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Arrest made in string of auto thefts, burglaries in Clarkesville

By
Joy Purcell
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Clarkesville police have arrested a suspect in the recent rash of auto thefts and burglaries on the city’s south side. Police took Coty Hardman into custody Friday after executing search warrants at a home just outside city limits.

Clarkesville Police Chief Brad Barrett says law enforcement located Hardman at the residence by tracking a stolen phone he was using.

“The owner had the ‘Find My Phone’ app on it and we used GPS to locate it,” Barrett says. “He [Hardman] was using the phone to text about some of the criminal acitivy that had taken place.”

That criminal activity allegedly includes a burglary and two auto break-ins that happened Thursday night, September 8. Police say Hardman forced his way into the dental office of Dr. James Farmer and stole a laptop and muzzleloader rifle. He also allegedly stole tools and equipment from a work van at Aire Serv Heating and Air. Barrett says Hardman left behind some of those tools when he broke into another vehicle in the parking lot at the Clarkesville Post Office.

One thing that set Thursday’s crime spree apart was that the perpetrator forced their way into the dental office. In previous burglaries, there was no forced entry.

Thousands of dollars in stolen items

Since mid-August, five vehicles have been stolen, approximately nine vehicles have been broken into, and at least three businesses in Clarkesville have been burglarized. The crimes have been centered along a two-mile stretch between Ingles grocery on East Louise Street and Robertson Loop Road.

“I can’t link him [Hardman] to all of what we’ve had, but he’s definitely a suspect in them,” says Chief Barrett. He adds, the value of what’s been stolen over the past several weeks reaches “well into the thousands of dollars.”

Information obtained by police indicates Hardman may have tried to sell the stolen items to random individuals. Beyond that, Chief Barrett says, there’s no “rhyme or reason” to the crimes. “He left behind a lot of valuable articles.”

Continued caution

Police have had their eye on Hardman for a while based on evidence and tips they received from the public. New information in the case indicates he may have had an accomplice.

“It’s still under investigation, but we have reason to believe there may be another suspect,” Barrett says. It is that person who police now believe may be the man seen in surveillance images the police department publicly distributed back in August.

Surveillance images of a possible suspect in the recent rash of auto-thefts, break-ins and burglaries in Clarkesville. (photos from Clarkesville Police Dept.)

Police have charged Hardman with burglary, entering auto, and two counts of theft by taking. They expect to file more charges against him as the investigation develops.

While word of an arrest is welcome news, Barrett urges the public not to let down their guard.

“I would still urge the public to use extreme caution and continue to keep things locked. Even though we’re a small community and don’t have the crime rate of a big metropolitan city, crime still exists,” says Barrett. “It makes our job easier when the public uses a common sense approach of keeping valuables out of sight and keeping vehicles and doors locked.”

High number of rural Georgians call in to new 988 suicide prevention phone line

By
Jill Nolin
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The 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline – previously known as the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – is a national network of more than 200 crisis centers that helps thousands of people overcome crisis situations everyday. (image courtesy Dept. Health and Human Services)

(GA Recorder) — The mid-July launch of a new three-digit national suicide prevention phone line has driven an increase in call volume in Georgia, with a disproportionate number of callers dialing in from rural counties.

The number of rural Georgians reaching out for help is not too surprising, says Judy Fitzgerald, commissioner of the state Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities. Suicide rates in rural Georgia climbed during the pandemic even as overall rates declined, resulting in special efforts to promote 988 to the state’s agricultural communities.

“We already had a preview that something was happening there,” Fitzgerald said in an interview Thursday.

“The second thing, I think it’s a fair concept if stigma is high in a particular area – and we think in rural communities, it is higher; everybody knows everybody. So, if you’ve got a way to dial anonymously and not be known, maybe that’s a factor in rural settings,” she said.

Do you need help?
Call or text 988 or 1-800-715-4225 to reach someone at the Georgia Crisis and Access Line. You can also download the MyGCAL app.

