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Baldwin Council reappoints Venter for mayor pro tem

By
Chaz Mullis
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(NowHabersham.com)

During the city’s council meeting on June 9, Councilwoman Alice Venter was unanimously approved to maintain her position as Baldwin’s mayor pro tempore for fiscal year 2026. This marks Venter’s 5th year in the position.

The council also unanimously approved all other proposed appointments. These included The Samuels Firm for the position of City Attorney, the firm Morris & Waters for City Auditor, Erin Gathercoal for City Clerk, Fletcher Holliday of Engineering Management, Inc. for City Engineer, Robert Sneed for City Judge, and Teresa DiPonzio of The Samuels Firm for City Solicitor.

After consideration from last month’s budget town hall, the city council approved a revised meeting calendar for the rest of the year. Starting in July, council meetings and work sessions are proposed to be scheduled on the first Tuesday of the month. Work sessions will begin at 6:30 p.m. with council meetings set to follow.

Upcoming Baldwin events

The first meeting for the 2025 City of Baldwin Comprehensive Plan will take place June 11 at 5:30 pm at Baldwin City Hall. All Baldwin residents, business owners, and stakeholders are invited to provide feedback for the city’s next 5-year plan and join the committee if interested. Those interested are encouraged to contact [email protected] for more information or to RSVP.

The Banks County Library On the Go will be set up at the TAP Yard at 110 Airport Road from 11 a.m. – 12 p.m. every Friday through the end of July. All residents are welcome to check out or return books. Additionally, those visiting the mobile library with children can receive food bags courtesy of the Food Bank of Northeast Georgia.

The 3rd Annual Baldwin Water War is on Saturday, June 14 from 2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m. at Mitchell Gailey Park. Visitors are encouraged to bring water guns and a towel.

Theron’s Theater will be offering a free screening of “Wonka” at the TAP Yard on June 27 at 8:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to bring a chair or blanket. Concessions will be available with all proceeds going to Shop with a Hero.

RELATED:

Heated budget battle in Baldwin as taxpayers demand answers, change

Cleveland City Council approves $8.1 million budget

By
Dean Dyer, WRWH Radio
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FILE PHOTO - Cleveland City County (Dean Dyer/WRWH.com)

The Cleveland City Council has approved a total FY 2025-2026 budget of $8,164,601, which includes general fund and enterprise funds. The approval came Monday night following a final budget hearing.

The new budget general fund revenue, from property taxes, sales tax, franchise tax, premium, and financial tax receipts, is projected to be $5,029,426. That is an increase of 4.83 percent over last year’s budget.

“This prioritizes our most important resource in city government. It acknowledges the retention issues we have,” said City Administrator Kevin Harris.

Harris said the budget provides a salary adjustment for full-time employees and ensures all of Cleveland’s current obligations are met.

“It focuses on resilience, and it does add one additional position to the fire department,” Harris said.

Cleveland Mayor Josh Turner said, after the meeting, the council has provided input in developing the budget from the beginning, working with the staff, and recognized the need for a pay increase for all full-time employees.

“We recognize all of their hard work and all that they do for us, and certainly the cost of living has gone up over the last year, and we want to try to keep on par with that,” said Turner.

Advocacy groups say utility regulators who praised rate freeze before hearing violated state rules

By
Stanley Dunlap
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Georgia Public Service Commission Chairman Jason Shaw (right) and Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald joined Gov. Brian Kemp for a May press conference to tout Georgia Power’s proposed rate freeze. (Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder)

(Georgia Recorder) — Three elected state regulators are being asked to recuse themselves from voting on a proposed agreement to freeze Georgia Power’s rates over allegations that they violated state rules by publicly endorsing the proposal before an upcoming hearing.

Advocacy groups filed a complaint Friday accusing Georgia Public Service Commission Chairman Jason Shaw, Commissioner Lauren “Bubba” McDonald and Commissioner Tim Echols of showing bias by supporting a proposal between commission staff and Georgia Power that would freeze the base electric rates from 2026 to 2028.

Shaw and McDonald are accused of violating state regulations by publicly endorsing the proposed three-year rate freeze during Gov. Brian Kemp’s May press conference, which promoted the proposal.

