense Authorization Act was signed into law on Dec. 18 by President Donald Trump and with it comes millions of dollars to Georgia’s 13 active bases and installations.

    The $900 billion package is roughly 3,000 pages and includes a 3.8% pay raise for service members, rollbacks of diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives and a stipulation that requires Congress to receive unedited footage of the military strikes off the coast of Venezuela.

    The bipartisan legislation will fund programs and initiatives at Georgia military installations to improve infrastructure and develop the workforce. Sen. Jon Ossoff’s office released a list of projects that involve sending funds to Georgia. The investments total nearly $300 million to Georgia installations and facilities.

    • Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay: More than $119 million was authorized for the construction of a Trident Refit Facility at the base in Camden County on the southeastern coast of the state.
    • Moody Air Force Base: The base near Valdosta will receive $35 million for the construction of a 23rd Security Forces Squadron Operations Facility.
    • Robins Air Force Base: The Middle Georgia base was authorized $28 million for the construction of an Air Traffic Control Tower.
    • Fort Benning: The legislation granted more than $22 million for the construction of Dexter Elementary School on the installation near Columbus, Georgia.
    • Savannah Air National Guard Base: The base was authorized more than $11 million to construct a C-130J Corrosion Control Facility, $27 million to construct a Dining Hall and Services Training Facility and nearly $4 million to plan and design a Troop Camp at the base.
    • Dobbins Air Reserve Base: The bill authorized more than $3 million to plan and design an Entry Control Facility at the base in Marietta.

    Fort Gillem: The bill authorized $45 million for the construction of an Evidence Storage Building at the Forrest Park installation, which houses the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Laboratory, 3rd Expansion.

  • Ossoff joins senators opposing delayed PFAS cleanup at Georgia military sites

    Ossoff joins senators opposing delayed PFAS cleanup at Georgia military sites

    Ossoff joins senators opposing delayed PFAS cleanup at Georgia military sites

    U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff joined a group of Senators to protest a Department of Defense decision to delay PFAS clean-up plans on military installations across the country.

    The group sent a letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth demanding the department reverse its decision.

    “For years, communities contaminated by PFAS from nearby DoD installations in our states have waited for the DoD to take action. We request that the Department reverse its decision, return to the previous timetable released in December 2024, and accelerate efforts to remediate confirmed PFAS contamination,” read the letter.

    PFAS, or Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances, are manufactured chemicals that have been linked to cancer, reproductive effects, developmental effects or delays in children as well as other health problems, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

    The timelines for five military installations or areas in Georgia have been delayed to June 2032.

    • Air Force Plant 6 at Dobbins Air Reserve Base
    • Dobbins Air Reserve Base
    • Moody Air Force Base
    • Robins Air Force Base
    • Savannah International Airport

    The original estimated clean-up dates ranged from September 2026 to August 2028.

  • Hateful symbols found spray-painted along Vickery Creek Trail in Chattahoochee park

    Hateful symbols found spray-painted along Vickery Creek Trail in Chattahoochee park

    Hateful symbols found spray-painted along Vickery Creek Trail in Chattahoochee park

    A man came across hateful images as he hiked an area belonging to the National Park Service.

    Pastor Brian Webb told Atlanta News First that he spotted multiple swastikas spray painted on trees on the Vickery Creek Trail in the Chattahoochee River National Recreation Area.

    “Today, I was met with a disgusting scene,” said in a video on social media. “To see that symbol and the history of that symbol, and what it really represents and means, my stomach began to turn, and I was fully disgusted.”

    Concerned that the individuals who painted the images might still be on the trail, Webb said he FaceTimed his wife, so she would know where he was. After finishing the hike, Webb said he decided to go back to document the markings and report them.

    “Give more people courage to see something and say something, that we can shine light on these pockets of evil that exist,” said Webb.

    The symbol, which the German Nazi Party appropriated from other religions and cultures, represents hate and white supremacy to many targeting the Jewish community and others.

    Webb posted on Facebook Tuesday saying that several people messaged him saying the symbol is positive. 

