Cathy Hamric Nelson, age 67, of Demorest, Georgia, went home to be with the Lord on Friday, February 6, 2026.
Born on November 29, 1958, in Leesburg, Florida, Cathy was a beloved daughter of the late Royce “Bud” Hamric and Imogene Baker Hamric. Cathy lived a life defined by faith, service, and deep love for her family. She and David spent the first few years of their marriage traveling during his service in the United States Navy. Those years were filled with adventure, resilience, and countless memories that shaped a lifetime together. They welcomed their two daughters and built their lives around showing them what it was to be loved and to serve Christ. They instilled the importance of family by staying close and having weekly dinners with her parents and sister’s family. A passionate educator, Cathy dedicated more than 32 years of faithful service to the Habersham County School System, where she touched the lives of countless students as both a teacher and a literacy specialist. Even after retirement, her heart for children and learning drew her back into the classroom, where she lovingly served as a preschool teacher at Level Grove Baptist Church for several years.
Cathy was a faithful member of The River Church in Alto, where she was actively involved and served as a leader in the women’s ministry. Her vivacious spirit, wisdom, and encouragement were a blessing to many. Above all else, Cathy cherished her family. She thrived when her daughters had their children and fully embraced the role of “MiMi”. Her grandchildren were her greatest joy and her most precious treasure. She poured endless love into them and found delight in every moment shared with them.
She is survived by her loving husband of 43 years, David Michael Nelson; daughters and sons-in-law, Ashley Nelson Gurley (Adam) and Sammi Nelson Humphrys (Shawn); grandchildren, Evelyn and Henry Humphries, DJ and Tennyson Gurley; sister and brother-in-law, Karen Hamric Tench (Greg); nephews, Josh and Lacey Tench, and Jake Tench; niece, Jessi Tench and her fiancé, McCoy Savage; her beloved furbaby, Dooley; along with many other relatives and a host of dear friends.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appears before the Senate Finance Committee at the Dirksen Senate Office Building on Sept. 4, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (livestream image courtesy C-SPAN)
WASHINGTON (States Newsroom) — Congress has approved the first public health funding bill since President Donald Trump began his second term, with lawmakers largely rejecting his proposed spending cuts and the elimination of dozens of programs.
A bipartisan group of negotiators instead struck a deal to increase funding on several line items within the Department of Health and Human Services’ annual appropriations bill, including for major initiatives at the National Institutes of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
“When you look at the differences between what was proposed and what was agreed to, it is astonishing,” House Appropriations Committee ranking member Rosa DeLauro, D-Conn., said during a hearing on the bill in late January.
The Trump administration’s budget request, released in May, called on Congress to cut funding for the Department of Health and Human Services by $33 billion, or 26.2%.
The president asked lawmakers to implement an $18 billion funding cut to the NIH, which he argued would bring the agency in line with the Make America Healthy Again agenda.
The Trump administration proposed a $3.6 billion cut for CDC programs, including the elimination of the National Center for Chronic Diseases Prevention and Health Promotion, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, and Public Health Preparedness and Response, all of which it said could “be conducted more effectively by States.”
The James H. Shannon Building, or Building One, on the National Institutes of Health campus in Bethesda, Maryland. (Lydia Polimeni/National Institutes of Health)
The budget request said more than $1 billion should be cut from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, though it said the administration was “committed to combatting the scourge of deadly drugs that have ravaged American communities.”
Trump also requested lawmakers zero out any funding for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, which he deemed “unnecessary.” The federal program helps millions of low-income households meet their home energy needs, via states and tribes.
The final spending bill Congress approved rejected nearly all of the major cuts.
Collins, Murray both praise final product
Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, said the bills “reflect months of hard work and deliberation and contributions from members of both parties and on both sides of the Capitol.”
“Funding for NIH is not decreased, as was proposed in the administration’s budget,” she said. “Rather, it is increased by $415 million, including increases of $100 million for Alzheimer’s research and $10 million more for diabetes research, with a focus on type 1 diabetes.”
