Levi Hogan, left, and his sister Hope are participating in this year's Great Cycle Challenge USA. The fundraiser for the Children Cancer Research Fund is in its seventh year. Money raised goes to fund research and develop new treatment options for childhood cancer.
“Unbelievably proud.” That’s how Ashleigh Hogan of Demorest describes how she feels about what her son and daughter are doing. 14-year-old Levi and his 12-year-old sister Hope are combining their passion for cycling with their compassion for others to help kids with cancer. They’ve each pledged to ride hundreds of miles in September with a goal to raise $2,500 each for the Children’s Cancer Research Fund (CCRF).
Hope and Levi raised $227 through a lemonade stand in August. (photo submitted)
The Hogan siblings are homeschoolers who participate in organized cycling as members of the Georgia Cycling Association Team, Yonah Composite. They’ll join thousands of riders from across the country next month participating in the 8th annual Great Cycle Challenge USA.
Accepting the Challenge
Founded in 2015, the Great Cycle Challenge has grown into one of the largest cycling events in the country. In just seven years, over 440,000 riders from 50 states have ridden 29.7 million miles, raising more than $52 million for research and development of better treatments and cures for childhood cancer.
This year, CCRF hopes over 60,000 riders will help raise more than $10 million. This is Levi’s third year participating.
“Over 15,000 American children are diagnosed with cancer every year and, sadly, 38 children die every week,” says Daniel Gumnit, Chief Executive Officer at Children’s Cancer Research Fund. “Thanks to riders like Levi, we’re fueling groundbreaking research to save lives and give kids the brighter future they deserve.”
During the past two Challenges, Levi rode 450 miles and raised $1,417.
“This year, I am aiming to raise $2,500 and ride 350 miles,” he says.
After seeing her brother pedal for a cure, Hope signed up for the Challenge this year. She plans to ride at least 150 miles.
Besides cycling, they’re raising money in other ways. Together, they’ve manned lemonade stands and sold artwork, friendship bracelets, and wooden keychains. They’ve used their own money to buy supplies and have directly donated to the cause. The money they’re raising will go to support research at leading pediatric cancer centers across America, their mom says.
“It’s made me unbelievably proud to see them take on this challenge in so many ways,” says Ashleigh Hogan. “They are very driven and determined to meet their fundraising and riding goals to help someone besides themselves.”
If you’ve been avoiding getting your pets vaccinated because you can’t afford it, help is here.
Habersham County Animal Care and Control is providing free vaccinations for area pets through a partnership with the nonprofit animal welfare foundation, Petco Love.
The free vaccines are part of Petco Love’s new national vaccination initiative. The foundation is providing 1 million free pet vaccines to its existing animal welfare partners, including HCACC, for family pets in need. HCACC aims to vaccinate 1,000 pets through this effort. Vaccines are now available at the Habersham County Animal Shelter during business hours by appointment.
Parvovirus and distemper in dogs, and panleukopenia in cats, are some of the most prevalent deadly diseases impacting pets that can be prevented with a simple vaccine. Unfortunately, an estimated 30% of pet parents do not take their pet to a veterinarian annually for preventative care.
DAPPv Canine and HCP Feline vaccines are being distributed through the Petco Love initiative.
“Thanks to Petco Love, we can yet again offer these important vaccines at no cost to pet owners,” says HCACC Director Madi Nix. “We urge community members to take advantage of this free resource to ensure the health and wellness of our community’s pets.”
There are no residency restrictions- anyone is welcome- even if they are not in HCACC’s service area.
“Not only are you helping to protect your pets, but helping to keep the incoming shelter population safe,” Nix says.
Petco Love President Susanne Kogut says the group hopes to raise awareness of the need for preventative care.
“It is heartbreaking when any pet suffers or dies from a disease that could have been prevented,” she says. “It is further exacerbated when unvaccinated pets come into busy shelter kennels, where these deadly diseases can spread quickly, resulting in multiple deaths, skyrocketing expenses, and hindering saving pet lives.”
Kogut says by increasing awareness and making vaccines accessible, they hope to prevent the dangerous spread of disease.
Barbara Black Green, age 89 of Newnan, formerly of Clarkesville, passed away Saturday, August 6, 2022.
Mrs. Green was born in Clarkesville, Georgia on July 15, 1933, the daughter of the late Thomas Lester and Margaret Oma Gastley Black. She was a retired pharmacist and a member of Bethlehem Baptist Church. In addition to her parents, she is preceded in death by husband Charles H. Green, son Kip Green, sisters Margaret Cruce, Carolyn Landrum, and Beverly Coffer, brothers Jerry Black and John Larry Black, and brothers-in-law Tyson Cruce, M.L. Coffer and Bill Bellisle.
Survivors include son Charles E. “Ceg” Green of Houston, Texas, daughter Kelly Green of Newnan, brothers Jimmy (Linda Jean) Black of Demorest, sister Beth Black, brother-in-law Everett Landrum, sisters-in-law Linda Gail Black Marshall and Carol Black, granddaughter Alyssa, and several nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.
A memorial service will be held at Bethlehem Baptist Church on Saturday, August 20, 2022, at 11:00 AM.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Corinth Road Long-Term Care, 1141 Corinth Road, Newnan, Georgia, 30263.