    “Even if some claim to reclaim it, public endorsement or display normalizes or sanitizes the immense harm it caused to millions. Symbols carry power beyond intent: they signal safety to some and fear to others,” he wrote.

    The National Park Service has not released a statement or information about the incident on their website or social media pages.

    Georgia law prohibits defacing any real or personal property in any park, and in 2024, Gov. Brian Kemp signed a bill that allows prosecutors to add anti-Semitism charges to crimes committed against Jewish individuals or property, according to WALB.

    “We need to be all united, no matter what color, creed or religion,” said Webb. “We need to stand together in situations like this, shine a light on it, and not be afraid to do it.”

  • Man gets life sentences after conviction in Atlanta-linked terror plot

    Man gets life sentences after conviction in Atlanta-linked terror plot

    Man gets life sentences after conviction in Atlanta-linked terror plot

    A Kenyan man has been sentenced to two consecutive life terms after being convicted by a federal jury for plans to conduct a terrorist attack in Atlanta.

    Cholo Abdi Abdullah, 34, was sentenced this week to the two life sentences and a lifetime of supervised release, according to CBS News. A federal jury convicted Abdullah in November 2024 for conspiring to support the terrorist group al-Shabaab and plotting to hijack a commercial airline to crash it in a building on U.S. soil. 

    Court records show that Abdullah focused his research around the Bank of America Plaza, Atlanta’s tallest building, and flights linked to Atlanta, according to Fox 5. 

    The Manhattan jury found Abdullah guilty on six counts:

    • Conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization
    • Providing material support to a foreign terrorist organization
    • Conspiring to murder U.S. nationals abroad
    • Conspiring to commit aircraft piracy
    • Conspiring to destroy aircraft
    • Conspiring to commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries

    Federal prosecutors said that Abdullah joined al-Shabaab in 2015 and received extensive training in explosives. He began training as a commercial pilot in 2017 in the Philippines and was apprehended in 2019 on local charges. Abdullah was later transferred to U.S. law enforcement authorities, according to CBS News.

    “Cholo Abdi Abdullah was a highly trained al-Shabaab operative who was dedicated to recreating the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks on behalf of a vicious terrorist organization,” said U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton. “Abdullah pursued his commercial pilot license at a flight school in the Philippines while conducting extensive attack planning on how to hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in America. As he later admitted to the FBI, he was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack.”

  • Georgia foster care agency faces $85M deficit ahead of 2026 session

    Georgia foster care agency faces $85M deficit ahead of 2026 session

    Georgia foster care agency faces $85M deficit ahead of 2026 session

    The state agency that manages Georgia’s foster care system is facing an increased deficit as lawmakers look to enter the 2026 legislative session.

    Georgia Department of Human Services Commissioner Candice Broce testified before lawmakers Dec. 18 saying that the agency faces an $85 million deficit in fiscal year 2026. The deficit is due to a combination of reduced or delayed federal funds, increasing demand for the foster care system and increased operation costs, she said.

    “A colleague of mine recently described our lack of resources and support as fighting a forest fire with a squirt bottle. That is absolutely true. I’m doing what I can with what I have. I do not have alternatives,” Broce said in an emotional testimony.

    The agency has already suspended or eliminated contracts with providers that offer services, such as assessments for children’s needs, services that prevent children from living outside their home and parent training programs

    “I had to make a pretty awful choice in selecting those particular contracts,” Broce said. “I’m having to compare the needs of different children and decide which one is more important in terms of priority.”

    State Rep. Mary Margaret Oliver, D-Decatur, questioned whether funds could be used from the $16 billion reserve of the state’s budget to mitigate the deficit.

    “Respectfully, I would like to know whether the governor will step forth and help you in the position you have,” she said, to which Broce said the governor is always willing to help her.

    Broce said they are a goods and services agency, so when costs rise due to inflation and other factors, it significantly impacts the services they can provide. 

    “Right now I am not the only child welfare leader appealing to their governor and legislature for more financial support. My providers are not the only ones either. Nationally, the child welfare system is seeing exponential growth in the cost to operate,” she said.