U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee Chairwoman Susan Collins, R-Maine, speaks with reporters inside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 29, 2025. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Collins also touted an increase in “funding for low-income heating assistance, which is absolutely crucial for states like Maine and is an issue that I have worked for years on with my Democratic colleague Jack Reed of Rhode Island.”
Senate Appropriations Committee ranking member Patty Murray, D-Wash., said the difference between Trump’s budget request and the final bills was like the difference between “night and day.”
“Our bill rejects President Trump’s asks to rubber stamp his public health sabotage,” she said. “Instead, it doubles down on lifesaving public health investments. It rejects Trump’s efforts to slash opioid response funds. It rejects his proposal to chop the CDC in half. It rejects his call to end programs like title X, the teen pregnancy program, essential HIV initiatives, and more.”
Rare bipartisan agreement in Trump’s second term
Senators from both political parties indicated last summer they weren’t fully on board with Trump’s budget proposal and used a hearing with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. in May and a separate hearing with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya in June to highlight their concerns.
The Senate Appropriations Committee approved its HHS spending bill on a broadly bipartisan vote in July, while the House Appropriations Committee approved its funding bill in September without any Democratic support.
Neither of the original bills went to the floor for debate and amendment votes, though negotiations to find compromise on a final bill began late last year after the record-breaking government shutdown ended in November.
Washington state Democratic U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, speaks with reporters inside the Capitol building in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Sept. 19, 2025. Also pictured, from left to right, are Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y.; New Jersey Democratic Sen. Cory Booker and Hawaii Democratic Sen. Brian Schatz. (Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Republicans and Democrats brokered a final agreement on the HHS funding bill in late January, the first time bipartisan agreement was reached during Trump’s second term.
Congress previously approved a series of stopgap spending bills to keep HHS up and running, mostly on funding levels and policies last set during the Biden administration.
The House originally voted on Jan. 22 to send the package that included funding for HHS to the Senate. But it stalled after federal immigration agents shot and killed a second U.S. citizen in Minnesota and Democrats demanded changes to the spending bill for the Department of Homeland Security.
The Senate voted 71-29 on Jan. 30 to send the package back to the House after removing the full-year DHS spending bill and replacing it with a two-week stopgap. The House then voted 217-214 on Tuesday to clear the package for Trump, who signed it later in the day, ending a four-day partial government shutdown.
The package also holds funding for the departments of Defense, Education, Housing and Urban Development, Labor, State, Transportation and Treasury.
‘Months of hard work turned into results’
House Appropriations Chairman Tom Cole, R-Okla., said during floor debate last month the process that led to the final bills proved lawmakers “can make tough decisions.”
“This is where months of hard work turned into results,” Cole said. “You see, we aren’t here for just another stopgap temporary fix. We’re here to finish the job by providing full-year funding and specifically this package addresses core areas of national consequence — defense; labor, health and education; and transportation and housing development.”
Congress is supposed to pass the dozen full-year appropriations bills by the start of the fiscal year on Oct. 1, though it hasn’t completed all of its work on time in decades.
Oklahoma Republican Rep. Tom Cole speaks with reporters following a closed-door meeting of the House Republican Conference inside the Capitol on Jan. 10, 2024. (Photo by Jennifer Shutt/States Newsroom)
Cole said during debate the programs funded “aren’t abstract concepts on a page, they affect how Americans live, work, learn and travel every day.”
DeLauro said the package of bills represents “a strong bipartisan, bicameral agreement that rejects the Trump administration’s efforts to eviscerate public services and reasserts Congress’ power of the purse.”
“It provides funding levels, removing ambiguity that the White House sought to exploit in the past,” DeLauro said. “It establishes deadlines for required spending, provides minimum staffing thresholds to prevent agencies from being hollowed out and increases notification requirements to ensure the administration is complying with the laws that Congress makes.”
HHS ends up with $210 million bump
The bill provides HHS with more than $116 billion, $210 million more in discretionary funding than the previous level and a rejection of Trump’s request to cut $33 billion, according to a summary from Murray’s office.