Nearly two months after 988’s launch, it’s still too early to draw many conclusions from the early call data about what additional resources may be needed to ramp up state services to meet demand, Fitzgerald said. But that could come later this year ahead of the 2023 legislative session, which starts in January.

The state agency is projected to need an additional $283 million annually, as well as about $150 million for one-time construction costs for projects like additional and modernized crisis units around the state.

A spokesman for the governor’s office said Thursday it was also too early in the budgeting process to comment on whether 988-related funding might be included in Gov. Brian Kemp’s new spending proposals.

But Fitzgerald’s agency used the national program’s 45-day mark in late August to provide a public update Thursday on how the rollout is going so far and the trendlines that are starting to emerge.

“We do have early evidence that people we know need help who have been traditionally underserved are finding their way to support through this 988 (program),” Fitzgerald said during an hourlong public webinar.

“But I want to be clear, we are very early in the process here. It’s just the beginning of a long journey towards building capacity and walking alongside our fellow Georgians as we respond to the call for behavioral health crisis services,” she said.

Georgia has had its own crisis call center for 15 years and has seen its call volume rise since the pandemic. But 988 could as much as double the number of calls by next year, although the federal government has delayed plans to promote the program to give states more time to prepare.

About 38,000 calls, texts or chat messages were received in the first 45 days with nearly 28% of them from 988. Of the calls, 476 were from people whose state of distress was considered life-threatening, causing the call-takers to involve 911.

Of the calls that required a service for mental health and substance use crisis, the majority resulted in help being sent to the person or care being provided through a community service board or a hospital. About one-third of the calls were resolved over the phone.

About 10% of calls were either from people under the age 18 or someone calling on the behalf of a young person.

South Georgia accounted for a higher prevalence of crisis calls in the first month, with Webster County residents reaching out for help at twice the rate of those living in Fulton County. Dougherty, Baker, Lowndes and Early were other counties with high rates of crisis calls. Only two counties in Georgia – Echols and Quitman – registered no calls. About 10% of callers declined to provide their location.

There was also a higher rate of male callers.

“Some of that might be because men are less likely to reach out in typical outpatient services and may be more inclined to reach out to an anonymous hotline,” said Dawn Peel, director of DHBDD’s office of crisis coordination.

Athens police arrest 5 alleged street gang members after shooting

By
Staff Report
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(NowGeorgia.com)

A shooting in late August has led to the arrests of five people in Athens on gang-related charges, police say.

The Athens-Clarke County Police Department launched an investigation after a 17-year-old male was shot in the 300 block of Clayton Street on August 25. They took another 17-year-old into custody that night on various firearms-related charges. On Friday, the police department announced the following arrests in connection to the investigation:

  • Miquan Pittard, 23, of Athens, has been arrested and charged with seven counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; two counts of aggravated assault; robbery; and possession of marijuana with intent to distribute. additionally, Pittard was charged with felony probation violation.
  • Antonio Thomas, 23, of Monroe, has been arrested and charged with three counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; two counts of aggravated assault; and robbery.
  • Jyterious Turner, 25, of Athens, has been arrested and charged with five counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; two counts of aggravated assault; robbery; possession of a schedule ii substance with intent to distribute; and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.
  • Raekwon Smith, 23, of Colbert, has been arrested and charged with three counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; two counts of aggravated assault; and robbery.
  • Jaylan Martin, 17, of Athens, has been arrested and charged with four counts of violation of the Street Gang Terrorism and Prevention Act; two counts of aggravated assault; robbery; and possession of a firearm during the commission of a felony.

Police say during the course of their investigation, numerous firearms have been seized. The investigation remains ongoing and additional arrests are expected.

Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact ACCPD at 762-400-7117 or via email at [email protected].