    The agency relies on Temporary Assistance for Needy Families funding to fill the gaps in their budget, but Broce said they can no longer rely on the federal funding. The agency has run a deficit in the past, and Broce said they are usually able to implement temporary maneuvers to make ends meet. However, that is not the case this time.

    “I did not want to frustrate the work of our partners, jeopardize relationships with judges, risk contempt,” she said. “I also don’t want to break the law by overspending my budget. So I’m in a real catch-22 right now.”

    The meeting ended with discussing upgrading the agency’s case management system, which Broce said is detrimental to productivity and efficiency. Lawmakers at the meeting seemed hopeful that improving that system could produce results that help the agency long term.

    State Rep. Katie Dempsey, R-Rome, ended the meeting by saying that balancing a budget is difficult and these issues are a priority.

    “I want us to have a walk in reality of where we are that in the 15 years that I’ve done the budget, we’ve had challenges, but we’ve never had one like this before, so we’ll get there somehow, someway,” she said.

  • Ossoff urges USDA to restore funding for South Georgia food program

    Ossoff urges USDA to restore funding for South Georgia food program

    Ossoff urges USDA to restore funding for South Georgia food program

    The U.S. Department of Agriculture cut funding earlier this year for a program in South Georgia that helps provide food and childcare to the community.

    Southeast Crescent Regional Commission’s Childcare Access and Nutrition Systems (CANS) Program lost funding earlier this year when the USDA/CANS cooperative agreement was canceled, according to WALB.

    U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff wrote a letter to the department head, Brooke Rollins, to reinstate the grant funding.

    “The Department’s decision not only hurts Georgians; it directly contradicts the Department’s stated goals of helping rural America thrive, and promoting agricultural production that better nourishes Americans,” Ossoff wrote in the letter.

    The program aims to reduce food insecurity, expand food-assistance programs and improve health outcomes in Dougherty and Upson counties. It also helps expand affordable childcare options and reduce monthly childcare costs, according to WALB. 

    “These projects would have demonstrably improved the quality of life for children, seniors, and families in south Georgia,” Ossoff wrote. “However, the Department terminated these critical projects in May after several of the projects had already begun, denying Georgians access to essential services.”

  • Who is the mystery buyer of Georgia’s most expensive home sale?

    Who is the mystery buyer of Georgia’s most expensive home sale?

    Who is the mystery buyer of Georgia’s most expensive home sale?

    A mystery buyer purchased a Georgia oceanfront property earlier this month, and it is believed to be the state’s most expensive home sale.

    The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports that the Georgia couple Kelly Loeffler and Jeffrey Sprecher appear to be the duo behind the $30 million purchase. 

    Loeffler serves as the head of the Small Business Administration for the Trump administration, and Sprecher is the CEO of Intercontinental Exchange. Forbes estimates the couple has a net worth of more than $1 billion.

    The estate was designed by architect John Portman, who used it as a family beach retreat. He named the estate Entelechy II, it has seven bedrooms, eight full bathrooms and one half bath. The mansion totals 12,586 square feet.

    Portman, who died in late 2017, contributed to the Atlanta skyline with the development of Peachtree Center, Marriott Marquis and Hyatt Regency among others.

    The estate is located at Sea Island, a private resort near St. Simon’s Island on the coast of Georgia.

  • Atlanta could see warmest Christmas on record as temperatures rise

    Atlanta could see warmest Christmas on record as temperatures rise

    Atlanta could see warmest Christmas on record as temperatures rise

    The weather will be particularly warm this holiday season. Atlanta might make a new record for warmest Christmas with a 77% chance and an 81% chance of a record high on Christmas Eve, according to the National Weather Service.

    The hottest Christmas on record happened in 2015 with a high of 75 degrees. 

    Brad Rippey, a meteorologist with the U.S. Department of Agriculture, said the weather will be fairly mild for Christmas.

    “If you see Santa Clause in a Hawaiian shirt in the South, do not be surprised because we are looking at above normal temperatures stretching generally from southern California all the way through the Great Plains and into much of the middle Atlantic and southern Atlantic states,” he said.