NIH will receive $48.7 billion in funding, $415 million more than its current spending level, showing that lawmakers were unwilling to slice its budget by $18 billion as requested.
Congress bolstered funding for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration by $65 million to a total of $7.4 billion, according to Murray’s summary. Trump asked lawmakers to reduce its allocation by more than $1 billion.
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services headquarters in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 23, 2023. (Jane Norman/States Newsroom)
A $3.6 billion funding cut for the CDC was also rejected, with appropriators agreeing to provide the Atlanta-based agency with $9.2 billion.
A summary of the bill from DeLauro’s office says negotiators were able to keep funding for domestic and global HIV/AIDS activities, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research and Tobacco Prevention and Control, among other programs that House Republicans originally proposed to zero out.
The legislation bolstered, instead of eliminated, funding for the Low Income Energy Assistance Program, or LIHEAP, according to a summary from Cole’s office.
The bill, it said, “reprioritizes taxpayer dollars where they matter most: into lifesaving biomedical research and resilient medical supply chains, classrooms and technical programs that set Americans up for success, and rural hospitals and primary health care to support strong and healthy families.”
CDC program axed
The legislation does eliminate the CDC’s Social Determinants of Health program, which the agency’s website states are “nonmedical factors that influence health outcomes.” Those can include whether a person has access to clean air and water, a well-balanced diet, exercise, a good education, career opportunities, economic stability and a safe place to live.
HHS’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion writes that “people who don’t have access to grocery stores with healthy foods are less likely to have good nutrition. That raises their risk of health conditions like heart disease, diabetes, and obesity — and even lowers life expectancy relative to people who do have access to healthy foods.”
Cole’s summary of the HHS spending bill says that program “promoted social engineering while distracting grant recipients from combating infectious and chronic diseases.”
The American Public Health Association urged Congress to approve the bill, writing in a statement the compromise “rightly maintains funding for most public health agencies and programs.”
“While the bill is not perfect and we disagree with cuts to several HHS agency programs included, overall, the agreement rejects the devastating cuts and nonsensical agency reorganizations proposed by the Trump administration and is a positive outcome,” APHA wrote. “Importantly, the bill also includes language to ensure that CDC and other health agencies maintain an adequate level of staffing to carry out their statutory responsibilities.
“The bill will also ensure that Congress exercises its oversight over any future proposed agency reorganizations.”
Paws Humane reached an important milestone this past week. “February 3rd marked one year since Paws Humane Society began managing Animal Care and Control services for the City of Columbus,” said Courtney Pierce of Paws Humane. “This transition was undertaken with a clear goal: to increase lifesaving outcomes while maintaining public safety.”
Paws Humane took over operations at Columbus Animal Care and Control in February of 2025 after a highly publicized criminal investigation involving animal cruelty led to the arrests of eight workers at the city run shelter.
Pierce could not give specific data involving euthanasia in Columbus but indicated the transition has been a success when it comes to saving animals. “Regarding euthanasia rates, I do not currently have access to complete and accurate historical reports from Columbus Animal Care & Control prior to the transition that would allow for a precise, side-by-side comparison. However, under Paws Humane Society’s management, we have achieved a 90.8% save rate, which meets the nationally recognized benchmark for a no-kill community.”
Reaching that benchmark is not the end game for Paws, Pierce said. “It’s important to note that this number is not our ceiling. We will continue to evaluate our programs, expand lifesaving efforts, and work toward even higher save rates while ensuring humane, responsible outcomes for the animals and the community we serve.”
Rep. Matt Hatchett, a Dublin Republican and the House’s top budget writer, presents the revised spending plan for the current budget year, which ends this June. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
ATLANTA (Georgia Recorder) — Georgia House lawmakers have replaced the governor’s proposed income tax rebate with a one-time tax break for homeowners.
The change was included in the chamber’s version of this year’s revised budget, which overwhelmingly cleared the House with a 167-to-5 vote Thursday. The $42.3 billion spending plan now moves to the Senate, where lawmakers will want to leave their own mark on the budget.
