UGA’s new products from research include two disease-resistant peanut cultivars developed by National Academy of Inventors Fellow Bill Branch that have been credited with saving the southeastern U.S. peanut. (Andrew Davis Tucker/UGA)
The University of Georgia continues to set the pace in turning research into real-world impact. For the third year in a row, UGA ranks No. 1 among U.S. universities for the number of new commercial products developed by industry partners based on university research, according to AUTM’s annual survey.
In fiscal year 2024, UGA broke its own record with 69 new products hitting the market. These innovations span industries—from biodegradable plastics and poultry vaccines to new plant varieties, virtual reality disaster training, and biomedical research tools.
“Being ranked among the top two universities for a decade is compelling recognition of the impactful research conducted by UGA faculty, staff and students, our robust industry partnerships and the university’s productive commercialization program,” said Derek Eberhart, associate vice president for research and executive director of Innovation Gateway.
Among the new technologies is Weather the Storm, a virtual reality program that simulates storm surge impact inside a coastal home. Developed in collaboration with Clemson University, Georgia and South Carolina Sea Grants, and NOAA, it gives users a vivid, immersive experience of extreme weather threats.
UGA startup Lectenz Bio also expanded its suite of tools for glycobiology, continuing its push to simplify complex bioresearch.
“These accomplishments are a reflection of the talent, creativity and dedication of our faculty, staff and students,” said interim vice president for research Chris King. “Their work and commitment fuel UGA’s growing reputation as a national leader in research and innovation.”
AUTM (formerly the Association of University Technology Managers) supports the commercialization of research at universities and other institutions. The organization conducts an annual survey of intellectual property licensing and startup activities, then turns the survey data into a report ranking institutions along several tech-transfer categories.
AUTM also ranked UGA:
No. 4 for active licenses with industry (18 straight years in the top 10)
No. 17 for licenses and options executed (18 straight years in the top 20)
Licensing revenue rose to $13.2 million in FY2024, and the university surpassed $600 million in annual research and development expenditures for the first time.
“Our commitment to solving the world’s greatest challenges is supported by a robust ecosystem that brings together research, industry collaboration and entrepreneurship,” said UGA Provost Benjamin C. Ayers.
U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen shake hands at a press conference announcing the US/EU tariff deal on July 28, 2025. (White House/Facebook)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — President Donald Trump and European Union leaders announced a trade framework over the weekend, just days ahead of Trump’s self-imposed Friday deadline to increase import taxes and his emergency tariffs come under scrutiny in federal appeals court Thursday.
Under the agreement, a 15% tariff will be applied to all products, with some exceptions, coming into the U.S. from the 27 member nations that make up the EU.
The 15% rate will also apply to automobiles, down from the 25% levy on foreign vehicles that Trump ordered in April. Trump’s 50% sectoral tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum will remain unchanged for the EU. The deal exempts certain products, including aircraft, from tariffs altogether.
Tariffs are import taxes paid to the U.S. government by businesses and other buyers that import foreign goods.
“Fifteen percent is not to be underestimated, but it was the best we could get,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told reporters during a press conference Sunday.
Similar to the deal Trump announced with Japan on July 23, the EU has agreed to invest $600 billion in the United States over Trump’s term. The bloc of nations has also agreed to purchase $750 billion in U.S. energy, including liquid natural gas, over the next three years as a way to wean off of Russian fossil fuels.
‘Fundamentally rebalancing’
The White House touted the deal as “fundamentally rebalancing the economic relationship between the world’s two largest economies,” in a press release issued Monday.
The U.S. imported more goods from the EU than it exported by about $235.8 billion in 2024, according to Census data.
Trump had threatened to raise what he describes as “reciprocal” tariffs — tariffs on products outside sectoral categories of steel, aluminum and vehicles — to 30% by Aug. 1 on products from Europe, Japan and numerous other trading partners.
Trump set the date as the new deadline for his “Liberation Day” tariffs to take effect. The president announced the tariffs in early April and then promptly paused them after markets plummeted around the globe. The episode triggered a trade war with China, during which U.S. tariffs on Chinese goods peaked at 145% before the two parties agreed to negotiate.
Appeals case looms
On what the president described as “Liberation Day” on April 2, Trump heralded a universal 10% tariff on all foreign products, plus staggering additional so-called reciprocal import taxes on countries across the globe that carry trade imbalances with the U.S.