FILE PHOTO - Cleveland City Council (photo by wrwh.com)
The City of Cleveland will hold the first of three required public hearings to address this year’s tax millage rate tonight at 6:30 p.m.
At a city council meeting on August 1, City Administrator Kevin Harris said they will be advertising a partial rollback for the city tax millage. Harris said that they don’t have as many funding resources as the county and school board so they could not do a full rollback, which both the White County government and the White County Board of Education have indicated they want to do.
Since it isn’t a full rollback, the city is required to hold three public hearings on the millage rate and accept public comments.
In addition to the first hearing tonight, August 15, at 6:30 PM, the city will hold two hearings on August 23 at 9 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. The public hearings will be held at Cleveland Community Center/Police Department Building 342 Campbell Street in Cleveland.
The 2022 millage rate will be voted on by the city council at 6:45 p.m. on August 23.
In recent hearings on the 2023 farm bill, lawmakers in the U.S. House have discussed expanding crop insurance and trying to address the mounting challenges from drought, severe weather and climate change to the legislation. Pictured is a corn field south of Augusta. (John McCosh/Georgia Recorder)
WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — Over the course of the next year, lawmakers on the U.S. House and Senate Agriculture committees will draft a new federal farm bill that will shape food, farm, conservation and nutrition programs across the country for the next five years.
The omnibus law that began 90 years ago as crop supports now has an impact far beyond the farm, with programs to create wildlife habitat, address climate change and run the nation’s largest federal nutrition program.
“Any number of economic policies that we establish in farm bills impact everybody’s daily lives,” said former Sen. Saxby Chambliss, the top Republican on the Senate Agriculture Committee during the 2008 farm bill. The former Georgia lawmaker now works at the global law firm DLA Piper.
Chambliss said farm bills affect food prices and availability, global trade and renewable fuels.
But he said the debate going into the legislation is often overshadowed by crop subsidies — the farm bill’s longstanding support system for producers of farm commodities. The payments are intended to provide economic stability for farmers but are usually a target for those who would like to invest the money elsewhere.
“The farm bills have evolved into a political football for all the wrong reasons,” Chambliss said in an interview with States Newsroom.
The current farm bill expires in September 2023. But given the size and implications of the programs, it is already farm bill season for lawmakers and the groups with a stake in the bill.
Advocacy groups are pulling together their farm bill platforms. And the House and Senate Agriculture committees have each started hosting farm bill hearings in Washington, D.C., and in some members’ home districts.
At the Senate Agriculture Committee’s first field hearing in Michigan in April, Chairwoman Debbie Stabenow, a Michigan Democrat, listed climate change, conservation programs and expanding opportunities for midsized and local producers among her concerns for the new farm bill.
Georgia Congressman David Scott chairs the House Agriculture Committee. Kris Connor/Getty Images
On the House side, Agriculture Committee Chairman David Scott, a Georgia Democrat, has said he wants to support beginning and underserved farmers and ranchers and expand opportunities for conservation and energy programs.
“My goals are to protect the farm bill coalition that has provided a safety net for those struggling to feed their families as well as for those who help to produce that food,” Scott said in an email to States Newsroom.
“We also know that many of our programs are oversubscribed, and our available funding has not kept up with the demand in the conservation and energy titles,” Scott said.
What does the farm bill cover?
Originally a product of the New Deal, the first farm bill in 1933 focused on commodity price support to provide relief for farmers and ensure a steady domestic food supply for Americans during the Great Depression.
Since then, lawmakers have passed 18 farm bills and greatly expanded the reach of the legislation. For example, Congress added a conservation section to the farm bill in 1985 and an energy title in 2002.
The most recent farm bill, the Agriculture Improvement Act of 2018, has 12 titles and includes programs for commodity crops, nutrition, trade, crop insurance, forestry and rural development.
The farm bill’s conservation programs pay farmers to make environmental improvements on working land or to replace crops on highly erodible and environmentally sensitive land.
One year of outlays for farm bill conservation programs exceeds the annual budget for the National Park Service.
More than 140 million acres of farmland in the U.S. are currently receiving conservation-related financial and technical assistance from the federal government, according to an analysis from the Farm Bureau. The national park system has more than 85 million acres, according to the Park Service.
But the largest spending in the farm bill goes to nutrition programs, particularly the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP, formerly known as food stamps. Three-fourths of farm bill funding goes to nutrition programs like SNAP.
“Most of the farm bill affects eaters, not farmers,” said Scott Faber, senior vice president for government affairs at Environmental Working Group, one of the advocacy groups that tracks farm bill spending.
How much money is at stake?
Like many bills on Capitol Hill, the farm bill has some “discretionary” programs, which are set up in the bill but have to be funded through the annual appropriations process.
But most of the farm bill programs are “mandatory” spending. That funding is set in the farm bill itself and goes out over the next five years, regardless of congressional appropriations. Those mandatory programs include crop subsidies, conservation programs, some forms of crop insurance and SNAP.
