No serious injuries in two-vehicle wreck north of Cleveland

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October 18, 2023

No serious injuries were reported following a two-vehicle accident Wednesday north of Cleveland.

Around 12:20 p.m. on October 18, a trooper from the Georgia State Patrol Post in Gainesville responded to the crash at the intersection of Stag Leap Drive and Helen Highway/State Route 75 in White County.

Information from the investigation showed a Dodge Nitro driven by 85-year-old Cleveland resident Genie L. Hixon was traveling east on Stag Leap Drive and failed to yield while entering Helen Hwy. and turned left into the path of an oncoming Acura RL driven by 22-year-old Cassidie Cantrell of Cleveland. The Dodge struck the Acura in the front with its left side. Cantrell was traveling with her 1-year-old child in the vehicle.

All three people were transported to a local hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries. Floyd did not say if any charges are pending.

TFS moves on to Sweet 16 after win over Aquinas

By

TFS Athletics

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October 18, 2023

The Lady Indians secured a fourth straight Sweet 16 appearance with a 3-0 win on Wednesday against visiting Aquinas in the opening round of the GHSA 1A State Tournament. #4-ranked Tallulah Falls is back to the second round for the 5th time in six years under coach Matt Heyl.

TFS won 25-13 in the opening set before back-to-back 25-19 sets to claim the match. It also marked the school’s third 30-win season (second straight).

“We got the job done, but it wasn’t our best effort,” says coach Matt Heyl. “I think we had some state tournament jitters and stiffness at times.”

Addy McCoy led the way offensively, while Ashlyn Yaskiewicz, Becca Heyl, and Skylyn Yaskiewicz all did well at the serving line.

The Lady Indians are now 30-14, and will take on the winner of the Chattooga/Mt. Vernon match in the Sweet 16, which is to be played regardless at Tallulah Falls on Saturday.

U.S. House stalled again after rejecting Jim Jordan as speaker a second time

By

Jennifer Shutt

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October 18, 2023

Jordan votes Oct. 18, 2023 — U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) stands to cast a vote for himself for House Speaker during second round balloting on Wednesday, October 18, 2023. (U.S. House of Representatives livestream image)

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — Ohio Rep. Jim Jordan, in his second bid for U.S. House speaker on Wednesday, failed to win enough support from his fellow Republicans, leaving the party deadlocked with no clear path to govern the chamber.

Jordan’s 200 votes on a first ballot on Tuesday dropped Wednesday to 199, a signal from centrist Republicans that they are unlikely to be swayed by the pressure that some of his allies have been using to whip votes.

The inability of GOP lawmakers to unify behind a candidate after 15 days without a speaker increased calls from centrist Republicans and Democrats for a consensus candidate or to empower Speaker Pro Tempore Patrick McHenry of North Carolina to run the chamber.

Ohio Republican Rep. David Joyce was expected to introduce a resolution Wednesday that would name McHenry as the elected speaker pro tempore. Pennsylvania Republican Rep. Mike Kelly introduced a resolution earlier this week that would elect McHenry through Nov. 17 or until Republicans elect an actual speaker.

Electing McHenry would empower him to bring up resolutions and bills, and conduct several other duties that he has not attempted as the designated speaker pro tem amid debate about how much authority he has in that role.

McHenry became the designated speaker pro tem after eight Republicans and Democrats voted more than two weeks ago to remove Kevin McCarthy as speaker after nine months’ tenure. McHenry got the gig because he was at the top of McCarthy’s list.

The role of designated speaker pro tem was established after 9/11 to ensure continuity of government in the event of a catastrophic attack. But the section of House rules that defines the role is somewhat vague, leading to debate among academics and experts about whether McHenry has significant authority absent an election.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a New York Democrat, said Tuesday evening that McHenry is among the Republicans that Democrats could possibly support.

“I have respect for Patrick McHenry. I think he is respected on our side of the aisle,” Jeffries said. “There are a whole host of other Republicans who are respected on our side of the aisle. Jim Jordan is not one of them.”

Democrats, Jeffries said, are looking for “a bipartisan path forward that is authentic, genuine, and that we want to agree upon in good faith.”