GOP balks at White House request for billions for public health, natural disasters, Ukraine

By
Jennifer Shutt
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The U.S. Capitol. Credit: (Samuel Corum/Getty Images)

WASHINGTON (GA Recorder) — Republicans in Congress are lukewarm about providing $47 billion in new emergency spending for the ongoing Ukrainian war against Russia’s invasion, COVID-19 and monkeypox public health campaigns, and to help states recover from natural disasters.

GOP senators, who have returned to Washington after Congress’ summer break, aren’t so sure the Biden administration’s request really is needed and are pushing the White House for more details on how the administration would distribute the money. Republicans also want to know exactly where previous funding for Ukraine, COVID-19 and natural disaster recovery has gone.

“The problem is they want to keep spending more money and throw more gasoline on the inflation fire,” Texas Sen. John Cornyn said of the $6.5 billion natural disaster request. “I think that’s a bad idea.”

The White House asked that the money be included in a short-term funding bill that Congress must clear by Sept. 30 to keep the government open, one of the few must-do pieces of legislation expected to be passed before the midterm election.

While Democrats control both chambers of Congress, most legislation cannot advance through the Senate without at least 10 Republicans voting to move past the legislative filibuster. And spending bills are traditionally negotiated in a broadly bipartisan way, making minority party buy-in essential.

Cornyn said instead of providing new deficit spending on natural disasters, he’d instead like to see Congress clear a bill he co-sponsored with California Democratic Sen. Alex Padilla that would allow local, state and tribal governments to use unspent COVID-19 funds for natural disaster recovery, or infrastructure projects.

The legislation passed the U.S. Senate unanimously last October, but has not been taken up in the U.S. House, where a bipartisan group of 158 lawmakers support an identical bill that was introduced about a week after the Senate vote.

The Biden administration last week requested lawmakers approve the $47 billion tranche of emergency spending for four areas when they pass a government funding bill later this month, saying the funding is essential.

The supplemental funding request proposed Congress provide $22.4 billion for the ongoing COVID-19 response within the United States and abroad, $13.7 billion for Ukraine’s war effort, $6.5 billion to help communities throughout the country recover and rebuild following natural disasters, and $4.5 billion to try to get the monkeypox outbreak under control.

At the moment, Republicans seem inclined to agree to provide some funding for Ukraine and possibly natural disaster response but have rebuffed spending on COVID-19 and monkeypox.

Doubt about health funding

Senate GOP Whip John Thune of South Dakota said this week he doesn’t think it’s “necessary” for Congress to provide the White House’s $22.4 billion COVID-19 funding request, which it originally submitted in March, or its $4.5 billion monkeypox funding request.

“I just think both of those categories are areas where we believe there’s still sufficient money within the authorities that the administration already has,” Thune said.

Missouri Sen. Roy Blunt, the top Republican on the panel that funds public health programs, said he expects natural disaster response will likely get some funding, though he’s skeptical of the COVID-19 and monkeypox request.

“I think they’re asking for too much money without enough information as to how they’re going to use it,” Blunt said of the coronavirus and monkeypox requests.

If the Biden administration had requested something lower, perhaps $1 billion for monkeypox, Blunt said the White House could have “come up with a logical, reasonable sounding plan of what they’re going to do with that billion dollars.”

“It’s really pretty hard to spend $4 billion on one disease with a relatively small number of vaccines available,” Blunt said of the monkeypox request.

On the Ukraine funding request, Blunt said he expects the GOP will back some new spending, though he cautioned they’ll need more information from the White House first.

“I don’t think Ukraine would be the big problem. But showing that Ukraine really has already had all the money we’ve allocated spent on them might be something the administration has to show. And I’m not sure they can,” he said.

Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, the top Republican on the Senate Appropriations Committee, is also skeptical about more Ukraine funding, saying Thursday he wasn’t sure Congress needed to provide more for its resistance to Russia.

“I don’t know. We need to look at that real closely. If they need it, we need to do it,” Shelby said. “But do they need it this soon? I don’t know.”