Trump justified the steep duties by declaring trade imbalances a national emergency under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act.
In February, Trump became the first president to trigger tariffs under the 1977 emergency powers law when he increased import taxes on Canada, Mexico and China in response to illegal fentanyl smuggling.
The emergency tariffs are at the center of a case that will go before the U.S. Appeals Court for the Federal Circuit Thursday.
The case stems from two lawsuits, now consolidated, filed by a handful of businesses and a dozen Democratic state attorneys general who argued the president doesn’t have authority to impose tariffs under the emergency law.
The U.S. Court of International Trade struck down Trump’s emergency tariffs as unconstitutional on May 28.
Arizona, Colorado, Maine, Minnesota, Nevada, New Mexico and Oregon were among the states that brought the suit.
V.O.S. Selections, a New York-based company that imports wine and spirits from 16 countries, led the business plaintiffs. Others included a Utah-based plastics producer, a Virginia-based children’s electricity learning kit maker, a Pennsylvania-based fishing gear company and a Vermont-based women’s cycling apparel company.
Upon appeal from the White House, the Federal Circuit allowed Trump’s tariffs to remain in place while the case moved forward.
Melanie Doggett, an eighth grader from Fairburn, became the second-fastest 14-year-old ever in the 200-meter dash at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics. (Photo by Maurice Sanders Photography)
A young Georgia track star is making national headlines.
Melanie Doggett, an eighth grader from Fairburn, became the second-fastest 14-year-old ever in the 200-meter dash at the USA Track and Field National Junior Olympics in Savannah over the weekend.
She clocked a blazing 22.94 seconds, breaking her own meet record set just the day before.
Doggett said she wasn’t paying attention to her speed. She was just focused on crossing the finish line.
The meet wrapped up Sunday at Savannah State University, with athletes from across the country competing for national titles.
Last month, Nike signed Doggett to a name, image and likeness deal, making her one of the youngest to sign an NIL deal with the brand.
This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News
Gary King Thomas of Cornelia, Georgia, passed away on Wednesday, July 23, 2025, following a short illness.
Born in Waynesboro, Virginia, on June 29, 1957, Gary lived there before moving to Florida and Puerto Rico, and then primarily grew up in Truro, Nova Scotia. He moved to Cornelia, Georgia, in 1982.
Gary was active in gymnastics, competing and coaching, both in Canada and the United States. He enlisted in the United States Army at the age of 30, serving first in the Georgia Army National Guard before transitioning to active duty. He retired from the military in 2013.
Gary was preceded in death by both his birth parents, Marguerite & William King, and by his adoptive parents, Ray & Lucy Thomas; one brother, Paul King; and one sister, Sharon Dereski; as well as several other family members and friends.
He leaves behind his wife of 35 years, Rebecca (Becki) Thomas; two children, Angel “Ricci” Thomas (Mike), Kristofer Thomas (Amber), and one grandson, Archer King Thomas. Gary also leaves behind one brother, Monte Thomas (Carol), three sisters, Barbara Prewitt (Mark), Carolyn Bone (John), Judy Earhart, as well as several much-loved nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews, and many family members and friends.
Gary chose to be cremated, and a gathering of family and friends will be held at a later date. His remains will be placed in Georgia, Virginia, West Virginia, and Nova Scotia.
FILE PHOTO - 10th District Congressman Mike Collins, left, holds a press conference with fellow Georgia Congressmen Andrew Clyde and Austin Scott outside the US Postal Service processing facility in Palmetto, Georgia, in June 2024. (Sarah Kallis/GPB News)
ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia Republican Mike Collins on Monday joined the field challenging Democratic U.S. Sen. Jon Ossoff in the state the GOP has named as their top target to add a Senate seat in 2026.
A second-term member of Congress from a district east of Atlanta, Collins became the newest top Republican to get into the primary race. U.S. Rep. Buddy Carter is already running, while state Insurance Commissioner John King dropped out. Also expected to run is former University of Tennessee football coach Derek Dooley.
“I don’t know who Jon Ossoff really works for, but it sure as heck isn’t Georgia,” Collins said in a video released Monday. “It’s time to send a trucker to the U.S. Senate, steamroll the radical left, deliver on President Trump’s ‘America First’ agenda and put the people of Georgia back in the driver’s seat.”