Nominating speeches

The dysfunction, which has dragged on for more than two weeks, has halted the chamber from taking up any bills and could slow down an aid package to Israel if the House doesn’t organize before the Senate approves the measure.

Floor action on Wednesday began with nominating speeches for Jordan, a founder of the far-right House Freedom Caucus, and Jeffries, followed by a roll call vote where each lawmaker was called on in alphabetical order to name their choice.

A total of 22 Republicans didn’t vote for Jordan, with many opting to vote for Louisiana Rep. Steve Scalise or McCarthy, though neither of those two were officially nominated. Michigan Rep. John James voted for former GOP Rep. Candice Miller of Michigan, who now serves as Macomb County public works commissioner.

Several Republican lawmakers flipped to opposing Jordan, compared with Tuesday’s vote.

Republican Reps. Vern Buchanan of Florida, Drew Ferguson of Georgia, Mariannette Miller-Meeks of Iowa, and Pete Stauber of Minnesota flipped from supporting Jordan on Tuesday to opposing him Wednesday.

Republicans Doug LaMalfa of California and Victoria Spartz of Indiana switched to backing Jordan on Wednesday after voting against him Tuesday. Florida Rep. Gus Bilirakis, who was absent on Tuesday to attend a funeral, voted for Jordan on Wednesday.

Republican Reps. Don Bacon of Nebraska, Ken Buck of Colorado, Lori Chavez-DeRemer of Oregon, Anthony D’Esposito of New York, Mario Díaz-Balart of Florida, Jake Ellzey of Texas, Andrew Garbarino of New York, Carlos Giménez of Florida, Tony Gonzales of Texas, Kay Granger of Texas, James of Michigan, Kelly of Pennsylvania, Jen Kiggans of Virginia, Nick LaLota of New York, Mike Lawler of New York, John Rutherford of Florida, Mike Simpson of Idaho and Steve Womack of Arkansas, as well as all Democrats, voted against Jordan on Wednesday, the same as they did Tuesday.

An elected speaker pro tem?

It wasn’t immediately clear Wednesday how McHenry would approach the role if elected speaker pro tem. McHenry, who chairs the Financial Services Committee, has repeatedly indicated to reporters that he isn’t interested in leading the chamber on a more permanent basis.

Republicans would have to decide if they want an elected McHenry acting as a regular speaker would, including negotiating with the other three congressional leaders and President Joe Biden on must-pass legislation — or if they’d want him just running the floor with another Republican negotiating.

That would include talks with the Democratic Senate and White House on an aid package for Israel and Ukraine, final versions of the dozen annual government funding bills, the annual defense policy bill, and the farm bill.

McHenry does have a recent track record of working out big, bipartisan deals.

This spring, he and Louisiana Rep. Garret Graves negotiated the debt limit deal with top Biden administration officials. That legislation, approved with broad bipartisan support, also included total spending levels for the current fiscal year as well as fiscal 2025.

Pressure to pick Jordan backfires

Florida Rep. Mario Díaz-Balart told reporters before the Wednesday vote that trying to threaten members opposed to Jordan wasn’t the right path to take.

“As soon as you go into the strategy, of kind of trying to intimidate and threaten people. What happens is that, you know, there are people here who are honorable and they’re dignified and they will not be threatened and that just makes it worse,” Díaz-Balart said.

There would likely be “a wide consensus” to ensure legislation can move across the House floor while Republicans continue to debate who should become their next speaker, he said.

“We need to be able to move things forward,” Díaz-Balart said. “I think … that there is a consensus that we need to have a process where we can move legislation forward.”

But not all Republicans are sold on the idea of a bipartisan path forward.

House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, a Minnesota Republican, told reporters before the vote that working with Democrats to select a speaker was unacceptable.

“A Democratic coalition government is a non-starter,” Emmer said. “We’re going to get Jim Jordan.”

Lions Roll to 3-0 Win Over Agnes Scott on Senior Night

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Piedmont University Sports Information

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October 18, 2023

DEMOREST, Ga. – On senior night inside Cave Arena, the Lions were able to make quick work of Agnes Scott with a 3-0 sweep of the Scotties.