According to the complaint, state rules require commissioners to reserve their opinions on the merits of a matter until they have heard all the facts following a hearing.

The four nonprofits behind the complaint – Georgians for Affordable Energy, Georgia Conservation Voters, Center for a Sustainable Coast, and Georgia Women’s Action for New Directions – recommend that the commission cancel or deny the proposed rate freeze, which would result in a Georgia Power rate case later this year. Another option they floated would be to have an administrative law judge appointed to rule on the base rate plan.

Patty Durand, founder of Georgians for Affordable Energy, said the commission should deny the rate freeze plan and instead require Georgia Power to hold its normal three-year rate case this fall that she said could result in ratepayers paying lower utility bills. That would also give regulators a chance to review the utility’s commission-approved profit margin, which is currently set at 11.9%.

“Georgia Power’s three-year rate freeze is a Trojan horse and absolutely devastating to Georgia Power ratepayers,” Durand said. “They don’t do this out of benevolence. They’re a for-profit corporation always seeking to increase profits. This three-year rate freeze does that by locking in high profits through a return on equity that is far above industry norms and delivers $700 million in excess profits annually.”

The complaint also refers to a quote from Echols in a May 27 Atlanta Journal-Constitution article about the proposed rate freeze.

“Freezing the rates for three years is the best thing we can do for ratepayers right now, and I have advocated for that incessantly,” Echols said in the article while discussing discount utility programs for seniors and low-income ratepayers.

The three commissioners declined to comment on the pending complaint through a commission spokesperson.

Georgia Public Service Commissioners Fitz Johnson, left, and Tim Echols listen to expert witnesses testify at May 27 hearing for Georgia Power’s 2025 long-term energy plans. (Stanley Dunlap/Georgia Recorder)

At the May press conference, Shaw said that freezing rates for “three years is a very big deal for our state, and it’s good for Georgians.”

“At the end of the day, we’re going to have an open and transparent process hearing of this agreement,” Shaw also said. “We’re going to have a chance over the next few weeks to meet with all the stakeholders. If anyone has concerns about this agreement, we’re going to sit down as we learn more about it ourselves, and have that normal open dialog that we have at the PSC.”

Several consumer and environmental groups have expressed concerns regarding the timing of the rate freeze announcement and May press conference. Early voting for the June 17 primary election featuring two commission seats started a week after the press conference. Echols is the only commissioner named in the complaint who is up for reelection this year.

Early voting ends Friday as Democratic candidates Peter Hubbard, Robert Jones, Keisha Sean Waites and Daniel Blackman run for the Public Service Commission against appointed Republican Commissioner Fitz Johnson in the Nov. 4 general election.

Blackman is still fighting to stay on the ballot, though. A Fulton County Superior Court hearing is scheduled for Tuesday to hear Blackman’s appeal after being disqualified for the Atlanta-based seat for failing to meet residency requirements.

Georgia voters will also decide this month who will win the GOP primary for the District 2 race that covers eastern Georgia as Republican Commissioner Tim Echols faces challenger Lee Muns. The winner of the District 2 Republican primary will face Savannah Democratic candidate Alicia M. Johnson in the general election.

The commission has come under fire for approving six Georgia Power rate hikes since late 2022 that have resulted in the typical household paying about $43 more per month on their electric bills.

And bills could still increase, even with the rate freeze. Next year, Georgia Power will file cases with the commission seeking to recoup storm damage and overrun fuel expenses from customers.

Georgia Power spokesman John Kraft said that the proposed agreement will balance the company’s ability to provide affordable rates to customers while also supporting the growing demands from new customers.

State regulators commissioners also adopted a rule earlier this year that requires large-use customers to pay their full electric service costs through Georgia Power.

“We’re always working to keep energy reliable and affordable for customers, and this stipulated agreement means no base rate increases for three years – that’s great news for every customer,” Kraft said. “Reaching this agreement was just the start of an open and transparent process, leading up to a vote by the Georgia PSC, which will include opportunities for comment and input from intervenors and the public.”