Collins had been mulling a run since Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp announced in May that he would not run against Ossoff, depriving Republicans of their top choice to challenge a senator who won the 2021 runoff in the wake of the 2020 election. Twin victories by Ossoff and Raphael Warnock gave Democrats control of the U.S. Senate at the time and. It was the first time since 2002 that Georgia had two Democratic senators.
Although Democrats have made Georgia increasingly competitive, Collins is among those who view Ossoff’s election as a fluke and proclaim that the state is still fundamentally conservative.
The 58-year-old Collins is the son of the late Mac Collins, an eight-term Republican congressman who lost his own bid for Senate in 2004. Mike Collins is a co-owner of a family trucking firm and made a losing bid for Congress in 2014. He reemerged to win a 2022 race for an open seat, portraying himself as an everyman trucker and hard-core Donald Trump acolyte. With a big, booming personality and an edgy social media presence, Collins calls himself a “MAGA workhorse.”
Kemp and Trump have met and said they would try to agree on a preferred candidate. Anyone anointed by both would be stamped as the Republican front-runner. Kemp told Collins and others last week that he would support Dooley, but Trump isn’t ready to endorse yet.
Collins has portrayed his interest in the Senate as seeking to best serve Trump.
“I am going to continue to talk with President Trump and his team just about where we can be the best, beneficial, most help in this mission to make sure we get a Republican in the U.S. Senate from Georgia,” Collins said in a July 8 video.
Collins’ district stretches across 18 counties from the eastern suburbs of Atlanta through Athens. His best-known legislative accomplishment is a law passed this year to require the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency to detain undocumented immigrants charged with theft. That was a response to the 2024 murder of Laken Riley, a nursing student killed by Jose Antonio Ibarra, a Venezuelan man whom federal officials said entered the U.S. illegally and was allowed to stay while he pursued his immigration case.
The representative says he’s someone who can get things done, but often takes a combative approach on social media. In March 2024 he was criticized for promoting a post from an antisemitic account that attacked a Jewish journalist as a “garbage human.” In February 2024, his account on the social media platform X was temporarily suspended after he suggested that a person arrested by federal authorities should be transported by “Pinochet Air,” a reference to people thrown to their deaths from helicopters during the rule of Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet.
That strategy could help Collins draw attention to wield against Ossoff — the only Democratic Senate incumbent seeking reelection in 2026 who represents a state Trump won. But Democratic Party of Georgia Chair Charlie Bailey said in a Monday statement that Collins has already proved he’s a “MAGA extremist” and that the campaign will “expose just how out of step Collins is with Georgia voters.”
Ossoff held his second campaign rally July 12 in Savannah. National Republicans have already launched multiple rounds of advertising against him.
Ossoff raised $21 million in the first six months of this year and had $15.5 million in cash on June 30. But that’s only the beginning. Ossoff and Warnock’s twin Senate victories in 2021 cost more than $900 million combined, according to OpenSecrets, which tracks political spending. Warnock’s 2022 reelection over Republican Herschel Walker cost more than $470 million, OpenSecrets found.
It is the heart of meteor shower season here in the Northern Hemisphere, and for the next few days a pair of them will overlap resulting in likely the best show of the season. Late July into August is always a busy time for meteor enthusiasts, usually culminating in the Perseid shower peak in mid-August. Unfortunately, now may be the best time to be looking this year.
The Perseids
August is normally when we look for the best meteor shower of the summer, and perhaps of the year: The Perseids. This annual shower is ongoing from mid-July to late-August with a peak usually around August 10-14th. This year’s shower is expected to peak on the night of August 12-13th. In a normal year, 40-60 meteors per hour can be seen with this shower from a good dark sky site. Unfortunately, the full moon occurs just a couple days prior on August 9th. This means by the time the peak gets here, most of the meteors will be washed out by the nearly full, bright moon.
Perseids come out of the constellation, you guessed it, Perseus and are most easily seen in the early morning hours from midnight to 4AM when the radiant is highest in the sky. This early in the shower, they will be good for 5-10 meteors per hour at most.
The alpha Capricornids
The alpha Capricornids is a minor, much lesser known meteor shower. The meteors from this shower come from the comet 169P/NEAT.
This shower is not very strong, producing only 5-7 meteors per hour in general. However, due to the dust size left behind by 169P/NEAT this shower is known to produce some good fireballs. These very bright meteors are caused by fairly large pieces of rock burning up in our atmosphere. The recent fireball seen during the day was estimated to be around 3ft wide by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, though the ones you’ll see during a meteor shower generally measure just a few inches.