The 2018 farm bill was projected to spend $428 billion over five years, according to the Congressional Budget Office. When crafting a new farm bill, lawmakers must keep the total within the baseline estimates for the previous farm bill or find another new funding source. The current baseline for farm bill programs for the next five years is $648 billion, according to the Congressional Budget Office’s May 2022 estimates. A new estimate in spring 2023 will set the budget for the new farm bill.
“The difficult issue that we have every time we head into a farm bill is the budget,” said Chambliss.
Advocacy groups and lawmakers usually propose shifts in funding levels to try to direct more money to their favorite programs.
“The biggest problem is that there is only a certain amount of money we can have, so if we want more money we have to rob from Peter to pay for Paul,” Tom Haag, a vice president of the National Corn Growers Association, said at a recent panel discussion on the farm bill.
But conservation and other climate-related programs will receive another funding infusion this year from the Inflation Reduction Act, which gives a boost of more than $20 billion for climate investments on farmland. The U.S. House passed the bill Friday.
That will provide about a 47% increase over previous farm bill levels, according to an analysis from the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition.
But folding that budget authority into the farm bill may not be a straightforward process, as Agriculture Committee members look for ways to direct it to their interests.
“Everyone is going to want a piece of that climate money,” said Ferd Hoefner, a Washington, D.C.-based consultant on farm and food policy who has worked on nine previous farm bills.
What crops are most affected?
Most farm bill crop subsidies go to the major commodity crops: corn, soybeans, wheat, cotton and rice.
The big three of corn, soybean and wheat farmers receive more than 70 percent of farm subsidies, according to an analysis from the Cato Institute.
Some other producers are eligible for the federal safety net through crop insurance, intended to help farmers manage for risk of loss from severe weather or market disruptions. Lawmakers have expanded the crop insurance program in recent farm bills, and its total spending now slightly exceeds that of crop subsidies.
The federal government provides policies for more than 100 crops, according to the USDA. But some small farmers with varied crops have said it is still hard for them to get crop insurance, since policies are regional and limited to certain “insurable commodities.”
The farm bill has smaller programs for organic agriculture and “specialty crops,” fruits, vegetables and nuts. It includes a cost-share program for organic certification, market development grants and research programs on citrus disease.
What states are most affected?
Agriculture subsidies, crop insurance and conservation programs have participants nationwide but tend to center on the Midwest, Great Plains and Texas.
Overall, Texas landowners get the most federal farm bill subsidies, according to an analysis of federal data from 1995-2020 from the Environmental Working Group. The analysis added commodity, conservation, disaster and crop insurance payments combined.
The rest of the top 10 states for farm subsidies are: Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Kansas, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri and Indiana.
The farm bill’s nutrition programs are nationwide, distributed based on household income in both rural areas and cities. The percent of residents receiving SNAP benefits in 2019 ranged from 19.8 percent in New Mexico to 4.2 percent in Wyoming, according to USDA.
Who are the players?
The farm bill is unique on Capitol Hill because it creates regional alliances around issues, rather than splitting along party lines. House and Senate Agriculture Committee members often tout their bipartisan approach.
“The issues in a farm bill are not between Republicans and Democrats — the difference primarily is regional,” said Chambliss.
Scott and Stabenow currently lead the House and Senate committees, but if Republicans take control of the House or Senate after the midterm elections, the leadership would shift to Glenn Thompson of Pennsylvania in the House and John Boozman of Arkansas in the Senate.
Thompson represents rural central Pennsylvania and comes from a long line of dairy farmers. Boozman won the “golden plow” award from the American Farm Bureau in July for his support for farmers.
The presidential administration usually offers policy advice and program recommendations for the farm bill. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, a former governor of Iowa, is no stranger to the process, having also been at the helm of the USDA from 2009 to 2017 during the Obama administration.
U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack speaks at the 2022 Farm Bureau Convention at the Georgia World Congress Center. Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder
A presidential veto of the farm bill is rare but not unprecedented. Since 1965, only the 2008 farm bill was vetoed as a standalone measure, according to the Congressional Research Service. President George W. Bush vetoed that bill twice in an effort to get more of his priorities in the bill. Congress overrode his vetoes.
As the farm bill’s scope has expanded, more and more lobbyists and advocacy groups have joined the fray each year to try to influence the process.
Agribusiness groups, environmental organizations, climate change experts, poverty and hunger groups and religious organizations will all weigh in on the farm bill. Many of those groups are working with their members to create farm bill policy platforms that they will release in the coming months.
When will it get done?
The current farm bill’s mandatory programs expire at the end of September 2023, which creates a deadline for Congress to reauthorize a new bill before then.
Staff from the House and Senate Agriculture committees said they plan to hold more hearings on each title of the bill in the coming months, with the hopes of voting on a final bill well in advance of the deadline.
But in practice, in the last several farm bill cycles Congress has not met those deadlines and usually passed temporary extensions to keep programs running while they continued to negotiate until the end of the calendar year.
What might change this year?
The extra funding from the Inflation Reduction Act could lay the groundwork for a push for new climate policies in farm bill conservation programs.
In recent hearings, House lawmakers have also discussed expanding crop insurance and trying to address the mounting challenges from drought, severe weather and climate change.
U.S. Rep. Rick Allen Credit: U.S. House of Representatives
At a farm bill hearing in July, Rep. Rick Allen, a Georgia Republican, urged his fellow lawmakers to tread carefully, given how chaotic the past few years have been for agriculture and the economy.