Demorest woman charged in shooting outside United Community Bank

By
Joy Purcell
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The woman who fired a gun outside the United Community Bank in Cornelia last week has been charged with reckless conduct, online jail records show. Mary Leigh Sheriff-Welborn of Demorest was arrested and released from the Habersham County Detention Center on Friday. The charge against her is a misdemeanor.

Sheriff-Welborn publicly admitted she shot at the tire on her husband’s stolen truck in an attempt to keep the driver from getting away. Police identified the driver as 31-year-old Sterling Strength of Monroe. He ditched the truck about a mile from where the shooting took place on September 3 and was arrested the following day at a house in Banks County.

According to police, Sheriff-Welborn confronted Strength about the stolen vehicle in the bank parking lot at the corner of US 441 and Level Grove Road. When he brandished a firearm, she walked back to her car, retrieved a gun, and shot at the vehicle.

MORE Confrontation over stolen truck leads to shooting

No one was injured in the shooting, but the incident frightened people in the area. Four passengers inside the truck fled before the shooting. When shots rang out, customers inside the bank say employees moved them into the vault for safety.

Banks County deputies arrested Strength the next day at a residence on Bellamy Road in Homer where he had previously stayed. The resident told deputies she knew police were looking for him and that he threatened to burn down her house if she didn’t give him a ride.

Deputies charged him with theft by receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon or felony first offender. It appears no charges have yet been filed against him in Habersham.

Cornelia Police Chief Jonathan Roberts has scheduled a press conference about the incident on Monday morning, September 12. Now Habersham will update this story when new information becomes available.

Dropped cigarette ignites house fire in Alto

By
Joy Purcell
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Firefighters knock down flames at a double-wide mobile home on Herring Mill Road on Sept. 8, 2022. The homeowner told fire investigators he fell asleep with a lit cigarette. (photo courtesy Red Bird Media)

A south Habersham County home went up in flames Thursday after the homeowner fell asleep with a lit cigarette, officials say.

Lee Arrendale firefighters work with Habersham and Baldwin firefighters to extinguish the flames. (Red Bird Media)

Around 12:10 p.m. on September 8, Habersham County E911 dispatched firefighters to Windcrest Drive in response to a 911 call. The caller reported a house and power lines were on fire. Firefighters arrived eight minutes later to find that the correct address was 638 Herring Mill Road. There, they found a double-wide mobile home nearly 75% involved with fire and two vehicles in the driveway.

“Upon walk around, units found partial wall collapse with fire extending out the roof,” says Habersham County Emergency Services Capt. Matt Ruark.

It took firefighters nearly an hour to knock down the flames. They cleared the scene around 3 p.m. Baldwin and Lee Arrendale Fire Departments assisted with the call.

“The homeowner spoke with the State Fire Marshal officer on scene and stated that he had fallen asleep and dropped a cigarette and was unable to locate it,” Ruark says.

No one was injured in the fire.

 

Rev. Kendall Dale Mann

By
Now Habersham
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Rev. Kendall Dale Mann, age 52, of Clarkesville, took his heavenly flight home to be with the Lord on Friday, September 09, 2022.

Funeral services are scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Monday, September 12, 2022, at Hillside Memorial Chapel in Clarkesville with Rev. Rickey Cureton, Rev. Dennis Wade, & Rev. Gelacio Carapia officiating. Interment will follow in the Union Baptist Church in Sautee-Nacoochee, Georgia.

The family will receive friends at the funeral home from 2:00 p.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Sunday, September 11, 2022.

An online guest registry is available for the Mann family at www.HillsideMemorialChapel.com

A complete obituary notice will be announced soon.

Arrangements are in the care of Hillside Memorial Chapel, Clarkesville, Georgia. (706) 754-6256

Hall County Sheriff: Deputy fired on unarmed suspect thinking he had a gun

By
Joy Purcell
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A Hall County deputy remains on paid administrative leave after shooting an unarmed motorcyclist who fled from a traffic stop earlier this month.