Trump says he will ‘liberate’ Los Angeles in speech to mark the 250th anniversary of the Army

By
Chris Megerian and Michelle L. Price
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President Donald Trump speaks at Fort Bragg, Tuesday, June 10, 2025, in Fort Bragg, N.C. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)

FORT BRAGG, N.C. (AP) — President Donald Trump called protesters in Los Angeles “animals” and “a foreign enemy” in a speech at Fort Bragg on Tuesday as he defended deploying the military on demonstrators opposed to his immigration enforcement raids.

Trump, in his most aggressive language yet regarding the protests, used a speech ostensibly supposed to be used to recognize the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army to denounce the protesters while repeating his false statements about the 2020 election being rigged and attacking the previous commander-in-chief, former President Joe Biden.

The Republican president, who sees the military as a critical tool for domestic goals, has used the recent protests in Los Angeles as an opportunity to deploy the National Guard and U.S. Marines over the objections of California’s Democratic governor to quell disturbances that began as protests over immigration raids. Protesters blocked a major freeway and set cars on fire over the weekend in Los Angeles, but the demonstrations in the city of 4 million people have largely been centered in several blocks of downtown.

“We will not allow an American city to be invaded and conquered by a foreign enemy. That’s what they are,” Trump said Tuesday.

Trump’s heated rhetoric came has he’s left open the possibility of invoking the Insurrection Act, one of the most extreme emergency powers available to the president. It authorizes him to deploy military forces inside the U.S. to suppress rebellion or domestic violence or to enforce the law in certain situations.

Trump received plenty of cheers from the crowd, which laughed at the president’s jokes and delighted in his dancing to his campaign anthem of “ YMCA.” However, some in the audience were uneasy with parts of his remarks.

Robin Boothe, 50, works on the base as an audiology assistant. She voted for the president and said his speech was “classic Trump.” However, she also found it to be too partisan, especially his comments on Los Angeles.

“I thought that was better left for a press conference than what we were celebrating today,” she said.

The president also called Los Angeles “a trash heap” with “entire neighborhoods under control” of criminals and said the federal government would ”use every asset at our disposal to quell the violence and restore law and order.”

“We will liberate Los Angeles and make it free, clean, and safe again,” Trump added.

Trump has authorized the deployment of 4,000 National Guard soldiers to the city over the objections of Democratic California Gov. Gavin Newsom. About 700 Marines were deployed to the Los Angeles area, but had not yet been sent to respond to the protests.

California sued Trump over the deployment, with the state attorney general arguing that the president had “trampled” the state’s sovereignty. California leaders accused Trump of fanning protesters’ anger, leading crowds to block off a major freeway and set self-driving cars on fire.

Trump also announced his administration was restoring the names of seven military bases that were given the monikers of Confederate leaders until being changed by the Biden administration. Fort Pickett, Fort Robert E. Lee and Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia, Fort Hood in Texas, Fort Gordon in Georgia, Fort Rucker in Alabama, and Fort Polk in Louisiana will have their names changed back, Trump said.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth already brought back the names of Fort Bragg and Fort Benning in Georgia.

“Can you believe they changed that name in the last administration for a little bit?” Trump said. “We’ll forget all about that.”

Before he spoke, Trump watched the U.S. Army demonstrate a missile strike, a helicopter assault and a building raid, a preview of the kind of show of American military might he’s expected to display in the nation’s capital for a massive military parade this weekend.

Trump has promoted the Army’s anniversary as a reason to hold the parade on Saturday, which is also his 79th birthday. Tanks and other vehicles will roll down city streets in a reminder of how the Republican president is reshaping the armed forces after returning to the White House this year.

“I think it’s going to be great,” Trump told reporters at the White House earlier Tuesday. “We’re going to celebrate our country for a change.”

Fort Bragg, which is located near Fayetteville, North Carolina, serves as headquarters for U.S. Army Special Operations Command. Highly trained units like the Green Berets and the 82nd Airborne are based there.

The atmosphere resembled a state fair with military flair. Inflatable slides and attractions for children were set up in a field, with artillery, trucks and helicopters parked on another section of the lawn. Right outside the security checkpoint — but still on the base — two stands were selling Trump political hats, T-shirts and other paraphernalia.