“We should not make major changes unless we are able to fully evaluate the consequences of those changes,” Allen said.
Lawmakers will likely include some pilot programs to test new ideas. Those could lay the groundwork for major changes in the future.
For example, former Sen. Tom Harkin, an Iowa Democrat, championed a pilot program to give schoolchildren fresh fruits and vegetables as a snack. In 2005, it was scaled up to cover the entire country.
Farm bills traditionally have not included much for livestock producers, but some agriculture experts expect that to change this year, in response to the turmoil the sector faced during the COVID-19 pandemic.
House Agriculture Chairman Scott introduced a small farmer or rancher relief act in July, indicating his interest in the issue. His proposal would provide targeted insurance to small ranchers with fewer than 100 cattle and a grant program for producers that sell direct to consumers.
How can I have input into what’s in the bill?
The House and Senate Agriculture Committees are both collecting ideas and feedback. The Senate Agriculture Committee has an online form for input on the farm bill. And House Agriculture is collecting feedback through a form on their website.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani walks through the Georgia Capitol before speaking about baseless claims of voter fraud before lawmakers on Dec. 3, 2020. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
ATLANTA (AP) — Prosecutors in Atlanta on Monday told lawyers for Rudy Giuliani that he’s a target of their criminal investigation into possible illegal attempts by then-President Donald Trump and others to interfere in the 2020 general election in Georgia, one of Giuliani’s lawyers said Monday.
Special prosecutor Nathan Wade alerted Giuliani’s local attorney in Atlanta that the former New York City mayor could face criminal charges, another Giuliani attorney, Bob Costello said. News of the disclosure was first reported by The New York Times.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation last year, and a special grand jury was seated in May at her request. County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury, has instructed Giuliani to appear before the panel to testify on Wednesday.
Willis’s investigation was spurred by a phone call between Trump and Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. During that January 2021 conversation, Trump suggested that Raffensperger could “find” the votes needed to overturn his narrow loss in the state.
It has also become clear that the district attorney is interested in Georgia legislative committee hearings that were held in December 2020 where Giuliani appeared and spread false claims of election fraud in Atlanta’s Fulton County.
Willis last month filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump associates and advisers. Because they don’t live in Georgia, she had to use a process that involves asking a judge in the states where they live to order them to appear.
In a petition seeking Giuliani’s testimony, Willis identified him as both a personal attorney for Trump and a lead attorney for his campaign. She wrote that he and others appeared at a state Senate committee meeting and presented a video that Giuliani said showed election workers producing “suitcases” of unlawful ballots from unknown sources, outside the view of election poll watchers.
Within 24 hours of that Dec. 3, 2020, hearing, Raffensperger’s office had debunked the video. But Giuliani continued to make statements to the public and in subsequent legislative hearings claiming widespread voter fraud using the debunked video, Willis wrote.
Evidence shows that Giuliani’s hearing appearance and testimony “was part of a multi-state, coordinated plan by the Trump Campaign to influence the results of the November 2020 election in Georgia and elsewhere,” the petition says.
Also Monday, a federal judge said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that is investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws while trying to overturn his narrow 2020 general election loss in the state.
Attorneys for Graham, R-S.C., had argued that his position as a U.S. senator provided him immunity from having to appear before the investigative panel and asked the judge to quash his subpoena. But U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May wrote in an order Monday that immunities related to his role as a senator do not protect him from having to testify. Graham’s subpoena instructs him to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 23, but his office said Monday he plans to appeal to the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
Prosecutors have indicated they want to ask Graham about phone calls they say he made to Georgia Secretary of State Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks following Trump’s election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Graham had argued that a provision of the Constitution provides absolute protection against a senator being questioned about legislative acts. But the judge found there are “considerable areas of potential grand jury inquiry” that fall outside that provision’s scope. The judge also rejected Graham’s argument that the principle of “sovereign immunity” protects a senator from being summoned by a state prosecutor.
Graham also argued that Willis, a Democrat, had not demonstrated extraordinary circumstances necessary to compel testimony from a high-ranking official. But the judge disagreed, finding that Willis had shown “extraordinary circumstances and a special need” for Graham’s testimony on issues related to an alleged attempt to influence or disrupt the election in Georgia.
May, the judge, last month rejected a similar attempt by U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., to avoid testifying before the special grand jury. Former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani had argued he couldn’t travel to Atlanta to testify because of health issues, but Fulton County Judge McBurney instructed him to appear on Wednesday.
Graham’s office said in a statement Monday that the senator disagrees with the judge’s interpretation of the provision of the Constitution he believes protects him from being questioned by a state official. His lawyers have said that he was making inquiries that were clearly part of his legislative duties, related to certification of the vote and to the proposal of election-related legislation.
But the judge wrote that that ignores “the fact that individuals on the calls have publicly suggested that Senator Graham was not simply engaged in legislative factfinding but was instead suggesting or implying that Georgia election officials change their processes or otherwise potentially alter the state’s results.”
In calls made shortly after the 2020 general election, Graham “questioned Raffensperger and his staff about reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump,” Willis wrote in a petition.