The radiant for the Capricornids is the constellation Capricorn (not very inventive naming), which rises high in the sky during the early morning hours. This shower is expected to peak overnight on July 29 into the morning of the 30th.
The Southern delta Aquarids
The Southern delta Aquarids, as you may guess, are best viewed from the southern hemisphere. Their radiant in the constellation Aquarius lies very close to the horizon for us this time of year. Because of this, we get a neat effect of almost none of the meteors moving south, but fanning out from the west, north and east tracing all their origins towards the horizon.
This shower has a maximum peak of 15-20 meteors per hour, although that rate is usually not reached here in the northern hemisphere with a more realistic peak around 10 meteors per hour. This year the Aquarids will also peak overnight on the 29th into the morning of the 30th.
Put them all together
When you put all these showers together, and combine it with the average background of 4-8 meteors per hour, you have a pretty good chance of seeing 20-25 meteors per hour from July 29 into the morning of the 30th. The best viewing will certainly come after midnight. Since the moon is only 27% full it will set early in the evening leaving plenty dark skies.
This is also a GREAT time of year to view the Milky Way, so be sure to take it in as well if you head out for some summertime stargazing!
A South Carolina woman was killed and her daughter seriously injured in a crash early Saturday on Interstate 85 in Franklin County. The driver of the second vehicle is now facing multiple charges, including vehicular homicide.
According to the Georgia State Patrol, troopers from Post 52 in Hartwell responded to the two-vehicle wreck around 3:55 a.m. on July 26. The crash happened in the southbound lanes of I-85 and involved a Dodge Challenger and a Honda HR-V.
Investigators say the Challenger, driven by 31-year-old Thomas Lamar Hardy Jr. of Gaffney, South Carolina, was following the Honda too closely and struck its rear bumper. Both vehicles veered into the median and hit the cable barrier. The Honda overturned and came to rest on its side. The Challenger struck a guard rail and cable barrier before coming to rest facing south. Moments later, the vehicle caught fire. Hardy escaped with minor injuries.
The passenger in the Honda, 56-year-old Michelle Honea Prater of Westminster, South Carolina, was pronounced dead at the scene. Troopers say she was not wearing a seatbelt. The driver, 28-year-old Madison Elizabeth Prater, also of Westminster, was airlifted to Northeast Georgia Medical Center in Gainesville with serious injuries.
Hardy was charged with vehicular homicide in the first degree, serious injury by motor vehicle, reckless driving, driving under the influence, following too closely, and driving while license suspended.
Both southbound lanes of the interstate were closed for approximately four hours while troopers investigated the scene.
Amanda Browning, owner of Amanda’s Farm to Fork & Tea Room in Lula, Georgia, sits in the whimsical Honey Room, where an homage to Alice in Wonderland peeks out from a wall of greenery and roses. (The Cute North Georgian Magazine/Carly McCurry)
I cannot say for certain, but I suspect that somewhere amid the unsuspecting citizens of Northeast Georgia, there’s a secret network at work. A network of Christian bakers and family farmers. They trade shadows for a veil of powdered sugar and flour.
Chief among them, if local whispers are to be believed, is Amanda Browning of Amanda’s Farm to Fork at the Tea Room, whose surreptitious gaze during our interview appears to suggest that she knows more than she chooses to articulate on the subject.
The group’s modus operandi? Sugar, spice, and messages nice. They send one another encouraging direct messages, amplify each other’s content, and turn up faithfully, debit card in hand, phone at the ready to support one another’s endeavors.
Hot cinnamon rolls fresh from the oven on their way to the Tea Room’s roadside stand at 5525 Lula Road/Hwy. 52. (Amanda’s Farm to Fork at the Tea Room/Facebook)
They are not just friends. They are a powdered-sugar-fueled undercurrent of a coordinated kindness campaign. Together, these women operate like a de facto bakers’ chamber of commerce.
I visited Amanda’s Farm to Fork at the Tea Room on a Friday, where an attractive auburn-haired woman greeted me in a hand-sewn dress patterned in frogs, a yellow flower tucked neatly into her striking victory roll. In any other setting, Amanda would arrest attention. But here, she blends in as naturally, and as charmingly, as a blue silk ribbon in a toddler’s blonde curls.
