WASHINGTON (AP) — Jan. 26 marks the official start date of the 2026 tax filing season, when the IRS will begin accepting and processing 2025 tax returns. April 15 is the filing deadline.
Tax experts, including the IRS’ independent watchdog, have warned that this year’s filing season could be hampered by the loss of tens of thousands of tax collection workers who left the agency through planned layoffs and buyouts spurred by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency.
The IRS will also be responsible for implementing major provisions of Republicans’ tax and spending package signed into law last summer. Several provisions in the law retroactively affect the 2025 tax year, likely leading to more questions from taxpayers and requiring the IRS to update tax forms.
“President Trump is committed to the taxpayers of this country and improving upon the successful tax filing season in 2025,” said acting IRS Commissioner Scott Bessent in a news release. “I am confident in our ability to deliver results and drive growth for businesses and consumers alike.”
The IRS expects to receive roughly 164 million individual income tax returns this year, which is on par with what it received last year.
The latest National Taxpayer Advocate report to Congress published in June states that the IRS workforce has fallen from 102,113 workers at the end of the Biden administration to 75,702. The IRS website does not include the latest employment numbers on the agency’s workforce.
IRS employees involved in last year’s tax season were not allowed to accept a buyout offer from the Trump administration until after the taxpayer filing deadline of April 15, 2025.
“With the IRS workforce reduced by 26% and significant tax law changes on the horizon, there are risks to next year’s filing season,” said Erin M. Collins, who leads the organization assigned to protect taxpayers’ rights.
The Cleveland City Council issued a proclamation at its meeting Jan. 5, 2025, announcing the formation of the Cleveland Celebrates America 250 Committee. (livestream image)
CLEVELAND, Ga. — Cleveland is gearing up for a milestone moment as plans begin for the nation’s 250th birthday.
City Council approved an America 250 Proclamation on Monday, and Mayor Josh Turner announced the creation of the Cleveland Celebrates America 250 Committee, which will lead local planning for the historic anniversary.
“This once-in-a-generation celebration provides an opportunity for our community to reflect on America’s history, honor the sacrifices of those who came before us, and inspire civic pride, unity, and engagement for future generations,” Turner said.
The committee will be chaired by Cleveland First Lady Lacy Turner. Councilmembers Nan Bowen and Annie Sutton will serve as co-chairs, along with Ansley McClure and Haley McDonald.
(Source: City of Cleveland, Georgia)
Several city officials will provide administrative support. City Manager Kevin Harris will serve as the committee’s administrative director and point of contact. City Clerk Lisa Ritchie will act as secretary and official record keeper, and Finance Director John Solmon will serve as treasurer.
Mayor Turner said the committee was intentionally formed to reflect the full scope of the Cleveland and White County community. Members include city and county officials, public safety leaders, educators, historical experts, business and civic leaders, faith leaders from every church within the city limits, university representatives, and local residents.
Additional community members may be added as needed by the Cleveland US250 Committee.
Community participation is encouraged. Residents, students, businesses, churches, civic groups, and organizations can get involved by volunteering, sponsoring events, serving on subcommittees, or sharing ideas and resources.
“America 250 is not just a celebration of the past—it is an opportunity to come together as a community to reflect, learn, serve, and envision our shared future,” Turner said.
The city will share more details about meeting dates, volunteer opportunities, and upcoming events as planning continues through its website and social media channels.
Gainesville High School named Santavious Bryant its new head football coach. (Gainesville High School)
GAINESVILLE, Ga. — Gainesville High School has named Santavious Bryant as its new head football coach, the school announced Thursday, following the departure of Josh Niblett earlier this week.
Bryant’s hire comes two days after Josh Niblett stepped down after leading Gainesville to back-to-back Class 6A state championships in 2022 and 2023 and compiling a 49-7 record over four seasons. Niblett said he resigned to pursue other opportunities outside the program.
Bryant returns to Gainesville after a successful three-season run as head coach at Grayson High School, where he posted a 37-5 record, reached the state quarterfinals three times, advanced to two semifinals and guided the Rams to a 2024 state championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
“We are thrilled to welcome Coach Bryant back to Gainesville,” Athletic Director Adam Lindsey said in a statement. “He understands the standard of excellence at Gainesville, and his growth as a head coach has been impressive. Following Coach Niblett’s departure, we were committed to finding a leader who could sustain our tradition while continuing to develop young men on and off the field.”