Piedmont left little room for the Scotties in the opening two sets with a 25-13 win and a 25-12 win to start. In the third, Agnes Scott threatened and it was close, but the Lions were able to prevail.

Prior to the contest, seven seniors were honored for the Lions – Reagan Mercado, Mary-Grace Shaw, Brooklyn Gunn, Alaina McDonald, Destiny Deetz, Taylor Herrmann and Jenna Ash.

Jenna Ash led Piedmont with 12 kills while Herrmann posted 11 digs.

Piedmont held Agnes Scott to a negative attack percentage in the match while hitting .326 as a unit.

Up next, the Lions head to Covenant for a tri-match Saturday against the Scots and LaGrange.

TURNING POINT:
–The Scotties tried to mount a comeback in the final set leading 20-19 late, but the Lions were able to close it out with a 25-22 win.

STANDOUT PERFORMANCES:
–Senior Jenna Ash led Piedmont with 12 kills in the match while fellow senior Alaina McDonald added seven.

North Hall convenience store robbed at gunpoint, suspect remains at large

By

Joy Purcell

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October 18, 2023

North Hall robber — Law enforcement is searching for the suspect who held up a North Hall convenience store at gunpoint. (surveillance image provided by Hall County Sheriff's Office)

Hall County sheriff’s investigators are searching for a suspect who robbed the Texaco Food Mart on Thompson Bridge Road in Murrayville.

The store clerk told authorities a man with a gun held up the store just before midnight on Wednesday, October 18. She said he demanded money.

The clerk, who was in the process of closing the store for the night, said she turned over the cash bag to the suspect. The suspect then left the store on foot.

The suspect, who was dressed in black clothing, is described as a young white male with dark eyes. He is approximately 5’8” tall and weighs an estimated 175 lbs.

The store clerk was not injured in the incident.

Anyone with information about this crime should contact the Hall County Sheriff’s Office at 770-533-7704.

Biden in Tel Aviv pledges U.S. support for Israel, humanitarian aid for Gaza

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Ashley Murray and Jacob Fischler

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October 18, 2023

Protesters from the progressive organization Jewish Voice for Peace chant “cease-fire now” and “free Palestine” inside the U.S. House Cannon Office Building rotunda Wednesday, Oct. 18, 2023. U.S. Capitol Police arrested and led protesters away through the New Jersey Avenue exit. The demonstration occurred the same day that President Joe Biden visited Tel Aviv, Israel to announce defense aid as well as humanitarian assistance for Palestinians displaced in the Gaza Strip. (Ashley Murray/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — President Joe Biden assured Israel that the U.S. will replenish defense stockpiles and also announced new humanitarian aid for Palestinians in Gaza during his historic visit Wednesday to the war-torn region where thousands have died in just a dozen days, including 31 Americans.

Biden plans to ask Congress later this week for an “unprecedented support package” for Israel as it fights its latest war against Hamas militants, he said.

The death toll continues to mount on both sides, and Biden’s visit occurred just one day after an explosion killed hundreds at a hospital sheltering patients and evacuees in Gaza City, which Israel and the U.S. attribute to misfired rockets from another Palestinian militant group. Palestinian officials maintain Israel caused the explosion.

Both Democratic and Republican senators are poised to support an aid package for Israel’s counteroffensive that also includes Ukraine assistance, even as the U.S. House remains at a standstill during an ongoing messy fight to fill the speakership.

Senate Republicans said Tuesday they also want to see funds dedicated to securing the U.S. Southern border included in the package.

“For decades, we’ve ensured Israel’s qualitative military edge,” Biden said from Tel Aviv.

“We’re going to keep Iron Dome fully supplied, so we can continue standing sentinel over Israeli skies saving Israeli lives,” Biden said, referring to Israel’s air defense system established in 2011 to intercept incoming rockets.

Meeting with war cabinet

Biden met Wednesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the nation’s president, Isaac Herzog, as well as Israel’s newly established war cabinet. He also attended a community engagement event with first responders and victims’ families, according to reporters traveling with the president.

In remarks delivered from The David Kempinksi, a hotel in Tel Aviv, Biden again condemned the Hamas attacks as evil. The initial surprise ground and air incursion left more than 1,000 dead, including hundreds at a music festival.