Graham also “made reference to allegations of widespread voter fraud in the November 2020 election in Georgia, consistent with public statements made by known affiliates of the Trump Campaign,” she wrote.
Republican and Democratic state election officials across the country, courts and even Trump’s attorney general found there was no evidence of any voter fraud sufficient to affect the outcome of his 2020 presidential election loss.
Trump-allied lawmakers were planning to challenge the tallies from several battleground states when Congress convened on Jan. 6, 2021, to certify the results under the Electoral Count Act, but after the Capitol attack that day Georgia’s tally was never contested.
Trump has denied any wrongdoing and has described his call to Raffensperger as “perfect.”
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Associated Press writers Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C., and Lisa Mascaro in Washington contributed reporting.
FILE - Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., listens during a hearing on the fiscal year 2023 budget for the FBI in Washington, on May 25, 2022. Attorneys for Graham said in a court filing on July 13, he wasn't trying to interfere in Georgia's 2020 election when he called state officials to ask them to reexamine certain absentee ballots after President Donald Trump's narrow loss to Democrat Joe Biden. (Ting Shen/Pool Photo via AP, File)
ATLANTA (AP) — A federal judge on Monday said U.S. Sen. Lindsey Graham must testify before a special grand jury in Atlanta that is investigating whether then-President Donald Trump and his allies broke any laws while trying to overturn his narrow 2020 general election loss in the state.
Attorneys for Graham, R-S.C., had argued that his position as a U.S. senator provided him immunity from having to appear before the investigative panel and asked the judge to quash his subpoena. But U.S. District Judge Leigh Martin May wrote in an order Monday that immunities related to his role as a senator do not protect him from having to testify. Graham’s subpoena instructs him to appear before the special grand jury on Aug. 23, but he is expected to appeal the judge’s ruling.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis opened the investigation last year, and a special grand jury with subpoena power was seated in May at her request. Last month she filed petitions seeking to compel testimony from seven Trump advisers and associates.
Prosecutors have indicated they want to ask Graham about phone calls they say he made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger and his staff in the weeks following Trump’s election loss to Democrat Joe Biden.
Graham had argued that a provision of the Constitution provides absolute protection against a senator being questioned about legislative acts. But the judge found there are “considerable areas of potential grand jury inquiry” that fall outside that provision’s scope. The judge also rejected Graham’s argument that the principle of “sovereign immunity” protects a senator from being summoned by a state prosecutor.
Graham also argued that Willis, a Democrat, had not demonstrated extraordinary circumstances necessary to compel testimony from a high-ranking official. But the judge disagreed, finding that Willis has shown “extraordinary circumstances and a special need” for Graham’s testimony on issues related to alleged attempt to influence or disrupt the election in Georgia.
May, the judge, last month rejected a similar attempt by U.S. Rep. Jody Hice, R-Ga., to avoid testifying before the special grand jury. Former New York mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani had argued he couldn’t travel to Atlanta to testify because of health issues, but Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, who’s overseeing the special grand jury, instructed him to appear on Wednesday.
A Graham spokesperson, Kevin Bishop, said Monday the senator had no comment but referred to what Graham said when asked about the probe last week. During a news conference in Columbia, S.C., Graham said, “We will take this as far as we need to take it” when asked about his efforts to fight his subpoena.
“I was chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee and had to vote on certifying an election,” Graham told reporters. “This is ridiculous. This weaponization of the law needs to stop. So I will use the courts. We will go as far as we need to go and do whatever needs to be done to make sure that people like me can do their jobs without fear of some county prosecutor coming after you.”
In calls made shortly after the 2020 general election, Graham “questioned Secretary Raffensperger and his staff about reexamining certain absentee ballots cast in Georgia in order to explore the possibility of a more favorable outcome for former President Donald Trump,” Willis wrote in a petition.
Graham also “made reference to allegations of widespread voter fraud in the November 2020 election in Georgia, consistent with public statements made by known affiliates of the Trump Campaign,” she wrote.
Republican and Democratic state election officials across the country, courts and even Trump’s attorney general found there was no evidence of any voter fraud sufficient to affect the outcome of his 2020 presidential election loss.
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Associated Press writer Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C., contributed reporting.
Georgia's Stetson Bennett celebrates after the College Football Playoff championship football game against Alabama on Jan. 11, 2022. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
Atlanta and South Florida have been selected to host College Football Playoff national championship games for the second time.
The CFP announced Monday that Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida, would be the site of the title game scheduled to be played in January 2026, the final game of the current 12-year media rights deal with ESPN.
Miami Gardens hosted the 2021 game, following the 2020 pandemic-altered season.
“South Florida was a great host for the 2021 national championship game despite the event having to be scaled back because of COVID-19, and we look forward to returning in 2026 with a full complement of events and activities during national championship weekend,” CFP Executive Director Bill Hancock said in a statement.
The game between Alabama and Ohio State at Hard Rock Stadium, home to the Miami Dolphins, was limited to about 15,000 fans because of COVID-19 restrictions. The stadium holds more than 65,000.
In its announcement, the CFP said the host of the 2025 game also was selected and would be announced at a later date.