Bryant previously served on Gainesville’s staff as defensive passing game coordinator and defensive backs coach during the Red Elephants’ 2022 state championship season.
He said the opportunity to return to Gainesville was a meaningful one.
“Gainesville is a special place,” Bryant said. “This program has a rich tradition, and I’m grateful for the trust shown in me to lead it into the next chapter.”
The hire is pending formal approval by the Gainesville City Schools Board of Education. Bryant will take over a program that has won multiple state titles and remained one of Georgia’s most consistent high school football powers.
Shelley Tullis announced her candidacy for the Habersham County Board of Commissioners. (photo submitted)
HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. — Shelley Tullis has announced her candidacy for the Habersham County Board of Commissioners District 2 seat, which is occupied by incumbent Dustin Mealor.
In a statement announcing her run, Tullis said she is seeking the seat because she believes Habersham County “deserves leadership that listens, plans responsibly, and protects the way of life that makes Habersham County special.”
Tullis is a small business owner and currently serves as manager of the Chattahoochee Mountain Fair. She is chair of the Habersham County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board and also serves as a member of the Mt. Airy Planning and Zoning Board.
Tullis is married to Adam Tullis, who was sworn in Jan. 5 as the newest mayor of Mt. Airy. The couple has been married for 23 years.
Tullis said her priorities include protecting property rights, responsible spending of taxpayer dollars and supporting what she described as controlled, well-planned growth that respects the county’s rural character.
Speaking with Now Habersham on Friday, Tullis said controlled development is the top issue facing the county. She pointed to the county’s recent moratorium on subdivisions as a positive step.
“The county putting the moratorium on subdivisions and things like that is a good idea so they can take the time to look over the ordinance system,” Tullis told Now Habersham.
She said the county’s growth makes careful planning essential, noting that decisions made now will have long-term impacts on families, farms and future generations.
“Habersham County is growing, and with that growth comes important decisions that will impact our families, farms, and future generations,” Tullis said. “I am ready to work hard, collaborate with citizens and fellow leaders, and make thoughtful decisions that preserve our quality of life while preparing for the future.”
Tullis said she hopes to earn the support of voters in District 2 and across Habersham County as the election approaches.
“I would be honored to earn the trust and support of the people of Habersham County,” she said.
HABERSHAM COUNTY, Ga. – A large box truck left the roadway Friday on Ga. Hwy. 105 at Twin River Orchard Road in Habersham County, south of the roundabout with Ga. Hwy. 115.
The wreck occurred near Midway Electric Inc. Photos from the scene show the truck partially off the shoulder, angled down an embankment as recovery crews worked to remove the vehicle.
Traffic has been affected in the area. Drivers traveling north on Ga. Hwy. 105 are being detoured onto Garrett Road south of the roundabout. Deputies with the Habersham County Sheriff’s Office have closed the roundabout exit onto Ga. Hwy. 105 south.
(Daniel Purcell/NowGeorgia.com)A box truck swerved off the road on Ga. Hwy. 105 south of the 115 roundabout in Habersham County. (Daniel Purcell/Now Habersham)
The crash happened on a wet roadway under overcast conditions. It was not immediately clear what caused the wreck or whether other vehicles were involved. The extent of injuries, if any, was not immediately known.
Now Habersham has reached out to the Georgia State Patrol and Habersham County Sheriff’s Office for additional details. This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Indiana defensive lineman Daniel Ndukwe (17) pressures Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (5) during the first half of the Peach Bowl NCAA college football playoff semifinal, Friday, Jan. 9, 2026, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart)
ATLANTA (AP) — Undefeated Indiana’s already impressive march through the College Football Playoff gained momentum as its dominant defense created three first-half touchdowns with turnovers, Fernando Mendoza threw five scoring passes and the Hoosiers overwhelmed No. 5 Oregon 56-22 in the Peach Bowl semifinal on Friday night.
No. 1 Indiana (15-0, No. 1 CFP) will face No. 10 Miami on Jan. 19 in the national championship game at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens. Miami beat Mississippi 31-27 in the Fiesta Bowl semifinal on Thursday night.