What felt like a fall from grace, a gift in the making
On this day, Amanda stands on her front porch, an Alice in her very own Wonderland. A far cry from 2015, when she stood in her living room and told her children to pack their lives into a single Walmart-brand storage container.
She didn’t sugarcoat the moment. There wasn’t enough time. She had just lost her job of 22 years—and with it, the house, their sense of place, and the fragile veneer of control that people cling to as a shield against the chaos of an unpredictable and often unforgivable world.
What came next? A home too small and too far from what she and her husband had worked to build. It felt like a fall from grace. But she didn’t collapse. She cooked.
Her husband made the first suggestion. Start small. Deliver dinners. “My family has always cooked,” she said, though she still carried quiet doubts. Would people really pay for the kind of food she’d always made around her table? But neighbors did. And then their neighbors did. And then, suddenly, Amanda Browning had a business.
She moved fast. Within months, the kitchen became a production line, and it was all hands on deck, making it a family business.
The restaurant – Amanda’s Farm to Fork
In time, she opened a brick-and-mortar, Amanda’s Farm to Fork in Lula, Georgia. From the outside, it looked like a holdover from another time, its whitewashed brick façade still partially under renovation, a “Now Open” banner fluttering beside the door.
Inside, warm yellow walls and well-worn wooden chairs offered an unpretentious welcome. The space hummed with small-town chatter: pendant lights glowed overhead, and a menu near the register promised home-cooked specials.
A classic Southern supper at Amanda’s Farm to Fork in Lula: fried chicken, green beans, collard greens, sweet potato mash, cornbread dressing with gravy, sweet potato fries, and a mason jar of sweet tea, served atop a red gingham tablecloth. (Google Review Citation – Katrina Riefler)
The kitchen, partially visible through a swinging door, turned out trays of buttery dinner rolls. Soft and warm, they arrive in foil pans, just like the ones passed around Nana’s round table. Nearby, cinnamon rolls rise in tight spirals, and loaves of fresh bread sit beside them, waiting for liberal amounts of butter—because in Lula, they don’t raise kids with gluten allergies.
And then there’s the meal itself: a Sunday supper served on a Thursday afternoon. Think crispy fried chicken nestled beside tender green beans and collards. A generous heaping helping of sweet potatoes, whipped smooth, leans into a mound of dressing drenched in gravy.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Amanda shifted the restaurant back to its roots and returned to a delivery service. Over time, that pivot led to something new: a tea room located in Cleveland, Georgia. In a restored historic schoolhouse, Amanda hosts themed parties, intimate and affordable weddings with cake-and-punch options, cooking classes, and community gatherings.
The Tea Room
The exterior of Amanda’s Farm to Fork at the Tea Room tells two stories at once. The first is rooted in the region, featuring weathered wood siding, a metal roof, and a front porch framed by red railings and stone steps. An iron bell stands near the walkway, and roses grow thick at the base of the house, evoking the symbolism of The Queen of Hearts.
The Tea Room (Amanda’s Farm to Fork at the Tea Room/Facebook)
The second story begins past the porch, where the grounds shift from practical to playful. A pink metal Eiffel Tower rises from the lawn. A white iron carriage sits quietly at the edge of the property, framed by a row of pine trees and a barn. A black-and-white checkerboard platform hides just beyond the edge of the clearing, its painted squares flanked by a cast-iron chair and a chandelier intertwined with artificial roses, perfect for photos.
Tucked into the edge of the woods behind Amanda’s Farm to Fork & Tea Room, this hand-painted checkerboard platform invites guests into a whimsical garden moment fit for Wonderland. (The Cute North Georgian Magazine/Carly McCurry)
The back of Amanda’s Farm to Fork Tea Room opens into a wide, brick-paved patio, bordered by a low stone wall and a manicured lawn. White iron tables and chairs sit beneath scalloped pink umbrellas. Just beyond, a second carriage awaits, and to the right of the Tea Room patio, a stone-lined pond glows emerald in the sun, tucked beneath a bank of cypress and banana trees.
A bright pink parasol shades white iron patio seating on the garden terrace at Amanda’s Farm to Fork & Tea Room, where manicured paths and rose-covered trellises hint at the romantic charm just beyond the wall. (The Cute North Georgian Magazine/Carly McCurry)
Set slightly apart from the main house and garden, a pavilion-style venue offers a rustic, spacious setting ideal for events. Exposed wooden beams, rough-hewn walls, and a large stone fireplace anchor the space with a warm, agrarian feel. A gold chandelier hangs from the center, adding a surprising touch of elegance above the wide concrete floor. Stacked firewood and folding tables hint at its versatility, ready to transform for weddings, dinners, or seasonal gatherings. Surrounded by greenery and natural light, it captures the charm of a barn with the intimacy of a backyard celebration, reminding me of the wedding scene in the movie Steel Magnolias, sans armadillo butt.