Gov. Brian Kemp unveiled his final spending plans last month, which included about $1.2 billion to send taxpayers another round of rebates this year. As in the past, the payment would be $250 for individuals, $375 for head of household and $500 for married couples filing jointly.
Instead, the House plan would set aside about $850 million for a homeowner tax relief grant program that would give back, on average, $500. That grant program is part of the Republican House leadership’s property tax plan announced last week that calls for the complete elimination of local taxes for homeowners, which is a major source of revenue for cities, counties and schools.
“This grant will reduce next year’s tax bills for homeowners, and we will continue to work to eliminate property taxes on your home,” Rep. Matt Hatchett, a Dublin Republican and the House’s top budget writer, told his colleagues Thursday.
The governor’s office sounded open to the discussion.
Georgia Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte stands on the Senate floor during the first day of the 2026 legislative session on Jan. 12, 2026, in Atlanta. (Alander Rocha/Georgia Recorder)
“While it is our office’s practice not to comment on proposed or pending legislation out of respect for the legislative process, the Governor looks forward to working alongside legislative leaders to deliver meaningful tax relief for all Georgians,” Kemp spokesperson Carter Chapman said in a statement.
The governor determines the size of the budget, which means lawmakers cannot add more spending. But they can move money around within the budget to fit their own priorities.
When asked by reporters about the proposed switch to property tax grants, Senate Majority Leader Jason Anavitarte reserved judgment. But he did use the opportunity to plug one of the Senate GOP’s priorities: income tax elimination. He said a proposal would be filed “in the days to come.”
Kemp has proposed moving more cautiously toward shrinking the state’s income tax. His budget proposal left room for the state to accelerate an already planned reduction that would bring Georgia’s rate to 4.99%, down from today’s 5.19%. A bill that would do so was filed last month.
But Anavitarte argued that a recently passed Senate property tax proposal is the better strategy for helping homeowners. That measure, which passed Tuesday, would prevent local governments and school districts from opting out of a statewide homestead tax exemption that caps annual property tax increases.
“I think ours is the clearest to sell, is the most understandable and it directly provides relief more immediately than I think some of the other proposals going on around the building,” he said. “And I think Georgia citizens want us to act very quickly.”
Most House Democrats supported the revised budget Thursday, but House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley said Thursday that the caucus is still evaluating the GOP’s broader property tax plan. Support of Democrats will be necessary to get the two-thirds majority vote needed to pass a proposed constitutional amendment.
House Minority Leader Carolyn Hugley at the 2026 State of the State address. (Ross Williams/Georgia Recorder)
“Right now, the House is saying property tax relief, the Senate is saying income tax relief. We’ve got to wait to see what comes back and see what direction we’re going to go in,” Hugley told reporters. “I think that this measure is so important that we cannot be hasty and we cannot yield to whatever the politics of the day are, because behind those proposals are individual families and communities, schools, cities and counties that are looking to us to take care of.”
The Columbus Democrat praised a “bright spot” in the budget: The House has fully covered the $85 million budget shortfall at the Division of Family and Children Services at the Department of Human Services. About $1.6 million was specifically dedicated to restoring canceled contracts for supportive services and to place foster youth closer to their biological families.
“Our budget fully funds the deficit in DFCS, and we reinstate foster care supportive service contracts,” Hatchett said to applause.
The current budget year wraps up at the end of June.
Three arrested for murder (Robbie Watson/NowGeorgia.com)
As a result of continued investigation, three individuals have been arrested and charged in connection with the death of William Tatum.
On February 5, 2026, Ka’Sean Huff, 26, was taken into custody by CPD’s Fugitive Unit. Marques Lattimor, 22, and Uriel Reed, 25, were served while already being held at the Muscogee County Jail on unrelated charges. Huff, Lattimor and Reed are charged with the following:
• Murder
• Armed Robbery
• Home Invasion 1st Degree
• Kidnapping
• Possession of a Firearm During the Commission of a Crime
• Cruelty to Children 3rd Degree
All three individuals are scheduled to appear in Recorder’s Court for a preliminary hearing on Friday, February 6, 2026, at 8 a.m.