Indiana will try to give the Big Ten its third straight national title, following Ohio State and Michigan the last two seasons. Few teams from any conference can compare with the Hoosiers’ season-long demonstration of balanced strong play.
Led by Mendoza and the defense, Indiana is making a case to be considered among the top teams in history.
Though Miami will be home for the national championship game, Mendoza, the Heisman Trophy winner and Miami native, will enjoy a homecoming following an almost perfect game against Oregon. Mendoza completed 17 of 20 passes and the five touchdowns, including two to Elijah Sarratt and a 36-yarder to Charlie Becker.
Kaelon Black ran for two touchdowns to lead the Indiana running game.
Oregon (13-2, No. 5 CFP) was doomed by the three first-half turnovers while also being short-handed by the absence of two of their top running backs.
The Hoosiers led 35-7 at halftime as the Ducks were held to nine rushing yards on 17 carries. Noah Whittington, who leads Oregon with 829 rushing yards, was held out with an undisclosed injury after Jordon Davison, who had rushed for 667 yards and 15 touchdowns, already was listed as out with a collarbone injury.
Backup running backs, including Jay Harris and Dierre Hill Jr, provided too little help for quarterback Dante Moore. Moore’s task against Indiana’s stifling defense would have been daunting even with all his weapons.
Indiana’s defense didn’t wait long to make an impact. On Oregon’s first snap, cornerback D’Angelo Ponds intercepted Moore’s pass intended for Malik Benson and returned the pick 25 yards for a touchdown. Only 11 seconds into the game, the Hoosiers and their defense already had made a statement this would be a long night for Moore and the Oregon offense.
Moore’s 19-yard scoring pass to tight end Jamari Johnson tied the game. The remainder of the half belonged to Indiana and its big-play defense.
After Mendoza’s 8-yard touchdown pass to Omar Cooper Jr. gave the Hoosiers the lead for good at 14-7, Indiana’s defense forced a turnover when Moore fumbled and Indiana recovered at the Oregon 3, setting up Black’s scoring run.
Moore lost a second fumble later in the second quarter when hit by Daniel Ndukwe and Mario Landino recovered at the Oregon 21. Mendoza’s first scoring pass to Sarratt gave the Hoosiers’ the 35-7 lead.
Indiana extended its lead to 42-7 on Mendoza’s 13-yard scoring pass to E.J. Williams Jr.
Oregon finally answered. A 70-yard run by Hill set up a 2-yard scoring run by Harris.
Indiana’s special teams added a big play in the fourth quarter when Ndukwe’s blocked punt set up Mendoza’s second scoring pass to Sarratt.
Following their undefeated regular season, the Hoosiers have only gained momentum in the CFP. Indiana overwhelmed Alabama 38-3 in the Rose Bowl quarterfinal as Mendoza passed for 192 yards and three touchdowns.
Honorary captains
Philadelphia Phillies slugger Kyle Schwarber was an honorary captain for Indiana and watched the game from the Hoosiers’ sideline. Former Oregon and Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart was the Ducks’ honorary captain.
Season sweep
Indiana completed a sweep of two games against Oregon this season. Defense played a lead role in each win. The Hoosiers took a 30-20 win at Oregon on Oct. 11 when Moore threw two interceptions and was sacked six times.
Indiana also dominates the stands
The game was a sellout and the red-clad Indiana fans were almost as dominant as the Hoosiers on the field. Indiana appeared to claim at least 80% of the 75,604 fans.
The University of Georgia President's House was built in 1857. The home, located at 570 Prince Avenue, served as the official residence of the President of the University of Georgia from 1949 until it was sold in 2023. During that time, seven presidents lived there. (Emma Auer/WUGA News)
“A yes vote is in support of the denial.”
“Yes, is support of denial, yes.” “Five yes, one no. Motion passes.”
The Athens-Clarke County Planning Commission denied the requested rezoning of the UGA President’s House from government to commercial neighborhood. After a preliminary review in September, Capstone Property Group presented a new plan which significantly downsized a proposed hotel on the property.
“We’ve listened to the feedback, and we’re here tonight with a much smaller hotel,” said Lori Bork Newcomer. “It’ll allow the preservation of the President’s home and welcome people into the home for decades to come.”