    Wednesday and Thursday will continue to see dry and warm weather across Georgia with highs in the mid to upper 70s. The mountains of North Georgia will see cooler temperatures in the 60s. Middle and South Georgia could see temperatures reach the 80s this holiday season, according to the National Weather Service.

  • Rockdale parents demand action after multiple teacher assault allegations

    Rockdale parents demand action after multiple teacher assault allegations

    Rockdale parents demand action after multiple teacher assault allegations

    Rockdale County parents called for additional action by the school district after multiple allegations of teachers assaulting students.

    Danielle Offett said her 13-year-old son was repeatedly hit by his teacher on Dec. 1 at Conyers Middle School. Offett watched footage captured on the classroom camera, and the teacher, Melvin McClain, was arrested, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

    Offett, along with other parents, are calling for the district to implement stricter hiring procedures, mental health check-ins for teachers and actively reviewing classroom footage.

    “We need to feel like our kids are safe when we send them to school, and right now I don’t feel that way,” Offett told Atlanta News First.

    Kianna Chennault, Offett’s attorney with Chennault Legal & Consulting Group, told the AJC this is the firm’s fourth case from Rockdale County schools in the last two years. Three out of the four students have special needs, and two of those students are nonverbal.

    “So even though (there’s) a camera in the room, I believe those teachers felt like, ‘Hey, they’re not going to be able to tell their moms what happened.’ So they just thought that they would get away with it,” she said to the AJC.

    Yamaya Lyles told Atlanta News First that her son was eight years old when a paraprofessional at Pine Street Elementary School physically and verbally assaulted him in 2023. 

    “He tries to intimidate my son in the classroom, and manhandles him around the classroom, then chokes him and takes him to the bathroom,” she said.

    Antonio is nonverbal, and Lyles said she wants teachers to receive training on how to treat special needs students.

    Rockdale County Public Schools issued a statement saying it provides training for staff, works with partner agencies to address allegations of misconduct, and offers an Employee Assistance Program to support staff needs.

    “Rockdale County Public Schools takes all allegations of misconduct seriously and will not tolerate any behavior that harms children,” read the statement. “When employees do not meet our standards, we take swift, appropriate action, and remove them from the classroom. We remain committed to upholding our standards and taking decisive action whenever those standards are not met.”

  • Marietta schools say phone ban boosts learning, cuts stress and bullying

    Marietta schools say phone ban boosts learning, cuts stress and bullying

    Marietta schools say phone ban boosts learning, cuts stress and bullying

    Two Marietta City Schools have reported a total transformation after banning cell phone use. The schools say teachers are less stressed, students learn better and they have had fewer instances of bullying this school year.

    Marietta Sixth Grade Academy and Marietta Middle School started a program last year requiring students to place their phones in magnetic locking pouches during the school day. The devices are only unlocked during emergencies, according to CBS News. 

    Marietta City Schools is working with Emory University and Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta to research the impact of reduced screen time on students.

    “It brings aspects that we’re going to need in everyday life into school life. Like, it’s important to be able to talk to a person and make them feel like they’re the only one in the room. And with a phone, you’re not going to be able to do that if you’re looking on Instagram while talking to a person,” said Mary Paxton, an eighth grader.

    Georgia studies teacher Linda Skaggs told CBS News that her class’s test scores increased nearly 20 points on average over the past year.

    “The difference has truly been life-changing,” she said. “They’re arguing over, you know, a loyalist and a patriot, like it’s happening today, where that didn’t happen two years ago. Two years ago, they were worried about who they were going to meet up with at the end of the class. So, it just – it makes my heart happy, having them be kids because this is it. This is one of the last years they get to be kids.”

    Marietta City Schools Superintendent Grant Rivera told CBS News that students reported a 22% improvement in their learning ability, and teachers across the board reported feeling less stressed. Rivera said Marietta is informing legislators of their findings.

    “Georgia has always been a leader, not a follower, and I encourage our legislators to be brave in their pursuit of doing right by children,” Rivera said.