***ORIGINAL RELEASE 10/11/2025***
On Saturday, October 10, 2025, around 8:50 p.m., Columbus Police officers responded to the 5000 block of Stone Park Drive in reference to a person shot. Upon arrival, they discovered a male (later identified as William Tatum, 40) suffering from a gunshot wound. The victim was transported by EMS to Piedmont Columbus Regional, where he was
pronounced deceased at 9:38 p.m. by an emergency room doctor.
On February 4, at 7:49 p.m., deputies with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office were dispatched to 209 Big Springs Mountville Road in regards to two adult males who were shot. When deputies arrived on scene, they found two victims who were suffering from gunshot wounds. Life saving measures began on the victims until care was taken over by Fire Department and EMS personnel.
One victim identified as Jeffery Scott, 54 years old, died on scene and the second victim, Walter Keene, 50 years old, was transported to Wellstar West Georgia Medical Center for his injuries. The suspect identified as Zachary Thompkins, 32 years old, was located at an address on Greenville Road and was taken into custody by deputies without incident.
At this time, Investigators with the Criminal Investigations Division have determined that Thompkins came to the incident location to confront one of the victims about a previous disagreement. At some point Thompkins pulled out a firearm and shot both victims and left the scene.
Currently Thompkins is charged with Murder, Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Firearm during the Commission of a Crime.
Los Angeles, Rams' Matthew Stafford accepts the AP Most Valuable Player awardduring the NFL Honors award show, Thursday, Feb. 5, 2026, in San Francisco. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Matthew Stafford walked away with the AP NFL Most Valuable Player award and a declaration that he’s returning to the Los Angeles Rams for another season.
Stafford edged Drake Maye for the MVP award on Thursday night in the closest race since Peyton Manning and Steve McNair were co-winners in 2003.
Stafford received 24 of 50 first-place votes while Maye got 23. But Maye has a chance to go home this week with a Vince Lombardi Trophy. He leads the New England Patriots against the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl on Sunday.
Stafford, who turns 38 on Saturday, wants another opportunity to try to win his second Super Bowl ring with the Rams.
“Oh yeah, I’ll be back. It was such an amazing season and I play with such a great group of guys and great group of coaches that I was lucky enough to finish this season healthy, and I wanna make sure that I go out there and see what happens next year,” Stafford told the AP.
Stafford brought his four daughters — all dressed in identical black-and-white dresses — to the stage to accept the award.
He thanked his team and saved his wife and daughters for last: “You’re unbelievable cheerleaders for me. I appreciate it. I am so happy to have you at the games on the sideline with me, and I can’t wait for you to cheer me on next year when we’re out there kicking (butt).”
It was Stafford’s way of announcing he will be back next season after contemplating retirement.
Myles Garrett was a unanimous choice for the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award after setting a season record for sacks with 23.
All-Pro wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba beat out Christian McCaffrey for the AP NFL Offensive Player of the Year award.
New England’s Mike Vrabel beat out Jacksonville’s Liam Coen for the AP NFL Coach of the Year award, becoming the seventh coach to win it with two different teams.
McCaffrey became the first running back to win the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award in 24 years.
Browns linebacker Carson Schwesinger was a runaway winner for the AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year award.
Panthers wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan ran away with the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
Patriots offensive coordinator Josh McDaniels won the AP NFL Assistant Coach of the Year award in the first season of his third stint with the team.
A nationwide panel of 50 media members who regularly cover the league completed voting before the playoffs began. Votes were tabulated by the accounting firm Lutz and Carr.
Voters selected a top 5 for the eight AP NFL awards. First-place votes were worth 10 points. Second- through fifth-place votes were worth 5, 3, 2 and 1 points.
Josh Allen, the 2024 NFL MVP, received two first-place MVP votes, and Justin Herbert got the other one.
Stafford, who earned first-team All-Pro honors for the first time in his 17-year career, finished with 366 points to Maye’s 361. Allen placed third with 91 points, Christian McCaffrey (71) was fourth and Trevor Lawrence (49) came in fifth.