A person familiar with the decision, speaking to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the official announcement had not been made, said Mercedes-Benz Stadium would be the site of that game.
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution first reported that decision.
Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the 75,000-seat, retractable-roof stadium, is home to the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons, Major League Soccer’s Atlanta United and the Peach Bowl.
A news conference has been scheduled at the stadium on Tuesday to make the announcement. Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens are scheduled to attend.
The first Alabama-Georgia championship game in 2018 was played in Atlanta and won by the Crimson Tide in overtime.
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AP National Writer Paul Newberry in Atlanta contributed to this report.
1. Buford (14-1)
AJC Super 11 RB Justice Haynes leads four preseason all-state Wolves as Buford chases its fourth consecutive state titles and first in the highest classification. Buford did graduate QB Ashton Daniels to Stanford, but his replacement, Dylan Wittke, has 13 career starts, 1,725 career passing yards and a pledge to Virginia Tech. Opener: Friday vs. Thompson, Ala.
2. Grayson (10-4)
The Rams won the 2020 title and reached the 2021 semifinals with a much younger team, losing to eventual champion Collins Hill. All-state LB Jalen Smith (committed to Tennessee) and Georgia Power 100 DB Michael Daugherty (LSU) are among eight returning defensive starters. Joseph Taylor is a returning 1,000-yard rusher. Opener: Saturday vs. Marietta (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
3. Colquitt County (8-3)
The Packers, under new coach Sean Calhoun, have one of the state’s best quartets of offensive weapons with junior QB Neko Fann (2,014 yards passing in 2021), WR Ny Carr (856 receiving yards, committed to Georgia), TE Landen Thomas (516 receiving yards, committed to Georgia) and RB Charlie Pace (1,138 rushing yards, committed to Georgia State). Opener: Saturday vs. Deerfield Beach, Fla. (at Lowndes)
4. North Cobb (10-2)
AJC Super 11 QB Malachi Singleton (2,348 yards passing, 1,037 rushing, 49 total touchdowns) is a leading player-of-the-year candidate. He’s committed to Arkansas. Other prominent players are Georgia Power 100 OL Robert Grigsby (committed to North Carolina), RB Ben Hall (Michigan) and DB Quintin Ajiero (Duke). Opener: Friday at Westlake
5. Mill Creek (11-2)
The Hawks have the state’s No. 1 prospect, Alabama-committed DB Caleb Downs, among seven returning defensive starters. They also bring back starting QB Hayden Clark (2,065 yards passing) and leading receiver Brendan Jenkins (525 yards receiving). Opener: Saturday vs. Walton (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
6. Collins Hill (15-1)
The defending champions graduated most starters, including all-class player of the year Travis Hunter and all-state quarterback Sam Horn. They return all-state LB Dion Crawford and TE Ethan Davis. Opener: Saturday vs. Life Christian, Va.
7. Brookwood (10-3)
The Broncos have the state’s highest-rated senior QB prospect, Dylan Lonergan, who is committed to Alabama. LB Malcolm McCain is committed to Miami of Ohio. Opener: Saturday vs. Norcross (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
8. Lowndes (10-3)
The Vikings will be rebuilding a bit after losing four-year starting QB Jacurri Brown to Miami, but four of the five leading tacklers are back, and they’ve won 10 games or more for six straight seasons. They have a new coach, Zach Grage from Thomasville. Opener: Saturday vs. American Heritage, Fla.
9. Walton (9-4)
The Raiders beat two region champions in the 2021 playoffs to reach the semifinals, where they lost to Milton. Junior QB Jeremy Hecklinski gets the job full-time with Zak Rozsman off to Georgia Southern. LB Ashton Woods, a brother of Georgia wide receiver Dominique Blaylock, led the team in tackles as a sophomore. Opener: Saturday vs. Mill Creek (at Mercedes-Benz Stadium)
10. Milton (13-2)
The Eagles promoted Ben Reaves to replace Adam Clack, who led them to a 2018 state title and 2021 runner-up finish. He’ll build around Georgia Power 100 DB Bryce Thornton. Sophomore Luke Nickel is a promising new quarterback. Opener: Friday vs. Lipscomb Academy, Tenn.
Class 6A
1. Hughes (13-2)
The Panthers are ranked No. 1 for the first time in their 14-season history. They lead the state in top-100 state senior prospects with six – OL Bo Hughley, TE Jelani Thurman, DB Terrance Love, WR Robert Lockhart III and DL Joshua Horton. Then there’s Georgia Power 100 QB Prentiss “Air” Noland, a junior. Hughes was the 2021 runner-up to Buford, which moved to Class 7A. Opener: Saturday vs. Spartanburg, S.C. (at Milton)
2. Lee County (11-2)
The Trojans have averaged 12.6 victories over the past five seasons with five region and two state championships (2017, 2018). They lost to eventual champion Buford in the 2021 quarterfinals. Their top players are WR Jevell Fugerson and RB Ousmane Kromah, both Georgia Power 100 picks. Opener: Friday at Warner Robins
3. Rome (8-3)
The Wolves have DL Stephaylin Green and WR/DB Martel Hight, both preseason all-state picks, and TE Martavious Collins, a Georgia Power 100 player. QB Reece Fountain passed for 2,312 yards and 19 touchdowns as a sophomore. Opener: Friday vs. Creekside
4. Roswell (10-3)
The Hornets are down from Class 7A, where they made the 2021 quarterfinals, and out of the highest class for the first time since 1985. DB/WR Ethan Nathan and LB Jayven Hall are preseason all-state players. Opener: Friday vs. Denmark
5. Woodward Academy (11-1)
Jelan Woods (1,294 yards passing, 13 touchdowns) is a Division I prospect who should have a big year. DE A.J. Hoffler, a Clemson commit, is a Georgia Power 100 player. LB Myles Graham, a four-star recruit, transferred from a Florida school. Woodward lost to Blessed Trinity in the second round last season. Opener: Friday at Trinity Christian.