Hegseth and Army Secretary Dan Driscoll were also at Tuesday’s event, along with service members, veterans and their families.

Driscoll, who spoke to the crowd before Trump arrived, called the president “the greatest recruiter in our Army’s history.”

Hegseth told the crowd that the U.S. is “restoring the warrior ethos” to its armed forces.

“We’re not a college or a university. We’re not interested in your woke garbage and political correctness,” Hegseth said, drawing cheers.

Pentagon sets price tag for 60-day Los Angeles troop deployment at $134 million

By
Jacob Fischler
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FILE PHOTO - An aerial view of the Pentagon on May 12, 2021. (Photo by Air Force Tech. Sgt. Brittany A. Chase/Department of Defense)

(States Newsroom) — The Trump administration’s deployment of National Guard troops and U.S. Marines to protests over immigration raids in Los Angeles will cost the federal government about $134 million, a Pentagon budget official said Tuesday, as the response to the protests further divided officials in California and Washington, D.C.

The situation in the country’s second-largest city captured the attention of lawmakers in the nation’s capital, even as the Republican-led Congress charted a path forward for the Trump-backed tax and spending cut bill.

Democrats in Congress on Tuesday warned the administration’s actions bordered on authoritarianism, while President Donald Trump said his intervention saved the city from destruction.

“If we didn’t send in the National Guard quickly, right now, Los Angeles would be burning to the ground,” Trump said in the Oval Office Tuesday.

California Gov. Gavin Newsom, meanwhile, sought a restraining order blocking the 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 U.S. Marines deployed to Los Angeles from assisting with domestic law enforcement. Trump ordered the troops to the city over Newsom’s and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass’ objections.

Budget question

Democrats on Capitol Hill criticized the administration over several aspects of the deployment, saying Trump was instigating violence, overstepping his authority and wasting taxpayer money.

At a previously scheduled Appropriations Defense Subcommittee hearing, Democratic Reps. Betty McCollum of Minnesota and Pete Aguillar of California asked Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth the financial cost of placing 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines in Los Angeles.

Hegseth, who is originally from Minnesota, declined to answer McCollum’s question directly, instead invoking the riots in Minneapolis following the murder of George Floyd by a Minneapolis police officer in 2020 and saying Trump sought to avoid similar chaos in Los Angeles.

“President Trump recognizes a situation like that, improperly handled by a governor, like it was by Gov. (Tim) Walz, if it gets out of control, it’s a bad situation for the citizens of any location,” he said.

When Aguillar asked a similar question about cost, Hegseth deferred to acting Pentagon comptroller Bryn MacDonnell, who estimated the current cost at $134 million, mainly for housing, travel and food. That money came out of existing operations and maintenance accounts, she said.

Hegseth told the panel the deployment was authorized for 60 days.

Just 2 miles away at the White House, though, Trump implied the decision could be more open-ended, saying during the Oval Office event that troops would stay in Los Angeles “until there’s no danger.”

“When there’s no danger, they’ll leave,” he said.

Restraining order

California’s federal lawsuit challenging the deployment, which state leaders filed Monday, includes a request for the court to issue a restraining order by 1 p.m. Pacific time Tuesday. U.S. District Judge Charles R. Breyer did not issue such an order by that deadline.

The administration intended to use the military personnel “to accompany federal immigration enforcement officers on raids throughout Los Angeles,” the request for a restraining order said.

“These unlawful deployments have already proven to be a deeply inflammatory and unnecessary provocation, anathema to our laws limiting the use (of) federal forces for law enforcement, rather than a means of restoring calm,” the state said.

“Federal antagonization, through the presence of soldiers in the streets, has already caused real and irreparable damage to the City of Los Angeles, the people who live there, and the State of California. They must be stopped, immediately.”

Democrats in California’s congressional delegation and members of the congressional caucuses for Black, Hispanic and Asian and Pacific Islander Democrats also blasted the administration’s role in inflaming the standoff between protesters and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who’d conducted recent raids on workplaces in the area.

“President Trump’s unlawful decision to deploy the National Guard onto the streets of Los Angeles is a reckless and inflammatory escalation, one designed not to restore calm, but to provoke chaos,” Congressional Black Caucus Chair Yvette D. Clarke said at a press conference.