David Bradley spoke in support of the hotel.
“We just have opportunities in front of us and I’m here to offer support for this project,” Bradley said. “We need this property; we need more rooms in Athens.”
However, the overwhelming number of those filling the room were in opposition, including Jasmine Paul.
“I appreciate staff’s recommendation to deny this proposal,” Paul said.
This article appears on Now Habersham in partnership with WUGA News
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A Minnesota prosecutor on Friday called on the public to share with investigators any recordings and evidence connected to the fatal shooting of Renee Good as a new video emerged showing the final moments of her encounter with an immigration officer.
The Minneapolis killing and a separate shooting in Portland, Oregon, a day later by the Border Patrol have set off protests in multiple cities and denunciations of immigration enforcement tactics by the U.S. government. The Trump administration has defended the officer who shot Good in her car, saying he was protecting himself and fellow agents.
The reaction to the shooting has largely been focused on witness cellphone video of the encounter. A new, 47-second video that was published online by a Minnesota-based conservative news site, Alpha News, and later reposted on social media by the Department of Homeland Security shows the shooting from the perspective of ICE officer Jonathan Ross, who fired the shots.
Sirens blaring in the background, he approaches and circles Good’s vehicle in the middle of the road while apparently filming on his cellphone. At the same time, Good’s wife also was recording the encounter and can be seen walking around the vehicle and approaching the officer. A series of exchanges occurred:
“That’s fine, I’m not mad at you,” Good says as the officer passes by her door. She has one hand on the steering wheel and the other outside the open driver side window.
“U.S. citizen, former f—ing veteran,” says her wife, standing outside the passenger side of the SUV holding up her phone. “You wanna come at us, you wanna come at us, I say go get yourself some lunch big boy.”
Other officers are approaching the driver’s side of the car at about the same time and one says: “Get out of the car, get out of the f—ing car.” Ross is now at the front driver side of the vehicle. Good reverses briefly, then turns the steering wheel toward the passenger side as she drives ahead and Ross opens fire.
The camera becomes unsteady and points toward the sky and then returns to the street view showing Good’s SUV careening away.
“F—ing b—,” someone at the scene says.
A crashing sound is heard as Good’s vehicle smashes into others parked on the street.
Federal agencies have encouraged officers to document encounters in which people may attempt to interfere with enforcement actions, but policing experts have cautioned that recording on a handheld device can complicate already volatile situations by occupying an officer’s hands and narrowing focus at moments when rapid decision-making is required.
Under an ICE policy directive, officers and agents are expected to activate body-worn cameras at the start of enforcement activities and to record throughout interactions, and footage must be kept for review in serious incidents such as deaths or use-of-force cases. The Department of Homeland Security has not responded to questions about whether the officer who opened fire or any of the others who were on the scene were wearing body cameras.
Homeland Security says video shows self-defense
Vice President JD Vance and Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in posts on X that the new video backs their contention that the officer fired in self-defense.
“Many of you have been told this law enforcement officer wasn’t hit by a car, wasn’t being harassed, and murdered an innocent woman,” Vance said. “The reality is that his life was endangered and he fired in self defense.”
Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey has said any self-defense argument is “garbage.”
Policing experts said the video didn’t change their thoughts on the use-of-force but did raise additional questions about the officer’s training.
“Now that we can see he’s holding a gun in one hand and a cellphone in the other filming, I want to see the officer training that permits that,” said Geoff Alpert, a criminology professor at the University of South Carolina.
The video demonstrates that the officers didn’t perceive Good to be a threat, said John P. Gross, a professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School who has written extensively about officers shooting at moving vehicles.
“If you are an officer who views this woman as a threat, you don’t have one hand on a cellphone. You don’t walk around this supposed weapon, casually filming,” Gross said.
Ross, 43, is an Iraq War veteran who has served in the Border Patrol and ICE for nearly two decades. He was injured last year when he was dragged by a driver fleeing an immigration arrest.
Attempts to reach Ross at phone numbers and email addresses associated with him were not successful.