“There’s no rationalizing it, no excusing it, period. The brutality we saw would have cut deep anywhere in the world, but it cuts deeper here in Israel. October 7, which was a sacred Jewish holiday, became the deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” Biden said.

The Israeli government estimates that Hamas is holding 199 hostages. The U.S. says 13 Americans are unaccounted for.

Palestinian officials estimated Tuesday that nearly 3,000 have been killed and 10,000 injured since Israel’s counterstrikes on the Gaza Strip began, according to the territory’s Ministry of Health website.

A previously scheduled Wednesday summit between Biden and Palestinian National Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi and Jordan’s King Abdullah II was called off after hundreds died in the al-Ahli Arab Hospital explosion in Gaza City Tuesday night.

“Based on the information we see today it appears the result of an errant rocket fired by a terrorist group in Gaza. The United States unequivocally stands for the protection of civilian life during conflict,” Biden said.

Biden plans to speak by phone with Abbas and Sisi during the flight back to the United States on Wednesday night, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.

Biden announced $100 million in new U.S. humanitarian assistance for Gaza and the West Bank, specifically targeting the 1 million displaced in the Gaza Strip since the conflict began as well as other emergency needs.

“What sets us apart from the terrorists is we believe in the fundamental dignity of every human life, Israeli, Palestinian, Arab, Jew, Muslim, Christian, everyone,” Biden said. “You can’t give up what makes you who you are. If you give that up then the terrorists win.”

Israel agreed Wednesday to allow limited relief — only food, water and medicine — to cross into Gaza, but only through Egypt.

Ambassador nominee vetted at U.S. Senate hearing

The administration and many members of Congress have sought a bipartisan U.S. position in support of Israel, and that consensus has largely stood since the Oct. 7 attacks.

But cracks in it showed Wednesday at a U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on the nomination of Jacob J. Lew to be U.S. ambassador to Israel.

Most Republicans on the panel said they had major reservations about Lew’s work as Treasury secretary under former President Barack Obama to enforce that administration’s Iran nuclear deal. Iran is a major sponsor of Hamas. Republicans said the deal allowed Iran access to more global financial resources.

“The United States needs a confirmed U.S. ambassador in Jerusalem,” committee Chairman Ben Cardin, a Maryland Democrat, told Lew. “We need someone there to reinforce the message that the United States stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the State of Israel as a response to the unprecedented terrorist attack … I am committed to getting you in place in Israel as soon as possible.”

Ranking Republican Jim Risch of Idaho agreed that it was urgent to confirm an ambassador for Israel but said he had “reservations” about Biden’s selection of Lew for the post.

Risch said relations with Iran, one of Israel’s chief regional antagonists, were the most important issue facing Israel.

He said he was disappointed with Lew’s record on Iran, especially the Treasury Department issuing a license to an Omani bank in 2016 to allow Iranian assets of about $5.7 billion to flow through the U.S. financial system. The department didn’t disclose the license to the committee, Risch said.

“To me, this whole thing is about Iran,” he said. “And holding hands with Iran under the table doesn’t work for me.”

Lew, who was wearing a suit with a blue and white tie — the national colors of Israel — responded that releasing those assets was an explicit condition of the nuclear deal and that specific licenses are not usually disclosed. Under Lew, the Treasury Department enforced the letter of the agreement but did not further open financial markets to Iran’s government, whose leaders were frustrated, he said.

“They complained that my actions were what kept them from getting full access to the world financial system,” he said. “We did the letter of the agreement, gave them what was agreed to in (the agreement) and nothing more.”

The committee has scheduled a vote next week to advance Lew’s nomination to the Senate floor, Cardin said. Utah Republican Mitt Romney noted in the hearing that Lew needed only Democratic votes to win confirmation and was “likely to be confirmed on that basis.”

Still seeking a two-state solution

The latest conflict is the fifth Israel-Hamas war in the 75-year history of regional tension. The others were in 2008, 2012, 2014 and 2021.

Hamas, designated a terrorist group by the U.S. in the late 1990s, seized control of the Palestinian territory of Gaza in 2007.