“Let’s be clear about how this began: with peaceful protests sparked by the unlawful and inhumane targeting, detention and deportation of our immigrant neighbors.”

Clarke, a New York Democrat, said in response to a reporter’s question that she believed the sending in of troops constituted an impeachable act by Trump.

“I definitely believe it is, but we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it,” she said.

‘Met with force’

Other Democrats on Capitol Hill have said Monday and Tuesday that Trump engineered the conflict to distract from unpopular provisions of Republicans’ “big, beautiful bill” and other issues.

“Donald Trump, cornered by his own failures – from pushing a heartless bill that would rip health care away from 16 million Americans, to raising costs from his reckless tariffs, to waging war with Elon Musk – Trump is desperately seeking a distraction,” Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Tuesday.

“His order to deploy the National Guard and Marines – our own troops – on Americans is not just outrageous and provocative, it’s a dangerous authoritarian overreach that threatens the very fabric of our democracy.”

Rep. Jimmy Gomez led a press conference of California’s U.S. House Democrats Tuesday where he warned that the militarization in Los Angeles could happen elsewhere.

“If it can happen in Los Angeles, it can happen in any state in the union,” he said.

Later, at the Oval Office, Trump said protesters at his military parade on Saturday would be “met with very strong force.”

‘Tarred and feathered’

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson told reporters Trump acted responsibly to protect Southern Californians and blamed Newsom for “failed leadership” that he said led to the clash this weekend.

Asked if, as Trump and White House border czar Tom Homan have suggested, Newsom should be arrested for interfering with immigration enforcement, Johnson initially demurred before suggesting an 18th-century punishment.

“I’m not going to give you legal analysis on whether Gavin Newsom should be arrested,” the Louisiana Republican said.

“But he ought to be tarred and feathered… He’s standing in the way of the administration and the carrying out of federal law. Right? He is applauding the bad guys and standing in the way of the good guys. He is trying to — he’s a participant, an accomplice — in our federal law enforcement agents being not just disrespected but assaulted.”

Johnson said House Republicans were fully behind Trump’s actions and deflected a question about if there was a point at which he would oppose the administration’s efforts.

“He is fully within his authority right now to do what he is doing,” Johnson said. “We have to maintain order.”

Georgia Supreme Court overturns some election rules, curbing State Election Board’s power

By
Jeff Amy
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FILE - Georgia's State Election Board members discuss proposals for election rule changes at the state capitol, Sept. 20, 2024, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/Mike Stewart, file)

ATLANTA (AP) — Georgia’s highest court on Tuesday overturned four rules passed by the State Election Board just before last year’s general election, ruling the board overstepped its authority and intruded on lawmaking power reserved for legislators under the state constitution.

The state Supreme Court’s unanimous decision limits the future rulemaking ability of the State Election Board and other executive branch agencies of Georgia’s government.

The board passed a slate of new rules in August and September that mostly had to do with processes after ballots are cast, spawning a flurry of lawsuits.

President Donald Trump narrowly lost the state in 2020 and alleged without evidence that election fraud had cost him victory. Three Trump-endorsed Republicans hold the majority on the five-person State Election Board.

The new rules brought an outcry that the board’s majority was trying to improperly use its power to help Trump. The board members claimed the changes were needed to improve the accuracy of results.

Fulton County Superior Court Judge Thomas Cox ruled in October that seven of the rules were “illegal, unconstitutional and void,” but the board appealed.

Trump beat Democratic former Vice President Kamala Harris in November to win Georgia.

In its decision, the state Supreme Court invalidated the requirements that ballots be hand-counted after the close of polls, that someone delivering an absentee ballot in person provide a signature and photo ID, that county election board members be allowed to conduct a “reasonable inquiry” before certifying results and that county election board members be granted broad access to election-related documents.

The court let stand a rule requiring video surveillance and recording of ballot drop boxes after polls close during early voting. It told a lower court to decide whether Chatham County Board of Elections member James Hall has the right to challenge two other rules, which expand designated areas where partisan poll watchers can stand at tabulation centers and require daily public updates of the number of votes cast during early voting.