Prosecutor asks for video and evidence
Meanwhile, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said that although her office has collaborated effectively with the FBI in past cases, she is concerned by the Trump administration’s decision to bar state and local agencies from playing any role in the investigation into Good’s killing.
She also said the officer who shot Good in the head does not have complete legal immunity, as Vance declared.
“We do have jurisdiction to make this decision with what happened in this case,” Moriarty said at a news conference. “It does not matter that it was a federal law enforcement agent.”
Moriarty said her office would post a link for the public to submit footage of the shooting, even though she acknowledged that she wasn’t sure what legal outcome submissions might produce.
Good’s wife, Becca Good, released a statement to Minnesota Public Radio on Friday saying, “kindness radiated out of her.”
“On Wednesday, January 7th, we stopped to support our neighbors. We had whistles. They had guns,” Becca Good said.
“I am now left to raise our son and to continue teaching him, as Renee believed, that there are people building a better world for him,” she wrote.
The reaction to Good’s shooting was immediate in the city where police killed George Floyd in 2020, with hundreds of protesters converging on the shooting scene and the school district canceling classes for the rest of the week as a precaution and offering an online option through Feb. 12.
On Friday, protesters were outside a federal facility serving as a hub for the immigration crackdown that began Tuesday in Minneapolis and St. Paul. That evening, hundreds protested and marched outside two hotels in downtown Minneapolis where immigration enforcement agents were supposed to be staying. Some people were seen breaking or spray painting windows and state law enforcement officers wearing helmets and holding batons ordered the remaining group of fewer than 100 people to leave late Friday.
Shooting in Portland
The Portland shooting happened outside a hospital Thursday. A federal border officer shot and wounded a man and woman in a vehicle, identified by the Department of Homeland Security as Venezuela nationals Luis David Nico Moncada and Yorlenys Betzabeth Zambrano-Contreras. Police said they were in stable condition Friday after surgery, with DHS saying Nico Moncada was taken into FBI custody
DHS defended the actions of its officers in Portland, saying the shooting occurred after the driver with alleged gang ties tried to “weaponize” his vehicle to hit them. It said no officers were injured.
Portland Police Chief Bob Day confirmed that the two people shot had “some nexus” to Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang. Day said they came to the attention of police during an investigation of a July shooting believed to have been carried out by gang members, but they were not identified as suspects.
The chief said any gang affiliation did not necessarily justify the shooting by U.S. Border Patrol. The Oregon Department of Justice said it would investigate.
On Friday evening, hundreds of protesters marched to the ICE building in Portland.
The biggest crackdown yet
The Minneapolis shooting happened on the second day of the immigration crackdown in the Twin Cities, which Homeland Security said is the biggest immigration enforcement operation ever. More than 2,000 officers are taking part and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said they have made more than 1,500 arrests.
The government is also shifting immigration officers to Minneapolis from sweeps in Louisiana, according to documents obtained by The Associated Press. This represents a pivot, as the Louisiana crackdown that began in December had been expected to last into February.
Good’s death — at least the fifth tied to immigration sweeps since President Donald Trump took office — has resonated far beyond Minneapolis. More protests are planned for this weekend, according to Indivisible, a group formed to resist the Trump administration.
By Rebecca Santana, Tim Sullivan and Giovanna Dell’orto
Local democratic lawmakers held a town hall meeting discussing everything from mental healthcare to education and school camera citations. It was the last listening session before the general assembly convenes Monday January 13, 2026.
State Representative Debbie Buckner said one word sums up what she’s hearing from her constituents: affordability. “Most of the people that I’m talking to on the streets are talking about the price of things and whether they can afford things and what the economy might do and what’s happening. They’re concerned about just everyday expenses. They’re worried about will groceries go up, will gas go up, those kinds of things so I think we need to look at how we can help them out as best we can to keep things affordable and take care of our working families that are out there trying real hard to make all the ends meet.”
Representative Teddy Reese echoed those sentiments saying “I think about hungry people in our community today, I think about us threatening to hold back SNAP. I think about our seniors struggling to pay their prescription bill or pay their light bill and we just shouldn’t be in these positions and then there are those that act like they don’t see the challenges and that’s the part that bothers me the most.”