The deputy fired a single shot and struck the biker in the chin. According to Hall County Sheriff Gerald Couch, the deputy fired thinking the suspect was armed. He says at one point during the encounter, “The suspect abruptly turned to face the deputy while rapidly extending his arms. The suspect appeared to have a black object in his hand as he did so.”

It turned out the black object was a motorcycle glove. No weapon was found at the scene.

In a detailed statement about the McEver Road shooting on September 3, his first since the shooting occurred, Sheriff Couch defended his deputy’s actions. “In this incident, the deputy reasonably believed the suspect was armed and had the intent of firing a weapon.”

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is conducting an independent investigation of the shooting. According to state investigators, the deputy, whose name the sheriff’s office has not released, attempted to stop 37-year-old Marshall Anthony Hooper of Buford for speeding. After a short pursuit, Hooper wrecked and tried to leave the scene.

In his statement, Sheriff Couch outlines what happened next.

“The suspect made several furtive actions during the encounter. He first appeared to be manipulating something near his waistband while kneeling by his motorcycle. He then turned his back on the deputy and began walking away from an area lit by the vehicle’s headlights toward a dark, unlit area.”

Couch adds, “Throughout the encounter, he refused to comply with the deputy’s repeated commands to show him his hands.”

When the suspect, later identified as Hooper, allegedly abruptly turned to face him, the deputy fired one round. Deputies rendered aid to Hooper until medical personnel arrived. Hall County EMS transported him to Northeast Georgia Medical Center with non-life-threatening injuries.

Hooper now faces multiple charges including obstruction of an officer, failure to stop at a stop sign, expired tag, speeding, and driving on a suspended or revoked license.

“Traffic stops are one of the most dangerous aspects of law enforcement. This is especially true when the traffic stop occurs at night and the suspect attempts to flee, fails to follow lawful commands, and makes an abrupt motion toward the deputy,” Couch says in his statement.

“In this incident, the deputy reasonably believed the suspect was armed and had the intent of firing a weapon.”

Sheriff Couch adds, “Our deputies do their best to keep both the public and themselves safe. Often, they are placed in difficult and dangerous situations where they must make split-second decisions under extremely tense situations that are uncertain and rapidly evolving, without the benefit of hindsight.”

“Thankfully, the deputy was not injured and the suspect will hopefully make a full recovery.”

Once the GBI investigation is complete it will be turned over to the Hall County District Attorney for review.

Nikki Haley stumps for Kemp, Walker in first of many big-name visits

By
Ross Williams
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From left, First Lady Marty Kemp, Gov. Brian Kemp, and former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley make their order at Atlanta’s Varsity during a campaign stop. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)

(GA Recorder) — Former South Carolina governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley came to Georgia Friday to stump for Republican Gov. Brian Kemp and GOP Senate hopeful Herschel Walker in separate metro Atlanta campaign stops.

The visit from the potential 2024 presidential contender is likely a sign of things to come as big names in national politics test the water in Georgia ahead of the Nov. 8 election.

“I imagine that we are going to have not only Nikki Haley, we’re going to have others,” said Amy Steigerwalt, a political science professor at Georgia State University. “(Former president Donald) Trump supposedly has announced he’s going to come to Georgia, I imagine that either the president or vice president or both will be coming to Georgia, as well as other big names on the Democratic side. I think we’re going to see a lot of that.”

“People should get ready for even more attention and even more ads as we get closer,” she added.

Haley traveled first to the Global Mall in Norcross, where she was joined by Walker and Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr, before heading to Atlanta’s iconic Varsity restaurant for lunch with Kemp.

But it wasn’t just chili dogs and frosted oranges the pair had on their minds. Haley, South Carolina’s first female governor, is hoping to thwart the ambitions of Democrat Stacey Abrams to earn that distinction in Georgia.