As part of its decision, the court overturned a 1990 decision that widened the rulemaking power of state agencies. Chief Justice Nels Peterson wrote that the decision was a mistake because it doesn’t “provide clear, objective guidelines that cabin an executive branch agency’s exercise of discretion.”

The reversal parallels the U.S. Supreme Court’s overturning last year of a doctrine that said courts had to defer to how administrative agencies interpreted laws in writing rules.

What was called the Chevron doctrine gave federal agencies the authority to make rules for implementing laws passed by Congress that were unclear.

Scot Turner, a former state representative and one of the people who challenged the rules, said the court’s decision will rein in “unelected bureaucrats.”

“This ruling makes clear: the legislative power belongs to the General Assembly, not executive branch agencies operating without proper constraints,” Turner said in a statement.

The court ruled that the State Election Board had asserted “the type of unfettered discretion that we have now reiterated is constitutionally intolerable.”

That analysis applied to the rule allowing county board members to conduct “reasonable inquiry” into whether results are valid, which the court said could delay finalizing votes and contradicted state law that says counties “shall” certify results. The court also ruled that election board members could only examine documents when there were discrepancies in the number of voters or ballots.

The court ruled that the rule requiring poll officials to hand-count the total number of ballots — not individual votes — contradicted state law. That’s because it allowed the hand-count to take place after Election Day, while state law requires ballots to be tabulated “as soon as” polls close.

A rule requiring people to provide a signature and photo ID when delivering an absentee ballot was invalid, the court ruled, because it “invents new requirements” not found in law.

Amid LA protests, senators raise questions about safety at Olympics, World Cup

By
Ariana Figueroa
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U.S. Sen. James Lankford, an Oklahoma Republican, speaks to reporters on Feb. 6, 2024. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)

WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Members of a Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee panel Tuesday probed witnesses about how the federal government can ensure public safety at major international sporting events such as the Olympics and World Cup.

The hearing came at the same time as protests in Los Angeles over the administration’s immigration crackdown and shortly after President Donald Trump announced his travel ban.

While athletes, coaches and other staff are exempt from the travel ban, it’s unclear how fans wanting to support their home countries will fare.

Nationals from 12 countries face travel bans – Afghanistan, Burma, Chad, Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Haiti, Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan and Yemen. Iran is the only country from that list to qualify in the  World Cup this year.

Citizens from seven countries have partial restrictions –  Burundi, Cuba, Laos, Sierra Leone, Togo, Turkmenistan and Venezuela.

Senators, like the head of the panel, James Lankford, were concerned about visa wait times for international visitors wanting to attend the World Cup, which starts Thursday in Miami, Florida.

“While I’m confident there has been a lot of preparation, I am concerned we are getting a late start,” the Oklahoma Republican said.

Senators on the Border Management, Federal Workforce and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee also raised concerns about drones and said local and federal partnerships can help in hosting sporting events to avoid terrorism threats, such as the New Year’s Day attack on Bourbon Street in New Orleans, Louisiana.

One of the witnesses, Gina Ligon, leads the Department of Homeland Security’s Academic Center of Excellence for Counterterrorism Research at the University of Nebraska. She said the attacker in New Orleans used artificial intelligence through Meta smart glasses to scope out the location before the attack that killed 14 people and injured dozens.

“The threats we observed in the New Orleans attack remain a very real concern that needs significant planning and resourcing given the spread of crowds before, during, and after these events,” she said.

Pennsylvania Sen. John Fetterman, the top Democrat on the panel, said hosting international sporting events is “an incredible opportunity to show the best of America to visitors.”

Los Angeles and the Olympics

Two GOP senators, Ashley Moody of Florida and Bernie Moreno of Ohio, questioned how LA would be capable of handling the Olympics in 2028, given the ongoing protests sparked after federal immigration officials raided several Home Depots across Los Angeles looking for people in the country without legal authorization.

In response, Trump has deployed 4,000 National Guard troops – without California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s authority – and 700 Marines to LA.