It’s McCaffrey’s second top-five finish in three years, more than any other non-quarterback since the weighted point system was implemented in 2022.
Stafford led the NFL with 4,707 yards passing and 46 TDs. He threw eight picks and finished second to Maye with a 109.2 passer rating. Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams lost to Seattle in the NFC championship game.
Maye had 4,394 yards passing, 31 TDs and eight picks. The second-year pro led the league in passer rating (113.5) and completion percentage (72).
Coach of the Year
Vrabel can get his first Super Bowl title as a head coach Sunday if the Patriots beat the Seahawks. He received 19 first-place votes to Coen’s 16 and finished with 302 points.
Vrabel, the 2021 Coach of the Year winner with the Titans, led the Patriots from worst to first in the AFC East, a 10-win turnaround in his first season in New England.
Coen had 239 points after leading the Jacksonville Jaguars to 13 wins and an AFC South title in his first season.
Seattle’s Mike Macdonald got eight first-place votes and finished third (191). Chicago’s Ben Johnson received one first-place vote and came in fourth (145). San Francisco’s Kyle Shanahan had six first-place votes to place fifth (140).
Defensive Player of the Year
Garrett received all 50 first-place votes to become the ninth player to win DPOY multiple times and second unanimous choice following J.J. Watt, who did it in 2014. Cleveland’s edge rusher also was a unanimous All-Pro selection. Garrett previously won the award in 2023.
“It doesn’t just start with me,” he said. “It starts with great teammates, a great organization, great coaches being able to put us in position. I’m thankful for every single one of teammates to help get me up here. It’s not possible without them.”
Texans edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. finished second with 77 points, Packers edge rusher Micah Parsons came in third (63) followed by Broncos edge rusher Nik Bonitto (52) and Lions edge rusher Aidan Hutchinson (42).
Garrett surpassed both Michael Strahan (22.5) and T.J. Watt (22.5) when he sacked Joe Burrow in the final game of the regular season.
Offensive Player of the Year
Smith-Njigba got 14 first-place votes to McCaffrey’s 12 and finished with 272 points. McCaffrey, who won the AP NFL Comeback Player of the Year award, had 223 points.
Smith-Njigba caught 119 passes and led the league with 1,793 yards receiving. He had 10 TDs.
Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua, a unanimous All-Pro like Smith-Njigba, finished third with eight first-place votes and 170 points. Falcons All-Pro running back Bijan Robinson was right behind him with six first-place votes and 168 points.
Comeback Player of the Year
McCaffrey, San Francisco’s All-Pro do-it-all back, received 31 first-place votes and 395 points, outgaining Aidan Hutchinson. Garrison Hearst was the last running back to win it in 2001.
Hutchinson got nine first-place votes and 221 points. Dak Prescott came in third with six first-place votes and 167 points. Lawrence got two first-place votes and finished fourth (130). Stefon Diggs came in fifth (40).
Philip Rivers and Chris Olave each received one first-place vote.
McCaffrey played in just four games in 2024 due to bilateral Achilles tendinitis followed by a season-ending PCL knee injury. He returned to play every game for the 49ers and had 2,126 yards from scrimmage and 17 TDs.
Defensive Rookie of the Year
Schwesinger received 40 first-place votes and had 441 points to become the sixth player in the last 45 seasons to win the award after not being picked in the first round. Shaq Leonard (2018) and DeMeco Ryans (2006) were the only others in the last 20 seasons. Cleveland selected Schwesinger in the second round at No. 33 overall.
Versatile Seahawks defensive back Nick Emmanwori got seven first-place votes and finished second (199).
Offensive Rookie of the Year
McMillan earned 41 first-place votes after catching 70 passes for 1,014 yards and seven TDs.
Saints quarterback Tyler Shough got five first-place votes and finished second with 168 points, way behind McMillan’s 445.
Assistant Coach of the Year
McDaniels received 17 of 50 first-place votes and finished with 249 points. Broncos defensive coordinator Vance Joseph placed second with 10 first-place votes and 176 points.