“It’s a no-brainer for me to be here in Georgia because I know what the opposition is,” Haley said. “I know the fact that if it’s not Brian Kemp, then Georgians are going to see tax hikes Georgians are going to see softening on crime. Georgians are going to see more wasteful spending. Georgians are going to see more mandates and regulations. That’s not the people of Georgia.”

Former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley stumps for Gov. Brian Kemp at Atlanta’s Varsity. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder) 

An Aug. 31 poll from TargetSmart puts Kemp at 48% of the vote to Abrams’ 46%. Other polls show Kemp leading by an average of about 5.5%.

“This just shows y’all that Republicans are uniting, we have the best message, we have the best record,” Kemp said. “That’s what we’ve been talking about in Georgia, that’s what we’re going to continue to talk about. So we’re excited for the next 60 days or so as we count down to Nov. 8. But it’s like I tell people every day, we’re in a fight for the soul of our state, to make sure Stacey Abrams is not going to be our governor or our next president. And we’re gonna work hard all the way to Nov. 8, to make sure that we fulfill that.”

Abrams and her fellow Democrats have been targeting Kemp on the closure of hospitals, including the recently announced plans to shutter WellStar Atlanta Medical Center in the state’s capital city, as well as his support for anti-abortion policies.

“Kemp has repeatedly refused to answer critical questions on how his extreme ban could lead to investigations of women and prosecutions of doctors for seeking and providing abortion care — and Georgians deserve answers,” Max Flugrath, spokesman for the Democratic Party of Georgia, said in a statement Friday.

With the U.S. Senate evenly split, both parties are set to pull out all the stops in the final stretch of 2022 and beyond, and politicians eying  the presidency are likely already jotting down lists of potential campaign stops in the Peach State.

“The Republicans are having their own jockeying about who’s going to be running, there some rumblings of Trump running again, but there’s also a sort of much louder chorus of people who are making it kind of clear that they are either waiting in the wings, or are going to challenge no matter what, and so I think that’s where Nikki Haley comes down, I think we’ll probably see (Florida governor) Ron DeSantis and others that are looking forward to 2024,” Steigerwalt said.

Haley has said that she is considering a run for the White House in two years.

“I’m just saying, sometimes it takes a woman,” she told Fox News Sunday last month. “As Margaret Thatcher said, ‘if you want something said, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman.’ We should not take our eyes off of 2022. If we don’t win in 2022, there won’t be a 2024, so we need to stay humble, disciplined and win that, and then if there’s a place for me, I’ve never lost a race, I’m not going to start now. We’ll see what happens and we’ll go forward.”

Gov. Brian Kemp and first Lady Marty Kemp greet an employee of Atlanta’s Varsity at a campaign stop. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder) 

The lay of the 2024 Republican landscape depends largely on Trump, who is reportedly considering taking another stab at the presidency as he faces multiple investigations into his conduct following the 2020 election.

Like Kemp, Haley has been in and out of the former president’s graces.

It was Trump who helped Kemp clinch the GOP nomination in 2018, and Trump who sent Haley to the UN the year before.

Kemp fell out of Trump’s favor after he refused to illegally overturn the results of Georgia’s election, and Haley has been critical of the president’s role in the Jan. 6, 2021 riot at the U.S. Capitol.

“We need to acknowledge he let us down,” she told Politico last year. “He went down a path he shouldn’t have, and we shouldn’t have followed him, and we shouldn’t have listened to him. And we can’t let that ever happen again.”

Trump propped up former U.S. Sen. David Perdue as a primary challenger to Kemp, a challenge the governor easily overcame. A proxy war played out in South Carolina this summer when Haley-endorsed U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace defeated the former president’s chosen candidate in that state’s Republican primary.