The open-air pavilion at Amanda’s Farm to Fork & Tea Room offers a rustic yet refined setting for gatherings, complete with a stone fireplace, chandeliers, and views of the surrounding greenery. (The Cute North Georgian Magazine/Carly McCurry)
Each room in the tea house carries its own theme. The Honey Room glows with filtered light and features antique mirrors, an ornate fireplace draped in roses, and a whimsical Alice in Wonderland display that nods to Amanda’s playful imagination.
Dozens of mismatched teacups, gifts from friends, neighbors, and guests, line the built-in shelves beneath the staircase in Amanda’s Rose Room, where vintage china and sentimental details create a space as personal as it is pretty. (The Cute North Georgian Magazine/Carly McCurry)
The Tiffany Room takes on a Dutch milkmaid aesthetic with a blue-and-white palette, with glass pitchers and pressed florals. Next door, the Bridal Suite offers a quiet, romantic space. A cross hangs above the door, antique silver handheld mirrors rest in front of salon stations, and a Bible sits on a dresser. Yet, the Rose Room is the most personal. Amanda filled it with soft pinks and mismatched teacups, each one a gift from neighbors, friends, or visitors.
The Bridal Suite at Amanda’s Farm to Fork & Tea Room features soft lighting, vintage furniture, and delicate bridal gowns on display, creating a peaceful and elegant space for wedding preparations. (The Cute North Georgian Magazine/Carly McCurry)
The tea room as a whole mixes country charm with a touch of sparkle. Chandeliers hang from exposed rafters, casting light on whitewashed walls and weathered wood. Handwritten signs, baskets, and old frames line the walls. I’m calling this motif farmhouse fairytale chic.
The farmstand
Amanda Browning’s rustic farmstand offers fresh-baked pies, local produce, and homespun charm just off the roadside—an open invitation to taste the fruits of honest labor.(Photo by Amanda Browning/Facebook)
A small cinderblock farm stand sits just off a country road in Lula. The stand, located at 5525 Lula Road/Hwy. 52 is open to customers looking for fresh, homemade food. Inside, a glass-front refrigerator holds chicken salad, pimento cheese, banana pudding, and full meals, such as cheeseburger macaroni and chicken and gravy over rice.
A weathered table displays cinnamon rolls, honey butter rolls, caramel pecan rolls, and loaves of bread. Signs accept cash or Venmo. A simple pink and white roadside sign lists what’s for sale: cakes, bread, and honey. Red tomato pie goes for $25. Everything is self-serve.
Overcoming
Amanda Browning may just be the final boss of domesticity in Northeast Georgia. She’s a woman who turns setbacks into supper and hospitality into an enterprise. After she lost everything, Amanda chose not to return to what she knew. With prayer, reflection, and her husband’s guidance, she and her family built a new life together. From that resolve came a restaurant, a tea room, a farm stand, and a reputation for kindness and fortitude.
Amanda and women like her are reshaping what it means to serve a community—building a local economy held together by faith, flour, and mutual support. Whether or not the secret network exists, the impact is real.
You can connect with Amanda Browning and follow the story of her whimsical, faith-rooted culinary world through both her tea room and farm stand online.
Facebook: Stay up-to-date with events, daily menus, and photos from Amanda’s Farm to Fork & Tea Room and Farm Stand at: facebook.com/amandasfarmtofork
Instagram: Get a visual taste of the magic—from rose-trimmed rooms to buttery baked goods—on Instagram at @amandas_farmtofork
A man was killed and a woman injured when the roof collapsed at this Family Dollar store in Kansas City, Missouri, on Sunday, July 27, 2025. (video screengrab courtesy KMBC-TV)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Part of the roof and front facade of a Family Dollar store in Kansas City, Missouri, collapsed Sunday, killing a 68-year-old man and seriously injuring a 50-year-old woman, authorities said.
The building’s partial collapse occurred about 2:45 p.m. Sunday, the Kansas City Fire Department said. Two other people also were injured outside the building but were treated at the scene and refused further medical care, according to local television news reports.