One of the witnesses, CEO of the LA28 Olympic and Paralympic Games Reynold Hoover, said local and state officials in California were capable of handling the Olympics and working with the federal government for security measures.

“There’s no place in the world like LA to host the world’s largest Olympics ever,” Hoover said. “I am confident, come July 14 of 2028, when we do the opening ceremony in the Coliseum and the stadium in Inglewood, the world will be watching and see America at its best.”

Hoover said that hosting the Olympics will be the equivalent of holding seven Superbowls for 30 days straight with more than 11,000 Olympic athletes and more than 4,400 paralympic athletes.

Drones and the Olympics

Democratic Sens. Maggie Hassan of New Hampshire and Fetterman raised concerns about drones getting too close to sporting events.

Hassan said while the federal government has taken steps to address private drones, she asked Hoover how he was preparing to address any drone issues for the 2028 Olympics.

Hoover said that “tools to include counter (unmanned aircraft systems) drone technology remain key priorities for our ongoing collaboration with our federal, state and local partners.” He added that coordinating with the Secret Service has been helpful in dealing with unmanned drones.

Ligon said she has seen drones being used near global sporting events.

“Malign actors can now more easily acquire, build, or customize drones at lower costs, with extended ranges, higher speeds, and greater payload capacities,” she said.

Clarkesville lifts Boil Water Advisory

By
Staff Report
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(NowHabersham.com)

The Clarkesville Water Department has lifted its Boil Water Advisory for the area of Old Hardman Bottoms Road and Riverwilde subdivision.

The advisory was issued as a precaution following a water outage on Sunday, June 8.

Clarkesville Water customers in the affected areas may now resume normal water use.

F.A.I.T.H. to break ground on new Power House and Healing Barn in Mt. Airy

By
Staff Report
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(photo submitted)

A local nonprofit is preparing to take a major step forward in its mission to serve abuse survivors in Northeast Georgia. On Thursday, June 26, F.A.I.T.H. (Fight Abuse in the Home), will host a groundbreaking ceremony for its new Power House and Healing Barn—two vital additions designed to expand care for survivors of child abuse, sexual assault, and human trafficking.

The event will take place from 5 to 7 p.m. at the future site of the expanded campus, located at 390 Rockford Cove Road in Mt. Airy. Guests will hear remarks from local leaders, preview architectural plans, and enjoy light refreshments as F.A.I.T.H. outlines its vision for the future.

Safe haven

Since opening its doors in 2002, F.A.I.T.H.’s Power House Child Advocacy and Sexual Assault Center in Toccoa has provided a safe haven for children and adults in crisis. The center serves the Mountain Judicial Circuit—covering Rabun, Habersham, Stephens, and now Banks County—offering forensic interviews and medical exams, trauma-informed therapy, advocacy, and emergency assistance.

By breaking ground on these new facilities, F.A.I.T.H. is laying the foundation for a stronger, safer community. The Power House and Healing Barn will enhance the organization’s capacity to provide comprehensive, under-one-roof services for those who have experienced physical or sexual violence.

“This groundbreaking marks a pivotal step in the growth of F.A.I.T.H.’s mission to bring hope, healing, and justice to those who need it most,” said F.A.I.T.H.’s Executive Director, Caroline Wallis.

Community members, supporters, and stakeholders are invited to attend the June 26 ceremony and take part in building a brighter path forward for survivors across the region.

Sen. Raphael Warnock says ‘people will lose coverage’ if reconciliation bill passes

By
Sarah Kallis
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U.S. Senator Raphael Warnock (D-GA) listens to Dr. Philip Nathan Jefferson, of North Carolina, nominated to be a Member of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, during a Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee confirmation hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., February 3, 2022. (REUTERS/Ken Cedeno/Pool)

U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock says that Georgians are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage if a Trump administration-backed reconciliation bill passes both chambers of Congress.

The proposed federal reconciliation bill, called the “One Big Beautiful Bill,” would implement additional eligibility requirements from Medicaid, including work requirements, increase some co-pays, and double eligibility checks. It would also eliminate higher staffing requirements for nursing homes where the majority of Georgia seniors are on Medicaid.

But Warnock says since over 70% of Georgians on Medicaid are children, they will be most impacted.