Don Strength sworn-in as head of White County Emergency Management Agency

By
Now Habersham
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White County Public Safety Directory David Murphy swears-in new Deputy Director - EMA Division Chief, Don Strength on Thursday, Sept. 8, 2022. (Bryce Barrett/WCPS)

Thursday morning, White County Public Safety staff and administration joined together to welcome and swear-in new deputy director and division chief Don Strength.

In a ceremony held at the county’s Emergency Command Center, David Murphy, director of public safety, welcomed friends, family, and members of the community.

“We are excited to welcome Chief Don Strength back to White County. We are honored to have him as part of our management team,” said Murphy. He then administered the oath of office to Strength.

Chief Strength will oversee Emergency Management, 911 Dispatch, and Animal Control and work as White County Public Safety Deputy Director – EMA Division Chief.

Pictured, left to right, are White County Fire Services Division Chief Mike LeFevre, White County Public Safety Director David Murphy, and White County Public Safety Deputy Director – EMA Division Chief Don Strength. (Bryce Barrett/WCPS)

Strength comes from an extensive background in public safety, most recently with the Georgia Emergency Management and Homeland Security Agency. During his time with GEMA/HS, he was the area one field coordinator supporting the counties in the Northeast quadrant of the state. Prior to his work with the state, Strength worked with White County in 911 Dispatch as a shift supervisor.

“I am very excited to return home to White County,” Chief Strength said. “I look forward to working and making White County a safe place to live, work and play.”

15 people killed on Georgia’s roads over the Labor Day holiday weekend

By
Joy Purcell
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The Georgia Department of Public Safety says 15 people died in traffic crashes on Georgia’s roads over the long Labor Day holiday weekend. Two of those deaths occurred in Northeast Georgia’s Stephens and Hart counties. Another occurred in Hall County.

State troopers also investigated fatal crashes in Forest Park, Marietta, Newnan, Sylvania, Albany, Cordele, and Valdosta. Other law enforcement agencies investigated fatalities in Atlanta and Bibb, Cobb, and Clayton counties.

Statewide, GSP troopers investigated more than 400 traffic crashes resulting in over 200 injuries during the 78-hour holiday travel period.

Troopers and Motor Carrier Compliance Division Officers arrested more than 300 individuals for driving under the influence, made more than 12,600 stops, and issued approximately 7,300 citations and over 7,700 warnings.

In 2021, 14 people died on Georgia’s roads during Labor Day weekend.

SEE ALSO

Cyclist and teen dirt biker killed in separate accidents in Northeast Georgia

Bodies Bodies Bodies

By
Justin Hall
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On the surface, Bodies Bodies Bodies could’ve squandered its premise with poor execution, but it has a lot of smarts and it has a killer cast (no pun intended) to hold it together with a lot of twists that keep us invested.

The movie centers around a group of friends who gather for a hurricane party which is just like it sounds. They’re having fun during the middle of a massive storm until they get the idea to play a game called Bodies Bodies Bodies which involves the friends guessing who committed a fake murder among them.

The game first goes off without a hitch until one of their own disappears and is found dead. They try to deduce each other as the culprit. Then things go from bad to worse as the power is knocked out.

Each person begins to question the motives of who did the murder and it escalates, as does the storm.

Bodies Bodies Bodies creates a sense of atmosphere and suspense to hold its plot together and the results are not entirely murky. Each character provides intelligent if not overblown rationality as to why they think the others are guilty. The audience would need a Venn diagram to establish each person and their motives.

The movie loses a bit of its brains leading up to its climax, but before that, it proves to be smart and occasionally darkly funny.

Who is the killer? I’m not even sure I still know or understand why, but I do know that it’s an elusive, harrowing maze to get through and by the end, I was satiated by its nerve to give us an anticlimax that works well.

The premise of Bodies Bodies Bodies serves as an antidote to the construction of most horror movies and that’s what makes it succeed.

Grade: B+

(Rated R for violence, bloody images, drug use, sexual references and pervasive language.)

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