The armed group’s current leader Mohammed Deif said the surprise Oct. 7 attack was in response to Israel’s 16-year blockade of the Gaza Strip, increased attacks in the Palestinian territory of the West Bank and expansion of Israeli-built settlements into territory that Palestinians claim for a future state.

Biden said Wednesday that his administration will keep advocating for a peaceful two-state solution.

“These attacks only strengthened my commitment and determination and my will to get that done,” Biden said.

On Capitol Hill, Lew also said he supported a two-state solution after Maryland Democrat Chris Van Hollen urged him to address “Palestinian issues, legitimate Palestinian questions … giving them equal measures of justice and dignity.”

“I have long believed that the path towards a long-term, stable Middle East and a democratic and Jewish Israel is a two-state solution,” Lew said. “One has to deal with this issue if one is going to be on that path.”

Lew added, though, that negotiations for a long-term peace couldn’t happen while the conflict remains active.

“We’re at a moment now where, in the midst of a war, with a country that is torn apart by grief, it’s probably not the right time to start that conversation again,” he said. “But after this war is over, it has to be part of the conversation.”

Biden’s visit to Israel was his second this year to a war zone. He visited Ukraine’s capital Kyiv in February.

Jefferson woman arrested in Hall County entering auto cases

By

Staff Report

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October 18, 2023

Surveillance images posted to social media led to the arrest of an entering auto suspect in Hall County.

Crystal Lynn Cantrell, 37, of Jefferson, was taken into custody just hours after the Hall County Sheriff’s Office posted the pictures to Facebook on Tuesday, October 17.

After the photos were posted, a deputy was called to a residence on East Bolding Road in Flowery Branch to take a report on another entering auto case. The complainant told the deputy a white woman wearing an orange shirt was seen on security camera footage entering her husband’s pick-up truck in the driveway of their home. She then showed the deputy the social media post, telling him she believed it was the same offender from the other case.

“The deputy also recognized the woman fit the description of someone he had seen while en route to take the report,” says Hall County Sheriff’s Public Information Officer B.J. Williams. “He and a second deputy returned to the scene of the sighting on Atlanta Highway and found Cantrell.”

Crystal Lee Cantrell (Hall County Sheriff’s Office)

After questioning Cantrell, deputies placed her under arrest.

At this time, Cantrell is being held on a bond of $17,100 at the Hall County Jail on felony charges of entering an automobile. Other charges are pending.

HCSO investigators say she also has charges pending in neighboring jurisdictions.

“As entering auto cases increase in our area, HCSO investigators are asking citizens to make sure their vehicle doors are locked, and valuables are hidden from plain view in order to avoid being victimized by thieves,” urges Williams.

Work underway on GA 365 at Mt. Zion Road RCUT

By

Joy Purcell

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October 18, 2023

Mt Zion R-Cut4 — (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

Contractors began installing the Restricted Crossing U-Turn Intersection (RCUT) at GA 365 and Mt. Zion Road in Alto this week. The intersection design will prevent vehicles from crossing over the highway. Side street traffic on Mt. Zion will now have to turn right and make a U-turn at a dedicated downstream median opening.

Contractors worked Tuesday near a bank with five crosses, marking the intersection’s deadly history. Seven people, including three small children, have died at this crossover since 2021.

Crews worked in the shadows of five wooden crosses staked out near the intersection (far right), commemorating the deaths of Avonlea, Colton, and Maddie Holtzclaw, Cynthia Wade, and Lincoln Burgess. (Jerry Neace/NowHabersham.com)

The state transportation department approved the RCUT under pressure from state and local officials after a wreck in July claimed five lives.

The Georgia Department of Transportation contracted with Vertical Earth LLC to install the RCUT. Vertical Earth is the same company that installed the new retaining wall on Highway 441 in Demorest.

Traffic delays are expected to continue as work on the RCUT progresses. The Georgia DOT urges drivers to watch for construction crews and obey the posted speed limit.

Georgia students still struggle to catch up on reading skills three years after pandemic learning loss

By

Ross Williams

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October 18, 2023

(GA Recorder) — Three school years after classrooms shut their doors in March 2020 following the initial outbreak of COVID-19, Georgia students remain behind in phonics compared to kids in other states, said Woody Paik, executive vice president at education company Curriculum Associates, but the data also shows some good news.