Reese was quick to note his history of working across the aisle to get things done in Atlanta. “I want to be absolutely clear; I work with some amazing people on both sides of the aisle because I’ve taken time to get to know them and we’ve built relationships. About 95% of the stuff that we pass in Atlanta passes unanimously except for one or two people that are always gonna vote no on everything.”
State Senator Ed Harbison told NowGeorgia.com “In Columbus like probably elsewhere in the state I hear things about people what they feel in the atmosphere, is there ease, are people happy but I feel there’s a concern about crime, there’s a concern about property taxes, there’s a concern about the things we’re dealing with now income tax and those kinds of things. It’s incumbent upon us to try to figure out a way to put their concerns into action as best we can.”
Representative Carolyn Hugley said she is drafting a bill after hearing from citizens opposed to appointing people to fill vacancies on city council and the school board. “Citizens said they were left out of the process,” she said of the most recent appointments on city council. The proposed legislation would require a special election to fill a vacant seat on the city council and school board.
Justin Roberts (Opelika Police Department)/NowGeorgia.com
On January 9, 2026, Opelika Police Officers were involved in a vehicle pursuit stemming from a domestic dispute and welfare check. Around 12:20 p.m. CST, officers responded to a domestic violence call on Andrews Road, where a mother expressed concern for the safety of her child after she was assaulted by the child’s father.
The father, identified as 39-year-old Justin Scott Roberts, had taken the child and fled in his vehicle. Officers located the black Nissan Titan truck in the area and attempted a traffic stop. Roberts refused to stop, leading officers on a pursuit through Opelika.
Roberts was wanted for felony assault on a police officer, stemming from a previous incident, and due to the presence of a juvenile in the vehicle and concerns for their immediate safety, officers continued the pursuit onto I-85 North. The pursuit continued across the state line into Georgia, at which time Opelika Police Officers discontinued their pursuit, and Alabama and Georgia law enforcement agencies continued the pursuit along I-85 North.
Just after 1:20 p.m. CST (2:20 p.m. EST), deputies with the Georgia State Troopers successfully executed a PIT maneuver to stop the vehicle. Before law enforcement could approach the driver, he died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. Deputies were able to safely remove the child from the vehicle. The child appears unharmed but is being evaluated as a precaution.
The Opelika Police Department would like to thank the Georgia State Patrol, Troup County Sheriff’s Office, Chambers County Sheriff’s Office and surrounding agencies for their assistance in safely recovering the child.
Carmen Ramirez, mother of murder victim Minelys Rodriguez is seen here with her daughter's fiancé, Julio Tovor, shortly after Minelys' 2024 murder. (Nora Almazan/NowHabersham.com)
Fourteen months after her murder, Mimi Ramirez’s last note to her mother, Carmen Rodriguez, remains scrawled on a whiteboard by the door of the comfortable Rodriguez home in Cornelia.
“Te Amo Mami,” the sign by her door reads, with a heart dotting the final ‘i’. Or in English: “I love you, Mommy.”
Carmen, who is 58, sat and spoke lovingly of her daughter last month in Cornelia and said she continues to exercise patience, while grieving, as the wheels of justice slowly turn.
At her home in Cornelia, Carmen Rodriguez displays the last message her daughter ever left for her. (Joshua M. Peck/Now Habersham)
Minelys “Mimi” Zoe Rodriguez-Ramirez, who in 2024 was a popular TikTok influencer—her videos are still online—and was living with her fiancé just outside Clarkesville. She was murdered with multiple gunshots to her face on October 22nd. She had just left the Walmart store in Cornelia; her body was found two days later in a wooded area off nearby Furniture Drive.
The night she vanished
Carmen had previously told Now Habersham that Mimi said she was going out that Tuesday night to sell someone a photo. She texted her fiancé that evening from Walmart, and according to her mother, she was on the phone with her fiancé, telling him that she had just spotted Angel de Jesus Rivera-Sanchez, whom she previously knew as the friend of a former boyfriend. She was apparently unafraid of him and stopped to talk. But that was the last communication with Mimi that anyone knows of. Her mother reported her missing the following day.
On Monday, October 28, 2024, Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents arrested Rivera-Sanchez, then 24, in Atlanta, on charges of kidnapping related to the disappearance of Mimi, then 25. He was reportedly attempting to leave the country. The GBI found Mimi’s body the following day, and the suspect was then charged with murder as well. He has been held at the Habersham County Detention Center ever since.