Those television reports showed part of the roof and front facade missing at what appeared to be the main entrance of the store, with brick, stone and wood debris on the ground.
Fire Department Battalion Chief Mike Hopkins said the man who died may have been walking by the building at the time. The woman who was seriously injured remained hospitalized.
KMBC-TV reported that a public inspection record said that someone reported Friday that the building had begun “slowly tilting.” Authorities did not yet have an explanation for the collapse.
After the surprising revelation that was Superman, which restored the Man of Steel to his former glory, lightning strikes twice, only this time with the MCU and their latest attempt to bring the Fantastic Four to the big screen.
Every 10 years, it seems Hollywood wants to revamp Marvel’s first family to mixed to negative results. However, this latest effort, The Fantastic Four: First Steps, is the first one that gets it right.
Like Superman, First Steps bypasses the origin story of how the heroes acquired their powers and gets straight into the Fantastic Four already being superheroes in a retro 1964 setting. The characters are still the same as in the comics: Pedro Pascal is Dr. Reed Richards, who has the power of stretching; Vanessa Kirby is Sue Storm, his wife with the power of invisibility; Joseph Quinn is Sue’s brother, Jonny a.k.a. the Human Torch, and Ebon Moss-Bachrach is Ben Grimm a.k.a. The Thing.
Reed and Sue soon discover they’re going to be parents, and they soon question whether their first child will have superpowers, just like them. Their celebration is cut short by the arrival of the Silver Surfer (Julia Garner), an alien life form who claims she is preparing the way for the coming of her master, Galactus, a cosmic entity.
The Fantastic Four are given a choice: Either Reed and Sue give up their firstborn child, or Earth suffers severe consequences. Now there is a diabolical scheme with really high stakes.
True to spirit
The Fantastic Four: First Steps knows how to stay true to the spirit of the material, while also effectively juggling several tones: it crafts a story that feels plausible without straying too far into the ludicrous. It creates characters that have convincing motivations and allows just enough screen time for them to be real, as opposed to being a prop for the special effects.
Pascal, Kirby, Quinn, and Moss-Bachrach are wonderfully cast, and each brings the right level of drama to their characters’ more intense and emotional scenes, as well as humor and wit to others. The scenes involving Earth’s citizens holding the Fantastic Four responsible for their dilemma are another level of complexity that earns its moments. Plus, the action is genuinely thrilling right up to the riveting climax.
The film’s look also deserves to be commended. It’s a movie that feels like a comic book. It exists around the same time as when the characters were created, with a sci-fi twist.
Already this summer, Superman brought a refreshing spin to the Man of Steel, and now The Fantastic Four: First Steps is proof that the MCU hasn’t lost its edge.
Grade: A-
(Rated PG-13 for action/violence and some language.)
Family members of the late Danny Watters attend the dedication ceremony for a pastor's retreat cottage named in his honor on July 21, 2025. (Brandi Wood/TMU)
Truett McConnell University (TMU) has officially dedicated the Danny Watters Cottage (DWC), a peaceful, two-bedroom retreat created to serve pastors and those in vocational ministry. Nestled in the mountains near TMU’s Cleveland, Georgia, campus, the cottage offers ministers and their families a no-cost refuge for rest, reflection, and renewal.
The cottage honors the life and ministry of Rev. Danny E. Watters, who served the Church Ministry Relations Department of the Georgia Baptist Convention, supporting pastors and churches across the state.
“Danny was a dear friend of mine,” said Dr. John Yarbrough, Acting President at TMU. “Danny Watters was a long-time pastor in Georgia, and toward the end of his life, he served as Director of Church Minister Relations for the Georgia Baptist Convention. At the GBC, he ministered to hurting pastors and churches, which was a lifelong passion of his.”
A shelter in times of storms
Located next to TMU’s campus, the cottage gives guests access to dining services, the Student Wellness Center, and university athletic and cultural events—all free of charge.
“The purpose of the DWC is to provide a restful getaway for hurting pastors and their families,” Dr. Yarbrough added. “It’s a way to continue Danny’s ministry and legacy for years to come.”
Mrs. Becky Watters, Danny’s wife, was among the first to see the finished cottage.