“So they’re literally taking health care from children and then burdening those same children with the huge national debt that this unfunded mandate will create,” he said.

The White House says the changes to Medicaid will prevent waste and abuse and protect taxpayer dollars.

The U.S. Senate needs to approve the bill, and then the House will need to vote on it again to approve any changes the Senate has made before President Donald Trump can sign it into law.

All of Georgia’s Republican U.S. representatives voted for the bill when it passed the House, and all of Georgia’s Democrats voted against it. But U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene said she will not vote for it again if a specific section limiting state restrictions on artificial intelligence is still in the bill.

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News

U.S. Soccer headquarters in South Atlanta on track for 2026 opening

By
Amanda Andrews
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Construction on the Arthur M. Blank U.S. Soccer National Training Center is estimated for completion in 2026. (Amanda Andrews/GPB News)

Construction is well underway for the U.S. Soccer National Training Center in South Atlanta. Project leaders say it’s on track for completion ahead of the World Cup in 2026.

The 200-acre training center includes 13 grass soccer fields, two turf fields, two sand fields, and several indoor options. The facility will be the new headquarters for U.S. Soccer operations from educational program to professional matches.

Matt Bradley works for U.S. Soccer. He said the facility will have offerings for the community.

“We’ve done a bunch of work already with the Coca-Cola Foundation and doing community programs in and around the Atlanta area,” Bradley said. “We certainly have, you know, lots of intentions to continue to do things like that.”

Once the facility is completed, all U.S. Soccer staff will move South from the organization’s current headquarters in Chicago. Chief Financial Officer Chelle Adams said U.S. Soccer looked at several locations in the nation before choosing Atlanta.

“Weather was a big important piece of it,” she said. “International airport. Our teams are traveling all over the United States; they’re traveling in and also out, and then also internationally as well. And then really the partnerships that we could have with the community, with the government.”

The facility is expected to be completed by spring 2026.

This article comes to Now Habersham in partnership with GPB News

Sale sparkles as Braves snap seven-game skid by beating Brewers 7-1

By
Steve Megargee
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Atlanta Braves' Chris Sale throws to first base during the first inning of a baseball game against the Milwaukee Brewers, Monday, June 9, 2025, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Aaron Gash)

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Chris Sale struck out a season-high 11 while allowing just one run over seven innings as the Atlanta Braves snapped a seven-game skid by beating the Milwaukee Brewers 7-1 on Monday.

Matt Olson, Ronald Acuña Jr. and Eli White homered to make sure the Braves avoided their first eight-game losing streak since 2016.

Sale (4-4) allowed just five hits and two walks. The reigning NL Cy Young Awardwinner has given up just four runs over 33 innings in his last five starts.

Atlanta led 5-1 when Sale left after walking Brice Turang to start the eighth. Raisel Iglesias took over for Sale and got three straight outs to lower his ERA to 6.48 before Dylan Lee worked the ninth.

Iglesias was pitching for the first time since allowing three runs over two-thirds of an inning Thursday in an 11-10 loss to Arizona, a game in which the Braves blew a 10-4 lead in the ninth.

The Braves failed to score after having two on with none out in the second and fourth innings, but they finally broke through in the fifth.

Olson greeted DL Hall with a two-run, two-out homer in the fifth to put the Braves ahead for good after Acuña had tied the game by going deep off Aaron Civale (1-2) earlier in the inning.

White greeted Grant Anderson with a two-run shot of his own in the eighth, and Marcell Ozuna hit a two-run single off Anderson in the ninth.

Milwaukee’s only run came in the third inning. Joey Ortiz hit a leadoff double and scored on William Contreras’ two-out single.

Key moment

The Atlanta bullpen that has struggled so mightily during this slump did its job Monday. Iglesias and Lee retired six straight batters while combining for four strikeouts.

Key stat

Atlanta’s Ozzie Albies got his 1,000th career hit when he singled to left in the eighth inning.

Up next

The second game of this series Tuesday is a matchup of right-handers, with Grant Holmes (3-4, 3.99 ERA) starting for Atlanta and Quinn Priester (3-2, 3.88) pitching for Milwaukee.

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