6. Marist (10-2)
The War Eagles have won 10 or more games nine of the past 10 seasons and won Class 4A in 2020, but they are making a two-classification jump. Marist’s best all-around player is probably Luke Harpring, a wide receiver/defensive end. He’s the son of former Marist, Georgia Tech and NBA star Matt Harpring. Opener: Friday vs. Gainesville
7. Northside, Warner Robins (9-4)
Northside reached the quarterfinals last season but was not competitive with elite 6A teams. This year’s team has good linemen (Kyle Mixon, Quinton Lewis, Isiah Harvey) and a four-star DB, Ricardo Jones. Opener: Saturday vs. Jones County (at Mercer)
8. South Paulding (8-3)
The Spartans have only three playoff victories in their history, but they have three Georgia Power 100 players on their roster – QB Kasen Weisman, RB Jamrion Wilcox and OL Madden Sanker. Opener: Friday at Harrison
9. Douglas County (8-4)
The Tigers return their leading passer (Sire Hardaway), leading rusher (LaTrelle Murrelle) and leading receiver (Monte Gooden), a Wake Forest commit (Hilton Alexander), their region’s defensive player of the year (Shakai Woods) and a Georgia Tech-committed defensive end (Zachariah Keith). Opener: Saturday vs. Lithia Springs
10. Blessed Trinity (9-5)
The Titans try to reach the quarterfinals for the 10th consecutive season, but the challenge of Class 6A (up one from 2021) and replacing RB Justice Haynes will be difficult. LB Mavrick Torrico was a region defensive player of the year as a junior. Opener: Friday at Calhoun
Class 5A
1. Warner Robins (14-1)
AJC Super 11 defensive tackle Vic Burley, who is committed to Alabama, and three-time 1,000-yard rusher Malcolm Brown lead the Demons’ quest for a third straight state title. Opener: Friday vs. Lee County
2. Creekside (11-3)
The Seminoles lead 5A with four preseason all-state players (OL Caleb Holmes, LB Javeon Miller, DB Roderick McCrary, DB Daiquan White). They lost to Warner Robins in the 2021 semifinals. Opener: Friday at Rome
3. Cartersville (11-1)
The Purple Hurricanes have lost only 10 games over the past 10 seasons and were knocked out of the 2020 and 2021 playoffs by eventual champion Warner Robins. First-team all-region RB Malachi Jeffries should prosper behind a talented offensive line led by preseason all-state Johnathan Cline. Opener: Friday at Cherokee
4. Calhoun (12-3)
Running back Caden Williams rushed for 1,431 yards as a sophomore for the 2021 runner-up. Opener: Friday vs. Blessed Trinity
5. Jones County (10-3)
The Greyhounds, winners of three straight region titles, now share a region with Warner Robins. RB Javious Bond and WR Zion Ragins are Georgia Power 100 players, but the ’Hounds will miss 3,000-yard passer John Alan Richter. Opener: Saturday vs. Northside-Warner Robins (at Mercer)
6. Jefferson (9-2)
Jefferson spent 10 weeks at No. 1 last season before injuries to five-star prospects Malaki Starks (now at Georgia) and Sammy Brown stalled the Dragons’ momentum. Brown, a linebacker /running back, is back. Jefferson has a new coach, Travis Noland, hired from Oconee County. Opener: Friday at Alpharetta
7. Ware County (9-2)
The Gators were the only team to beat Warner Robins last season and won a region title by doing so, but four-year starting QB Thomas Castellanos is now at Central Florida. DL Demetrius Baldwin and LB Trey Hargrove are all-state quality. Opener: Friday at Appling County
8. Clarke Central (10-3)
The Gladiators, starring preseason all-state DL Jailen Howard and DB Malachi McNeill, are the defending Region 8 champions. QB Lucian Anderson III had 20 scholarship offers, one from Yale. Opener: Thursday vs. Cedar Shoals
9. Coffee (8-3)
The Robbie Pruitt coaching era is complete (2012-21) after the coach returned to his native Florida, replaced by Mike Coe, who led Madison County of Florida to four titles in the past five seasons. The team’s five leading tacklers graduated, so there’s some rebuilding in store. Opener: Friday at Tift County
10. Cambridge (9-2)
The Bears return eight defensive starters, leading rusher Christian Isibor and receiver Will Taylor. They must replace QB Zach Harris, who passed for 2,708 yards. Cambridge is down from 6A, where the team advanced a playoff round each of the past two seasons. Opener: Friday vs. Creekview
Class 4A
1. Benedictine (13-2)
The defending champions are out for their fourth state title in 10 seasons. QB Holden Geriner is off to Auburn but replaced by QB Luke Kromenhoek, who is committed to Florida. WR/CB Za’Quan Bryan and LB Cole Semien are preseason all-state. Opener: Friday vs. Jenkins (at Savannah Memorial)
2. North Oconee (10-4)
ATH Khalil Barnes, the 2021 Region 8 player of the year, joins DB Jack Fabris as preseason Georgia Power 100 players returning from the team that lost to Benedictine 42-32 in the 2021 semifinals. TE/HB K.J. Moon and DL Cole Davidson are also returning all-region players. Opener: Friday at Oconee County