“If I look across all grades for the spring of ‘23, Georgia’s a little bit behind every grade relative to national,” he said, pointing to data from children from kindergarten through 8th grade.

Curriculum Associates sells lessons, assessments, and classroom tools, including the popular i-Ready software, which is used by more than 11 million students nationwide. Paik spoke at the Georgia Board of Education’s retreat in Young Harris, Georgia, last week.

Across the country, Curriculum Associates’ data shows academic recovery is sluggish in both reading and math. The data shows that while elementary school students in majority Black schools saw the biggest increases in reading and math scores between 2022 and 2023, majority Black and Latino schools remained significantly below majority white schools.

Similarly, the percentage of students on grade level dropped nationwide among all levels of median income after the pandemic, but the effect was more pronounced in districts with lower median incomes.

“If I look at the schools with median income $50,000 to $75,000 or $75-plus, the historic difference was 8%, meaning the wealthier neighborhoods had about 8% more kids on grade level, roughly,” Paik said. “That historic difference of 8% is now 12%, so the inequities that exist just got wired.”

And seemingly paradoxically, students who were not yet in kindergarten when the pandemic began still display lower reading ability than students in those grades before the pandemic, according to Curriculum Associates’ data.

For example, 68% of first-graders read on grade level in 2019, which fell to 58% by 2022 and rose to 61% in spring 2023.

“These are kids whose lives were disrupted by family situations – maybe day care was closed, maybe pre-K was closed, whatever it may be,” Paik said. “But the point is, these kids are walking into the buildings repeatedly farther behind than they were before, and they were not directly, but rather indirectly impacted by school closure, so it’s a tough situation.”

Still, Paik said there’s reason for optimism in Georgia, where the numbers suggest some students in Georgia are catching up quicker than children in other states.

“In first grade, national went from 59 to 65, or they went up six points. Georgia went up 53 to 62. They went up nine points,” he said. “If you look at third grade, national went up from 69 to 72, so three points, Georgia went up 61 to 67, or six points. So I don’t exactly know what’s in the water here.”

State education leaders have already announced plans aimed at further closing learning gaps, including new tutoring resources through AmeriCorps and Georgia Virtual Learning, as well as the formation of a 30-member Georgia Council on Literacy.

The board is also planning to implement assessment changes in line with this year’s Georgia Early Literacy Act, which would require schools to adopt tests to screen for K-3 students having trouble with reading and plans to get them back on track. The tests would occur three times per year, with the first taking place within 30 days of the start of the school year, and the tests will also be designed to identify characteristics of dyslexia.

In its September meeting, the state Board of Education took up a rules change that included the new screeners but did not vote on the measure after board member Helen Odom Rice said she had questions about the changes. Rice said the proposed rule as written may not have been aligned with the bill’s requirements for disclosure of screener results to parents and the board.

“There’s a lot, and it’s critical that we get this right, especially with the screening and testing, and especially the alignment; it’s in law. And I don’t know if everybody’s had a chance to really read it and go through it.”

The board is scheduled to meet next on Nov. 1 and 2. According to the Early Literacy Act’s timeline, they have until Jan. 1 to establish procedures for education service providers to submit screeners for consideration and until July 1, 2024, to approve a list of screeners. Schools will begin implementing the screeners and intervention plans next August.

Gaming interests ready new legalized gambling push in Georgia in ’24

By

Stanley Dunlap

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October 18, 2023

(GA Recorder) — A powerful sports betting and gambling company is intensifying its efforts to win legalized sports betting, casinos and horse racing in Georgia.

Representatives from the Entain Foundation U.S. met with several state legislators in Atlanta on Tuesday to hatch a plan to pass a gambling bill in 2024. In the last couple of years, Georgia’s legislative sessions have ended with failed attempts to legalize sports betting, horse racing, and casinos in combination or as standalone propositions as legislators were divided on everything from the ills of gambling addiction to how revenue would be distributed, and what forms of gambling to permit.