Carmen said the GBI investigators have told her they have surveillance video, to be used as evidence, of the victim and her alleged murderer conversing, but none of the murder itself. “That was hidden,” she said, “over by Furniture Drive, just past Little Caesars (pizza parlor).
“I’m not allowed to see the video,” because the investigation is ongoing, Carmen said, “but they said they’ll give me everything after the trial.”
In late December, Carmen discussed the devastating impact of her daughter’s murder on the family, though not everyone in the family is fully aware of what happened.
The daughter doesn’t know
Minelys Rodriguez-Ramirez with her daughter, Jonielys. (David Rodriguez-Ramirez)
Mimi’s own nine-year-old daughter, for example, doesn’t know exactly what became of her mother. “We told her (Mimi) got sick and God took her,” Carmen says. For the first little while, they protected Carmen’s aged parents as well, though now the couple, who live in Puerto Rico, are aware of what happened. Carmen’s granddaughter has been living in Puerto Rico with her own father—a former boyfriend of Mimi—since her mother was killed.
Carmen says her own mental well-being has been fragile. She sees a counselor regularly and receives medication to help her with sleep and anxiety issues.
“I’ve always been the heart woman” in the extended family, she said. “I’m the person that everybody in the family goes to when they need help; then something happened to me.”
She relies heavily on the love and support of her remaining five children–Mimi was the baby of the family. Carmen is a widow; her husband died suddenly of a brain aneurysm several years ago.
Allegations of organized crime
Carmen spoke in detail about rumors circulating in the community that there was some organized crime connection to the murder. She says the GBI told her the murder bore the signature of a “Mexican Mafia” murder. The signs: An identifying tattoo on the accused, and more to the point, the specifics of the murder scene. Though there was no indication of sexual assault, her daughter’s underwear was removed and found hanging on a nearby tree, with the body lying next to the tree, Carmen said. She said the GBI characterized this gruesome sign as a characteristic of certain Mexico-based gangs, of which Rivera-Sanchez is allegedly a member.
However, in the same interview, Carmen said she believes Rivera-Sanchez allegedly killed her daughter primarily because he was interested in her romantically, and she rejected him.
Carmen said the GBI has been very forthcoming with her and told her about Rivera-Sanchez’s statements to law enforcement immediately after his arrest.
The suspect’s three stories
A deputy escorts murder suspect Angel DeJesus Rivera Sanchez into the magistrate courtroom in Clarkesville on Dec. 18, 2024. (Nora Almazan/NowHabersham.com)
The GBI told Carmen that Rivera-Sanchez told multiple, somewhat contradictory stories about Mimi’s death:
He saw who killed Mimi, but it wasn’t him;
The killers seized both Rivera-Sanchez and Mimi, drove them away, then murdered her and released him;
That he, Rivera-Sanchez, was the shooter, but he did so because he saw she was suffering, and he wanted her suffering to end.
Carmen said the GBI told her that Rivera-Sanchez initially declined an offer to speak with a lawyer and offered the three versions of his involvement without a lawyer present. He was subsequently able to lead the investigators to the site of the body, when he concluded, pointing at least to his presence at the crime scene, Carmen said.
The pain has not abated, but anger has
Carmen said she remains in perpetual pain, but that she is no longer angry with the defendant.
“I’m the type of person who can’t be angry, even (with) what he did,” she said. “I leave things in God’s hands.”
Angel Rivera-Sanchez is charged with the death of 25-year-old Minelys Rodriguez-Ramirez (Habersham County Sheriff’s Office)
She added that she feels bad for Rivera-Sanchez’s family, as well as her own. “Sometimes I think that he destroyed my family, but he also destroyed his family,” she said. The one time Rivera-Sanchez was in court in person, for his arraignment, Carmen attended as well. She said, “I just looked at him….’Let me know why you [allegedly] did it,’” she thought.
Stumping for the President
In addition to her personal ideas, Rodriguez’s political ideas have also been affected by her awful experience. President Trump’s campaign learned of her plight and invited her to appear by Trump’s side in front of thousands at a Macon rally on November 3, 2024, two days before Trump’s re-election. She strongly endorsed the President as he stood by her side, and she told the boisterous crowd that he would protect Americans like her and her daughter.