3. Cedartown (11-2)
The Bulldogs return 1,000-yard rusher Harlem Diamond, region co-defensive player of the year Eli Barrow, a linebacker, and preseason all-state OL Peyton Nikopoulus. Cedartown lost to Carver of Columbus 22-21 in the 2021 quarterfinals. Opener: Friday at Rockmart
4. Perry (11-2)
QB Armar Gordon, who passed for 2,990 yards and 32 touchdowns in 2021, is a preseason all-state choice along with DB Cam Marshall. Four of the seven leading tacklers in 2021 were sophomores. So was WR Dakarai Anderson, who has a Texas A&M offer. Opener: Aug. 26 at Houston County
5. Trinity Christian (14-0)
The Lions won Class A Private last season and will play three classes higher this season without star QB David Dallas and several other key parts. Top players this season include DB/WR Aaron Gates (committed to Florida), DE Ethan McDowell (Miami of Ohio) and LB Ryan Earl (Furman). Opener: Friday vs. Woodward Academy
6. Whitewater (11-2)
LB Raul “Popo” Aguirre (committed to Miami) and DL Stephen Johnson (Arkansas) might be the best pair of defenders in the classification. The Wildcats are down from 5A, where they lost to Creekside 20-13 in the quarterfinals. Opener: Saturday at Northgate
7. Bainbridge (9-4)
JahMarion “Bo” Smith passed for 2,087 yards last season. WR/DB Antavious Murphy is an outstanding two-way player. DB Dontae Broadnax made GACA all-state last season. The Bearcats lost to North Oconee 29-24 in the 2021 quarterfinals. Opener: Friday vs. Cedar Grove
8. Troup (8-3)
LB Qua Birdsong and DB Noah Dixon are top-200 national prospects, and QB Taeo Todd (1,794 yards rushing, 1,127 passing in 15 career games) is a class player-of-the-year candidate if he can stay healthy. All are juniors. Opener: Friday at Harris County
9. Holy Innocents’ (11-2)
DL Jacobi Murray and WR Zach Jackson, both juniors, are preseason all-state picks from a team moving up from Class A Private. QB William Wright is another of seven first-team all-region players who return. Opener: Saturday vs. Pace Academy
10. Starr’s Mill (8-4)
The Panthers are down in classification from 5A, where they won five region titles over the past six seasons. Players to watch are RB Greigh Joseph (committed to Army) and TE Josh Phifer (Liberty). Opener: Saturday vs. East Coweta
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has released its 2022 Super 11. With four players from Gwinnett County and nine from metro Atlanta, this year’s AJC Super 11 team is closer to “big city” than “small town.” This year’s picks include:
C.J. Allen, Lamar County
Keyjuan Brown, South Atlanta
Vic Burley, Warner Robins
Caleb Downs, Mill Creek
Justice Haynes, Buford
Bo Hughley, Hughes
Kayin Lee, Cedar Grove
Connor Lew, Kennesaw Mountain
Dylan Lonergan, Brookwood
Kayden McDonald, North Gwinnett
Malachi Singleton, North Cobb
It’s cyclical in Georgia. In 2021, three Super 11 players were from South Georgia, three from Northeast Georgia and none within 30 miles of downtown Atlanta.
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NEW YORK (AP) — Dollar General faces nearly $1.3 million in penalties after government inspectors visited three of the chain’s stores in Georgia earlier this year and found worker-safety violations, federal regulators said Monday.
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration said its inspectors found obstructed exit routes, boxes of merchandise stacked unsafely and electrical panels that were hard to access. It said those were “violations often cited at Dollar General locations.”
Since 2017, OSHA has proposed more than $6.5 million in penalties after 78 inspections at Dollar General locations nationwide, including more than $450,000 in penalties as a result of three inspections in Georgia.
The agency said its inspectors frequently find unsafe conditions that put workers at risk and that could lead to disaster for employees and customers in an emergency.
“Dollar General continues to demonstrate a willful pattern of ignoring hazardous working conditions and a disregard for the well-being of its employees,” said Doug Parker, OSHA’s assistant secretary of occupational safety and health. “Despite similar citations and sizable penalties in more than 70 inspections, the company refuses to change its business practices.”
In response, Dollar General said that following the Georgia inspections, it took immediate action to address issues and reiterated its safety expectations with store teams.
“The safety of our employees and customers is of paramount importance to us, and we will continue to work cooperatively with OSHA,” said the company based in Goodlettsville, Tennessee.