Entain trustee Bill Pascrell, a partner at PPAG, one of the larger lobbying firms in the country, said several Georgia legislators asked for assistance to push Georgia to join several dozen other states that legalize retail and online sports betting and other types of sanctioned wagering.

Entain is an international gambling corporation and co-owner with Las Vegas-based MGM Resorts of online sportsbook BetMGM.

”Georgia, as you can imagine, has politically a lot of issues including the Trump indictment, so there’s a little bit of a distraction at the moment but I feel pretty positive Georgia is going to move (betting) on next year along with a few other states,” Pascrell said.

Martin Lycka, senior vice president for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling at Entain, said Georgia would greatly benefit not only from tax revenue made from gambling but also from companies spending money on marketing and other areas that will also trickle down into local communities.

“The other one relates to consumer protection legislation in order to clamp down on any black market,” Lycka said. “Let’s not fool ourselves into believing that Georgians would not be betting at the moment.”

During the 2023 legislative session, a variety of sports betting bills failed to make it out of either chamber, from online wagering to voting on-site at licensed locations and other events via kiosks to a push to open up several horse race tracks.

The odds-on favorite among state lawmakers is for online and retail sport betting, while there are significant disagreements between the public and legislators regarding the legalization of horse racing pari-mutuel betting and casinos.

This year added another wrinkle as some gambling legislation relied on an opinion from former Georgia Supreme Court Chief Justice Harold Melton that a statewide ballot referendum is not necessary if gambling is handled by the Georgia Lottery.

And how to split the purse continues to spark debate over how the sales tax revenue and other gaming fees collected will be allocated. A consensus seemed to form among state lawmakers debating recent proposals that the majority of revenue should be used for the same purpose as the state lottery-funded HOPE Scholarship and Pre-K programs. Some disagreement lingers about whether a portion of that funding should be dedicated specifically to needs-based scholarships.

A major roadblock to legalized sports betting in Georgia is an effort led by the Georgia Baptist Mission Board, which harbors concerns about the harms of gambling addiction. The board’s lobbyist Mike Griffin, agreed on Tuesday that there is a good chance that sports gambling will be brought up during the next legislative session.

Griffin also pushed back on the economic benefits of gambling, citing studies that say the additional revenue doesn’t offset the extra government resources legal wagering costs taxpayers

“Sports gambling is one of the most dangerous forms of gambling because of its easy accessibility and its ability to create addiction,” Griffin said in an email. “While I know it is being said that many are already doing this kind of gambling anyway, we must understand that just because somebody is doing something illegal does not mean that it should be made legal.”

“Something as detrimental as sports gambling made legal will be like putting gasoline on a fire. It will make something that is already bad, just worse,” Griffin said.

Entain is also promoting gaming in Georgia as a way to make it easier to identify if someone has a gambling addiction than if they’re placing wagers through unregulated channels like offshore sporting books and casinos, said Pascrell.

“If you don’t regulate it, you can’t track it, you can’t monitor it,” Pascrell said. “And unlike alcohol and drug use, it’s really not readily apparent whether somebody’s having a gambling addiction problem. The only way to penetrate and have an impact on problem gambling in a particular jurisdiction is to regulate it.”

Gambling options in Georgia’s neighboring states vary greatly.

Alabama is only one border state that does not sell lottery tickets and its only state-regulated gaming option is bingo halls in some of the most impoverished areas. Alabama is home to a few casinos operated by federally recognized tribes. After two years of legalized sports betting in Florida, the U.S. Supreme Court on Friday put a temporary hold on it. But Florida also holds a state lottery, as tribe-operated casinos and pari-mutuel betting options are available across the state.

Neighboring Tennessee already reaps economic benefits from sports gaming, which it legalized soon after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for online wagering in a 2018 ruling.

The Tennessee Education Lottery reports that $73.7 million in tax revenue has been generated since online-only sports betting was legalized in November 2020.

The soulless ones

By

Lynn Walker Gendusa

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October 18, 2023

Today, many are living through terrifying and horrific hours. Children are brutally murdered at the hands of human animals. Whether the beast is dressed in a pristine suit watching a parade of his Russian troops or the dirty rascals dressed in fatigues in the Middle East, they are still the same: pure evil.