In December, she further reflected, “I just think that…we can’t live with illegal immigrants, because they’re killing our children. “The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office has not answered phone calls inquiring about the defendant’s immigration status.
In Puerto Rico, Carmen could only vote in Territorial elections, but she has been able to vote in general elections in the years since she arrived on the U.S. mainland. She said she’s never missed one.
The ‘Good Immigrants’ should stay
She does take exception to the president’s policy of deporting hardworking, honest immigrants from Latin America and elsewhere. “I’m ok with (deporting) the illegal people, the bad people,” she said. “But right now they’re taking everyone…I’m disappointed with him on that…sending away hard workers” who work with produce and poultry—as she herself does on her Cornelia farm, raising 19,000 chickens at a time as a contractor with the Fieldale Corp. “The workers work hard and they support us.”
The long delay before trial
Habersham County Chief Magistrate Judge Tricia Hise presides over the probable cause hearing for Angel Rivera Sanchez on Dec. 18, 2024. (Nora Almazan/NowHabersham.com)
Finally, Carmen commented on what might seem an inordinate delay between the defendant’s arrest and his trial, currently scheduled to begin late in the spring; Rivera-Sanchez is not due in court until May 28th. She said the GBI told her there were two main reasons: there are more than 5,000 pages of evidence, she said—she doesn’t know exactly what’s in them—and he has changed attorneys twice. He initially hired a private attorney, but the Mountain Circuit Public Defender now has the case. Her understanding is that his family couldn’t afford the private legal fees, which can run into the tens of thousands of dollars, or more, in a murder defense.
Kimberly A. Williams, a spokesperson for the GBI. declined to comment when asked about Rodriguez’s comments for this story, as did Mountain Judicial Circuit District Attorney George Christian. A receptionist at the office of Rivera-Sanchez’s Public Defender defense attorney, Jeanne C. Tiger, said Tiger also could not comment.
As reported previously, Tiger has filed court motions to suppress statements Rivera-Sanchez may have made to the GBI, and also to rule out use of items as evidence taken under a search warrant from his home
A previous version of this article said the victim was pregnant when she was murdered; in fact, she had miscarried in June 2024, four months earlier. We regret the error.
Shirlee Maney Williams, age 82, of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away on Tuesday, January 6, 2026.
Mrs. Williams was born on December 31, 1943, in Habersham County, Georgia to the late Jewell P. Maney, Sr. and Laura Lucille Nix Maney. In addition to her parents, Shirlee was preceded in death by her brothers, Jewell P. Maney, Jr., and Bobby J. Maney. Shirlee was a devoted woman of faith and a member of The Torch in Demorest, where she especially loved attending her Bible Study Class. Shirlee retired from Ethicon – Johnson & Johnson after 28 years of dedicated service. While she took pride in her career, her greatest joy and focus in life was her family. She was a loving and devoted wife, mother, grandmother, and caregiver to those she held dear. Shirlee poured her heart into caring for her husband, children, grandchildren, and nieces and nephews, always placing their needs above her own. All the kids affectionately knew her as “Nana,” a title she wore with pride and love.
Survivors include her loving husband 64 years, Jarrell W. Williams, of Cornelia; son and daughter-in-law, Jeff and Karen Williams, of Clarkesville; daughter and son-in-law, Jackie and Dennis Buchanan, of Turlock, CA; grandchildren, Clint Ballew and his wife, Brandy; Madysen Socaciu and her husband, Matthew; Macey Burns and her husband, Ty; sister, Sue King, of Cornelia; brothers, Leonard Maney and his wife, Jeanette, of Baldwin; and Larry Maney and his wife, Jane of Homer; nephews and nieces and their spouses, Amanda Cash and Zach, Alisha Landers and Chris, Michael Maney and Kelly, Tyler Maney and Tasha, Karen McGill and Shawn.
A Private Family Memorial Service will be held at her son’s home.
Arrangements have been entrusted to the Whitfield Funeral Homes & Crematory, South Chapel at 1370 Industrial Boulevard, Baldwin, Georgia 30511. Telephone: 706-778-7123.