“This is such a wonderful way to honor his legacy. Danny invested in so many ministers’ lives as he loved and prayed for them continuously. His heart was truly a pastor’s heart. We hope that this cottage is a shelter in times of storms, just as Danny’s ministry was for so many people. Our prayer is that this will provide a place of healing and hope so pastors can continue in their God-called ministries.”
Danny Watters Cottage at Truett McConnell University
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(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
(Brandi Wood/TMU)
Donor funded
The retreat was made possible by 123 donors who contributed to the fundraising campaign launched in 2018. TMU recognized Dr. David Drake for his leadership in bringing the project to completion.
About 35 guests attended the dedication on Monday, July 21, including members of the Watters family, donors, pastors, and several TMU trustees.
Pastors seeking rest or support can request a stay by emailing [email protected].
I might end up in jail or drown in the Washington swamp, but as a mother, I am ready to advocate for civility, politeness, and kindness. I often wonder where the rest of us are—those who have spent hours delivering babies and guiding toddlers. Where are the parents who insisted on respect or ‘else’? Where are the friends who stood up for their buddies when a bully attacked or used hurtful words?
It’s high time we hold the tormentors accountable for their poor behavior, and that applies to adults as well as those under 18.
The United States is currently grappling with several significant challenges, including immigration, budgetary issues, divisiveness, ongoing conflicts, and extreme weather conditions. However, one problem that demands our immediate attention is the behavioral crisis. While some of these problems are complex and may take time to resolve, we can certainly start by improving our conduct.
When I was young, if I didn’t respect my parents, peers, elders, or teachers, I was in more trouble than a wiggling worm on a hook. I knew better than to be disrespectful because the wrath I would receive at home was not worth it. To lose toys, privileges, allowances, and freedom was not my idea of fun.
Let me assure you, I got in more trouble than one can imagine because of my mouth. That girl, Sassy, could jump into my brain and take over my language, and when she did, I was soon to be toast. To this day, if I am infuriated enough, old Sassy comes roaring back. And even though Mom and Dad are in heaven, God still hangs around to drop me in the toaster.
Our President and other leaders seem to have forgotten that a lack of decorum and regard for others can lead to serious consequences. Words spoken or written publicly, such as “you’re no good,” “stupid,” “sorry,” “dumb,” “low-life,” “fat,” “ugly,” or “disgusting,” are just a few examples of the derogatory language used in the political arena to describe individuals caught in the crossfire of partisan politics.
Americans may support the policies and actions of their preferred leaders or parties, but to applaud and accept taunting, ridiculing, and mocking in public discourse is akin to disrespecting the very person who raised them. No matter how devoted we are to someone, we should not justify bad conduct.
Of course, our President is not the only leader who uses demeaning language and vitriol, but he currently holds the highest position of power. Don’t we believe that the culture in any organization starts at the top?
A great CEO creates a positive and energetic environment within the company. This type of leadership promotes increased productivity and makes employees feel valued for their contributions to the organization’s success. The CEO’s honorable actions set a standard for management and are reflected in the behavior of all employees.
Our leaders can make policies and decisions without resorting to intimidation or insults; there is simply no need for that approach.
We have become a society that tends to “look the other way.” Those who govern can do so without resorting to scathing and defaming language. Most Americans would welcome a return to greater civility and less rudeness.
If we believe that unkindness and a lack of consideration do not trickle down from leaders in our society into the minds of our children, we are being willfully blind. By ignoring this reality, we create a contradiction. How can we teach our children to show respect when we celebrate the actions of those in positions of power that are disrespectful?
We must not become cruel, as that will only diminish our potential. We shouldn’t mock or belittle others; it reflects poorly on our character. When we accept incivility in one another, we harm everyone.
When I would say something derogatory or mean-spirited, my mother would ask, “Now, honey, do you think Jesus would say such a thing? Do you believe the Lord is proud of you?” Honestly, there isn’t a God-fearing soul that could answer that one with a big resounding “Yes!”
As a mother who raised her children to act with integrity, I am appalled that many today appear to accept insulting behavior in adults as if it were normal. Phrases like “Oh, that’s just the way it is,” or “Look at the good things they do,” seem to excuse bullying and sound dismissive.
It’s like saying, “Hey, Mom, I called the teacher ‘stupid’ today, but it’s okay because I got an A+ on my report!” Uh-oh, back to the corner writing the word ‘stupid’ over and over again.
The more hateful the words, the more we will hate. The more we forgive hate, the less we will be forgiven. How much character are we willing to lose to win?