For most decent people, it is hard to imagine how one becomes soulless, but power, ego, and warped beliefs can destroy anyone’s heart. Unfortunately, these creatures live among all people everywhere. How they’re able to influence so many with their deranged, narcissistic minds has always been a mystery to me. I fear it is because when many lose hope, they also lose the ability to care.

When we think, “Well, it doesn’t matter how I vote or what I say because we are doomed anyway,” we open the door to brutality. Doing so proves that our lives are more important than our children’s. So, we must never give up or give in for their sake, and we must stand firm against the rabid scoundrels of the world.

The tentacles of these inhumane humans travel far and sneak into safe havens to kill. If we don’t show that our ‘caring power’ is strong, they will turn off the lights in America.

As I watched the news this morning, it seemed an odd juxtaposition between the frenzy of bombs falling in Gaza and Israel and the fever Taylor Swift causes as her Eras Tour movie debuts. It all appeared remarkably strange yet very American.

Don’t get me wrong, Taylor brings delight to many with her generosity and warmth, but she also reminded me to be thankful. Thankful that joy still abides here. No bombs are falling on this corner of the world… yet. Happy celebration creates dancing in the aisles when Taylor performs.. for now.

At the premiere, the mega star’s elegant blue gown is pristine, her makeup flawless, and her shoes are tinted the same shade of sky blue.

A world away, a child is barefoot, his face covered in soot, and his clothes are torn and stained with blood. American youngsters rush to catch a school bus this morning, while in other countries, children run to a bomb shelter. Yes, American life is normal…today.

Many say, “We just can’t keep giving US money to aid foreign wars!” Yet, how can we not? Do we believe we are impervious to barbarians who fear nothing? Clearly, September 11, 2001, proved we are not.

If we are concerned about the future world for our children, we and our allies need to keep writing checks. We must encourage all peace-loving nations and citizens to care enough not to fall prey to those who wish for our fall. We cannot save the world, but we cannot lose ours because we failed to try.

Remember, God is not an American, and he is not an isolationist. He is the father of all humankind. His message is clear… “Don’t withhold good from someone who deserves it when it is in your power to do so.” Proverbs 3:27

Apathy is deadly. The lion will die if the mighty beast does not roar and lazes in the sun, unaware of the hyena slinking behind him. The hyenas hide in the bushes, waiting for the lion to become impassive and sluggish.

We must remember to roar.

Our gratitude for living where we are free to roam without constant fear of death is immeasurable. More importantly, it should never be taken for granted. Human animals can thrive with very little to steal life from their victims.

We cannot become victims.

This is the day to stand as one nation. This is the hour to put our political blame games aside and move our spirits forward. We must value others, denounce selfishness, and let our goodness shine. Now is the moment to defeat terrorists lurking on every corner. It is time to punish the antisemites, the racists, and the haters everywhere.

Americans should lead the chorus of roars, keep the hyenas away, and destroy the evil lurking in the darkness before they find us sleeping in the sun.

For the love of all nations under God, join hands and pray for terror to end and for those who suffer from the brutal wounds of soulless, barbaric human animals…now.

Exonerated man killed by deputy

By

Benjamin Payne

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October 18, 2023

Leonard Cure was killed during a traffic stop in Camden County, Ga., on Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (The Innocence Project of Florida/Facebook)

A sheriff’s deputy in Southeast Georgia’s Camden County shot and killed a Black man from metro Atlanta who was released after being wrongfully sentenced in Florida to 16 years in prison.

The fatal shooting occurred during a traffic stop on October 16.

Authorities say 53-year-old Leonard Cure died after being tased, hit with a baton and shot by a Camden County sheriff’s deputy on Interstate 95 near Kingsland. The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is looking into the shooting and says Cure became noncompliant with the deputy after being placed under arrest.

The GBI didn’t say why Cure was arrested and did not give the deputy’s name.

Cure was convicted in 2003 of armed robbery outside Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and spent 16 years in prison before being exonerated with the help of the Innocence Project of Florida. The group’s director Seth Miller says Cure, who received a cash settlement in August from the state of Florida, had recently closed on a house in Palmetto, southwest of Atlanta.

This article comes to Now Habersham through a news partnership with GPB News