Mercy is a sci-fi thriller with an intriguing premise, but its novelty eventually grows dull, leaving us ready for the movie to reach its inevitable conclusion. Just think of it as a cross between The Fugitive and Minority Report, only with all of the intelligence and suspense of those movies surgically removed.
Chris Pratt stars as Chris Raven, an LAPD detective accused of murdering his wife under what’s known as the Mercy Court, where the accused has 90 minutes to establish their innocence for a crime or be executed. Rebecca Ferguson costars as Maddox, an AI Judge presiding over his case.
Chris is strapped to a chair while evidence convicting him is displayed on a computer screen. He has to request that files be opened and contact others who are connected to the case, such as his partner (Kali Reis), who is investigating the case, as well as his daughter (Kylie Rogers), who either is too busy or too uninterested in talking with him while he’s fighting for his life.
The movie makes some attempt at commentary on the notion of crime, and at first, the structure is intriguing: Will Chris be able to prove his innocence? However, along the way, the movie gets lost in the woods, going off on so many tangents that shift from crime drama to soap opera.
By the end of its predictable conclusion, it gives up on its setup and settles into a routine action sequence that does little for the story, and it’s definitely not thrilling or exciting to look at.
Pratt and Ferguson have proven they’ve done better and have been better. This script wastes their talents, suggesting this was merely a paycheck role.
Mercy throws itself on the mercy (no pun intended) of my court, but I found it guilty for its convoluted structure and its squandered freshness.
Grade: C-
(Rated PG-13 for violence, bloody images, some strong language, drug content and teen smoking.)
Reviewer’s Note: I saw this movie at the Historic Strand in Jesup
Feb 4, 2026 - Defendant Edrick Faust (far left) with his counsel during day three of the Tara Baker murder trial. (WUGA News)
ATHENS, Ga. — Day four of the trial of Edrick Faust, accused in the 2001 killing of Tara Baker, continues decades-old eyewitness accounts and repeated clashes between defense counsel and the judge as the state works to tie a cold case DNA match to events inside Baker’s off-campus home.
Faust, an Athens man, is facing 12 felony counts in connection with Baker’s death, including murder and other charges tied to the alleged assault and arson.
On Thursday, Valerie Lane, Baker’s roommate, testified about her relationship with Baker and what she remembers around the time of the killing. Defense Attorney Ahmad Crews asked Lane if she was “nervous” and promised the witness “softball questions,” most of which referenced a recording of a conversation between her agent, Elizabeth Bingham. In the recordings, Lane described Baker’s relationship with her boyfriend, Chris, and said Baker had been spending noticeably less time with him at the time of her murder.
Crews has shared several fiery moments with Judge Lisa Lott, who is presiding over the case, and yesterday said that “This trial has been worse than practicing in Communist Russia,” after filing his second mistrial motion of the day.
Crews also said earlier in the morning, the defense had been “handcuffed” while prosecutors were allowed “free rein.”
This Cadillac Escalade was stolen from a dealership in Toccoa and recovered the next day in Columbia County, more than 100 miles away. (Stephens County Sheriff's Office)
TOCCOA, Ga. — A teenager is in custody after investigators tracked down a luxury SUV stolen from a Toccoa-area dealership and recovered it less than a day later in Columbia County.
Stephens County Sheriff’s Office deputies were dispatched just after 9:30 a.m. Tuesday, February 3, to a local automobile dealership following a report that a 2023 Cadillac Escalade V had been stolen sometime the previous evening.
Criminal Investigations Division detectives quickly identified the suspect as Justus Coakley, 17, of Grovetown. Authorities say Coakley had been communicating with the dealership about the vehicle since late January. Investigators determined he allegedly trespassed onto the lot after business hours on Monday, February 2, and drove off with the SUV.
After learning Coakley lived in Columbia County, Stephens County investigators contacted the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office for assistance.
Around 6 p.m. Tuesday, Columbia County deputies went to Coakley’s Grovetown home, where they spotted a similar Escalade in the driveway and interviewed family members. Meanwhile, Stephens County investigators secured an arrest warrant. Deputies took Coakley into custody without incident.
Just after midnight Wednesday, deputies located the stolen Escalade in a subdivision near Coakley’s residence. The vehicle was seized and taken to the Columbia County impound lot, where investigators confirmed it was the same SUV stolen from Stephens County.
Coakley was transported to the Stephens County Jail on Wednesday afternoon. He is charged with theft by taking (felony), theft by deception, and criminal trespass. He remains in jail pending a bond hearing before a Stephens County magistrate judge.
Stephens County Sheriff Rusty Fulbright said the immediate response and hours of diligent work by the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office were pivotal in helping to quickly solve the case.
“I am extremely proud of our Criminal Investigations Division for their strong investigative work and teamwork with the Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, which led to a swift arrest and recovery of the stolen vehicle,” said Fulbright.
JACKSON COUNTY, Ga. — The Georgia Bureau of Investigation is investigating the death of a man whose partially submerged body was discovered Wednesday in a river in Jackson County.
Jefferson Police responded just after 11 a.m. on February 4 to a location off Fields Road west of the city, where citizens were searching near the site of a vehicle crash reported Sunday. While assisting with the search, officers entered a wooded area and discovered the man’s body.
Investigators determined the location was outside Jefferson city limits and notified the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office. The Jefferson Fire Department, Jackson County Emergency Management Agency, and Jackson County Coroner’s Office assisted at the scene. At the sheriff’s office’s request, the GBI was called in to investigate.
Although the man has not been identified, officials believe he may have been an occupant of the vehicle found near the river Sunday night. The GBI said the car “traveled a considerable distance from the roadway before it was located.”
The body will be transported to the GBI Crime Lab for an autopsy.
The investigation remains active and ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the GBI Regional Investigative Office in Athens at 706-552-2309. Anonymous tips may also be submitted by calling 1-800-597-TIPS (8477), online at the GBI website, or through the See Something, Send Something mobile app.
TALLULAH FALLS, Ga. — Tallulah Falls now has its second coach to ever eclipse 100 wins while leading their team. Cody Coleman reached the century mark on February 5 at home against Riverside in a 90-31 final. Number 99 came the night before against #4-ranked George Walton in a pivotal region game.
For Coleman, the Indians, ranked #7 currently and holding a 12-9 overall record, the win may mean more looking back later than it does right now in the midst of a season that is nearing a seventh straight playoff run.
“I didn’t really know I was close,” says Coleman, whose team rallied around him to celebrate after the final buzzer sounded. “It was a nice surprise. It’s not really the number of wins that matters to me, but the opportunity to work with such awesome young men and get to be around the game I love.
Coleman is in his seventh season as the head coach, as every campaign has netted a postseason appearance, with a Sweet 16 in 2021-22 and a first-ever Elite 8 in 2024-25. He guided the program to its lone region title in 2020-21. In five of the seven seasons, TFS has also been state-ranked inside the top 10.
There have been some special victories as part of the 100 along the way. In school history, the boys basketball team has garnered 18 wins against other state-ranked teams. Five such wins have happened this season, and nine have come under Coleman’s guidance. Of the wins that have been compiled, Coleman has some that stand out above the rest.
“A lot of memorable wins,” says Coleman when asked about his favorites. “The region title [in 2021] is always a big one to me. It was just cool to see that team mature and accomplish something special for TFS that had never been done before.”
Coleman is the winningest basketball coach – boys or girls – at TFS. His overall record stands at 100-78 (.561 win percentage). His Tallulah Falls teams have included five winning seasons with a 20-win campaign. He has coached a 1,000-point scorer (Anfernee Hanna ’23), with another closing in (Neyo Bain). Under his leadership, Bain, Hanna, Zakhar Valasiuk (’24), Sammy Davis (’21), and Gabe Keene (’21) all have earned All-State recognition. Coleman was the GACA All-State Region 8 Coach of the Year in 2020-21.
